Southside Lexington Podcast Southside Church of Christ

Acts 19:23-41






23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 he called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that manmade gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty. 28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. 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. 33 The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and her image, which fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 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. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is , we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it. 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. 









FROM THE LESSONTemple of Artemis - it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In fact, it was the largest building of it's time. It was 4 times larger than the Parthenon in Athens. It was 425 feet long and 500 feet in diameter. There were 127 sixty-foot marble columns many of which were overlaid in gold.The kingdom of God - there is both a reign and a realm. As the reign of the kingdom of God transforms your life, then the realm of the kingdom of God becomes wherever you are, it goes out into the world through your life. Three characteristics of the kingdom of God1 The kingdom of God is subtle.2 The kingdom of God is subversive.3 The kingdom of God is about submission.





DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1 Icebreaker: when you hear teaching about the kingdom of God what do you tend to think about? 2 Discuss the teaching about the kingdom of God having both a reign and a realm. How did that teaching help you in the way you think about the kingdom of God?3 The kingdom of God is both subtle and subversive. Read again the teachings of Jesus about the kingdom of God being like a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) and like yeast in dough (Matthew 13:33). Discuss these two very different characteristics of the kingdom of God.4 The kingdom of God is about submission. The gift of salvation is an invitation into a life of submission. Share with your group about

Exodus 5:1-18
 
Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”
 
10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”
 
15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.”
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
 
1 Icebreaker: Jeremy shared the example of a defiant child who wouldn’t wear their jacket as an example of someone trying to exert control over their circumstances. What are some other examples of the desire to be in control?
 
2 Over and over, Pharaoh is shown that God, not himself, is the one truly in control. Why do you think he continues to resist God’s command to release the Israelites?
 
3 The two main words used when Pharaoh “hardens” his heart mean either “to be heavy” (denoting a heart heavy with sin and guilt) or “to strengthen” (indicating a strong and resolute will). How does this help reading the challenging passages about God hardening Pharaoh’s heart? In what ways are those passages still challenging? 
 
4 We can either seek to be in control, or seek to know the One in control. What do each of these approaches look like, and how do they differ from each other?

ACTS 19:8-208 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. (NIV 84)









FROM THE LESSONBurn the boats - a phrase spoken by Hernan Cortes, a Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec Empire and won Mexico for the crown of Spain in 1519.Ephesian writings - Ephesus was a center for magical power in the Mediterranean world. The phrase "Ephesian writings" was used in antiquity to refer to any documents that contained magical spells and formulas."All of life is repentance" - this is a quote from the reformer, Martin Luther. Believers commit not to a moment of repentance but to a life of repentance. Definition of repentance - "the call to repent is an invitation to see the world differently in light of Jesus Christ."





DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1 Icebreaker: can you think of a motivational phrase or memorable motto that you have liked or that has encouraged you in some way through the years? Share it with your group.2 Repentance is not a one-time event, but instead it is a commitment to a lifelong process. Discuss the difference with your group.3 The call to repent is an invitation to rethink everything in your life in light of His life. Discuss this process with your group.4 We looked at three characteristics of the kind of repentance that leads to spiritual breakthrough in Acts 19:17-19. Re-read these verses. The characteristics are conviction (verse 17), confession (verse 18), and conversion (verse 19). Discuss the importance of these three characteristics with your group.

ACTS 19:1-71 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus. 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. (NIV 84)









FROM THE LESSONImportance of Ephesus - Paul will stay longer in Ephesus than in any other city he visits on his three missionary journeys. Ephesus becomes the center of the Jesus movement that started Jerusalem went north to Antioch and now west to Ephesus. John the Baptist - the last in a long line of prophets who longed for the day when the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all of God's people. The parabola of salvation (aka. the smiley face of salvation) - the full message of the good news includes the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. 





DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1 Icebreaker: like the example of my friend, Tim, do you have friends who you could contact this week who would only know you from the first half of your life? Do you have a recent example of reconnecting with an old friend in that way? Share with the group.2 The disciples in Acts 19 had missed the announcement. Read again Acts 1:4-5. John the Baptist was the last in a long line of prophets who had longed for the day when the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all of God's people. Have you ever thought about Pentecost as the fulfillment of centuries of longing and hoping for this time?3 The disciples in Acts 19 had missed the ascension. The fullness of the gospel is in the shape of a parabola because it includes the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and the ascension. Discuss the importance of the ascension in understanding the good news of Jesus Christ.4 The disciples in Acts 19 had missed the anointing. Simply put, they were ignorant of Pentecost. Read again Peter's explanation of what is happening at Pentecost in Acts 2:32-33. Have you ever thought about the explanation of the ascended Jesus being the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit? 

ACTS 18:18-2818 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquilla. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he only knew the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained the way of God more adequately. 27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. (NIV 84)









FROM THE LESSONFour statements about the will of God (from the book Decision Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen):1 Where God commands, we must obey.2 Where there is no command, God gives us the freedom (and responsibility) to choose.3 Where there is no command, God gives us wisdom to choose.4 When we have chosen what is moral and wise, we must trust the sovereign God to work all the details together for good. All Christians should have a theology of the dimly seen - based on 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part: then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."





DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1 Who would you say that you know better than anyone else? Who knows you better than anyone else? Why would you say that person? Now with that in mind, how well would you say that you know God?2 How have you thought about the will of God for your life? Have you thought about it like an individual, specific, detailed plan for your life or more like the way it was presented this morning? Discuss the four statements of guidance stated above. What do you think about this understanding of the will of God?3 What do you think about all Christians having a theology of the dimly seen? Paul wrote, "now we see but a poor reflection" and "now I know in part." Can you remember a time when someone helped you have a more complete understanding of the ways of God? Can you share it with the group?4 How did you experience the eclipse on Monday? Were you in the line of totality? Share your experience with the group. Remember a time when you have experienced the wonder of God's grace. Share about this time with your group. 

John 3:1-121 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, "You must be born again. 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. 9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "And do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" (NIV 84)





DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1 When was the last time you allowed a long time held belief to be challenged?
2 What do you think about a salvation scale, weighing good vs bad? How has this idea manifested itself in someone you know? How about in your life?Describe a moment which helped you realize a scale isn't the way God works. What led you to this moment?
3 What do these verses say to you about this topic?
Romans 3:9-18John 3:14-18John 12:32Romans 3:21
4 In the song, "Who am I?" by Casting Crowns, the chorus reads:"Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done.Not because of what I've done, but because of who you are."What do you hear in these words?
5 What do you learn from this encounter Jesus has with Nicodemus?
Bonus question: What do you think Nicodemus ended up believing about Jesus?