Untitled Sermon (38)

I want to welcome you again this morning.

First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.

I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.

I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Act. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke, who wrote it for a couple of reasons:

First, to give us a history of the church. How it started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.

Second, to give us a template of sorts. A template that teaches us how to accomplish the mission Jesus gave us to take the Gospel into the rest of the world.

So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to all of the messages leading up to today.

Today however we moving into Acts 18 as the Apostle Paul continues his second missionary journey.

You may recall for the last few weeks we’ve been in the city of Athens with Paul. A city that as we’ve said, represented the foundation for everything secular in the 1st Century world.

As a result, from our time with Paul in Athens, we learned some important principles for sharing the gospel in a secular environment. Principles that applied then and still apply today. So, if you missed those messages, I would encourage you to go online and at least listen to last weeks message.

But as we move into chapter 18 today, Paul will now enter a new city where he will face a new set of challenges and opportunities, and the city is called Corinth. Luke writes:

Acts 18:1 ESV

1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

Now, before we get to far into Paul’s adventures in Corinth, I want to begin today by taking a few minutes to build some framework for where Luke is taking us as Paul enters this city. And to do that, I want to begin by asking you a question that I think we can all relate with. The question is this:

Question - Have you ever been in a situation where you knew somebody had your back or you wished somebody had your back?

And when I say, “Have your back”, I’m talking about a person that will support you, defend you, or protect you, especially in a difficult or hazardous situation.

For example, if you were a soldier on a battlefield, you would want to know that your fellow soldiers had your back. That they were watching out for you in case the enemy caught you by surprise. You want somebody who has your back.

Or if somebody was out to get you or make you look bad at work, you would want to have a coworker or friend who had your back. Somebody that might warn you concerning that, right?

The truth is, we all need or would like to have somebody like that in our life, because that’s a comforting thought, right. To know that somebody has our back not matter what. And that’s especially true when you’re in a foreign environment.

For example, in 2010, after living in Springfield, MO for 11 years, we moved to Mt. Pocono PA. And as you can imagine, it was a bit of a culture shock for us.

A culture shock because we moved from the Midwest to the East Coast.

A culture shock because all of a sudden we went from having thousands of friends in a large church to no friends.

A culture shock as we found ourselves in a foreign environment where nobody had our back.

To be honest, it was a little unnerving.

But then after being there several weeks, something happened that gave me some added confidence and security.

I’ll never forget it because it came out of nowhere and from the most unlikely person on the staff. His name was Simon Castro. And as you can probably tell from the name, Simon is a Puerto Rican. But not just any Puerto Rican. He’s a Puerto Rican that grew up in the Bronx, and he had the scars to prove it.

And what I’ll never forget is Simon coming up to me one day and simply saying, “Pastor Brad, I want you to know, not matter what, I have your back”.

Now, to be honest, while I understood the term, at the time I didn’t understand what it meant coming from Simon. Because what I didn’t know, is in the Puerto Rican culture, once your in, you’re in. In other words, you’re part of their family.

And so, what Simon was saying to me was, “Pastor, I have your back to the point I’d take a bullet for you.”

And I can tell you, Simon was true to his promise. Because from that day forward, he had my back. In fact, I know if I needed Simon, I could call him today, and Simon would have my back.

So, if any of you are thinking of messing with me, you need to know I have a Puerto Rican from the Bronx in my corner:)

The reason I ask you to consider this question, is because as we come to Acts 18 today, Paul is walking into a foreign environment. An environment where his success is dependent on people having his back.

And what was true for Paul, is true for us as well. Because the fact is, if you’re going to be effective in sharing the gospel in a secular environment, you’re going to need people in your life you can trust. People who you know are watching out for you. People who are committed to defending you. People who are committed to protecting you. People who have your back.

So, a great question would be, “Who are and where do you find these people?” (2X)

That’s what I want to talk with you about this morning. Because as your pastor, I want you to be equipped and prepared to share the gospel in the world you live in day to day. But to effectively do that, you’re going to need people in your life who have your back. My goal today is to help you find those individuals.

But before we get to that, I think it would be helpful to give you a little information about Corinth so we have a good understanding of what Paul is facing.

So, with that as our basis, here’s what we know about Corinth:

As far as cities go, Corinth in Paul’s day was the largest and most cosmopolitan city in Greece. As a result, it was a major center for commerce and trade in the 1st century. And this was largely due to the fact that the city had two major ports, one on the west, opening to the Adriatic Sea, and one on the east opening to the Aegean Sea.

So, if you want to think of this city in modern terms, it would be similar to a city like New York City or San Francisco.

In addition to that, Corinth was a fairly new city with no major buildings being more than 100 years old. Which made it an attractive and growing city.

Concerning religious beliefs, like Athens, most Corinthians worshiped the traditional Greek gods with an emphasis on some more than others.

For example, the temple of Aphrodite, goddess of love, was the most dominant temple in the city and was perched on a 1900 foot hill that overlooked the city. Which meant, regardless of where you entered the city from, you couldn’t miss it.

Which might explain why Paul eventually wrote an entire chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 to the church in Corinth on the topic of love. Because as you can imagine, the pagan view of love is much different than the Biblical view of love.

All that to say, as a secular cosmopolitan city, this was a harvest field for the gospel. And Paul is going to take full advantage of it.

But like most places where he shared the gospel, Paul had a strategy, and in this case, one of his strategies was to initially gather people around him who he knew had his back. Why? Because Paul knew in a secular city of this size, he couldn’t do it by himself and he would need people to help him and that he could trust no matter what.

And what was true for Paul is true for us. Because as I said a moment ago, if we’re going to be effective in sharing the gospel in a secular culture, we need people in our life who we know have our back.

And so, to help us discover who those people are or should be, as we walk through the opening verses of this chapter, my goal today is to give you some basic principles on what to look for and and where to find people like that.

Sound good to everybody?

So, picking up again in verse 1, let’s see if we can discover who and where these people can be found. Luke writes:

Acts 18:1–2 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,

Notice first what Luke says. He says as Paul enters the city of Corinth, he does something specific. He says he found a Jew named Aquila. Which leads us to our first principle for finding people who have your back, and I would state it like this, if you want somebody in your life that has your back:

You have have to look for people who believe what you believe.

And this is exactly what Paul is doing as he seeks out this man named Aquila. Because as we’re going see in a moment, Aquila is a Christian as well.

So, a great question would be, “Why is Paul seeking out a fellow Christian?”

He seeks him out because if he’s going to win this city, he needs people to partner with him who think and believe like he does. People who are as committed to following Jesus as he is. And so that’s what he’s looking for when he runs into Aquila.

So, another great question would be, “How did Paul know Aquila was somebody who would have his back?”

Based on what we read here, his trust is based on two initial observations:

First, Luke says Aquila is a Jew, which means he’s a fellow Israelite. Which in the midst of a pagan city would have created a bond between Paul and Aquila.

It would be like if you were visiting a foreign country, and you ran into a fellow American. Automatically you have a commonality that bonds you together and makes you feel less alone in a foreign place.

Or if you were a Chiefs fan visiting Denver, and you ran into another Chiefs fan. Automatically you have a commonality with that person in the midst of enemy territory. Same thing here.

Second, Luke says not only is Aquila a Jew, but he was, “a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome...” Acts 18:2a ESV

So, what’s that all about? Well, what Luke is referencing here is a situation that took place in the city of Rome in 49 A.D. where the Roman Emperor at the time, Claudius, expelled all the Jews from the city of Rome.

Why did he expel them? Secular History actually answers that question. Because according to the Roman historian Suetonius, the Emperor expelled all of the Jews because of an uprising that was instigated by someone known as “Chrestus”.

So, “Who is Chrestus and what kind of uprising did he start?”

Well, while there’s some disagreement, most theologians and historians agree the reference to “Chrestus” is a reference to the latin name “Christus” which is the latin for Jesus. Do you see the similarity?

What that means then is, it’s highly likely that the uprising Suetonius is referring to was the rapid spread of the gospel within the city of Rome. Something that would have been disturbing to the pagan world of Rome. And so becauseChristianity and Judaism hadn’t been totally separated at this point, Claudius decides to deal with the problem by casting all of the Jews out of Rome. Because in his mind they are the source for the spread of the gospel.

So, based on what Luke tells us, as Paul interacts with Aquila, this comes to light as Aquila explains why he and his wife Priscilla left Rome and what has brought them to Corinth. Which would have been comforting and encouraging to Paul since he has now found somebody who is not only a Jew, but a fellow Christ follower who has been persecuted for his faith.

And that’s why Luke goes on to write, “And he (Paul) went to see them.” Acts 18:2b ESV

Which implies that Paul has now found somebody he believes he can trust and can partner with. Two fellow Christians that are as passionate about Jesus as he is.

Everybody tracking with me?

So, a great question would be, “How does this apply to us?”

Ironically, It applies in the same way. Because the fact is, if you want people in your life that you can trust and have your back, you need to find people who are just as committed to their faith in Jesus as you are.

Fellow Christians who you know will pray for you when difficult circumstances arise. Fellow Christians who you know will stand up for you when nobody else will. Fellow Christians who know know will be there for you when life gets tough. Fellow Christians that will walk with you through the challenges of life no matter what.

Because the fact is, if you’re going to be a witness for Jesus and live the life God has called you to live, you need people like that in your life.

So, where do you find those people? Well, like Paul, you have to go looking for them. So, where do you look? Well, in our context, I can’t think of a better place to find people like that then in a room like this. A room full of people who are committed to following Jesus.

And that’s why gathering together on Sunday’s is so important. Yes, we are here to worship. Yes, we are here to study God’s Word. Yes, we are here for the Kid’s ministry. But we are also here to love and support one another. We are here to encourage one another. We are here to pray for one another. We are here to provide a level of friendship, support, and encouragement that the world can’t offer us. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The writer says, “Make sure you are meeting with other Christians for encouragement on a consistent basis.”

Now, you might say, “Ok pastor, I get what you are saying. But I have friends that aren’t Christians that I know have my back. I’m not sure I have to go to church to find somebody like that.”

I get that. But if those are the people your banking on when the going gets tough, you might be in for a rude awakening.

Because people in the world might say they have your back, but often there are limits to it. Because it might just mean:

I have your back unless it doesn’t effect me negatively.

Or I have your back as long as I don’t get hurt.

Or I have your back as long as it benefits me.

Or I have your back as long as it doesn’t make me look bad.

You get what I’m saying, right? Because I’ve had a lot of people in my life who told me they had my back, but they didn’t. And most of them weren’t Christians.

Because the fact is, if they’re not believers, they probably don’t have the same biblical view of relationships that you do.

Why? Because they don’t have the Spirit of Jesus living inside of them, so their version of “I have your back” and your version are probably not the same.

And please hear me, I’m not saying just because somebody is a Christian or says they are a Christian means they always have your back. Even Jesus knew that wasn’t the case. Because listen to how Jesus responded to a group of people when they implied they had his back:

John 2:23–25 ESV

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

In this passage Jesus knew He couldn’t fully trust this group of people, even when they said they had his back. Why? Because He knew they weren’t sincere. Somehow He saw it. And He was right. In fact, later on, these same people who said, “Jesus, we have your back”, would be the same ones shouting, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him”. Why? Because Jesus knew what was in them. Jesus saw something that told him, “These people can’t be trusted.”

So, no. Not everybody that calls themselves a Christian will have your back.

But I will say, your best opportunity in finding somebody who has your back will be found in the church. Because I believe there are Simon Castros in every church. You just have to find them.

This leads us to the second principle, and I would state it like this. If you want people in your life that have your back:

2. You have to be relationally committed to one another.

Luke writes:

Acts 18:3 ESV

3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Luke says not only did Paul find a fellow Christ follower, but he found somebody he could begin to do life with in Corinth. Because it just so happened, that Paul and Aquila were in the same line of work. Because Luke says they were both tent makers. And so as a result, they began to work and minister together on a daily basis.

Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, hold on, I thought Paul was in ministry? He’s an apostle, right? So, why is he making tents?”

What we have to understand is that at this point in his ministry, Paul is bi-vocational. Which means he works a secular job to support his own ministry. Which makes sense, because as he enters Corinth, there’s not an existing church there yet. And so in order to survive, Paul works during the day, preaches at night, and attends Synagogue on the Sabbath. And we know this because Luke says after making tents throughout the week:

Acts 18:4 ESV

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

All that to say, Paul is a bi-vocational minister.

So, what’s this saying to us? I think it’s saying a couple of things:

#1 - When it comes to sharing the gospel, most Christians are going to be bi-vocational.

Here’s what I mean by that, and I would state it like this: Not everybody that’s a Christian will be in a full time paid ministry position. However, everybody that is a Christian is a full time minister.

You see, what Paul is modeling here is what most people in this room are called to do. To work in a secular world occupation while at the same time looking for opportunities to share your faith. And in the process to be light in the midst of darkness.

Because the reality is, as a Christian, your secular employment serves two purposes. First, to provide for you and your families needs. And second, as a Christian, to give you a place where you can share your faith and lead people to Jesus. Because like Paul, that’s your ministry field.

As a result, everybody in this room minus myself, Jackie, and Jacob are bi-vocational ministers.

#2 - As Bi-vocational ministers, you need ministry partners.

What I want you to notice is that Paul’s not doing ministry alone. Paul has ministry partners. Because alongside him are Aquila and Priscilla as they work and minster with him on a daily basis. People who Paul knows have his back.

You see, the fact is, if you want to be light in darkness, you need fellow light carriers to come alongside you. You need fellow Christians that you are relationally connected too in ministry, not just on Sunday, but throughout the week.

Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, that sounds great. But where do I find those people. Yes, I have some people at church on Sunday that I know have my back. But where do I find that during the week?”

I’d like to make two suggestions:

First, you can find them at a church related function during the week.

For example, maybe maybe you find them in a Connect Group. A group of people who you meet with during the week who believe what you believe. People who love Jesus like you love Jesus. People who you develop a relationship with through weekly interaction. People you know have your back. Connect groups are great for that.

I know for Denise and I our greatest relationships have come through Connect Groups. Because to this day, there are people from past Connect Groups I could call, and I’d know they have my back.

Now, you might say, “But pastor, I’m not in a connect group.” Well, then you need to look for opportunities to connect with other Christians in other ways. Maybe have somebody from the church over for dinner. Make an intentional effort to build a relationship with them.

Or, if you’re not in a Connect Group, talk to Pastor Jackie about starting one of your own.

Or how about this. Join us on Wednesday nights as we learn to study the Bible together. Last week there were about 50 of us here encouraging one another and learning to study God’s word together.

So, that’s one way.

Second, look for fellow Christians in your workplace.

Now, you might say, “Oh, I don’t now about that pastor. You haven’t been to my workplace.”

Maybe not, but I can’t think you’re the only person in your workplace that is a Christian. I have to think there’s at least one other person that believes what you believe. Somebody you need to befriend.

Nope Pastor, I’m the only one. You know what, the prophet Elijah once said something like that. It was during a time when he thought he was alone. He thought he was one of the only prophets of God left. But he wasn’t. Listen to how Paul recounts this story:

Romans 11:2–4 ESV

2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

God says to Elijah, “Elijah, you’re not the only one. I have seven thousand men just like you who haven’t forsaken me.”

And what was true of Elijah is true for you. You may think you’re the only Christian in you work environment, but I bet you’d be surprised to know there are others.

Now, if you only work with one other person, and they’re not a Christian, I’ll give you that. But I’d say for the most part, each and everyone of you works with someone who has a similar faith as you do.

Now some might say, “Well, maybe Pastor, but they don’t go to MCF.”

So what. If they’re a Christ follower, that’s all that matters. That’s all that mattered to Paul. He wasn’t concerned if Aquila was a Baptist or a Lutheran. He didn’t care if they grew up pentecostal or not. He just needed to know if they were Christ followers. And that’s all you need to know. Because like Paul, you need fellow Christians in the trenches with you. You need other Christians you know you can rely on and be a support for you in the midst of the darkness. You need fellow light carriers.

That’s what Paul had with Aquila and Priscilla. In fact we know that’s the role they played, because in Romans 16 Paul mentions their level of commitment to him. Listen to what he says about them:

Romans 16:3–4 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.

Notice what Paul says. He says #1 they were his fellow workers in Christ. But not only that, when the going got tough, they risked their necks for Paul’s life.

And that term, “They risked their necks” is not a figure of speech. It literally means they nearly lost their heads for Paul. Why? Because they had his back.

So, regardless of where you work, whether it be Landolls, GP, the railroad, Walmart, Sonic, a Bank, or wherever, my challenge to you is that you seek out fellow Christians. That you look for opportunities to build relationships with them. So that together you can become a force for the gospel in the place that you work.

That’s what Paul did, and as a result, his ministry and influence grew within Corinth. Because as Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla partnered together and begin to share the gospel, look at what Luke says happened next. Luke writes:

Acts 18:5–6 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.”

Luke says as Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla preached the gospel, more help arrived as Silas and Timothy show up.

So, who are these guys. These are guys that without a doubt have Paul’s back. Fellow ministers who are willing to risk anything and everything for the gospel. And as a result, Paul’s group of ministers begins to grow, to the point that when people try to oppose him, they don’t stand a chance as Paul and his fellow companions stand firm against their threats.

This then leads to what you might call a revival. Because Luke goes on to tell us:

Acts 18:7–8 ESV

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.

Luke says as Paul and his companions boldly preached the gospel, more and more people started getting saved, including the leader of the Jewish Synagogue, who would have had an enormous amount of influence, which then leads to many of the Corinthians putting their faith in Jesus and getting baptized. Why? Because a small group of Christians banded together, made a commitment to one another, and stormed the city for Jesus.

And what was true for Paul, Aquila, Priscilla, Timothy, and Silas can and must be true for us. Because I’m telling you right now MCF, the only way we take this community, this county, and this region for Jesus is if we do it together. And the only way that can happen is we are committed to having each others backs. Committed to supporting, encouraging, loving, and sticking our necks out for one another not only on Sunday, but throughout the week. Because I’m telling you, if we extend that kind of commitment and dedication to one another, revival is not far behind.

You might say, “Pastor, how do you know that? How do you know that would happen?”

I know because when a small group of people rise up with that kind of faith and commitment, God responds. Because listen to what happens next as this small group bands together and commits to reaching Corinth for Jesus. Luke writes:

Acts 18:9–10 ESV

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.”

Luke says as Paul and his fellow bi-vocational ministers begin to lead people to Jesus, the Lord showed up one night in a vision to Paul. And he says to Paul, “Paul, do not be afraid to keep speaking the truth. And here’s why Paul. Because I have your back. Paul I have many people in this city who are my people. Paul, don’t worry, I have your back.”

So, what’s this saying to us? A couple of things:

#1 - It’s a reminder that when Christians get serious about leading people to Jesus, God will have their back. And I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anybody better than that to have our back. Because if God has our back, then there is nothing that can stop us.

Jesus put it like this to Peter at one point:

Matthew 16:18 ESV

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

In the context of this passage, the rock that Jesus is referring to his the admission by Peter that Jesus is the Messiah. And so what Jesus is saying here is, “Listen , if you make me the foundation, I will build my church through you. And not only that, but the gates of hell won’t be able to stop it.” In other words, “I’ll have your back”.

And God was true to His word. Because following this vision, a group of Jews tried to take Paul out. Look at what Luke says happened:

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.

Luke says as Paul and his band of merry Christians continued to grow, the Jews tried to get Paul in trouble with the local authorities. But much to their surprise, the proconsul wanted nothing to do with it, and he threw the Jews out of his court as Paul walked out scot free.

MCF, I’m just telling you. If we are committed to one another, with the common goal of reaching this community for Jesus, nothing is going to stop us. Why? Because Jesus has our back.

#2 - Its a reminder that we are not alone. Because in Paul’s vision the Lord says to him, “…for I have many in this city who are my people.” In other words, “Paul, I have people you don’t even know about that have your back as well.”

For us, that’s a reminder that there are other people in this community God is using and wants to use. People we may not even know about yet. Yeah, I know it sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. Yeah, I know sometimes we feel alone out here by Taco Bell. But there are people in this community who are just as committed as you are. People who attend other churches. People who you work with. People you play golf with. People you run into at Walmart. People you sit next to at ball games. People who want to lead people to Jesus. People we need to go find. People we need to partner with. People who will help us reach our world for Jesus. The fact is, we are not alone.

And for Paul, that was an encouraging word, and as a result two things happened:

First, it led to Paul having a lasting ministry in Corinth, because following this vision, Luke goes on to write:

Acts 18:11 ESV

11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Luke says as a result of all this, Paul stayed for a year and a half in Corinth. Which for Paul, was a long time since most of his gospel efforts in most cities only lasted a few weeks before they ran him out of town.

Which tells us, if God has our back, what’s happening here at MCF isn’t going away anytime soon either.

Second, it led to the Church in Corinth becoming one of the leading churches of its day. A church that led many people to Jesus.

Now, was it a perfect church? No. Because if you read Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth, they had some rocky days. But for the most part, they were a solid church that greatly impacted their world for Jesus. Why? Because at the end of the day, it was a church full of people who had each others back. And a church that Jesus Himself said too, “Don’t be afraid, keep speaking the truth, because I have your back”.

MCF, the fact is, we can be a church with that kind of influence. A church that transforms a city. A church that leads many people to Jesus. But for that to happen, we have to be committed to one another. We have to be willing to partner with one another. We have to have each other’s back.

As we close today, I simply want to close by asking you three questions. Three questions that I hope will challenge you to a deeper level of commitment not only to Jesus, but to one another:

Question #1 - Do you have fellow Christians in your life who you know have your back?

In other words, do you have an Aquila, a Priscilla, a Timothy, a Silas, or a Simon Castro in your life? Somebody you know you can rely on. Somebody who partners with you in ministry. Somebody who gives you encouragement. Somebody you know will be there for you no matter what? Do you have that in your life?

Question #2 - Whose back do you have?

In other words, who are you committed to? Who would you be willing to stick your neck out for? I ask you that question, because the relationship goes both ways. Because to truly have somebody who has your back, you have to be committed to having their back as well. You have to be the kind of person who can be trusted. The kind of person that will be there for a fellow Christian no matter what. Are you that kind of person?

Question #3 - If you’re answer to question #1 and #2 is no, then what are you going to do to change that? Because the fact is, you need people in your life who have your back. You need fellow Christians who can give you support. Fellow Christians who can encourage you. Fellow Christians you know you can call on no matter what. The truth is, we can’t and we won’t make it without each other. We have to be willing to seek each other out. We have to be willing to band together. We have to be the church Jesus has called us to be.

That being said, who are you going to reach out to this week? What group are you going to attend? Who are you going to invite to dinner? What fellow Christian at work are you going to befriend. What intentional effort are you going to make to partner with a fellow believer?

Because I can promise you this. When we become a church like that, a church that has each others back no matter what, then like Jesus said, the gates of hell won’t even be able to stop us.

Let’s Pray