27th Oct 2010

Acts 19:1-23 – Paul in Ephesus

• “It’s not what you know; its who you know – pt1”
• So much happens in this passage that t will take me a couple of days to think it through and see any connections in the stories.
• It seems to me that all the stories are about a common understanding that most of the world has; it’s not what you know but who you know. You can sometimes be much better at something than someone else but get far less opportunities because you don't know, or are not in with the right people.
• The first section deals with the slow growing opposition to Paul. When it finally breaks out Paul is able to go round the corner and carry on because of who he knows…Tyrannus.
• The work continues because he understands not just the Jews but knows how the Greeks think as well. He moves to a lecture hall. We don’t know if this was a Jewish Yeshiva [school – see a great clip of a yeshiva in the film ‘Yentil’] or a Greek hall. From other documents we learn that Paul used the lecture hall between 11am and 4pm each day – when it was very hot and not being used.
• But what happens next really intrigues me.
• God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
• I can think of a truck full of doctrinal reasons why that could not have happened!
• But I am wrong.
• Kind of.
• My doctrine may be correct but it’s limited.
• What I know may be correct but it is trumped by who I know.
• Perhaps one of the most important breakthroughs to God being able to use us comes when we suddenly realize we cannot use God.
• We use what we know of God to use God.
• We control what God can do, by limiting Him to how we ‘know’ He does things.
• But the fascinating thing about the Lord is how He meets people where they are. He meets them in their level of understanding. Just as he does here through Paul’s sweaty chintz.
• Can God speak to Catholics via weeping statues or bagels with Jesus’ picture embedded in it?
• Of course not!
• But yes He can.
• The whole handkerchief thing seems like ridiculous superstition to me and of course this kind of thing was later abused terribly in the Middle ages… but God works however He wants to work.
• The most important thing to Him it seems, is connecting with people where they are and then drawing them into a better understanding.
• He puts people above procedures.
• There may be much better ways for us to know God’s direction and yet He will allow His will to be revealed through ‘fleeces’. Gideon acted in fear not faith with the whole fleece thing and yet God deemed it ok to meet Gideon where He was, hoping one day He would mature.
• It’s an important lesson for all leaders… who we know is more important that what we know.
• Praying today for a better understanding of Him and His pride less compassion.