"Awestruck"

Overview

God at Work, the Name Above Every Name

In Acts 19:11-20, Luke records that "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul." Notice carefully where the emphasis falls: not on Paul, but on God. Paul was the agent; God was the author. These signs—even handkerchiefs and aprons carrying healing power—were not a template for ministry today, nor a license for so-called faith healers to peddle blessed cloths for donations. Before the New Testament was written and gathered, God authenticated the apostolic message with signs and wonders, exactly as Hebrews 2:3-4 describes. Today we test every message by Scripture itself.

Into this moment of genuine power step the seven sons of Sceva—Jewish exorcists who collected mysterious-sounding incantations from any religion they could find, treating "Jesus" as one more spell to add to the list. The reply of the evil spirit is sobering: "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" The demon was then beaten them and sent them running. The demonic world has always recognized Jesus clearly—consider Mark 1:23-24, Acts 16:16-17, and Luke 4:41. The name of Jesus is not a magic word to be borrowed; it is the name of the living Lord, and He will not allow His name to be co-opted for evil schemes.

Are demons real today? Yes. Scripture distinguishes them from sickness Mark 1:32-34 and presents them as fallen angels who seek to occupy something—a person, an animal, a place. Yet the response in Ephesus shows the gospel's power over every dark thing: the people were awestruck, the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled, believers confessed openly, and those who had practiced magic burned scrolls worth fifty thousand pieces of silver. "So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." Praise, confession, action, victory—and behind it all, the sovereign control of God.

For those who belong to Christ, this is deeply pastoral news. Satan can tempt and oppress, but he cannot possess a believer, because Christ Himself dwells in us by His Spirit—and there is simply no room for another tenant. Jesus has gone to the cross, paid for sin, and risen from the tomb; the powers of darkness know their days are numbered. The culture loves to dwell on the devil and the demonic. Let us speak all the more of Jesus, and live awestruck at the grace and victory that are ours in Him.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the 19th chapter of the Book of Acts? 0s

The seven sons of Skiva. 5s

Those band of boys were bad news. 10s

They were exorcists that went around, 15s

traveling about, playing their trade. 19s

This is a fascinating text this morning. 24s

It's fascinating. 27s

And it raises the question, 30s

are there still demons today or not? 34s

Do demons still exist or have they gone out of business? 39s

Post-cross? 44s

Are there still demons? 47s

God used the Apostle Paul in incredible ways. 53s

He used him as a teacher, as an evangelist. 58s

He used him as a preacher, he used him as a servant. 61s

He used him as one who encouraged. 64s

He used him as one who simply came along and walked alongside of people and cared for them. 66s

God used Paul in incredible and wonderful ways. 72s

And one of the ways that God used Paul was for miracles. 75s

Look at verse 11, please, of our text. 81s

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. 85s

Think back to what we studied in the 14th chapter of Acts. 91s

There was the account there in Leistra of the boy that was crippled. 95s

He turns to him, he turns to the man, rather. 100s

He turns to the man and says, stand up and walk and the man stands up and he walks. 102s

This miracle is done. 109s

Why God used Paul for the performance of miracles? 114s

But notice the progression here of that text. 118s

Notice the subject there. 122s

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. 124s

See where the emphasis is on the section? 130s

It's on God. 133s

God is the miracle. 134s

Worker, Paul was simply the agent through which the miracle occurred. 136s

God is the author. 142s

Well, the miracles of Paul occasioned a response. 145s

That's the next verse. 149s

So that the hanker shifts or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the 152s

effect. 159s

Their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 160s

There are so-called faith healers today that go right to this text. 168s

And what they do is they'll say, if you send they always tie it to funds. 175s

If you send X number of dollars, I'll send you a hanker shift that has been blessed and 181s

this hanker shift will give healing to you. 187s

Well, remember this was before the New Testament had been codified. 193s

This is before the New Testament had been written. 198s

And so God performed signs and wonders for what purpose but to validate the message. 202s

You see, how do we validate a message today? 210s

How will you validate this message today? 214s

How will you analyze this message today? 217s

You will look at Scripture and say, is this so? 219s

Is what is being proclaimed is its soul in Scripture? 222s

The Scripture becomes that which evaluates the truthfulness of the message. 226s

Well, before the New Testament, as they are proclaiming Jesus Christ, what did God do? 231s

There's no testament yet at this point to validate the truthfulness of what is being proclaimed 236s

and so Scripture says, God used signs and wonders. 243s

Hebrews 2nd chapter puts it this way. 249s

How can we escape? 251s

If we neglect so great a salvation, it was declared first through the Lord. 253s

It was attested to us by those who heard Him while God added His testimony by signs and wonders 261s

and various miracles. 269s

If you was attested by the Lord, they attested, they heard it, they proclaim it and their proclamation 271s

was validated by signs and miracles. 280s

So what we have here is a specific use of the miraculous that was applied here to Paul. 284s

God gave this gift the apostles to validate the message prior to the New Testament being 292s

codified, put together, written down, long and short, don't expect to receive a handkerchief 299s

from me this week in the mail. 309s

Enter the seven sons of Skiva. 314s

These are these Jewish exorcists I put that into quote, their charlatans. 322s

What they would do is they would try and cast out demonic spirits by appealing to a more 328s

powerful spirit they said and what they would do is they would borrow from various religions. 338s

And the terms that they would borrow from various religions had a criteria, the criteria 347s

was this. 352s

It had to be significantly mysterious sounding so that the person who supposedly had the 352s

demonic spirit would think that this spell that would be put over them would be effective. 363s

So they just gathered up a whole bunch of spells and Jesus the name of Jesus happened 373s

to be yet one more spell they added to their repertoire. 378s

Look please at verse 13. 383s

Then some my tinnitus Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those 386s

who had evil spirits. 394s

Same. 396s

I jure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims. 399s

Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Skiva were doing this. 405s

Well, surprise. 415s

Seven sons of Skiva. 419s

Look at the very next verse. 422s

Verse 15. 424s

But the evil spirit said to them in reply. 426s

Jesus I know and Paul I know. 431s

But who are you? 437s

Who are you? 439s

What's really interesting here is you see the second use of no there in that verse that's 441s

a different word than the first no. 446s

The second no there is a word that communicates a knowledge to a lesser degree. 450s

And so the evil spirit says Jesus I know. 459s

Paul I know lesser degree. 464s

But who are you? 468s

See the the demons knew exactly who Jesus was exactly. 472s

I think for example of Mark the first chapter. 480s

Scripture tells us just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit 486s

and he cried out. 492s

What have you to do with us? 495s

Jesus of Nazareth have you come to destroy us? 496s

I know who you are the holy one of God. 500s

What is so fascinating is that disciples would struggle about who Jesus is and the demons 505s

from day one they know exactly. 511s

Exactly who he was. 515s

I think of other passages. 518s

Acts of 16th chapter. 520s

One day as we were going to the place of prayer we met a slave girl who had a spirit of 522s

emanation and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune telling. 526s

While she followed Paul and us she would cry out. 531s

These men are slaves of the most high God who proclaim to you a way of salvation. 534s

You see the demon knows. 541s

Demon knows exactly who Jesus is. 543s

Luke 4th chapter. 546s

Demons also came out of many shouting, you are the son of God. 548s

Look, Mount please, at verse 16. 559s

Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all and so overpowered 564s

them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 574s

This is complete domination here. 582s

Born out of the evil spirit. 585s

You see that in holy scripture. 588s

So is this passage and the passage I cited? 594s

Those passages I cited. 599s

Are they the only passages that talk about demons? 601s

Hardly. 607s

Mark 1 that evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 609s

Just a little side there. 616s

Note the distinction there. 618s

So often when people talk about the demonic they will say that the understanding of the 621s

demons that they would attribute to sickness the demonic. 630s

But did you hear the distinction? 637s

They brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 639s

So God quickly clears up that very clearly. 646s

Mark 7. 649s

Now the woman was a gentile of sirefinition origin. 652s

She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 655s

Matthew 8. 661s

The demons begged him if you cast us out send us into the herd of swine. 663s

So we're right back now the first question. 673s

And that's this. 676s

Are there still demons? 679s

Are there still demons? 682s

Or did they go out of business? 684s

Was that just back then? 690s

It is amazing isn't it? 698s

When you look at the advertisements for movies or television shows. 701s

Some of the movies and television show topics where one would conclude. 709s

Satan and the demonic are really quite popular. 720s

Aren't they? 726s

Just look at the movies and the TV shows that are being offered. 728s

Is Satan real? 736s

Yes. 740s

Who is he? 742s

Bible tells us he's a fallen angel. 744s

Are demons real? 749s

Yes. 754s

Who are demons? 757s

They are fallen angels. 760s

The leader of the pack is Satan. 761s

So does Satan still exist? 768s

Do demons still exist? 772s

Yes. 775s

And who are they? 776s

They're fallen angels. 778s

And we see from scripture that the demonic wants to occupy something. 782s

Remember when they were pleading castes into the herd of swine? 790s

They want to occupy something. 795s

They want to occupy either a person. 796s

They want to occupy a building and animal. 799s

A house. 802s

They want to occupy something. 803s

And what we see from scripture is there's a distinction between spiritual possession and physical 805s

possession. 812s

What do I mean by that? 813s

Judas was spiritual possession. 816s

The boy in Mark 9 who can't speak can't hear and he's thrown down, convulsing with 820s

the demonic. 827s

That's physical. 828s

That's physical possession. 830s

So do demons still exist today? 834s

Yes. 838s

Are demons just from back then in biblical times? 840s

No. 846s

Is there a good word of grace? 849s

I'm at all of this. 852s

Absolutely. 857s

Look on the place. 861s

At verse 17. 862s

When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck 866s

and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. 878s

There was praise because God would not allow the holy name of Jesus to be attached 884s

to the evil scheme of the seven sons of skeiva. 893s

And there was praise. 899s

Notice what else occurs. 903s

Verse 18. 905s

Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. 907s

So there was praise. 915s

Then there was confession. 917s

And where there is confession, where there is true repentance, there's action. 920s

Remember the meaning of repentance? 924s

It means to you're going one way and then you turn around and you go another way. 925s

Now what you have here is you have action. 930s

Very next verse. 932s

Verse 19. 935s

A number of those who practiced magic collected their books burned them publicly. 936s

When the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to 50,000 silver coins. 942s

So you've got praise, confession, action. 951s

Here's the fourth aspect, victory. 956s

Verse 20. 959s

So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. 960s

Praise, confession, action, victory. 968s

And behind all of it was the control of God. 973s

Birthing the victory. 980s

Does evil still exist? 987s

The Satan still exist? 992s

Absolutely. 994s

Do demons exist? 996s

But God comes to a world riddled with evil and sin. 1003s

Jesus comes and dies on the cross. 1012s

He pays our sin death and is raised out of the tomb. 1017s

Death is overcome. 1023s

Satan and the demons have lost. 1027s

And they know. 1032s

Their days are numbered. 1035s

Can Satan oppress? 1045s

Tempt, sure. 1050s

Cokes, a-h-h. 1053s

A-Qs, a-h. 1055s

But the God who came to redeem us is with us in powering us and strengthening us. 1060s

Can a Christian be possessed by a demon? 1070s

Can a Christian be possessed by a demon? 1080s

Absolutely not. 1086s

Why? 1090s

Because who lives inside of us? 1092s

The Lord Jesus Christ. 1095s

Jesus dwells inside. 1100s

And frankly, there's just no room is there. 1103s

There's just no room. 1107s

The people in ancient day were awestruck at what had occurred and what a glorious, glorious, 1115s

descriptive word for us. 1124s

Ostruck about the grace and victory that is ours through Jesus Christ. 1128s

Ostruck. 1137s

The world seems really bent on talking an awful lot about the devil and demons. 1141s

Let's talk about Jesus all the more. 1156s

Ostruck. 1185s