Blueprint

Overview

The World Is a Mess—What Did the Early Church Do?

The world is broken. It has been ever since our first parents fell in the garden, and the eternal stakes for souls who do not know Christ are real. Faced with that reality, we can collapse into despair or we can move into action. The early church gives us a blueprint.

A Riot in Ephesus

In Acts 19:21-41, Paul resolves to press on through Macedonia toward Jerusalem and eventually Rome, but first remains in Ephesus a while longer. There, idolatry was woven into daily life. The temple of Artemis dominated the city, household shrines were everywhere, and the manufacture of those shrines was the engine of the local economy. Pilgrims poured in yearly from across Asia for festivals and games in honor of the goddess.

Then a silversmith named Demetrius gathered his fellow craftsmen with a complaint: Paul was persuading great numbers that "gods made with hands are not gods" (a conviction Paul also taught in 1 Corinthians 8:4). The disturbance was framed as concern for Artemis's honor, but the real worry was profit. The crowd's chant filled the theater, even though "most of them did not know why they had come together." A town clerk eventually quieted the mob, noting that the Christians were "neither temple robbers nor blasphemers." The dust settled—but something deeper had begun.

Proclamation Changes Hearts

Roughly seventy years later, the Roman governor Pliny wrote to the emperor that fewer and fewer people were visiting the shrines, hurting even the butchers who sold sacrificial meat. He named the cause: Christians, who kept sharing their message—and who, he admitted, were not subversive, immoral, or doing anything wrong. Three centuries after the Ephesus riot, historians record that idol worship across Asia had become almost nonexistent.

What did the church do to bring about such change? They proclaimed Christ. They did not picket the silversmiths, circulate petitions against Artemis, or organize counter-protests. They proclaimed the Lord Jesus, and hearts were changed—and where hearts were changed, lives were changed, and where lives were changed, the culture itself was reshaped. Jesus, who called Himself "the way" John 14:6, gave His followers their identity and their message.

The Blueprint for Us

The message has not changed. Christ has borne our sin on the cross; the debt is paid; the tomb is empty; death is overcome. In baptism God claims us, forgives us, and opens to us both eternal life and abundant life now. That is the glorious word entrusted to the church—then and now.

When we look at our own broken world, the temptation is to reach first for protests, petitions, and political pressure. The early church reminds us where the real power lies: in proclaiming Jesus Christ. Hearts change under that word. Lives change. And in time, even cultures change. That is the blueprint. Let's get to work.

Transcript

The person side, his shoulders dropped. 0s

He said, the world's a mess. 7s

The world's just a mess. 11s

Yes, the world's a mess. 17s

The world's a mess. 21s

And when you consider how many people don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as 24s

Savior and Lord. 29s

And when you realize, then, of course, that we all have an eternal destiny, and it's either heaven or hell. 31s

The numbers and numbers of people that have never heard about Christ, indeed, the world is a mess. 39s

We can either move into despair or we can move into action. 53s

So the question then becomes, what is it that the early church did? 59s

Because was the world a mess at the time of the early church? 66s

In fact, the world's been a mess ever since our first parents ate of the forbidden fruit, right? 72s

So what did the early church do? 78s

What did they do to affect the eternal destiny of souls? 83s

And what did they do to affect the culture in the present? 88s

What did they do to affect eternity? 96s

And what did they do to affect the culture in the present? 101s

What we see as we study this morning? 108s

What we see is a blueprint. 111s

A blueprint. 117s

So let's get to work. 119s

As we pick up, where we left off last week, on verse 21 of chapter 19, we see here a reference to an 121s

Itinerary. 128s

Look at it with me please. 129s

Verse 21. 130s

Now after these things have been accomplished, Paul resolved in the spirit to go through Macedonia and 131s

then go on to Jerusalem. 136s

He said, after I've gone there, I must also see Rome. 140s

So he sent to of his helpers Timothy and Arrestis to Macedonia while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia. 144s

So here's an itinerary reference. 155s

Paul's going to stay a little bit longer in Ephesus. 157s

And quite literally what happens in Ephesus as Paul stays longer, what happens is a riot breaks out. 160s

A riot breaks out. 171s

Let's get the backdrop to this. 174s

In ancient day, the worship of Paul's gods was pervasive. 178s

It didn't matter where they lived in the city or in the country. 184s

False gods were all over the place. 189s

And in fact, people would have in their homes these little shrines to which they would worship the false gods. 191s

In Ephesus, the goddess that they centered on was Artemis. 199s

They believed that Artemis had an image of her had fallen out of the sky, that they had that image. 206s

They built this huge temple and it was there that they worshipped Artemis. 212s

Then they would go home and they would have their shrines at home to worship Artemis. 219s

This was really really big there. 228s

In fact, when you would ask historians of the day, what is the engine of the economy? 232s

The historians of the day would say the manufacturing and the selling of the shrines to Artemis. 237s

In fact, on a yearly basis, thousands would come from all over Asia. 247s

They would flood into Ephesus to celebrate the goddess Artemis. 253s

There were athletic games, there were all kinds of festivities. 259s

It was a big, big, big, big, big. 263s

Deal. 267s

That is the backdrop here then the next few verses, verse 23. 270s

About that time, no little disturbance brought out concerning the way. 277s

That is an understatement because it is a big disturbance. 283s

Remember who the way was, the way we are in early designation for Christians. 287s

Remember where Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the lives. 291s

That is how Christians were known. 296s

Verse 24, a man named Demetrius is Silver Smith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. 299s

These he gathered together with the workers of the same trade and said, men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. 309s

You also see in here that only in Ephesus, but in almost the whole of Asia, this poll has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 319s

In the first time, Paul said that, I need that part of his ministry. 341s

We read for example in 1 Corinthians 8 chapter, Paul writes this, we know that no idol in the world really exists and that there is no god but one. 347s

So what is the concern? 366s

There is a monetary concern, right? 369s

Then an appeal is made, verse 27. 372s

And there is danger, not only that this trade of ours may come into dispute, this repute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned. 378s

And she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her. 392s

Concerned expressed for the worship of Artemis. 403s

What's the issue? 409s

Profits. 413s

Profits, right? 415s

Because his idolatry worship goes down. 418s

So also do the prophets. 424s

The concern was money in the pocket. 429s

Boom, here it goes. 439s

Look at verse 28, when they heard this, they were enraged and shouted. 444s

Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 448s

The city was filled with the confusion and people rushed together to the theater, dragging with them gayists in a aristocratic, massadonians who were Paul's travel companions. 450s

Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 462s

Even some officials of the province of Asia who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theater. 466s

So the people are chanting, they're grabbing associates of Paul, Paul wants to get in the action here to try and calm things down. 476s

But he's restrained because he knows that wouldn't be a safe place for him to be. 484s

There is all of this upset. 490s

And then there's a statement of comedy. 496s

Look at the very next verse, verse 32, 500s

Meanwhile, somewhere shouting one thing, 503s

some another for the assembly was in confusion, 507s

and most of them did not know why they had come together. 511s

Amazing, isn't it? 516s

Absolute mess. 520s

Enter the town clerk, calm. 524s

Verse 34, a verse 35. 532s

But when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, 536s

Sitons of Ephesus, 543s

who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven? 546s

Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 557s

You have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. 564s

If therefore, the meat trius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, 574s

the courts are open, there are pro-councils, let them bring charges there against one another. 581s

If there's anything further you want to know, it must be settled in the regular assembly. 587s

We are in danger of being charged with rioting today, 594s

since there's no cause that we can give to justify this commotion. 599s

When he had said this, he dismissed, he is him. 605s

Calm. 612s

The dust settles. 614s

Reflect on what happened. 621s

70 years after this event, there was a Roman governor by the name of Plainee. 631s

Plainee was exchanging letters with the Emperor. 639s

He was talking about the problems in the providence. 643s

In some of the letters, as he writes to the Emperor, he says, 647s

Emperor, fewer and fewer people are going to the shrines. 655s

Few and fewer people are going to the shrines. 662s

Then he got to the problem he was concerned about. 667s

This is really affecting the butchers. 671s

Because the people aren't buying the meat to sacrifice to the idols at the shrines. 674s

And so it's hurting the economy. 681s

Emperor, the reason this is happening is there are these people, their Christians. 687s

And they keep sharing this message. 694s

And fewer and fewer people are going to the shrines. 698s

Plainee said, they're not doing anything wrong. 707s

They're not being subversive. 713s

They're not a moral. 717s

I don't know what to do, Emperor. 721s

I don't know what to do. 724s

Interesting. 726s

There was a decrease in idolatry. 729s

Lives changed. 733s

Effecting for all of eternity. 736s

An positive impact on the culture. 740s

An even positive testimony with regard to the Christians. 745s

Not doing anything wrong. 753s

They're not a moral. 754s

They're not subversive. 754s

What happened to the text? 760s

There is a decrease in idol worship because they're concerned about a decrease in the selling of the shrines. 764s

Fewer and fewer people then going to the shrines. 775s

The town clerk says, you've brought these men here who are neither temperabers nor blasphemers of our goddess. 779s

Let me say not do anything wrong. 791s

Not a moral. 793s

They're not subversive. 794s

Do you know that 300 years after these events in Ephesus, the historians record 798s

that idol worship throughout Asia was almost non-existent. 808s

Almost non-existent. 822s

Live changed for eternity. 828s

The present culture impacted in a positive way. 833s

What the church do? 841s

What did the church do? 844s

They proclaimed. 851s

They proclaimed the Lord Jesus Christ and hearts were changed. 853s

And where there were changed hearts, there were changed lives. 861s

They proclaimed hearts were changed and lives were changed. 870s

What didn't the church do? 881s

What didn't the church do? 886s

When the benediction was done at the end of the service, they didn't say, 891s

Now before you go your separate ways, we're going to go down to the silversmiths and pick it. 896s

They didn't do that. 904s

They didn't have a big petition for all the Christians to sign that said, 908s

Artemis is not God, sign the petition. 914s

They didn't do a petition. 920s

They didn't organize a counter protest. 925s

They didn't do it. 930s

They didn't pick it. 932s

They didn't petition. 935s

They didn't protest. 939s

What they do? 943s

They proclaimed. 948s

They proclaimed the Lord Jesus Christ and hearts. 951s

They were changed. 959s

And the people looked at the Christians and said, 965s

All they're doing is talking, but hearts were changed. 972s

The Lord Jesus Christ has borne our sin on the cross. 987s

The bed's been paid. 992s

We have been redeemed for given. 995s

The tomb is empty. 1000s

Death has been overcome. 1002s

God claims us in the waters of baptism, 1005s

giving us of His gifts, of forgiveness and life eternal. 1008s

He opens up life eternal for us and abundant life this side of heaven, 1015s

for however long He blesses us with breath. 1021s

That is such a glorious message for the church to bear a glorious message. 1026s

That's your message. 1036s

That was their message. 1039s

And as they shared the gospel, 1043s

lives were impacted and changed for all of eternity. 1046s

And the culture was affected to the positive in the present. 1054s

Because you see what ultimately changes the heart, 1065s

what ultimately changes the heart is the proclamation. 1073s

And that's what they did. 1083s

Church. 1091s

It's a blueprint, isn't it? 1095s

It's a blueprint. 1098s

It's a blueprint of what the church did to affect souls for all of eternity, 1100s

affect the culture in the present, 1106s

and have people look at Christians and say, 1108s

You're different in a positive way. 1111s

It's the blueprint. 1114s

It's the blueprint for us. 1119s

Thank you. 1145s