Marriage on Mission

Opening Announcements

Exciting Seasons are upon us, Christmas is nearing but first we have another special holiday, what is it?! “Halloween!” (No it’s Reformation day you pagans!)

It is Halloween which means Harvest festival is literally 3 days away! We are going to be setting up immediately following the service, pizza and drinks will be provided, many hands make light work.

We also need around 15,000 pieces of candy, and my little monsters are going to be there so better make it 20,000

As you saw earlier Osmar is here from Peru and he will be speaking tonight at the Generation service, but we want to open it up to everyone to attend.

SKIT guys tickets on sale for $10

We have two winners Linda Smith and Mariah Schaeffhauser Find me after the service as I have your ticket.

Open in Prayer

We are going to look at the lives of two unique individuals who helped lay the foundation for one of the greatest missional movements to ever happen on the face of the earth.

We are going to look at a couple who’s focus wasn’t just on getting a better marriage, it wasn’t just on becoming better friends, but their marriage was one they allowed God to use for Mission.

In our series on Marriage we have pushed you guys for 6 weeks on things that are very personal. We have gotten in your business, and challenged everyone to mature in their marriage and their faith. But everything up to this point has been centered around you and your spouse; you and your future spouse, or you and your singleness. Now we want to show you that mature, Christ-centered marriages, turn into Missional Marriages.

This morning we are going to look at a marriage that was vital to the birth of the early church. It was used to support and build the vitality of a Christian movement that blew up into something that affected the entire world. We are going to explore the marriage of Priscilla and Aquila.

We first see Priscilla and Aquila in when the roman government gets fed up with the Jews and kick them out of Rome. Aquila was a Jew so they are forced to leave their home and find a new one.

Acts 18:1–3 NASB95

After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers.

Priscilla and Aquila face religious persecution and have to leave everything they know and move to a foreign land. while in Corinth they meet the greatest Christian missionary of all time, Paul.

They were leatherworkers who made tents, which just so happened to be what Paul made.

They labored alongside Paul, and while doing this they took on the Mission of taking the Gospel to the Nations.

Both of them buy into the mission and vision of Paul.

Paul

Missional Marriages have a Mission and Vision

In 1962 JFK stood before Rice College and proclaimed that although America was behind in the space race, we would soon become the dominant nation in Space Exploration.

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

1969 we landed on the moon in one of the greatest feats ever accomplished by humans. How did we accomplish something so great? We set aside differences because the job was so big. Everyone stood shoulder to shoulder because they believed in the mission and vision JFK placed before us.

THE MISSION = DOMINATE SPACE EXPLORATION

THE VISION (WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR US TO ACHIEVE THIS) - GO TO THE MOON.

When Marriages are built around a Mission and Vision, they are much more likely to succeed and thrive.

Priscilla and Aquila knew of God but didn’t have the Christ-centered Mission and Vision of God. They meet Paul and their world gets turned upside down.

They hear the gospel and they become infused with the Mission of the Kingdom of God. They buy into what God is doing in Corinth, they fall in love with the gospel message and begin to support the ministry. But not only do they support the mission of Paul, they buy into the vision of Paul. What does this look like? What does it look like for a married couple to buy into a Gospel-centered vision?

They meet him because they shared the same trade of leather working and made tents for a living. They immediately hit it off with Paul and they invited him into their home.“

They meet him because they shared the same trade of leather working and made tents for a living. They immediately hit it off with Paul and they invited him into their home.

Priscilla and Aquila bought into the Mission of God, which is to “make more disciples” and how they could accomplish that was by befriending and supporting Paul.

When disciples started being made, they used their resources to host the church services.

Notice something here. A Gospel Centered Mission and Vision creates a deep friendship. THEY BEFRIEND PAUL BUT IT ALSO REVEALS A DEEP FRIENDSHIP THEY SHAREd with each other.

What is friendship based upon? Friendship isn’t based upon who you are. In fact we probably all have known someone who all they want is friends, but usually no one wants to be their friends.

A common mission and vision creates friendship

Friendship happened when two people have a common interest or goal. When people have a common interest they will set aside differences in order to accomplish the goal.

A common mission and vision creates friendship with others.

Think about what a friendship is. A friendship happens when two or more people all care and are focused on the same thing. There is something similar that two people like. It could be a sport, it could be

When a marriage doesn’t have a common goal or focus, then the friendship can only go so deep. there will always feel like something is missing.

Ashley and I have struggled in the disciplining of our children. We share the same mission, “have respectful kids” but we haven’t always had the same vision on how we should accomplish that. In fact it has lead to several frustrating moments in our marriage which was resolved with a good conversation that put us on the same page. Before it felt like we were operating two different methods of discipline but now we are on the same page. Before we were disconnected. Now we are standing shoulder to shoulder in the battle with a sassy 3nager. Whats funny now is that when it comes time to discipline, we enjoy it. It is something we both look forward to (Just kidding) Since we have been on the same page, our friendship has deepened we are slowly but surely accomplishing our vision of having respectful children. Before it was frustrating and maddenning, now we are winning, I’ll discipline her and she will repent before God and then to whoever she sinned against and I’m like, “oh victory in Jesus, my savior forever” and it is helping us deepen our friendship.

When you have a common goal (Mission) and a plan to achieve it (Vision) it will naturally deepen your relationship.

Now imagine a Christian family, where one spouse loved the Lord and the other didn’t. Imagine if the husband loved God with everything in him and he wanted to serve in the local church and give of his finances to help missions but his wife didn’t really care. To her his time was better spent elsewhere, his money better spent on the house or the car payment, plus why did they have to go to the 9:30 service on the weekend! Imagine what that marriage is missing. They are missing out on events and relationships that would cause their friendship to deepen. Imagine if they stood shoulder to shoulder and shared a common vision.

God designed Marriage for mission because he knew what kind of friendship would develop out of it.

Priscilla and Aquila had this friendship and it carried over to Paul’s life. They stood shoulder to shoulder with each other and because of that they could stand shoulder to shoulder with Paul.

When couples stand shoulder to should with each other, they can stand shoulder to should with other and help provide them with stability.

When Couples stand shoulder to shoulder in Mission and Vision they will provide stability for their family but also those around them just like Priscilla and Aquila will do with Paul.

Missional Marriages provide Stability for Missional Movements

Stability comes about with consistency.

Priscilla and Aquila provided their home to the church to hold meetings and prayer services. They provided a consistent place of worship and build relationships with people. They were able to support Paul financially as he continued his missional effort in their local community but also minister with him.

They provided stability for the Missional movement simply because of their commitment to each other but also to the vision of the good news of Christ.

For some of you your vision right now has you firmly planted in Childrens ministry. We have several couples who volunteer back in the jungle. They serve back there because they have kids and so their vision for how they can advance the Kingdom of God is by investing into their own kids and the kids around them.

For other couples it looks like opening up their homes, much like Priscilla and Aquila, and leading a LifeGroup so others can CONNECT, BELONG AND GROW.

For others it might mean standing out front and greeting people walking in.

For others it might mean providing financially

For some it might mean going to Celebrate Recovery and sharing their story and discipling those who are fighting addiction.

Wherever it is our vision takes us, we are providing stability for the body of Christ.

Missional Marriages provide a guiding force in the Kingdom of God.

Acts 18:24–26 NASB95

Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out 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.

They heard this wonderful teacher named Apollos, he was eloquent man, mighty in the scriptures, Charismatic, probably wore skinny jeans, teaching the things of Jesus. Yet he didn’t have the total truth. He was missing something, so Priscilla and Aquila pulled him aside and explained the rest of the story to him.

They didn’t immediately go to facebook and call him out. They didn’t begin to gossip about this guy with other members of the body. They didn’t get together with their friends and post a panel discussion of why this guy shouldn’t be preaching in synagogues, on their youtube channel.

They didn’t think, “Oh this is gonna fill the 280 characters of my next twitter message.”

No they lovingly and graciously corrected him so he could continue and grow in his gifting.

Missional Marriages provide a safe place to grow in your faith. It’s not a judge first and understand later.

They bought into the vision for Apollos!

They saw his gifting and his passion but notice one thing missing so they looked him in the eye corrected the error and then stood shoulder to shoulder with him and moved forward.

They didn’t leave him behind or walk away from him, they encouraged his vision and helped him get to the next step.

Missional Marriages look to link arms with others and get them walking in the same direction.

Priscilla and Aquila saw the talent and wisdom of this man, and they did everything in their power to make sure he was standing shoulder to shoulder with them moving forward.

Missional Marriages see the vision for others and do whatever they can to help them get to the next step.

When missional movements grow, it is because they have missional marriages holding up the foundation on which it stands.

Missional Marriages have a vision for their own lives, the lives of their children but also the lives of others.

They see dysfunctional people and believe that God can create function out of them.

So Priscilla and Aquila provided, their marriage, their home, their finances, their wisdom, their gifting, their knowledge and this was what made them able to be a stable force in this early Missional Movement to advance the Gospel of Jesus.

But they didn’t stop being missional there. Their mission and vision literally could’ve led to their death.

Missional Marriages provides Protection for Missional Movements

- Paul is finishing his letter to a church that is in a state of chaos and he tells the reader to greet Priscilla and Aquila. notice something, the church in Rome is in a state of Chaos and who does Paul highlight, Priscilla and Aquila. He is telling the unstable to go and see the stable. Paul could trust these people with not only his life but also the churches he planted or was going to correct.

So, following their story, they started in Rome, got kicked out; moved to Corinth, then Ephesus and now back to Rome. All for the cause of Christ. So real quick, if you are new to Aberdeen, don’t think God can’t use you now. Don’t think that God lost the vision for your marriage and don’t think he can’t use you just because you’re new to this area.

Romans 16:

No matter where Priscilla and Aquila went they were on Mission. If you are new with us, whether you are single or married, we want you to know God has a Mission and Vision for you and we want to help you accomplish it. We want to plug you into the mission and vision we are pursuing for Aberdeen and our surrounding area.

Back to our text.

But Paul says something very interesting, he says “

Romans 16:3–4 NASB95

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

Something happened to Paul along the line where he almost lost his life, it was sometime during his initial trip to Asia Minor. We don’t know what event he is exactly talking about but Paul will face his greatest opposition when he enters into Ephesus for the first time.

Paul describes their opposition as if he were “fighting wild beasts” and his ministry actually had to come to an end because the opposition was too great.

In one of the greatest uttered sentences for suffering recorded on this planet, Paul describes a traumatic event he endured.

2 Corinthians 1:8–10 ESV

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

You have heard it said, “God will never give you something too great to handle”, that isn’t true. God does give you too much to handle because he is going to stretch you and sometimes even break you.

God may give you more than you can handle but he provides people who are stable and can protect you and walk with you through your suffering.

When Paul entered Asia, Priscilla and Aquila were with him.

When the church began to grow because Paul was executing the mission and vision of the Gospel, Priscilla and Aquila were there.

When miracles happened they were there.

When finances were low, they were there.

When new disciples were being made, they were there.

When the people turned against Paul…they were there.

When the angry mob tried to take Pauls life…they put theirs on the line.

When Paul had to continue the mission elsewhere, they stayed behind and protected what God started.

Priscilla and Aquila weren’t just a happily married couple, they were Missional Movers.

Everywhere they went, they asked God, “Whats next”.

they knew there Mission and executed their vision together.

These were Missional Movers. They are what kept the Mission alive, they are what kept the Mission going. They provided Guidance, Stability and Protection for those leading the movement and those coming into the Movement.

Summarizes their relationship with Paul and ultimately with Christ, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”

Close

What is it God wants to do with your marriage? How is God using you or going to use you on mission here in Aberdeen?

What I can tell you is that God is at work in this region of South Dakota. I believe revival is coming to our doorstep and we are going to see large numbers of people in Aberdeen coming to knwo Jesus in a real and personal way. I believe God is going to raise up Missional Movers and continue the Missional Movement happening here at New Life.

I want to tell you today what I believe God has for us in the future.

I believe God is going to bring revival to Aberdeen. We are going to see disciples being made. We are going to see drug addict clean; We are going to see depressed people come into the peace that only Christ can provide. We are going to see the Spirit of God move in our schools. We are going to see the Spirit of God breath life into families that are broken and hurting. We are going to see God restore marriages that seem irreparable. We are going to believe for God to do great things. I believe God wants to do BIG things. I believe this church is full of prayer warriors who will stand outside the gates of hell and beat on the doors until they come crashing down.

BUT WHAT IF IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS?

What if the drug addict gets clean?What if more families begin to walk through our doors because God is moving in their lives? What if we make more disciples? What if God actually does what we ask him for? What if we bang on the gates of hell and they actually crumble?

It means everyone will have to do their part for us to move forward.

We will need more couple to take on the burden of Children's ministry.

We will need more LifeGroup started in homes

We will need more women to women mentors.

We will need more Stephens Ministers.

We are going to need more workers

We are going to need couples who stand behind the Leadership and hold them up in prayer.

We are going to need prayer warriors.

We are going to need stable couples who can help hold up the house of God.

We are going to need both singles and couples to come along side us, stand shoulder to shoulder and grab hands as we move into the future together.

We are going to need Missional Movers to continue this Missional Movement.

What is God calling you too today?

What is the Mission and vision for your marriage in the future?

I have an assignment for you.

If you are a married couple, I want you to sit down sometime today or this week and ask the question,

"What is our marriage trying to accomplish?"

"How can God use our marriage at New Life?"

"What is God calling us to in this community and church?"

Announcements during offering

New Visitors Fill out your connection cards

SKIT Guys coming Nov 9th @7:00pm in the Johnson Fine Arts Center.

Harvest Festival Set up immediately after the service, lunch will be provided.