Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Welcome to the Chroma Church podcast.
[00:00:07] So we've spent a few weeks in Ephesus, unfortunately not in the real Ephesus, but in the part of Acts, Acts 18, Acts 19, and we talked about what happens is Paul goes to Ephesus, 12 men are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we see the kingdom preached. The sick are healed and the demons are getting disarmed, and people are starting to walk in freedom. In fact, the demons are so disarmed that people are bringing their idols, their magic books, and they're bringing them. And we've got a bin. All right, I lost it. First service. Somebody thought, which idiot has left a bin at the front of church? It was this idiot. Anyway, so it was moved.
[00:01:04] And what they were doing is they were coming to church and they were bringing all their magic stuff and idols and all of the stuff that they'd used to lean on in their previous life, and they were putting it in the bin. And Luke who writes Acts says that the value of all of the stuff that they burnt was 50,000 pieces of silver, which is hard to put in today's money because we don't know how big the pieces of silver were, but it's somewhere between 1 million and 5 million pounds that was burnt and bought on that day. Such was the deliverance of God.
[00:01:42] So the question and the reason the bin is here is you may have things in your life that you need to get rid of. And the beauty of what they did was they bought them in front of everybody.
[00:01:56] And so through the summer, we're gonna have a bin here. And if you've got stuff that you know you need to get rid of, I don't know what it could be. I did a whole list last week. You can bring it in the worship or in the talk or whatever and just put it in the bin and we'll dispose of it. There's something prophetic about an action where we go, I want that this out of my life. I don't want anything more to do with it. So there it is. So the question is, what happens next? I don't know if you've ever read a passage of the Bible and you've kind of been reading it, and you don't kind of get anything out of it. And I know it's God's word and I know it's every I and T, every I that's dotted and T crossed is the word of God, but you sometimes read it and you go, I don't know. Well, that's what happened this week. To me, that happened to you. Sometimes you read the Bible and you go, well, I don't know. Yeah, three of you are being honest. It's all of us.
[00:02:55] That's what it's like sometimes. And I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me and say, go back and read it again.
[00:03:03] There's some things I want to show you. So that's what we're going to do. So find your bibles. Acts chapter 19 and we're going to pick it up in verse 20. Why don't you stand as we read Acts 19:21.
[00:03:20] When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem, saying, after I've been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus. But he himself stayed in Asia for a time. And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.
[00:03:48] Just pause for a moment.
[00:03:51] In Acts, Christianity and the church is called the Way.
[00:03:57] And such was the move of God upon people's lives. It didn't just. When Jesus came into people's lives, it didn't just make them feel good, they didn't just have warm fuzzies. It. It totally transformed their lives. And, and it became a revolution.
[00:04:18] And, and so as people looked on, they called it the Way. Probably from when Jesus says, I am the Way, the truth and the life. So that, that as Jesus got a hold of people's lives, there was a march. You know, we are going to get back to the Bible. But you know, when we started our journey a number of years ago, people would visit here and go, cool. Coming here is because the worship there was this beat, this march was starting the sound of heaven. And when Jesus gets a hold of you, that's what starts to happen. We start to march in time because Jesus has our hearts. And so all the onlookers called it the Way. Okay, we'll just keep going. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them, together with the workers of similar occupation and said, men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.
[00:05:16] Moreover, you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this pool has persuaded and turned away many people saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disreputed, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed whom all Asia and the world worship now. When they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, great is Diana of the Ephesians. So the whole city was filled with confusion. And rushed into the theater with one accord. Having seized Gaius, some of the Macedonians, Paul's traveling companions. And when Paul wanted to go into the people, the disciples would not allow him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him, pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another.
[00:06:18] For the assembly was confused. And most of them did not know why they had come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make his defense to the people. But when they found that he was a Jew with all one voice, they cried out for about two hours. Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
[00:06:42] Okay, take a seat.
[00:06:45] Here we go.
[00:06:50] Do you remember Jesus? He was talking about John the Baptist. And he says, from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. And violent. And the violent take it by force.
[00:07:08] What he was saying is, we are in a spiritual battle. And it's not between God and the devil. It's never between God and the devil. There was unrest in heaven for about half an hour. That's all it took for God to deal with the devil. The battle is between the devil and the church.
[00:07:31] And the question is, why would God allow the devil to battle with the church?
[00:07:39] And I believe that the main reason is we, the church, have to learn not to be deceived by the devil, but to walk in the trust of the Lord. So right at the beginning, in fact, we sang it.
[00:07:56] This is the gospel song. Right in the beginning, man was deceived by the devil. And now the devil makes war against the church. And the church is learning not to be deceived by the devil and his words, but to learn to hear God's words and to walk in his ways.
[00:08:20] And that's when. So when Paul looks back at his time in Ephesus, he says. He writes to the Ephesians and says, remember, put on the full armor of God. Otherwise you will not be able to stand on the evil day. You've got to have God's armor on. Otherwise, when the trouble comes. It's not if the trouble comes. It's when the trouble comes. You won't be able to stand.
[00:08:46] And in all my years, and there's a number of years I've walked with Jesus, probably 40 something.
[00:08:53] I have learned that the devil only attacks something worth attacking.
[00:09:01] And sometimes the force of that attack is quite surprising and it can quite bewilder us.
[00:09:11] This year, for Juliet and I, we felt the onslaught of the enemy. Well, why would that happen? Well, we're disrupting the enemy's kingdom. Every life, every person that walks forward and gives their life to Jesus is a loss to the enemy and a gain for heaven. There is a battle waging over every convert, over every single person that wants to walk forward and give their life to Jesus. We read it in the parable of the Sower. Jesus said, the word goes out, and some of it falls on good ground, some of it falls on rocky ground, some of it falls thick ground with thistles. And he says that the devil comes and he steals the word from them.
[00:10:00] And so our prayer is constant. Keep the ground good, but don't let the devil steal the word because he wants to come and attack and confuse. Confuse you. And that's why Paul writes, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. I'm still. I'm in the book of Ephesians at the moment.
[00:10:21] And when he writes that be strong in the Lord and the power of his might, he drops a little line in. He says, be watchful.
[00:10:31] And.
[00:10:34] And often when we think of that word, be watchful, sometimes we could be mistaken and think, well, I've got to watch what the devil's doing.
[00:10:42] Why would he tell you to watch what the devil's doing? No, no, no. I think he's saying, be watchful of what God is doing. What is God doing in the storm? So the storm comes and we're standing in the power of his might. But he says, just watch for what God is doing, not what the devil is doing. We don't really care what the devil's doing. We care what God is doing. And so we were. We were in the midst of the attack, and, you know, we, you know, do, you know, you sometimes just get that point, go, oh, I don't know if I can do this. Anyone ever do that? Yeah, yeah. There's six of you. I don't know. There's more. 20.
[00:11:19] We all get to those places and, you know, when we're in that place, but we were just feeling like it, and the Lord, somebody just started talking and telling us something that God was opening up. And it was just like this kindness from the Lord in the midst of the attack, this wonderful door of opportunity that was opening up. And as we heard, like, the tears just filled my eyes. And I don't know if it was relief, but I think it was more. God, you're so good, you're so kind. Because when the storm is raging around us, there you are bringing your kindness into our lives. And that's why Paul says, be watchful, watch what God is doing and you will be able to come through the storm. You know, every time, you know, every time somebody, you know, when we give testimonies and people come up and give testimony, sometimes you write them down on the cards. You know, every one of those testimonies is a precious story of the deliverance of Jesus.
[00:12:29] You might not know what you know, the prayer cards, what happens to them, but when you post them out there tomorrow morning, we read them all and we pray over them. All the stories of what God is doing in your life and the prayers of the things you need in your life are very precious to us.
[00:12:48] And so we pray as a staff, we all pray over them. But those testimonies are light in the midst of a battle of what God is doing. And that is those little things that we're watchful about. Does that make sense? And we see it and we go, yes. That's why we do this. That's why we're in the battle. Because God is winning the fights he leads us through. You're not convinced, we'll keep going.
[00:13:21] So what I want you to do is I want you to see three things that happen when the kingdom is proclaimed and when we're thrown into the battle.
[00:13:33] So the first thing I want to say to you is the kingdom of God is not for the faint hearted.
[00:13:40] And I want to clarify that because it is and it isn't.
[00:13:44] The kingdom of God is for the weak who become strong.
[00:13:48] But the way you become strong is coming through the battle. If you never enter the battle, you're never going to become strong.
[00:13:57] So when I say the kingdom of God is not for the faint hearted, what I mean is if before you even get to the battle, you are, you're never going to become strong. But if you will walk through the battle with the Lord, you will become strong in the Lord. So what does the battle look like in Ephesus? Three things happen. The economy is disrupted, the belief system is disrupted, and great boldness comes upon God's people.
[00:14:24] So the first one, the economy is disrupted. People are starting to walk in the freedom of Jesus. They're healed and they're free. They're burning their idols and their magic books. I just said that they no longer need because the liberty of the Holy Spirit is now in their life. You see, often we spend our money on things to medicate the pain. And when you don't need to medicate the pain anymore because the Holy Spirit is in your life, you don't need to spend your money on those things. And what was happening in Ephesus was the economy was being rocked because they made a lot of money from magic and healing. And so everything is shifting.
[00:15:07] There are two economies. There's the economy of the world and there's the economy of heaven. The economy of heaven brings freedom and prosperity. If you look at any nation that has been touched by the revival of God, see what happens. Look around the world where revival has hit a nation. People start living for Jesus. They start to love their neighbor as themselves. Their value systems change and so blessing is released. And sociologists call that redemption. Lift. There is a prosperity that is around heaven.
[00:15:41] The economy of the world brings destruction, greed and selfishness. An example, one of the biggest industries, the porn industry, currently is worth about £15 billion in the UK.
[00:16:00] It's bigger than any single entertainment provider like Netflix or Disney. It's more addictive and destructive than heroin, yet on the whole, totally accepted by society. It has caused dysfunction in relationships, identity and demeaning of women and increasingly men as well.
[00:16:22] Another example, there is an increasing trend of people starting up businesses.
[00:16:32] And these startups are totally designed to make money so they don't care about the employees. What they want to do is to have an idea, start a business and then sell it so it makes money with no thought about all the employees and all the people that have sown into that company to make it what it is.
[00:16:59] That is greed and that is the economy of the world. When the spirit of God starts to move, there is a disruption to the economy. Demetrius de Silversmith says we're going to lose all our income. Why? Because people start dealing honestly. Their values are all changed. You know what? If you don't care anymore about social media, just think about it. Supposing you don't care what people are saying. You don't care what's happening in the world because you are totally fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Do you realize the biggest companies in the world would fall?
[00:17:36] They would collapse.
[00:17:40] Social media has been a revolution over the last 10 years.
[00:17:45] What if we were to rescue women out of the sex industry, give them jobs making jewelry, educate their children. That's what Eden does. That's what they're selling. All the jewelry they're selling out in the foyer today is Eden and they are rescuing Women and children in Myanmar out of the sex trade. They give them. They make the jewelry, we buy it, which gives them a job, and then they don't have to go back into the sex trade.
[00:18:12] Do you understand that companies like Cadbury's, Bournville came from Christianity?
[00:18:17] That's why we have better working conditions in the United Kingdom. Why? Because we've been touched by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[00:18:26] And what I want to say is to you, when you are at work, do you sometimes see things that are wrong? You look and you go. That doesn't feel very Christian. And then you hear this tolerant voice saying, just love them. Just love them. Love is not tolerance.
[00:18:42] We speak the truth of God lovingly. Because you are called. I am called to be a disruptor of the economy.
[00:18:52] That's what was happening in Ephesus. You know, how you choose to spend your money will disrupt the economy.
[00:18:59] Ah, it won't make any difference. Well, that's why we're in the mess we're in, because we think nothing makes a difference. But trust me, it does. I got in trouble. I've been in. I'm going to get in trouble a few times, okay? In a moment. So just forgive me.
[00:19:16] For the last few years, I refused to pay my BBC license.
[00:19:28] I get letters. I get letters every week threatening me with court action. I'm just fed up with the twaddle that is being. That is on the screen. The last time I used the BBC was when Steve Wright died.
[00:19:42] And I grew up on Steve Wright, you know, he was a South End boy, all right? And I grew up listening.
[00:19:49] No one knows who I'm talking about.
[00:19:52] Peasants there. Some of them know, you know, who Steve Wright was.
[00:20:00] And you know, that was my last reason to pay the license fee. Now, hear me. Somebody said, you need to explain what you've done.
[00:20:11] I have deleted all the BBC from every radio station in my car. I have no way of receiving live tv. The aerial socket is not in my tv. I do not watch any live.
[00:20:25] The only thing I ever watch is something that's streamed. But the reason is because I refuse to support an organization that is speaking untruth and I make it. Now, in the grand scheme of things, the BBC is probably not going to fall because of me.
[00:20:51] But I care where my money goes.
[00:20:54] I care where my investments are. I care what they're doing. I'm a disruptor of the economy.
[00:21:05] You see, when the kingdom disrupts the economy, people get angry. But if there is not a disruption, there can be no change.
[00:21:15] And all I'M saying is, are you willing to make a stand? Get ready for a shaking of the economy and to the best of your ability, make sure your financial dealings are in line with the Lord. Don't finance Diana, invest in the kingdom.
[00:21:34] And if I'm not here next week, I've started men's prison ministry. Okay? So come and visit me.
[00:21:48] Number two, maybe you need to move quickly.
[00:21:51] The belief system is disrupted. Moreover, you see in here that not only at Ephesus but throughout almost all Asia. This Paul has persuaded and turned away many people saying that they are not gods which are made with our hands. What are you saying? Don't worship what's made with your hands. Worship the true God. And this pool has turned upside down or right side up. The whole of Asia they're saying what a reputation to have.
[00:22:22] But this is what this is, that not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into distribute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificent destroyed whom all of Asia and the world worship. Okay, we're at 11:30 service, right? Just do something for me. Just hold the sides of your chair. Just hold the sides of your chair, okay? You're going to need it.
[00:22:51] Donald Trump has done a great favor for us, okay?
[00:22:58] When he stood up and said in God America trusts and there are two genders, male and female.
[00:23:10] And he stood up and said it. And all of the weak willed people who wouldn't stand up and say, and say I don't agree with this suddenly realized I have a voice and I can stand.
[00:23:26] You can let go of your chair.
[00:23:30] Emails Steveroma Church I have an auto return this week. I am on holiday.
[00:23:42] Listen, God will use who he wants to use for his purposes. Have you read this book?
[00:23:52] Have you read about Nehemiah? Not Nehemiah, he was a good guy. Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus, God used them.
[00:24:04] God used a donkey for goodness sake to speak when Barak was up the wall.
[00:24:12] Be careful that we don't write everything off just because we don't like a personality or understand a personality. God uses people and he uses people like me and sometimes like Donald.
[00:24:35] You see in the Bible, Diana, that's the Greek name, refers to the Roman goddess Artemis, a deity associated with the hunt, wild animals, the moon, childbirth and fertility particularly. And this cult was particularly prominent in the city of Ephesus. It's really interesting that when Paul writes to Timothy or to the Ephesians, it's in those letters that he often talks about women not having authority over Men and that the word authority is a sexual authority. And so there's been a lot. We spoke a few weeks ago about women leading in church. What's he talking about? He's talking about Diana. He's talking about what they're dealing with there. You see here we see both the cultural and religious challenges faced by the early Christians. See, the temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the world. And now I did a little bit of research on that, which means I use Google.
[00:25:33] But do you know that Google is replacing BC and AD with BCE and CE because AD is offensive in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I had to Google what ce Because I'm looking at it going, I don't even know what this date is. CE means common era. It wasn't a common era. It is the era when Jesus came from heaven and lived on earth and died for the sins of the world. That's not a common era. It's the year of our Lord.
[00:26:17] You see, isn't it interesting that the wokeness of our nation has so many similarities to Ephesus? Why, it's the same principalities and powers. The devil's got no new tricks. He's always done the same thing. It just keeps going over and over and over again. The Bible declares nothing new under the sun, isn't it? Look, this is what Paul says to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church. This is Ephesians again to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness.
[00:27:02] You see, God is about to disrupt the belief systems. Oh my goodness, I'm running out of time. Of this nation. How will he do it? Verse 28, it says. So the whole city was filled with confusion and rushed into the theater with one accord.
[00:27:21] How many times do you read in the Old Testament that before the enemies of God's people, he confuses the enemy and what they do is they fall into confusion and God's people can go and take the ground? You know, my favorite one is Jehoshaphat. And he sends all the worshipers out in front of the army. And we read in 2 Chronicles 20 that God set ambushes. Well, what do you think the ambushes were? They kill each other. They were confused. They don't know what they're doing. And they're shooting each other as the worshipers worship. And then the battle is won. In fact, the Lord says to Joshua, this isn't your Battle. This is my battle. I'm going to win this. You see, have you seen the confusion in the nation? The crazy things that happen, the ridiculous scenarios? You know, when you ask our politicians, can you define a man and woman, they go, oh, that's too difficult question for me. I mean, really, there is confusion on the land. Where do you think it comes from? I think it's the hand of the Lord.
[00:28:25] I think the Lord is confusing because that's. He does that to his enemies. Now he may use the devil to do it. Remember the Passover? Who sent the angel of death? The Lord did. He just says, yes, sir.
[00:28:40] But there is a confusion that God has placed. And I think he is giving his people an opportunity.
[00:28:51] And I'm going to finish with this really quick. When the Lord sends confusion, the Lord raises men and women of all great boldness. You see, there's a riot erupts in Ephesus. People are angry, shouting. And all Paul can think is this. I've got to get in there. Just get me in there.
[00:29:09] You know, the Lord is looking for men and women like this. Let me preach. Let me preach the truth. Wouldn't it be great to have some more preachers?
[00:29:19] You know, the church has pulled back. We need to raise preachers. We need to praise preachers that will declare the truth of Jesus Christ. Look, the only thing heathenism can do is shout itself hoarse. That's what happens at Ephesus.
[00:29:36] But in all of the shouting, the church has shrunk back, not wanting to rock the boat. It's time to rock the boat. Not with angry preaching, but with the compassion of Jesus Christ. With signs and wonders, calling men and women out of the confusion into the light of Jesus Christ. You see, we have a message dripping with love, but full of truth. A message of wisdom, but also repentance. Change.
[00:30:02] A message that takes people into eternity. A message of forgiveness, but also transformation. A message of hope, of someone better. Jesus. A message that is anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is powerful and effective. You see, we are messengers in love with the Lord Jesus Christ. We're messengers who care about people. We love people. And messengers who carry the declaration of the King. When the kingdom goes forward, the King's declaration goes out. We are declaring the wishes of the King. Friends, this is an opportunity for the church to stand and be bold.
[00:30:46] You know, a few weeks ago, I asked if there were 12 men and women willing to be filled today. Are there any willing to stand for the truth amidst all the confusion and point people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:31:00] Now, look, if you do, you're going to have a target on your back, right?
[00:31:04] But you're also going to have an anointing on your head.
[00:31:11] We break the power of confusion as we preach and demonstrate the truth.
[00:31:20] I just want to just finish with one quick story. I don't know if there's anyone in this service that was here when we started 15 years ago, but 15 years ago, I remember we made a declaration of how would we know if we succeed as a church?
[00:31:43] And the declaration was that when we went into the city, that we would meet people that know us and that know the church.
[00:31:53] And the reason we made that declaration was because only then would we know that the gospel is making an impact in the community and not just in our little bubble.
[00:32:05] Okay, that was 15 years ago.
[00:32:09] This week, I was in Starbucks. I don't know if the girl's here, but I was trying to pay for a coffee and my phone app wouldn't work. And I'm waving it around, and she said, you know, oh, if you go over there and you wave it outside, it might work. And it did. She was right. And I came back and she said, you look really familiar. Are you the pastor of Cromer Church? And I said, I am now ashamed. I can't even pay for a coffee. But, yeah, I said, yeah, that's me. Here I am. She goes, I go to your church.
[00:32:41] And then we were out the next day. It was birthday. We went for a birthday dinner, and the waitress came up, said, are you Mr. And Mrs. Barber?
[00:32:53] And I'm always worried when somebody addresses me like that. And yeah, she said, I go to Trano Cromer Church. And the Lord said to me, he said to me, this. This is a new season.
[00:33:06] You are now in the community.
[00:33:10] The seed is sown. Now what will you do? What are you going to sow in the community? What are you going to do with it? And I'm just saying to you, we'll church. We're coming into a new season of speaking the truth and the goodness of Jesus and seeing lives changed.
[00:33:30] Thanks for listening to the Cromer Church podcast. If you enjoyed this message, you can like and subscribe. You can also join us in person or online every Sunday at Cromer Church. For more information about us, including our ministries, events, events, worship, and how to donate, visit our website at Chroma Church.
