I Love to Tell the Story (100624)

Announcements

Friend Day

Next Sunday, October 13th.

No Connection Groups

Service begins at 10:30 AM. Donuts served before.

Lunch after the service. Church family, bring side dishes and desserts.

Hearts with Hands Website

South Carolina Voter Registration Extended to Oct. 14th

Pick up your book, What Can the Righteous Do?, as you leave this morning.

Remember, one copy per family.

Scripture Reading: Acts 18:1-5.

Message: I Love To Tell the Story

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Came to Corinth

There is much that could be said about the city of Corinth at the time Paul visited it.

It was the political capital of Greece and the seat of a Romans proconsul.

It held a strategic location giving it great commercial importance.

It was one of the most debased of all the cities of the ancient Greek-speaking world.

However, those were the things that were - in a very real sense - not of importance to the Apostle Paul. Paul was not interested in the city; he was interested in the people who lived in the city.

Cultivate Relationships

In Corinth, Paul met husband and wife Aquila and Priscilla.

Paul had two things in common with them:

They were Jews.

They were tentmakers.

Because of these things, and because Paul needed to support himself, he went to work with them.

Scripture does not record for us when, Aquila and Priscilla were saved. That they were saved - at some point - is apparent because of what Paul would later say about them.

1 Corinthians 16:19 KJV 1900

The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

In my mind, it seems likely that they were saved during their time working side by side with Paul.

Why? Because Paul cultivated those relationships with the focus being on seeing them come to Christ.

Are we doing the same? Are we cultivating the relationships that we already have? Do we have a focus of sharing the Gospel so that they might be saved?

I’m not talking about the relationships that we have with other saved individuals/families.

The kind of cultivation that I am referring will take place outside of the four walls of this building and will typically take place Monday - Saturday, not Sunday.

SCBC & SCBA staff: Are you intentionally endeavoring to build relationships that you might cultivate in order to share the Gospel? If we are not - and I include myself in your number - then can we really say that we are fulfilling our purpose?

He worked and witnessed

Which activity was more important to Paul?

His physical work to support himself in vs. 3

Or his spiritual witness in vs. 4?

I think all of us would answer that his spiritual witness in vs. 4 was of more importance to Paul.

Which is more important to you?

I cannot answer that question for you. I would not even attempt to answer that question for you. That is a question that you must answer for yourself.

Turn to and read Matthew 6:19-21; 24-34.

He gave himself completely to the Lord’s work

The coming of Silas and Timothy likely accomplished a couple of things for the Apostle Paul:

He was encouraged by a good report of those in Thessalonica.

Silas and Timothy likely brought financial support for Paul that allowed him to completely focus on his witness for Christ.

That’s what is meant by pressed in the spirit in vs 5.

The proclamation of the Gospel fully consumed him. From morning until night he was completely absorbed with giving the Gospel to the Corinthians.

Truly Paul exemplified Philippians 1:21

Philippians 1:21 KJV 1900

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

And…

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

In a very real way you could say that it wasn’t that Paul was completely consumed with proclaiming the Gospel but that he was completely consumed of Jesus Christ!

Have you fully surrendered your life to Him? Does He fully consume you?

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

His was a simple message.

Not only that but sharing his own personally testimony of how he came to the Lord.

That is what is meant by the word testified in vs 5. It means the act of making a declaration on the basis of personal knowledge.

I don’t think that Paul ever got tired of telling others how he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus.

Hymn: I Love to Tell the Story (561)

In fact, going back to the beginning of this chapter, I would not find it hard to believe that Paul, as he was making his introductions to Aquila and Priscilla, did it in this way: “Hi! My name is Paul. I’d like to tell you what happened to me one day as I was making my way to Damascus!”

When was the last time you shared your personal testimony with someone?

As we close this morning…

Turn to and read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.

Let us, at the very least, this morning, pray that our witness to others be a demonstration of the Spirit of God and the power of God at work!

Let us pray that next week’s service would be a demonstration of the Spirit of God and the power of God at work!

And then, in this coming week, let us do our part in cultivating relationships, giving ourselves completely to the work of God even while we are at work, and simply share what God has done in our lives!