before Paul discerned that something was amiss.
These disciples whom Paul had thought were Christians were missing something.
So he asked them in verse 2,
Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
This is Paul's litmus test.
In the New Testament, the reception of the Holy Spirit is the decisive mark of the Christian.
Romans 8 verse 9 says,
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
1 Corinthians 12 verse 13 says,
In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free,
and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
The Christian is, by definition, someone who has the Spirit of Christ.
All Christians have received the Spirit.
So when Paul asks those men,
Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
He's really asking them whether or not they are really Christians.
Whether or not they really come to believe in Jesus.
And their response is revealing.
They say,
No, we had not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.
Matt pitched on his passage last week,
and he mentioned that these were not disciples of Jesus,
rather they were disciples of John the Baptist.
They were baptized with water for repentance,
with John's baptism,
but they have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire,
which is Jesus' baptism.
That's why in verse 5,
Paul baptizes them in the name of the Lord Jesus,
which shows that they have not been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
They were not yet Christians.
They were not aware that Jesus had died, risen, and ascended to the heavens,
and that he has sent his Holy Spirit to his people
to mark the new era of God's salvation.
So when at the time of their baptism,
Paul laid his hands on them,
they received the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit comes upon them.
Genuine repentance from sin,
genuine faith in Jesus,
and Christian water baptism,
they are always accompanied by the reception of the Holy Spirit,
by Jesus' baptism with Holy Spirit and fire.
And we should not make a mistake,
because there's a big difference between life with the Spirit and life without him.
Jesus said to his disciples in John 16, verse 7,
I tell you the truth,
it is to your advantage that I go away.
For if I do not go away,
the Helper will not come to you.
But if I go,
I will send Him to you.
Isn't that amazing?
Jesus told us that it's better for Him to leave,
so that we might have the Holy Spirit with us.
But sometimes,
I think we live like Jesus never fulfilled that promise.
We think of holding the Holy Spirit as this wallflower
who sits quietly in a corner
and stays out of everyone's way.
But the book of Acts paints a radically different picture.
In Acts 1-8,
which is a thesis of this book,
Jesus says,
you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
in all Judea and Samaria,
to the end of the earth.
To have the Holy Spirit is to have power.
And our pastor this morning,
she knows that clearly.
He says in verses 11-12,
And God was doing extraordinary miracles
by the hands of Paul.
So that even handkerchiefs or aprons
that had touched his skin
were carried away to the stake.
And their diseases blessed them,
and the evil spirits came out of them.
Earlier in Acts, in chapter 5,
it says that many signs were done regularly by the apostles.
But what's happening here
is not a regular, run-of-the-mill miracle.
These are extraordinary miracles.
And what's extraordinary about it
is not the nature of the miracles themselves,
but the manner in which these miracles are being performed.
The sick being healed,
and evil spirits being cast out.
These are nothing new in the book of Acts.
A lame man was healed in chapter 3.
Aeneas the paralytic was healed.
Dorcas was raised from the dead in chapter 9.
A trickle was made to walk in chapter 14.
A demon-possessed slave girl
was exorcised in chapter 16.
So these miracles in chapter 19
were not extraordinary in and of themselves.
Luke tells us exactly why they were extraordinary.
Verse 12,
So that even handkerchiefs or aprons
that had touched his skin
were carried away to the sick,
and their diseases left them
and the evil spirits came out of them.
Usually, miracles were mediated
directly by God's chosen agents.
But in these unusual cases,
miracles were mediated indirectly
by common everyday objects
that had touched God's chosen agents.
This is similar to what happened in Luke chapter 8,
when a woman who had discharged her blood
for 12 years believed that
if she just touched the hem of Jesus' garment,
the fringe of his garment,
that she was healed.
And with that faith,
she touched,
reached out to touch the edge of his garment,
and she was healed in me.
Evidently, God does perform miracles sometimes
through things that have touched
his spirit of little children.
How many of us,
if today we've heard a report
of such things happening around us,
would dismiss it out of hand
as baseless superstition
of theologically unmercable?
I think we're too quick to put God in a box of hearts.
God is the creator and Lord of heavens and the earth.
He is not bound by the ordinary laws of nature.
God can do what he pleases.
And he can heal in any manner he pleases.
And evidently, God does heal in this way.
At times.
Gifts of healing are one of the gifts
of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12
that God distributes sovereignly among his people.
And 1 Corinthians 14.1 commands us
to earnestly desire those gifts.
But I also want to caution us
about the other extreme.
This account of the miracles
that occurred through handkerchiefs
and aprons that Paul had touched
is not a blueprint
for a successful healing ministry.
These are extraordinary miracles
precisely because God does not
usually work in these ways.
Note that Paul doesn't start
in a handkerchief ministry.
He's not going around
collecting handkerchiefs,
piling up,
touching them all,
blessing them,
and then saying,
hey, ship them out
to as many people as you can.
He doesn't do that.
He definitely doesn't see this
as an opportunity
for lucrative business
and starts selling
such handkerchiefs
which some people do.
And there's a very simple reason for that.
Look at who is the subject
of the verb in verse 11.
And God
was doing extraordinary miracles
by the hands of Paul.
God was doing the miracles.
Paul is not performing these miracles.
God is the one doing it.
Paul is the medium,
the conduit
through which God is
using his healing power.
This is why Paul
cannot start
a handkerchief ministry
because he cannot guarantee
that the handkerchiefs
will heal anyone.
The source of healing power
is God,
not Paul.
Paul.
You can
implore your mailman
as much as you want,
but he cannot guarantee you
that you will get
a Christmas present this year.
Why?
Because he's just
a delivery man.
He doesn't send
the gifts.
A guitar
cannot make music
by itself
because it's
only an instrument.
It needs a musician
who knows how to play it.
Likewise,
Paul cannot heal
anyone
because he's not
the one who heals.
He's simply
the instrument.
It is God
who heals
through him.
So this is reason
to be humble
when God does
use us at times
miraculously
to heal sick people
or to cast out demons
which some of us
have experienced.
We are not
great.
We are not
powerful.
We merely serve
a great
and powerful
God.
So as God
is doing
extraordinary miracles
to Paul,
some pretenders
want in
on the action.
They're called
here to seven sons
of a Jewish high priest
named Sceva.
Being sons
of a Jewish
high priest,
these men
have an impeccable
religious pedigree.
They appear
to have
leveraged
their position
and standing well
to carve out
a place for themselves
in this exorcism
in this group.
And it says
in verse 13
that some of the
itinerant Jewish
exorcists
undertook
to invoke
the name
of the Lord Jesus
over those
who are in evil
spirits saying,
I adjure you
by the Jesus
when Paul
proclaimed.
To invoke
the name
is a technical
expression
that refers
to calling.
It's an incantation,
incantation
that ancient
people used
to call
forth a spirit.
To name
a name,
to invoke
the name.
By naming
a person
or spirit
or deity
with higher
authority,
these people
believed that
they could
drive out
weaker,
lesser spirits.
And this
belief that
names
have magical
powers
and that
secret knowledge
of such names
of deities
and spirits
conferred power
on that person
is found
in numerous
ancient
and pagan
texts.
So the
seven sons
of Sceva
try to
invoke
the name
of the
Lord Jesus
in order
to drive
out
the evil
spirits.
And theoretically
this should
have worked.
Right?
Because
Ephesians 1
20-21
tells us
that God
the Father
raised Jesus
from the dead
and seated
him at the
right hand
in the heavenly
places
far above
all rule
and authority
and power
and dominion
and above
every name
that is
named.
Not only
in this
state
but also
in the
world
to come.
The words
rule,
authority,
power,
dominion
are all
words that
the ancient
people used
to refer
to magical
and magical
text
angelic
powers.
Spirits.
Paul is
saying that
all spiritual
forces are
subject to
Jesus
because the
Lord Jesus
has the
name that
is above
every name.
so that
theoretically
invoking the
name of
Jesus,
the highest
name of
Jesus
should have
worked
in casting
out these
evil spirits.
But it
doesn't work.
And the
outcome is
terrifying.
It says in
verses 15-16
but the
evil spirit
answered
them,
Jesus I
know and
Paul I
recognize.
But who
are you?
And the
man in
whom was
the evil
spirit
left on
them,
mastered
all of
them and
overpowered
them so
that they
fled out
of that
house
naked
and
wounded.
The
evil
spirit
freely
admits,
Jesus I
know.
Yes,
I know
Jesus.
He has
complete
authority
over me
and there
is nothing
I can do
about it.
I know
Jesus.
Oh,
I also
know
Paul.
He's
been
wreaking
havoc.
He's
full of
the
Holy
Spirit.
He's
a servant
of the
mighty
Lord
Jesus
and
there's
nothing
I
can
do
about
him
either.
But who
are you?
Who do you
think you
are?
You're
a fraud.
You have
no authority
to cast
me out.
You
think I
care that
your daddy
is the
high priest?
You
have no
spiritual
power.
You
are no
high.
And
aided by
the power
of this
demon,
this man
who is
possessed by
the
demon overpowers
all seven
sons of
demon.
And
they
leave
with their
tails behind
their
legs,
between
their
legs.
And
that's
the way
you
say it
right?
Totally
exposed,
embarrassed,
abused.
Ironic,
they came
out to
drive out
the
demon.
Instead,
they're
joined
out by
the
demon.
This
begs the
question,
why didn't
their
exercise
work?
it's
because
they're
only
pretenders.
They're
not
Christians.
They
have not
been
baptized
in the
name
of
Jesus.
They
don't
actually
bear
the
name
of
Jesus,
so
they
don't
carry
his
authority.
They
don't
have
the
Holy
Spirit.
They
don't
even
know
Jesus
is
baptized.
They
only
know
Paul,
who
seemed
to have
great
spiritual
power,
and
was
performing
miracles
in the
name
of
Jesus.
So
look at
their
incantation.
That's
why it's
secondhand.
They
don't
say,
I
abjure
you
by
the
name
of
our
Lord
Jesus.
No,
they
don't
say that.
They
say,
I
abjure
you
by
Jesus
whom
Paul
proclaims.
What's
sad
about
this.
But
the
Lord
Jesus
is
not
someone
you
can
manipulate
for
your
own
purposes
through
some
magical
incantation.
The
Lord
Jesus
through
those
who
have
believed
in
him.
Those
who
have
pled
allegiance
to
him.
Those
who
have
been
indwelled
by
the
spirit
of
Christ.
It's
not
the
formula
in
Jesus
name
that
matters
as
much
as
the
reality
of
being
united
with
Jesus
through
faith.
Do
you
know
Jesus?
Have
you
been
indwelled
by
the
spirit
of
Jesus?
Do
you
have
a
personal
relationship
with
him?
Or
do
you
merely
invoke
the
name
of
Jesus
when
Paul
proclaims?
Or
Sean
proclaims?
Or
your
parents
proclaims?
Or
your
spouse
proclaims?
Or
your
friend
proclaims?
Do
you
have
first
hand
knowledge
of
Jesus
or
only
a
second
word?
Knowledge.
It's
how you
tell the
difference.
Jesus
said in
Matthew
7
21
to
23
Not
everyone
who
says to
me
Lord,
will
enter the
kingdom of
heaven,
but only
the one
who does
the will
of my
Father in
heaven.
Many will
say to me on
that day,
Lord,
did we not
prophesy in
your name
and in
your name
drive out
demons
and in
your name
perform many
miracles?
Then I
will tell
them
plainly,
I
never
leave you
away from
the
illegal
doors.
What is
Jesus
saying?
There are
many people
like the
sons of
Sceva
who try
to use
Jesus'
name for
their own
purposes,
try to
use
Jesus'
name to
do
miracles,
try to
use
Jesus'
name.
However,
the true
people of
God
are
those who
do the
will
of
the
Father.
True
Christians
don't use
Jesus
to
advance
themselves.
They
renounce
themselves
as
following
him.
Some
politicians
use the
Bible
as
a
prop.
Use
the
church
building
as
a
formula
just
to get
the
Christian
book.
Some
people
repeatedly
bring up
their
religious
upbringing.
I grew
up going
to church
on the
campaign
trail.
Not
because
their
views
are
actually
informed
by
scripture,
by their
faith,
wanting
to earn
people's
trust and
win
their
books.
They
use
the
name
of
Jesus
for
self
advancement.
They
don't
proclaim
Jesus.
They're
essentially
just name
dropping to
boost their
own
credentials,
when in
reality they
have no
relationship
with the
Lord Jesus.
Some
people use
Jesus like
a charm
or a
talisman.
They
wear a
cross necklace
or put a
crucifix on
the wall,
put a
statuette of
a Christian
saint,
a Catholic
saint in
the garden,
get their
infants baptized
in the
church even
though they
don't go
to church
the rest
of their
life.
And
their
lives are
utterly
inconsistent
with the
word of
God.
They
think that
by doing
so they'll
bring blessing
and good fortune
upon us.
Some
people think
of faith
and Jesus
in the same
way they
think of
life insurance.
They think
all they
need to do
is pay
their dues
on time,
give a
little bit
of money
to the
church here
and there,
attend worship
occasionally,
once in a
while,
maybe on
Easter and
Christmas,
and they
think they'll
be covered
when they
die.
Their
religion is
entirely
think that
they're
masters
of their
own
faith.
Jesus
is not
their
Lord
because
they
don't
do
his
will.
Let us
not think
that Jesus
exists to
meet our
needs and
make us feel
better about
ourselves.
Jesus does
not exist for
our self-advancement
or self-fulfillment.
The church is not
ultimately about
us.
it's about
God.
We are
worshiping
people.
Do you ask
God to
promote
your own
agenda
in life
or do you
submit to
Him?
Jesus?
Do you
cherry pick
and use
the word
of God
to justify
your views
and behaviors
or do you
let the
word of God
search you
and challenge
you?
If someone
were to
draw a picture
of your
hopes
and dreams
would Jesus
be that
picture?
only those
who have
surrendered
to the
worship
of Christ
enjoy the
power
and
privileges
of being
in Christ.
Jesus is
not content
with you
just knowing
about Him.
He wants
you to know
Him.
He loves
you and
invites you
into a
relationship
with Him.
He wants
to dwell
within you
by His
Spirit.
He wants
to be
closer.
So then
how should
we respond
to Jesus?
That brings
us to
my last
point
in the
believer's
repentance.
He says
in verse
17
And this
became known
to all
the residents
of Ephesus
both Jews
and blacks
and fear
fell upon
them all
and the
name of
the Lord
Jesus
was
extolled.
The news
of what
happened
to the
Jewish
exorcist
quickly
made its
rounds
throughout
Ephesus
and as
a result
fear fell
upon them
all
and the
name of
the Lord
Jesus
was
extolled.
Hey,
remember
those sons
of Sceva
that fleeced
us last time
and took
thousands
from us?
They were
just exposed
the other
day.
It turns
not
they're
charlatans
pretenders
but guess
what?
That Jesus
that Paul
proclaims
he had
really
weight
authority
power.
So Jesus'
name
is lifted
up
and many
people respond
by putting
their faith
in Jesus.
He says
in verses
18-20
Also
many of
those
who were
now
believers
came
confessing
and
divulging
their
practices.
And a
number
of those
who had
practiced
magic
arts
brought
their
books
together
and
burned
them
in the
sight
of
all.
And
they
counted
the
value
of
them
and
found
they
came
to
50,000
pieces
of
silver.
So the
word
continued
to
increase
and
prevail
mightily.
Spirits
and magic
were part
of everyday
life in the
ancient
world.
So it's
not surprising
that many
of the
newcomers
to
Christianity
were
practicing
the
magic
arts
as well.
But after
coming to
faith in
Jesus
they came
confessing
and
divulging
these
practices.
They
voluntarily
nobody
this is
not the
inquisition
nobody
saying
bring all
your
books
we're
going
to
burn
them.
No
they
voluntarily
bring
the
books
that
they
had
paid
hefty
sums
for
and
burned
them.
these
books
cost
a lot
of
money
because
they
contained
these
secret
incantations
that they
believed
conferred power
on the
people who
knew them.
It says
total value
of the
earned books
came to
50,000
pieces of
silver.
A piece
of silver
is a reference
to the
Greek
drachma
which is
a common
laborer's
entire
day's
worth of
wage.
One
silver.
50,000
silver.
If you
divide that
by 365
that's
the
equivalent
of
137
laborer's
annual
wage
with
no
days
off.
If we
say that
an average
worker
today
in the
U.S.
earns
$15
per
hour
$120
per
day
50,000
drachmas
will
equal
approximately
$6
million.
Those
are some
expensive
books.
People's
life
investments.
Why
did people
do that?
Why
did people
buy it?
Because
they
thought
if I
just
had
this
spell
if I
just
had
this
incantation
I
can
make
sure
me
and
my
family
were
healthy
were
wealthy
we
have
a
successful
life.
People
had put
their
hopes
and
dreams
into
these
things
but
very
gladly
they
come
now
and
burn
them.
They
not
only
renounce
them
for
themselves
they
don't
want
anyone
else
to
use
these
futile
books.
Scripture
uniformly
condemns
all forms
of divination
witchcraft
and
interpretation
of
omens
because
these
are
all
attempts
to
seek
guidance
and
spiritual
help
and
power
apart
from
God.
They
are
human
attempts
to
know
and
control
the
future
to
be
self
sufficient
to
cut
God
out
of
the
picture.
They
are
an
affront
to
God's
sovereignty.
They
are
a
rejection
of
God's
gracious
and
loving
initiative
to
speak
to
us
to
relate
to
us
to
guide
us
to
save
us
to
save
us.
If you
have
dabbled
in the
occult
and
nowadays
this is
more and
more
common
Ouija boards
power
cards
or
scopes
witchcraft
if
you
have
visited
mediums
and
psychics
you
must
repent
and
never
return
to
your
faith.
If
you
have
Buddhist
Muslim
Hindu
Native
American
or
other
religious
amulets
or
talismans
in
your
room
in
your
house
if
you
have
idols
you
must
rid
yourself
of
these
things
turn
from
those
vain
things
to
the
living
God
and
this
passage
is also
relevant
for
those
of
us
who
haven't
had
anything
to do
with
such
things
people
in
the
ancient
world
bought
these
books
and
magical
incantations
as a
way
of
securing
their
health
and
wealth
and
prosperity
as a
way
of
controlling
their
lives
and
their
future
in
what
ways
do
you
try
to
control
your
own
life
to
control
your
own
future
what are
the
things
that
you
bank
on
what
do
you
rely
on
for
your
security
and
sense
of
well-being
do
you
do
you
rely
on
money
1
Timothy
6
17
commands
us
not
to
set
our
hopes
on
the
uncertainty
of
riches
but
on
God
who
richly
provides
us
with
everything
to
enjoy
you
try
to
control
your
life
and
your
future
by
being
a
workaholic
you
try
to
control
your
life
by
worrying
excessively
you
think
that
you
can
have
control
of
things
by
worrying
I'm
not
saying
don't
save
your
money
or
invest
your
money
or
don't
work
hard
I'm
not
saying
don't
make
plans
but
we
must
not
rely
on
these
things
do
these
things
apart
from
our
dependence
on
God
we
must
be
careful
that
nothing
displaces
God
as
our
source
of
hope
and
trust
after all
that's
what
it
means
to
follow
Jesus
to
continually
trust
ourselves
more
and
more
that's
why
verse
18
calls
the
new
Christians
believers
that's
what
we're
called
Christians
are not
called
the
true
exorcists
or the
true
miracle
workers
in
contrast
to
Jewish
exorcists
Christians
are not
defined
primarily
by
what
they
do
they're
defined
by
what
they
believe
by
the
name
they
proclaim
and
what
exactly
do
they
believe
in
verse
20
so
the
word
of
the
Lord
continue
to
increase
and
prevail
minorly
and the
result
of all
this
the
result
of
God
working
extraordinary
miracles
is not
an unhealthy
fascination
in pursuit
of only
those
supernatural
occurrences
the result
the consequences
the prevailing
of God's
mighty word
increasing faith
in the good news
the saving news
of Jesus Christ
people in the world
try all kinds of
religions
philosophies
and practices
and methods
to get in touch
with God
or to get to know
God
but God
has already
revealed
the one
definitive
way
by which
we are
to come
to know
him
and that
is
Jesus
Hebrews 1
1-2
says
long ago
at many
times
and in many
ways
God spoke
to our
fathers
by the
prophets
but in
these last
days
he has
spoken
to us
by his
son
whom he
appointed
the heir
of all
things
Jesus
is the
word of
God
in
human
flesh
he is
the only
son
of God
Jesus
is the
ultimate
revelation
of
God
himself
that's
why
Jesus
said
in
John
14
verse 9
whoever
has
seen
me
has
seen
the
father
don't
listen
to the
peppers
of
half
truths
and
lies
who
have
only
a
distorted
glimpse
of the
spiritual
reality
don't
be
misled
by
the
carnivores
look
to
Jesus
listen
to
Jesus
said
in
John
14
6
what
a
wonderful
promise
I
am
the
way
I
am
the
truth
I
am
the
life
no
one
comes
to
the
father
except
through
me
what
Jesus
taught
what
Jesus
did
is
reserved
for
us
according
to
the
scriptures
so that
we might
get to
no end
we don't
need any
magic
house
because we
have a
holy
world
don't
think that
there is
an alternate
route to
God
there is
no other
way that
God is
a way
for our
salvation
I
plead
to
you
we
have
not
put
your
faith
in
Jesus
we
were
all
once
sinners
who
turned
to
our
own
way
we
have
all
rebelled
against
God
our
creator
we
have
not
lived
in
accordance
with
his
will
to
do
his
will
we
have
lived
for
ourselves
and
that
is
rebellion
that
is
treason
that
is
sin
against
the
holy
and
righteous
God
and
what
we
deserve
was
cut
off
from
God's
presence
God's
righteousness
his
justice
demanded
our
condemnation
but
because
God
loves
us
because
God
wanted
to
save
a
people
for
himself
he
sent
his
only
son
Jesus
to
die
on
the
cross
for
our
sin
Jesus
the
innocent
one
the
faithful
one
dies
the
death
of
guilty
ones
like
you
and
you
and
then
he
raised
him
from
the
dead
to
give
us
new
life
eternal
life
resurrection
life
have
you
turned
away
from
your
sins
and
turned
to
Jesus
is
your
life
characterized
by the
self
promoting
powerless
pretense
of the
exorcist
or
by the
Christ
exulting
genuine
repentance
of the
Lord
and
if you
have
repented
if you
seek to
obey
God
and follow
him
be
encouraged
be
assured
because
that
does not
happen
without
the
spirit
no
one
apart
from
the
spirit
desires
the
things
of
God
no
one
apart
from
the
spirit
repents
of
their
sin
we
all
have
varying
levels
of
fullness
of
the
spirit
but
every
Christian
knows
Jesus
every
Christian
has
the
spirit
and
pray
that
every
single
one
of
you
believes
in
let's
pray
God
we
thank
you
for
resurrection
life
eternal
heavenly
inheritance
secured
for us
by our
Lord
Jesus
help
us
never
to
lose
sight
of
it
never
lose
a
sense
of
wonder
and
mercy
in
grace
in
Jesus
name
you
pray
amen
永
about
God
to
ask
of
you