We
see in this passage what can happen when the word of God is preached boldly and
honestly. Paul spends two years in Ephesus, preaching first in the synagogue as
was his custom. As opposition to the Gospel message grew in the synagogue, Paul
began preaching in the public gathering place – the lecture hall of Tyrannus –
where both Jews and Greeks heard The Word.
Through
Paul’s preaching, God’s Word spread throughout the province leading many to
confess their sins. Those practicing sorcery burned their scrolls at
significant financial cost to themselves, thus giving up their livelihood in
exchange for a sincere application of God’s Truth in their lives. “In this way
the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (verse 20).
What
is being preached in your church today? Is the whole of the Gospel presented
week in and week out, or do you hear instead a message designed to make you
feel good about who you are? Is the preaching about God or is it about you? Is
the preaching in your church tailored to avoid offending people or is it focused
on telling the truth, even though the truth can sometimes be painful to hear?
In order to fully understand and appreciate the Gospel, we must first
understand where we stand with God absent the Gospel: we stand before God as
poor, miserable sinners deserving nothing more than God’s wrath and eternal
punishment. Until we understand that, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our
sins has no real meaning for us. But once we truly understand the weight and
consequence of our sins, the Gospel explodes with life within our hearts and
becomes for us a sweet nectar that nourishes us, reassures us, and equips us to
serve the One who loves us so much. It's not about me; it's about Him. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2
Corinthians 5:21) Now, let’s go out and live it.
No comments:
Post a Comment