HOW THE WORD GROWS IN POWER
2 Chron. 17:7-12
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A father, teaching his son about the beauties of nature, pointed out a glorious sunset and said, “Look son, isn’t that a beautiful picture God has painted?”
2. Son said, “It sure is, Dad, especially since God had to paint it with His left hand!” “What in the world do you mean, ‘God had to paint it with His left hand?’”
3. “Well, Dad, the preacher at church says that Jesus is sitting on God’s right hand!”
B. TEXT
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. 8 With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. 10 The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats. 12 Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah” 2 Chron. 17:7-12.
C. THESIS
1. Jehoshaphat, whether intentional or not, undertook one of the greatest measures for subverting the Kingdom of Darkness: He publicly taught the Word of God.
2. We’re going to look at the 3 repercussions of his actions, instances of the Word “growing” in the N.T., and look at why the Word can gain power.
3. The title of this message is “How the Word Grows in Power.”
I. REPERCUSSIONS OF JEHOSHAPHAT’S ACTIONS
A. WHAT HE DID
1. Jehoshaphat sent out Bible teachers with the Books of Moses (Gen. – Deut.). They taught throughout all Judah and outlying areas.
2. To the Kingdom of Darkness, this was a devastating assault. Where ever the Word is taught, darkness is driven back and light and liberty come.
B. 3 THINGS THAT HAPPENED
1. “The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah” Vs. 10. Respect for the Living God and for His chosen people grew throughout Palestine.
2. The nations around Judah refrained from going to war with Jehoshaphat (vs. 10). They knew they would have to contend with the Living God as well as with the army of Jehoshaphat. People ought to know that you’re a servant of God and be afraid of facing your Master!
3. Even the Philistines & Arabs brought gifts, silver, and tribute to gain the favor of God & God’s servants.
4. All this because Jehoshaphat put teaching the Word of God to those around him ‘on the front burner’ (a top priority).
C. HUMOR
1. Little Charlie was accustomed to his grandmother reading to him from the Bible whenever he visited. She showed all the red-lettered writing and said, “Those in red are the words of Jesus!”
2. One time when he was on vacation with his parents, Charlie found a Bible in the hotel room. He thumbed through it seeing only black writing and laid it on the table. “Jesus didn’t say nothing in that Bible!” he said.
II. N.T. INSTANCES OF THE WORD “GROWING”
A. CHOICE OF EMPHASIS
1. “Choose seven men from among you…. We will turn this responsibility [waiting tables] over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word. So the Word of God spread [KJV – “increased”]. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith” Acts 6:3-7.
2. This is the same scenario as the choices of Mary & Martha; “39 Mary…sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” [Martha complained.] 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:39-42.
3. If we choose to busy ourselves with earthly things & neglect the Word, we’ll suffer for it. But if we put ministry of the Word first in our lives, there will be fruit.
4. People will be saved and the influence of the Word will grow among those around us!
B. POWER GREATER THAN THE WORLD
1. “But the word of God grew and multiplied” Acts 12:24, KJV. What’s remarkable about the timing of this growth was that it was at the end of a terrible time of persecution, both by Saul of Tarsus and by Herod, who’d just put the Apostle James to death.
2. But the persecution, far from destroying the church, served to: a. Draw the believers together, b. Revealed the weakness of their enemies, c. Pressed them to greater faith & prayerfulness, and d. Gave occasion for greater manifestations of divine power. Result?
3. The word “grew” here is ‘auksano’ – to enlarge or increase. Vine’s Expository dictionary says it refers to “growth of that which lives, either naturally or spiritually.”
4. This means that the Word of God became a living entity among the people of God, growing and extending its force and life!
C. GROWTH DESPITE OPPOSITION
1. “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” Acts 19:20, KJV. The NIV says, “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”
2. Growth always displaces what previously occupied its new territory. So there’s almost always OPPOSITION to growth.
3. This happened at Ephesus. Paul was opposed, but he kept preaching the Word. Its influence grew. God began to give miracles: sicknesses were healed & demons were driven out.
4. Some copycats tried to do what Paul was doing. The demons acknowledged Jesus & Paul, but turned & attacked the pretenders.
5. This became the talk of the town. People began to fear/ respect the name of Jesus. The occult community became so convinced that they held a public bonfire and collectively burned their books on witchcraft, valued at approx. $7.5 million!
6. When strong addictions are broken and entrenched evil is rooted out, and the number of disciples is multiplied, this is all good evidence of the growth of the power of the Word in the hearts of people and in their community.
7. The life of God “prevailed,” it proved stronger than all outward forces and evils! It will in our day too!
III. WHY THE WORD OF GOD CAN GROW
A. IT IS A LIVING FORCE
1. It’s spoken of as being “alive” (Heb. 4:12). It’s described as being alive in the same manner that plants are alive.
2. Its operation begins as a seed (Mk. 4:14), but it has the potential to become the biggest plant (priority) in the world (Mk. 4:31-32).
3. Once released by God, it has a life of its own – to bring about its fulfillment. “His word runs swiftly” Ps. 147:15.
4. “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” Isa. 55:11.
B. IT’S MIGHTY IN ITS INFLUENCE
1. It has the power to become fire in the mouth of a prophet (Jer. 5:14). “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Jer. 23:29.
2. It brought a valley of dry bones back to life (Ezek. 37:7), is the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16), and is called the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17). This SAME WORD upholds the Universe (Heb. 11:3) and will outlast the it; “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” Mt. 24:35.
3. Only the Word has the power to save you & transform your life! It’s so powerful that even faulty preaching of it has saved people:
a. “Paul & his wife Silas;” “Parable of the 12 Virgins.”
b. Just a fragment of a Gospel, wrapping an item, saved a whole village!
C. ILLUSTRATION
1. A travelling Bible salesman in Sicily was held up by a bandit at gunpoint in a forest. He was ordered to start a fire and burn his books.
2. He started the fire and asked if he could read a bit from each book before he burnt it.
3. He read a bit from the 23rd Psalm out of one, then the story of the good Samaritan from another, then the Sermon on the Mount, then 1 Cor. 13.
4. Each time the robber said, "That's a good book; we won't burn that one; give it to me." Not a single Bible was burned.
5. Years later the same bandit turned up again. But now he was a minister of the gospel. [Barclay, William The Daily Study Bible: Timothy, Titus & Philemon p201.]
D. COMING UNDER ITS DOMINION
1. The Word has a sphere of power. The word “mightily” in Acts 19:20 (KJV) translates the word “kratos.”
2. Kratos is also commonly translated as “dominion” in 1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11; Jude 25; and Rev. 1:6, speaking of God’s dominion.
3. All those who are brought within the sphere of its influence/ dominion begin to experience the fulfillment of its promises.
4. Just as there is general revelation and special revelation of God, similarly, things go on naturally in this world until we come under the special revelation of God’s Word. Then the miraculous begins to operate.
5. Let’s read the Word, believe the Word, and act in faith on the Word and we’ll see the miracles of God today!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. In 1945, when American troops were on Okinawa, they came across a tiny village named Shimabuku. Thirty years previously, a missionary on his way to Japan had stopped long enough to make two converts.
2. He taught them a couple of hymns, gave them a Japanese translation of the Bible, and encouraged them to live by it.
3. The villagers patterned their lives on Jesus, adopted the Ten Commandments as their legal code, and the Sermon on the Mount as their guide to social conduct. The Bible was the main literature in school.
4. The result was that for years they'd had no jail, no brothel, no drunkenness, no divorce, and there was a high level of health and happiness. [The Village That Lived By The Bible, Clarence Hall]
B. THE CALL
1. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired of God - the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
2. Since the Bible is God’s Word, we can’t pick & choose the parts we want to believe. We must take all of it - or none of it!
3. This same Word will judge us on the Last Day. “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day” Jn. 12:48.
4. Let’s submit to it today!
