Even Demons Know the Truth (Acts 19:11-20)

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1/17/21
Rev. Clint Smith
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Even Demons Know the Truth – Acts 19:11-20

Every miracle in the Bible demonstrated the power of God and authenticated His power through those performing the miracles. Paul was a recipient of this grace and was called to be an Apostle. Humans, angels, and demons recognized the power of God in Paul. We must be careful today to not desire a faith based on miracles but desire a mature faith based on the Word of God.

Notice God worked did extraordinary and unusual miracles by the hands of Paul. These are those same Apostolic hands that were placed on the disciples of Acts 19:6.

God revealed His great power over sickness and demons as friends and loved ones exercised their great faith in the name of Jesus Paul preached.

Paul was sent by God to be a preacher of the Gospel, which declared war against Satan.

Unbelieving traveling Jewish exorcists attempted profanely to use the name of Jesus and imitate the work of God to make money.

The rank desire for money, power and fame overcome the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. These men were not Apostles. These men did not speak on behalf of Jesus even though they used His and Paul’s name to confront evil spirits.

The sons of Sceva engaged a man with an evil spirit with intent to cast it out, but the evil spirit turned on them. The evil spirit spoke to the men and acknowledged knowing Jesus and Paul but not them.

The man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house in terror, stripped naked and wounded. Satan always brings insult and injury.

Everyone in town heard about this encounter. Everyone was afraid, but the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted.

Spiritual awakening and revival began. Believers confessed their sins and got right with God. People who practiced witchcraft and magic publicly burned their books. The books valued over 50,000 pieces of silver. One piece of silver was a day’s wage.

There was found power in the Word of God. The Kingdom of God grew mightily in Ephesus and the surrounding towns.