Becoming a More Powerful Believer

June 28, 2017

One of the great hopes of all our lives as followers of Christ is that we can become MORE. More useful, more loving, more gracious, more generous, more like Christ, a better witness, etc. Apollos was such a man. We only have 5 verses in the whole Bible that describe him (Acts 18:24-28), but look at the phrases God uses.

• an eloquent (learned) man
• mighty in the Scriptures
• instructed in the way of the Lord
• fervent in spirit

LONG LEARNING

This didn't happen overnight obviously. Apollos was a man who applied his heart to learning God's Word. This only happens through a disciplined study of the Scriptures, beyond what others might do. He had an aggressive passion for Christ and a very teachable heart. You don't sense any of the pride that aborts learning. When Priscilla and Acquila came to ""explain the way of God more accurately"" to him, he gladly received from them. This is the mark of a truly wise man and a man who will become MORE.

As a result of this spiritual pursuit, Apollos became stronger in the Lord and the testimony of his life is powerful—so powerful that it was worth noting for all time in the Scriptures as an example for every believer. Apollos became a man who ...

• was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus
• greatly helped those who had believed through grace
• powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ

LEARNING AND FIRE

What you love about this brief description is the clear impression of the roots of His life. He had a deep Biblical understanding and a deep love for Jesus. Some people love Jesus, but won't apply themselves to the study of the Word and become spiritually unstable. Their passion (but not according to knowledge) can even lead to some heretical beliefs. Others study the Word, with no passion for Christ and become harsh, proud, and even Phariseeical. There are many in the church like this. But, Apollos had both scholarship and fire.

A PRAYER FOR POWER

""Lord Jesus, make me a man like Apollos. Give me the hunger and discipline to be so rooted in your Word that I rightly divide and interpret your Word to others. Protect me from error that will harm me and those I minister to. Never let my passion move past my Biblical understanding, but rather, let it be fueled by Your Word. Help me see You in every line!

“But, along with the truth, give me FIRE! Anoint my heart with a red-hot love for you that pushes me to depths of dependency and passion. Let my love for you, by Your grace, make me a man who stops at nothing to know You and make You known to others. And make me a mighty man for one reason alone—for Your glory. Let my life be an illustration of what life can be, given and developed by a Matchless Master!”

 

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