SPECIAL SERMON FEATURES ON THE LABEL OF DMC WITH PASTOR MENSAH OTABIL

SPECIAL SERMON FEATURES ON THE LABEL OF DMC WITH PASTOR MENSAH OTABIL, GENERAL OVERSEER, INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) ACCRA GHANA

TOPIC: SPIRITUAL MOTHERS

BIBLE TEXT: LUKE 2:36-38

Now, everybody here has a mother. You may know them, or you may not know them; you may love them, or you may not love them.

Some of you have good relationships with your mothers while some of you have challenges with your mothers.

Mothers come in different forms in our lives.

Although ideally we are expected to have very good mothers – Everybody is expected to have a very good mother.

The reality is that not everybody ends up with a very good mother.

And so for some of you today, as we talk about Mother’s Day, you are thinking about your mother and you don’t really wish her a Happy Mother’s Day;

If that is your Story, I am sorry for you. I Pray that God will heal that relationship and bring some “Real Love” between you and your Mother – Amen.

And then there are some Mothers who are thinking of their children, and today it’s mixed feeling for them.

Whatever your experience is as a Mother, I Pray that God would touch your heart and bring health and healing to you – Amen.

But when we talk about Mother’s Day, we are not only talking about women who have produced biological children; we celebrate that.

But there are also women who go beyond being Natural Mothers, to become Spiritual Mothers.

And so today, that is what I am going to focus on.

I am not going to be focusing on Natural Mothers, there are quite a number of you – I appreciate that. But I want to call you to a higher level of Motherhood, and this is to all the Women.

• Some of you are wondering, maybe I don’t have a child, can I still be a Mother?
• Or I lost a child, how do I still celebrate being a Mother?

I hope that this Morning, as we go into the Word of God to talk about “Spiritual Mothers” that something in your Spirit would be ignited for you to be a “True Mother” as God wants you to be – Amen.

FOUR (4) EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL MOTHERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

We will be looking at four (4) Women in the New Testament whom I consider to be Examples of a Spiritual Mother.

You can choose either of them to be your Role Model;

You can choose all the four (4) to be your Role Models.

But I hope in the four (4) examples I am going to share, every woman here or reading the Message now on the Label of DMC would find one that you can look up to and say, “I want to be a Spiritual Mother like this one.”

So I am going to share those Four (4) Examples with you.

1. ANNA: Luke 2:36-38

The first example of a Spiritual Mother that I am going to talk about is a woman in the New Testament called Anna.

• Anna is a woman who served with her Spiritual Gifts.
• Her name “Anna” in the Hebrew means Grace or Favour.

And she enters the New Testament in a very interesting way, as we would soon find out.

Her Story is in the Gospel of Luke 2:36-38.

Now, this is after Jesus has been Presented to the Temple – He’s been brought to the Temple to be dedicated.

A man called Simeon gives a word to the mother of Jesus, and also speaks about this Jesus.

And then this woman, Anna comes on the scene. And this is the record that the Scripture gives of her. Luke 2:36-38;

36. And there was one Anna, a Prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37. And she was a Widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the Temple, but served God with Fastings and Prayers Night and Day.
38. And she coming in that instant gave Thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

She is a very interesting woman because she is the first Person mentioned in the New Testament as a Prophetess – That’s the first time the New Testament uses that word (Prophet) to describe a Person.

And it’s interesting because she is the first Person mentioned as a Prophet (Prophetess) after four hundred (400) years.

Since the last Prophet of the Old Testament (Malachi), this is the first time that title (Prophet) is ascribe to somebody.

And it is a woman – That’s very interesting.

Prior to her, as I stated, Simeon is not designated clearly as a Prophet. He said things that were Prophetic; he is not called a Prophet. But Anna is called a Prophetess.

In essence, her Ministry and that of Simeon go hand in hand.

It’s almost as if God is saying in the New Testament, the Spirit is not only going to be upon the men, but it is also going to be upon the women, as Prophet Joel had Prophesied earlier.

• So Anna is the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

-: She is an Announcer of great things in the New Testament.

I consider Anna as a Spiritual Mother – She is a Spiritual Mother.

A FEW THINGS ABOUT ANNA

We would see a few things that the Bible says about Anna:

1. She is Devoted

The first (1st) thing we note about her is that she is a very devoted Person.

She is devoted; and she stayed in the Temple; in the Presence of the Lord – Day and Night she spent her Life in the Presence of God.

When you read her Story, the Bible says, “She is a widow of eighty four (84) years.” (DMC NOTES: In Luke 2:37, the Bible says: And she was a Widow of about fourscore and four years…)

There are two (2) School of Thought as to what that Phrase means:

1. The first School of Thought is that she had been a Widow for eighty four (84) years.

And the Bible says she had been married for seven (7) years from her virgin.

Normally in the Hebrew Culture, the girls were given in Marriage from age fourteen (14) upwards.

Now, if we take fourteen (14) as the number, then it means she married at age fourteen (14); had been married for seven (7) years, and has been a widow for eighty four (84) years.

So if you put that into calculation, then she would in real age be about one hundred and five (105) years.

2. But there is another School of Thought, which is what I will prefer to stay with;

• That she is eighty four (84) years of age;
• She was probably married at fourteen (14) years;
• Widowed seven (7) years after her Marriage.
• So she’s been widowed about sixty three (63) years.

Now, whether she has been widowed for eighty four (84) years or sixty three (63) years, that’s a long time, whichever calculation you use.

And during that time, for either sixty three (63) years of eighty four (84) years; no matter how you look at it; the Bible says, she’s been staying in the House of God; she’s been devoted in the House of God in the years of her Widowhood.

So this Lady lost her husband when she was very young, probably about twenty one (21) years and has never remarried since then.

We are not told whether she produced a child, because no child is mentioned – It’s very likely she had no child.

And she decided from age twenty one (21) that she is going to live for God all the days of her Life.

And she decides;

• I’m not going to look for another husband.
• I’m not going to try this (Marriage) again. I’ve done that this page of my Life.
• For the next page of my Life, I’m going to be devoted to the Lord.

So that’s the first thing you see about Anna – That she is a very, very devoted woman.

2. She is very Spiritual.

The second (2nd) thing you note about Anna is that she is a very Spiritual woman.

The Bible says, “She is given to Prayer and Fasting.”

She stays in the House of God and she is Praying and Fasting.

In the Old Testament, much of the Fasting was a symbol of mourning. But in Anna’s case, she was Fasting and Praying for the coming Messiah.

It seems as if God said to Anna:

“Anna, I am bringing my Son into the world, and I want you to Pray about it. I want you to make that your Ministry – To expect Him and to Pray that everything about His coming would be alright.”

God entrusted her with Intercessory Prayer for the coming of Jesus.

… She was a very Devoted Woman; a very Spiritual Woman.

Now, there are People who spend their time in Church, but not necessarily in Prayer – Some may spend their time in Church and do other things for their Pleasure;

• Some gossip in the Church.
• Some slander in the Church.
• Some fight in the Church.

But she was Praying and Fasting in the Church – A very Spiritual Woman.

3. She is very Yielded.

The third (3rd) thing you would note about Anna is that she is moved by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says she was led of the Spirit of the Lord to come to the Temple at that time.

Can you imagine what would have happened if she wasn’t sensitive to the Holy Spirit?

She’s been Praying for sixty three (63) years for the Messiah; and the day the Messiah showed up she wasn’t there.

• She was a “Yielded Woman”.
• She knew how to obey the Lord.
• She knew how to walk into the Purposes of God.
• She knew how to step into Divine History.

… So, she was Devoted; she was Spiritual, she was Yielded.

4. She Testified of the Lord.

The fourth (4th) thing that you would note about Anna is that she Testified of the Lord.

She witnessed about Christ to everybody around – She told them, “Hey! This is the One.”

This is when Jesus was about Forty (40) Days old.

She said, this is the Messiah. And she testified at the time most People had no clue whom Jesus was.

Can you imagine a woman in this Church, who spends all her time in this Church Praying and Fasting; a Widow, and everybody sees her Praying and Fasting.

One day we are having a Dedication Service of a baby, which we normally do – We dedicate hundreds of babies every year.

And she just walks into the Church and says, “That’s the One – That’s the Son of God.”

That’s what Anna did! She walked into the Temple during a normal Baby Dedication Service and said, “this is the One.”

How did she know?

Because she has been praying for sixty three (63) years for this moment; and she recognized a Divine Moment:

• This is what Israel has been looking for.
• This is what the world has been looking for.
• This is what I have been Praying for, for sixty three (63) years.

Not another husband, not for my own children; but that the Glory of God be manifested.

… And she walks into the Temple and sees the Purposes of God fulfilled.

There is no record that she bore a child herself. But I can tell you, the reason she is in the Scripture is not because she bore children herself;

The reason she is there is because she recognized the Son of God when He was born!

Anna is what I call, a Spiritual Mother.

She could have been bitter, she could have been angry, she could have been anxious, she could have been desperate;

• But she was Devoted.
• She was Spiritual.
• She was Yielded to the Lord.
• And she Testified of the Lord.

May God raise for us in the Christendom, women who would see a Purpose greater than their own Pleasure – Amen.

Women like Anna, who are Committed, Prayerful, Devoted and Yielded to the Lord – Amen.

I believe there is still room for Ministers like this one.

There is still room for women who are like this one;

• Who have their own Pains.
• Who have their own Sorrows.
• Who have gone through their own crises.

But who are looking beyond their crises and their pains, who are saying:

I want to serve God with all that is left of my Life.

For the rest of my days on Earth, I am dedicated to only one thing – To do the Will of God.

And to Pray the Will of God into existence.

I know this is applicable to women; but it is also to men.

The Male of Anna is John.

So to all the ‘”John’s” this Message is for you too.

Today is Mother’s Day, so it’s for women directly – I want to introduce this Spiritual Mother, Anna to you:

• She is a woman who served the Lord with her Gifts.
• With the Anointing upon her Life.
• With her Devotion to God.
• And to the Calling that God had made on her.

1. DORCAS

The second (2nd) Spiritual Mother I want to introduce to you in the New Testament is the woman called Dorcas.

Dorcas served through her Charitable works.

While Anna worked with her Spiritual Gifts, Dorcas worked with her Natural Gifts.

Dorcas was a very Practical woman.

We are not told also about her Marriage, we are not told about her husband, and we are not told about her children – We are only told about her works.

It doesn’t mean that she wasn’t married; it’s just that the Bible is silent about it.

And it doesn’t mean she didn’t have a child, the Bible is silent on it.

And normally the Bible is silent for a reason – When the Bible is silent it means God wants to be silent on it.

So it’s most likely, she didn’t have a child, and she had never been married.

Her name is Dorcas, her Story is in Acts 9:36-41;

36. Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an Upper Chamber.
38. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and Prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

This is a great Story.

The first time there is a record of a Disciple of Jesus raising somebody from the dead occured with this woman called Dorcas or Tabitha.

She is a Believer in the Church, and had died.

In the process Peter comes to raise her up.

A FEW DESCRIPTION OF DORCAS

There is a few description about Dorcas, that I think we can all learn from:

1. She is Generous.

The first (1st) thing we note about Dorcas is that she is a very Generous Person.

The Bible says, “she was full of good works.”

She was fully committed to doing good and she had a very Generous Heart.

So Dorcas is one of those People who just love People – They just love People!

Their heart overflows..

They come to Church, and they are interested in everybody’s Life.

“Full of good works” from the heart.

You cannot do good works with your hand until your heart is full of good works.

If your heart is not Generous, your hand will not be Generous.

Because one of the things I’ve come to notice in Life is that generosity has nothing to do with how much you have.

There are People who have so much Wealth; so much opportunity, but their hand never gives to anyone.

And there are also People who are poor, who never give to anyone.

Because, it has nothing to do with Poverty or Wealth.

It has to do with the condition of your heart.

And for Dorcas, her heart was Generous.

So if she doesn’t have money, she will give you something else.

And there is no record that she had money.

She gave because her heart was Generous.

2. Practical Approach to Life.

The second (2nd) thing you note about Dorcas is that, not only was she Generous in the heart; she was a very Practical woman.

Very different from Anna.

Anna was Spiritual: Praying and Fasting.

Dorcas also served God, but in a different way – With a Generous heart and a Practical approach to Life:

She made nice things to give to others.

Dorcas looked for Practical ways to help People.

She was what you would call, “A hands-on Person.”

Obviously somewhere in her Life, she had learned to be a Dressmaker.

Either because that was what most women did at that time, or maybe it was a Special Skill she had.

And she decided:

• I may not have money.
• I may not be a Prophetess.
• I may not be as Prayerful as Anna; but I can help People.

So she decides to make attires for People – Tunics and Garments.

She Probably knitted them.

And so she would come to Church and she would have a shirt to give to somebody.

And if you look at her, she was Ministering to the Widows.

I am sure there were men in the Church; but there is no record that she was Ministering to men.

Why did she choose the widows?

I don’t know, but my guess is, Probably she was a Widow herself and she understood what Widows go through in a Culture where, if a woman lost her husband, she almost lost her Life.

Probably she was a Widow and instead of waiting for others to come and Minister to her, she decided, “I am going to Minister to the other Widows – I am going to serve them.”

And I am not going to serve them because I have so much money; I am going to serve them because I have a little skill to make clothes, and I am going to use it.

She is a very Practical Person – “I am going to sew these clothes and distribute them to other women.”

Now, I am not by any means saying that, that is the only way you can serve God – The men too need clothes.

I am just saying from the records, she ministered to Widows.

But if you are doing it now, remember the brothers, they are also in need.

Sometimes you can see a brother’s trousers and observe that he needs a “Dorcas.”

And there are People who come to Church, who needs a Dorcas.

Sometimes People don’t dress well because that’s all they have.

People’s dress may be short because that’s all the fabric could make, mini-skirt. If it you go any longer, she’s in trouble because there is no material.

It’s very easy to judge People very harshly if you don’t understand their Story.

That’s why I’m very careful with criticizing People – You don’t understand.

You may see People and think, “Oh! Why is she wearing Nightgown to Church?”

That’s all she has.

“She’s being worldly.”

She’s not being worldly – Poverty has a very, very mischievous face.

“Poverty’s face is very mischievous” so say our Elders.

So, instead of criticizing them, why don’t you give them something to wear?

Or you see a Sister and her makeup is all over the place.

Why don’t you sit her down and teach her how to apply it well?

Because sometimes, to be a Dorcas may not just be to make clothes for People; but to sit down with the People and teach them.

Teach them how to walk! Because walking is not just movement of legs.

By the way, you know that you have to learn how to walk, how to sit.

Ladies have to learn how to sit – Who is going to teach them?

Maybe she didn’t have a mother, or her mother didn’t know how to sit. And so she comes to Church and sits in one way; you say she is tempting the. Brothers.

She just doesn’t know how to sit. Don’t judge, be a Dorcas.

• Go out there, Stretch your hand, make a tunic.
• Teach somebody: Teach them how to cook.
• Teach them how to keep their body and wear their hair.

It’s a Dorcas Ministry!

She is a Spiritual Mother – There is no record of her children, but she is serving People.

• It could be in Teaching.
• It could be in Making Clothes;
• It could be in Cooking.

By all means a lot of us would love the Dorcas Ministry that brings nice meals to Church on Sundays.

I’m sure if you start that Ministry, your influence will be great.

Dorcas was very Practical, and she was also very Helpful – She touched the lives of many People; and they displayed her works.

Won’t it be nice at your funeral, for People to display your works instead of singing and crying and nothing to show?

But the Widows were there, telling Peter, “Look at what she did. She did that and that for me.”

Now, they didn’t expect Peter to come and raise her up – They just wanted him to know that a Sister had died; “Come and mourn with us.”

But Peter came, saw her good works, and just decided, “this good thing must continue.”

So he comes and raises Dorcas to continue her Ministry.

There are certain things you do that I just have a sense that when you do them, God Prolongs your Life.

• God Prolongs your Life because People Pray for you.
• People speak well of you.

People desire good things for you, and God keeps you alive for other People.

Dorcas is a Spiritual Mother – She is not like Anna, but she is also Spiritual in a very Practical way; serving People in the House of God.

You may want to be a Dorcas in the House of God.

3. LYDIA

The third (3rd) Spiritual Mother we will look at is a woman called Lydia – Lydia served with her Resources and her Influence.

She was a very Influential Woman who was instrumental in the Macedonian Ministry of Paul.

She lived in the City of Philippi; and it was the first City that Paul ministered in, after he had received that Spiritual Call to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

And Lydia was the first Convert in Macedonia, or in what is called Asia Minor.

When Paul’s Ministry is moving out, this is the first Convert that Paul has – A woman called Lydia.

Let’s read her Story in Acts of the Apostles – Acts 16:11-15.

11. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12. And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

She was the head of her household.

That implies that she was a Single woman. There is no record of a man in her Life – Single Woman.

A FEW THINGS ABOUT LYDIA

So let’s look at a few things about Lydia – Her Ministry is very different from Anna and Dorcas.

1. She’s Enterprising

The first thing to note about Lydia is that she’s Enterprising.

• She’s a Resourceful Businesswoman.
• She’s a Seller of Purple, which was a very Special Trade in her day.

It was very unusual for a woman to be in that kind of business – It was a High Level Business because Purple was a highly priced dye that was used for making Special Clothes.

Purple was the attire of Nobility.

• So she was Enterprising.
• She was jostling with men in business.
• She obviously had developed a lot of Entrepreneurial Skills.

She has become a very Influential Person; obviously Successful in what she was doing.

She was a very Influential Person.

2. She’s Prayerful

And if you would note, she was fervent – Spiritually fervent. She opened her heart to the Lord.

The Bible says that she used to go to the Riverside where Prayer was made.

So here is a woman who is an Entrepreneur, and was also Prayerful – She goes to the Riverside to Pray.

And the Bible also says that she worshipped God.

She is not a Jew but somehow knows about God, and has a heart for God and a heart for Prayer.

She doesn’t have the full truth but was Passionate about what she was doing.

She was Entrepreneurial and she was very fervent.

It was at the Riverside that the Bible says, the women of the City go to Pray.

If it was in Ghana, it would be maybe a Park in the Neighbourhood or some other place around that People go to Pray.

And you always find Lydia there – The Businesswoman who is fervent in heart, Praying.

And it is in this place that she heard Paul Preaching about Jesus for the first time.

And when she heard the things that Paul was Preaching, the Bible says she opened her heart.

Of all the People at that place, she’s the only one mentioned as opening her heart to the Gospel.

Now, remember that this is the first time anybody in that area is hearing about a Man called Jesus, who died and rose again from the dead – They’ve never heard about Him.

They know about the God of the Jews but don’t know about Jesus.

But she hears about Jesus and says, that’s it!

That’s what I’ve been Praying for – My heart recognizes, this is it. And she opened her to the Gospel.

… She’s Prayerful, she’s Enterprising.

3. She’s Influential

And the third (3rd) thing which I like very much about Lydia is that she is Influential.

• She offered her home to the Lord.
• She’s the head of her Home.

In a time when men were the Natural Family Heads, it is very interesting to find a woman as Head of her Household.

• She’s an Independent Woman.
• She’s a Woman of great means.
• She has a lot of money.
• He’s Influential.

How do I know she’s Influential? She got her whole house to receive Christ.

In other words, after she received Christ, she said to everybody in her Household, “I take care of all of you and you live in my home; you are going to believe what I believe.”

That’s Lydia for you – She’s one of those women you would called “Controlling” but it’s a Positive Controlling. She’s not going to go to Heaven and leave you to go to Hell by yourself.

She says, “If it’s good for me, it’s good for you: I’ve been paying your fees, you better believe what I believe.”

So she opens her home and everybody in her house receive Christ, and is baptized.

That tells you her level of Influence; not only in her home, but her Salvation opened the door to the City of Philippi and also to the whole of Asia Minor.

She is a woman who started a Process that affected the rest of the world; just by her Salvation.

That is what you call Influence.

But the interesting thing about her is that she’s the Head of her Household.

If she was married, her husband would be the Head of the Household. She would not be mentioned as the Head of the Household.

• But she is the Head of the Household.
• She is Wealthy.
• She is Prayerful.
• She is Influential.
• And she opens the door for the Gospel to a whole Region.

Maybe there is a Lydia here or reading this Message now on the Label of DMC:

I. You may not be the one who does things for People and pay People’s little fees here and there, and make clothes for them.

II. You may not be the one who always attends Church and is in every Service.

But you may be Lydia, who is a Business Person; who is Influential.

You come to Church on Sundays, we don’t see you on weekdays, that’s fine!

But you open the door for the Gospel to your Community, to your District, to your Village, to your Town, to the People you influence, and to your Household.

That’s Lydia!

And in my book, Lydia is a Spiritual Mother.

• She is like Anna, but different.
• She is lie Dorcas, but different.

She is a different kind of woman!

There are Three (3) Women we’ve looked at:

• We’ve looked at Anna: And there are some of you who desire to be like Anna
• We’ve looked at Dorcas: Some of you want to be like Dorcas.
• We’ve looked at Lydia: And some of you say, “Oh Yeah, that’s me! I can almost see myself in Lydia.”

1. PRISCILLA

The last Spiritual Mother we are going to look at is called Priscilla – Priscilla served as a Partner with her husband (Aquila).

Of all the women we’ve looked at, this is the only one who is mentioned as being married – There is still no mention of children but she is married.

Priscilla held a very interesting place in the Early Church:

She was a woman in Ministry – She shared Ministry with her husband.

And interestingly, when you look at all the account, which we will look at very soon;

• She and the husband were equal Partners.
• And everywhere in the New Testament they are mentioned, they are mentioned together.

There are People who had wives, who are mentioned alone;

• Peter had a wife, but his wife’s name is never mentioned.
• James had a wife, but his wife’s name is never mentioned.

Paul didn’t marry; but others had wives and their names are not mentioned.

Priscilla husband’s name is Aquila; whenever Aquila is mentioned it is mentioned with Priscilla – It is almost as if you cannot take one from the other.

They are Partners in Ministry – They are together in Ministry.

We are not told whether they had children or it could be they had children, but the Bible is silent on that.

So, couple of Scriptures to read about Priscilla and Aquila;

Acts 18:1-4:

1. After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2. 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 came unto them.
3. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Acts 18:18:

And Paul after this 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 Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

Now, interestingly, in the first instance, Aquila is mentioned first and then Priscilla.

In the second instance, Priscilla is mentioned before Aquila.

Then in Acts 18:24-26:

24. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25. 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.
26. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Romans 16:3-4:

3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4. 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.

Her name comes first. Throughout the New Testament; and there are a couple of other places where they are mentioned.

Whenever they are mentioned, they are mentioned as a Team – Priscilla and Aquila or Aquila and Priscilla.

And it is interchangeable – It is not as if the husband is the Head and the woman was nothing. Neither is the woman the Head and the husband nothing.

It seems as if they are equal Partners in what they are doing; because their names get interchanged – It’s either Priscilla and Aquila, or Aquila and Priscilla. They are always mentioned together.

This is the only Team in the New Testament that is mentioned together in this way – Very interesting: Priscilla, a Partner in Ministry.

THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT PRISCILLA

So, what are the things we learn about Priscilla?

1. She is a Partner

First, she is a Partner. -She joined her husband in Ministry.

Not only in Ministry, but also in the Business.

Why? Because the Bible says, by Trade they were Tent Makers.

So she and her husband were in the Tent making Business as was Paul.

But they also were doing Ministry – They are what we call today, Bi-Vocational Ministers: People who work one trade and still do the work of God.

Priscilla joined her husband in Ministry – Both are Business Partners and Ministry Partners.

2. She is a Leader

The second thing is that she is a Leader. She led together with her husband.

When Appollos came preaching;

… And Apollos is a very formidable Teacher in the New Testament.

Priscilla and Aquila sat Apollos down and taught him better the Word of God.

That tells you she has a strong Leadership Ministry.

Not just a Partner, she’s a Great Leader.

3. She is Esteemed

And the third (3rd) thing about Priscilla is that she is esteemed – She is honoured together with her husband.

When Paul is honouring People in the Book of Romans, he says, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila.” Both of them are honoured together.

So we see Priscilla: she is not making Clothes – She’s not like Lydia, but she is standing with her husband as Partners to do their Business and to do the Work of God.

There is no mention that she had a Natural child but in my reckoning, Priscilla is a Spiritual Mother.

All the Four (4) Women we’ve talked about, there is no record that any one of them had a Natural Child – There’s a place for that.

But there are also women who don’t have Natural children and wondering, “Do I have place in Ministry?”

• I Present to you Anna.
• I Present to you Dorcas.
• I Present to you Lydia.
• I Present to you Priscilla.

These Four (4) Women are Testimonies that you have a place with God:

That you can serve God in many ways.

That your Life can be fulfilled.

And they are all mentioned in the Scripture.

And 2000 years later, we are talking about them.

There were so many women in their time who were forgotten but they are mentioned because they did something extraordinary.

And today, my desire is that in this Church and among Millions reading now on the Label of DMC, we would find Spiritual Mothers – That you would just allow God to use you in one of these ways.

Maybe you have Natural children; but it would be great for your Ministry to go beyond your family, like each one of these women.

Their Ministry went beyond their family, and it touched People in a very Profound way.

That God decided they should be canonized in the Scripture so we can talk about them, even after they are gone.

I don’t know what God has called you to do; but we’re going to spend just a few Minutes Praying!

Thank you so much for staying all through to read.

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