Caleb Walker

PowerPoint Download Here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c5nf7jc15ahfmxy999qjo/Acts-19-Lifeway-Ppnt.pptx?rlkey=nto946pa4yg36fgufoy7o0e5g&st=fh29y35y&dl=0

Review: Last week we looked at how…

1. Gospel ministry begins by CULITVATING RELATIONSHIPS (Acts 18:1-4)
2. Gospel ministry battles COLLIDE in REJECTION (Acts 18:5-11)
3. Gospel ministry blossoms by CONTINUAL RELIANCE (Acts 18:18-21) as god encouraged Paul to continue in the work He had given him to do, encouraging him with God’s presence, protection, and the promise that there would be more people in that city who would be saved.
   Title: Motives
   Text: Acts 19:11-20
   Memory verse: Acts 19:20, “20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
   Theme: Believers must evaluate their motives for serving.
   Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that God worked mightily through Paul as he served with honorable integrity through the Holy Spirit’s power, even accomplishing miracles. In Ephesus there were some who used Jesus for their own gain without His power. There is a difference between knowing Jesus and knowing information ABOUT Him. It’s a subtle slippery slope to just go through the motions without walking initmatly in relationship with Jesus.
   Opening Discussion Question: Lifeway’s “Acts 13-28 Leader Guide” asks, “What guidelines help you determine how and why you do something? Why do our motives matter as long as we have good results?”
   Answer: Are the motives for why we do something the most important thing or just getting results in ministry? Maybe you’ve heard it said, “I just want results.” God doesn’t just want results, God wants our hearts. God cares just as much about the means as much as he does the end product. We should ask ourselves in this group gathering, “Why do we do what we do…”
   Context:
   We’re going to zero in on key moments in Paul’s third missionary journey, as he returns to Antioch (his launch pad for his mission work), reporting back and hitting the road for Asia Minor, and on his way to Ephesus, starting with Galatia and ending in Pisidian Antioch.
   God brings Apollos to Paul, a good orator and well-versed in his use of the Scriptures, yet he still had much to learn. Acts 18:24 says, “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures,”-not only that-but John the Baptist discipled him! Priscilla and Aquila took him under their wing to bring him up to speed on his understanding of the finer gospel points of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, which he took in stride and grew from.
   Paul does the same for another group of John the Baptist’s disciples who are then baptized and then filled with the Holy Spirit.
   In Ephesus Paul preached 3 months in the synagogue, hot some opposition from the Jews, moved to the lecture hall of Tyrannus preaching for 2 years. While in Ephesus, Paul confronted the -often Jewish-magicians and sorcerers that were rampant in the city, confirming that Jesus truly had all power, and they did not.
   Main Points:
   I. God exhibits His might (Acts 19:11-12)
   II. God exposes man’s motivations (Acts 19:13-16)
   III. God exalts His majesty (Acts 1917-20)
   Lesson:
   I. God exhibits His might (Acts 19:11-12)
   A. God exhibits His might for His glory. (v. 11)
   11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,”
   Explanation: God was the One enacting transformation, not Paul; Paul was merely an instrument for the “extraordinary miracles.” God countered the demonic, satanic power-hold of Ephesus with His glorious power through these miracles.
   B. God exhibits His power for man’s good. (v. 12)
   “12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.”
   Explanation: Everyone had sweat bands and clothe to protect from the dusty roads, and God-in this time in church history, in this, specific event—endowed Paul’s garments even with healing power for the sick and the casting out of demons for the possessed.
   Illustration: This was similar to how Jesus’ garments held healing power for the woman with the continual hemorrhaging in Mark 5.
   Application: It’s important for us to have peace in the fact that our God is infinitely more powerful than Satan and his minions in this broken world.
   I John 4:4 says, “4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
   Transition: (Theme) Believers must evaluate their motives for serving. First, God exhibits His might for His glory and for man’s good. Second,
   II. God exposes man’s motivations (Acts 19:13-16)
   A. God exposes man’s motivations: No relationship (v. 13)
   “13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’”
   Explanation: These money-motivated exorcists who paraded their devotion along with their complicated incantations tried to use the name of Jesus-God’s power—for their selfish ends. If Jesus’ Name got them the results they wanted, they’d use it; if another superstitious means got them results, they’d use it. the words “horkizo”-“I command you”-were used for exorcisms and depended not just on the words but the reliance of the individual on Jesus Christ, which Paul did and they did not. God exposes man’s motivations: No relationship… Second,
   B. God exposes man’s motivations: No reliability. (v. 14)

“Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.”
Explanation: He could have been Jewish, cultic, merely a descendent of a Jewish high priest, or con men/liars. They pawned-off their exorcisms and magic for money. They were a feckles, travelling side-show with no real substance or integrity. God exposes man’s motivations: No reliability. Third,
C. God exposes man’s motivations: No results. (v. 15)
“15 But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Explanation: The demon denied their power, because they had no real authority because they had no real relationship with God and then attacked them. You can imagine this scene, as a huge crowd gathers to see the spectacle as they boast of their abilities to drive out demons, only to shortly be running out scared and unclad do to the demon’s attacks. They were exposed.
Application: God will not allow His power and holy Name to be manipulated or abused or used for man’s self-serving purposes.
The work of Christ in the gospel: This lesson points us to Christ and the gospel when we consider the abuse and mistreatment He suffered to make us His own, so that we could turn from all our ill-motivated practices to serve Him as His children with pure motives.
Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Transition: (Theme) Believers must evaluate their motives for serving. First, God exhibits His might for His glory and for man’s good. Second, God exposes man’s motivations when he has no real relationship, no reliability, and no results. Thirdly,
III. God exalts His majesty (Acts 19:17-20)
A. God exalts His majesty when there is corporate repentance (v. 17-19)
“17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
Explanation: Word spread and both Jews and Greeks began repenting. A terror, a respect fell on the people, and Jesus was worshiped. The Ephesian Christians who strayed into dabbling in these magic practices repented and acknowledged God’s holiness. The sorcerers burned their ancient scrolls of their magic practices; some can be found in museums, unfortunately. The value of these scrolls that were burned was 50,000 drachmas equivalent to 137 years of wages! The cost of repentance was far more worth it than the value of continuing in sin. When folks get that, repentance happens. God exalts His majesty when there is corporate repentance. Second,
B. God exalts His majesty when there is commitment to God’s revelation (v. 19)
“20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
Explanation: God’s Word impacted people and the region, creating spiritual health and vitality, and strength.
Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is the doctrine of The Scriptures, the Bible.
Lifeway says, “All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is himself the focus of divine revelation.” (p. 108) They site Jeremiah 23:29 and John 5:39.
Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
They site John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”
While there are some portions of Scripture that can be challenging to understand, God has given us His word in such a way that the believer can understand it and his or her life can be transformed by it; God has written his word so that we can understand it. (Systematic Theology, p. 105)

General Outline:

Review:

1. Gospel ministry begins by CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS (Acts 18:1-4)
2. Gospel ministry battles COLLIDE in REJECTION (Acts 18:5-11)
3. Gospel ministry blossoms by CONTINUAL RELIANCE (Acts 18:18-21)
   Title: Motives
   Text: Acts 19:11-20
   Memory verse: Acts 19:20, “20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
   Theme: Believers must evaluate their motives for serving.
   Opening Discussion Question: Lifeway’s “Acts 13-28 Leader Guide” asks, “What guidelines help you determine how and why you do something? Why do our motives matter as long as we have good results?”
   Main Points:
   I. God exhibits His might (Acts 19:11-12)
   II. God exposes man’s motivations (Acts 19:13-16)
   III. God exalts His majesty (Acts 1917-20)

I. God exhibits His might (Acts 19:11-12)
A. God exhibits His might for His glory. (v. 11)
B. God exhibits His power for man’s good. (v. 12)
II. God exposes man’s motivations (Acts 19:13-16)
A. God exposes man’s motivations: No relationship (v. 13)
B. God exposes man’s motivations: No reliability. (v. 14)
C. God exposes man’s motivations: No results. (v. 15)
The work of Christ in the gospel: Philippians 2:13
III. God exalts His majesty (Acts 19:17-20)
A. God exalts His majesty when there is corporate repentance (v. 17-19)
B. God exalts His majesty when there is a commitment to God’s revelation (v. 19)
Doctrine: Scripture