The Church On The Move

The Church on the Move

Acts 8:1-17

There is a Yiddish proverb loosely based on Psalm 2 and James 4 that says, "We make plans and God laughs."

This illustrates the truth of how we make our plans; however, unexpected events and things from the LORD alter those plans.

Before going back to heaven, Jesus commissioned His followers to go and tell others about the kingdom of God.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. NKJV

If you read Church history during the time of the Book of Acts, you will discover that most of the original Apostles did not go out into the whole world but rather stayed near Jerusalem.

Stephen was martyred for his faith, and that started the dispersion of other Christians, fleeing Jerusalem.

Please open your Bibles to Acts 8

Last time, we heard the conclusion of Stephen’s defense as he spoke to the religious leaders about where the true Tabernacle of God can be found, and finally, how we should forgive others.

The final words from Stephen led to him becoming the first Christian Martyr, because the truth of Christ demands a reaction.

The life a believer lives on earth is a dress rehearsal, as the believer prepares for something greater, waiting for heaven.

I. Saul causes Christians to flee.

Read Acts 8:1-4

Saul was a dedicated member of the council, and I am convinced that he had good intentions, being zealous for the LORD.

However, all the good intentions in the world could not make up for the havoc he was causing within the early Church.

Notice, “A great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Stephen’s death was only the beginning of the persecution of the Church; it only got worse from there.

The LORD told the early Disciples that His work began in Jerusalem, but they were supposed to take it to the world.

It took persecution to get these followers to move!

Does it take God shaking things up in our lives to get us to follow His directives?

These are the times to be aware of how the LORD is moving, so we can jump into what He has planned and enjoy the ride.

When we stress out over circumstances, we miss the abundant life the LORD has planned for us.

The LORD says, “I know the plans I have for you; your part is to simply rest and trust Me to accomplish it in and through you!

So devout men buried Stephen, but Saul began arresting believers, dragging them out of their houses, and creating havoc for Christians all over Jerusalem.

All believers scattered except the Apostles; why didn’t they flee?

• Maybe they didn’t want to repeat their past failures, like when they fled because Jesus was arrested

• Maybe they felt that God would protect them if they stayed

• Maybe they learned to clarify God’s purpose for their lives!

C.S. Lewis has said that there are two kinds of people:

1. Those who say to the LORD, “Thy will be done”.

2. Those to whom the LORD says, “All right then, have it your way”.

The LORD allowed this persecution to happen because the result was that those who were scattered because of the persecution went everywhere preaching the Word.

? What if Phillip didn’t heed the call of God to leave?

Garth Brooks, “I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain, but I'd of had to miss the dance.

? What areas in my life am I following God’s plan, and what areas need improvement?

Reese said, “Until the love of Christ and the Gospel of Christ so fills the heart of the average Church member, that he goes out to proclaim the Word.”

“Until he (average Church member) is so sold out on the Gospel that he will do that, the Church will never reach the pinnacle of success that Christ intended for her to have.” (Gareth L. Reese)

II. The LORD uses a Deacon.

Read Acts 8:5-8

This was not the Apostle Philip. However, like Stephen, Philip was one of the original deacons mentioned in Acts 6, and he fled Jerusalem due to persecution, eventually settling in Samaria.

Philip was believed to be a Hellenized Jew who preached the Gospel in addition to fulfilling his duties as a Deacon.

Years earlier, after rebelling against the LORD, Northern Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, who took some Jews captive.

The Assyrians intermarried with the poor, remaining Jews in northern Israel, and later, it was the mixed descendants of the Jewish/Assyrian descendants who became the Samaritans.