Refuge Church Byhalia is a new nondenominational evangelical church located in Byhalia, MS that exists to share the hope of Jesus, grow together, & love our neighbors in Byhalia, Marshall County, Lewisburg, & surrounding areas. Below is a sermon outline from our Launch Training on 3/1/25. From Acts 19:11-20 titled, ‘Can’t Fake Real Change’ that was part of our ‘Preparing to Launch’ series where we are learning what the church should be & do.
- Good Morning & Welcome again to Refuge
- My name is Michael & I have the pleasure & joy of serving as the Planting Pastor here
- How are the chairs? I hope comfortable!
- These chairs were donated by Heartland Church on Getwell Road in SOuthaven.
- They decided to get new chairs that were a bit narrower so they could fit more chairs in their sanctuary & decided to donate, for free, these chairs to a church plant in the area.
- And God in His beautiful timing, allowed me connect with Pastor Robert over there and they gifted us $15,000 worth of wide, comfortable, & light chairs.
- Hey if you are a facebook user, I want to invite you to go to their facebook and tell them thank you! They made a facebook post about their chair process & I think it would be awesome if they got to see some of the names connected with their gift.
- Now 28 days from now, is going to be a special day!
- And we are going to be putting a lot more chairs out & by the grace of God, filling them with precious image bearers.
- On March 30th, We are going to be celebrating our official grand opening.
- And between now and then, we are going to renew & turn up our focus on reaching out to those currently far from God
- We are going to pray for boldness to share the hope of Jesus with them
- To love them well, where they are
- To be relatable to them
- And invite them to hear more about Jesus by coming to Refuge Church.
- 28 days from now we go public and stop saying Refuge Church is coming like the sign has said, we are letting everyone know we are here
- And letting them know we are laboring hard & faithfully to fill heaven.
- Not for my glory, not for your glory
- But for the Glory of God
- For the Glory of the One who loved us so much
- He gave His One & Only Son, Jesus Christ
- As payment for our sins
- Jesus Christ is the name we shout loudly & with Joy
- Because He is our Living Hope
- He came down, lived the life we couldn’t live, and then died the death we deserved in our place
- Bearing the wrath of God
- But
- Jesus didn’t stay dead, Jesus rose from that grave
- Conquering sin and death
- For all who would believe
- This is our hope that we remembered earlier in communion
- Is that your hope? Is the person and work of Jesus your hope?
- Is He your peace?
- DO you know Him?
- Does He know you?
- Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.
- Now since the beginning of April of 2024, we have been spending time in the Word weekly looking at the book of Acts & trying to learn what the church should be and do
- In a series we are calling preparing to launch
- Trying to learn the habits of the early church & apply them in the context of Byhalia, MS in the 21st century
- And today we continue that journey in Acts chapter 19
- So please open your Bibles to Acts chapter 19.
- We will read verses 11-20. (Page ____)
- If you don’t have a Bible with you, I want to invite you to use one of those Blue Bibles scattered around the room. We want you to see the the Holy, Perfect, Inspired, Word of God. And whether it’s your 1st or 5,732nd time opening a Bible, we want it to be easy for you to find what we are talking about.
- So page numbers for every verse I reference will be found on the screen.
- So turn again to Acts chapter 19 so we can read verses 11-20.
‘11 And lGod was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 lso that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and mthe evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish nexorcists oundertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, p“I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, q“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all1 of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and rthe name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, sconfessing and divulging their practices. 19 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 it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord tcontinued to increase and prevail mightily.’
- Let’s Pray.
- So Paul, still in Ephesus
- Is still working hard to train up the believers & share the hope of Jesus with those who don’t yet know Jesus
- And God is moving in miraculous and amazing ways
- People are getting healed
- Lives are changing
- Demons are being cast out of folks
- And there became a level of ‘fame’ for lack of a better word
- As to what God was doing
- And God was moving and doing amazing things that Pauls handkerchiefs & aprons, if God so choose to, someone would touch them and be healed of illness and demonic possession
- It was amazing
- God was on the move!
- And as God moved – people started to take notice
- And some thought, we’ve got to get into this.
- Ther’es a way to fame & maybe money
- Let’s figure out how Paul does what he does
- And do it ourselves.
- That was the scheme
- That was the plan
- Particularly of the 7 Sons of Sceva.
- Which honestly sounds like 1 of those law firms you see advertised late at night.
- Ambulance chasers if you will.
- You know the ones with the terribly cheesy graphics and actors & actresses.
- Injured in a chariot accident, call the 7 Sons of Sceva now. Don’t pay til your infection goes away
- Trouble with a demon on your back – call the 7 Sons of Sceva, we’ve got phone operators ready to hear you out & help you out.
- Now the interesting thing is, when these guys would pray or use their saying
- They had no understanding of who Jesus was or what He did.
- So when they were called to someone who had a demon, their phrasing was a bit odd or awkward.
- they said ‘I adjure (urge or earnestly ask) you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims’
- By the Jesus whom Paul proclaims
- What does that mean
- Well for one thing, it means they had no idea the name they were using or anything about Jesus
- And that’s a dangerous place to be
- But they wanted to use the name Jesus like Paul did, for their own benefit and gain.
- That is extremely dangerous.
- ‘Using Jesus for your own benefit & preservation will lead to naked defeat.’
- So they throw out their little phrase to try to make a dollar or two
- And they get an interesting response.
- The demon, through the voice of its victim in verse 15. ‘“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”’
- In that moment, I’m sure their faces went sickly white
- Pastor & Theologian John MacArthur says ‘Though they may have fooled the gullible Ephesians, these would-be exorcists could not fool the demon. He knew that they did not have any power over him.’
- Their plan for financial gain and notoriety
- Wasn’t going as planned.
- Anything but really…
- Jesus I know – Paul I Recognize said the demon
- Here we see – Demons know Jesus
- James, the half brother of Jesus in his letter to dispersed & persecuted Christians says that ‘Demons believe & shudder.’ shudder in fear knowing they will someday be defeated by Jesus.
- Demons know Jesus, and they know Him well.
- But they also say ‘Paul I recognize.’
- The evil spirit in this man knew of Paul
- Knew of Paul working hard to spread the name & glory of Jesus
- Paul was recognized by demons.
- Amazing –
- But the demon said – who are y’all
- I wonder if any of them had the audacity to pull out a business card for the 7 sons of sceva and start explaining what they do
- Well what happened, verse 16 says, ‘And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all1 of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.’
- ‘Using Jesus for your own benefit & preservation will lead to naked defeat.’
- If this happened today someone would be livestreaming this on Facebook
- ‘Watch out the 7 sons of sceva just showed up. Let’s see how this goes for that demon.
- Great commotion dust everywhere
- And then all 7 sons running with a limp and no clothes
- The falsehood of these Jewish Exorcists was exposed
- Their effort for personal gain by invoking the name of Jesus, led to their embarrassment and defeat.
- And as I’m thinking about it
- How quick many will turn to Jesus in those chaotic moments
- When the plane hits turbulence
- When the winds start blowing hard in the storm
- When the near miss at the intersection happens
- People throw out the name of Jesus but have no relationship with Him.
- They think it’s the right thing to do.
- But at the end of the day, throwing the name of Jesus around in the moment of need, will have no value if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus.
- London preacher Charles Spurgeon said ‘They had the name of Jesus, but they had not the power of Jesus. It is not the name which saves; it is the living power of Christ that must be known by the heart, or we are nothing. It is a fearful thing to talk about Christ and not know Him, to mention His name and yet not be His disciple.’
- Do you know Jesus
- Have you trusted in Him
- Does he walk with you and talk with you
- Is Jesus your friend
- Do you have the HOly Spirit guiding you
- The guarantee of your salvation dwelling inside if you taht we talked about last week
- Do you know Jesus?
- If we speak the name of Jesus without having a relationship with him
- Like these Jewish exorcists, eventually
- Your falsehood will be exposed.
- Your self preservation will fail.
- And nothing but the righteous wrath of God will have been earned
- Turn to Matthew 7:21-23 Page ___
- Here Jesus is giving His famous sermon on the mount
- And he takes a moment to urge people to be sure they know Jesus rightly
- NOt just halfway
- Not just aware of Jesus
- But in a life changing way. Verse 21 says
- ‘21 o“Not everyone who psays to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will qenter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who rdoes the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 sOn that day tmany will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not uprophesy in your name, and cast out demons vin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 tAnd then will I declare to them, ‘I wnever knew you; xdepart from me, yyou workers of lawlessness.’’
- Do you know Jesus
- Does He know you?
- Oh how I don’t want this to be your story on the last day.
- Well what are some ways, you can know that you know Jesus?
- I mean if there’s a way to live that is evidence that you know Jesus & He knows you
- What is it?
- Well in Ephesus – God had been moving through Paul’s ministry in amazing & miraculous ways
- And people knew about it
- And then they saw the contrast of fake miracles – with the 7 sons of Sceva
- Verse 17 of Acts 19 says this was the result ‘And fear fell upon them all, and rthe name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.’
- The name of Jesus was extolled
- Was worshipped
- There was a fear of the power of God demonstrated through the ministry of Paul
- Wow, the Jesus Paul knows and talks about – is powerful
- He was real
- Paul was real
- You see
- ‘When God is rightly worshipped, lives change & people kill their sin.’
- This was clear and obvious
- Lives were changing
- Chains were breaking
- People were healed
- Demons were cast out
- People’s lives were dramatically changing when they came to know and worship Jesus
- They no longer enjoyed the things they used to enjoy
- They were not seeing, ‘how close can I get without falling off the cliff?’
- It is ‘I’m done, that is dead, I want Jesus, & Nothing else.’
- Burn everything that pulls me back
- Kill everything that pulls me back.
- Is that your testimony of your life?
- Do you jump when the Bible says jump?
- Do you sit when the Bible says sit?
- Really – look inside
- Ask the question
- I don’t want Matthew 7 to be true of you
- I don’t want you to be like the 7 sons of sceva who use Jesus and do religious ritual that was meaningless for them
- Coming to church doesn’t save you
- Singing songs doesn tsave you
- Giving money doesn tsave you
- Knowing Jesus saves you.
- And when you know Jesus – it changes you.
- Theologian Matthew Henry says, ‘Those that truly repent of sin will keep themselves as far as possible from the occasions of it. ’
- This is the evidence of a changed life.
- That’s the profession of Daniel And Stephanie that we heard earlier.
- Their life – clearly and obviously changed.
- So much so, their children, that they once had to give away.
- Got to come back home.
- How beautiful
- How magnificent
- How glorious
- God changed lives & changed a home
- God changed things for eternity.
- Do you have a similar testimony of a changed life?
- Do you sit in awe of Jesus
- Do you delight in HIm
- Do you delight in His love
- Do you delight in His salvation?
- This is more of the change that happens.
- Pastor & Theologian John Piper says ‘When the reality of God’s power is displayed in such a dramatic way, it leads people to a place of holy fear. This fear is not the fear of condemnation, but the fear of awe and reverence before the majesty of God’
- We sing because God has rescued and redeemed us
- We give tithes and offerings because we want the message of Christ to keep going, down the street & around the world.
- We gather on sunday because our hope is in Christ & we need others to encourage us to remember Jesus
- We live differently because God has loved us in an amazing way and that leads to us changing.
- How dramatic was the life change? In Epehsus?
- Reread verses 18 & 19 of Acts 19 Page
- ‘18 Also many of those who were now believers came, sconfessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all.’
- Many came forward – abandoned the things that caused them to be far from God
- Regardless of the worldly cost
- The question today
- What is keeping you from a growing relationship with Jesus
- Is it alcohol?
- Is it drugs?
- Is it a boy? A girl?
- A smartphone?
- What is puling you down
- What is pulling you back
- Are you ready to kill it?
- Oh may we at Refuge be changed in a mighty way like those at Ephesus
- Today – kill the besetting sin
- Be transformed
- Be new
- If you are ready to kill sin
- I want you to know God sees you and sees it
- And wants to help you kill it
- God wants you to go to war against your sin
- But not alone
- God has put you in this room with brothers and sisters in Christ
- And if you’re ready for a change
- Stop someone, get prayer about the sin to be killed
- Stop & write down on the ‘pray for me’ line
- Bring that card to me after service
- Or to Caleb & Lindsey after service
- Or to Alan after service
- Don’t leave without prayer
- Whatever is pulling you ack
- Let March 2nd 2025 be the day you kill it!
- Regardless of the worldly value
- Your eternal soul is worth far far more
- How do I know?
- Because of the payment Jesus made to save your life
- HIs precious breath & blood
- Trust HIm today
- Come forward and let God break chains.
- Let’s stand & pray.
- If there is a chain to break – please come get prayer.
- Otherwise – As you go, love some neighbors & share the hope of JEsus!
- We are dismissed.
Main Takeaways
- Using Jesus for your own benefit & preservation will lead to naked defeat.
- Your falsehood will be exposed.
- Your self preservation will fail.
- And nothing but the righteous wrath of God will have been earned, unless you repent.
- When God is rightly worshipped, lives change & people kill their sin.
- Not, how close can I get without falling off the cliff.
- It is ‘I’m done, that is dead, I want Jesus, & Nothing else.’
- Burn everything that pulls me back
- Kill everything that pulls me back.
- We will all face the reality of the power of God.
- Will it be by faith today or when you die or Christ returns?
- If the later 2, it will be too late.
- Will it be by faith today or when you die or Christ returns?
John MacArthur
- The exorcists thought the power of the Spirit operative in the apostles was no more than their own fakery or demonic activity and could be manipulated for their own ends.
- These, of course, were not Christian Jews, since they only know of Jesus as the one whom Paul preaches.
- Though they may have fooled the gullible Ephesians, these would-be exorcists could not fool the demon. He knew that they did not have any power over him.
- The exorcists, of course, had neither the right to use the name of Jesus nor the power to command demons, so the demon attacked them viciously.
- Battered, defrocked, and humiliated, they beat a hasty and ignominious retreat.
- In fact, it completely backfired and only brought greater conviction among the Ephesians of the power of Jesus name and the truth of Paul’s preaching.
- The tremendous reality of the name of Jesus was evident to everyone. They rcognized that He was no one ot trifle with but someone before whom to bow in faith.
- Thus they displayed the turning from sin that marks genuine repentance.
- They destroyed all their magic paraphernalia publicly.
- All the satanic forces of the occult and magic arrayed against the Word could nto overpower it. The bold rpeachign of the Gospel, the confirming miracles, the defeat of the exorcists, the resultant awe and respect for the name of Jesus, and the public repudiation of the magical arts demonstrated the invincible might of God’s Word.
Warren Wiersbe
- Satan imitates whatever God’s people are doing, because he knows that the unsaved world cannot tell the difference. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
- It was not unusual for Jewish priests to seek to cast out demons, but it was unusual for them to use the name of Jesus Christ.
- Since these men had no personal relationship with the Savior, they had to invoke the name of Paul as well, but their scheme did not work.
- God used the scheme to defeat Satan and to bring conviction to the believers who were still involved in magical arts. Instead of disgracing the name of Jesus, the event magnified His name and caused the Word of God to spread even more rapidly.
- The tense of the verbs in Acts 19:18 indicates that the people kept coming, kept confessing, kept showing.
- These believers apparently had not made a clean break with sin and were still practicing their magic, but the Lord had dealt with them.
- These people did not count the cost but repented and turned from their sins.
Matthew Henry
- Where there is true sorrow for sin, there will be free confession of sin to God in every prayer and to man whom we have offended, when the case requires it.
- Surely if the word of God prevailed among us, many lewd, infidel, and wicked books would be burned by their possessors.
- Note, Those that truly repent of sin will keep themselves as far as possible from the occasions of it.
- If we desire to be in earnest in the great work of salvation, every pursuit and enjoyment must be given up which hinders the effect of the gospel upon the mind, or loosens its hold upon the heart.
Charles Spurgeon
- “They had the name of Jesus, but they had not the power of Jesus. It is not the name which saves; it is the living power of Christ that must be known by the heart, or we are nothing. It is a fearful thing to talk about Christ and not know Him, to mention His name and yet not be His disciple.”
- “You cannot expect to make a success of religion by merely adopting its forms, its language, and its rites.”
John Piper
- “The seven sons of Sceva thought they could perform the same miracles as Paul by merely using the name, but they had no relationship with Christ. They were overcome by the evil spirit, and this serves as a cautionary tale: it is not the name we speak, but the relationship with the person behind that name that matters.”
- “When the reality of God’s power is displayed in such a dramatic way, it leads people to a place of holy fear. This fear is not the fear of condemnation, but the fear of awe and reverence before the majesty of God. The people of Ephesus were struck with fear and wonder when they saw the power of God at work. True encounters with God’s power lead us to a deeper awe of who He is.”
- “Those who had been involved in these practices were so convicted by the truth that they brought their books of magic and burned them publicly. The gospel always brings a radical transformation in the lives of those it touches.”