Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 11th Oct 2009
Acts 18v18-28
Last week we saw what we could learn about evangelism from Pauls work in Corinth.
This week we conclude chapter 18 with Paul starting his 3rd missionary journey and Luke introducing to us Apollos.
Paul comes to the end of his 2nd missionary journey.
He leaves Corinth for Ephesus, where he reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue.
Then he goes down by sea to Caesarea, then goes back to Antioch.
Then v23 marks the start of his 3rd missionary journey.
His aim we are told was to strengthen all the disciples, so he is going over old ground, seeking to build up what has taken root already.
Eventually he arrives in Ephesus 19v1, where he’d promised to return to if God so allowed.
Then Luke leaves Paul for a spell to introduce us to Apollos 18v24.
Aquila and Priscilla had been left in Ephesus where they met Apollos who was a believer in the Lord but he only knew the baptism of John, thus A&P took him under their wing and explained to him the gospel more adequately. Apollos was a clever man who became a great help to the believers in Corinth, after leaving Ephesus for there.
Apollos : A case study v24-28.
The picture we have of Apollos here is that he was well educated, zealous about what he knew, yet humble enough to learn more and wanted to help people!
He was a man of Zeal, Humility and Service:
1) The importance of Zeal in the Christian life v24-25
Apollos was a man of Zeal: he was enthusiastic. We need zeal!
“fervent”v25: literally means to well up, to bubble and boil!
What he knew he could not keep to himself!
App:
We need that Passion for the Lord.
More often than not I think we are lukewarm, even cold. We seem to be bored with Jesus!
We need passion, zeal, enthusiasm for the Lord.
The great question is : How do we get it?
Education! Get to know the truth.
Apollos was well educated, Alexandria was a city of learning, it had a university and at one time had the largest library in the world!
We get passionate about Christ by getting to know Him more!
Apollos had great zeal for Jesus even though he only had, what we may call an OT
knowledge of Jesus!
Then following the teaching from P&A it seems he only got more zealous
V28 “vigorously” means at full strength, holding nothing back, giving it all!
We get a passion for the Lord by getting to know him more! And the first step to getting to know the Lord is to really want to!
This is surely what we need more than anything else for if we don’t have that passion for Jesus then we will never live for him as we should and we will certainly never give the impression that Jesus is someone worth following!!!
2) The importance of Humility in the Christian life v26.
Educated people can often be arrogant and dismissive of others!
But that is fatal for the Christian. Pride kills!
Along with Zeal and Passion we need the grace of humility.
Apollos had both.
When A&P heard him and saw all his gifts they realised he still lacked some basic Christian teaching, so they taught him.
They would have taught him all about what happened after the Baptism of John! The Cross, the Resurrection, the Ascension, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit .....
The great thing is he willingly sits down to listen and learn!
He was a man of great learning, from Alexandria a centre of great learning, and yet he allows some simple tent makers to be his teachers!!!
App:
Humility is of great importance to the Christian way of life.
But how do we get humility?
a) by recalling to mind all the time that we live by grace! We have no earned or deserved any of God’s blessings!
b) By realising we do not know it all, and never will. Thus we live looking to learn.
A learners mindset is a humble mindset!
Scotland friendly loads of call off, but one said “you always learn from games even if they are friendly’s”. That is the attitude, that keeps us humble.
Anyone and anything can be our teachers if we are seeking to know Christ more. He is sovereign over all things and thus his imprint is in all things, we just need to be humble enough to learn!
Why?
Without humility we will never grow in our relationship with the Lord.
James 4v6 tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble!
Prov22v4 true humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honour and life
3) The importance of Service in the Christian life v28-29
With Passion and humility, the last thing needed is service!
Right from the start Apollos was a man who wanted to serve.
His special service was that he was able to teach!
He taught what he knew when he only new about Johns baptism then after learning more he wants to go and serve the Church in Corinth. And he was a “great help” to them there.
He had gifts that he wanted to use in service of others!
We are called to serve one another!
How? by using the gifts and talents that we have been given.
The question we can ask is how can I use this in service of others! The bible has lists of gifts, hospitality, teaching, administration, giving etc. But these are not fully comprehensive lists. Whatever your gift or gifts are, you have been given them to serve the church with!!
Further you can always learn more and improve on you gifts! Apollos was already a great teacher but he wanted to improve by learning more!
So even if you think “I’m not very good”, then simply be encouraged to get better. Mainly that will happen through practice!!
Why should we serve? If we don’t use our gifts we will not be a blessing to the church!
Wouldn’t it be a tremendous thing to have said about us, that we were a “great help”.
Sad that often times the opposite is true!
Sunday Evening 11th Oct 2009
Phil 2v12-30
Last week we saw Paul call the Philippians to show their faith by the way they lived together. They were called to have the mind of Christ. To be like Christ who gave up all his rights and privileges in order to serve! And then in due course God raised Him up again.
We saw the need to serve because Christ served and because service is the way of blessing.
This week the call is for the Philippians to continue working out their salvation:
1) Philippians, become like Christ: v12-18.
Having laid out before them the example of Christ, Paul now calls them to follow on.
They are in partnership with the Divine (v13) as Christ was, thus they are to obey!
Their new relationship with God was not so that they could be raised up to the place of glory and honour but so that they should obey (v12)!
Specifically they were to obey without complaining or arguing (v14), which may seem like a small thing, but in fact would make them extraordinary witnesses (15).
Then they are to persevere, holding onto the word, this will bring much joy to Paul (16-18).
App: Saved for service!
You have been saved to enter into service with God!
How then are you to serve?
Reverently : remembering that we serve in partnership with God v12-13.
Our service must always begin by acknowledging that we serve because God saved us!
And now we work reverently because God works in us!
“works” literally energises. God is Energy and He energises us to work!
How reverently we are to work then. God energises us to work.
Rejoicefully : without complaint or argument (v14). In place of complaining or arguing should be rejoicing because we realise what privileged and holy ground we are on! God is at work in us, He is enabling us to work and he is giving us the work to do! Thus, it almost goes without saying we should not complain or grumble or argue!! If the Queen gives us a task to do, no matter how menial it may be we would rejoice in it, we would be proud of it!!
How much more when it is God who works in us, and gives us the work to do!!
Reliably : we are called to be faithful. To hold onto the truth without giving up v16.
There is no point in starting to serve God just to give up!
Nothing can be built on unreliable service! But how difficult to find a reliable servant today!
We are to keep from giving up by feeding from the Word. It is the Word that feeds our soul and keeps us going.
Our service is to be given Reverently, Rejoicefully and Reliably for all the reasons we have seen.
But also because such service will sanctify and testify v16: become blameless and shine!
What a great outcome of our service!
In serving we become pure and at the same time testify to the watching world.
Saved for service may seem like such a dry point but in fact it is the whole point of salvation!
As we serve we become pure / blameless / without fault and we witness to the world!
2) Timothy was like Christ v19-24
Next Paul moves on to tell them about Timothy.
Paul is going to send Timothy to them and he himself hopes to come soon!
The great thing about Timothy is his Christ like care for others (20-21).
He did not care just about himself rather, like Christ he was willing to sacrifice his own rights for the sake of others!
Paul knows this to be true because he has worked closely with Timothy.
Timothy is a great example of 2v4.
Like Christ, he did not demand his own rights be taken care of, instead he cared for others!
App
To be Christ-likeness we need a self sacrificial care for others.
If we are to consumed with our own needs and cares then we will never begin to serve others.
How do we begin to cultivate a self sacrificial care for others?
By starting to take a loving interest in people (v20)!
Take note of people, watch them, pray for them and then if you see a need they have do your best to help!
But why should we have such a self sacrificial care for others?
Because people are God’s most precious commodity.
This is at the heart of the gospel! Jesus came into the world to die on the cross to save people because God loves people! They are precious to him!
3) Epaphroditus was like Christ v25-30
Then Paul moves on to give them the example of Epaphroditus.
The great thing about this missionary is his Christ like willingness to die for the cause!
His willingness to die came from his willingness to serve! He nearly died in the act of serving.
Paul calls the Philippians to honour Epaphroditus because of this (v29-30)!
In this the Philippians are being asked to be God like, who raised up Christ to the place of glory and honour because he did die in service of others!
App:
Self sacrificial care demands our very lives!
In many ways it is easy to throw money at a problem, it is harder to give your time, it is harder still to give your life!
But ultimately that is what we are to be willing to give!
Christ gave his life, our attitude is to be the same as his.
How can we get to that point where we are willing to give our very lives?
Learn from Epaphroditus –
“soldier” v25 recognise that we sign up to die! This is no picnic we are called to. It is a battle but we are servants of the Victorious King!
“longing” v26, he was able to so serve because he had a great love for the people. Giving your life for people you love is not so hard! This longing is the same word that is used in James 4v5 where we are told the Spirit “yearns intensely”. So it is no fleeting emotion that we are called to have for people.
“not regarding his own life” v30 selfless. Finally we can only die for others if we are selfless. That is we are more concerned for others than we are for ourselves!
That quality marks out great followers of Jesus (Ex32v31-32, Rom9v3).
The mysteriously wonderful end of such a life is the glory that God gives it, when he says: “well done my good and faithful servant... come and share your Masters happiness” (Mat25v21).
Nothing could be better than to hear those words of approval, acceptance and welcome!
