Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980607.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XLIII: The Need For Adequately Trained, Long-term Bible Teaching Leaders To Disciple Others Well
(Acts 18:18-19:7)
  1. Introduction
    1. As Christians, we must made disciples of all nations, Matthew 28:19-20. Such discipleship is to be done through the vehicle of the local church, cf. Ephesians 4:7-16.
    2. However, to get the job done well, beyond just knowing Christ and being filled with the Spirit, God uses people with three practical qualifications illustrated for us in the events of Acts 18:18-19:7 as follows:
  2. The Need For Adequately Trained, Long-term Bible Teaching Leaders To Disciple Others Well.
    1. When traveling into Ephesus, Paul was under a time restraint to reach Jerusalem, Acts 18:18-19, 21b.
      1. Leaving Corinth, Paul traveled into Ephesus and there evangelized in the synagogue, Acts 18:18b-19.
      2. However, he felt constrained to make it soon to Jerusalem in time to celebrate a feast, presumably the feast of Passover, Acts 18:21b. (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Acts 18:21)
    2. Thus, he left Ephesus after being there for a time that too short fully to disciple his hearers, Acts 18:20-22.
    3. When Paul was absent, an educated, refined orator who knew the Hebrew Scriptures well came to Ephesus and spoke diligently of the things of God, Acts 18:23-25b.
    4. However, he knew only the truths of John the Baptizer's teaching, not those about Jesus being the Messiah and of the arrival of the Holy Spirit to Christian believers, Acts 18:25c.
    5. Aquilla and Priscilla who had been with Paul and who knew the full truth, privately took Apollos aside so as not to humiliate him before others and more fully instructed him in the truth about Christ, Acts 18:26.
    6. However, soon afterwards, the now well-trained Apollos moved from Ephesus to Corinth, Acts 18:27-28.
    7. Well, (a) the LACK of TIME for Paul's CORRECT ministry, and (b) the LACK of ADEQUATE TRAINING marked by Apollos' ministry with (c) the LACK of PUBLIC LEADERSHIP of such correct teaching left believers at Ephesus in a state of spiritual immaturity:
      1. After Apollos left for Corinth, and Paul had returned to Ephesus, Paul discovered a group of disciples in Ephesus who were still locked into the Old Testament teaching of John the Baptizer, Acts 19:1-3.
        1. When Paul returned to Ephesus, he found some spiritually ignorant believers, Acts 19:1-2.
        2. Their ignorance was partly due to their having had only John the Baptizer's instruction, Acts 19:3.
      2. This persisting state of such ignorance was caused by three deficiencies on the part of the disciplers:
        1. Deficiency One - Though Paul who had been well-trained and was a leader had been at Ephesus, he had not been there long enough for these men to have heard and been discipled, Acts 18:18-21.
        2. Deficiency Two - Though Apollos had taught diligently at Ephesus, he had ministered there with an inadequate training, causing his hearers to remain in the teaching of John the Baptizer, 18:23-25.
        3. Deficiency Three - Aquilla and Priscilla who had properly trained Apollos lived in Ephesus, but they were not in the leadership position to make enough of an impact to reach these disciples, 18:18, 26.
      3. Thus, when Paul, who was adequately trained in a divinely assigned apostolic role returned to minister long enough, he was able to instruct these men more fully for their spiritual growth, 19:4-7.
Lesson: For people to be FULLY edified in the discipling process, God uses DISCIPLERS who have the PRACTICAL qualifications of (a) adequate Bible training, (b) leadership gifting and assignment from the Lord and (c) a long-term commitment to the gr oup. Failure in each of these areas will produce corresponding deficiencies in the maturity of the people.

Application: (1) Mission agencies and local churches simply CANNOT cut corners to reach the world for Christ by (a) sending out inadequately trained teachers, (b) by having said teachers move on to other groups after a short time with a party and ( c) assigning folk to lead who are not sent out by God to lead! (2) Thus, for a local church anywhere in the world today to reach maturation, (a) those properly appointed by God to lead must get the training and make the long-term commitment n ecessary to round out a congregation's maturity! (b) Those who are NOT assigned for leadership, like Aquilla and Priscilla should seek to develop adequacy in others so appointed!