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Paul in Ephesus - The Books of Acts & Ephesians · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray.
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  Speaker 2: And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks
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  Speaker 2: also dwelling at Ephesus. And fear fell on them all,
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  Speaker 2: and the name of the Lord was magnified. Acts 19.17
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  Speaker 2: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I denounce and
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  Speaker 2: rebuke every evil spirit that would ever try to come
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  Speaker 2: against my life and the plans of the Lord. Through
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  Speaker 2: the Word of God, I understand and recognize that through
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  Speaker 2: the blood of Jesus, I have true power and authority
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  Speaker 2: over every dark spirit who would ever try to step
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  Speaker 2: against me. Satan, you are rendered helpless and weak because
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  Speaker 2: you are a defeated foe. Holy Spirit, will you never
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  Speaker 2: allow me to forget that in you I have complete
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  Speaker 2: power and control. Unlike the seven sons in Acts 19,
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  Speaker 2: I declare that my name is known in the gates
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  Speaker 2: of hell. I declare that demons tremble when my feet
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  Speaker 2: touch the ground. With the same tenacity as Paul in Ephesus,
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  Speaker 2: I take control over every atmosphere and declare every place
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  Speaker 2: my foot treads as holy ground, dedicated to the Lord
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  Speaker 2: Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 1: Amen.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 2: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 2: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: Paul in Ephesus In our last story, Paul established the
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  Speaker 3: Corinthian church. The wicked port city of Corinth was a
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  Speaker 3: dark and twisted place, yet the light of Jesus was
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  Speaker 3: spreading forth in power. Now we see a new church emerge.
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  Speaker 3: The church of Ephesus begins with Paul and just twelve
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  Speaker 3: men willing to connect with the people around them. They
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  Speaker 3: would soon face danger, demons, and angry mobs. However, nothing
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  Speaker 3: would prevail against the work of Jesus. inspired by the
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  Speaker 3: books of Acts and Ephesians.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of The
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  Speaker 4: Bible in a Year. In our previous time together, we
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  Speaker 4: heard how Paul journeyed to Corinth and planted the church
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  Speaker 4: in that city, even in the midst of sin and
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  Speaker 4: deplorable conditions. Debauchery, really. A Corinthian society that was corrupt.
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  Speaker 4: Paul remained in Corinth for a year and a half
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  Speaker 4: to plant the deep roots of the gospel for the church.
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  Speaker 4: that they may stay grounded in the truth. It would
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  Speaker 4: be a continual battle against a prevailing and a perverse culture.
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  Speaker 4: Today we will go with Paul to Ephesus as he
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  Speaker 4: begins yet another church after finding 12 individuals who are
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  Speaker 4: eager to receive the truth of Jesus Christ. We'll find
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  Speaker 4: Paul healing people as Jesus did, and we'll see how
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  Speaker 4: God's purposes prevail even in the midst of persecution. So
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  Speaker 4: let's listen once again to the reading of God's Word.
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  Speaker 3: The cool breeze on the Corinthian shore faded as Paul
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  Speaker 3: journeyed inland to Ephesus. He had built up a great
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  Speaker 3: team of noble men and women there, and he had
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  Speaker 3: faith that the Lord would move in that city despite
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  Speaker 3: its corruption. As he entered the city, he caught word
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  Speaker 3: that there were disciples in the city. Paul wandered through
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  Speaker 3: the streets, inquiring as to where he can find the
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  Speaker 3: followers of Jesus. He found them in a home in
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  Speaker 3: the heart of the city.' Did you receive the Holy
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  Speaker 3: Spirit when you believe?
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  Speaker 1: Paul asked.
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  Speaker 3: We have not heard of such a thing, they answered.
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  Speaker 3: So Paul spoke to them about the Spirit of God, baptism,
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  Speaker 3: and the mission of Christ. So the Holy Spirit came
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  Speaker 3: upon all twelve of the people there in Ephesus. They
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  Speaker 3: began speaking in tongues and doing mighty works in the
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  Speaker 3: name of Jesus. Paul grew close to the Ephesians, and
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  Speaker 3: together they built a community of believers. Paul and the
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  Speaker 3: Ephesian believers were in the middle of the city healing
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  Speaker 3: the sick. They would tend to wounds, pray, and watch
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  Speaker 3: the Lord do mighty works of compassion. The days were
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  Speaker 3: long and filled with purpose. For two years Paul endeavored
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  Speaker 3: in the city, so long that the Ephesians became Paul's
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  Speaker 3: adopted family. It was late, and a group of Jewish
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  Speaker 3: exorcists walked into the home of a man possessed by
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  Speaker 3: a demon. They were the seven sons of Siva. They
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  Speaker 3: stepped forward towards the demoniac. His eyes darted forward like
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  Speaker 3: a lion stalking its prey. The sons had never seen
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  Speaker 3: a glare so evil. The man's eyes looked human, but
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  Speaker 3: behind them was the spirit of the enemy. The room
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  Speaker 3: was dark, and the Jews trembled as the demoniac stood
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  Speaker 3: to his feet. One of the sons took a step
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  Speaker 3: forward and yelled, Come out of this man by the
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  Speaker 3: Jesus whom Paul preaches. There was a moment of silence,
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  Speaker 3: then a terrible laughter burst forth from the demon's belly.
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  Speaker 3: Ah yes, Jesus I know. Paul I know as well.
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  Speaker 3: But who are you? A crooked smile slid across the
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  Speaker 3: demon's face. Then, like a lion finally going in for
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  Speaker 3: the kill, the demon-possessed man leapt forward at the seven
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  Speaker 3: sons of Siva. They were no match for him. The
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  Speaker 3: demon grabbed one of them by the cloak and threw
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  Speaker 3: him onto the ground and began ripping his clothes off.
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  Speaker 3: He leapt towards the door and kept the others from escaping.
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  Speaker 3: He took the head of one son and bashed it
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  Speaker 3: against the wall. Each one of them was brutally beaten
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  Speaker 3: and wounded by the demon. Each of them barely made
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  Speaker 3: it out alive. As they ran away, naked and wounded,
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  Speaker 3: they could hear the loud belly laughs of the demon inside.
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  Speaker 3: Word spread of the demoniac's rage against the seven sons
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  Speaker 3: of Siva. Fear fell upon the entire city of Ephesus.
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  Speaker 3: Jews and Greeks alike trembled at the thought of a
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  Speaker 3: demon in their midst, so they clung to the name
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  Speaker 3: of Jesus for safety. Many in the city understood that
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  Speaker 3: there were things beyond their understanding at work, and they
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  Speaker 3: needed to cling to God for refuge and safety from
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  Speaker 3: that which would threaten their hearts. Together, they brought their idols,
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  Speaker 3: carved images, and books of pagan rituals to the fire.
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  Speaker 3: It was a symbol of their surrender to God. However,
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  Speaker 3: just like the slave girl who told fortunes, there were
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  Speaker 3: many people who profited off idol-making. A silversmith in Ephesus
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  Speaker 3: called Demetrius stewed in deep hatred towards Paul. He had
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  Speaker 3: made all his money making shrines in Artemis, but now
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  Speaker 3: they were all being destroyed. He gathered all the craftsmen
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  Speaker 3: of Ephesus together to conspire against Paul. They stormed the
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  Speaker 3: place where he was preaching, yelling, Great is Artemis of
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  Speaker 3: the Ephesians! Demetrius riled up a large crowd to cause
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  Speaker 3: confusion and woe among the church. Paul was about to
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  Speaker 3: stop them, but realized that the city of Ephesus was
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  Speaker 3: coming to their defense. Paul watched in awe as the
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  Speaker 3: fruit of his labor emerged. All the work he had
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  Speaker 3: put in preaching... Teaching and discipling was showing itself before
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  Speaker 3: his very eyes. The city was clinging to God, even
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  Speaker 3: in the midst of persecution and opposition. It would be
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  Speaker 3: the Ephesian church that would always hold a special place
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  Speaker 3: in Paul's heart.
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  Speaker 4: In today's scripture, we begin with Paul traveling to a
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  Speaker 4: new city, Ephesus. This was a place of great wealth
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  Speaker 4: and great spiritual need. It was the epicenter of the
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  Speaker 4: cult of Artemis, the goddess of fertility. People from all
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  Speaker 4: over the world came to Ephesus to pay tribute to
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  Speaker 4: Artemis at her shrine. The fact that it was a
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  Speaker 4: place of great spiritual need and a city that brought
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  Speaker 4: travelers from the world over made it also a city
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  Speaker 4: of great opportunity to spread the gospel. And Paul and
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  Speaker 4: his companions were always ready to bring the gospel of
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  Speaker 4: Jesus Christ to unreached people. Paul found in Ephesus some
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  Speaker 4: people who had heard the gospel, at least in part.
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  Speaker 4: They had eagerly accepted the call to repentance and baptism
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  Speaker 4: that John the Baptist had preached, but their transformation was
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  Speaker 4: not yet complete. So Paul shared with them the fullness
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  Speaker 4: of the gospel and the one to whom John had
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  Speaker 4: pointed others, Jesus Christ. Remember, it was John who said,
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  Speaker 4: Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes away the
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  Speaker 4: sin of the world. The Ephesians eagerly accepted these words
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  Speaker 4: and were baptized in the name of Jesus. Then as
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  Speaker 4: Paul laid hands upon them, they received the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 4: The indwelling of God's Spirit is the mark of a believer,
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  Speaker 4: a true Christian. And as they were filled with the
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  Speaker 4: Holy Spirit, they began to speak in languages and declare
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  Speaker 4: God's truth, much like the first believers at Pentecost. And
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  Speaker 4: so the Ephesian church was birthed with about 12 members.
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  Speaker 4: And from this, it would grow to be a force
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  Speaker 4: in the city to change the culture around them by
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  Speaker 4: the power of the gospel. Paul got right to work
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  Speaker 4: at Ephesus, going to the synagogue and speaking boldly for
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  Speaker 4: three months. The fact that he spoke so openly without
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  Speaker 4: persecution for three months must have been encouraging to him.
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  Speaker 4: But soon there were grumblings and anger among the Jews,
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  Speaker 4: and Paul resolved to take his message into the public square.
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  Speaker 4: Here he would reason with Greeks in the lecture hall
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  Speaker 4: of Tyrannus, sharing the word of God for two years,
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  Speaker 4: so that many Jews, as well as Gentiles, heard the truth.
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  Speaker 4: We also hear that Paul went about with great power
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  Speaker 4: to heal in the name of Jesus. This was not
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  Speaker 4: his power, but God's power. It was a sign to
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  Speaker 4: unbelievers that opened the door for him to share the
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  Speaker 4: truth about Jesus, of his cross and his resurrection. and
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  Speaker 4: the salvation that he provides to all who believe in him,
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  Speaker 4: not only then, but now. Eventually, Paul was well known
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  Speaker 4: in the city of Ephesus, so much so that even
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  Speaker 4: unbelievers tried to attach themselves to the apostle. We heard
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  Speaker 4: of seven Jewish brothers, the sons of Sceva, who tried
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  Speaker 4: to cast out demons in Paul's name. This story is
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  Speaker 4: really comical, but it's sad at the same time. These
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  Speaker 4: men did not know Jesus or follow him. They only
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  Speaker 4: sought glory and power for themselves. One day a demon
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  Speaker 4: they tried to cast out made it clear. He knew
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  Speaker 4: Jesus and feared Jesus and he feared Paul, but not
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  Speaker 4: these men. They had no power and the beating they
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  Speaker 4: received from the demon-possessed man made this clear. It's a
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  Speaker 4: powerful reminder that power comes not from any human being
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  Speaker 4: or in any human name, even that of the Apostle Paul.
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  Speaker 4: Power comes from God himself and in the name of
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  Speaker 4: the Savior who changes lives. When word got out about this,
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  Speaker 4: it was a tremendous witness for Christ and many began
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  Speaker 4: to call on the name of the Lord and become saved.
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  Speaker 4: And from that, a small group of 12 or so men,
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  Speaker 4: God began to establish the church at Ephesus. And it
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  Speaker 4: changed the city. They impacted their entire region. Look what
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  Speaker 4: it says in Acts 19, verses 18 and 19. I
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  Speaker 4: just love this. Many of those who believed now came
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  Speaker 4: and openly confessed what they had done. A number who
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  Speaker 4: had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.
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  Speaker 4: A genuine encounter with Jesus cannot help but transform our
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  Speaker 4: lives and change us from the inside out. We now
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  Speaker 4: find our identity in Christ, and we can change the
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  Speaker 4: world around us. We close today's reading hearing how a
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  Speaker 4: riot broke out with both Greeks and Jews opposing the
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  Speaker 4: message of Christ, stirring up trouble, and trying to draw
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  Speaker 4: Paul into a fight. But the disciples and even some
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  Speaker 4: government officials who were friends of Paul kept him from
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  Speaker 4: getting into the chaos. God was protecting the church from danger,
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  Speaker 4: and soon the riot dissipated with no harm coming to
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  Speaker 4: Paul or the other Christians. But the battle was far
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  Speaker 4: from over. There would still be persecution, opposition, and threats
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  Speaker 4: and intimidation to God's work in Ephesus. Later, Paul would
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  Speaker 4: write to his fellow Christians at Ephesus, reminding them of
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  Speaker 4: this spiritual battle, for which they would need the full
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  Speaker 4: armor of God to be able to withstand the attacks
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  Speaker 4: of the enemy. It is an armor that all Christians
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  Speaker 4: possess and we must put on each day with faith.
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  Speaker 4: We can win our spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. Dear God,
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  Speaker 4: thank you for the Word of God and how it
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  Speaker 4: reminds you of the power of Jesus to change lives.
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  Speaker 4: We remember that we face spiritual battles every day and
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  Speaker 4: therefore we armor up. We arm ourselves with the truth
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  Speaker 4: of your Word and protect ourselves with the Word of
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  Speaker 4: God and the testimony of Jesus. in whose name we pray.
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  Speaker 5: Amen.
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  Speaker 4: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 4: This is Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. I want to
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  Speaker 4: encourage you to download the Pray.com app and make prayer
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  Speaker 4: and Bible study discipleship a priority in your life. Put
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  Speaker 4: Jesus first in your life and watch what He can
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  Speaker 4: do when you give your life to Him. If you
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  Speaker 4: enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love because
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  Speaker 4: by Inviting others to join us on this journey through
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  Speaker 4: the Bible, many will meet the Lord and experience His
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  Speaker 4: power in their lives. God bless you.
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  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
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  Speaker 1: for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: Hello.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Hello.
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  Speaker 5: I'm Dr. Tony Evans, and I'm excited to have you
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  Speaker 5: join me on this new podcast, Heroes in the Bible.
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  Speaker 5: Come to me, boy.
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  Speaker 3: You and your God will crumble beneath my feet.
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  Speaker 1: He beckoned the giant and said, I come to you
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  Speaker 1: in the name of the Lord of hosts and creator
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  Speaker 1: of the stars.
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  Speaker 5: You know, we all have giants that we face in
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  Speaker 5: our life. And when you understand that the greatness of
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  Speaker 5: God affects our ability to handle the giants of life,
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  Speaker 5: it will encourage, inspire, and challenge all of us to
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  Speaker 5: our faith in God and our growth in Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Look past his height and appearance, Samuel, for man sees
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  Speaker 1: the outward appearance. They see the strength of the man's arms.
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  Speaker 1: but the Lord looks into the heart.
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  Speaker 5: Listen to Heroes in the Bible with Dr. Tony Evans
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  Speaker 5: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
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  Speaker 5: your podcasts.