Sunday, November 19, 2023

Adult SS Class

Impact

This week Jimbo Fisher was fired and will get paid almost $27,000 a day to not coach. Over 70 million dollars. A while back, he and Nick Saban got into a spat regarding recruiting ethics. With all of that turmoil, it was surprising this week to read that Nick Saban said it is always sad when a person loses their job → Even in an imperfect organization, there is the reality that you are dealing with real people with real emotion in real situations.

Identify

While we may not make $27,000 a day to get fired, we are still real people in real situations with real emotions. Whether we have imperfect jobs, families, churches, or even attend an imperfect SS class, the truth is that living in less than ideal situations is part of life.

This morning we will begin looking at the town of Corinth before we look at 1 Corinthians 1 next week. We will see that even at Corinth things are not perfect.

Idea

So whether it is life today or life 2,000 years ago, this is the main truth for us to hold on to today:

The Christian life requires Christian patience.

(Distinguish between normal life and normal patience and Christian life and Christian patience). Example: Larry’s appointment Friday and the lady waiting whose patience was being tested. There is a great difference between having patience with someone you’ll likely never see again and having patience with people you live with and go to church with. It requires a patience that is more than human—it comes from the Holy Spirit.

Instruction

Patient love

In Acts 18, Paul goes to Corinth after leaving Athens. He shook the dust off his feet and went to the next town. There, he finds a Jewish couple named Aquila and Priscilla (4 of 6 times they are mentioned she is listed first: perhaps she is the stronger one spiritually—God uses women in his service more than Baptist sometimes admit).

Why is this seemingly trivial detail important? It is important because we are not reading this in real-time seeing every single detail there is to see. We are reading this written history years after it took place, and Luke wrote it years after it happened → this shows that Luke is recording these specific people because they will have an impact that we might not see right now, but Luke knows they play a major part later in the story.

What does it look like to patiently love other Christians? It means that in the everyday course of life, whether teaching in the synagogue or sitting around a tent-making station, Christian unity is nourished in small pieces over long pieces of time. Paul’s ministry in Corinth lasted for 18 months, verse 11.

Paul and Aquila and Priscilla had such a strong love for one another that it showed what it look like to love sacrificially. Just as Jesus laid down his life for us, A&P were willing to lay down their life for Paul

Romans 16:3–4 (KJV 1900)

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Paul and Aquila and Priscilla had no idea when they first met in Corinth that it would turn into a life-long relationship that showed more than friendship–it showed Christian love and sacrifice and unity.

Therefore, we showed show others that same love. We have no idea who will be in our lives down the road, and since we have no idea we should treat everyone with the love of God. (If God showed us who would always be there and who wouldn’t, it would likely cause us due to our human nature to show favoritism and partiality.)

Patient teaching

For 18 months Paul invested in the spiritual grown of Corinth. That meant strangers and that meant those closest to him. If we ever wonder if what we teach or do makes a difference we need to remember that you don’t judge by looking at the present. You have to look at the end. And since only God can already see the end, we are to faithfully teach his word and leave the results to God.

But what do results look like? After Paul and Aquila and Priscilla were no longer together for a season, we read later in Acts 18 just how much they learned during that time. When we first see A&P they are Jews fleeing their city. What do we see in Acts 18:24-28

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

Apollos was no ignorant person. He knew the scriptures well (though like all of us doesn’t know everything). Yet, Paul taught A&P so well that A&P could teach a man who knew the word something he didn’t fully understand. Paul’s teaching made an impact on them that impacted Apollos and his teaching would impact others. (2 Tim 2:2 in action)

Patient giving

We will see this later in our study but quickly note the importance of patient giving. We may feel like what little we give doesn’t matter. But it does; it enables the word of God to go forth.

Corinth was a sinful city full of everything you could imagine at a seaport city filled with women and men coming and going (think Las Vegas). Corinth had poor people, but it was also a wealthy city. Because of that wealth, Paul made it crystal clear that he wasn’t there for the money.

Example: if Shane Beamer called and said that he wanted me to become the team chaplain and make six figures. If I did that people would automatically say that I left for the money not for the ministry. But if I said I would be the team chaplain but instead of taking your money I will work at the store next to the stadium for minimum wage, that would show that I wasn’t there for the money I was there for the ministry.

Paul did this. Instead of accepting their money (which he had every right to as we will se later in 1 Corinthians) he instead made tents for a while to show he didn’t want the money of an influential city and its rich citizens.

When you piece together Acts 18:5, 2 Corinthians 9:11, and Philippians 4:14–17 you find that Timothy and Silas brought money from Macedonian Christians to support Paul so that he could minister at Corinth without taking Corinthians money →

Those churches sacrificially gave so that one of God’s ministers could teach other who taught others who then taught others. Their giving, patiently putting money aside for the work of the gospel made a difference.

Patient faithfulness

In Acts 18:9–10, the Lord speaks to Paul in a vision and shows him that he is there, he is with him, and despite the outward appearance God has (elected, reserved, etc 2 Timothy 1:10) people who will believe the word. And 18 months later, Paul leaves Corinth with a group of believers who are teaching one another and have become an established church.

Everywhere Paul went, he faced persecution and hardships. But he didn’t give up.

We likely won’t have God speak to us in a vision the same way he spoke to Paul, but we still have the promises of Jesus Christ that he has spoken to us in his word.

Hebrews 6:10 (KJV 1900)

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV 1900)

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Inspiration

As we go out today, what can we take from this chapter in the history of our faith, Acts 18?

The Christian life is to be lived with Christian patience: patient love, patient teaching, patient giving, and patient faithfulness.

And as that happens, we may find that even though we are not Paul, God has put Timothys, Aquilas, and Priscillas in our life. And rather than take those for granted, we need to let them know that we appreciate what they mean to us and what they mean to others.

Paul has left Athens and goes to Corinth. The first thing Luke records is a couple named Aquila and Priscilla. This written as Luke sets out to record his history of Christianity. And in that history, as he talks about some major places and events he also records specific people. Why? Because they are important parts of the story of Christianity’s history. As Paul moves from place to place and encounters some who accept the gospel and many who reject it, along the way there are individuals (like Timothy) and couples (like Aquila and Priscilla) who were there for Paul not only in the beginning but also throughout the remainder of his life and ministry.

Paul had no idea where his life was going to take him. And, he had no idea who in his life was going to come and go. But as Luke records the history of our faith, there are specific people who stand out for a specific reason: the never gave up on Jesus, and they never gave up on his messenger, Paul.

Before we get to the text of 1 Corinthians, we learn something about the place from Acts 18: God has his people there to encourage one another because unknown to them, they will face many difficulties along the way. 1 Corinthians will show us quite a bit of errors in that church. But no matter what happens between the beginning and the end, the story of Christianity is that Jesus has a relationship with individuals. But those individuals do not isolate—they join together to spread the gospel. And quite often, spreading the gospel means going through some very difficult times”ungospel-ly” times. Yet in those times, there will be Timothys, Priscillas, and Aquilas, that served to encourage one another more than realized at the time. How do we know? Because when we get to 2 Timothy 4 as Paul is about the face his final journey across a river darker and colder than any sea he encountered around the Mediterranean Sea, Paul tells Timothy in his final letter, “Make sure you tell Aquila and Priscilla I said thank you.”

Christian, you don’t know when the 2 Timothy 4 of your life will take place. Make sure those people who encouraged you along the way know that you appreciate them.

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy…

Acts 16:1

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Acts 18:1–3

Greet Prisca and Aquila…

2 Timothy 4:19