Sermon Tone Analysis

Strengthening & Receiving Strength

Acts 18:18-28 "18And Paul/ after this/ tarried/ there/ yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn/ his/ head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

19And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

20When they desired/ him/ to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; 21But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will.

And he sailed from Ephesus.

22And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

23And after he had spent some time/ there/, he departed, and went over/ all/ the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

24And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man,/ and/ mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

25This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto/ them/, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

27And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: 28For he mightily convinced the Jews,/ and that/ publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."

Introduction

1.       Paul on the move (18-20)

a.       Priscilla and Aquila travel with Paul to Ephesus

b.

He Leaves Them There & Continues on

2.       If God will (21)

3.       Stopped by Antioch and spent some time there.

Strengthening & Receiving Strength

*1.      **Strengthening The Disciples (23)*

a.       Checked on them…follow up on people…see how they are doing

b.      Exhorted and edified them in the faith.

c.       Strengthened spiritually

                                                               i.

Colossians 1:10-11 "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

*2.      **Strengthening The Mighty (24-26)*

*a.       **The right place*

                                                               i.

Apollos (25): instructed; fervent in the spirit; taught diligently the things of the Lord

                                                             ii.

Aquila & Priscilla had been with Paul and no doubt had learned much.

iii.

Proverbs 25:9 "Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:"

                                                           iv.

Difference between a doctrinal error and an announcement.

*b.      **The right time*

                                                               i.

Proverbs 28:23 "He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue."

ii.

They waited.

iii.

Difference between this and how Paul dealt with Peter publically: \\ Peter knew better; Apollos did not \\ Willful versus Ignorance

                                                           iv.

They did not put it off and then not do it.

v.

Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

*c.       **The right way*

                                                               i.

Proverbs 25:11 "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."

ii.

They did not deal with him as a child in front of everyone.

iii.

Proverbs 17:26 "Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity."

iv.

Meekness: 2 Timothy 2:24-25 "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, *In meekness instructing* those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;"

*3.      **Strengthened By Instruction (27)*

a.       Receiving Instruction

                                                               i.

Proverbs 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:"

                                                             ii.

Apollos could have bowed up in pride, after all he was mighty in the Old Testament Scriptures…We all need to know how to receive instruction

b.      Receiving Help (27)

                                                               i.

*Corrie ten Boom* was once asked if it was difficult for her to remain humble.

Her reply was simple.

“When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments on the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him.”

ii.

She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in His glory, I give him all the praise and all the honor.”

*4.      **Showing From The Scriptures (28)*

a.       Nothing replaces the scriptures

b.      Helping Others: “*helped them much* which had believed through grace”

c.       Notice the cycle of being strengthened and then in turn strengthening others.

d.

His message?

“For he mightily convinced the Jews,/ and that/ publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ”

e.      Charisma, good looks and eloquence do not replace the word.

f.

Without the word and the Spirit of God, you are just shooting blanks.

It makes a bang, but yields no real results.

g.       A-10 Warthog & the F-15E Strike Eagle strafing run

                                                               i.

F-15E hit a Hind-D attack helicopter flying at 110 knots with a laser guided bomb.

ii.

Pilot ejected…A-10: McDill AFB; Afghanistan

h.

It’s the weapons of our warfare.

Prayer and the Word of God.

i.         Confidence in God, His armor and His word.