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Questions for Acts 19:11-41

Key verses 19:21

I MUST VISIT ROME ALSO

1. How did God work through Paul to perform extraordinary miracles (11-12)? What insights do you gain from how people misused Jesus' name and tried to imitate Paul (13-16)? In what ways did the Holy Spirit move as a result of these events (17-20)?
2. After experiencing the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in Ephesus, what might have guided Paul’s decision to make the plans he did (21)? What deeper motivations or purposes might have influenced his desire to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:16; Rom 15:26-27) and visit Rome as well?
3. What might have caused Demetrius the silversmith to stir up a disturbance against the Way (23-34)? How did the city clerk manage to restore order? How do these events help us reflect on the ways Satan tries to disrupt God’s work?
4. As we reflect on Paul’s vision for world mission through the work of the Holy Spirit in Ephesus, what lessons or challenges can we take from this passage for ourselves and our faith community?

Acts 2024 Juan Seo (Sep 22, 2024)

REVIVAL AND VISION

Acts 19:11-21

Key Verse 19:21

After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”

Last week, we learned about the disciple-making ministry of Apostle Paul in Ephesus. Do you remember the three principles of that ministry? Principle 1: Helping disciples receive the Holy Spirit; Principle 2: Forming communities of disciples; Principle 3: Intensive Bible study. What happened then? All the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (10). The gospel of Jesus was spread throughout Asia Minor, and the Kingdom of God expanded. We also pray to spread the gospel and expand God's Kingdom in America and across the world through disciple-making ministry.

Today's passage is about how God used Paul to bring about a great spiritual revival in Ephesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 11: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” In reality, all miracles are extraordinary, but the phrase “extraordinary miracles” here means that these miracles were unique and distinctive from others. What extraordinary miracles did God perform through Paul? When Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons were taken to the sick, their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them. God used even the dirty handkerchiefs and aprons that Paul used to heal the sick and drive out evil spirits. This is a truly amazing event. It reminds us of the woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years and was healed when she touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak. We also desire to experience such powerful works of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

However, one important thing we must remember is that the source of these miracles was not Paul or any human being, but God. The passage clearly states, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” It was God who performed these extraordinary miracles, using Paul as His instrument. Therefore, Paul had nothing to boast about being used as God’s instrument. If someone is used by God to perform powerful miracles, that person should not exalt himself. God reveals His power through us so that His name may be glorified. Furthermore, whom to choose is entirely up to God’s sovereignty. God will use the right people at the right time and place to fulfill His work of salvation. Therefore, when we witness such miraculous works, we must praise God, not people.

An example of misusing the name of Jesus is recorded in the story of the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. They tried to drive out evil spirits using the name of Jesus. They said, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” They didn’t know who Jesus was, so they couldn’t say, “in the name of Jesus Christ,” but rather, “in the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” It seems they thought "in the name of Jesus" was a kind of magic spell. Their attempt to drive out demons was not to glorify God, but for their own benefit, using Jesus’ name. As a result, God did not perform miracles through them. This teaches us that the power in Jesus’ name comes from a genuine relationship with Him, not from using His name as a tool.

So, what happened? The evil spirit found their command ridiculous. Because they had no spiritual power, the evil spirit mocked them, saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” The evil spirit then jumped on them and overpowered them, beating them so severely that they fled the house naked and bleeding. This story is fascinating and humorous when we imagine it. Also, we learn that we should never misuse the name of Jesus. His name is not a tool for our own benefit, and mocking or disrespecting His name has serious consequences.

When the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus heard about the incident with the seven sons of Sceva, they were all seized with fear. They realized that they must not take the name of Jesus lightly and came to understand that Jesus is the Almighty God. As a result, they exalted the name of Jesus. In verse 18, it says, “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.” A remarkable movement of repentance took place. They believed in Jesus as their Savior, confessed their sins openly, and turned to Him. Moreover, they produced the fruits of repentance, showing that their transformation was genuine. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. In Ephesus, many people practiced sorcery. However, after they believed in Jesus and experienced God’s power, they realized that their sorcery was worthless. So, they brought their sorcery textbooks—like “Introduction to Sorcery,” “Powerful Sorcery,” and “Sorcery Handbook”—and burned them publicly. The total value of the scrolls amounted to fifty thousand drachmas. In Ancient Greek times, one drachma typically equaled a day’s wage for a skilled laborer. Considering that the current minimum wage for a day in New York is about USD 120, the equivalent of fifty thousand drachmas would be over 5 million dollars in today’s value. This dramatic act of burning the sorcery scrolls indicates a great spiritual revival in Ephesus, where people not only acknowledged their sins but also made changes in their lives. As the power of the gospel spread throughout the city, people abandoned their worthless idols and practices. Ephesus, once full of superstition and magic, was transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit. A new season of Jesus Christ has arrived in Ephesus.

Verse 20 is the conclusion of the ministry in Ephesus. Shall we read it together? “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” This verse clearly says that the ministry in Ephesus was centered on the word of God. The work of the Holy Spirit was done through the word of God. When the word of God was powerfully proclaimed, people discovered their sins and came to repentance. Then, they confessed that Jesus is the Christ. Furthermore, they bore fruit in keeping with repentance. Through the word of God, a person was transformed, a family was transformed, and a city was transformed. We can call this amazing work of God a spiritual revival.

What is revival? Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the most gifted preachers of the twentieth century, defines revival as “experiencing the glory of God by way of a visitation or an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that manifests the power and authority of God through the preaching of the biblical message.” He points out that a revival is not a human agenda but the work of the Holy Spirit that comes down upon a number of people, upon a whole church, upon a number of churches, cities, and a whole country. It is the Holy Spirit who starts and guides a spiritual revival by testifying that Jesus is the Savior with the manifestation of the power and glory of God. When we meet God and experience God’s presence through prayers and God’s word, we can be filled with praise, adoration, worship, joy, thanksgiving, and freedom. We can be empowered by the Holy Spirit and overcome our unbelief, spiritual inertia, and defeatism to serve God powerfully and faithfully. We can see God’s great vision, accept it, and put it into practice, preaching the gospel and raising disciples of Jesus of all nations.

Do you want to experience this great work of the Holy Spirit through the word of God in your life, your family, and your city? Could we see such a revival in this city, New York? Even before coming to New York, I had heard many times from different people that it would be very difficult to serve a gospel ministry in New York. I also heard the same thing from some of our church members. So I began to doubt: “Can we really bear fruit in gospel ministry here in New York?” What do you think? But historically, there has been a great spiritual revival in New York. Have you ever heard of the Fulton Street Revival?

In 1857, the first financial crisis in the United States occurred. Hundreds of banks failed, payments were suspended, railroads went into bankruptcy, and thousands of merchants and businesses were forced to close their doors. Multitudes lost their jobs, and masses of people flooded the streets with banners demanding bread. During that time of turmoil, a lay missionary, Jeremiah Lanphier, was greatly burdened for lost souls and began a weekly lunchtime prayer meeting at the lecture room of the old North Dutch Church on the corner of Fulton Street on September 23, 1857. On the first day, after thirty minutes of praying alone, he was joined by five people. The following week, twenty arrived, and on the third week, there were forty and then a hundred. He decided to begin daily lunchtime prayer meetings instead of weekly, and a lot of people started to attend the prayer meetings. By January 1858, there were 50,000 people in New York alone who were praying at noon in one hundred prayer meetings across the city. This noon prayer meeting spread to other cities. A merchant from Albany, New York State, came to New York City to buy his goods. As he was selecting his items, he requested the wholesaler to work through the noon hour, thus enabling him to return home by the usual boat. But the wholesaler politely replied, “I cannot help that. I have something to attend to, which is more important than selling goods. I must attend the noonday prayer meeting. It will close at one o’clock, and I will fill out your order then.” The visiting merchant was so impressed by the wholesaler’s life of prayer and, returning to his home, immediately started a noonday prayer meeting in the city of Albany. In Chicago, D. L. Moody was greatly affected by the Fulton Street Prayer Meeting Revival. A great preacher and revivalist, Charles Finney, stated that the winter of 1857-58 would be remembered as a time when a great revival prevailed. This revival also launched a great American missionary movement, with missionaries going to India, China, and Korea. Horace Underwood went to Korea in 1885 and was a key leader in the Pyongyang Great Revival of 1907-10.

The starting point of this great and global revival was right here in New York. Can we also expect such an amazing spiritual revival in this time and in this place? We need to remember that the revival begins with one person praying, just like Jeremiah Lanphier. It starts by teaching God's Word to one person and raising him and her as a disciple of Jesus, just as the Apostle Paul did. Life in New York is busy and challenging. With the high cost of living, couples must work hard to pay rent and loans. Therefore, it is not easy to serve God’s mission in New York as a full-time worker. However, I believe that if we dream of spiritual revival in God and consistently pray for one person, teach them God's Word, and raise them as a disciple, God will send us spiritual revival in His time. Can we dream of a great spiritual revival together?

The Apostle Paul, who experienced the amazing work of the Holy Spirit's revival in Ephesus, saw God's vision for the whole world. Look at verse 21: “After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. ‘After I have been there,’ he said, ‘I must visit Rome also.’” After experiencing the amazing work of the Holy Spirit in Ephesus, Paul made a new decision. Interestingly, when we look at the original text, it says, “Paul decided in the Spirit.” This means that Paul's decision was not based on his personal emotions, but it was a decision made in the Holy Spirit. Seeing the incredible work of the Holy Spirit in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul came to understand God’s heart—a heart that desires to save the world through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He prayed about how he could continue to participate in God’s mission and fulfill the great commission that Jesus had given. First, he decided to visit the believers in the regions of Macedonia and Achaia to strengthen their faith. He also decided to visit Jerusalem to work toward unity between the Jerusalem church and the Gentile churches. The Gentile churches had collected offerings to help the believers in Jerusalem who were experiencing financial difficulties, and delivering this offering was an important mission for the sake of God’s church. After that, Paul decided to go to Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. He said, “I must visit Rome also.” In the original text, it reads, “It is necessary for me to see Rome also.”

Many people desire to visit Rome. In 2023 alone, it is said that 35 million visitors went to Rome. I have never been to Rome, but I would also like to visit as a tourist. However, the reason the Apostle Paul wanted to go to Rome was not to sightsee the Colosseum or the Pantheon. He wanted to bring the gospel to Rome, the center of the world at that time, with a vision to evangelize Rome and, eventually, the entire world. In Romans 15:24, we see that the Apostle Paul even planned to go as far as Spain, which was considered the end of the world at that time. In this way, Paul’s desire to go to Rome was part of his great vision for world mission. He was doing his best to obey Jesus’ command: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That is why Paul didn’t see going to Rome as a mere option but as a duty, saying, “I must visit Rome also.” God accepted Paul’s desire and vision, and He opened the way for Paul to go to Rome and preach the gospel. Through this, the Roman Empire came to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the gospel spread throughout the world.

May God help us know God's heart, which desires to spread the gospel to the whole world, and actively obey Jesus' command for world mission. In the 21st century, where do you think the center of the world is? Most people would probably point to New York, the largest city in the United States. Paul had a strong desire to go to Rome and preach the gospel. Now, we are already living in the “Rome” of our time—New York. Then, what is our vision before God as we live in New York? The modern context is quite different from Paul’s time. In this globalized world, we can go anywhere, not just from New York but from other major cities as well. Additionally, we can share the gospel with people anywhere in the world through the internet and social media. Then, what is the significance of New York for God’s world mission work in this age? There may be many answers to this question, but one thing I would like to highlight is multicultural ministry. New York is home to a diverse range of people from all over the world. Our neighbors are already people from different nations, representing the “all nations” and “the ends of the earth” that Jesus mentioned. Especially, look at the universities. How many students from all over the world come to New York to study? While many of them may stay in the U.S., many others will return to their home countries. If we share the gospel with them and they return as disciples of Jesus, equipped to spread the gospel in their own nations, isn’t it participating in world missions? This doesn’t mean we no longer need to send missionaries to other countries. We still need to go out—to Latin America, Africa, and Asia, sending missionaries to the world. At the same time, we have an incredible opportunity to share the gospel with many international students in New York. I believe this is a significant way to participate in God’s world mission vision.

Last Friday, we had a workshop on multicultural ministry. For those who couldn’t attend, the recording is available on YouTube. Our church’s spiritual direction is to become a multicultural congregation. Why must we become a multicultural congregation? It’s because New York is a multicultural city, and the college campuses we serve as mission fields are also multicultural. If we insist on maintaining a monocultural ministry, we have no future. We will eventually decline into an ethnic church and fade away. To serve Jesus Christ’s great multi-ethnic commission, which commands us to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations, we must embrace the vision of becoming a multicultural congregation. However, if the culture, theology, and practices of our church do not change to become multicultural, this vision will be impossible to achieve. Then, what must we do? I cannot go into detail about this important topic in this sermon. We will continue to hold workshops on multicultural ministry and seek God's wisdom.

“I must visit Rome also.” I pray that, like the Apostle Paul, we may have a vision to see our city transformed and the gospel spread to the ends of the earth. I pray that we can share the gospel of Jesus with one person and pray for him and her to be disciples of Jesus. May God send us his revival and use us for his great world mission work!