Acts #22 (Preacher Notes): True life with Christ is better than counterfeit

Here are four life charts that look like God’s expectations but are sure to send you to hell:

• the trust placed in a biblical prophet,
• a religion inspired by the Bible,
• a prayer that harnesses the name of Jesus,
• welfare and economic growth before God.

It’s very interesting what we’ve been reminded of lately

Last Sunday Stefan urged us to take stock of where we are with Jesus

If Christ is no longer at the heart of our

• Personal lives
• Church Lives
• It has nothing to do with what God expects

What God has done
Today, chapter 19 tells us about four situations where Christ is forgotten

1) A prophet as a reference but not Christ

2) A religion rather than Christ

3) A spiritual recipe but no attachment to Christ

4) Welfare and tradition but not Christ

Text

We are on the 2nd trip that the apostle Paul made in the Mediterranean basin to communicate what Christ has done for each man. Chapter 19 is devoted to the presence of the apostle in the city of Ephesus and its region.

Let’s look at the first situation:

1) A prophet as a reference

but not Christ

Acts 19

1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul arrived at Ephesus after crossing the upper provinces of Asia. He met some disciples 2 and said to them:

“Did you receive the Holy Ghost when you believed?”

They answered him:

“We haven’t even heard of a Holy Ghost.”

3 He asked:

“What baptism did you receive then?”

They replied:

“The Baptism of John.”

4 Then Paul said:

“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus [the Messiah].”

5 With these words they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7 There were a dozen men in all.”

A well-stocked CV

At first sight, these twelve men have a lot in common with all the people attached to Christ.

Discussed :

of followers,
baptism,
of repentance,
of John the Baptist, the greatest prophet.
Without the essentials

It looks like a lot. But the essential is missing: Christ

So certainly these people had not yet heard the good news, but their beliefs and their faith did not save them.

Yet it was very biblical but it lacked the essential: Christ!

Very current

It’s quite a modern situation because we are quite frequently approached by religious movements claiming to be Bible-based, more or less Christianity or more or less Judaism, which by their aplomb nature, their peripheral knowledge can prove to be quite interesting and culturally or intellectually stimulating.

But the essential thing is missing: Christ.

Basic Question

The first question to ask in the face of these spiritual currents: is Christ in His rightful place?

The happiness of the discovery of the gospel

So here, the men were ignorant of the gospel and they received it with happiness. We see that as soon as the Good News is announced, it is received in receptive hearts.

Reception of the Holy Spirit

And like all believers in Christ, they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Different?

We may perhaps be unsettled that we have not received the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands from an apostle and demonstrated His presence by an expression of speaking in tongues or prophecy.

More of a First Century Apostle

Already we no longer have an apostle in the sense of the beginning of the Church in the sense of Ephesians 2:20

You were built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Jesus Christ himself is the cornerstone.

And if we had to wait for the coming of an apostle of this definition, we could wait a long time!

Note that the believers of the time did not wait each time for the arrival of one of the apostles to receive the Holy Spirit.

There wouldn’t have been that many that would’ve received the Holy Ghost after all.

So a special meaning

Obviously, if this special event happens, it is to mean something special.

1) It has rather an inaugural meaning in the progression of the Gospel.

2) And this also shows that Paul is just as much an apostle as the other twelve.

As such, the particular manifestation of the reception of the Holy Spirit made explicit by speaking in tongues or by prophecy is to demonstrate that it is the same Spirit as at Pentecost.

With the International Biblical Geneva (IBG) students, we looked at the verses that speak of receiving the Holy Spirit in Acts.

Many Differences (Inaugural phase in advancing the gospel)

Description: Acts recounts several different ways in which He is received ( Ac 8.5,18; 10.44-47; 19.1-7). None are prescriptive.

3 years later

The apostles, who had spent 3 years with Jesus, only received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost

Do we have to wait three years before receiving the Holy Spirit?

That day they also received speaking in tongues (Acts 2).

Following the coming of the apostles

Samaritans who believed in Philip and were baptized received the Spirit when two apostles came to lay hands on them (Acts 8:15,18).

When they hear about salvation

The people of the house of Cornelius received the Spirit without laying on of hands and before their baptism (Acts 10.44, 47).

When Paul lays hands

The disciples in Ephesus received the Holy Spirit when Paul laid hands on them and they spoke in tongues (Acts 19:1-17).

What doctrine should be drawn from these examples?

That the Holy Spirit is only given by the laying on of hands by an apostle?

That receiving the Holy Spirit is a separate step from conversion?

That it is related to water baptism?

No theology on narrative texts (one would have a lot of problems with the book of Acts to define how the Holy Spirit must come).

Always refer

to the words of Jesus
and the epistles.
Romans chapter 8, verse 9 :

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him”

Religion rather than Christ

Acts 19

“8 Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly.

For 3 months he discussed matters concerning the kingdom of God and endeavoured to persuade those who listened to him.

9 However, some remained hardened and unbelieving and spoke ill of the way of the Lord before the crowd.

So he left them, took the disciples aside, and taught every day in the school of a man named Tyrannus.”

Response to the Jewish expectation

The apostle Paul had his habits in the synagogues when he arrived in a city.

Quite simply to show those who were steeped in biblical history, that the announcements made by the prophets concerning

the Liberator,
the Messiah,
were fulfilled in Christ.
Who better than those who were waiting for the Messiah and who knew the writings very well could be seized by the perfect fulfilment of all the prophecies concerning the Messiah?

The Jewish people who found themselves in the synagogues were among them.

Joy of salvation

And indeed, for some of them, the fulfilment in Christ jumped out in their eyes and in their hearts and they caught hold of Christ.

Usual confinements

For others, however, this was not the case.

The answer – Christ was not what they had imagined for years.

Blocking.

Closure of Heart.

Opposition occurred because they defended their concepts, the usual religious concept, the traditional concept, and even the family concept.

Vehement opposition from the traditionally religious people prevents the masses from being disposed towards the divine answer.

It is for this reason that Paul withdraws with the believers so that they may be at peace and be built up in Christ.

For our reflection

Am I hiding behind my traditional religious or even evangelical upbringing?

Does questioning this heritage irritate me?

It may be a good thing because it will reveal what I ultimately care about.

This tradition that is so strongly defended, what does it do concretely on a daily basis?

She does something: she separates us from God eternally because she is sterile and she despises what the Son of God has done.

The strongest opposition is often the one that seems closest.

The gospel decides between what may seem similar and creates resistance against the religious spirit.

A spiritual recipe but no attachment to Christ

1) A prophet as a reference

but not Christ.

2) A religion rather than Christ.

3) A spiritual recipe but no attachment to Christ.

Acts 19 At Tyrannus

10 It lasted two years,

so that all the inhabitants of Asia, Jews and non-Jews, heard the word of the Lord.

11 God was doing extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so much so that aprons or handkerchiefs that had touched his body were applied to the sick; sicknesses left them and evil spirits came out [from them].

13 Some travelling Jewish exorcists tried to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits; they said:

“We conjure you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!”

14 Those who did this were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest.

15 The evil spirit answered them,

“I know Jesus and I know who Paul is; but you, who are you?”

16 Then the man who had the evil spirit in him fell upon them, overpowered them all, and mistreated them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.

17 This was known to all the inhabitants of Ephesus, Jews and Gentiles; fear took hold of all and the greatness of the name of the Lord Jesus was celebrated.

18 Many believers came to publicly acknowledge what they had done.

19 Many of those who had practised magic brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. Its value was estimated at 50,000 silver coins. 20 Thus the word of the Lord spread and gained power.

All the city

A spectacular event that marked the entire region of Ephesus, (estimated at 200,000 people), if this were not the case, Luke would never have mentioned it.

This event shows the opposition between the explosive life that flows from Christ, (Paul whose clothes and linens eradicate pain. Incomprehensible. Where the Spirit of God acts particularly, the extraordinary is not explainable Examples: the awakening of Wales, among the Zulus, etc.)

Those who want to exploit the form or terms of Christ but who are not attached to Christ but to the occult world seek a personal interest but not that of Christ.

Occult principle

The occult principle which is without Christ seeks ascendancy with formulas to dominate other minds, even if they use the name of God.

We see from the text that the occult practices were so entrenched in Ephesus that the cleansing of the occult manuals was considerable. It was worth 50,000 silver coins, while the annual salary of an agricultural worker was 150 silver coins. That says a lot about the impact of the occult in this city.

Divine principle

Conversely, the life that flows from Christ is truly capable of liberating.

What stands out

This passage shows us that it is not the formulas, the terms or the way of doing things that have priority, even if they are biblical and use the name of God. But one must be attached to Christ; this has priority, and the rest follows afterwards.

For our reflection

Is it true that I use the same terms, the same way of doing things as the brothers in Christ, the family or the friends who are in Christ but that interiorly and really, I never abandoned myself to Him?

Not 36 solutions

There is only one solution if we don’t want to be confused like the sons of Sceva, in verse 18:

confessing one’s wrong course in opposition to God
and asking for reconciliation through Christ.

Welfare and tradition but not Christ

1) A prophet as a reference but not Christ.

2) A religion rather than Christ.

3) A spiritual recipe but no attachment to Christ.

4) Welfare and tradition but not Christ

The last opposition mentioned in this chapter propels us into the confrontation between the logic of gain and tradition versus faith in Christ.

Reading

Acts chapter 19

21 After these events Paul planned to go to Jerusalem through Macedonia and Achaia.

“When I’ve been there,” he said, “I’ll also have to go to Rome.”

22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, and he remained in Asia for some time longer.

23 At that time there arose great trouble concerning the way of the Lord. 24 Indeed, a silversmith named Demetrius made temples of Artemis in silver and procured a considerable profit for the craftsmen.

25 He gathered them together with those who were engaged in a similar activity and said:

“You know that our prosperity depends on this industry. 26 Now you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great crowd, saying that the gods made by the hands of man are not gods. 27 This risks not only discrediting our activity but also destroying the importance of the temple of the great goddess Artemis and even stripping off her majesty that all of Asia and the whole world venerates.”

28 At these words they were filled with anger and cried out,

“Great is the Artemis of the Ephesians!”

29 The whole city was in turmoil. They all rushed to the theatre together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians Paul’s travelling companions.

30 Paul wanted to appear before the people, but the disciples prevented him. 31 And even some Asiarchs who were his friends sent someone to him to ask him not to go to the theatre.

32 Some were shouting one thing, and some another, for confusion reigned in the assembly and most of them did not know why they had gathered together.

33 Then Alexander was led out of the crowd, as the Jews were pushing him forward, and Alexander waved his hand that he wanted to speak to the people. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all cried out with one voice for nearly two hours:

“Great is the Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 However, the city clerk was able to calm the crowd:

“Ephesians,” he said, “who is ignorant that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great [goddess] Artemis and of her statue fallen from heaven? 36 It is an indisputable fact! You need to calm down and do nothing in a rush.

37 Indeed, you have brought these men here when they are not guilty of sacrilege or blasphemy against our goddess.

38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who accompany him have to complain about someone, there are days of audience and governors: let them file a complaint. 39 And if you have any other claims, they will be settled in a legal assembly. 40 We risk being accused of revolt for what happened today since there is no reason that allows us to justify this gathering.

With these words, he dismissed the assembly.

Economic problem

The situation here is very modern:

the tourist industry feels in danger,
the good vein around the cult of Artemis feels weakened by faith,
growth problem,
well-being problem (immediate),

It applies to real life, showing a real quality of life from Christ.

They forget what Christ did

Yet the whole city knew what Christ had done but it was very quickly forgotten compared to the short term (the tourist industry).

Do our immediate life interests take precedence over devotion to Christ?

Reading

Matthew 13

“A sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the way; the birds came and ate it. 5 Another part fell in the stony ground where it had not much soil; it sprang up immediately because it found no deep ground, 6 but when the sun came out, it was scorched and dried up for want of roots. 7 Another part fell among the brambles; the brambles grew and choked him. 8 Another part fell on good ground; it gave fruit with a ratio of 100, 60 or 30 to 1. 9 Let him who has ears [to hear] hear.”

When a man hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and takes away what has been sown in his heart: this man is the one who received the seed along the way. 20 He who received seed in the stony ground is he who hears the word and immediately accepts it with joy; 21 but he has no roots in himself, he is a man of a moment and, as soon as difficulties or persecution arise because of the word, he stumbles. 22 He who received the seed among the brambles is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceptive attraction of riches stifle this word and make it fruitless. 23 He who received seed in good soil is he who hears the word and understands it; it bears fruit with a ratio of 100, 60 or 30 to 1.

What place do we reserve for Christ?

It is not only about our eternal devotion to Him, but daily devotion to Him
Do the ways of life and traditions that surround us and the gospel come first? Do our life and choices ultimately flow from Christ? “Is He always on the second page of our google searches”?

Counterfeit

Or do I basically agree with what I’ve heard but that my life with Christ is a counterfeit? Words but not life.

Drawing

I have a friend who works at Rolex. The energy and ingenuity that are deployed constantly so that they cannot be copied are extraordinary.

I can tell you that there is a real difference between a real one and a copy.

Christ will not be wrong

Christ, who will be the judge of all, will instantly tell the difference between one of His children truly attached to him and another who lives a counterfeit religious life.

Ultimately

Today’s text showed a very clear opposition between what was almost the same and the truth.

• Maybe your life is a counterfeit faith in Christ and you are unknown to God.
• You can become close to God through Christ.
  There is more joy in surrendering to Christ than in the effort of imitation.

• If you are known to God through Christ but there remains a more endearing cohabitation other than the One who saved you, Christ only expects the authentic!