In our text, Paul’s extraordinary miracles in Ephesus are contrasted with the attempts of some inept Jewish exorcists to duplicate the miracles. By drawing this contrast, I think that Luke wants us all to learn today, a vital lesson that many “faith healers” and their followers need to learn, is that we should allow God to use us according to His will for His glory, but we should not try to use Him for our own purposes.

1. The Power of God Revealed (v. 11-12))
2. The Frailty of man Revealed (v. 13-16)
3. The Confession of Faith (v. 17-20)

Many so-called faith-healers today have people send in for a specially blessed and anointed handkerchief for a sum of money and promise a healing.  This present-day practice is superstition, hocus-pocus and is a perversion of the teaching here in Acts 19:12.

If God chooses in His will to use us to heal someone through our prayers or to deliver someone from demonic power, we should be available for Him to do it. But to try to use such powers for our own purposes is to be lord of our lives. We must be people of integrity, who live in daily repentance and humility, who seek to magnify the name of Jesus, the Word of God, and the gospel. We must be subject to God’s will, which often includes suffering. Rather than trying to use God, we should let God use us!

Many in Ephesus whose usual cry had been, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" (v.28 & 34), now instead cried, "Great is the Name of the LORD Jesus." People no longer feared demons. but they feared the Lord, whose name was being "magnified."

Are you a non-Christian?  The Bible says you are a child of the devil.  You may be respectable, educated, cultured and even religious, but if you have not bowed your will to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are controlled by the god of this world -- Satan.  You cannot deliver yourself from the control of Satan.  Only Christ can deliver you out of Satan's kingdom into the kingdom of God.  He will deliver you the moment you turn to Christ in true faith and repentance.  Expel the forces of darkness!  Believe in Christ Jesus the Lord!

Discussion Questions

1. Can Satan work through people to perform miracles (2 Thess. 2:9-10)? How can we know whether a miracles is from God?
2. Why is pragmatism (doing whatever works) not a biblical methodology?
3. How can we know in a specific situation whether it is God’s will to heal or not (2 Cor. 12:7-10; Heb. 12:3-11)?
4. What are the “greater works” that Jesus promised (John 14:12)? Should we be focusing on signs and wonders? Give biblical support.