John Chrysostom was born in Antioch, that is the Syrian Antioch, in about 347 AD. His mother, Anthusa, was widowed at the age of 20. and she refused to remarry so as to dedicate herself to John's education. John studied the Greek classics and rhetoric, and for a time John practiced law, but he became a monk after his conversion and baptism in 368. After Anthusa's death, John practiced a very severe ascetic life. And during this time, he spent two years living in a cave in a mountain just outside Antioch where he dedicated himself to memorizing the entire Bible. Finally, ill health forced him to abandon his lifestyle as a hermit. He was ordained to the ministry in 386. He became known as a very powerful preacher of God's Word in Antioch over the next dozen years. And it was during this time that he was nicknamed Chrysostom, which means golden mouth, because of his very powerful preaching. He became the Archbishop of Constantinople in 398 after being forcibly kidnapped in Antioch, taken to Constantinople, and forcibly installed as the Patriarch of Constantinople. Because of his preaching, however, John was eventually banished on charges of treason in 404, and he died in exile in about 407 at about the age of 60. Now the Apostle Paul's home church was in the very same town as John Chrysostom's birth, Syrian Antioch. I don't know where the church met in Paul's day. Did they meet in a home? Did they meet in a church building? Did John Chrysostom preach in the same facility about three and a half centuries later after Paul was sent off on three missionary journeys? I don't know. What I do know is that God raises mighty messengers of His truth all the time. Just as he raised John Chrysostom to be a mighty messenger, he also raised a man named Apollos to be a mighty messenger some three and a half centuries before John Chrysostom. And today we will see how God raises a mighty messenger for His ministry. And so if you're able, I invite you to stand as I ask you to look in Acts chapter 18, Acts chapter 18, and we'll begin reading in verse 18. After this, That is, after Paul had been in Corinth, he stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Canchrea he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there. But he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked Him to stay for a longer period, He declined. But on taking leave of them, He said, I will return to you if God wills. And He set sail from Ephesus. When He had landed in Caesarea, He went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, He departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He'd been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard Him, they took Him aside and explained to Him the way of God more accurately. And when He wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged Him and wrote to the disciples to welcome Him. When He arrived, He greatly helped those who through grace had believed. For He powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. Eternal God, whose Word silences the shouts of the mighty, quiet within us every voice but Your own. Speak to us through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, that by the power of Your Holy Spirit we may receive grace to show Christ's love in lives given to Your service. Amen. Be seated, please. Acts chapter 18, verses 18 through 28 shows us how God prepares a mighty messenger. And first, God prepares a mighty messenger with a purposeful prelude. A purposeful prelude. On his second missionary journey, Paul spent 18 months of fruitful ministry in the city of Corinth. Then we read in verse 18, after this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. Paul decided to return to his home church in Syrian Antioch and give them a missionary report about what God had done. Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him on this journey to Antioch. And at the end of verse 18, we read, At Kenchrea he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. Now, scholars are not sure exactly what vow this was that Paul took. Some speculate that it was a Nazirite vow. Others say that it was a vow of thanksgiving to God for preserving him from all of the dangers that he had gone through. Whatever the vow, Paul cut his hair at Cancria, which is about seven miles east of Corinth. Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila then sailed from Cancrea to Ephesus. And when they arrived in Ephesus, Paul visited the synagogue, as was his custom, to share the good news of the gospel with the Jews who were there. And Paul received a much more welcoming response from the Ephesian Jews than he had received from the Corinthian Jews, because they asked him to stay longer, but he declined. However, he told them, I will return to you if God wills. And then he sailed from Ephesus. Paul sailed from Ephesus by himself. He left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus, presumably to keep teaching the truth about Jesus to the Jews who were open to learning more about the gospel. And then when Paul landed in Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the dear brothers and sisters in the Jerusalem church. And then after Jerusalem, he went back to Antioch, Syrian Antioch, and he gave them a report about all that God had done in the previous two and a half years of his missionary journey. I think the Antioch church must have been encouraged They had prayed for Paul. They had supported Paul. Now they could learn how God had used their prayers and support to advance the gospel to various parts of the world. And that's why we pray for and support the missionaries that we do. God is using them in their respective fields to advance the good news of Jesus and tell others that Jesus is alive and changing lives. And then Luke writes about Paul in verse 23. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. It may not be evident to you, but actually this is the start of Paul's third missionary journey. This journey will last about five years. Commentator James Montgomery Boyce asks, why isn't the division between the two great efforts, that's the second and third missionary journeys by Paul, more clearly marked? He answers his own question as follows. The reason, I think, is that Luke's interest shifts from the journeys themselves to the establishing of a very solid church in Ephesus. At the end of the second journey, which we're dealing with now, Paul passed through Ephesus, though briefly, and met with some success. Therefore, on his third journey, he returned to Ephesus again and spent two years there. This period of service became the longest period of ministry in any of the places that Paul visited. But before Paul could get back to Ephesus, we learn how God prepares a mighty messenger for ministry. And that brings me to my second point. God prepares a mighty messenger who has a teachable temperament. A teachable temperament. In verse 24 we read, Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. Now you may recall that Alexandria was in Egypt, North Africa, right on the coast there. And Alexandria, like Athens, was a center of learning. Its library, which may have contained as many as 700,000 books, was one of the great libraries of the ancient world. Alexandria was also the city of Philo, the famous Jewish philosopher. Alexandria was a multicultural city with a very large Jewish population, perhaps numbering as much as one-third of the city's population. The Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, was translated in Alexandria about 300 years earlier than this. Some scholars speculate that Apollos knew Philo, and perhaps had even studied under him, but there's no evidence to support this speculation. And Luke tells us six facts about Philo, I mean about Apollos. First, Apollos was an eloquent man. He communicated clearly and eloquently. He was a master communicator. Today, men like Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, Derek Thomas, and others are similarly eloquent. Second, Apollos was competent in the Scriptures. He knew the Scriptures. Now, the Scriptures that he had in that day was the Old Testament, because the New Testament was still in the process of being written. So when he knew the Scriptures, it means what we call the Old Testament. He knew nothing of the New Testament, which, as I said, was still being written at the time. Nevertheless, Apollos had undoubtedly seriously studied the Old Testament and was extremely knowledgeable about the Old Testament. He was probably the Bible bee champion of Alexandria. Third, Apollos had been instructed in the way of the Lord. Now, the Lord here, I think, refers to Yahweh in the Old Testament. Paulus knew about God and His covenantal dealings with His people. He knew about the plan of redemption. He knew about the promise of a Redeemer, the Christ, the Messiah. Alexandria had a colossal synagogue. It was so large it was said that you could shout at one end of the building and not be heard at the other end. It's possible that Apollos was diligent in learning so that he could learn about Yahweh and his ways. Apollos was fervent in spirit. He spoke with energy and conviction. His delivery wasn't dull. It wasn't boring. It was animated. He believed what he was talking about, and people couldn't help but pay attention to him. George Whitefield. was an extraordinarily gifted preacher and the spark of the great awakening in this country in the 18th century. Thousands, indeed tens of thousands of people used to flock to hear him preach. He also was fervent in spirit. The story goes that when someone fell asleep during one of his sermons, Whitefield exclaimed loudly, I must be heard and I will be heard. And apparently the man woke up. Fourth, or rather fifth, Apollos spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus. Now what did Apollos know about Jesus? Because the text goes on and says that he only knew the baptism of John. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. It was a preparation for the coming of Jesus. And perhaps he knew something about Jesus, but he didn't know the full story about Jesus. Perhaps he knew something about his life, but particularly about Jesus' death and burial and resurrection. And he's commissioning to baptize people in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. He knew something about Jesus, but not everything. And I think that's the right way to understand what Apollos knew, because we'll soon see what Priscilla and Aquila, their interaction with him. And then finally, Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Apollo spoke boldly and eloquently about the Christ, the Messiah, the promised Redeemer whom God was sending. He was promised in the Old Testament. It's throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. And he wanted the Jews in the synagogue to embrace this Christ who was going to come and redeem His people from their sins. And it's at this point that Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speak. They were impressed with his knowledge of the Scriptures. They were impressed also with his eloquence. But they also knew that he was deficient in his understanding about the whole truth of Jesus. So what should they have done with Apollos? Should Apollos have been rebuked? Opposed? refuted. Luke tells us what they did in verse 26, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Now, James Montgomery Boyce has a wonderful illustration of a similar situation in church history, and this is what he writes. He says, at the time of the Reformation in England, there was a man just like Apollos whose name was Hugh Latimer. Hugh Latimer lived from 1490 to 1555. He was a very learned man. He had a thorough knowledge of the Bible and could speak with eloquence. He even had considerable influence in the church because he was a bishop. Latimer was eventually martyred for his faith by being burned at the stake with Nicholas Ridley. This was the occasion on which he spoke those heroic words that are so often quoted in church history courses. Be brave, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day, by the grace of God, light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out. That was the dying testimony of Hugh Latimer. However, at the time when the following story took place, Latimer was not yet a Christian. He really was an unbeliever, even though. He was in the church. He was a priest, a minister in the church. He knew the Scriptures well. He knew who Jesus was. And even though he knew who Jesus was, he knew much about Him, he didn't know what it was to be born again. He didn't know the gospel. And like many in his day, and I want to add in our day as well, He thought that the way to get to heaven was by good works. There was a young monk who knew Latimer and admired him. The monk was known as Little Bilney because he was short. Thomas Bilney was his name. He didn't have much education. No one thought very much of him. But Bilney was a Christian, he was converted, and he wondered how it might be possible for him to bring the light of the gospel to Hugh Latimer. And Bilney thought that Latimer would be a tremendous force for the Reformation in England if he could just hear the gospel. And so Bilney prayed about this and finally hit upon an idea. In those days, priests were required to hear those who wanted to confess their sins. And so one day, when Latimer was in the church building, Bilney went up to him and tugged at his sleeve and asked Latimer to hear his confession. Latimer said that he would, and so they went into the confessional, and Bilney confessed the gospel to Latimer. Bilney told Latimer how much he was a sinner, how Jesus had died for him, and how now by faith alone the righteousness of Jesus was imputed or credited to him apart from any of his good works. That's what he confessed to Hugh Latimer. And in that way, Latimer heard the gospel for the very first time and was wonderfully converted. And as Boyce says, it was an important moment in the English Reformation. And something like this is what happened with Apollos. Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speaking about Jesus, but they knew that he did not have a full understanding of who Jesus was and what he had done. And so they invited him to dinner. and explained to Apollos the way of God more accurately. And this is where we see the teachable temperament of Apollos. He didn't say, you know, you guys, I'm educated. I mean, you guys just make tense. He wasn't offended that they corrected his inadequate knowledge of biblical truth. He received the Word of God humbly, believed it, and his life was utterly transformed by it. So let me encourage you, every one of you, to learn the way of God more accurately. You may not yet be a Christian. You may know about Jesus. You may know about who He is, but you don't know Jesus personally and savingly. Or you may be a Christian. You may also be knowledgeable about biblical truths. Every one of us has more to learn. So attend an adult Bible fellowship. Attend a men's Bible study or a woman's Bible study. Develop a teachable temperament so that you too can be a mighty messenger for God. And then finally, God prepares a mighty messenger to be an effective evangelist, an effective evangelist. I want to draw your attention to three results of Apollos' full understanding of the gospel. First, Apollos wanted to proclaim the good news. Luke says that Apollos wished to cross to Achaia. That is, Apollos wanted to go to Corinth. He wanted to tell lost people about the way of salvation and encourage them to embrace Jesus as their own Lord and Savior. He didn't need to be asked to serve, didn't need to be begged to serve. The church folks in Ephesus didn't say, Apollos, what ministry are you involved in? What are you doing? You need to do something for Jesus. No, no. He was changed. He said, I want to do something for Jesus. I want to go and share the gospel. So they send him off to Corinth. That second point then, he was endorsed by the church. Luke writes in verse 27, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. The Ephesian church wrote a letter of commendation to the Corinthian church about Apollos. They wanted to assure their fellow believers in Corinth that Apollos was not a self-appointed lone ranger. He was credentialed, as it were. He was affirmed and sent by the Ephesian church. And third, Apollos was a mighty messenger, and he was active on two fronts in the second part of verse 27. And when he arrived in Corinth, he greatly helped those. who through grace had believed." Because Apollos now had a clear understanding of the gospel, he knew that the Christ, the Messiah, the promised Deliverer was Jesus of Nazareth. He was effective in discipling the young believers in their faith in Jesus Christ. And in addition, Apollos was skilled in apologetics, as Luke writes in verse 28, For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus." Apollos was now able to answer any question that came his way, because he himself had just recently come to understand that glorious good news that that promised Messiah, the Christ, the one that God was promising to send, is going to sit on the throne of David for all eternity, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is Jesus of Nazareth. R.T. was the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London from 1977 to 2002. That's the same church where Martin Lloyd-Jones served from 1939 to 1968. And in a clip that I saw on Facebook, he was asked this question. He said, you have been in ministry for 70 years. What would you say to the young R.T. Kendall. And Kendall replied, he said, I realize I have several degrees, and I would say to young ministers today, I would not recommend seminary. He went on and he said, I think of Acts 4.13, when the Sadducees saw the boldness of Peter and John, and they were amazed. Why? They noticed that they were uneducated, but they had been with Jesus. My advice, he said, to anybody is two things. Know your Bible and pray a lot. Know your Bible and pray a lot. I'm not as opposed to seminary as R.T. Kendall is, but he is on the mark. when he says, know your Bible and pray a lot. Apollos knew his Bible. Admittedly, he had an incomplete understanding until Priscilla and Aquila helped him understand the full understanding of Jesus, that he was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. And he became a mighty messenger for God. And I want to say to you, every one of you, Every one of you, you too, can be a mighty messenger for God. Know your Bible. Read your Bible. Study your Bible. Get to know Jesus in the Bible. Pray a lot. Talk to Him. Have a personal relationship with Jesus so that He can direct you and help you, and you will find that God will use you to help others recognize Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Let us pray. Lord our God, we thank you so much for this portion of scripture which directs us to what, God, you were doing in raising mighty messengers like Apollos. And even though he knew a great deal of the Old Testament was defective because he didn't have a complete understanding of who Jesus was and what He had done to be the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures, but when he did, oh my, how powerful He was, how mightily He was used by you. We pray, I pray, that you would help everyone in this room today to study the Bible. to know his Bible or her Bible, and to pray a lot to have a vital, living relationship with Jesus so that we can be walking testaments to Your grace in our lives day by day. And I pray all of this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.