Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3518
“Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed.” Acts 19:19,20.
IT should be very encouraging to us to hear of the triumphs of the Gospel in the olden times. It is not only a matter of interest as to history, but it is a matter of practical consolation for the present day, for the Gospel is just the same today as it was 1,800 years ago! If we preach the Gospel at all, it is the very same Gospel which Paul delivered. We may not have all of Paul’s gifts, or all of Apollo’s eloquence, but for all practical matters, the same preaching is with us that was with Paul—and we may, therefore, expect to see the same results! It may be imagined, however, that perhaps the population may have changed in character, but, believe me, it is not so. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was not intended for one century or two, but for all time. After all, men’s hearts have not altered. The population of London is not at all unlike that of Ephesus. They may dress very differently and their language is not the same, and their customs may outwardly differ, but as in water, face answers to face, so the heart of man to man! One man’s heart is like another man’s, and the sinners of 1,800 years ago are very much like the sinners of today. If a man should come into London with the same Gospel with which Paul went into Ephesus, he has a Gospel adapted to London as assuredly as the Gospel was adapted to Ephesus. More than that, we have the same spirit resting upon the Gospel, now, as then! The power which rendered the Gospel saving in the olden times was not Paul’s logic, or Apollo’s eloquence—the saving power lay in the Holy Spirit accompanying the Divine Truth. Now the Spirit of God is not straitened. He is Divine. His arm is not shortened that He cannot save. He is just as able to make the Word of God the power of God unto salvation, today, as He was then! Yes, and I bless His name, He is doing it! He has been doing it lately in Madagascar, as an instance in far-off lands, and we have seen Him do it in our very midst. We have known and conversed with multitudes who have been turned from darkness to light, from the slavery of Satan into the liberty of Christ by the power of the Gospel which Paul preached, which we, also, preach! When Paul and his two or three companions came into Ephesus, they were not one whit different from two or three Christians going into any city in the world with the view of evangelizing it! Of course, they had the gift of miracles, but we have other appliances which they had not. We have books which we can scatter far and wide—and we have an amount of religious liberty in almost every place which they did not possess. I do not think they stood on any vantage ground beyond ourselves, or, if they did, we can reach that same vantage ground—and we may expect that the God of Paul will work in London and elsewhere as he worked at Ephesus—if we know how to be as obedient to His Divine will and as earnest in our service to Him, as was that mighty Apostle of the Gentiles!
Our text suggests to me to speak to you upon three matters. The first is—it is said the Word of God grew, so we will begin by noticing that in Ephesus the Word of God was planted. It could not have grown if it had not been planted. Secondly the Word of God grew—we will watch it. And then there was the Word of God prevailing over sin, for it made men burn their foolish books of magic. To begin then—
I. The Word of God Was Planted
It is interesting to notice how it was planted in Ephesus. I read to you all about it and you noticed that when Paul first came there, there were a few persons that received him gladly. I suppose the Apostle went down into the Jews’ quarter, for in all these cities there was a Jews’ quarter, and he began to enquire a little and look about him—and he soon
found there were some followers of John the Baptist there—about twelve. So he began with them. They were prepared ground, well plowed, ready for the Seed—so he instructed them a little further in the faith and they believed in the Lord Jesus. And they were baptized and became the nucleus, the first 12 with which to form a Christian Church. Go, servant of Christ, go where God sends you! There are some prepared of God to receive you. In the most barren country there are some pieces of soil that, like oases, are abundantly fertile! In any company of the most depraved of men there are some hearts made willing by God who will receive the Gospel at once! We must never think if God sends us upon what looks like hard ground, that it is as hard as it looks! It is our unbelief that is hard. If we conquer that, we shall be surprised to find that God has cleared the way for us and, perhaps, where we looked to find no friend, there shall be a chosen 12 who will be glad to receive us! I speak to you who go about serving Christ—I beseech you to be of good courage, for your Lord has prepared some and made them ready for you! I feel tonight, when I preach the Gospel, that there are some who will hear it and say, “Ah, that suits me! I am guilty and I need a Savior.” They have heard the Baptist preach of repentance, but they do not know yet what simple faith in Jesus is, and I am hoping that when they hear, tonight, that there is life in one look at the Crucified Savior, and that whoever trusts in Jesus will be saved, they will accept the good news with great gladness and will soon be numbered among the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. God grant it may be so!