The Book of Acts: Lesson 19, "The Riot in Ephesus"

Earlier this week I saw this description of a true Christian: “Completely fearless, Continually cheerful, and Constantly in trouble.” And if you think about prominent Christians down through history, all the way from the apostle Paul in his day to Charlie Kirk in our day, I think this is a pretty good description. This has certainly been true for the early church in our study here in the Book of Acts. One thing that really sticks out is the fact that Christianity is a dangerous faith. If you don’t think so, you probably haven’t begun to live it out yet. Because our Lord warned us that we would be hated by this world and persecuted by those who do not understand our faith. 

With this as a backdrop, we find the apostle Paul entering another new city that is under the sway of dark spiritual forces. Forces that will not give up lost souls without a fight. Undeterred by the battle that was raging, Paul boldly proclaims the Gospel message. In response the people of Ephesus riot against the church, demanding that the believers be arrested and imprisoned. And just when all hope seems to be lost, God delivers them from their enemies and opens the door to new ministry opportunities. In this study we will discover an important truth: When your circumstances seem overwhelming and your resources are completely inadequate to handle what is happening around you, it is important to remember that God is able! Nothing is impossible for God!

In His Service,

Pastor Steve