Title: Legends and Legacies: Part 2 One to Strive For
Part 1 – Matthew 26.6-13; Part 3 – Luke 2.25-32; Part 4 - Hosea 3.1-3
Text: Acts 18.22-28
Time: August 17, 2008 Asbury UMC
[TITLE SLIDE] Friday night my family and I were glued to the TV as we watched Michael Phelps win his seventh gold medal by a fingernail. It was the closest race I think I’ve ever seen. And with that win Michael became one of only two to ever win that many gold medals in a single Olympics. Any idea who the other won was? Mark Spitz who also happened to be a swimmer. As was expected the legends of the games are rising to the top leaving amateurs and professionals with something worthwhile to strive for. As the Olympics approached and legends were used to market the games I found myself wondering what makes for a worthy legacy. Is it really about how many gold medals were hung around a neck or how many trophies and awards someone received? Is it being known for how many boards a person sat on in this life or what position they attained in their place of employment or how well known they were in the social circles of the community? I know what the sports world and society says, but is that the case for Disciples of Jesus the Christ or is there something else we’re to strive for when it comes to being legends that leave life changing legacies?
Those are the questions and issues that we’ll face together for the remainder of this month as we look to see what the word of God has to say regarding legends and their legacies.
Last week we learned that God considered an unnamed woman who poured $14,600 worth of perfume on Jesus head, a legend, and that her legacy of loving Jesus more than anything was a legacy that God wants us to pursue as well. Today, we take a look at a look at another legend that left a legacy to strive for.
[S] “And when he (Paul) had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the Disciples. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciple to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures’ that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 18.22-28, NKJV) [S]
The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
Apollos. Of all the things a man could have been noted and remembered for, Apollos was remembered as someone who knew the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament. [S] Apollos’ legacy was that he was a man mighty in the Scriptures! He wasn’t known as someone who knew the scriptures just a little bit. He wasn’t known as someone who knew just enough to get by. He wasn’t someone known for shelving his bible or rarely used it. He was known as someone who was mighty in the Scriptures. He mastered the text. He read and studied and memorized the word of God. The word of God was in his spiritual DNA. He knew the Tanakh forward and backwards. He could tell you about the word of God. You wanted to know who God was, go see Apollos. You wanted to know where to find a story or a proverb, go see Apollos. You wanted to know God’s will regarding something, go see Apollos. You had any questions about what the bible had to say about anything, go see Apollos. When it came to knowing the Holy Scriptures Apollos was legendary.
Oh, that United Methodists would become legendary when it comes to knowing the Scriptures! O that our pastors would be described as men and women who were mighty in the Scriptures. Oh that the leaders of the local church would be known as men and women mighty in the Scriptures. O that the people who go by the name of Methodist would be mighty in the Scriptures.
But, the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of Disciples of Jesus, United Methodist as well as others, whose legacy is not going to be that they were mighty in the scriptures, but that they were ignorant in the scriptures unless there is a change.
Listen to this and you’ll understand what I mean. “Rev. Magazine” reported that over the last twenty years bible reading has decreased. In the 1980’s 73% of the general population claimed to read the Bible occasionally compared to 59% in 2003. Those who are a little more serious and read the bible once a week or more has dropped to 37%. And only 14% were engaged in a study of the bible (pg.25, 2002 volume).
A survey by George Barna revealed that only 50% of born again Christians know what John 3.16, a cornerstone scripture says. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Think about the implications associated with not knowing God’s word using 2 Timothy 3.14-16. [SLIDE] “But as for you continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” [S]
If we don’t know what the scriptures say then how can we know what God’s will is? How can we have a correct view of who God is? How can we know the way to salvation? How can we know the truth regarding creation and sin, and how to deal effectively with it? If we don’t know the word of God how will we know what it means to pursue holiness and live a holy life?
Think about the implications of not knowing the scriptures when it comes to Revelation 1.3. [S] “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophesy and heed the things which are written in it, because the time is near.” (NIV) [S]
The Jewish understanding of the word blessed means “to endue with power for success, prosperity, longevity, fruitfulness” (Zondervan Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, Lawrence Richards, pg. 130, 1991). A blessing from God is meant to enrich one’s life. So what the Lord is saying in this passage is that those who read and heed know the words of God will have a rich and abundant life. Do you believe God when He says that those who know the word will be blessed? What better motivator could there be for becoming mighty in the scriptures then?
I want to encourage each of us to become like the legend Apollos, masters of the text. There are several opportunities for getting into the word available to you this fall. Disciple Bible Study, an intensive nine month study that takes you from Genesis through Revelation will be offered this year along with, Sunday school and other weekday bible studies. Disciple Bible Study will be offered Tuesday morning and Wednesday evenings and will be limited to the first 15 people who sign up. When you sign up be sure you can commit to making 80% of the 34 sessions which means you can miss up to six sessions. There will be a fee of $40 for your materials as well. You can also go online to the following sites and print off a daily bible reading plan that will take you through the bible in a year, www.bibleplan.org, www.ibs.org or my blog at www.disciplelife.net. You can put the scriptures on your cell phone, your ipod, your pda, get it on cassette or dvd to listen to during drive time.
Let’s become legends like Apollos, known for being mighty in the Scriptures. I know it may seem daunting, overwhelming, and for some too much too late. Remember that legends and legacies do not happen overnight. Just ask Tyson Gay, Shawn Johnson or Michael Phelps or anybody else who is a legend in what they do. They’ll tell you there were more days they didn’t want to prepare for it than there was days they couldn’t wait to prepare. Their journey to legendary status took place over the long haul. But it began with a decision followed by a step or a stroke in that direction.
I have a hunch that on that day when we stand on the winners blocks before God that Gods first concern will not be to notice how many medals we have around our neck but will be how well used the bible in our hand is. In light of God’s word what’s one action you will take to get you out of the starting block in becoming the legend God wants you to be?
