WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.799 Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church. 00:00:02.959 --> 00:00:07.200 Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 a.m. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:11.439 You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:12.960 We hope you enjoy. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:14.320 God bless. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:18.239 Have your Bibles, open them to Acts chapter 19. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:22.000 Acts chapter 19, we're going to begin in verses. 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:25.839 We're going to begin at verse 11 and read down through verse 20. 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:27.199 Turn there. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:29.679 Do you remember the Energizer Bunny? 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:31.519 I mean, I say, do you remember him? 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:33.439 Like he's still around, right? 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.759 But but he has been around for a long time. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:41.359 The first commercial with the Energizer Bunny came out in 1988. 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:45.520 1988, and he just keeps going. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:51.840 In 2007, he appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving. 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:55.439 Well, earlier than that, he's appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:01.119 And in 2007, a beanie baby was made after the Energizer Bunny. 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.200 Now some of you are going, what is a Beanie Baby? 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:04.640 Many of you know. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:08.319 But in the Beanie Babies, this is the poem about the Energizer Bunny. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:09.280 Here's what it said. 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:15.840 Whether at home, at work, or play, nothing will get in E.B.'s way. 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.280 And here's one thing that's sure worth knowing. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:23.680 This bunny just keeps going and going. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:32.640 That's how we know the each energizer bunny, if you see the commercials, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what he faces, he just keeps going. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:43.120 And today, as we look in our passage in Acts, what we're going to find, what we're going to see about the word of the Lord is it just keeps going. 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:55.280 No matter what stands in its way, no matter what tries to prevent the word of the Lord from prevailing, no matter what tries to prevent the word of the Lord from increasing, it just keeps going. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:01.439 So if you are able, I invite you this morning to stand with me as we give honor to the reading of God's Word. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:06.400 Acts chapter 19, we'll begin reading in verse 11. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:22.479 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:36.800 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims. 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:41.439 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Skeva were doing this. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:49.520 But the evil spirit answered them, Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you? 00:02:50.240 --> 00:03:01.120 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leapt on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:11.599 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:17.439 Also many of those who were now believers came confessing and divulging their practices. 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:25.120 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts were brought brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:32.159 And they counted the value of them and found it came at came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:40.560 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:42.080 Let's pray together. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:47.199 God, we thank you for today, and we thank you for this opportunity that we have to open your word. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:51.759 God, we thank you for how you have revealed yourself to us through your word. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:04:02.080 So we pray that this morning, as we study, as we unpack, as we explore, Father, we pray that we will see you. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.400 God, we love you. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:06.719 Jesus is in your name we pray. 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:07.680 Amen. 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:19.199 So as we look at this interesting passage and try to unpack it, there's a couple of things that I think we need to see first of all. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:19.759 Okay? 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:28.079 First, let's go back to what we looked at about three weeks ago, the last time we were in Acts, in Acts chapter 19. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:30.639 Go back and look at verse 10. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:32.879 Here's what he says. 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:35.759 This continued for two years. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:37.279 What is this that continued? 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:50.240 Just as for a reminder, what continued for two years was Pete Paul going to the house of Tyrannus and sharing the gospel, sharing the word of the God, proclaiming the kingdom of God. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:05:00.720 This continued for two years so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both the Jews and the Greeks. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:04.399 That little phrase I think is a key for us to understand in this passage. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.680 They heard the word of the Lord. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:21.439 If you go down further to the last verse that we read in our passage today, in verse 20, again, it says, So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:35.920 It seems like by using this phrase, the word of the Lord, what Luke has kind of done for us is formed brackets around this passage to show us at least one thing that should be emphasized in this passage, and that is the word of the Lord. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:45.199 We need to stop, we need to take notice of the word of the Lord and how it is increasing and how it is how it is spreading in this passage. 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.839 So really the essence of the text, what we get is in that verse 20. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:51.680 Again, hear it again. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:56.560 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:16.319 And what we hopefully will see as we understand, as we try to unpack this today, hopefully what we understand is this the word of the Lord will always increase and will always prevail mightily, no matter what stands in its way. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.279 The word of the Lord is going to increase. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.959 It is going to prevail, it is going to work its way through. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:32.240 So the challenge for us then is this: to be witnesses to the kingdom of God by proclaiming the word of the Lord. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:45.279 So if that's our challenge, to be witnesses by proclaiming the word of the Lord, let's go back and see how the word of the Lord increased in this passage that we looked at today. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:51.439 So I think what we find here is three ways that the word of the Lord increased here. 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:57.040 The first, I think we see that the word of the Lord increased divinely. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:06:59.759 It increased divinely. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:08.480 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:14.480 Listen, miracles were being done, things that couldn't be explained, things, amazing things were happening. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:30.720 Listen, they were even taking handkerchiefs that Paul had touched, or aprons that he wore while he was making tents, things that has touched his skin, and they were taking them to people, and diseases were being healed, demons were being cast out just by touching that. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:35.759 But don't miss the important thing in this passage. 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:38.480 I think Luke says it, and he doesn't want us to miss it. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:43.120 Is this God was performing the miracles? 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.079 May we never think that it was Paul. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:49.040 I don't think Paul would want us to think that. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:52.639 We've seen the same kind of thing back in Acts chapter 5. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:08:03.759 If you'll remember, back in Acts chapter 5, in verse 12, down through verse 16, it says, Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:07.120 And they were all together in Solomon's portico. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:11.600 None of the rest dared join them, but people held them in high esteem. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:16.959 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:28.959 So they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:38.240 The people also gathered from towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:40.159 See, what's remember what's happening? 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:47.200 They're bringing their sick, they're bringing their demon-possessed, and just laying them in the streets, hoping that Peter's shadow would fall on them. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:59.360 Now, it doesn't really give us a clear definition of whether they were healed when Peter's shadow fell on them, but he was doing, and the apostles were doing such amazing things that they were hopeful that that would happen. 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:04.639 But I don't want us to miss what it says here in verse 12. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:14.960 Now, many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people, listen, by the hands of the apostles. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:21.200 Now go back to Acts 19 and hear again verse 11. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:28.639 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:34.320 The same way that Paul was healing people is the same way that the apostles were healing people. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:40.320 The same way Paul was casting out demons is the same way that the apostles were casting out demons. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:42.720 It was God healing. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:45.919 It was God casting out the demons. 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:48.320 He was just using them. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:51.840 He was just using them. 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:59.600 They happened to be the vessels that God was working through, but it was God who was doing these things. 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:12.720 Now, as we try to unpack this for us today, as we try to see what is happening here for us today, for us to see what do we do with this? 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.440 How do we unpack this? 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:22.000 Now, listen, I said this, I said this several weeks ago. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:29.840 I'm not going to stand up here and tell you what God is or is not going to do. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.000 He is God and He can do whatever he wants to. 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:38.480 I'm not going to stand and tell you what God can and cannot do. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:46.240 He is God and He can do whatever he wants to, and whatever He does, I can assure you it is right and it is good. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:51.120 I'm not even going to stand up here and try to tell you what God does. 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:53.600 Because again, He is God. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:11:04.480 But it seems to me, as we look at this passage and unpack this passage, what is happening as these miracles were being done. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:10.320 First of all, not everybody, we don't see everybody in these passages performing these miracles. 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:15.039 It's Paul, it's the apostles, and just two or three other people. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:21.759 That's how these whom God is using to perform these miracles that we know for sure. 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:23.440 So we see that. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:31.759 The second thing that we need to try to see and we need to try to understand here is what was the reason for these miracles. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:47.440 Understand that the apostles and Paul, they were taking the word of God and the acts of Jesus to people who didn't have a word of God. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:12:04.720 See, even here in Ephesus, where they are, we know that Peter, that Paul wrote several of his letters, of his epistles to churches from Ephesus that we now have in our Bible today. 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:18.879 What the miracles did was they confirmed that what the apostles were saying, what they were teaching, what Paul was saying and teaching, what was happening, what the miracles did was confirmed that this is the word of the Lord. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.440 It was confirmation of what they were doing. 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:33.679 Now, for us today, it seems like we don't need miracles to confirm the word of the Lord, because we have the word of the Lord. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:40.320 Now listen, I'm not going to tell you that miracles don't happen. 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:41.679 Hear me. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:58.000 When someone who is an unbeliever, an enemy of God, is turned into a friend of God through salvation, that is a miracle. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:19.840 When a believer, when God works in the life of a believer and begins to change them from the inside out, making them into the people that he has already made them, and a believer does something like burn their magical books. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.679 That is a miracle. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.480 Listen, God, he is still performing miracles. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:27.200 I'm not saying that. 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:38.559 I'm just saying that the miracles that that happened here, it seems like they are not needed today to confirm the word of the Lord because we have the word of the Lord with us. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:41.600 This is his word. 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:58.320 And so if we are going to, if we are going to see it increase and to see it prevail where we need to focus, and what we need to do is focus on the word of the Lord that he has given us, how he has revealed himself to us. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:06.320 We need to be more concerned about this and knowing God through this than we are through any miracles. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:15.440 It is the word of the Lord, and it increased divinely, not through the hands of people. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:22.879 Second, we see the word of the Lord increasing awfully. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:26.159 Now listen, when I say that, many of you go, awfully? 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:26.799 Bad? 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.039 No, I don't mean bad by that. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:33.759 What I mean is maybe I should say this, it increed awesomely. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:41.120 See, especially in verse 17, what happened. 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:55.279 This became known to the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.519 The fear of the Lord fell on them. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:08.320 We've talked about in here, and and honestly, I know I've used this illustration in here, but but for me to understand the fear of the Lord is the best one that I got, so just hear it again. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:13.360 When I was a kid, I was afraid of my father. 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:15.120 I was afraid of him. 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:25.360 Now listen, he didn't beat me, but listen, but when I disobeyed, he rightfully spanked me. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:27.519 And it hurt. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:35.279 And I knew that when I disobeyed, I was going to get a spanking, and I was afraid of his spankings. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.720 I was scared of them because he was rightly going to punish me. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:56.240 But as I grew, not just growing older in age, but hopefully in maturity, but more than that, as I grew in my relationship with my father, here's what began to happen. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:00.879 I wasn't so much afraid of spankings. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:07.600 I just revered the man that he was. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:27.360 I revered the person that he was, the reputation that he had, his relationship with God, the way he treated my mom, the way he treated people around him, the way he treated me, I revered him. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:32.000 I was in awe of him. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:45.039 And as we understand the fear of the Lord, listen, I think there's some kind of balance between a fear of punishment and an awe. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:51.200 Because understand, God is a just God and He is justly going to punish our sin. 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:54.320 It's going to happen. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:17:00.320 And if that doesn't send a little bit of chill up your spine, something's wrong with you. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:15.759 But at the same time, when I consider what God has done to save me from my sin, it causes me to stop and stand in awe. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:21.680 Listen, here's what I understand that I am a sinner and I deserve punishment. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:41.119 But God loved me so much that He sent His only Son on the earth who lived a perfect life and who died upon a horrible cross, taking upon himself the punishment that I deserve, the punishment that you deserve. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:55.519 Jesus took that punishment on himself and then arose from the grave and he removed that punishment from me and then places on me his righteousness. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:06.559 If that doesn't cause you to stop and stand in awe of what God has done, there's something wrong with you. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:14.799 So when we see the fear of the God, fear of God, that's what fell upon them. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:19.039 So what caused that fear to fall on them? 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:20.960 Well, here's what's happening. 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:29.279 There are some itinerant Jewish exorcists who began to undertake and try to cast out demons themselves. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:34.400 It was something that was happening prevalently among that time. 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:55.519 And so what these Jewish exorcists would do is they would they would take little bits from all religion and they would go and they would say, we're going to cast out demons, and they would they would make utterances that made complete nonsense, being synchronistic and just taking pits of pieces of other religions and just saying all these things and babbling things out. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:05.039 And so what they saw was demons being cast out by through the hands of Paul when he said, in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.200 So they said, Hey, we're going to invoke the name of Jesus Christ. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:14.480 Hey, in the name of Jesus whom Paul proclaims come out. 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:19.759 And there were seven of these guys, the sons of Skeva, who was a high priest. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:21.519 Now, we don't know much about them. 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:32.640 We really don't know much about Skeva, other than Luke says that he is a high priest, but if there is no actually no historical record of a high priest named Skeva. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.960 So what's going on? 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:39.359 Well, some commentators believe he could have just totally made it up. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:43.200 I mean, he's not in Jerusalem, he's in Ephesus. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:48.960 So he could have just totally made up, hey, I'm high priest, these are my sons. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.960 Could have totally made it up. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:20:03.839 Second is he could have actually been maybe in the family lineage of the high priest and just be claiming high priesthood through association with the family. 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:07.279 Either way, not a good situation. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:10.000 Not good things happening. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:26.319 So these sons go into this man who is possessed with a demon and say something like what the Jewish itinerant, what these itinerant Jewish exorcists are saying, in the name of Jesus, whom Paul proclaims, I adjure you. 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:32.720 And he said, the demon responds through the man and says, Jesus, I know. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.920 Paul I recognize. 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.000 Who are you? 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:49.279 And the demon takes control of this man's body to the point that he violently thrusts himself upon these, upon these men. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:58.400 He thrust himself upon them and beats them to the point that they flee naked and wounded. 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:03.200 Listen, if you enter a fight and flee naked and wounded, you have been beaten. 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:06.960 And they flee. 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:10.960 But here's what happens. 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:14.319 Here's what happens. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:26.240 The fear of the Lord fell upon them, and the name of Jesus was extolled. 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:29.839 The name of Jesus was extolled. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.880 Fear fell upon them, and the name of Jesus was extolled. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:41.920 This is one of those moments that people could have said, well, Jesus must not be that powerful because they used Jesus' name, and look what happened. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:43.599 I mean, they got beaten. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:45.759 It's not what happened. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.279 People knew the truth. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:48.960 People knew what was going on. 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:57.519 Here's why because the word of the Lord is always going to increase and prevail, even when we think it's not. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.680 And the fear of the Lord fell. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:01.039 On them. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:06.799 It fell on them, and the name of Jesus was it stalled. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:08.960 So, what do we do with this? 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.599 How do we go with this? 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:16.240 Listen, what I would tell you and encourage you is this. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:23.440 When we speak the name of Jesus, let's speak it correctly. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:26.400 See, here's what's really happening in this. 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:31.119 Remember the Ten Commandments when it says, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain? 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:40.000 And so often when we hear that, we we rightly to a degree recognize, hey, we don't need to use Jesus' name as a curse word. 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:41.039 And that's true. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:45.599 We don't need to use Jesus' name as a curse word and or God's name as a curse word. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.839 And when we do, we are taking it in vain, taking his name in vain. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:54.000 But the heart of that command is much deeper. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:23:01.279 Anything that we do that really lessens the name of Jesus is taking his name in vain. 00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:14.559 Such as not believing in Jesus, not trusting in Jesus, not knowing Jesus, and trying to cast out a demon in the name of that Jesus, that's lessening the name of Jesus, and you have just taken the name of the Lord your God in vain. 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:24.319 What we must do is proclaim the Lord, the name of the Lord our God honestly. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:13.039 If we are going to proclaim the word of God, if we are going to be a part of its increased increase, what we must be careful that we are doing is proclaiming the word of God because nothing else is needed. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:32.000 All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training and righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:37.119 We must be proclaiming the word of the Lord. 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:41.440 It is all that is needed for life and for salvation. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:44.240 Let us focus here. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:48.480 The word of God increased divinely. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:10.319 Finally, this morning, the word increased mightily. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:11.759 Here's what happened. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:19.920 The people who were believers took their magic book, their books of magic, which is predominant in Ephesus. 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:23.119 Ephesus was a city full of magic. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:25.680 Now I'm not talking about Harry Potter. 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:28.720 I'm talking about like black, dark magic. 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:30.640 And it's full of it. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:37.359 And so what people are doing is they are bringing their books of magic and casting them out to be burned. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:40.000 And you say, how can a believer have books of magic? 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:42.079 It's the process of sanctification. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:54.720 Listen, understand, our salvation is a one-time event where we trust in God, but then our lives become a process of sanctification where God makes us into the people that He has made us. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:00.799 And so as we walk along, we find sins that we need to confess and we need to repent. 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:02.160 And that's what's happening here. 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:06.400 These believers, they are seeing what is happening here, and they go, you know what? 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:08.799 This is something I don't need to be a part of. 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:13.359 So they are bringing their books and tossing them out to be burned. 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:15.279 God is working in their life. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:19.759 He is sanctifying them and they are bringing and repenting before him. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:22.480 And it requires sacrifice. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:26.240 I'm not talking about Old Testament sacrifice of bulls and goats. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:29.440 We've seen how those didn't really atone for sin. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:43.200 I'm talking about more sacrifice, like Paul tells the church at Rome in Romans 12, 1 and 2, when he says, I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him. 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:48.160 Sanctification is going to require sacrifice and lots of different kinds of sacrifice. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:50.000 See the sacrifice that is happening. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:56.160 They brought their books to be burned because they didn't want to sell them so that somebody else gets a part of that evil. 00:26:56.319 --> 00:27:02.480 They burned these books and they calculated the worth to 50,000 pieces of silver. 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:05.599 That's 50,000 days' wage. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:08.880 An average day's wage was a piece of silver. 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:13.599 50,000 days' wages were burned up. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:18.799 That's a sacrifice to God. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:34.400 Sanctification is going to require us sometimes to sacrifice, to stop being conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we may know the will of God. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:38.640 The word increased divinely. 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:42.319 It increased awfully. 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:44.960 And it increased mightily. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.519 So what do we do with this? 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:55.440 The challenge is to be witnesses of God by proclaiming the word of the Lord. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:06.160 So what we need to do is know God through his word and proclaim this word. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:12.880 As we honor our time of invitation today, here's what we're inviting you to do. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:17.440 If you don't know God, know him today. 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:24.480 The God who sent his son to take the punishment that you deserve on the cross. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:29.680 He did that so you can find salvation in him. 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:34.400 If you've never trusted in Christ today, we're inviting you to come. 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:37.440 We'll pray with you as we stand and sing in just a moment. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:38.799 We'll pray with you. 00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:44.720 Then there will be counselors who will take you out and share with you how you can trust in Christ. 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:53.519 If you have, but but maybe today you've seen some sanctifying work God is doing in your life, and there needs to be some repentance in your life. 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:54.720 We invite you to come. 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:55.759 We'll pray with you. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:58.079 These steps can be an altar. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.799 You can kneel down here and pray and repent there. 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:02.319 You can do it from your seat. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:04.240 I just encourage you to do this. 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:10.160 Allow God a sanctifying work to work in you today. 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:14.240 As we stand and sing in just a moment, I'm going to pray for us. 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:18.640 We invite you to come and make whatever decision God is leading you to make. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:20.079 Let's pray together. 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:21.599 God, I thank you for today. 00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.599 I thank you for how you love us. 00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:26.799 I thank you for all you've done for us. 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:41.359 God, we ask you now, as you are working, as you are moving, God, as you are calling us to salvation, help us respond. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:46.799 As you are sanctifying us, help us to respond. 00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:50.480 God, move as only you can. 00:29:51.599 --> 00:30:01.519 Allow your word here in this place this morning to increase and prevail mightily. 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:04.640 Jesus, it's in your name that we pray. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:05.599 Amen. 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:08.960 Thanks for listening to this week's sermon. 00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:15.039 If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at DeSoto Hills.com.