The Power of the Word
Crossed into the neighboring nation of Ukraine. The plan was too much to the contrary to the capital city, and the expectation was that they would be met with cheering crowds and flowers and it would all be over within a few days. The reality was and is as we all know very different is that we met with Fierce resistance and hostility by the people of Ukraine. Over 100 Days Later the fighting continues and who knows how? And when it will end One thing, one thing is certain, you cannot capture the hearts and minds of a Nation with military might. But there are other ways to win the allegiance of people. And today, as we continue our Series in the New Testament book of Acts, we see an example, let me give you some background. Almost 2,000 years ago, the city of Ephesus was one of the greatest and the Roman Empire and major Mediterranean port with a population of around 300,000 people. He was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. That's about Weston half of today's nation of turkey, the excavated science of the scythian is only about a tenth of it. Been excavated this for Broad Street. These magnificent buildings, like it's Library. I need a 32 seating 25,000 people. We've seen enough theories. While Athens was the intellectual center of the ancient world and the City of Corinth was a major commercial center. Epices was primarily known as a religious Center pain throughout the ancient world as the form of the goddess Artemis.
Usually created with Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting the Greek goddess Artemis. I've been fused with some kind of fertility killed in Ephesus and she was usually depicted as a many breasted woman probably based on the meteorite that is full in nearby in which a figure could be discerned the Temple of Artemis and we only have a reconstruction of what it look like. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, situated one and a half miles north of the city and make it, 400 ft by 200 ft. That's four times, the size of the Parthenon in Athens with over 100 on it colors. 60, ft. I support him and amazing. White marble roof. It was presided over by unit fries and three grades are priestesses who said service the code prostitution that flourished at Ephesus was also Age of Financial and banking center, where Merchants Kings and even cities made deposits and where that money could be safe. Safely kept under the guardianship of the day that the economy of the safety depended on the temple worship, thousands of pilgrims and tourists visited, episodes every year, seeking food and lodging, and entertain as well as souvenirs and talismans. That's a picture of the City Vapes is. So it was that around the year 54 a.d. by elated a thing. Of course, a small party of men entered the city and walk down the streets. And if you've ever been there and I've been there twice and if you ever get a chance to visit, you will be on this Broad Street in you. Imagine this little party led by a man, like his name power loss, which means small Was a small man in size but not Envision and intellect. He was not a tourist or a pilgrim. He was a missionary or to use the term that is used to describe himself. He described himself as in the possible. That means one sent by God with a message. A message about 1, Jesus of Nazareth crucified in Jerusalem, raised from the dead, who we declared was the son of God and the Messiah promised in the Hebrew scriptures and the time the worship at that goddess, Artemis, And indeed the worship of all the gods of the ancient world was in the threat for pulse. Message the message, he preached which equaled the good news of the Gospel with powerful the power of God. That's awesome. This morning routine more detail about what happened in Ephesus and how it challenged that great City and its worship is for this same word. This would have power still has power to challenge the citizens of Edinborough as it did with those. And emphasis I think Caroline's going to read a reading this morning and she'll introduce you. Thank you Karen.
So if you go to Bible had debt in a charity by and grab it and head to page. 1115, I'm going to read from Acts 19 and 48, the big 19, and small 8.
Pull into the synagogue and speak boldly there. For 3 months. Arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God, but some of them became obstinate, they refuse to believe. And publicly Moline the way Circle left them, he took the disciples with him and had discussions daily. In the lecture hall of Tyrod has this went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the proper province of Asia, heard the word of the Lord. Through Pole to the deevan handkerchiefs an 8, Princeton to touched him were taken to those who were ill and their illnesses were cured and evil spirits, left them. Some Jews, who went around driving, right, evil spirits. Try to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who are demon-possessed. They would save in the name of Jesus who can pull. Preaching, I command you to come out, seven sons of skiva, a Jewish high priest for doing this one day that evil spirit on something Jesus, I know. And I know it by heart but who are you, then the man who has the evil spirit jumped on them on favorite part of the mole. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
This became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus. They were all seized with fear on the name of the Lord. Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed not came and opened a confessed what they had done a number who had practice sorcery, us girls together. Unfriend them publicly.
When they calculate the value of the Scrolls, the total came to 55. Some dry clothes. In this way, the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. I'll throw this attachment, pull decided to go to Jerusalem passing through Macedonia on the Kaya off dropping that he said I must visit room also, he sent two of his helpers Timothy and erastus to Macedonia while he stayed in the province of Asia, a little longer
Thank you very much. If you got the Bible, imprint, take me to hope you have a screen dimmer Isis, what happened in Ephesus after 27 staff? In this way, the wood is the Lord, spread widely and grew in power in this together. A list of all the spreading of the word. How did it spread? And then the effects of the word. What changes did he bring about Festival? The spreading of the word pull did not beginning my post from a project like this. How am I going to reach this vast city with the good news of Jesus? You got no military. Nothing else. What is going to do was pull didn't match up to the Temple of Artemis with a placard saying down with Diana? No, has been seen in the account to post missionary Journeys in the book of Acts. His policy was not primarily one of Confrontation, but one of the Proclamation of persuasion. Can we see this in Ephesus initially? As was always his practice, he begins with the Jewish synagogue pull into the synagogue verse 8. And spoke boldly that for 3 months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God, is kind of like the money equivalent to the church. The message that was met with some rejection. Obstinacy, wearied and so pull, moved on to the non-jews, the Gentiles any higher than electrical nearby owned by a man named Tyran Tyrannosaurus Tyrannosaurus, his nickname is tyrannous, means Tyrant and one can hardly imagine a parent looking at that baby. Insane Facebook calling Tara well, maybe some of your parents could I see if it is the words. It really starts with him since vs 9 inch and a with him and had discussions daily. In the lecture hall that Iran is this went down to two years so the road Choosing Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord notices approach. He argued persuasively. He had discussions, the Greek word is deal. As am I from which we get dialect dialogue with people. They have today, we have to wait a month after month for two years. 1 rifle, John stock, Cummins post, presentation, the gospel with serious well-reasoned and persuasive, because he believed the gospel to be true, he was not afraid to engage the mind of his Harris. He didn't simply Proclaim his message and it kind of take it or leave. It Manor in steady Marshall these arguments to demonstrate his case he was seeking notices, which he was seeking to convince in order to convert. And in fact, his roommates play, many were persuaded, the Christian message is one that stands up the question-and-answer to read through the mail given that's why we've invited you. If you got a device to log on to Slidell, and if you got any questions about what I'm saying to post them, I'm going to try some of them.
That's why we preach God's word week-by-week in this church man, Testament year after year, which I'm sure will be our practices. We plan to launch another church in 2023. But should you be thinking about, maybe I should volunteer for this Enterprise. Notice the time and effort and commitment involved in this, the time and effort and commitment involved in it. One texted, the New Testament, says the teaching whole the teaching schedule, which of the teaching schedule in the Hall of tyrannus, took place between the 5th and 10th hours a day, that's Roman counting. So that's 11 in the morning, to 4:00 in the afternoon. Suggesting that tyrannus would probably use the whole himself or his own lunches or for someone else's like, Justin teaching when it got to 11:00 in that part of the world. People took an extended CSX train Lynch. Tell about late afternoon about 4. What was Paul doing in the early part that I? Well we know he was a tentmaker by trade and so in order to make a living he was doing tent making work and then when he came he transferred over and 25 hours every day, Use this hole to teach and preach.
No, no. Tyrant was happy to rent out his role to fulfil this. But what's 5 hours a day for two years? Take off a day a week for the seventh. When he would do it. It comes to I think, is 3150 hours, he spent in Ephesus teaching, God's word and engaging and debating with people? No, one dilute record zinvest, old Egyptian Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard, the word of the Lord one, right? It kind of is the big capital city like I'm going to fill in. I'm going to get to Eddie Murphy live in other parts of Scotland and the relative frequency in the baths or attending games in the stadium. Watching the drama or boring, probably going to worship the goddess Artemis in the Fantastic Temple and doing Mentionable things as part of the wishes of that. And so, people did a many listened, a many was converted to inches were planted in these places. The retrench is mentioned, in the New Testament. We have no record of Polo or any of the other official mission risk carrying the message. But different people carry the seed of the Gospel with them implanted. These churches, you see, this is how the kingdom of God grows in perceptively. Jesus chose a parable about this expresses it. Well, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed with your men took. Implanted in his field is the smallest of all your stage when he grows is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch and its branches, this is how the word was spread. This is how the word Jesus, the gospel continues to spread throughout the world today.
They couldn't use the kingdom itself. That's the spreading of the word Northeast. Secondly, the effects of the word looking kind of including person verse 26. In this way, the word of the Lord spread widely and growing power of the word. Translated power there is in use the word, why different word to the normal width. It means let me give you a quote, a deed manifesting great power with the implications of some Supernatural force. A deed of great power with soup. And I feel. You see, Paul has been arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. He's in Ephesus, the uncle cap capital of the ancient world and show up our encounter between the Holy Spirit and the evil spirit to a dominant in Ephesus was inevitable. There's a power. Complicated story. Significant, the wearied here are extraordinary events
So the even handkerchief Dan aprons that it's attached, and was taken to the sink, and the illnesses with cured and evil spirits, left him very unusual. Even for Paul and him, for the book of Acts different people believe, where the clothes and sweatbands, he used when he was doing these ten making work. And in some way, that would carry two people who was sick and people that were possessed by evil spirits. They like the healing miracles of Jesus in the gospels, authenticating demonstrating the truth and especially in a place like Ephesus. We should know that Luke is supposed to go through with the doctor, he's very careful to distinguish between illness and possession. And the strange story of the Seven Sons of skiva showed both the reality of evil spirits and that power and the fact that the name of Jesus couldn't be used, like some kind of Talisman detect detach from the personal knowledge of Jesus and the outcome of left naked and bleeding. And they were also seized with fear and the name of the Lord, Jesus was held in high honor. And don't you believe in Jesus, Train, full of notice. Ready for repentance first 19th. Many of those who believed now can't even openly confessed what they've done an under hood practice. So sorry bro. That's crows together and burn them publicly. When they calculated the value of the Scrolls, it's okay to fifty thousand. Drachmas Asian Grandma to a Lexus and there was supposed to contain magic spells that you could use in certain circumstances they was sold for great prices. They could have been sold for a lot of money but these people who became Believers in Jesus. Burn them is a sign of that genuine repentance is the total value was a huge Sim with a day's wages than fifty thousand. Drachmas is like kind of did on the calculate 236 years of celery. What do you make of these things? If I was preaching in Nigeria or India, where I have lived and worked in preached, I wouldn't need to kind of talk much about this because people in those parts that will knock your heads, Nigerians and Indians, these kind of things people are aware of is a reality in the life. We lived in the Nigerian Village, we need these kind of things and what was happening these circumstances, I'm not sure that was so skeptical of such things in our secular societies. We might think everything says, I have 2950 to adults, aged 18 to 65, The UK revealed, it 82% believed in the Supernatural. 68% said, they'd experienced some sort of Supernatural event. I'm 34 said they would pay a psychic to try and communicate directly with a loved one. What do you believe in such? Things will have been involved in them and many of you will know that, my wife need to became a Christian after this night, drowned in a remarkable way. the power of the word is greater than any of the power and can set you free, even if you're from a religious background, as I was, when I became a Christian and my things
It will lead to costly action, notice that they believed. And as a consequence they realized that way things in their lives that they needed to burn. So let me ask you a direct question. If you ever believe in Jesus, okay,
What is the things you still need to burn? We just moved house recently. What a nightmare trying to tell you, I got embarrassed going up to the rubbish Tim they have today and I kept saying to them and I think this will be my last trip and then I feel good, does it? Seems I tell you to kiss me everything that you need to take these things? You think there's no wife and do this and you get rid of these things under things in our lives that we need to get rid of. Okay? If it's worth something, put it on house, arrest, the right things. And let me say this gently, if you're a believer in Jesus and you never have to burn anything, Can I suggest? Gently that you may not be a Christian to tell because when he became a Christian there, all sorts of things in your life that you need.
You need to learn from them and you need to burn. We get rid of them. Jesus talked about the study. Find duplicate that is using a metaphor because it is better to enter Heaven, losing these things. Then go to hell with all these things in mind.
It would lead to costly action and can I say something else? This is a lifelong process. You don't sit and reach a point. When you say that's it, I'm so excited to see removing his new house already. I'm sure we were accumulating things. And when we find a go to Glory windows, that might be up for children. Again say why they keep all these things? You know we were trying to make it easier for them in the moment.
They need to know that there's still stuff that needs to get rid of this. Is, this is a lifelong process over 20 years ago that she has a new text message, great, pastor and author, who wrote the book? It's called a long obedient in the same direction, discipleship, and an instant Society. Any comments, one aspect I've been able to identify as harmful to Christians. Is the assumption, that anything worthwhile can be a quiet once we assume that. If something can be done at all, it can be done quickly and efficiently. They cannot You cannot become an instant overnight perfectly. Holy Christian, you sorted, everything out. Don't let me encourage, you encourage myself. After 60 years on the journey. I'm embarrassed to say to keep going. If you've never started, this is where you begin, notice? They believed and then these things follow.
People supporting safe at all. If you got Scrolls, you need to burn them before you became Christians. Now, these people became Christians. And then, as a consequence, they realized, I didn't make it today. There are things in your life that you need to burn. They're not helping you.
Distracting you from following Christ. If you never started. Start Where You Are. Maybe you can come to the church for some time. If you've heard the message, you said what we've been chatting together, we try to answer your questions, but there comes a point that comes a point where, you know, enough to take the steps to face and put your face in Jesus. I need you to begin. So God begins to work in your life because you're in the new management and there are things that you need to get rid of, but you need to Progressive, and you keep going cuz it's a book title is a long avadian in the same direction. Is he the word? The word of the Gospel has power to free you from whatever behind you. I don't know, maybe you're involved in a cool things but possible, maybe other things in your life and you think I can never be free of these things. I want to tell you that the gospel is the power of God for the Salvation is everyone, everyone's is the Bible. Romans 1:16 everyone. Who believes. That's a challenge. I want to live with you briefly, where we began at Ephesus as I said. And I said, would you like to do go? It's an amazing Oculus. Go Signs. However, if you go, you're going to be disappointed if you want to find the Temple of Artemis. the only record of it is an inscription in the British Museum and the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world is now a swamp in which there's only one which is actually a reconstruction of something else and you will search in vain for worship is about team is
and all those Gods who will wish it in countless millions in the first century. Is one right to put suit remarkably within three. Hundred years has Christianity, Advanced idolatry virtually disappeared in the ancient world. This is not the same as saying the world became truly didn't Dollar Tree vanished, it just ended, you see, there is power in the word, nothing military power nothing but if the power, the power of the Holy Spirit to change and transform individuals and societies cities, like addresses, and even cities, like, But suppose for a moment and think about what God May sit to this morning and then jump into lead is in a cell.
Maybe you've never started that Journey yet and today is the day when you need to begin. You simply need to turn to God and admit your need.
To turn from your own way of life. I'm trying to put your faith in Jesus.
Maybe you'll have to follow Jesus this morning, and there are things that you realized this morning that you need to burn to get rid of.
We could help determine to do that. And to move forward.
And however, long you been on the journey? Lord, we commit ourselves again to that long road, if obedient in the same direction to follow Christ, Until you called. Listen to your presents, or Jesus returns again. To hear our prayers. We pray in Jesus name.
Kitchen.