Oftentimes, when Pastor Dirck preaches, he references a comic book hero or a character from The Lord of the Rings. Well, I’m also a fan of The Lord of the Rings.
There’s a character in The Lord of the Rings named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is actually the main character of the prequel to The Lord of the Rings series, which is called The Hobbit. Bilbo goes on quite a journey to serve as a burglar to help a group of dwarves. However, it’s along that journey that he has many experiences and discovers a ring that has a little bit to do with the entire story of The Lord of the Rings. As we get into The Lord of the Rings, you see that Bilbo has written a book about his journey called “There and Back Again: A Hobbit’s Tale.”
Well, we’ve learned that the Apostle Paul has had quite a journey himself as he’s telling people about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You may recall that Paul was sent out from the city of Antioch. We’ll see in today’s passage that Paul comes back to Antioch again, but then he goes out there again to spread the gospel some more.
Today’s sermon is entitled “Back and There Again: An Apostle’s Tale.”
Would you join me in prayer and ask God to speak powerfully and miraculously to us through His Word?
(prayer)
As we journey through Acts 18:18-28 today, let’s notice three stops in the passage.
First, notice . . .
I. Paul’s pitstop in Ephesus.
Let’s look at verses 18-21:
18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 When they reached Ephesus he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added, “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Ok, here we go to our map.
Remember, when we concluded last week, Paul was in Corinth.
Now, after staying some time in Corinth (at least a year and a half), he set sail for Syria, which is the region where Antioch is, from where Paul’s missionary journey was launched.
So, Paul sets out for Antioch, but on the way, he stops in Ephesus.
We hear about a few things happening on his way to Syria and on his pitstop in Ephesus.
First of all, we hear these details about Paul shaving his head because of a vow, though we really don’t know the entire story. Luke sort of mentioned this, then just moved on.
We learn that Paul was sailing with Pricilla and Aquila, the couple he met in Corinth.
While Paul was in Ephesus, he debated with the Jews, who seemed interested in debating with him. In fact, verses 20-21 say that they wanted Paul to stay longer, but he had to keep moving on.
Paul couldn’t stay in Ephesus because he had to continue his journey; he was going back and there again.
Paul said, “if God wills,” he would be back.
So, Paul jumped back on a ship and set sail from Ephesus.
The next stop we notice in this passage is . . .
II. Paul’s return stop in Antioch.
Ok, remember, we see in verse 21 that Paul set sail from Ephesus. Let’s see where he went.
22 On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.
23 After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Ok, Paul is on the move here. He’s back and there again.
So, Paul left Ephesus, then stopped in Caesarea (that would be Caesarea by the Sea), which was the port that travelers from Israel would use.
Then, Paul stopped in Jerusalem. By the way, it says “he went up” to Jerusalem because it’s on a hill. You go up to Jerusalem, then down to everywhere else. So, Paul went up to Jerusalem.
Then, Paul went down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Notice, though, that Paul didn’t stay in Antioch. Luke said he spent some time there, then he set out again. He was back and there again.
After setting out from Antioch again, he went to the regions of Galatia and Phrygia.
What did Paul do while he was there? He was strengthening all the disciples. Paul existed to develop disciples. He was committed to the task.
That’s why we exist, right? We exist to develop disciples.
Notice that our vision as a church is not creative. We didn’t form a think tank to come up with it. It’s not creative, but it’s biblical. We exist to develop disciples, as Paul existed to develop disciples.
Paul went from one place to another, reaching new disciples of Jesus and strengthening existing disciples of Jesus.
Oh, that we would be committed to such a task. Whether we are back here in Bartow or out there somewhere else, whether we’re in one place or another, may we be about the mission of developing disciples who love God, love the church, and love others.
We see one more stop in our passage today.
Notice . . .
III. Luke’s narrative stop for Apollos.
Now, what is a narrative stop?
Well, remember that Luke was the author of the Book of Acts. He was telling this story of the travels of Paul, then he took a break to focus on another character named Apollos.
This is a stop in the narrative, or a stop in the story.
Let’s see what Luke had to say. Look at verses 24 and following:
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 27 When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.
Ok, so we’re introduced to Apollos, and we learn a few things about him:
Apollos was Jewish.
Apollos was from Alexandria in Egypt.
Like Paul, Apollos was eloquent and bold in the way that he spoke.
Like Paul, Apollos was competent in his use of the Scriptures. In other words, Apollos knew the Old Testament Scriptures well.
Like Paul, Apollos spoke in the synagogue in Ephesus.
We also learn that Apollos arrived in Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila had stayed after Paul left.
Notice, something interesting that we learn about Apollos. In verse 25, Luke says that Apollos knew only John’s baptism.
Of course, this verse is speaking about John the Baptizer. John was the one who paved the way for the ministry of Jesus. John pointed to the coming Messiah.
The baptism of John was a symbol of repentance and submission to God.
However, the baptism of Jesus is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it is a sign of our submission to Jesus as our Lord.
John’s baptism was incredible, but it was a sign of something greater that was to come. John said as much. John said in John 1:26–27 “I baptize with water” . . . “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”
So, we see in verse 26 that Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside and taught him more accurately about the Scriptures.
What a beautiful act we witness here. Apollos was apparently open to correction and better understanding of the Bible. Priscilla and Aquila were apparently kind enough and bold enough to approach Apollos about this, and they were all better for it.
You see, not only was Paul developing disciples; Priscilla and Aquila were also developing Apollos.
Notice what happens after Apollos was developed more: We see in verse 27 that he set off for Achaia, which was where Paul and his other companions were not that long before.
The disciples in Ephesus encouraged those in Achaia to welcome Apollos.
Then, we notice this about Apollos in verses 27 and 28: “ . . . he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.”
So, we learn that Paul was developing disciples, Priscilla and Aquila were developing disciples, and Apollos was developing disciples. That’s a lot of traveling and a lot of disciple developing.
Paul and his friends were on multiple journeys to accomplish the mission of God. Paul was back and there again.
You know, we’re all on a journey, aren’t we? God is doing something in and through us.
Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning in this passage:
Bottom Line: Paul kept on keeping on for the sake of the gospel.
As you read the story of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit and his nephew Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, you learn that those hobbits had to keep on keeping on. The journey was difficult at times, but it was a worthy journey.
Now, those tales about hobbits are just stories. They’re not real. However, God really did have Paul on a journey for the sake of the gospel. Also, God really does have you on a journey for the sake of the gospel.
By the power of God and the grace of God, we should keep on keeping on.
We must continue to be faithful, we must continue to press forward, we must continue to do the task that God has called us to do.
Listen to these words from Paul from elsewhere that he wrote to the church in Philippi.
Listen to Philippians 3:12–14: “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”
Let us press on. Let us keep on keeping on.
Challenge yourself this week in this one way:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Commit to the journey.
Jesus sent us to be His witnesses. Jesus sent us to develop disciples. Jesus sent us to love each other and others in His name.
This journey will take us right here in our hometown. This journey may take us to other parts of the world. For some of us, this journey may lead us to give our lives spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Are you committed to the journey?
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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