Understanding Your Gifts Series

INTRODUCTION

Paul who is still on his 2nd missionary journey leaves Athens and moves to Corinth

Corinth was a large wealthy city with lots of trade and business happening

It was a key city where businesses thrived

But in the midst of this wealthiness, was the sin that was in this city

Paul arrives here and sees what an opportunity for the gospel to be preached

He hooks up with a couple named Priscilla & Aquila and he stayed and worked with them as they were both tentmakers

When Silas and Timothy arrive from Macedonia, Paul then devotes himself exclusively to preaching

The Jews oppose his message and Paul makes a declaration that he is no longer ministering to them but going to the gentiles

God then appears to him in a vision and encourages Paul to continue with his ministry in the city

He ministered in Corinth for one and half years before leaving for Syria taking Priscilla & Aquila with him

When they arrive at Ephesus, Paul then leaves the couple there and went to Antioch.

Paul is adamant to see the gospel of Jesus spread throughout the world

In the midst of it he also trains and raises up different leaders

Now we come to Pauls 3rd missionary journey, where he travels from Antioch and goes throughout the region of Galatia & Phrygia

This morning what i want to speak on is: UNDERSTANDING YOUR GIFTS

And with that i want to speak about 2 people: PRISCILLA & AQUILA

As we look as these folk this morning i want to draw out some lessons for us to learn from them

1. PRISCILLA & AQUILA

Who is this couple?

Clearly this is a couple that loved and feared the Lord

They were originally from modern-day Turkey along the coast line of the Black Sea

But apparently they lived in Rome for the most part of their lives

According to scholars, they could have been saved on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached his first sermon and 3000 people were saved

They could have been part of the 3000 that day.

They now return to Corinth as Claudius, who was the emperor of Rome ordered that all Jews leave Rome

Here in Corinth they waste no time in starting work as their profession was tent-making

What made them different?

a. They supported each other

The one thing clear about this couple is that they worked together.

Whenever their names appear, they appear together

This speaks volumes to us, as it shows us that they did everything together and supported each other

You can see that they loved what they did (tent-making) and did it well

It’s amazing to see what an amazing team they formed

They were a couple who knew how to make the most out of life

They complemented each other and benefited from each other’s strengths

This is such an important point to us as married couples- to support and encourage each other in our daily lives

Illustration: if i look at my life, i would never be able to do the things i do if i didn’t have my wife’s backing and vice versa.

We need one another

b. They were hospitable

We see that as Paul entered Corinth, the first people he hooked up with was this couple

He stayed in their home and worked with them – making tents

When they meet Apollos, they also take him into their home for a meal

We see that they were a couple who loved having people in their home

Later on in scripture we see that they even hosted a church in their home

And Paul constantly refers back to this couple, thanking them for their kind hospitality and openness they have shown not only to him, but also the church

This was a gift they possessed and they maximised on it, by having people in their homes

Through this amazing gift, the church grew in numbers and people like Paul & Apollos were blessed through their ministry

c. They were ready to teach

Interesting to see, is that this couple also had a teaching gift

When they met Apollos, they took him to their home and taught him the scriptures

Over the one and half years they were with Paul, they absorbed everything he taught

They devoted themselves to the understanding of the word

Because they were well conversed in the word, they were able to help others like Apollos understand the word better

This couple was willing and able to use their gifts wherever possible for the expansion of the kingdom

APPLICATION

Gifts like hospitality and teaching is a key way to draw folk to the kingdom – its an EVANGELSLIC TOOL

Like this couple they wasted no time in exercising their God given gifts