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Apollos Watered

“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.”¹

Many men and women had the privilege of joining the apostle Paul on his missionary journeys. We don’t always hear mention of them today, but they were no less important. Among these fellow missionaries we meet Apollos; a man passionate about serving the Lord. Apollos is first mentioned as being an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures (Acts 18:24). Apollos knew the Scriptures and taught it accurately; according to what he knew of John the Baptist. One day as he was preaching, two of Paul’s friends heard him; they took him and taught him even more accurately, causing Apollos to love preaching all the more. Because of his love for the Lord, Apollos was eager to further God’s Kingdom. He was anxious for all to know of Jesus and His love and sacrifice for all mankind. He understood, from studying the Scripture that the Message he had to share was important. Apollos also knew that teamwork made tasks more effective, so when invited to serve on Paul’s team, he did so without question. It didn’t matter who shared the Message, as long as the Message got out!

In our churches today, many desire the spotlight; to be recognized for being in an important position in the church. We want to feel irreplaceable. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Paul addresses the people saying, it doesn’t matter who does what, we are all part of the same body of Christ and should work as a team; ultimately God is the One who makes things happen! “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”     

It doesn’t matter where you are serving in the church, on the front end or behind the scenes, God can use each one of us in a powerful way. Apollos served the Lord with his whole heart; he “watered” the seeds with his whole heart. God gave the growth and received the glory! Someone may have come before us and planted the seeds, but what a blessing to help those seedlings grow with the living water of God’s Word.

Suggested Prayer:

Dear Lord, it doesn’t matter where I serve, just let me be used by you to “water” this dry and thirsty generation in need of you. I want you to receive all glory and honor. Give me a passion, like Apollos, to share the Message of your love with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

1. Acts 18:24-25 (NKJV).

 

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.