Speaker 1: We pick our text today from the book of Acts, chapter 18, verse 24 to 28.
Speaker 1: Acts, chapter number 18, verse 24 to 28.
Speaker 1: Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.
Speaker 1: He was a learned man with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.
Speaker 1: He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately.
Speaker 1: Though he knew only the baptism of John, he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
Speaker 1: In the synagogue, when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Speaker 1: When Apollos wanted to go to a care, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and brought to the disciples there to welcome him.
Speaker 1: When he arrived, he was a great help to those who, by grace, had believed, for he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Speaker 1: Father in heaven.
Speaker 1: We thank you for your word this morning and we pray that you open it for us, that we may receive it from you, as you use me as a vessel Through your word.
Speaker 1: I pray that you're going to draw somebody to Christ this morning, that they may have fellowship with you.
Speaker 1: We bless you In Jesus' name.
Speaker 1: We pray Amen, you may have your seats.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much for this opportunity, once more for us to share in the Word of God.
Speaker 1: I am just hoping that in my head I have not left out any preliminaries.
Speaker 1: But let me first bring greetings from Membley Baptist Church.
Speaker 1: I was there last Sunday ministering Pastor Simon and they sent greetings.
Speaker 1: Pastor Quira and the team there sent us greetings.
Speaker 1: I pray that you receive them in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1: And this morning one of my neighbors, who is also a pastor, called me on something different and he said greet the church.
Speaker 1: So receive greetings from my neighbor, pastor.
Speaker 1: Amen Good, my family is also here, apart from Milka.
Speaker 1: My wife and two other ladies should be seated somewhere.
Speaker 1: I thought they should be there.
Speaker 1: Yes, there they are, and we bless the Lord for you being here and for being part of this ministry today.
Speaker 1: This morning, I would like us to share briefly on the subject redeeming empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: Redeeming empowered relationships Just to remind us and for those who are probably visiting with us yes, those who are visiting, because we have some guests.
Speaker 1: Our theme this year is the year of the Lord's empowered world changes.
Speaker 1: That's the theme that we are.
Speaker 1: We have been receiving the word of God or guiding us in terms of our preaching, and we have a book here, written by our senior pastor, just guiding us in terms of what the Lord is saying to us this year.
Speaker 1: And so we have sub themes and the sub theme for this month is empowered relationships enabled ministry Sunday.
Speaker 1: Pastor Simon started us off very powerfully on this and I would like to pick it up from there.
Speaker 1: Our character for this month we have.
Speaker 1: Who are our character for this month, wenyeji?
Speaker 1: Who are our character for this month?
Speaker 1: I can see you are whispering the right answer.
Speaker 1: So it is Priscilla and Aquila.
Speaker 1: I pray that we are going to learn something from them.
Speaker 1: From the passage that I just read Concerning empowered relationships, our senior pastor, in this theme vision, has pointed out to us the following properties concerning empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: He says in page 208 and 209, that the heavenly Father purposed us for empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: The glorious son displayed for us empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit equipped us for empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: And then he says the word of God gives us insight into empowered relationships and, finally, prevailing prayers energize us for empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: And through the pastor's word in the bulletin, pastor Kiniti identifies three key empowered relationships with regards to our characters of the month and that is Priscilla and Aquila.
Speaker 1: If you look at the bulletin, you will see that we have.
Speaker 1: This couple represents at least three relationships and one of them is what I'm referring to as intimate relationship and these are mostly within the family circles.
Speaker 1: They are relationships within the family circles and if you look at Acts, chapter 18, verse one, we are told clearly that a man named Aquila and his wife, priscilla.
Speaker 1: They represent that relationship and many of us here represent or have those relationships because we all come from families.
Speaker 1: But secondly, they also represent what I'm calling the ethnic relationships.
Speaker 1: They represent the tribes, the recess, because in verse two of chapter 18, the Bible says clearly and Dr Luke wants to point us, to point to us that Aquila was a Jew.
Speaker 1: Of course we don't know whether Priscilla was also a Jew, but Aquila was a Jew and we also know that Paul was a Jew.
Speaker 1: We all have come from different tribes, different races, different tongues, and that relationship is also represented by this couple, priscilla and Aquila.
Speaker 1: But they also represent what I'm calling marketplace relationships.
Speaker 1: These are the employee-employer relationships.
Speaker 1: If you look at verse three, these are the business partners, the associates, the people out there in the marketplace.
Speaker 1: And they are relationships that we form in the marketplace, because we are told in verse three that Paul identified with this couple because he was a tent maker as they were.
Speaker 1: It seems to me that that was one of the main connecting point the Bible says and because he was a tent maker as they were, he stayed and worked with them and so he's able to connect with them at that point of being tent makers.
Speaker 1: And I refer to that as the marketplace relationships.
Speaker 1: But this morning let me also introduce two more critical relationships in the life of every believer, and the first one is what I'm referring to as the spiritual relationship.
Speaker 1: Spiritual relationship and this is the relationship with God.
Speaker 1: It is the relationship that comes following the new birth.
Speaker 1: It is the spiritual birth John, chapter one, verse 12 and 13, says Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Speaker 1: And this morning I pray that you who is listening to this sermon, that you have this relationship.
Speaker 1: It is the relationship with the Father, with God, and it is a very important and key relationship.
Speaker 1: But the other relationship I also see in the life of a believer is what I'm calling the faith relationship.
Speaker 1: And what is the faith relationship?
Speaker 1: This is the relationship with one another in God, and it transcends the marketplace relationships, it transcends the race, it transcends even the intimate relationships.
Speaker 1: The Bible tells us in Galatians, chapter 3, verse 26 to 28,.
Speaker 1: It says so in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.
Speaker 1: We have all become the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: And then Paul says for all of you who are baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Speaker 1: And this is what I mean when I say it transcends all these other relationships, because in verse 28 it says there is neither Jew nor Gentile, the ethnic relationships, neither slave nor free, the marketplace relationships, nor is there male and female, the gender relationships.
Speaker 1: They are part of the intimate relationships.
Speaker 1: And then he says for you are all one in Christ Jesus, turn to yourself and say we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 1: I said you turn to yourself, not to your neighbor.
Speaker 1: Sometimes the problem is not with your neighbor, sometimes the problem is with me, the individual.
Speaker 1: So turn to yourself once again and say for we are all one in Christ Jesus, because through this faith relationship now there is no Gentile, there is no Jew, there is no slave, there is no free, there is no male, there is no female.
Speaker 1: We have all become one in Jesus Christ and this is a very important relationship, relationship, I mean.
Speaker 1: But let us also face the reality.
Speaker 1: Though these relationships are referred to as empowered relationships, sometimes they don't look empowered.
Speaker 1: Do you agree with me this morning?
Speaker 1: Do I have somebody who agrees with me this morning?
Speaker 1: Sometimes, those intimate relationships, there are times when they are full of babe and sweetheart and darling.
Speaker 1: But there are also times when they are full of where you agree with me.
Speaker 1: When things are very good, it is babe and sweetheart and darling.
Speaker 1: When things are not so good, there is some cold that has visited the relationship.
Speaker 1: Some of them go to Babanani, or even your name, david.
Speaker 1: That's just an example, david.
Speaker 1: But when things are thick, we go straight to the point.
Speaker 1: There is no sugar.
Speaker 1: We need money for sugar when things are thick.
Speaker 1: Sometimes these relationships are not always.
Speaker 1: How about the faith relationships?
Speaker 1: Sometimes they are not always cordial.
Speaker 1: Yes, we may be singing.
Speaker 1: Praise the Lord, hallelujah.
Speaker 1: Glory to Jesus.
Speaker 1: You know, we are doing ministry, we are working together.
Speaker 1: But the truth is sometimes these relationships suffer some friction, don't they?
Speaker 1: Not in Parkland's Baptist Church, so don't get me wrong, in some other places, not here.
Speaker 1: But I have good news this morning that even with that, there is hope for the redemption of empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: Praise the Lord, hallelujah.
Speaker 1: There is hope for your relationship, whichever category it falls.
Speaker 1: There is hope for that marriage.
Speaker 1: There is hope for that father-son relationship.
Speaker 1: There is hope for that mother-daughter relationship.
Speaker 1: There is hope for that for us in the ministry, in the faith, there is hope as far as our relationships are concerned.
Speaker 1: Today I will mainly focus on the rest of the relationships other than the spiritual relationship.
Speaker 1: But let me make a point there that the spiritual relationship, to a great extent it significantly affects the state of all these other relationships.
Speaker 1: How you are relating with God to a great extent will determine how you relate with your wife or your husband.
Speaker 1: It will determine how we are going to relate as members of Parkland's Baptist Church.
Speaker 1: It will determine how we are going to relate in the marketplace, how we are relating with God as a significant influence on how then these other relationships will work out.
Speaker 1: And for more on that you can check the Wednesday sermon, the Wednesday service sermon.
Speaker 1: I was talking about Christ-like relationships, and that really narrowed on the spiritual aspect of it.
Speaker 1: However, today's passage, then we see that Paul, in his second missionary journey, he comes to Corinth and it is in Corinth where he meets this couple that has come from Rome.
Speaker 1: If you read verse 1 of chapter 18, it gives us the introduction that after this things, paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
Speaker 1: And in verse 2 it says and he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla.
Speaker 1: Why?
Speaker 1: For what reason?
Speaker 1: Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome.
Speaker 1: Paul and this couple come together and they meet at Corinth for different circumstances, but immediately they strike a relationship.
Speaker 1: It is this couple that then Paul travels with them to Ephesus and he leaves them there while he proceeds on in his missionary journey.
Speaker 1: And it is while Priscilla and Apollo are there.
Speaker 1: The Bible talks tells us that a man who hailed from Alexandria in Egypt, by the name Apollos, showed up.
Speaker 1: Tell your neighbor, apollos is in town.
Speaker 1: Apollos has showed up, the man is in town.
Speaker 1: And this is where they have an encounter with Priscilla and Aquila.
Speaker 1: And it is from this encounter between Priscilla, aquila and Apollos that, this morning, I would like us to draw some redemptive principles that can help us in the redeeming of our empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: And let me say this at this point your relationship may not look empowered, it may not feel like it is empowered, but I am here to encourage you that God has purposed that your relationships should be empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: And so, this morning, what are some principles we can then pick from this passage quickly?
Speaker 1: The first one is this if we are going to redeem our empowered relationships, then we must learn to recognize the good and celebrate it.
Speaker 1: We must learn to recognize the good in the other party or parties to our empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: Not only should we learn to recognize, but we should also learn to celebrate those good things.
Speaker 1: And let me say this there is always something good in everyone.
Speaker 1: In fact there is a lot of good in everyone.
Speaker 1: Why?
Speaker 1: Because God's deposit in everyone is goodness.
Speaker 1: There is something good about me, but I guess it was fever.
Speaker 1: Or rather, let me put it this way there is something good about today's preacher.
Speaker 1: Maybe he is tall, dark chocolate and handsome.
Speaker 1: There must be something good about today's preacher.
Speaker 1: What was good in Apollos.
Speaker 1: Let's read what was good in Apollos.
Speaker 1: This is what the Bible tells us in verse 24.
Speaker 1: It tells us now, a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Speaker 1: This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord and, being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.
Speaker 1: And then verse 26 tells us so he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
Speaker 1: We can pick a few or some characteristics, and the writer of the book of Acts is keen to point them out.
Speaker 1: We cannot miss them.
Speaker 1: He says that this man was eloquent.
Speaker 1: This man was eloquent and many times we have all agreed that our associate pastor is very eloquent.
Speaker 1: He has new vocabulary every Sunday.
Speaker 1: Apollos was an eloquent man, and that is pointed out.
Speaker 1: But the writer also tells us that this man was no mean fit when it came to the Scriptures.
Speaker 1: He says he was mighty in Scripture.
Speaker 1: You know, nowadays there is a statement that there is a so and so, a preacher so and so is very deep.
Speaker 1: You don't know whether you've heard that.
Speaker 1: You haven't listened to so and so.
Speaker 1: They are very deep.
Speaker 1: Now here is a man who was not only deep but he was mighty in Scripture.
Speaker 1: That is what we are told about him.
Speaker 1: But we are also told that he was instructed in the way of the Lord and that basically means he was learned.
Speaker 1: Maybe he had a diploma in theological studies.
Speaker 1: He had a diploma in studies about the Lord, so he was not beating around the bush.
Speaker 1: He was quoting here and quoting there, quoting great scholars at his level.
Speaker 1: So he was not a quack, he was a learned man.
Speaker 1: This man was not like Peter and John.
Speaker 1: Remember Peter and John?
Speaker 1: Because the Bible tells us about Peter and John that they were not schooled.
Speaker 1: Those guys were not schooled.
Speaker 1: They may have been mighty in Scripture, but they were not schooled.
Speaker 1: This fellow is mighty in Scripture and he is also schooled.
Speaker 1: He was fervent in spirit, very enthusiastic.
Speaker 1: He was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus.
Speaker 1: That's what the Bible tells us, meaning that for sure, our Paulus was skilled.
Speaker 1: But finally, we are also told that he was bold in speech.
Speaker 1: I want us to pause for a moment because today we are going to be a bit practical.
Speaker 1: You have your notebook or wherever you are taking some notes, those of us who are taking in their heads that's brain, head or brain In their brains or heart.
Speaker 1: That is still okay.
Speaker 1: But I want you to think about that relationship that is struggling or is having some challenge, or it's even thriving at the moment, whatever it is, whether it is an intimate relationship, whether it is a marketplace relationship, whether it is the faith relationship, and at this moment I want you to think let somebody come to mind, or some people come to mind, then write two things that you know are good about them.
Speaker 1: There are people who are looking at me, pastor.
Speaker 1: Do you think there is anything good in that man or in that woman?
Speaker 1: I see my wife writing, so I am encouraged.
Speaker 1: There must be something, not something.
Speaker 1: There is something good about that person and I want to encourage you that plan to celebrate someone today Whom you share a certain relationship, by just telling them something good about them.
Speaker 1: Tell them I appreciate the way you fill it in, you can tell them, I appreciate the way you visit us, I appreciate the way you pray for us, I appreciate that you bite the bullet on our behalf.
Speaker 1: Whatever it is, there is something good that you can celebrate.
Speaker 1: And then we make this a habit that we can start celebrating the good things in the people that we share relationships with.
Speaker 1: Once in a while, tell someone I appreciate that you do A or B, or that you are A and B and C and D, and I will be appreciating my daughter that she took that ball step and said, dad, I want to sing one day, and for sure, standing here is no mean feat.
Speaker 1: Ask me and ask those of us who stand here you can stand here and forget your name.
Speaker 1: There is a gentleman who stood here some time back.
Speaker 1: I won't give much details.
Speaker 1: You may know the person and the conferences he introduced, his family.
Speaker 1: He talked about his family, my wife so and so my first born so and so my second born so and so, and he forgot his third born, carpisa, and he left the podium without telling us who the third born was.
Speaker 1: And that person, it wasn't just someone, he behaved a very senior person.
Speaker 1: So just for taking that boldness, daughter, I celebrate you and I love you.
Speaker 1: God bless you and, of course, the siblings as well.
Speaker 1: But secondly and therefore, if we are going to redeem our relationships, even if she doesn't cook very well, very nice, tasty food, appreciate her that she cooks.
Speaker 1: Let's say you know, darling, you cook.
Speaker 1: Sometimes we have roast to garlic, but at least you cook.
Speaker 1: We never sleep hungry.
Speaker 1: If he comes with a love for bread, just say although you, for the last several days you haven't brought meat, but at least we have bread for breakfast every morning, celebrate something and start redeeming that relationship in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1: Here in church.
Speaker 1: Pastors, we can celebrate deacons, our pastor Kimani I think we need to have a fellowship in the course of the week and we just point out all our deacons and we send a word and say deacon, we thank you for being our chair.
Speaker 1: Deacon Nathan, we thank you for being in the missions team.
Speaker 1: I think we need to do that.
Speaker 1: Pastor Kimani, I hope we can do that, and the deacons as well.
Speaker 1: Deacon Kaopa, just celebrating the pastors.
Speaker 1: We may not be the best preachers here in the city, but we are, of course, by the grace of God, but just saying, hey, we appreciate you guys for the work that we do.
Speaker 1: It can be done even in terms of groups.
Speaker 1: How about a congregant?
Speaker 1: Yeah, we can do that.
Speaker 1: The same Amen.
Speaker 1: And that way we will start redeeming our relationships.
Speaker 1: But secondly, quickly, not only should we celebrate, but number two, let us learn to cover the weaknesses and bear with one another.
Speaker 1: Let us learn to cover the weaknesses and bear with one another.
Speaker 1: And this is the paradox In the same person who is endured with goodness, there is a measure of weakness, there is a measure of wanting.
Speaker 1: In fact, the Bible tells us that we have all fallen short of the glory.
Speaker 1: All of us as we stand here, though there are many good things about us, we have all fallen short of the glory.
Speaker 1: Hallelujah, turn to yourself and say I have fallen short of the glory.
Speaker 1: And it is good to remember that, because many times we remember the falling short of glory of the other person in the relationship.
Speaker 1: Are you getting the point?
Speaker 1: He is always angry, but you are always impatient.
Speaker 1: It balances.
Speaker 1: So what of Apollos?
Speaker 1: Can you imagine this mighty man who is eloquent, mighty in scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, enthusiastic, speaking and teaching accurately things concerning Jesus, bold in speech?
Speaker 1: Verse 25 tells us of the same passage in verse 25.
Speaker 1: The Bible says this man had been instructed in the way of the Lord and, being fervent, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he only knew the baptism of John.
Speaker 1: That may sound like a very small statement, but it is a very serious statement with a very deep theological implication.
Speaker 1: He was only preaching the baptism of John the Baptist.
Speaker 1: In short, with all his eloquence, with all his mightiness in scripture, with all his learning, with all his boldness, he only knew the introduction, yet the conclusion of the matter had already happened.
Speaker 1: He knew not that John was the man preparing the way, so he was very far away as far as the redemptive message is concerned.
Speaker 1: He was as lost, in a sense, like any other Jew who was waiting for the Messiah.
Speaker 1: He had no discernment that the Messiah had already come.
Speaker 1: So he was preaching something like this when Jesus comes, make the way for the Lord, make straight path for the Lord, come and be baptized, because we who comes after John the Baptist will baptize you with fire and the spirit.
Speaker 1: Come and be.
Speaker 1: He didn't know that in his mightiness, that Christ and the Holy Spirit was already at work on earth.
Speaker 1: Turn to yourself and say ignorance is dangerous.
Speaker 1: So we are told, this man was only acquitted acquitted with the baptism of John.
Speaker 1: This was such a big limitation.
Speaker 1: He was totally behind news, because we are already in a different dispensation, doing things totally different.
Speaker 1: I pray that our pastors are not only acquitted with the baptism of John, that we are acquitted with the Messiah.
Speaker 1: But let us come to those of us.
Speaker 1: What did Aquila and Priscilla do when they realized this mighty man, fervent in spirit, mighty in Scripture, but only with little diploma understanding of the baptism of John?
Speaker 1: They had an opportunity and I think I've shared this before of this gentleman who preached, very mighty in the spirit, moving in declaration, and he said and John swallowed the fish, praised the Lord, god's people.
Speaker 1: Some of you will get that tomorrow, but one man in the Scripture could not.
Speaker 1: And then he continued.
Speaker 1: He continued with the preaching.
Speaker 1: Hallelujah praised, he continued.
Speaker 1: One man was really disturbed in his spirit, and so he lifted up his hand.
Speaker 1: He could not wait for the service to end.
Speaker 1: What is wrong, brother?
Speaker 1: What do you want to say?
Speaker 1: Is the spirit of God saying something to you?
Speaker 1: Come on, is it a prophecy?
Speaker 1: Say it.
Speaker 1: He said, pastor, I think there is a small problem.
Speaker 1: It is the fish that swallowed Jonah.
Speaker 1: Now, you don't interpret a mighty man, full of the spirit and fervent while they are preaching, and the preacher seems not to have taken that very kindly.
Speaker 1: And so he continued.
Speaker 1: Whether the fish swallowed Jonah or Jonah swallowed the fish, what I am emphasizing in this sermon is that there was a swallowing.
Speaker 1: Doesn't matter who swallowed who, but you can see how dangerous it can be when you decide to jump onto the weakness of the person, the parties.
Speaker 1: It may sound very well intentioned.
Speaker 1: I just wanted to say, pastor, I think you haven't looked at the Scriptures very clearly, because church, I want to inform you, you see, john was a good man.
Speaker 1: You know it sounds very innocent, very harmless, but what exactly are you doing?
Speaker 1: So what did Priscilla and Aquila do?
Speaker 1: This is what they did.
Speaker 1: The Bible says in the same passage when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside.
Speaker 1: Praise the Lord.
Speaker 1: They took him aside, they covered him, they pulled him aside.
Speaker 1: You know, I have had people who reprimand their wives and husbands in a gathering.
Speaker 1: You are seated somewhere having lunch and somebody just rebukes the wife and I say, jesus, calm down, because I don't know what will happen when they go home.
Speaker 1: Or a wife just rebukes the husband, or you hear a wife say I'll leave this one alone.
Speaker 1: He doesn't know anything in public.
Speaker 1: And you feel like your heart has moved, heart in the Kuangai side, you feel like it has come to this other side.
Speaker 1: Let us learn to pull one another aside.
Speaker 1: They pulled him aside Again.
Speaker 1: I want you to take a quick moment and just think about that person that you thought about, or people that you thought about and you wrote something good about them.
Speaker 1: My wife, this one, you can skip that person you thought about, you wrote something good about them.
Speaker 1: All right, now I want you to write.
Speaker 1: There is a weakness.
Speaker 1: There is definitely when I meet, especially couples who want to get married, and I ask them what don't you like about this guy?
Speaker 1: And the girl says, ah, pastor, I'm telling you he's so nice.
Speaker 1: No, I asked what don't you like?
Speaker 1: Ah, me, I'm telling you.
Speaker 1: The way our relationship has been going so far, I think it is so good.
Speaker 1: God is with us.
Speaker 1: We are not.
Speaker 1: I asked what don't you like about him?
Speaker 1: Yeah, pastor, let me think.
Speaker 1: But then after the marriage, unfortunately, pastor Simon, when they come again, unfortunately, they begin with the bad things.
Speaker 1: This man doesn't talk to me, he doesn't come home, he does.
Speaker 1: You wonder these things?
Speaker 1: You have just, they have just happened.
Speaker 1: You have just discovered them.
Speaker 1: Now.
Speaker 1: That is not true, hallelujah.
Speaker 1: So, so, so, so I hope you have noted it down.
Speaker 1: I want to encourage you today or in the course of this week pull somebody aside.
Speaker 1: You know, many times when we went to tell people things that are you know those bad sides of things, the talks are normally in very in, very.
Speaker 1: You know the setting is very dull, very.
Speaker 1: It's a very serious setting.
Speaker 1: Maybe even that evening there is no dinner.
Speaker 1: Things are bad.
Speaker 1: We need to talk.
Speaker 1: We could not even cook Nothing If you want to have some water, but we need to talk now.
Speaker 1: It is urgent.
Speaker 1: That is not pulling aside.
Speaker 1: Actually, maybe that is the day you need to prepare the best dinner.
Speaker 1: Maybe that is the day you need to take them out.
Speaker 1: Don't have the conversation in the house.
Speaker 1: Go out and they are wondering what is all this about?
Speaker 1: The food and the?
Speaker 1: And finally you say it's because the other day you stepped on me and I don't like the way you step on me.
Speaker 1: One of the things that we have agreed, my wife and I, is that when someone is in the wrong and you know, pastor, many times will be in the wrong Do I represent the men?
Speaker 1: Many times we forget those things that we are not supposed to forget.
Speaker 1: But we have agreed when someone is in the wrong, you who is on the right, humble yourself.
Speaker 1: Try to say it.
Speaker 1: You know, please.
Speaker 1: You know you are very hard, but just try to use the words.
Speaker 1: Please, kindly.
Speaker 1: I beseech you in the Lord.
Speaker 1: I encourage you, take them aside.
Speaker 1: Take them aside Because in not so long you will be the one and the pastor uses a pulpit.
Speaker 1: He will stand on top of the table to address you.
Speaker 1: Pull them aside, take them aside.
Speaker 1: But finally, if we are going to redeem our empowered relationships, not only should we recognize that which is good and celebrate, not only should we cover the weaknesses and bear with them, but we should equip for the best and empower.
Speaker 1: Let me say what you do and how you do you approach this.
Speaker 1: Weakness is a make or break, has a make or break effect to that relationship, whether you like it or not.
Speaker 1: How you handle that weakness, how you engage in that thing that has hurt you, that has, you know, broken your heart, that has caused pain to you, how you handle it has a make or break effect to that relationship.
Speaker 1: Churches have split because of how they have approached a conflict.
Speaker 1: Churches have split because of how couples have approached a conflict.
Speaker 1: Therefore, it is very important what did Priscilla and Aquila do?
Speaker 1: The Bible tells us in verse 26b.
Speaker 1: It says when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Speaker 1: Maybe they had a bachelor's or a master's in this theological studies.
Speaker 1: Now they had a better understanding, maybe a PhD, clearer understanding than the man who was very mighty in scripture but lacking.
Speaker 1: So they pulled him aside and they encouraged him.
Speaker 1: They explained to him the way of the Lord accurately.
Speaker 1: And then verse 27 says and when he desired to cross to Aquila, the brethren wrote exerting the disciples to receive him.
Speaker 1: So they explained the way of God accurately to him.
Speaker 1: They empowered him, they made him better.
Speaker 1: They told him you're mighty in scripture.
Speaker 1: And for them to do this, they must have at least mentioned to him that, though you're preaching very powerfully, you only know the baptism of John the Baptist.
Speaker 1: And so they took time, they explained the word more accurately to him.
Speaker 1: I want you to note that they did not dwell on how Apollos had goofed, but they went to just encourage him, father, this man, when he wanted to go to Aquila.
Speaker 1: The Bible says they even mobilized the brethren to encourage him.
Speaker 1: They made him better in every way.
Speaker 1: They affirmed his decision, they affirmed his ministry.
Speaker 1: They wrote to the disciples to welcome him.
Speaker 1: They recommended him to the rest of the disciples because they had worked on him, they had encouraged him, they had made him better, they had equipped him and now they had confidence in him to now utilize his good side to cause a greater impact.
Speaker 1: I was reading an article and this guy called Gordon says Aquila and Priscilla did not have roast preacher for lunch.
Speaker 1: Roast preacher, roast Nhamachomaya preacher they did not have roast preacher for lunch that day.
Speaker 1: Says.
Speaker 1: Instead, they had homemade apple pie on a silver platter.
Speaker 1: And this is quoting or paraphrasing or just using the words of Proverbs, 25, verse 11, which says a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Speaker 1: He goes further to say they did not take him home and say that was a stupid sermon.
Speaker 1: Don't you know your Bible?
Speaker 1: Don't you know what happened after John the baptizer?
Speaker 1: Don't you know about Jesus?
Speaker 1: You are very ignorant.
Speaker 1: No, they brought him home, showed him some hospitality by feeding him a good meal and then gently and lovingly explained to him the way of God.
Speaker 1: More accurately, what you do about that weakness that you have written has a make or break effect to that relationship.
Speaker 1: The moment you ask your son, whom do you resemble you?
Speaker 1: Where will we talk about?
Speaker 1: Things have already gone south because they are wondering if my father doesn't know who I am and where I came from, who else can never know?
Speaker 1: Who is more ignorant than my father?
Speaker 1: They may not voice it, but it is in their heads because my father is asking me where I came from.
Speaker 1: Or a woman asking the husband what kind of a man are you?
Speaker 1: One time I had a gentleman tell the wife you are not a wife material.
Speaker 1: And they are married.
Speaker 1: So now you really wonder okay, so what is she?
Speaker 1: What material is she?
Speaker 1: And if she is not a wife material, who is the problem here?
Speaker 1: The seeker who went to bring an unwife material as a wife, or the non-wife material?
Speaker 1: Somebody is saying both.
Speaker 1: The wife didn't know she is a non-wife material because she saw somebody very passionately saying I will marry you.
Speaker 1: And she said oh.
Speaker 1: Then you turn around and say you are not a wife material.
Speaker 1: You are confused.
Speaker 1: The key is gently and lovingly explained to him the way of the Lord.
Speaker 1: So what was the result?
Speaker 1: As I conclude in verse 27b.
Speaker 1: Then it says and when he arrived, he greatly held those who had believed through grace, for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly.
Speaker 1: Showing from the scriptures.
Speaker 1: Look at the turn of events showing from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
Speaker 1: Turning from a non-wife material in your head to the most beautiful woman.
Speaker 1: Turning from what kind of a man are you?
Speaker 1: To the king in your house, to the priest in your house.
Speaker 1: Turning from who son are you and what kind of a son are you to my beloved son, my beloved daughter.
Speaker 1: Praise the Lord.
Speaker 1: May that be your portion, in the name of Jesus, and therefore what you have done to number one and number two.
Speaker 1: I want you, number three, now to plan to create a safe space today or this week and take time to empower the party or the parties in that relationship.
Speaker 1: Shall we stand.
Speaker 1: Prayer is very important when it comes to relationships.
Speaker 1: We are going to be here.
Speaker 1: You're going to be here to pray with you.
Speaker 1: You would want us to say a quick prayer with you concerning your relationship.
Speaker 1: Pastor Simon is here.
Speaker 1: Pastor Victor is here.
Speaker 1: Deacon Kaopa is here.
Speaker 1: Deacon Francis is here.
Speaker 1: I can see Deacon Nathan there.
Speaker 1: Pastor Sami is there.
Speaker 1: I'm here myself and any other Deacon, pastor Zua here.
Speaker 1: Pastor Simon, there is an anointing for the redemption of empowered relationships.
Speaker 1: We declare it over your lives in the name of Jesus.
Speaker 1: Make that your prayer now.
Speaker 1: Make that your prayer.
Speaker 1: So, Savior, say you're the Savior say he's the Savior who saves the relationships, he's my humble cross.
Speaker 2: Hallelujah.
Speaker 2: Make it pass or no.
Speaker 2: Make it pass or no, that's our prayer.
Speaker 2: Oh Lord, there's a church.
Speaker 1: That's our prayer.
Speaker 1: Oh Lord, there's a church Because we have a faith relationship that needs redemption.
Speaker 1: So we come before you as a church and pray that, lord, while thou art calling, do not pass us by.
Speaker 1: We have intimate relationships that are ailing.
Speaker 1: We have marketplace relationships that are ailing.
Speaker 1: We have ethnic relationships that are ailing, and all of us are part of these relationships.
Speaker 1: We pray while thou art calling.
Speaker 1: Do not pass us by.
Speaker 1: Release that anointing that brings the redemption, even as we learn to recognize the good and celebrate, as we learn to cover the weaknesses and bear with one another and even, lord, as we learn to equip and empower Jesus.
Speaker 1: May your spirit pick up that ministry and lead us to flourishing relationships that will cause great impact in our lives, in the lives of those around us, in the marketplace, in the nation.
Speaker 1: To the glory and to the honor of your name, because we pray in Jesus' name and God's people say let's give the Lord a mighty handclap, hallelujah.
Speaker 1: Give the Lord a clap of redemption.
Speaker 1: Give him praise concerning your relationship.
Speaker 1: Give him praise.
Speaker 1: Come on somebody.
Speaker 1: Give praise.
Speaker 1: Celebrate your relationships in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, you are blessed to be a blessing and you are blessed to enjoy that relationship on Monday, on Tuesday, on Wednesday, on Thursday, on Friday and on Saturday.
Speaker 1: On Sunday, you better come with your dancing shoes as you come to celebrate the goodness of the Lord in that relationship that is in your thoughts now and I'll.
Speaker 1: May the grace of our Lord, jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore.
Speaker 1: Amen.
Speaker 1: God bless you and a great week ahead.