Christ Wesleyan Church
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Acts of the Apostles 19:20 NLT
A. Paul’s third mission trip...
Acts of the Apostles 19:1 NLT
1. Paul’s third mission trip is seen in Acts 18:24-21:14.
2. The missionary journey took place around 53-58 A.D.
3. The total travel would have been about 3,307 miles.
4. The travel time would have taken about 92 days.
5. The travel would have been on both foot and ship. The total cost would have been more than $35,000.
6. Prior to leaving on his third journey, Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, both 1 & 2 Thessalonians.
7. While Paul was on this journey, he wrote four New Testament letters: 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans.
Acts of the Apostles 19:10 NLT
B. The third Pentecost...
Acts of the Apostles 2:1 NLT
1. Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19 all report a type of Pentecost. All three Pentecosts had the same verbiage, the same experiences, and the same results…greater unity to the body of Christ!
Acts of the Apostles 2:4 NLT
2. Acts 2 was a Pentecost to Jews, more than 15 different languages. Acts 10 was a Pentecost to Gentiles, opening new doors to believing Gentiles. Acts 19 was a Pentecost to unite all the different segments of followers!
Acts of the Apostles 19:5-6 NLT
3. Once again, God powerfully united the body of Christ!
Acts of the Apostles 19:4 NLT
C. The battle wages in Ephesus...
“Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong. Outside of Christ, I cannot; in Christ, I am more than able. Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious. How meaningful are the words, in Christ.” –Watchman Nee
God scored a powerful victory through Paul in Ephesus!
1. Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for three months.
Acts of the Apostles 19:8 NLT
2. Paul then held daily discussions for two years.
Acts of the Apostles 19:9-10 NLT
3. God gave unusual power to perform miracles for Paul.
Acts of the Apostles 19:11-12 NLT
4. Some even tried to reproduce the power without Jesus!
Acts of the Apostles 19:15-16 NLT
5. Many became believers and gave up all evidences of their past sinful lives by destroying the evidence.
Acts of the Apostles 19:18-20 NLT
The enemy battled back in Ephesus!
6. When all seemed peaceful, serious trouble erupted.
Acts of the Apostles 19:23 NLT
7. One man, Demetrius the silversmith, stirs other artisans against Paul and the believers.
Acts of the Apostles 19:24 NLT
8. Soon the whole city was in an uproar!
Acts of the Apostles 19:29 NLT
9. It was a mob mentality with many not even knowing why they were there!
Acts of the Apostles 19:32 NLT
10. The mayor was able to bring reason to the crowd and he dismissed them!
Acts of the Apostles 19:41 NLT
D. What understanding do we gain from this chapter?
1. Always be prepared…when God scores a great victory, the enemy will seek to destroy! It may come emotionally, it may come through temptation, it may come through friends, and it may come in unexpected ways!
2. Don’t rely on your own power or persuasive speech to make the difference!
2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT
3. Realize that God has plenty of time to accomplish His work…and it may take time for God to work in and through you! Paul had daily discussions for two years.
4. God will equip us with all we need to share the gospel with others. He cares more about their salvation than any of us possibly could!
5. Don’t ever go against the enemy without being adequately prepared!
1 Corinthians 2:4 NLT
6. To gain complete victory in your life, you must get rid of all temptation or evidence of past temptations.
7. It only takes one divisive person to create a division among believers, so protect yourself and the body of Christ by how you respond to divisive words.
8. Continue to trust God to bring peace out of chaos - God will use a variety of sources or people to bring peace!
1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT
“Prayer is repeating the Victor’s Name, Jesus, into the ears of Satan and insisting on his retreat.” S.D. Gordon