Ephesus | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from EX Church. We hope this message

will light up your day. Turn with me to X chapter nineteen. Okay.

I hope you all have your Bibles with you. I want to encourage

you all to also bring your physical bibles. X Church is also on the

We're going to begin on a campaign to encourage everyone to own a physical Bible.

If you don't have one, okay, own okay, own, bring

read. You know, there's just it's nothing like a physical Bible. You

mean, really nothing like a physical Bible, don't rely. I mean it's

good to have sometimes I use as well digital copies and stuff like that.

I know it's handy, but there's something very personal when you have a physical

Bible. I always have a physical Bible with me. Okay, Turn with

me to ask chapter nineteen. Okay, And just a quick overview today's message

as I continue on Paul's missionary trip. It's big beginning of his third missionary

trip. Okay. If you want to hear more about his previous missionary you

can check on the Spotify XPJ Spotify to do winebag. But this is the

beginning of his third missionary trip, and this entire chapter in chapter nineteen happens

in Ephesus. So I prepared a slide. It's called yeah it's there,

really, thank you. You know it's in Ephesus. And this has three

main parts, three major parts, three interconnected parts. Okay, and my

job today is to give you the details. And my job today is also

to be able to connect all these three main parts to one big central theme

and so that you will understand to see not just one one sub chapter or

one chapter. You will understand what God is trying to do. What is

the message God is sending to Paul, What is what do all these events

mean? Okay? And then you can see in the message of God.

And so when you're able to tie that, you can tie that in your

own life as well. Sometimes you have different things happening to you in one

week, two weeks, in a month like that, and then some major

things happened. And once you are able to see a pattern of how God

brings together a theme, then you will be able to use that biblically to

also interpret and understand and cut through the message that God wants to speak to

you in your life as well. I'm saying what I'm saying, so it's

very important to know how biblically this works as well. So it's in Ephesus.

Three main parts. The first part will be roughly will be solved like

an introduction to Paul's work in Ephesus and his teaching, and a bit about

Apallus. So I'll talk a bit about introduction about Ephesus, then we talk

about the miracles that are at work, and then lastly we'll talk about the

response that happens in Ephasus. These three major parts. Okay, so you

guys ready, I hope you're already. Okay, So you need to pay

close attention to the scripture. Okay, so let's start by reading a bit

of scripture from nineteen Let's read from verse one to verse ten. Okay,

says heyah, in verse one, and it happened while Apaullos was at Corinth

that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephasus. Okay,

so Paul was there first. A sorry, Apallos was there first,

you can literally readly in the previous chapter. Then Apaullos left to Corinth.

Then Paul, okay, after he went back to Jerusalem, you know,

debrieve, he came back up and he was what they called it followed up

now in Ephesus. So Paul Apollos has done somewhat there ready. Okay,

Paul has been there before, just a bit before. But now Paul is

returning back to Ephasus, and there's something has changed and he's following up from

there. Okay. Now, in verse continuing, he says, there and

finding some disciples, he said to them, did you receive the Holy Spirit

when you believed? So they said him, we have not so much as

heard whether there is a holy Spirit. Now why is there a gap?

Because previously Apaulos was teaching, okay, and he teached only the baptism of

John. So there is a gap there, okay. So that's why Paul

asked. Okay. Then then he said to them into what then were you

baptized? So they said, into John's baptism. Then Paul said, John

ended baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should

believe on him who will come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord

Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them. The Holy Spirit came

upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were

about twelve in all, and he okay, this all, this is the

one main part. Okay, maybe I stopped there for a while, Okay,

So okay, let's give a bit of introduction and I will continue about

a bit as Okay. So Ephesus is one of the major major cities in

the ancient world. Okay, if you equate it right now, it's probably

like like a Shanghai, like a London, or you know, probably not.

You know, if you call New York the biggest city right now,

chie, Shanghai is probably the bigges one, okay, in terms of population.

So it's huge. It's it's in that time. It's the second biggest

city of the ancient uh time, on the Roman Empire. It is more

strategic in the sense in a sense than Rome, because it is a connection

between the east and the west. Okay, Rome will be further up north

and to the west. But it's uh. But Ephesus was very, very

uh influential, a trade city that really connects many traders as well. They

worship a patron deity and always a patron deity. A patron deity, uh,

and a patron means host okay. So uh, you know when you

have Olympics, right, different every four years, there will be a different

city. There will be a patron of the Olympics. Okay, will be

a host of the Olympics. Uh. They say Olympic this year, No,

right, next year? Right? This year? Right, Paris?

Right? Okay? I see I'm so disconnected from the previous one. Was

where Tokyo, Yes, prous from Tokyo, I think, yeah, Tokyo.

So there are different cities that will host okay, and so now ever,

sus was the patron city of the Goddess of Diana. I always keep

saying princess, you know, keep saying oh so you know, so culture

in that manner, you know, it's Goddess of Diana, Okay, Goddess

of dynam In Rome, it's called the Goddess of artemists as well, okay,

so very similar. So when they say patron in their host, it's

not just yearly, but their entire city, culture, their history, their

foundings, their identity took on the patron deity. Okay. Different cities in

Greece also took on Athens took on Athena, okay, and corinth I think

if suddenly they cannot remember that lady goddess, I don't remember anyway, it

doesn't matter. So for Ephesus was Diana, okay. And Diana was the

goddess of hunt, of the moon of virginity, and the protector of young

women and birth, and was very famous among the young women, okay,

very very famous of them among the young women. So different demographics would choose

different goddesses. So Athena was the goddess of wisdom and saw a lot of

smart people would go there. You know, all the thinkers. That's why

they go to Athens. You know, they won't go to Ephesus one,

okay, So okay, So goddess of Dinah was worshiped by many young women.

But the main place, of all the other places that you know,

they have the shrine and the temple of Diana, Eversus was the biggest one.

And in fact they are so famous. Everesus was so famous they actually

hosts. They're actually known for a few things, and one of it was

the temple of Diana. If you see that, one of the biggest agually,

one of the one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, huge

massive, but today it's only one pillar left, only one remaining pillar.

Okay, so only one remaining pillar. And some of these pillars are no

unique. Okay, the pillers are unique because now they when they built this,

it took about one hundred and twenty years to build. So when they

built, right, every pillar will be what they call it, funded by

different people. So they will send out emissaries, you know, hey,

you know, would you like to contribute to these? Would you like to

contribute to these? Would like to contribute to these as well? And nowadays

they do that as well. If you go to the Vaticans, right,

if you go to the Vaticans, you know, right, Vaticans are they're

not just sponsored by one Further, the Vaticans are sponsored and then are donated

by different people as well. So this one time we went there and then

we're so one very abstract and elaborate architecture. You know, then we realize

that who paid for this. It was Japan in what's the connection? We

don't know. They're just like a diplomatic as well. So the different pillars

were different actually contributed by different emperors kings from Middle East, from Persia,

from Asia, so it was a very well known. So you can imagine

this is a it's a very international and very well known wonder. And because

of that it was so central, it attracted a lot of tourists as well,

okay, because there are writings about this beautiful temple all the way to

Egypt, all the way to uh Major Asia as well. So it's very

very famous and it's a center of our worship. They used to believe it,

you know that. You know, there was a meteorite that fell down

from the sky from Zeus and you know when he landed down. We don't

know what it looks like, but it said it carried the face of Diana,

which is what came down from Zeus. You can read in the scriptulator

as well. So they say that this was their history, okay, and

so yeah, and they you know that temple, the worship, it was

a bank. You know, the temple itself was a bank. The temple

itself was also a refuge. Means that if you got hunted, you know,

if you're criminals, you know, you if you enter inside the temple,

no one can prosecute you. So it's like an embassy. You know,

you know what I'm saying. You know, your embassy and the refuge

go there. They can don't do anything to you. So it's like a

home base for a lot of people. Okay, And evers was They also

had the Great Theater of Eus. We're going the next night, so I'm

sharing a fel so that to stimulate your imagination right now, Okay, to

really give a sense of idea the grand and all the atmosphere of Everts as

well. There's a great us. I'm not sure you can see this,

but this is a it's a big dem It's like a panoramic view of the

theater. It can sit up, sit up to twenty five thousand people.

Imagine that time, and they can build a place they can see twenty five

thousand people. You know, it's amazing. And the you know, if

you see in one the acoustic is fantastic, fantastic. Okay, So if

you look at it, it's massive, okay, and it's way MP theater.

But yeah, so they have that later you will see that. This

place will come into the picture in when they have the riot as well.

There's where they had the riot. Okay, And yeah, so that is

a bit of introduction about Ephas, So what is the history with the Bible?

So Paul actually stayed there for how long he stays there? He stayed

there, but we're going on. He stayed here for two years and three

months. One of his longest stays was actually in ephasas he wrote the letters

to the Ephesians when he was in jail. Later when he wanted to go

to Rome, he will be house in house arrests, so he will write

a letter to the Ephesians as well. And then later on in the Book

of Revelations. Okay, they were the les seven letters to the churches the

first church is to the letters to the Church of Efphicients, and they were

called the loveless Church, the church that abandoned their first love. So there's

a lot of history we cantually come to hear as well, history that backwards,

and also will be kind of like a history moving forward as well.

Okay. And so then in this picture with him we have Apollos. Okay,

Apollos who came from Alexandria. Where is Alexandria? Who knows where Alexandria

is? Give me the country? Nope? Where Egypt? Okay? Ah?

I love you. What Alexandria. I think it's from Egypt, but

it was named by Alexander the Great. But it's actually in Egypt, in

the northern part of Egypt, okay, northern east of Egypt. Alexandria was

some very renowned city, not as big, but it was also it had

one of the I don't know whether it's a seven Wonders of the word,

but very great, wonder, very powerful thing. It's called the Great Library.

Have you heard the Great Library reform? If you played the game called

Civilization, I used to say you called the Great Library. You play it,

you install that you can to research, to you to discover. So

the Great Library house all the great u materials or the research you know in

the ancient time, the great but it was burned down unfortunately. But what

it says is that a lot of what what the what in Alexandra happened is

that a lot it was a point where the northern civilization, which is the

Rome, the Great, the brid the goth Okay connected in terms of their

culture, their history, their religion all come and connected at Alexandria. And

so there the Ethiopians, all the Africans, all the religion also their resources

will be there, and the Hebrew God, the Hebrew history will also be

there. But they were all in their own native languages, Arabic, even

Hebrew, okay. And suddenly, but at that time the most common language

was Greek, and saw the Greek and so the Jewish history from Moses,

from Abraham onwards right was relatively unknown to the Greek civilization because there was no

translation, okay. And so in Alexandria it happens to be that there was

a group of seventy scholars who came down from from from Greece, come down

to Alexandria and converted the first Hebrew where they called it scriptures the Old Testament,

into ancient Greek. And so it was so important. That's why you

study before. It's called the septu agent scripture. Have you heard before a

septu Agian scripture? Septu mean seventy ah, no coincidence, seventy people who

converted it. So it was not at all, but it was important because

for the first time the Old Testament was made available in the common Languge which

you get me right. Suddenly you're like, oh, you know, it's

a very important hormon and that means that a lot of people in the northern

civilization at least have an idea right now, and it starts to infiltrate into

their culture, infiltrate into their poetry, their history, their inspiration as well.

Okay, so it's not unknown ready, and it's very important moving forward

costs a lot of Jews they actually moved north, or they migrated, or

because all they were exile, a lot of them became like not just speaking

mainly Greek, you know, Hebrew. Hebrew didn't become something very common.

It's like some some of us malayianst you know, we forgot our native tongues.

Ready. You know your father speak hockey or Hakka Chinese, but you

can only speak English nowadays only you get me, right, So it's like

us also, you get me right, we've lost our native tongue ready.

But thank goodness, there was somebody who converted their native town in all history

to English so that we as English speaking English noway can stand it right now

already, so it was very very powerful. Well, why they explain to

you, okay, just that God is in control. Okay, God even

more the Great, so that in all his work can be known to us

a sob. And it says that Apollos came from Alexandria. Okay, Apollos

came from Alexandria. What it means is that he only knew part of the

Gospel and not the full Gospel, because only the Old Testament was translated.

The New Testament wasn't even written yet. Okay, that is why he only

knew of the Gospel of the Baptism of John. Makes sense right now.

So the Bible actually give us all these clues to why these things happen.

Why Apollos only preached at that time only the Baptism of John. He never

held Jesus before, But even without the Gospel he believed. You know,

So where Priscilla and Aquila hurt Apollos, if you're read in extrapter eighty.

They took him aside and explained to him the gospel he believed, and what

he preached faithfully from the Old Testament has always been consistent with the New test

Jesus is the fulfillment of everything. So if you really truly faithfully follow the

scripture, Jesus fulfills everything. Jesus completes everything. There is no discrepancy,

okay, And so it's very very powerful. So Apollos himself was was a

was a testimony. He was a great encouragement to them. But but yet

his message was not complete. So Paul comes into the picture and completes the

gospel. And I see what I'm saying. Someone who is as smart as

Apollos, who comes from Alexandria, comes from that great library, you know.

Okay, needed someone like Paul to come and complete. And not only

that, it's not just the preaching and the knowledge according to the world,

but there must be power. Okay. So the gospel that God wants for

you and I was not just to know it on the gospel that God,

that that God wants to his son was the gospel of truth and power.

Gemen right to know his power. We must have the power of the Holy

Spirit. So when we talk when we talk about our modern Christian faith,

right, so, hey, a house of Christian like, oh I've been

to church. Oh yeah, I know, Lord, Bible it's good,

but it's not complete. Because I'm saying, this must be full of power.

The scripture says it. Okay, it's very clear. If it's acknowledge

is just enough. Then when Paul lay hands and pray for them. There's

nothing happened. But yet when he laid hands and pray on them, the

power came upon them and they spoke. It was very clear God's plan for

them was always to experience truth and power. So my question for you guys,

from teen to young adults to family, are you guys living in just

in truth or with truth and power? Turn your neighbors, say truth and

power. Okay. There must be truth and power in your life. And

you will see this theme occurring again and again in through all this whole entire

chapter. They're always the preaching of the truth, but they're always the emergency

of power. And then when there's truth and power and they will be what

we called shaking. Okay, little we will talk more about that. Okay.

Now that's my introduction on me. Okay everybody, Okay, so turn

to your neighbor, give them a jab, say you hope you're doing good?

All right? I feel like I just gave one lecture. Ready,

huh Okay do you Okay? So far? Now let's do this. Who

says Bible is boring? Bible is exciting? Man. I I went to

teens Cama. I know, I know, I was talking to I think

about six. Uh young young teens are very young teens, are you know

my native preteens like nineteen Nathan's age and younger that some moreday from its cosmics.

I talked to them. I was talking about different things. You know,

I was talking like a poor jet. You know. They was like

passed away for a while. Let me get my Bible. Oh so awes

all right, let me get my Bible. They were leaning down on the

floor flipping the Bible. You know, It's like he said, then assure

you were saying, hey, how come my girls are just like, oh,

are we down here? But the boys were more excited to learn.

I was like, who. And then one of them, you know,

a boy, a loysist from c who says Bible is boring, this is

exciting, very good. I love it. I love it very good.

Okay, in it says here wait yet stop okay uh verse number eight Okay.

In Sasa, Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months,

okay, for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things or the

Kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but

spoke evil of the way. Last time, I told you, before Christians

were non Christians, non Christian, they were called what the people of the

way. Okay, So if you don't becore Christian, I say, the

people of the way okay. Ah, I am the Way okay, and

the Laurian okay, that's kidding. Okay. Before spoke evil of the way,

before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning

daily in the school of Tyrannus, underlying that okay, very very very very

very very important. You know, it's very important word okay, Tyrannus.

Okay. And this continued for two years, two years. So they're all

who dwell in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and

Greeks. Amazing and amazing. So why is that? So this is the

first part and coming to the end of the first part. So what happens

here when when they were trying to go into the synagogue, that spoke okay

to the Jews first, to their own people, the people who know the

Old Testament, the people who've grown up, grown up with it. He's

saying that, yes, you've known the Old Testament, but I hope you

will be like Apollos. I'll let you know that your knowledge is true,

but it's not complete. Let me give you the complete Jesus completes the whole

message. But yeah, they harden their hearts. You get me right,

harden their hearts, and so they know continue for treatments. Nothing worked,

and eventually they were not kicked out. But then when one door closes,

God opens er another. Okay, one door closers, God opens ernother.

Okay, It's amazing. And I can tell you this is important because you

will see this if you're doing ministry work, okay, whether you're doing mission

work and you know, in the rural areas or you're starting something new,

it always happens to be like that. And so when you experience roadblocks,

I want you to be encouraged. And when you see things happening around you

want to know. I want to let you know, like miracles happen,

testimonies happen. I want you to let you know that the testimonies that we

have are no longer normal, unique than what we have in the New Testament.

Okay, no, no more than unique. Okay. So the school

of Tyrannous happened, and it was you know, there's a small what do

you call it? Adand them to add you know, they know for the

detail. It says that that the school that Paul attended, the school taught

at the school, okay, from eleven to four, came from eleven to

four in our time, now came eleven to four. Hy eleven to four

because at that time the school has no roof. One a school is out

at the basketball courty. It's got a basketball court. You know, it's

just opening. It's just an open field. Everybody sit down, and there

was a school. This is a simple school. No can tee, no

no iPads, you know, it's just everybody sit down, and that's what's

the school. Okay, it's just an open field flat at that So why

eleven because after eleven it's hot. They also know not they also came out

a hand hold one. Okay. So from eleven to four is the heat

of the sun. So nobody will will will will will do work to be

all or even teach, okay, and so after fall then they continue again,

okay. And in the field it's typical as well. They start waking

up very early in the morning, five six o'clock. They already eat one

meal and or they don't eat the meal. They just go and work until

ten eleven. Then they rest nam until four o'clock. Then there were until

seven, then there's the rest of the day. Already. That's how they

in the ancient time, the people that they're working hours. You want to

ask for your boss from there. I want remote working and I want this

time working hour. You know, so from eleven to four, don't call

me. Okay. Now it doesn't work their way. It doesn't work their

way now now, okay, but that's how they work and so poor.

Okay, it's amazing this apply. I think this speaks a lot to you

and I. Paul, what was he working as? He was a tent

maker. He was a tent maker. And he said it before, okay,

not the first time in his late letters that he supported himself. You

know, he supported himself. You know, he never really like, hey,

you know, because I appreach, you must give me money. You

know, you know, he supported himself. I'm not saying that, oh

everybody must have, but he let somebody. He supported himself. So what

did he do. He's more like you guys, rather than me. You

know, I'm full time. He's more like you guys. You know you

guys, wait a daily job. You know. He worked in the morning

until eleven o'clock and then his spare time just daily basis. When he has

a spare time, what did he do? He preached the gospel. He

was doing it before you all about people. He took his lunchtime and started

cell group, homes, power group, whatever it is. He's no different

than us people. Hey, I don't need to preach something new. I

would just follow up poor enough ready, you know, because he was teaching

so much. Okay, the school opened opportunity for here. This is the

hour. Nobody you want to use the hottest one? You know, but

said hot just the fact that I can speak, I will take it.

I tell you. Some of you like quite quite amazing, isn't you think?

What do we do with our timer? So inconvenience or hot loss or

fall? Give me? But he never saw any of it, you know,

So no, some feel very reguilty or you're like, oh, I'm

I also very convicted. Also okay, he took it, took it.

Wow. I never he never saw it as a hot and hot because it

was not the thing that attracted him. Was that what it was to school,

and this and Everts what was ed the epicenters. That's where all I'm

talking about comes to this part. People from Rome, from Greece, from

Spain, all coming there from Asia, from the south and north and east

coming to the school. And he never took the sun as an obstacle,

the heat of the sun. And he went there and said, you give

me, I will do it for two years people while he was still working

full time. So we have working at the example role model to follow through.

I told you already from the very beginning. I told you already Book

of Escort a lot of relevance to us one right, true or not,

there's a lot of relevance. One. It's very applicable to us. So

you don't say, right now, oh, this church followed this working model,

this church follower, No, just moan the Bible. The Bible has

been doing that. You get me nice is what we see. He's so

and a great opportunity. You get mean right, And he said like this

are young men, people who are learning, who are hungry. Of course

they stand with a very difficult place. You know why, because ever Sus

was a great cultural place where they have one of the greatest wonders of the

world. In all they said, oh, we know we can't reach their

life. You know, this company is so big. You know they have

this culture. They have TikTok culture, the culture, the influencers and stuff.

They have the temple that a writ in front of them. Man,

people right in front of them. Did they stop them? He thought?

He from preaching? No, no, it all it's like you're having the

It's like I don't know, it's like you're trying to reach preach the gospel.

And then who is that? Who's that person? Now? Who's that

lady famous singer, the country's song singer. If Taylor Swift for singing right

in front of heaving a concert there, you know, my mind goes right

already said wrong. It's like you're trying to Hey, let's have a campus

enough, let's head home right now, and opposite your flat and your house

are Taylor Swift is happening? Oh? Will never happen? People always go

to Taylor Swift one. Okay, No, I'm not hating on Taylor swife.

Okay, I'm just example. I'm just sharing something. If you you

get me right, we will come with all sorts of reasons that the culture

and the people will never join us. Ona. But did you stop him?

He went over two years people in the head of the Sun while working

full time. He was not making any excuses. No, not because I

aren't tried to, but he just wanted to do. He knew he was

there for a place. I got rejected from my own temple, you know.

But yet one door closes, another open. He came back with a

vengeance. You know, man, this guy ah, you know, like,

I'm gonna do it. You know, I don't care which temple you're

gonna build. I don't care what one day you're gonna build. I don't

care what history they're selling, like figurines, making millions of you know,

GDP income from that temple. I'm still gonna teach. I don't care how

much money people's lives on it. I'm still gonna teach. And he taught

for two years, told you, And then what happened? He says there

in the verse, at the ending verse, there so that all who dwell

in Asia hurt the word of the Lord Jesus. There's no better closure to

say. So that, oh man, no fits into the title, isn't

it fits into the title? And so that oh man no. So my

question is not what are we doing so that? Oh man No? I

encourage you, guys, I go backter reread this chapter again. Reread this

chapter. You read better still, reread the whole book again. The Life

of Paul? What is it all about so that old man? No,

isn't it if you're saying that, Oh, I'm he's preaching the gospel itself

for a full time pastor hey, he's working men. No excuses people,

really, you know, it's a passion. You're led by passionate, not

by convenience. Right now, we're always looking for a pool. Pull me,

no, push yourself, the push factor you get me in, right,

that's the key, you know everybody? Okay, so far amazing,

isn't it. Actually? I want to speak when I was going through this,

you know, I want to release a prophetic word and not I really

believe on that. You see, when you're a teen, when you have

teens, right, teens they still submit to their parents and they live under

their parents. They are under the resources and the mercy of their parents and

the household to travel around. But the moment you become a campus student,

right is different. You know, the moment they have a car and the

keya oh the face changing have I did? Bye? Bye mummy? Oh

you want me to pick you? Let's see? I got time? And

I was kidding. You know, certainly they grow bold, you know,

resources at their hand. You know, oh maybe I can do some part

time job. Ready you see campus, you know, and in this in

this time, it's very important because there is solved that their first step and

half a step into real independence. But yet because they're transitioning, they are

really looking for role models outside their house. Ready, really know how many

campus students we have you all of us have been campused to them before?

How many has been campus to them before? Has been all of us in

that? Well all it has been, okay, we all have been think

about it. When you came out of your parents' house, Well, you

really look up to who's the role models in it? If there are no

real ones, you look up to your friends, your seniors, isn't it

They're really looking one and not. I tell you, I really believe there's

a prophetic word for XPG. Really, I really believe that the captive market,

really that that God wants is the campus students. Even until now I

ask my wife. I sometimes I say, oh, who do you have

a heart? Actually, although I serve the young, I actually really believe

and I have a soft hoart for campus people. I always heard it because

I go minister as a campus people. I understand the importance of campus people.

But what campus people really need our role models and XPJ we are unique,

not because we are mostly young working adults and a lot of young families,

a lot of young families with children. And the campus people are watching,

they are watching, and they are looking. What are these working adult

doing with that? Like? What is their attitude? What are they really

giving out to? What are they doing from eleven to four o'clock? Kidding?

You get mean? Right? Oh yeah, you know what are they

doing in the free time? Watching Netflix? You know? Or you know

or the all they think about? It's just traveling. You know. I've

been guilty before, So you get me right. You can't mean right?

You really look one and all. I'm not saying that you cannot do all

these things. But I tell young families that you really are so privileged because

you They look up to you so much. And I've been blessed by a

family before. When I was a campus tutor. It changed my life,

really really touched me. You don't have you don't have to do that so

many you just avail yourself to to see potential in them. Too willing to

give up a bit of time. I won't say not to invest into them,

to believe in them, to invest into them, to give them a

word that they need for the season. Do you get what I mean?

Right? Just to believe in them, just to give that. I tell

you it will mean so much to them, you know, and you do

it so that oh may no, some of them will not be not after

the moment that two three years out of the campus, when they got out

to the working world, they will not hear maybe Jesus for a long time,

you know. And the last thing that remember was working about a young

family spoke truth in my life. You care what I mean? Right?

And I released this word that I hope and I believe that we have to

this PJ has with so many great as a young family's tudor. I know

you guys have this responsibility. But if you will take the eleven to four

a clock windows in your life, you know I'm saying, hypothetically, okay,

whatever that you can give I know it's hard. I know it's difficult.

But if you would give, if you would, if it were so,

would you believe that you would see the same miracle that happened with Paul.

You gee, what I mean right now? I released this word.

Now it's you to respond. You see. I always good to hear now,

but now it requires an accountability. You know, I'm not holding a

company's card. You know, go to hear, but you need to respond.

I really believe it now, So I'm not saying that from what I'm

saying scripture. I really believe that if if XBJ will respond, if our

generation younger would respond to that, okay, we'll respond to that. I

don't care. Sometimes Paul doesn't say that, oh my, my business is

not doing well. Oh my, you know, everybody's buying ten from the

other guy, not buying from my ten. You know, he's just saying,

oh, I care about men. Because really, in life, there's

only one full time job. Even parenting, it's not a full time job.

You know, I'm gonna say full time. And because after eighteen years

old, you kid leave your house ready, you know, ah, true

or not. I acknowledge it in my life as well. My children getting

it more independent? After that? What you do find a nature? See?

What are you gonna do when you retire from fifty sixty to seventy eighty

ninety years? Oh? I hope you lived in there are What are you

gonna do? There's only a real one full time job. Everything else is

part time, even parenting. You know. You know what I'm saying.

You know, and when you live like that, your children look at used

differently. It's no, it's different one and not. So I'm releasing this

prophetic word of encouragement for every one of us to see life a bit differently,

to order a bit differently, and to respond. Actually, today I

can stop purity by one. Okay, and could you receive it? Families

working it down? Can you receive this word? Okay? It is really

from the Bible. One. You know, it's not for me, it's

really okay, Okay, I do have time. Okay, I got another

fifty minutes. Okay, let's do this, everybody. Okay, So ah,

all right, turn to your neighbor and say that I received this word.

Okay, so you see a double blue take? Ready? Okay,

double blue take? Okay, double blue take. Okay, let's move on

verse eleven. So the title says miracles glorified Christ go now God worked unusual

miracles, Oh, unusual, and not just usual unusual miracles ready unusual,

but this is unusual miracle. It's the double emphasis by the hands of Paul,

so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick,

and the disease left them, and the evil spirits went on from them.

Let's do that, Okay, next time when you come from prayer,

I'm gonna take up my sweaty, dirty handkerchief. There After I preached,

you know, no like Paul from eleven to four in the heat of the

sun. Oh my sweaty apron. Who wants I throw it? Oh?

People took it to heal. People want to know should we do that?

Okay? Uh? What they call it? Uh? You know holst pca

give me tower next week, reuse it, don't wash it, don't watch

it. I command you, don't wash it. You don't come up.

I'm gonna go around, gonna wipe you all, okay. Yah. I

was gonna say, will take his mask aqua people used they take the masks,

go and hep people so he would do it. You know, it's

like people was. You can imagine two things, you know, either the

miracle was so powerful or people were so desperate, you know what I mean.

Man, you cannot imagine it because you cannot imagine the desperation. And

I can tell you right now that that city is actually that that that that

entire town of efficts is actually very desperate. And I will show you a

They are desperate, very desperate, spiritually and physically desperate and hungry. They

don't realize it, okay. So no, so they said, people are

using his handkerchiefs, you know, and diseases left them. And in verse

thirteen, he says that then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcist, itinerant Jewish

exorcist, Wow, what the title, man, I don't be called that,

okay, took it upon themselves to call this name of the Lord of

the Lord of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, okay,

saying we exorcized you by the name by Jesus whom Paul preachers, or qualified

by Jesus whom Paul preachers. Wow. No, it's like, you know,

by using the name. But no, I preach one not that guy

preached one okay, second and third tend and I'm using the car that that

guy borrowed. Okay, you know, so the and there were seven sons

of Skimer, a Jewish chief priest who did so? Okay, Jewish chief

priests. Okay. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus, I

know, and Paul, I know, but who are you? Who are

you? See? Yah? The evil spirits even know and people understand this

enough. Truth and power is recognized. One know. Truth and power is

recognized one and know even by the evil ones. You know, they recognize

one and all may not mistake about it. One and know they know one

to know. Do you think they just like just I'm contained chaos for us?

You know they know, but how come we don't know? True or

not? You know they even know? How come? But most of the

time we act like we don't know. Thank you, sir, You know

we we don't know what they know? Okay? And the evil spirit answered

and sorry, I ask you. Then in verse sixteen, then the man

in whom the evil spirit was leaped upon them, overpower them and prevailed against

them. Mm. You know this is one guy versus probably like how many

of them seven of them, right, one versus seven in the octagona,

and he prevailed against over on. Can you imagine airing one fellow winning over

seven dultes? You know, he overpowered them, you know? Okay?

Then they says that and prevailed so that they fled out the house naked and

wounded. Oh my goodness, took everything. You know what, what does

it mean? A naked and wounded, hurt and shamed? When you do

not recognize, when you don't come with the proper authority, when you don't

present yourself, whether it's before the Lord and even or any of your adveraries,

with the proper fear of God, you will be shamed. I say

what I'm saying. When you don't have the proper fear of God, you

will be shamed. Okay. And this became known to both to all the

Jews and the Greeks dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell on them all,

and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and many who had believed

came confessing and telling their deeds. So what happens there? People were taking

the aprons and the handkerchiefs are there's one thing now, but the moment.

Now you see like even the evil spirits are recognizing there and then they cannot

use the name of the Lord in vain. And not only that, they

realize there is God who is watching over every single thing. There is a

fear of God that came upon their lives. Okay, there's a fear of

God that came upon their lives. And they came confessing and tell they did

stay. They said that I'm going to confess. I don't want to be

exposed like them. I'm going to confess. And said also, many of

those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight

of all. Ooh, okay, what these books are? So I don't

know the slight the books are. It's not like more books. Is more

like scrolls. You know. Sometimes they get me got like a magic scrolls.

Okay, So some a lot of these scrolls are saw from all the

way from different countries. You know. I told you, it's like a

trading area. Some from Middle East, some from Africas, from from Major

Asia, some from Rome. And they will sell a lot of these scrolls

and a lot of these gross what a lot of the magician practitioners do is

take the scroll. They will chanted and then normally they were placed together with

either figurine or they're add herbs, and sometimes they would use human remains,

and a lot of times they were are separated. Some of it, Uh,

they will use like to get someone to fall in love with you,

you know, I want that person to fall in love with me. For

protection, you know, when I bring this and I won't get hurt.

What else did they do for wealth? What wrote here? Sorry, just

let me just check my my notes here? For love, protection for him

and also to curse people as well. Okay, and give you an example,

okay, a very prominent example like that, you know in the old

Testimo who was a very major practitioner of this witchcraft and this magic stuff was

a major one in the days in Book of Genesis. The person is Laban

Laban, Okay, who is Laban? Some of you like, who's Laban?

The guy whom Jacob served okay, for Rachel and Layer okay, Rachel

and Laya's father. Hey, and he deceived Jacob many many times, okay,

so many times. Even when Jaco said that you give me all the

spotted ships so called impure, want just give it to me as my wages

still be enough ready. So before he gave the wage to Jacob, he

said, I told his sons a, go and bring all the ships to

the bag, take all the spotter and packer, and then take them far

away, so that when you bring the flock for him to exement, you

couldn't find one. Basically, I promised to pay you one thousand, okay,

from my flock, go and look for them. But if at the

end he paid him zero, he was a deceiver. Okay. He deceived

Jacob again and again, and then what happened to him? Of course I

want the next time I'll talk about Jacob. Okay. But Jacob prospered,

got his way to Jacob, and then when he left right, Laban was

very angry. Okay. Then it says there that Rachel took the father's idol.

It's very specific. It's not a big idol. No, it's a

very small like a like a figuring, like a like a middle size,

you know, like a like a I don't know why I call it the

size, okay. And then she hid it okay. And then when Laban

chased and met with Jacob Ryan, it's very telling what his heart was you

know. You know why he Labana, because before he met Jacob, the

night before, God spoke to him, say that you don't speak neither good

or evil to Jacob. Be careful not to speak good or evil to Jacob.

Okay already want him the night before. No, but Laban, when

he saw that, he still couldn't keep his mouth shut enough. He couldn't

take it. Not He was so upset because he changed all this way.

Jacobad took all his children rightfully, Jacob's children and his wife's with him,

and he said that you take all this and you you know, as if

like you're running away from me. But then he said, ah, all,

this is very clear that God is favoring it. He spoke, God

spoke to me that night. But then he ended with this, but why

is it that you took away my idol? He didn't care about his daughter,

He didn't care about Jacob, his son in law. He didn't care

about all the things. Only thing he cared about us, his idol.

So Rachel, A lot of commentaries will not discover this, But what do

actually I really believe? Also, this is what the Jewish people be.

Rachel was not stealing it all Rachel was trying to get his father to finally

let go of idolatry. Ye mean right, the father has been praying for

this idol for riches, even so much that he couldn't care about his daughters.

Really, he thought all the riches he got was from the idol.

But it was God who prospered him through Jacob. And when Jacob left,

Rachel took it away. Right. He thought it was the idol that brought

him. It was not. It was God. You know what I'm saying.

It's a very powerful story. Next time I teach you guys about that,

Okay, but it's very very powerful. It's powerful lesson but for this

city and the same in the same case as well. They were heading all

these magic scross and buying all these figurines. So Everesus was making a lot

of money from witchcraft. Makes sense selling figurines, selling magic books. When

they're burning, you know how much money is worth. And on five point

five million, you know worth of scrolls and on. I told you before,

scrolls are very expensive. If you own a scroll, it's like owning

a car. Okay, it's very precious. So it was an economy if

you convert to our money is that how much like that times by five around

twenty five, twenty seven, twenty seven million ring okay, twenty seven from

its huge you know it's a huge it's a huge industry for that time.

Okay, huge industry for that time. So you know, it's amazing that

what post spoke to them. And not only that, there was the demonstration

of the power and authority of of God, of the Holy Spirit, that

change that broke through the stronghold of witchcraft and idolatry yive me i in the

second biggest country of the world. Amazing. So got closed one. There's

one dog man closed. God opens another of school. So don't despise all

the small platforms that you have. You know, it can bring down strongholds.

You know internationally you know so much of people burning off people, people

burn this thing. You know, it's amazing, you know. Okay,

let me I have to really come to a close. Ready now to that

third part, because of the scripture is a bit long, I'm gonna summarize,

okay. So basically we had two parts. Paul came, Paul preached

and there was healing at work. Then there was a riot. There was

a riot because I told you what Eversus were doing. They were doing selling

figurines. They don't have the slight not maybe can you show that the ah

They were literally selling free figurines, all these small figurines. Okay, see

figurines, decorations one thing, but no, they were not using that.

They were putting the figurines doing witchcraft. Okay, a lot of people are

doing witchcraft okay, making huges money and they will buy one, they will

buy bigger one, smaller one, and stuff like that, doing all sorts

of things there. Okay, huge money from there. And then uh and

this guy called Demetrious, he was probably like a guilt of society leader,

and he gathered everybody and he say that, look this poor for these two

years. Are we notice something? People? There's certain group of people who

are no longer coming to buy our figurines. And these are silver figurines,

you know, very expensive one okay, okay, and not only there,

he finally said, they are. What he's saying is that gods cannot be

made out from their hand. It's not only affecting their figuring sale, but

it's also affecting the temple because a lot of people come to Ephesus just to

see the temple. And if suddenly their worldview change that God cannot be car

from the hands of manner, what reason would they come to Ephesus anymore.

So it's not only disrupting their trade, he's disrupting their tourism as well.

So God's work is actually having white nationwide impact, global impact. He's disrupting

the economy and the fabrics of countries. Ready, you know, it's really

affecting ready on the very, very series level. And so they, you

know, because of that, they started raising up people and then brought them

to the theater there. Paul wanted to go, but he's not. Some

of the fosse said you cannot go. So okay, So they're raising up

and they keep shouting, why great is Diana, Create is Diana, and

great is Diana. They are trying to prop up the name of Diana because

they are life who come from there, and they need to make Ephesus great.

They need to make Ephesus great in the eyes of the whoa would you

go to another spend your Asian money to go to a place where you go

no name people compare Yeah, Tokyo, So nice, nice amster them or

London. So nice you give me like people prop up the name. Oh

then you're like, okay, maybe I will spend my money by one day.

Nobody say I had the deal. I don't want no videos, nothing

you see, you won't go, isn't it? So they were doing promotional

marketing. They were the Greatest Diana, Great is Diana, not telling to

themselves. They were telling to twenty five thousand people, twenty five thousand people

coming from north, southeast and west, Greatest Diana. Great is Diana.

Because if there is no power in that name, people will not come.

Ah makes sense or not, So they're propping it up. There must be

power in the name. But we don't live by the name of this all

these goddess. We live by the power the name of Jesus. Their power

of the name came from men. Can you heal? No, that is

the name of Jesus. So what are we doing with the name of Jesus?

Are we declaring? How we shouting? Are we praising? It's different

than all So we must live up the name of Jesus. You know these

people will live up the name of their gods, but for different reasons.

Isn't it okay? And so they live it up. Okay, and then

people start to stir, and then they start to they want to they want

to basically, you know, prosecute someone. They want to they actually they

want someone to die. Actually, okay, twenty five thousand people huge,

But eventually it was not. Now the riot was quenched, you know,

by counsel. I'm not going to go into detail, but I'm gonna summarize

these tree parts. As I come to the last light, the next go

the next light, summarize everything up. I can go to that one,

the scripture before that, so you see something there. You know, later

Paul will write this famous scripture, and when you read it, you really

with a bill understanding. What does he say? Well, we do not

wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the

rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual holds of wickedness in the

heavenly places. Now you have a bill understanding what he's really talking about.

Isn't it as an understanding? What is happening? What, what kind of

bondage this whole entire city is under? What kind of forces is actually at

work? And I can tell you if you translate there or start to apply

this filter in maybe parts of your life, or your family or those around

you, or those your friends or your colleagua, you start to see that

you know why their family is like you know, really in that chaos you

gave me a of course, there is a stronghold, There is a power

and the Lord. These powers are from lies. Gay stronghold, I come

from lies. Okay, bondage you know, principle. We are fighting against

these things. You know, make no mistake by the whole entire city is

under this bondage, you know. And they will not give it up unless

they give up. They will not give up. They will not surrender without

a fight. Okay, So what do I want to conclude this part?

That the last slight? So God to work and plan through God's work and

plan through his church. So that old man first, when you come summarizer.

First, there must be the teaching and the preaching of truth to reveal

open everybody's eyes. People are paying attention watching right now, Oh okay,

everybody coming to school tyrannous watching. But then there is the works of power.

This is your life as well. And you know, God working through

the church to be, to Malaysia to slang or to every paths okay,

there is the works of power to demonstrate. I told you before. How

God establishes his truth is like always a two punch. The preaching of the

world and the works of miracle pang pang okay always double handed. One comes

together. So the preaching or they cannot prevail against it. And even if

they try to what they call it blesspheme against the work of God, are

okay, or try to imitate or try to fake it out hey by casting

in the name of Jesus that poor preachers are they try to do any nonsense

with he will fail them. So the work of God is validated. Get

me right. And the last one is what when these things happen, the

enemy cannot push to a corner. What happens. It's very important you understand

and white things happened your life are there is a shaking of foundations. The

whole entire culture and spellation shook shaking because when God comes, he's going to

disrupt things. When God comes into your life, your family's life, your

friend's life, things are going to change because you cannot go back to the

same again you used to earn a living from that. Before you used to

cast spells and wish things. You used to dependent or from this God for

a health and your and how lives dependent on that. And you're scared to

let God because you're letting go of your crutch of you know, something that

you lean on again. But which is more important your fear of not being

able to work or the fear of God in your life that leads you?

You get me right, You're so scared to let go. Oh if I

let go the fear, like Labana said, well if I lose my idol?

How sometimes you're so scared that even when God speaks to you in the

dreamer, you don't fear it. Let me ask you some of you are

You probably have dreams in your night and when you woke up you felt like

God is like trying to speak to you in your dream? How many you

know what I'm talking about? Did you pray about it? It's God trying

to shake something in your life. Very quiet, isn't it? You know

your things, something happened to you or your family, and some God may

be speaking some thing in your life. You know I'm not saying that,

Oh, be superstitious. No no, no, no, no no.

I'm saying that when things happen, when there's a preaching of the world,

when the demonstration of power God is shaking foundations, individual's life, in the

life of a community, and the whole nation as well. And when God

shakes ou there's very clear what separation and judgment? Okay, you experience all

these ready, and God calls us to what you're going to separate now the

ship and then God, God is coming to judge. You know. God

is coming to judge right now you I've done all these things given you.

Oh the clue. God is separating right now, and judgment comes. Move

to the left and the right. You will do with the families, with

the churches. God will do that judgment already because all has been late ready

and soul will be the end of times. Okay, so will be so

as a minister here, how many of you you know that God is speaking

to you today? What is the word that God is given to you this

year? And have you been faithful? Is there a fear of God in

your life? Appropriate fear of God in your life? Have you been accountable

to them? Not just with the word, with the resources that you have,

You're eleven to four o'clock. Whatever that you have, have you been

accountable to them? Has God been demonstrating power, whether directly in you,

your family, or your witnessing? And when you see that work of power?

Is there a fear of God in your life? Some of you may

be at the third stage. God is separating ready, some God is something

calling, whether for good or for bad. Something is happening ready. It's

a time for us as believers to separate ourselves. Separate ourselves. Are you

going to lean on the world, Are you going to lean on what you

use before? Or are you going to lean on God? We hope you've

been blessed by this message. For more information on our church, please visit

as Church RG. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing

that this week is going to be a good week, a hit for you. God bless