Scattered

God scatters His people.

He does so for the sake of His glory, and the building/advancement of His Kingdom.

These may not be the only reasons for the dispersement of His church, but they are two that are opening my eyes this morning. 

The last couple of days have been spent looking in Acts 8, and the persecution and scattering of the Jerusalem church. As I was reading, another act of dispersement cane to mind, one not carried on the hands of human oppressors, but by the direct act of God. 

In Genesis 11 we find what appears to be the totality of the people of God, settler together in one place. In a short time together, the people devise a plan to construct the great human city. In the midst of this city will be a mighty tower, reaching into the heavens, a monument to their own greatness. It would be a place of such grandeur that all people would be able to see it from far off, a beacon drawing them all together, to preserve their greatness. “Lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” Their desire was insulation, and protection of self. They desired the ability to worship their own glory and might. 

God, ever zealous for His own glory, unwilling to share it with any other, descends upon His people, speaking in Triune power, “This is only the beginning of what they will do... Let Us go down there and confuse their language, so they may not understand one another’s speech.”

This God disperses His people, scattering them from this place in order that:

1) They do not delve further together into self-gratifying, self-worshiping destruction.

2) To protect and proclaim His power and glory among His people.

So that’s one dispersion, but what about Acts 8?

We don’t read of plans of the Apostles to build monuments of themselves. Rather, we see faithful men, working heartily as for God. We see fruitful ministry among the people. So why does God bring about the persecution of Saul, and the subsequent scattering of the church?

I think it comes down to a few things:

1) The protection of the Glory of God (the humbling of His people):

While the Apostles are keeping to a humble, low self-understanding service, their works often cause marveling among the people. They work diligently to point to the power of the resurrected Christ when people speak of their awe. But, with each passing work, and every glorious act done in the midst of the people, many will begin to be deafened to the words of the Apostles, and blinded to the Glory of God. If left unchecked, it is likely that soon the people will no longer hear the Apostles’ claim that the works done are not of their power, but are of the power of Christ alone. For this reason, it is better to persecute and strike at the church. Better to scatter the brothers than have the Glory of God defamed among the nations.

2) The sending of bold men to preach the Good News, and father the sheep:

From this scattering, we are told that those who went out did so preaching the Word. We are given the example of Philip, who went out and preached boldly, and the Spirit worked effectually in the land of Samaria. Philip went south and taught many, culminating in the salvation of the Ethiopian eunuch. By this example, we can assume that other brothers went to other places, preaching Christ to the nations. God needed to scatter His people to find men to carry through the mission of Acts 1:8, taking the message out of Jerusalem, into Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. To echo Paul later, God scatters His people because: 

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” 

We usually read this passage from Romans 10:14-15a when it’s time for a mission trip, a church sending people out. But, in the scattering of His church, God was sending His men out to preach to those who needed to hear, that on gearing they might believe, and in believing they will call. In doing so, they fulfill the mission given by Jesus that there are other sheep who are not of this fold, and they must be gathered.

3) To lay the groundwork for the most powerful display of redeeming grace in the New Testament:

In Ezekiel 36, God speaks through His prophet a vivid series of imagery concerning the lengths and depths He will go to save to the uttermost His children. He goes on to declare that he does this redemptive work, not merely for the sake of the saved, but for the sake of His glory. (For more on this passage: http://templebodyspirit.blogspot.com/2013/07/not-for-my-sake.html?m=1 )

I think, I’m light of this, and many other passages, we can infer that in some respects, the greater the redemption, the more magnified is God’s glory. God is infinitely glorified in the redemption of everyone who believes, and that redemption is bought with the same blood of Christ. But he is forgiven much, forgives much. In saying this, we can see that Saul’s ravenous persecution of the church, and the subsequent scattering of the church, was instrumental in setting the stage for the penultimate display of the applied redemption of God through Christ. In reconciling the self-named chief of sinners, God called to Himself, of Himself, by Himself the praise of His own glory and might.

With these thoughts, I take solace as I prepare for my family to soon be one scattered. I can trust from the Scriptures that God has a mighty purpose in what He has planned. And go now, I rest knowing that God is seeking to keep me, or make me:

1) humbled by His will and mercy in my life

2) bold, prepared to speak His word among the people

3) excited, ready to see the mighty works of redemption He has planned.

Sacrifice nothing

Prayer:

Lord, incline my heart to savor and desire your Word, open my eyes and my heart to your Glory displayed, unite my soul to your Holy Spirit in Your truth, satisfy me in you. Lord, do these things out of your zealous desire that your Glory and Beauty be made known among your people.

In Christ’s name,

Amen 

As the months of prayer and preparation have gone by, waiting on God’s timing for our move to Seattle, many verses have stuck out in my mind. Verses that provide encouragement, verses that humble my haughty mind, verses that sharpen my desires, and so on... but one that has been utilized for all of these has been Mark 10:29-30:

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”

These last few days, I’ve been reading through Acts 7, looking at Stephen’s life and martyrdom. And I can’t help looking at this through the lens of Jesus’ words in Mark. What we find in this glance is the satisfied promise of God to a man who sacrificed all, yet could (and I believe would) say he never truly sacrificed a day in his life.

We know little of Stephen’s life before meeting him as a sharp-tongued proclaimer straight from the mold of the Apostles he sat under. We only know him briefly in his bold and accurate, incisive words spoken to the hypocritical religious leaders of the day. His surgical flaying of their hearts leads straight to his being rushed, thrown down, and stoned.

But how can we know that Stephen would say that he had never sacrificed a thing?

The inference from scripture is that we most often see the kind of boldness we see in Stephen, boldness for the sake and Glory of Jesus, borne out of great personal cost of following. I’m willing to assume that because we don’t hear about Stephen’s family or home that he qualifies as one who “left mother, father, sisters, brothers, and lands” for the sake of the Gospel. The immediate promise from Jesus is that “in this time” Stephen should receive 100x his sacrifice in blessing. So what did he gain? An immense brotherhood, one that sought to have no wants in and among themselves. A group that loved one another unconditionally, a family of thousands, held together by the incorruptible love of God. He gained the teaching of the great truths of the sufficiency of Christ and the preciously priceless Glory of God. Realities well worth greater than 100x what he left behind.

Next, Stephen gave up anonymity within this immense family. Anonymity is safe, and comfortable. I’m assuming here, again, that the church had already begun to develop a striata of those who are willing to stay in the unknown ranks. I think we can assume that there are many who came, gave up what they had, but then remained insulated and relatively quiet (especially compared to the boldness of some), and this safer. I assume this because among the thousands upon thousands of people added to the church, we really see few who are leading, serving the many. This is not a knock on the many, the church is built upon the reality of a multitude of individuals with different gifting and callings. But Stephen was called out and he took up that calling to leave an anonymous presence in the church to be recognized as one who was full of the Spirit, and of faith. His is the first name given among those established in the office of Deacon. He sacrificed a life in the church of provision and safety provided by anonymity for a life of bold service. 

What did Stephen gain for this sacrifice?

According to Paul in 1 Timothy 3:13, those who serve the office of Deacon well gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Anyone who struggles with the assurance of their faith will tell you that great confidence in assurance would be worth well over 100x the cost.

Then comes the ultimate sacrifice of Stephen, his physical life. Emboldened by his great assurance, and assured of the blessings to those who sacrifice for the sake of Jesus, Stephen was unwilling to keep quiet, unrelenting in his work. He boldly spoke truth to all, not stopping when encircled by the throng of leaders who came upon him. He refused to deny his teachings. He chose, rather, to stand fast in the truth, at the cost of his life. He went so far as to trade the last of his energy, not to fight, but to speak. He spoke of a vision of Jesus, ascended to the right hand of God. When he was knocked down and began to be stoned, he spoke, resigning his spirit to the presence of Christ. Exchanging temporal life on earth for eternal joy in the presence of God. Then, in his last breath, he sacrificed any desire for vengeance on his murders for grace: “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.”

What did Stephen gain for the sacrifice of his life?

He gained the sure promise Jesus made in Mark 10, eternal life; eternal perfection in the presence of God. The immense value of a human life, exchanged for the incalculable value of eternal Glory. The exchange of vengeance desired for love. An act that seals the persevering faith of this brother, bearing witness for all of us who have come after to the completed sanctification of the transformed life. A sheep called home by its Great Shepherd.

Though he gave up everything, Stephen sacrificed nothing. 

Growth through boldness

In preparing for our upcoming move to Seattle and engaging in helping with planting and discipling of the new Pike Place Church, I’ve been reading through Acts. I want to know and see how the church was first established and grown. Though many things about the modern church are different than the church of the Apostles, their example is still informative and instructive in how to properly build and grow a church.

In the second chapter of Acts, we see the Spirit empowering the Apostles to the bold proclamation of the Word, namely the salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Peter’s sermon at Pentecost gives us a glimpse into this bold teaching. Through the preaching of the Gospel, men were cut deep to their hearts, their sin exposed and their need of a Savior made apparent. And as boldly as Peter had preached Christ’s resurrection, he now extended the mercy and grace purchased by Christ’s blood. The Spirit established the church through the bold preaching of the Christ, and added to their numbers by the extension of forgiveness and mercy. 

As chapter 2 finishes, we are told that the Spirit added to their numbers daily those being saved. This statement leads me to believe that the following chapters (3-5) are intended as giving examples of the natural works of the Apostles through which the Spirit was Supernaturally working to grow and strengthen the church. 

In Chapter 3 we see that the people of the church, and in particular the Apostles, devoted themselves daily to the teaching of the Word. They frequently traveled to the Temple, and were known among the people there. One day, a lame beggar was in his normal place at the entrance to the Temple. When he saw Peter and John approaching, the beggar asked for a gift from their assumed riches (because who would follow the teachings of poor men?). Instead, the beggar is told that these men have nothing of material worth to give, but what they can offer is Jesus, and on the power and authority of His name, the man was healed. The man rises and, with Peter and John, he enters the Temple to rejoice and worship this Jesus through whom he has been healed.

As others looked on when the Apostles entered, many saw the former beggar walking with them, and they marveled over the healing of his physical ailment. Peter again spoke boldly, pointing, not to the miracle of physical healing, but to the Christ through whom perfect and complete healing had come to all who would believe. Again the Spirit laid bare the hearts of many, and again mercy and grace were extended to all who would believe. So just as it was in Chapter 2, the Spirit convicted through bold preaching, and gathered through grace and mercy. Through this, many more were added to their numbers.

Among those gathered at the Temple were several leaders who did not appreciate the teachings of the Apostles. Chapter 4 begins by showing a contrast from the many who believed and those who sought to question and (if possible) quiet the Apostles’ teachings.  Instead of passively listening to the questions of the leaders, they were again emboldened by the inner-workings of the Spirit. They again preached boldly the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Instead of cutting these men, the teaching exposed in them a heart of stone that has not been opened to the beauty of Jesus. But, in demonstration of the promise the God’s Word never returns void of accomplishing the purpose for which it is sent out, the leaders were not unaffected. Rather than conversion, the response from the leaders is an understanding of the reality of what the Apostles were teaching. Now unable to contradict the teachings of these men, the leaders tried to simply tell the Apostles that they must cease their teachings.

This interaction between the church and the world could have caused a deep injury, but instead it drove the followers to prayer for even more, deeper boldness in the proclamation of the truth. They sought intensified fervor for the work laid before them. It was an act of unification, and bonding of one to another, giving of themselves to the betterment of them all through offerings given in faith. And thus the Spirit continued adding to their numbers, and emboldening their willingness to offer of themselves.

Then, in Chapter 5, we get a different kind of example, one not of growing the church, but rather a warning to guard the church, thus strengthening her. Without Chapter 5, we might be willing to believe that continued numeric growth was the goal of the early church. Instead, we see that the Spirit protects the church from the impure heart, and those who are seeking personal gain. The church must be diligent to ensure that it is pursuing the purification and sanctification of her people as premier above and beyond riches. The death of 2 patrons who were more interested with what the church could do for their benefit helped to further unify the church. Having all things in common together, and a unified desire of furthering the Kingdom allowed for increased persevering boldness. 

The increased boldness of the church, combined with the increasing numbers led directly to another meeting between the leaders and the Apostles. This time, the arresting of the Apostles and a night in prison allows an opportunity for another miracle among the people. The Spirit’s miraculous opening of the jail cell, and release of the Apostles ends with the Apostles again boldly proclaiming that Christ is the Messiah. The leaders, with their understanding that they could not deny the teachings of the Apostles, and realizing that imprisoning them would not stop the teaching, further reveal the depth of their depravity in deciding they would have to kill them to quiet them. But mercy prevailed again through the words of one of the leaders. Gamaliel spoke, not as a man converted, but as a man of reason, that the leaders need to step lightly lest they find themselves opposing God. The leaders agree to just beat the Apostles instead of killing them. The beatings came with yet another warning to cease the teachings of Jesus as the Christ. These warnings show the complete misunderstand of the reality of life with Christ, persecution leads only to increased boldness of the people of God. Beating the Apostles only worked to allow the Spirit to stoke the flames of their hearts. 

So, how do we establish a church, grow a church, embolden the church, and strengthen the church?

“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” Acts 5:42