The Gospel and Idols

Acts: The Gospel in the City PART XXIII
Dr. Timothy Keller
12 May 2013

Acts 19:23-41
23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.  24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.  25He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said:  "You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.  26And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia.  He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.  27There 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 worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

28When they heard this, they wer furious and began shouting:  "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"  29Soon the whole city was in an uproar.  The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's travelling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.  30Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.  31Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

32The assembly was in confusion:  Some were shouting one thing, some another.  Most of the people did not even know why they were there.  33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him.  He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people.  34But when they realized he was a Jew, the all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

35The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?  36Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.  37You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.  38If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.  They can press charges.  39If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.  40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today.  In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it."  41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

PERVASIVENESS OF IDOLS
--Gospels are opposed to idolatry.
--Demetrius' summary if idolatry - gods made by human hands.
--Acts 17:29
--Expressive Individualism - American attitude of defining God as we want to.
--Idolatry-What makes me happy--What are we looking at instead of God to face life.
--Idolatry is the good things we turn into ultimate things--family, carreer, and looks.
--Something we make as our hope and meaning.

WEAKNESS AND POWER
--Idols control people
--City clerk speech--people, not God, are disrupting the social order because of the violence surrounding the idolatry.
--Can you value what you do without your work?
--We're all trying to be justified be something we're doing.
--When we depend on others, we'll kill them with our expectations and be disappointed by their imperfections.
--Idols are like gods that make convenants with you--if you fail it, it will punish you.

COST OF SMASHING IDOLS
--Jesus paid the cost for our adultery.
--Idolatry is spiritual adultery.
--Don't need to love things less, but need to love God more.