Ephesus: A Case Study in Biblical Discipleship

od Good morning GPC! Would you please turn with me to Acts 18? We’ll be finishing up Acts 18 and actually starting Acts 19 today! We’ll be reading from Matthew 28:18-20 to start today. Today, we get to see Paul’s focus on the Great Commission that Jesus has given us! (Announcements- women’s ministry! MAJOR PUMP UP! SAME WITH VBS!)

· Would you stand with me for the reading of God’s word?

· This week as a Church we had the chance to participate in Secret Church, a ministry of Radical. Radical focuses on reaching the 3 billion unreached people around the world! This year, during Secret Church, David Platt exposited the book of Jonah thoroughly. One of the major points that he brought up in the Book of Jonah is how Jonah had a mission! Jonah’s mission was to bring the WORD OF THE LORD, the LITERAL WORD OF THE LORD to the people of Nineveh! The Ninevites were evil, horrific people; people that hated God and hated Israel!

o Yet, Jonah’s job remained the same! BRING THE GOOD NEWS OF A CHANCE TO REPENT TO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH!

o That was the mission that was given to Jonah.

o Now, have you ever thought about the fact that just as God spoke to Jonah and gave him a mission, God has given us a MISSION?

§ That’s what the great commission is! It’s what we read at the start of our time together!! It was given by Jesus not only to his 12 disciples, but to all who follow Jesus!

· “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”- Matthew 28:18-20

o So we are to go! What should we do as we go? MAKE DISCIPLES! What are we to do with the disciples? We are to baptize them on account of their faith and then we are to TEACH THEM ALL THAT JESUS taught and commanded!

o That’s the mission that we are given and it’s the same mission that Paul had in his life!

§ Today, we get to see three different short stories in Acts. At first glance, they may not seem to go together but they do!

§ See, all three of these instances center around Biblical discipleship!

· Throughout them though, not only do we have some takeaways about discipleship, we also see a contrast between what happens when we UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL and when we do not!

o This morning, what we are talking about is not just a message about Paul years ago, this is a challenge to us today!

§ If we literally translate the great commission, we see that the literal grammar means, “AS YOU GO MAKE DISCIPLES.” IF you are NOT making disciples as you go, then you factually are disobeying Jesus!

· So let me just be blunt, this isn’t just a thing we talk about, this is a command that should SHAPE HOW WE LIVE!

§ Today, we have a main point and then a core sentence about each of the stories. If you’ll follow along with me, these are fill in the blank.

Main Point: Biblical Discipleship is core to a Healthy Christian life.

· BODY: Last week we ended in Corinth seeing Sosthenes beaten and Paul threatened. That’s where we pick up. We read, “After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.”- Acts 18:18

o Cenchreae is a small village that was located on a bay by Corinth. The modern day population is about 240. At the time though, it was one of the two main ports for people traveling to and from Corinth.

§ Paul actually mentions this place again in Romans 16:1, saying that Phoebe is actually from this port city.

· Paul stops here and cuts his hair as a part of a vow, although not much else is said about this.

o As Paul is sailing to Syria, there’s one detail that I want to pull out. Paul brings Priscilla and Aquilla with him! This is our first core sentence. “Acts 18:18-23- Biblical DISCIPLESHIP requires taking SOMEONE with you!”

§ Paul brings these two fellow believers and tentmakers along!

· That’s a key part of Paul’s discipleship and should be of ours! He brought people WITH HIM!

o Be it Timothy, be it Aquilla and Priscilla, or even Luke, Paul BROUGHT PEOPLE WITH HIM AS HE FOLLOWED GOD!

o It really paints 1 Corinthians 11:1 in a different light! Paul wrote “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

§ They could do that! They had LIVED WITH HIM! The Corinthians and many others had seen how Paul lived and that’s a huge part of discipleship!

o It’s the same attitude we should have on discipleship! Let’s take someone with us!

o When you go share the gospel; take someone with you! When you study scripture, don’t be afraid to do it with someone!

· Moving forward to verses 19- 21 we read, “And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.”- Acts 18:19-21

o The traveling party arrives at Ephesus and Paul leaves Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus.

§ While in Ephesus, he goes into the synagogue yet again! He does not stay for long though. In fact, we see the Ephesians asking Paul to stay for longer and he says that he, “will return to you if God wills.”

§ Paul really has a God-centric view of the world! He grasps God’s sovereignty and he grasps the importance of submitting his plans to God!

· Further, we see that Paul feels convicted to return to Antioch. As much as we think of Paul as the example-setting, Church planting dynamo, he also longs for Christian fellowship, just like each and every one of us should!

· So, Paul sets sail from Ephesus. We then read, “When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”- Acts 18:22-23

o Paul arrives in Caesarea and he greets the church there before returning to Antioch.

§ Caesarea and Antioch are both places that support Paul in his ministry! He stops in and spends time with them; being encouraged and being in fellowship!

o After being back for a little while, he departs and returns to Galatia and Phrygia, encouraging the believers!

§ Thinking of that first part, it is so important that we understand how Paul has support!

· Even as Paul travels, even as he is beaten, there is a church supporting him and praying for him! The early church encouraged one another well! We need to be faithful to encourage one another too!

· As Paul leaves, he leaves primarily with the goal of strengthening the disciples in Galatia and Phrygia, two regions of what is now Turkey.

o Paul goes to encourage and to support these believers! But before he leaves, he is encouraged himself! Paul is not a lone ranger, he is supported and he supports others!

§ We should do the same! We should live out the words of Hebrews 10:24-25 and gather together, to encourage one another on!

· In this first section, we see how Paul disciples by taking people with him, something that should encourage us to do the same!

· Moving forward into our second section in Ephesus, we are introduced to a new person. Verse 24 says, “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.”- Acts 18:24

o Apollos arrives on the scene. Apollos is someone who is featured heavily in First Corinthians and also appears in Titus. Apollos is from Alexandria, which was a city of phenomenal learning and knowledge. This was due in large part to tradition of education in Alexandria!

§ The Library of Alexandria was one of the most important centers for learning in the entire world until it was destroyed.

§ Alexandria would soon become one of the most important cities in defending Biblical Christianity and Apollos is a forefather of that in many ways.

· Apollos knows only of the baptism of John and of the “Way of the Lord.” as we see in Vs. 25-26

· These two phrases may seem a little confusing so let’s simplify it down. Apollos is a PHENOMENAL OLD TESTAMENT SCHOLAR!

o See, the Way of the Lord comes from Old Testament passages like Genesis 18:19, Judges 2:22 and Psalm 25:8-9.

o The baptism of John on the other hand was simply a confession of a need for a savior! Apollos knows that his savior is Jesus and he understands the significance of that, but, he doesn’t really understand the complete message of the gospel.

§ Apollos is however, a brilliant scholar. There has been an argument that he wrote Hebrews, in part because of how comfortable he is said to be with the Old Testament!

· Apollos comes to Ephesus and, “He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”- Acts 18:26

o Aquila and Priscilla hear him and are concerned! Why? Because his preaching isn’t accurate! He doesn’t grasp the full glory of the gospel! So they come alongside him and teach him!

· This is discipleship in action! They walk with him and they help him to more fully understand! APOLLOS LISTENS AND HE GROWS!

· What we see here is humble discipleship as Aquilla and Priscilla correct and teach Apollos not out of pride or jealousy, or out of a selfish reason, but because they are serious aabout the good news of Jesus!

· Let’s be clear, discipleship is not a way to air your frustrations about music, or about someone else! Discipleship is about fulfilling the great commission and teaching the FULLNESS OF JESUS AND ALL THAT HE COMMANDED! Apollos needed helpf in that! That’s where discipleship came in!

o And honestly, I think that this example is really important! See, what I’ve personally seen in my lifetime is that people who know the gospel well and know the word of God well are almost afraid to speak up!

§ But we need Biblical believers to be active in discipleship!

o That’s why our second core sentence is, “Acts 18:24-28- Biblical discipleship PREPARES us to PROCLAIM the gospel at all times!”

· After Aquila and Priscilla’s example, we read, “And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”- Acts 18:27-28

o Apollos departs and goes to Corinth.

§ While there, he powerfully preaches; but now he fully knows the truth of the gospel! IT IS DIFFERENT!

o So what do we takeaway from the Apollos storyline?

o As we look at the example of Aquila, Priscilla, and even Apollos , we see that we must be prepared to teach the good news of Jesus at any time, just like our core sentence says!

§ Priscilla and Aquilla went to the synagogue not expecting anything out of the ordinary, but what they found was a place where they needed to be involved and they were willing to BE INVOLVED!

· Who else was like that? THE BEREANS! They were like that! They were excited to study scripture and to be prepared!

o We need to be ready also! Whether it is lovingly walking with and correcting a fellow believer, or if it is teaching the gospel to a friend, family member, or neighbor, or even a person in the store, who needs to hear it!

§ We should always be prepared to lovingly share the gospel!

· How do we get to that point? By knowing the Lord! Look it, I don’t care if this hurts; this is the truth. In Apollos we see someone who has all the base knowledge but doesn’t UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH!

· (PLEADING) In the same way, it’s possible to come to church every week your entire life and not be saved! HEAR ME, THERE’S SO MUCH MORE FOR YOU THAN THAT!

o A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS THE MOST AMAZING THIING THAT YOU CAN EVER HAVE! A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE? THAT’S AMAZING!

· As we move our attention to the third section, we see WHY THIS ALL MATTERS SO MUCH! Our third core sentence is: “Acts 19:1-10- Biblical discipleship CORRECTS and PROTECTS against misunderstanding and false teaching.”

o Why does it matter so much that we engage in fruitful discipleship? Why does it matter that we KNOW GOD AND ARE PREPARED TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL? In the first part of chapter 19 we see the reason!

· Look at verse 1 with me. We see the attention shift again. We read, “And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.”- Acts 19:1

o Remember, Apollos goes to Corinth and Paul was at the same time journeying through Galatia and Phrygia! He is revisiting churches he has previously assisted and been involved with as he begins his third missionary journey.

o As Paul journeys, he comes to Ephesus.

§ As we’ll see in the fall in Acts 20, Paul holds the Ephesian church in a special regard!

o But here, as Paul arrives in Ephesus , he finds some disciples. The word for this, “μαθητάς” is not exclusive to followers of Jeuss.

§I like how Alistair Begg describes these men. He says that they are, “almost Christians.”

· These disciples are not truly followers of Jesus, yet they are familiar with the word of God!

o This is a concept that we see quite often in our American Context! Many people KNOW ABOUT JESUS OR ABOUT GOD! Yet, they do not have saving faith! They may go to church every week, but they are not yet saved! They are “almost Christians!”

BUT LET ME BE CLEAR; THESE MEN IN EPHESUS AND SO MANY IN AMERICA WHO CULTURALLY KNOW ABOUT JESUS, BUT WHO HAVE NEVER REPENTED WILL NOT GO TO HEAVEN!

BEING CLOSE ISN’T ENOUGH! IF YOU HAVE NOT REPENTED AND BELIEVED, YOU WILL PERISH WITHOUT JESUS AND YOU WILL FACE ETERNAL PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR SINS!

· Paul begins to speak to these “almost Christians,” “And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.”- Acts 19:2-3

o Remember, when Apollos showed up in Ephesus, he showed that Jesus is the Christ but didn’t bring forward the entire gospel message!

§ R.C. Sproul does a great job paraphrasing John’s baptism. He writes, “John’s message was this: ‘The Messiah is coming. Your savior is at the door, and you are not ready. You are still unclean, so you need to undergo a rite of cleansing to prepare yourself for the coming of the king, and after He comes, He will baptize you with the spirit.”- R.C. Sproul

· Apollos then was preaching that JESUS WAS KING, but not showing how JESUS WAS ALSO THE ONE WHO WOULD PERMANENTLY CLEANSE!

· These “almost Christians” were baptized by John’s baptism in preparation rather than in Jesus!

o What Paul finds is a group of people with an incomplete understanding of the gospel! They may understand who God is, they understand who man is, but they don’t understand Jesus or salvation!

This is what happens when we don’t engage in meaningful and correct teaching! WE END UP WITH AN INCOMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPEL! THIS IS PART OF WHY DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS SO MUCH!

BEING CORRECT DOES MATTER! WE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH!

· Listen to how Paul responds. “And Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about 12 men in all.”- Acts 19:4-7

o Paul corrects their misunderstanding in love, but also extremely directly!

o Paul was prepared to proclaim the gospel and he did! On the surface the men look like they understood prior to Paul’s message but they didn’t. They attended church, but they didn’t understand!

o Because of their profession of faith though, Paul baptizes them. Baptism after all, is the representation of what God has done! It’s an outward showing of what JESUS HAS DONE!

§ The Holy spirit also comes! Let’s be clear; once again, this is not talking about two separate baptisms. Acts is a book of transitions and here is yet another transition.

· The transition here is from Old Testament to new, which should remind us of the events preceding Pentecost.

o In fact, as Tony Merida points out, this is almost like a “mini-pentecost.”

§ Pentecost after all happened in JERUSALEM, TO JEWISH PEOPLE and here the same type of event happens IN THE GENTILE WORLD!

· In verses 8-10, we see Paul’s continued ministry in Ephesus. “And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”- Acts 19:8-10

o Paul enters the synagogue and for 3 months he preaches boldly! He proclaims, reasons, persuades and discusses the gospel!

§ After 3 months though, some begin to speak evil of salvation through Jesus!

· So, Paul and the believers leave. This is not them hiding the gospel, this is them peacefully resolving a situation! They continue to meet and preach though and we know from verse 10 that they continue in evangelism!

o They just no longer meet in the synagogue, instead meeting in the HALL OF TYRANNUS. Paul and the believers gather every single day to encourage one another on and to learn together!

Not only do they gather every single day, some early church commentaries say that the believers gathered from 11 AM to 4 PM EVERY SINGLE DAY!

§ In Ephesus, it was common to work early in the day and in the evening and to take a break mid-day. The believers didn’t take a break; they PURSUED THE LORD!

§ In many ways, this still applies to us! See, there is no retirement from pursuing the Lord and there is no time where we should, “take a break” from following God because our schedule is too busy!

· Instead, we need to order our life around following God!

o (Rock and Sand illustration)

o For 2 years this continues! During this time we know that ALL THE RESIDENTS OF ASIA HEAR THE GOSPEL!

§ I genuinely don’t think it is an exaggeration that all the residents of the region of Asia, a region in Turkey at the time, heard the gospel!

§ These believers are passionate about evangelism!

· The believers are learning and they are passing it on! They place a very high emphasis on evangelism. DO YOU?

o I think we could summarize it like this; THE GREAT COMMISSION IS CLEARLY FULFILLED by the believers in Ephesus! Not only by Paul and Timothy, but also by the BELIEVERS THEMSELVES!

§ Don’t lose sight of that! This matters! Every member is involved! The believers are gathering everyday and are living out their faith! It isn’t just a select few!

· See, what the Ephesians of this time get is that Christianity isn’t just about Sunday, it is a WAY OF LIFE!

o There’s a reason Christianity was called THE WAY!

§ It is TRULY THE WAY TO LIVE!

· I want to just very honestly challenge you, and myself, if you are here and you keep your faith to Sundays only, preferring to keep your life during the week and your faith separate, repent of that!

o Our faith is so much more than something JUST FOR SUNDAYS!

§ These believers were meeting EVERY SINGLE DAY! That is the literal translation! Each single day, or Every single day! EVERY DAY THEY WANTED TO GROW! IMAGINE THAT! IMAGINE IF YOU TOOK TIME EVERY DAY TO INTENTIONALLY SEEK OUT GROWTH IN THE LORD!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

· CONCLUSION: Today, we’ve seen a lot! Just to recap the major things we’ve seen, we’ve seen:

· Main Point: BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP is core to a HEALTHY Christian life.

o Acts 18:18-23- Biblical DISCIPLESHIP requires taking SOMEONE with you!

o Acts 18:24-28- Biblical discipleship PREPARES us to PROCLAIM the gospel at all times!

o Acts 19:1-10- Biblical discipleship CORRECTS and PROTECTS against misunderstanding and false teaching.

§ Everything that we’ve seen today has been about discipleship and the importance of walking together to follow Jesus; pouring into others as we help them follow Jesus! Now, as we wrap up, I have 7 reasons why we need to participate in discipleship as we see in Acts 18:18-19:10.

These are less about HOW TO DO IT and more about WHY! We’ve talked about the “how” and if you are looking for more information, I highly recommend the book Discipleship by Mark Dever.

Instead of focusing on the how, I want to challenge us to GO AND DO IT by discussing the WHY!

· 7 applications about discipleship for you and me!

1. Biblical Discipleship is a way of life

2. Biblical Discipleship is not optional

3. Biblical Discipleship is given to us by God

4. Biblical Discipleship, following God, is our identity

5. Biblical Discipleship is a progression

6. Biblical Discipleship is what the world needs!

7. Biblical Discipleship is what you and I need!

o Biblical Discipleship is a way of life

§ When we read the Great Commission in Matthew 28, the tense of the verb “Go” is fascinating. Earlier in our service, we saw that it was a passive verb! What does this mean? It means that we could also translate it, “As you go, make disciples!”

· What we see in Ephesus in Acts 18-19 is that as believers GO THEY MAKE DISCIPLES! AS WE GO, WE NEED TO MAKE DISCIPLES! Let’s make disciples!

oBiblical Discipleship is not optional

§ We started off today talking about Jonah. Jonah was given a clear command. What did Jonah do? Jonah rebelled! How did that go for him? Pretty terribly!

· We are given a command to! GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES! So if we AREN’T making disciples, then what are we doing? We are disobeying God.

o Let me make this as simple and blunt as I can. If you are not living out the Great commission, you are NOT OBEYING JESUS! ARE YOU OBEYING JESUS?

o Biblical Discipleship is given to us by God!

§ Discipleship is for our own good! Discipleship is a chance for us to worship the Lord and to grow deeper in our relationship with God!

· Jesus himself took disciples with him as he went! He taught and has given us instruction on what to do!

o Discipleship is not something that I’m just standing up here talking aobut. This isn’t some idea that just goes away; this isn’t just a “fad” like “fad diets.”

§ DISCIPLESHIP IS CORE TO OUR FAITH! GOD GAVE US THE INSTRUCTIONS TO WALK TOGETHER! LET’S DO IT!

o Biblical Discipleship (following God) is our identity! As we practice biblical discipleship, we encourage one another in that!

§ Discipleship most simply means- FOLLOW! WE ARE TO FOLLOW GOD AND WE ARE TO DO IT TOGETHER!

· How do you find meaning and identity? For Paul or Apollos it could have been in the fruits of their ministries, but listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians about this. Paul wrote, “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.” 1 Corinthians 3:22-23

o YOU ARE GOD’S CHILDREN! WHAT ARE WE? WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST! WE BELONG TO CHRIST! THAT’S OUR IDENTITY!

o Biblical Discipleship is a progression

§ Fifthly, discipleship is a progression. Discipleship is an act of growing! It takes time and patience! Apollos needed to be corrected and that takes time!

· According to Jesus, as we GO (Passive), we are to BE AND TO MAKE A DISCIPLE (ACTIVE) and then we are to BAPTIZE AND TEACH (ACTIVE!)

o WHEN WE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING, WE ARE GROWING AND IT TAKES TIME!

IT IS A PROGRESSION!

o Biblical Discipleship is what the world needs!

§ Sixth, Biblical discipleship is what the world needs! It’s literally what Jesus tells us to do! All around us, people need Jesus! (THEY NEED THE GOSPEL! THAT JESUS CAME TO EARTH TO DIE FOR THEIR SINS AND TO FORGIVE THEM! THAT IT REQUIRES US TO REPENT AND HAVE FAITH!)

· How different would Hancock County even look if we actively engaged in discipleship! How different would hancock county look if we took this seriously!

o We don’t have to go to the Middle East to find an unreached people; look at Nauvoo! Look at Hamilton even!

o People all around us need Jesus!

§ WE BRING THEM THE GOSPEL IN OUR EVERY DAY LIVES! THAT’S WHAT JESUS TELLS US TO DO AND IT’S WHAT WE SEE IN EPHESUS!

· THAT’S HOW AN ENTIRE REGION HEARS THE GOSPEL IN 2 YEARS! IT’S AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERY BELIEVER’S MIND! IT’S THE FIRST THING BELIEVERS WANT TO TALK ABOUT!

o DOES THAT EXCITE YOU? DOES THE THOUGHT OF HAMILTON EXPERIENCING MAJOR REVIVAL EXCITE YOU?

§ THEN BE PRAYING AND BE ENGAGING IN INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP AND EVANGELISM!

ADDITIONALLY, MOTHER’S, you have a unique opportunity to pour into your children’s lives and to disciple them! IT’S WHAT THEY NEED! IT’S WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS; MOTHER’S (AND FATHER’S TOO) WHO DISCIPLE! PRAISE THE LORD FOR THAT! DON’T OVERLOOK THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE!

o Biblical Discipleship is what we need!

§ Finally, as we close, discipleship is what we need.

· It isn’t just evangelism, discipleship is more. Discipleship is walking together, spurring one another on, reminding each other of the encouragement of scripture like Hebrews 12:1-2! Discipleship is studying God’s word together and learning!

o It’s something God has given us to strengthen us! So, if you are wanting to grow; engage in discipleship!

§ Here at our church, we want to be active in this! YOUNGER believers, find someone more mature! Older believers, find someone younger and pour in!

· FOR ALL OF US, LET’S LIVE IT OUT EVERY DAY AS JESUS COMMANDED AND AS WE SAW IN EPHESUS!

o Let’s pray.