Chapel Hill Bible Church - Sermons

Now that Paul is in Ephesus, he has a battle before him. His primary tool—one in which he believes deeply—is the Word of Christ: the Good News. For two years, he taught, explained, and reasoned with both Jews and Gentiles—people he loved, many of whom were held in bondage by the dark spiritual realities rampant in Ephesus.

As Paul proclaims, Jesus moves in. And whenever Jesus moves into occupied enemy territory, there is a confrontation. From vivid miracles and a humorous "reverse exorcism" to the power of the Gospel to change lives once deeply enmeshed in the occult, this is an encouraging and powerful text. It shows us the real Jesus bringing real cleansing and renewal through the path of costly discipleship!

What does it look like when God leads you beyond what you currently understand? Acts 18:18-19:7 invites us into that journey. Three stories:

We see Paul, faithfully making plans yet surrendering every step to God’s sovereign will.

We meet Apollos, a passionate and powerful teacher with incomplete understanding that humbly learns about Jesus.

And we encounter a group of disciples who move from seeking to becoming fully Spirit-filled believers.

Their stories remind us that following Jesus is not just about going somewhere new, it’s about growing from partial understanding into a fuller, deeper faith through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been in a job, a volunteer position, a location, or a relationship that felt like it was time to end? Why did you want to call it a day? Was it God-centered or, truth be told, driven by more self-centered reasons?

Last Sunday’s passage, Acts 18:1–17, is a beautiful picture of a tried-and-tested pastor, Paul, who learned the secret to contented perseverance—not by his own strength of will, but rather by the promises of God. How did he experience those promises, and what were they?

We are back in Acts 17:16–34 this Sunday. This is a well-known passage that shows us how the Apostle Paul engaged the high-minded Greek culture of his time. Before presenting the Gospel, he met the leaders and philosophers of Athens on their own terms; then, Paul pointed them toward the true God and the real logic of the world.

While this method is helpful and I pray it informs us, my deeper prayer is that we come to love God as Paul did. The reason Paul gave the best of his mind to share the Gospel with these academics is that he was simultaneously provoked by their empty idolatry and moved by compassion for them. I pray that we put this passage into practice because we love the honor of God.

Who are the people that God is redeeming unto Himself? What hints and hopes do we see in the Bible and in the world around us that one day all the families of the nations will worship before the Lord?