The Word of God Grew Mightily and Prevailed Acts 19:20

1. The Word of God Grew Mightily and PrevailedActs 19:20 Techniques of the World: Give the customer what he wants. Customer always right. Emphasize positive points, avoid negative. Use flattery if necessary. Make customer feel good about himself. Deceptive tactics: bait & switch.

2. Why Did Paul Preach in Ephesus? • All seemed peaceful & quiet among various religious groups. • Trouble didn’t appear until Paul showed up. • Knew their true spiritual condition. • Not content to let them die in their sins. • Sincerity not enough to save. • Good moral lifestyle not enough to save. • Man cannot save himself. • They needed to know the Truth. • God sent His Son to save them from sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:23). Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (Jn. 14:6). O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. (Jer. 10:23).

3. Gospel Preaching: BothUrgent & Controversial • Taught truth on baptism (Acts 19:1-7). • Controversial aspects of baptism: • Subjects: For believers only - this excludes infants. • Action: Burial in water - this excludes sprinkling or pouring (Rom. 6:3-4). • Purpose: Remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). • Bible doctrine on baptism is one doctrine that sets us apart from the religious world. • Those not baptized according to the Scriptures are not saved - condemned! He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mk. 16:16). There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:21). Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins… (Acts 2:38). And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).

4. Gospel Preaching: BothUrgent & Controversial • Urgent! • When were these people baptized? • Disciples of John in Ephesus? (Acts 19:5). • Sinners on Pentecost? (Acts 2:37-41). • Eunuch? (Acts 8:36). • Philippian Jailor? (Acts 16:33). • As we labor and teach: • Find those who’ve been baptized according to human doctrine. • Must teach them the truth & baptize immediately! Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5). Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them (Acts 2:41). Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”(Acts 8:36). And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized (Acts 16:33).

5. Paul Was Not Afraid or Ashamed toPreach Gospel Publicly (Acts 19:8-10). 8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. • Took advantage of synagogue arrangement for teaching. • Preached gospel, didn’t avoid controversial parts (Acts 13:38-39). • Truth has nothing to fear from public examination. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39).

6. Paul Used Genuine Miracles toConfirm the Truth (Acts 19:11-20). • Paul: Teaching & Confirming Truth. • Paul: Exposing False Religions. • Theories, doctrines, claims of men. • Claims made in the Name of God, But they were not from God! • Paul: Healed the sick - Not just a few. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs (Mk. 16:20). Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them (Acts 19:11-12). God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will (Heb. 2:4). Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds (2 Cor. 12:12).

7. Paul Used Genuine Miracles toConfirm the Truth (Acts 19:11-20). • Vast Difference From Today’s So-called Miracle-workers: • Oneness Pentecostals vs. Trinitarian Pentecostals: • Teach contradictory doctrines on the Godhead. • Both claim to work miracles, accept speaking in tongues, etc. • Yet, neither has the power to expose the other as a false teacher on the Godhead.

8. Paul Used Genuine Miracles toConfirm the Truth (Acts 19:11-20). • Vast Difference From Today’s Latter Day Revelation Groups: • Utah Mormons vs. Missouri Mormons: • Teach contradictory doctrines - successor to Joseph Smith: • Utah branch claim Brigham Young as successor. • Missouri branch claim J. Smith III successor. • Teach contradictory doctrines - Nature of God: • Utah branch claim God was once a man, evolved into God. • Missouri branch claim God has always been God. • Both claim to have apostles and work miracles. • Yet, neither has the power to expose the other as a false teacher on the successor to J. Smith or the nature of God.

9. We Use A Confirmed Truth ToExpose False Doctrine Today. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. • 1 Cor. 13:8-10 • 2 Tim. 3:16-17 • 2 Cor. 10:4-5 • Jude 3 • 2 Pet. 1:3 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

10. True Repentance Seen inEphesus (Acts 19:18-19) 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. • Acts 26:19-20 • Doing what Jesus taught - Matt. 5:19-20 • Result: Acts 19:20 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

11. Carnal Appeals of Satan • Wealth (Acts 19:24-27) • Success: Worldwide Movement (v. 27) • Emotionalism (v. 28-29) • Tradition (v. 35) 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. 26 Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. 27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.” 27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.” 28 Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” 29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. 35 And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?