“Learning from the Sons of Sceva”

“Jesus I know, and Paul I know…but who are you?” (Acts 19:15 NIV)

Have you ever watched those TV shows where people do daring and dangerous things—things you might be tempted to think you can do? Well, pay close attention because there’s always a disclaimer that states: ‘don’t try this at home,’ or ‘don’t try this on your own.’ With that in mind let’s read: “God did extraordinary miracles Through Paul… handkerchiefs and aprons that…touched Him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured…the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this: the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know and Paul I know…but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and…gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” (Acts 19:11-16 NIV).

Here’s that same text in the Message Bible: “God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the ordinary. The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing—handkerchiefs and scarves and the like—that had touched Paul’s skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it—they were healed and whole. Some itinerant Jewish exorcists who happened to be in town at the time tried their hand at what they assumed to be Paul’s “game.” They pronounced the name of the Master Jesus over victims of evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus preached by Paul!” The seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man when the evil spirit talked back: “I know Jesus and I’ve heard of Paul, but who are you?” Then the possessed man went berserk—jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.” (MSG)

People of God, here’s a “Spiritual Disclaimer”: ‘don’t try this at home, on the job, in the church or on the street,’ and above all else, ‘don’t try this on your own’!

In the words of J.B. Matthews, “Unless a man has trained himself for his chance, the chance will only make him look ridiculous.”

You see, Paul was so empowered by God that Unfortunately for many, he made ministry look real easy. So easy in fact, that seven men thought, “I can do that too!” Warning! No You Can’t! Not unless God Equips You, You’ll Fall Flat On Your Face! Because: “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” (Confucius).

And one of the reasons the seven sons of Sceva failed was because they were attracted by the Wrong Things! Their Motives and Intentions Were Impure. They Wanted the Power Paul Had, But They Didn’t Want to Pay the Price Paul Paid! And: “The price of greatness is responsibility.” (Winston Churchill). Paul paid the price for greatness when he chose to be a Responsible Leader Over the Gifts God Entrusted to His Hands! And Paul Could Be Entrusted With Such Greatness Because He Understood that God Never Empowers You to Do Your Own Thing, He Only Empowers You to Do His; Which Is the Only Thing that Will Ever Matter! Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is My name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.” (AMPC) Let’s view this in a few translations:

“I am the Lord; that is My name; I don’t hand out My glory to others or My praise to idols.” (CEB)

“I am the Lord; that is My name. I will not give My glory to anyone else or the praise I deserve to idols.” (GWT)

“I am the Lord. That is My name. I will not give My glory to another; I will not let idols take the praise that should be Mine.” (NCV)

“I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.” (NIV)

“I am the Lord. That is My name. I will not give My shining-greatness to another, or My praise to false gods.” (NLV)

“I am God. That’s My name. I don’t franchise My glory, don’t endorse the no-god idols.” (MSG)

“My name is the Lord! I won’t let idols or humans share My glory and praise.” (CEV)

You see, if it’s one thing God will not compromise, it’s His Glory and His Praise! Paul could be trusted with such a great assignment because his goal and purpose was never to seek the attainment of God’s Glory and Praise. However, the sons of sceva, all they wanted was power, praise and glory! And in just a few minutes you’ll see the price they paid for attempting to pursue what was never purposed for them!

Church, Spirit-Empowered Living Cannot Be Imitated, Duplicated, Bought, Borrowed, Stolen or Faked—and Without It You’re No Match for the Enemy!

So what can you learn from the seven sons of Sceva?

1…It’s Not As Easy As It Looks! These men showed up toward the END of Paul’s career! They weren’t there in the Beginning when he was Confronted and Humbled on the Damascus Road, then Trained for 3 1/2 Years in the Arabian Desert! Like so many in the church today, they were looking for Shortcuts! However, just because someone writes a book about their success doesn’t mean you can achieve Overnight what it took them Years of Experience to Attain! And it’s not that God can’t give it to you quickly, it’s that You Need Time, Preparation, and in some cases a Major Overhaul in order to Handle it! Friends, it’s NOT as easy as the anointing can make it look! And nobody knows that better than Paul: The Bible reads his brief bio like this: “I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jew’s thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches…” (1 Corinthians 11:23-28 MSG). Bear this in mind, if you want all of Paul’s Anointing, You’ve Got to Take All of Paul’s Crushing to get it! Unfortunately no one wants to endure that any longer. Everybody wants to lead without ever following; people want anointing without sacrifice and attacks; they want favor without discipline; they want gifts, positions, elevations and titles without accountability and responsibility. Everyone wants payday without paying the dues that earn it! So many want the presence of success with the absence of all failures; they’ll wear the crown but don’t want to bear the cross; they want to hang a million degrees on their walls but never endure the piercing of nails from a life of sacrifice; they want the added blessings minus the burdens. But that’s not how ministry works! It’s not easy! This is not a cakewalk! Ephesians 6:10-18, “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.  Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious].  So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people. (AMP) Does any of that sound like this Spiritual Warfare for Christians is easy? NO! Because it’s not! Therefore, let us dress in the whole armor of God and fight, ONLY the battles assigned to us to fight! Remember, the enemy is like a ferocious lion, this is not a game to him, don’t treat it like game for you! He’s looking to kill, steal and destroy, not to upset your day! Be On Your Guard! It’s Not as Easy as the Anointing Can Make it Look!

2…Greater Numbers Don’t Necessarily Mean Greater Effectiveness! These seven men together couldn’t do what ONE Spirit-Empowered Apostle Did! And their father was one of the chief priests, so they knew how to ’do church!’ They knew how to ‘act’ and ‘pretend’ that they really had what it takes! That’s why they very comfortably fit the description: “Having a form of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5 NIV). The Message Bible reads like this: “Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.” (vss. 1-5 MSG). That’s what happens when all you know is how to ‘do/play church’! You make a show of religion but behind the scenes is a very different story. Just like the sons of sceva, they tried to do what only Paul could do, and you see how that turned out for them! “…Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and…gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” (NIV); “…Then the possessed man went berserk—jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.” (MSG) Never Attempt What God Hasn’t Approved! One Man Was Authorized, So He Was Effective, Being Just One Man. On the Other Hand, Seven Men Unauthorized, Almost Lost Their Lives Acting as if They Had License to Do What They Had No Permission to Do! Listen, when you know that what you’ve been given has come Genuinely and Authentically from God, You Don’t Need a Crowd With You! In the words of Frederick Douglass, “One and God makes a majority.” Therefore, if your every assignment requires people’s presence, validation, applause and support, You Might Want to Verify With God that the assignment You’re On Actually Came From Him! Remember: Even Jesus sent them out just two-by-two! So if you need seven, Maybe It’s More About You Than Him!

3…Those Around You Are Not Always With You! Because somebody hangs out with you, admiring and trying to emulate you, Doesn’t Mean They’re With You! These men Followed Paul, studying every move, hoping to imitate his ministry—But They Had the Wrong Heart Motives! They Were Never With Him At All! Saints, are you worried about losing certain people, always trying to keep them happy, wondering how you’d make it without them? Well, John writes: “They left us, but they were NEVER really with us…they showed their true colors, showed they NEVER did belong.” (1 John 2:19 MSG). When God removes someone from your life, Either Their Season/Purpose was Fulfilled or They Never Belonged There In the First Place! Trust Him, and Let Them Go! Sooner or Later, “…they will show their true colors” anyway, and that’s not the time to try and repaint them either!

4…When ’The Evil Day’ Comes, You Discover What You’re Made Of! The powers in this tormented man Exposed the Weakness in these Seven Men, Overcame Them and Sent Them Running Out the House Naked, and Stripped of Their Pretense! One Day You’re Going to Survive Only Because You’ve Got the Real Thing! One Day It’s Going to be Truth or Consequence! One day you’re going to have to walk with God when you can’t understand or explain where He’s taking you! One day you’re going to have to lean on His Word when it doesn’t look like it’s holding you! One day you’re going to realize that your techniques, skill-set and connections won’t get you through! However, Don’t Wait Till the Evil Day to Find Out You Didn’t Have What It Takes, instead: (“Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle On Your Own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over…you’ll still be on your feet…”Ephesians 6:13) You can only handle ‘the evil day’ when you wield ‘every weapon God has issued’! No Weapons, and the Warfare Will Surely Destroy You!

5…Make Sure the Devil Knows Who You Are! Listen to this spirit: “…but who are you?” When God asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job?” He replied, “Yes, and every time I come up against him I hit a force field I can’t penetrate!” God had Job covered, and He’s got you covered too! BUT, At Least the Devil Knew Who Job Was! You might want to ask yourself today, “Do I Even Show Up On the Enemies Hit List?”! And just in case you’re unsure about what would keep you off the enemies hit list, listen to this: If you’re still entertaining sin, compromise and disobedience, he’s not chasing you because he’s already got you! There ought to be evidence that your life is in line with God, His Will and Word, His Purpose and Plan. And that evidence ought to be so strong that even evil spirits will say they’ve heard about you!

People of God, BEFORE you go to preach, teach, lay hands, prophesy, or cast out demons, REMEMBER: Success in spiritual warfare is not as easy as it looks, greater numbers don’t necessarily mean greater effectiveness, those around you are not always with you, when the ‘evil day’ comes you’ll discover what you’re made of, make sure the devil knows who you are and above all else: DON’T TRY IT, UNLESS GOD GRANTS YOU PERMISSION! 

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
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