A Study Of Acts, Moving The Gospel, Acts 19

MOVING THE GOSPEL

ACTS 19


Ephesus was a major city in Asia. It was important port city.
In the city was the temple Artemis, dedicated to the goddess Diana, one of
the 7 wonders of the world at that time.

CORRECTING AN INCOMPLETE MESSAGE
Acts 19:1-9
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.

4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

A. Some plant the word of God and some water that which was planted.
   1. According to Acts 18:24-28. Apollo a man who knew the scriptures
       came to Ephesus and taught disciple what he knew about Jesus Christ
       with out knowledge of the Holy Spirit.

         Acts 18:24-25
         Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was   
          a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been 
          instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about       
          Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.
   2. What you believe is what you are taught,
   3. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no power in the Church.
   4. Notice it was 12 disciples and they were not growing.
   5, Apollos may have been absent when Peter spoke on the Holy Spirit
      a. Or he may not have thought the teaching of the Holy Spirit was important.
      b. He may have been taught wrong.    Romans 10:1-4
  6. However, God can use what little you know to separate His elect from
      the wrong crowd.
     a. Even though, Apollos teaching was incomplete. it was enough to start
        a Church.

CONTINUE STUDING TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED
B. It is the responsibility of the teacher to continue his/her education. 
    1. We should never get to a point where we think we know all
         there is to know about God. 
    Acts 18:26
    When Priscilla and Aquila heard him (Apollos), they invited him to their home and 
     explained to  him the way of God more adequately.
   2. When Paul came to Ephesus, he found the disciples that Apollos has taught
       and discovered that they knew nothing about the Holy Spirit
    3, Apollos had laid a foundation which Paul built upon.
    4. Apollos planted and Paul watered. 
        a. Like John the Baptist, he prepared the way for Paul
C. After Apollos learned about the Holy Spirit, he did not go back
     to the disciples at Ephesus and correct his teaching.
   1. What was Apollos error?
   2. He did not finish what he started
   3. We should never fail to correct our teaching.
       a, We should never be to proud to say I did not give you the correct interpretation.
       b. We should never be to busy to go back to those we have taught
            and correct our teaching.
   4. Apollos left the church without the power it needed to grow.
      a. The text says Apollos was fervent in the spirit?  Romans 10:1-4
      b. It must not have been the Holy Spirit, but his spirit.
      c. We must be careful that we are not led by our own desires but
          by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 18:27)
  5. There are many people who come to Church without the power of
      the Church in there lives.
     a. What are the evidences that the power of Church is not in the
         life of someone you know that go to Church?
     b. Do you ever operate without the power of the Church (Holy Spirit)?

E. Two of the gifts of the Holy Spirit  at that time, was the speaking in tongues and
     prophesies.
    1. Tongues was the speaking of another unlearned language.  Act 2:4-11
    2. Prophesies was the teaching the wisdom of the scriptures
    3. We must be willing to learn from other teachers.

A TIME TO MOVE ON
Acts 19:8-10
8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
A. There is a time when you cannot get through to a group of non believers,
     that you must move on to another group.
   1. It is not profitable to those who believe to keep preaching to those who refuse to
       believe.
   2. It is not in God’s plan that everyone will be saved.   Ephesians 1:4
       a. When others fail to see God in the Word in our teaching, it is not our fault.
   b. It is our job to proclaim the Word, but not to save anyone.
   c. The Word has its own convicting power.
3. You cannot let unbelievers hinder the work of God in You.  Philippians 1:6

NEVER USE THE SCRIPTURE FOR PERSONAL GAIN
Acts 19:13-16
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
A. Why do you think God put this account in Scripture?
     1. What is the lesson we ought to learn from this?
     2. If you don’t believe in Jesus, don’t preach Jesus.
     3. Don’t try to exercise the power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
        without believing in Jesus.
B. Some time God allow stuff to happen to strengthen our faith
    1. Acts 19:17-19
       When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all 
        seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of
        those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.
    2. We are always in need of improvement.
    3. None of us is without sin.

Acts 19:23-27
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
NIV

A. When ever you are making strides in your faith, someone will come along and
     try to discourage you.
    1. When your religion affects business and politics, you face problems.
    2. The love of money is the root of all evil.
    3. People will destroy you, if you mess with their money and position.
B. You know why we can’t get pass laws against gun control?
   1. It is because of money and position.
   2. Selling guns is big business. It does not matter that our
       kids are being killed.
   3. Wars continue because somebody is supplying the guns.
C. When you preach what is right, expect a fight.
   1. We cannot let the opposition to the Word affect the
       preaching of Jesus Christ, no matter what it cost us.
   2. Listen to what Jesus said:
       Matthew 16:25
       For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my 
       sake shall find it.
   3. Jesus said this for our gain
       Matthew 16:26
       For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 
       or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
KJV