Acts 17

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

This week’s video is presentation 17 in our study of Acts. In it we review the ongoing work of Christ as it becomes established in churches, such as those in Jerusalem, Corinth, and Ephesus. You can view it by clicking here (scroll down to Lesson 17).

Read and meditate on Acts 19.23-29
As we have seen over and over, positive responses are not the only ones provoked by the Gospel. The Gospel was bringing economic hardship to a certain class of Ephesian citizens. They cared little, if at all, about the waning worship of Artemis. What really angered and emboldened them was the fall-off in sales of their trinkets and idols.

For reflection
1.  From Demetrius’ speech we can see that Paul was pointing the Gospel directly at the cultural lives of the people of Ephesus, calling them to forsake certain specific practices and ways and to come to Jesus and His Way. So it is today. Or so it should be. In what ways does the Gospel speak to the cultural lives of people in your community?

2.  For many today who oppose the Gospel, it’s not a matter of truth but of convenience, or moral preference. The Gospel threatens a way of life they have come to enjoy – autonomous, materialistic, self-indulging, and free of unbending moral restraints. Like Demetrius and his cronies, they will find some phony premise, sure to rile the masses, on which to take their stand against the Good News. What evidence do you see that this is happening in our day?

3.  But what such people are really seeking to preserve has little to do with truth, and much to do with moral preference. In Ephesus, someone would have to pay for all this upset, and when they couldn’t find Paul, they laid hold on two men they recognized as being his companions in ministry. You may not be a Paul, but like him, if you are faithful in your walk with and work for the Lord, you’ll be associated with Him. Are you ready to be the object of the anger, resentment, or violence of those who oppose the Gospel? Explain.

4.  The world of unbelief will always lash out at the Gospel in one way or another. We should neither be surprised nor dismayed when outrage or oppression come against us. God uses even these responses to further the ongoing work of Christ. We must continue to preach the Kingdom of God against the false worldviews and practices that hold many people in thrall today. Some will be convicted and repent, some will want to think and talk about it more, and some will want to do violence against us. How can we better prepare for such responses?

5.  Paul leveled the Gospel and the claims of Christ right at the cultural practices of the Ephesians, just as he had done in every other place. Does your church preach the Good News specifically against any moral, social, or cultural situations in your community? Should it? Merely to condemn those practices, or to show a better way?

Summary
People get comfortable in their chosen way of life. The Gospel wants to jar people out of their sins so that they can find full and abundant life in Christ. Unless we, making room for the Holy Spirit to work, point out the specific sins of people, and the lies in which they have become ensnared, believing in Jesus won’t benefit them very much. How can you see that the call to believe in Jesus is incomplete without a specific call to repent?

Closing Prayer
For in You, O LORD, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
Those also who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!

Psalm 38.15-22

T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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