Book of Acts - Ch. 19, Vs. 9-41 (06/01/2003)

Park Meadows Church

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And that begins by saying, but when many were hardened,

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Paul is speaking to a group, and many of them were hardened.

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Greg, what does were hardened mean? All right.

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Can't change, won't change. They were at the state of being hard against the speech that Paul was making.

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And they would not believe. Not only that, they spoke evil of that way before the multitude.

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When all of this happened, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing or reasoning daily, in the school of Tyrannus.

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Who is Tyrannus? David? That's fairly obvious.

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You enlightened us a lot. All right, that's about all we know.

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Well, it was, I don't know if it was strictly Jewish or not.

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Maybe it was not Jewish. Well, Paul either leased some rooms or was given rooms, shared rooms or shared a room.

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He had access to the ears of many who would never have entered the synagogue.

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So that tells me there's several Gentiles here also.

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These people were reconciled by the very fact that it was the Jews who persecuted

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Paul. The circumstances gained him a favorable hearing from the

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Greeks. Greg, explain to me how

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God is working in this. Paul's been moved out of the synagogue and in a schoolhouse.

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That's exactly right.

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Verse 10. And this continued by the space of two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the

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Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.

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Now, David, what are we getting ready to see? You don't know.

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That's exactly right. They had perverted this to no ends.

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But it was God that wrought the miracles, not Paul. So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons.

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Didn't they call them that, Dave? All right.

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In that country, the handkerchiefs were not stuffed in the pocket. They were usually carried in the hand, and we probably would not recognize it as a handkerchief.

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But aprons also, meaning there were larger pieces. When you were in that country in the summertime, you could literally wring the water out.

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And the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

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The diseases and the spirits, two separate things. Now, David, I wonder if any of these still exist.

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If we could find one, Bob, do you still think they'd work? Well, what was the power in the piece of cloth?

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Was it in the piece of cloth in the first place, Greg? No. Then why did he send two different people, or they took them to different people?

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Why was that, Greg? All right.

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They didn't have television or radio, as we do. And this time has passed away, believe me.

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I suppose in some backward country you could still find something going on along that line, but it does not exist today.

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Not that it could not, but God has prevented it. It was an evidence to those who saw it that the power of healing came from him, or from Paul.

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The bearing of the pieces of rags to the sick was therefore a mere sign, and that's what

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Greg said, or evidence to all concerned that miraculous power was given to Paul.

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Now, it had to come from Paul. It couldn't come from John Doe or someone very close to Paul.

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It had to come from Paul. It is evident that this power of working miracles would continue greatly to Paul's success among the people.

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Now, I think everybody's in here that I wanted in here, and I want to ask you a question.

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Bob, we put great store upon our being saved.

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We put great emphasis on Christ died on the cross.

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All of that is tremendous, but why did

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God save us? Was it so that Jesus could die on the cross?

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Well, we're told in the

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Bible, Greg, tell me, why did

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God save us? Well, that's a foregone conclusion.

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Foregone conclusion. I want to know specifically.

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Keep going. All right.

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Well, we're told why he loved us. Who's behind you,

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Greg? Ann, can you tell me why we are saved?

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Why did God save us? All right, you're on the right track.

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Turn to Ephesians, the second chapter and the seventh verse.

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And David, you read that when you get there. Chapter 2, verse 7.

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This is the reason. Ages to come.

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In the eternal life, there will be age upon age upon age upon age.

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It will be better. Each age will be better than the last one, if that is possible.

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Now, my mind cannot comprehend that. I think that we're told that the reason that he saved us, that he saved me, that he saved you, is to show us all in ages to come.

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All of the ages will be to bring praise to his glory.

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I lack words to explain it.

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But he saved us because he wanted to, because it pleased him, all of this.

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Christ died to make it possible, and we believe that. And it's wonderful that he saved me, but from God's viewpoint.

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Joy? Yes. And we come to God in Christ.

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So, yes. We know that they were descriptive of every generation, with words and words and words.

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Grace has been seen in every generation. Yes, I guess so.

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That's true. Isn't it good that God does not change?

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All right, I challenge you to think about that. And we'll bring it up every once in a while.

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Now, when some of them were hardened, let's get back to our lesson. I want you to look at this in the aspect of the effect of the word of God.

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It is a savior of life unto life and death unto death. David, the word of God divides people, according to whether we have rejected it or received it.

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The twelve men mentioned received it affectionately, and they were made partakers of the

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Holy Ghost. The others were hardened, for they refused to believe, and they slandered the doctrine and became

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Satan's preachers among the multitude to prejudice them against Christ and his religion.

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We move on to the pieces of cloth that they had been handled by Paul.

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They could not counterfeit it. God saw to that.

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They couldn't set up a business and produce these. God saw to that.

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It was a great evidence of the ministry of Paul.

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Anything else that you see in that, David, that's exactly right.

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Today it's been perverted, and you can find pieces of cloth anyplace, especially in the

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Catholic Church and a lot of the liberals. It's sad, but it's true.

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That's right. God's life is spiritual in this world, spiritual, not physical.

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Thirteen. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exhortionists, one expelling who employs the formula of conjecture for demons, took upon them the call over them which had evil spirits, and in the name of the

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Lord Jesus, saying, we adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches.

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Whom Paul preaches. There they showed the truth of what

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Paul was doing. These men could see a wonderful opportunity for popularity and making money, both at the same time.

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David, do we have any of that left over today? It's so amazing to me,

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Sunday morning I turned the TV on early and I listened to some of the people. Now, there's one in particular that is real, very good, good command of the language, and he's upbeat, he feels good, but he's preaching, you're good, just get better.

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Well, these men set their hand to do the same thing. This is going to be a lesson for us.

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The lesson is, don't ever try to be what you ain't, because you're messing with the most supreme power in the world, in the creation, and you'll get into trouble every time.

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Now they start. And there were seven souls of one

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Siva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

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I entitled this section, The Seven Strikers of Siva. And the evil spirits answered and said,

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Jesus, I know, now this is the evil spirits speaking, and Paul, I know, but who are you?

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That should have been enough to turn them off right there. But of whom are ye?

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Ye belong to neither. You have no authority. And he soon gave them full proof of this.

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And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped upon them, overcame them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.

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How many brothers were there? Seven. And one man.

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Now, please mark the clear line of boundary here between the evil spirits, which answered and said, the man in whom the evil spirit was, the reality of such possession could not be more clearly expressed.

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No wonder that it was spread to all of the Jews and Greeks in Ephesus. This was open display.

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They were running for their life when they got free. That fear fell on them that the name of the

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Lord Jesus was magnified. Do you see how the name of the

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Lord got praise out of the seven streakers of Saba? And this was known to all of the

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Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the

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Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds.

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Now, David, what is the importance of them showing their deeds?

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That's right. They were willing to confess their deeds publicly.

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No man can have evidence that he is truly renewed who is not willing to show his deeds or to confess as well as to forsake his sins.

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Those that become saved and they just sit down and you never hear from them again, anybody ever does,

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I doubt if they're saved. You cannot have Jesus come into your heart and not react.

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Many of them also, which used curious arts, brought their books together and burned them before the men, all men, and they counted the price of them and found it 50 ,000 pieces of silver.

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Now, do you believe, David, that perhaps in the group 1 % or so were doing this because the others were burning their books?

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So even in this we have those opportunists. I'm glad you, 6 million,

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I'm glad you worked that out for me. Yes, yes.

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That tells you how many were in the world. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

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What's that mean, David? The gates of hell shall not prevail against my church.

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After these things were ended, Paul proposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Acacia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, after I have been there,

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I must also see Rome. So he sent unto

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Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erasus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

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And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.

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Again, Luke's peculiar reporting for us.

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There's no small stir. What's that mean, Greg? Yes.

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For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsman.

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Now, here's another episode in which we're moving. There was a goddess by the name of Diana.

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So it follows that there were small shrines made of the temple and of the goddess.

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So that's no different than today. And the craftsmen that made these were many.

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Shrines for Diana. Now, she was a celebrated heathen goddess to whom a splendid temple was created at Ephesus.

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In fact, it was one of the seven wonders of the world. The shrines were small silver temples in imitation of that of Diana, which were bought by multitudes and kept as precious memorabilia.

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The craftsmen, the silversmiths who made these shrines were getting rich.

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The way of the world. Now, this one silversmith calls, whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation and said,

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Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth.

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The form of a union. Moreover, you see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but amongst almost throughout all of Asia, this

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Paul has persuaded and turned away much people saying that they be no gods which are made with hands.

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Now, put yourself in the place of one of these heathens. I know that's impossible.

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Greg, did you believe what you professed to believe? Yes. What?

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Well, pastor, it's hard to put it in the future, but did you believe that Diana was a god unto you?

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Well, suppose. Well, I can't turn you around.

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That's for sure. Well, it's true.

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We can't think as they do. It's impossible for us to think as a heathen, even though we used to be one.

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But here is a statue, a replica of the temple and goddess, but it's made with hands.

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This is one of the greatest compliments that was ever paid to Paul. Think about it.

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We have here perhaps the first labor union in history. He's calling all of these craftsmen together so that not only this, our craft, is in danger to be set at naught, but also that the temple of the great goddess

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Diana should be despised and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all

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Asia and the world worship. And when they heard these things, they were filled with wrath and cried out, saying,

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Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Isn't it interesting that these people that worshiped the goddess were filled with wrath and not with goodness?

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And the whole city was filled with confusion. And having caught

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Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater.

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And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

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And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the temple.

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Why did they want him to go in there, David? Right. You mean? Yes. Would they?

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We'll never know, because Paul didn't go. Some, therefore, cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

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It's so typical of a mob. They don't know what they're mobbing about.

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I wonder if there was any of the independent party at that convention. They studied this riot for inspiration.

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And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward, and Alexander beckoned with his hand and would have made his defense unto the people.

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But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours, they just cried out, great is

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Diana of Ephesus. For two hours. And when the town clerk had appeased the people,

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Greg, who is this town clerk, or what is the town clerk? He got their attention, finally.

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Had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth how that the city of Ephesus is a worshiper of the great goddess

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Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? See, all of the gods and goddesses have to come from outer space.

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They're not made here. Just, well, they really are, but nobody knows.

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Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly.

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Pretty good advice. For you have brought hither these men which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

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What does that tell you about the way of life in that day, David? Were there any robbers of churches?

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Yes. It wasn't a quiet society.

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Wherefore, if Demetrius and the craftmen which are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies.

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Let them implead one another. But if you inquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

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For we are in danger of being called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of his concourse.

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Who were they in danger of, Greg? That's right.

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And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

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Well, again, God triumphs in strange ways.

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Is there anything anyone would like to add? May I add one comment?

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Yes. It seems so strange to me when

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I think about it. Everything is planned. Everything is worked in advance for us and everybody else.

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Your way is marked. Yet I get so upset, and I shouldn't.

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I'm really working on that. My wife doesn't think so, but I am. That's right.

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They knew who he was. Yes. Thank you,

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Lord. No confusion for the Lord. Greg dismisses, please.