SERMON SPOTLIGHT * 9/11/22

Paul and Apollos were both blessed by the Lord to be mighty preachers. Both would help you see what repentance from your sins looks like. Both would help you see what faith in Jesus looks like. And BOTH would have given ALL the glory to Christ. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 18:18-28
TITLE: The Church Strengthened
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Jesus’ Church is strengthened and helped by servants that He has strengthened and helped.

POINTS:
I. Strengthened Mightly by Paul - Vs. 23
II. Greatly Helped by Apollos - Vs. 27

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”In the scriptures, Paul will call himself a ‘slave of Jesus.’ A devoted and willing and submitted ‘bondservant to Jesus.’ The very One he so hated in the beginning, was now that very one whom he loved with all of his heart!”

“In our minds, OUR will, OUR plans, OUR forecasts, OUR futuristic thoughts, OUR predictions, OUR forethought, OUR tomorrow - rules our world. BUT, in reality - our future is ruled by “IF GOD WILLS” - every single ‘zeptosecond’ of our past and our present are the result of HIS sovereign will.”

“Apollos was humbly teachable. He receives the instruction, the correction, in humility, and he went on and preached Jesus!”

“Apollos had some serious game, but what was critical was that he preach Jesus and now so more accurately. The healthy preacher of Jesus is always growing in His knowledge of Jesus!”

“Paul did not let fear stop him - he received Jesus’ encouragement, applied it, and continued on! Apollos did not let pride stop him - he received the correction and applied it and continued on!”

“The congregation is always growing in their knowledge of Jesus! THIS makes them a healthy church! A church that is greatly helped grows all the more in strength - a healthy, humble preacher builds the church up in Christ and against the wilds of Satan! Evildoers may be set against the church and will come against it, but they will be readied by Jesus who makes the preacher and them ready!”

“Both of these servants would tower over us - but they are pointing us to Jesus - they strengthened and helped the Church by pointing her to Jesus. The gift of leadership IS a powerful thing, but in the end, it will be pointless if we have not been pointed to Jesus. Jesus saves - Paul does not. Jesus saves - Apollos does not. There is no better Gospel - other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified!”

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “Dear friends, do not imagine that God will bless one preacher only, or one denomination only. He does bless some preachers more than others, for He is Sovereign; but He will bless you all in your work, for He is God. I shall never forget one day, when my dear old grandfather was alive, I was to preach a sermon. There was a great crowd of people, and I did not arrive, for the train was delayed; and therefore the venerable man commenced to preach in my stead. He was far on in his sermon when I made my appearance at the door. Looking to me, he said: “You have all come to hear my dear grandson, and therefore I will stop that you may hear him. He may preach the gospel better than I can, but he cannot preach a better gospel. Can you, Charles?” My answer from the aisle was: “I cannot preach the gospel better; but if I could, it would not be a better gospel.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 2:1-3
1 Corinthians 9:20
2 Timothy 4:17-18
1 Timothy 4:6-16
Philippians 1:3-11
1 Corinthians 3:4-9

APPLICATION:
There is no better Gospel - other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified! What great comfort this should be as we go and tell others of this great Gospel. Fear is pushed back! Pride pushed back! GO with renewed courage that is granted by God and grounded in the words of the Gospel.