Mightily Grew the Word of God and Prevailed
Mightily Grew the Word of God and Prevailed
When the Word of God prevails, the power of
God manifests itself in a tremendous way. This is
documented in Acts 19 where the prevailing Word
revolutionized not only a community but also a
complete section of the world in a short period of
time.
Acts 19 records that Paul went to Ephesus and
found certain disciples there. He ministered the
power of the holy spirit into manifestation, “and all
the men were about twelve.” Verse 8 begins the
record that demonstrates the dynamics of the
prevailing Word of God.
Acts 19:8:
And he [Paul] went into the synagogue, and
spake boldly for the space of three months,
disputing and persuading the things concerning
the kingdom of God.
For three months Paul went into the synagogue
and showed them the Word of God. But three
months was all he stayed because unbelievers spoke
evil of that way.
Verse 9,
But when divers [many] were hardened, and
believed not, but spake evil of that way before
the multitude, he [Paul] departed from them,
and separated the disciples, disputing daily in
the school of one Tyrannus.
Paul went into the synagogue for three months
preaching and teaching the Word of God; but when
they refused to believe the Word of God, Paul
separated the believers. He said, “You people who
want to believe come with me; we are going over to
the school of Tyrannus. The rest of you who do not
want to believe the accuracy of God’s Word just
stay here at the synagogue.” Actually it was not
Paul who broke up this synagogue. The hardened
and evil-speakers with their unbelief were the ones
responsible for the break-up of the Ephesian
synagogue. What a break it was, for verse 10 says,
And this continued by the space of two years;
so that all they which dwelt in Asia [Biblically,
“Asia” referred to Asia Minor.] heard the word
of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
In two years and three months all Asia Minor
heard the Word of God. In our day and time, with
our multi-million dollars spent for foreign missions,
publications, newspapers, radios, televisions and all
other media, this event has never been repeated. We
have never reached all Asia Minor with the Word of
God in one generation. But the Apostle Paul and a
handful of believers accomplished the feat in two
years and three months. Either God has changed or
Paul and these men who studied at the school of
Tyrannus had tapped into something which they
utilized to its capacity.
As a matter of record, each of these men acted
boldly after being filled with the power of the holy
spirit and knowing God’s Word. As these men
learned, they taught The Word to someone else,
who in turn, taught other individuals so that all of
Asia Minor heard the Word of God in two years and
three months. This evangelistic campaign began
under the ministry of one man.
Verse 11 tells us what happened.
And God wrought special miracles by the hands
of Paul.
When Paul believed The Word, preached The
Word, and taught The Word, special miracles came
to pass.
This stir which began in Ephesus with the Word
of God prevailing had a reverberating effect. People
whom Paul had not taught tried to get into the act
too, but their actions boomeranged on them.
Verse 13,
Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists,
took upon them [themselves] to call over them
which had evil spirits the name of the Lord
Jesus, saying....
In Acts 19:13 people with evil spirits tried to cast
out evil spirits. This verse will give one trouble
until he understands that a more powerful devil
spirit has command over the less potent devil
spirits. Just as in the army when a captain tells the
private to jump, the private does not ask how high;
he simply jumps. That is what these various devil
spirits were doing. These exorcists were endeavoring
to cast out devil spirits by other devil spirits
in the name of Jesus saying, “We adjure you by
Jesus whom Paul preaches. Come on out.”
Verse 15,
And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I
know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
These sons of Sceva, chief of the priests, were
casting out devil spirits by other devil spirits. But
one of these devil spirits came out and talked back
to the sons and said, “Wait a minute. Jesus we know
and Paul we know, but who in the world are you?”
Verse 16,
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped
on them, and overcame them, and prevailed
against them, so that they fled out of that house
naked and wounded.
Can’t you just see those frenzied fellows running
away? Once the devil spirits were aroused, the man,
in whom the devil spirit was, attacked these fellows,
jerking off their clothes and beating them around so
that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.
Verse 17,
And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks
also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them
all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was
magnified.
Verse 18,
And many that believed came, and confessed,
and shewed their deeds.
Verse 19,
Many of them also which used curious arts....
Do you know what curious arts are? Curious arts
are a part of the entire E.S.P. field; for example,
ouija boards which we are selling every place today
for kids to play with because we want children to
get started right in the spirit world. We tell them it
is just a nice little game to play with. In truth it is a
little game to open their minds to devil-possession
which will later control and use the children at the
spirit’s own will.
Today very few people know the difference
between an evil spirit and a good spirit so we go
along and say that God gives all. We make just one
basic mistake – which god? The Bible says that
there are two gods – one is the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ and the other god is the god
of this world called Satan. Later on I am going to
show this to you from the Word of God, line by line
and word by word.
Acts 19:19:
Many of them also which used curious arts
brought their books together, and burned them
before all men: and they counted the price of
them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of
silver.
Think how much 50,000 pieces of silver would
be in present-day currency. Verse 20 gives the
fulfilling joy and greatness of the ministry in
Ephesus.
Acts 19:20:
So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
What grew? Not man’s opinion. The Word of
God grew and the Word of God prevailed. When
that Word of God prevails, things begin to happen
in our lives, in our community, and in our society.
But as long as the growth of the Word of God is
stunted, as long as people do not understand the
fullness of God’s Word, it can never prevail. God
meant for His Word to prevail. God gave us His
Word that we might lead people out of darkness
into the glorious light of the gospel of redemption
and salvation to make known His will.
All Asia Minor was revived by the ministry of
one man. When The Word again becomes real,
revival will break out again. People will be saved
without newspapers, without radio, without television,
without the cooperation of all the churches
of a community. When we start living The Word,
The Word begins to permeate our everyday lives. It
is the Word of God that sparks faith for rebirth.
Romans 10:17:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God.
Faith does not come by hearing what Look, Life,
Time, or the Reader’s Digest has to say. Faith
comes by hearing one thing – the Word of God. The
Word of God builds believing so that a man can be
born again by God’s Spirit and filled with the
power of the holy spirit. The Word of God is
faithful. What He has promised He is able to
perform. His Word is the same yesterday, today and
forever. Believe that Word, speak that Word, and it
produces the same results today that it produced at
any time in the history of civilization since that
Word was given. The Bible says that we are to
abide in The Word and that we are to let this Word
abide in us. To the end that we abide in The Word,
this Word takes the Master’s place in our lives.
I have never seen a man, woman, boy or girl
whose soul was not thrilled when this Word of God
started to unfold to them. Why? Because the Word
of God reveals mysteries, as it says in Romans
16:25 and 26. The Word makes us wise unto
salvation as II Timothy 3:15 tells us. According to
Acts 17:11 we are to search the Word of God for
truth. We do not search any secular sources for
truth. We must search the Word of God because the
Word of God is the Will of God. Once we know His
Will and let it prevail in our lives, then we will see
the power of God in manifestation.