Participants: Tony Moore
Series Code: IFP
Program Code: IFP000014
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01:37 Paul left the great city of Corinth and walked the 6 miles
01:40 back down here to the harbor at Cenchraea. 01:44 While he was waiting for a ship he cut his hair because 01:47 he intended to go to Jerusalem and honor a vow. 01:52 He boarded a ship from this port and sailed with 01:55 Aquila and Priscilla across the Aegean to the 01:59 great city of Ephesus. 02:01 When they went into that great city they found a 02:04 responsive community amongst the Jews. 02:07 It was decided that Aquila and Priscilla would stay there 02:10 and teach that community. 02:12 Paul continued his journey toward Jerusalem by taking 02:16 a ship over to the coast of Phoenicia and then down 02:19 Caesarea, then he walked up to Jerusalem 02:22 and honored his vow. 02:25 He then returned to the great city of 02:27 Antakya to give a thrilling report of what God had done 02:30 in the province of Macedonia and Aecia. 02:33 They were thrilled to hear how the Gospel had made such 02:37 tremendous advances among the Gentiles. 02:40 Here he stayed for some time, but there was a 02:43 restlessness in his soul. 02:45 He kept thinking about the openness of the Jews in 02:49 Ephesus, he kept thinking about the synagogue that was 02:53 open and willing to listen to the Gospel. 02:56 He kept thinking about that large metropolitan area where 02:59 he had left Aquila and Priscilla. 03:01 In his prayers the Holy Spirit was moving upon his heart and 03:05 soon Paul decided that he must return, 03:09 once again, to Asia. 03:12 Philip describes how that Paul left Antioch on 03:17 his third missionary journey. 03:19 He would have walked through the regions of Syria up 03:23 through Cilicia by his family in Tarsus, to strengthen the 03:27 church that had been planted there. 03:29 Then he would have walked on this road, as he walked up 03:32 into the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. 03:35 He walked this Roman road through the Cilician Gates 03:39 into the Anatolian Plateau. 03:42 In those days the region was known as Galatia. 03:46 He walked through Galatia strengthening the churches that 03:50 he had planted, strengthening the churches at Derbe and 03:55 Lystra, Iconium, Pisidia Antioch. 03:58 But he did not tarry because his heart was set on 04:01 going back to Ephesus. 04:03 Yes he had sailed across from Corinth with his companions 04:07 Aquila and Priscilla who were also tent makers. 04:10 He left them there and he had been thinking and praying 04:16 about them knowing they were preparing the ground for the 04:19 planting of the Gospel seed. 04:21 Paul was anxious to see what had developed. 04:25 He had an open reception in the city of Ephesus when he 04:30 preached in the Jewish synagogues there. 04:32 So he was pressing on his way to go back to the city 04:36 where he would find fertile ground for the Gospel. 04:39 Paul would live in residence for three years in the 04:42 city of Ephesus, preaching the good news that 04:45 Jesus was the Christ. 04:47 We must press on our journey following the footsteps 04:50 of Paul to the great city of Ephesus. 04:55 Paul was on a mission and his path was beating 04:58 to the city of Ephesus. 05:00 This was the greatest city of Asia, know at this time 05:04 it was not the capital of the province of Asia, 05:07 but it was leading city commercially. 05:09 It had a commerce because of the great port. 05:12 The capital of Asia was at Pergamum, another of the seven 05:16 churches, that Jesus sent a message, to from the Isle 05:20 of Patmos, when John was exiled there. 05:23 But Ephesus was leading city, the major city. 05:28 It had a population of over 300,000 people. 05:32 It had fantastic public buildings, it had the Odeon that 05:37 that would seat 1400 people. 05:40 Here the leaders of the city, some 300 in number, 05:43 would come together, the elected officials and decide 05:47 the course of the city. 05:48 In addition it had the great theater where performances 05:52 would be held and where the citizens of the city would 05:54 come together to discuss the future of their city. 05:58 Yes Ephesus was a magnificent city, Paul had 06:02 a desire to reach Ephesus. 06:04 As he walked mile after mile, he was praying, 06:08 Lord prepare their hearts for when I get there. 06:12 Help the cross of Jesus to be exalted in this great pagan 06:16 city, this great center of immorality and drunkenness. 06:20 Lord May you be exalted, may Your name be 06:23 exalted here in this city. 06:26 This city was the center of the cult 06:29 worship of Artemis. 06:31 Artemis was a Greek name by which the goddess was known. 06:35 The mother Goddess, this goddess was known throughout 06:38 the East, and in other places she would be known as 06:41 the goddess of Astra. 06:44 The Romans called her Diana, this was the center of 06:48 her cultic worship. 06:50 As Paul came closer to the city he would have passed 06:53 by the great Temple of Artemis which was one of the 06:57 seven wonders of the ancient world. 06:59 Yes this was a fabulous city with a fabulous Temple 07:03 reported to be the finest of the seven wonders 07:06 of the ancient world. 07:07 Paul came though, not to see the temple, he came to plant 07:12 the cross of Jesus Christ in this city. 07:15 He entered in through the gate to the north, 07:18 the Magnesian Gate and as he proceeded into the city, 07:22 he would have walked past the great Odeon where the 07:25 political leaders would gather together 07:28 to make their decisions. 07:30 Only citizens were allowed in this section of the city, 07:34 but Paul was a citizen of Rome so he could walk proudly 07:37 here, Paul would have walked past this state Agora where 07:41 the Temple of Augustus was located. 07:44 Today we see the Temple of Augustus in the museum here at 07:49 Ephesus, a mute testimony to the grandeur of the past. 07:53 Then he would have walked by the great Temple of Artemis 07:57 in this city, and also the Temple to the spirit of Roma. 08:02 Ephesus was permitted to build a temple to the deceased 08:06 Emperor, Augustus Caesar. 08:08 And to the spirit of Rome, which was deified here in this 08:12 great metropolitan area. 08:15 Paul continued walking down the road passing by various 08:19 Cultic establishments. 08:21 He came to the great Pedestrian Way, lined on both sides 08:25 by the portico, the covered mosaics. 08:30 He would have walked down this great pedestrian Way and 08:33 noted shops of the age. 08:36 Here is Domitian Square, where Paul had walked through the 08:41 city Domitian Square had not already been built. 08:44 Ephesus had not yet permitted to worship a living Emperor, 08:48 they had vied for the permission to do this 08:51 and finally they received permission and constructed 08:55 this great Temple to Domitian. 08:58 Domitian was an ego maniac and he had a statue, 09:02 done 21 feet tall, made of himself. 09:06 It was placed it on this raised platform and required 09:10 all to come and worship the spirit of Rome and 09:14 the living Emperor. 09:16 A generation later, after Paul was here, 09:19 John refused to burn incense to Caesar. 09:24 He would acknowledge no other deity 09:27 then Jesus Christ alone. 09:29 Domitian compared himself to be the Lord God and because 09:35 of John's obstinate attitude, he banished him here to 09:40 the Rocky Penal colony of Patmos about 20 miles 09:45 off the coast of Asia. 09:48 John separated from his friends, no longer able to 09:53 encourage the church during this great time of crises. 09:56 Rumors being spread about the church that Christians 10:00 were atheist because they would not burn incense to 10:02 the spirit of Caesar. 10:04 They would not worship the Roman gods. 10:06 They have lost the protection of being Jews, 10:09 they were now being viewed as a separate entity because 10:12 they came from various backgrounds, from other nations 10:16 and no longer spoke Hebrew, or Aramaic. 10:20 John was exiled to the island of Patmos for not 10:25 acknowledging Domitian, the Caesar as the Lord God. 10:30 But while there Jesus appeared to him in vision and 10:34 instructed him to send a message back to the church 10:38 of Ephesus, don't be afraid church, of what they may 10:42 do to you for I am the one who was dead, 10:45 and am alive for evermore. 10:48 John had not seen Jesus for 60 years, he had not seen 10:52 Jesus since he ascended up into heaven from 10:54 the Mount of olives. 10:55 But now Jesus appears and says, John don't be afraid, 10:58 I am the first and the last, on the One that was dead 11:01 and came back to life, and John, I am alive forevermore. 11:05 John sent this message here to the church at Ephesus, 11:08 and encouraged the church to remain faithful, 11:12 even during times of distress. 11:14 In vision, the 24 elders cast down their crowns before the 11:20 throne, saying thou art worthy O' Lord our God to 11:24 receive glory and honor and power, 11:27 for Thou has created all things. 11:29 Yes the message from Jesus, on the island of Patmos, 11:33 to his servant John was, encourage the believers. 11:36 I am the Lord God, not this imposter sitting on a throne 11:41 in Rome, not this imposter who has put up a 21 foot 11:45 statue of himself in the square of town. 11:47 I am the Lord God and I am the only one worthy to receive 11:52 glory and honor and worship, for I created all things. 11:56 Yes it was a tremendous message of encouragement to the 12:00 church here at Ephesus to remain faithful in spite of the 12:03 persecution of the Domitian's. 12:05 In spite of what the enemy was trying to do, 12:07 and the Church remains faithful. 12:10 Paul continued down the street and would have passed 12:13 this sign for the brothel. 12:16 Yes this was a city of gambling, and drunkenness, 12:20 prostitution and immorality, yet it was a city Paul had 12:24 a burden for, a city that Jesus had died for. 12:35 This is a fantastic Celsus Library where the patron who 12:40 dedicated and built this building loved books and willed 12:45 that he would be buried inside with the 12,000 scrolls so 12:49 he could be close to the scrolls he loved. 12:52 This building was built after the death of John, and yet 13:00 it is the most stunning fa÷ade in all of Ephesus. 13:05 It has been largely re-created in the 13:08 restoration that was done. 13:13 But the Celsus Library was not here in Paul's day or in 13:16 John's, the street let down to the commercial Agora. 13:20 This large area where the commerce of 13:23 the city was conducted. 13:25 This massive gate had been built by two freedmen in honor 13:31 of Caesar Augustus who had granted them 13:33 their liberty as citizens. 13:34 Today we can still see the mighty Caesars name inscribed 13:39 above two of the arches going into the Agora. 13:43 Then the street turns and goes down to the massive 13:49 theater, some 24,000+ seats in this theater. 13:55 When you stand in the theater, there is a fantastic view 14:00 of the harbor, today the harbor has silted up and is now 14:04 6 miles out to the beach. 14:06 It was a magnificent entrance into a magnificent city. 14:11 Paul did not come to go to the theater, 14:14 Paul came to share the gospel. 14:47 For three months he was invited to teach in the synagogues, 14:49 he shared daily there at the synagogue from 14:53 Sabbath to Sabbath that Jesus was the Messiah. 14:56 People listened with open ears and open hearts. 15:00 After three months of opposition began to build. 15:03 Luke says they became obstinate about the message. 15:07 Paul was no longer welcomed to teach on the Sabbath 15:10 in the synagogue, and so he moved to a rented hall, 15:14 the lecture hall of Tyrannous and there he taught 15:17 every afternoon as well as on the Sabbath that 15:21 Jesus was the Messiah. 15:23 He instructed the disciples, the new believers in this 15:26 great city of Ephesus. 15:27 Yes the power of the Gospel was alive and moving. 15:30 Paul would remain here for 2 and 1/2 years. 15:33 He stayed at Corinth for year and a half and now he 15:37 stretches it to 2 and 1/2 years and perhaps going out into 15:40 the surrounding cities teaching them that 15:43 Jesus was the Messiah. 15:45 Luke said the whole province of Asia heard the teachings 15:49 of Paul about Jesus as the Christ. 15:52 Luke said that even a handkerchief touched by Paul, 15:55 could be taken to a sick person and they would be made well. 15:59 This caused the entire city to take notice of the message 16:03 of Jesus, and many, many people believed. 16:08 There is a curious story found in Acts 19:13-17. 16:13 Of Jewish exorcists who heard that Paul cast out demons 16:19 in the name of Jesus, they thought this was a new 16:21 incantation, so Luke records this curious story of how 16:25 they attempted to cast out demons in the name of 16:28 Jesus, whom Paul preaches. 16:30 On one occasion, the demon said, I know Paul, I know 16:34 Jesus whom Paul preaches, but I don't know you and the 16:38 man leaped upon them and beat them. 16:41 Luke gives this very interesting and humorous insight, verse 16. 16:58 What an amazing story happened here. 17:00 All of this caused attention to the Gospel and the 17:04 power of God in transforming human lives here in this 17:07 great city of Ephesus. 17:09 Luke goes on. 17:42 Paul's reputation was growing, the power of Jesus was 17:46 growing here in the city. 17:48 They recognize they could not fool around with evil 17:51 spirits, even the believers were moved to a deeper 17:55 sense of commitment after this happened 17:57 with the sons of Seva. 17:59 So they brought their books on magic, incantations, 18:02 and potions, Ephesus was riddled with this idea of magic. 18:07 They brought their scrolls and publicly burned them. 18:11 Luke calculates the value as 50,000 Drachmas. 18:14 A drachmas was a silver coin representing an 18:18 average man's daily pay. 18:21 50,000 days of labor, that was the value of the scrolls 18:26 that were burned publicly. 18:28 These scrolls about magic, yes the Holy Spirit wanted 18:32 to emphasize these miracles that were taking place, 18:35 were not taking place by the power of magic, or the power 18:39 of incantations, no there was a total difference 18:42 between Jesus and magic. 18:45 It was not magic but the power, the blood of Jesus by 18:48 which people were being restored by Paul's preaching. 18:51 The church continued to grow and there was a mighty 18:54 movement happening, but as we have seen in every place 18:57 that Paul had gone, the devil was angry and 19:00 begins to stir up opposition. 19:02 Paul can sense the opposition building, he's senses the 19:05 anger of the devil, the Dragon was wroth with the woman 19:09 and wanted to make war with her seed. 19:12 Paul recognize this and he decided it was time to go. 19:16 We read what happens next in Luke's account. 19:37 Yes Paul sensed there was danger looming ahead. 19:40 He wrote to the church of Corinth from this city 19:43 and said I am in peril every hour, I'm 19:46 surrounded by problems here. 19:48 He sensed that something was not right, that something 19:52 was afoot and so he sent Timothy and Erastus over to 19:55 Macedonia to prepare the way and 19:58 he planned to follow them. 19:59 Before Paul could leave, the devil tried to take Paul's 20:04 life one more time. 20:06 The devil stirred up a man by the name of Demetrius 20:09 right here in this city. 20:10 Demetrius was a leader of the metalworkers of the city 20:15 who manufactured little silver statuettes of Artemis, 20:19 Goddess of the city, or Diana as she was known by the 20:23 Roman name, the mother Goddess. 20:25 He stirred up Demetrius' heart, and Demetrius stirred 20:30 up the metalworkers saying, this guy Paul is preaching 20:34 there are no gods made with human hands. 20:37 That there is only one God, the invisible God, Jesus, 20:40 and if this continues, it is impacting our business 20:43 and soon the very temple of Artemis will fall into 20:47 disrepute and no one will come here and our 20:49 great city will collapse. 20:51 Demetrius stirred the metalworkers up. 20:53 They came down and stirred the people of the city up. 20:57 They looked for Paul and could not find him, 20:59 they found two of his companions and dragged them 21:01 here into the theater. 21:02 Soon the theater was filled with people from all through 21:06 the city, and they had come in not knowing what it was 21:09 all about, some were shouting one thing and some 21:11 were shouting another. 21:13 Great is Artemis, the God of the Ephesians, great is 21:15 Diana, the God of the Ephesians, away with these men 21:18 who are teaching that she is nothing. 21:20 There was confusion and total chaos here in the theater. 21:23 As the people were close to rioting, most of them had no 21:27 idea what was going on, but the crowd mentality 21:29 swept over them all. 21:31 When Alexander stepped forward to try and quiet the crowd 21:35 and to clear the Jewish name, he raised his hands to 21:39 try and say they were not leading people away from 21:42 Artemis, they were minding their own business in the city. 21:45 It was really Paul and the others that were doing this, 21:47 but when they saw he was a Jew they begin to shout, 21:50 he's a Jew, he's a Jew, greatest Artemis of the 21:52 Ephesians, great is Diana, and this riot continued on. 21:55 For over two hours here in this stadium you could hear 21:58 their voices, even now, echoing back and forth, 22:01 great is Artemis, great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 22:04 Soon it seemed as the whole place would be torn upside 22:07 down, Paul wanted to go in and try to speak to the crowd, 22:11 but the disciples would not allow him, nor with the 22:13 public officials, they said Paul you are 22:14 crazy, they will kill you. 22:16 So they restrained Paul from going in. 22:18 After about two hours the crowd had went through many 22:21 of the emotions and the city clerk address them. 22:24 Notice his wise counsel in verse 35. 23:13 Yes this wise Roman official stepped forward and said, 23:16 they have done nothing wrong, they have not robbed the 23:20 city, they have not defamed the Temple, therefore let them 23:24 Demetrius and his associates bring the charges against 23:28 them in the civil court before the proconsul. 23:31 The mob accepted this, things quieted down, 23:34 but Paul knew it was time to go. 23:45 Paul knew that his time in Ephesus had ran its course. 23:49 This would be the last time he would visit the city. 23:52 He said goodbye to the brothers and went out to the coast 23:57 to Assos and Troas and caught a boat to Macedonia to join 24:01 Timothy and the others, to go through and 24:05 encourage the churches. 24:06 Ultimately Paul returned to the city of Jerusalem 24:09 with the offering that he had collected in 24:12 Macedonia and in Aecia. 24:14 While he was worshiping in the Temple he was arrested. 24:18 To achieve justice, he was forced to exercise his right as 24:22 a Roman citizen by appealing to Caesar. 24:24 After two years and many difficulties, he finally arrived 24:28 here in the city of Rome. 24:30 It was not the grand entrance that he had envisioned. 24:33 For he came into the city bound with chains. 24:37 While he was here he remember the church back in Ephesus 24:41 and he wrote them a letter to encourage them. 24:45 He reminded them that God had made them alive in Christ 24:49 while they were still dead in their sins. 24:51 He reminded them that they had been saved by grace 24:54 through faith, not by works so that no one could boast. 24:57 He reminded them that God called them now to live as 25:01 children of the light. 25:02 Whenever I read the letter to the Ephesians, I remember 25:07 Paul being here in the city of Rome. 25:10 He could not walk freely among the people on the streets 25:14 of Rome for he was under house arrest. 25:17 For two years he was chained to a Roman soldier. 25:22 For two years he closely studied and examined the 25:26 garments and the weapons of a member of the praetorian 25:30 guard, one of the elite soldiers charged with guarding 25:33 the interest of Caesar. 25:35 When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians he concluded 25:40 by using the weapons and the garments of that Roman soldier 25:45 as a spiritual analogy to describe how they should 25:49 live the Christian life. 25:51 Let me read it to you, it is found Ephesians 6:11. 26:59 Yes we are to where the spiritual garments of faith. 27:03 The helmet of salvation, the breast plate of righteousness, 27:06 the belt of truth. 27:07 We are to take the sword of the spirit for our fight is 27:10 not against flesh and blood, but against principalities 27:13 and powers, against spiritual wickedness in dark places. 27:16 If we are to live a successful Christian life today, 27:20 we too must put on the whole armor of God. 27:24 Join me as we pray together. 27:26 Eternal God I thank You so much for the privilege it 27:30 has been to go to the great city of Ephesus and see 27:33 where Paul and Aquila and Priscilla planted 27:35 the gospel long, long ago. 27:37 I thank You for how the gospel took deep root in the 27:40 lives of people, the revival that happened there. 27:43 In spite of the devil's best efforts by causing a riot 27:47 in the city and the imprisonment of Paul, 27:48 that the gospel triumphed. 27:50 I thank you that your faithful servant sent a letter to 27:54 the Ephesians to encourage not only them in the first 27:57 century, but us in the 21st century. 28:00 Lord as we follow that counsel I pray that we too might 28:03 be strong in You, to live in a way that will bring glory 28:07 an honor to You each and every day. 28:10 Thank you so much for hearing our prayer and for blessing 28:13 us now, in Jesus name we pray Amen! 28:16 Well in the next episode of our series we are going to 28:20 travel east to the region of Galatia to examine a 28:24 practice of the apostle Paul that has been sadly neglected 28:27 in the 21st century. 28:29 Don't miss the return to Galatia in our next episode. 28:33 From here in the city of Rome we wish you God's 28:36 blessing and God speed. |
Revised 2014-12-17