Now, turn in your Bible once
again to the book of Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. And we find here the apostle,
God's servant, being sent of God. He went preaching the gospel
every city he entered into. He went with one purpose in mind,
that is to set forth Christ and Him crucified. preaching the
gospel to sinners and pointing sinners to the Lord Jesus. And
it says in verse 22 of Acts 18, And when he had landed Caesarea,
Caesarea was a coastal town there of Judea, and he is on his way
back to Jerusalem. And when he had landed at Caesarea,
he had gone up, and gone up, This is referring to Jerusalem,
the hill city. And he saluted or greeted the
church. And then he went back to Antioch,
back to this place where he first started, where they prayed. Remember there in Antioch. They
prayed and God said unto them, separate me, Paul and Barnabas,
to go preach the gospel. Paul here is returning back to
the place where he started. And then in verse 23, we see
after he had spent some time there, he departed again and
went over all the country of Galatia, Phrygia, in order. God's order. Who ordered this?
Well, God ordered. God ordered this. God's not the
God of confusion. He's the God of order, strengthening
all the disciples. Now we have much given to us
here and a lot we just kind of have to fill in the spaces. We
don't know exactly what happened when Paul came to Caesarea and
then went to the church in Jerusalem. It just says there he went up
and greeted them and nothing else is said. But we have a good
idea of what took place because the first time this happened
back in chapter 15, if you turn back there, in chapter 15, I'm
sure that it went along the same lines as this in Acts chapter
15 in verse 12. Now this is the first time Paul
came to the church there in Jerusalem. Then all the multitude, Acts
15, 12, kept silent and gave audience or listened to Barnabas
and Paul. And here's what they did, declaring
what miracles and wonders God had wrought. among the Gentiles
by them and then again we have no word now stay right here in
Acts 15 look across the page to chapter 14 verse 27 and we
have again no word in chapter 18 what Paul said to the church
here in Antioch but we have here a record what he said the first
time he came back in chapter 14 verse 26 and then sailed to Antioch from
whence he had been recommended to the grace of God for the work
which they fulfilled. And when they were come and had
gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had
done with them, how he opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there they abode a long time
with the disciples." Know for a surety that when Paul came
back and greeted those believers there in Jerusalem, and then
went back to his home base there in Antioch, that he declared
unto them the mighty power and working of the sovereign God,
how He saved sinners by His marvelous grace. You know that's what he
said. And that's what happened. And then it says back in our
text, when he had spent some time there, Don't know how long. I'm sure he stayed there as long
as was necessary to take care of the things that he had to
do, and then he departed. Now notice something missing
there, when it says he departed. Often times it says he departed
with Barnabas, or other times it says he departed with Silas,
but here it just says he departed. I don't know if Silas accompanied
him or not. I know Dr. Luke did and others,
Timothy, but here we have no mention of Silas going with him
this third time. But notice this, when he went
back over this same ground that he had been before in Galatia
and Phrygia, which includes Colossae and those other churches in that
area, and how God blessed those people with the gospel, and how
he saved them with the gospel, he went back over that same ground,
visited those same people again, and it says there, in order,
or to this reason, strengthening all the disciples. Now, how did
he do that? How did he strengthen them? Well,
what is the strength of any believer's salvation? Christ, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He simply pointed them again
and again to our help, our hope, Our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Now,
He didn't have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The epistles
were not written, but I tell you what He did use, turn to
Psalm 27. He did use the Word of God, just
as Apollos mightily convinced the Jews showing publicly that
Jesus is the Christ. You know that Paul, the gifted
apostle of God, familiar with the Word of God, you know he
took the Word of Truth and he pointed sinners to the Savior,
the Lord Jesus. Notice, I think he did this,
Psalm 27 verse 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Well, that gives me help. That
gives me hope. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Look in Psalm 28, verse 7. The Lord is my strength, my shield,
my heart trusteth in Him. I am helped, therefore my heart
greatly rejoices, and with my song I'll praise Him. The Lord
is their strength. He is the saving strength of
His anointed. Save thy people, bless thy inheritance, feed them
also, and lift them up forever. Well, that's a good prayer right
there in that verse, isn't it? Look at verse 9. Save thy people,
bless thy inheritance, feed them also, and lift them up forever. This is what He did in Psalm
37, 39. Psalm 37, 39. But the salvation of the righteous
is of the Lord. He is their strength in a time
of trouble." He took the very Word of God and pointed these
disciples, it says there, strengthening all the disciples. Do disciples
need help? Do they need strengthening? Yes,
constantly. We are weak and frail creatures
in need of God's saving mercy every day. And thank God that
He has promised He'll never leave us, He'll never forsake us. That
is our hope. That is our salvation. This word
here, strengthening, means helping, encouraging, confirming, and
He did that by preaching Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. And I've
tried to do that very same thing. The years that I've been with
you here, soon be 14 years. Pointing you from the Word of
God. I don't think you can I'm Now
I'm not boasting here, but I can say this with confidence I've
never brought you a message apart from this verse by verse word
by word from this book have I Some of you been here for all those
years and longer and we take the Word of God and preach Christ
Point centers to the Lord Jesus Christ now back in our text in
verse 24 down through the end of the chapter God the Holy Spirit Introduces
us to this faithful servant of God. His name is Apollos now. We know a little bit about him
We have quite a bit of information that's given to us here. First
of all, he's a Jew He was born a Jew his religion by nature
was raised up in Judaism, so he knows all about the law of
Moses, the Levitical law, the ceremonial law, the moral law.
He's familiar with all those things. He was raised up in that.
He was catechized. He was taught as a child. Now
this man was born in Alexandria. Alexandria is that city in Egypt
that's a center of learning and education, philosophy, much like
Athens. And this is where this man was
raised. Educated, it says here, he was an eloquent man. Educated
and schooled and disciplined. But it says this of him, in verse
24, that he was mighty. Now this word here, mighty, in
the scriptures, you see verse 24, that word means he was skillful. He had the ability, blessed of
God, to take the Word of God and to teach it and to show from
the Word of God how that the Messiah would come and that how
the Messiah would die for our sins according to the Scriptures.
He powerfully used the Old Testament Scripture preaching Christ, how
that Christ would come. I want you to turn to this Scripture.
Find 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
died But He died for our sins according to the Word of God. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says
in verse 3, and Apollos did the same thing, I deliver unto you
first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. According to all
that was written, the Lamb of God. That He was buried, and
that He rose again the third day according to God's decree,
according to the very Word of God. He fulfilled all that was
written of Him. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled.
The whole Old Testament says someone's coming, and the New
Testament says He has come. That's our message. It's the
same message. Christ. Christ in Him crucified. Now look back at the text. So
this man was familiar with the Word, had the ability to teach
from the Word. Verse 25 says, this man was instructed
in the Word of the Lord or the way of the Lord. Now what is
the way of the Lord? If one says he's instructed in
the Scripture and instructed in the Word of the Lord and in
the way of the Lord, that's all summed up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Being, it says there, fervent. This man had a burning zeal and
desire in his heart to point sinners just like John the Baptist,
behold the Lamb of God. Fervent in spirit. He taught
diligently. He was a faithful student, a
faithful and faithful to declare the words of God. Notice, it
says there, he taught diligently the things of the Lord. the things
of the Lord. He took that Passover and showed
them Christ, our Passover. He took that story of the smitten
rock and preached unto them Christ who was smitten for our sin. He took that picture of the manna
from heaven and he preached to them Christ, the bread of heaven.
He taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only I don't
think this diminishes his message here, knowing only the baptism
of John, or the ministry of John. His heart was ablaze with zeal
for the Lord's glory, like John the Baptist, knowing only the
ministry or message of John. Now, what was John's ministry? What was John's message? Now,
turn back to John, the Gospel of John, this time chapter 3.
We read portions of chapter 1. When they came and asked him,
Are you the Messiah? Are you that prophet? What did
he do? He pointed them to Christ. And then he said, Behold the
Lamb of God. Now in John chapter 3, we see
something more of John's ministry that Apollos set forth. He was
a disciple of John and pointing sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ,
just as John the Baptist did. Notice in verse 28 of John chapter
3, you yourselves bear witness that I said, I'm not the Christ,
but that I'm sent before him, he that hath the bride, he's
the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth
and heareth him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
This, my joy, therefore, is fulfilled." Now, here's our ministry, here's
our method. He must increase. I must decrease. He that cometh from above is
above all. He that is of the earth is earthly,
and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from above, from
heaven, is above all. He's preaching the Lordship of
Christ. And what he hath seen and heard that he testified,
and no man received his testimony. Remember John said he came unto
his own, his own received him not. But he that hath received
his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. Now read on. Look at this carefully
now. This is the ministry of John.
John the Baptist. For whom God hath sent, speaketh
the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him. Now look at verse 35. Now who
is saying this? John the Baptist, he that loveth
the Son, the Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things
into his hand. That was his ministry. That was
his message. He that believeth on the Son.
What was John's message? Well, it's a gospel message,
isn't it? He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.
He that believeth not the Son shall not see life. But the wrath
of God abides on him. Now this is what Apollos was
preaching. Christ. pointing sinners to the Lamb
of God, behold the Lamb of God that takes away our sin. Now back to the text. Look at
verse 26. And he began, remember he came
to Ephesus, and he's in this synagogue here, verse 26, he
spake boldly, boldly. Now this synagogue here is the
assembly of Jews. And a lot of these people here,
probably most of these people here, were still looking to the
law of Moses and thinking in that law, that they were observing
that law, thinking in that somehow that recommended them to God.
And he came preaching the fulfillment of the law, the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke boldly in the synagogue
and when these two faithful, this husband and wife, Aquila
and Priscilla, you remember, look back at verse 19. And when
Paul came to Ephesus, he left them there. Now why did he do
that? You see something of the marvelous working of God's providence? As Apollos came to Ephesus and
started preaching the gospel, Christ, the Lamb of God, Aquila
and Priscilla were there, and they heard him, and they said,
they didn't publicly reprimand him, or publicly call him down,
but they took him, took him home, and then it says they're expounded
unto him, explained unto him the way of God more completely,
or more exactly, or more perfectly. Now we see something of God's
marvelous providence. They took Apollos home and explained
to him more perfectly the way of God, the fruit of redemption,
the purpose of God, the eternal purpose of God. How did Aquila
and Priscilla come about these things? You remember when Paul
first came to Corinth? You remember Aquila and Priscilla
were forced out of Rome and they came to Corinth and when Paul
came there, he lived with them. work with them. And here's this
poor, simple, working couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who have
been with the Apostle Paul, who know more exactly of the way
of God, the fruit of redemption, the grace of God. They took him
home and said, let us tell you what God has shown us about the
way of grace in Christ Jesus. And Apollos, now here's this
man, now he's not a nobody. But here we see something of
humility that God gave this man. Here he submits. He submits to
the simple teaching of a poor tent maker and his wife. You see, Aquila and Priscilla
were helped by the Apostle Paul in the way of grace, and they
were going to help Apollos in the way of grace. You know, that's
the way God uses us to help other people. And then notice it says
down in verse 27, when Apollos came to Corinth,
what did he do? He helped them. You see, he was
helped. Aquila and Priscilla were helped
by Paul. And when they heard Apollos preach,
they took him and said, why don't you come home with us? We want
to tell you some things that God has shown us. And he was
helped. And then Apollos went to Corinth
and then he helped them. You see, that's the way God promotes
this gospel of God's grace. He teaches one, reveals himself
to one, and that one takes that message to tell others about
the way of grace in Christ Jesus. Now, look at verse 27. Here's what
I'm trying to get at right here, verse 27. And when he was so minded to
leave Ephesus and go into Achaia, now he headed toward Corinth,
the brethren there in Ephesus wrote a letter of recommendation,
exhorting the disciples there in Corinth to receive him, who
when he was come, he helped them much which had believed through
grace. He helped them much which had
believed through grace. Now, two or three things here.
First of all is this, it is by the sovereign grace of God that
we have the gospel to believe, is it not? It is by the grace
of God that the Lord Jesus Christ came It is by the grace of God
that the Lord Jesus Christ lived and died for us as our representative,
as our substitute, putting away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. You see, it is by the grace of
God that we have the Gospel. Right? He is the fountainhead,
the wellspring of all spiritual blessings. Salvation is all of
grace from first to last. Grace devised a scheme of mercy
through the Lord Jesus Christ. When did that take place? In
eternity. God devised the way of mercy
to the guilty through the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the grace
of God. That's the covenant of grace
of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the surety, the mediator of
that covenant. It's all of God's grace. It's
by the grace of God that we have the gospel. The grace of God
that gives us life, mercy, and peace in Christ Jesus. The grace
of God alone that makes sinners new creatures in Christ Jesus. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
It's all of God's grace. It's by the grace of God. Now,
I know this is so. is by the grace of God that we
have the gospel. That's His free, sovereign favor,
that we have a gospel to believe. Ephesians chapter 1. Take what
he says right here. In verse 6, to the praise of
the glory of His grace, Ephesians 1, wherein He hath made us accepted
in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. Grace. Grace of God alone. Grace is the active movement
of God's divine will to produce the result of God's sovereign
decrees. He works all things after the
counsel of His own will. There is a remnant according
to the election of grace. And because salvation is all
of grace, no more works. It's the sovereign, free favor
of God alone. Mercy. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. The
sovereign grace of God is only moved... Now listen to this carefully.
The sovereign grace of God is only moved or activated by whose
will? Come on now. Whose will? God's
will. Not of him that willeth or of
him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy. Mercy. It's the sovereign will of God
that any sinner is saved. And it's the sovereign will of
God that we have a gospel to believe. Now look back at the
text again. He helped them much which had
believed... What does that say there? They
believed... How do they believe? Through grace. You see, the grace
of God not only gives the gospel, Christ died by the grace of God,
it's by the grace of God that we have the gospel, and it's
by the grace of God that we believe the gospel. You see where I'm
getting at? It's by the grace of God we have the gospel, and
it's by the grace of God that we believe that gospel. I mean the gospel of God's saving,
sovereign, free grace in Christ Jesus. We believe. How do we
believe? Turn back to Ephesians chapter
1. Let's see if we can see from the Word of God. How do we believe?
We are dead in sin. God must give life. God must
give faith. And that is by the sovereign
grace of God alone. Ephesians chapter 1. Look at
this. Look at verse 19. Ephesians 1
verse 19. What is exceeding greatness of
His power to usward who believe. Now what does the rest of that
say? According to your own free will. You believe the gospel of God's
sovereign grace is because He caused you to hear it and believe
it and to embrace Christ Jesus. What is exceeding greatness is
His power to us who believe according to the working of His mighty
power. What kind of power are we talking
about? Look what it says in the next verses. It makes this draws
this conclusion, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him
from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly
places. How much power did it take to raise and resurrect the
dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ? That takes power, doesn't it?
Almighty power. That's the same power it takes
to cause a dead sinner to live and to believe. He that believeth
on the Son hath life. everlasting life. Now faith,
Ephesians chapter 2, says that faith is not of ourselves. How
is salvation received? Not by doing, believing. Well how do I believe? By the
grace of God. Look what he says here, Ephesians
2, for by grace, by grace have you been saved through faith. Through faith, not apart from
faith. Through faith, how does faith come? Gift of God, through
the means God ordained, the preaching of the gospel. That not of yourselves
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We
believe through grace. Now, Acts chapter 15. Remember this verse. Acts 15,
verse 11. Acts 15, 11. We believe. But we believe that we shall
be saved. We believe that through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they. You see, it's by the grace of
God we have the gospel, and it's by the grace of God that we believe
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Man left to himself is
an unbeliever, and will remain in unbelief apart from the sovereign
fetching, calling, quickening, Grace of God. Am I telling the
truth? This is the truth. Faith which
brings us to Christ, without faith it is impossible to please
God. You remember that scripture? Without faith it is impossible
to please God. A man without faith is a man
without Christ. Without Christ it is impossible
to please God. Faith which brings us to Christ
must come from God, not of self. Not of self. We believe because we've been
born of God. That's what John chapter 1 says.
Upon us a greatly assisted such who were already believers, who
became so not of themselves, but through the grace of God.
For faith is not a product of self. Arthur Pink said faith
is exotic. doesn't bloom in our heart naturally.
It's planted in there by the sovereign hand of God. Not a
man's free will, but it's a gift of God's grace. It's a fruit
of electing grace. It's an instant of distinguishing
grace. Who made you to differ from another?
Huh? Are you a little bit smarter?
Is that why you're saved? No. The grace of God makes a
distinguishing difference. It's owing to His efficacious
grace comes along with the effectual calling of grace, through the
Word preached, the means of grace, and is supported and maintained
by the grace of God. You see, faith is something...
You know the Word of God? Turn over here to 2 Peter 1. You know, faith calls the Word
of God? Precious faith. How does precious faith come?
Look what it says here. 2 Peter 1. Look at verse 1. 2 Peter 1.1,
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained light, precious faith with us through, what does
that say there? The righteousness of God, our
Savior Jesus Christ. How does faith come? Through
the righteousness of God. Now what is that? The Gospel! of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the righteousness of God that we read of in Romans 10, in Romans
chapter 1, where Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ. It's the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believe. For therein and that gospel is the righteousness
of God. It's from Him. Faith is from
Him. It's by His grace that we believe
this gospel. Now look back to the text. So
when He was come, He helped them much which had already believed
the gospel through grace. Through grace. You say, well
preacher, you talk about that too much. I like to be accused
of that. I like to be guilty of preaching
grace too much. Preaching grace too often. Exalting
and magnifying the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Charge me with
that. I hope I can be guilty of it.
How did He help them? It says He helped them. Look
at verse 28. Mildly convinced the Jews and
these others, publicly showing by the Scripture, Jesus was the
Christ. He helped them by pointing them
to Christ. Christ crucified. He's our wisdom,
our righteousness, our sanctification. He is our redemption. redeemed
with His precious blood. Such believing by His sovereign
grace is a sure evidence that faith in Christ is genuine and
real, lasting. Where you find true faith, there
is the true grace of God. They're inseparable. Where you
find the true grace of God, you find the true faith that is looking
to, exclusively, Christ. exalted, magnified, victorious. And what God has given, what
God has created, what God has introduced and given to us, and
God has established in the heart, how long will it last? God who
hath begun a good work in you. Let's turn and read that. Maybe
you can mark it in your Bible. Where is that? Philippians chapter
1, is it not? Philippians chapter 1, what God
has given, what God has created, what God has introduced and established
in our heart, how long will it stay there? Look what he says
here, Philippians 1, 6, being confident of this very thing,
that He, God, who hath begun a good work in you, now whose
work is it? It's His work. Look right across
the page for a moment there in verse 29. Philippians 1, 29,
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him. It's given. Faith is
given. Being confident of this very
thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you, He will perform
it. He will perfect it. He will finish
it. Faith one day will end in sight.
insight. Apollos helped them much. It says in, we read it this morning
there in 1 Corinthians 3, Apollos watered and God gave the increase. He watered the soil and seed
of their heart with the word of truth. God has ordained the
teaching and preaching of the gospel to feed, bless, enlighten,
and cause us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ.
Apollos helped them much. which had believed through grace. May God help us. God has given
us all things. May He make us a help and an
encouragement to others. I pray for myself personally
that God would enable me to be a help to you. I want to help
you. I don't want to hurt you. I want to help you. I don't want
to harm you, I want to help you and point you. Now the best way
I can do that is point you to Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. And to believe Him, to trust
Him, to rest in Him. May God grant it to be so.