Sermon Idea: Above all spiritual obstinacy and darkness is the supremacy of Christ and the superior power of His gospel.
Introduction: During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he encountered several Jewish leaders who could be described as spiritually obstinate. They were hopelessly stubborn, unable to see the glory of God in Jesus standing before them, just as they were unable to see the glory of Jesus in the pages of Scripture.
Speaking to unbelieving Jews, Jesus said, 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (Jn 5:38–40)
Jesus also encountered numerous evil spirits and demons who not only knew who he was, but who were fearful of him. One such encounter was in the country of the Gerasenes, as a man who lived naked among the tombs was tormented by a legion of demons that caused him great harm.
As Jesus entered into this region of darkness, the demon-possessed man fell immediately at the feet of Jesus and pleaded with him.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” (Lk 8:28)
In both of these scenarios and others like them throughout the Gospels, Jesus remains supreme. The unbelief of the crowds and the rejection of him by the Jewish leaders did not stop the Kingdom’s advance. Nor did the spiritual darkness and evil spirits prove to be a match for the authority of Christ. With a mere word, he delivered many people from the bondage of evil spirits.
Acts 19:8-20 teaches us that the supremacy of Christ continues even as he has ascended into heaven. We have put an emphasis in our study of Acts on the risen and ascended Christ, because he is the proper subject of the book. The acts recorded by Luke are not primarily those of Peter and Paul, but those of the risen Lord Jesus.
In Acts 19, Paul encounters spiritual obstinacy from unbelieving Jews. Even still, the Word of the Lord becomes known throughout the entire region. Why? Because our risen Lord lives, reigns, and acts. Above all spiritual stubbornness is the supremacy of Christ, who accomplishes his purposes.
Through Paul’s ministry, evil spirits are also cast out. Even though the risen Lord reigns in heaven, every evil spirit fears his name. He may be in heaven, but he acts, and when he does, the devils of Hell cannot rival his power. They do what he says.
Above all spiritual obstinacy and darkness is the supremacy of Christ and the superior power of His gospel. That is the simple truth I want to show you this morning.
Before we do, I want to help us think wisely about the nature of the spiritual realm, especially the spiritual darkness behind so much of the world’s evil. We need to reflect on stories like this because they remind us that there is a spiritual realm where angels minister, and demons oppose God’s people.
In the West, many have become practical unbelievers in the spiritual realm. What I mean by that is many Christians profess to believe in the supernatural but live day to day with practical unbelief in them. They profess to believe, but pray pithy prayers lacking conviction. They mentally assent, but relate to the church, the Bible, and ordinances as if they are unaware of spiritual warfare.
For many of our missionaries serving in pagan cultures where animistic belief and pagan religion are rampant, texts like these resonate deeply. In those contexts, an awareness of evil spirits is imperative.
That said, we need to engage with these texts carefully, reading them with the rest of Scripture in clear view.
C.S. Lewis wrote his famous book, The Screwtape Letters, as a senior demon writing to a younger demon about how to properly tempt and attack a human being. It’s a really insightful book, but Lewis was aware that he needed readers to engage with it wisely. This is what he writes in the introduction.
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
One way we avoid unhealthy engagements with texts like these is to keep the whole story of the Bible in view. If you’re a Christian, you should read them through the lens of your deliverance in Jesus Christ, which is not only from your own personal sin but also from the domain of darkness and death.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col 1:13–14)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Pe 2:9)
With these truths in mind, let us look at the text together to see and savor the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
I.) Spiritual Obstinacy (Acts 19:8-10)
It is good for us to remember that Paul is in Ephesus. Last week we saw that 12 men repented and came to faith in Jesus Christ. This is the beginning of the church in Ephesus, and what we read about here in Acts 19 is the continual strengthening and equipping of this young church. Look with me starting at verse 8.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. (Acts 19:8)
As was Paul’s custom, he made his way to the synagogue, but now he stayed for an extended period. His method remains the same. He reasoned and aimed to persuade from the Scriptures about the kingdom of God.
References to the kingdom of God in Acts are few, but when they do appear, they occur at critical moments. In fact, references to the kingdom bookend the entire narrative.
3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Ac 1:3)
30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Ac 28:30–31)
In between those two references, it appears at key moments when the word is spreading. The Kingdom of God was central to the preaching of Jesus and the apostles, so what is the kingdom? It is the reign and rule of God exercised over his people. It comes in the person and work of Jesus, so that entrance into the kingdom comes only through repentance and faith in Jesus.
This is how Jesus preached the gospel: 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:15)
God is sovereign over everything and everyone, but it is those who give their allegiance to Christ as king who are members of the kingdom of God. There is nothing more important in your life than this. Have you given your allegiance to Christ through faith? Have you professed that faith in Christian baptism?
The question is not whether Christ is risen. It is not whether God has made him both Lord and Christ. The question is whether you’ve bended your knee in allegiance to him.
As good as this message of the kingdom is, it’ll sometimes fall on obstinate ears. Like Jesus before him, Paul met opposition to the gospel.
9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:8–10)
It is heartbreaking when those presented with the truth so clearly continue to harden their hearts against it. We need to notice that this does not discourage or distract Paul from this purpose of his mission.
He presses on strategically and invests in the disciples who had believed. We don’t give up on people, but we don’t prioritize time with those who speak evil of the way. We prioritize time with those who are ready and eager to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Above the rejection and attempts to stop the spread of the faith is the supremacy of Christ, who works mightily through Paul’s time with a mere twelve men. I can think of someone else who spent dedicated time with just twelve men and changed the world. There is an important lesson to learn from the ministry of Jesus as echoed even here in the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
The most fruitful growth is deep before it is wide. Look at verse 9-10 again.
took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:9-10)
Imagine spending two years learning how to read and interpret the Scriptures from the Apostle Paul. He invested deeply in these brothers, no doubt discussing many of the themes found in letters such as Romans, Galatians, and others. They didn’t spend two years with Paul content with a diet of spiritual milk. Paul trained and formed these men in the deep things of God, so that their palate longed to taste the meat of the Word.
The word advances in verse 10, becasue these mature men were spreading the Word throughout their time with Paul. Depth has led to breadth. The irony of prioritizing width over depth is that you end up stunting the church’s growth. It doesn’t matter how big you get if you neglect spiritual depth and maturity; you’re just left with an unhealthy church full of people who can’t help each other grow.
II.) Spiritual Darkness (Acts 19:11-16)
Not only was the word advancing through these disciples, but God was working extraordinary miracles through Paul.
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. (Acts 19:11–12)
As a reminder, signs and miracles are used early in the life of the church to verify and support the proclamation of the Word. They are not ends in and of themselves and always point beyond themselves to support the proclamation of the Word. These are normative experiences or gifts, but given by God for the purpose of spreading the Word in new regions, especially those that may be filled with pagan idolatry and religion.
The focus of this passage, however, is not on Paul but on the sons of Sceva who attempt to use the name of Jesus for their own selfish gain.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. (Acts19:13–14)
We have enough clues in the text to tell us these are not purely motivated people. After hearing or seeing God work through Paul, they invoke the name of Jesus as if it’s a mere magical incantation or formula. They do so not for service to Christ or to the hurting, but for their own selfish gain. They want the power, and they think doing things in Jesus’ name is a means to gain more power.
It does seem noteworthy that the word translated “adjure” is never used by Jesus in any exorcism he performs. Scholars tell us it was used in magical incantations, and used notably by demons in Mark 5:7.
7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me. (Mk 5:7)
It is a dangerous thing to seek spiritual power apart from God and his grace. The world is not a neutral place, and curiosity about spiritual darkness can be detrimental to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (Acts 19:15–16)
The evil spirit acknowledges Jesus and Paul, but neither respects nor responds to these sons of Sceva. The evil spirit knows they are frauds and inflicts great harm on them, resulting in public shame. It is terrifying to realize that people can suffer great harm from evil spirits.
Here it is important to understand the Bible never described Christian believers being possessed internally by a demon. That is impossible, for Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).
In fact, Christ is so supreme and the presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer so powerful, that we can resist the devil and the influence of demons.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (Jas 4:7–8)
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith (1 Pe 5:8–9)
Spiritual warfare in the Christian life is real, but we stand not in our strength but in the Christ who is the victor, who has won the battle, and who will return to inflict the full weight of Judgment on Satan into eternity.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph 6:10–11)
III.) Superior Power (Acts 19:17-20)
We have said that the primary point to take away this morning is that, above all, spiritual obstinacy and darkness, the supremacy of Christ and the superior power of His gospel prevail.
Verses 17-20 drive that point home.
17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily (Ac 19:17–20)
The culture of Ephesus was rampant with magical arts, power, and pagan religion. The Temple of Artemis is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is in that context that so many see the failure of the sons of Sceva. They know what we know: that had Paul given the same command in the name of Jesus, the evil spirit would have obeyed.
The magic arts of the sons of Sceva failed, and in that failure, many came to see that Jesus Christ, as preached by Paul, is a superior power and a superior Lord.
This event not only brought people to saving faith but also led to greater repentance among disciples of Jesus in Ephesus who were reluctant to leave their dark spirituality entirely.
8 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. (Acts 19:18-19)
By seeing more of Jesus’ supremacy, they gave up and repented of practices that were hindering their walks with Jesus Christ.
God’s grace often finds us trapped in all kinds of sin and idols. Although we have been changed and made new, it takes time to align our entire lives with God’s righteousness. These disciples have come to recognize that Jesus is better than the sinful practices they once indulged in.
That’s what we need to believe this morning. What might be hindering our walk with Jesus? We need to know Jesus is better!
He is better than the vain philosophy and progressive ideology.
He is better than every distracting pleasure.
He is better than any addiction, big or small.
He is better than any habit or act that harms our ability to enjoy being in sweet communion with God.
What do we need to proverbially throw into the fire this morning? Let’s shed it like clothing before a race: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely (Heb 12:1)
Why?
Above all spiritual obstinacy and darkness is the supremacy of Christ and the superior power of His gospel.
Nathaniel R. Martin 