Life Lessons (111724)
Pastor Joseph Campbell
Declare the Glory • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 45:23
0 ratings
· 31 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading: Acts 18:18-28.
Title: Life Lessons
Title: Life Lessons
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
As we come to the end of Acts chapter 18, we also come to the end of Paul’s second missionary journey and the beginning of his third missionary journey.
After Paul leaves Corinth, he sails across the Aegean Sea and stops in Ephesus.
Even though the Ephesians want him to stay, Paul is determined to get to Jerusalem presumably for, what most Bible scholars believe, the celebration of the Passover.
So, Paul leaves Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus and he heads on the Jerusalem.
Verse 22 includes a lot. Paul lands in Caesarea, goes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, greets the church in Jerusalem, and then heads home - to Antioch.
Verse 23, as well, includes a lot. After spending some time at home in Antioch, he decides, for whatever reason, to go back, by way of the land route, to visit the churches in Galatia and Phrygia.
In verses 24-28, while Paul is making his way to Jerusalem, we are introduced to Apollos.
In these 11 verses there are a lot of lessons that we can learn.
For He Had a Vow
For He Had a Vow
And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
For some reason - we’re not told - Paul had taken upon himself the Nazarite vow.
That Nazarite vow had come to an end and he cut his - signalling the completion of that vow - before taking his journey across the Aegean Sea to Ephesus.
Paul had made a solemn promise to God - a commitment to God.
Question: I would like you to think about all of the commitments you make.
It is not wrong to make a commitment - a promise - to God. But…
Think through those commitments before you make them.
Do not make a commitment to God simply to gain His favor or in hope of receiving something in return.
Make a commitment because you are convinced of the importance or validity of what you are committing to.
Determine to follow through with those commitments.
Turn to and read Judges 11:30-35.
If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Note: The entirety of Numbers chapter 30 deals with the matter of making and keeping vows to God.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Why are our commitments to the bank more important than our commitments to God?
If God Will
If God Will
But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
As much as Paul wanted to return to Ephesus, he was unwilling to make that commitment. Instead, Paul acknowledged the will of God.
Paul had already learned this lesson.
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Turn to and read James 4:13-16.
Question: Throughout the course of your day/week, how much thought do you give to God’s will?
Question: Do you believe that God has a will - a specific purpose - for each moment of your day?
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: And he delighteth in his way.
Pride refuses to acknowledge God’s will.
Humility allows us to recognize our own finite understanding and to to acknowledge God’s omniscience.
Our desires should be outweighed by God’s will.
Strengthening All the Disciples
Strengthening All the Disciples
And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Strengthen:
To make strong or stronger; to add strength to
To encourage; to fix in resolution
Illustration: I had to “strengthen” the arbor by pounding a metal pole into the ground to “encourage” the arbor and to keep it from falling over.
There are times when we are going to be needed to encourage/strengthen others.
There are times when we are going to be needed to encourage/strengthen others.
Moses had to “strengthen” Joshua.
But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
Paul had to “strengthen” Timothy.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
There are going to be times when we are going to be encouraged by others.
There are going to be times when we are going to be encouraged by others.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?
Behold, thou hast instructed many, And thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
These two truths point to the importance of your local church family!
These two truths point to the importance of your local church family!
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Our strength comes only from the Lord.
Our strength comes only from the Lord.
Ultimately, whether we are needing strength or giving strength, we must remember that that strength comes only from the Lord.
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
O love the Lord, all ye his saints: For the Lord preserveth the faithful, And plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, All ye that hope in the Lord.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
This life lesson - strengthening all the disciples - is really dependent upon this next life lesson:
Mighty in the Scriptures
Mighty in the Scriptures
And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Mighty: powerful, strong, mighty. We get our English word, dynamite, from this word.
Apollos knew his Bible (which at that time would have just included the Old Testament Scriptures.)
Later, in vs. 28, we read:
For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
Apollos didn’t just know his Bible but he knew how to use his Bible!
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Ill: This past May, Tom Stoltman won the World's Strongest Man competition for the third time in four years.
The point that I would like to make is this…Tom Stoltman was not born the World’s Strongest Man. Through hard work, training, discipline, and competition, he became the World’s Strongest Man.
Apollos was not born mighty in the Scriptures. Through years of study, training, discipline, and, yes, “competition,” he became mighty in the Scriptures.
In the same way, so can you - so can I - become mighty in the Scriptures!
Helped Them
Helped Them
And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
Apollos went to Corinth and was a help to the Christians there.
My only question that I would ask of each of you:
Are you a help or hindrance to others?
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
