THE WORD OF GOD CONTINUES
Acts 12:19-24 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king's country for their food supply. 21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.
INTRODUCTION: THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PASSAGES THEY MAKES YOU SCRATCH YOUR HEAD AND WONDER WHY IT IS INCLUDED IN OUR BIBLE. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO CONNECT WITH THE CONTEXT BEFORE IT OR AFTER IT. SIMPLY, IT STANDS ALONE AND AS SUCH GIVES IS CAUSE TO PONDER WHY IT IS HERE; AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT GOD HAS INCLUDED IN SCRIPTURE WHAT HE WANTED INCLUDED AND EVERYTHING IS FOR OUR BENEFIT. SO, THEN THERE IS SOMETHING HERE FOR US TO GRASP AND USE FROM THIS PORTION OF GOD’S WORD.
TRANSITION: SO, IN OUR TIME TOGETHER, LETS SEE IF WE CAN DISCOVER WHAT GOD DESIRES US TO LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE, ….
THE FUTILITY OF MAN
THE ACTIONS OF HEROD ARE A VIVID ILLUSTRATION OF MAN’S FUTILITY IN HIS SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE, PURPOSE, POWER AND RELEVANCE.
HEROD WAS INTENT ON DESTROYING CHRISTIANITY
HAD JAMES THE BROTHER OF CHRIST KILLED
HAD PETER ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED WITH THE INTENT TO PUT HIM TO TRIAL AND PROBABLY EXECUTION AS WELL
HEROD WAS INTENT ON ELEVATING HIMSELF
CHOSE THE DAY OF HIS ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE
SAT AS THE KING
ACCEPTED THEIR CHANT OF HIS DIVINITY
THE ACTIVITY OF HEROD IS NOT UNLIKE THOSE WHO SEEK TO DISMISS, DEMOTE TO IRRELEVANCE, OR DISCARD WITH DISDAIN THE PLACE OF GOD IN OUR SOCIETY.
THE ACTIONS OF MAN
Romans 1:18-19 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
MAN SEEKS TO SUPPRESS THE TRUTH – JOHN 17:17 TELLS US THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS TRUTH
WHEN HEROD TOOK THE LIFE OF JAMES AND SOUGHT THE SAME FOR PETER, HE WAS SILENCING THOSE WHO DID AND WOULD PROCLAIM THE WORD OF GOD
THE ATTENTION OF MAN
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
GOD IS ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF MAKING HIMSELF KNOWN IN EVER GREATER DEGREES
GOD WALKED WITH ADAM
GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO THE PATRIARCHS
ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, GOD NOW REVEALS HIMSELF TO US THROUGH HIS CREATION AND HIS ACTIONS
Acts 17:24-27 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
GOD NOW ALSO MAKES HIS INTENTIONS KNOWN THROUGH HIS SON
Hebrews 1:1-2 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
MAN IS ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF IGNORING GOD
GOD REVEALS HIMSELF AND MAN TURNS A BLIND EYE!
EVEN WITH ALL THAT JESUS DID IN FULFILLING PROPHECY THE JEWS AND HEROD, AND EVEN MAN TODAY REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE OF THEIR CREATOR AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIS COMMUNICATION WITH US.
THE ACCOLADES OF MAN
Romans 1:21-23 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
PERSONAL PRIDE HAS AT ITS SOURCE A COGNITIVE DENIAL OF GOD
“THEY KNEW GOD”
THE WORD KNOW MEANS TO PERCEIVE OR UNDERSTAND
THIS IS THE WORD USED OF THE WOMAN WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD WHO WAS HEALED BY JESUS
Mark 5:29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
THIS WOMAN KNEW WHAT SHE WAS SUFFERING WITH
THIS WOMAN KNEW THAT SHE NO LONGER SUFFERED WITH WHAT SHE HAD
THIS WOMAN KNEW BECAUSE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
THE WORD OF GOD SAYS THAT WE ALL “KNOW” GOD. WE HAVE A RECOGNIZABLE, DISCERNIBLE EXPERIENCE OF GOD.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
WE CANNOT LOOK UP AND NOT PERCEIVE GOD. BUT WE CAN LOOK UP AND DENY HIS EXISTENCE!
HEROD OPTIMIZES THE ACTIVITY OF MAN TO LIVE WITHOUT GOD. PAUL IN ROMANS ONE DECLARES THE ACTIONS, ATTITUDES, ACCOLADES AND ATTENTION OF MAN AS HE TRIES TO LIVE WITHOUT GOD.
YET, HERE AT THE END OF OUR PASSAGE, WE READ THESE FAITHFUL WORDS -- Acts 12:24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.
FRIENDS, GOD IS ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF MAKING HIMSELF KNOWN. HE DID IT IN WITH CREATION, HE DID IT THROUGH THE PROPHETS, HE DID IT IN SENDING HIS SON, AND HE CONTINUES TO REVEAL HIMSELF THROUGH HIS WRITTEN WORD.
YET, THE QUESTION REMAINS, WHAT MAKES THE WORD OF GOD SO SPECIAL THAT ITS VERY EXISTENCE THWARTS THE ATTEMPTS OF MAN TO SILENCE IT, AND THE GOD WHO GAVE IT TO US?
JAMES BOICE IN HIS COMMENTARY ON ACTS WRITES THIS:
I think of those who have tried to oppose the gospel over the centuries. There were times when Christ's enemies tried to oppose the expansion of the Word of God by the sword, just as Herod did when he executed James. The powerful said, "If you continue to preach this gospel, we will take away your lives." And they did. There have been countless martyrs in the history of the church. Yet the Word of God has not been bound. The more the enemies of Christ have killed his followers, the more the gospel has spread outward like ripples on a pond.
Others have tried to suppress the Word of God by ridicule. They have concluded that physical persecution does not work. Killing people does indeed often turn them into martyrs, and Christ's enemies do not want to give the church heroes, so they have ridiculed Christianity and attempted to tear the heroes down. They laugh at us, saying, "Who in his right mind would ever believe a foolish thing like that? No enlightened, no modern person can believe such foolishness." The French agnostic philosopher Voltaire tried to destroy the church by ridicule, predicting that within fifty years people would have forgotten even who Jesus Christ was. But the very year he said that the British museum purchased a Bible manuscript from Russia for $500,000 while a copy of one of Voltaire's books sold for eight cents in the book stalls in Paris. Fifty years after his ignorant prediction, the Geneva Bible society was running off thousands of Bibles on presses that had been set up in Voltaire's former home in Geneva.
Others have tried to bind the Word of God by neglect, by pretending it no longer matters, just getting on with their utterly secular lives. Yet the gospel spreads.
People have tried to bind the gospel by creating substitutes for it, counterfeits. They say, "Well, all right, we'll have religion, but we'll have it without Christ. We don't need this business of the cross and an atonement. We'll just take the beautiful things like Jesus' ethics." That kind of religion, a Christ without the cross, has no power and appeals to no one except those seeking a substitute for the true thing. Thus do people fight, oppose, and ridicule the gospel we hold dear. Yet that true gospel of God goes on from strength to strength while the other secular gospels and their advocates fade along the way.
Boice Expositional Commentary - An Expositional Commentary – Acts.
HERE MY FRIENDS IS WHY GOD CONTINUES TO MAKE INROADS IN OUR WORLD TODAY. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUENESS OF HIS WORD!
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S WORD
THE WORD OF GOD IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS EFFECTIVE
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
THE WORD OF GOD WE HAVE IN OUR HANDS COMES FROM GOD HIMSELF. IT IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT COMES FROM A PERFECT CREATOR!
THE WORD OF GOD IS EFFECTIVE FOR TEACHING US
WHAT DOES IT TEACH US
IT TEACHES US WHAT IS RIGHT AND RIGHTEOUS!
JUST AS NO ONE NEEDS TO TEACH A CHILD TO DO WRONG – THEY ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF DOING THAT ALL BY THEMSELVES, NO ONE NEEDS TO TEACH US TO DO WRONG.
BUT WE DO NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH US TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. WO BETTER THAN THE ONE WHO CREATED US AND NEW US FROM ETERNITY PAST
THE WORD OF GOD IS EFFECTIVE FOR REBUKING US
IN OTHER WORDS FOR TELLING US WHEN WE DO WRONG.
NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT RIGHT IS, WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHEN WE HAVE ERRED.
SINCE THE MOMENT OF THE FALL, WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH RIGHT AND WRONG.
MAYBE THAT IS WHY DAVID SO APTLY WROTE, “THY WORD HAVE I HIDDEN IN MY HEART THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST THEE.”
GODS WORD REBUKES OUR WRONGS, AND HAS THE CAPACITY TO “PRE-BUKE” OUR FUTURE ACTIVITIES!
THE WORD OF GOD IS EFFECTIVE FOR CORRECTING.
YOU CAN CALL THIS THE GPS ACTIVITY OF THE SCRIPTURE.
THE WORD OF GOD HAS THE ABILITY TO REROUTE OUR ACTIVITY BACK TO THE PATH GOD HAS AND DESIRES FOR US.
THE WORD OF GOD IS EFFECTIVE FOR TRAINING
SPECIFICALLY TRAINING US IN RIGHTEOUSNESS – WHAT IS RIGHT!
LIKE I SAID, WE NEED TO NO ASSISTANCE IN DOING WRONG, BUT WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN IN DOING RIGHT; ESPECIALLY AS THIS OLD WORLD MOVES FARTHER AND FARTHER FROM GOD.
WE CAN NO LONGER BE CONTENT TO RETAIN OUR DISTANCE FROM THE WORLD; WE NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR CLOSENESS TO THE WORD!
THE WORD OF GOOD IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT ALONE PREPARES US TO BE THE PEOPLE OF GOD!
THE WORD OF GOD IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS PENETRATING
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
THE WORD OF GOD IS ACTIVE – IT IS POWERFUL AND THE RIGHT TOOL TO GET THE JOB DONE
IT IS SURGICAL IN PRECISION TO THE POINT THAT IT IS ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE ROOT OF OUR ISSUES – THE HEART
THE HEART IS DECEITFULLY WICKED THE SCRIPTURE SAY – WHO CAN KNOW IT?
GOD CAN AND DOES KNOW OUR HEART AND HAS PROVIDED THE RIGHT INSTRUMENT – THE WORD TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES OF OUR HEART
THE WORD OF GOD IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WHEN APPLIED TO OUR HEART – IT WORKS!
THE WORD OF GOD IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS LIFE-GIVING
Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
WE HAVE ALL SOUGHT TO COME TO GRIPS WITH OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE.
WHY ARE WE HERE?
WHAT ARE WE TO DO?
GOD SAYS THAT HIS WORD IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT HAS THE POWER TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS IN OUR LIFE
THE WORD OF GOD WILL ACCOMPLISH GOD’S DESIRE AND PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES. NEED I REMIND YOU, …
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
THE WORD OF GOD IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS ETERNAL
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
THERE IS A CERTAINTY TO THE WORD OF GOD, AS ITS VERACITY IS COMPARED TO THE ETERNALITY OF BOTH HEAVEN AND EARTH.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE WORD OF GOD IS OF GREATER CERTAINTY THAN THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.
EVEN AT THE END OF TIME, WHEN THE BOOK OF REVELATION TELLS US THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN GOD WILL CREATE A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR A NEW WORD.
WHAT MAKES THE WORD OF GOD SIGNIFICANT IS THAT IT ALONE WILL ABIDE FOREVER.
ITS WORDS WILL ALWAYS BE TRUE
ITS WORDS WILL ALWAYS BE RELEVANT
ITS WORDS WILL ALWAYS BE APPROPRIATE NO MATTER HOW FAR MAN THINKS HE HAS ADVANCED OR NO LONGER THINKS HE NEEDS GOD.
HEROD SOUGHT TO NIP CHRISTIANITY IN THE BUD
MEN HAVE TRIED THROUGHOUT ETERNITY TO MAKE THE WORD OF GOD OF NO IMPORTANCE
FOR YOU TODAY WHO CALL YOURSELF A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, THERE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT TRUTH THEN THAT OF THE ETERNAL AND CONTINUAL POWER OF THE LIFE-CHANGING WORD OF GOD.
THE WORD OF GOD WILL REMAIN, AND THE MORE MAN SEEKS TO MAKE IT IRRELEVANT, THE MORE IT WILL INCREASE – IE: BECOME MORE EVIDENT.
SO, MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS TO KEEP THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD RELEVANT IN YOUR OWN LIFE AND IN THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU MEET. FROM THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL TO THE BLESSING OF FOLLOWING ITS PRACTICAL TRUTHS!
