“In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” (Acts 19:20)

If you throw a rock into a pond you will see concentric circles ripple outward from the entry point of the rock. The rock would actually touch very little surface area of the pond, but a large surface area would be moved by the outward moving ripples. On a grander scale we have seen the ripple effect tsunamis have caused. Thousands of miles away shores have been touched by the surge of energy caused by the tsunami. A similar effect takes place when God’s powerful Word is shared by its believers. Paul spent 2-3 years in Ephesus, and through him and other believers, God’s Word spread like wildfire. Luke describes the growth this way: “The word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Now one thing is uniquely different between the ripple effect made by a force of nature like a tsunami and the ripple effect of the spread of the Gospel. A tsunami begins with a tremendous amount of energy in the very beginning, but it gradually loses energy and force and fades away. Not so with the Word of God. God’s Word does not follow any laws of physics. It doesn’t gradually lose steam. It actually has the ability to gain momentum as God’s people believe it and share it with others.

Given the fact that it’s all about the Word of God and its inherent power, how about if we get busy spreading it and letting it do its work? There is only one thing that can slow or inhibit the movement of God’s Word, and that’s us. We can get in the way when we refuse to believe in the power of God’s Word. We can also get in the way when we refuse to share the message of the Gospel. It’s time for God’s people to believe in the power of the Word that has made them reborn and transformed their lives. It is time that we, like Paul and the believers in the time of the early church, let that power flow through us to the world around us as we allow it to flow through our lives and our lips.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church