WEBVTT 00:00:02.780 --> 00:00:08.320 Well, I am glad you're here. If you're new, this 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:10.859 is not normally what we have on Sunday mornings. 00:00:11.900 --> 00:00:14.140 Just so you know, we're not building sets every 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:17.539 Sunday for the Sunday message. But we have VBS 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:21.000 this week, obviously. And I'm thankful that VBS 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:23.920 recognized a great name. I mean, Carpenter Joe's. 00:00:24.670 --> 00:00:26.609 That's just wonderful. I saw that. I thought, 00:00:26.609 --> 00:00:28.250 wow, they're really thinking of me this year. 00:00:28.969 --> 00:00:31.109 And I just appreciate that. But I do want to 00:00:31.109 --> 00:00:35.590 say thank you to Brie and Olivia, Matthew, and 00:00:35.590 --> 00:00:37.909 many others who came. I came here on Wednesday 00:00:37.909 --> 00:00:41.750 night and saw the many hands that were helping. 00:00:41.810 --> 00:00:45.329 It was like craft day for adults, just building 00:00:45.329 --> 00:00:48.090 all these sets and painting. everybody was having 00:00:48.090 --> 00:00:50.429 fun and in good mood and so thank you to all 00:00:50.429 --> 00:00:52.990 the volunteers who have come this week to set 00:00:52.990 --> 00:00:55.649 up and we'll be here this afternoon and this 00:00:55.649 --> 00:00:58.070 week helping out as we're going to see little 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:01.909 hearts come into our church and we get to present 00:01:01.909 --> 00:01:04.670 them with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the song 00:01:04.670 --> 00:01:07.609 that we just sang. We get to do that and in a 00:01:07.609 --> 00:01:11.329 fun way, in an energetic way, but also in a clear 00:01:11.329 --> 00:01:14.030 and compassionate way wanting to share Jesus 00:01:14.030 --> 00:01:17.680 to even the littlest of hearts. That we get to 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:20.560 shepherd and care for so thanks to all the the 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:22.219 volunteers. I have a couple other announcements 00:01:22.219 --> 00:01:27.700 as well This one is for for you guys that Mathias 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:31.189 and Maisie are gonna have a baby Mazie's gonna 00:01:31.189 --> 00:01:33.590 have the baby, but together, yeah, they're gonna 00:01:33.590 --> 00:01:36.069 have a child. And they wanted me to make that 00:01:36.069 --> 00:01:38.310 announcement. They're not here right now, but 00:01:38.310 --> 00:01:40.750 if you see them when they come in for second 00:01:40.750 --> 00:01:42.549 service, make sure that you congratulate them 00:01:42.549 --> 00:01:45.790 as they're gonna be having a child in the beginning 00:01:45.790 --> 00:01:49.430 of January. beginning of January. Secondly, I 00:01:49.430 --> 00:01:52.909 have an elder update for you guys. I wanted to 00:01:52.909 --> 00:01:56.510 announce to you guys that the elders have decided 00:01:56.510 --> 00:02:00.950 upon bringing Matt Worthington on to the team. 00:02:01.629 --> 00:02:06.689 Matt is a man of character. He is a man who shepherds 00:02:06.689 --> 00:02:10.789 well within the church and is someone that we 00:02:10.789 --> 00:02:12.750 have been going through the process for well 00:02:12.750 --> 00:02:16.169 over a year now. of wanting to ensure that he'd 00:02:16.169 --> 00:02:19.550 be a good fit and match up philosophically, theologically, 00:02:20.129 --> 00:02:22.469 and all those things. What your part is in this 00:02:22.469 --> 00:02:26.830 now is for the next month before we confirm him 00:02:26.830 --> 00:02:29.530 and bring him on and lay hands on him and pray 00:02:29.530 --> 00:02:32.770 for him is you get an opportunity to get to know 00:02:32.770 --> 00:02:34.969 Matt, ask questions, even ask questions of the 00:02:34.969 --> 00:02:37.990 elders as well, even what the process was. If 00:02:37.990 --> 00:02:40.330 you want to know anything about that over the 00:02:40.330 --> 00:02:42.530 next few weeks, you have opportunity to do that. 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:46.560 and to ask questions in that way. And then in 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:49.360 July, we'll pray for him and officially bring 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:52.639 him on to the elder team. Obviously big news 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:55.039 for us, we haven't added an elder to the team 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:58.500 for quite some time, but we're excited to have 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:01.020 Matt and Mindy got to play mini -golf with the 00:03:01.020 --> 00:03:04.479 boys yesterday at the Masters mini -golf. You 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:06.319 didn't know the youth had a mini -golf event. 00:03:07.430 --> 00:03:10.310 symboling the Masters, and so I got paired up 00:03:10.310 --> 00:03:13.370 with David and Jay, and had a nice round of golf 00:03:13.370 --> 00:03:14.990 with them. But anyways, if you have questions 00:03:14.990 --> 00:03:17.310 about that, not about the Masters mini golf, 00:03:17.389 --> 00:03:19.449 you can ask me that if you'd like, but about 00:03:19.449 --> 00:03:22.030 Matt Worthington coming on as an elder, please 00:03:22.030 --> 00:03:25.969 do come up and ask me about that. All right, 00:03:26.129 --> 00:03:27.870 well grab your Bibles. We are in the Book of 00:03:27.870 --> 00:03:32.830 Acts. and we are in Acts chapter 18 and we are 00:03:32.830 --> 00:03:34.949 going to finish Acts chapter 18 and we're going 00:03:34.949 --> 00:03:37.650 to get a running start into Acts chapter 19. 00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:40.990 I know this is a big endeavor for me to do, but 00:03:40.990 --> 00:03:44.250 I feel like it's appropriate for us to just grab 00:03:44.250 --> 00:03:49.449 this chunk of passage together and see what God 00:03:49.449 --> 00:03:52.490 has to say about that and what He's going to 00:03:52.490 --> 00:03:56.699 teach us. This morning, so let me just read for 00:03:56.699 --> 00:03:59.039 us. I want to just read one verse for us. It's 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:04.939 Acts 18 verse 23 Together and then I will pray 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:07.919 for us and then we will dive into God's Word 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:10.259 Here's what it says Acts chapter 18 verse 23 00:04:10.259 --> 00:04:13.860 after spending some time there He departed and 00:04:13.860 --> 00:04:16.399 went from one place to the next through the region 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:22.579 of Galatia and Phrygia strengthening all the 00:04:22.579 --> 00:04:26.740 disciples. Our Heavenly Father, we get the privilege 00:04:26.740 --> 00:04:31.740 to jump into Your Word. We get to study it. We 00:04:31.740 --> 00:04:35.639 get to hear from You. We get to be challenged 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:39.699 in our faith. We get to learn new truths. We 00:04:39.699 --> 00:04:43.139 get to be reminded of truths that we've forgotten. 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:46.339 And all that in a mysterious way, by the work 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:49.860 of the Holy Spirit, works in our hearts to transform 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:52.689 us to make us like Christ. And we're even going 00:04:52.689 --> 00:04:56.009 to learn this morning that it's not about head 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:58.449 knowledge. It's not about just what you know. 00:04:58.889 --> 00:05:01.509 It's about what you believe. It's about your 00:05:01.509 --> 00:05:05.629 convictions. And Lord, I just pray that in all 00:05:05.629 --> 00:05:08.970 of this, you would draw us closer to you. Make 00:05:08.970 --> 00:05:13.790 us like Jesus. It's in His name we pray. Amen. 00:05:14.430 --> 00:05:16.730 We start out with a quote by Charles Swindoll 00:05:16.730 --> 00:05:18.670 when it comes to the book of Acts that we don't 00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:21.069 want to forget. Sometimes we're getting into 00:05:21.069 --> 00:05:23.350 just these stories and we're forgetting the bigger 00:05:23.350 --> 00:05:26.370 picture. But Charles Swindoll says this when 00:05:26.370 --> 00:05:29.009 we study the journeys of Paul in the book of 00:05:29.009 --> 00:05:32.110 Acts, we're not just reading a travel log of 00:05:32.110 --> 00:05:35.550 a man. We are observing the redemptive plan of 00:05:35.550 --> 00:05:39.350 God unfolding as he promised. Through the ministry 00:05:39.350 --> 00:05:42.790 of Saul of Tarsus, God's mission to reclaim his 00:05:42.790 --> 00:05:46.069 creation from the death grip of evil would move 00:05:46.069 --> 00:05:49.399 to its next stage. The plan of the mission was 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:51.959 outlined in the Lord's promise at his ascension 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:54.740 where he said you will receive power When the 00:05:54.740 --> 00:05:58.319 Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:03.879 my witnesses It's unfolded in Jerusalem Judea 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.560 and Samaria and even to the remotest parts of 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.040 the earth now remember in the midst of all these 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:11.300 stories and all these places that the Apostle 00:06:11.300 --> 00:06:13.819 Paul is going that Barnabas is going that that 00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:17.100 we see of Silas is going and Timothy is going 00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:19.939 and all these places that they're going as we're 00:06:19.939 --> 00:06:22.079 reading these stories kind of individually we 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.420 can't forget the bigger plan of God in redemption 00:06:25.420 --> 00:06:27.720 that's happening throughout the book of Acts 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:31.490 right in Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 God Said 00:06:31.490 --> 00:06:34.129 that they will go out and be witnesses to the 00:06:34.129 --> 00:06:37.029 ends of the earth or watching this masterful 00:06:37.029 --> 00:06:40.589 plan of salvation unfold one story at a time 00:06:40.589 --> 00:06:44.310 one city at a time one person at a time as they 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:47.829 are saved and come to know Christ and From the 00:06:47.829 --> 00:06:49.389 beginning from the very beginning in the book 00:06:49.389 --> 00:06:52.230 of Acts. There's always been a strong emphasis 00:06:52.230 --> 00:06:55.699 on the Word of God getting out That was the means 00:06:55.699 --> 00:06:57.839 by which they were going to see people come to 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.639 know Christ was the proclamation of the Word 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:04.199 of God. That was the philosophy of ministry that 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:07.100 they had. If the apostles did not have the Word 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:09.800 of God, they had nothing. They had nothing to 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:12.199 offer. They needed the Word of God. That was 00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:14.879 the means by which God's Word would get out. 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:16.699 In fact, if you have, just go back with me. I 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:18.740 want you to see this. Let's just trace this. 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:22.899 Go back to Acts chapter 2. In Acts chapter 2, 00:07:23.050 --> 00:07:26.670 In verse 42 and 41, when they got together, they 00:07:26.670 --> 00:07:29.870 devoted themselves to the teaching, to the fellowship, 00:07:30.050 --> 00:07:34.069 to the breaking of bread. In Acts chapter 6, 00:07:35.069 --> 00:07:38.269 in verse 7, and the word of God continued to 00:07:38.269 --> 00:07:41.040 increase. The number of disciples multiplied 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:43.399 greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of priests 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:46.459 became obedient to the faith. In Acts chapter 00:07:46.459 --> 00:07:50.279 7, we see Stephen preaching an entire message 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:53.540 on the Old Testament using Old Testament scriptures. 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:58.639 In Acts chapter 8, in verse 14, in verse 25, 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:02.040 and in verse 35, you see in verse 25 that the 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:04.899 preaching, the gospel to many villages of the 00:08:04.899 --> 00:08:08.560 Samaritans. This is just what the apostles did. 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:12.040 they marched through preaching and teaching the 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:15.319 gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 11 in 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:17.579 verse 1, here it is again, they received the 00:08:17.579 --> 00:08:22.439 word from God. Acts chapter 12 in verse 24, again 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.839 the preaching of the word of God is sent forth. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:27.860 In verse 24 it says the word of God increased 00:08:27.860 --> 00:08:31.680 and multiplied. Acts chapter 13 verse 5, Acts 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:36.139 chapter 13 verse 44, Acts chapter 15, 35 and 00:08:36.139 --> 00:08:40.049 36. The result in verse 41, there's the strengthening 00:08:40.049 --> 00:08:43.250 of the churches. In Acts chapter 17, getting 00:08:43.250 --> 00:08:45.750 closer to where we are, in Acts chapter 17, in 00:08:45.750 --> 00:08:49.570 verse 2, Paul went into the synagogue as was 00:08:49.570 --> 00:08:52.769 his custom. Three -day Sabbath, he reasoned with 00:08:52.769 --> 00:08:57.679 them from the Scriptures. In verse 10, it was 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:00.620 the Bereans who studied the scriptures with great 00:09:00.620 --> 00:09:04.580 joy. In Acts chapter 18, in verse 5, Silas and 00:09:04.580 --> 00:09:07.759 Timothy arrived in Macedonia, and Paul was occupied 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:11.960 with the Word. In Acts chapter 18, in verse 11, 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:14.500 he stayed a year and six months teaching the 00:09:14.500 --> 00:09:17.519 Word of God among them. This is what the apostles 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:20.340 and the disciples did. On every missionary journey, 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.120 the goal was this, get the Word of God out. Don't 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:27.259 conceal it, don't hide it, but use it by which 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:30.440 the means to see people come to know Christ and 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:33.220 the means by which people are strengthened and 00:09:33.220 --> 00:09:38.820 discipled. It's through the Word of God. Without 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:41.419 the Word of God, the apostles, as I said, the 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:45.279 disciples, they had nothing to go with. They 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:47.159 wanted people to see Christ, so they showed them 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:49.360 in Scripture. They wanted people strengthened, 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.399 so they showed them in Scripture, and they continued 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.539 to use the Word of God. And we also need to remember 00:09:56.539 --> 00:09:59.179 in the book of Acts, again, just some themes 00:09:59.179 --> 00:10:00.620 that we're remembering here, is that the book 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:03.899 of Acts is a book of transitions. You're transitioning 00:10:03.899 --> 00:10:07.019 from one era or one dispensation to the next. 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.159 You're watching Jews come to know Christ. and 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:13.480 embrace Christianity. There's a transition there, 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:16.659 a letting go of Judaism and embracing of Christianity. 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:19.860 You have Gentiles who are leaving their foreign 00:10:19.860 --> 00:10:22.460 gods and their foreign idols to come to know 00:10:22.460 --> 00:10:25.080 Christ. There's a transition there from an old 00:10:25.080 --> 00:10:28.120 way of living to a new way of living. There's 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:31.440 a transition now from there being no church to 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:35.399 having the church era begin. And a transition 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:38.740 where the Holy Spirit was not with them and then 00:10:38.740 --> 00:10:41.059 when Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:43.899 came down and was upon them. This whole book 00:10:43.899 --> 00:10:46.980 is about transition from even the gospel being 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:49.980 just in Jerusalem to now being spread out to 00:10:49.980 --> 00:10:53.059 the ends of the earth. The whole book is continually 00:10:53.059 --> 00:10:56.759 stories of transition from one era, from one 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:59.539 thing to the next, from one believer to the next 00:10:59.539 --> 00:11:03.379 believer. But through all these transitions, 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:07.039 that are happening what remains is that the word 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:11.159 of God must go forth through every generation 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:14.379 from the very beginning even up to our generation 00:11:14.379 --> 00:11:17.440 now the main thing is this is that the word of 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:20.080 God must go forth if people are going to come 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.080 to know Christ and if people are going to be 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:27.840 discipled by the word of God it's all found in 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:32.320 God's word to strengthen the church you must 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:35.840 Give people the word of God. For people to come 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.620 to know Christ, you must give people the word 00:11:38.620 --> 00:11:40.860 of God. Through all the transitions, through 00:11:40.860 --> 00:11:46.399 all the eras, that remains the same. Now when 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:49.240 we come to this section of Scripture in Acts 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:51.820 chapter 18, it's actually right in the middle 00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:55.480 of the chapter, even right in the middle of the 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:59.519 paragraph of verses 22 and 23, you have the ending 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:02.149 of Paul's second missionary journey. You have 00:12:02.149 --> 00:12:04.889 the start of his third missionary journey. I 00:12:04.889 --> 00:12:06.929 know they kind of pulled a fast one on us right 00:12:06.929 --> 00:12:09.049 here in the middle There's no heading that says 00:12:09.049 --> 00:12:11.870 hey, this is the start of Paul's third missionary 00:12:11.870 --> 00:12:14.129 journey We're all dependent upon that and it's 00:12:14.129 --> 00:12:16.649 not there But it's right at the end in verse 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:20.269 22 Paul's second missionary journey ends and 00:12:20.269 --> 00:12:24.230 in verse 23 the third missionary journey begins 00:12:24.230 --> 00:12:28.610 Now watch this. What does he do in his third 00:12:28.610 --> 00:12:30.389 missionary journey? Well, it says it there the 00:12:30.389 --> 00:12:32.960 goal right there at the end of verse 23 we already 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.379 read it it is to strengthen all the disciples 00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:40.039 how was this going to happen it was going to 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:42.740 happen through the teaching of the word of god 00:12:42.740 --> 00:12:45.759 look at the end of verse 28 this is apollos he 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:48.580 powerfully refuted the jews in public showing 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:53.179 by the scriptures that the christ was jesus look 00:12:53.179 --> 00:12:56.139 at verse 20 of chapter 19 so the word of the 00:12:56.139 --> 00:13:00.379 lord continued to increase and prevail mightily 00:13:01.050 --> 00:13:03.870 The Apostle Paul didn't sit back while he was 00:13:03.870 --> 00:13:06.649 in Antioch as it says there in verse 22. He's 00:13:06.649 --> 00:13:09.669 in Antioch his own church He didn't sit back 00:13:09.669 --> 00:13:13.250 and say to himself. You know what my my philosophy 00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:16.750 of ministry needs to change You know, I think 00:13:16.750 --> 00:13:19.049 I need to add a little bit more creativity to 00:13:19.049 --> 00:13:22.080 this missions trip You know, I think I need to 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.039 change things. I need to start drawing people 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:26.360 in in different ways. You know, I'm getting beat 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:28.779 up a lot. I'm getting persecuted a lot. You know, 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:32.120 let's try to maybe candy coat the mission, the 00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:34.360 message a little bit. Let's sweeten it up a little 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:37.519 bit. Let's soften things a little bit. And let's 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.059 start this third missionary journey far different 00:13:40.059 --> 00:13:43.799 than the first two. He didn't do that at all. 00:13:45.580 --> 00:13:49.220 He didn't change anything. All he got was a little 00:13:49.220 --> 00:13:51.480 bit of rest when he was in Antioch and then off 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:54.539 he went again with the same goal, with the same 00:13:54.539 --> 00:13:56.980 purpose, with the same means by which he would 00:13:56.980 --> 00:13:59.340 achieve that goal. Let's get the Word of God 00:13:59.340 --> 00:14:06.019 out again. And it continues to work. In this 00:14:06.019 --> 00:14:08.580 third missionary journey, we will see this at 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:11.820 the Triune God, the work of the Father, the Son, 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.259 and the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul. 00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:17.049 Through other key men and women, they advance 00:14:17.049 --> 00:14:20.409 the kingdom of God and the devil will lose territory 00:14:20.409 --> 00:14:27.649 as God's kingdom advances and expands. Most notably, 00:14:27.830 --> 00:14:29.629 in Paul's third missionary journey here, we'll 00:14:29.629 --> 00:14:34.070 see him in the city of Ephesus. The city of Ephesus, 00:14:34.110 --> 00:14:35.830 and he spends some time there and even writes 00:14:35.830 --> 00:14:40.009 a letter to them in Acts chapter 20 talking even 00:14:40.009 --> 00:14:43.470 about the Ephesian elders. That are in the city 00:14:43.470 --> 00:14:47.750 of Ephesus But this is the Apostle Paul getting 00:14:47.750 --> 00:14:51.370 ready and getting started on this second or ending 00:14:51.370 --> 00:14:54.009 his second missionary journey Starting his third 00:14:54.009 --> 00:14:56.330 missionary journey same philosophy of ministry 00:14:56.330 --> 00:15:00.370 as as he goes Let's start reading then in verse 00:15:00.370 --> 00:15:04.470 18 as we close out this second journey Paul's 00:15:04.470 --> 00:15:08.149 was in Corinth He stayed there for about a year 00:15:08.149 --> 00:15:11.250 and a half maybe in total about two years Verse 00:15:11.250 --> 00:15:14.470 18, after this, Paul stayed many days longer, 00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:17.269 and then took leave of the brothers, and set 00:15:17.269 --> 00:15:21.730 sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. 00:15:22.690 --> 00:15:25.529 At Sincrae he had cut his hair, for he was under 00:15:25.529 --> 00:15:29.149 a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left 00:15:29.149 --> 00:15:32.110 them there, but he himself went into the synagogue 00:15:32.110 --> 00:15:35.610 and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him 00:15:35.610 --> 00:15:39.779 to stay, for a long period he declined. But on 00:15:39.779 --> 00:15:42.159 taking leave of them. He said I will return to 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:46.840 you if God wills and he set sail from Ephesus 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.899 When he had landed in Caesarea, he went up and 00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:55.200 greeted the church and then went down to Antioch 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.080 So here's the close of his missionary journey 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:01.100 here and I guess of note kind of the the main 00:16:01.100 --> 00:16:03.340 thing of note here besides the different areas 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:05.559 that he went to was number one Priscilla and 00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:08.330 Aquila go with him Alright, and here's his new 00:16:08.330 --> 00:16:12.090 friends, longtime friends, or not longtime friends, 00:16:12.250 --> 00:16:15.090 new friends who would become longtime friends 00:16:15.090 --> 00:16:17.970 of him, who would stay on this missionary journey 00:16:17.970 --> 00:16:20.409 with him, is Priscilla and Aquila. They just 00:16:20.409 --> 00:16:22.389 say, hey, you know what? We didn't really care 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:24.590 for Corinth the whole lot. We weren't there very 00:16:24.590 --> 00:16:26.750 long. Let's just go with Paul. Let's support 00:16:26.750 --> 00:16:29.450 Paul. Let's go with him. Let's be of aid to him. 00:16:29.870 --> 00:16:31.769 Let's come alongside him and let's see what the 00:16:31.769 --> 00:16:36.519 Lord does with us as we travel with Paul. So 00:16:36.519 --> 00:16:39.539 they go with them to Sincreate. Now while he 00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:42.799 is there, it says that Paul received a haircut. 00:16:43.659 --> 00:16:46.600 I find this fascinating that this is of note 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:50.000 here. We know nothing of Paul bodily at all except 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.179 that here he found himself a barber and went 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:57.299 ahead and got a haircut. And it says there that 00:16:57.299 --> 00:16:59.759 he was under a vow. Why is this here? Why is 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.759 this in the text? Well, the Apostle Paul was 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:06.240 under a a Nazarite vow if you want to more study 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:08.960 on a Nazarite vow It's found in Numbers chapter 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:13.640 6 of verses 1 to 21 It was a vow that was entirely 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:18.119 voluntary entirely voluntary Where you would 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:20.880 commit to a kind of service for a period of time 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:25.059 and you would make a special vow It was a public 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:27.500 vow. It was a costly vow. It was a temporary 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:30.740 vow It involved three elements, one of which 00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:33.839 was this, was that you would not cut your hair. 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:36.779 My son Drake, he's not here, but he's under a 00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:39.720 Nazarite vow right now. You guys are wondering 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:43.339 why he had such long hair. He's under a Nazarite 00:17:43.339 --> 00:17:47.940 vow in just gratitude for his father. So that's 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:52.039 why Jonah is on his way to a Nazarite vow right 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:55.299 now. I'm still teasing it out of him what's going 00:17:55.299 --> 00:18:00.660 on there. Some of you would never be under a 00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:02.779 Nazarite vow. You couldn't grow your hair out 00:18:02.779 --> 00:18:05.799 any longer. The point here of this, the point 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:08.380 is this, the point of not cutting the hair was 00:18:08.380 --> 00:18:10.720 for people to see that you were under a special 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:14.539 vow to the Lord. The vow would end when you'd 00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:16.480 have your hair shaved off and you'd actually 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:19.680 have to take the hair to Jerusalem and set it 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:22.259 on fire. That was how you would end the vow. 00:18:23.120 --> 00:18:25.940 But it seems as though the Apostle Paul had made 00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:28.259 a vow in Corinth and it was out of gratitude 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:31.680 and thankfulness For the way God had protected 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:34.539 him and the way God had even said to him that 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:37.519 no one will attack you and no one will harm you 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:39.859 That I believe the Apostle Paul put himself under 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:43.559 this vow as a way of showing gratitude For his 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:46.880 time in Corinth and during that time he was in 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:53.420 Corinth A vow of deliverance from his accusers. 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:57.779 And now he cuts his hair out of thankfulness 00:18:57.779 --> 00:19:00.640 and out of acknowledgement for what God has done. 00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:03.589 His time in Corinth was done. This vow that he 00:19:03.589 --> 00:19:06.730 put himself under was over and he went ahead 00:19:06.730 --> 00:19:09.970 and shaved his head to show the people that God 00:19:09.970 --> 00:19:12.109 had protected him, but now it's time for him 00:19:12.109 --> 00:19:14.049 to move on. Now remember, the book of Acts is 00:19:14.049 --> 00:19:16.470 a book of what? Transitions. The Apostle Paul 00:19:16.470 --> 00:19:19.930 also is transitioning out of Judaism and into 00:19:19.930 --> 00:19:24.769 Christianity. And this here would show that the 00:19:24.769 --> 00:19:27.329 Apostle Paul was no longer under the Old Testament 00:19:27.329 --> 00:19:31.190 law, no longer under those obligations. He was 00:19:31.190 --> 00:19:33.890 breaking away from it, but put himself under 00:19:33.890 --> 00:19:36.589 the law to show, or under this Nazarite vow, 00:19:36.630 --> 00:19:39.529 to show his thankfulness for the way God had 00:19:39.529 --> 00:19:44.990 protected him for all that time in Corinth. So 00:19:44.990 --> 00:19:49.450 he's with Priscilla and Aquila. He has this new 00:19:49.450 --> 00:19:53.190 haircut, the shaving of the head. They go to 00:19:53.190 --> 00:19:56.289 Ephesus. He makes his way to the synagogue. He 00:19:56.289 --> 00:19:58.630 reasons with the Jews. They want him to stay 00:19:58.630 --> 00:20:02.369 and he leaves there. He sets sail from Ephesus. 00:20:02.670 --> 00:20:05.069 He heads back and eventually makes his way to 00:20:05.069 --> 00:20:07.930 Antioch. What's Antioch? Antioch is his home 00:20:07.930 --> 00:20:11.230 church, kind of the ending of the second missionary 00:20:11.230 --> 00:20:14.269 journey. And it is there that I believe that 00:20:14.269 --> 00:20:17.450 he found what he was was missing in his life 00:20:17.450 --> 00:20:20.170 for so long, which is a little bit of rest. little 00:20:20.170 --> 00:20:22.509 bit of relaxation, a little bit of home cooking 00:20:22.509 --> 00:20:24.670 back at his home church where he would have been 00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:27.809 prayed for and cared for, but that did not last 00:20:27.809 --> 00:20:30.869 very long. Verse 23, after spending some time 00:20:30.869 --> 00:20:34.109 there, he departed and he went from one place 00:20:34.109 --> 00:20:37.910 to the next through the region of Galatia, Phrygia, 00:20:38.430 --> 00:20:43.049 strengthening all the disciples. And now we get 00:20:43.049 --> 00:20:46.230 his third missionary journey with the goal there 00:20:46.230 --> 00:20:49.420 to strengthen all of the disciples to continue 00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:52.319 on the work that he had started to go back to 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:55.599 the churches that he had been to. Now, as we 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:59.920 approach verse 24 down to chapter 19 in verse 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:03.279 6, I want to show you guys three people, or there's 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.880 some groups of people here, and I want to give 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:07.079 you three lessons. All right, we're just going 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:10.960 to do three people and three lessons as we approach 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:13.779 now. this third missionary journey and specifically 00:21:13.779 --> 00:21:17.039 what is going on in the city of Ephesus. By the 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:18.599 way, if you have a map, I don't have one for 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:20.539 you guys this morning. I couldn't decide which 00:21:20.539 --> 00:21:23.400 one to choose between the maps. So you can consult 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:24.859 the back of your Bible. You can see the city 00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:28.940 of Ephesus where Paul was, but now he's in Galatia 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:34.559 and Phrygia. But the movie or the story moves 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:37.900 on. And the first person that I want to introduce 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:41.650 you to, I call him the halfway Christian. The 00:21:41.650 --> 00:21:46.130 halfway Christian, and his name is Apollos. Apollos, 00:21:46.150 --> 00:21:50.809 let me read verse 24 down to verse 28. Now, a 00:21:50.809 --> 00:21:54.990 Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came 00:21:54.990 --> 00:21:58.970 to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent 00:21:58.970 --> 00:22:02.150 in the scriptures. He had been instructed in 00:22:02.150 --> 00:22:04.950 the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, 00:22:05.130 --> 00:22:08.789 he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning 00:22:08.789 --> 00:22:12.359 Jesus. though he knew only the baptism of John. 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:15.099 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:17.619 when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:20.220 him aside and explained to him the way of God 00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:24.160 more accurately. And when he wished to cross 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:26.880 Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.799 to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:33.140 he greatly helped those who through grace had 00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:36.369 believed. for he powerfully refuted the Jews 00:22:36.369 --> 00:22:40.410 in public, showing by the Scriptures that the 00:22:40.410 --> 00:22:45.509 Christ was Jesus." Now even though the Apostle 00:22:45.509 --> 00:22:47.769 Paul has not made his way into Ephesus, in fact 00:22:47.769 --> 00:22:50.230 he had left and is in a different region, the 00:22:50.230 --> 00:22:53.730 story moves forward and Luke takes us into Ephesus 00:22:53.730 --> 00:22:57.690 and he introduces us to a man by the name of 00:22:57.690 --> 00:23:02.039 Apollos. Not to be mistaken with Apollo. from 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:03.839 the Rocky movie, that is not who we're talking 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:09.000 about. This is Apollos. Apollos, his very name, 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:15.220 it means this, destroyer, destroyer. And Apollos 00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:19.059 was a very passionate man. In fact, it's described 00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:22.279 for us, there's many description of Apollos. 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:24.240 I'm going to give you these descriptions of him. 00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:26.779 Number one is this, is that he was a Jewish man. 00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:31.279 It says there, verse 24, now a Jew named Apollos. 00:23:31.859 --> 00:23:34.900 We find out that this man was awaiting the arrival 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:38.460 of Jesus Christ. He was waiting for him to come. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.599 He believed that the Messiah would come. He was 00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:45.799 a Jew, but he wasn't a Jew who came from Israel. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:48.539 He was a Jew that came from, as it says there, 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:54.960 he was a native of Alexandria. And Apollos was 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:58.359 also not just a Jewish man, but he was also a 00:23:58.359 --> 00:24:01.980 brilliant man. To say that he was a native of 00:24:01.980 --> 00:24:04.819 Alexandria, it would tell us this. The city of 00:24:04.819 --> 00:24:08.559 Alexandria was in northern Africa, in Egypt. 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:11.660 It was a great city, a prominent city, right 00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:15.680 up there next to Rome, and Alexandria was founded 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:21.519 by Alexander the Great. It was one of the great 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:25.220 centers of Greek culture right there in North 00:24:25.220 --> 00:24:29.970 Africa. And in Alexandria was a large university. 00:24:29.970 --> 00:24:32.849 It had one of the finest libraries in all of 00:24:32.849 --> 00:24:35.750 the world. There was, in fact, in this library, 00:24:36.549 --> 00:24:44.269 over 500 ,000 volumes. Half a million volumes 00:24:44.269 --> 00:24:47.640 there in... Alexandria, which would tell us that 00:24:47.640 --> 00:24:50.839 this was a great source of learning for the ancient 00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:53.519 world. If you wanted to grow in your understanding, 00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:56.220 if you wanted to learn, if you wanted to go to 00:24:56.220 --> 00:24:59.160 university, then you would say, my goal is to 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:02.420 get down to Alexandria because that's where the 00:25:02.420 --> 00:25:05.599 finest professors are with the finest volumes 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:09.559 of material to read and to study. Now, unfortunately, 00:25:10.099 --> 00:25:14.569 that library has since been destroyed. And all 00:25:14.569 --> 00:25:18.029 of that learning has been lost to the world today. 00:25:18.109 --> 00:25:20.890 But during that time, that was the place to go. 00:25:20.910 --> 00:25:23.549 And it would tell us that Apollosthen was a very 00:25:23.549 --> 00:25:28.210 educated man. He was also, number three, he was 00:25:28.210 --> 00:25:30.869 an eloquent man. That's what it says. It says 00:25:30.869 --> 00:25:33.549 that he was an eloquent man, meaning this, that 00:25:33.549 --> 00:25:38.269 he was learned. He was a man of rhetoric. He 00:25:38.269 --> 00:25:40.490 was a man of the catechism. He would learn by 00:25:40.490 --> 00:25:47.140 question and answer. He was also an eloquent 00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:49.799 speaker. He was smooth in his speech. People 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:51.339 would listen to him even though they wouldn't 00:25:51.339 --> 00:25:53.559 agree with him. They just enjoyed the manner 00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:56.160 by which he spoke and the way that he spoke. 00:25:57.319 --> 00:26:02.039 He was eloquent in his speech. Number four, he 00:26:02.039 --> 00:26:06.359 was a scriptural man, you could say. Says that 00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:10.299 he was competent in the scriptures. Another way 00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:13.019 of saying this is that he was mighty in the scriptures. 00:26:14.250 --> 00:26:16.930 He was well versed in his understanding of the 00:26:16.930 --> 00:26:22.549 Old Testament He preached with power Even though 00:26:22.549 --> 00:26:24.829 he didn't know much about Christ or anything 00:26:24.829 --> 00:26:27.349 about Christ other than what the Old Testament 00:26:27.349 --> 00:26:33.950 had had taught him But he was a man of the Word 00:26:33.950 --> 00:26:39.150 of God When described people would say oh oh 00:26:39.150 --> 00:26:40.970 you're talking about Paul's oh you're talking 00:26:40.970 --> 00:26:43.980 about the guy that's mighty in Scripture You're 00:26:43.980 --> 00:26:45.839 talking about the guy that's competent in Scripture. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:48.720 Man, what a great description to have when people 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:52.619 say, your name. Oh, yeah. Oh, that guy. Man, 00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:57.539 that guy really knows his Bible. That guy can 00:26:57.539 --> 00:26:59.579 speak with power because he speaks from the word 00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:03.140 of God and he knows the truth and he understands 00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:08.490 theology. He knew just that he knew the Old Testament. 00:27:08.490 --> 00:27:11.130 He was competent. In fact even that Greek word 00:27:11.130 --> 00:27:14.430 for competent there It's the word dunamis where 00:27:14.430 --> 00:27:16.910 we get the word dynamite from and power from 00:27:16.910 --> 00:27:20.190 it and he had this this mighty power about him 00:27:20.190 --> 00:27:23.750 in his understanding of the Bible That's just 00:27:23.750 --> 00:27:29.049 fascinating See understood the Word of God and 00:27:29.049 --> 00:27:32.250 he would teach them as much as he knew about 00:27:32.250 --> 00:27:37.980 the Old Testament Number five is this. Apollos 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:42.200 was also a zealous man. He was a zealous man. 00:27:42.220 --> 00:27:44.480 He was, as it says in verse 25, he instructed 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:46.779 in the way of the Lord and he was, what, being 00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:51.740 fervent in spirit. He spoke and taught accurately 00:27:51.740 --> 00:27:55.400 the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only 00:27:55.400 --> 00:27:59.880 the baptism of John. He was a zealous man, full 00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:03.380 of energy, fervent in spirit, his own spirit. 00:28:04.650 --> 00:28:07.710 He was passionate. He was excited when he talked 00:28:07.710 --> 00:28:10.150 about the Word of God. People were just intrigued 00:28:10.150 --> 00:28:17.250 because he was so excited to talk about it. He 00:28:17.250 --> 00:28:21.609 was a man who knew the Old Testament, who was 00:28:21.609 --> 00:28:25.009 passionate about it, faithfully waiting for Christ 00:28:25.009 --> 00:28:32.210 to come. Apollos also felt what he preached and 00:28:32.210 --> 00:28:36.619 taught. He was able to persuade men. But number 00:28:36.619 --> 00:28:40.819 six is this, he was an uninformed man. He was 00:28:40.819 --> 00:28:44.380 an uninformed man. He taught accurately the things 00:28:44.380 --> 00:28:47.460 of Jesus concerning Jesus, what he knew up to 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:50.880 the point of knowing Jesus, though he knew only 00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:59.309 the baptism of John. Was a typical you could 00:28:59.309 --> 00:29:02.150 say Old Testament Jew in the sense that he was 00:29:02.150 --> 00:29:05.430 still awaiting the coming Messiah Even though 00:29:05.430 --> 00:29:09.250 the Messiah had already come He was still under 00:29:09.250 --> 00:29:11.490 the baptism of John and the baptism of John is 00:29:11.490 --> 00:29:14.009 is one that taught repentance But it also taught 00:29:14.009 --> 00:29:16.630 that you were to believe in the coming Messiah 00:29:16.630 --> 00:29:19.230 in fact the whole Ministry of John was to prepare 00:29:19.230 --> 00:29:22.369 the way for the Messiah to come and that's exactly 00:29:22.369 --> 00:29:25.250 what Apollo's believed He believed that the Messiah 00:29:25.250 --> 00:29:29.539 was still to come Not that he had already arrived. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:34.940 And so he was uninformed. He did not have the 00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:38.460 full message of the gospel. He was still teaching 00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:41.380 that Christ was coming. He was still teaching, 00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:43.859 as John did, that the voice of one crying in 00:29:43.859 --> 00:29:45.619 the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, 00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:48.559 make his path straight. This was Apollos. This 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:55.579 is what he believed. Apollos knew the teaching 00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:59.680 of John the Baptist. There's going to be one 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.779 a Messiah to come his name would be Jesus He 00:30:01.779 --> 00:30:04.180 would be the anointed one the chosen one the 00:30:04.180 --> 00:30:06.660 Messiah But listen the message of Apollo's fell 00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:13.559 short of the message of the cross He got all 00:30:13.559 --> 00:30:15.539 the way to John the Baptist and then stopped 00:30:17.869 --> 00:30:20.509 He got all the way there to this coming Messiah, 00:30:20.630 --> 00:30:23.230 but he missed the most important part about the 00:30:23.230 --> 00:30:26.369 Messiah, and that is this, is that he was the 00:30:26.369 --> 00:30:28.549 Christ, the resurrected Jesus Christ, the one 00:30:28.549 --> 00:30:31.569 who died for the sins of the world, and then 00:30:31.569 --> 00:30:34.369 three days later validated that he was the Messiah 00:30:34.369 --> 00:30:43.150 by rising again. Apollos was halfway there. He 00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:47.900 didn't quite cross the finish line. He had all 00:30:47.900 --> 00:30:50.920 the theology, he had all the training, he had 00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:52.799 all the upbringing, he had all the passion, he 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:55.259 had all the boldness, he had the eloquence to 00:30:55.259 --> 00:30:58.339 speak, he had the zeal, but he did not have the 00:30:58.339 --> 00:31:01.380 Holy Spirit within him. He was not saved because 00:31:01.380 --> 00:31:05.059 he did not know of the cross of Jesus Christ. 00:31:07.619 --> 00:31:13.180 That's an important part to understand. In fact 00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:15.519 in many ways this is what separates a Jew from 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:17.779 a believer. The Jews are still awaiting the coming 00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:20.559 Messiah and believe in a coming Messiah. But 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:22.539 we know that the Messiah has already come and 00:31:22.539 --> 00:31:24.660 we know that he had validated that he had come 00:31:24.660 --> 00:31:26.920 because of his death, burial, and resurrection 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:35.319 from the cross and from the grave. Pastor Kent 00:31:35.319 --> 00:31:37.829 Hughes in his book on Commentary in the book 00:31:37.829 --> 00:31:39.869 of Acts he tells the story of a man and maybe 00:31:39.869 --> 00:31:42.730 you know this great theologian John Wesley You 00:31:42.730 --> 00:31:46.829 guys familiar with the name John Wesley? John 00:31:46.829 --> 00:31:50.509 Wesley grew up in the home of a pastor He was 00:31:50.509 --> 00:31:53.450 taught in the school of Oxford. He even he even 00:31:53.450 --> 00:31:58.029 taught Greek at Lincoln College He was an ordained 00:31:58.029 --> 00:32:01.250 minister in the church He would go and do missions 00:32:01.250 --> 00:32:05.480 work and one night he realized after teaching 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:08.819 in this college, after being brought and raised 00:32:08.819 --> 00:32:12.460 up in a Christian home, doing even mission work, 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:15.319 going overseas to do missions work, he came back 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:18.799 to London because he was inspired by a group 00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:22.799 of believers who clearly had a transformed heart, 00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:26.339 and he said this, that he was clearly convinced 00:32:26.339 --> 00:32:31.609 of unbelief, and he wanted the faith that whereby 00:32:31.609 --> 00:32:33.910 alone we are saved." And he wrote this in his 00:32:33.910 --> 00:32:37.650 journal. It was an evening. I went very unwillingly 00:32:37.650 --> 00:32:40.970 to a society in Aldersgate Street where one was 00:32:40.970 --> 00:32:43.750 reading Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle 00:32:43.750 --> 00:32:48.450 to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while 00:32:48.450 --> 00:32:50.569 he was describing the change which God works 00:32:50.569 --> 00:32:54.210 in the heart through faith in Christ, this is 00:32:54.210 --> 00:32:56.690 his own pen, his own writing, I felt my heart 00:32:56.690 --> 00:33:00.240 strangely warm. I felt I did trust in Christ, 00:33:00.279 --> 00:33:03.259 Christ alone, for my salvation and an assurance 00:33:03.259 --> 00:33:06.059 was given to me that He had taken away my sins, 00:33:06.099 --> 00:33:09.259 even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and 00:33:09.259 --> 00:33:12.440 death. That warming of the heart was the actual 00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:15.799 regeneration of His heart and the work of the 00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:20.819 Holy Spirit in His life. This is John Wesley, 00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:23.759 a man who knew more theology than we would ever 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:27.390 know. This is a man who grew up in the church. 00:33:27.410 --> 00:33:29.690 This is a man who grew up in the the home of 00:33:29.690 --> 00:33:31.630 a minister This is a man who went on missions 00:33:31.630 --> 00:33:35.210 trips and this is a man who had not come to know 00:33:35.210 --> 00:33:45.529 Christ yet He did not know Christ or saving power. 00:33:45.529 --> 00:33:48.250 In fact, he was in church, but he was still condemned 00:33:48.250 --> 00:33:54.480 And this was Apollo's All this passion, all this 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:57.240 theology, all this understanding, a man who was 00:33:57.240 --> 00:33:59.440 eloquent, he was competent, he was fervent, he 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.980 was bold, he was accurate in what he knew, only 00:34:02.980 --> 00:34:07.500 up to what he knew, and yet he did not know the 00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:12.519 saving power of Jesus Christ. Let me give you 00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:14.179 a lesson here. Let me give you the lesson here 00:34:14.179 --> 00:34:16.820 that we can learn from Apollo said is this just 00:34:16.820 --> 00:34:20.079 because you know your Bible or Theology and you 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:23.019 go to church that does not make you a Christian 00:34:23.019 --> 00:34:31.219 That does not make you a Christian a Repentant 00:34:31.219 --> 00:34:35.019 regenerated hearts that believes that Jesus is 00:34:35.019 --> 00:34:40.429 the Messiah One that is filled with the Holy 00:34:40.429 --> 00:34:44.409 Spirit makes you a Christian. Don't mistake it. 00:34:44.409 --> 00:34:48.030 Just because you know the truth does not mean 00:34:48.030 --> 00:34:56.230 that you believe the truth. It must transform 00:34:56.230 --> 00:34:59.610 your heart. It must move. from your head to your 00:34:59.610 --> 00:35:01.769 heart. This is what we pray on Sundays, Lord. 00:35:01.909 --> 00:35:04.989 We don't want it stuck in our heads. We want 00:35:04.989 --> 00:35:14.889 it to transform our hearts. This is why. Passion 00:35:14.889 --> 00:35:18.429 doesn't save you. Boldness doesn't save you. 00:35:18.989 --> 00:35:22.110 Theology doesn't save you. Eloquent speech doesn't 00:35:22.110 --> 00:35:25.849 save you. Mighty in Scriptures doesn't save you. 00:35:26.469 --> 00:35:29.449 A broken heart that falls before the Lord and 00:35:29.449 --> 00:35:32.090 says that I am a sinner in need of a Savior, 00:35:32.289 --> 00:35:34.710 in desperate need of my heart being transformed. 00:35:35.110 --> 00:35:43.210 That's what saves you. This was Apollos. Let 00:35:43.210 --> 00:35:46.150 me give you the second people group here that 00:35:46.150 --> 00:35:48.090 we come to, and that is this, the hospitable 00:35:48.090 --> 00:35:51.510 couple. The hospitable couple. We have the halfway 00:35:51.510 --> 00:35:54.670 Christian and now we've got the hospitable couple, 00:35:54.849 --> 00:36:00.510 Priscilla and Aquila. Verse 26, he began to speak 00:36:00.510 --> 00:36:02.210 boldly in the synagogue, alright, it was just 00:36:02.210 --> 00:36:04.989 custom. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, 00:36:05.289 --> 00:36:07.110 they took him aside and explained to him the 00:36:07.110 --> 00:36:11.269 way of God more accurately. Now we get a description 00:36:11.269 --> 00:36:13.369 of how Apollos is this, he's a teachable man, 00:36:13.570 --> 00:36:17.409 or you could say he's a humble man. And here's 00:36:17.409 --> 00:36:20.110 this hospitable couple, Priscilla and Aquila, 00:36:20.269 --> 00:36:22.030 apparently they're there, they're sitting there 00:36:22.030 --> 00:36:23.170 listening, they're probably like, hey, let's 00:36:23.170 --> 00:36:26.730 go listen to Apollos, let's go hear what he has 00:36:26.730 --> 00:36:29.400 to say. I've heard that he's he's mighty in scriptures. 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:31.280 Let's go. Let's go hear what he has to say and 00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:33.380 I bet they're sitting there listening to him 00:36:33.380 --> 00:36:35.400 attending the synagogue here for worship and 00:36:35.400 --> 00:36:36.940 and listening to what he has to say and they're 00:36:36.940 --> 00:36:40.400 probably going wait a minute And he brought us 00:36:40.400 --> 00:36:43.539 right right to John the Baptist does he not know 00:36:43.539 --> 00:36:50.099 Does he not know who Jesus is? What's interesting 00:36:50.099 --> 00:36:52.840 here with a Priscilla and Aquila is that, as 00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:55.820 it says there very specifically, they took him 00:36:55.820 --> 00:36:59.500 aside and explained to him the way of God more 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:03.780 accurately. They didn't criticize him. They didn't 00:37:03.780 --> 00:37:07.590 pass judgment on him. They didn't go, ah, we're 00:37:07.590 --> 00:37:10.030 out of here. He's got a different theology than 00:37:10.030 --> 00:37:13.389 us. Who is this guy? We got one shot and now 00:37:13.389 --> 00:37:16.829 he's gone. They didn't do any of that. They weren't 00:37:16.829 --> 00:37:18.389 hitting each other going, wait, this is this 00:37:18.389 --> 00:37:21.150 guy. He's way off. Can you believe this guy? 00:37:23.210 --> 00:37:26.050 They didn't smirk at his lack of knowing Jesus. 00:37:26.130 --> 00:37:29.650 No, they were deeply moved by this man's passion 00:37:29.650 --> 00:37:32.349 and his zeal and what did they do and their kindness 00:37:32.349 --> 00:37:35.070 and with their gracious heart and their patient 00:37:35.070 --> 00:37:38.769 heart, they said, hey, Apollo, come over. We 00:37:38.769 --> 00:37:48.269 need to discuss some things with you. They wanted 00:37:48.269 --> 00:37:51.980 to tell him. They wanted to explain to him even 00:37:51.980 --> 00:37:54.699 more clearly that the one that they speak of 00:37:54.699 --> 00:37:58.519 who is coming He has come and he has died on 00:37:58.519 --> 00:38:03.260 the cross and he has risen from the grave now 00:38:03.260 --> 00:38:08.179 he is the Christ and Here again we find another 00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:11.719 fascinating story of apollos in Transition listen 00:38:11.719 --> 00:38:15.760 from partial revelation about Jesus to full revelation 00:38:15.760 --> 00:38:22.530 about Jesus And this is what I love about this 00:38:22.530 --> 00:38:24.489 story, okay? This is what I love about this story, 00:38:24.489 --> 00:38:30.769 ready? That God used just an ordinary couple 00:38:30.769 --> 00:38:36.730 in the church to do this. He didn't use some 00:38:36.730 --> 00:38:39.789 elder or some pastor in the church. No, it's 00:38:39.789 --> 00:38:42.409 Priscilla and Aquila, a couple of tent makers 00:38:42.409 --> 00:38:46.829 who just are sitting in church and they're going, 00:38:46.869 --> 00:38:50.039 hey, something's off. Let's get up there and 00:38:50.039 --> 00:38:55.860 criticize him. No. Hey, come to my home. Paulus, 00:38:56.099 --> 00:39:01.900 just come over. Just come to my home. I want 00:39:01.900 --> 00:39:05.900 to invest in this young man. I just want to pour 00:39:05.900 --> 00:39:09.860 into him. I just want to ask him about Christ 00:39:09.860 --> 00:39:12.099 and what he knows, and maybe he just doesn't 00:39:12.099 --> 00:39:16.280 know. I just want to love on him and care for 00:39:16.280 --> 00:39:21.710 him. Just an ordinary couple in the church doing 00:39:21.710 --> 00:39:25.670 what ordinary couples in the church should do 00:39:25.670 --> 00:39:31.030 pour into other people love other people Care 00:39:31.030 --> 00:39:34.289 for other people speak truth into their lives 00:39:34.289 --> 00:39:39.769 God didn't use the Apostle Paul God didn't use 00:39:39.769 --> 00:39:43.989 Peter or John or Barnabas or Silas or Timothy 00:39:43.989 --> 00:39:47.710 to pour into the Apostle Paul He used Priscilla 00:39:47.710 --> 00:39:50.650 and Aquila in ordinary couple just attending 00:39:50.650 --> 00:39:57.690 church. I love that. God can use anybody to pour 00:39:57.690 --> 00:40:01.550 into anyone. I love the intentionality here. 00:40:01.590 --> 00:40:04.269 I love the kindness here. I love the patience 00:40:04.269 --> 00:40:07.010 here of Priscilla and Aquila. They didn't give 00:40:07.010 --> 00:40:09.469 up on him. They didn't turn aside from him. They 00:40:09.469 --> 00:40:11.710 didn't just walk away from him. No, they did 00:40:11.710 --> 00:40:13.909 the opposite. They said, hey, man, this guy's 00:40:13.909 --> 00:40:16.429 a little bit off, but I love his passion. I love 00:40:16.429 --> 00:40:18.550 his zeal. He's mighty in scripture. I'm just 00:40:18.550 --> 00:40:20.250 going to bring him into my home and I'm going 00:40:20.250 --> 00:40:22.329 to ask him a few questions. I'm going to ask 00:40:22.329 --> 00:40:24.449 him about Christ and his theology to clear it 00:40:24.449 --> 00:40:27.429 up and to even speak more truth into his life. 00:40:30.719 --> 00:40:32.539 So what's the lesson here? Let me give you a 00:40:32.539 --> 00:40:34.119 second lesson then. That's our second group. 00:40:34.159 --> 00:40:36.380 This is our second lesson from Priscilla and 00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:38.260 Aquila. It is this. Great ministry happens from 00:40:38.260 --> 00:40:41.039 those who are faithfully hospitable and speak 00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:46.659 truth and love. Don't give up on people who don't 00:40:46.659 --> 00:40:53.000 have the same theology as you. Don't give up 00:40:53.000 --> 00:40:55.159 on people who don't have the same theology as 00:40:55.159 --> 00:41:01.260 you. Be patient. Be hospitable. Be loving. Speak 00:41:01.260 --> 00:41:05.820 truth. Be a Priscilla and Aquila in another Apollos's 00:41:05.820 --> 00:41:15.780 life. Invite them into your life. And now what 00:41:15.780 --> 00:41:21.300 happens? Verse 27. He wants to go to Achaia. 00:41:22.139 --> 00:41:23.500 The brothers encouraged him. Yeah, this is a 00:41:23.500 --> 00:41:26.320 good idea. Well, write a letter. They wrote the 00:41:26.320 --> 00:41:28.739 disciples to welcome him when he arrived. He 00:41:28.739 --> 00:41:32.679 was greatly helped by those Who through grace 00:41:32.679 --> 00:41:36.380 had believed and here's here's our new man for 00:41:36.380 --> 00:41:39.440 he powerfully refuted the Jews in public where 00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:43.000 it is Showing by the scriptures what that the 00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:49.500 Christ was? Jesus he got it He got it and now 00:41:49.500 --> 00:41:53.340 you got an Apollo's speaking the full gospel 00:41:53.340 --> 00:42:02.079 of Jesus Christ A man on fire. By the way, if 00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:05.099 you're wondering, if this is the Apollos that 00:42:05.099 --> 00:42:07.619 is spoken of in 1 Corinthians, it is. In fact, 00:42:08.019 --> 00:42:12.219 the Apostle Paul would write this as Apollos 00:42:12.219 --> 00:42:14.460 would go back to Corinth and pour into the church 00:42:14.460 --> 00:42:16.360 in Corinth. He would write this in 1 Corinthians 00:42:16.360 --> 00:42:18.679 1 and verse 12. He says, what I mean is that 00:42:18.679 --> 00:42:22.579 each one of you says, I follow Paul, or I follow 00:42:22.579 --> 00:42:27.940 Apollos, or I follow Cephas. I follow Christ 00:42:27.940 --> 00:42:30.039 Paul is addressing these divisions that were 00:42:30.039 --> 00:42:33.039 happening within the church because because of 00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:35.539 the the the men wanting to attach themselves 00:42:35.539 --> 00:42:38.880 the individuals One of those individuals was 00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:42.760 this man right here Apollos There's also in first 00:42:42.760 --> 00:42:45.699 Corinthians chapter 3 in verse 6 is is where 00:42:45.699 --> 00:42:49.480 where the Apostle Paul says this I planted Apollos 00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:52.019 watered, but God gave the growth. That's this 00:42:52.019 --> 00:42:55.639 Apollos. So Paul goes to Corinth first, establishes 00:42:55.639 --> 00:42:58.360 the churches, leaves. He plants the seed, sows 00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:01.500 the seed. Apollos now goes back and he does the 00:43:01.500 --> 00:43:03.920 watering. That's what's happening here. Right? 00:43:03.920 --> 00:43:05.679 Just kind of tie these things together. It makes 00:43:05.679 --> 00:43:13.199 the Word of God so amazing. And here it is. Paul 00:43:13.199 --> 00:43:16.159 and Apollos doing this incredible work of missions. 00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:22.059 great things for the Lord. And who was the one 00:43:22.059 --> 00:43:25.340 that poured into Apollos? Just Priscilla and 00:43:25.340 --> 00:43:29.679 Aquila. This man, they didn't recognize, they 00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:32.840 didn't know that Apollos would be this kind of 00:43:32.840 --> 00:43:34.860 a missionary for the Lord. They just knew his 00:43:34.860 --> 00:43:37.639 theology was a little bit off and he needed someone 00:43:37.639 --> 00:43:43.539 to speak the truth to him in love. So my encouragement, 00:43:44.079 --> 00:43:46.780 my encouragement church, start ministering to 00:43:46.780 --> 00:43:50.719 people. Who knows? Who it is that you're going 00:43:50.719 --> 00:43:54.119 to minister to? What young man? What young woman? 00:43:54.320 --> 00:43:57.460 What other couple? What children that you pour 00:43:57.460 --> 00:43:59.679 into where they turn out to be another Apollos? 00:44:00.860 --> 00:44:05.940 We just don't know. Let me give you a third group. 00:44:07.159 --> 00:44:09.860 We'll be quick. I had to get a little creative 00:44:09.860 --> 00:44:14.039 here, but I think it works. The Holy Spiritless 00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:19.199 Cohort. The Holy Spiritless... cohort these are 00:44:19.199 --> 00:44:22.039 this next group of people are 12 disciples of 00:44:22.039 --> 00:44:25.420 john chapter 19 12 disciples of john let's read 00:44:25.420 --> 00:44:28.800 it as it happened while apollos was at Corinth 00:44:28.800 --> 00:44:31.920 paul passed through the inland country and came 00:44:31.920 --> 00:44:35.039 to effesus There he found some disciples and 00:44:35.039 --> 00:44:37.420 he said to them did you receive the Holy Spirit 00:44:37.420 --> 00:44:39.500 when you believed and they said no we have not 00:44:39.500 --> 00:44:41.420 even heard that there is a Holy Spirit and he 00:44:41.420 --> 00:44:43.639 said to them and to what then were you baptized 00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:46.360 and they said into John's baptism and Paul said 00:44:46.360 --> 00:44:48.679 John baptized with the baptism of repentance 00:44:48.679 --> 00:44:52.000 telling the people to believe in the one Who 00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:55.500 was to come after him that is Jesus on hearing 00:44:55.500 --> 00:44:58.159 this they were baptized in the name of the Lord 00:44:58.159 --> 00:45:01.670 Jesus when Paul had laid hands on them the Holy 00:45:01.670 --> 00:45:04.730 Spirit came on them and they began speaking in 00:45:04.730 --> 00:45:10.070 tongues and prophesying these were about 12 men 00:45:10.070 --> 00:45:14.190 in all so you have this group of men who have 00:45:14.190 --> 00:45:19.519 the same problem that Apollo's has not spirit 00:45:19.519 --> 00:45:21.980 -filled, they were not saved, they had not understood 00:45:21.980 --> 00:45:26.000 the full revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:28.699 and the Apostle Paul comes to them, he finds 00:45:28.699 --> 00:45:31.599 these men, these people are learning, these people 00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:34.559 who are understanding, these disciples, he says 00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:36.320 to them, did you receive the Holy Spirit? And 00:45:36.320 --> 00:45:38.559 they said, we haven't heard of the Holy Spirit. 00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:44.400 Meaning, they did not know that one could receive 00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:47.809 the Holy Spirit. They did not know that one could 00:45:47.809 --> 00:45:50.550 actually have the Holy Spirit upon him and it 00:45:50.550 --> 00:45:52.610 says there that they were baptized into what 00:45:52.610 --> 00:45:57.250 into John's baptism into John's baptism is similar 00:45:57.250 --> 00:46:00.829 to what Apollos is saying is that well I am of 00:46:00.829 --> 00:46:03.130 the understanding and the teaching of the baptism 00:46:03.130 --> 00:46:08.989 of John That there would be one to come the Messiah 00:46:08.989 --> 00:46:13.409 to come and here it is that that Paul would teach 00:46:13.409 --> 00:46:16.829 to them the full understanding of the Holy Spirit. 00:46:18.150 --> 00:46:20.469 That the Holy Spirit, once one believes, would 00:46:20.469 --> 00:46:23.489 come upon you and would transform your heart, 00:46:23.889 --> 00:46:27.469 transform your life. As it says, they're telling 00:46:27.469 --> 00:46:29.670 the people to believe in the one who is to come 00:46:29.670 --> 00:46:35.389 after him saying, that is Jesus. Jesus is the 00:46:35.389 --> 00:46:40.130 Messiah. Verse five, on hearing this. They're 00:46:40.130 --> 00:46:41.929 baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, one of 00:46:41.929 --> 00:46:44.250 the only places we find in scriptures of someone 00:46:44.250 --> 00:46:47.150 being re -baptized, this time baptized in the 00:46:47.150 --> 00:46:50.469 name of the Lord Jesus. And when that happens, 00:46:50.929 --> 00:46:53.289 verse 6, when Paul laid his hands on them, the 00:46:53.289 --> 00:46:55.610 Holy Spirit came upon him. They began speaking 00:46:55.610 --> 00:46:57.949 in tongues and prophesying, and there were about 00:46:57.949 --> 00:47:00.849 12 men in all. This is the fourth time here, 00:47:00.849 --> 00:47:02.769 okay, that there's a group of people who speak 00:47:02.769 --> 00:47:05.969 in tongues, right? Kind of this fourth... or 00:47:05.969 --> 00:47:08.530 third mini Pentecost, the actual one, and then 00:47:08.530 --> 00:47:10.610 they had these other ones. It was first the Jews 00:47:10.610 --> 00:47:13.469 in Jerusalem, the Samaritans through Philip and 00:47:13.469 --> 00:47:16.710 Samaria, the Gentiles by Peter, and then fourth, 00:47:16.929 --> 00:47:21.050 the dispersed Jews through Paul, right? So these 00:47:21.050 --> 00:47:23.469 four major groups of people where when the Holy 00:47:23.469 --> 00:47:25.909 Spirit came upon them, they began to speak in 00:47:25.909 --> 00:47:28.570 tongues and prophesying just as a way for the 00:47:28.570 --> 00:47:31.809 people to see around them that the Holy Spirit 00:47:31.809 --> 00:47:36.550 had came upon these people. Not normative today. 00:47:36.630 --> 00:47:38.929 Again, what do we start out with? This is a book 00:47:38.929 --> 00:47:42.829 of transitions. We're transitioning from one 00:47:42.829 --> 00:47:45.469 theology, one understanding to the next. And 00:47:45.469 --> 00:47:48.309 this is a moment of transition again. In fact, 00:47:48.369 --> 00:47:51.389 this whole section here is moments, little moments 00:47:51.389 --> 00:47:56.110 of transition. And here, the Holy Spirit coming 00:47:56.110 --> 00:48:01.679 upon this group of people. known, understood 00:48:01.679 --> 00:48:04.500 the role of the Holy Spirit upon them, and this 00:48:04.500 --> 00:48:08.480 would be then the proof that they were believers. 00:48:08.739 --> 00:48:11.139 And let me give you the third lesson here, and 00:48:11.139 --> 00:48:13.300 then we'll be done. It is this. What's the lesson 00:48:13.300 --> 00:48:15.599 from these 12 disciples? It is this. True believers 00:48:15.599 --> 00:48:19.139 are marked by the Indwelling Holy Spirit. True 00:48:19.139 --> 00:48:23.300 believers are marked by the Indwelling Holy Spirit. 00:48:27.599 --> 00:48:31.079 This is how you know someone is saved not their 00:48:31.079 --> 00:48:37.119 theology not their passion Not their competence 00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:42.719 in Scripture not their eloquence But what do 00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:46.179 they have the Holy Spirit within them are their 00:48:46.179 --> 00:48:50.679 lives? Transformed are they changed? Do they 00:48:50.679 --> 00:48:53.079 love what Jesus loves? You say, how do I know 00:48:53.079 --> 00:48:56.139 if somebody is marked by the Holy Spirit? It 00:48:56.139 --> 00:48:58.920 is this. When the Holy Spirit comes upon them, 00:48:59.460 --> 00:49:01.260 the seal of the believer comes upon them for 00:49:01.260 --> 00:49:04.320 all eternity. They're sanctified. They have the 00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:07.739 spiritual gifts that are upon them. And you will 00:49:07.739 --> 00:49:10.280 know this by their fruit. What is the fruit of 00:49:10.280 --> 00:49:15.400 the Spirit? Galatians 5, 21 to 23. That's how 00:49:15.400 --> 00:49:19.199 you know. Do they possess the fruits of the Spirit? 00:49:19.219 --> 00:49:23.880 Do they love being with Jesus' people? Christians 00:49:23.880 --> 00:49:28.679 love being with other Christians. Do they love 00:49:28.679 --> 00:49:32.760 and serve the church? Do they love what God loves? 00:49:32.820 --> 00:49:35.400 God is within them, then they're going to love 00:49:35.400 --> 00:49:41.599 what God loves. And this is what happens here. 00:49:43.059 --> 00:49:47.429 Well, we're off now. This third missionary journey 00:49:47.429 --> 00:49:50.110 and we'll find ourselves in Ephesus. Let me tell 00:49:50.110 --> 00:49:53.409 you things get crazy really fast Okay, so if 00:49:53.409 --> 00:49:55.650 you want to peek ahead this week as to what happens 00:49:55.650 --> 00:49:58.670 in Ephesus Go ahead and we'll take a look at 00:49:58.670 --> 00:50:04.349 it next week Lord. Thank you For this crash course 00:50:04.349 --> 00:50:09.110 here on understanding That you are the Messiah 00:50:09.110 --> 00:50:12.570 you have come there's no more waiting around 00:50:12.570 --> 00:50:16.489 for the Messiah you are here And a true believer 00:50:16.489 --> 00:50:20.570 is one who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, 00:50:20.969 --> 00:50:23.969 repented of their sin, and the Holy Spirit has 00:50:23.969 --> 00:50:26.429 come upon them and transformed their hearts. 00:50:28.170 --> 00:50:31.369 Lord, I pray that to be true for everyone here. 00:50:32.550 --> 00:50:35.429 Their hearts have been gripped by the Holy Spirit, 00:50:35.530 --> 00:50:38.409 and if not, would today be that day of salvation? 00:50:39.309 --> 00:50:43.489 For their hearts are warmed by your Holy Spirit. 00:50:45.160 --> 00:50:48.539 transformed, changed into the image of Christ. 00:50:49.860 --> 00:50:53.260 What I do pray is we were all encouraged to be 00:50:53.260 --> 00:50:58.019 again like Priscilla and Aquila, just regular 00:50:58.019 --> 00:51:01.440 churchgoers, passionate about the mission of 00:51:01.440 --> 00:51:06.300 Christ, who want to see other people grow in 00:51:06.300 --> 00:51:09.699 the things of the Lord. We saw their patience, 00:51:09.880 --> 00:51:13.860 we saw their kindness. We know they spoke the 00:51:13.860 --> 00:51:17.559 truth and love. Lord, may we endeavor to be those 00:51:17.559 --> 00:51:20.860 who have that kind of intentionality with people. 00:51:23.019 --> 00:51:26.300 Let's just reach people. Let's just disciple 00:51:26.300 --> 00:51:30.420 them. Let's just love them. And let's see how 00:51:30.420 --> 00:51:33.840 you work and grow in those hearts. Lord, help 00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:36.380 us to be faithful in these things. In Jesus' 00:51:36.599 --> 00:51:37.260 name, Amen.