In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about working with his father and the importance of making the most of free time in ministry. He emphasizes the need for open and honest communication with one's spouse, especially in the context of ministry. The speaker also mentions the availability of free sermon copies and catalogs from Charity Ministries. The sermon concludes with a prayer for diligence and attentiveness to God's message.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, EFRA PA 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. There's a verse of song this morning that excited me very much. It says, so shall I run and never tire. And when I heard that verse, I pictured a man running and running and running and running until the day of his death. And that is a miracle, isn't it? I mean, if it said, so shall I walk and never tire, that would be amazing. Or so shall I stay awake and never tire. Have you ever tried to stay awake for a couple of days in a row? It's very difficult. Have you ever had to stay up all night and when the morning arose, you looked at the sun and this sinking feeling arose within you that the night has passed and I didn't sleep. What about running and never tiring? And the miracle behind that is a love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? That's what that whole song is about. I want to be so in love with the Lord Jesus Christ that that love motivates me to run and never tire. And that makes me excited this morning. Thank you all for welcoming us here. My wife and I, it's a blessing to be with you. And we love each one of you. We think of you all often in our home of Ghana. And we do pray especially for you all here in the church at Ephrata that God would use you in His kingdom here while we're over there. It's a blessing to be gathered together and I ask you to open up your heart as we try to learn something from our King this morning, to learn something from the Word of God together in our life. Let's all just stand up if you don't mind and open up our hearts to our Father. Lord, here we are, a group of people standing before you. And we came with our offering, Lord. We came with a gift of praise and love to you. And now we pray that as a faithful father you'd teach us a lesson for this week. Lord, that you'd teach us a lesson for our life that we wouldn't forget. That this would be a point that we could look back to and remember that from here going I was able to see changes in my life. Lord, I pray that you'd help us to be doers. God, deliver us from the hearers only. God, don't let us be named among those people. And I pray that you'd give us the diligence to stay awake and alert during this message and alert to what your Spirit has to say to us this morning, Lord. Thank you, God. We are very happy to serve you, Lord. We want to learn something today. We want to learn something today. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you. You can take your seat. I guess when you saw me climb up these steps, you probably thought that you were going to get a message on missions. I would love to give you a message on missions. But I'm actually going to share on a different subject. God's mission that He's given to us really intertwines with every other subject, so I'm sure it will come in here some. I'm also not a very good holiday preacher, so if you came to hear your Easter Sunday message, I'm sorry if you're disappointed. But I would like to share a message that God laid on my heart this week, and I'm very excited about it because I've been having a blessed time. My wife and I are studying it together. I'd like to share a message called Married to Minister. Married to Minister. Now, this message is on marriage, so maybe just as a side note to the young people, maybe your heart sank that you're not involved. Just two thoughts I have for you. One thought I'm going to be sharing with you young people next Sunday afternoon. So maybe you can let this one be for those who are married. But the other thought is you also need a vision. And I hope that you can use this for a vision for your future. I still remember, in fact it was very, very little time ago that I wasn't married. And I even remember sometimes not even wanting to think a whole lot about marriage because I wanted to focus my whole life into the Kingdom of God. And that's good. And if that's where you are this morning, I'm not trying to stir you up to get married prematurely. If you're not in love with Jesus Christ, don't even think about getting married. But if you are in love with Jesus Christ and He's leading you that way, maybe this could help stir a vision in your heart. This is going to be a little bit of a different twist this morning on marriage maybe than some of the wonderful messages that we have heard. I hope it can be a blessing. It probably springs some out of the experience of my own life. My wife and I have only been married almost two and a half years and most of that time has been spent in Ghana. And so I'm sure some of this springs from my own life. Although I want to look at a couple in the Bible and learn from them. As I thought about the world's purpose, why do you get married? You know, I thought of it, if I could go out into the world and just take like five people and ask them, why did you get married? I wonder what some of the reasons are that they would give me. I thought of these reasons. Because I was lonely. Because it was the thing to do. All my other friends were getting married. Because she was cute. Because he was nice. And I fell in love. You know, there's just different reasons that the world would probably give us for getting married. Because I was done with college. I don't know. What are some of the reasons the world would give for getting married? Well, what's our purpose for getting married? Well, we could talk about different purposes. I know that God created man. We could go back and look at that passage. It's not good for man to be alone. We could look at seeking a godly seed. And I know we've had messages on these subjects, and those things are good and right. But I would like to give a little bit different aspect this morning. You could turn to Acts chapter 2 with me for just a minute. We are now living in the New Testament era. Is that right? You and I are the people after the cross, the people to whom has been given the gospel kingdom, or the final kingdom. When we read about those five kingdoms of the world, this is the last kingdom that shall break in pieces the other kingdoms. It's the kingdom of the mustard seed, and the kingdom of the leaven that leavens the whole loaf. And we have a motivating factor for our entire life. And Brother Eric shared some about it in the first part of his message. You and I are called. There's only one reason that we've been left here. Isn't that right? Only one reason after we were born again that God did not rapture us, or in His mercy, slay us to deliver us from temptation. I mean, when we pray, Lord, deliver us from temptation, the easiest way would be just to go to heaven. But there's one reason why we're left here. And I had to think of the apostles, the twelve disciples, as they came to the end of their three and a half years with Christ, here in Acts chapter 1. Did I say chapter 2? Chapter 1. In the end of their three and a half years with Jesus, we come to a point here where Jesus has risen. If you remember, He gathered with them at one point in a room and opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures. Do you remember that? And He has revealed to them some of what His plan is, but they're still trying to grasp it. And here on the mount, as I understand where the setting of Acts chapter 1 is, Jesus is about ready to ascend. Though, of course, they're not aware of that. And they have a question that, unfortunately, is the last thing they said to Jesus before He left. And it's a very significant question and shows a little bit where their heart is. In Acts chapter 1, verse 6, they say to Him, when they were therefore come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And I see in that question the essence of the question, God, we've heard about the Christian life. We've understood now the gospel. So, when do we get to the millennium? I mean, is it time now to rest? Could you establish everything so that we could live this way without temptation and without enemies? And it's interesting, isn't it, that Jesus almost brushed aside their question and says, it's not for you to know the times or seasons. In other words, that time is not here and I'm not even going to bother telling you when that's coming. That's not the point. But, in verse 8, ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses. In other words, He said, that's not for you to worry about, but trust me, it's a little ways off. I have two things for you. You will receive power. You will receive the Holy Ghost which hasn't yet been given and ye shall be witnesses. Those are the two tasks that He, or the two things that He gave them that would happen. And in the next verse 9, it says, And when he said this, he went up and he was gone. So saying, he left them with the fact that the only reason that I'm leaving you here, that I'm not ushering in the beauty of if you believe in a millennium or whether you believe in whatever, they were asking for the perfection of a Christ kingdom. He said to them, I'm leaving you here to be a witness, to go, to minister. In the prayer that's called the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus said to his Father, Father, I am now, I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. And I pray, Holy Father, that you would keep them. Do you remember that prayer? Jesus is saying, Father, I'm stepping out of the world, but Father, be at rest because I'm leaving you here And I pray, Holy Father, these are going to be here. Jesus is saying, I'm exiting the world, but I'm leaving some here in my stead. Paul says, we beseech you in Christ's stead. I'm just trying to drill the point home to us. The reason we are here, isn't it? It's because Christ is gone. And so we're in His stead here. He came, the brother shared this morning, to minister, didn't he? And what is the definition of minister according to Jesus? He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. And what's the rest of the verse? He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and... to give His life a ransom for many. So He spelled out the essence of ministry when He said He would give His life a ransom for many. And now in His stead, now being sent out as He was, He having breathed upon the disciples before He ascended, He has given His life a ransom for many. We have inherited the mantle of His ministry, which is to give our life a ransom for many. Does that bless you? I hope that blesses you. It's a big responsibility. I think the disciples were bewildered when He left it with them. They're standing on that mountain, looking at each other, trying to realize, you mean we're not going to retire? You mean we're just starting? We're supposed to go out and do this? It was a shocking realization for them, but we can see the blessing that fell on their life when they obeyed it. All of this I'm just saying to lay a foundation. What is the purpose of marriage? I propose to you that the purpose of our entire Christian life is to be in Christ's stead, ministering to the glory of God. So, why marriage? Why not to minister? Beware the file card mentality. Have you ever read that article by A.W. Tozer? It's called Beware the File Card Mentality. You all know what file cards are. We need to beware that in our life, we don't compartmentalize our life. You know how it's easy to do that. I have my spiritual life, which includes devotions, meditation, Sunday morning, Wednesday evening, Tuesday evening in Lancaster, and revival meetings and such things. And then I have my work life, which includes going to work and balancing my checkbook. And then I have my marriage, which includes spending time with my wife. Do you know, have any of you ever fallen prey to that? I know I have. You know, you just compartmentalize and you think to yourself, right now I'm in my work mode, now I'm in my marriage mode, now I'm in my spare time mode, whatever mode you think that you're in. I have had that in my life. But the Bible wants us to let the Gospel penetrate through every one of those areas of our life so that this ministry weaves in your marriage, in your spare time, in your work, and in your children, in everything. Isn't that true? Okay, having said that, let's get into the message. There's an interesting little story behind this message. This week, we're living in a little trailer over here in Akron that the mission provides and having a blessed rest time and visiting with people. And this week, I did something that I haven't done for a couple of years and I went to work for my dad for a couple of days. And that was kind of fun to actually work with my hands and earn a couple of dollars myself. And charity, staying home. You know, we never do that in Ghana. It was kind of, you know, we were playing what normal married people do, I guess. And so I was leaving charity home there just to do the laundry and a real washing machine, and all this kind of stuff. And I gave her a little assignment while I was going to charity. I want you to find one today in your study time while I'm going to work, I want you to find one godly marriage in the Bible. And when I come home this evening, we're gonna study it together. And when I came home, she had pages filled and it was a blessing. We've been studying it for the next couple of days. And God just laid it on my heart to share with you all this morning. This, one of the most intriguing couples in the Bible and their marriage. We don't have a whole lot of verses on them, but their whole marriage was devoted to the kingdom of God. Does anyone know who it might be? Brother Paul? Good, Aquila and Priscilla. Let's look at Acts chapter 18. I'm sure that many of the glorious men of God who we read did have wonderful marriages and were not blessed to peek into them. It's been assumed that Peter had a wife because he had a mother-in-law. And it's been assumed that many of the other, it's assumed that Paul did not have a wife or either had a wife and she left him because of the gospel. We don't know. But Aquila and Priscilla is an intriguing couple whose whole life is a testimony of surrender to the kingdom of God. So I'd like to study them this morning in their spiritual journey and even physical journey. So Acts chapter 18, starting at verse one. And I want us first to just take a little biographical sketch of their life. We're just gonna run over the verses and follow them as they move from city to city. And then we're gonna go back and more analyze their character. You understand what I'm saying a little bit? So stay with me as we read about this couple and learn from this couple in the Bible. Acts chapter 18, we're gonna read the entire chapter. I am gonna be pausing different times through the chapter to draw out points specifically regarding Aquila and Priscilla or the setting that helps us to understand what they were doing here. So Acts chapter 18, let's start at the beginning. So Acts chapter 18, after these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. Now this is Paul's second missionary journey. He's just made a tour of Asia Minor coming through Iconium, Derbe, Lystra. And he was most recently in Athens where we have the beautiful message in Acts 17. And now he comes by himself to Corinth. Do you realize that Corinth is a totally unreached city? You know, sometimes I realize as I read through Acts that I don't know my history well enough. And we tend to, oh yeah, Corinth, that's where the church at Corinth was. But at this point, Corinth is a totally unreached city. The gospel has never gone there. When Paul crossed that little isthmus, if you look at a map, that little tiny piece of land that went down to Corinth, it was a totally unreached heathen city with no born again believers there. Okay, so you just picture that. Paul's walking in here. Jesus has only died a short years ago and the gospel has never come to the city of Corinth that we know, verse two. And Paul found a certain Jew named Aquila born in Pontus, and that is Asia Minor, but lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because that Claudius, that's Claudius Caesar the emperor, had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them. Okay, we're gonna pause again here. Paul found a certain Jew. I don't know why, but I always assume that Aquila and Priscilla were Christians when Paul met them. Have you, has that been your assumption? But it says he was a Jew, and normally, as we go through, it says brother when it's talking about a Christian. I would propose to you that most likely I read some different church history and things and it's really not known. But most people lean toward the fact that probably Aquila and Priscilla were still Jews in every sense of the word. They were not believers in Jesus Christ, though it's very likely they may have heard rumor of it. Very likely they were simply Jews who had been expelled from Rome. 20,000 Jews were expelled from Rome according to Josephus and some historians. There were some riots in Rome and Caesar perhaps rightly or mistakenly blamed the Jews and expelled the Jews from Rome. And so these people didn't leave in a Christian persecution, but they left simply in an ethnic cleansing of Rome. 20,000 Jews sent out. And Aquila and Priscilla find themselves looking for work and ending up in the city of Corinth. Okay, are you following me? So let's assume that they are Jewish followers of God, but not believers in the Messiah Jesus yet. Okay, verse three. And because he was of the same craft, meaning Paul and Aquila and Priscilla, he abode with them and wrought, for by their occupation they were tent makers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, Paul, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Now let's pause for another minute. So Paul moves in with Aquila and Priscilla based on their common task of tent making. They make room in their new quarters. It says they have lately come from Italy. So they've just moved in, but they decide here's a roaming tent maker. I doubt they even knew that he was the beloved apostle Paul. To them, he was just a roaming tent maker and let's invite him into the home, hospitable people. They're not Christians yet. And they invite him into the home and Paul begins to work six days a week. And on the Sabbath it says that he goes to the synagogue. We assume here that Paul had probably run out of money if he had been given any money from the other churches on his way and was in need of stopping and working. And so Paul simply starts working and in his spare time, wherever he can muster it, he goes down on the Sabbath day and preaches. And you can be sure he preached during the day to Aquila and Priscilla. Do you think so? We know how Paul was and we can be sure. We never quite read of the conversion of Aquila and Priscilla, but trust me, it's somewhere in these verses. Can you imagine sitting there sowing? Aquila, have you ever read the Old Testament? Oh yes, I've read. Ever read Isaiah 53? Yes. Can you quote some of it to me? Sure. You can go back and forth. Have you ever wondered who that is? Yeah. Have wonder. Yeah. Have you ever read Isaiah 42? Yeah. Have you ever wondered who that is? Yeah. You know, and just going back and forth. And somewhere along the course, and I'm sure that Aquila and Priscilla, being good Jews, also went to the synagogue on Saturday and saw their fellow tent maker. Can you imagine the first time they saw it? Get out of the pew and walk to the front and begin to expound on a totally new belief and thought, wow, the guy that moved in with us is a fanatic. You know, he doesn't even believe in the proper Jewish law. And he began persuading and expounding. It says he reasoned. So there were arguments there, people in the crowd discussing, and he reasoned with them concerning Christ. And somewhere in this period of time, Aquila and Priscilla yielded their lives to Jesus Christ because of the testimony of the man in their house. Isn't that a blessing? Okay, so that's their start into Christianity. Verse five, and when Silas and Timotheus or Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews, we're assuming at the synagogue, that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, in other words, saying Jesus is not the Son of God, that is the blasphemy that they said. When they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, your blood be upon your own heads. I am clean from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. Now, I want you to remember with me that Aquila and Priscilla would have been sitting in that audience. Is that right? This was their friend. This was their host. Trust me, it was getting dangerous for them now. Now, Paul says, you Jews, I'm finished with you. I'll go to the dogs if you won't hear. That's what he said to them in their terminology. And he stood up and walked out, and I assume Aquila and Priscilla stood up and walked out with him. It may not have been that dramatic, but they followed Paul. Verse 7, And he departed thence, that is from the synagogue, and entered into a certain man's house named Justice. Now, this has brought about some debate if you read various commentators. Some people say Paul left Aquila and Priscilla's house and moved in with Justice. I don't see any reason for that. I don't know why he would have left their house because they're still dear friends a few verses later. I believe it means Paul ceased preaching in the synagogue and began preaching in the house of a man named Justice. According to the flow of Scripture here, he was rejecting the Jewish synagogue as his place of preaching, and he entered into the house of Justice, who, by the way, was a Gentile. You can tell by that name. That's a Roman name. Probably a Gentile proselyte. And Paul entered into his house in verse 7. The Bible says Justice was one that worshiped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. So Paul just moved next door and started preaching. And Crispus, in verse 8, the chief ruler of the synagogue, now he would have been a Jew, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized. And we'll pause here again. So Crispus, Justice is a Gentile. Crispus is a Jew. Who were the other many that believed? If you go to 1 Corinthians 1, and we're not necessarily going to go there right now, you may remember that Paul says that he baptized none in Corinth except Crispus, Gaius, and the house of Stephanas. Now Crispus was a Jew. He was the head of the synagogue. But Stephanas and Gaius were both Gentiles. Those are Greek names. And history would tell us that all of those original believers baptized here were Gentiles. Aquila and Priscilla and Crispus being the only Jews. So now Aquila and Priscilla find themselves the only Jews except for one other man in a group of Gentile dogs believing a fanatical new belief about the way. I think sometimes it's hard for us to realize how tough that may have been. Can you picture yourself, I mean, believing something that your friends think is absolutely off the wall and still worshiping right there in the house beside them? It must have been a bold move. And we know it was a bold move because of the next verse. At this crucial moment, the Lord came to Paul in the night by a vision. I'm in verse nine. And said to Paul, be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city. And he, Paul, continued there a year and six months teaching the word of God unto them. Pause again. So God appears to Paul and I'm sure there were threats by this point on Paul's life because God doesn't waste His words. If everything would have been peaceful, God wouldn't have said, don't be afraid. But God comes in and says, Paul, this is a crucial moment and I know that you're in trouble, but don't be afraid, you keep preaching. Now turn as a side note to Romans chapter 16. I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I want to bring something in here about Aquila and Priscilla. I know that we're not reading about them, but bear with me. I think we can insert them into the city and still into this picture and still be very biblical because we know they were around and we know they were steadfast. And we have this testimony of them in Romans 16. Paul at the end of the letter to the Romans. Now this is later in their life when they've moved back to Rome, which we'll get to in a little bit. But Paul in the letter to Romans, the first people that he greets by name is Priscilla and Aquila. And in verse 3, are you there? Romans 16.3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, 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. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Okay, that's all that we're going to read right there. I assume as I look at Priscilla and Aquila, I assume as I look at Priscilla and Aquila's life, I assume that this must have been the time in their life when they, Paul says, laid down their necks for me. In other words, and I'm doing a little bit of assuming here, but follow with me. I'm assuming that at this point in Corinth, when things came to a head and the Jews blasphemed and tossed Paul out and the little Gentile group gathered there and God had to come in a dream and speak to Paul not to be afraid, I assume there were threats on Paul's life. And I assume that somehow Priscilla and Aquila came between those enemies of the gospel and Paul and willingly, the two of them offered their necks. Now, I don't know what you think of when offering your neck, but back in those days, they didn't kill with guns, they killed with knives, like they still often do in Ghana. And can you picture literally stepping between and that's the word picture that they're giving. It says, these two, Paul said, I'll never forget. There was a time when they would have gladly laid down their life and literally put their necks out so that I could stay safe. And he says, because of that, all the churches of the Gentiles loved them. So we assume that early in their Christian life here in Corinth was the time when they willingly became almost like bodyguards. I don't know, was there a time when the soldiers came to Paul's house? Just try to imagine it with me. You know, the upset Romans hiring them and Aquila and Priscilla went out on the veranda to meet these angry people. I'm not sure how it happened, but we know that they laid their necks down for Paul. Okay, we're back in Acts 18 again, if you still had your finger there. We're going to skip the little scene here with Galileo, although it's a very good illustration of the tension of the moment. Some of you may be familiar with it. They drag Paul, the Jews catch Paul and drag him before the governor there. And God intervenes and the governor is not even impressed with their accusation and throws them all out. But we'll pass that by in the meantime and go to verse 18. And Paul after this, tarried there yet a good while and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence into Syria. Now he's leaving behind a church. Remember he was there a year and a half according to verse 11. And now according to verse 18, he was there yet a good while after the year and a half. So we could assume up to two years or something like that, that he was there leaving behind a little church and a group of brethren along with the leader of a synagogue who was probably their leader. And it says in verse 18, Paul after this, tarried there yet a good while and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence into Syria back toward Asia Minor and with him Priscilla and Aquila having shorn his head in Centuria for he had a vow. All right, so Paul leaves and we're not told why, although we are told why in a couple of verses, but Aquila and Priscilla go with Paul. And trust me, they're not fleeing persecution because we already understand from Romans that they were brave souls and I know they wouldn't have left a hotspot leaving other brothers behind. But it says in verse 19, he came to Ephesus and left them there. Now who's the them? Priscilla and Aquila, right? He came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself, Paul, entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews on only this one occasion. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not, but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem, but I will return again unto you if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus, leaving Aquila and Priscilla alone in another unreached Gentile city. Once again here, we need to understand if you do your history and flip back through the last chapters, Paul has never been to Ephesus before. This is Paul's first time. There was one other time he had wanted to come down into Bithynia and Ephesus and the spirit forbade him, but this is his first time to enter Ephesus. And Paul lands there, goes and preaches once in the synagogue, sees a little interest and leaves Priscilla and Aquila there. Why do you think he left them there? If you follow their journey, they've been sacked from Rome by the Emperor Claudius. Here in Corinth, they came to know the Apostle Paul, were converted, were discipled, laid their necks out for the Gospel. Now they move to Ephesus with Paul. Paul goes to Jerusalem and they stay there. I can only assume that Paul left them there because Paul saw that God was going to work in that city and he needed a couple to be there. And I don't know how to call it, how to say it, to thaw the city for the Gospel. Can you understand that terminology or to pray the city into preparation? I know Brother Denny has always told us that prayer precedes revival and wherever you have revival, you find a praying person. Could it be that they were left there for that? I'm not sure, but I believe that somehow they were left there to do a preparation work for the revival we see in the next chapter. Let's keep reading. We're going to skip the verses about Paul going back and go to verse 24, okay? And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, that's in Egypt, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures came to Ephesus where Aquila and Priscilla were living and praying and trying to thaw that city for revival. 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 the Lord and 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, that is into their home, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, that's back into the area of Corinth, the brethren wrote, we'll come back to that in a minute, exhorting the disciples to receive him, who, when he was come to Achaia and Corinth, helped them much which had belief through grace, for he mightily convinced the Jews and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. Now, I want you to consider a couple of things with me that had never stood out to me until this week as my wife and I studied this. Here they are in Ephesus praying, at least we know that much, and working that this city might have revival. And along comes a Jew from Alexandria, an eloquent man, but only preaching the Gospel of John, of John the Baptist. And they go to the synagogue apparently and hear them. And can you just imagine them sitting there and perhaps going outside and whispering to each other, did you notice anything? Yeah, the guy still doesn't understand the way, but he's a good brother. You know, yeah, well, let's just take him into our home. You know, and so they approach him after the service and this man humbles himself and goes home and they teach him the way. I assume it took a few days. I don't assume that they just sat down with him in an hour and taught him and sent him on. I assume he stayed there for some days or weeks. While the two of them, it doesn't say Aquila, it says Aquila and Priscilla, they took him and expounded. So we're missing one pronoun there. They took him and they expounded him. That's the assumed pronoun when there's no other pronoun there. Now, here, I picture the three of them sitting at home and discussing the kingdom of God. Did you know it's not wrong for a sister to discuss the kingdom of God? But there's another very interesting point here when it comes to verse 27. It says, when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, now I'm assuming that Aquila and Priscilla encouraged him to go to Corinth, knowing that those brothers still needed help. The brethren wrote. Now, who are the brethren? I thought that Aquila and Priscilla were left alone in Ephesus, didn't you? Who are the brethren? I think Aquila and Priscilla had won a few people to Christ by now and had already gathered a little group with them. That's all we can assume. And Aquila and Priscilla gathered these and they wrote a letter. Did you know this is the first occurrence we have of writing a letter like this, of correspondence between churches in the New Testament, was Aquila and Priscilla who got this idea, let's sit down and write a letter to our fellow church that we just left and say, this brother's a good brother. Welcome him into your fellowship. And they sent this letter with him. So here again, we see Aquila and Priscilla moving evidently to assemble a little group of believers there, moving to disciple just as they were discipled, Paul discipled them in their home. Now they've learned that's how you do it. And so they take this man into their home and disciple him. And then they write a letter and send him to their congregation that they still have a heart for in Corinth and they still have a heart for this man to go back and bless them. Isn't that a blessing? And we're not gonna read it, but if we'd read the next chapter in Ephesus, we see that Paul comes back and has probably the mightiest revival we read of, or the most exciting revival. This is the town where it says they gathered together their scrolls. Do you remember that? Where do we have that verse? In 19, look over at Acts 19.19. This is in Ephesus, the city where Aquila and Priscilla prepared for the gospel. Many of them also which used curious arts, those are divining works and witchcraft, brought their books together and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it 50,000 pieces of silver. This was an exciting point where God brought such a revival that people gathered together and threw away their wicked things and burned it. This is the city where Aquila and Priscilla thawed for the gospel. Theirs was a behind-the-scenes work. Paul was the one who later came and actually brought the revival through the Spirit of God, but they worked on that city. Alright, so you're following them. Sacked from Rome, moving to Corinth to find work, getting born again, getting discipled there in Corinth, risking their necks for Paul, moving to Ephesus in a ministry of intercession, personal evangelism, and then discipling Apollos. And now we later find them in Rome and I don't think we'll go there, but where I just read to you. In Romans 16, Paul sends his greetings to them in Rome. Do you remember that? We just read it. So evidently they were in Rome. Y'all don't have to turn there again if you want to. I'm just gonna read it for you one more time. If you want to go there, it's Romans 16. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, Paul's writing to the church in Rome, my helpers in Christ Jesus 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. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Now, do you notice something again? They didn't, why do you think they went back to Rome? I was praying something about that. Lord, why did they go back to Rome? Well, I'm assuming that, again, I have to assume something here, but I'm assuming they're in Ephesus, saw the revival there, saw the church building. At some point, they had a heart back for all of those people that they left in Rome that still didn't know the gospel of Jesus. If you remember, Paul wanted to go to Rome. Paul considered that a place of need for the gospel. And evidently, Aquila and Priscilla sharing with Paul and sharing this burden decided, you know what? The church in Ephesus, it's on its feet. Our ministry here is kind of done. We're gonna go back as missionaries to the place that we were born. And we see they had a fruitful ministry because Paul wrote and blessed them for the church that was in their house. Just as a side note, how did Paul know there was a church in their house? Again, I think Priscilla and Aquila must have written and told Paul what was going on. So now, Aquila and Priscilla are back in their hometown. They've been discipled. They've discipled others. They've learned how to pray. And now they're actually pastoring. It says Aquila has a church in his house. They're leading a group of believers under the very nose of Nero, who just a couple of years after Paul wrote this letter, beheaded Paul. So they were in a very dangerous situation, but that's okay. They knew how to do that. They learned to lay their necks down in Corinth. And now they're not afraid to move to Rome. Do you remember that that's the city they were expelled from? And now they're back there, the very city that spewed them out. They're back there under Nero's nose, ministering the gospel with a little house church. And that blesses my heart. The last mention of this outstanding couple is in 2 Timothy. We're almost through with their little history here. 2 Timothy, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I think Brother John D. Martin has called it Paul's swan song. The most beautiful song that a swan sings is the song before he dies. That's what they say. I don't know if any of you have heard that. But this is the last letter Paul ever wrote, just shortly before he was beheaded. And it was kind of his last heart cry to the church, right before they beheaded him. And in 2 Timothy, in the very end of the book, we have some of Paul's most touching personal words that he left. Words of apparent despair and yet victory. When he says in verse 16, at my first answer, are you with me? 2 Timothy, I'm sorry, chapter four. Last chapter, verse 16. Paul is recounting to Timothy, who lives in Ephesus, which is the city where Aquila and Priscilla used to live. Paul's recounting to Timothy his first trial before Nero. And Paul says, at my first answer, And I remember, no man stood with me. Now that's kind of despairing, isn't it? Paul, you mean no one was there as your witness? None of any of those churches in Asia came out to say this man is okay? No, Paul said everyone was afraid. No one stood with me. But all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Paul is very serious here. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, praise God. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." All right, so there's Paul's heart. He's saying, I just went through the toughest time of my life. I just stood before Nero and nobody stood with me. What's the next step? Next thing on his heart, salute Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. In that last thought, Paul remembers one couple that would have stood with him. I think that's what Paul's heart, he was remembering that and then he remembered one couple that in the fondness of his memory had always stood with him and stuck their neck out for him. And now evidently he's writing to Timothy who's in Ephesus. So evidently Aquila and Priscilla have moved back to Ephesus. I trust if they were still in Rome, they would have stood with Paul at the trial, but they've moved to Ephesus and Paul says, right before I die, there's one person that I want greeted and that's Aquila and Priscilla. There's one couple that I'll never forget. And he sends a special salutation to them just shortly before dying. So now we're at the end of our little sketch. What do you think of their life? Isn't that a blessing? I mean, isn't that a couple who was on fire for the kingdom of God? Now look at that little line of ministry that they left us. Only eight modest verses about them in the whole Bible, but quite a story. I think they accomplished almost as much as David and some of these other men, but they don't have books and books devoted to them, but they chose the humble route. And I'm blessed with that. All right, I'm just going to write a few key words for us to try to remember. And maybe you want to mark this down somewhere. So, I'm going to write a few key words for us to try to remember. Under Corinth, I'm going to write, at that time in their life was conversion. I hope some of y'all can read this, it's not too far away. Discipleship. All right. In Corinth, they were converted, they were then discipled by the apostle Paul in their own home, and they learned how to support a minister. Isn't that interesting? As soon as they were converted, Paul lived in their home and they were both tent makers and they supported him by giving him a lodging. And they took risks in that support of a minister of the kingdom of God. In Ephesus, they had a ministry of intercession. We assume personal evangelism because there were brethren gathered there. And discipling. Okay, over here, they were discipled and now they're discipling, just like they were taught in their home by Paul. They take Apollos into their home and teach him. And then, in Rome, they go back as missionaries, is that how to spell that, shepherding, leading a house church there in Rome. We're not told what they did in Ephesus. For some reason, they chose to retire in Ephesus. I'm guessing probably they went back there as teachers, perhaps as an older couple, now more experienced in the kingdom of God. They went back to Ephesus to spend the last days of their life teaching that church and ministry center in Ephesus. That's just a quick little overview of Aquila and Priscilla's life as we have it presented to us in the gospel and history. Okay, before we close, I want to look at Aquila and Priscilla individually and see if we can get some blessings from them. In other words, I want us brothers to look at Aquila's life and we're going to look at a few points in his life. I'm not going to elaborate on them a lot, just mention some. Then I want you ladies to look at Sister Priscilla and we're going to learn a few things from her life. Okay, first, Aquila. I have six points. If you men want to jot them down, that would be great. Six points from Aquila that I think we can learn from according to the scriptures we've just read and the testimony of his life. The first thing that I thought of, these are not necessarily in a certain order, I just wrote down six points. He was not married to his business. Okay, we're talking about married to minister. Aquila was not married to his business. And I thought of two things. He was married to Jesus, first of all, and married to his wife, but he wasn't married to his business. And the reason that I know that is how many of you men think that five moves is good for a business? How many of you have heard of a successful businessman that moves every few years? Probably, you know, you just can't pick up your business and put it in a trailer and take it with you everywhere that you go. I know he was able to make tents, I'm sure, and make a living everywhere he went, but he was not able to become the Ephesus International Tent Association, you know, or anything like that. It was just modest trade that he was able to do on the side because his goal was ministry, right? They were married to minister. Once they got converted, their priorities just got changed. So I see under this point, he was not married to his business. A couple of things. He didn't have a competitive spirit either, did he? Do you notice that he's a tent maker and Paul's a tent maker and he invited him into his house? Now, I'm touched by that. How many of you, I mean, what job are you into? You know, would you really like another? I hate to pick on any certain one of y'all, but let's say one of you is a pew maker and you supply the pews for the church in Lancashire County. Do you really want another pew maker to come and live in with you while you disciple and make pews also? You know, that might, I mean, get a little on the business side, you know, and here again, we tend to compartmentalize our life. You know, I mean, that's my business. I can disciple people, but I've got my business too. Do you really want a fellow carpet installer to come in with you and, you know, help you? I mean, you're just making ends meet. Do you really want another lawn furniture brother to move in with you and open another lot down the street? You know, would you be open to that? So I see here, he didn't have a competitive spirit. He welcomed Paul into his home and I'm sure shared his food with Paul and I'm sure blessed him in that hospitality kind of way. So that's the first point I had. He was not married to his business. He was married to Jesus and married to his wife and not married to his business. Amen. I tell you, that's a big temptation, brethren. As I come back from Ghana and come to here, it's a mighty thing. I don't know how I could drill it home to you hard enough, but it is a mighty entangler here that I see in our midst. Number two, he was unselfish with his wife. Now, I want to clarify that a little bit, but he was unselfish with his wife. It's okay to have a holy prejudice over our wife and the love to be with our wife, but we can be selfish to a wrong extent. Are we too clingy? You know, I see here that he welcomed Paul into his home and I know from living in Ghana how it was in those days. Women hauled water. You know, back then they didn't just have washing machines. You know, they had all these easy punch buttons on and all these fridges and stuff. You know, women had to haul water and wash clothes by hand. It took a lot of time to do that stuff. And he realized that accepting another man into your home, that obliges your wife to do those things also for the other man and it takes time away. And I mean, you know how those things are. Do you all want another grown man living in the house with you? You know, he was not selfish with his wife. He was willing to take that step and we see that all throughout his home. He took a policy and his wife agreed to take a policy into their home. They had a church in their house in Rome. So this was his pattern. He was unselfish with his wife. He realized that he and his wife were both called and that he couldn't just live happily ever after with his wife in his arms 24-7. Number three, he took risks. He took risks. Okay, we've already looked at a couple of those. Number four, he took risks to be associated with Paul's band was extremely dangerous. Isn't that right? You know, Paul was beheaded. And if you look at if you look at Paul's track record, I thought when Paul came to Corinth, I don't know if he shared this with the Quorum for Syllabus. Do you realize what he just went through? Let me just run down through it with you a little bit. On his way to Corinth, Paul stopped in Iconium and was threatened for his life and he escaped by night. He stopped in Livestream, was stoned and left for dead. And then he stopped in Philippi and was beaten within an inch of his life and left in jail overnight. And then he came to Corinth. Now, that is the wanted man that moved in with you. So just to be associated with a man who three times had been almost killed was dangerous. I mean, it was almost like accepting a criminal into their home. And so I would say they took risks just letting him in. Never mind the other risks that we spoke of in Romans, where they laid out their neck and the risk they took of living alone in the city of Ephesus, lifting up the gospel and the risk they took moving back to Rome under the very nose of the empire, which was threatening to destroy Christianity. And he just took risks. He assumed that that was part of Christianity. He took a risk accepting Apollos into his home, didn't he? I mean, he took a risk. You know, what if Apollos would have come in there and gotten upset? But he took risks. That was part of his life. He was willing to take risks for the kingdom of God. Number four, he made his home a ministry outpost. He made his home a ministry outpost. You know, coming back to the States, I realized that sometimes when we read verses in the Scripture, we have Americanized things and put things in that aren't there. And we assume that the biblical picture of a godly home is a quiet mountain retreat where you can be with your family in peace and no one knocks on the door. You know, we tend to read those kind of things in there, but we don't really see that spelled out in the Bible that clearly. There are times to retreat. And Paul told his disciples, or not Paul, I'm sorry, Jesus told his disciples to come apart and rest a while. And, you know, we have those kind of illustrations. The prophet Elisha had a little room where he would go and stay to study on his journey. And, you know, I'm not against retreats. We're kind of doing one here for a couple of months. And we, my wife and I usually go like monthly somewhere where we can fast and pray and talk and do things together. But he made his home a ministry outpost. Is your home active or passive? Is your home active or passive? You know, is your home the place where you just get away from it all? And again, I know it can be that some, but I'm just challenging you. Is that how you view your home? Is it a place where you and your wife and your little ones realize that God is able to use you? And it's a ministry outpost. And maybe this would be a good time to just interject this, but I thought of this. I was studying for this message. I don't want you all to be looking to me. I'm still a very young man and a very young married man learning, but God has blessed me with putting some people in front of me that challenge my life on a daily basis. I grew up in a home that was very much like this that I was saying, and I want to give honor to where honors do. I watched my parents' marriage blossom, even though there was, our house was a center of ministry from the time I can remember almost, or from the time of my parents' conversion. And I also want to give honor to brother Ross and sister Cynthia Ulrich, because I've seen the same thing in their life, always outpouring. Their home is a center of ministry, but they have a marriage that is worth coveting. And so I want to encourage you that it's not true that your home has to be a Thomas Kincaid hideaway to have a good marriage. Number five for Aquila. He knew how to use a pen. Maybe you think this is strange. Can I just say that we brothers have a weakness in that? You know, I've met some brothers that say, oh, I don't write letters. I can't write. I mean, that's not... You need to learn. I mean, I really think that you do. You need to learn to write. Aquila was the first one in the early church age to pick up a pen and write commending brother Apollos back to the church. And later he wrote back and forth with Paul of the status of the church in his house, because Paul knew about that. And I would encourage you brothers, do that. There's a ministry in that. Writing to someone. There's a ministry in phone calls, but there's also a ministry in writing. Number six, he loved people. This is my last one for Aquila. He loved people. That just marks his life to me. I mean, he started loving people when he took Paul in his home. And then he really loved people when he was willing to move to Ephesus and try to see a church born. And he loved people when he risked his home life by inviting Apollos to live with them while he discipled him. And he loved people enough to go back to Rome to live under Nero and try to run a church. And he loved people enough to go back to Ephesus and teach. He just, his life was motivated by a love for people. He even loved people enough that when Paul left the synagogue and turned to the Gentiles, he was willing to associate with the outcasts of society, the Gentiles. So his life was full of love for people. So just again, if you wrote them down just to review them, number one, he was not married to his business. Number two, he was unselfish with his wife. Number three, he took risks. Number four, he made his home a ministry outpost. Number five, he knew how to use a pen. And number six, he loved people. Isn't that a challenge? I want to go home and work on those things in my life, in my marriage. Okay, turn it over to this side of the house for you sisters. Let's look at Priscilla. I have four points on her. I could have found more, but I just chose four. So I guess you get to work a little harder on each point since you have less points. Four points for Priscilla. Four points for Priscilla. Number one, in every way, a partner to her husband, in every way, a partner to her husband. Let me just read a little, I'm just going to read some of the verses we've been reading, just snatches of them. And you listen for the word, they and them. Aquila came from Italy with his wife, Priscilla, for by their occupation, they were tent makers. Paul abode with them. Paul sailed and with him, Aquila and Priscilla. Paul left them in Ephesus. And when Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos, they took him unto them. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus. They laid down their necks, the church in their house. And they are loved by all the churches of the Gentiles. She's always included. I think it's the only time we ever see that in the Bible where neither of them is ever mentioned by themselves. Isn't that interesting? There's nothing that Aquila did in the kingdom of God that his wife wasn't with him enough that different various writers in the Bible all chose to put them together in every occasion, both Luke in writing Acts and Paul in writing Romans and Timothy. Always thought of that couples together. Whatever they do, it's the two of them. Isn't that a blessing? So, wives, I challenge you with that. In every way, a partner to your husband. I know you're called to be a servant and a help me, but I would just challenge you that he was, Priscilla was not just his housekeeper and not just his cook and his wife, but she was his partner. She was the one that prayed with him. She was the one that counseled with him at the back door. Should we take Apollos into the house? She was the one that counseled with him when Paul suggested that they moved to a new city. They were partners. Occasionally her name is even mentioned first. I'm not sure what to do about that. Many commentators suggest that she may have been the more outgoing of the couple. I don't know what to say about that, but there are several times when her name is mentioned first, but at least the point is that in the kingdom of God, there is neither male nor female. Now I know there's roles, but in ability to work for God in whatever your capacity is, there's neither male nor female. And God looking at them always says this couple rather than the one or the other. So I challenge you ladies in every way. She was a partner to her husband. Just as a side note, do you know, dear wife of a Christian man, what are some of the most powerful words you can say to your husband? Let's go to first Samuel 14, seven. Every time my wife says these words to me, it just does something to my heart. Maybe you didn't know that besides being a helpmate and a servant, you're also an armor bearer. I like to think of my wife as my armor bearer. First Samuel 14, seven. This is the story of Jonathan who, while the whole host of Israel was afraid, he went out there. Do you remember that? He and his armor bearer alone faced a garrison of Philistines and they had this little consultation right before they went out to fight. Paul turns to his armor bearer and says, hey, this is what I want to do. What do you think? And they're crouching behind a rock, right? Having this little conversation. You see those Philistines? I think we're going to go fight him. I mean, a bunch of Philistines, the two of them. What do you think? He doesn't want to get out there and his armor bearer runs away. And this is what his armor bearer says back to him in verse seven. And his armor bearer said unto him, unto Jonathan, do all that is in thine heart. Turn thee. Behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Isn't that a blessing? You memorize that verse and say that to your husband and that will be a blessing to him. Don't ever be the one that tugs at his sleeve and says, let's wait. You, when he's ready to move, you be the one that's there. Like this armor bearer says, absolutely. It's not even a consideration. I mean, your heart's there. So is mine. I won't leave you. I mean, let's go. Do all that is in thine heart. Turn thee. Behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Isn't that a blessing? Okay, number two. So that was still in point number one for you, ladies, in every way a partner to her husband. Number two, she was courageous. She was courageous. Now, I know we think men are supposed to be courageous, but women are supposed to be courageous too. Do you know what courage means? Courage. A lot of people think courage is the opposite of fear, but it's actually not. Courage is when you're afraid and you go ahead anyway. Because if courage is the opposite of fear, then courage is not anything at all. It means some people are born with fear and some people are born with courage. And you have to check which one you have. But courage means when you look at the situation, you go, whoa, that's dangerous. I don't think I should do this. But you think, but hey, I'm called. So you just go anyways and do it. That's courageous people. That's what happens in their life. When they look at something, when David looks and says, there's absolutely no way in a game of odds that I could win this Philistine with a few stones, but God is with me. So I'm just going to go. That's courage. So you ladies can be courageous. I don't mean that that means there's never fear in your heart, but you can go forward anyways. You know, women desire security and that's good. That's beautiful. That's partly, that all plays into the beauty of how God made the role of a man and a wife. But don't let that desire for security pull your husband back when he's ready to take a move that looks scary. You know, when they were ready to stick their necks out, she was willing to risk her own security also to go with her husband and say, yep, I'm ready too. Let's walk out of the synagogue with Paul. You know, can you picture them glancing at each other there? Can you picture them glancing at each other? Just during all these times, they were in Ephesus, the Bible says, during that riot, or I assume they were, the riot in Acts 19. Do you remember that? Where everybody rushed into the stadium and the whole city yelled for two hours, great is Diana of the Ephesians. And Priscilla and Aquila, we assume were still there. So she was willing to go into dangerous situations with her husband. She was courageous. Number three, maybe this is the hardest one. She sacrificed time with her husband. And this plays back a little bit to the one I talked about with the men. Again, you know that our picture of a godly marriage is a couple every evening sitting alone in the living room when the children go to bed, eating ice cream, you know. I'm serious. I'm really not trying to be funny. I've had people actually share things, you know, like this. And I know those times can be a blessing, but she had to sacrifice some of that. When Paul moved in with them, you know, they had conversations that led them to the Lord. When Apollos moved in with them, same thing. And I know that's how it goes. I know my wife and I have found that true living in Ghana. You can't have, you know, all the time together that you'd love to have, which is all the time you have to sacrifice. And here I see that Priscilla loved her husband and they had a wonderful relationship. But when things came into their life, she was willing to sacrifice his time because she had a vision for the kingdom of God. Isn't that right? It wasn't because she didn't love her husband as much as the next girl, was it? And don't mind when people accuse you of saying, oh, I love my husband too much. We couldn't do anything like that. No. I mean, Priscilla loved her husband probably more than those ladies who sat in the evenings with nothing else to do but be with their husband. But she decided, look, the kingdom of God is at hand and there's not many workers out there. And my husband and I aren't really made of the right stuff, but God has called him and God has called me. And so we're going to do what we have to do so that the kingdom of God will go forward. Praise God. She sacrificed time with her husband. She threw her heart into everything, every time that they did have. This is just a side note I put in. Charity and I have learned something about this living on the mission field. That way, when you do have a free evening, boy, you go for it. You know, I mean, you talk and you pray because you know that tomorrow evening, there's probably going to be a knock on the door. So when you have that time or when you take your wife down to sit by the river for lunch, I mean, you don't just chit chat. You go ahead and say, so what's on your heart? I mean, what have we been struggling with? Let's discuss it. You know, and you really get into the meat. I see some of you wives of ministers smiling. You know what that's like. Okay, so that's number two. Now, I'm sorry, that was number three. Number four, the last one for you ladies. She was willing to help support the family. Now, I'm going to take a risk at getting shot at on this one. I'm not suggesting that you ladies go out and get a job. Please understand. But I just want to share in love again. Our culture has shaped us that we believe that the Bible has actually forbidden a woman to help with the income of the family. And I don't think that the Bible is there. If you can just have a little patience with me. First of all, you need to realize that there's almost no culture in the world but ours that could support a theology like that. The concomitants, if the man worked and the woman stayed at home waiting for him to come home, they would starve to death. I don't know if you realize that. And in many other cultures, it's the same. The man goes out and hoes corn all day. And if the woman said, I'm called to be in the hut all day, they would just starve. So the woman also has to raise a little pepper patch and sell that to supplement the income. Or the woman has to walk around the town with the baby on her back and her little one beside her selling soap. You know, they have different things that they have to do. It's part of life there. I know we live in a rich society where, generally speaking, one income is sufficient for a family. But I just want to encourage you, if there comes a point in your life where because of your husband's ministry, you have to help him, not become the main breadwinner, not go get a job and run a corporation. But when you have to go sit at the sales lot for him on a Saturday, you know, when you have to go and he says, I'm sorry, I've got two counseling appointments tomorrow. Is there any chance you can make these phone calls for me or whatever that you're not thinking that's unbiblical, you know, for a woman to do anything like that. Because what about Proverbs 31? Have you ever winced at some of those verses? What about she buyeth a field and considereth that and bringeth her merchandise and strengtheneth her arms and spineth? You know, those women were in that kind of a culture where they had to do some of that. Please don't think I'm advocating women's lives and, you know, any of that kind of stuff. I think you all know my heart there. But I just thought it worth mentioning that it says they were tent makers. And I assume that sometimes when her husband was busy, she wasn't ashamed to sew a tent up for the customer that had placed an order. That wasn't she didn't consider that wrong. She considered that she and her husband were called together. And obviously, he was the breadwinner and the leader. But she wasn't ashamed to help him because their life wasn't just about working like the heathen. I mean, they had a bigger agenda. OK, so for you ladies, just in review, number one, in every way, a partner to her husband. Number two, she was courageous. Number three, she sacrificed time with her husband. And number four, she was willing to help support the family. OK, I'd like to read one verse yet from First Corinthians, chapter seven. Maybe this has been a bit radical for you. I know it is for me. And I want to go home and apply some of these things. Maybe you think to yourself, but what I know and think I know about a godly marriage can't work in that kind of home. You know, it's too much. I want you to consider a scripture with me and I want you to consider. Maybe you haven't considered the urgency of the kingdom that we're a part of. Let's look at First Corinthians, chapter seven, verses 29 to 31. These were some of the verses that helped me when I was considering, Lord, should I get married? I was concerned if I get married, am I going to leave behind the kingdom of God? I mean, am I going to just want to live happily ever after and not minister anymore? Am I going to lose the burden for souls? You know, I remember thinking these kind of things. And the Lord led me to these verses. Let's read the first Corinthians seven, 29 to 31. But this I say, brethren, the time is short. I think what he means there is we're in the last stage. It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoice not and they that buy as though they possess not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away. Now, we could look very closely at the verses, but I think we all gather that what Paul is saying here, Paul had his own opinions about marriage and we know those things. But Paul wraps up kind of the discussion here by saying, this is the gist of what I'm saying. The kingdom of God is at hand. And I'm concerned that your marriage or your house or your business become an end to you and that you forget that time is so short that honestly, whether you have a wife or not, you are under an obligation to minister. Whether you rejoice or whether you weep, you're under an obligation to minister. There's no way you can say, I have sorrow in my life. I'm out. I'm married. I'm out. I bought a property. I'm out. He's saying here, the time is short. You have a wife. You don't have a wife. You are involved. Is that what you see here in the verse? I think that's what Paul's saying. And that's a challenge to my own life that now that I have a wife. And that's a challenge to my own life that now that I have a wife, my wife and I can together throw our lives into the ministry of the kingdom of God. Again, I know maybe some of you are saying, you're young. You don't have children yet. I do realize that and I want to give deference to that. But I'm also blessed because I've seen couples who do have children and families and business and all kinds of things still walk out this same kind of life of ministry. So don't allow that to become an excuse for us. 1 Peter 3.7 says that we're heirs together of the grace of God. And part of the grace of God is the grace that's appeared to all men teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust. So you and your wife together are an inheritor of that grace that will transform your life to be able to reach out to others. Get your children involved. I know that was a blessing growing up. You can think of family ministry activities. I'm not going to get real practical this morning, but there are family ministry activities. You see someone in the community, take them into your home. Learn to work with them. All kind of things growing up that we children even got involved in. Learning how to meet new people. Do you see a foreigner in your community who's struggling with English and stuff? Take that guy in, you know, and teach him and it'll be a blessing for your children. Maybe you can win him to Christ. I remember several situations like that growing up. You'll have to take risks with your family. I realize that, but be a ministering family. Well, let's go home and commit this to God that we as a married couple. I want you to go home and talk to your wife. We as a married couple, we will minister, we will serve, and we will turn our eyes outward. Together, we will be married to minister. Thank you all, and I want to learn how to apply this into my life. Amen. Thank you, brother. Here's the conclusion of the whole matter. If your focus in life is on your marriage, you'll be very disappointed. If your focus in life is on ministry and the kingdom of God, you'll be blessed. And marriage may be a part of that, to make the kingdom of God to prosper. Very good, many very good thoughts there for us to consider as married couples. Beautiful challenges for our youth who are thinking of marriage, maybe in the future, nearer future. Again, I just beg you to hear the conclusion. If you are getting married because you're a selfish person and you want to please yourself, or you want to experience the blessing of married life, and if that's your whole goal, you'll be very, very disappointed. But if your goal is to serve the Lord and to minister unto Him, marriage can be a beautiful partnership blessing to accomplish that. I would like to open up for some comments and maybe further instructions. Especially I would like if you, some of you brothers would, if we could make this time to be a time of further admonition, or maybe even testimonies of examples of your home or what you have experienced in this area as fathers. And maybe some of you sisters could also give some testimony of what your home is like, or what you envision, or maybe it's not the way you want it to be, but you have a vision. Can we just do that this morning? Just give a little bit of room for that specific. Not just so much how this message blessed you, but I'd like to just open up for some further instructions if I may. Is that too much? I don't think so. I'm sure there are some sisters here who could say a lot more. Some of our brothers here too. Is there anyone? Here's one. I certainly appreciated the message this morning and just would like to take this opportunity to bless my wife. I'm not sure exactly when it was, but probably about six months or a year ago. It seemed like in a special way she decided to make sure that I knew that she was supporting me. And you know, that made such a difference. It just, you know, if you kind of wonder, well, you know, is my wife going to support me or is she going to kind of lag behind or say I told you so if it didn't work out quite right, that is a drag. But if on the other hand, and I'm not saying that was serious in our relationship, but there was a sense in which there was just a renewed determination. I'm with my husband. I'm going to go where he goes. I'm going to let him know that he's supported. And you know, there's just a confidence in that. And there's a freedom then to hear from the Lord and to hear from the counsel of others. And God has really blessed that and I praise him for that. Thank you, John. I didn't kind of purposed before coming that maybe I would really want to be careful and not probably not say anything. I was just concerned. But I have to witness about some things that the Lord has done and and they have to do with this. And this week I was kind of meditating and really considering. Oh, how wonderful it would be that somehow we could study about Aquila and Priscilla. Well, we were working and and I just have to bless the Lord and just thank the Lord. To me, it was it was too much, too overwhelming. And so I just in seeing like they were talking about this Paul and and the man that he was. It says in Peter, second Peter three, probably all know that it says an account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you as also in all his epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable rest as they do also the other scriptures unto their own destruction. Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before bewareless, ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness. And then he shares a little more, but growing grace. So I see this couple suffering for maintaining this doctrine. Like the Apostle Paul shared to Timothy that he would not be afraid of that. He would be very careful of the doctrine of the doctrine. And he said, be not afraid of give to give with. I look for this first, but I couldn't find it to tell others about me, to give witness of me and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I find that very important that we can share things, good things about brothers that are doing a good work for the Lord and also about the Lord Jesus Christ. But it was something very precious to me to see that this can be done in our day, that we can be defending some of the doctrines that we only find in the epistles of the Apostle Paul. And some of us are here because of that. So many turn into jewelry wearing and to leaving the modesty and leaving the head covering. And we see all these things are so important. And we saw it, we suffered through it ourselves. And we seen many, we heard of people in Argentina going all this liberal route. And ministers just almost one just standing for the conservative side. And so we believe we more are going to see it as a day's approach. And so some of these things were just the burden of my heart defending the things that the Apostle Paul wrote and sticking our necks, probably like like we see this couple as an example. And and that we we can say that we've seen some of this in our own lives. We're thankful. I'm very thankful for my wife. And and just lately I was given a book by a brother, dear brother here. And so much is blessing me on the things of how we husband sometimes don't understand some of some of the things on our wife's feelings. And I've been so blessed and thankful for all the time we've been here. And I just am overwhelming and I'm not I'm not wanting to puff anything up. But but sometimes the way I communicate maybe shows something different or my emotions are not what I would like to say. But I am I'm very thankful for every everyone here in the Lord and his resurrection. Thank you, Henry. In the back. I thank the Lord for the service today. And I thank you, Weston, for getting up and speaking about Aquila and Priscilla. I appreciate what you said about them and how that they always are talked about together. And I think of you, Weston and Charity, that whenever we think of you, we think of you together as a couple and what you're doing for Christ. And I think that's a beautiful thing. And and to have you speak about that is a reflection of your own lives. And I think that's wonderful. And I want to take the opportunity to say that about my wife as well. I think she's definitely a Priscilla and I'm so blessed by her. I remember the day when we were going through financial troubles and she said, you know, Phil, I believe in you. And I don't care if we have to live in a tent somewhere. She says, I believe in you. And, you know, that says so much for a husband when a wife believes in her like that, no matter what. And so I thank the Lord for my wife. You might think people might think at times that we husbands have it all together. We're the strong, macho ones. But, you know, when our wives support us like that, boy, it just makes a world of a difference. Over here. I was very blessed by the message. You know, I I was particularly and was encouraged by I was thinking of our own life. My wife and I were mourning after we were moving a couple of times. We were here and thinking when Stephen's life when when he was nine years old, we had realized we'd moved nine times, you know, from Germany, Texas and different places. And I do want to bless my wife for sticking with me through all that. Lester, I it's been quite a journey and many times we just had to walk in what God had showed us. And like you were saying, it's it's not exactly a financial benefit when you keep doing those things. But one of the things that really struck me in the message. And as you say, I don't want to just be blessed by the message, but continue to the thing is, is the fact that I guess one of the burden I have is that here amongst this fellowship, I feel there is so much more possibility for this thing to be happening that I feel that we're we're the biggest excuses we when we hear this thing is this. But you don't understand my home. I'm not there. I don't have these things. I don't have that kind of blessing on my life. So I can't do this. I can't do these types of things. Yes, I would stick with my husband if or I would do these things if. But what I believe is that God has given us these promises. He wants us and we are we are well able to be able to walk more in this type of thing. I was blessed there with this verse in Acts 18 verse 9. Paul was fearful and listen to that scripture. Then spake the Lord to Paul the night by a vision. Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee. For I have much people in this city. I believe there are much people in this city and there's much opportunity for us to be able to walk in those things. But those things are provided to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wesleyan started off the whole thing with explaining and going there with Acts. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and to all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. This is the source of power. Coming unto God and having the Holy Spirit empower our homes to be able to walk in these things. And so I don't think we should have that attitude. I'm not there. Get there. Be here with these people and have the source of power. Be the Holy Spirit and then we can walk in that as a fellowship. Amen. I was very blessed by the message. Amen. Amen. God bless you Wesleyan Charity. I know it was Wesleyan that preached the message but it came out of our life. We could hear that this morning. And I know we get challenged from time to time. But to me this message had a very distinct ring to it. We often get challenged quite this way. It rang very much the same as another message I heard recently about reckless abandon. And you know that's what it is. And many times we want to have it all together before we learn. But you know a little child only learns to walk as they get up, try it and fall down. And that's my testimony in our life. I look at this message and I say wow so much to go for. I know we're not there yet as a family, as a couple. And I want to set my sights on those things and go for those things. But the only way to get there is to walk. The only way to get there is to take the next step. It's been a blessing following God in our life in those areas where He's called us. And just learning to walk. We've done it all wrong so many times. But that's how God teaches you and that's how He gives you grace. And you know in the area of maybe just challenging us, it's so easy for us to look at everybody else. Well that's their calling and we all do. We all have a separate area where God has us in His vineyard. But each of us has something we can do. I was just challenged when you pulled that pen out of your pocket. Every one of us has a pen. We can learn how to use that in our own way. I know there were times in the young men we've had in our home, sisters would come to my wife and kind of just give her pity. And she didn't want pity. She wanted encouragement. It wasn't something that I was just doing. It wasn't Aquila just dragged Apollos into their home. It's that they did it. And so if there's a sister that seems to be struggling, have her hands full, maybe it's just raising a family. Don't give her pity. Give her encouragement. Give the brother encouragement to step up. The time is late and there's many souls that need to be pulled from the fire and very few who want to do it. And we don't need to back down. We don't need pity. We just need encouragement to go for all that God has for us. And I was also blessed with, I'm sure it wasn't easy to step out of your comfort zone and speak of things that maybe some could misunderstand wrong. But the picture of a Thomas Kinkade home, we can have that perfect vision, but Thomas Kinkade homes don't save people from the fire. And I'm not saying it's wrong to have a quiet evening at home. And I would only repeat things that Wes said if I tried to word it out right. But it takes real sacrifice and real loss of sleep and real loss of fellowship and real time on the floor crying out in prayer for these things to be a reality in our lives. It doesn't come easy. Or if it would be easy, it would be done already. One in the back. Oh, Wes, God bless you as well as Wes already shared for reminding the Lord as you preach His message. I feel that it's what I want to go for. And some of us may be able to do this in a bigger way or a smaller way. But I believe this was a direct call for us to step out, even right among us here, starting right in our church here and just ministering to each other as we see fit. I can say that it's been a blessing for us. And we've never done much of this kind of thing, but just in small ways and so forth, it's definitely been a real blessing to our family. So I wouldn't encourage anybody to look into it. There is a side of it. However, that does make me tremble. And I think it's there's a side of it that I think we don't want to miss, and that is the fact that the Bible does say that if a man doesn't provide for his family, he's worse than an infidel. And I think we often think of that as only financially, but I believe that it's probably as true or maybe even more true from a spiritual or emotional standpoint. That's one thing that we found in our family, is that if I got an idea that there's one thing we should be doing and so forth, and if I wasn't properly conveying that vision to my family and didn't have my family's heart in it or was maybe spending more time in that kind of thing than ministering to my own family, that it was very hard for my family to buy into my vision, what we were going to do, and that kind of thing. And I think it's very important that we move ahead on things like this collectively as families and make sure that our families are spiritually, emotionally, and financially ministered to, that we're not spending all our time ministering to those around us and not setting up proper boundaries in our homes. Because I've seen this kind of thing. The devil would desire to have us fall on that side of the ditch. There's a ditch on that side as well, I believe. We should be very careful that we are bound together as a family and continually to bind together as a family. We're not moving ahead in the fact that we are only leaving the crumbs left over for our family. And I know that's one thing that I'm speaking to myself as much as anything, because there's a challenge where it is sometimes interesting and challenging to see how many people you can reach and that kind of thing. But the Lord's really spoken to me that He wants me to be careful that I'm bringing my family with me. So God bless you all for the blessings that you've been to me, and there are several brothers that have spoken to me about this kind of thing, that I should be more careful of that. And I thank you for the ones that have stood forward and spoke to me about it. And I want to take that counsel and just share that testimony with everybody. God bless you all. I think the message was just very good. Yes, I want to praise the Lord this morning. Also for Christian marriages, I just thank God for a Christian marriage that He's given me and that we can serve Him together, Nalene and I. Bless the Lord for that. Thank you for that. As I think of many people in this world, you know, that are struggling just to stay on top, struggling just to keep a right relationship together. But God's will for our marriages is working together to further the kingdom of God. Thank you for that encouragement, brother. Brother Emmanuel asked for some testimonies of our lives, and I was sitting here thinking back over the 12 years that we were married. And it seems, and I know I've been learning this, and have been spanked by the Lord a number of years ago on hurrying my wife. I feel like ever since I've been married, I have been hurrying my wife. I have just been pulling her. You know, gotta go, gotta go here, gotta go there. And I'll just give you an example of that. And just to show you that we all, as we give ourselves to marriage, we also give ourselves to be taught one of another, I believe. Be aware of that, young people, as you are considering entering into marriage. You are giving yourself to be taught of your future wife, of your husband. Some things that you may need to learn. I'll give you a picture of a viewing, just to give you an example here. Maybe someone passed away in the family or so, and we go to the viewing to pay our respects there. And there's a long line of people that are going through, shaking the hands of the family and all. And so we enter the house, and you know, there's a line in front of us, and so we're okay for the first couple of people, but I soon realized that the line in front of us is moving on, and we're not going anywhere. And I encourage my wife to keep up with the line, and there's people in the back, there's people waiting. And she's not too happy with me, but I know we have to keep going, so I continue to encourage her. But the Lord has taught me to allow my wife to weep with those that weep in times like that, and so be it if the line has to wait. I've just had to learn those things. She's a relationship-minded person, an outgoing kind of person, and I have much to learn in this area. And I just believe that as we learn from each other, we'll be more equipped, I believe, to serve the Lord and serve the Lord together to further His kingdom. I don't know, Nalaine, if you're listening, that I'm quite finished hurrying you, because sometimes we do have to go. You know, it just is that way. I thank you, Brother Wes, also for the encouragement this morning. We have many people through our homes here, some of us do, and we enjoy it immensely. We have enjoyed it over the years past, Nalaine and I have. And thank you for the encouragement not to get weary in that, in well-doing. God bless you. A pre-scripture here as Wes was preaching in Matthew 4, verses 18, 19, and 20. And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, and they were fishers. And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him. To me it seems like these nets here were the very thing that they used for family living. And I often wondered what Peter's wife thought here, what these disciples' wives did. Maybe you have an answer for me. When these disciples left their nets, they probably left there full of fish and they just followed after Jesus. And I want to praise the Lord for my wife. Even right now she's in a little bit of turmoil because we have to move. I told her we might have to get a trailer and pull it behind the pick-up and go wherever the Lord leads us, but she's not willing to do that yet. So maybe she's not a very good Aquila. But she's been a blessing in as far as helping support the family. And we were not tent makers, we were gym makers, and she did a lot of work there helping to provide. So you all think about us and pray for us that we're trying to move somewhere, but we don't know where yet. I don't know what's going to happen. So I just wondered about these scriptures many times here, how they straightway left their nets and followed Him. Did their wives went with them? I don't know what happened. God bless you for the messages. Have the blessing also to me in a challenge. Amen. I want to just encourage us that it's a two-way street. Marriage is giving one to the other. We as husbands need to understand our wives, and we as husbands need to love our wives, and at times wait on them. Not to push them. When you push, you'll bring a wall of separation. That's not God's will. But when there's a witness of two agreeing together, and then you go, then you know that God's blessing will be there, I believe. Brother Aaron. I thank the Lord for this very practical message. It applies to all of us. Thank you, Brother Weston. You could have lifted up foreign missions in such a way that we'd all sat here and felt like, what am I doing? But I so appreciate the message. It applies to all of us. I just thank God for that. I thought Aquila and Priscilla are a beautiful example of a couple that served God in their generation. You know, as the Lord led them from one place to the next, and how they were willing to follow the Lord. I just want to bless my wife and thank God for her. She really stands by me and supports me. As you were giving these different points, Brother Weston, for the sisters, I can just thank the Lord for my wife's support, and how she is very faithful in serving and blessing and being right there behind me if I want to invite company over or whatever. In all her ways that she serves me, I just thank God for that. As I looked at the points for the men, it's a challenge to my own heart. But I love people. I love to minister, I believe. But yet I have room to grow. I know that. But I had to think about the one of not being married to his business. But yet I believe if the Lord would show me to move somewhere else, I'm willing to go. But I have to admit it, I've sort of settled in here. But I certainly want to follow the Lord wherever he leads us. So I just thank God for this message today, and how the two messages go together and just fit together so well. Also, it really just confirms something in my own heart. Before Missions Conference, I had shared with some of the ministering brethren, there's a message been on my heart for quite a while to share sometime. And I feel like it's all leading up to the Lord giving me a clearing to share that message, and that is to encourage us in missions at home. So maybe next time I get to share, I'll share that message. Thank you very much. I just wanted to share, you know, there's practical ways that we can do this with our wives and even with our families. Sometimes I would think of a big ministry, but we can do it in very simple ways. And I thought of an example recently of how the Lord used me with my family. There was a family, Jim Roberts, some of you may have known him. He and his family from New York, near from where we lived before we moved here. And they visited here a few years ago. That's how we actually first met them. At that time, he had cancer, and he passed away a couple of weeks ago. And for a couple of months before that, we visited him. I would go in, and he was in a hospital bed in the home. He was dying. And I got to visit with him. My wife got to visit with his wife, sharing together. We had a meal together a couple of times. Our children came along with us. Sometimes they played with their children. It was an opportunity in a small way. All we did was visit somebody who was dying, a family that needed encouragement. One night shortly before he died, the Lord prompted me to ask him if I can come here with my family, if we could just sing some hymns. We sang a few hymns. You would think, you know, that we had done such a great thing. It was just a simple thing. Visiting, singing some songs with him shortly after he passed away. And I think, for me, we have to look for the simple ways sometimes. There's many simple ways. Dean was sharing there's a lot of potential here among us for ministry to other people. Let's not all automatically think of a big ministry. Little things, small things, opportunities to serve. That was an opportunity to serve. And I know he appreciated my visits. He thanked me for coming. But watching him die with faith, I said to him, Jim, I'm getting more out of this than you are, just seeing his faith. And often isn't that the case? We go to minister to other people and we get back so much more than we give. And I think the last thing he said to me before I left him that last visit, he looked at me and his eyes were kind of half closed and he said, I love you. And I think that was the last I saw him alive. But often we are blessed more than we can bless others in those situations. I just want to encourage our hearts to look for the little ways to serve him. Any sisters that want to share? I'd like to give them opportunity. Also, I see a hand back there. I have a burst of Thanksgiving. I'd like to share this morning to honor my wife. Who can find a virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband to safely trust in her so that he shall have no need to spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. And I just want to testify this morning and say amen. To not only the two sermons I've heard that go so well together, but to the testimonies I've heard from my godly brothers. Thank you especially Paul for your testimony of patience with your wife. I just want to say amen. I have been a visionary for a number of years and I tend to run out ahead of my family. And the Lord has seen fit to slow down and give vision to my family in order to bring them with me. And I want to say in the last year and a half, as God has given me the grace to do that, I can testify with all my heart that this has been the greatest year of my marriage in 13 years. I feel closer to my wife and I feel more supported by her than I have ever felt in my entire life. I had no idea how much value would come in simply learning how, by God's grace, to live with her in an understanding way. And I just thank God that she is with me. And I want to testify to the answer to prayer. I've been seeking the Lord and wisdom and what to do for vocation that we could work together. And this month a company had contacted me, a company that I had not heard about or taken initiative to. We were hooked up together and this week I accepted a job with them, not on the basis of my business skills. They made it very clear that they hired me because they feel I'm a man with a family that has a vision for missions. And to hear this answer to prayer and to see their willingness to, Lord willing, send us someday overseas to do a foreign work, a foreign office even, I'm just rejoicing because God prepared us for this answer to prayer by preparing our home. And I just want to thank the Lord and give honor to my precious wife for supporting me and being a part of this calling. I want to bless my husband even though he's not here. I think that many people think that when a man is given over to the love of ministering to other people and the love of God's word that the wife has a little bit of a hard role or a little bit of a hard task because she's often left alone to handle responsibilities or something. But it's often the other way around too that if a husband is given over and loves the work of the Lord and encourages his wife, could you take this difficult phone call or could you go and speak to this hurting person, he's giving up time when the wife could be ministering to him and to his needs too. And many are the times that my husband has released me or charged me to go and do something and he's the one that receives a loss of my time. And so that is often the case, I believe, with the men in our circles who are fully given over to the service of the Lord. And so I do want to bless them for that. Also, many of the women here have been a great example to me in being a Priscilla. But I also want to encourage the younger women that we need to really take hold of this thing of being courageous. And even looking in the scriptures where it charges Sarah's daughters not to be afraid with any amazement, that often if we're afraid to follow our husbands or to be his armor bearer, then they have to take time out to keep trying to pull us along or quell our fears. And that's OK sometimes, but we want to take courage to just believe in them and walk behind them and support them. So I surely want to continue to climb in these areas. Thank you, Helen. Any more sisters that need to share? I think there's no more secure place that we can be than in the Lord's will. And as we my husband and I have talked, making the plans to move here, making the plans, having a united heart, having that communication so that it's we that are doing the moves, we that are deciding to home school. And I want to thank the Lord and honor Paul for his vision for home schooling, his vision for having a large family, for loving our children, for hospitality, the visions that he has put forward that we can be. They love their children, they home school, they do this because of communicating together and having a common vision that it's not just me doing this. I can have the confidence and the courage to do things because I know it's our vision and not just me trying to do something on my own. Any other sisters here need to share? I'd like to take this time to just bring honor and praise and glory to God for his working in our lives. I greatly appreciate this message that this is a vision that Lori and I have had for years to be in an occupation together, such as Priscilla and Aquila were both tent makers here, but that we can work together. I'd like to bless God for the way he has worked in my wife's life to come alongside and support me and encourage me and let me know that whatever decision, wherever the Lord would lead, that she would be willing to go. I want to take this time to glorify God for his answer to prayers. As you heard last week, we have a house in Virginia we are desiring to sell, that the tenants that were renting and desiring to buy allowed a pile of firewood to catch on fire outside of the wood stove. So we were to go down this week and put that floor back in and clean the house up and re-prepare it for sale. The fleece we had out before the Lord was June 1st. If the house is sold by June 1st, hallelujah, our move to Pennsylvania is completed. If it's not by June 1st, we would prepare to be moving back. I can't afford to live in both places. My wife blessed me to know that whichever it was, she was with me 100%. Last night the Lord answered that prayer and sold the house without fixing the floor. So to those who were desiring and looking forward to going, I thank you and I bless God for you. But I'm sure we can find something else to do this coming weekend. Plenty around. If anybody would like to take the gospel to that part of Virginia, I'd welcome that also. But to God be the glory. We just praise him for his faithfulness and his love and his mercy. Amen. If there's anyone here whose life is not fulfilled, I would encourage you to invest yourself into the lives of others. If your Christian life is not being fulfilled, you invest yourself, not just your time, but yourself in the lives of others. I remember growing up as a teenager, our home was a place of activity, especially on weekends. We were a family of 10 and had lots of friends. We just continued to have friends over at our house on weekends. They were always welcome. Our house was open. Now I find that the same way, only I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm the father in the house. I find our home is just a home of hospitality. I think it's due to my wife's graciousness and other things. Our lives are full of just ministering to others. Sometimes we wish we'd have some spare time, but again, it's a blessing to be able to minister to others. I think we'll have one more and then we'll close here. I just didn't want to miss this opportunity to bless my wife. She's not here today, but she might be listening over the phone. Just for her willingness to help support the family in the sewing business, I know it's been a struggle often, but I know it's also been rewarding for her. It's given her many opportunities to minister to other women. I just want to thank her and my daughters, too, for helping in that way. God bless you. Amen. Thank you for sharing, each one of you.