The Model Of Advancing Together Series

• Blessed Sunday to all of you.

• How are you all doing? Hope you all have a wonderful week.

• Are you ready of the Word? Eveready like the Berean we’ve learnt from Acts 17.

• So far for the past few months, I think I’ve shared from Acts 14 to Acts 18.

• That covers part of Paul’s first missionary journey all the way to his third missionary journey.

• By God’s Grace, last week I’ve covered about the Great Attitude of Apollos from Acts 18.

• I also shared about the encouragement Paul needed to continue to advance, that’s from Acts 18.

• Today open your Bible to Acts 18 again.

• I can’t skip these amazing characters from the same chapter.

• Because I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to receive the Rhema through these special characters.

Famous Couples:

• There are many famous couple/teams that probably some of you will know.

• For example, Romeo & Juliet. This is classic.

• Any of you know Jack & Rose? Princess Leia and Han Solo? Edward and Bella?

• From the Bible we have Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, Boaz and Ruth, Mary and Joseph and many more.

• Probably know where I’m going from here, and yes.

• Today I want to examine some of the qualities and examples that I think it’s not only applicable to married couples, but as a church.

• Let’s look at another inspiring combo in Acts 18 which is Priscilla and Aquila.

• Both of them show an amazing picture on how we as the church should work together to advance the gospel and support the ministry.

I entitled my sermon: THE MODEL OF ADVANCING TOGETHER

BACKGROUND OF PRISCILLA AND AQUILA

• For the sake of those who tune in for the first time and those who missed past few weeks’ messages.

• Let’s get to know this couple.

• Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple who played an important role in the early Christian church.

• They are mentioned several times in the New Testament. (Acts, Romans, 2 Timothy and 1 Corinthians)

• According to the book of Acts, Priscilla and Aquila were Jewish Christians who had to leave Rome because of Emperor Claudius' issued the command of expelling the Jews from the city.

• They went to Corinth, and that was where they met the apostle Paul and became close friends and co-workers with him.

• They were tentmakers by trade and worked with Paul, helping to support his ministry.

• If you happen to read all the scriptures that mentioned both of them, you will Aquila’s name was mentioned first before Priscilla - 2 times.

• Priscilla’s name first before Aquila – appeared 4 times.

• Mostly believed that Priscilla played a leading role in their ministry work.

• But basically, they were a team.

• Before I jump to the points, I wanna point this particular insight.

• Even in the worst situation, God is able to use it your growth and His Glory.

• For Priscilla and Aquila:

• Both of them were forced to leave their hometown.

• For Paul: he left Athens after what it seems like unsuccessful to him.

• And as someone who have this privilege to read and see a wider scope of this event,

• we can see how God brought them together after their own storm.

• And from there, it continue to snowball the advancement of the Gospel and the establishment of churches.

• Even in the worst situation, God can use it for growth and His Glory.

Acts 18:1-2 (NKJV)

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.

So, the first thing we can learn from Priscilla and Aquila, they:

I. GROW TOGETHER (18:1-2)

• So, God brought Priscilla, Aquila and Paul together. And they became a team.

• Not only they worked together, stay together, they also travel together for the Gospel.

• Not only together for work or ministry, but they were also doing life together.

• Priscilla and Aquila came to the picture when Paul was afraid and discouraged.

• They house him in, gave him a job.

• I believe they even have some learning sessions with Paul during that period of time.

• And their relationship with each other grows.

• Towards the end of Paul’s life, maybe probably hours before his execution.

• Before that moment of “absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

• Paul had a little time to pen down his letter to Timothy.