Author: missionspaul

Do you know how to do things in the right way?

Acts 19: 38 “If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.”

The city clerk was saying that Demetrius and his men should not have done what they had. Dragging this whole situation into a city-wide event was wrong, there were proper channels and procedures for their grievance, it wasn’t here.

There is a time and a place for everything.

Demetrius scored an own goal by doing things the wrong way round.

How many times have we seen people with a convincing argument but the way they go about it means no one listens to their argument but focuses on the poor presentation or on the fact that they have not followed protocol. Breaking customs amount to a greater sin than the sin being presented sometimes.

The family of God have protocols. We have policies. We have places to go to. For example: “If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). Our policies are grace and love. Be careful of those who catch the sinner but try and deal with them outside of the protocols set for us.

Will you learn to ask the question?

Acts 19:37 “You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.”

How easy it would have been for the city clerk to have exaggerated or presumed that Paul and his team had done greater damage than they had. He kept his head, he worked through the accusation and saw that actually Paul had not done much wrong at all. He hadn’t robbed from their temple and he hadn’t blasphemed Artemis. So what were the charges that Demetrius was bringing? It didn’t add up.

It takes wisdom to think through the arguments and not to presume when you have nothing to gain from it. The city clerk didn’t need to defend Paul.

The next time that someone brings a case against someone else. Then just pause long enough to ask yourself ‘well what did they not do?’ Maybe the case isn’t strong enough. Maybe it is just an opinion and some hurt feelings. Be aware of what is being presented to you and learn to ask questions of everything.

Will you calm down?

Acts 19:36 “Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash”.

The mayor-type figure of the city rises in the middle of what is a near riot and calms the crowd down by pointing out that Artemis is a great goddess who is the guardian of the city and who is basically in control so there is nothing to be alarmed about under the threat of some new teaching.

If he could do that then surely …

Today, whatever is going on in your life, calm down, don’t do anything rash. The Almighty God who has come down from heaven is in control of your situation. He is not alarmed nor is He in a crisis. He is able.

Are you using your authority?

Acts 19:35 “The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?”

Do you know your authority?

The city clerk was some form of mayor of the city. He had respect. He was appointed to stir the city and silence the city. This was his position. He had the authority. He stepped into that authority at a time when his city was almost out of hand.

Many use their authority to hurt, to cause trouble, to poison.

But will you use the authority God has given you in the sphere He has appointed you in.

Will you silence people when they need silencing? But see how Jesus used his authority:

Over disease (Mat 9.35)

To teach (Mk 1.22)(Lk 4.32)

To forgive (Mk 2.10)(Lk 5.20)

Over the demonic (Mat 17.18)(Lk 9.42)

Over storms (Mk 4.39)

To step up when needed (Jn 2.13-18)

 

What about your authority? Are you using it today?

 

 

Who are you trying to silence and why?

Acts 19:34  ^“But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

So, the Jews stir the crowd in Ephesus, they want to bring punishment on Paul, but cannot find him, so seize his companions, Gaius and Aristarchus. They say the gospel is a threat to the goddess Artemis who the Ephesians worship. They cause a near riot and at that point start getting worried they too may be implicated as non-worshippers of Artemis. So they push one of their own, Alexander, forward to try and explain that the Jews are on their side. But the plan fails and now for the next 2 hours the city is in unison, a city choir in praise of the goddess Artemis.

Alexander had motioned with his hand for silence and the response was a wave of sound towards the goddess. This would be a threat to the Jews caught up in the middle of this. Where would this lead to?

When you try and shut someone up when it is you who should be silent then you are at risk of antagonising the situation even further.

When you try and silence a situation it is because you are trying to take control and if that is done because of self-preservation then you are likely to put yourself at higher risk.

When you try and silence people you have no relationship with you will make them become louder just to annoy you.

Who are you trying to silence but more importantly why?

Have you been pushed?

Acts 19:33 “The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defence before the people.”

Have you been pushed?

The Ephesus crowd was out of control. No one knew really why they were there or who was meant to be taking charge. In fact there was no control. Worse than this but those who started this frenzy, the Jews, were now worried that the people of the city on hearing of Paul’s gospel challenging their goddess Artemis would think they were part of his team also. So they pushed Alexander forward to state the case that the Jews were certainly not like these Christians and were on the side of the city dwellers. Whether or not Alexander wanted this privileged position isn’t clear but I would imagine he had a degree of reluctance.

In my denomination in the UK there are times as ministers that we have to send in a postal vote regarding a matter. Every year in our annual business meeting scrutineers are appointed to count these votes. This means they have to travel to HQ to count the votes during the year. The appointment of the scrutineers is done with great hilarity as names are shouted out and if they are seconded (usually done by the person next to whoever has shouted out the name) then it is voted upon and the new scrutineer who may have been totally unaware his name had been mentioned has moved into a whole new ministry for their life. Of course I never indulge in such carnal and immature behaviour. I haven’t yet met a scrutineer who wrote to HQ to ask if they could take up such a position. They are all pushed.

Have you been pushed? How did I get to this point? Unsure whether it is the pressure of others and even a lack of desire for others to do what they are asking you to do today. Who has pushed you? Is this a conviction of the Spirit?

Be who God wants you to be. Do what God wants you to do. Being pushed as an encouragement is one thing and we all need some of that. But being pushed because no one else wants it or you just happened to get the short straw is not going to turn out too good.

 

Do you want to be here?

Acts 19:32 “The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.”

The city is in riot mode. It is getting to the point of no return until something really bad happens to satisfy a bloodthirsty crowd. But hold on! Luke says most of the people didn’t know why they were there! They were caught up in the shouting and the pushing and shoving about something they really didn’t know anything about. Such is the boredom of life at times that you can be involved in an argument or a campaign and you don’t know anything about.

Several years ago, pastoring a Church in Dewsbury, in the north of England, I found myself one evening in a similar situation but it wasn’t because I was bored! I was very involved in bringing the churches together in that town which at that time was unique within the UK as being the sole town which only had 2 religions, Christianity and Islam. It was at the time of the Iraq war and one evening I was attending a meeting of ministers and Imams regarding how we would keep peace in the town etc. Don’t ask me how because I do not know. But that evening I returned home as Chairman of the ‘Stop the War’ campaign! Did I know anything about the war? NO. Did I want to be the Chairman? NO. I resigned the next week as the shortest serving chair of Stop the War.

How often we can get caught up in some group, some meeting, some campaign, some argument and we don’t know how we got there. We don’t know the facts. We appear an expert but we know less than a novice. And the truth is we would prefer not to be here. More needs to be done in making sure we are where we want to be and we are not coerced into being and doing and saying what we are not truly supporting.

Do you care enough for your friend?

Acts 19: 31 “Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theatre”

Paul clearly wants to intervene. He cannot stand back and allow his travelling companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, take the opposition on their own. He is the leader and he needs to lead. But his team are holding him back. They seem to be carrying a greater wisdom than his desire and passion for the moment.

Luke writes how even people from the wider circle are getting involved. These were probably wealthy business people who had dealings with Paul perhaps through his tent-making business. In any case they classed themselves as a friend of his. “Stay out of the limelight we beg you.” That was the gist of their message.

Do you care enough for your friend? Are you prepared to risk offending your friend by telling them not to do something they wanted to do?

You may risk being told the circumstance has nothing to do with you. It may be obvious that you are sticking your nose in. But many are fallen today on the battlefields of life simply because friends were silent.

Will you say NO to your leader?

Acts 19:30 “Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.”

It was mayhem in the city. Paul’s travelling companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, had been taken and brought before the officials meeting in the theatre. They stood in their leaders place and were prepared to take the accusations for Paul.

Paul wanted to be there but those around him wouldn’t let him be seen.

Will you say NO to your leader? Will you stand in their way? Will you hold them back? And all along it is because you love them so much you have the best interests at heart. It is not because you are trying to gain or don’t want change or simply want to hinder their vision. You love them and though you don’t want to be like Peter trying to stop Jesus doing the Father’s will, you are wanting to say NO to keep them doing the will of God.

And a question for the leader … will you permit those near you to say NO to you?

Will you take the bullet for your leader?

Acts 19:29 “Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theatre together.”

The knives are out. The voices are frenzied. They wanted Paul but couldn’t find him. So they seized his friends, his companions who walked with him in ministry.

Would you take the bullet for your leader? Would you lay your life down for the person you have followed? Would you be the substitute, stepping in the gap for your Pastor? We all agree that we would surrender our life to Jesus, but for our Pastor, our leader, our boss?

Maybe you think that would never happen. Perhaps.

But let me ask this question: Would you defend them even when they are not there? Would you speak up for them? Would you align yourself with them so that if others could not get to your leader that they accuse you instead?

That is the calling of a travelling companion.