Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Paul in Ephesus - The Books of Acts & Ephesians

Transcript

Paul in Ephesus - The Books of Acts & Ephesians · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And this was known to all the
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus. And fear fell
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: on them all, and the name of the Lord was magnified.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Acts 19.17 Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: denounce and rebuke every evil spirit that would ever try
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: to come against my life and the plans of the Lord.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Through the Word of God, I understand and recognize that
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: through the blood of Jesus, I have true power and
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: authority over every dark spirit who would ever try to
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: step against me. Satan, you are rendered helpless and weak
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: because you are a defeated foe. Holy Spirit, will you
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: never allow me to forget that in you I have
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: complete power and control. Unlike the seven sons in Acts 19,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: I declare that my name is known in the gates
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: of hell. I declare that demons tremble when my feet
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: touch the ground. With the same tenacity as Paul in Ephesus,
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: I take control over every atmosphere and declare every place
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: my foot treads as holy ground, dedicated to the Lord
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for making
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: prayer a priority in your day. To learn more about
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: Paul in Ephesus In our last story, Paul established the
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Corinthian church. The wicked port city of Corinth was a
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: dark and twisted place, yet the light of Jesus was
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: spreading forth in power. Now we see a new church emerge.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: The church of Ephesus begins with Paul and just twelve
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: men willing to connect with the people around them. They
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: would soon face danger, demons, and angry mobs. However, nothing
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: would prevail against the work of Jesus. inspired by the
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: books of Acts and Ephesians.
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: to get a copy of the Jesus book, simply go
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: you for your support. In our previous time together, we
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: heard how Paul journeyed to Corinth and planted the church
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: in that city, even in the midst of sin, and
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: deplorable conditions, debauchery really, a Corinthian society that was corrupt.
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: Paul remained in Corinth for a year and a half
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: to plant the deep roots of the gospel for the
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: church that they may stay grounded in the truth. It
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: would be a continual battle against a prevailing and a
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: perverse culture. Today we will go with Paul to Ephesus
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: as he begins yet another church after finding 12 individuals
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: who are eager to receive the truth of Jesus Christ.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: We'll find Paul healing people as Jesus did, and we'll
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: see how God's purposes prevail even in the midst of persecution.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: So let's listen once again to the reading of God's Word.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: The cool breeze on the Corinthian shore faded as Paul
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: journeyed inland to Ephesus. He had built up a great
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: team of noble men and women there, and he had
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: faith that the Lord would move in that city despite
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: its corruption. As he entered the city, he caught word
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: that there were disciples in the city. Paul wandered through
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: the streets, inquiring as to where he can find the
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. He found them in a home in
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: the heart of the city. Did you receive the Holy
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: Spirit when you believe?
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: Paul asked.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: We have not heard of such a thing, they answered.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: So Paul spoke to them about the Spirit of God, baptism,
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: and the mission of Christ. So the Holy Spirit came
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: upon all twelve of the people there in Ephesus. They
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: began speaking in tongues and doing mighty works in the
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: name of Jesus. Paul grew close to the Ephesians, and
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: together they built a community of believers. Paul and the
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Ephesian believers were in the middle of the city healing
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: the sick. They would tend to wounds, pray, and watch
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: the Lord do mighty works of compassion. The days were
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: long and filled with purpose. For two years Paul endeavored
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: in the city, so long that the Ephesians became Paul's
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: adopted family. It was late, and a group of Jewish
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: exorcists walked into the home of a man possessed by
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: a demon. They were the seven sons of Siva. They
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: stepped forward towards the demoniac. His eyes darted forward like
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: a lion stalking its prey. The sons had never seen
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: a glare so evil. The man's eyes looked human, but
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: behind them was the spirit of the enemy. The room
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: was dark, and the Jews trembled as the demoniac stood
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: to his feet. One of the sons took a step
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: forward and yelled, Come out of this man by the
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: Jesus whom Paul preaches. There was a moment of silence.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: Then a terrible laughter burst forth from the demon's belly.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: Ah yes, Jesus I know. Paul I know as well.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: But who are you? A crooked smile slid across the
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: demon's face. Then like a lion finally going in for
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: the kill, the demon-possessed man leapt forward at the seven
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: sons of Siva. They were no match for him. The
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: demon grabbed one of them by the cloak and threw
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: him onto the ground and began ripping his clothes off.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: He leapt towards the door and kept the others from escaping.
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: He took the head of one son and bashed it
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: against the wall. Each one of them was brutally beaten
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: and wounded by the demon. Each of them barely made
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: it out alive. As they ran away, naked and wounded,
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: they could hear the loud belly laughs of the demon inside.
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: Word spread of the demoniac's rage against the seven sons
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: of Siva. Fear fell upon the entire city of Ephesus.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: Jews and Greeks alike trembled at the thought of a
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: demon in their midst, so they clung to the name
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: of Jesus for safety. Many in the city understood that
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: there were things beyond their understanding at work, and they
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: needed to cling to God for refuge and safety from
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: that which would threaten their hearts. Together, they brought their idols,
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: carved images, and books of pagan rituals to the fire.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: It was a symbol of their surrender to God. However,
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: just like the slave girl who told fortunes, there were
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: many people who profited off idol-making. A silversmith in Ephesus
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: called Demetrius stewed in deep hatred towards Paul. He had
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: made all his money making shrines in Artemis, but now
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: they were all being destroyed. He gathered all the craftsmen
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: of Ephesus together to conspire against Paul. They stormed the
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: place where he was preaching, yelling,' Great is Artemis of
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: the Ephesians!' Demetrius riled up a large crowd to cause
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: confusion and woe among the church. Paul was about to
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: stop them, but realized that the city of Ephesus was
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: coming to their defense. Paul watched in awe as the
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: fruit of his labor emerged. All the work he had
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: put in preaching, teaching, and discipling was showing itself before
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: his very eyes. The city was clinging to God, even
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: in the midst of persecution and opposition. It would be
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: the Ephesian church that would always hold a special place.
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: In today's scripture, we begin with Paul traveling to a
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: new city, Ephesus. This was a place of great wealth
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: and great spiritual need. It was the epicenter of the
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: cult of Artemis, the goddess of fertility. People from all
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: over the world came to Ephesus to pay tribute to
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: Artemis at her shrine. The fact that it was a
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: place of great spiritual need and a city that brought
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: travelers from the world over made it also a city
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: of great opportunity to spread the gospel. And Paul and
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: his companions were always ready to bring the gospel of
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: Jesus Christ to unreached people. Paul found in Ephesus some
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: people who had heard the gospel, at least in part.
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: They had eagerly accepted the call to repentance and baptism
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: that John the Baptist had preached, but their transformation was
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: not yet complete. So Paul shared with them the fullness
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: of the gospel and and the one to whom John
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: had pointed others, Jesus Christ. Remember, it was John who said,
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes away the
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: sin of the world. The Ephesians eagerly accepted these words
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: and were baptized in the name of Jesus. Then, as
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: Paul laid hands upon them, they received the Holy Spirit.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: The indwelling of God's Spirit is the mark of a believer,
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: a true Christian. And as they were filled with the
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: Holy Spirit, they began to speak in languages and declare
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: God's truth, much like the first believers at Pentecost. And
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: so the Ephesian church was birthed, with about twelve members.
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: And from this it would grow to be a force
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: in the city to change the culture around them by
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: the power of the gospel. Paul got right to work
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: at Ephesus, going to the synagogue and speaking boldly for
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: three months. The fact that he spoke so openly without
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: persecution for three months must have been encouraging to him.
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: But soon there were grumblings and anger among the Jews,
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: and Paul resolved to take his message into the public square.
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: Here he would reason with Greeks in the lecture hall
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: of Tyrannus, sharing the word of God for two years.
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: so that many Jews as well as Gentiles heard the truth.
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: We also hear that Paul went about with great power
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: to heal in the name of Jesus. This was not
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: his power, but God's power. It was a sign to
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: unbelievers that opened the door for him to share the
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: truth about Jesus, of his cross and his resurrection, and
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: the salvation that he provides to all who believe in him,
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: not only then, but now. Eventually, Paul was well known
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: in the city of Ephesus. so much so that even
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: unbelievers tried to attach themselves to the apostle. We heard
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: of seven Jewish brothers, the sons of Sceva, who tried
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: to cast out demons in Paul's name. This story is
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: really comical, but it's sad at the same time. These
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: men did not know Jesus or follow him. They only
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: sought glory and power for themselves. One day a demon
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: they tried to cast out made it clear He knew
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: Jesus and feared Jesus and he feared Paul, but not
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: these men. They had no power and the beating they
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: received from the demon-possessed man made this clear. It's a
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: powerful reminder that power comes not from any human being
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: or in any human name, even that of the apostle Paul.
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: Power comes from God himself and in the name of
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: the Savior who changes lives. When word got out about this,
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: it was a tremendous witness for Christ and many began
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: to call on the name of the Lord and become saved.
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: And from that, a small group of 12 or so men,
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: God began to establish the church at Ephesus. And it
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: changed the city. They impacted their entire region. Look what
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: it says in Acts 19 verses 18 and 19. I
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: just love this. Many of those who believe now came
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: and openly confessed what they had done. A number who
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: A genuine encounter with Jesus cannot help but transform our
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: lives and change us from the inside out. We now
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: find our identity in Christ and we can change the
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: world around us. We close today's reading hearing how a
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: riot broke out with both Greeks and Jews opposing the
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: message of Christ, stirring up trouble and trying to draw
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Paul into a fight. But the disciples and even some
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: government officials who were friends of Paul kept him from
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: getting into the chaos. God was protecting the church from
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: danger and soon the riot dissipated with no harm coming
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: to Paul or the other Christians. But the battle was
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: far from over. There would still be persecution, opposition, and
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: threats and intimidation to God's work in Ephesus. Later, Paul
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: would write to his fellow Christians at Ephesus reminding them
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: of this spiritual battle. for which they would need the
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: full armor of God to be able to withstand the
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: attacks of the enemy. It is an armor that all
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: Christians possess and we must put on each day with faith.
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: We can win our spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. Dear God,
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: thank you for the Word of God and how it
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: reminds you of the power of Jesus to change lives.
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: We remember that we face spiritual battles every day and
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: therefore we armor up. We arm ourselves with the truth
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: of your word and protect ourselves with the word of
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: God and the testimony of Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen.
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: And before we go, I wanted to let you know
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: that the Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to you each
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: week through the support of listeners like you. Your support
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: today is so important that we want to thank you
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: for your gift by giving you a copy of my
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: book called The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: guide that shows how every book in the Bible points
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: to Christ and how you can better read and understand
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: the Bible and how God's Word transforms our lives. So
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: to get your copy of The Jesus Book, simply go
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: you for your support.