“There arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
“Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” [1]
The Risen Saviour commanded disciples to proclaim the Good News of Christ throughout the entire world. We read in the opening pages of the Book of Acts, “When [the disciples met with the Risen Saviour], they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” [ACTS 1:6-8].
Of course, we know that these disciples were partially obedient to that charge. Soon after this, the Spirit of God was poured out on the disciples, and they were empowered to do what they could not otherwise do. They boldly preached the message of life to people that weren’t especially eager to hear that message. And when they preached, what they said was freighted with power that changed lives and glorified the Risen Son of God. They had witnessed Jesus’ power during the days He walked with them, but none of them had ever seen multitudes turning in faith to Jesus!
Filled with the Spirit of God, these disciples penetrated Jerusalem with the message of Christ the Lord. And what power was revealed as they proclaimed Christ! After the Spirit of God was given, three thousand Jewish souls were brought to faith in one day! Following that, we read of the impact of all those who gathered as worshippers of the Risen Christ, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” [ACTS 2:42-47].
Power such as described in the opening pages of this book is never without opposition. Sure enough, the response of those who heard the message of life in Christ, the salvation of souls generated push back from the religious leaders. However, the effort to push back was spectacularly unsuccessful for it only resulted in more souls swept into the Kingdom of God. So we read that when the Apostles were arrested and incarcerated, “Many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand” [ACTS 4:4].
God’s Spirit continued powerfully working through those redeemed saints. What stunning events were recorded as the disciples served God! Liars were exposed, and when they refused to renounce their lies, the Spirit of God struck them dead. Now that got some attention! Some of the Apostles were imprisoned, only mysteriously to appear in the Temple where they were found preaching the message of Christ the Lord. They couldn’t have broken out, because the prison doors were locked securely and the guards were standing watch, thinking the prisoners were in their cells. Yet here they were preaching Jesus! It was just spooky. No one could really explain what was happening, but something momentous was taking place. Even many of the priests believed and turned to the faith [see ACTS 6:7]!
However, as the power of the Spirit became more and more evident, opposition to the message and to the messengers increased exponentially. And the opposition was just getting started. Persecution would intensify, and as it intensified, the Spirit of Christ would empower His disciples to stand boldly declaring the freedom that is found in the Risen Saviour. Finally, a maddened boar by the name of Saul, a rabbi from Tarsus, would be loosed upon the vineyard of the Lord. And again, through the power of the Spirit of Christ even that enraged persecutor would be freed from his bitterness and brought into the Family of God.
Here’s a brief account of how God revealed His power through Saul who once sought to destroy the Faith. The first church needed to appoint deacons, servants of the congregation to attend to the ongoing daily needs of the assembly. The elders would attend to spiritual matters, and the deacons would distribute food to the needy. One of those deacons for the Jerusalem congregation had preached in a synagogue identified as the Synagogue of the Freedmen. In this synagogue were relatives of this Saul of Tarsus. As this deacon declared the freedom that is found in Jesus as Master over life, those wishing to argue with him were incapable of refuting him. Unable to prove their case, they resorted to the refuge of cowards, charging him as blaspheming against God and of dishonouring Moses. Things were about to get serious.
Haled before the Jewish Council, Stephen presented his apologia, doing so in such convincing fashion that those who were to sit in judgement of him were afflicted with spiritual lockjaw—they could not respond. Enraged—perhaps as much by their embarrassment as they were by deflated egos, they rushed upon Stephen, even grinding their teeth at him, dragged him out of the city and stoned him. Inciting them, much like an Antifa goon or a BLM agitator manipulating snowflakes, was that Saul of Tarsus.
Stephen was murdered, slain by stoning by the enraged mob, but not before he prayed. We read that as he was dying, Stephen “full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Strengthened by this vision, the godly deacon exulted, saying, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” His exclamation only drove the mob to even greater madness. “They cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” There is that instigator of violence again. But Stephen was not finished praying. We read that “As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’” At last, his battered body gave up his soul, and he was at last at rest [see ACTS 7:55-60].
It is at this point that we at last arrive at our text. Saul approved of Stephen’s execution, perhaps he was even pushing for it if we accept what he wrote later in his service to the Risen Saviour. Paul admitted that he was “a persecutor of the church” [PHILIPPIANS 3:6]. Even in his last days, the aged Apostle confessed, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief” [1 TIMOTHY 1:12-13].
Earlier, while being assaulted by a maddened mob of zealous Jews, Paul testified, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished” [ACTS 22:3-5].
The spokesman for the Risen Saviour was open about his past. He had persecuted followers of the Way. He had put men and women in prison. He had no doubt participated in beating Christians and attempting to turn them from the Faith. As he moved toward a climax in his defence presented from the steps of the barracks of the Roman garrison, the Apostle recalled for these angry religious zealots how he had protested to the Lord when the Saviour was directing him to leave Jerusalem, “Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him” [ACTS 22:19-20].
What began as a lynching promoted by the religious leaders rapidly transitioned into a religious pogrom designed to exterminate followers of the Way. What is fascinating about what was taking place is that God was overseeing all that was taking place, working to guide the torrents of hate to accomplish His purpose. The religious leaders thought they were in control, and God actually held the reins. The poet was right.
Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne—
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch, above His own. [2]
Let’s think about God’s rule, especially the truth that He controls history and guides our lives. Then, let’s see if we can make some reasonable application of what we discover to guide our own response during these days of disruption.
CHRIST’S COMMAND TO HIS PEOPLE — We are familiar with the Great Commission. Jesus commanded those who would follow Him, “As you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:19-20 ISV].
The issue before us is not the Great Commission itself. No Christian doubts that we are commanded to disciple all people. Perhaps some throughout history were selective in who they would evangelise, but conscientious Christians cannot doubt that the intent of the Master was that all peoples, every person who breathes the free air, is to have opportunity to hear of the love of God, receiving an invitation to believe the Christ. Thus, what is in doubt is not the command itself, but the means by which the command is to be fulfilled.
This command which Jesus gave is restated as the disciples are gathered on a hill outside of Jerusalem. Doctor Luke writes of what took place as he opens the Book we know as The Acts of the Apostles. Listen to the opening verses. “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘You heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
“So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” [ACTS 1:1-8].
Notice several points that we may overlook in our tendency to elide what is written. First, as Jesus spoke with His disciples, He informed them that it was not the business of the disciples to speculate as to the timing of the restoration of the Kingdom. They had no business going to seed on the timing of God’s work in the earth or becoming so focused on the timing of Christ’s return that they failed to focus on first things.
Again, the disciples were to anticipate the filling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was, of course, poured out on the Day of Pentecost. What a day that was. We read in the next chapter of Acts, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
“Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.’ And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine’” [ACTS 2:1-13].
I know that some of the followers of Christ become very excited at the thought of speaking in other tongues, but if while speaking ecstatically they fail to tell of the power of God, to what end are they speaking? The important point to see is that people heard the message of the Risen Christ in their own language. And many believed!
And that brings us to the matter that was of primary importance in Jesus’ commands—the disciples were to anticipate being His witnesses. Indeed, they were to begin in Jerusalem, then move out from there to proclaim the salvation that is freely offered in the Risen Saviour to those living in Judea and in Samaria. Then, the disciples were to penetrate the darkened world with the message of Christ—followers of the Saviour are to declare His salvation “to the end of the earth.”
Time passed, and the growing church was still situated in Jerusalem. Jews from Parthia, from Media and Elam, Jewish residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and parts of Libya had heard the message of the Risen Messiah. Even visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes had heard the message of life as it was declared. Cretans and Arabians had heard the proclamation of life. And many from those regions had believed. However, the only church of which we are aware was in Jerusalem.
These first Christians appear to have held the opinion that they were to focus on worship, gathering in the Temple portico where they would worship. They felt the Faith consisted of gathering to worship. The rest of Judea, Samaria and all the lands beyond this tiny corner of the world was neglected.
Oh, God was working in a powerful way, and the saints were thrilled to witness the power of God revealed through those who gathered. But the congregation was ignoring the Great Commission. I suppose they could have consoled themselves by saying, “Well, we’re here, and people can come if they wish to do so. We have some great preaching, and the Apostles are really knocking it out of the park each time they present a message. We’d be glad to have more people come to church.” But no one was even making an effort to fulfil the Great Commission. Something would have to change if the command of the Risen Saviour was to be implemented.
THE SPIRIT STIRS THE SAINTS — And that is where the story was changed. I have to believe that the Spirit of God stirred Stephen to declare the message of Christ to the Synagogue of the Freedmen. Consequently, what if we made it a requirement that deacons would have to preach from time-to-time. Certainly, there is some precedence for such activity among the diaconates. Stephen certainly appears to have been quite a capable spokesman for the Faith.
Regardless, the opportunity to change things came about because word got back to the religious leaders that this man was presenting the message of the Saviour and no one was able to refute what he was saying. As an aside, listen to this—the man with a testimony is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. Did you hear what I just said? The man with a testimony is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. Christians that have a testimony of salvation need not fear the arguments of the lost. What God has done in your life will stand the test of being compared to mere speculation.
Haled before the Sanhedrin, Stephen listened to the accusations. And as he stood before that august body, “All who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel” [ACTS 6:15]. God’s Spirit was equipping Deacon Stephen even then.
Stephen spoke, the mob raged, and God was overseeing what most would have imagined to be mayhem and chaos. How can persecution against the church be within the will of God. And the answer lies in what took place when the people of God were scattered. “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,” the Lord was guiding His people into obedience. Though their obedience was delayed, God compelled them through the rage of the mob to fulfil His command.
Therefore, we read, “They were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” [ACTS 8:1b]. Moreover, there would be no lingering for the most of the congregation, because “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” [ACTS 8:3]. Those who attempted to hold onto what they imagined they had discovered there was no respite. They would obey or suffer.
Here is the amazing thing that must be noted: “Those who were scattered went about preaching the word” [ACTS 8:4]. Christians are not a silent people. We are vocal. We sing praises to God as we work with our hands. We pray with thanksgiving for the food which God provides, bowing our heads and worshipping even before we eat. Our spirits are stirred when we see the wickedness of broken humanity prevailing and introducing chaos into our world. And when our spirits are stirred, we will speak of the peace of Christ that is offered to any who will receive Him as Master over life. We witness the pain and brokenness of fallen people, and we grieve for them. We cannot help but tell them of the One who heals the broken-hearted, of Him who sets the prisoner at liberty, of the Christ who forgives our sin and brings us into the Family of God. Christians are a vocal people, and these first Christians were not silent.
We read how “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ” [ACTS 8:5]. At long last, the obedience that had been neglected was being revealed. Here was another of those earliest deacons who was not silent. As he fled Jerusalem he passed through Samaria. There, he proclaimed the message of life. And those who heard him paid attention to what he was saying. Jesus did precisely what He had promised He would do. You will recall that when Jesus gave the Great Commission He concluded by telling disciples, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:20b].
Here’s a question for you. Would you go to those living in your neighbourhood if you believed Jesus was with you? Would you travel to the small communities surrounding us to tell people about Jesus if you believed Jesus was with you? Would you witness to those who take your money when you buy gas, those who serve you when you purchase your groceries, those who wait on you when you stop at a fast food restaurant if you believed Jesus was with you? Well, Jesus is with you if you are His follower!
At last, the Christians of Jerusalem were doing what Christ has commanded them to do. They had made a beginning. And the beginning came because the Spirit of Christ permitted an enraged rabbi to persecute the people of God! But God was just beginning! God was blessing as Philip obeyed. However, there were no preachers to organise a congregation there. You see, when the persecution broke out against the faithful in Jerusalem, the Apostles stayed behind. Do you remember reading, “There arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” [ACTS 8:1].
Here’s something to hold in mind—all that took place was the result of the Spirit of God working in what we call the laity. In fact, there is no division of the people of God into clergy and laity—there are just Christians. And when these Christians are obedient, God blesses them with His power.
Thus, we read that God was so pleased with Philip that He sent His angel to command him, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” [ACTS 8:26]. Strange, that. You see, the angel sent Philip into the desert. He was going to reach beyond Judea and Samaria, though he wasn’t even aware of what a great outreach he was about to have. He thought that his outreach was great when he saw the crowds coming to faith in Samaria. But in the middle of nowhere he happened to see a chariot travelling through the desert heat. In that chariot was an Ethiopian—and it wasn’t just any Ethiopian! This was the exchequer of the treasury for Ethiopia. Through this coincidence, the man was brought to faith in the Son of God. And when he believed, Philip baptised him. And the Ethiopian went on his way to his home carrying the message of life in the Son of God. And God still wasn’t finished.
That enraged rabbi became aware that many of those followers of the Way that he had driven out of Jerusalem had fled to other jurisdictions. He heard of a community of the faithful in Damascus, and he determined that he should go there to seize any whom he might find, binding them and bringing them to Jerusalem where they would be incarcerated and possibly killed. Oh, my, but this was an angry man. But God had other plans for this violent rabbi. The Lord Jesus Himself intervened to halt Paul, blinding him by the brilliance of His own Person and leading the now blinded rabbi to faith in the Risen Son of God. What was taking place was yet another demonstration of the power of God when God’s people are obedient. God would send a timid disciple who lived in the city of Damascus to tell Saul of Tarsus that Jesus is the Christ before leading him to openly declare himself a follower of the Way.
And God still wasn’t finished with compelling obedience to the command to move out. A Gentile worshipper of God, a man who was attempting to be religious just like the Jews, was directed by an angel to send for Peter. And Peter did go to Cornelius when God Himself intervened to direct Him to do what should have been done. Of course, Peter became the instrument that introduced a Centurion of the Italian Cohort to the Risen Lord of Glory. And Cornelius wasn’t alone, for he had gathered his relatives and numerous close friends to hear what Peter would say. Many Gentiles heard and believed. And the Faith continued to spread as Christ had meant it should.
It is only after some chapters of the Book of Acts that we at last come to a brief recitation of what was taking place in the meanwhile. In the eleventh chapter of Acts we read, “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord” [ACTS 11:19-21].
When they were scattered, these earliest followers of the Christ were cautious, speaking the Word of Christ only to Jews. They must have believed that they would be safer if they confined themselves to Jews. Some, however, Jewish believers who had lived in Cyprus and Cyrene, were prepared to speak to their countrymen living in Antioch, even though those countrymen were Gentiles. And their witness yielded fruit.
At last, what Christ had commanded was being implemented! It had only taken a few years, but the disciples had finally begun to do what they were commanded to do. And all it took was some persecution that would drive them out of their comfort zone. They had imagined that they were doing what the Lord commanded by gathering together to sing, to pray, to read Scripture, to hear the preaching of the Word. But they had neglected a vital aspect of the Faith, which is telling others of the salvation that is found in Christ alone! Christianity is not an either/or religion; Christianity is a both/and Faith. We must worship, but we must not neglect our responsibility to tell others of the Saviour.
I cannot stress this enough—it required God working in the midst of persecution to drive the disciples to do what they were commanded to do. God didn’t persecute the disciples, but God worked in the midst of the persecution to get the disciples to do what they were supposed to do! Here is an essential truth that is easily overlooked by those of us who follow the Risen Saviour. There is nothing that comes into the life of the child of God that catches the Father unaware. He knows our times, and He watches over us, superintending our way and guiding our steps. Nothing comes into the life of the Saviour’s churches without His permission. And we must always know that our God is too good to needlessly hurt His child and too wise to make a mistake.
UPSET AND ADVANCE IN OUR OWN DAY — We are witnessing a day of disruption for the churches of this land. Our own congregation is disrupted, as are many other congregations in our nation. We find ourselves situated in the midst of a society that is frightened; people are uncertain of what may come next. We find it difficult to believe what the experts are telling us; their stories have changed so frequently and apparently to please political masters. We were told that our leaders were listening to science, and then we discovered that those same leaders only selectively heard what favoured scientists were saying. The news media has discredited itself and we discover that newsreaders and journalists are delivering propaganda rather than informing us of what is happening. Government bureaucrats have given us mixed messages while they flit from one restriction to the next. They seem uniformly to act in an arbitrary fashion as they close one activity and permit others to remain open before commanding us to wear a mask of shame which does little though it does serve as virtue signalling to the frightened living among us. All the while we witness people reacting with suspicion and fear should anyone approach too closely. And among the churches, we who profess faith react as badly as do those in the remainder of society.
Is it possible that the Spirit of God stirring us so that we’ll be obedient to the command of our Master? I believe that may be the case. However, we are not being driven from this community. No one has been incarcerated, though we could make a case that some have been made uncomfortable. No one has been stoned, though some have contended that they feel persecuted. None of our members or adherents have suffering mocking or flogging or even chains and imprisonment. No one has been stoned, or sawn in two, or killed with the sword. We can’t point to a single person from our congregation that has gone about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, wandering about in deserts and mountains, or in dens and caves of the earth [see HEBREWS 11:36-38]. We have been inconvenienced, but we have been comfortable for so long that it feels as if we are suffering because of our faith in the Risen Saviour. However, there is a grave difference between suffering and being uncomfortable.
Allow me to make a suggestion based upon the turmoil and upset we are currently experiencing. Rather than feeling we are being persecuted and driven underground, I commend to you the concept of a church without walls. In short, rather than going to church, I urge God’s people to be the church. We have lived with this contemporary concept of going to church, of sitting in a pew while witnessing a performance for so long that we imagine this is normal, when the reality is that the biblical normal is the people of God being the church day-by-day.
Look at the manner in which the church was the church in the earliest days. “[The believers] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” [ACTS 2:42-47].
If we are seeking a norm for the life of the Body, this is it! Day-by-day we worship. Day-by-day we share our homes and share our lives. Day by day we witness God working in power. We are already doing these things, and we will continue to do them even more so now that we are limited in other pursuits.
We have the foundations in place to be the church. We have the Word of God and we are competent to share the message of life because we have been redeemed by faith in the Son of God and we know to point people to Him as Master over life. We have people among us who are capable of teaching the truths of God’s message of life. And I have no doubt that God will raise up still others to teach as we honour Him through reaching beyond the barriers we have erected artificially.
The members of our assembly are marvellously gifted to fulfil the ministries that the Spirit of God has assigned according to His will. Each of you who share this holy Faith have the Spirit of God living in you, and He has equipped you to minister in power. We have in place radio and television ministries to which each of us can point people, encouraging them to hear the teaching of the Word and to learn of the will of our Lord. We are offering the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ via Facebook Live each Sunday, permitting each of us not only to share the teaching of the Word by this means, but also to invite others to join us in receiving the teaching that is faithfully presented. We are initiating new Zoom ministries to instruct those who wish to participate in learning the truths of God’s Word. We have already broken barriers, and now the Lord is giving us still greater opportunity to reach beyond what we have reached to this point. Walls are falling, and God is providing opportunity to fulfil the Great Commission in ways we could never have imagined in years past.
Let me share a brief story that touched Lynda and I several days past. We had gone for lunch on our anniversary. Old folks don’t necessarily enjoy a wild evening out so much as they enjoy being with one another, and we seized the opportunity to enjoy a quiet lunch at a favourite restaurant. We enjoyed a fine lunch and were just relaxing, talking and enjoying being in one another’s company. As we were talking, a young man came into the restaurant and immediately headed for our table. We know the young man, so we weren’t surprised that when he saw us, he came over.
When he at last stood beside us, he told me that he had seen me preaching on television. He said he really like the message. Perhaps you will remember the message, “Jesus Makes Room for Misfits.” [3] The message was especially meaningful to this young man. You see, he is handicapped and lives on a handicapped pension. Moreover, his church is very important to him, and because of the prohibitions in place, he is unable to attend his own church services. So, he said, “I’ll be up to listen to you again. That really meant a lot to me.” The Church Without Walls is effective, and that includes you who pray for this outreach and underwrite what is presented.
A week before that, I received a phone call from a man who lives quite a distance in the country. I was on my way to the church building to record that message to which I just referred, but he had watched the message that was presented on television that morning, “The Tyranny of the Experts.” [4] This man isn’t able to attend our services, but he faithfully watches the presentation on television. He is one of a number of people who have contacted me to tell me that they watch the television broadcasts. Again, the Church Without Walls is having a positive effect in our own area.
I receive phone calls from a lady living in Fort Saint John who is unable to attend services, but she listens faithfully to one of the radio broadcasts. And another dear lady living in a suburb of Calgary listens to the audio presentations included on our website. Several times each year she phones to tell me how much she appreciates the messages, and how she appreciates the instruction that is provided. Already, the Church Without Walls is touching lives.
And what has begun will only increase as we each accept responsibility to invest our lives in one another and in being the church. What if each member of this congregation were to determine before the Lord that they would transform their own home into a church. They could minister to a neighbour who is burdened by offering wise counsel and prayer, by sharing a meal and remembering that neighbour before the Lord. Those who are connected with us can determine that each of us will encourage one another and strengthen one another so that we truly become the church. I am not saying that we will not meet again in united assembly—we will. But I am saying that meeting in assembly is but one facet of the church. And we are the Church Without Walls.
I’ve perhaps spoken to someone today who is discouraged. My dear sister, my dear brother, Christ is on the throne; and He is empowering you to accomplish such great things that you cannot imagine what He is about to do through you and through us. Jesus has promised those who follow Him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” [JOHN 14:12-14].
Great things? On, yes, and we are the ones who will do those greater things. We need but adjust our vision to begin to see with Christ’s eyes, looking on this world as He does, and seeing the possibilities that He has set before us. Don’t wait for another to do these great things. Begin now to do these mighty works that God alone will perform through you. Do this, even today. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] James Russell Lowell, “The Present Crisis,” in Thomas R. Lounsbury, (ed.), Yale Book of American Verse, 1912
[3] Michael Stark, “Jesus Makes Room for Misfits,” Sermon Central, January 10, 2021, Jesus Makes Room For Misfits Sermon by Michael Stark, Mark 7:31-37 - SermonCentral.com, accessed 22 January 2021
[4] Michael Stark, “The Tyranny of the Experts,” Sermon Central, January 3, 2021, The Tyranny Of The Experts Sermon by Michael Stark, Matthew 23:1-36 - SermonCentral.com, accessed 22 January 2021
