Acts 19:23-41 | Living for Christ in a Confused WorldSample

The Gospel Disrupts

Demetrius and the silversmiths didn’t like Paul. They made shrines to the goddess Artemis. She was all the rage in Ephesus. Her temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world. It was central to tourism and trade. And now Paul and all this Jesus talk is coming along and cutting in on it. Jesus is all well and good until he starts interfering with our lives or threatening our bottom line and livelihood.

Here’s the accusation Demetrius makes to undercut Paul and the gospel:

“This Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people…. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty” (Acts 19:26-27, NIV).

The gospel disrupts. By its very nature, it confronts false foundations. Many are happy to tolerate Christianity so long as it stays neatly tucked away in a person’s heart, compartmentalized from the rest of life and out of sight from making any meaningful impact in the world.

Jesus is not content to stay tucked away in a person’s heart or to keep his kingdom compartmentalized from impacting or upending the world.

Jesus and his gospel challenge cultural norms and worldly priorities. It is personal, but it is not just personal. It has cultural, economic, and social implications. In a confused and often flippant world that clings to money, idols, self-made gods, or whatever is popular in the moment, the way of Jesus bears witness to something different, even if it causes tension. It causes people to reconsider what they value, even when it faces opposition. Living for Christ means loyalty to Jesus even when it puts us at odds with popular opinion or powerful systems.