POWER OF GOD’S WORD FOR IMPACT (8)

“Then the WORD of GOD spread, and the number of the disciples MULTIPLIED GREATLY in Jerusalem” – Acts 6:7a

There is a multiplication dimension to the POWER of GOD’S WORD for IMPACT: “Then the WORD of GOD spread, and the number of the disciples MULTIPLIED GREATLY in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). God has a passion, principles, strategies, and mandate for multiplication. Based on the Law of the “Seed,” all living things in the natural world, from the minutest cell to the largest creatures, are inherently empowered by God’s Word, to multiply. 

The apostles committed themselves “continually to PRAYER and to the MINISTRY of the WORD” (v.4). Multiplication followed! The passage illustrates how the spreading of God’s Word leads to multiplication and a significant increase in the number of faithful and obedient disciples. The Word of God is not just a message to be heard, but a Force of Impact that can produce tangible, value-added, and value-multiplied results, fostering growth, increase, and multiplication in diverse aspects of life.

The “multiplication dimension” of the Power of God’s Word, refers to its ability to cause growth, bringing fruitfulness, increase, and abundance. From the beginning, God’s Word had commanded and empowered Man for multiplication: “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, BE FRUITFUL and MULTIPLY, fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen.1:28a). Here, the foundational principle of multiplication was established, to the effect that God’s blessing results in fruitfulness, increase, and multiplication.

The Power of God’s Word spoken through Elijah multiplied the last meal of the Widow of Zarephath and sustained her and her son through the famine in Israel: “...The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the WORD of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah” (1 Kgs.17: 9-16).

By the Power of God’s Word through faith and obedience, Elisha used a small amount of bread to feed a hundred men: “...So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the WORD of the LORD” (2 Kgs.4:42-44).

Our Lord Jesus Christ miraculously fed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and pieces of fish, demonstrating the supernatural Power of God’s Word to multiply even the most limited resources (Mt.14: 13-21; Mk.6: 31-44; Lk.9: 12-17).

In all these instances of multiplication by the Power of the Word, the common denominators are Obedience to His Word, Faith and Prayer, Sacrificial Giving, and Faithful Stewardship. Faithful Obedience to God’s commands is a major catalyst for experiencing multiplication. Also, seeking God’s blessings through Prayer and Faith can unlock the multiplying Power of His Word. Giving generously, sharing sacrificially, and being faithful stewards of resources are sure routes to divine multiplication.