God’s Kingdom is always Better Together
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Doing things together is much better then doing things alone.
We are built for relationships. God created us to do HIS work together. God will never call us to do something disconnected from others. HIS calling will always involve other people.
When people say they have their own church by themselves or even just me and my family, they are missing out on the fullness of the Kingdom of God.
We are called and created for relationship but when it comes down to it, serving Jesus, following Jesus, Kingdom living is always better together.
In Acts 18, Paul just left Athens and came to Corinth.
Corinth was regarded as the most influential city of Greece. Corinth was a major center of commerce. Located between two bustling seaports, and at a crossroads where busy travelers and traders came through by land. The city was wealthy and very materialistic.
The city was full of religion—at least twelve temples were located there. The most infamous of these temples was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and featured one thousand “sacred” prostitutes. Another temple, dedicated to Apollo, employed young men whose job was to fulfill the sexual desires of male and female worshipers. The city was notorious for its immorality. When Plato referred to a prostitute, he used the expression “Corinthian girl.”
From a human point of view, Corinth was not the type of place where one would expect to launch a thriving ministry, but Paul didn’t view things from an earthly perspective. He saw Corinth as both a challenge and a great ministry opportunity.
Later he would write a series of letters to the Corinthians dealing in large part with the problems of immorality.
Here in Chapter 18, Paul spends most of his time in Corinth.
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. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
PRAY
Paul was still in the waiting. He was waiting for Silas and Timothy to show up from Macedonia but he was still all about the Kingdom of God. For Paul, being all about God’s Kingdom was connecting with more and more people and then connecting those people to Jesus.
Paul was not just a preacher, an apostle, a writer, and a church planter, we find out here that Paul was a tentmaker.
As Paul was in the waiting he needed to make money to live on but that didn’t stop his ministry, his ministry was still expanding because Jesus was showing up at his workplace.
Jesus will show up at our workplace
Jesus will show up at our workplace
Paul knew that Jesus would show up at his work place and that’s where he met a married couple by the name of Aquila and Priscilla.
A Jewish couple who got kicked out of Rome when Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. They were new to Corinth just like Paul. They happened to be in the same trade as Paul so as they were working together making tents, they started talking about Jesus. That’s how Aquila and Priscilla became believers and followers of Jesus. They became loyal to Paul’s ministry in Corinth reasoning with the Jews every Sabbath in the synagogue.
Our workplace can be a major source of influence where believers can make an incredible difference for the Kingdom.
Our workplace is full of different people; believers, non-believers, casual believers, atheist, agnostic, and those in between. But the common thread is that we are all working at the same place, maybe not the same job but working toward the same purpose and goal.
Nobody works because they love to work, or they are fulfilling their dream job. Companies will pay their workers because they need a job to get done and nobody will volunteer to do those jobs.
When we work hard on the job and give our very best it shows that we care for the people we work with and the company you work for.
Jesus will show up at your workplace when you work hard.
Make it a habit to work hard and don’t be lazy and rob your company of the time you are compensated for.
Jesus will show up at your workplace when you pray.
Pray for your co-Workers, your company, and opportunities to share about Jesus.
Prayer will open those doors.
Jesus will show up at your workplace when you prepare.
Be ready in season and out of season by getting in the Word, being at church and connecting with other believers through small group ministry.
Studying, reading, learning, and connecting through relationships will help us to prepare for those opportunities.
Jesus will show HIS faithfulness through our obedience
Jesus will show HIS faithfulness through our obedience
Faithfulness and obedience are truly connected. God will show HIMSELF faithful when we put our faith in Jesus by being obedient to HIS Word and HIS voice.
Let’s keep reading…
Acts 18:5–11 (ESV)
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.
8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Again, Paul started off speaking to the Jews in the synagogue but when the non-believing Jews opposed them they left and started ministering to the people of Corinth.
That’s when a man who lived next door to the synagogue by the name of Titius Justus opened up his house to them. Even Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue got saved along with his entire household. This was a significant breakthrough for the church.
“Many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.”
And then the Lord spoke to Paul… Acts 18:9–10 “9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
So Paul was obedient and stayed for a year and 6 months.
God still speaks to us today but are we listening and are we obeying? When we listen and obey, God will show HIMSELF to be faithful.
Paul stayed put even in the face of opposition.
Let’s keep reading…
Acts 18:12–17 (ESV)
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.
15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
God showed His faithfulness through Paul’s obedience.
God told Paul to stay put, don’t be silent, don’t be afraid and I will protect you. For I have many in this city who are my people.
There are times that we feel alone. Sometime we feel like if we don’t do it, it’s not going to get done and so we rely on our own strength and power.
Paul was not afraid to defend the cause of Christ in fact he had to do that many times. Paul was willing and ready to suffer for Jesus but this time was different. Paul didn’t have to defend himself because God had people in the city who were HIS people.
Obedience is simply taking God at HIS Word and stepping out in faith. Obedience requires us to hear God’s voice and know God’s Word.
Jesus will show HIMSELF to us as we remain humble and teachable.
Jesus will show HIMSELF to us as we remain humble and teachable.
At the end of chapter 18, Paul left Corinth with the Silas and Timothy but he also took Priscilla and Aquila and came to Ephesus. That’s where we are introduced to a Jewish man by the name of Apollos.
Let’s keep reading… vs 24.
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.
We see that Apollos was very gifted, confident, and competent teacher. Luke says that he was a very eloquent man and very knowledgable in the Scriptures and he was a follower of Jesus but knew only of John’s baptism.
Then Priscilla and Aquila, who stayed in Ephesus had an opportunity to share something important with Apollos.
Priscilla and Aquila were mere tentmakers, they were not trained speakers like Apollos but they were willing to take a risk and be obedient to what the Lord wanted to share with Apollos.
God had something greater for Apollos but he had to humble himself to receive what God wanted to do through him.
Let’s keep reading… vs 26
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. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
Apollos could have been too prideful to receive a word from these mere tentmakers but he received it and God continued to expand Apollos’ ministry.
Pride will keep us from living well, learning and loving well. Pride will cause us to remain stagnate and isolated.
But… Humility gives our life purpose,
Humility opens opportunities for us to learn because humility makes us teachable.
Have you ever been around somebody who always has to be right… who can never take criticism because that would be admitting wrong. If the people we work with aren’t willing to take criticism or aren’t willing to learn or aren’t willing to be teachable the team will waste time fixing issues.
Apollos was doing just fine on his own, why would he listen to Aquila and Priscilla?
Apollos was obviously smart enough to know that when it comes to knowing God information is never enough, we must experience God together. We need all the help we can get because when it comes to the God’s Kingdom, it’s always better together.
Priscilla and Aquila cared enough to explain to Apollos about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Apollos was brought into community with the Body of believers where he was encouraged and connected with a network of people.
These people welcomed him and gave him an opportunity to use those gifts to further God’s Kingdom.
We will never enjoy the fulness of the blessings that God wants to give us unless we are humble and teachable.
Stay humble and teachable no matter how old you get, no matter how educated you are, no matter what position you hold… stay humble and stay teachable because that’s the position where Jesus will show himself to us.
Jesus built up little children and encouraged us to have child-like faith.
Jesus became a servant and washed HIS disciples feet. Saying God’s blessing comes when we serve like Jesus served.
Jesus loved sinners. HE hung out with sinners, he invited the outcasts of society to be HIS followers instead of shunning them.
If we want to know Jesus we must be humble and teachable.
TAKE AWAY:
Are you allowing Jesus to show up at your workplace?
Working hard, praying, and preparing
Are you allowing Jesus to show HIS faithfulness through you obedience?
Hearing God’s voice, knowing God’s Word and stepping out in faith.
God will show HIMSELF to be faithful.
Are you humble and teachable so Jesus can reveal HIMSELF to you?
The things that Jesus exalts are the simple things.
