• 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.
• In such a crucial time, you will remember the people who are important to you.
• You won’t suddenly say, “Aiya, I’m going to miss the last episode of the Korean drama”
• You think, write or say what’s truly important to your heart.
• If you read from NLT, NIV, probably you will see a heading “Final Greetings.”
• And Paul says:
2 Timothy 4:19 (NLT)
19 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living at the household of Onesiphorus.
• What a wonderful example that all of us can learn from.
• It’s to grow together in our journey of living for God.
• Here in TOG, we call it LifeGroup.
• This Group are consisting of people who are learning and going through stages of life.
• Gather together to encourage one another, learn together, grow closer together, serve together, and ultimately also reach out together.
• In a LifeGroup is where we can:
Share our life.
• Do not isolate ourselves from each other.
• We are a family; we are one body.
• We are not meant to go through life alone even if there are people who doesn’t think or behave exactly like you.
• Remember the Fruit of the Spirit, that’s in us.
• That’s why the Word always encourage Unity and Together while we are journeying in this world.
• Don’t just learn about love, show love, don’t just learn about patience, exercise patience, don’t just receive forgiveness, be ready to forgive, don’t just experience Grace, show Grace.
• That’s how:
Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend”
• Even God knows the Great Apostle Paul needed people to come alongside with him here and there.
• Can I challenge you to join a LifeGroup? Some meet onsite, some doing hybrid (online and onsite).
• Go beyond just a Sunday Christian. Let’s grow together.
Romans 14:7 (NIV)
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
• Before I go to the next point, drop me a message if you decided to join a LifeGroup, even you think you’re not ready, coz most probably you will never ready.
• Amen?
• Join a LifeGroup
• Priscilla and Aquila grow together, with Paul.
Second example we can see in their lives, they:
II. GIVE TOGETHER (18:3-18a)
• When Paul first arrived at Corinth, he don’t have enough fund which we can read that in 1 Cor 11:9.
• And Paul also do not have a place to stay.
• And here we see these Priscilla and Aquila not only provided tentmaking work for Paul.
• They also gave Paul a place to stay.
• This is not talking about staying for one night or a few nights.
• Not about a few weeks or a few months, in fact Paul stayed with Priscilla and Aquila for a year and a half.
Acts 18:11 (NKJV)
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Sometimes when you house people in.
*Food bill goes up, electric bill goes up, water bill goes up, blood pressure goes up.
• Priscilla and Aquila, both of them learnt the art of giving, sharing whatever them have.
• And later in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 16:19 (NKJV)
19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
Not only they house in missionary, but they also used their house for church services.
They used their house for ministry.
Whether is financially, skills, or any kind of ways.
We are to:
Share our resources.
1 Timothy 6:18 (NKJV)
18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
In fact, we are all steward of what God has given to us, because all belongs to Him.
Psalms 24:1 (NLT)
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
• So we should use our resources in a way that honors Him.
• My wife and I, we often remind ourselves that everything we have is from God.
• This is what we told the kids too.
• When we have little, we share, when we have more, we share.
• Because the spiritual habit of giving is cultivated, not automatic bloom when you have a extra..
• In the Bible, we know the widow, in human perspective haven’t reach the right moment to give. But yet she gave.
• And we also learnt earlier in the book of Acts about Barnabas selling his field to support the church.
• Or the disciples in Acts 2 or the Macedonian Church.
• They give together.
GOD WHO OWNS EVERYTHING
• Last time when our place is smaller and the lift always on vacation,
• Where people need to climb stairs to come to my house.
• That time, not enough chairs also.
• We still thank God that we are able to open our house for gatherings and ministry. I remember apart from having worship, fellowship and prayer at my place.
• I also remember people got saved at my place.
• Currently we moved to a bigger place, what we are doing didn’t stop.
• Many of you will know, we are still opening our house for Evangelistic gathering, LifeGroup, Young Families, Core Team Leaders, Flourish Ministry.
• A place of encouragement, a place for counseling, a place for evangelism, a place for worship and fellowship, a place where we pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
• For some of you, may not be your house, maybe your skill, maybe your financial support, maybe other resources.
• On behalf of the church, thank you for sharing your resources.
• Some of you support financially.
• Some of you came just to fix the church mics.
• Some of you came just to decorate the place.
• Some came all the way just to share the skill in worship.
• And many more.
• Let us continue to be like Priscilla and Aquila.
• Let us grow together, give together and also:
III. GO TOGETHER (18:18b-23)
Acts 18:18a (NLT)
18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that and then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. (Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.)
• When Paul left for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila was with him.
• They not only provide work for Paul and house him.
• Now they even willing to travel with him.
• Travelling with Paul comes with a lot of inconveniences such as the distance, the resources, the risk.
• But yet they’re willing to stand side by side with Paul for the Gospel.
• In Paul’s letter to the Christian in Rome.
Romans 16:3-4 (NLT)
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila. They have been co-workers in my ministry for Christ Jesus.
4 In fact, they risked their lives for me. I am not the only one who is thankful to them; so are all the Gentile churches.
• They were willing to risk their lives, maybe their house since they always use it for church gatherings.
• Paul sees them as his co-workers for Jesus.
• Paul and ALL the Gentile churches were thankful for them.
• Because their significant impact in the first century churches.
• Their evangelistic zeal, mentoring, strengthening, hospitality, and commitment to spreading the gospel helped a lot to kick start the Gentile churches.
• Both of them went together.
• They Advance together.
• Peter and John: In Acts 3-4, we read about Peter and John healing a man who had been lame from birth and then using this miracle as an opportunity to preach the gospel to the crowds who had gathered. After being arrested and released, they went back to their fellow believers and prayed together for boldness to continue preaching the gospel.
• Timothy and Epaphroditus: In Philippians 2:19-30, we read about Paul's co-workers Timothy and Epaphroditus, who traveled with him on his missionary journeys and helped spread the gospel. Timothy was like a son to Paul, and Epaphroditus risked his life to serve Paul and the Philippian church.
• Paul and Silas. In Acts 16.
• These examples show us that evangelism can be done in partnership with others
• whether it's working with a friend, a spouse, a leader, or a larger group of believers.
• We can learn from one another, encourage one another, and support one another as we advance to share the good news of Jesus with those around us.
Share the Gospel.
Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
• Currently the Working Adult Group are the ones running the Alpha onsite.
• Keep them in prayer, they GO Together.
• Sometimes some leaders asked about the LifeGroup’s name: SWAT
• Thinking are we like some Malaysian FBI.
• Actually, it stands for (SOUL-WINNING ACROSS TERRITORIES)
• Apart from fellowship, we wanted to see our generation encounter God.
• We are doing it TOGETHER
Invite your friends, connect them with other believers, care for them, do good, share God’s Love to them.
Lastly, we also read that Priscilla and Aquila did some mentoring work towards Apollos.
Which you heard last Sunday. They:
IV. GUIDE TOGETHER (18:24-28)
Acts 18:25 (NKJV)
25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Acts 18:26 (NKJV)
26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
• Because Apollos only knew up to the baptism of John, the baptism of repentance,
• He was preaching boldly about the coming Messiah which by right the Messiah already came, crucified, resurrected and gave also the promise of Holy Spirit.
• If Priscilla and Aquila didn’t bother to guide Apollos?
• Took him aside and explain to him privately,
• he will never be as effective until a point of comparable to the Apostle Paul and Peter.
What you have learnt, teach others.
Share the Word of God.
Acts 8:30-31 (NKJV)
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
2 Timothy 2:2 (TLB)
2 For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others.
Priscilla and Aquila guided Apollos together.
CONCLUSION
I want to close with some Questions/Challenge:
GROW Together
When will you decide to devote more than just Sunday morning but for God?
Who in your life do you sense God inviting you to offer hospitality to?
GIVE Together
How can your house be a source of encouragement and evangelism?
GO Together
Where in your life could you live more courageously?
GUIDE Together
Who can grow together with you spiritually?
