Some Priscilla Principles 3.6.24 5.12.2024 Mother’s Day

Start:

Entice: It is not easy to say Biblical, interesting, and profound things about Mothers Day. I know of no human being that did not have a mother. There are many admirable women in scripture. There are passages which speak to virtuous female behaviors. This is my ninth Mother’s Day in Grayville, consequently we have exhausted many of those passages.

And while we rightly honor mothers on this day, it is not exactly a “spiritual” holiday like Easter or Christmas. It does not celebrate a milestone in the History of Salvation, it is not Biblical, it is not particularly theological. Mother’s Day celebrates something that is universal but not even unique to the Christian faith. It is not a matter of doctrine or practice. From a practical standpoint being a mother is no substitute for faith in Christ. There are many mothers who have not, did not, and will not call upon the name of Christ. And as hard as it is to admit, there are some who, sadly, had terrible Mothers, which means some women were or are or were terrible mothers.

I’m not one of those new-fangled sentimentalists who think the best way to avoid hurt feelings is to just ignore things. “We shouldn’t celebrate valentine’s day because there we have single people”, that sort of thing.

It may seem insensitive to put it so bluntly. The issue is not sensitivity. We need some realistic perspective on how the Christian faith improves us as people. There are, after all, many mothers…but only one Jesus. My task is to exalt Him.

Engage: Nothing I say will make you love your momma more, or your children more, or your husband more. At this time, and in this place my focus is on the bride of Christ. If we do a good job of strengthening the Church, if I do a good job of preaching and teaching. that goes a long way toward preparing not only strong women of faith but strong men as well. To get those benefits we celebrate, on days like this, parenthood needs to be understood as an act of faithful disciple-making. It is not sentimental, it is sanctification.

Virtually all of the women who will be discussed today in churches all around the country were strong, faithful, dependable womeN.

Many men feel threatened by strong women, which I just find bizarre. Women with moxie and determination have been pillars of faith who have done a lot more than just raising godly Children.

The strongest people—women or men—understand that their impact is multiplied in a complimentary, loving relationship.

Today we are talking about a strong woman who was a full partner with her husband.

Expand: You likely understand me well enough by now to know that I am not always a fan of contemporary trends and the “theologies” that support them. For me this is not a “liberal” “conservative” polarity. I’m concerned about being Biblical. Both secular and christian culture transformed one of the least complicated concepts in the whole Bible into the one that is seemingly complex. We don’t need councils on Biblical Manhood and Woman, an organization which exists to obscure the obvious, nor do we need liberal redefinitions of male and female. What is helpful is examining actual Biblical characters and learning from them.

“Woman” and “Man” can be abstractions.

Priscilla and Aquila are concrete, named, and known, real-life People

Excite: This sermon may have started a little pessimistic, but now we have a story to tell that provides a perfect character example, a strong woman to admire and emulate on Mother’s Day.

Because

Explore:

Strong women make flexible and durable contributions to ministry.

Expand: Here are some Prize-winning lessons from Prisca…

Body of Sermon: Lesson 1

1 She was flexible enough to serve as an involved Spouse.

Acts 18:1–3 ESV

1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Lesson 2

2 She was flexible enough to serve as an authoritative Teacher.

Acts 18:24–26 ESV

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Lesson 3

3 She was flexible enough to serve as a supportive Colleague.

Romans 16:3–5 ESV

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.

Finally

4 She was flexible enough to serve as a hospitable Patron.

1 Corinthians 16:19 ESV

19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

Shut Down

This is most, but not quite all the information we have about this remarkable woman.

We don’t know whether or not she had children.

We don’t know why, how, or when she died.

What we do know is this. She left a legacy of faith, a heritage of strength, and a reputation for friendship. We still need strong women with those qualities.

Maybe it is actually good to repeat those things. To remember and emphasize small qualities that make a big difference. We should celebrate them for what they teach us and cultivate the kind of Church that creates those kinds of strong, able women.

God strengthens the Church through His word, and sometimes the voice He uses is the voice of the women whose hands also rock the cradle.