Acts 19: 23-27

So, you are a Christian, what difference does it make?  It should make a lot of difference; if not, why bother.  Of all the ways becoming a Christian makes a difference, some are more important than others are.

People hearing the gospel, believing in Jesus and then seeking each day to live lives pleasing to him had a huge impact on Ephesus.  The difference it made on one aspect of the daily life of Ephesus was so great that a riot was the result.  Following Jesus changed the way people spent their money.  Of all the powerful forces at work in our world, money, ranks near the top.  The love of money is the motive behind all manner of evil.  Christians do not love money, but following Christ gives Christians a new perspective on money.  Money is no longer ours; it is the Lord’s and we hold it in stewardship.

The silversmiths and tradesman of Ephesus loved money, and they used the worship of the false god Artemis to separate the unenlightened from their money.  The new Christians were no longer living in darkness, and they no longer spent their money on idols and shrines.  The change in the spending habits of the new believers was so great that it had an immediate impact upon the businesses of Ephesus.  The merchants were so angry at the loss of income that they started a riot.

The world spends its money on depravity and immorality; Christians do not.  However, just how different is the spending of Christians and non-Christians?  Entertainment and fashion are two areas where people worship at the false god of popular culture.  Christian money did not go to the silversmiths, and it should not go to the lovers of money in this age either.

Being Christian makes a difference, and it should make a big difference in our spending.  As Christians, we should ask ourselves, “If everyone spent money the way I do, would the merchants even notice a difference?”  If not, something should change.