Sermon Intro:

• We are all familiar with the concept of a power family
  • Defined:
    • A power family is characterized by multiple family members across generations who hold significant influence, achievements, and recognition in their respective fields, such as politics, business, entertainment, or philanthropy. These families leverage their collective status, resources, and networks to exert broad societal, cultural, or political impact, often shaping public discourse and contributing to substantial change within their spheres of influence.
  • Walmart logo
  • Hobby lobby
  • Chick-fil-a
  • Star of David
  • Genesis 12:2–3 (NLT) — 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
  • 2 Samuel 7:16 (NLT) — 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’ ”
• For there to be a power family, there must be a power couple!
  • Who the world thinks is a power couple 
  • Who the Bible highlights as power couples
    • Abraham and Sarah
    • Boaz and Ruth
    • Joseph and Mary
    • Aquila and Priscilla

I want to give you a powerful word... meant for marriage

STAY

• Everyone starts out as lovebirds, it’s what happens in the years and decades that follow which define so much. 

Three Power Words for Power Couples

1. Stay TOGETHER
   1. Acts 18:1–3 (NLT) — 1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
   2. Genesis 2:24 (NLT) — 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
   3. Build the tension
      1. One thing you notice very quickly about Aquila and Priscilla is their togetherness. They are never apart! 
         1. Working together
         2. Ministering together
         3. Moving together
      2. The American marriage
         1. Multiple jobs and pursuits
         2. Scarfing down meals on the road
         3. Going to bed at different times
         4. Solo and secretive financial situation
   4. Together in Proximity
      1. We must be committed to being close to each other
      2. Time together 
      3. Same bedroom
      4. Same dinner table
      5. Same date night
   5. Together in Possessions
      1. Everything is OURS. We share it. 
   6. Together in Intimacy
      1. We don’t withhold our affection
      2. Non-Sexual
      3. Sexual
      4. We belong to each other
   7. Together in Decisions
      1. We don’t make decisions without one another. We do look for unanimity. 
   8. Question: 
      1. Are you and your spouse TOGETHER enough?
      2. What is one way you could grow in Togetherness? 
         
         
2. Stay TRUE
   1. Romans 16:3–5 (NLT) — 3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. 4 In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. 
   2. Building tension 
      1. America’s problem with covenant
         1. Marriages are super disposable
         2. We are getting married way less
         3. We are divorcing way mored
      2. Another attribute you notice in this couple very quickly is their faithfulness towards each other.
         1. They go through hard times and remain faithful. 
         2. They remain faithful to the Lord together
   3. To our covenant
      1. This point emphasizes the solemnity of the oath and the depth of the covenant
      2. We are not boyfriend and girlfriend
      3. We are not doing marriage for the picture 
      4. We are like, NEVER, leaving each other
   4. To our exclusivity
      1. We are not going to allow others to share in the beautiful privacy of our garden. 
   5. To our pursuit
      1. We will never stop chasing each other
      2. Learning, dating, giving, serving
   6. Question:
      1. Have you remained true to your spouse?
      2. Do you need a fresh commitment? 
         
         
3. Stay TENDER
   1. This quality is one that I have observed in power couples that I admire. 
   2. Acts 18:26 (NLT) — 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.
   3. Aquila and Priscila prove that they can understand tenderness as they deal will Apollos
   4. In grace and empathy
      1. We will have grace on each other and not hold one another to impossible standards. We will give to each other what we would want in return. 
      2. We will seek to understand the feelings and emotions of our partner and see the world through their eyes. 
   5. In attitude
      1. We will not be short, cold, hard, with each other, instead we will have soft and tender hearts towards each other and love one another with deep tenderness
      2. One of the most notable research efforts in this area comes from Dr. John Gottman and his colleagues at The Gottman Institute. They identified specific nonverbal behaviors, termed the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," that predict marital distress: contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling. Of these, contempt, often conveyed through body language such as eye-rolling or sneering, is the single greatest predictor of divorce.
      3. Positive vs. Negative Body Language: Positive body language, such as open posture, leaning in, and gentle touch, can indicate a strong, healthy relationship. Negative body language, such as crossed arms, avoidance of eye contact, and physical distancing, might indicate dissatisfaction or disconnection.
   6. In words
      1. Our words will never cut down, diminish, seek to wound, but rather they will build, encourage, inspire, make joyful. 
   7. Question:
      1. How is your tenderness towards your spouse in your words, attitudes, and actions? 

Closing:

• God wants you to have a power family, but power families are built upon power couples.