Come Alongside: Lessons from Paul's Third Journey

See, and in that same vein, we can learn a lot from Apollos. I figure he had way more education, probably more education than Aquila and Priscilla combined. But he was teachable. He was willing, he was a willing student who absorbed the word, never thinking for a second. He was above learning. I, look, this was just some awesome teaching and unbelievable disciple-making right there. What an example of a story. That's, that's a slide show worth watching, right? [00:46:43] (31 seconds)  #TeachableLikeApollos

There's another one. Watching the truth. We get a chance to watch this, just to share the truth, and watch it spread. Watch it go. We read of Paul's bold and continuous teaching in the synagogue, you know, just as he always did. No fear of rejection, truly living out his claim, we could read in Romans 1, that he was not ashamed of the gospel. And Luke tells us that Paul was in the synagogue in Ephesus for three months. Now, for Paul, usually before being tossed, three months is a long time. [00:47:15] (31 seconds)  #BoldForTheGospel

Now it's power. It's power in the name, it's power in the word, and it's power in the truth of the word. Acts 4.12, right? What does Peter tell the elders? There's no salvation, and there's salvation in no one else. There's no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. See, but at this stop too, this is like now the part, there is some bad news, right? This could be the part of the trip where someone says, what happened? Well, this wasn't too good, right? [00:52:31] (34 seconds)  #SalvationInJesusAlone

It was an idol over false, it was a riot over false religion. It was over commerce. It was over wealth. It was over lifestyle and a threat to that. It eventually takes a local official to disperse the crowd under threat of being arrested. I guess there was a time that meant something. They'll say, well, you do not want to be arrested for this, but what can we take away from it? The gospel will disrupt. For some, it's for the good. Okay, it will transform us in undisputable, life-saving ways. [00:54:57] (36 seconds)  #GospelDisrupts

Not everyone has the ears to hear the word. I mean, some will hang on to their customs, they'll hang on to their religions, their own devices, the idols within their heart. Look how people turned away from Jesus when the teachings were too hard or they really just could not let go of those idols, what was in their heart, what was important to them. Like Paul wrote in his first letter to that church of Corinth, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. [00:55:45] (31 seconds)  #LetGoOfIdols

See, it's that last news that hits the elders the hardest. Now, I encourage you to read about the rest of this meeting. I mean, it's phenomenal. Paul warns them to be on guard against false teachers, you know, many of whom are going to come up from their own ranks. He talks about the importance of serving and meeting the needs of others, and in fact, he cites words from Jesus himself that are not found in any of the gospels, and that it's more blessed to give than to receive. [01:00:06] (26 seconds)  #ServeAndGive

But this, looking at this journey, the ones behind it, but in the time spending in just these verses, right, it sums up a theme and a strength from Paul's ministry and that's knowing and doing God's will. Paul had the eternal view, right? It wasn't the trials of the moment, you know,of which there were many, you know, and it wasn't his accomplishments. It wasn't what he already achieved, you know, which was impressive. But it was what awaited him. [01:02:32] (31 seconds)  #EternalPerspective

``But sure, right? We are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God, and the wages of that sin is death. And there is not just physical death, but spiritual death, eternal separation from God. And there is absolutely nothing we can do to pay that debt. There is no amount of good deeds that we can perform or be a good enough person to meet the standards of a holy, just, and perfect God. But God loves us so much that he sent his only son to pay that price. [01:04:14] (37 seconds)  #ChristPaidIt

And even though we are still sinners, Christ died for us, we put our faith in Christ. Not in our works, not in our works, but on his work on the cross, his death and his resurrection, we are promised the gift of eternal life. Second chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians assures us that by grace we are saved through faith. It's not our own doing, it's not a result of our works, but it is the gift of God. [01:04:51] (37 seconds)  #SavedByGrace

Even share our own experiences too. And it's just, how cool, talk about a gift. How cool is it to watch, to move with the Holy Spirit when this happens to take, what a gift it is to watch the Word take hold and just transform a life from the inside out. We have that opportunity now to do this too. Now, like the Jerusalem church leaders rejoiced at how the Spirit moved through Paul and his companions on that journey. There's just, you know, let him provide us, right, with the wisdom, the patience, the perseverance, the protection, the faith, the hope, and the love to bring others into his kingdom as well. [01:07:00] (43 seconds)  #SpiritTransforms