Who Are You?

Good morning!
We’re continuing our journey together through the book of Acts this morning.
We have been following Paul’s missionary journeys, as he travels throughout the whole region, now on his third major trip.
If you have a bible with maps in the back, it’s very likely one of them has a reference to Paul’s travels.
Back in chapter 13, sometime around 46 A.D. (or 47 A.D.), Barnabas and Saul were set apart by the Holy Spirit and sent out on their first missionary journey by the church at Antioch. They sailed to the island of Cyprus, then went up into the mainland of modern-day Turkey, then back down and around.
His second journey starts in chapter 15, and makes a larger loop, reaching all the way up to Philippi, and down to Corinth, then over to Ephesus before going back to Galilee.
His third journey, which we’re in now, leads him on a very similar route, back up to Ephesus, as the good Lord willed him to return.
Review
Let’s quickly review the beginning of chapter 19, which we read last week.
Previously, on ACTS:

So, this was the beginning of the church in Ephesus!
It’s a church founded in Christ,
Confessing him as Lord
Repenting of Sin
Baptized
Living for God
As we continue reading, we’ll get even more of a taste of what some of that looked like, and it was pretty amazing!
I have to be honest with you, this is one of those time I wrestled with God over how to preach this passage and why this passage of all passages is the one we’re doing the first week with kids in the service.
I say that because this is a pretty graphic and intense scene, which gives me the chills just to think about!
But, that’s why I want to also just say right off the bat that, as much as we need to acknowledge its reality, we do not need to fear the spiritual realm.
If at any point you find yourself doubting this, just turn your mind to 1 John 4:4, and I highly encourage you to memorize this:

Alright, let’s dive in.
Acts 19:11-20
Acts chapter 19, starting in verse 11.

Initial Reaction
Again, my initial reaction to this story is that it kind of gives me some chills. The first part of this story is pretty spooky! It’s a chilling reminder of the very real and present spiritual nature of the universe, a glimpse into what normally goes unseen and unheard by human eyes and ears.
While many of us in Western culture tend to dismiss the realm of spirituality, the church around the world acknowledges it and literally sees it. This was certainly the case for Paul in Ephesus, and the struggle in this city was very real indeed! It was to this church that he later will write these words:
Eph 6:10-12

And in Romans, he describes the result of such valor:

We are more than Conquerors, through Christ! Remember, lean not on your own understanding…we don’t want to go into the thick of it without any protection!
There is a very real battle going on!
The fact that there are exorcists in the Jewish community shows you that they took it seriously too, even to the extent that these brothers have made it their occupation. Jesus encountered demons, and this group of exorcists encountered demons.
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Motives?
Mike and I went back and forth on this for a while, trying to figure out what motivated the sons of Sheva to use the name of Jesus.
As Christians, I think we can sometimes be quick to judge the motives of these “professional religious dudes” who made it their occupation to exorcise demons. In the cultural context of Ephesus, it’s easy to imagine how easily their motives could turn to greed, fame, or power. The seven sons of Sciva we're doing things for in Jesus name but did not know him. Of course we balk at that! We who are so enlightened! The point of Christianity is not about religious activity. It's about a relationship with Jesus Christ, right?
These guys just don’t get it! And yet, I would hesitate to label them as “fakes” just based on their actions.
After all, they ARE professing to follow the one true God, and the news about Jesus is just that...still pretty new, and confusing.
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MIKE: If you study the Torah, you understand the power of “the name”. It seems that in this case, understanding the power of “the name” and how the name carries with it power and authority, it would make sense for them to try to invoke the name of Jesus.

However, I like how this is summed up:

That the name of Jesus was held in high esteem might also refer to the fact that it was not just considered a “magic incantation” but something to be feared and revered as the name of God would be.
μεγαλύνω - translated “esteem” in the CSB and “exalted” in the LEB is most often translated as “exalted, glorified, magnified.”
Fear fell on them:
What was the result of all this?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, and the beginning of any church. And, ironically enough, the fear of the Lord liberates you from the fear of the world.

Both the miraculous healings and the spiritual encounter pointed people to Jesus, and it moved them to repent. Remember, we talked about the concept of repentance last week.
We know this, the proof of their God-fearing repentance is shown in their actions:

They believed in Jesus.
They confessed their sins/practices.
They changed their ways.

If you added up the annual wages of every adult in this church, then multiplied it by 2, that would be a similar amount of value that was left behind by those who repented.
Books were expensive. But more than the value of the books was the reality that they could not turn back to them again. They were done with that life. That is repentance. There was no safety net - the books were gone.
And they did this publicly! In a city where, for all of Ephesus’s downfalls, they could still afford to be out in the open about all this, which is kind of cool. There are some places where Christians need to be secret about their faith in order to preserve their lives. But in this case, they were able to make a bold statement that Jesus was worth living for!

I love that the word “prevailed” is used here. It was a battle. God’s Word prevailed against the demons, spiritual forces, society, witchcraft, etc.
I want to bring up a very important point here. It can be empowering to think of ourselves as battling demons, however I must urge you to remember Paul’s caution against battling against flesh and blood.
If you do sense there may be a real spiritual concern in your life, I pray that your first inclination would be to pray, and lean into your church community, rather than to go vigilante and do anything rash.
Conclusion
SO, what is the point of this story?
We’re not told the motives of the Jewish exorcists, so as fun as it is to speculate, that can’t really be the point of the story.
If the motive is not the point, then what is the point? Why the pieces of cloth being used to heal people? Why this bizarre, demonic spiritual encounter?
Well, artifacts imbued with power was a very popular and familiar concept for the people in that city, so I think it was just the most convenient way of showing the power of Christ, as we know Paul would never have claimed any of the power as being his own, but it would have very effectively caused a "stir" of excitement, which is just what was needed at the time.
Any of you like to “stir the pot?” IYKYK There’s a time and a place for those of us who like to stir things up, and this story shows that.
I'll be honest with you, if I imagine myself in the place of the sons of Sheva, I would be so resolute and stubborn in my faith that I would easily dismiss these stories as the work of charlatans or common magicians, like Pharaoh's court magi. However, if I went into a house and said "let's try invoking this guy's name, and risk offending YHWH, just in case he really is from HIM."
Then, the spirit says "Yeah I know THAT guy AND the guy who's working for him, WHO ARE YOU?
If I wasn't busy getting stripped down and beat up by the guy I would fall on my face before YHWH right there, declare Jesus as lord and beg him to allow me to wash his feet or dress his wounds.
At this point, the message is clear for everyone, no matter whether they put more stock in physical artifacts they can see, or wildly bizarre spiritual experiences, there is no room left for disbelief but for the very hardest of hearts. And, we also know that even the hardest of hearts can be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is and always has been true. No amount of tangible "proof" or "evidence" will convince someone who has already chosen not to believe in the gospel, but the impact for those who do choose to believe is essentially limitless.
Also, the miracles of Paul and even the demons attacking the dudes, is making sure that all the glory, and all the fame is pointed toward God, and not toward ourselves.
Meditate again on this passage:

Benediction