Acts 18:1-17 - Kennon Vaughan

·49 min·4 clips

Corinth had a thousand temple prostitutes for Aphrodite worship, with footsteps from the docks leading straight to the temple.

Kennon Vaughan delivers a sermon from Acts 18:1-17, part of a series on Paul's second missionary journey. He begins by setting the context of Corinth as a place of extreme sexual perversion, comparing it to Las Vegas, with temple prostitution for Aphrodite worship. Vaughan reads the scripture, detailing Paul's arrival in Corinth, where he finds Aquila and Priscilla, tentmakers who become his close friends. Paul preaches in the synagogue but faces opposition, leading him to focus on Gentiles. Silas and Timothy arrive with support, and Paul receives a vision from God assuring protection and purpose. He stays 18 months, teaching and making disciples, including Crispus, the synagogue ruler. When Jews attack Paul, the proconsul Gallio dismisses the case, inadvertently sanctioning Paul's ministry. Sosthenes, another synagogue ruler, is beaten but later becomes a believer. Vaughan emphasizes that Paul entered Corinth afraid, as noted in 1 Corinthians 2:3, showing his humanity. He highlights God's providence in sending Priscilla and Aquila and financial aid. The sermon challenges Christians to move from comfort to mission, using metaphors like whitewater rafting to describe the risky but rewarding Christian life. Vaughan shares personal anecdotes, including a friend's cancer diagnosis, to illustrate how trials draw people closer to God and accelerate sanctification. He concludes by urging listeners to wholly devote themselves to God, as Paul did with a Nazarite vow, symbolized by cutting his hair, and to gather stories of God's faithfulness.

As heard by us

A sermon on Paul's tested courage and the grace that meets weakness.

Acts 18 is framed as a meeting point between divine purpose and human fear, with Paul pressed by opposition, weakness, and the difficult turn toward the Gentiles.

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Why you'd press play

You want Paul meeting opposition, moving next door to the synagogue, and finding courage in weakness? Press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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