“Scattered But Not Defeated”
Acts 11:19-21
I cannot say how many times that people would come to my office and question; why God would allow for such things to go wrong in their lives.
The simple truth is; Satan is the enemy of God and we are the children of God, so that puts us in the fight wither we like it or not.
The actions of a few in our text gives a great example for you and me.
I. What Satan Intended For Hurt; God Used For His Glory
Acts 11:19 “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”
We saw this begin in Acts 8:1 “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
So in this text we are viewing the destination of many who were “scattered abroad”.
I see the “scattered abroad” as a positive point.
There are times that we can be comfortable and through a simple act we can find ourselves ready to move.
In this text we see the limitations of the message that was taken abroad. “preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”
I do not blame them because they are still very much intertwined with their traditions; yet ignorance can be fixed with truth preached.
There are three (3) areas that the scatted went to: Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch
Phenice - an area that is north of Israel and was once a great nation; now a part of the Roman Empire. primarily modern Lebanon and the Syrian coast
Cyprus - is an island used for trade and often fought for; including the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Persians, from whom it was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great. Successive rule by Egypt, the Roman Empire, and Arab caliphates,
Cyprus is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia
Antioch - in modern day Turkey. Antioch was the ancient capital of Syria under the Seleucid kings, who founded it c.300 BC. Antioch's population (most generally estimate between 200,000 and 250,000), making the city the third largest in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria and one of the most important cities in the eastern Mediterranean.
Interesting history but should give us a thought that the people who fled did not seek isolation but they sought to accepted.
So many just want to be left alone, but God intended us to go forth with the Gospel.
II. What Satan Intended To Stop: God Blessed For His Will
Acts 11:20 “And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.”
As I have studied; I found that those how left Jerusalem were already business men because when they arrived in Antioch they spoke to the Grecians.
Grecians - Jews, who were born and brought up in Greece, and spoke the Greek language; "Greeks", as if they were native Greeks, and properly Gentiles, to whom these ministers spoke the word of the Lord.
We just studied in Acts 10:34 “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”
As conversations were made it would seem that there are those who simply spoke the truth with love and authority to whosoever would listen.
Here’s a thought: we could do the same in our daily lives; speak the truth to others regardless of who may be listening.
III. What Satan Intended For Division: God United For His Message.
Acts 11:21 “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”
And the hand of the Lord was with them,....
Not only his hand of providence, which brought them to a land of opportunity, but protected and protected them with His hand of love, grace and mercy, which was upon them.
God supplied them with grace, and that which was necessary for them.
His hand of wisdom, which guided and directed them.
They received the Grace of God giving them His hand of power, the same with the arm of the Lord, which allowed the Gospel to be spoken but many believed.
It was the power of God unto salvation.
Can’t say for anyone else but we need this very same power from God today so that when the salvation message is spoken it will not be received because we said it but because the Holy Spirit confirms it.
and a great number believed; - not the Gospel only, but in Christ preached in it,
I have watched so many brag about what they have done for God to the point it becomes obvious that the message was not preached with the power of God but with the persuasion of man.
Conclusion:
Instead of trying to build a church through our own strength and will; I believe we need to get back to the Bible and take the Gospel message to a lost people when given the opportunity.
2 Corinthians 4:8-11 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”
