"God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them."

         I knew a chaplain in a County Jail ministry in Washington who said that if the Gospel does not work in transforming ways among the prison population, among the poor and marginalized and broken people of our society, then it does not work. So he gave himself fully to that ministry, and held worship, and taught the Scriptures and counseled inmates. Some believed, some lives were changed, but the results were mostly discouraging to him. He did not see the victory of God over drugs and anger and abuse and willful sin.

         Then, a year or two ago, things began to change. The Holy Spirit began to work more powerfully, in healings and forgiveness and power over addictions. The ministry began to experience success, began to see the victory of God.

         What kind of victory do we look for in our lives? Do we see God winning in our experience? What is success in the Christian life? Do we expect too little from God? Do we feel guilty when we go through difficult, even defeating circumstances?

         When I was a young pastor in Jamestown, N.Y., I went to an evangelistic meeting held in the high school. I forget the preacher's name. He was the most fiery, Pentecostal, zealous preacher I have ever heard. He said some church leaders had expressed caution about his methods, but "What right did those who spent their lives in the chicken coop have to tell the eagles how high to fly?" I felt then that I was going to cast my lot with the chickens, but over the years the question has remained with me on this issue of success in the church, whether we must always be comparing ourselves to others and judging who is a chicken and who is an eagle.

         When we read through Acts, as we have done, one lasting impression is that it is not really a book about success. It certainly begins with great promise and optimism. But as we continue on its journey, there are a number of places where we have been sobered, where we have felt uncomfortable, and where we may have wished Paul was more eagle than chicken.

         At one point he is stoned and left for dead.

         Often he was not welcome in the synagogues.

         In Athens a few believe, but most treat his Gospel as a curiosity.

         He ends up in jail.

          In the midst of all that, we come upon chapter 19, which describes two years in the life of Paul in which he experiences his greatest success. It is at this point in the journey that the victory of God shines through. A good summary is in verse 17: "When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor."

         There are four experiences of the victory of God that are described in these opening verses. First, Paul meets some disciples who might best be described as "sort of" followers of Jesus. They had received the baptism of John the Baptist, seemed to have known about Jesus, and did not realize that the Holy Spirit had been poured out at Pentecost. So these are people who have a set of beliefs, who use the name of Jesus and who are disciples, they have a message to share. The miracle of the victory of God is that they listen to Paul and accept what he has to teach them, and are baptized and welcomed into the fellowship of the church.

         It is hard to persuade people who are "sort of" Christian, people who perhaps speak of a "Christ Consciousness," or whose belief in Christ is connected to a different faith. These people tend to have strong convictions. They are not interested in orthodox Christianity.

So this is a remarkable victory of God that Paul experiences. He sees people come to faith who use the name of Jesus but are really headed in a different direction than the Gospel he preaches. This passage gives me hope for the evangelistic future of the church. Persuasion is difficult these days. The victory of God reaches people who do not yet fully know Christ.

         Next, Paul spends three months speaking boldly and persuasively in the synagogue. He finds success among his own people. He is given a good long time to speak freely among Jewish people, among those he deeply loves and respects. Many of you know what it is like to bring witness to unbelieving family members, or to those who were your close friends before you were a Christian.

         Once, one of the newer members of our former church came to me and asked for some advice on how to lead a funeral service. He and his wife had come to faith in Christ out of a life in which their circle of friends were a jovial bunch who enjoyed playing pool at a local tavern. One of the group had died, and he was asked to conduct the memorial service because they knew he was now "religious." It was not easy, but he did a wonderful and grace-filled job of sharing Christ with his gathered group of friends--people he and his wife now prayed for, but probably did not see so much.

It is not easy to go back into your unbelieving family with your newfound faith. It is not easy to walk back into a circle of old friends with news of Christ that you are eager to share. It can put up walls.

Paul was able for three months to share his new faith in Christ with the faith community he had grown up in. The victory of God was upon him. Many listened and believed. This victory of God is encouraging to me. It gives me hope.

         From here he went to the Hall of Tyrannus, which was perhaps a school owned by Mr. T. A different Greek text adds the detail that Paul was allowed to use the hall each day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The prime teaching time was in the morning, and then people ate lunch and took a siesta in the afternoon, and went back to work in the evening. It gets hot in Ephesus. So Paul got the after-lunch time.

Those of you who teach know that the 1:30 classes are not always the most stimulating. And God used that very unlikely time. It says he taught in that slot for two years and as a result everyone in the region heard the Gospel. It is amazing how God can use unlikely times and locations. Paul was faithful to teach when others might have felt defeated or resentful. It worked. The message was heard.

         Finally, during this time, Paul worked extraordinary miracles and people were healed of illnesses and evil spirits were cast out. Often it is in difficult places that the Spirit works miracles of healing and deliverance. Ephesus was a difficult place, filled with idol worship and with immorality and lot of magic.

         Verse 12 stretches believability for me. It speaks of taking handkerchiefs that had touched him to the sick and they were healed. I remember getting a little square of material in the mail once. A prominent evangelist had touched it and prayed over it, and then sent it to me. I don't remember if it was part of his shirt or just what. But it seems like I was invited to activate its power with a financial contribution. I find myself very much on the side of healing prayer, but that one stretched me too far. So I do not doubt this account; it just pushes me farther than I want to go. What it says to me is that the Spirit was working deeply with Paul in this time. He had been through stoning, imprisonment, rejection of all kinds. And he might have given up, but he did not. And now there was an overflowing of the Holy Spirit and the victory of God was all around him. This lasted for a time. Soon after he went to Jerusalem, and then was sent to Rome for trial. But for these two years the victory of God was very evident.

         There are times that come upon us, both as individuals and as churches, when faithful and difficult work suddenly is replaced with a time of renewal, or revival. Without explanation we come into a time of repentance, of deep forgiveness of one another, of healing and salvation. And then it's gone. And we try to manufacture it, or repeat it, but it is grace, it is mystery.

         Karl Olsson wrote once that he did not have any idea how to renew the church, but humbly suggested that if you will hold the empty cup of your soul up to God, in time he will fill it with the wine of new gladness. That is what I believe. It is a mystery. We just lift up our souls up to God, and wait for his grace.

         Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you the Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth."

         Faith says you are headed towards an experience of the victory of God.

God has a future for you, to bless you.

         There is for you a time of grace, of renewal, of ministry. It comes into the circumstances of your life, and it goes beyond your circumstances. To follow Jesus is to wait for the Victory of God, to expect it, to long for it. It is not "happily ever after"; it is an experience of God's goodness and power that sets our hearts on heaven.

         Don't give up or live in discouragement.

         The victory of God is real.

         It will come.

         Amen.