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Acts 18 - Devotion · The Five Minute Bible Podcast

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  Welcome to Five Minute Bible in our journey through the New
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  Testament. In each episode, we take just a
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  few minutes to focus on one chapter of the New Testament,
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  exploring the truths God is teaching us through His Word and
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  expanding our view of who He is. Before you listen, make sure
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  you've gone straight to the source, either by reading
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  today's chapter of the Bible yourself or listening to today's
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  read along episode in this podcast feed.
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  If you haven't done that yet, feel free to pause and do that
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  now. And when you're ready, let's
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  dive into God's word together. As we come to Acts chapter 18,
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  we see Paul arrive in the city of Corinth.
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  There he meets a Jewish couple named Aquila and Priscilla
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  who've been forced into Corinth. When the Roman Emperor Claudius
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  commands all the Jews to leave Rome, Paul ends up working with
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  Priscilla and Aquila because they worked in the same trade as
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  he did tent making. This couple is part of the
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  Corinthian church and work with Paul and his ministry there.
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  So much so that when Paul sets sail for Syria, Priscilla and
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  Aquila are with him. They arrive with him at Ephesus
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  where Paul continues to preach the gospel like Corinth.
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  We'll see Paul later write a New Testament epistle to this church
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  founded at Ephesus. The time comes for Paul to
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  depart from Ephesus, and it's Priscilla and Aquila who appeal
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  to Paul to stay longer. He continues on though into the
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  region of Galatia, who again is the recipient of one of Paul's
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  New Testament letters. He leaves Priscilla and Aquila
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  behind at Ephesus to continue on there.
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  Here is where I want us to pick up the story of this couple who
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  continued to say yes to God's call, who continued to put their
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  specific gifts and talents to work for the Kingdom of God.
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  Listen to what happens in Ephesus starting in verse 24.
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  Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an
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  eloquent man, came to Ephesus, and he was mighty.
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  In the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in
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  the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he was
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  speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus,
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  being acquainted only with the baptism of John.
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  And he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue.
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  But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside
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  and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
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  And when he wanted to go across to Achaea, the brethren
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  encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him.
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  And when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had
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  believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in
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  public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the
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  Christ. God is raising up another
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  influential minister of the gospel, Apollos.
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  But before he can be the evangelist that God has called
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  him to be, he needs some gentle correction.
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  He needs to hear the full truth about the Holy Spirit, the full
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  power of the gospel of Jesus. And who is it that's there to
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  instruct him? It's Priscilla and Aquila.
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  And again, we see this couple who is not seeking the
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  spotlight, they're not seeking positions of authority, they're
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  not seeking to be the center of attention.
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  They are seeking to be obedient. They're seeking to live out the
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  calling that God has put on their life.
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  In particular, to be a support and an encouragement to Paul and
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  Apollos in their ministry. This spirit LED couple is an
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  early church embodiment of what it looks like to be content in
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  your role in the body of Christ and to build up the body by
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  walking in fruitful and faithful obedience in that role.
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  So what about you? How has God equipped you within
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  your local church? How has He gifted you?
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  What spheres of influence has He given to you?
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  Don't try to be someone that you aren't, but don't sit idle,
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  serve. Use the gifts that He has given
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  you and like Priscilla and Aquila, build up Christchurch.