Cultivating Kingdom Impact

Sermon Title:

Cultivating Kingdom Impact

Text: Acts 18:24–28

Big Idea: Effective gospel ministry requires combining biblical passion with a teachable spirit, gracious mentorship, and church support.

Introduction

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what will remain of your life when the smoke clears and you stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ?

If everything you have ever built, everything you have ever accumulated, every compliment you have ever received, and every dollar you have ever earned were placed in the scales of eternity, how much of it would actually weigh anything in the Kingdom of God?

Most men and women live their lives chasing shadows. They spend forty, fifty, sixty, or seventy years running on the treadmill of worldly success, only to realize at the end of the journey that they made a living, but they never made a life; they made a splash, but they never made an eternal impact.

God did not save you to sit on the sidelines watching. God saved you to be a vessel in the hands of God to leave a mark upon the the world

How can an ordinary person leave an extraordinary and lasting impact on the World for the glory of the Lord?

This morning, I want to show you how you can Cultivate Kingdom Impact through your life.

If you have your Bibles, please turn to Acts, chapter 18. We are going to look at verses 24 through 28.

We will be introduced to a man named Apollos, alongside a couple who are some of the quiet giants of the faith in the book of Acts, they are Priscilla and Aquila. Through the lives of these three believers, God reveals the anatomy of a fruitful life for his Glory.

Here is the central truth: Effective gospel ministry requires combining biblical passion with a teachable spirit, gracious mentorship, and church support.

If you have found your place in Acts 18 and verse 24 would you say word? And stand in the honor of reading God’s Word.

Acts 18:24–28 ESV

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 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. 27 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, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

If you want your life to count for Jesus Christ, there are three vital principles you must cultivate. The first is,

1. Cultivate a Passionate Spirit for the Scriptures (Acts 18:24–25)

Acts 18:24–25 ESV

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Look at verse 24. The Bible says Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth. Alexandria, Egypt, was the intellectual and cultural capital of the ancient world. It was second only to Rome in political significance. Alexandria was world-famous for its massive university and a legendary library that housed nearly 700,000 parchment scrolls. It was a melting pot of philosophy, art, and rhetoric.

Luke tells us Apollos was an eloquent man. In the Greek language, that word is logios, meaning a man of words and a man of great ideas. He was cultured, educated, and possessed natural gifts of communication.

Natural ability alone will never shake the gates of hell. Oratory without the anointing is just empty wind. But look at what made Apollos truly formidable: the text says he was “mighty in the Scriptures”.

The Greek word used here for “mighty” is dunatos, which comes from the root dunamis, from which we get our English word dynamite. Apollos was explosive with the Word of God! When he stood up to preach, he wasn't quoting worldly philosophers or giving his own opinions. He was unleashing the dynamite of the Old Testament Scriptures.

Notice verse 25: he had been instructed in the way of the Lord. He was “fervent in spirit”. That phrase in the Greek (zeōn tō pneumati) literally means boiling in spirit. His heart was on fire. He was not a cold, dead, intellectual lecturer. He had a soul inflamed with divine enthusiasm for the things of God.

Yet, look at the qualification in verse 25: “being acquainted only with the baptism of John”.

Apollos had real zeal, and he taught accurately the things he knew about Jesus. He knew that John the Baptist had pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He knew the Old Testament prophecies pointing to the Messiah. But his knowledge had stalled at the Jordan River. He had not yet grasped the full revelation of Calvary’s cross, the triumph of the empty tomb, the ascension of Christ, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the establishment of New Covenant Christian baptism. Apollos was sincere, eloquent, and passionate, but his theological roadmap was incomplete.

Pastor and writer Warren Wiersbe, once shared how he and his wife were driving across the country for a ministry conference, and they found themselves hopelessly lost, unable to locate their required turns and exits. They stopped, pulled out their map, examined it closely, and realized the problem: they were using a map that was years out of date!

The map wasn't fraudulent; it had been accurate when it was printed. But new highways had been built, old routes had been altered, and the outdated map was incapable of leading them to their ultimate destination.

That was Apollos. He held an authentic, historical map—the preparatory ministry of John the Baptist. But God had brought redemptive history into full, blazing sunlight through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He needed the complete picture.

APPLICATION:

God does not want sharing truth without passion, nor does He want passion without truth. He wants passion and truth running through you!

You must anchor your spiritual enthusiasm in the diligent study of the Word of God. Over the years I’ve heard people tell me “Pastor, I love Jesus!” That is wonderful. But do you love His Word? Do you study His Word?

Never substitute religious emotionalism for biblical truth. If your passion is not grounded in the truth of Scripture, you will be blown about by every wind of doctrine. Cultivate a holy passion for the Word of God!

Not only is there the call to Cultivate a Passionate Spirit for the Scriptures, there is the call to

2. Cultivate a Teachable Spirit for Correction (Acts 18:26)

Look at verse 26:

Acts 18:26 ESV

26 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.

Apollos walks into the synagogue in Ephesus and begins preaching with conviction. Sitting in the congregation are a husband-and-wife team: Aquila and Priscilla. They were tentmakers by trade, ordinary working people who had been discipled directly by the Apostle Paul.

As they listen to Apollos, their spiritual ears pick up something that he is missing. They realize this man has an incomplete grasp of the gospel.

Pay close attention to what Priscilla and Aquila did not do.

They did not stand up in the middle of the synagogue service to interrupt him.

They did not go out into the street to whisper behind his back.

They did not write a scathing public critique to destroy his credibility or tear down his platform.

The Bible says they “took him aside”. The Greek text implies they pulled him into their private circle, it’s possible that they invited him into their home for a meal. And over a warm meal, with an open Bible and love in their hearts, they gently unpacked the glorious truths of the cross, the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit, explaining the way of God—more accurately!

Think about the transformative grace of a quiet, private setting. Imagine a mature brother or sister in Christ inviting a younger believer over, brewing a pot of coffee, opening God's Word, and gently sharpening their walk without an ounce of pride, condemnation, or malice. That is New Testament mentorship! They were not trying to win an argument; they were trying to build a brother up in the Lord.

But discipleship and mentorship is a two way relationship, it also requires the person being mentored to be receptive.

Consider the humility that Apollos must have had in this process.

He was a brilliant man and a gifted speaker from a well known city in Alexandria. Aquila and Priscilla were in all intents and purposes blue-collar tentmakers. It would have been easy for Apollos’s pride to flare up. He could have said, "Who are you to teach me? Look at my education! Look at my eloquence! Look at the crowds hanging on my every word!"

Apollos did not defend himself. Instead, he listened. He sat at their table, received their biblical instruction, and embraced the truth with what appears to be a tender and teachable heart.

ILLUSTRATION

Dr. Atul Gawande had spent more than a decade operating at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was also a professor at Harvard Medical School, and a widely published author. By every objective metric, he was a master at the top of his field.

Yet, as he reviewed his surgical complication rates, he realized his skill had plateaued. He observed that professional tennis players and concert pianists never outgrow coaches, while often master professionals assume they have arrived.

Gawande made an unconventional decision: he asked another Doctor, a retired, senior surgeon, to sit in the corner of his operating room with a clipboard. Gawande later admitted how uncomfortable it felt to have someone watching his every move. But the retired Doctor didn't evaluate his knowledge; he watched for his microscopic blind spots—the way Gawande positioned the surgical light, an unnecessary flick of the wrist during an incision, a subtle lapse in how he communicated with the scrub nurse. When Gawande embraced the coaching and made those small adjustments, his patient outcomes immediately improved.

The Homiletical Hook:

"Apollos was a master communicator from Alexandria—brilliant, passionate, and thoroughly versed in the Scriptures. But eloquence is not immunity from blind spots. Priscilla and Aquila stood in the corner of his spiritual operating room, spotted what was missing, and coached him into being a more complete speaker for the Lord."

Have you outgrown a teachable spirit?

The greatest barrier to spiritual growth is not ignorance; it is arrogance. Pride deadens the pain of our own stupidity. The moment you think you know it all, the moment you think nobody can speak into your life, you have put a ceiling on what God can do through you.

Proverbs 9:9 says:

Proverbs 9:9 ESV

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

When another Christian comes to you in love with an open Bible to point out a blind spot in your life, whether it be your attitude, your actions, or your theology, how do you respond?

Do you put up your defensive walls?

Do you retaliate and attack their character?

Or do you humble yourself before God, receive godly correction, and say, "Lord, sharpen me, refine me, and make me what You want me to be"?

Spiritual maturity is not measured by how much you know; it is measured by how quickly you yield to the truth of God’s Word.

Not only is there a call to have a passionate spirit for the scriptures, and a teachable spirit for correction, there is also the call to

3. Cultivate a Bold Spirit for the Mission (Acts 18:27–28)

Look at what happens when a passionate spirit and a teachable spirit meet:

Acts 18:27–28 ESV

27 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, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Apollos’s theology was sharpened. His message now made completed. The church at Ephesus recognized God’s hand upon his life, encouraged him, wrote letters of recommendation, and sent him across the Sea to Corinth in the region of Achaia (Uh ky uh).

When he arrived in Corinth, two remarkable things happened:

First, he built up the saints. Verse 27 says “he helped greatly those who had believed through grace”. What a beautiful reminder that our salvation is all of grace from start to finish! Apollos used his refined gifts not to build a monument to himself, but to strengthen, edify, and comfort the flock of God.

Second, he boldly confronted the culture. Verse 28 says “he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ”.

The Greek word for "powerfully refuted" is an intense, double-compound verb found only here in the entire New Testament. It means he systematically dismantled their arguments, totally overwhelming their objections with the clear testimony of Scripture. He stood in the public square, without compromise or apology, proving that the crucified Jesus is the risen Messiah and the Lord of all!

Look at the fruit of this unified work!

Years later, the Apostle Paul wrote to that very church in Corinth to address divisions in the congregation. Some people were saying, "I follow Paul," and others were saying, "I follow Apollos".

Listen to how Paul described their partnership in 1 Corinthians 3:6

1 Corinthians 3:6 ESV

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Paul didn't view Apollos as a rival, and Apollos didn't view Paul as competition. Paul broke the hard ground and planted the seed; Apollos poured the water of God’s Word on that soil; but the miracle of eternal life came from the hand of God Himself!

There is no room for jealousy in the Kingdom of God. We are laborers together with God.

God wants you to take the truth you have received and deploy it on the frontlines of daily life. You may not stand in a public arena like Apollos, but you have a mission field. Your mission field is your home, your classroom, your office, your factory floor, your neighborhood.

Do you all remember the old children’s song called “THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE”:

This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Oh, this little light of mine I’m going to let it shine

This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine

All around the neighborhood I’m going to let it shine All around the neighborhood I’m going to let it shine All around the neighborhood

I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

Don’t let Satan [blow] it out! I’m going to let it shine Don’t let Satan [blow] it out! I’m going to let it shine Don’t let Satan [blow] it out! I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine

God did not light your candle so you could hide it under a bushel. He lit it so you could shine brightly in a dark, dying world. You are called to boldly tell people about Jesus Christ! Tell them that He lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved to die, and walked out of the grave on the third day to conquer sin, death, and hell! So that we might have life in him!

The Cost of Real Impact and the Call to Christ

Many years ago, a young Christian artist set out to sculpt a masterpiece. He worked in a small, damp, poorly heated studio in the cold winter months of Northern Europe. He labored for months on a clay figure depicting the suffering Christ on the cross.

One bitter night, the temperature plummeted well below freezing. The young sculptor woke in the middle of the night, knowing that if the damp clay froze, the moisture inside would expand and shatter his masterpiece into a thousand pieces.

He didn't have enough firewood to warm the studio. He didn't have money to buy fuel. So that young man took off his own heavy wool blanket, wrapped it securely around the clay sculpture of his Lord, and went back to sleep in the freezing cold.

When morning came and friends entered the studio, the clay statue of Christ was intact, perfectly preserved—but the sculptor was found dead on his cot, having frozen through the night. He gave his very life to preserve the image of his Master.

I want to ask you: What are you wrapping your life around?

Are you spending your life preserving your own comforts, your own reputation, and your own tiny kingdom? Or are you willing to lay down your pride, your ambitions, and your self-will so that the image of the Lord Jesus Christ might be formed in you and proclaimed through you?

Before you can ever have Kingdom impact, you must first be a citizen of the Kingdom.

You may be sitting here right now, and you know the facts about Jesus just like Apollos did at the start. You know the church hymns. You know the stories of the Bible. You might even be a moral person who tries to do good things.

Being religious is not the same as being redeemed. Having a knowledge about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

Two thousand years ago on a blood-soaked hill called Mount Calvary, God Almighty took the record of all your sins, your lies, your lust, your pride, and your selfishness, and He placed them upon His spotless Son. Jesus took the full judgment of God that belonged to you. He cried out, "It is finished!" He died, was buried, and on the third day, He burst out of Joseph’s tomb alive forevermore!

The Bible says that if you will turn from your sin in repentance and place your faith entirely in Jesus Christ, you will be saved!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, don't wait another minute. Repent today. Turn to the Cross. Trust Him as your Lord and Savior.

And to every Christian listening: will you humble your heart today? Will you say:

"Lord, set my heart on fire for Your Word.

Lord, give me a teachable spirit that welcomes correction.

Lord, give me the boldness to stand in my generation and proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."