Acts 19:24–27 (KJV 1900)
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Here is a man, a silversmith by trade, who is upset about the coming arrival of Paul.Why in the world would a tradesman be upset about a preacher coming to his town?
Well rumor had it that every where Paul went he would spread his poison and taint minds. This teaching would cause a person who would purchase idols and worship false gods to stop worshiping those idols made by hands and quit buying his merchandise.
Paul preached there was a GOD who came down to earth to save mankind, and this gospel changed a person.
Now as I read that story it has challenged me to beg God to see more of this. I want worldly institutions and businesses to cease. Not because Christians protest and set legislation but because God does the work in the hearts of the people. I am talking about true salvation, a salvation that does a work in the hearts of people–that takes a man who cheated people out of their taxes and changes him so that he goes out and gives those people he cheated three times what he stole. A salvation that takes men away from their fishing jobs and makes them fishers of men. A salvation that takes a persecutor of the Church and makes him a Church planter.
I hope that there is a Demetrius in everyone of our communities that would speak evil about our churches because he is unemployable as a result of what God is doing in people’s hearts.
