Apollos- A Deficient Disciple
Acts 18:24-28
Apollos was a Jew of Alexandria, the center of scholarship, learning and philosophy with the greatest library in the ancient world. He was an eloquent speaker; he was interesting, understandable, enjoyable. Apollos was an intelligent man; mighty in the Old Testament Scriptures. He was also fervent in spirit; a man of zeal who preached boldly in the Synagogue. However, Apollos was:
I. A Deficient Disciple.
He lacked Vital Scriptural Knowledge.
He lacked Vital Spiritual Experience.
He knew about and had experienced the baptism of John the Baptist, but had not been born again. He had not experienced salvation through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. He had not been regenerated. He also had not been baptized in the Holy Ghost according to Acts 2. He was like the disciples Paul met later in Ephesus who had been baptized unto repentance with John's baptism, but had not even heard about Jesus Christ or the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Those who heard Apollos were instructed; they were thrilled by his fervent teaching; they admired his fine qualities, but he was unable to bring them into the Fulness of Jesus Christ and the power of salvation.
Aquila and Priscilla heard about Apollos and went to hear him preach. They realized that something was lacking in his life and his message.
Numbers of modern day Christians are in the same condition. Too many suffer a lack of Vital Scriptural Knowledge and a lack of Vital Spiritual Experience.
Some are not saved. They may profess to be "Christians," but when it comes to actually being born again, they are not. Many have trusted in ceremonies, rituals, membership, handshakes, confirmation, water baptism but not truly in Jesus Christ. They have religion, but not a relationship with the Lord.
There are many who never study the Word of God. They don't read it, don't dig into it, don't meditate in it, don't apply it.
There are many who do not spend time in prayer. They do not commune with the Lord and build their relationship with Him.
There are many who have no understanding of major doctrines of the Bible: sin and salvation, sanctification, the Deity of Christ, the person and work of the Holy Ghost, angels, demons, prophecy, the eternal state, etc.
There are many who have never settled matters of holy living in their own mind and heart, and therefore they are unstable in their spiritual life.
Many are not baptized in the Holy Ghost and do not seek to be.
We all need to Study God's Word. We need to prayer regularly and fervently. We need to grow in grace and in knowledge. We need to press on toward perfection and press toward the mark of the high calling of God.
Are you a deficient disciple? Are you lacking vital Scriptural knowledge? Are you lacking vital Spiritual experience?
II. A Diligent Disciple.
We read in Acts 18 that when the service ended, Aquila and Priscilla invited Apollos to their home and there they "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."
We must give much Credit to Apollos, that he was not too proud to be instructed. He did not flash his degree or his credentials, and proudly resist teaching. He humbly listened; recognized they were telling him the truth; accepted it; acted upon it; and went on in great power and anointing. He was later mentioned by Paul numerous times as a Peer in the Ministry; as a fellow laborer; as a companion; as a "brother."
Proverbs 1:7- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
We must be teachable! When we fear the Lord we enter the school of knowledge. However, whenever we "despise wisdom and instruction" we become fools. No one of us knows all there is to know about God and his Word. Some are great at telling everyone else what to do and how to do it but they fail miserably at receiving instruction themselves.
Jesus said in Mark 4:24- Take heed what ye hear....unto you that hear shall more be given.
God wants to reveal his Truth to you. God wants to reveal Himself to you. The "revelation" will continue as long as you are willing to HEAR, meaning not just to hear with the organs of the ear, but to really hear, to take heed to what God says. If at any time in your Christian life and walk you balk at the truth and will not HEAR; will not receive it, accept it, obey it, act upon it; You cause God's revelation of truth to stop in your life.
Paul commended the believers in Berea and said they were more "noble" than those in Thessalonica because they "received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
You cannot believe and accept everything that is published on the internet, even if it is by someone who claims to be a "man of God." You must search the Scriptures and prove if what is being said is really true. If it is not Bible based, it must rejected. If it is Bible Truth, then you must receive it with all readiness of mind.
May God help us not to be Deficient disciples, but Diligent disciples. For, only those who DO the will of God will abide forever.
Apollos was a Jew of Alexandria, the center of scholarship, learning and philosophy with the greatest library in the ancient world. He was an eloquent speaker; he was interesting, understandable, enjoyable. Apollos was an intelligent man; mighty in the Old Testament Scriptures. He was also fervent in spirit; a man of zeal who preached boldly in the Synagogue. However, Apollos was:
I. A Deficient Disciple.
He lacked Vital Scriptural Knowledge.
He lacked Vital Spiritual Experience.
He knew about and had experienced the baptism of John the Baptist, but had not been born again. He had not experienced salvation through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. He had not been regenerated. He also had not been baptized in the Holy Ghost according to Acts 2. He was like the disciples Paul met later in Ephesus who had been baptized unto repentance with John's baptism, but had not even heard about Jesus Christ or the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Those who heard Apollos were instructed; they were thrilled by his fervent teaching; they admired his fine qualities, but he was unable to bring them into the Fulness of Jesus Christ and the power of salvation.
Aquila and Priscilla heard about Apollos and went to hear him preach. They realized that something was lacking in his life and his message.
Numbers of modern day Christians are in the same condition. Too many suffer a lack of Vital Scriptural Knowledge and a lack of Vital Spiritual Experience.
Some are not saved. They may profess to be "Christians," but when it comes to actually being born again, they are not. Many have trusted in ceremonies, rituals, membership, handshakes, confirmation, water baptism but not truly in Jesus Christ. They have religion, but not a relationship with the Lord.
There are many who never study the Word of God. They don't read it, don't dig into it, don't meditate in it, don't apply it.
There are many who do not spend time in prayer. They do not commune with the Lord and build their relationship with Him.
There are many who have no understanding of major doctrines of the Bible: sin and salvation, sanctification, the Deity of Christ, the person and work of the Holy Ghost, angels, demons, prophecy, the eternal state, etc.
There are many who have never settled matters of holy living in their own mind and heart, and therefore they are unstable in their spiritual life.
Many are not baptized in the Holy Ghost and do not seek to be.
We all need to Study God's Word. We need to prayer regularly and fervently. We need to grow in grace and in knowledge. We need to press on toward perfection and press toward the mark of the high calling of God.
Are you a deficient disciple? Are you lacking vital Scriptural knowledge? Are you lacking vital Spiritual experience?
II. A Diligent Disciple.
We read in Acts 18 that when the service ended, Aquila and Priscilla invited Apollos to their home and there they "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."
We must give much Credit to Apollos, that he was not too proud to be instructed. He did not flash his degree or his credentials, and proudly resist teaching. He humbly listened; recognized they were telling him the truth; accepted it; acted upon it; and went on in great power and anointing. He was later mentioned by Paul numerous times as a Peer in the Ministry; as a fellow laborer; as a companion; as a "brother."
Proverbs 1:7- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
We must be teachable! When we fear the Lord we enter the school of knowledge. However, whenever we "despise wisdom and instruction" we become fools. No one of us knows all there is to know about God and his Word. Some are great at telling everyone else what to do and how to do it but they fail miserably at receiving instruction themselves.
Jesus said in Mark 4:24- Take heed what ye hear....unto you that hear shall more be given.
God wants to reveal his Truth to you. God wants to reveal Himself to you. The "revelation" will continue as long as you are willing to HEAR, meaning not just to hear with the organs of the ear, but to really hear, to take heed to what God says. If at any time in your Christian life and walk you balk at the truth and will not HEAR; will not receive it, accept it, obey it, act upon it; You cause God's revelation of truth to stop in your life.
Paul commended the believers in Berea and said they were more "noble" than those in Thessalonica because they "received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
You cannot believe and accept everything that is published on the internet, even if it is by someone who claims to be a "man of God." You must search the Scriptures and prove if what is being said is really true. If it is not Bible based, it must rejected. If it is Bible Truth, then you must receive it with all readiness of mind.
May God help us not to be Deficient disciples, but Diligent disciples. For, only those who DO the will of God will abide forever.
Labels: Apollos
posted by Junction Hill Pentecostal Church | 7:58 AM
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