Today in our study, I want to
kind of concentrate on a statement that is given here in verse 27. Acts 18, 27. When Apollos went
to Corinth, the brethren there received him. They received him
as a believer. And when he was come, he helped
them much which had believed through grace. That's the only
reason that any of us here today believe the gospel is because
of His grace. His grace. His grace alone has
made us to differ. The law was given by Moses, grace
and truth came by the Lord Jesus Christ. And of His fullness have
we all received grace because of grace. We only believe the
gospel by the mighty working power of His grace. We have believed the gospel through
the grace of God. Isn't that exactly what Peter
says over here in Acts 15? You remember verse 11? Acts 15
verse 11. But we believe Through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. Now, you cannot
overdo this. You cannot preach too much about
the sovereign grace of God. Peter put it this way when he
wrote his epistle. In Acts 15, he said, it's by
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we believe. And then he
writes in his epistle, the God of all grace, who hath called
us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have
suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle
you. That's the grace of God. It strengthens
us, it settles us, and it gives God all the glory to whom? To
him be glory and dominion forever and ever. And then Peter says,
Amen. So be it. Amen. We have believed
through God's grace. Every believer can identify with
that blessed truth. Saved by the sovereign, free
grace of God. Believing by the grace of God,
we can say with Paul, I am what I am. By the grace of God. We're justified freely by his
grace to the redemption that is in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, Let me just go back and
pick up a few thoughts here as we work down our way to verse
27. Paul had spent a few days there
in Ephesus. In verse 21, verse 19, 20, and
21, it tells us about that. Paul spent a few days in Ephesus
and said goodbye for a while, and traveled on to Jerusalem,
and then back to his home church in Antioch, where it says in
the last part of verse 22, and when he had landed at Caesarea
and gone up, that is, gone up to Jerusalem, he saluted or greeted
the church there, and then he went down to Antioch, his home
church. Now, we don't know how long he
stayed in Antioch before he started his next journey, But we do know
what he did there. Did you see what he did there?
Like when he came back from his first journey, turn back over
here to, I believe it's chapter, let me get the right verse here,
chapter 15, verse 35. This is when he came back from
his first journey. Acts 15 verse 35, Paul also in
Barnabas continued in Antioch teaching and preaching the word
of the Lord with many others also. So we don't know how long
he stayed in Antioch, but we know what he did. Paul was all
about preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse
23, And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went
over all the country of Galatia, back over where he preached before,
where the Lord called out his elect, and preached in order,
by the order of God, strengthening all the disciples there. Paul again is back on the road
preaching the gospel, and helping those who had believed the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me read this to you. confirming
the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith,
that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God."
Paul commended them to God and to the Word of His grace. If
you'll turn just one page, maybe two pages, to Acts chapter 20,
when he finally said goodbye to the elders at Ephesus, In
Acts 20, 32, And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to
the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and
to give you inheritance, and inheritance among all them that
are sanctified. I commend you to God, and to
the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, strengthening
the disciples, and encourage them to continue in the grace
of God. How do we strengthen believers
in the gospel? by giving them a steady diet
of the word of the Lord, pointing sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is our strength." Now you mothers, when you have young
children, and you wanted to grow strong bones, you give them what? Milk? meat and bread. And that's exactly what the ministers
of the gospel do. They preach Christ, the bread
of life. They preach the milk of the word and the meat of the
word, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's a help. That's
how we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. In Psalm
46, We read about this help. God is our refuge and strength,
the very present help in trouble. You hungry? He's the bread of
life. You thirsty? He is the water
of life. So we point sinners to Christ.
That's what Paul did here. When it says he strengthened,
strengthening all the disciples. The Lord will strengthen us.
Listen to this scripture. This is one of my favorite scriptures
in the book of Isaiah 41, verse 10. Fear thou not, for I am with
thee. Be not dismayed. I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea,
I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness." That's how we're strengthened.
Not that we're strong in ourselves, but faith lays hold of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He's our strength. He's our shelter
in the time of need. Now in Acts chapter 18, Verse
24, down to the end of the chapter, we meet for the first time this
man named Apollos. And a certain Jew named Apollos,
born in Alexandria, this is Alexandria of Egypt, he was an eloquent
man, that is, a very able, gifted speaker. We also know that God
said he was mighty in the scriptures. That is, he had an understanding
of the word of God, and he came to Ephesus. You remember, Paul
had left Ephesus, but whom did he leave there? Aquila and Priscilla.
I wonder why. Well, God had ordered all this,
because we see here that Aquila and Priscilla, they were a help
to this man, Apollos. Verse 25 says, he was instructed
in the way of the Lord. Now notice that's definite, the
way of the Lord. What is the way of the Lord?
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. So this man of Paulus, he was
a mighty speaker and he spoke the word of the Lord. He was
instructed in the way of salvation in Christ. He was fervent in
spirit. He had a burning zeal in his
heart for the glory of God. And he spake and he taught diligently
the things of the Lord. Now this man knew. He knew the
Lord. He knew that salvation was of
the Lord. And then it says there, knowing
only the baptism of John. Now, several things we can glean
out of that statement about Apollos. We have his birth. He was born
into a Jewish family. He was born in Alexandria of
Egypt. And somehow he was taught of
God. Maybe his parents were followers
of John. Somehow he was indoctrinated
or taught the way of salvation. As John said, Behold the Lamb
of God. He was mighty in the Scriptures.
Well-versed in the Scriptures. Well, what is the message of
the Scriptures? Look down at verse 28. Acts 18 down to verse
28. He mightily convinced the Jews,
and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus is
the Christ. You see, what is the message
of all the Old Testament Scripture? Hold your place there and find
John chapter, excuse me, Acts chapter 10, Acts chapter 10,
and then I want to read Luke 24. Acts chapter 10, what is
the message of the Scripture? To him give all the prophets
witness. Our Lord said to those Jews,
you search the scriptures, but they are they that testify of
me, and you will not come to me that you might have life.
Now look at Acts 10, verse 42. He commanded us to
preach unto the people, and to testify that it was he which
was ordained of God to be judge of the living and the dead, to
him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever
believeth in him shall receive the remission of sin." So, what
was the message of all the Old Testament prophets? Christ. The
last Old Testament prophet was who? John the Baptist. What was
his message? Behold the Lamb of God that takes
away and bears away our sin. was taught of God, and he took
the Word of God, just as the Apostle Paul did, and he showed
by the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus of Nazareth is the
Christ. Now our Lord did the same thing. Let me just read this to you
in Luke 24. In Luke 24 verse 44. These are
the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law
of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning
me, And then he opened their understanding that they might
understand the Scriptures. So he took the Scriptures, and
he said, These things are fulfilled, thus it is written. And thus
it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the
third day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are
witnesses of these things. The message of this whole book,
Old Testament and New, is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. His
person and His work. Salvation that is of the Lord. That was the message that Apollos
preached in that day. This man, verse 25, was instructed
in the way of the Lord. He had a burning zeal for the
glory of God. And he taught diligently the
things of the Lord, knowing only, or the baptism, or the doctrine
that John had teached. He was taught of the Lord, and
being taught of the Lord, he taught others diligently the
things the Lord had revealed to him concerning the Messiah. Now, remember back in Acts chapter
8, turn over there. There's another man from Egypt,
the country of Ethiopia, who was reading the word of the Lord,
and God sent him, Philip the Evangelist, You remember the
eunuch riding along in the desert reading the book of Isaiah? And
Philip, verse 35, Acts 8, opened his mouth and began at the same
scripture and preached unto him, you see it? Acts 8, verse 35,
he preached unto him the Lord Jesus Christ. The one that was
wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquity,
he took that scripture And the eunuch said, who is this man
talking about, himself or someone else? And Philip took that same
scripture and preached to him the Lord Jesus Christ as everything
in salvation. What was John's message? Behold
the Lamb of God that taketh away our sin. What was John's message?
Christ must increase, I must decrease. He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not, the sun
shall not see light, but the wrath of God abides on him."
That was John's message and that was the message of Apollos. Now notice verse 26 in our text,
and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. He had the
message, he was taught of God, salvations of the Lord, he was
familiar and acquainted with the scriptures, God had taught
him the gospel, and he was diligent to preach the gospel to others.
He spoke boldly in the synagogue, these are the Jewish people who
rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, and he went right into that place
and preached unto them the way of the Lord. in Jesus Christ
crucified. And Aquila and Priscilla, they
heard him. You know, they had to be encouraged
when they heard and met Apollos. And they took him unto them,
and they expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Now, I don't know what all is
involved there. But I think we can glean a few
things from that statement. They took him aside and further
enlarged and expounded unto him the message of the gospel. Remember
Aquila and Priscilla had spent 18 months very closely working
every day with the Apostle Paul. And the Apostle Paul, you know,
he preached the gospel to them and taught them the very essential
things of God. This dear couple spent much time
with the Apostle, and they were able to teach Apollos the thing
that Paul had taught them. Now I thought of four things
that they probably enlarged upon and gave him further understanding
about what happened in the garden, ruining Adam, what happened upon
the cross, the full weight and scope of Christ redeeming blood,
how he fully put away the sin of God's covenant people. I'm
sure they had more insight into that being taught by the Apostle
Paul. And then no doubt they talked
about how God saved sinners. How God regenerates sinners by
the grace of God and makes them new creatures in Christ Jesus.
And no doubt, as we read all the way through the book of Acts,
they talked about the glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Those four R's, ruin, redeemed,
regeneration, and resurrection. And then no doubt they talked
about another R that I like to talk about, reconciliation. how
through Christ crucified sinners are reconciled unto God through
the Lord Jesus Christ. Aquila and Persilla were humble
tent makers who helped this well-educated man learn more of the person
and work of Christ. And you know what? He listened
to their message. God gave Apollos grace to listen
to their teaching and receive further instruction in the doctrine
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, that takes humility.
Here's these people, two tent makers, nobodies, but they're
taught of God, sent of God. No wonder Paul left them there
at Ephesus. Why? To help Apollos further understand
all that's involved in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You
know, that's the way the Lord works, not even in that day,
but in our day as well. I think of this illustration. In the spring of 1950, there
was a young preacher in Ashland, Kentucky. The spring of 1950,
how many years ago has that been? 70 years ago? In the spring of 1950, there
was a young preacher in Ashland, Kentucky, who was very religious,
but he didn't know how God saved sinners. His name was Henry Mahan. And God sent him that day a preacher
from West Texas by the name of Roth Barnard. And Roth Barnard
preached the gospel of God's sovereign saving grace, how God
can be just and to justify the ungodly, and Pastor Mahan learned
the gospel through that man's ministry. You see how he's a
help to him. And I have that same story in
my life. I was able to sit under the ministry
of a man who was taught by another man who was taught of God. I
was able to sit under Brother Mahan's ministry there in Ashland
for 12 years. And it was such a blessed time.
Such a blessed time. And then I came here. 1994 and what the Lord has taught
me I've tried to teach you. See how the Lord sent one man
to teach another man and that man taught other people and then
that man teaches other people. Just like the Lord blessed me
to travel to Kingsport, Tennessee and preach the gospel there.
I had no idea what the Lord was going to do there But I knew
the gospel needed to be preached, and we went and preached the
gospel, and the Lord raised up a ministry there. You see, the
point is, preaching the gospel is one beggar telling another
beggar where he found bread. And that's all we do, is it not? preaching Christ who is the bread
of life. Verse 27, it says in our text,
and when he was disposed or minded to pass into Achaia, and that
refers to going to Corinth, the brethren there wrote a letter
to that church exhorting the disciples there to receive him.
Apollos knows the gospel, believes the gospel, and preaches the
gospel. You receive him. And when he was come, he helped
them much which had believed through the grace of God. Believers at Ephesus recognized
this man's God-given gifts, and they recommended him as a preacher
of the gospel. You remember in 1 Corinthians
chapter 3, when we studied through there, when they were having
a division of some sort there in the church of Corinth, and
some said, well, I'm of Paul, and others said, well, I'm of
Cephas, and some said, well, I'm of Apollos. Remember what
Paul wrote back, who then is Paul? Who is Apollos? But ministers by whom you believed
Ministers by whom you believe even as the Lord gave every man
I have planted Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then, neither is he that planteth
anything, neither he that watereth, but God that gives the increase. Apollos was a help to the church
at Corinth by watering with the gospel of Christ those who were
blessed to hear and believe the gospel by the sovereign grace
of God. Apollos was only a sinner saved
by the grace of God, How about you? Can you say that? I'm only
a sinner saved by the grace of God. Let us never graduate one
inch above that. A sinner saved by the grace of
God. You see, growing in grace and
in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Growing in grace
is a growth in total dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ to
provide all things for us. As we grow in grace, we see more
of our need of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to meet all
our need according to his riches in glory through the Lord Jesus
Christ. And growing in grace and in the
knowledge of Christ is a growth downward in humility. having
no confidence in the flesh, rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ, worshiping
God, and having no confidence in the flesh whatsoever. Now what about this grace? He
helped them much which had believed through grace." Now, whenever
we see the word grace in Scripture, the first time we read about
it is way back in Genesis chapter 9, where it talks about Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God's sovereign favor. Now let me give you four or five
things about this grace of God. It was the sovereign free grace
of God that chose us to salvation in that eternal covenant of grace. Now let's take our Bible and
find the book of Romans chapter 11. The book of Romans chapter
11. It's the sovereign free grace
of God that chose us to salvation in that eternal covenant of grace. Romans 11. Verse five, even so
then at this present time, there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. Election, that is God sovereignly
choosing a people, is the election of grace. And if by grace, then
it's no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if
it be of works, then it's no more grace, otherwise work is
no more work. Back one page, turn to Romans
nine, Verse 11, the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said
to her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written,
Jacob, Abba, beloved. Jacob, Abba, beloved, Esau, Abba,
hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. We say to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, not of him that runneth. but of God that shows mercy. Sovereign grace of God chose
us in that eternal covenant of grace, all to the praise of the
glory of His grace. Secondly, it was a free and sovereign
grace of God that gave the Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sins
according to the scripture. Now, let me just read this one
to you in Ephesians chapter 1. Verse 7 says, In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of his grace. And you know this scripture in
2 Corinthians 8-9. You want to turn there with me? Let's read that together. 2 Corinthians
8-9. 2 Corinthians 8-9. One of my favorite scriptures
found in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9. He says, you know
the grace. You got it? 2 Corinthians 8 and
9. He said, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. that
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you
through his poverty might be made rich." It's the grace of
God that gave the Lord Jesus Christ to die in our stead. Thirdly, turn on over to 2 Corinthians
to Galatians chapter 1. It was the sovereign and free
grace of God that called us out of darkness into his marvelous
light. Galatians chapter 1 verse 15
and 16. You remember Paul went back over
the regions of Galatia and Phrygia. Here's what he preached to them.
Here's what he wrote to them. Galatians 1 verse 15. But when
it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and
He called me by His grace. to reveal His Son in me, that
I might preach Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood." It is the grace of God that has
taught us. Now, if you want to turn with
me, you can. Back to the book of Romans. It's the sovereign
grace of God that made us to differ. Chapter 5 in the book
of Romans. Chapter 5 in the book of Romans. Verse 19 says, For by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous. There's a disobedience of Adam,
and there is the obedience of Christ by which we're made righteous.
Verse 20 of Romans 5, Moreover the law entered that the offense
might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord. You see, it's by the grace of
God we're owing to his sovereign favor in all things. Fourthly,
it was the sovereign free grace of God that justified us in the
Lord Jesus Christ. You know this Scripture well
because I quote it all the time. I think I've already mentioned
it once in this message. Romans 3.24. Romans 3.24, being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in our Lord Jesus Christ. And I quote this one to you all
the time as well. 2 Timothy 1.9. Paul reminds Timothy,
As he sits in a Roman dungeon, waiting execution, he writes
back to Timothy, 2 Timothy 1, 8 and 9. He said, don't be ashamed.
Don't be ashamed of me or of the gospel. Because the gospel
is the power of God and the salvation. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace. given us in Christ, but for the
foundation of the world. You see, His grace is eternal
grace, free and sovereign grace. Fifthly, it is the sovereign
free grace of God that keeps us and sustains us each day. He gives us daily grace. Now, if you want to turn with
me, you can. Find 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 2 Corinthians chapter
12. His grace is sufficient. Daily grace I find to meet thy
trials here. We sang just a moment ago. 2
Corinthians 12 verse 7. Lest I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of revelation, there was given
to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet
me. Lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing
I have assaulted the Lord Christ, that it might depart from me."
And the Lord said to him in verse 9, My grace, oh, My grace is
sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessity, in persecution, in
distresses for Christ's sake, for when I'm weak, That's when
I'm strong. His grace is sufficient, and
He gives us grace day by day. The grace of God. And one day,
He'll give us dying grace as well. Dying grace. Now, I thought
about this scripture, too, in regards to the grace of God.
Paul said, Christ in you is a hope of glory, right? That's our hope. And then he writes this in 2nd
Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 16. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. Now, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God even
our Father, who hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation
and a good hope through... what? Grace. You see, you can't
get away from this grace of God. The sovereign, free grace of
God. For by grace have you been saved. That's what Paul writes
in Ephesians 2. By grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God. Being confident of this very
thing, that God who has begun a good work in you, He will perform
it. He will finish it. I read a statement
years ago, and I'm going to close with this. I read a statement
years ago, and I can't remember who said it, I can't remember
where I read it, but probably 30 years ago, I read this somewhere
by someone, and it stuck with me all these years, and I thought
about it on this closing point. What begins in grace will end
in glory. Think about it. What begins in
grace will end in glory, being confident of this very thing
that God, who has begun a good work in you, He will perform
it. Remember from our study in Psalm
57, He performs all things for us. We are fully persuaded like
Abraham, all that God has promised, He is able to perform. We have a good hope in Christ
by the grace of God. We have believed the gospel only
by the grace, the sovereign free grace of God.