The Way of God

This morning we're going be speaking about handoffs and I appreciate the choir sharing just now a song of 47 years ago and a handoff that I failed to do in that I'd failed to give the words to the right, people to make sure that they were on the screen. So I will put those in an email later this week so that you can see those words again as we heard them. So beautifully, this morning. So thank you for that, you know. Being the Fourth of July. We are celebrating Freedom. We're celebrating really that innate sense of the human Spirit to flee tyranny to flee oppression. Whether we might agree or disagree about right and wrong, we agree that the concept of right and wrong is somehow in each of us. And that tells us something that CS Lewis. Once said that if the concept of right and wrong is in us, that even though we might agree about what disagree about what is right and wrong if the concept of right and wrong is in us, then who put it there.

Obviously God. The one who gave those founders of this nation, the sense to claim that. We have freedom. And that it's god-given.

We find the the the tension of human life to to live one's own life as one wants and at the same time be drawn To someone greater than ourselves, namely God. And we've been given a tremendous gift in the word of God in this enormous book. It's a huge book. And because it's so big, and this one's big for my eyes so that I can read it.

Because it's so big. So many of us. Just, we put it aside. We, we say it's too much. It's more than we can take in. and even when we do try, we find ourselves struggling with Pronouncing names. Understanding places that aren't at all familiar. Find multiple barriers. That make us. Put it down again. And just leave it for someone else or some others to tell us what it says.

Because we do that and no blame or shame in saying that it's a natural response for any of us. I mean, how many of us have read that many large books Because we do that we often we focus at the top, we we keep track of the names that are well-known and the events that are well-known. And so we know of the Apostle, Paul we We Gather because of Jesus

but there are some lesser names. Some names that we are not familiar. Names, that are also powerful and sharing with people like us.

What it is to live out this faith. What it is to be a disciple. Chasing after God. Desirous of doing what is right.

and so what we've been doing over the summer here is Working through some of these names that are not as well-known. And seeing the gifts that they have to give us the instructions they have for us that we too might grow in the gospel. A few weeks ago, we dealt with ananias. He was the unfortunate one who was sent to Saul the persecutor and lead him to Christ. Last week we we dealt with Barnabas, Barnabas that encourager, that one who helped really start to establish the church to give it a strong foothold among the Gentiles.

And today. We're going to switch it up, just a little bit. And we're going to deal with two people. A husband-wife. Team wonder why I have interest in that. Priscilla. And Aquila. Priscilla and Aquila, and Priscilla and Aquila, and Priscilla and Aquila Priscilla. We can recognize that name. That's the name. That is familiar to us, right? Aquila. Well, we don't know a lot of men named Aquila. But Priscilla and Aquila show up multiple times in the New Testament. They are in four different books. They're in the Acts of the Apostles from which will read today. There in Romans. There in 1st Corinthians and even the second letter to Timothy. So they're not just off the beaten path names, they have a lot to do and a lot to share. Now, before I read our passage this morning, I want to take one other instructional moment. If I can, I want to give you a little bit of geography, and I know I probably put half of you to sleep right away with that word with geography, but I'll try and make it easy. I want you to keep three cities in mind: Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus. Rome Corinth and Ephesus. That's in what? What country Italy. Okay, some of you are already like, oh, no He is asking questions, Rome's in Italy. Corinth is in what we know as Greece, but being michiganders, we can really understand this Corinth is on what's called an isthmus between what we think of Southern Greece and Northern Greece back then it was known as Macedonia in the north and Akea in the South. Don't worry about that but this narrow Isthmus in the middle think of it. As if our Mackinac Island Bridge was actually a landmass of just a few miles wide. And Corinth is in the middle. Major major trade route, a major place that people go through. So we got Rome, we've got Corinth and then Ephesus. Ephesus is in what we think of as modern-day Turkey. Right on the shore there. An enormous major Tradeport think of, one of the largest cities of the time outside of Rome. So Rome Corinth and Ephesus, and Priscilla and Aquila. Are in all three over, just 15 years. We'll get more to that in a moment. So let's now prepare to look to the word and what we're going to see. As I mentioned it to start the handoff, where I failed in the hand off of the, the words of the choir for the screen. What we get to see is what you get to see your hand off. That is successful. We get to look behind-the-scenes if it were. So here we are Acts of Apostles chapter 18, let God open the word to us. Oh, Lord, may you guide us this morning? May you help us to learn and grow but not just gather head knowledge. But also a growing heart to serve you. And to glorify you may we find in our Guides of Priscilla and Aquila. That deep desire. To love you more. Praise Jesus in your precious name. Amen.

I'm in the 18th chapter of Acts beginning at the 24th verse just 5 verses we're going to read today.

Now, a Jew named Apollo's, a native of Alexandria came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent, man, competent in the scriptures. 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, we knew only the baptism of John. 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. And when he wished to cross to Akea, other brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrives, he greatly helped those who through Grace. Had believed. For he powerfully, refuted the Jews in public showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Okay, I know I know I threw you a curve right away right? I gave you another name Apollos and another place Alexandria. Just want to see if you were on your toes.

We have this other character Apollos who does so well. It sounds to us like he's a traveling evangelist and he's really gifted at what he does.

Well, there's more to it than that. Apollo says, Luke the writer of Acts tell us us comes from Alexandra. He's trying to communicate something to us. You may not know this but Alexandria, in that portion of Egypt was one of the well-known cities for intellectual thought. when we think of philosophies and and debates of Theology, and all that, we often think of Athens in Greece, that place of, which has established much of Western culture even now, But Alexandria, had an equal role an equal, competitive rule in the school of thought and rhetoric. It's Alexandria that we all learned about as the Library of Alexandria. That place that overtime diminished and eventually had a fire that lost so much of the ancient records. Alexandria that had one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the lighthouse that giant Lighthouse, not only for ships, but also kind of a guide for all people was kind of the idea. Apollos comes from the Alexandria and Apollo's is well-trained in rhetoric. The mention that he's from Alexandria, is meant to convey to us. Here comes someone who really has it all together. Well, packaged, he's eloquent of speech is highly capable. So why are we talking more about him? Why we focusing today on Aquila and Priscilla?

Because In This Moment, what we just read. We got a behind-the-scenes look, we got to go behind the curtain and see some of that interaction that took place between some of the early Disciples of Jesus Christ. We got to see some of the formation of the Christian church in the conversations that took place behind closed doors. And what we witnessed. Was that it wasn't Apollo's teaching Priscilla and Aquila, it was Priscilla and Aquila who were instructing Apollo's. That husband-wife team were pulling aside. This eloquent capable, man, of rhetoric. Deeply learned, pulling him aside and guiding him.

How did this come to be? How is it that Priscilla and Aquila? Who have no such background as Alexandra? How did it come to be that they become the instructors?

Well as I mentioned to you earlier, they are witness to many times in the New Testament scriptures. We get first word of them earlier. On in the same chapter we were reading from today in Acts when we find out that they originally resided in Rome, at least that's where they started out as a married couple. There they were in Rome and suddenly because of Emperor Claudius in the year 49. They were expelled. The Jews in Rome were expelled. And Sartorius the Roman historian who wrote in 119 some 70 years later makes a passing statement about this event and he says that they had to leave that they were expelled because of an issue over one named Christos

The Jews were expelled because there was this issue arriving over one named Crest us. Sound familiar.

Most likely one named Christ.

It was controversy, most likely between the Jews and the Jewish Christians over this Messiah, this Christ had, he come had, he not was he Jesus? Was he not? And the Romans didn't distinguish. They just said out of here. And it sent Priscilla and Aquila packing, and they find themselves moving from Rome Italy and they land in Corinth. Between what we think of as northern and southern Greece. There they settle in. And while they're there, someone comes, along that changes their life. Someone we know as the Apostle, Paul. The Apostle Paul settled in with them because Priscilla and Aquila their occupation is there tentmakers. They've already established their business in Corinth. And Paul also is a tentmaker and he comes and he lives with them and together. They are believers in Christ and they share and they feed off of one another. And Paul stays there for another 18 months or longer, possibly two years, Building, a Church along side of Priscilla and Aquila, they become his helpmates. They become his fellow workers.

So much. Do they work together so much? Do they bond that when it comes time that Paul wants to leave and move on, they go with him Priscilla and Aquila become part of his traveling team. And they establish themselves next. In Ephesus in what we know as turkey. That huge trading Port, an enormous flow of people coming and going a chance for the gospel to spread and even after Paul moves on from their Priscilla and Aquila, stay and establish the House Church there. Building in and working among the people helping them know, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were instrumental in helping Paul even when he went to leave, because Paul was going to be stoned by the people, Priscilla and Aquila help save him. Paul gives them credit for that in another one of the letters.

And we know that even later after this, they move on, and they get to move back to Rome after that. Emperor Claudius died. They moved back to Rome and they're there as the Vanguard or the the early church before or before Paul even arrives, building another house Church, They've invested their lives in the short span of 15 years. They've been kicked out of one place. They moved from another and they've done it all and they built the church again and again and Along Comes Apollo's.

It's in that interaction.

Between them and Apollo's. That we move from our history lesson. Our background information our always and that interesting to what we can truly learn. As followers of Jesus Christ.

3 things, 4 really.

the first item is that one that I almost don't include but if you don't include really sets us up for failure.

That first thing.

That first lesson that they give us. is that when Apollos comes to town in his preaching and they're listing that they actually take time To listen.

They listened to Apollo's.

Had a good listening ear. Oh, I know, I know there are books upon books filled with instructions about how to be a good listener. How to give constructive feedback how to let people know that you truly are listening.

But it's more than that.

It's more than simply being a good listener. They were able to listen To how? Beautifully. He spoke the word of God. They were able to listen to his incredible articulation. They were able to listen to the rhetoric, which was spot-on.

They were able to hear the the manner in which you would catch people's attention.

And they were able to listen. For the absence.

I'll say that again. They were able to listen for the absence. The whole. That part that was missing or parts that were missing. They were able to listen in such a way that they could hear those holes. Brothers and Sisters in Christ. If you forget everything else, if you forget about Rome and Ephesus and Corinth it all these other strange name. If you forget everything else, please remember this, that one of our first tasks. As Christians as followers of Jesus Christ, is to listen for the whole, the absence, in the life of the person next to us.

We cannot begin to share the gospel help people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we cannot hear where they're hunger and they're hurt and they're pain, and their absence is

Aquila and Priscilla. We're able to listen. And hear the absence in an otherwise, beautiful presentation. That's in many ways was accurate.

But they were able to hear. What still needed to be filled.

Which brings us to the second lesson. which really was going to be the first, but, The second lesson.

And this lesson is such that. We often make this mistake.

The lesson is that they took him aside.

The mistake is that we often in and need to communicate, the message; messed the message up with the manner in which we presented.

So many times, we are guilty of of wanting to do something good, but messing up the good that we want to do by the manner in which we do it.

I had to learn this lesson hard in our household. When my kids weren't getting up. What went through my mind was all the different ways I could get them up. I'm going to blame my father for this. He used to wake us up. He had the stereo attached with speakers on all floors and when we weren't getting up, as he wanted us to, we were treated to that part of the 1812, Overture with it, where all the Cannons and everything are going off.

That's the way he woke up Suzanne the first time she visited us.

I had visions of pulling them out of bed. Haha, dumping water on them. as you can tell, all these methods, Get in the way of the message.

So often we want to do well, but we get in the way of doing well. Aquila and Priscilla, teach us that they Pull him aside. They take him aside. On the surface of it, we can see the advantage of that they take him to a place privately. To address the holes, those absences we can see how we would appreciate someone taking us a side instead of saying it directly in front of everyone in embarrassing also causing shame or any of those things which might make us defensive instead and not able to respond to what's really being shared. They take him aside. But it's more than that. It's what's conveyed. And that whole image of take you to side, it's what's in the word itself. In the Greek, the word has a sense of absolute. Coming alongside. And caring deeply for someone.

We all have people who can speak into our lives. It somehow and for some reason were far more vulnerable. We allow them to say things. We won't allow other people to say to us. And if we really explore the reason why. It's because from the very start we've always told been telling ourselves that they're on our side. Like they're, they're our own little personal coach or our own little cheerleader in the background and they just are all for us.

What's been what's been conveyed in this word more than just the translation to the English. Took a side, is this conveyance that they were all about helping and being with and developing Apollos. They saw in him already the tool that got it made him and they were coming alongside to share in God's work. They were entering into a spirit of collegiality. Are we able to do that? Are we able to do that with the person that needs something else? That hole that absence, are we able to come alongside? Even that person we don't know very well. Are we able to say it in a way? That is non judgemental.

Incredible lesson to us as disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. Think about how Jesus himself came and lived Among Us. How often he had compassion on those that everybody else was ready to judge?

Which brings us to the third item.

The very reason they pulled him aside. The very reason that This whole passages shared why we get a whole window into this hand off?

It's cuz Priscilla and Aquila. Recognize in Apollo something was missing. Concerning the word of God. Concerning the way of God.

And they were eager to share that. Eager to come alongside and share. What was missing? What was needed in their lives. What was needed in his life. Sharing that deep. Way of God.

Are we able to do that with people? No doubt that they got that ability from working alongside of Paul. Working along side, Paul and learning from him. And, and Paul himself learned from people, like ananias who pulled him aside and help them begin to reshape. And re learned everything he knew.

Are we able to help people see?

How Jesus is come out of God's love.

That's an incredible. Love of mercy and Grace.

God's judgement has been set aside. So that we might see his love.

People are frightened of the church don't want to be around the church cuz of all the judgment they feel.

is that the way of God, that was meant to be conveyed.

Which brings us to the fourth and final piece.

They do so more accurately?

They do so more accurately. They not only convey the word of God. They they do it in a way to bring him along and in fine-tune and sharpen.

This is something we can be doing with each other, all the while, helping each other become more accurate. And what I mean by that and what's meant by that in the scriptures is not that we know all of our details. That much better but rather we know the underlying points And know them fully.

And that takes work. That takes effort and sharpening one another in our abilities to know God's word and how much God loves us. It takes real effort.

Are we ready for that?

Cuz that accurately comes across also as this incredible care to make sure that the full meaning of the Gospel, Jesus Christ is conveyed,

The writer of Acts. Is largely believed by Scholars to be the same writer as the Gospel of Luke. In other words, Luke and Luke opens his own Gospel different from the other gospels in this way. He's writing into someone called Theophilus. Which basically means a lover of God. And he's writing in to say, hey look, I've taken the time to orderly arranged. I've interviewed everyone and orderly arranged. This

So that you have it most accurately. And what he means by that is not to say hey I got all the time and dates. Exactly. Right. And the chronology. Just right, no in fact. He does completely opposite that He orders it in such a way to make sure that the message of Jesus Christ come through.

Are we willing to work with people? To ensure that the message. Of the good news of Jesus Christ, the way of God. Comes through.

These are the lessons that Aquila and Priscilla bring to us out of their own learning their own training in a in a crucible of change in a 15-year spread and we get a window into what they do to help Advance someone like Apollos. Who later does a powerful work in Corinth.

Keep in mind, not just about ourselves. It's about who we work with. And who they become in Jesus Christ. The way of God. Let us pray.