Riot at Ephesus ~ Acts 19:23-41

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  • Has the gospel ever posed a threat on a vested interest in your life?

v23-26
  • Luke is writing this and he cares about it being historically accurate
  • Demetrius his business is threatened by Paul and his teachings
  • Pauls message is that gods made by human hands are not gods but are idols instead

v27
  • he is worried about losing money and business and the praise and worship towards Artemis
  • Ephesians prided themselves on Artemis and the worship of her. The temple was their pride and joy and it identified the Ephesian people

v28-31
  • v28 shows us that they were very passionate about artemis
  • Begged paul not to go because he would die
  • passionate enough to defend the gospel but humble enough to know to not go

v33-34
  • Pushed alexander who was a Jew and he was similar to Paul so they just starting rioting

v35-37
  • The city clark dismisses the riot
  • Where is God in this?
  • God is at work, he has a plan and always sees it through

Implications:
A sensible person defending Christians:
  • the city clark is defending christians because they havent done anything illegal
  • sometimes as christians it is right and proper to let the legal justice system defend the christian
  • if you’re a real christian, many times you will be attacked
  • most of the time we suck it up, pray for enemies and love them
  • this passage shows us the law court protecting us

This passage speaks about idolatry:
  • if you a genuine christian then you speak up and you fight against idol worship
  • our idols today are through things like money, sex, leisure and ‘a good time’
  • does the day find you an idol worship?
  • what do you spend your time doing?
  • if you call yourself a christian and theres anything you love more than Jesus then you are an idolater
  • what about my heart? what am i worshipping that Christ hates? Look at my own heart before i start looking at others

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