Investing in others

June 18th 2023

Series: The Book of Acts

Sermon Title: Investing in others

Topic: Journey through the book of Acts.

Key Passages: Acts 18: 18-28

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message you will see the power of investing in others to lead them toward 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 in

Acts 18

And today we will wrap up this chapter.

PAUSE

As you are getting there….

Let me catch up any guests we have today.

We have been on 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 they applied the teachings of Jesus.

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

There is so much more we can learn from the book of Acts….

PAUSE

That is why 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 continuing to plant churches and also investing in future church leaders.

And those future leaders will come up again today!

PAUSE

Let’s dive in and see what God has for us today!

Acts 18….starting at verse 18…

18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time.

Just as a reminder….Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth..

Planting that church..

Growing that church…

And he had a strong base….so now he felt it was time to move on.

So, it says….

Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.

Now let’s pause here…

Remember last week….

When Paul got to Corinth he had to work a NORMAL job like everyone listening to this message….

And while Paul was working he meets this Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla who worked as tent makers like Paul.

Paul’s job helped him reach people for Jesus…..

Just like EVERYONE in this room….

You can use your job, and your schooling, to meet people so you can get to know those people and lead them toward Jesus.

That is what Paul did and EVERYONE here today can do that as well!

PAUSE

And remember like I said last week….from here out….you will see the wife listed before her husband…

Which is odd for things in this day and age unless she was the more prominent leader….

PAUSE

But you see Paul does here what we have talked about a LOT in this book.

Paul took them on a mission trip with him.

Just like Paul has been on missions trips with:

Barnabas,

Timothy,

Silas,

John Mark,

And I am sure others that never got mentioned.

PAUSE

And let’s throw up a map again to show you where they are going.

On the left side of this map, you will see Corinth….

That is where this week starts.

He takes off south to get a haircut….I guess they didn’t have good barbers in Corinth….

And you might think that is an ODD detail to be in the Bible.

But the reason it is included is because most scholars would tell you Paul had taken a Nazarite vow…

And back then if you took a Nazarite vow you would NOT cut your hair and it would just grow and grow and grow….

And most scholars think this is what Paul had started to look like….Bob Marley pic….

LAUGH…

I guess the tech team changed it to a picture of Bob Marley….

But you get the idea….

He had SUPER long hair….and he went to get it cut off…

PAUSE

And I want to spent a little more time on this Nazarite Vow….

This vow was something you see throughout the Old Testament practiced by the Jewish people and continued into the New Testament.

And it was about FAR more than about just hair….

Hair was just the external way people could identify it.

A Nazarite was a person who decided to take upon him or herself a vow to live a strict and HOLY lifestyle.

The BIG things they were committing to do were:

No alcohol period.

No cutting one’s hair.

No close contact with the dead.

And they ended their vow by bringing a sin offering to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem….

Which you can look ahead at verse 22 and see that Paul is heading there!

PAUSE

But the most important part was that this person was going to separate himself, or herself, from worldly pleasures and the trivial pursuits of society.

There were some MAJOR Biblical characters where we Nazarenes.

Samson….a warrior…

Samuel….a prophet….

Paul….a church planter….

It was not exclusive to a certain call or career.

It was a call to live to a higher calling.

PAUSE

And Paul feels that the season is behind him…..

This ends Paul’s second missionary journey and starts his third one.

PAUSE

Let’s keep reading…verse 19….

19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Pause here….

Let’s start with the map again….because I want to show you what Priscilla and Aquila just did….

Priscilla and Aquila left Rome and settled in Athens…right by Corinth….to start life over….

They were refugees…..

That is where they re-settled…

Then they meet Paul….

And Paul leads them to faith in Jesus…

And then Paul says…..

HEY come on a mission trip with me!

He takes them….

Look at the map!

Paul takes them across the Mediterranean Sea to another continent and leaves them there!

PAUSE

How many of you want to sign up for that mission trip?

Have Pastor Bob take you to another country and just leave you to lead a church….

Anyone one????

We are always looking for church planters!

PAUSE

But in all seriousness…

Paul was in Corinth for a year and a half….

So at BEST they had been following Jesus and learning how to follow Jesus for a YEAR and a HALF at MOST!!!!!

And they go on ONE mission trip….

And now….Paul leaves them to lead the church in Ephesus!

And we know they planted a church in their home because of what it says in this chapter and in 1 Corinthians 16:19 about them!

PAUSE

You will see a question in your sermon notes that says…

Priscilla and Aquila went from refugees to business people to missionaries to church planters in a year and a half. What is my excuse?

Church……

Please pause here…

Think about that….

How long have you been following Jesus?

How long do you think you need to follow Jesus before you are going to go on a mission trip?

How long do you think you need to follow Jesus before you can lead a small group?

How long do you think you need to follow Jesus before you can join a Bible study?

How long do you think you need to follow Jesus to take a BIG step for Jesus?

PAUSE

I think this a BIG problem in our modern American culture…

WE think we need to know EVERYTHING before we are willing to take a risk for anything….including God….

PAUSE

Paul was a broken dude who did a lot of good and a lot of BAD things….

But when he trusted God and followed God….

Look at what he has been doing!

If Paul can do it….

You can do it!

Priscilla and Aquila were refugee tent makers….

Regular people….

Look at what they are doing now!!

If they can do it….

You can do it!

PAUSE

Make sense as to why last week we ended with this question:

What do you think God could do through ME if you went all in for God?

Repeat….

Church…..

God has BIG plans for so many of you!!

I really believe that!

The only thing holding that back from happening is YOU!

You stepping aside from your plans and trusting God’s plans!!!!

PAUSE

Let’s keep reading….

22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Stop there for a bit….

Put the map back up….

If you have been here for a while….

You are going to notice….

Paul turns back around…..

And Paul starts back on his route for Mission trip #1.

Paul goes back to the churches he has already planted….

Why church???

What does it say in verse 23…..

Yes….to strengthen all the disciples….

PAUSE

And I want to point out something here that is important….

It is important to reach people for Jesus. It is important to also grow disciples. It is important to plant new churches.

Repeat

This is where I think so many churches, and people, get stuck….

There are those churches, or people, that are all about the seekers…

All about reaching the lost….

All about evangelism…

And nothing else matters to some people, or churches….

There are churches, and people, that are ONLY about growing people…..

And people stay in Bible studies their ENTIRE life and NEVER even attempt to lead people to Jesus.

They are content to grow in their knowledge of the Bible.

And NOTHING else matters….

There are churches, or people, that are ONLY about planting new churches or campuses…

It is all about planting more churches…

It is all about more locations to reach more people.

And NOTHING else matters….

PAUSE

And church….I hope you see….

It is all about balance!

Paul is demonstrating that ALL of that matters!

We have to reach people for Jesus!

We have to grow people in Jesus!

We have to plant churches!

We ALL need to be a part of doing all those things……

And the cool thing….

Is if you are here at Family Church!

WE are doing all those things all the time!

It is a RARE week someone does not come to faith here.

It is a RARE week that there is not a Bible study, or small group, or disciple-making stuff going on.

And we are actively planting new church campus!!!!

PAUSE

Do you see it Family Church…

We are not doing anything special here at Family Church.

We are just trying to live like the early church…

And we are trying to simply teach you all how to live like the early church…..

PAUSE

Let’s keep reading….something cool is coming that I hope can inspire any of you!

24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.

25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.

26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Stop there…

Do you see the cool thing church?

PAUSE

An incredible preacher shows up in the town Paul dropped Priscilla and Aquila….

An eloquent preacher named Apollos came through Ephesus.

Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures, but he only knew the baptism of John.

This means Apollos knew Christ had come and fulfilled John’s prophecies, but he didn’t know the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection…

He didn’t know anything about the ministry of Holy Spirit….

He didn’t know about the church containing both Jews and Gentiles now….

And church….

WHO stepped up and pulled aside this passionate man?

Who church?

Priscilla and her husband took Apollos aside and explained these things to him…

Priscilla and Aquilla explained what they learned from Paul.

This husband and wife team was able to pass it on to another Christian and build him up in the faith.

These two remarkable people set an example for us of hospitality, seen in opening their home to Paul…

Now their home is a meeting place for the church and Bible Studies and small groups and much more…...

PAUSE

And this regular couple did so well at it….that look at what happens next:

Verse 27….

27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Wow!

Think about this church.

Barnabas discipled Paul. Paul discipled Priscilla and Aquilla. Priscilla and Aquilla discipled Apollos. Apollos discipled others. Whom are you discipling?

For real…church….

Who are you investing in to grow them in their relationship with Jesus?

They don’t have to be totally lost people….

Paul had found Jesus when Barnabas started investing in him.

Priscilla and Aquilla didn’t know Jesus at all until Paul lead them.

Apollos believed in Jesus but just had some messed up theology when Priscilla and Aquilla started investing in him….

PAUSE

Family Church…

As you can see there is no SINGLE model….

It is just paying attention to the people around you…

And investing in the people around you….

To lead them toward Jesus….

And ANYONE can do that….

If you will just try…

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: Barnabas discipled Paul. Paul discipled Priscilla and Aquilla. Priscilla and Aquilla discipled Apollos. Apollos discipled others. Who could you start leading toward Jesus? 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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