War of Words

So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. (Acts 19:20)

Presidential debates are used as a public display of the presentation of ideas. A war of words, so to speak. As the candidates speak out about what they believe to be the best ideas and solutions for troubled times, we often yawn to ourselves and think that it sure would be nice to hear something new for a change. Something life-changing for a change. Some good news about these times.
Have you ever trusted in someone’s ideas only to be disappointed or even felt betrayed in the end? Some ideas that sounded good actually have proven to be bogus. The pain that folks suffer for choosing the wrong belief system to guide their lives can be pretty intense. If you’ve ever been caught up in the spirit of religious tradition, you know that some ideas are not equally conducive to a spirit of godly worship. Some will say that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere. It really does matter.
In the Book of Acts, Ephesus was a center for the arena of ideas. It was also a mecca for idol worship and the industry that supported it. You could believe almost anything you wanted to and even make up a god that represented your belief. In that environment, the Spirit of God proved Himself to be the one true God. He’s still doing that today in the debate of ideas. In a culture of idolatry.

GOD’S WORD WILL WIN THE WAR ON WORDS.

I. THE WORD OF THE LORD GROWS IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS. God is not threatened by demonic influence, sorcery or public opinion. He defends His name and the integrity of His word even when we don’t defend it well. His word is truth anywhere and everywhere. The good news of Jesus Christ is designed for the worst of neighborhoods.
II. THE WORD OF THE LORD GROWS IN STRENGTH WHEN OPPOSED TO STRONG OPPOSITION. God will apply the necessary force to overcome. Whatever it takes to proclaim His truth will be implemented. God has used animals to speak truth and Jesus promised that rocks would cry out to proclaim His joy. Spiritual warfare is the ultimate conflict. The issue is authority. And God is ultimate authority. Rebellion to His word will be vanquished. No matter how the enemy resistance chooses to mount the defense, God is in the business of demolishing enemy strongholds.
III. THE WORD OF THE LORD GROWS EFFECTIVELY WHEN CONVICTION IS FOLLOWED BY OBEDIENCE. Conviction is when the Holy Spirit brings the truth to our hearts. The word of God prevails when we choose to accept it and repent of our sin. God is in the business of changing our hearts. The account in Ephesus is recorded for us to show how men’s hearts are changed to serve the One True God. All other attachments to other gods must be discarded. When we obey God’s word, He prevails.
Do we need to throw away some of our “little gods” or godless ideas?