Transforming Power: The Gospel's Impact in Ephesus

When we look at the story of Ephesus in Acts 19, we see a city transformed by the power of God’s word. Ephesus was a place filled with spiritual darkness, pagan worship, and demonic activity, yet it became a center for the gospel’s advance. The passage reminds us that where God’s word dominates, Satan is defeated. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was marked by bold proclamation, daily teaching, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit’s power rather than human methods or formulas. The gospel spread not just through Paul, but through multiplying disciples who carried the message throughout Asia Minor, leading to the birth of many churches.

The Holy Spirit’s work is central. When people truly believe in Christ, they receive the Holy Spirit—not as a “second blessing” but as the very seal of salvation. The question is not how much of the Spirit we have, but how much of us the Spirit possesses. The Spirit transforms, convicts, empowers, and always points us to Christ. We are called to be filled continually, allowing Him to guide and change us.

Obedience to God’s word is the natural response to truth. The disciples of John, upon hearing the full gospel, were baptized in Jesus’ name and received the Spirit. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change, a public declaration of allegiance to Christ. Yet, wherever the word is proclaimed, there will be resistance. Some hearts are softened, others are hardened. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay; our response to God’s word determines its effect in our lives.

God’s power is not to be manipulated or counterfeited. The story of the sons of Sceva shows that invoking Jesus’ name without relationship or submission is empty and even dangerous. The name of Jesus is not a magic formula; it is to be revered, honored, and magnified. True spiritual authority comes from knowing Christ, not from religious rituals.

Finally, true repentance is marked by forsaking sin. The Ephesians burned their books of magic, making a costly and public break with their past. Repentance is not just confession but a turning away, a forsaking of old ways. The word of God grew mightily and prevailed in Ephesus, and it can do the same in our city and in our lives if we yield to its authority, honor Christ, and walk in the Spirit.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is received at salvation, not as a separate or later experience. The real question is not about seeking more of the Spirit, but about surrendering more of ourselves to His control. The Spirit’s presence is the mark of true belonging to Christ, and His work is to transform, convict, and empower us for witness and holy living. [41:38]
• 2. Obedience is the natural fruit of encountering God’s truth. When the disciples of John heard the full message of Christ, they responded with baptism and open identification with Jesus. Obedience is not a means to earn salvation, but a joyful response to grace, and it is the pathway to deeper spiritual experience and usefulness. [44:50]
• 3. The proclamation of God’s word will always meet resistance, but it also has the power to soften hearts and multiply disciples. The same message that hardens some will melt others, depending on the posture of the heart. Our responsibility is to proclaim the truth faithfully and leave the results to God, trusting that His word will not return void. [50:50]
• 4. Spiritual power cannot be faked or manipulated. The authority of Jesus’ name is not a tool for personal gain or religious showmanship, but flows from genuine relationship and submission to Christ. Attempts to use spiritual power apart from true faith and obedience will be exposed and bring harm, but those who honor Christ’s name will see His victory over darkness. [63:49]
• 5. True repentance is costly and public, involving not just confession but forsaking of sin. The Ephesians’ burning of their magic books was a decisive break with their past and a demonstration of genuine transformation. Repentance means turning from sin and idols, no matter the cost, and embracing the mercy and forgiveness that God freely offers in Christ. [68:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:30] - “It Is Well With My Soul” Hymn
• [22:09] - Introduction and Power of Forgiveness
• [26:10] - Context: Paul’s Ministry in Ephesus
• [30:42] - Prayer and the Role of the Holy Spirit
• [32:02] - The Transitional Nature of Acts
• [34:39] - The Word of God Leads to Truth
• [39:07] - Baptism of the Holy Spirit Explained
• [44:09] - The Word of God Leads to Obedience
• [48:44] - The Word of God Will Be Resisted
• [54:06] - The Word of God Spreads and Multiplies
• [56:42] - Miracles and Unusual Signs in Ephesus
• [59:51] - Counterfeits and the Sons of Sceva
• [66:27] - The Word of God Convicts of Sin
• [71:46] - The Word of God Prevails
• [72:59] - Application: Surrender, Repentance, and the Gospel Invitation
• [77:49] - Closing Prayer and Benediction

Bible Reading

Acts 19:1-20 (ESV) — 1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.
10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
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.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “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, “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 all 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 the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing 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 continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Observation Questions

1. What was unique about the spiritual environment in Ephesus when Paul arrived, and how did it affect his ministry? ([34:00])
2. What happened when Paul met the disciples of John, and how did their understanding of the Holy Spirit change? ([35:14])
3. How did the people of Ephesus respond after witnessing the failed exorcism by the sons of Sceva? ([01:07:06])
4. What did the new believers in Ephesus do with their books of magic, and what does this action show about their repentance? ([01:08:22])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Paul asked the disciples in Ephesus if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed? What does this reveal about the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer? ([37:10])
2. The sermon said, “The question is not how much of the Spirit we have, but how much of us the Spirit possesses.” What does it mean for the Holy Spirit to “possess” more of us, and how does that relate to daily Christian living? ([42:14])
3. The Ephesians’ public burning of their magic books was costly. What does this teach about the nature of true repentance and the cost of following Jesus? ([01:08:22])
4. The sons of Sceva tried to use Jesus’ name without knowing Him. What does this story teach about spiritual authority and the dangers of treating faith as a formula? ([01:03:49])

Application Questions

1. The sermon emphasized that the Holy Spirit is received at salvation, not as a “second blessing.” Have you ever struggled with doubts about the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life? What helps you rest in the assurance of His presence? ([41:38])
2. “Obedience is the natural fruit of encountering God’s truth.” Is there an area of your life where you know what God’s word says, but you’re struggling to obey? What is one step you could take this week toward obedience? ([44:50])
3. The word of God will always meet resistance, but it also has the power to soften hearts. Have you experienced resistance—either in yourself or from others—when sharing or responding to God’s word? How did you respond, and what did you learn from it? ([50:50])
4. The sermon warned against using Jesus’ name as a “magic formula.” Are there ways you have treated faith or prayer as a formula rather than a relationship? How can you grow in honoring Jesus’ name in your daily life? ([01:03:49])
5. The Ephesians made a costly and public break with their past by burning their magic books. Is there something in your life—an object, habit, or relationship—that you need to “burn” or leave behind to follow Jesus more fully? What would it look like to do that? ([01:08:22])
6. The gospel spread in Ephesus not just through Paul, but through multiplying disciples. Who is someone in your life you could intentionally disciple or share your faith with this month? ([54:47])
7. The sermon said, “The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.” When you hear God’s word, do you find your heart softening or hardening? What helps you keep a soft heart toward God? ([50:50])