We saw last week how influential the power of the Gospel is: how it drove people who had served idols for so long, to give them up and sacrifice their books of sorcery in order to be faithful to Jesus!
In this week's passage, we saw an even bigger impact on Ephesus as the teaching of Paul causes a riot amongst a group of craftsmen who rely on the worship of Artemis for their work. They are upset because the teaching of Paul was having more influence than they realized and was beginning to disrupt their livelihoods, their identities, and their lifestyle.
But this is exactly what God's Word always does - it disrupts the works of darkness!
1 John 3:8b-9:
8 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
The Gospel is disruptive to the sinful lifestyle. It destroys pride, confronts passivity, and calls each person into a new life of freedom and holiness with God!
But does our faith disrupt sin in our lives? Do we find practicing obedience to Christ burdensome or purposeful?
Our culture today is in opposition to the ways of God in so many ways, which makes it harder than ever to choose to follow Christ each day.
But when we do choose to follow Him, we can actually change our ways! We can walk in righteousness because of the work of the cross! We have the hope and life that the Gospel brings!
Questions to ask your student: