Evangelizing. Empowering. Equipping.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
A healthy church must have evangelizing, empowering, and equipping taking place as normal living.
A healthy church must have evangelizing, empowering, and equipping taking place as normal living.
Paul fulfils his promise to return to Ephesus.
21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.
1. A healthy church must be evangelistic.
1. A healthy church must be evangelistic.
We too often count on growth from transfers.
This is not the growth God intended.
(1) A. Sometimes evangelism takes place inside the church.
(1) A. Sometimes evangelism takes place inside the church.
1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
“He found some disciples”
Normally we can assume that when the word “disciple” is used it is a true believer - but not always.
A disciple is a learner or a follower?
These men were learner or follower of John the Baptist.
Similar to Apollos but to a much greater deficiency.
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
He found them in the church at Ephesus but they were not true believers.
It is not unusual for someone to be in church for years and not be a true believer.
They did not know about the Holy Spirit.
They didn’t understand the Messiah had come.
They were not placing their faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.
Most likely they were the result of Apollos’ teaching in Acts 18.
Paul used this opportunity to ask questions.
Don’t be afraid to ask pointed questions.
Make sure you both agree on definitions of terms used.
Don’t just take things at a surface level.
Dig deeper into a person’t life.
In this case it resulted in true conversion.
This is not ideal.
This is not what we want.
But we need to always be aware of the possibility.
(1) B. True believers should proclaim their faith through biblical baptism.
(1) B. True believers should proclaim their faith through biblical baptism.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
This is the only time in recorded in scripture where we see someone getting re-baptized.
We have seen the model throughout Acts...
Baptism follows salvation - often immediately.
Baptism does NOT wash away our sin.
The blood of Jesus Christ does.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Baptism IS an outward picture of what Christ did for us at the time of Salvation.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
At the time of salvation you are emersed into Christ.
Your baptism is a public announcement of that.
Foundations uses the example of a wedding ring.
It doesn’t make you married.
It tells people you are married.
These guys were not baptized biblically.
They were dunked.
They were not publically proclaiming their union with Christ!
(1) C. When the gospel is clearly preached it will create a dividing line .
(1) C. When the gospel is clearly preached it will create a dividing line .
9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
We have seen this many times in Acts.
We need to be prepared for it.
We cannot be surprised when people get upset with us.
As you strategize to win your one.
As we seek to be a greater light in the community.
And we preach the truth of the gospel.
Men love darkness more than light because their lives are evil.
No matter how much time we’ve spent cultivating relationships, at some point you have to speak the truth or you are wasting your time.
In that moment your relationship might be compromised.
That is the price we must be willing to make.
2. A healthy church must have empowered people.
2. A healthy church must have empowered people.
(2) A. Neither of these should be seen as normative.
(2) A. Neither of these should be seen as normative.
Paul laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit cam upon them.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
We receive the Holy Spirit at the time of Salvation.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
We receive the Holy Spirit - laying on of hands to receive it is not normal.
They spoke with tongues and prophesied.
We need to remember the context of this account.
This is still in the apostolic era.
Sign gifts were being used to prove people who were they said they were and that the message they were speaking was true.
The complete scripture did not exist.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Tongues were used to communicate God’s Word in a way that is no longer needed.
We now have the completed scriptures.
(2) B. The normative should be living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
(2) B. The normative should be living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
We need to live in the power that we have.
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
We often live fearful and defeated lives.
We need to be a church full of people that are empowered by the Holy Spirit!
3. A healthy church must be equipping people.
3. A healthy church must be equipping people.
9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
This is the directive given to the church.
Why do we do what we do?
Why have our Sunday nights looked different for so long?
Why do we preach the way we do?
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
(3) A. Equipping means teaching.
(3) A. Equipping means teaching.
Paul did it with these men. We are doing it for you.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We are teaching you scripture.
We are teaching you how to study scripture.
Why do I need what is happening on Sunday nights?
So you can be equipped to obey God.
With the power of the Holy Spirit and being equipped we no longer have any excuse to not do what God has called us to do.
(3) B. Equipping is more than teaching.
(3) B. Equipping is more than teaching.
It is understanding where people are and helping them take the next step.
It is more than teaching because you have to be able to use what we are teaching.
It is not about simply filling you with knowledge.
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Equipping is a key part of multiplication.
(3) C. Equipping is done for a specific purpose.
(3) C. Equipping is done for a specific purpose.
We are not simply teaching random things.
We are not training you to simply be busy.
We are equipping you to live the great commission.
That is my role in the local church body.
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
(3) D. Equipping takes time.
(3) D. Equipping takes time.
The list of things that I want to teach teach you.
The things we feel we need give you to help you better carry out the great commission is huge… and growing.
So make it a habit to be in those equipping times.
(3) E. Equipping has an intentional goal.
(3) E. Equipping has an intentional goal.
40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
Making disciples cannot happen only on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights.
But even our equipping make us more like our teacher.
10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
All heard the word of the Lord through this small group of men!
After Paul taught them they became powerful tools for Christ in the building of His Church.