I Must See Rome Too

I Must See Rome Too

Acts 19:21~41

□ Praise and Sharing

Hymn 445 Even if I cross many Mounts and enter a rough valley

How did you spend last week?

 

There are times when we are trying to move forward toward the clear vision that God has shown us, but we are blocked by unexpected obstacles. But God is with us at that moment and overcomes the difficulties. After completing his third missionary journey, Paul wanted to return to Jerusalem and ultimately reach Rome. However, problems arise again in Paul's journey. The people of Ephesus show hostility toward Paul and his group due to the instigation(riot) of a few people.

 

□ Words and Sharing

1. After deciding to go to Jerusalem, Paul experiences difficulties (verses 21-31).

1) What did Paul say when he decided to go to Jerusalem? (verse 21)

 (Acts 19:21) After this, Paul decided to go through Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem. He said, “After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.”

Paul decided to go to Jerusalem through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.”

2) With what justification does Demetrius incite the people involved in the statue-making industry and the citizens of Ephesus? (verses 23-27)

(Acts 19:23) ○ About that time there was quite a commotion on this road.

(Acts 19:24) That is, a certain silversmith named Demetrius made a model of the statue of Artemis out of silver and made a considerable amount of money for his workmen. Acts 21:34

(Acts 19:25) And he gathered together the craftsmen and those who carried on business, and said to them, “You know that our prosperity comes from this trade.”

(Acts 19:26) This Paul persuaded many people, not only in Ephesus but throughout almost all of Asia, saying, “The things made with human hands are not gods.” This you also have seen and heard.

(Acts 19:27) Not only would our business be in danger of becoming degraded, but the temple of the great goddess Artemis would also be neglected, and her majesty, which is honored by all Asia and the world, would be diminished.

 

Demetrius agitated, saying, ‘Paul’s evangelism is threatening not only the industry of making statues of Artemis, but also the Artemitic religion itself.’

 

3) Why did Paul not go into the theater? (verses 30-31)

(Acts 19:30) Paul wanted to go among the people, but the disciples stopped him. Acts 23:28

(Acts 19:31) And some of the officials of Asia who were friends of Paul informed him and advised him not to enter the theater.

Paul did not enter the theater because his disciples and Paul's friends, Asian officials, tried to dissuade him.

 

<Sharing 1> Paul's visit to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey was not the end of his ministry, but the beginning of the second act of his mission to Rome. Rome was Paul's new missionary vision. Let’s share about ‘Rome’ where you want to go and what new ministry you want to try.

 

We hope that our church's foreign ministries will work together with the MIC Mission and other organizations to achieve good results by joining forces with local missionaries and the Presbytery's Mission Department during the visit to the Cambodian mission field hosted by the Presbytery's Mission Department scheduled for October this year.

 

<Sharing 2> Paul faced a crisis in Ephesus even before he started his journey to Rome. Even if you work with a vision for the kingdom of God, you may encounter unexpected situations at any time. If you have experienced unexpected difficulties while pursuing the vision of the kingdom of God, please share.

 

When I planned a short-term mission trip to Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan in October 2019, there was a risk that my plans would be canceled due to my family's opposition due to the earthquake in Pakistan. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was able to successfully persuade my family and go on a missionary trip to three countries.

 

2. When Paul and his group face a crisis, God takes care of them through an invisible hand (verses 32-41)

1) What did the people of Ephesus not know even though they chanted Artemis for two hours in the theater? (verses 32-34)

(Acts 19:32) And the people were shouting, some saying one thing, some saying another, and the crowd that was gathered was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

(Acts 19:33) The Jews encouraged Alexander in the crowd and pushed him forward, and Alexander gestured with his hands and tried to make excuses to the people.

(Acts 19:34) When they realized that she was a Jew, they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis the Ephesian,” and they continued for two hours.

 

They did not know why they had gathered at the theater.

 

2) What was the basis given by the Chief Secretary to persuade the disbandment? (verses 35-41)

 

(Acts 19:35) The chief secretary calmed the crowd and said to them, “Men of Ephesus, who does not know that the city of Ephesus has become a temple to the great Artemis and to the idols that came down from Zeus?

(Acts 19:36) This cannot be denied; you must be still and do nothing rashly.

(Acts 19:37) You have captured these men, who neither stole from the temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

(Acts 19:38) If Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, there is a day of judgment and the governors, so they can accuse one another.

(Acts 19:39) If anything else is desired, it shall be decided in a formal meeting of the people.

(Acts 19:40) Today we are in danger of being accused of sedition for this causeless incident, and we have no information to report regarding this illegal assembly.

(Acts 19:41) So he dispersed the assembly.

 

(1) Those captured did not commit a crime: Those you captured did not steal anything from the temple or slander our goddess.

(2) The problem can be legally resolved through a formal trial.

(3) We may be rebuked by the Roman government for illegal gatherings.

 

<Sharing 3> God stopped the unreasonable group actions of the Ephesians through the rational judgment of the chief secretary. God helped Paul and his group without being revealed. Let’s share a time you escaped a crisis because of the help of God's invisible hand.

 

This is a story I heard from a missionary in India. Radical Hindu youth and local residents threatened the missionaries and team members, so they prayed to God. So, by the invisible hand of God, the police gave them the grace to disperse.

 

□ Let's pray together

Lord, please show us the ‘Rome’ to which we must go to achieve the vision of God’s Kingdom!

And please protect all churches from the world’s unreasonable hostility!

 

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