Preparing to Hear the Message of God and Pray Together

 

Apollos

Acts 18:24-28, Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more accurately.  When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. 

Apollos was might in scriptures.  He had been instructed in God’s ways and was fervent in spirit.  He was speaking accurately in the things concerning Jesus.  He spoke boldly in the synagogue even though he didn’t know everything.  Then Priscilla and Aquilla heard him and took him aside and explained to him God’s ways more accurately. 

Then Apollos wanted to go to Achaia and Christians encouraged him and helped him by writing to the disciples and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who believed and he demonstrated using the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, the Savior/Messiah.

Tonight we are meeting together and we all are mighty in scriptures because for many years we have been dedicated to reading the Word of God, meditating on it and using it to worship God and pray.  Although we don’t know everything, with the little we do know, we have been speaking accurately about Jesus to each other and to our family, friends and work colleagues etc.

Tonight we will have a message and I trust that this time that we have taken aside will be used by God to teach us more about His way.  It will be a time to encourage us.

Achaia means grief/trouble and most of the time we want to avoid grief/trouble but as Christians we can’t avoid it, it is part of the journey that God has for us.  Tonight we are going to be like Priscilla and Aquilla and the other Christians who encouraged Apollos.  We will encourage each other tonight through being together, praying together, worshipping together and hearing God’s Word.  This encouragement is vital and will greatly help us to pray for other tonight and will give us the boldness to keep sharing God’s Word.

Let’s begin our night by praising God for His Word and His encouragement to us.  Let’s thank God for each other because we can’t go through grief or trouble without God and each other.

Now let’s pray for God’s Spirit to full us with fervor, encouragement and help us to have a greater understanding of God’s ways so we can pray accordingly.

Grief or trouble can be a temptation for us.  Pain, suffering, tiredness and difficult relationships can all lead us to sin.  Let’s pray that God will help us to overcome temptations.  Let’s take some time now to repent from those times we have fallen into temptation this week and let’s decide to not fall again.  Let’s pray against evil spirits that will try to tempt us tonight.

Communion - John 1:29 - The Lamb of God

 John 1:29, The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’

When we take the bread and juice, this is what we are to remember, that God came down from heaven, took on the form of man and became the lamb of God, the sacrificed lamb to die on a cross so that our sin can be taken away.  He did this for us.  God Himself paid the price.

Imagine Bill Gates, billionaire, accepting to go to jail for you.  Not even dying for you, just jail.  He won’t.  Bill Gates isn’t even as powerful or as rich as God and yet God Himself died for you. 

Are you aware that if the top richest people in the world pooled all their money together we would end poverty and sickness and they would still have $40 billion dollars each but they can’t sacrifice their money for others.  Yet Jesus, God Himself, didn’t just sacrifice money but he sacrificed Himself.

Isaiah 53:5 says He was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace [peace with God] and with His stripes we are healed.

As we eat the bread, let’s remember his body that was wounded for us and crushed for us and chastised for us.  As we drink the juice, let’s remember His blood that flowed so we might be forgiven.

Make a Plan

 When we wake up in the morning, we wonder what we will do today.  Parents usually don’t have to shake their children to go to school and intervene unless the children a slow but children usually know how to get ready for school. 

Even if you didn’t plan yesterday what you will do today, you will make a plan for your day.  Why do we have to plan what we will do?  Because that’s the nature that God gave to us.  Our body, mind and soul tells us we have to plan and we have to work.  Do you sometimes feel like you don’t want to go to work but you are forced to go? 

We make plans and then it is our responsibility to fulfil those plans.  2022 is a new year, what is your plan for the year?  For today?  Although we have our plans, if we are not committed, we will fail our plan.  Have you thought about what you will do for 2022.

Proverbs 16:1-3, “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.  All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.  Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans”.

God encourages us to have a plan.  In your heart, what do you feel like doing this year?  You must have a plan that is good for you, good for God, and good for others and not a plan that leads you to sin.  Then you need to commit to your plan to God.  Take your plan to Jesus and tell Him, “In February, I plan to do this, in March, this…”

When you plan and pray for something in the name of Jesus Christ and when it is accomplished, it will be a miracle and will only happen by faith and committing it to God.  2021 had a lot of challenges but God stood with you.  You cried and He was with you and pushed you through that plan to be fulfilled.  When things go wrong, that’s a path you have to go through to reach the next step. 

For example, Paul was proudly persecuting the church until God spoke to Him and he realised he was wrong to enjoy persecuting others.  Sometimes we are told by God to speak to our friends and tell them that they should not enjoy what they are enjoying.  Maybe someone you know persecutes their soul or the souls of others but you are afraid to tell them.  You may pray and ask God to talk to them because you fear to talk to them. 

Sometimes panic will hit your mind and body and you don’t know what to say anymore.  It’s not about your abilities, it’s about satan versus the Holy Spirit.  In your spiritual life, when you panic, you lose concentration and everything will be wrong and whatever others do will be negative.  Don’t let 2022 be a year of panic.  Let my fears be victory this year.  What I failed last year, let it be fulfilled this year.  Let your plan be there in 2022 and the rest will follow.

Before to go on a journey, I ask myself if I have all that I need and I check before leaving.  I check the oil and water.  I check the petrol.  I check I have my wallet, sunglasses etc.  Sometimes I have to wash my car before I go anywhere even if I am late.  One time I had to borrow a friend’s car and it was so dirty that I was obliged to spend an hour cleaning it before I could start my journey.  Sometimes we need to help others what they are not able to fulfil and to do it with them. 

If others discover you are dirty it will be a shame and that is why I cleaned the car of my friend.  My son once told me that he tried smoking once because a friend offered him a cigarette.  Don’t accept to sin just because a friend is encouraging you to.  Whatever God has put around you, use it.  As you get older, you use up things.  For example, you may lose up all your hope or you may lose up the fruit of the Holy Spirit and gain wisdom.

In summary, make a plan for 2022, commit your plan to God, complete your plan, use what God has given you and don’t fall in temptation.