I please God to bless us together
this evening as we continue our thoughts in the Acts of the Apostles
in chapter 19. This evening we'll think on verses
8 to 12. And we'll just read them. And
he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of
three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom
of God. But when divers were hardened
and believed not, but spake even of that way before the multitude,
he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily
in the school of one Tyranus. And this continued by the space
of two years, so that all that which dwelt in Asia heard the
word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. and God wrought
special miracles by the hands of Paul so that from his body
were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons and the diseases departed
from them and the evil spirits went out of them. Well we find Paul once again
when the opportunity presented itself of going into the synagogues
a place, of course, where the Jews came together to worship. And although, of course, he wasn't
in Jerusalem, there were, no doubt, a good number of Jews
in this location, so that he was able to go amongst them and
to speak to them. And we're told here that the
Apostle, he spoke boldly for the space of three months. Now,
we know that He tells us that his speech wasn't particularly
good, but obviously the content was very important and very relevant. And so here he is in the midst
of these people and speaking boldly for the space of three
months, and that would normally be considered as every Sabbath
day when they came together for worship. The Apostle would go
there. And what did he do? And he spoke
boldly. Well, he disputed and he persuaded
the things concerning the Kingdom of God. Now, we must realize
that here was a very different scene to that which the Jews
had been accustomed to for many hundreds of years. Indeed, since
those days when the tabernacle was first erected, there was
that form of worship which had been very clearly set before
the people. they were to follow that form
and they had been continuing that and now the Apostle Paul
is really telling them to leave that to one side because now
those things which they showed forth had come to pass and therefore
he speaks disputing with them no doubt discussing those ways
which they were in the habit of following, and pointing out
they were not the right way now, and then not only disputing,
but then persuading them. And it's good to notice that
the Apostle here uses this word, well of course Luke uses it in
relation to Paul, when he says that this preaching, this boldly
considering the truth of God was persuading. He obviously
came alongside and he addressed them in that way of a persuasiveness
to, if possible, by the grace of God, to turn them to the true
God, to leave beside those things which they'd been so accustomed
to, all those ceremonies which were now done away in Christ. and therefore we're told he disputed
and persuaded the things concerning the kingdom of God. Now this
is a very comprehensive word really, the kingdom of God. It
has reference to those things which existed at that time, it
had reference to those things which were to come, those things
which are to come, when all things will be burnt up, when the Lord
returns in all his glory, and of course also it has that reference
of the Kingdom of God which is within us. And no doubt the Apostle
addressed them with regards to all those situations and pointing
out to them the importance of them. And we read in the Gospel
of Luke where in the 17th chapter, we read this, and when he was
demanding the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come,
he answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with
observation, neither shall they say lo here or lo there, for
behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Well, how important
and how wonderful it is if we do have the kingdom of God within
us, That really means it's the grace of God, that means it's
the new birth, that God has given us the new birth. And assuredly
the Apostle would have set before these Jews the great need there
was to be born again of the Spirit of God and to therefore have
this Kingdom of God within them. And no doubt also he would speak
to them about the kingdom of God which was to be preached,
the kingdom of God which was to come, and that kingdom of
God which would one day come in all its fullness. And so these
were great truths which just in a mere few words we read here,
the apostle was preaching boldly and with disputing and persuading
the things concerning the kingdom of God. It was then, as it is
today, when divers were hardened and believed not, but spake evil
of that way before the multitude. How many there are today who
hear the truth of God, but do not believe it. As we look throughout
the whole world, what hardness there is to the things of God. And of course, by nature, we're
hard. unless the Holy Spirit comes
and touches our heart, we rebel against the things of God and
we would be just like these people who were hardened and believed
not. Well, it's an amazing blessing
if the Spirit of God has granted us to receive the Word of God
into our hearts so that We are amongst those who believe, not
amongst those who believe not. The majority of mankind today
believes not. What a solemn consideration.
Well, may we bless God if we have the evidence, therefore,
of the Kingdom of God to us within us, and that we are amongst those
who truly believe the great and glorious truth of the Gospel. And of course, that must point
to the Lord Jesus Christ. and in his gracious and glorious
work of redemption. I'm sure this would have been
on the Apostle's lips as he preached Christ to these people in the
synagogue, preached what he'd done, how he'd shed his blood,
how he died for the sins of his people. they'd finished that
work when he gave up the ghost and the valley of the temple
was rent in twain from the top to the bottom what glorious truths
the apostle was able to come and to speak to them but there
were those who were hardened and believe not the great and
glorious truth of God. You know, just because we are
found in chapel, which is a good thing, it doesn't mean that we're
saved because of that. We need to know this gracious
and blessed and personal application of the work of the Spirit in
our own souls. Well, the Apostle tells us there
were those divers who were hardened and believed not, but spoke evil
of that way before the multitudes." They couldn't believe the need
to be born again. They were satisfied with their
religion and works. They would not accept the blessing
of faith, the reality of believing through faith. And so they were
hardened and they spoke evil of that way before the multitude.
And the result was he departed from them and separated the disciples,
disputing daily in the school of one Tyranus. Well, we don't
know anything more in about this man, but obviously there was
a school where it was a school to teach religion or not. We're
not told, but obviously the apostle Paul was able to go in there
and to declare the truth of God. And this continued by the space
of two years. So you had three months there,
and now you had a further two years of preaching here in Ephesus. What a wonderful thing it was.
So that they which dwelt in Asia heard the word. Those surrounding
areas to Ephesus. The word of the Lord Jesus, both
Jews and Greeks. What it was an amazing work,
wasn't it? that the Apostle was able to declare, but we see the
opposition that he faced. And it's still so today, the
devil endeavours to raise up those who would oppose the truth,
so that there are those whose hearts are hardened. Well, what
a mercy it is for us if our heart has not been hardened, but the
reverse, has been softened to believe the great and glorious
truths of the everlasting Gospel. And God greatly blessed the apostle,
not only through the preaching of the gospel, but we're told,
and God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. Special it was in those apostolic
times as a very clear proof that they were preaching the truths
of God. And there were these evidences
given to so clearly proclaim these truths. And he goes on
to say, so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs
or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits
went out of them. Well, we can imagine, can we
not, the people crowding around and taking some of the Apostle's
clothing away to people so that through that the people might
be healed. And what did it do when it demonstrated
the great power of God? It was a wonderful outward evidence
to encourage these people to believe that those things that
the Apostle was preaching were not just myths, they were not
just tales, they were the truth of the Gospel. And therefore
we're thankful that in those days there were these clear signs,
these physical signs that God was with the Apostles, indeed
with the Apostles, as they proclaimed the great and glorious truth
of the Gospel. Well, we're thankful today, are
we not, that we have these truths recorded for us in the Word of
God. When the Apostle, of course,
was preaching, there was no New Testament, or at least it was
perhaps being written, but there was not very much, and it was
really his words as he taught the people the great truths of
the gospel. What a favor it is for us today
to be able to read them in the word of God and have them spoken
to us through the preaching of the gospel. They may be a blessing
to our eternal soul. Amen.