THROUGH ADVERSITIES TO OPPORTUNITIES
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 24, 2023 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: May 24, 2023 from Acts 19:8-22
Theme: When it comes to the work of the gospel, God is able to turn adversities into opportunities.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
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The apostle Paul was closing off his letter to his Christian brothers and sisters in Corinth. He was explaining his tentative plans to them; and letting them know that he hoped to come to them soon. But at the time, he was ministering in Ephesus; and he needed to keep his options somewhat open. He explained that he hoped to be able to stay with the Corinthians for more than just a passing visit;
But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries (1 Corinthians 16:8-9).
That’s how he described one of the most remarkable and adventure-filled phases of his missionary labors. It was both “a great and effective door” for the gospel, and also a place where “there are many adversaries”. The city of Ephesus was one of the richest harvest fields in his work. But it was also a city that had been given over to the devil—and the devil didn’t give up his ground without a fight.
But Paul’s experience there illustrates to us an important principle that we need to remember in our own witness for the Lord Jesus in this world. The adversities and adversaries that we may encounter along the way do not impede the progress of our Lord’s message. In fact, in the providential hand of our mighty God, the adversities may be the very means by which God opens up new opportunities for the gospel.
This is powerfully shown to us in our passage today—Acts 19:8-22.
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Now; before we begin to look at this passage in detail, consider something that Paul once wrote to his brothers and sisters in Philippi. He was in prison at the time that he wrote; and this imprisonment may have been a cause for discouragement on the part of his Philippian fellow Christians. It seemed like one more in a series of ‘adversities’ that Paul encountered along the way. But Paul didn’t want his believing friends to be discouraged. He wrote to tell them;
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice (Philippians 1:12-18).
We can’t just say that Paul rejoiced in the spread of the gospel in spite of the adversities. That wouldn’t do justice to what he said. Rather, we’d have to say that God caused the gospel to spread by Paul through means of the adversities. If Paul had not been locked up for that time, others would not have taken up the work for him. But because they did—because of the adversities Paul went through; and even because of some who intentionally preached the gospel in such a way as to add to his affliction—the gospel spread even further. Nothing stops our sovereign God from using whatever means He wishes to advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He can even use opposition to the gospel to spread the gospel even further.
As the stories in Acts 19 show us, we should never become discouraged or feel defeated by adversity. This is because our God is sovereign over all things; and when it comes to the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God is able to turn even adversities into opportunities.
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Consider how we see this principle illustrated to us in the ministry Paul had in Ephesus. Our passage picks up from where Acts 19:1-7 leaves off; where we’re told the story of how Paul had encountered some disciples in Ephesus who had only been baptized in the baptism of John the Baptist. Paul brought them to a clearer understanding of Jesus through the gospel. As a result, they believed, and were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s how his adventurous ministry in Ephesus began.
And now, we see how God used adversity to spread the gospel of Jesus …
1. THROUGH HARD HEARTS TO A WIDER HEARING (vv. 8-10).
We’re told in verse 8;
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God (v. 8).
This would have been in a place where Paul had seen a measure of success before. In Acts 18:20, we’re told that he had ministered briefly in the synagogue in Ephesus sometime earlier—reasoning with the Jews. We’re told that he was so positively received that “they asked him to stay a longer time with them”. And even though at that time he couldn’t do as they asked, it must have been an encouragement to him. That was a more positive reception than he had usually received in the synagogues of the cities he visited.
And so, he eventually returned. We’re told that he spoke “boldly”—that is, openly and freely—for a period of three months in the synagogue. He spent a dozen Sabbaths with his Jewish kinsmen, “reasoning and persuading”; which would have meant that he opened the scriptures to them and showed them how God had made promises concerning Jesus—promises which God fulfilled. We’re told that he spoke to them concerning “the things of the kingdom”; which would have been a presentation of the gospel that was specifically geared toward the Jewish people. It would have seemed like an exciting ministry.
But then came the adversity. We’re told in verse 9;
But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples … (v. 9a).
Luke refers to the Christian faith as “the Way”. These Jewish adversaries recognized that the gospel was more than just a belief in One who claimed to be “the Way” (John 14:6). It involved a whole lifestyle of faithful obedience to Him who is “the Way”, and that is itself a whole way of life. Most people are willing to tolerate a faith that they don’t agree with—so long as it doesn’t demand any kind of change in actual lifestyle! They don’t mind merely ‘philosophical’ or ‘religious’ discussions in abstract form. But now, these Jewish listeners were recognizing the lifestyle implications of “the Way”; and they began to demonstrate their hard-heartedness toward it and spoke evil of it before those who had begun to believe. Paul had been down this road before, and felt that it was time to gather those who believed and go elsewhere.
But he didn’t stop preaching. In fact, all of this only increased his ministry. Whereas before he had only been speaking on the Sabbath, verse 9 goes on to tell us that he was
reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks (vv. 9b-10).
He apparently obtained use of a lecture hall from the School of Tyrannus, and taught in it—not for just three months—but for two years! If we look on ahead to Acts 20—where he speaks further about his ministry in Ephesus—we find that he could tell them about how diligently he taught them. In verse 20, we’re told that he not only taught in the lecture hall by day, but “taught you publicly and from house to house” (20:20)—perhaps laboring long into the night. He told them that he taught them thoroughly; saying that “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (20:27). He ministered to them passionately; telling them that “for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (v. 31). And he reminded them that he even did this all while having taken on a job—perhaps as a tentmaker (see 1 Corinthians 18:3)—to provide for himself and the work of his ministry; telling them;
“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me” (vv. 33-34).
Paul worked extremely hard and faithfully. And do you notice the result? We’re told that “all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks”. Paul’s ministry expanded in such a way that he most likely was the instrument that God used to found the churches that the Lord Jesus addressed Himself to in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation:
“the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea” (Revelation 1:11).
And it may not have happened at all if it hadn’t been for the adversity that Paul met within the synagogue. Our sovereign God is able to advance His gospel through hard-hearts to an even greater hearing!
Now; this passage shows us another way that God can sovereignly spread His gospel …
2. THROUGH SPIRITUAL PRETENDERS TO GREAT REPENTANCE (vv. 11-20).
As Paul’s teaching ministry expanded, so did God’s work of confirming the gospel that he preached. We’re told in verses 11-12;
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them (vv. 11-12).
God was proving that ‘the Way’ that Paul was preaching truly was the Way! God didn’t just perform ‘miracles’ through Paul, but ‘unusual miracles’ (literally, “not the ordinary”). And It wasn’t something that Paul himself brought about by any powers he had. Rather, it would have been similar to what God did through the other apostles—validating the truthfulness of the gospel message by performing great signs through its preachers.
But that’s when the devil stepped in. If our enemy cannot stop the preaching of the gospel through persecution, he will try to stop it by counterfeiting its power. We’re told in verses 13-14;
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so (vv. 13-14).
“Itinerant” meant that they were traveling around from town to town. Jesus made reference once to the fact that there were ‘exorcists’ even among the Jewish people in Judah (Matthew 12:27); and so these men—all sons of a Jewish chief priest—were going about and presenting themselves as ‘traveling exorcists’. It may have been that, when they came to Ephesus, they heard about the things God was doing through Paul, and began trying to imitate his method—casting out demons by the name and authority of Jesus—in order to cash in on some of the excitement. But these men had no relationship with Jesus at all. They were presuming to use Jesus’ name as a magic formula; saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
How badly that went for them is told to us in verses 15-16;
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded (vv. 15-16).
This would have been a rather public occurrence. And it had at least four discernable results. For one thing, it confirmed the power and authority of Paul’s preaching and ministry; since even the evil spirit testified that he knew who Paul was! For a second thing, it clearly identified ‘the Jesus that Paul preaches’ as the Son of God who had authority over the devil’s demonic forces. A new awareness of the power of the gospel prevailed. We’re told in verse 17;
This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified (v. 17).
A third thing that came about was that a startling spiritual revival occurred among the people of God. We’re told specifically that this brought “many who had believed” to a place of profound repentance. Verses 18-19 tell us;
And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver (vv. 18-19).
Ephesus, historically, was a center of a great deal of occultism. And when God demonstrated the power of the gospel of Jesus through Paul’s preaching, many of the people of the city gathered up their books on occult and magical practices and burned them. We’re told that the value of it all was ‘fifty thousand pieces of silver’. The word “pieces” doesn’t appear in the text; so this was literally ‘fifty thousand of silver’. Since we don’t know what kind of coin this would be, it’s hard to estimate what the value of this all would have amounted to in dollars. But if they were one-ounce pieces—based on the current spot price—the value of these books would have been $1,115,000. (If that seems surprising, just consider what would happen if all the occult books that are currently on all the bookshelves throughout the city of Portland were gathered together. It would greatly exceed that number!) Perhaps many of those who had been professing Jesus in Ephesus had still been holding on to the books and materials of their old sinful past. And notice that they didn’t take them to the local used book store to sell them! They destroyed them—lest anyone else should ever be caught up in the evil deceptions of the devil! What a transformation this was! What a revival!
And a fourth thing that came about is told to us in verse 20—a thing that is always made possible when God’s people repent;
So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed (v. 20).
The devil’s deceptive efforts failed! Our sovereign God gained the victory! He proved once again that He is able to use adversity to bring about opportunity! He advanced the cause of the gospel, through spiritual pretenders, to great revival.
And there’s one more way we see this. God brought about the gospel’s spread …
3. THROUGH FAITHFUL ENDURANCE TO GREATER FIELDS (vv. 21-22).
In verse 21, we’re told;
When these things were accomplished … (v. 21).
That statement alone would have described three months of sabbath teaching by Paul; and then two years plus of very hard work for the gospel on a daily basis. It would have been an extraordinarily difficult ministry. One of the greatest adversities we may face in serving our Lord is the hard, day-to-day, sometimes-grueling demands of it all. The long, hard labor might have easily caused someone else to become discouraged and quit—especially when it’s all mingled with such open adversity. But Paul stayed faithful in it all.
And the result was further service into an even more remarkable field of ministry. Verses 21-22 say that when these things were accomplished;
Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time (vv. 21b-22).
Rome! Just think of how the gospel would spread from there! There was more labor to complete in Ephesus; but now Paul had a sense of how all those efforts would be rewarded in a greater opportunity! Those opportunities are described to us in the latter chapters of Acts. But perhaps none of it would have been able to happen if Paul hadn’t stayed to the task—as much of an adversity as it must have seemed—and completed his work in Ephesus.
As we see once again, God is able to use adversity to open doors of opportunity. He used Paul’s faithful endurance to open the door to greater fields.
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Now; the adversities were far from over. In fact, in Acts 19:23-41, we read of a story of just how much the gospel was opposed in the city of Ephesus. But the work had begun. God helped His chosen apostle to preach faithfully—in spite of the adversities. And those adversities led to further open doors for the gospel.
What Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:9 is applicable to us in our own time: “a great and effective door has opened … and there are many adversaries”. But let’s not be discouraged in our faithful service to the Lord Jesus. Our mighty God shows the power of His sovereignty in that He is able to turn adversities against the gospel into opportunities for an even greater spread of that gospel—right where we are!
AE
