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Summary: There is a real danger in pretending the power of a Person who you really don't know.
Seven Terribly Mistaken Young People
Acts 19:13-19
Mark 16:17,18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick,
and they shall recover.
We live in a time where many get this backwards. There is a great number who claim to believe because they are
following the signs. Be sure to understand that the signs (automatically) follow those who truly believe.
One of the appetites of man is the spiritual appetite. Deep within mankind is the desire to know and explore that which
is spiritual and how it affects us.
1. Attraction 1. Food
2. Interaction 2. Sex
3. Obsession 3. Gain
4. Possession 4. Respect
God created our appetites. The key is balance and control. When any appetite gets out of control, the result will be
disastrous.
The city of Ephesus was known for its variety of religious practices and multi-choice of gods.
Paul comes to town and Acts 13:1-12 relates of the work of the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus.
I. A True Move of the Holy Ghost will Agitate and Agravate the Unclean Spirits
When God begins to move in great power, the enemy will always come in and attempt to imitate.
It is so very important that we, as christians, have discernment to recognize the difference.
Example: In Exodus 7:10-12, the magicians of Pharoah turned rods into snakes after Aaron threw down his rod and it
became a snake. Of course, in short order, Aaron's snake devoured the other snakes.
There is power and mystery in the name of Jesus. Many heard the use of His name as Paul was used to perform
mighty miracles. So the idea occured to them that the name of Jesus could be added to their mix and bring about some
greater results.
The devil has not changed his tactics too much--Just take the name of Jesus, but don't get radical about making any
real changes in your life or lifestyle.
These seven sons of Sceva were probably not evil young men; just misguided and ignorant about spiritual matters.
They are called "vagabonds". Unsettled drifters, non-committed, rarely found in the same place twice, always looking for
the newest fad of frill.
Prov. 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
They are also called "exorcists". The idea is that of conjuring up and casting out bad spirits.
It is also obvious that these guys were "novices". The results demonstrate their lack of expertise.
Meet Mr. Sceva. A man who had made a name for himself. A religious leader who had reached the position of chief
priest. He supervised and taught lesser priests.
The obvious problem here is that dad was too busy with his work to take time to train his children. As a priest, he knew
what the law said about dabbling with the occult (Dt. 18:10-13). For some reason, his boys did not get the message
about that. Sceva may have been in a high position and had a great name in the community but he was a terrible father.
(We do not really know about mom, as she is not even mentioned)
So we have 7 young men wandering the streets of the city, bored, and looking for action.
These young men decided to use the recipe of Paul to gain a name for themselves.
Their mistake was that of invoking the name of Jesus without knowing the Person of Jesus.
How does the devil react when he hears your name or your voice?
If you don't have the goods and you play with fire, you will get burned.
III. Unwanted Wounds
These seven young people stirred up the devil and became the new target of Satan's attack.
Scars---left with the marks of a demoniac attack. They hardly knew what hit them.
The only thing that they done right was to flee (vs. 16)
IV. Jesus Christ will Always Have the Last Word of the Matter
I am sure that the devil laughed and thought that the name of Jesus had really been mocked. Satan thought that he had
really gained a victory.
As the news spread (vs. 17) fear fell upon the people. The name of the Lord Jesus was MAGNIFIED.
A group of people got a hold of the lesson that you don't play games with the name of Jesus.
Be sure to deal with the source and not just the symptoms.
Don't try to remodel or repackage something that God has said to destroy!