Extraordinary Miracles

God was performing extraordinary miracles by

the hands of Paul. So that handkerchiefs or aprons

were even carried from his body to the sick.

And the diseases left them and the evil spirits

went out. As Paul is starting his ministry in

Ephesus, It's good for us to understand a little

about the nature of that city and what characterized

it, what it was like. We've already touched on

and talked briefly about the reality that it

was full -blown paganism. But with that came

a lot of spiritism. of demonic activity. With

that came a lot of what would have then been

called the dark arts. There are records, we have

lots and lots of records of what were called

the Ephesian writings. The Ephesian writings

were these small scrolls that had on them incantations.

and spells. And these would be rolled up into

a little tube, and they'd be hung around an individual,

or they'd be passed around, they'd be given out.

These were very, very common. It was well known

in the world at that time that Ephesus was an

epicenter for Spiritism and the occult. So as

Paul's coming in to Ephesus with the Gospel,

heralding the truth of Christ and the kingdom

of God, one might think that he was fearful approaching

Ephesus. One might think that there would be

greater hindrances and stumbling blocks to the

gospel in Ephesus. But that's not the case at

all. Paul enters into Ephesus heralding the gospel

in power. With boldness, we're told. Without

restraint. He's not fearful of what's in Ephesus.

He's not fearful of what's taking place in that

city. He's not fearful of what might oppose him.

He knows his Lord. And he knows the power of

God that is with him. And he knows... The Gospel.

So he comes into Ephesus. And we're told in verses

11 and 12 that God is with Paul in Ephesus. We're

told in verse 11, God was performing extraordinary

miracles by the hands of Paul. So that handkerchiefs

or aprons were even carried from his body. to

the sick, and the diseases left them, and the

evil spirits went out. Consider with me three

things from this text this morning. The source

of these miracles, the nature of these miracles,

and the purpose of these miracles. First, the

source of these miracles. The text says God was

performing extraordinary miracles. There would

have been the temptation, and there would have

been the possibility, and it probably took place,

that men and women in Ephesus would have construed

Paul as a magician, as a worker of magic. There's

the possibility that they saw him as this humanistic,

secular philosopher at times if they didn't know

him and his message or they didn't know what

was taking place. Luke wants us to be crystal

clear. Luke wants us to understand without a

shadow of a doubt that it was not Paul who was

working miracles in Ephesus. It was not the great

and mighty apostle who was bringing about these

extraordinary miracles. It was, in fact, God

himself. God was working. God was acting. Paul

himself, later on in his ministry, we read in

the book of Romans, chapter 15, recognizes this.

Romans 15 · chapter mention

In Romans 15, verses 17 through 18, we read this.

Romans 15:17–18

Therefore, in Christ, in Christ Jesus, I have

found reason for boasting in things pertaining

to God. Meaning, Paul's boasting in things that

God himself has done. He'll only boast... and

that which is of God, that which is from God,

and that which has been effectually accomplished

and carried out by God. We read in verse 18,

For I will not presume to speak of anything except

what Christ has accomplished through me. Meaning,

I'm not going to boast in things I've done. I'm

not going to boast in things that have come from

me. I'm not going to boast in things that have

originated with me. Things of the flesh, things

of the man, things of him. No, Paul will only

boast in things that come from God, that have

been accomplished by God. And what does he say?

What does he say in verse 19? In the power of

signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit.

so that from Jerusalem and round about, as far

as Elricum, I have fully preached the gospel

of Christ. Paul is boasting in the power of signs

and wonders, in the power of the Spirit, brothers

and sisters, but why is he boasting in signs

and wonders? Why is he boasting in the power

of the Spirit? Because it's not of him. He recognizes

that these things do not find their source, their

power, their effectiveness in him. He knows that

these things are from and of God. Many would

like to attribute these things to Paul for their

own manipulative and carnal reasons today. But

Paul himself denies the reality that working

miracles is of God. We read in Acts chapter 13,

Acts 13 · chapter mention

when Paul had a confrontation with a magician,

we'll start reading in verse 6. When they had

gone through the whole island as far as Paphos,

they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet,

whose name was Bar -Jesus. He was with the procouncil

Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man

summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear

the word of God. But Elimus, the magician, for

so his name is translated, was opposing them,

seeking to turn the procouncil away from the

faith. But Saul, and listen to this, this is

why I want you to hear, brothers and sisters.

But Saul... who was also known as Paul, filled

with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,

meaning fixed his gaze on the magician, and said,

You are full of all deceit and fraud, you son

of the devil. You enemy of all righteousness,

will you not cease to make crooked the straight

ways of the Lord? Now behold, the hand of the

Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not

see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist

and a darkness fell upon him. And he went about

seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

Signs and wonders. But here's the thing. Paul

did not accomplish this. Paul did not bring this

about. What happened to Paul? The Spirit of God

came upon him. The Spirit of God filled him with

his presence and power, and the presence of God

was in him. The Spirit of God came upon Paul,

and he worked signs and wonders. That's how this

came about. And I dare say, brothers and sisters,

that every single time the apostle ever worked

signs or wonders, this is exactly what took place.

The Spirit of God would come upon him. It wasn't

Paul, brothers and sisters. It was God. God was

at work in... Ephesus. God was acting and moving.

This was divine and sovereign activity. Now this

is important because as we consider the gospel

and its progress throughout this period and throughout

Paul's missionary and throughout the book of

Acts, we have to recognize, brothers and sisters,

that it's not just a man laboring. It's not just

people doing things. It's not just men serving,

men preaching. There's more taking place than

that. There's divine activity at work. The reason

the gospel is progressing, the reason the church

is being built, the reason men and women are

being saved, is not because Paul is laboring,

though he's an instrument. It's because God is

in fact working in and through Paul. It's because

God is building his church. Because God is actively

at work to accomplish his own mission in Ephesus

and in the world. So God is with Paul in Ephesus

and God is the source. of these miracles. But

what's the nature of these miracles exactly?

This is the second thing we have to consider

this morning. The text says, so that handkerchiefs

or aprons were even carried from his body to

the sick and diseases left them and evil spirits

went out. It says that God was performing extraordinary

miracles by the hands of Paul. Now, we would

all agree, that miracles in general are extraordinary.

We would all agree that miracles in general are

rare and exceptional events. Even in the text

of Scripture, they are rare and exceptional events.

They are not common, ordinary things. But here's

what this text is saying. It's saying that even

among miracles, These were extraordinary. That

among miracles and wonders and signs, the things

that were taking place in Ephesus were exceptional

among those miracles. They weren't ordinary miracles.

They were extraordinary miracles. Now, there's

two distinct types that are mentioned. There's

the healing of the sick. And diseases being sent

or cast out. Men and women being delivered from

sickness. And then there's evil spirits that

are being driven out or cast out. It wasn't just

the people were being made healthy and whole.

It wasn't just the people were being delivered

from sickness and disease. It was that people

were being delivered from possession of evil

spirits, from demonic and dark powers in their

life, from bondage in their life that had overtaken

them. This is what's taking place. And how is

it taking place? It's not that Paul is coming

and laying his hands on them. It's not that Paul

is in their presence. But brothers and sisters,

seemingly, this is at a distance, and it's through

these two items that it's happening. The two

things that are mentioned, handkerchiefs, or

a handkerchief and aprons. A handkerchief could

be, and most likely, it was a rag that was used

for perspiration. And Paul probably hung it around

his neck. He either used it when he was working

to make tents, or... when he was teaching. It

probably is a perspiration rag that he wore around

his neck when he was teaching because it was

hot. It was warm. So he could just grab it and

he could wipe his face and wipe his neck. That's

most likely what it's referring to. It's literally

a face cloth. It's something very much like the

handkerchiefs that we have today. You could wrap

it up. You could put something in it. But here's

the thing. It was Paul's. It was with Paul. It

was on Paul's neck. It was a garment that had

his perspiration on it. It wasn't anybody. It

wasn't Joe's rag down the street. It wasn't Bob's

rag over there. It was the Apostle Paul's handkerchief.

But then there's also the apron. We don't know.

There's less certainty with regards to what the

apron's referring to. It could be one of two

things. It's either a type of work belt that

he wore around his waist when he was working

on tents, or, more likely, a belt that he wore

around his waist when he was teaching to hold

his tunic in place. Now, I tend to lean. That

both of these had to do with his teaching, his

instruction. That they were associated with what

he was saying. There's other people that say,

no, people were hearing about Paul. People were

finding about his ministry. They were hearing

about the signs and the wonders and the work

and the lives changed and the transformation.

They were hearing about his preaching. And they

were coming to him during the day. When he was

working during the morning hours, they were seeking

him out and they were taking these things. We

don't know exactly, but we do know it was through

these humble, meager means. These inanimate objects

that power was seemingly going forth and changing

lives. It's very reminiscent of the ministry

of the Lord Jesus himself. You remember when

the woman wanted to just touch the edge of his

garment? She just wanted to touch the edge of

his garment because she knew if she could touch

the edge of his garment that she would be healed

of her infirmity. But here's the difference.

The Lord Jesus, when that took place, he felt

power go out of himself. Now, when the Apostle

Paul was doing these things, I don't believe

he felt power going out because it wasn't him.

It was also very reminiscent of the reality of

Peter's shadow in Acts chapter 5. If you remember

Acts 5 · chapter mention

when the gospel is growing and expanding, and

there was a time when Peter, the apostle Peter's

shadow, would just be cast on someone who was

sick. And what would happen? Those people would

be healed. Extraordinary miracles were taking

place. Paul wasn't present when these miracles

were taking place that we're referring to in

verse 12, I don't believe. People were being

healed not by his touch, not by his presence,

not by the laying on of hands, but they were

being healed because of handkerchiefs and aprons

that were associated with the apostle and his

teaching. It was simply the knowledge. That this

is associated with this man who has this message.

Who's always preaching about the kingdom of God.

This man who's always preaching about the Lord

Jesus Christ. This man who's always preaching

the need for repentance and faith. So men, women,

surely young people were being transformed. They

were being delivered and their lives were being

changed. As a result of Paul, his message, his

ministry. And the divine power of God at work

in his ministry. Now what's the purpose of these

miracles? Why are these miracles worked in Ephesus?

Why did God perform these things? What was the

purpose of them? What was the reason? Four signs

and wonders. Let me offer you a few. I think

there's a three -fold purpose in signs and wonders,

even in Ephesus, not just with the Jews throughout

the book of Acts. The first is to show the superiority

of God's power, which was with Paul and his message.

We think about all the different spirits and

powers, the authorities and dominions that were

taking place that existed in Ephesus. The dark

magics and the dark powers, the idols, which

had no power, but were linked to demons. We think

about these things and people would have ideas

in their heads about these powers, about these

authorities, about these dominions, and about...

the power that they possess and the power they

have. But what do we find here? We find that

the power that's with Paul, the one who's preaching

the gospel, has authority and sovereignty over

the body. The one, the power that's with Paul

that's preaching the gospel, he has sovereign

power that rules over demons and dominions and

dark spirits. He has power over nature. The power

with Paul in his ministry is superior to every

other power that existed in Ephesus and it's

being made known. It's being demonstrated and

showed off. God is showing his superiority in

Ephesus. We see in verses 13 -17. These seven

sons of Sceva. We'll go ahead and read that.

But also some of the Jewish exorcists. They went

from place to place. Attempted to name over those

who had the evil spirits. The name of the Lord

Jesus. Saying I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul

preaches. They were using the name of Jesus as

an incantation. They thought that if I just use

the name of Jesus that Paul uses. then I'll have

the same power that he has, that the power that's

with him will be with me. Oh, how they are wrong.

And the evil spirit answered, I'm sorry, verse

14, seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish priest,

chief priest, were doing this. So seven men were...

Using the name of Christ. And using Paul's message

for their own gain and their own purpose. Seven

sons. And the evil spirit answered and said to

them, I recognize Jesus. And I know about Paul.

But who are you? And the man in whom was the

evil spirit leaped on them and subdued all of

them. and overpowered them so that they fled

out of the house naked and wounded. The name

of the Lord Jesus Christ and the message of the

gospel is not something that is to be trifled

with. That's what's happening here. Men think

that they can benefit From the gospel and the

name of Christ. And so they take hold of it and

use it in a hollow, superficial, shallow, manipulative

way. And what happens to them? They're almost

beaten to death by the evil spirit themselves.

The power of God cannot be laid hold of, cannot

be harnessed by men. God works as he pleases.

God is sovereign. He does what pleases Him. He

does what is in accordance with His will. And

here in Ephesus, His will was to work signs and

wonders through the Apostle Paul. So it was to

show the superiority of God's power, which was

with Paul and his message. Then we see also,

I think, a second purpose. to show the authenticity

of Paul and his ministry. In 2 Corinthians 12

.12, we read, starting in verse 11, I have become

foolish. I have become foolish. You yourselves

compelled me. Actually, I should have been commended

by you. For in no respect was I inferior to the

most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.

So what the apostle is saying here is that the

claims of these fraudulent super apostles that

are saying that I'm not an apostle are not true.

He's saying, actually, I have the credentials.

Actually, I'm legitimate. I'm verified. I'm validated.

I'm confirmed. And how does he demonstrate this?

What are the signs of a true apostle according

to verse 12? The signs of a true apostle were

performed among you without, with all, perseverance.

By signs and wonders and miracles. A true...

authentic apostle, such as Paul, could work miracles

because the Spirit of God worked through them

to work miracles. Paul's saying, I'm a true apostle

because of my signs. They demonstrate it. They

confirm it. They validate it. That's exactly

why these signs and wonders are being worked

in Ephesus. They are confirming and validating

and bearing witness to the authenticity of Paul

and his ministry. Is Paul who he says he is in

Ephesus? That's what it comes down to. Is Paul

sent of God? Is he a genuine servant? and messenger

of the living God who's heralding the message

which really saves on behalf of the living God

that God saves through? Is Paul genuine? Is he

authentic? Yes, because of the signs and wonders.

They demonstrate it. They show the authenticity

of his ministry and of his person. He was trustworthy

in what he was saying about who he is as an apostle.

and about what he was doing in Ephesus. The people

could recognize and they could have comfort and

they could know this man. He's legible. He's

credible. Because the signs and wonders, the

extraordinary miracles that were taking place

around him, they were showing that he was true

to what he was saying about himself. And his

ministry. Now there's a third purpose. And I

believe this is the most important purpose. For

these miracles. This is to prove the veracity.

Of Paul's message. To prove the truthfulness.

Of the message that Paul was proclaiming. In

Ephesus. We have to recognize in this text that

something came before the miracles. Something

takes place that's the base, that's the foundation

of Paul's ministry. There's something that underlies

even these extraordinary miracles. There's something

that's more foundational. There's something that

the miracles themselves are supporting and pointing

to. There's his time in the synagogue and his

time in Tyrannus. The extraordinary miracles

accompanied his ministry of preaching and teaching.

This is important. His preaching and his teaching,

the ministry of the Word of God, did not accompany

The miracles. That's vitally important. What

accompanied what? What is significant? What is

the priority? The message. Paul's preaching,

his teaching, the ministry of the Word of God.

The miracles supported. The miracles accompanied

the ministry of the Word. We read in Acts chapter

Acts 8 · chapter mention

8. Verse 6 of Philip. The crowds with one accord

were giving attention to what was said by Philip

as they heard and saw the signs which he was

performing. The signs and the wonders supported

the message. They were listening because of what

they were seeing. They were listening because

of what they were hearing. We read in Acts chapter

Acts 14 · chapter mention

14. Verse 6 or verse 3. Therefore, they spent

a long time there speaking boldly with reliance

upon the Lord. He was testifying to the word

of his grace, granting that signs and wonders

be done by their hands. What does that text tell

us about the purpose? Of miracles. The purpose

of the miracles in Ephesus. It was the Lord himself.

Bearing witness to the truthfulness. The accuracy.

And the validity. Of the message that the apostles

spoke. As the word of God. That's what they did.

That's why God was doing these things. In Ephesus.

To show the veracity. And the accuracy. Of. The

message. Signs and wonders served the Word. Not

the other way around. And the economy of redemption

and the advancement of the church in the book

of Acts, brothers and sisters, signs and wonders

are not an end in and of themselves. They serve

another end. The goal of signs and wonders is

the word of the living God. That's why they existed.

What has primacy in God's plan for the advancement

of the church? Signs or wonders or the word of

God? The message. The message. One has priority

and God himself is bearing witness to that reality

in this text. God is saying the message is important.

Therefore, I work signs and wonders to demonstrate

the importance of the message. Why is it that

that's so backwards at times? Brothers and sisters,

why do people want to make the extraordinary

that which is normative and spurn that which

is normative because of the extraordinary? When

God himself says the message is significant.

The signs and wonders support and strengthen

and bolster and validate and confirm the message.

It's because of our sinful flesh, brothers and

sisters. It's because we're always chasing after

experience. It's because we're always chasing

after a high in some ways. It's because we're

always chasing after being emotionally worked

up. We want to feel something. But listen, brothers

and sisters, that is not antithetical to the

Word of God. In this, if the Word of God is rightly

proclaimed, if the Word of God is rightly preached,

and, brethren, there's no more signs and wonders.

If the Word of God is rightly preached, without

signs and wonders, you will feel something. God

will work in your soul. He will stir your soul.

He will change you and transform you. And we

don't have to have signs and wonders for the

Word to accomplish its will in our lives. Why?

Because of the flesh. Because of the sinful desire

of men for something more. For something they

can lay a hold of. Something they can touch and

feel and know through. Their senses. This necessarily

indicates. That God. Is demonstrating. His priorities.

And the accomplishment. Of his mission. The message.

Takes priority. Over the signs. And wonders.

God was working all of these things. God was

authenticating. Paul's ministry. God was showing

the superiority of his power to every other power

in Ephesus. And God himself was proving the veracity

of his own message that he has given to the apostle.

God is intimately involved in this work of growing

the church and changing lives through the gospel

in Ephesus. We're shown. The necessity, brothers

and sisters, of cultivating spiritual mindedness

concerning God and His work. Meaning this. We

are plagued by forgetfulness of God and His work

in our lives. We can't shake it. We can't get

rid of it. We can pray. Say, Lord, walk with

me. Talk with me. Keep me close to you. We can

pray and then we can get up and we can move on.

And five minutes later, we've forgotten the Lord.

We can come to church. We can fellowship. We

can sing songs. We can hear a message. We can

take the Lord's Supper. And the Lord has never

even entered our minds. Because we are plagued.

With forgetfulness of God. Therefore we must

cultivate. Spiritual mindedness. Meaning we are

cognizant. Of him. And his work in our lives.

We are cognizant of his role. In the work of

the church. We are cognizant and we are conscious

of what He is doing, what He wants to do, what

He will do, and what He has done in the life

of the church. It's not about us. Isn't that

what Luke wants us to see from this text? Doesn't

Luke want us to see that God was in fact working

in Ephesus, not just Paul? He wants us to understand

that God is active and working, and without Him,

the mission will not be accomplished. Without

His blessing, without His work, without His effective

power, there will be no success in the ministry

of the Gospel. Without His blessing upon the

work, upon the preaching of the Gospel, upon

fellowship, on our own study of the Word of God,

if the Spirit of God does not take the means,

the Word of God, if He does not do that, then

our sanctification, will not progress as it ought

to. We need His work in our lives and we need

to see it, brothers and sisters. How many times

do we hear conversations about the church and

the world? The church and the culture. And there's

a whole discussion. It can go on and it can go

on. But there's one thing that's completely and

totally missing out of that whole conversation.

God. His power. What He can do. What He has done

in and through the Gospel. Listen, we are carnal

minded. We think about ourselves. We view things

with reference to ourselves. We have to cultivate

our mind and our soul to think with reference

to the living God and His gospel and His power.

That's what we have to do. We have to work at

it, brothers and sisters. It's hard. We have

to train our mind, train our hearts, train our

thinking to do it. We have to practice it. We

have to pray and ask God for help in it. God,

help me to be with you today. Help me to be like

the psalmist and recognize that all my ways are

before you. That I'm always in your presence.

That I never leave you. Help me to understand

that and be conscious of that reality. Help me

not to move on past you today. Help me not to

simply think about myself and my situation, but

help me, Lord. to be spiritually minded regarding

you and your work in my life. We have to remember

that we have the message that God is pleased

with, that God delights in, and that God works

for. We have the message which Paul proclaimed,

brothers and sisters. We have... The message

that God accompanied in signs and wonders. Where

do we have that message? We have it in scriptures,

brothers and sisters. We have the message that

God recognized as true. That God worked on behalf

of. That God validated and confirmed. We have

the truth of the scriptures and that must be

our focus. Listen, if we have the Scriptures,

if we have the Word of God, if we have the message

that God blessed and God worked for and God worked

through, then we have to focus on that. We have

to give our time to that. We have to give our

mind to that. We have to give our hearts to that.

Not the things like miracles. We have to focus

on the Word of the living God. We can't expect

to spurn God's truth, God's message, and expect

God to bless us. If Paul was a false apostle,

God would not have worked on behalf of him. God

would not have blessed Paul. Brothers and sisters,

we have to love the message. We have to give

ourselves to knowing the Scriptures. The truth

of God's Word. We have to be the kind of people,

the kind of church, the kind of Christians that

God will bless and work through as a people.

We have to become faithful in our lives. We have

to pursue holiness and godliness. Because those

are the kind of folks that God works through.

That God works in. Those who are faithful to

Him. He will not accompany us with signs and

wonders. He won't accompany the ministry of the

Word of God with signs and wonders, brothers

and sisters. But listen. He can give His Spirit

in greater measure or lesser degree. He can bless

and He can not bless. He can work in larger ways

and smaller ways. And we have to put ourselves

in a place where we are faithful. In our lives

individually and as a church. By loving the Word

of God. That which is normative. Not that which

is extraordinary. If we gave ourselves to the

extraordinary, if we gave ourselves to that which

is insignificant in the scheme of redemption,

if we gave ourselves to that which God has not

ordained, to that which God has not given us

precedent in the Word of God, if we give ourselves

to that which is not helpful and edifying in

the life of the church or in our lives, if we

commit and give our lives to those things, brothers

and sisters, why in the world? Would we expect

the Lord to bless us? To work in and through

us? But listen. He's given us the message. He's

given us the Scriptures, the Word of God. Let

us give ourselves and focus on the Scriptures.

The normative things. Let us focus on the Word

of God. Let us focus on the ordinances. Let us

focus on worship. Let us seek to be faithful

in our lives. Let us seek to be faithful as a

church and as a body and see what the Lord does.

Because that's what we want, isn't it? We want

to be faithful. We want to honor Him and please

Him and glorify Him. And that's how we do it.

We're also exhorted to believe the message that

God confirms. I'm reminded of Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

2. We read this. For this reason, we must pay

much closer attention to what we have heard,

so that we do not drift away from it. For if

the word spoken through angels proved unalterable,

and every transgression and disobedience received

just penalty, How will we escape if we neglect

so great a salvation? After it was at the first

spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to

us by those who heard, meaning the apostles.

God also testified with them both by signs and

wonders and by various miracles and by gifts

in the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

What the author of Hebrews here is saying, listen,

If unbelief was punished under Old Covenant,

Old Testament revelation, then unbelief will

be punished and dealt out under the revelation

we have in Christ that's canonized in the Scriptures

more severely. And we can't escape it. It's been

confirmed. Brothers and sisters, The Word of

God is true. Understand that. Whether you believe

it or not, it is true. Believe it. Receive it.

Lay hold of the realities in it. Ask the Lord

for help in it. But if you do not believe the

Scriptures, then you reject Jesus Christ and

you reject eternal salvation. There is no hope

outside of what is revealed in the Holy Scriptures

for your never dying eternal soul and you know

you have one. Every single person has knowledge

of God, but you suppress it in unrighteousness.

Believe the Word of God. Believe the message

that God Himself put forth. And obey it. Come

to Christ in repentance and faith.