SERVING TOGETHER – JOINT MINISTRY

Joint Ministry (Acts 18:1-19:10)

Question: Does God expect the clergy to do all the work?
                    – No, He calls on all believers to participate.
                      Note: Many believers are not sure where they should serve;
                                 some are not willing to sacrifice any of their time.

Note: In our world today, many believers are starting
           to get excited about the possibility of serving God.
           – At EBC, one area of service is sending cards to visitors, making calls, etc.
           – In our class, we have singers, greeters, teachers, prayer warriors,
             helpers, caregivers to those who are hurting (food, cards, phone calls,
             visits), parking lot monitors, committee members, etc.

Note: When we think of how awesome it is that the God of the universe
            calls (and wants) us to be His ministers, we should ask ourselves,
            – Are we wasting any talents that He has given us?
            – Are there additional areas where we can serve?

Let’s take a look at others
who have served Him in the past (common, ordinary people).

ACTS 18

VERSE 1:

“after this”
– After Paul’s ministry in Phillipi, he and his companions
  went to Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:1-15).

– Paul then went alone to Athens.
– He first preached in the local marketplace.
– He was asked to present his views to the Aeropagus
  (Athen’s chief council – Acts 17:16-21).

Note: Although he could have been discouraged,
           Paul never quit…he went to the next place
           (where greater things awaited him).

He went to Corinth (about 50 miles from Athens).
– The center of Greek commerce (Athens: the center of Greek culture).

– Much larger than Athens (more than 600,000 people).

– The Romans destroyed Corinth; it remained in ruins for the next century.

– Julius Caesar rebuilt Corinth making it more accessible to the sea.

– Since it was located between two seas (Aegean & Adriatic),
  it became a major port (which made it the center of commerce).
  Note: In addtion, all land trade in Greece (from north to south)
             passed through Corinth.

– It was also famous for its saturation of immorality.
  Note: The temple of Aphrodite had over 1,000 prostitutes.

VERSES 2-3:

Paul went to Corinth to preach the Gospel; there he met Aquila
(a Jewish man originally from Pontus (a Roman province)).
Question: Why was Aquila in Corinth?
                    – The Emporer Claudius ordered the Jews to leave Rome.
                    – He did this to maintain public order
                      (apparently the gospel had caused
                       an uproar among the Jews in Rome).

Question: Where did Paul meet Aquila and his wife Priscilla?
                     – We don’t know, but it may have been in the local synagogue.

Question: What was their common ground with Paul?
                    – Christian faith.
                    – Tent-making.

The couple appeared to be people of generosity and wealth.
– They agreed to let Paul work with them in their business.
– They also let him stay in their home.

Note: The people of that time frequently used tents,
            so tent-making was in high demand.
            – The Nomads used large, heavy tents as their primary dwelling.
            – Many travelers used smaller tents.

Note: Paul’s father was probably a tent-maker
            (Jewish fathers usually taught their sons a trade).

VERSE 4:

Since Paul preached where there were no churches to pay his salary,
he had to support himself.
– Apparently he worked during the week; then on the Sabbath,
  he would go to the synagogues to speak and debate with
  the Jews and Greeks (trying to persuade them about Christ).
  Synagogue:
     – A place for Jewish prayer and worship
       (with recognized leadership (Luke 8:41)).
     – A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least 10 men.
     – The Hebrew sacred writings were read and discussed.

VERSE 5:
Silas and Timothy:
– Silas and Timothy were with Paul for awhile in Athens.
– Paul sent them away (1 Thessalonians 3:1).
– When Paul left, Silas and Timothy stayed in Athens.
– Now they rejoined him in Corinth.
– With their help, Paul could quit his tent-making
  and devote himself to full-time preaching.

VERSE 6:

Paul’s ministry in Corinth:
– As typical, it wasn’t long until the Jewish opposition became abusive.
– (verse 8) In spite of opposition, many Corinthians became believers.
                   Note: Most were probably Gentiles, but the ruler of the synagogue,
                              Crispus, also joined the church (1 Corinthians 1:14).

VERSES 9-17:

After having success with Jews and Gentiles,
Paul saw a vision telling him not to fear.
– Paul needed this encouragement because some opponents brought
  a lawsuit against him; thankfully, the case was thrown out.

Paul shared the gospel in Corinth for a year and a half.

VERSES 18-19:

When his ministry in Corinth came to an end,
he left the believers there, and sailed to Syria.
Note: Priscilla and Aquila left their business behind
           and went with Paul to Syria.

Before he left,
Paul had his head shaved in Cenchreae (eastern part of Corinth).
– He did this because he made a Nazarite vow.
– We do not know why he made this pledge to God
   (it could have been to show that he was obedient to the law).
– Getting his hair cut indicated the conclusion of the vow
   (and possibly represented an expression of gratitude
   to God – Numbers 6:18, Acts 21:24).
– Since the vow had to be fulfilled in Jerusalem,
   Paul would travel there to present his hair
   to the Lord, and offer sacrifices in the Temple.

Ephesus:
– The leading city of Asia Minor.

– Before sailing to Caesarea,
   Paul spent time in the synagogue reasoning with the Jews.

– Paul left Priscilla and Aquila here.
  Question: What thoughts could they have had?
                      (They followed him to Syria, and then he left them).

VERSES 20-21:

God effectively used this willing servant in Ephesus
(those in the synagogue asked Paul to stay longer, but he declined).
Question: Why would he want to leave with so many wanting him to stay?
                     – He probably was in his comfort zone there, but he may have
                        felt the Spirit leading him, and being an obedient servant,
                        he was willing to go wherever he was led.

                     – He may have wanted to get to Jerusalem for the festival season,
                        before the seas were too rough to travel (in winter).

                     – He may have wanted to complete his vow
                        (by burning his hair in Jerusalem).

Paul did promise to return (but only if it is God’s
will…again we see how obedient he was).
     Question: How obedient are we?
     Question: Paul left quite a legacy (what legacy will we leave?).

VERSE 22:

Paul ended his second missionary journey when
he returned to his home church (north of Jerusalem).
Question: How do you think he felt when he returned home?

VERSE 23:

Paul stayed there for a while.
Question: What do you think he did while he was there?
                     – Visited with friends?
                     – Continued sharing the gospel in the local churches?

Later, he left for his third missionary journey.
Purpose: To strengthen all the disciples.

Question: How could this servant leave family
                    and friends to serve the Lord abroad?
                    – His relationship and love for the Lord was real,
                      and he was willing to sacrifice his personal
                      desires and comfort in order to serve Him.

Question: Do you think he looked forward to re-visiting the other believers?

Question: How do you think he planned to strengthen them?
                    – He probably didn’t think about it, he was just trusting the Lord.

VERSE 24-28:

After Paul left, a Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus.

He had been in Alexandria:
– Located in Egypt (a major city of the Roman Empire).
– It was a literary and scientific center for Greek culture.
– It had an extensive library and many scholars lived there.
– The Jews there translated the Old Testament into Greek,
  and developed methods for studying the Scriptures.

Apollos:
– An educated man who was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures.
– Eloquent in speech and had a basic knowledge of the Christian faith.
– Passionate about what he was doing, and taught with conviction.
– Proclaimed the truths about Jesus accurately (but only partially).
– The extent of his knowledge was John’s message about baptism.
– He probably understood the importance of repentance,
  and that the Messiah was coming.
– But he may have not understood the finished work of Christ on the cross
  (and possibly some other important Christian truths).

Question: What would motivate someone this inadequate to share the gospel?

– (VERSE 26) Apparently others were captivated by his message
                        and/or speech….he was invited to speak in the synagogue.
– “boldly” (he must have overcome the fear of public speaking).
– This is where Priscilla and Aquila met him.
  Question: What was their impression of him?
                      – They probably saw great potential in him.
                      – They also noticed his shortcomings.

Note: More than likely, Priscilla and Aquila knew the Lord
           had not called them to speak in the synagogues,
           but they were sensitive to His calling for them
           to help, encourage, and support others.

Note: We may not be called to speak in public,
            but all of us can support and
            encourage those who are called.

Note: If we feel someone is not speaking effectively,
           then we should ask ourselves:
           – Am I encouraging him or her enough?
           – Am I supporting him or her in their efforts?
           – Am I praying for him or her often enough?

Note: Priscilla and Aquila knew their role,
           and its importance in the overall ministry of the Lord.
           We can all contribute something of value,
            because God has given each of us special spiritual gifts.

Apollos was doing the best he could with what he knew,
but he needed additional information in order
to be more effective in sharing the gospel.

(VERSES 27-28)
The spirit created a desire in Apollos to go to Achaia.
Note: The Lord used Priscilla and Aquilla
           to prepare him for additional areas of service.

Note: Imagine what would have happened (or not happened)
           if these two had not been ‘usable’ by God.

Question: How was Apollos impacted by the help from this couple?
                    – The believers in Ephesus encouraged him in his plans.
                    – They wrote a letter of recommendation to the Christians in Achaia.
                    – They asked them to welcome him.
                      Question: How could they welcome him?
                                          – Greet him when he arrived.
                                          – Offer him a place to stay.
                                          – Ask him to speak at their churches.
                                          – Provide financial support.
                                          – Encourage him in his efforts.
                                          – Pray for him frequently.

His preparation and encouragement by this couple
contributed to his effectiveness in Achaia.
– He took on the Jews in public and won debates
  by proving the fallacy of their comments.

– At the same time, he proved that Jesus was the Christ
  (through the use of scriptures).

SUMMARY:
– Serving the Lord requires some measure of sacrifice on our part.
  Note: Time may be a commodity that we feel we cannot give up.
– Most of us have busy, hectic lives.
– Considering the demand for tents,
  Priscilla and Aquila were also very busy people.
  Note: Since they owned the business, they had to work it to be successful.

– In spite of their busy schedules and responsibilities, this couple
  still sacrificed their time (and probably money) to serve the Lord.

– When we make ourselves available,
  we can significantly impact the lives of others.
  Examples:
      – Encourage those who are serving
        (so they will become more effective).
      – Pray for those who are serving
        (so they will become more sensitive God’s guidance).
      – Participate in some activities in the church.
        Note: A phone call, visit, or card may be the catalyst
                   (planted seed) that results in someone ultimately
                   being saved. (James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8)
     – Prepare a meal for someone who has
       suffered the loss of a friend or relative.
– God’s ministry is not dependent on our participation,
  but it is a blessing that He wants us to serve.
– He knows how it will strengthen our relationship with Him,
  and how gratifying it will be to us individually.
– It can also strengthen relationships in the body of believers
  (as we support and encourage each other).

CHALLENGE:
Pray diligently and ask God to show you where He wants you to serve
(or if He wants you to serve in additional areas).

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Pray an intercessory prayer for each member of the class
(we need others praying for God to show us what He wants of us).

Pray for, and encourage those serving (EBC ministry team).

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