Aquila and Priscilla

Introduction:

Not many couples or families in the bible had a great reputation

We are going to look at a couple that had a great love for God, they had amazing service for God, had a heart for people

The kind of couple that every pastor dreams of having in his church

The kind of husband every wife dreams of having

The kind of wife every husband dreams of having

The kind of parents every child would like to have

The couple; put your name in

I) Bible Study: Aquila and Priscilla

A) Corinth ()

Acts 18:1–4 KJV 1900

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Second missionary journey

Going city to city

Moves from athens to corinth

Corinth was hard place

The word corinthian me

Vs 2

They are always mentioned together

Born in pontus

But as Jews they are living in italy

Now they have left italy and come to corinth

Why?

Claudius

Born in one place

Probably moved to Rome for business- they were tent makers

Roman emporors were looking for people to blame why the economy was bad

Blamed the Jews

Kicked out the jews

Watch their commonality in vs 3

Vs 3

They were not saved

They did not know the Lord

They know the God of the OT

They know their is one God

They do not know Jesus but they are Jews

Religous connection

Vocational connection

God has wired all of us differently

Your job is no less noble

We need to be aware of the commonality

There are people you can reach that I cannot reach

Vs 4

Implication is that they are part of the Jews he persuades

He was in Corinth 1.5 years

A church has been founded

Pastors have been installed

Paul is leaving

B) Ephesus (Acts 18:18-28)

Vs 18

Leaving the church

Going back to home church in Antioch of syria

“And with him Priscilla and Aquila..”

They get saved, they get discipled, and they are going with him

Vs 19

Sails across the agean

Verb of purpose; left them there

Not forgot them

He purposely placed them there

They have become so discipled they can repeat the process

That is what your parents are hoping for you

Vs 20-21

He leaves

Paul is gone

They are in Ephesus

Vs 24

Different gifts

He knew his Bible

Was John the Baptist a good preacher?

But for some reason only the John the Baptist and never the ministry of Jesus

Preaching of the coming Christ

Vs 26

Achaia- the region where Corinth was

Vs 28

When Paul was in Corinth

He reached some Jews

He had a burden for Jews

But did a better job reaching Gentiles

When Apollos leaves Ephesus trained by

APollos reaches the Jews

See how God works

Sometimes the people I care for I cannot reach

But the people I reach can reach the people I care for

Pontus-italy-corinth 18 mo-ephesus disciple apollos

Background

Paul writing to the church at ? Corinth

Who founded it? Paul

Who helped him? Aquila and priscilla

Who strengthened it? Apollos

Who discipled Apollos? Aquilla and priscilla

Paul comes back to Ephesus

Who is at Ephesus? Aquila and priscilla

Paul is writing from Ephesus to the church at Corinth

He is there three years and writes four letters, two are included in scriptures (1 and 2 Cor)

Who are the churches in asia?

We read about them in Revelation

E, S , P, T, L

Church that is in their _____________

Born in pontus - no clue about Jesus

Move to Italy - business is good

Get kicked out- what’s going on in our lives?

Pack up all their stuff and move to Corinth a cess pool of immorality

Short little man shows up, bold as a lion, answers all their questions about the messiah and they get saved

They get discipled

They are not there just spinning their wheels

Not just walking on the spiritual treadmill of life

No they are there and they have a church going on in their home

What an example of a ministry couple

C) Rome (Romans 16:1-3)

The apostle paul now has confirmed these churches and collecting an offering on his third missionary journey

Collecting an offering for the poor saints back in Jerusalem

So he is going to all the churches; like Ephesus, Phillipi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth and collecting money and going to bring it back to the poor saints in Jerusalem

Once he does that according to ROmans 15, he is going to head back to the Romans because he wants to see them

And he writes them a letter from Corinth

Vs 1

Praise this girl phebe

Vs 3

Paul is writing to the church at __________ (rome)

Say hi to aquila and priscilla where

Start at pontus- went to italy- got kicked out of Italy- went to corinth and got saved- left corinth went to Ephesus and started a church- and now a few years later Paul is at corinth and he is writing the church at Rome and that’s where they are

But the exciting part

My helpers in Christ Jesus

All the churches of the gentiles…

What couple in the Bible deserves a thank you letter from every church?

Aquilla and Priscilla

Do you know that Huisache ave baptist church owes this couple a thank you?

In heaven we will gather round and say thank you

All the churches of the gentiles

D) Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:17-19)

The apostle Paul is about to die he knows it

(vs 7-8)

Some people that were with me

Some people that quit

At my first court appearance no one was there for me (vs 16)

I know I am going to die

This is the last letter he knows he will write in his life

The last teaching Paul ever gives

Then tells Timothy in Ephesus

Paul is writing in ROme, years later

Vs 19

Aquilla and Priscilla - I owe my life to them

Onesiphorous- he is the guy that found me, and refreshed me and helped me

The last two people

They start to pontus- go to rome- kicked out and go to corinth; get saved and discipled- they leave Corinth and go to Ephesus disciple Apollos who returns to Corinth and strengthens them, when Paul gets back to Corinth he says that Aquila and Priscilla have a church in their own house now in Ephesus and then Paul writes to the romans back in Corinth and they are back in Rome, and then Paul years late is in rome about to die there, and they are back in Ephesus

What a couple

They move all over the place

They never have a set home or set place

They just move around serving Jesus Christ with their lives

II) Application: Making an impact for Jesus Christ as a Family

A) Shared the Grace of Life Together ()

This is the kind of person you want to marry

When you get married god has given you a gift; you get to live your life with one person

That is God’s plan

But there is grace; whatever marriage you are in

Understand singles; one man one woman for life

You inherit together (heirs) the gift or grace of life

Of all the millions of people and thousands of years

Ashton and jessica- you are going to do life together

What if you recieved a letter from a lawyer

I represent the estate of your distant Uncle who was very wealthy; only family was you and a cousin you have never met; and left 2 billion to you and your cousin you have never met

You cannot sell the mansion; you have to use it

What is the first thing you would do?

Find out who that cousin was

Figure this thing out, we dont deserve this

Communicate, and rejoice together

You are inheriting something greater than a mansion; you are inheriting life that you can spend together

You only get one chance with life

Aquila and priscilla valued the fact that they shared the grace of life together

Always mentioned together

They inherit

That is true of families

Lot of choices in life

I chose the wrestling team

I chose to be on the soccer team

But I did not choose Taryn my mother, I did not choose Bryan my dad, I did not choose Wes my brother

You do not choose your family

God wants you to have the attitude; this is something God has given you

Its amazing how many families have been put together but they spend all their time trying to get away from each other

You need to figure out

Learn to embrace the fact that you have siblings

God in his sovreignty has put you together

Parents are happy is when

Our father loves it when we love each other

We share jokes, heartaches and prayer requests; we share life

Story

Teenagers- dont let pa

Married couples- share information

God has given you people to live with

Embrace your experiences together

Be that as a couple and a family

ALWAYS MENTIONED TOGETHER

If you were to discuss with someone how to share the grace of life with one another what would you say? ()

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Why was this so important in the lives of Aquila and Priscilla? What facts or ideas show this, and why is it important in our lives today?

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B) Neither were Materialistic (Luke 12:15)

Work was not the end all be all

Work was the means by which they could serve

Sometimes even Pastors make work the end all be all

Your work is a means by which you can serve the people around whom you work

A way you can gain resources by which you can bless people and bless the church of God and take care of your family

They were not materialstic

Why Is that Important?

4 Major Causes for Divorce

Money Trouble- the number one

Finances plays a role in the erosion of marriage

Stuff begins to rule us

Debt begins to bind us

And we can no longer serve each other

Aquila and Priscilla were not slaves to finances

Ready to go, ready to stay, ready to do God’s will

What if God was going to call you away; what if God were to call you and say I want you or I want your family to go and serve me in this state or this country; are you ready?

Or are you estranged and binded by debt that you couldnt do that

What if the Pastor were to ask you to take on this role in the church and you said Pastor I just do not have the time because I have all these demands of….

Priscilla and Aquilla were not under those strictures

Singles- Get a right proper view of finances from the time you are young and not married

Tithe/Give immediately- honor God immediately with the firstfruits of your increase

Learn how to invest young- law of seven- be wise

Dont be ruled by money

: beware of covetousness

Learn to be content

You dont need the new washer machine

Your wife would be happier with you than stuff

Your children would be happier

When my wife married me I made 20,800/mo

You do not need more to be happier

Dont buy the lie you have to have more to be happier

They teach us an important lesson; they were very

We are going to work enough to be able to serve a lot

How would you compare the example of Aquila and Priscilla and their sacrifices to Christianity as a whole today? ()

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How would you contrast Aquila and Priscilla to your own life, and how can you use that to develop or grow as a Christian?

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C) They each Walked with God (Acts 18:26)

“They taught him”

Dad knew the scriptures

Mom knew the scriptures

The weight of being spiritual was not left up on one partner

Dad walked with God, mom walked

When only one parent carries the spiritual weight in the family then children are forced to make a decision

I am going to be like my spiritual parent, or my unspiritual parent

Now you have 50/50 going on

Do not ever put the weight of the spiritual responsibility on the other person

; all the relationships of life are founded on

Be filled with the spirit of God

What is the relationship between your walk with God and your relationship with your family? ()

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D) They were both Extremely Faithful to the Church ()

There whole life revolved around it

You would hard pressed to look at them in any of the contexts we read and not see a connection to church

Saved and in church

Ephesus;

Few years later church in their house

ROme- every church ought to thank them

Tells Pastor timothy- to say hi to aquila and priscilla; why they are faithful to church

Is that your testimony?

Church for many is the emergency place

Make church your first choice

Your steady diet

No the place to just come and get chemo therapy

Get your adjustment and go your merry way

To serve, to love, to be involved

Imperfect parents who loved each other and loved a perfect God

Can you identify the reasons why some see church as less than there first choice? How would you encourage them to grow in this?

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What if Priscilla and Aquila had not done this? (Romans 16:3-4)

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Conclusion:

What has been my attitude towards those God has put along my side to share the grace of life with?

Are we depending on someone else’s spirituality

Am I leaning or depending on another’s spirituality for my own lack of a walk with God?