1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,576 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, 2 00:00:03,688 --> 00:00:06,584 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,672 --> 00:00:09,672 My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,696 --> 00:00:10,760 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,616 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,648 --> 00:00:16,300 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:17,576 Now, come along. 8 00:00:17,648 --> 00:00:21,700 Let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today. 9 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,820 If you have your Bibles, we'll be in Acts 8, 18. 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,420 Acts 18. 11 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,888 And we've been studying the Book of Acts now for. 12 00:00:32,944 --> 00:00:37,640 For a long time, and I hope that this has been a beneficial study 13 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:38,168 for you. 14 00:00:38,224 --> 00:00:41,784 When you look at what it means to be part of the church, what it 15 00:00:41,792 --> 00:00:42,904 really means to be the church. 16 00:00:42,952 --> 00:00:44,600 By the way, you are the church. 17 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:46,424 You're not just part of the church. 18 00:00:46,552 --> 00:00:51,112 The Bible says, biblically speaking, that you are the church. 19 00:00:51,176 --> 00:00:58,318 Not this building, not a program, not even just one person 20 00:00:58,374 --> 00:00:59,150 that's preaching. 21 00:00:59,230 --> 00:00:59,534 It's. 22 00:00:59,582 --> 00:01:02,462 It's the people that make up the body of believers that are the 23 00:01:02,486 --> 00:01:02,734 church. 24 00:01:02,782 --> 00:01:05,310 And so we've been studying the Book of Acts, and we've been looking 25 00:01:05,350 --> 00:01:07,886 at that acronym, Authentic Church through Scripture. 26 00:01:07,918 --> 00:01:11,982 And so we've been, for the last really few months, we've been 27 00:01:12,006 --> 00:01:14,750 tracking Paul and his missionary travels. 28 00:01:14,910 --> 00:01:18,884 And so here this week, we're going to be seeing the end of Paul's 29 00:01:18,932 --> 00:01:23,412 second missionary journey and the beginning of his third. 30 00:01:23,516 --> 00:01:25,892 And we're going to try to cover as much as we can here this 31 00:01:25,916 --> 00:01:26,532 evening. 32 00:01:26,676 --> 00:01:29,652 So Paul's second missionary journey is going to end. 33 00:01:29,836 --> 00:01:32,356 He's going to go back to his home church. 34 00:01:32,468 --> 00:01:36,084 And then we don't know how long of a stay he had there at his 35 00:01:36,092 --> 00:01:36,516 home church. 36 00:01:36,548 --> 00:01:40,292 But the text really reads as it's a pretty quick turnaround, and 37 00:01:40,316 --> 00:01:43,880 he goes right back out for his third missionary journey. 38 00:01:44,310 --> 00:01:48,910 So if you remember where he was at, where we left off last week, 39 00:01:49,030 --> 00:01:50,910 he's in a place called Corinth. 40 00:01:50,990 --> 00:01:54,894 Very appropriate because we were studying Second Corinthians 41 00:01:54,942 --> 00:01:55,678 on Sunday mornings. 42 00:01:55,694 --> 00:01:58,350 And so we can kind of tie those two things together. 43 00:01:58,470 --> 00:02:01,214 But if you remember, Paul comes to this place of Corinth. 44 00:02:01,342 --> 00:02:02,702 It's a place of. 45 00:02:02,806 --> 00:02:05,342 Of empty of morality. 46 00:02:05,486 --> 00:02:08,430 It's heathen, it's pagan. 47 00:02:08,590 --> 00:02:08,974 It's. 48 00:02:09,022 --> 00:02:09,509 It's temporary. 49 00:02:09,539 --> 00:02:09,873 Terrible. 50 00:02:09,921 --> 00:02:13,473 And so Paul is there and he's around a bunch of moral depravity, 51 00:02:13,521 --> 00:02:15,109 but he preaches the gospel. 52 00:02:15,689 --> 00:02:19,217 And as he preaches the gospel, the power of God changes the lives 53 00:02:19,273 --> 00:02:20,145 of these individuals. 54 00:02:20,177 --> 00:02:24,801 They hear the gospel, the gospel makes sense to them in their 55 00:02:24,825 --> 00:02:25,105 minds. 56 00:02:25,137 --> 00:02:25,649 And so they. 57 00:02:25,689 --> 00:02:27,873 They believe and they trust, and they're changed. 58 00:02:27,921 --> 00:02:28,869 Now some reject. 59 00:02:29,369 --> 00:02:32,257 But the Bible teaches us that we don't make that decision on who's 60 00:02:32,273 --> 00:02:33,601 going to receive or who's going to reject. 61 00:02:33,665 --> 00:02:35,033 We just preach the Gospel. 62 00:02:35,201 --> 00:02:38,474 And then we know that the Jews there were upset about Paul preaching. 63 00:02:38,522 --> 00:02:40,250 So they bring him before the leader there. 64 00:02:40,370 --> 00:02:43,178 And ultimately that backfires on them. 65 00:02:43,314 --> 00:02:48,394 But in that whole process, God reassures Paul that he is going to 66 00:02:48,402 --> 00:02:49,450 take care of them there in. 67 00:02:49,490 --> 00:02:50,170 In Corinth. 68 00:02:50,250 --> 00:02:53,962 And so if you go back to verse number eight in Acts 18 says, Then 69 00:02:53,986 --> 00:02:57,354 spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, be not afraid, 70 00:02:57,402 --> 00:02:59,034 but speak and hold not thy peace. 71 00:02:59,082 --> 00:03:04,562 And so he says, paul, you might feel the draw to be afraid. 72 00:03:04,626 --> 00:03:07,282 You might feel the desire to be quiet. 73 00:03:07,346 --> 00:03:09,234 But he says, do the opposite, all right? 74 00:03:09,322 --> 00:03:11,570 Don't be afraid and speak so. 75 00:03:11,610 --> 00:03:13,666 So the way to combat fear is obedience. 76 00:03:13,778 --> 00:03:16,418 And obedience at that point was to speak the truth. 77 00:03:16,514 --> 00:03:17,538 Don't hold your peace. 78 00:03:17,634 --> 00:03:18,354 Verse 10. 79 00:03:18,442 --> 00:03:19,474 For I am with thee. 80 00:03:19,522 --> 00:03:22,818 So God reminds him that there is power there in the message. 81 00:03:22,834 --> 00:03:25,026 And the power is because of the presence of God. 82 00:03:25,058 --> 00:03:26,070 I'm with thee. 83 00:03:26,420 --> 00:03:26,828 And. 84 00:03:26,884 --> 00:03:29,676 And he goes on to say, therefore I'm with thee. 85 00:03:29,708 --> 00:03:31,676 And no man shall set on thee to hurt thee. 86 00:03:31,708 --> 00:03:33,884 Meaning there will be people that come against you, but none of 87 00:03:33,892 --> 00:03:35,020 them are going to be able to stop you. 88 00:03:35,060 --> 00:03:37,756 None of them are going to be able to hurt you and stop the message 89 00:03:37,788 --> 00:03:38,332 of the gospel. 90 00:03:38,396 --> 00:03:38,908 He says, I. 91 00:03:38,964 --> 00:03:40,700 I have much people in this city. 92 00:03:40,820 --> 00:03:44,200 And that meant that God had a plan for many people to come to Christ. 93 00:03:44,500 --> 00:03:48,444 And so remember that verse when we talk about the end of Paul's 94 00:03:48,492 --> 00:03:50,812 trip here and what happens in Corinth. 95 00:03:50,876 --> 00:03:54,200 So jump ahead with me to verse number 18. 96 00:03:54,580 --> 00:03:55,564 Verse number 18. 97 00:03:55,652 --> 00:03:57,132 This is where we left off last week. 98 00:03:57,156 --> 00:03:59,036 It says, and Paul after this. 99 00:03:59,108 --> 00:03:59,884 After what? 100 00:03:59,972 --> 00:04:02,908 This is when the Jews brought him before the. 101 00:04:02,964 --> 00:04:05,068 The guy, the leader there, Galio. 102 00:04:05,164 --> 00:04:07,788 And basically he said, hey, there's nothing wrong with him. 103 00:04:07,844 --> 00:04:11,340 And then they actually, the Greeks, the Gentiles, turned against 104 00:04:11,380 --> 00:04:11,932 the Jews. 105 00:04:11,996 --> 00:04:15,548 And so after all this, Paul Terry there yet a good while, meaning 106 00:04:15,564 --> 00:04:18,802 he stayed there in Corinth, which was interesting because in 107 00:04:18,826 --> 00:04:21,070 most places Paul was chased out. 108 00:04:21,370 --> 00:04:24,066 Here in Corinth, he had the freedom to stay and to preach. 109 00:04:24,098 --> 00:04:25,730 And that was God's working there. 110 00:04:25,770 --> 00:04:26,914 That was God's plan. 111 00:04:27,082 --> 00:04:31,906 So God's plan was that Paul would invest into this city of Corinth. 112 00:04:32,018 --> 00:04:35,970 And so it says, after this, he tarried there yet a good while and 113 00:04:36,010 --> 00:04:37,842 then took his leave of the brethren. 114 00:04:37,906 --> 00:04:42,498 So eventually God moves him on and he sailed fence into Syria and 115 00:04:42,554 --> 00:04:47,188 with him, Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in 116 00:04:47,324 --> 00:04:49,844 Centria, for he had a vow. 117 00:04:49,892 --> 00:04:52,372 Now, we're not going to talk about that vow here right now, but 118 00:04:52,396 --> 00:04:55,156 what we're going to talk about is his relationship to Priscilla 119 00:04:55,188 --> 00:04:56,200 and Aquila. 120 00:04:56,540 --> 00:05:00,452 Priscilla and Aquila, this married couple, were partners in 121 00:05:00,476 --> 00:05:01,764 the ministry with Paul. 122 00:05:01,892 --> 00:05:04,980 So much to say that they go with Paul, they leave Corinth, and 123 00:05:05,020 --> 00:05:05,956 they travel with Paul. 124 00:05:05,988 --> 00:05:08,132 And we're going to see that Paul leaves them in a place called 125 00:05:08,156 --> 00:05:08,868 Ephesus. 126 00:05:08,964 --> 00:05:11,414 And there's a purpose for them being in Ephesus. 127 00:05:11,612 --> 00:05:11,970 But. 128 00:05:12,010 --> 00:05:14,722 But I want to stop there and I want to look at the character of 129 00:05:14,746 --> 00:05:20,418 Aquila and Priscilla and who they were, what they did, and. 130 00:05:20,474 --> 00:05:24,310 And how we as a church need more Aquilas and Priscillas. 131 00:05:24,650 --> 00:05:27,794 We need more individuals that are there to support. 132 00:05:27,882 --> 00:05:31,922 We need more individuals that are there to have hospitality. 133 00:05:31,986 --> 00:05:36,322 We need more individuals that are there to edify, to teach. 134 00:05:36,466 --> 00:05:39,288 And that's really what I think sometimes is. 135 00:05:39,344 --> 00:05:43,976 Is lacking within churches in America is that there's so many people, 136 00:05:44,048 --> 00:05:46,088 but yet everyone's detached. 137 00:05:46,264 --> 00:05:47,592 That's their problem. 138 00:05:47,776 --> 00:05:49,128 This is my problem. 139 00:05:49,264 --> 00:05:52,328 Aquila, Priscilla, are going to invest in the lives of many people, 140 00:05:52,464 --> 00:05:54,952 specifically a guy named Apollos that we're going to talk 141 00:05:54,976 --> 00:05:56,520 about here in this chapter in. 142 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:57,544 In a few moments. 143 00:05:57,672 --> 00:05:58,008 So. 144 00:05:58,064 --> 00:06:02,856 So Paul sees the benefit of Priscilla and Aquila, and so he takes 145 00:06:02,888 --> 00:06:04,238 them with him. 146 00:06:04,374 --> 00:06:08,302 And so Paul develops a deep friendship and we would even say 147 00:06:08,326 --> 00:06:12,222 a partnership with this couple that he decided to say, hey, come 148 00:06:12,246 --> 00:06:12,782 along with me. 149 00:06:12,806 --> 00:06:13,726 And they agreed. 150 00:06:13,838 --> 00:06:16,126 And so they headed east with him. 151 00:06:16,278 --> 00:06:17,870 And so Paul stays. 152 00:06:18,030 --> 00:06:19,342 God moves him on. 153 00:06:19,446 --> 00:06:21,038 He takes Priscilla and Aquila. 154 00:06:21,054 --> 00:06:26,702 And then it says, having shorn his head in Centria, for he had a 155 00:06:26,726 --> 00:06:26,926 vow. 156 00:06:26,958 --> 00:06:27,966 Now, what is this? 157 00:06:28,038 --> 00:06:31,376 Well, we don't know specifically, but the vow was most 158 00:06:31,448 --> 00:06:35,820 likely a Nazarite vow that we see in Numbers, chapter six. 159 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,832 Usually this vow was taken for a certain period of time, and when 160 00:06:40,856 --> 00:06:44,688 it was completed, the hair which was growing during that time 161 00:06:44,824 --> 00:06:49,744 would be cut off and offered to the Lord as a ceremony of sacrifice 162 00:06:49,792 --> 00:06:51,232 in the temple in Jerusalem. 163 00:06:51,296 --> 00:06:56,064 So this shows that Paul had not separated himself completely 164 00:06:56,112 --> 00:06:57,200 from Jewish tradition. 165 00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:00,416 Even though he wasn't trusting in the Jewish tradition to save him, 166 00:07:00,568 --> 00:07:04,112 he took this Nazarite vow to commit himself to the Lord. 167 00:07:04,176 --> 00:07:09,024 So the purpose of this vow for the Nazarite was to express consecration 168 00:07:09,152 --> 00:07:14,816 to God and abstaining from certain things, if you remember Samson, 169 00:07:14,928 --> 00:07:19,920 to abstain from anything of the grapevine, to not cut one's hair 170 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,928 and to not come near and to touch a dead body. 171 00:07:23,064 --> 00:07:26,500 And that would be done to separate himself for the specific 172 00:07:26,810 --> 00:07:28,770 work of God in his life for that time. 173 00:07:28,810 --> 00:07:33,954 And so Paul's vow here shows that he wasn't opposed to Jewish 174 00:07:34,082 --> 00:07:34,790 ways. 175 00:07:35,770 --> 00:07:38,866 He wasn't anti Jewish, so to speak, even though one might argue 176 00:07:38,898 --> 00:07:40,610 that because the Jews are against him. 177 00:07:40,730 --> 00:07:44,002 But what we do know is that ultimately he preaches Christ above 178 00:07:44,146 --> 00:07:45,218 the tradition. 179 00:07:45,394 --> 00:07:49,042 And so Paul does this out of worship, Paul does this out of commitment. 180 00:07:49,106 --> 00:07:51,794 Paul does this out of fellowship with the Lord. 181 00:07:51,842 --> 00:07:53,916 So, so we'll talk a little bit more about that as we go along. 182 00:07:53,988 --> 00:07:55,468 So he leaves verse 19. 183 00:07:55,524 --> 00:07:57,132 And he came to Ephesus. 184 00:07:57,276 --> 00:08:02,396 Ephesus is a very important place when it comes to scripture 185 00:08:02,588 --> 00:08:04,892 as, as we know, even culture back then. 186 00:08:04,996 --> 00:08:08,044 If you know anything about the book of Ephesians, that is the letter 187 00:08:08,092 --> 00:08:09,516 that was written to the church at Ephesus. 188 00:08:09,548 --> 00:08:13,132 And so Paul comes to Ephesus and who does he leave there? 189 00:08:13,156 --> 00:08:15,244 He leaves Aquila and Priscilla there for a purpose. 190 00:08:15,292 --> 00:08:16,812 And we're going to see what that purpose was. 191 00:08:16,916 --> 00:08:19,152 Even though they might not have completed completely seen that 192 00:08:19,176 --> 00:08:20,608 purpose at this very moment. 193 00:08:20,704 --> 00:08:24,864 We're going to see that Aquila and Priscilla were there to exhort 194 00:08:24,992 --> 00:08:28,704 and to encourage and to edify a guy named Apollos who's going to 195 00:08:28,712 --> 00:08:31,280 be coming on the scene here in, in a few verses. 196 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,184 So they stay in Ephesus. 197 00:08:33,232 --> 00:08:34,300 So remember that. 198 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,064 But he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the 199 00:08:38,072 --> 00:08:38,336 Jews. 200 00:08:38,368 --> 00:08:40,640 And so that's Paul's character, right? 201 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:44,128 We, we know Paul, we know Paul is going to go into the synagogue 202 00:08:44,144 --> 00:08:45,700 and he's going to reason with the Jews. 203 00:08:46,020 --> 00:08:50,252 Even though he was a minister to the Gentiles, even though we know 204 00:08:50,356 --> 00:08:53,468 that he got upset with the Jews for rejecting the Gospel, he 205 00:08:53,524 --> 00:08:54,668 still had a heart for his people. 206 00:08:54,724 --> 00:08:57,628 If you doubt that, read the book of Romans. 207 00:08:57,804 --> 00:08:59,836 Paul still loved his people. 208 00:08:59,908 --> 00:09:03,676 Paul would do anything for the Jewish people to come to the Lord. 209 00:09:03,788 --> 00:09:05,900 And so he has a heart for the Jewish people there. 210 00:09:05,940 --> 00:09:08,908 And he reasons with the Jews and that that word reason really 211 00:09:08,964 --> 00:09:12,284 just means that he tries to take them and show them the truth 212 00:09:12,332 --> 00:09:15,982 of Christ, shows them the truth of the gospel, verse 20. 213 00:09:16,086 --> 00:09:19,582 And when they desired him to tarry longer time with them, so they 214 00:09:19,606 --> 00:09:22,810 want him to stay, they say, hey, Paul, we need you here. 215 00:09:23,270 --> 00:09:24,126 This is interesting. 216 00:09:24,158 --> 00:09:25,530 He consented not. 217 00:09:26,470 --> 00:09:29,822 You know, if you look at Paul's life and you track his ministry, 218 00:09:29,886 --> 00:09:33,166 it kind of seems strange because in some places he stays, 219 00:09:33,278 --> 00:09:34,846 in other times he leaves. 220 00:09:34,958 --> 00:09:36,238 In some Places he. 221 00:09:36,294 --> 00:09:40,056 He takes persecution in other places, he flees persecution. 222 00:09:40,198 --> 00:09:41,108 And you would say, so. 223 00:09:41,164 --> 00:09:41,956 So what's different? 224 00:09:42,028 --> 00:09:46,228 Well, because Paul understands that he has to follow God's will. 225 00:09:46,284 --> 00:09:47,844 He has to follow God's way. 226 00:09:47,932 --> 00:09:50,148 He has to understand God's timing. 227 00:09:50,244 --> 00:09:54,932 If you remember, Paul had a desire to go to Asia and preach the 228 00:09:54,956 --> 00:09:55,284 Gospel. 229 00:09:55,332 --> 00:09:59,236 What happened back a few chapters ago, Acts 16, God closed 230 00:09:59,268 --> 00:10:00,020 that door. 231 00:10:00,180 --> 00:10:02,132 Paul probably didn't understand that at that point. 232 00:10:02,156 --> 00:10:04,980 But God has a plan and a purpose for Paul to go and to move. 233 00:10:05,020 --> 00:10:05,682 And so there's. 234 00:10:05,696 --> 00:10:07,070 There is a time for us to move on. 235 00:10:07,110 --> 00:10:09,166 There's a time for us to close the door. 236 00:10:09,198 --> 00:10:10,830 There's a time for us to. 237 00:10:10,870 --> 00:10:11,822 To not stay. 238 00:10:11,926 --> 00:10:14,750 But here, in this case, we see that he can sense not why, because 239 00:10:14,790 --> 00:10:16,782 he has a purpose and he has a place to go. 240 00:10:16,806 --> 00:10:17,850 Verse 21. 241 00:10:18,150 --> 00:10:21,934 He bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast 242 00:10:21,982 --> 00:10:23,246 that cometh into Jerusalem. 243 00:10:23,278 --> 00:10:25,246 So this is tied to that vow that he had. 244 00:10:25,318 --> 00:10:28,238 He needed to get back to Jerusalem in a specific time frame. 245 00:10:28,334 --> 00:10:31,070 So he says, I need to get back to Jerusalem, but I will return again 246 00:10:31,110 --> 00:10:33,050 unto you if God will. 247 00:10:33,350 --> 00:10:34,638 And I like how he says that. 248 00:10:34,694 --> 00:10:35,758 He basically says, I. 249 00:10:35,814 --> 00:10:36,686 I will return. 250 00:10:36,758 --> 00:10:38,510 My desire is to return to you. 251 00:10:38,550 --> 00:10:39,742 If God wills this. 252 00:10:39,846 --> 00:10:40,526 He's learned. 253 00:10:40,558 --> 00:10:44,798 He's basically said, I want to, but I don't know if it's God's 254 00:10:44,814 --> 00:10:45,182 will yet. 255 00:10:45,206 --> 00:10:46,750 But if it is God's will, I will be back. 256 00:10:46,790 --> 00:10:48,110 I've tried to learn that in my life. 257 00:10:48,150 --> 00:10:49,982 When I tell people, hey, I'll be there. 258 00:10:50,166 --> 00:10:51,166 God willing. 259 00:10:51,278 --> 00:10:52,366 Lord willing, right. 260 00:10:52,518 --> 00:10:54,330 Because sometimes it's out of our control. 261 00:10:54,710 --> 00:10:56,318 And so what we learn from this. 262 00:10:56,374 --> 00:10:58,398 I know that's such a small little cliche. 263 00:10:58,414 --> 00:10:59,406 It's a Christian cliche. 264 00:10:59,438 --> 00:11:00,608 Everyone says, lord willing. 265 00:11:00,624 --> 00:11:03,408 But it's important, I think theologically it's important to understand 266 00:11:03,464 --> 00:11:08,272 that we can make our plans and we can have desires, but God can 267 00:11:08,296 --> 00:11:09,632 change those very quickly. 268 00:11:09,776 --> 00:11:12,096 And so it's understanding, hey, you know what? 269 00:11:12,168 --> 00:11:15,120 My heart is for the people here in Ephesus. 270 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,504 My heart is for the people here at Middletown. 271 00:11:17,632 --> 00:11:20,176 My heart is for this or my heart is for this ministry. 272 00:11:20,208 --> 00:11:22,192 And if God wills it, I will do it. 273 00:11:22,216 --> 00:11:23,824 But if he doesn't, I understand. 274 00:11:23,992 --> 00:11:26,218 And I'm willing to have my course corrected. 275 00:11:26,344 --> 00:11:28,534 I'm willing to go through that detour. 276 00:11:28,662 --> 00:11:30,822 And that's exactly what Paul is telling us here. 277 00:11:30,846 --> 00:11:32,918 So he says, I will be back if God will. 278 00:11:32,974 --> 00:11:34,118 And he sailed from Ephesus. 279 00:11:34,134 --> 00:11:34,806 So he leaves. 280 00:11:34,838 --> 00:11:35,606 He leaves Ephesus. 281 00:11:35,638 --> 00:11:37,446 He says, but if I can, I will be back. 282 00:11:37,598 --> 00:11:38,870 And I think that's important to see. 283 00:11:38,910 --> 00:11:42,950 So, so Paul wanted to preach in Ephesus two years earlier, but 284 00:11:42,990 --> 00:11:44,758 was prevented by the Holy spirit. 285 00:11:44,854 --> 00:11:46,050 Acts chapter 16. 286 00:11:46,430 --> 00:11:49,734 Now the Holy Spirit gives him opportunity, gives him liberty to 287 00:11:49,742 --> 00:11:50,678 preach in this city. 288 00:11:50,734 --> 00:11:53,090 And we're going to see that there are great results. 289 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,776 And I think that the lesson that we can learn here is that God 290 00:11:56,888 --> 00:12:00,504 has a special timing for everything in our lives, in our ministries, 291 00:12:00,632 --> 00:12:03,832 in our personal lives, in our spiritual lives. 292 00:12:03,936 --> 00:12:07,112 And so if we could really think about it from the perspective 293 00:12:07,176 --> 00:12:12,872 of God, even though we don't know his plans, if God changes our 294 00:12:12,896 --> 00:12:14,248 path, it's the right path. 295 00:12:14,344 --> 00:12:16,776 And I know that's sometimes hard for us to understand. 296 00:12:16,928 --> 00:12:19,112 It's hard for me to understand, right, because I'm a 297 00:12:19,136 --> 00:12:19,464 planner. 298 00:12:19,512 --> 00:12:21,544 I, I don't know if any of you guys like to know what's going to 299 00:12:21,552 --> 00:12:24,340 happen tomorrow, in the next week, in five years and 10 years. 300 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:29,688 I did, believe it or not, when we moved to Delaware, prior actually 301 00:12:29,744 --> 00:12:30,744 to moving to Delaware. 302 00:12:30,792 --> 00:12:34,456 I had a five year plan and I had a ten year plan and I had written 303 00:12:34,488 --> 00:12:36,584 those out and I have those on file. 304 00:12:36,632 --> 00:12:39,912 And I go back to it sometimes to get a good laugh because I think 305 00:12:39,936 --> 00:12:43,160 about what I have planned and I'm like, this is not what I have 306 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:43,496 planned. 307 00:12:43,528 --> 00:12:45,468 This is not what I was expecting. 308 00:12:45,624 --> 00:12:48,804 Now there are certain things that do cover, you know, cover over. 309 00:12:48,972 --> 00:12:51,812 But the truth is, is that we all have a desire to do something 310 00:12:51,836 --> 00:12:53,924 for the Lord, but sometimes it's not God's plan that we do it 311 00:12:53,932 --> 00:12:55,600 in the way that we want it to be done. 312 00:12:56,220 --> 00:12:59,556 And so Paul is going to have a chance there in Ephesus. 313 00:12:59,588 --> 00:13:02,484 It wasn't the time before, but now it's God's time and we're going 314 00:13:02,492 --> 00:13:04,372 to see that there is more work to be done. 315 00:13:04,476 --> 00:13:07,880 And so he leaves Aquila and Priscilla to stay in Ephesus. 316 00:13:09,100 --> 00:13:11,476 And we're going to see that there's something good happening 317 00:13:11,508 --> 00:13:12,036 in Ephesus. 318 00:13:12,068 --> 00:13:14,988 And Paul, Paul wanted to continue that with his trusted friends. 319 00:13:15,044 --> 00:13:19,116 He wanted to leave that work in Ephesus with people that he trusted. 320 00:13:19,228 --> 00:13:22,412 And I think it's important to understand that we need the right 321 00:13:22,436 --> 00:13:23,880 people in the right areas. 322 00:13:24,660 --> 00:13:27,340 There are certain people that are cut out for specific jobs within 323 00:13:27,380 --> 00:13:31,244 the church and we need to utilize them for that specific reason. 324 00:13:31,332 --> 00:13:34,268 And, and he knew that Aquila and Priscilla would be great there 325 00:13:34,404 --> 00:13:37,372 and maybe not specifically knowing exactly how that would all 326 00:13:37,396 --> 00:13:41,340 play out, but we know that this was God's plan for them to stay 327 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,900 and so he leaves and we're gonna see that he heads. 328 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:46,528 He continues on. 329 00:13:46,584 --> 00:13:48,220 So let's look at verse 22. 330 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,528 And when he had landed at Caesarea and gotten up and saluted 331 00:13:52,544 --> 00:13:54,580 the church, he went down to Antioch. 332 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,060 So he lands in Caesarea. 333 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,640 And then he goes up, he greets the church and. 334 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:03,584 And when it says that Paul had gone up and greeted the church, it 335 00:14:03,592 --> 00:14:06,010 means that he went up to, to Jerusalem. 336 00:14:06,750 --> 00:14:09,606 If you've never been to Jerusalem, you won't understand this, 337 00:14:09,678 --> 00:14:11,222 but I can explain it to you. 338 00:14:11,326 --> 00:14:13,318 Jerusalem is up in elevation. 339 00:14:13,414 --> 00:14:16,214 So sometimes people go, well, there's a contradiction, right? 340 00:14:16,302 --> 00:14:18,086 They're going up, but Jerusalem's down. 341 00:14:18,158 --> 00:14:21,206 Well, it means that they're going up in elevation to Jerusalem, 342 00:14:21,238 --> 00:14:22,454 to the church there. 343 00:14:22,542 --> 00:14:26,118 So if you're going to Israel, one day you will know that when you're 344 00:14:26,134 --> 00:14:27,206 going into Jerusalem, it's. 345 00:14:27,238 --> 00:14:29,094 It's up, it's an elevation, it's on the mountain. 346 00:14:29,142 --> 00:14:30,988 And so it's important to notice that. 347 00:14:31,094 --> 00:14:33,392 So when it says that he went up and greeted the church, it means 348 00:14:33,416 --> 00:14:36,784 that he went up to Jerusalem to fulfill his Nazarite vow in the 349 00:14:36,792 --> 00:14:41,056 temple to greet the church, to, to try to give them some type 350 00:14:41,088 --> 00:14:42,288 of encouragement. 351 00:14:42,384 --> 00:14:45,232 He says there saluted the church, but then he went down to 352 00:14:45,256 --> 00:14:45,792 Antioch. 353 00:14:45,856 --> 00:14:49,056 Now why is it important that he leaves Jerusalem and goes to Antioch? 354 00:14:49,088 --> 00:14:51,984 Well, Paul's returning to his home church in Syrian Antioch. 355 00:14:52,032 --> 00:14:52,400 That's. 356 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,256 That's his home church, Syrian Antioch. 357 00:14:54,288 --> 00:14:55,632 That's where he was launched from. 358 00:14:55,736 --> 00:14:58,130 And I think that it's important that he goes back there. 359 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,678 And so they, they must have been pleased to have Paul returned 360 00:15:01,694 --> 00:15:04,510 to tell them what's been going on here for the past three years. 361 00:15:04,550 --> 00:15:10,334 And so he goes to Jerusalem, and then he goes down to Antioch 362 00:15:10,462 --> 00:15:12,638 and goes back to his home church. 363 00:15:12,814 --> 00:15:14,654 And then we see verse 23. 364 00:15:14,742 --> 00:15:18,958 And after he had spent some time there, I love how that's just 365 00:15:19,014 --> 00:15:19,550 skims over. 366 00:15:19,590 --> 00:15:20,350 Spent some time there. 367 00:15:20,390 --> 00:15:21,726 Who knows how long it was. 368 00:15:21,878 --> 00:15:25,232 Probably, if you do the math, I'm sure scholars could go and get 369 00:15:25,256 --> 00:15:27,280 a basic understanding of how long that was. 370 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:32,064 But he departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia 371 00:15:32,112 --> 00:15:34,704 in order, strengthening all the disciples. 372 00:15:34,752 --> 00:15:40,100 And so he is now going to go out into his third missionary journey. 373 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:45,184 And we see that he has a goal in this missionary journey, not necessarily 374 00:15:45,232 --> 00:15:46,464 to start new churches. 375 00:15:46,512 --> 00:15:48,272 There is a time and a place for that. 376 00:15:48,376 --> 00:15:51,178 There's been a time and a place to find new converts. 377 00:15:51,304 --> 00:15:54,950 But in this case, his goal was to go back through the churches that 378 00:15:54,990 --> 00:15:59,450 he had already seen Planted and strengthen the disciples. 379 00:15:59,950 --> 00:16:01,690 Strengthening the disciples. 380 00:16:02,510 --> 00:16:06,774 And so I think that this is important to see because Paul's passion 381 00:16:06,902 --> 00:16:09,010 was not just getting people. 382 00:16:09,790 --> 00:16:11,126 It was not just con. 383 00:16:11,198 --> 00:16:12,230 Seeing converts. 384 00:16:12,310 --> 00:16:13,702 I mean, that, that is important. 385 00:16:13,886 --> 00:16:16,710 There, There are people that come through our churches that are 386 00:16:16,750 --> 00:16:21,282 gifted in evangelism and, and their mission is to see souls come 387 00:16:21,306 --> 00:16:23,570 to Christ only and, and move on. 388 00:16:23,690 --> 00:16:25,186 And that is an important ministry. 389 00:16:25,218 --> 00:16:27,350 There are people that are gifted in that ministry. 390 00:16:27,690 --> 00:16:29,954 And I believe Paul was a great evangelist. 391 00:16:30,002 --> 00:16:34,834 But we see that Paul had a heart for discipleship, strengthening 392 00:16:34,882 --> 00:16:35,986 the disciples. 393 00:16:36,178 --> 00:16:41,602 And so Paul's passion was not just making converts, but he had 394 00:16:41,626 --> 00:16:43,888 a passion for building disciples. 395 00:16:44,074 --> 00:16:45,972 And it's evident through his ministry. 396 00:16:46,036 --> 00:16:47,796 And this work was important to Paul. 397 00:16:47,828 --> 00:16:51,236 And that's why he's going to dedicate this trip to strengthening 398 00:16:51,348 --> 00:16:52,084 the disciples. 399 00:16:52,132 --> 00:16:53,924 Now, what does it mean to strengthen a disciple? 400 00:16:53,972 --> 00:16:54,852 What is a disciple? 401 00:16:54,916 --> 00:16:56,612 I guess we should answer that first. 402 00:16:56,716 --> 00:17:00,320 A disciple is a committed follower of Christ. 403 00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:05,240 That word disciple in and of itself literally means learner. 404 00:17:05,740 --> 00:17:07,880 So I'm going to learn of somebody. 405 00:17:08,220 --> 00:17:13,044 Now we know that Paul was adamantly against people being disciples 406 00:17:13,092 --> 00:17:14,342 of other preachers. 407 00:17:14,476 --> 00:17:18,706 We know that Paul says, don't be of me, don't be of Peter, don't 408 00:17:18,738 --> 00:17:21,170 be of Apollos, be of Christ. 409 00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:25,106 And so we see that there are individuals here that they convert. 410 00:17:25,218 --> 00:17:27,830 They, they, they're transformed, they're saved. 411 00:19:20,850 --> 00:19:22,408 I need that discipleship. 412 00:19:22,514 --> 00:19:24,012 You need that discipleship. 413 00:19:24,156 --> 00:19:27,660 Basically every Christian in this world needs that edification, 414 00:19:27,740 --> 00:19:29,708 that building up, that exhortation. 415 00:19:29,804 --> 00:19:33,260 And so Paul says, hey, I need to go strengthen these disciples. 416 00:19:33,420 --> 00:19:40,652 And so if Paul were to visit our congregation here, I don't think 417 00:19:40,676 --> 00:19:43,960 Paul would say, hey, how many ministries do you have? 418 00:19:45,140 --> 00:19:48,178 I don't think Paul would come and say, hey, you know what? 419 00:19:48,284 --> 00:19:50,742 How many outreach opportunities are you having this 420 00:19:50,766 --> 00:19:50,950 year? 421 00:19:50,990 --> 00:19:51,494 How many. 422 00:19:51,582 --> 00:19:53,814 How much money do you have in your bank account? 423 00:19:53,982 --> 00:19:55,382 How much property do you have? 424 00:19:55,406 --> 00:19:57,238 I don't think those are the questions that Paul would ask. 425 00:19:57,294 --> 00:19:59,430 If you look at his, his. 426 00:19:59,550 --> 00:20:03,010 His ministry that he would ask is, how many disciples do you have? 427 00:20:04,110 --> 00:20:04,582 How many. 428 00:20:04,606 --> 00:20:04,838 How. 429 00:20:04,894 --> 00:20:06,630 How many people are teaching now? 430 00:20:06,750 --> 00:20:09,350 How many people are on the meat and off of the milk? 431 00:20:09,430 --> 00:20:11,622 How many people are serving? 432 00:20:11,686 --> 00:20:14,806 How many people are now the ones that are. 433 00:20:14,878 --> 00:20:16,570 Ones that are being the doers? 434 00:20:17,390 --> 00:20:19,606 What are you doing to strengthen your walk with Jesus? 435 00:20:19,638 --> 00:20:21,046 Your walk with Jesus Christ? 436 00:20:21,198 --> 00:20:23,574 He would remind us all that it isn't. 437 00:20:23,622 --> 00:20:25,814 That it isn't enough beginning. 438 00:20:25,942 --> 00:20:28,710 That's good to have a strong beginning, but we need to. 439 00:20:28,750 --> 00:20:33,014 But we need to be able to in our grace, grow in our knowledge 440 00:20:33,062 --> 00:20:36,022 of Christ, and that's that process of strengthening. 441 00:20:36,086 --> 00:20:36,886 So let's. 442 00:20:36,918 --> 00:20:42,010 Let's pause looking at Paul and let's look at us, okay? 443 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:43,808 What can we learn from this? 444 00:20:43,864 --> 00:20:45,872 What we can learn from this is that, hey, you know what? 445 00:20:45,896 --> 00:20:47,056 This is a wonderful church. 446 00:20:47,088 --> 00:20:48,176 I'm thankful for this church. 447 00:20:48,208 --> 00:20:51,456 I'm thankful for the folks that comprise this church. 448 00:20:51,648 --> 00:20:54,752 But we cannot say that we have arrived. 449 00:20:54,896 --> 00:20:58,672 We all must be willing to be strengthened in the truth. 450 00:20:58,816 --> 00:21:02,432 We all must be willing to either be the ones who are exhorting. 451 00:21:02,576 --> 00:21:05,120 Now, again, we have to remember what that word exhort means. 452 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,426 I've said this many times recently, and, and sometimes a word 453 00:21:08,458 --> 00:21:12,218 that we don't use frequently can sometimes just become noise. 454 00:21:12,394 --> 00:21:16,346 Exhortation means coming alongside of somebody and challenging 455 00:21:16,378 --> 00:21:17,498 them in the truth. 456 00:21:17,674 --> 00:21:20,394 Okay, so what does that look like practically? 457 00:21:20,522 --> 00:21:22,750 Hey, I'm gonna read through a book of the Bible. 458 00:21:23,650 --> 00:21:26,410 How about you read through that with me and let's talk about 459 00:21:26,450 --> 00:21:26,602 it. 460 00:21:26,626 --> 00:21:30,618 Let's meet once a week and just go over the reading. 461 00:21:30,794 --> 00:21:32,058 That's exhortation. 462 00:21:32,154 --> 00:21:32,458 I. 463 00:21:32,514 --> 00:21:33,002 I could do this. 464 00:21:33,026 --> 00:21:34,042 I could say, micah, come here. 465 00:21:34,066 --> 00:21:34,990 Come here, son. 466 00:21:35,390 --> 00:21:37,894 Micah, read your Bible, okay? 467 00:21:38,022 --> 00:21:38,646 Read your Bible. 468 00:21:38,678 --> 00:21:42,214 I want you to read all of the book of John, okay? 469 00:21:42,262 --> 00:21:47,590 And you come back and he could go read the book of John and might 470 00:21:47,630 --> 00:21:48,630 get something from it. 471 00:21:48,750 --> 00:21:51,302 Or I can say, hey, Micah, let's read through the book together. 472 00:21:51,406 --> 00:21:52,118 Okay, so. 473 00:21:52,174 --> 00:21:52,934 So let's open it up. 474 00:21:52,942 --> 00:21:54,998 And I want you to read verse one through five. 475 00:21:55,054 --> 00:21:57,286 And I want you to see what kind of question, what kind of questions 476 00:21:57,318 --> 00:21:58,694 do you have in these five verses? 477 00:21:58,822 --> 00:22:00,578 And he might say, well, I don't know what is. 478 00:22:00,654 --> 00:22:03,306 When it says, in the beginning was the word, what's this talking 479 00:22:03,338 --> 00:22:03,482 about? 480 00:22:03,506 --> 00:22:05,450 I might need to sit with him for. 481 00:22:05,570 --> 00:22:06,618 For two weeks. 482 00:22:06,674 --> 00:22:09,450 And what that word, word means, right? 483 00:22:09,490 --> 00:22:11,562 And explain to him that's talking about Jesus. 484 00:22:11,706 --> 00:22:13,658 And it's that exhortation process. 485 00:22:13,794 --> 00:22:15,386 And so it's coming alongside. 486 00:22:15,498 --> 00:22:18,442 If I sit here behind him and say, go, go, go, go, or if I come 487 00:22:18,466 --> 00:22:20,602 alongside of him and say, son, here's what we need to do. 488 00:22:20,626 --> 00:22:21,562 We need to go do that. 489 00:22:21,666 --> 00:22:24,058 And so that's the picture of exhortation. 490 00:22:24,154 --> 00:22:26,394 It's coming alongside of someone and saying, I'm willing to 491 00:22:26,402 --> 00:22:29,342 go through this with you so that you can be strengthened. 492 00:22:29,406 --> 00:22:30,590 And that's what Paul is doing. 493 00:22:30,630 --> 00:22:36,290 This in this case, he reminds us all that we all need strengthening. 494 00:22:36,630 --> 00:22:40,494 And so I think that's a lesson for us to learn within our churches 495 00:22:40,542 --> 00:22:44,718 today, is not just to assume that when someone gets up here and 496 00:22:44,774 --> 00:22:48,046 gets baptized, or when someone gets up here and gives a testimony, 497 00:22:48,158 --> 00:22:52,094 or when someone actually has this great spiritual success in their 498 00:22:52,102 --> 00:22:54,890 life that we just assume that everything's okay in their life. 499 00:22:55,380 --> 00:22:58,220 Just because someone gets up and teaches, just because someone 500 00:22:58,260 --> 00:23:00,892 gets up and proclaims that everything's good in their life, 501 00:23:00,916 --> 00:23:03,080 that doesn't mean that that's how it's always going to be. 502 00:23:03,540 --> 00:23:06,172 And, and, and the truth is, is that what we have to do is we have 503 00:23:06,196 --> 00:23:08,668 to stay on track with the goal. 504 00:23:08,764 --> 00:23:10,684 We have to stay on track with the purpose. 505 00:23:10,732 --> 00:23:14,060 And that's what Paul did there when he went to strengthen those 506 00:23:14,100 --> 00:23:14,604 disciples. 507 00:23:14,652 --> 00:23:15,148 Okay? 508 00:23:15,244 --> 00:23:16,764 So now we're going to shift gears. 509 00:23:16,892 --> 00:23:21,968 Okay, so Paul's on his third missionary tour, and he's strengthening. 510 00:23:22,064 --> 00:23:23,860 He's strengthening the disciples. 511 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:26,880 So then verse 24. 512 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:28,672 And a certain Jew named Apollos. 513 00:23:28,736 --> 00:23:31,920 And so it's kind of like in a movie when you have the focus on 514 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,088 one person and then all of a sudden it shifts to a new character. 515 00:23:35,184 --> 00:23:35,584 Okay? 516 00:23:35,632 --> 00:23:39,232 Now it's kind of shifting our focus to this new guy named Apollos. 517 00:23:39,296 --> 00:23:42,176 And so we're going to see a little bit of a biography of Apollos, 518 00:23:42,288 --> 00:23:42,848 okay? 519 00:23:42,944 --> 00:23:46,284 We're going to see a little bit of a background on who he is 520 00:23:46,392 --> 00:23:47,588 and what he's all about. 521 00:23:47,724 --> 00:23:50,116 And so it says a certain Jew named Apollos. 522 00:23:50,148 --> 00:23:51,396 So we know one thing about Apollos. 523 00:23:51,428 --> 00:23:53,240 He's a Jew, okay? 524 00:23:54,220 --> 00:23:56,100 Born at Alexandria. 525 00:23:56,180 --> 00:23:57,620 So we see where he's from. 526 00:23:57,740 --> 00:24:00,148 So he's a Jew from Alexandria. 527 00:24:00,324 --> 00:24:03,200 And we see that he's an eloquent man. 528 00:24:03,740 --> 00:24:04,676 Eloquent man. 529 00:24:04,748 --> 00:24:06,004 Very interesting here. 530 00:24:06,172 --> 00:24:09,844 And then it says mighty in the Scriptures, meaning he knows the 531 00:24:09,852 --> 00:24:10,260 Scriptures. 532 00:24:10,340 --> 00:24:11,880 He's strong in the Scriptures. 533 00:24:13,270 --> 00:24:14,590 He came to Ephesus. 534 00:24:14,670 --> 00:24:19,262 Now we see that possibly God led him to Ephesus, or he just went 535 00:24:19,286 --> 00:24:21,518 to Ephesus, but he's there at Ephesus. 536 00:24:21,614 --> 00:24:23,678 Remember where Ephesus is? 537 00:24:23,734 --> 00:24:24,558 Remember who's there? 538 00:24:24,614 --> 00:24:26,574 Quilla and Priscilla and a bunch of other Christians. 539 00:24:26,622 --> 00:24:27,822 Okay, so he's there. 540 00:24:27,926 --> 00:24:28,670 Verse 25. 541 00:24:28,710 --> 00:24:31,534 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord. 542 00:24:31,582 --> 00:24:36,622 So he's been taught in the ways of God and being fervent in 543 00:24:36,646 --> 00:24:37,572 the Spirit. 544 00:24:37,766 --> 00:24:39,544 I love that phrase, fervent in the Spirit. 545 00:24:39,592 --> 00:24:42,340 We see that same phrase used in Romans, chapter 12. 546 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:46,008 Fervent in the spirit means literally in the Greek, it means 547 00:24:46,064 --> 00:24:46,940 boiling. 548 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:49,032 His spirit was boiling. 549 00:24:49,096 --> 00:24:53,180 Or you could say it this way, he was on fire for God. 550 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:53,880 So. 551 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,940 So Apollos was taught in the word. 552 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:58,904 He was eloquent. 553 00:24:58,952 --> 00:25:02,264 So that means he was taught how to speak publicly opposite of 554 00:25:02,272 --> 00:25:02,552 Paul. 555 00:25:02,616 --> 00:25:04,340 Remember, Paul didn't speak well. 556 00:25:04,910 --> 00:25:06,518 Apollo spoke well. 557 00:25:06,654 --> 00:25:09,926 And again, it doesn't mean that anyone who speaks eloquently 558 00:25:09,958 --> 00:25:10,502 is wrong. 559 00:25:10,566 --> 00:25:14,166 It just means that that's not the only category of someone who's 560 00:25:14,198 --> 00:25:14,950 speaking the truth. 561 00:25:15,030 --> 00:25:17,090 But anyway, Apollo speaks well. 562 00:25:17,870 --> 00:25:20,134 And then it says he was fervent in the spirit. 563 00:25:20,262 --> 00:25:23,350 He spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord. 564 00:25:23,430 --> 00:25:27,974 So he diligently preached and taught the things of God. 565 00:25:28,102 --> 00:25:31,038 But then we see there's an interesting caveat here. 566 00:25:31,214 --> 00:25:33,690 Knowing only the baptism of John. 567 00:25:34,470 --> 00:25:40,814 So we know that Apollos's education was limited in the concept 568 00:25:40,862 --> 00:25:43,902 that he knew about what John was preaching. 569 00:25:43,966 --> 00:25:45,454 If you remember what he's talking about. 570 00:25:45,462 --> 00:25:48,370 John the Baptist, Remember what John the Baptist was preaching. 571 00:25:48,710 --> 00:25:51,358 Repent and believe because the Messiah is at hand. 572 00:25:51,414 --> 00:25:55,246 And even John the Baptist said, look, behold the Lamb of God, 573 00:25:55,278 --> 00:25:56,828 which takes away the sin of the world. 574 00:25:56,974 --> 00:26:00,192 And so what we know is that Apollos would have known to repent 575 00:26:00,256 --> 00:26:01,600 because the Messiah was coming. 576 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,864 We know that Apollos believed that Jesus was Messiah. 577 00:26:04,992 --> 00:26:08,656 But some scholars believe that maybe Apollos had a limited understanding 578 00:26:08,688 --> 00:26:12,464 of the complete work of Jesus Christ, or at least understanding 579 00:26:12,512 --> 00:26:16,448 every nuance of that, that maybe Paul understood by his direct 580 00:26:16,504 --> 00:26:17,088 learning from. 581 00:26:17,144 --> 00:26:17,952 From the Lord. 582 00:26:18,096 --> 00:26:21,264 So it says, knowing only the baptism of John, and he began to 583 00:26:21,272 --> 00:26:22,656 speak boldly in the synagogue. 584 00:26:22,688 --> 00:26:23,888 So he's doing the right thing. 585 00:26:24,024 --> 00:26:25,620 He's proclaiming the truth. 586 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:30,240 Whom, when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, so they hear 587 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:31,300 his preaching. 588 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:34,336 Remember, they're in Ephesus, they've been taught by Paul. 589 00:26:34,448 --> 00:26:36,192 They actually ministered to Paul. 590 00:26:36,256 --> 00:26:37,584 And so they're Paul's partners. 591 00:26:37,632 --> 00:26:38,768 They know how Paul would minister. 592 00:26:38,824 --> 00:26:39,824 They know the truth. 593 00:26:39,952 --> 00:26:46,208 When they heard, they took him unto them and expounded unto him 594 00:26:46,264 --> 00:26:50,590 the way of God more perfectly, more, more completely. 595 00:26:51,650 --> 00:26:53,130 So what do we have going on here? 596 00:26:53,170 --> 00:26:55,082 Because this could be kind of confusing. 597 00:26:55,226 --> 00:26:57,002 I thought Apollos was doing the right thing. 598 00:26:57,026 --> 00:26:59,610 And now Aquila and Priscilla are going to come alongside of him. 599 00:26:59,730 --> 00:27:03,290 It's what we were talking about in the concept of discipleship. 600 00:27:03,450 --> 00:27:04,362 And so let's go back. 601 00:27:04,386 --> 00:27:05,626 Apollos was eloquent. 602 00:27:05,738 --> 00:27:07,434 Apollos knew the scriptures. 603 00:27:07,562 --> 00:27:09,450 He was instructed in the ways of God. 604 00:27:09,530 --> 00:27:10,922 He was fervent in the spirit. 605 00:27:10,986 --> 00:27:11,370 He was. 606 00:27:11,410 --> 00:27:13,834 He was bubbling over with enthusiasm. 607 00:27:13,962 --> 00:27:17,162 And Apollos spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord. 608 00:27:17,226 --> 00:27:19,712 Everything that he knew, he brought forth accurately. 609 00:27:19,906 --> 00:27:25,060 And so it seems like Apollos was a missionary who wanted to come 610 00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:27,252 to Ephesus to preach the truth of God. 611 00:27:27,396 --> 00:27:30,516 But we know that he only understood the baptism of John. 612 00:27:30,588 --> 00:27:34,340 So So we again see the reputation of John goes farther than 613 00:27:34,380 --> 00:27:35,748 maybe we would even expect. 614 00:27:35,884 --> 00:27:37,748 It went farther than just the Jews. 615 00:27:37,844 --> 00:27:41,028 It went as far as Alexandria because that's where Apollos is from. 616 00:27:41,084 --> 00:27:44,516 And so because Apollos knew of the work of John the Baptist, it's 617 00:27:44,548 --> 00:27:47,766 likely that he preached the Messiah, that of Jesus. 618 00:27:47,798 --> 00:27:48,038 He. 619 00:27:48,094 --> 00:27:49,654 He preached that Jesus had come. 620 00:27:49,742 --> 00:27:52,806 He preached that they must repent, they must respond to Jesus. 621 00:27:52,918 --> 00:27:57,126 But maybe he wasn't preaching the full work of the person of Jesus 622 00:27:57,158 --> 00:27:58,330 Christ properly. 623 00:27:58,670 --> 00:28:00,694 And so what could have happened here? 624 00:28:00,782 --> 00:28:03,622 Well, he was speaking boldly in the synagogue. 625 00:28:03,766 --> 00:28:07,558 And so Apollos didn't know everything, but he. 626 00:28:07,614 --> 00:28:10,790 He knew enough to teach accurately and with bold passion. 627 00:28:10,950 --> 00:28:12,966 He preached in the synagogue. 628 00:28:12,998 --> 00:28:15,180 And Aquila and Priscilla hear him now. 629 00:28:15,220 --> 00:28:16,604 What could Aquila and Priscilla do? 630 00:28:16,612 --> 00:28:17,548 They could have done many things. 631 00:28:17,604 --> 00:28:20,880 They could have condemned Apollos and called him a false teacher. 632 00:28:22,020 --> 00:28:25,132 They could have gotten everyone there in Ephesus. 633 00:28:25,196 --> 00:28:26,284 Don't listen to Apollos. 634 00:28:26,332 --> 00:28:27,468 Apollos is a false teacher. 635 00:28:27,484 --> 00:28:29,260 He's not preaching completely the message. 636 00:28:29,340 --> 00:28:29,628 No. 637 00:28:29,684 --> 00:28:30,252 What do they do? 638 00:28:30,276 --> 00:28:34,012 They do the right thing by pulling him aside and discipling 639 00:28:34,076 --> 00:28:40,726 him, exhorting him, expounding unto him the way of God more perfectly. 640 00:28:40,918 --> 00:28:44,022 We need more Aquas and Priscillas when it comes to people 641 00:28:44,206 --> 00:28:45,030 in the church. 642 00:28:45,110 --> 00:28:45,590 Why? 643 00:28:45,710 --> 00:28:48,422 Because we see Apollos having passion for God. 644 00:28:48,566 --> 00:28:50,550 We see someone on fire for God. 645 00:28:50,630 --> 00:28:53,318 We see him wanting to preach the Gospel, preaching everything 646 00:28:53,374 --> 00:28:54,710 that he knows about the truth. 647 00:28:54,790 --> 00:28:57,170 But he might have been off just in one area. 648 00:28:58,110 --> 00:29:00,998 What happens here is that they take him aside and they say, hey, 649 00:29:01,014 --> 00:29:04,572 we want to teach you more completely the truths of God. 650 00:29:04,766 --> 00:29:07,072 This is what we need to do with people in our church that are 651 00:29:07,096 --> 00:29:08,080 excited for the Lord. 652 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,500 Don't squash their excitement for God. 653 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:11,824 I've been there. 654 00:29:11,912 --> 00:29:14,544 I've been the one that hears someone teaching and going, oh man, 655 00:29:14,632 --> 00:29:16,336 they're getting in a bad place. 656 00:29:16,488 --> 00:29:18,496 They never teach again in our church. 657 00:29:18,608 --> 00:29:22,032 But the truth is that, hey, if they have a passion to teach, they 658 00:29:22,056 --> 00:29:25,632 have a desire to honor God, we take them and we say, hey, look, 659 00:29:25,736 --> 00:29:27,824 here's some things that you might need to reconsider when it 660 00:29:27,832 --> 00:29:28,976 comes to what you're teaching. 661 00:29:29,088 --> 00:29:32,082 Here's what the scriptures say, here's what we understand it 662 00:29:32,106 --> 00:29:32,690 to be. 663 00:29:32,810 --> 00:29:35,714 And we disciple people that are excited for the Lord. 664 00:29:35,762 --> 00:29:37,550 That's exactly what we see here. 665 00:29:37,850 --> 00:29:42,002 And so they come alongside of him and they do something valuable 666 00:29:42,066 --> 00:29:42,946 for the kingdom. 667 00:29:43,058 --> 00:29:47,618 They help someone who had passion for God and. 668 00:29:47,674 --> 00:29:49,710 And some power in serving him. 669 00:29:50,570 --> 00:29:54,354 But maybe limited knowledge come to a place of more effective 670 00:29:54,402 --> 00:29:54,802 ministry. 671 00:29:54,866 --> 00:29:58,712 By teaching him and encouraging him and discipling him 672 00:29:58,736 --> 00:29:59,480 in the truth. 673 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,648 And so we see that Aquila and Priscilla had a heart for teaching 674 00:30:02,664 --> 00:30:04,520 and discipleship, just as Paul did. 675 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,672 And Apollos needed that discipleship to be able to do the 676 00:30:07,696 --> 00:30:09,860 things that God had wanted him to do. 677 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:13,880 Um, so look at verse number 27. 678 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,136 We'll, we'll finish these two verses and then we'll kind of conclude 679 00:30:16,168 --> 00:30:16,264 it. 680 00:30:16,272 --> 00:30:19,800 Here it says in verse 27, and when he was disposed to pass into 681 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,696 Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive 682 00:30:22,728 --> 00:30:22,872 him. 683 00:30:22,896 --> 00:30:26,222 Meaning he, he got, he has some credibility. 684 00:30:26,286 --> 00:30:29,758 He, he got the backing of the brethren when, when he was come, 685 00:30:29,814 --> 00:30:34,254 helped them much with much which had believed through grace. 686 00:30:34,382 --> 00:30:37,982 For he mightily convinced the Jews and that publicly showing by 687 00:30:38,006 --> 00:30:40,810 the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. 688 00:30:41,590 --> 00:30:44,970 And, and, and so Aquila and Priscilla helped him. 689 00:30:45,270 --> 00:30:49,592 Um, so with the instruction from Aquila and Priscilla and the 690 00:30:49,616 --> 00:30:54,312 letters of reference from the church in Ephesus, Apollos served 691 00:30:54,376 --> 00:30:57,768 in the greater area, especially among the Jews. 692 00:30:57,864 --> 00:31:02,680 And so from his teaching from Aquila and Priscilla, from the power 693 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,624 of God already on his life, from the passion of God in his life, 694 00:31:05,712 --> 00:31:08,968 and from the letter of recommendation from Ephesus, he went 695 00:31:09,024 --> 00:31:12,056 out and reached people in the region of Achaia, that's the broader 696 00:31:12,088 --> 00:31:13,060 region there. 697 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,392 And so he was effective because Priscilla and Aquila were 698 00:31:16,416 --> 00:31:18,116 willing to invest into his life. 699 00:31:18,208 --> 00:31:20,572 Who knows what would have happened with Apollos later on if 700 00:31:20,596 --> 00:31:24,572 he didn't get that help there at the early start of his ministry. 701 00:31:24,716 --> 00:31:27,948 And so when Apollos went into that region, the broader region, 702 00:31:28,004 --> 00:31:31,760 it probably means that he went to the city of Corinth. 703 00:31:33,300 --> 00:31:36,716 The reason why we know that is Paul wrote in First Corinthians about 704 00:31:36,788 --> 00:31:39,212 the remarkable ministry that was there. 705 00:31:39,316 --> 00:31:43,554 And we even know that Apollos is mentioned in First Corinthians. 706 00:31:43,732 --> 00:31:49,766 Um, and actually, believe it or not, the Corinthians, Paul condemned 707 00:31:49,798 --> 00:31:51,894 the Corinthians for keeping their eyes on Apollos. 708 00:31:51,942 --> 00:31:55,462 If you go to First Corinthians, chapter one, I think 709 00:31:55,486 --> 00:32:01,110 this is important to tie together not that, not I don't believe 710 00:32:01,150 --> 00:32:03,046 that Apollos was a false teacher. 711 00:32:03,158 --> 00:32:06,006 I think that the people in Corinth had their eyes on a good 712 00:32:06,078 --> 00:32:06,726 preacher. 713 00:32:06,838 --> 00:32:07,638 And that can happen. 714 00:32:07,694 --> 00:32:10,432 Like someone could get up and preach the truth, and someone can 715 00:32:10,456 --> 00:32:13,920 get up and present the Gospel clearly and properly, and people 716 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,896 can put their eyes on a person instead of the message. 717 00:32:17,008 --> 00:32:20,112 And so in First Corinthians chapter 1, verse 12, it says, now 718 00:32:20,136 --> 00:32:23,072 this I say that every one of you saith I am a Paul, and I have 719 00:32:23,096 --> 00:32:25,120 Apollos, and I have Cephas. 720 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,360 And he goes, and I of Christ. 721 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:29,900 And so I think it's important to see that. 722 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:32,832 That he goes on to say, is Christ divided? 723 00:32:32,896 --> 00:32:36,800 Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 724 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:37,072 I. 725 00:32:37,096 --> 00:32:39,872 I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius. 726 00:32:39,936 --> 00:32:41,520 And so he goes on to say something of. 727 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:42,464 Of this nature. 728 00:32:42,592 --> 00:32:44,000 Don't keep your eyes on me. 729 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:45,728 Don't keep your eyes on Apollos. 730 00:32:45,824 --> 00:32:48,128 Don't keep your eyes on anybody except for Christ. 731 00:32:48,184 --> 00:32:49,856 Christ is the one that died for you. 732 00:32:50,008 --> 00:32:53,776 And so if you go back to that understanding of who Apollos is, 733 00:32:53,848 --> 00:32:57,248 Apollos was not a false teacher, but people were willing 734 00:32:57,344 --> 00:33:00,736 and, and ready to keep their eyes on him instead of the message 735 00:33:00,768 --> 00:33:03,664 of the gospel, probably because of his eloquent speech, probably 736 00:33:03,712 --> 00:33:08,420 because of his powerful nature of bringing forth the gospel. 737 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:09,872 So how can we conclude here? 738 00:33:09,896 --> 00:33:12,992 Well, we conclude with the fact that Paul regarded Apollos as 739 00:33:13,016 --> 00:33:14,112 a trusted colleague. 740 00:33:14,256 --> 00:33:19,216 First Corinthians, chapter three says, you know, the whole passage 741 00:33:19,248 --> 00:33:22,976 there where he's talking, who then is of Paul and who is of Apollos 742 00:33:23,088 --> 00:33:24,816 but ministers by whom ye believed? 743 00:33:24,848 --> 00:33:27,360 He says, hey, Apollos is a minister just like me. 744 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,584 Even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted, Apollos watered, 745 00:33:31,632 --> 00:33:32,996 but God gave the increase. 746 00:33:33,128 --> 00:33:37,260 And so he recognizes that Paul was the one that watered, right? 747 00:33:37,300 --> 00:33:37,548 What? 748 00:33:37,604 --> 00:33:37,820 What? 749 00:33:37,860 --> 00:33:41,084 Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 750 00:33:41,252 --> 00:33:41,836 You know, we're. 751 00:33:41,868 --> 00:33:45,084 We're living in a world today that you might be the one who is 752 00:33:45,092 --> 00:33:45,920 the planter. 753 00:33:46,260 --> 00:33:48,924 You might be the first person that talks to someone about the gospel. 754 00:33:49,052 --> 00:33:52,284 That's sometimes a hard position because you get immature 755 00:33:52,332 --> 00:33:55,228 Christians, you get people that maybe even are rejecting. 756 00:33:55,324 --> 00:33:58,482 But the idea is some of us need to plant the seed. 757 00:33:58,676 --> 00:34:01,478 Some of us need to be that Paul the groundbreaker. 758 00:34:01,574 --> 00:34:03,094 Some of us need to be the Apollo. 759 00:34:03,142 --> 00:34:05,302 Some of us need to be the one who's going to come back and water 760 00:34:05,406 --> 00:34:05,862 that. 761 00:34:05,966 --> 00:34:08,134 We don't know that maybe someone that you come and witness 762 00:34:08,182 --> 00:34:12,406 to or serve in your ministry, hey, maybe someone 20 years ago witnessed 763 00:34:12,438 --> 00:34:13,302 to them and served them. 764 00:34:13,326 --> 00:34:15,750 And now you're watering what has already been planted. 765 00:34:15,830 --> 00:34:18,310 But we know that ultimately it's God who gives the increase. 766 00:34:18,430 --> 00:34:21,398 And what we have to do is we have to be willing What. 767 00:34:21,454 --> 00:34:22,278 What we want. 768 00:34:22,334 --> 00:34:22,550 What. 769 00:34:22,590 --> 00:34:23,734 Let me, let me speak for me. 770 00:34:23,822 --> 00:34:24,422 What I want. 771 00:34:24,446 --> 00:34:26,436 I want to be the one that gets the increase, right? 772 00:34:26,508 --> 00:34:28,788 I want to be the one that sees people getting saved. 773 00:34:28,884 --> 00:34:31,172 I want to be the one that Sees people sent out. 774 00:34:31,276 --> 00:34:32,836 I want to be the one that gets the increase. 775 00:34:32,908 --> 00:34:37,140 But what happens is, is that the. 776 00:34:37,180 --> 00:34:37,572 The. 777 00:34:37,676 --> 00:34:40,436 What I would say is the problem is that many of us, including 778 00:34:40,508 --> 00:34:42,740 myself, don't want to go through that difficulty of being 779 00:34:42,780 --> 00:34:45,444 the planter in the water, because sometimes those aren't the 780 00:34:45,452 --> 00:34:46,532 immediate results. 781 00:34:46,716 --> 00:34:47,156 But. 782 00:34:47,228 --> 00:34:48,532 But we have to do that. 783 00:34:48,636 --> 00:34:48,900 There. 784 00:34:48,940 --> 00:34:50,260 There were people that. 785 00:34:50,300 --> 00:34:53,665 That planted the seed here at Middletown Baptist Church decades 786 00:34:53,697 --> 00:34:55,905 and decades ago, thankful for that. 787 00:34:55,977 --> 00:34:58,401 I'm thankful the folks that came along and watered that, and 788 00:34:58,425 --> 00:35:01,057 we're getting the increase from much of that. 789 00:35:01,193 --> 00:35:03,377 But what I would also say is that think about people. 790 00:35:03,433 --> 00:35:08,289 If God tarries, think about people in another 50 years, are we 791 00:35:08,329 --> 00:35:13,361 willing to plant the seed now for the things that are to come 25 792 00:35:13,385 --> 00:35:17,569 years, are we willing to water the seed that was planted 20 years 793 00:35:17,609 --> 00:35:20,199 ago for the people that are coming 20 years from now? 794 00:35:20,289 --> 00:35:21,036 Look at our children. 795 00:35:21,108 --> 00:35:22,332 Are we willing to water that? 796 00:35:22,356 --> 00:35:25,724 Are we willing to be willing to go into that and say, you know 797 00:35:25,732 --> 00:35:25,852 what? 798 00:35:25,876 --> 00:35:27,160 I don't need to see the increase. 799 00:35:27,460 --> 00:35:30,440 And so ultimately, God gives that increase. 800 00:35:30,740 --> 00:35:34,076 And so we conclude here with Apollos being a Jewish man. 801 00:35:34,228 --> 00:35:36,764 He's described as eloquent, fervent in the spirit. 802 00:35:36,892 --> 00:35:41,132 He, as we see at the end of verse 28, he showed the Jews the 803 00:35:41,156 --> 00:35:41,484 scriptures. 804 00:35:41,532 --> 00:35:42,880 He convinced the Jews. 805 00:35:43,700 --> 00:35:47,270 And so because of these things, you know, I. 806 00:35:47,310 --> 00:35:52,902 I think that God mightily used Apollos for a specific purpose, and 807 00:35:52,926 --> 00:35:55,090 that was to reach the Jews there in that region. 808 00:35:56,110 --> 00:36:02,422 God gifted Apollos with many things, but without Paul and without 809 00:36:02,526 --> 00:36:07,382 Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos would not be who we see at the end 810 00:36:07,406 --> 00:36:08,610 of verse 28. 811 00:36:08,910 --> 00:36:11,244 There must be those that are willing to disciple. 812 00:36:11,342 --> 00:36:12,096 Think about a young. 813 00:36:12,168 --> 00:36:12,608 Let's use. 814 00:36:12,664 --> 00:36:14,240 Let's use a real world example here. 815 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,048 Let's think about like a young man in the youth. 816 00:36:16,144 --> 00:36:18,768 All right, so Pastor John has a young man come up to him and say, 817 00:36:18,824 --> 00:36:19,504 hey, you know what? 818 00:36:19,512 --> 00:36:20,256 I want to be a preacher. 819 00:36:20,288 --> 00:36:20,720 I want to. 820 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,260 I want to learn how to preach. 821 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,408 And, and I'm not throwing Pastor John on the bus. 822 00:36:25,464 --> 00:36:26,448 I'll put me as a youth pastor. 823 00:36:26,464 --> 00:36:27,216 I used to be a youth pastor. 824 00:36:27,248 --> 00:36:27,952 Let me put me in the. 825 00:36:27,976 --> 00:36:28,368 In there. 826 00:36:28,424 --> 00:36:29,968 Someone comes up to me and says, I want to be a pastor. 827 00:36:29,984 --> 00:36:31,440 And I say, okay, well, go ahead. 828 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:32,688 You can preach next Wednesday night. 829 00:36:32,744 --> 00:36:33,328 Okay? 830 00:36:33,424 --> 00:36:36,240 So he gets up there and he's doesn't know what he's talking about. 831 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:36,918 He might get. 832 00:36:36,944 --> 00:36:39,850 Give a false teaching accidentally because he's trying 833 00:36:39,890 --> 00:36:43,066 to read the Bible and he messes up and, and he has A passion 834 00:36:43,098 --> 00:36:43,402 for it. 835 00:36:43,426 --> 00:36:45,850 He gets up there and he, what did they say in Bible school? 836 00:36:45,890 --> 00:36:47,834 He couldn't preach himself out of a wet paper bag. 837 00:36:47,882 --> 00:36:49,034 Like, he's just trying to do it. 838 00:36:49,042 --> 00:36:50,378 He's trying to get himself out of it. 839 00:36:50,434 --> 00:36:51,450 And the idea would be this. 840 00:36:51,490 --> 00:36:54,538 We don't go along and say, well, maybe, maybe preaching isn't 841 00:36:54,554 --> 00:36:55,338 for you, buddy. 842 00:36:55,434 --> 00:36:56,330 You know, move on. 843 00:36:56,370 --> 00:36:59,562 No, what we do is we say, okay, hey, that was amazing that 844 00:36:59,586 --> 00:37:00,570 you desired to do that. 845 00:37:00,610 --> 00:37:02,856 So how can we grow? 846 00:37:03,018 --> 00:37:04,588 Let me, let me show you a few things here. 847 00:37:04,644 --> 00:37:07,356 And so the idea would be, and that's in the case of preaching, 848 00:37:07,388 --> 00:37:09,548 but let's look at the case of everything in the ministry. 849 00:37:09,644 --> 00:37:14,220 Serving, teaching, sacrificing, whatever it might be 850 00:37:14,260 --> 00:37:14,860 giving. 851 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:17,372 We need to come alongside of people and don't just write them 852 00:37:17,396 --> 00:37:19,836 off when they don't get it right on the first end of things. 853 00:37:19,988 --> 00:37:22,700 Be in Aquila and Priscilla and say, hey, you've got passion for 854 00:37:22,740 --> 00:37:23,148 God. 855 00:37:23,244 --> 00:37:25,772 Let's try to use that passion in the right direction. 856 00:37:25,916 --> 00:37:28,924 And that's an exciting thing that we can do within our church. 857 00:37:28,972 --> 00:37:30,374 That's the authentic church. 858 00:37:30,532 --> 00:37:31,746 We don't just pray. 859 00:37:31,858 --> 00:37:34,866 Here's, here's what some preachers will pray. 860 00:37:34,898 --> 00:37:37,314 And this is a prayer that I'm confessing. 861 00:37:37,362 --> 00:37:38,530 I've prayed in the past. 862 00:37:38,650 --> 00:37:42,082 Lord, just send us a bunch of really mature Christians that, that 863 00:37:42,106 --> 00:37:43,490 have had a bunch and we get that. 864 00:37:43,530 --> 00:37:44,562 I mean, I praise God for that. 865 00:37:44,586 --> 00:37:47,122 I'm praising God for people that have come our way, that have 866 00:37:47,146 --> 00:37:49,010 served in other ministries and they're here now. 867 00:37:49,050 --> 00:37:51,890 That's awesome and that's great and we want that. 868 00:37:52,010 --> 00:37:56,786 But if we only want those type of people, where is that discipleship 869 00:37:56,818 --> 00:37:57,390 process? 870 00:37:57,810 --> 00:38:00,842 We should also be praying, Lord, send us people that are, that 871 00:38:00,866 --> 00:38:01,722 are broken. 872 00:38:01,866 --> 00:38:04,314 Send us, Send us people that need the gospel. 873 00:38:04,362 --> 00:38:07,194 Send us people that are going to mess up because we can come alongside 874 00:38:07,242 --> 00:38:09,386 of them and serve with them and teach them. 875 00:38:09,458 --> 00:38:10,746 That's the most exciting thing. 876 00:38:10,818 --> 00:38:11,594 It's the most exciting. 877 00:38:11,642 --> 00:38:13,914 I love, I love serving with my family. 878 00:38:14,002 --> 00:38:15,190 I love it. 879 00:38:15,730 --> 00:38:20,042 I enjoy it so much because I love to see my children get excited 880 00:38:20,106 --> 00:38:20,954 for serving God. 881 00:38:21,002 --> 00:38:21,322 Okay. 882 00:38:21,386 --> 00:38:23,882 We don't want our children ever to think that going to church 883 00:38:23,946 --> 00:38:26,540 is like, ah, Dad's work. 884 00:38:26,660 --> 00:38:28,540 We gotta go up to church again, dad. 885 00:38:28,620 --> 00:38:31,628 No, it's like, hey, we get to go because we get excited about serving. 886 00:38:31,724 --> 00:38:37,836 I'll never forget Micah was about three years old and Nora was, 887 00:38:37,908 --> 00:38:40,880 was a newborn in a stroller. 888 00:38:41,220 --> 00:38:47,292 And my dad was in town and I said, hey, we're gonna go out and 889 00:38:47,316 --> 00:38:50,460 we're just gonna knock on doors and we're gonna try to reach 890 00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:51,600 people for the gospel. 891 00:38:51,940 --> 00:38:53,692 So I get my family in the car. 892 00:38:53,716 --> 00:38:56,140 I didn't know anything about Middletown really. 893 00:38:56,260 --> 00:39:01,692 And we drove to an area that just gonna be honest, not a lot of 894 00:39:01,716 --> 00:39:03,420 people go there unless you have a reason to go there. 895 00:39:03,460 --> 00:39:03,900 Okay. 896 00:39:03,980 --> 00:39:08,172 And we drove and we parked our car and my dad's like, son, are you 897 00:39:08,196 --> 00:39:10,108 sure you want to take your family down this road? 898 00:39:10,164 --> 00:39:11,500 I was like, yeah, why not? 899 00:39:11,540 --> 00:39:12,156 Let's do it. 900 00:39:12,228 --> 00:39:14,812 So we got there and I just remember walking down that road and 901 00:39:14,836 --> 00:39:17,360 knocking on doors and seeing my kids excited about that. 902 00:39:17,460 --> 00:39:20,500 And as they've grown, I've just been like, wow, you know what? 903 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:23,720 Sometimes we do things out of ignorance and sometimes we do things 904 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,872 out of God's call for our life, but how about we take more 905 00:39:26,896 --> 00:39:29,656 people that are, hey, you know what? 906 00:39:29,808 --> 00:39:33,864 You, you might go serve with someone that might not know what 907 00:39:33,872 --> 00:39:37,464 they're doing and they might actually come across as, hey, they. 908 00:39:37,632 --> 00:39:40,216 It's not someone that I might want to hang out with on a normal 909 00:39:40,248 --> 00:39:40,536 basis. 910 00:39:40,568 --> 00:39:41,480 But you know what you can do? 911 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,272 You can influence their lives for the cause of the truth of the 912 00:39:44,296 --> 00:39:44,896 gospel. 913 00:39:45,008 --> 00:39:46,464 Don't just write somebody off. 914 00:39:46,552 --> 00:39:48,620 Apollos could have been written off here. 915 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:51,168 We know that wasn't God's will, okay? 916 00:39:51,184 --> 00:39:53,072 And we can speak to the sovereignty of God on that. 917 00:39:53,096 --> 00:39:56,896 But God used Aquilla and Priscilla to influence Apollos's 918 00:39:56,928 --> 00:39:57,552 great ministry. 919 00:39:57,616 --> 00:40:00,864 And, and, and who knows, I'm going to get on a rabbit trail here, 920 00:40:00,872 --> 00:40:04,192 but who knows who the next preacher is that comes through these 921 00:40:04,216 --> 00:40:04,896 doors? 922 00:40:05,088 --> 00:40:08,592 You don't know what, what if in 10 years one of these people that 923 00:40:08,616 --> 00:40:10,764 come into our church and get saved are going to get called to 924 00:40:10,772 --> 00:40:14,044 be a missionary, to go across the world to be on the mission field 925 00:40:14,132 --> 00:40:17,100 and you got the opportunity to teach them in a Sunday school class. 926 00:40:17,220 --> 00:40:19,964 You had an opportunity to do a Bible study with them. 927 00:40:20,132 --> 00:40:22,524 Who knows, maybe, maybe the future missionary is sitting right 928 00:40:22,532 --> 00:40:22,700 here. 929 00:40:22,740 --> 00:40:23,324 We don't know. 930 00:40:23,412 --> 00:40:25,372 And who knows what God has in our case? 931 00:40:25,396 --> 00:40:26,796 And it doesn't have to be that. 932 00:40:26,948 --> 00:40:27,212 It. 933 00:40:27,236 --> 00:40:30,572 You know, I used to grow up thinking, well, the only people that 934 00:40:30,596 --> 00:40:33,916 are the ministry heroes are the people that are in full time 935 00:40:33,988 --> 00:40:34,668 Christian service. 936 00:40:34,724 --> 00:40:36,160 I used to hear that all the time in my school. 937 00:40:36,260 --> 00:40:37,880 I want to be in full time Christian service. 938 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:40,024 That meant basically vocational ministry. 939 00:40:40,072 --> 00:40:41,880 That's a job that you're doing for the Lord. 940 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:42,472 Okay? 941 00:40:42,536 --> 00:40:43,672 But I have come to realize that. 942 00:40:43,696 --> 00:40:45,860 I don't like that phrase, full time Christian service. 943 00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:49,064 Every believer should be in full time Christian service. 944 00:40:49,152 --> 00:40:49,592 Okay? 945 00:40:49,656 --> 00:40:52,680 Whether you're vocational or not, whether it's your job or not, 946 00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:54,504 we're all in full time Christian service. 947 00:40:54,672 --> 00:40:59,064 And so the idea for me is I don't care if you're a pastor, I 948 00:40:59,072 --> 00:41:03,096 don't care if you're working on a farm, I don't care if you're 949 00:41:03,128 --> 00:41:04,456 working in wherever. 950 00:41:04,568 --> 00:41:08,066 And I want to use any examples of anyone here, but just wherever 951 00:41:08,098 --> 00:41:10,430 you're working, you're in full time Christian service. 952 00:41:11,050 --> 00:41:14,630 That's your mission field, that's your discipleship model. 953 00:41:14,970 --> 00:41:16,402 You have a Sunday school class. 954 00:41:16,506 --> 00:41:19,426 That's your mission field, that's your discipleship model. 955 00:41:19,458 --> 00:41:22,946 And so I just think about that when it comes to Apollos, Aquila 956 00:41:22,978 --> 00:41:23,458 and Priscilla. 957 00:41:23,474 --> 00:41:25,890 So we need some Aquilas and Priscillas, we need some Apollosis, 958 00:41:25,970 --> 00:41:27,426 we need some Pauls. 959 00:41:27,618 --> 00:41:30,066 But ultimately we know that God will give the increase. 960 00:41:30,138 --> 00:41:32,850 All right, so we're gonna come back next week and we're gonna look 961 00:41:32,890 --> 00:41:34,510 at chapter number 19. 962 00:41:35,570 --> 00:41:36,858 Very interesting chapter. 963 00:41:36,954 --> 00:41:37,834 Very, very interesting. 964 00:41:37,882 --> 00:41:43,274 Chapter one that can be hotly contested when it comes to the indwelling 965 00:41:43,322 --> 00:41:44,506 of the Spirit. 966 00:41:44,698 --> 00:41:48,410 I'm within the church and we'll talk about it. 967 00:41:48,450 --> 00:41:51,882 It's a difficult passage, if I was honest with you, which I will 968 00:41:51,906 --> 00:41:52,442 be tonight. 969 00:41:52,506 --> 00:41:54,666 These are the types of passages of scripture that I say, 970 00:41:54,738 --> 00:41:56,570 oh, we're on Acts, chapter 20 next week. 971 00:41:56,610 --> 00:41:59,018 Because there I don't have a great answer for some of the things 972 00:41:59,074 --> 00:42:01,732 that are gonna be coming up in this next passage, other than the 973 00:42:01,756 --> 00:42:04,052 fact that we're working under a different framework in the book 974 00:42:04,076 --> 00:42:04,724 of Acts. 975 00:42:04,852 --> 00:42:05,188 Okay. 976 00:42:05,204 --> 00:42:08,548 I hope you understand that we, we don't look at the church in Acts 977 00:42:08,564 --> 00:42:10,852 and say everything that happens in the church at Acts is 978 00:42:10,876 --> 00:42:12,164 what happens in our church today. 979 00:42:12,252 --> 00:42:12,880 Why? 980 00:42:13,260 --> 00:42:16,068 Because if you remember, the. 981 00:42:16,124 --> 00:42:19,652 The complete canon of scripture is not completed yet when 982 00:42:19,676 --> 00:42:21,188 we're reading the book of Acts. 983 00:42:21,364 --> 00:42:21,748 Right? 984 00:42:21,804 --> 00:42:25,396 So the book of first John, second John, third John isn't written. 985 00:42:25,428 --> 00:42:27,248 Matthew, Mark, Luke, John are not written. 986 00:42:27,364 --> 00:42:30,392 They're working off of the framework of the Old Testament in 987 00:42:30,416 --> 00:42:33,608 the message of the Gospel through the apostles and through 988 00:42:33,664 --> 00:42:34,904 divine revelation. 989 00:42:35,032 --> 00:42:38,232 Okay, so we're going to see some things happening in the book 990 00:42:38,256 --> 00:42:42,060 of Acts that are going to be unique to the book of Acts. 991 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:45,160 Not to say that God isn't working miracles today. 992 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:46,968 Not to say that God isn't miraculous today. 993 00:42:47,024 --> 00:42:50,300 But what I'm saying is that there are certain things to cause 994 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:52,899 validation to what the apostles were preaching. 995 00:42:52,972 --> 00:42:54,852 I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I'm trying to whet your 996 00:42:54,876 --> 00:42:55,796 appetite for next week. 997 00:42:55,868 --> 00:42:59,924 So come on back next week and we'll talk about the baptism of John's 998 00:42:59,972 --> 00:43:00,628 disciples. 999 00:43:00,724 --> 00:43:02,004 All right, well, I'm going to go ahead and pray. 1000 00:43:02,052 --> 00:43:04,852 I have a few announcements for you and then we will be dismissed. 1001 00:43:04,916 --> 00:43:06,372 Lord, I thank you for this time that you've given us. 1002 00:43:06,396 --> 00:43:08,132 I thank you for the opportunity to study your word. 1003 00:43:08,196 --> 00:43:11,320 I thank you for the opportunity to see how your powerful 1004 00:43:12,300 --> 00:43:15,092 direction works in the church and in our lives. 1005 00:43:15,276 --> 00:43:19,560 I pray that we can be those folks that are dedicated to discipleship. 1006 00:43:19,940 --> 00:43:22,972 Lord, I pray that we can be those folks that are interested in 1007 00:43:22,996 --> 00:43:25,692 what it means to be a disciple and being strengthened in our own 1008 00:43:25,716 --> 00:43:26,796 walk with you. 1009 00:43:26,948 --> 00:43:29,360 Lord, I thank you for your love and for your grace. 1010 00:43:30,020 --> 00:43:33,228 I thank you for those folks that are willing to sacrifice for 1011 00:43:33,364 --> 00:43:37,820 for me in my life, to teach me and to model before me what it means 1012 00:43:37,860 --> 00:43:38,460 to serve you. 1013 00:43:38,500 --> 00:43:42,316 And Lord, I thank you for those folks that are beneficiaries 1014 00:43:42,348 --> 00:43:43,036 of that today. 1015 00:43:43,108 --> 00:43:48,960 Lord, I thank you for your overwhelming presence in our walk 1016 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:49,776 with you. 1017 00:43:49,928 --> 00:43:52,112 We know that if we seek you, we will find you. 1018 00:43:52,216 --> 00:43:55,296 And Lord, I pray that you can continue to help us as we navigate 1019 00:43:55,328 --> 00:43:56,784 this broken world. 1020 00:43:56,952 --> 00:44:00,288 I pray that we can be busy about the time at hand and redeeming 1021 00:44:00,304 --> 00:44:02,352 the time because the days are even so. 1022 00:44:02,376 --> 00:44:04,976 Lord, I pray that you bless us as we go our separate ways. 1023 00:44:05,088 --> 00:44:05,632 We thank you. 1024 00:44:05,656 --> 00:44:06,032 We love you. 1025 00:44:06,056 --> 00:44:07,408 In Jesus name, Amen. 1026 00:44:07,504 --> 00:44:08,260 Amen. 1027 00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,264 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1028 00:44:11,312 --> 00:44:12,064 podcast. 1029 00:44:12,192 --> 00:44:14,830 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing blessing for you. 1030 00:44:15,130 --> 00:44:17,426 If you would like to find out more information about our church 1031 00:44:17,458 --> 00:44:21,074 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1032 00:44:21,202 --> 00:44:23,990 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1033 00:44:24,490 --> 00:44:28,946 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch 1034 00:44:28,978 --> 00:44:33,410 dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 1035 00:44:33,450 --> 00:44:36,470 along for future podcasts and updates. 1036 00:44:36,810 --> 00:44:37,970 Thank you so much. 1037 00:44:38,090 --> 00:44:38,914 God bless. 1038 00:44:39,042 --> 00:44:40,090 Have a wonderful day.