World Wide Witness: Healthy Church Part 1

Then what baptism did you receive?

John's baptism, they replied.

Paul said, John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.

He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

There were about twelve men in all.

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

But some of them became obstinate.

They refused to believe and publicly maligned the way.

So Paul left them.

He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

This went on for two years, so that all of the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick,

and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed.

They would say,

In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.

One day the evil spirit answered them,

Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?

Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all.

He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus,

they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.

A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.

When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to 50,000 drachma.

In this way, the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

Thanks very much, Ross.

Well, keep your Bibles open there at Acts 19.

And we'll have a look at this together.

Well, let's pray first.

Our Father, thank you again for your word.

Thank you for its impact upon many lives.

Thank you for the evidence of its work on campus in student life.

And we pray that as the uncover, the Luke's Gospels, go and are read and are discussed with people,

that they would find the real Jesus through those books.

And we pray for ourselves now as we read and study Acts, that we also would meet Jesus.

And we would understand more of who God is and what it is to be his church and to be his people.

So we ask for your help in this this morning.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, when I was growing up at home, my mum had a great way of diagnosing if we were sick or if we were healthy.

She basically had two very simple tests.

One was bleeding and the other one was temperature.

So if I woke up in the morning complaining of a sore tummy or an aching head,

well, she would apply her diagnosis test,

which she said had been in her family for generations and done her very well and the same for us as well.

So there I would be with my sore tummy and sore head and she'd say,

Are you bleeding anywhere?

No.

Have you got a temperature?

And we'd check the temperature.

Well, you haven't got a temperature, you're not bleeding, you're okay.

So get up and off you go to school.

And that was basically the way that it was.

Who needs a GP when you have a sophisticated health test like that?

But the question we want to be asking is,

How do we diagnose or how can we assess the health of the church?

How do we know if this church is healthy or is it sick?

How do we know if it's healthy or sick?

Well, as Paul went on his church planting trips,

he sought to establish churches that were healthy.

Having returned from his trip to Europe,

which we were looking at over the last couple of weeks,

he makes it his business to go back to all of those churches

that he's planted over the last five years to strengthen them.

So chapter 18, verse 23, we read,

After spending some time in Antioch,

Paul set out from there,

and Antioch was his home church,

and he set out from there and he travelled from place to place

throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia,

which is modern-day Turkey,

strengthening all the disciples.

Chapter 19, verse 1,

While Apollos was in Corinth,

he was doing the same things there,

Paul took the road through the interior

and arrived at Ephesus.

So for the next two chapters,

Luke, who's the author of Acts,

spends considerable time recording for us

this particular visit to the city of Ephesus.

And chapter 19 is primarily about his first visit

as he establishes the church,

and then chapter 20 is primarily about his second visit

as he goes and strengthens the church,

because he's all about wanting healthy churches.

So what we want to do this morning

is to go with Paul to Ephesus,

and as we do,

we'll discover what makes a healthy church.

And there are four tests

that we are going to apply

to see if we are a healthy church

or a sick church.

And before we do that,

I just wonder,

is the recording device,

has that been turned on?

Does anybody know?

It is, yeah.

Thanks.

So the first test is this.

Are we genuinely converted?

Are we genuinely converted?

Well, look at chapter 19, verse 1.

We're told there that he arrived at Ephesus,

and there Paul found some disciples.

Now there's a question mark over this.

Are they really disciples?

Because he asked this question in verse 2.

He asked them,

Did you receive the Holy Spirit

when you believed?

Because the mark of a genuine believer

is that you have received the Holy Spirit.

Verse 2.

They answered,

No, we have not even heard

that there is a Holy Spirit.

Now that seems very odd, doesn't it?

Because how can you be a true disciple?

How can you really be a Christian

if you've never heard of the Holy Spirit?

And that seems to be Paul's point.

So verse 3.

He asked them,

Then what baptism did you receive?

John's baptism, they replied.

And Paul said,

Well, John's baptism

was a baptism of repentance.

He told the people

that they were to believe

in the one coming after him,

that is, in Jesus.

So it seems that these

so-called disciples

that he's just bumped into

had completely missed the point

of John's teaching.

Well, what was John's teaching?

Well, go back to Luke's Gospel,

chapter 3.

Keep your finger in Acts 19.

Go back to Luke's Gospel,

chapter 3.

So this is Luke's Gospel,

which he wrote,

and he also wrote Acts.

And in Luke, chapter 3,

Luke 3 · chapter mention

we read there

that John's preaching

was all about the way

of preparing the way for Jesus.

So he didn't want people

to follow him.

He wanted people

to follow Jesus.

So in Luke, chapter 3,

Luke 3:3

verse 3,

we read that

John went into all the country

around the Jordan

preaching a baptism of repentance

for the forgiveness of sins.

As it's written in the book

of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

a voice of one

calling in the desert,

prepare the way for the Lord.

Make straight paths for him.

Every valley shall be filled in,

every mountain and hill made low.

In other words,

there's going to be an equality,

a level playing field.

The crooked road

shall become straight,

the rough way smooth,

and all mankind

will see God's salvation.

Now go down to verse 15.

The people were waiting expectantly

and were all wondering

in their hearts

if John might possibly be the Christ,

if he's Jesus.

Verse 16,

But John answered them all

and said,

I baptise you with water,

but one more powerful

and I will come.

That's Jesus.

The straps of whose sandals

I am not worthy to untie.

He will baptise you

with the Holy Spirit

and with fire.

Now go back to Acts 19.

You see,

it's clear that these people,

well,

they'd heard about John the Baptist

and it seems

they were just simply

followers of John.

They were not really

true disciples.

They weren't followers

of Jesus.

They had claimed to be disciples,

but they had never actually

believed in Jesus

and so they had never received

the Holy Spirit.

So in Acts 19,

Acts 19:5

verse 5,

we read after Paul

had spoken to them

on hearing this,

they were baptised

into the name

of the Lord Jesus.

Baptism being that

outward sign

that they were now

inwardly trusting

in Jesus.

And verse 6,

When Paul placed

his hands on them,

the Holy Spirit

came on them

and they spoke

in tongues

and prophesied.

And there were about

twelve men

in all.

So from this account,

we can have a clear picture

of what genuine

conversion really is.

And I have it there

on the screen.

First and primarily,

it is a trust

in the person

of Jesus Christ.

So in verse 4,

Paul is referring back

to John the Baptist

and he said,

he was telling people

to believe in the one

coming after him

that is in Jesus.

So it is only faith

in Jesus

and his work

on the cross

that is going

to save us

and make us right

with God.

And then second,

as a result

of our trust

in Jesus,

is the receiving

of the Holy Spirit

in verse 6.

So when they had come

to believe,

Paul placed his hands

on them

and the Holy Spirit

came on them.

You see,

the Spirit comes

at our conversion,

not at some subsequent

or later time,

kind of years later

or months later.

It comes at our conversion.

And then third,

as a sign

that we have trusted Jesus

and that we have received

the Spirit,

there was the sign

of baptism.

In verse 5,

on hearing this,

they were baptized

into the name

of the Lord Jesus.

And that's the pattern

that we see

all the way through Acts

that people heard,

they believed,

they received the Spirit

and they were baptized.

Baptism isn't a means

to salvation,

it is simply a sign

of our salvation

that we have come

to trust

in the Lord Jesus.

So Paul was concerned

to establish

and make sure

that they were

actually genuinely

believers

in the church.

But I'm sure

we're all asking

the question,

what about verse 6?

That they spoke

in tongues

and prophesied.

Is that not a mark

of genuine conversion?

Should I be speaking

in tongues?

Is that not

what it's about?

Well, here is where

I believe

my Pentecostal friends

and I have them

and I'm good friends

with them,

but I think

this is where

they've got it wrong.

Go back to

chapter 2 of Acts

where we are first

told of the Spirit's

coming.

So the Spirit

has come,

the disciples

have been

prophesying,

they've been preaching,

they've been telling

of the great things

of God

and here is how

Peter understands

the coming of the

Spirit at Pentecost

in verse 32.

Chapter 2,

verse 32,

it says,

God raised this

Jesus to life

and we are all

witnesses of the fact.

Exalted to the

right hand of God,

he has received

from the Father

the promised

Holy Spirit

and has poured out

what you now

see and hear.

verse 37,

when the people

heard this

they were cut

to the heart

and they said

to Peter

and the other

apostles,

well what should

we do?

And Peter

replied,

repent.

Repentance there

is always in

connection with

faith or with

trust.

Repent and be

baptized,

every one of you

in the name of

Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness

of your sins

and you will

receive the gift

of the Holy Spirit.

The promise,

that's the gift

of the Spirit,

is for you

and for your

children

and for all

who are far

off,

for all whom

the Lord our

God will call.

Now the promise

of the Spirit,

he's saying

it's not just

for the Jews

because that's

who he was

speaking to there,

but he also

says it's for

those who are

far off,

meaning not

just for Jewish

people and not

just here in

Jerusalem and

not just for now,

but for people

who are Gentiles,

who live far

off and for

those who will

in time come

to Christ.

People from

every nation,

even for people

in far away

and Gentile

places like

Ephesus.

The Spirit is

for all people.

So when these

Ephesians in

chapter 19

when they

received the

Spirit,

they did begin

to speak in

tongues and

prophesy.

It was God's

unique sign,

his special

confirmation

to these people

that yes,

the Spirit

does come upon

them.

In other words,

speaking in

tongues is not

an essential

mark of

genuine

conversion.

Rather,

through the

flow of Acts

we see that

he is saying

that yes,

the Spirit

is also for

Gentiles,

for people

who are

non-Jews.

They too

receive the

Spirit.

It doesn't

come at some

subsequent

later time.

It doesn't

come when we

necessarily speak

in tongues.

It comes at

our conversion.

So the true

marks are

trust in

Jesus,

receiving the

Spirit,

and the sign

that we have

done all of

that is being

baptized.

baptized.

Now, before

we move on,

we need to

ask ourselves

the question,

are we

genuinely

converted?

Have I

trusted in

Jesus for

myself?

Have I

received the

Spirit?

Is there

evidence of

his work in

my life?

I may say

I'm a disciple,

but is there

evidence of

the Spirit's

work in my

life?

And if

there isn't

that evidence

as Paul

discovered with

these disciples,

then it has

to go back a

step and say,

well, have

you trusted in

Jesus?

Well, when we

do, we

receive the

Spirit, but

maybe we have

never been

baptized as a

sign to

others, that

public confirmation

that yes, I

have trusted,

and yes, I

have received

the Spirit.

Have you

been baptized?

These are

questions we

need to ask,

and we need

to deal with.

So that's the

first test.

Are we

genuinely

converted?

The second

test is this.

Are we

committed to

discipleship?

Verse 8.

Paul entered

the synagogue

and he spoke

boldly there for

three months,

arguing persuasively

about the

kingdom of God.

Now, the

kingdom of God

is a summary

term for the

same message

that Jesus

preached to

his disciples

just before

his return

to heaven.

We read

that in

Acts 1.

And Jesus

was about

telling people

that he was

God's promised

Messiah, God's

chosen king,

who would come

to establish

his loving rule,

calling people

to repent,

and was offering

the promise of

restoration.

And the

proof that

Jesus was

God's king

was that he

was alive,

that he had

risen from

the dead.

and this

was the

same message

that Paul

began to

teach.

So in

verse 9

we read,

but some

of them

became

obstinate

and they

refused to

believe

and publicly

maligned

the way.

But Paul

didn't give up

on them.

Rest of

verse 9.

So Paul

left them

and he

took the

disciples,

these new

believers,

with him

and he

had

discussions

daily

in the

lecture

hall

of

Tyrannus.

You see,

Paul wasn't

just about

conversionism,

he was

about

discipleship.

He wasn't

just about

wanting

bums on

seats and

to say,

oh look how

many people

have come

to Christ.

He was

wanting to

train them,

ordinary

people,

to see them

committed to

discipleship,

to grow

them in

their faith.

Because coming

to faith in

Christ was

crucial,

but growing

in Christ

was essential.

So each

day about

mid-afternoon,

when people

took a rest

from work,

or they'd go

and have

their lunch,

they would

go down

and meet

Paul down

at the

local

lecture

hall of

Tyrannus,

and there

they would

begin to

discuss

things and

talk things

through about

what the

kingdom of

God was

all about.

This was

perhaps the

first intentional

discipleship

program.

the believers

gathering around,

learning and

growing and

deepening in

their faith.

And look at

the results of

this discipleship,

verse 10.

This went on

for two years

so that all

the Jews and

all the Greeks

who lived in

the province

of Asia,

not just in

Ephesus,

but in the

whole province,

heard the

word of the

Lord.

That means

that these

young Christians,

as they were

discipled,

became mature,

church

planters.

They grew

in their

faith and

as they

began to

move out

into the

province of

Asia,

so all

these other

people began

to hear the

word of

the Lord.

They were

equipped to

introduce people

to Jesus and

to encourage

them to do

the same.

Now I don't

think it's any

different for us

today.

And

discipleship is

crucial for us

as a church

family.

It happens

formally as

we meet

together like

this on a

Sunday morning

and in some

sense we are

doing discipleship

right now as

we open up the

Bible and learn

what God has to

teach us.

But it also

happens informally

as we meet in

our gospel

communities on a

Wednesday or as

we meet one to

one with each

other.

We open up the

Bible together.

We gather around

God's word.

We want to hear

what God is saying

to us, to listen

to it, to

discuss it and

to apply it to

our lives.

Now if we're not

taking time to

learn about the

kingdom of God

like these

disciples did,

then we're going

to become very

unhealthy.

Our Christian

life is going to

become sick.

We're never going

to mature.

We're never going

to grow up and

we're never going

to be the church

that God calls us

to be.

So let me ask

you that question

again.

Are we committed

to discipleship?

Because a healthy

church takes

discipleship

seriously.

So that's the

second test.

The first one,

are we genuinely

converted?

The second one,

are we committed

to discipleship?

And the third

one is this,

are we following

the authentic

gospel?

Now Ephesus was

a large city

with lots of

goings on,

all kinds of

religions were

there,

and there was

all kinds of

magic practices.

Verse 19

tells us that

because there

were a number

of people there

who practiced

sorcery,

a form of

magic.

magic.

So the question

here is,

well what were

the people to

believe and

who are we

to believe?

How are we

to work out

what is

counterfeit

and what is

actually

authentic?

And there's

lots of teaching

going on which

we can hear from

all kinds of

different churches

and you can

turn on the

television and

watch the God

channel and

we've got to

work out what's

counterfeit and

what's authentic.

What are we to

actually believe?

Well as Paul

taught the

gospel,

God confirmed

the truth of

his message so

that we can

know this is

the truth.

Look at verse

11.

We're told

there that God

did extraordinary

miracles through

Paul.

Now we're used

to miracles as

we read through

Acts, but we're

told here that

this is

extraordinary,

this is beyond

what happened,

this never

happened.

And what did

happen?

Verse 12,

so that even

handkerchiefs and

aprons that had

touched Paul,

commentators

suggest that they

were probably

rags that he

used in his

workshop whenever

he was doing

his tent making,

these rags were

taken to the

sick and their

illnesses were

cured and their

evil spirits

left them.

Now that is

extraordinary.

And it's not

some kind of

mind manipulation

to try and

trick people into

coming disciples.

This was a real

miracle.

People were

healed and evil

spirits left

people.

So what's it all

about?

Well I think it's

God's way of

confirming that the

gospel that Paul

was preaching to

these people was

authentic, it

could be believed

and it was true.

In fact the

following event

proves the point

in verse 13.

There were some

Jews who went

around driving out

evil spirits and

they tried to

invoke the name

of the Lord

Jesus over those

who were demon

possessed.

You see there

were all kinds

of magic practices

and religious

beliefs in

Ephesus and

they were all

claiming to be

the power.

They were all

saying well if

you follow me

if you do

this if you

do that it's

going to go

well for you.

So it wasn't

uncommon for

people to use

or to rob what

seemed to be

working.

So they'd heard

about Paul and

all the things

that he was

doing and they

thought well maybe

if we kind of

use the words

that Paul does

maybe we can do

the same things.

So look at the

rest of verse 13.

They would say

in the name of

Jesus whom Paul

preaches I command

you to come out.

seven sons of

Sceva.

Well who was

Sceva?

Well he was a

Jewish priest and

his sons were all

involved in it.

One day the evil

spirit answered

them.

Jesus I know

and I know

about Paul

but who are

you?

now that's

frightening for

them isn't it?

Even the demons

know what is

counterfeit and

what is authentic.

They know who

has the ultimate

power.

They know that

it's only the

risen Lord Jesus

who gives the

power to be able

to do this.

But who are

you?

Who are you

telling me to

come out?

I don't respond

to you.

Verse 16.

Then the men

who had the

evil spirit jumped

on them,

overpowered them

and gave them

such a beating

that they ran

out of the

house naked

and bleeding.

Well I bet

that was a story

that went round

the town.

What excuse

did they give

when they got

home with no

clothes on I

wonder?

Hmm?

You see the

name of Jesus

is not magical.

It has no

power.

Just somebody

saying Jesus

is no more

powerful than

somebody saying

Johnny.

it doesn't

do anything.

But the

person of

Jesus,

the risen

Lord Jesus,

he does have

ultimate power.

He has supreme

authority over

all evil

and he continues

to exercise

that power

when and how

he wills.

Because it

wasn't Paul

who did the

miracles.

Look at

verse 11.

God did

extraordinary

miracles through

Paul.

and the

purpose of

all of these

miracles was

to confirm

the authentic

gospel that

Paul preached.

You could

believe the

message because

of what had

happened but

also to

convince these

Ephesian people

who were deeply

involved in

magic that

Jesus, the

risen Jesus,

has supreme

power and

authority.

So verse

17.

When this

became known

to the Jews

and the Greeks

living in

Ephesus, they

were all seized

with fear and

the name of the

Lord Jesus was

held in high

honour.

Now God may

choose to do

extraordinary

miracles today.

Who are we to

stop what God

does?

He may choose

extraordinary

things to

prove the

authenticity of

his gospel.

However, what

God has

already done

and these

miracles are

also recorded

for us today

is evidence

for us today

and that's

what the

Uncover book

Luke is all

about because

there's evidence

there to tell

us that this

is all true

that we can

believe the

authentic gospel

of the risen

Jesus.

So here's the

third test.

are we

following the

authentic gospel

or are we

chasing some

other kind of

counterfeit?

Are we running

after other

things?

It's not

unnormal to

turn on the

telly to the

God channel

and you will

find people who

will say send

us in your

money and we'll

send you this

hanky or this

little bit of

water and you

will get this

happen to you

and this

healing and

everything else

and people

do it.

I certainly

wouldn't want to

hand my hanky

to anybody and

nobody would

want my hanky

either.

What is

authentic?

What is

counterfeit?

We have

evidence here

through the

miracles recorded

for us that

we can believe

the gospel.

And the

fourth test is

this.

Are we

practicing

ongoing

repentance?

Now very

often we think

of repentance

as a one-off

event.

But real

repentance,

genuine

repentance,

is ongoing

in our lives.

Verse 18.

Many of

those who

believed now

came and

openly confessed

their evil

deeds.

Now I

understand it

here that

these were

genuine

believers who

because of

what has just

happened and

the evidence

of what they

have seen

have come to

see that they

need to go on

and change

things in their

behaviour and

in their life.

And I think

that's true for

all of us.

When we become

followers of

Jesus we don't

have everything

sorted out all

at once.

It takes time.

We live under

Christ through

and when he

shows us

things in our

life that

don't match

up to

Christ we

change them

and we

deal with

them and

that seems

to be the

case here.

Verse 19.

There were a

number who

practised

sorcery and

they brought

their scrolls

together and

they burned

them publicly.

I think this

is a sense of

ongoing repentance

here.

Bringing all

of their lives

under the rule

of the risen

Jesus and

then changing

things that

need to be

changed.

And perhaps

what marks

this as

real repentance

and look at

it here in

verses 18 and

19 is the

public nature

of it all.

Repentance

isn't always

private.

Look at

verse 18.

First they

openly confessed

what they had

done.

You see

they wanted

people to

know that

they themselves

knew that

they had

done wrong.

Other people

could see that

their practice

was wrong

but they also

wanted other

people to see

that yes I

also see in

my own life

that I've got

it wrong.

And they

owned up to

it.

They wanted

people to see

how they had

turned from

their evil

deeds and

were now

committed to

living a

different way.

They openly

confessed.

But more

than that

verse 19

those who

had scrolls

burned them

publicly.

because repentance

is so much

more than

just words.

It's not

just a case

of saying

sorry and

that's it.

Move on.

Thanks very

much.

Well here

was evidence.

Here was

demonstration that

what they said

with their lips

what they said

in their minds

was actually

true.

They went and

got their

scrolls,

brought them

publicly and

then set fire

to them and

got rid of

them.

People could

see by their

deliberate action

that they

had turned

from their

past lifestyle.

They were

turning from

these practices

that didn't

line up to

Christ.

And that's

what real

repentance is.

It's ongoing.

It's confessed

publicly and

it is proved

by action.

And let's

remember real

repentance is

costly.

Look at the

rest of verse

19.

when they

calculated the

value of the

scrolls, the

total came to

50,000 drachmas.

Now a drachma

we're told is a

day's wage.

And from my

calculation that's

a combined total

of 5 million

euro all up in

smoke.

In other words,

their money,

their reputation,

their respect,

their comfort,

was no

substitute for

the riches that

they were now

beginning to

discover and

find in Jesus

Christ.

They were quite

happy to put all

of that to one

side.

All for the

riches that they

would find in

Christ.

So the question

is, do we

practice real

repentance?

Or do we just

say sorry and

kind of move on

and that's it?

Is there any

evidence, is there

action that we

are turning aside

from these things

that we need

to?

A healthy

church needs to

get into the

habit of

repenting well.

So here are

four marks or

signs of a

healthy church.

Genuine

conversion, true

discipleship, the

authentic gospel,

gospel, and

real repentance.

And look what

happens when there

is a healthy

church, verse

20.

In this way the

word of the

Lord spread

widely and

grew in

power.

People looked

in on these

believers, this

church in

Ephesus, and

they could see

the change that

it was having

in people's

lives and in

their families,

the radical

change that it

was doing.

And it

began to

spread and

began to

grow in

power and

other people

came to

Christ.

Paul was

concerned to

establish a

healthy church.

And here in

Carragoline we're

concerned to go

on growing as

a healthy

church.

church.

But we need

to ask these

questions again

in our own

lives and

together to

make sure that

we are going

the way God

calls us to.

Because it is

essential to

God's ongoing

mission.

If we want to

see the church

grow, we need

a healthy

church.

So let's

pray that God

will continue to

help us to be

that.

Lord,

our Father God,

we ask that you

would give us

grace, that you

would empower us

with your

Spirit, that you

would go on

changing us and

transforming us

so that each

day when we

meet together

formally like

this or

informally during

the week, that

we would grow as

your disciples,

filled with your

Spirit, following

the one true

gospel, repenting

and confessing to

one another, and

making those

radical changes

that we need

to in our

lives.

We ask for

your grace, that

we would go on

being healthy.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Amen.

Well, let's sing

together as we

seek to apply

this and I

guess to sing

some of these

truths into our

lives.

Let your

kingdom come,

let your will be

done, so that

everyone might

know your name.

Let's stand

together as we

sing this.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.