“Searching for Truth in Ephesus”

Scripture: Acts 19:23-34, Ephesians 1:11-14, Revelation 2:4-7

Originally, Christianity was known as “The Way” – a reference to John 14:6-7, in which Jesus told his disciples “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And even though many other faith expressions also believe that they are the only true religion, Christianity’s claim seems to have made them the target of more violent persecution than all of the rest. In Matthew 10:21-23, Jesus told his followers that, in spite of the fact that they will be hated by everyone, if they remain faithful, they will know his salvation! Hated by everyone? Talk about a prophesy!

This isn’t a recent phenomenon, though – it has been our reality since the Church began. Paul had learned that Jesus’ words could always be trusted, but that it would take some effort to get others to accept them. He was experiencing the same persecution that he had originally heaped upon the Church, but he was also remaining faithful to the call that the Lord had placed on his life. No matter what came against him, he continued to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior of all.

And after his experiences in Corinth, he journeyed to Ephesus.

Read Acts 19:23-27

Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt. She was usually depicted, whether in statue or picture, with hunting weapons and usually with an animal. She was one of the most popular of the gods, and the sale of items with her image on them was very lucrative. But Ephesus, being a Greek city under Roman influence, was brimming with idol worship, but none as profitable as Artemis.

The truth of Christ has a powerful effect on people – both for those who accept his message, as well as those who reject him. For believers, the Lord brings a whole new perspective to their lives. They find hope in the presence of hatred; they find life in the face of death; they receive truth even when others do their worst to convince them otherwise.
But for those who reject him, they feel threatened when their false beliefs come under the light of Christ, and they strike back in any way they can. Demetrius begins by stirring up the other craftsmen by telling them that their businesses will be going down the drain because of Paul, that he is spreading lies about their gods and people are buying into it. Interesting isn’t it, that it has nothing to do with the goddess per se, it doesn’t even have anything to do directly with Jesus Christ - it’s all about their business! It’s an age old truth – the desires of earth will always get in the way of faith, and for the artisans of Ephesus, it was especially true. Anything that got in the way of their making money must be a deception!

Scripture tells us over and over that God has created everything that we will ever need, that those things made by “human hands” will never satisfy us, and will never last to our benefit. In Exodus 20:4-6, the second commandment that God handed down to Moses, tells us that we must never make idols in the image of anything – not those things of heaven, and not those things of earth. And other passages speak to the fact that images made by human hands are worthless and impotent. (e.g. Isaiah 37:19-20; 1 Timothy 6:9-11)

Read Acts 19:28-34

And a mob was growing, incited by the fears of the craftsmen. They were becoming more and more angry at Paul, without ever knowing why. But Paul, ever ready to proclaim Christ, wanted to address the unruly crowd, seeing this as an opportunity to lift up the hope of Christ in this anxious and lost city. But reason and truth by the evangelists wasn’t going to bring peace back to the crowd.

Confusion reigned, and this is one of those times when evangelism can’t seem to make a dent in the world. The mob had become irrational, and for the first time, Paul wasn’t getting through to the people. One of their own would have to settle them down before things got any worse. And what would it take?

A city official would have to remind them that these Jews hadn’t done anything to break the law, and that if Demetrius and the other artisans wanted to pursue the matter, they should do it within their legal means, that rioting would never be the answer. It would not set well with the Romans, and the outcome would not go well for the city. (Acts 19:35-41)

This is one of those times in our lives when the only thing we can do is shake the dust from our feet, and step back.

But what about the people? Aren’t they worth our time and love? Of course they are, but only in the Lord’s time. And the Lord’s time would come for Ephesus.

Read Ephesians 1:11-14

The rioting that we read about in Acts 19 would eventually calm down, and Paul would make some headway in the community. The Church would be established, and the evangelist would spend a few years in the city, teaching, preaching, and showing the people who Jesus could be for them. The faith must have grown and become much stronger, for in Acts 20:16-21, when he begins his journey back to Jerusalem, he meets with the church’s elders to encourage them, and to remind them of all he had brought to their lives. He had made a difference in Ephesus, even though it had started badly, but when the Lord has a plan, nothing can ever defeat it!

By the time Paul wrote this letter to the church, he is in a Roman prison. Which is another lesson that we have to learn. Neither rioting, nor complacency, nor worldly rejection, nor imprisonment should ever keep us from sharing Jesus with others!

And nothing would hold Paul back. The church had certainly gone through some tough times – both while Paul was there, and since he left. And now he is showing them that everyone has a God-ordained purpose in the church. He speaks of his place, as a Jew, to believe and then to introduce them to the Risen Lord. He also lets them know that they, too have a purpose, which was to come to the Lord’s offer of salvation, and in that, they were “marked” with a seal from the Holy Spirit.

The point being that we all have a purpose in God’s grand scheme of things. It all revolves around the Lord’s timing that keeps his glorious plan on track. When our efforts seem to make no difference in the lives of the world, it just may be that we are either witnessing on our own and not in the Lord, or we have stepped out at the wrong time. And if we aren’t working at all for the Lord, he will show us the error of our ways, and call us to follow him once again.

For the Ephesians, he wanted them to know that the God of Israel was no longer limited to the Jews, that in the unity of the Almighty, His great and divine plan was for them all. His joy and His pleasure were for all who would believe, and that those things of earth that had previously held their attention and hope, could never come close to what their Lord Jesus could bring.

And we all have a place in God’s plan too – if we will follow and obey.

Read Revelation 2:4-7

And sometimes we lose sight of the Lord’s plan, and begin making our own way – again. Artemis worshippers would never give up in their attack against Christ; orthodox Jews were always trying to undo the efforts of Christian evangelists and reintroduce the demands of the law as the means to God’s pleasure; the worldly nature of Ephesus in its international trade and wealth would be an attraction that many would be unable to resist.
And unless the Church is intentional in its work to proclaim Jesus to others, we will always be susceptible to falling into their ways, instead of leading others into the way of Jesus Christ.

God is unity and consistency. He holds the entire Church to accountability in the truth that Christ proclaimed, and in the reminders and calls that come to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. No one receives one divine expectation, while another gets a contradictory command. We may be called to live out the Lord’s word in unique ways, but the intent must always be the same – to keep the love and way of God foremost in our lives.

The judgment against Ephesus was that they had forsaken the love of the Lord - their first love. Their love of Christ had been dampened. It’s one thing to claim that you love the Lord, and proclaim his commands, but unless we love that way with all our heart, we are likely to lose our focus on that love and what it must mean for us. The judgment may also mean that they had allowed the influences of the world to cloud their faith, and to lead them in ungodly ways.

Either way, repentance is our only way back to that “first love”. They may have understood the errors of the ways others followed, but we have to wonder what they actually did about it?

The bottom line for Ephesus and for us all? If we have ears to hear, we had better listen to what the Spirit of God is calling us, as the Church, to do. And if we listen, and if we respond to the Spirit’s call, we can still know eternal life.

But the alternative? It can never be good!!!!