WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.279 Well, today we're talking about two really fun names to say, 2 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:04.919 Aquila and Priscilla. 3 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.919 Cool husband and wife, the tent makers and partners with Paul. 4 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:15.720 So he's Chris, that I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible Guys. 5 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:25.079 So Jeff. This week we're doing the segment all week 6 00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:26.359 of Stump the pastor. 7 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:27.920 Okay, And by the way, if you're. 8 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:29.679 Listening and you have any question that you want us 9 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:32.759 to try to tackle, you can send your emails into 10 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:37.640 info at right here the Bible Guys, the Bible Guys 11 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:38.000 dot com. 12 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:38.640 These are fun. 13 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:41.840 Yeah, they are fun. And so we've chosen five or 14 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:43.799 actually we haven't chosen them. They've been chosen for us 15 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:44.439 and handed to us. 16 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:44.840 That's right. 17 00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:49.039 And so today this one's comes from Larry P. And 18 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:53.119 Larry P says this. Hebrews nine twenty seven states, just 19 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:55.960 as a man is destined to die once and after 20 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.200 that to face judgment, how did Lazarus and Tabitha, whom 21 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:03.520 Jesus rose from the dead, not have to die a 22 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:08.719 physical death twice? And again to your point, anybody who 23 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:10.400 thinks about that are great thinkers. 24 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:13.879 Yes, So taking the word it's a point of a 25 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:17.359 man wants to die yes, and after that the judgment right, 26 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.760 so saying, then Lazarus and Tabitha they were raised from 27 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:22.879 the dead. They had died, then they were raised from 28 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:25.439 the dead. So Larry is saying, so then that must 29 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:26.920 mean that they didn't have to die again. 30 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:29.040 Right, because it says that's the point that the man 31 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:30.400 wants to die, right, right. 32 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:35.519 Right, So there's several things. That's a great question. By 33 00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:38.079 the way, it is, good job knowing versus in Hebrews. 34 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.719 The Bookie Hebrews has a certain amount of complexity to it. 35 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:42.599 There's a certain amount of depth and the kind of 36 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:45.959 Christian that can plow through the bookie Hebrews and grasp 37 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.879 it all right, So that's fantastic, which we're going to 38 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:50.640 get the Hebrews eventually, so that that's going to be good. 39 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:55.400 But good job on that, Larry. Here's what I would say, 40 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:59.079 the natural most of the time the Bible talks from 41 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:02.799 the natural position. This is the natural way the world works. 42 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:07.400 There's the natural thing whenever God chooses to do a miracle, 43 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:10.319 so he set up the natural laws, the natural law 44 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:12.360 of gravity. If you step off the roof of your 45 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.759 house and hit the ground, that wasn't a miracle that 46 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:17.360 caused you to hit the ground, that's just the natural law. 47 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:19.879 The natural law is you fall off the roof. Gravity 48 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:23.479 makes you hit the ground. So the natural way is 49 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:26.840 you die one time and after that is the judgment. 50 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:29.639 Yeah, it's the principle. It's the general principle for mankind, 51 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:30.960 and it's true for everybody. 52 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:34.479 That's true. When God does a miracle, that means that 53 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:38.520 he goes beyond the natural. That's why it's called supernatural. 54 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:41.639 God goes beyond the natural. And in those moments when 55 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.439 he goes beyond the natural way of things, he's making 56 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:46.159 an exception to the natural rule. 57 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:50.759 Like Peter was the only human recorded ever to defy 58 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:52.120 gravity and walk on water. 59 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:52.840 Except for Jesus. 60 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:57.719 Except for well, that's right, yeah, but I should say 61 00:02:57.719 --> 00:02:58.199 fully human. 62 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:04.080 Yes, that's right, so he so when God intervenes in the. 63 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:06.879 Natural, gum, it's hang on. Jesus was fully human. 64 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:09.879 I know, yes, he was also God. 65 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:11.800 I know, I know. I just I said the word fully. 66 00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:14.120 I was just gonna let let the heresy just hang 67 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:14.879 out there for a while. 68 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:17.800 I know what I mean. I'm just not saying it 69 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:21.520 correctly in my mind, and exactly, I know, I know 70 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:21.919 what you meant. 71 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:30.000 Peter's the only other guy besides Jesus. Right, that's that's perfect. 72 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:33.080 So to get back to this topic, because Larry is 73 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:34.879 waiting at the edge of the set for an answer, 74 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:36.919 and it's like, you, two yahoos, why did I ask 75 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:40.280 these guys? You could ask any other Bible teaching guy 76 00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:43.840 probably could have got a straight up answer. So so 77 00:03:44.039 --> 00:03:47.439 the natural is, that's natural. It's natural that we all 78 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:49.719 would die one time. When God chooses to reach in 79 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.400 and intervene in the natural, it's called supernatural. And in 80 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:55.879 that moment, God is making exception to the natural world laws. 81 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:58.360 And so in this situation when he raises Lazarus from 82 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:00.599 the dead or tab from the dead, there's a couple 83 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.719 other people. Now he intervened, that was the exception to 84 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:06.439 the rule. But they're not here now, and there's no 85 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.199 indication in the Bible that they were miraculously taken to heaven. 86 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.199 There are only two people that's mentioned that way. So 87 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:14.159 the assumption would be and Church history tells us Lazarus 88 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:17.800 died again, right, he died a second time. So for 89 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:19.959 you and me, we have a natural appointment one time, 90 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:22.279 and if God chooses to he can intervene and give 91 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.240 you two appointments instead of one. But that's an exception 92 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:25.800 to the rule. 93 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:29.360 So the summary would be is that this verse is 94 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:34.920 a natural statement for all of mankind, and Jesus made 95 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:38.120 an exception, made the exception Lazarus, Tabitha, and a few 96 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:41.000 other people whom he raised from the dead, like the 97 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:44.639 little girl. That's right, right, and and so yeah, that's it. 98 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:45.439 So they died twice. 99 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:48.720 Yeah, that's great. And you know what, the second time 100 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:51.160 you die, I bet you you're not scared of him anymore. 101 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:51.680 You know. 102 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.120 I think I heard a comedian John Christ talk about 103 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.319 you know, everybody says, oh, what a great day that 104 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:01.439 Jesus rose Lazarus from the grave. Everybody, everybody standing around 105 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.800 the grave is so happy, except for Lazarus. And he's 106 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:06.240 like what, Yeah, he's in heaven. And all of a sudden, 107 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.879 Uh Peter, Saint Peter runs up to him and goes, uh, listen, Uh, 108 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:11.959 God wants you to do him a favor. 109 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:14.240 St. Peter, Saint Peter was on earth. 110 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:17.160 Oh dead, gummets. Yeah, well, I'm just sort of riffing 111 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:17.720 off of John. 112 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:20.319 Yeah, I get it, I get it. Free to go back. 113 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:22.600 It's you know I'm as a sign off today. 114 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:26.519 You know, hey, I'll keep your floating through and stick 115 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:27.079 with me, buddy. 116 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.240 But anyway, but John Chris was talking about the fact 117 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:32.160 that he was in heaven and he was notified because 118 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:36.399 Saint Peter's always the guy in heaven, so he's notified 119 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.360 that he has to go back, and leaving Heaven to 120 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:40.399 go back to Earth was a bad day for Peter, 121 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:41.399 for Lazarus. 122 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.600 Yeah, you go from Paradise back to this planet. Yeah, 123 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:46.800 death and decay, disappointment, sadness. 124 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:49.000 I know my wife is at home right now, putting 125 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:50.720 on her makeup, listening to the Bible guys like she 126 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:54.319 always does every morning, and she's thinking, come on, husband, Yeah, no, no, 127 00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:55.040 get together. 128 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.120 No, I know what you meant. I know what you meant, 129 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:01.319 and your value goes way beyond pursued. Thanks buddy. Yeah, 130 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:06.079 we love you. So we are in We're in Acts 131 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:10.639 chapter eighteen, and this dynamic duo Priscilla and Aquila are 132 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:14.800 really incredible people and God uses both of them in 133 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:18.079 extraordinary ways in the lives of a couple of the 134 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:22.439 most influential Christian leaders in early church history. Right, So 135 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:24.360 let's pick up there. We're only going to read like 136 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:26.879 eleven verses today. But man, it's gonna be good then, 137 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.120 so verse one in chapter eighteen. Then Paul left Athens 138 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:32.639 and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a 139 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:36.000 Jew named Aquilla born and Pontius, who had recently arrived 140 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:38.920 from Italy with his wife Priscilla. They had left Italy 141 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:42.720 when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived 142 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:44.439 and worked with them, for they were tent makers, just 143 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:48.720 as he was. Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue 144 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:50.800 trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike, And after 145 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:54.120 Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all 146 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:57.199 his time preaching the Word. He testified to the Jews 147 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.639 that Jesus was the Messiah, but when they opposed and 148 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:02.160 assault to him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes 149 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:05.199 and said, your blood is upon your own heads. I'm innocent. 150 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:08.439 From now on, I will go and preach to the gentiles. 151 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:11.360 Then he left and went to the home of Tisitius Justice, 152 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.839 a gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to 153 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:17.639 the synagogue. Chrispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone 154 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.639 in this household believed in the Lord. Many others in 155 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.399 Corinth also heard Paul, became believers and were baptized. One night, 156 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:26.360 the Lord spoke to Paul, and a vision told him, 157 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:29.519 don't be afraid, speak out, don't be silent, for I 158 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:32.160 am with you. No one will attack you and harm you, 159 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:34.800 for many people in this city belong to me. So 160 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:36.600 Paul stayed there for the next year and a half 161 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:39.839 teaching the Word of God. So there you go. We 162 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:43.680 meet Aquilla and Priscilla, and I think, if I'm not mistaken, 163 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.240 that's the last time it's mentioned Aquilla and Priscilla from 164 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:48.680 this point on. Not allow as you Priscilla and Aquilla, 165 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.879 and they wind up having a huge impact. But in 166 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.240 the meantime, this is the beginning of the church in Corinth, 167 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.600 which winds up being a central church for quite some time. 168 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:01.680 Yeah. And also it's worth nov that Aquila and Priscilla 169 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:04.800 were tent makers, and they're the ones that sort of 170 00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:07.040 get Paul going on making tents. 171 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.279 Yeah. Well, so it looks like Paul's trade. It would 172 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:12.839 have been traditional with Jews that a boy would have 173 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:15.240 grown up with a trade, even if he wound up 174 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:17.839 being a scholar like Paul, so he probably was trained 175 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:20.639 to be a tent maker. But in this situation they 176 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.319 wound up connecting with each other because Equila and Priscilla 177 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:25.959 were tent makers and so was Paul. And you'll notice 178 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:28.480 Paul writes about that a few different times where he says, hey, 179 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.079 I didn't take any money from you people. He was 180 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:34.240 coming into these towns and he wasn't receiving offerings for himself. 181 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.519 He was paying his own way by being tent maker. Yeahs, 182 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:37.960 so were they. 183 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:42.840 So the notes in My New Life, a life application 184 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:46.000 study Bible says that Priscilla and Aquilla met Paul and 185 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:48.120 Corinth and the Second Mission in a journey. They had 186 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:51.639 just been expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius and his 187 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:54.960 decree against Jews. Their home was movable as the tents 188 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:56.039 that made to support themselves. 189 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:57.159 They opened up their home to. 190 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:59.639 Paul and he joined them in tent making, and he 191 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.600 shared with them their wealth of spiritual wisdom. And then 192 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.440 it says this this is worth noting as well. Priscilla 193 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:08.279 and Equila made most of their spiritual education. They listened 194 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:11.320 carefully to the sermons and evaluated what they heard and 195 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:14.360 when they heard Apolo speak. They were impressed by his ability, 196 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:18.720 but realized that his information was not complete. Instead of 197 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.960 open confrontation, the couple took Apaulos quietly home and shared 198 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.080 with him what he needed to know and until then 199 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:27.320 a police that had been aware only of John the 200 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:31.399 Baptist's message about Christ, but Priscilla and Equilla told him 201 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:34.960 about Jesus life, death and resurrection and the reality of 202 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.720 God's drualing spirit. So so really it was you know, 203 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:41.879 Apaulus who had sort of gone off and was carrying 204 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:45.799 on John the Baptist message, and Equillala and Priscilla had, 205 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.240 you know, had you know, it's almost like having you 206 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:50.919 heard a polos. Haven't you heard that? You know, it's 207 00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:53.480 not just the announcement of the Messiah. Messiah says the 208 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:55.960 Messiah has come, and so they're the ones, and it 209 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:58.120 says that they did do it publicly, they put them 210 00:09:58.360 --> 00:09:59.440 aside privately. Y. 211 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:02.200 It happens a little bit later in the story, although 212 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:04.320 it's only just a few verses after the verses we read. 213 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.600 The day in this time slot is when you know 214 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:09.720 it's a year and a half long. The Bible says 215 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:11.840 tall stay there a year and a half during this time. 216 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:14.519 During that time he wrote the books of First and 217 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:17.279 Second Thessalonians. He wrote a couple of the other the 218 00:10:17.320 --> 00:10:20.080 books during that time. So actually tomorrow we're pivoting into 219 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.480 Thessalonians right right, And then when we come back after 220 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:26.440 we get out of Thessalonians, then we'll read about how 221 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:30.840 Priscilla and Aquilla discipled Apollos and kind of corrected some 222 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.559 of his theology. And then later on we find in 223 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:38.559 Corinthians that Apollos is one of the great leaders. It's Paul, Peter, 224 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:42.679 and Apollos. They're the three famous ones when Paul writes 225 00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:45.200 his letter back to Corinth. So let's talk to us 226 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:51.080 a little bit about Corinth. Corinth was an economic hub. 227 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:55.720 If you know how Greece is designed or built, there's 228 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.200 the thick part at the top, it comes down to 229 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:01.960 a very narrow isthmus, and then it widens back out 230 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:04.879 at the bottom. And at that very narrow part, the 231 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:10.720 ancients dug a canal from the a g and c 232 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:13.320 over to the Adriatic Sea, right and they dug this 233 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:14.960 thing so that the ships wouldn't have to go all 234 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:16.519 the way around the bottom of Greece. They could just 235 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:19.799 cut right through the middle. So corinth sits right there 236 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:24.919 on that canal and was Las Vegas times one hundred. 237 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:30.000 It was the wildest city in that entire portion of 238 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:33.720 the Roman Empire. It was off the hook all the time. 239 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:37.440 And then it was every kind of debauchery. It's all 240 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.759 these sailors coming in and out. It's the Roman soldiers 241 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:43.720 coming in and out of that town. The people were wild. 242 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.080 And then even the temple worship, so there was a 243 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:53.080 temple to Aphrodite there, and the temple worship was with 244 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:58.080 the you worshiped Aphrodite with the temple prostitutes, the male 245 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:01.600 and female temple prostitutes, is how you. So it was 246 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:05.080 a crazy city, and so you can imagine that's why 247 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:07.600 Paul is. You know, he's trying to preach a gospel, 248 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:10.480 but it's pretty intimidating because he's looking around and the 249 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:13.360 world is just crazy. There's no crazier city he's ever 250 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:16.559 been in than Corinth. And so God has to say 251 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.600 in this vision, don't be afraid, speak out, don't be silent. 252 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:21.960 I'm with you, and no one will attack you and 253 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:24.279 hire you. For many people in this city belong to me, 254 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:26.840 And I think it's important for us as we're kind 255 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:29.240 of surrounded by a pretty crazy world right now. A 256 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:31.080 lot of Christians are afraid to speak up. A lot 257 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.559 of Christians are afraid to declare their faith. They're afraid 258 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:35.440 that they're going to pay some price, and we forget 259 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:38.159 that there are many, many, many people. They might be silent, 260 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:41.720 but there's many people that are on God's side. And 261 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:43.600 so you know, I think that's one of the reasons 262 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:45.799 why we need to encourage one another. The church is 263 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.200 so much more important. The darker the world gets, the 264 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.639 more important it is that we're connected to a group 265 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:53.679 of Christians that encourage one each other, encourage one another, 266 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:55.360 that there's lots of people on God's side, on the 267 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:55.919 side of right. 268 00:12:56.200 --> 00:13:00.559 Yeah, so everybody would have sailed through that canal, everybody 269 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:02.000 would have been to Corinth. It would have been the 270 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:06.360 city that everybody would have had to. Yeah, And so 271 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:11.240 you know, it's amazing how you know people in New York. 272 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.759 Remember one time I went to a Passion conference. So 273 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:19.840 I'm going to reference Louis Giglio, who's a you know, 274 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:21.720 part of the Passion movement, and this is back in 275 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:24.960 the day, and he remember him coming back and you know, 276 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:26.840 I was a part of his group. And he said, 277 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:29.679 you know, people have told me for decades that you 278 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:32.639 can't have an effective ministry in New York City because 279 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:34.879 New York City is full of people who are just 280 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.039 anti religious and all these different kind of things and 281 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.200 it's X, Y and Z, and you know, it's just 282 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.799 it's not going to happen. And he said, and yet, 283 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.799 he said, we had this passion conference and we opened 284 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:46.600 it up into this huge arena and I don't know 285 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:48.960 what it was, thirteen thousand people and he said, it's 286 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:54.440 sold out faster than any other city. And so it's 287 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:56.960 that reminds me of what you just said. So you know, 288 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:01.360 here's God telling you know, Corinth or Paul. Looking at Corinth, 289 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:04.320 you may be intimidated. You may be told that just 290 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:06.960 because of all the people that are here and all 291 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:09.519 the wickedness and all the debaucher and everything else, that 292 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:12.480 there's no believers there. But they're here right right. And 293 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:14.639 it reminds me of that speech that Louis gave. 294 00:14:14.840 --> 00:14:19.759 Yeah to us, that's fantastic, I think that. So because 295 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.960 of this encouragement, he says, Okay, well, I'm going to 296 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.759 hang in here for a year. Because he realized that Okay, 297 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:28.639 well if there are some other believers, let's dig in 298 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:31.279 and let's get a foothold here. So the church in 299 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:34.360 corinth he winds up. Later on, he writes a couple 300 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:38.720 of books, several books back to the Corinthians. The Bible 301 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:41.120 seems to reference maybe four different letters that he wrote 302 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:44.200 to Corinthians. Some people would say that First Corinthians is 303 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:46.759 two and San Crinthians is two letters, that it appears 304 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.000 that maybe there's two chunks or he wrote four separate letters. 305 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:51.879 But he writes back to them and a lot of times, 306 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:54.840 and for them they're Christians, but he's saying, you're living 307 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:58.440 like the world. So a lot of his letters that 308 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.720 he writes to the Corinthians in particular, I think are 309 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:03.919 very very relevant to us as Christians today. Of all 310 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:06.639 of Paul's letters, it almost feels like the Book of 311 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:09.799 Corinthia first and secrearitys are written rate at our American 312 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:12.679 culture today, because he's saying, watch out for a living 313 00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:15.759 like the world. Be careful about sexual purity, you know, 314 00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:18.480 put God first, choose to get along, use your spiritual 315 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:21.759 gifts to serve other people. He's writing things to them 316 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:23.159 that he doesn't have to write to a lot of 317 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:25.720 most of the rest of place, he's writing encouragement. But 318 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:27.399 to them, there's one time, a couple different times, he 319 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:31.240 tells him, don't make me come there, right because they're misbehaving, 320 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:33.879 or he says, you know, word has gotten around that 321 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:37.440 every time you guys get together, you're fighting. And I 322 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:38.559 believe it because I've been there. 323 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:39.039 Right. 324 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:42.840 So they're pretty worldly, and but he believes in them, 325 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:44.440 and so he decided I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna stay 326 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:47.559 for a year and a half. And God blesses that ministry, 327 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:50.240 and out of it comes many great leaders. I have 328 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:54.000 a note for verses ten and eleven, you know, because 329 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.360 it says many other people became followers of Christ. It 330 00:15:56.440 --> 00:16:02.240 mentions who doesn't mention there, mentions Titius Justice. It mentions 331 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:04.480 a couple of other people. But here it mentions people 332 00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:07.440 that Paul talks about throughout the rest of the Bible. Phoebe, 333 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:11.600 she's the one who took the Book of Romans to Rome. 334 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:20.000 She became a Christian during that time. Yeah, I like Foebes, Yeah, yeah, Tertius, Erastus, Cortus, Chloe, 335 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.879 that lady she's mentioned a couple different times, Gaeis Stephanus 336 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:28.000 in his household. He mentions him in Corinthians, Fortunatus Akeakus. 337 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:31.759 There's several people that Paul winds up going on ministry with. 338 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.759 These people serve with him and sharing the gospel in 339 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.000 other places. So he wasn't just there struggling and not 340 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:41.320 seeing any fruit. He stayed in a very difficult place, 341 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:43.960 was seeing fruit. And not only was he seeing fruit 342 00:16:43.960 --> 00:16:46.200 and people coming too faith in Christ. These people became 343 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:49.039 ministry partners of his that wound up going on. And 344 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:53.679 so don't under sometimes we overestimate what one conversation or 345 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.840 what's one speech or one message should accomplish, and we 346 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:00.360 underestimate what can happen in twelve months or eighteen or 347 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:05.559 two years of real intentional discipleship and disciple making, you know. 348 00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:10.039 And also there's a lesson in there. It reminds me 349 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:12.880 that there's power in being in the same community for 350 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:15.920 a long time. So you've been in the community that 351 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:17.440 you live in now for how many years? 352 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:20.039 Almost seventeen years, sixteen and a half. 353 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:23.240 Years, So I've been in this area for since two 354 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.480 thousand and four, so it would have been it's been 355 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:29.440 eighteen years. So pretty similar, just like most everything for us. Absolutely, 356 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:33.319 But anyway, but I remember going to my wife and 357 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:36.880 I went to the supermarket way up, I mean it 358 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.559 was almost twenty five minutes away in the opposite direction, 359 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:42.440 not even the same county as we're in right now, 360 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:44.799 and had gone over and we went to a Trader 361 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:48.000 Joe's or something, and I ran into somebody and this 362 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:51.440 person actually asked me about like, hey, when you go places, 363 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.759 do people recognize you? And you know, sort of like 364 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:55.640 making it a bigger deal than it is, you know, sure, 365 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:59.759 And I was reminded and I said, well, actually it's 366 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.920 it's sort of just the benefit of being around in 367 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:03.200 one community for a long time. 368 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:04.319 Yeah, And when you're. 369 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.839 Around you can make a lasting difference. So it's a 370 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:09.319 great encouragement for all of us that you know, you're 371 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.039 not going to necessarily, you know, make a difference in 372 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:15.079 somebody's life in a ten minute conversation. You know, if 373 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:18.200 somebody is going through real problems, to invest in them, 374 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:21.279 to meet with them consistently, over and over, put your 375 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:24.920 time in. Because when you decide to plant yourself either 376 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.720 in a community or in somebody's life, or to invest 377 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:30.640 in somebody, you can make a real difference. And so 378 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:33.960 Paul staying here is amazing because it just mentions it 379 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.680 and it breezes over it. Oh a year and a half, 380 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:39.160 just like that boom one verse. But we can't undrest it. 381 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:41.839 We can't even begin to imagine all the time in 382 00:18:41.880 --> 00:18:43.759 the ministry that Paul did in that year and a half. 383 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:47.279 It's such such a big thing, and we can't under 384 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.400 we can't overtalk this topic. I don't think this is 385 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.119 why God gives you your children for as many years 386 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:56.039 as they stay. It used to be eighteen and now 387 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:58.079 it's out in twenty six or thirty years that you 388 00:18:58.119 --> 00:19:02.799 can stay. I feel your pay exactly, but you know 389 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:07.839 it's time. It's faithfulness over time. It's intentionality over time. 390 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:12.000 But it's also being intentional about the words you say. 391 00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:16.640 So God said, don't be afraid, speak out, don't be silent. 392 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:19.839 So a lot of times what we're hoping is we 393 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:24.599 hope that you know, my presence around them for fifteen 394 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:29.000 years or eighteen years, that presence it'll rub off. But 395 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:31.319 it does require that we're not afraid, that we do 396 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:33.680 speak up, that we declare things. It's the same thing 397 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:36.279 with our co workers so yes, you should live like 398 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.960 a Christian. Hopefully they'll notice that you're living differently than them. 399 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:42.119 But you should also speak up. There needs to be 400 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:44.720 intentionality with the words that you say that you're bringing 401 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:48.440