Bibles, please turn to Acts chapter 18. We have progressed on from chapter 17 to chapter 18, and I'm gonna read a number of verses here, and I'll have you stand here in just a minute, but I'm gonna ask two men to pray after I have, after we have our scripture reading, and ask the Lord's blessing on the message this morning. I'm gonna ask Brother Paul Hallad if you would lead us in prayer, and then Brandon Unruh if you would lead us in prayer as well. The title of the message this morning is, An Inspirational Christian Couple. Please stand as I read Acts 18, beginning in verse one. After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth and found a certain Jew named Aquila. Born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla. Because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome, and Paul came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought, for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Jump down to verse 18. This is after Paul is brought before a Bema seat. And it says in verse 18, that after this, Paul tarried there yet a good while and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence into Syria and with him, Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Sancreia, for he had a vow. And he came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry a 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 unto you if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. Verse 24. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. Please note, Paul is gone. 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 John. And he began to speak boldly in a synagogue, whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him, who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace. for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. This morning, we're gonna look at seven facts about Aquila and Priscilla that made them an inspirational Christian couple. Before I preach, though, I'd like to have Brother Paul pray, and then Brandon. Let's pray. missionary journey on his first journey in Acts 13 and 14 he had along with him his partner Barnabas. His second journey is recorded roughly in Acts 16 to 18 so this chapter is the concluding or the conclusion of his second missionary journey. He has with him most of the time Silas, but he's waiting for Silas when we find him in Athens in chapter 17, Silas and Timothy come to meet him here in chapter 18 and verse 5. The key cities that he visits on his second missionary journey are the cities of Philippi chapter 16, chapter 17 Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. Here in chapter 18, you've noticed Corinth and Ephesus. And at the end of chapter 18, we see the conclusion, as I said, of Paul's second missionary journey. In verse 1 of chapter 18, Paul departs from Athens, and he goes to Corinth, about a 50-mile walk. Let me give you some background to the book of what's taking place here. A lot of this we know from the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians. Paul arrives at Corinth in the year 50 AD. Now, I haven't been real dogmatic about any dates. We normally say, well, about here, about there, but we can almost say with certainty this was exactly the year 50. How can we do that? Well, they have discovered near Corinth an inscription that mentions the name Galio. You'll notice in verse 12 of Acts 18 that Galio was the deputy of Achaia. That stone confirms that and they can confidently date that inscription to AD 52. And we know that Paul spent at least a year and a half in Corinth, a little bit more according to a verse even later. So backing up two years, that makes this about the year 50. Now there's no reason given as to why he goes to Corinth. We know that Athens was the intellectual center of Greece. Corinth was the commercial center of Greece. Corinth is the capital city of the province of Achaia. Seven miles from Corinth was a small stretch of land. It was a neck from the Peloponnese Island north to Greece, and there's this small neck four miles wide with a gulf on either side of that neck. That there is an isthmus. Something I think I learned when I was in elementary school is always kind of interesting to me. An isthmus, a small neck of land where a sea is on both sides. You've got the Gulf of the Saronic Gulf on the southeast and on the northwest you've got the Gulf of Corinth. Here's this small stretch of land. Sailors would have to go 200 miles around the Peloponnese Peninsula, and it was a dangerous sail, to get to the other side. If they could just get across this four mile stretch of land. And so what they would do, and you can go online, you can see pictures of this, they built a road from the Saronic Gulf to the Gulf of Corinth, a small, narrow road that four miles. And they paved it. You can still see the pavement today. They paved it with limestone. And they would literally take the small ships, bring them up out of the water, put them on some kind of a cart, something that had wheels, and they would pull that boat across that four miles and be a cross and put it back in there. And they would save all kinds of time, save themselves from danger. And so at one time, even before the time of Paul, they had this great idea. Let's just make this, let's make a canal. And then we can just let those ships sail right through this isthmus. And so this was earlier, even before Paul's time, but, um, I read that as early as 600 BC they thought about that. Julius Caesar considered it Caligula, sent an engineer to work on it. A few years later after Paul arrived, Nero actually began the excavation. And it was finally finished in 1893. but it was finished. And by the time they finished it, it was too small for most ships, too narrow. And so today they say it's mostly a tourist area, but small ships can get through this narrow on this narrow canal. So now you've got this place, not now, but back to the time when they would pull those ships across, Corinth was full of sailors. Lot of commercial activity that was taking place in Corinth. And so I'm quoting here, much of the population was mobile, sailors, businessmen, government officials, and so forth, and was therefore cut off from the inhibitions of a settled society. At the time that Paul was there, the city itself was only about a hundred years old. That is what you saw in ancient Corinth. From the social mobility and the evils of religious practices, there arose a general corruption of society. Corinthian morals became a byword, even in the pagan Roman world. To call somebody a Corinthian, who didn't actually live in Corinth, was to say, you are an immoral person. You did not want to be called a Corinthian. It was a city of wealth and luxury and immorality. A thoroughly Roman city. And the church that Paul founds in this chapter 18, where he has come from Corinth, consisted primarily of non-Jews. You'll see that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse two. So that's kind of a background to what we're gonna look at as we get into chapter 18. And there's many possible ways to outline chapter 18 of Acts. Let me give you some of those ways that I thought as I was studying this week. I thought, well, I could outline this by locations, by places. Paul's in Athens, he goes to Corinth, then to Sancreia, to Ephesus, Caesarea, Jerusalem, throughout Galatia, Phrygia, back to Ephesus in 19 one. So we could do some kind of an outline based upon places. Or we could do something based upon people. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned in verses one to four, verse 18, 24 to 28. Break it down when Sidon and Timothy come in verse five, Crispus in verse eight, Galileo in verse 12, Apollos in verses 24 to 20. There's another way to break the chapter down and perhaps outline it that way by people. Or by Paul's ministry to the Jews. We see their opposition in verse six, their insurrection in verse 12, their interest in verses 19 to 20. I have chosen to make this the theme of Acts 18 for the purposes of my preaching and what we're gonna be looking at in this chapter. Two inspirational Christian examples. We see an inspirational Christian couple, Aquila and Priscilla. And there's an inspirational Bible scholar at the end of the chapter, Apollos. There's interaction between the inspirational Christian couple we see in the first part of the chapter with Apollos, the inspirational Bible scholar at the end of the chapter. This morning we want to look at an inspirational Christian couple. How neatly that fits with Tuesday, Valentine's Day. Dr. Stuart Custer in his commentary said, quote, this couple is one of the most distinctive husband-wife teams mentioned in scripture. Edmund D. Hebert in his commentary said this, it's not his commentary, excuse me, it's in a book that he wrote on, it's called entitled In Paul's Shadow. And he mentions all the characters in the book of Acts throughout his epistles of people Paul knew and walked in his shadow. Hebert says this, Aquila and Priscilla provide a beautiful example of an ideal Christian couple. Together in work and faith alike, their names are mentioned six times in the New Testament and always together. If in Ananias and Sapphira in chapter 5 we have the tragic example of a couple united in the commission of sin, here we have the challenging example of a Christian couple wholeheartedly united in spirit, aim, and deed. Arthur McGifford, a man whom Hebert quotes as they furnished the most beautiful example known to us in the apostolic age of the power for good that could be exerted by a husband and wife working in unison for the advancement of the gospel. And so you might be able to understand that as I was beginning my study this week, and as I read what they were saying about this Christian couple, and the more I studied them, the more inspiring it was to me. And I hope to communicate that to you today, because in our day, how easy, how common is it to find an inspiring Christian couple? Let alone in the Christian world, as I say, hard to find in a non-Christian world. But what about in the Christian world? What about in our church? These two, Aquila and Priscilla were devoted to each other because they were first devoted to God. And so I want you to see at least seven facts that I came up with about this couple that makes them an inspirational Christian couple. Number one, and I've got seven points, obviously, so we go through each point rather quickly. Number one, their diverse backgrounds. They're an inspirational Christian couple, basically, in spite of their diverse backgrounds. You'll notice that in verse two, Aquila was born in Pontus. Pontus is on the southern shores of the Black Sea. Do you know what nation is on the northern shores of the Black Sea? Ukraine. He's on the southern shores of the Black Sea. He's a Jew, it very plainly says, but he has a Latin name. Aquila is a Latin name. Somebody said it was common for Jews of the dispersion to have non-Jewish names. So here's Aquila, a Jew. His wife Priscilla was probably born in Italy. perhaps even Rome. Her name is Roman. She was not a Jewess. She was probably an Italian, whom having married Aquila, became a Jew. Now folks, to an outside observer, this marriage would never work. It can't work, but it did. We have an inspiring Christian couple. How? Well, because of number two, their common faith. Their common faith. Nothing is recorded in the Bible, nothing is recorded here in Acts about when this couple got saved. Many people assume that Paul led them to the Lord. However, and commentators go on both sides of this, And I do too, because as I study this, I cannot see, were they saved? Did Paul lead them to the Lord? Nothing is said. My conclusion, along with some of those who agree with me, excuse me, along with those I agree with, said that they were probably already saved when the Apostle Paul found them. Why? Well, in 1 Corinthians 16, 15, when Paul mentions them later on in that chapter, Paul states that Stephanas and his family were the first fruits of Achaia, not Aquila and Priscilla. Number two, Paul readily lodges with them in verse three. Notice it says he abode with them, not just because they had the same craft. So they were probably already saved. They have a common faith. Whenever Aquila is mentioned in the Bible, Priscilla is mentioned. Whenever Priscilla is mentioned in the Bible, Aquila is mentioned. They are a team. They're always mentioned together. And this is what made them a team. They could be right with each other because they were first each right with God. And if in a marriage you have two individuals who are right with God, if there's that vertical relationship, what's taking place with that horizontal relationship? There's communion. There's union. There's unity. As you walk in the spirit both. The way some couples act, I wouldn't even be sure they serve the same God. And I'm talking about Christian couples. Their common faith. Number three, their providential guidance. When I say their providential guidance, I'm talking about the leading of the Lord in their life. Look at the leading of the Lord in their relocation. You read in this chapter in verse two, that there was this command for the Jews to leave Rome. Not Italy, Rome. Aquila and Priscilla leave Rome In fact, they leave Italy. Why didn't they just go to some other city in Italy? No, they actually go across the sea and they go to Corinth. This is not by accident. This is the providential leading of God. And there in Corinth, they meet a man who was constantly being driven out of cities. They're driven out of Rome. The apostle Paul, has he ever been driven out of a city? All the time. In fact, he's been driven out of Thessalonica in chapter 17. He was driven out of Berea. That's just in chapter 17. He's constantly being chased out of cities. Here's Aquila and Priscilla being chased out of Rome. Here's Paul being chased from everywhere, and they meet each other. The way the Bible puts it, Paul found them. That doesn't necessarily mean he was looking for them, but he found this Christian couple who had recently been driven from Rome. There's that providential guidance in their relocation. God brought them to Corinth for a reason. There's God's providential guidance in their occupation. You'll notice that the Bible says in verse three, by their occupation, they were tent makers. Notice something, ladies and gentlemen, Husbands and wives, they are not a full-time ministry couple. They are involved in what people would call secular work. You see, people say, well, it ought to be where the pastor and his wife are getting along all the time. We have an excuse, we're not in the ministry. No, you don't have an excuse, any more than Aquila and Priscilla did. Here they are tent makers. For by their occupation, they were tent makers. And it was due to their occupation that Paul probably found them in Corinth. Why? Because Paul too was a tent maker. You see, he grew up in Tarsus of Cilicia, where if you study ancient history, tent making was a common trade in Cilicia. Every Jewish boy was taught a trade. I found this quote, and I've got it on your outline if you've got a copy of that, where a rabbi by the name of Judas says this, he that teacheth not his son a trade doth the same as if he taught him to be a thief. They would teach their sons a trade. So Paul would revert to this trade to support himself. Look at that phrase in verse three, and wrought. Literally, it means they kept on laboring, they kept on working. Paul is steadily working with Aquila and Priscilla in this task. One commentary, and it was even a liberal commentary, made this application. quote, no preacher should preach 52 Sundays a year. The greatest thoughts often come when a man is doing something else, end quote. I heartily concur. I find that when I can get outside and work, even when I'm mowing my lawn, you know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking about the sermon that week, but I'm doing something differently. as I get out and do other things. Here's the apostle Paul, and I think one of the things that made him such a great preacher was the fact that there were times when he wasn't just involved in ministry, he was meeting people, he was doing laborious work. You notice in verse five that Timothy and Silas arrive. And the Bible says there that when they were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit. That phrase, pressed in the spirit, literally means he is now able to devote himself to the word. Why? Because Silas and Timothy, according to 2 Corinthians 11, 9, brought with them some support from the churches in Macedonia. And he can now set aside that trade and get back to full-time ministry. And so we see their providential guidance in relocation and occupation, and lastly, in their instruction. God had allowed, had led Aquila and Priscilla to learn from the Apostle Paul. Later in the chapter, you find somebody learning from Aquila and Priscilla. I read the chapter, who was it who learned from them later in the chapter? Apollos. Apollos was a great preacher. Apollos was a tremendous man. He learns. He's discipled by Aquila and Priscilla. That's the providence of God. God relocated them to Corinth. God, in history, had made sure that they were of that same occupation that a man by the name of Paul had, and they met together. Paul, God in his sovereignty, led them to teach Apollos. And so we see their diverse background, their common faith, their providential guidance. Fourthly, their civil relationship. Does everybody have steel-toed shoes on this morning? You better. Their civil relationship. The word civil is related to civilize. To raise from barbarism to an enlightened stage of development. I see so many marriages, even in Christianity, where the married couple who claim to be Christians cannot live together in a civilized way. Let's look at Aquila and Priscilla. He's the Jew. She's not. Claudius expels the Jews. She goes with him. Keeping that in mind, I want you to note something. Six passages in the New Testament mention Aquila and Priscilla. You'll see it there in verse two. And I want you to notice in the order in which their names are given. In verse two, tell me, what is the order of names? Give me the names. Aquila and Priscilla. Jump down to verse 18. The order is reversed. Priscilla and Aquila. Look at verse 26. The original, the Greek, does not have Aquila first. It's Priscilla and Aquila. If you go to Romans chapter 16 and verse three, and let's just do that because we're gonna be in Romans in just a few minutes, go to Romans chapter 16 and verse three where they are mentioned again. Give me the order there out loud, please. Priscilla and Aquila. Go please to 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 19. What is the order there? Aquila and Priscilla. Now please go with me to 2 Timothy 4, 19, where we have the last mention of these two. And you have Paul saying, salute Prisca and Aquila. Out of the six times this couple is mentioned in the New Testament, four times Priscilla is mentioned first. Now some people would say, well, that doesn't matter who's mentioned first. Well, it mattered when you had Paul and Barnabas as a team. And Barnabas was mentioned first until later Paul became the primary one. And then the order was reversed on how they were mentioned. Sometimes it would go back as it does with Priscilla and Aquila. Most agree that Priscilla is usually mentioned before her husband, probably because she belonged to a higher social class and may have been connected with the noble Roman family called the Gents Prisca. Did we see her called Prisca by Paul? There in 2 Timothy 4, verse 19, Prisca was an old Roman name of a prestigious family. If the name order does indicate higher social class, you never see or hear recorded or see any kind of implication that Aquila ever chafes at it. Neither do you see Priscilla gloating in it. They're on the same team. They're on the same team. Folks, to observe some Christian marriages, they're not on the same team. They claim to have a common faith, but by observation, they're not on the same team. I've seen women bark orders at their husbands. I've seen couples disparage each other, ridicule each other, belittle each other, disrespect others, their spouse, in public, sometimes in church. Folks, marriage is not a competition. You are not competing with your spouse. You are not competing to be the one who outshines the other. You're on a team. And we have that inspirational example given right here in Acts chapter 18 of how when a couple works together, God uses them. They're pulling together as they serve their Lord. So in this non-church setting, she is clearly involved in the last part of the chapter. Priscilla is with Aquila. in expounding to Apollos the way of God more perfectly, which indicates something, that she too is a student of the scriptures. She is not leaving it to her husband. She's a student of the scriptures. Notice the word diligently in verse 25, because that's how you see Apollos teaching. He taught diligently the things of the Lord. Note the word perfectly in verse 26, because Priscilla and Aquila expounded unto Apollos the way of God more perfectly. The word diligently and the word perfectly are the same word. It literally has to do with accurately. So you've got Apollos who is teaching accurately the things concerning the Lord Jesus. Apollo, or excuse me, Aquila and Priscilla in verse 26 expound to him the word of God more accurately. Iron, sharpening iron has been taking place in their marriage relationship. Because that has been taking place in their marriage relationship, they two together are capable and able to be iron, sharpening iron. And you've got Apollos who is learning from this husband-wife team. Each of them teaching according to the role that God has given them. Aquila as the head of the wife, Ephesians 5.23. Priscilla submitted to her husband, Ephesians 5.22. You say, how can you be sure that these two were having those roles? Well, they could hardly instruct a man like Apollos more accurately if they themselves were not living accurately. By example, they live what they are preaching and teaching. It seems that some people bring competition into their marriage. And marriages aren't civil. That's to be expected out there. It's not to be expected in here. I'm not talking about in this building. I'm talking about you and your marriage relationship with your spouse. And I think this is what happens in a lot of churches. If the marriage relationship is not right at home and in public, it transfers into those people's relationship to the people in the church. In other words, if a spouse tries to have his or her own way in the marriage, it's the same way in the church. If a husband or a wife is controlling, if a wife is controlling in the home, seems to transfer in the church. If the wife is not submissive to authority in the home, same thing happens in the church to authorities. And then sometimes people like that in some churches get elected deacons. And then people wonder why the church is the way it is. Because the proper roles are not being lived out at home. You say, how do you know they're not being lived out in home? Because you can see it not being lived out in church. The same presumption that happens in the home comes into the church. The same disrespect in the home comes into the church. Aquila and Priscilla, notice their civil relationship. Number five, note This about this inspirational Christian couple, their faithful hospitality, their faithful hospitality. Sometimes a wife would love to provide hospitality to another Christian, but can't because of the husband. Sometimes the husband would love to provide hospitality, but can't because of the wife. This team are faithful in providing hospitality. Go back to verse three, who are they hosting in their home? Who is lodging with them? The apostle Paul, they hosted Paul. You will note later on in scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 19, that a church met in their home in Ephesus. A church is meeting in their home. They're providing hospitality to the church. You'll notice in Romans chapter 16 and verse five, when they move back to Rome, apparently this edict that was given out by Claudius has been rescinded or now they're able to go back home. Years later, guess who's meeting in their home? A church in Rome is meeting in their home. One pastor, commentator wrote this, every pastor and missionary thanks God for people like Aquila and Priscilla, people with hands, hearts, and homes dedicated to the work of the Lord. What a true team. What an inspirational Christian couple. Their faithful hospitality. Sixthly, their spiritual maturity, their spiritual maturity. You find in verses 18 and 19 their willingness to move on further to Ephesus and establish a residence there because the church meets in their home in Ephesus. They go with the Apostle Paul. When Paul leaves Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla stay there. Paul is able to leave them in Ephesus. Look at the last part of verse 21. Paul sails from Ephesus. They're in this church in Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla are when Paul moves on. Verses 24 to 28, Paul is not there. Paul is not even mentioned in verses 24 to 28. And yet here's this Christian couple, this inspirational Christian couple who are willing to instruct a man who seems quite intimidating with his knowledge of the Bible, a Bible scholar, Apollos. Aquila and Priscilla take the initiative in verses 24 to 28 to instruct, to expound unto this wonderful preacher the word of God more accurately. So that you read in verse 26 that they are expounding the way of God more perfectly to someone else. Now let me ask you something. How about you? I mean, how would you make application here? Are you, as an individual, able to expound the Word of God more perfectly to someone else? How long have Aquila and Priscilla been with Paul? Well, we know that there's that year and a half that's mentioned in verse 11, teaching the Word of God. He continued there for a year and six months, 18 months, and then later on, You see in verse 18 that Paul tarries there yet a good while, there in Corinth in verse 18. So about two years after Paul met Aquila and Priscilla and he's discipled them, two years, 24 months approximately, now you find this couple not intimidated by Apollos. Having heard him preach, they privately take him aside and they expound to him the word of God more perfectly. Let me ask you something, if that were true, if we had couples like that in churches in America, what do you think would be happening? You know, Aquila and Priscilla didn't say, oh no, what are we gonna do without Paul here? Our leader's gone, what are we gonna do? The pastor's gone. This evangelist comes, if I may call him that. And his preaching is just phenomenal. But they notice some things in what he says. It's not that he's preaching heresy. They're just saying, you know what? There's some things we could help him with. and they begin to expound unto him the word of God more accurately, more carefully. He's already careful with the Bible. It says that diligently in verse 25. They take it and they start expounding it more perfectly to him. Unfortunately, that's the way some churches are when their pastor's gone. It's as if the whole ministry is just stalled, put on hold, pastor's gone. Not in this one. Here's this couple who jumps right in there and they instruct this man. their spiritual maturity. Lastly, number seven, their extreme sacrifice, their extreme sacrifice. This isn't found here in Acts chapter 18. It's found in Romans chapter 16 and verse four. And I would commend that passage to you to be turned to, Romans chapter 16, so that you can see what the apostle Paul says to the church at Rome in Romans chapter 16. When Paul sends greeting, To Priscilla and Aquila in verse three, greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus. I want you to note what he says about them in verse four, Romans 16, four. Who have, for my life, laid down their own necks. You know how it is when you read your Bible ever, you kind of just kind of, right over that passage. You don't really think about what's being said here. Folks, you know what they did? They laid down their necks for the Apostle Paul. Now, nothing is said here as to when this was, but Paul obviously had experienced some serious peril when they voluntarily, literally exposed their lives in order to save Paul. Perhaps this happened when Paul records what he records in 2 Corinthians 1.8. Listen, as I read this, Paul says, for we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. Maybe that's when Aquila and Priscilla laid down their own necks. Or perhaps as you read that extensive list that the Apostle Paul gives in 2 Corinthians 11, verses 23 to 27, how that he was so often in peril. We know he was no stranger to peril and to danger. That maybe that's when this inspirational Christian couple laid down their necks for his life, their extreme sacrifice. is no accident. Why? Well, they're a team. Two are better than one. And folks, it is so much easier to serve the Lord when you have a spouse who's on the team with you. But I need to put it this way, too. You can serve the Lord so much better if you are on the same team with your spouse. Because here's what I often hear. Well, if only my spouse would. Well, my question is this. What about you? What about you? I end with this illustration. Years ago, I was on a drama team from Bob Jones, and we were in Oklahoma. And we were in a motel. Because it was our rest day, it was a Monday. And the guys on my team said, Dan, there's a guy out here who wants to see you. I'm like, who is it? I don't know. And the guy came to me. He said, I was in your dad's class in Wichita, Kansas, the young married couples class. And he says, my marriage is on the rocks. And I don't know what to do. Here I am a 22 year old, unmarried, And I'm praying, Lord, what do I say to this guy? I don't have any experience in marriage. What do I say? And the first thought that came to my mind was to ask that man. I said, and I forget his name. And he had found me because I think he'd called my dad. My dad says, well, my son's right there in Oklahoma right now. And I said, you know what? I don't know about your wife. Let me ask you something. What about you? What is your relationship with the Lord like? I said, because there's no way that you can have a good marriage if you as the husband are not taking the lead and being what you need to be in your marriage. I said, you can talk about your wife all day long. And you know what? We need to talk about her relationship with the Lord some other time. But right now, we need to start with you. And we left. Months later, my dad called me and said, did you see such and such? And he gave me the situation. I said, yeah. He said, my dad's talking about this with a guy, when I saw him, he said that those words that I had said, what about your relationship with God, hit him like a ton of bricks. And I leave that with you this morning. Don't complain about your wife. Don't complain about your husband. What about you? What about you? Here we have this inspirational Christian couple. Are you an inspirational person in your marriage to your spouse? As newlyweds, as oldie weds, as prospectively going to be married someday. You say, well, I'm looking for the perfect. Well, what about you? Are you perfect? You should strive for it. It's only possible when you first have your right relationship with God. And you can only rightly be devoted to each other when you are each first devoted to God. As were Aquila and Priscilla, an inspirational Christian couple. Let's pray.