Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980628.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XLVI: God's Use Of GREAT Ungodly Ministry Opposition For Advancing Good Ministry Efforts
(Acts 19:21-20:1 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. Often, we Christians tend to interpret positive responses in serving God as blessings and very negative responses to such efforts as a discouragement, or even the signal of a very bad ministry effort.
    2. However, even big bad negative responses to one's serving God can actually be divinely permitted events to advance one's otherwise perfectly good ministry efforts. Acts 19:21-20:21 et al. shows as much:
  2. God's Use Of GREAT Ungodly Ministry Opposition For Advancing Good Ministry Efforts.
    1. Paul enjoyed God's great blessing in his initial witnessing efforts in Ephesus, Acts 19:11, 18-20.
    2. Encouraged by God's using him in overcoming spiritual forces in influential Ephesus, Luke notes that Paul here lifted his eyes to anticipate discipling the most influential city of the Empire, Rome itself, Acts 19:21.
    3. However, Paul felt obliged to tarry in Ephesus before implementing his plans to reach Rome as there were many opportunities for outreach, but many opponents threatening his converts, making his stay imperative:
      1. Acts 19:22 informs us that Paul sent out Timothy and Erastus to prepare his way to revisit the believers in Macedonia and Achaia en route to going to Jerusalem so he could get on to a ministry in Rome.
      2. By comparing 1 Cor. 16:8 with Acts 19:21-22, we know Paul wrote 1 Corinthians while he stayed at Ephesus at this time as he planned to stay until Pentecost before traveling on to Jerusalem.
      3. Thus, we know from 1 Cor. 16:9 just why Paul wanted to miss Passover in Jerusalem and make it there for the following month's feast of Pentecost: though there was a great ministry opportunity in Ephesus, many opposed him, and he felt obliged to stay on to protect his new converts from undue opposition.
    4. Nevertheless, from Acts 20:16, we note that Paul's itinerary had been accelerated, for there he is seen sailing to Jerusalem to observe Passover, the feast that came a month BEFORE Pentecost, Lev. 23:4-22!
    5. What accelerated Paul's itinerary was a RIOT against him that led to his opponents being neutralized:
      1. When Paul stayed on at Ephesus, a riot erupted against the faith by threatened silversmiths, 19:23-29.
      2. When the riot got out of hand, the city's head official pulled rank in order to keep the peace, and in the process of ruling to keep the peace protected Paul's efforts, Acts 19:30-41:
        1. Paul wanted to enter the stadium to state his case to the crowd, but his new converts and even city officials did not permit him to do so as the crowd was whipped into an emotional frenzy, 19:30-34.
        2. Accordingly, the head official of the town pulled rank to quiet the crowd: (1) he assured the crowd that he supported the Diana cult, so there should be no threat against it (such as by Paul's beliefs), Acts 19:35f. (2) He also noted that Paul and his kind had not been temple robbers as often the godless Jews were: Gentiles deposited large sums of money in the temples knowing that other pagans dared not steal another man's money or be judged by that temple's god. Jews often stole such money as they did not fear such idols, so they were hated by Gentiles. Yet, the official noted that the Christians had not done this, 37. (3) Besides, there were proper lawful ways to assemble besides the current tumultuous gathering, 38-39. (4) Also, the city was in danger of Roman intervention and a loss of liberty for creating this illegal uproar, v. 40, making it imperative that they cool down or get punished by Rome ! (5) The crowd quieted and dispersed with the official's speech, Acts 19:41.
        3. With the official providing this governmental protection for the new converts, Paul was free to leave Ephesus sooner than planned as his opposition was placed in check, Acts 20:1.
    6. Thus, God used the Ephesian riot to bring to a head Paul's opposition so it could be checked hard by the government. This way, Paul could accelerate his plans to evangelize Rome! (G. C. Morgan, Acts, p. 458)
Lesson: As God used the opposition's riot at Ephesus to speed up Paul's efforts to minister in ROME, God may use great, godless opposition to advance our otherwise perfectly good efforts in serving Him.

Application: We must not view the degree of POSITIVE ministry RESPONSES as the criteria for a good ministry effort, for God can allow for very BAD responses to one's perfectly fine service efforts as a means to ADVANCE his good effort. As long as there is SOME positive response are we thereby signaled from God as being in His will, cf. 2 Tim. 2:6 as applied to Paul in Acts 19:29, 30-31.