No small stir

So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time. And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.  – Acts 19.22-26

First of all I like what the followers of Christ we called in these days. They were referred to as ‘the Way.’ I suppose because they followed ‘the way, the truth, and the life.’

Here in Asia, where Paul had remained after Timothy and Erastus left, there was a great commotion concerning The Way. It involved the city of Ephesus where, as we just saw recently revival had broken out.

One of the silversmiths who made the idols for worship in Ephesus realised that his profits had dropped since the revival broke out.

Something had to be done, so he incites an anti-Paul riot. ‘Not only in Ephesus, but throughout almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded many people to turn away from buying our idols by saying that these are not gods.’

The riot in itself it quite a story, but I like what Demetrius said about Paul. ‘He has persuaded many.’

I find this, like so much of this journey through Acts, to be terribly convicting. Paul’s ministry had enough of an impact on his community that it made a visible and dramatic change.

I realise that this was a different time, and what was going on was a work of the Holy Spirit, but I have to ask myself where that kind of an impact is today? How are we impacting our communities with the gospel? Are we shaking things anywhere near like what was going on then?