Target Statement: Ministry isn’t just something to do, it’s the heartbeat of who we are.

The truth is that marriage isn’t the high water mark for God to use you:

• Noah drank too much, but God used him to save mankind
• Joseph was an entitled teenager who God used to save Egypt and Israel
• Rahab was a prostitute who helped God’s people conquer Jericho
• Esther was an orphan who was adopted, then became queen to save Israel
• Paul was a single guy that went from ending local churches, to planting them

All of that to say, your influence is not limited by your marital status, nationality, tax bracket, education level, or addictions. Your ability to live a full and significant life is based only on your relationship with Jesus. We are all on the same team, just playing different positions.

Doing ministry with your spouse looks like:

1. Unity of Calling

Priscilla’s Background 

• Aristrocratic common Roman name
• Likely a Roman citizen, higher class than her husband (mentioned first)
• She would of had access to money, networking, and business leads

Aquila’s Background 

• Jewish by birth
• Freed slave living in Rome, working a trade
• More than likely came from a family of tent makers, meaning he was good at what he did

Take-a-ways:

• In marriage, past differences aren’t excuses for current dysfunction.
• If you are married, God’s plan for you is unity. If you aren’t there, eat some chocolate, and try again.
• If you are single, pray for your married friends. (We really need it.)

2. Rhythm of Hospitality 

You can see multiple times in our text where their spirit of hospitality is used to strengthen and support the believers:

• When Paul meets Aquila in Corinth, it says “...because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.” (Acts 18:3)
• With God’s word of peace, Scripture says “Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half…” (Acts 18:11) → Where was he staying? At Priscilla & Aquila’s house. That’s not a short term mission trip, friends.
• “Then he [Paul] left the brothers and sailed for Syria...accompanied by Priscilla & Aquila.” (Acts 18:18) They followed God as a unit for a time.
• “They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila.” (Acts 18:19) → What did Priscilla & Aquila do in Ephesus? Opened their home.
• Apollos, a bold, knowledgeable teacher came on the scene in Ephesus. We’ll get to him more in a minute. He knew most of the story but not all of it, and Priscilla & Aquila were quick to use their home as a place of teaching and encouragement for this passionate follower of Jesus. (Acts 18:26)
• When they make it back to Rome, they open their home for church! Paul sends greetings to and from them for other churches in Romans 16:3-5 and 1 Cor 16: 19.

Being single doesn’t exclude you from being hospitable; it simply looks different. 

How can you be creative with hospitality? How can you take your hospitality to someone in need? Ex: meal train, sweet treat in a hard season, gas money, an afternoon to clean someone else’s house so they can rest, etc.

Take-a-ways:

• The dinner table is the most underrated church service in the world.
• Hospitality isn’t measured by clean dishes or clean floors. It’s measured by open doors and full hearts.

3. Commitment to the Word

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17.

In vv. 24–28 we find Priscilla and Aquila explaining the Gospel of grace to Apollos. He knew only the baptism of John, which meant he had never learned of the baptism of the Spirit and the founding of the church. Instead of embarrassing him in public, Priscilla and Aquila took him home and taught him the Word. Prov. 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Apollos proves to us that it is possible to have eloquence, zeal, and sincerity, and still be wrong! God led Apollos to Corinth, and there God gave him a strong ministry (1 Cor. 3:6; 16:12).

What does studying scripture together in your marriage look like? What does praying together in your marriage look like? If our marriages are going to be solid, then we have to build a foundation that is solid.

Take-a-ways:

• God’s Word is the foundation of a healthy marriage
• When your marriage is under attack or facing a hurdle, knowing God is what grounds you.
• It’s God’s Word that brings credibility to Christ-followers, not the other way around.