TGP: The Scattered Church

Intro Option 1: Scattered

Hand each student a seed

No good inside packet

Designed to be scattered

We will be scattered

Early church (persecution)

Scattering = Gospel carried

Main Point: The church continued to spread the gospel despite stronger persecution.

Persecution spreads through the church.

Acts 8:1–3 (ESV)

1 And Saul approved of his execution.

And 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. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Period of mourning

The religious leaders’ hopes

Throwing fuel to the fire

The targer: Greek Jews

Forced to flee

“Scattered” = seed

Scattered seeds griw

Q. How do you think it felt to be the targer of such hatred and persecution?

Hard to comprehend

Saul

Risking their lives

Q. Could the church withstand this type of persecution today? Why or why not?

Too comfortable

Never moving out of comfort zones

Cultural conflicts

Gospel must matter to us

Devotion to Jesus > risk

Persecution spreads through the church.

Persecution leads to perseverance

Acts 8:4–8 (ESV)

4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

Samaritans “beneath” Jews

Northern tribe descendants, following Assyrian captivity

Intermarriage with Canaanites

“Half-breeds”

“Overcoming nationalistic borders and ethnic prejudices.”

Had to flee

But made choice to preach the word

Q. How did God bring goodness from the scattering of believers?

Only Jerusalem up until this point

Never meant to remain

To the rest of the world

Here = foreign soil for first time

God sovereign over persecution

He was faithful over the scattering

Q. When have you been tempted to think of someone as beneath you? How does this passage challenge that way of thinking?

Choosing who matters

Unbelievers

Drinking, drugs, sexual sin

“the wrong part of town.”

Not how God thinks.

Philip > Samaria = Us > All people

Persecution spreads through the church.

Persecution leads to perseverance

Persecution propels the spread of the Gospel

Acts 8:26–35 ESV

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

Phillip = one of the seven

Greek Jew (Hellenist)

Viewed as “outsider”

Used to share with another “outsider”

Gaza

Kings = sun god incarnations

Powerful queen mothers

Q. How does God view “outsiders”?

Eunuch = couldn’t have been more of an outsider

Both prized and demonized

Not allowed in temple

“Other” and “unclean.”

God met him in the desert

No insiders or outsiders in God’s kingdom

All outsides before adoption

Q. Why does your obedience to the Holy Spirit matter?

Gospel spread bc obedience

Phillip obeyed HS

Can’t see what’s on the other side, but it will affect someone

Christ Connection:

Persecution led to the scattering of the church and the gospel going forward. Phillip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch who was familiar with the OT prophets but was unable to understand how their message was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Phillip was led by the Holy Spirit to help the eunuch understand how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead, in accordance with the Scriptures.

Head: How does knowing God is sovereign even over persecution encourage you when you’re suffering?

Difficult to remember

Feeling forgotten

Questioning His care

Easier to trust when good, but sovereign over all

Death

Sickness

Persecution

Heartache

Still have purpose in our lives