God can work through anyone! (2)

June 11th 2023

Series: The Book of Acts

Sermon Title: God can work through anyone!

Topic: Journey through the book of Acts.

Key Passages: Acts 18: 1-17

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message we will see Paul invest in a new married couple and a town that will go on to do BIG things for Jesus.

Sermon:

Hello Family Church!!!!!

Family Moment

Welcome back to our study through the book of Acts!

Today we get to jump right back into the book of Acts.

Grab your Bible and open it up to where we left off….

Acts 18

As you are getting there….

Let me catch up any guests we have today.

We have been in a journey through the book of Acts for a long time….walking through it line by line and verse by verse.

Because there is SOOOOOO much we can learn from the early church.

We can learn how the applied the teachings of Jesus.

How they reached their friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to Jesus.

And today we literally will see Paul winning some co-workers to Jesus!

And there is so much more we can learn….

PAUSE

So we are taking our time….

Walking through this incredible book and learning as much as we can.

And hopefully we are also applying it to our lives to the best of our ability….

PAUSE

Last week we saw Paul going from city to city planting more churches.

We also saw how he endured whatever opposing views came at him.

We even got a little philosophy lesson in there!

And how God kept blessing Paul’s work.

PAUSE

Let’s dive into chapter 18…..

Acts 18: 1-17 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.

Let’s pause here…

So, Paul, just like we saw last week, takes off to another town to lead more people to Jesus and start another church.

Let’s shoot up a map again on the screens….

Corinth as you can see is on the left side in about the middle of the map….

A few days walk from Athens by foot.

PAUSE

And when Paul gets there, he meets this Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla.

And I want to take some time to introduce you to this couple because they are mentioned around the New Testament some.

Right here begins the friendship of Paul with this Jewish couple.

These two remarkable people I think can build the faith of everyone of us listening to this message.

When we first meet Aquila and Priscilla, we are told that they had come to Corinth from Italy as victims of Roman persecution.

NOT for their Christian faith….

But because they were being persecuted as Jews.

Claudius mentioned here is the Roman Emperor Claudius…

So, for those of you who are skeptical…..

I would ask….

Ok….here is a claim in the Bible…

Did it happen?

Well….great question….

And guess what……google it….look at Roman history and you will find YES!

Even Wikipedia says YES!

Here is what Wikipedia says,

References to an expulsion of Jews from Rome by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was in office AD 41–54, appear in the Acts of the Apostles (18:2), and in the writings of Roman historians Suetonius (c. AD 69 – c. AD 122), Cassius Dio (c. AD 150 – c. 235) and fifth-century Christian author Paulus Orosius. Scholars generally agree that these references refer to the same incident.

I know I say this a lot but…..

The Bible is REAL human history!

So….when the Emperor came to power he expelled all Jews from Rome….

And no doubt Jews deemed it unsafe to remain in any part of Italy….

And by the way this is now the 3rd time Jews have been expelled from Rome!

PAUSE

But this married couple, Aquila and Priscilla, found their way to Corinth and settled there.

They had a business as tentmakers.

And Paul actually worked as a tentmaker himself to make money as he traveled!

So…..because of their common trade it appears they connect.

Their job brings these people together.

And at some point Paul leads them to faith in Jesus….we are not really sure when as that is not specifically said in the Bible…

And after he leads them to faith….

He launches the church in Corinth with them and others….

And as you will see soon….they begin to travel and do missions with Paul….

And as you will see in the future….they go on to become church planters!

Oh….but it gets even more amazing than that!

Priscilla and Aquila were SO important to Paul that in his LAST letter he references them!

When Paul was imprisoned in Rome and writing to Timothy one last time…..

Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus......Aquila and Priscilla are there with him, still faithfully ministering! (2 Timothy 4:19).

PAUSE

And one other interesting thing to note about this couple….

You will see something interesting happen after this first reference to them….

Look in your Bibles at verse 2….

It, like normal in the Bible and culture, names the husband first.

Because back then that was how life worked….

But starting next week….you will see in verse 18…..it is flipped….

The WIFE, Priscilla, comes first…

And that trend continues through almost EVER other reference to them in the Bible….

Which some of you are like….ya so….why does that matter????

Well……that is NOT normal….

That means there is something different about Priscilla….

And what most scholars you will find will indicate is that it is because she had MORE prominence in the church than her husband….

Some scholars think that she was the preacher and teacher….and her husband was the support….

We don’t know that….but there are indicators of that.

But no matter our personal preferences on women in leadership in the church….She was a leader….

And one that was so important that she was one of the final people addressed by Paul…and yes it was before her husband was mentioned….

PAUSE

I want to show you something else here that I think is SO powerful!

Paul….was single his entire life.

He choose to never marry but instead to give his entire life to God.

I know people who have never married, I am sure you do as well.

I am sure there are some of you here that wonder if you will ever find Mr. or Mrs. right and get married.

Paul used the cards that life delt him and used them to lead people to Jesus….

Paul shows us the POWER of how a single person can use their life to lead countless people to Jesus….

PAUSE

Aquila and Priscilla were married….

This couple shows the POWER of a couple who BOTH love Jesus and will do anything for Jesus….

And how much a married couple can do to impact the world for Jesus.

PAUSE

In your notes you will see this….

Single people….Married people….how are you using your life to lead people toward Jesus?

Paul did it as a single guy.

Aquila and Priscilla did it as a married couple.

Ministry is NOT exclusive to single or married people!

Ministry is NOT exclusive to men or women!

Ministry is NOT exclusive to Pastors or Priests or Clergy!!

Ministry is designed for ALL of us!

So everyone listening…..

How are you using your life to lead people toward Jesus?

PAUSE

As you can see here…..

Ministry is for everyone….

And when all of us embrace that reality….that is when the church is unstoppable!

PAUSE

Let’s keep reading….

4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

Now stop there….

As you see Paul’s two main ministry partners make it back to him….

And that gives him margin…

They either came back with financial support from other churches so now Paul can focus on just preaching.

Or now Silas and Timothy are there….they can work and provide for the ministry so Paul does not need to.

Paul is called to preach,

and teach,

and lead people to Jesus.

6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Pause there….

For those of you who are newer to church.

Gentiles are the people that Jewish people considered the SUPER lost people in their culture.

Gentiles were the people who Jewish people would NEVER hang out with….

And for Paul, a Jewish man who loves Jesus, to say this was a BIG deal!

Paul is clearly saying….

I want you guys with me on team Jesus but I am not going to waste my time….

I will go instead and reach out to the people who want to hear about Jesus…..

PAUSE

And so Paul does….and it says in verse 7…

7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

I think that passage is so amazing!

Paul LITERALLY goes to the house next door and says hey Titus….let’s go….let’s go lead people to Jesus…

And they win Crispus, who leads the synagogue they just left, to Jesus!

And Crispus and his entire house accept Jesus and are baptized!

PAUSE And I am sure that was a great encouragement to Paul…

But it is still so hard to be rejected….

Over…

And over…

And over….

To be kicked out of town and after town….

To be imprisoned and beaten….

Paul has a really rough ministry life…

And so I LOVE what God does next in Paul’s life…

PAUSE

Check out verse 9…

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Stop there…

God encourages Paul in a dream….

He let’s Paul know to keep going.

He says Paul…keep preaching!

Paul…don’t worry about speaking out!

Paul…don’t worry no one will harm you in this city.

God says…..Paul….I know you are weary….but I have you!

PAUSE

And maybe that is why you are here today.

Maybe you are here today and you are tired….

And you need to hear God say to you, “I got this.”

Maybe you are worried about your job…

Maybe you are worried about your friendships.

Maybe you are worried about your marriage.

Maybe you are worried about your kids.

Maybe you are worried about the stock market.

Maybe you are worried about your company…

And maybe you are here today to hear God say, “I got this. Everything is going to be ok.”

PAUSE

Church….

God knows what is going on in your life.

God even knows the things in your life that you hide from everyone else.

And God loves you.

And God wants the best for you….

And God will be there for you….

IF you lean into God….

PAUSE

So let me pose you a question…

Where could you lean into God more?

Repeat…..

And check out how long Paul leans into this promise from God…

11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

How long church!!!

Paul said…..WOW I get a break from Prison and getting beaten up!!!

I AM STAYING HERE!!!!!

I am NOT going anywhere….

And Paul stays for a YEAR and HALF and rests on that promise from God!

Soooo cool!!!

And by the way this would be the second longest Paul will stay anywhere after accepting Jesus in his life….

Let that sink in….

Paul….was constantly on the move for God.

A year and a half was a LONG time in one place for Paul….

Kind of reminds me of when I was in construction…

I was a business entity turn around guy and usually it took me about a year to restructure the business, vendor base and construction processes…..

To get things profitable…

And then I was moved on by the company…

Ask Jenny…

That was usually like Paul about every year and a half….

Which is why every one of our kids was born in a different state and why we lived in almost 10 states before we turned 30…..

So glad that I don’t have to be like Paul now….and I get to plant here at Family Church and die with all of you awesome people!!!!

Let’s read the rest of this part….

Verse 12…

12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you.

15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”

16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

God’s promise to Paul comes true…

Even when others mean him harm…

It does not happen and it comes back on their own heads.

PAUSE

And one other thing here Gallio just declared something REALLY good for the Christians!

He just acknowledged that they were a religion just like Judaism.

And that is a BIG deal because religion’s people in Rome were offered certain privileges..

And that is a GOOD deal for the early church!

Because before this they had NO protection!

So what happened here was a BIG DEAL!

Now the Christian Church finally has some standing in the Roman empire….

The tide waters are finally shifting in the way of the church!!!!

PAUSE

Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half….investing in this new church.

Raising up leaders…

Investing in leaders….

Making sure this church was strong….

And you might wonder why….

Well Corinth and Emphasis, which he will be going to soon, are two MAJOR powers in the world back then.

They were MAJOR trade routes…

So a strong church in cities like this would allow them to influence so many people for Jesus…

So Paul was smart to invest so much time in a strong church in Corinth….because from places like Corinth….you could change the world!

PAUSE

And later….just like we saw last week…..

Later in life Paul will write two letters to this church in Corinth….

Anyone want to guess those books?

Yes, 1st and 2nd Corinthians!

PAUSE

As you will see next week, Paul is going to leave for Ephesus and he will take Aquila and Priscilla with him.

Priscilla and Aquila get to go on their first missions’ trip with Paul!

I know we have said it many times…..

But missions can change you life!

Missions’ trips changed Saul into Paul…

Missions’ trips changed Aquilla and Priscilla.

Missions’ trips could change you as well if you would go on one….

Let me encourage you….

We do LOTS of missions trips….

Go on our website or app and you can learn about them.

Or go to the info desk in the lobby and you can get more information….

PAUSE

And the cool thing you will see, when you come back next week as well….

You will see this married couple is going to STAY in Ephesus when Paul leaves, and they will established a church in their home!!!! (1 Corinthians 16:19)

This regular working couple…

With a REGULAR job like EVERYONE in this room!

After just how long with Paul?????

A year and a half….

They become church planters….

Some of you have been with me for like 7 years now…..

So that means…..time to plant a campus for some of you!!!!

Can I get an amen 😊

PAUSE

Let’s wrap this up with a life application today…..

And for those of you who are new, or newer, to Family Church.

We love to end our messages with an application point to your life.

Something that you can take away from the message and apply to your life this week.

This week’s life application says this……

Life Application: God did amazing things through a broken man like Saul (Paul). God did amazing things through Aquilla and Priscila. What do you think God could do through YOU if you went all in for God? I will ____________________________.

Let me encourage you to write down one simple thing you WILL do as a result of what you learned this week….

And watch what God does!!!!

Let’s Pray…..

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