Church Life, Life Church

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a joy to say those words and rejoin the Saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church for the promotion and exhortation of the Word of God. Our church exists by grace, for glory, in love.

It would be inappropriate to focus this entire sermon on the experience my family and I have had over the last two months, so I will try to hone the introduction here exclusively on what is pertinent to where we are going with our text this morning.

I want to thank the church for being supportive and flexible with me in this time. It’s been a long road with many twists and turns. If I had to boil down the experience into one word, I’m not sure what that word would be. But what I can describe for you in one word what it was not, and that is, “comfortable.” Being away from home, sleeping on a hospital couch, and trying to hold a newborn child connected to wires and machines in every direction, not a lick of it was comfortable.

Today we will be looking at a different type of uncomfortable situation in the early church. If you would, open your Bibles to Acts chapter 8.

As you turn there, I want share the most uncomfortable incident we had during our time in the hospital.

Our daughter has an NG tube. A little tube that runs from her nose down to her belly and its used to make sure that she is getting enough nutrition as she is working on building her feeding skills. She is progressing in that area, but it is still something that we have to use. For us to be able to go home, the hospital had to ensure that Cassidy and I were able to properly insert the tube because in all likelihood it will need to be replaced before it is fully removed.

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t think having put down your nose would be very comfortable. And let me tell you, Zoe agreed. When it came time for me to be observed inserting the NG tube, she was not a happy camper. I was following every step in the text book, but ole girl wasn’t having it. Nothing that I did would get to tube to right spot. After a couple minutes, the nurse tried. He couldn’t get it either. They called in the supervising nurse, she couldn’t get it. Then a well seasoned nurse named Teresa came in showed us all up, getting it the first time and teaching me how to do it more efficiently myself.

As she was fighting me, I was struck with the thought, “Baby girl, I’m doing this for your good. I’m doing this so you can eat. I’m doing this so you can go home.” She didn’t understand. She wasn’t able to process through the good and valid reasons we were doing such a thing. All she knew is that she wasn’t comfortable and she didn’t like it.

I can tell you from the perspective of her father that in that moment, I had every good intention for that girl even when I knew it wasn’t going to be comfortable. I had to continue to work on her, for her good, even as she was crying. And ultimately, she made it through the uncomfortable even if she still doesn’t understand or like when we mess with her nose.

Now, this is not a perfect metaphor, but I wanted to share because I know that all of us go through situations that are at best “uncomfortable” and in some cases seemingly unbearable. But I can assure you that in accordance with the Word of God, that though you go through difficulty, though you walk through the Valley of the Shadow of death, that if you know Christ as Lord, as Savior, then you can be assured that your heavenly Father knows what He is doing through your discomfort. When it comes to our Heavenly Father, the discomfort is never from His lack of skill or practice, but it is the necessary for the Good plan He has for you and for His people as a whole. We may never fully grasp the purpose for the problem on this side of glory, but that doesn’t negate the promise that for those who love God, He works all things together for our good.

This morning as we walk through the first eight verse of Acts chapter 8, we are going to see a very uncomfortable period in the life of the early church. But we will also see how God is using the uncomfortable situation for the good of His people in accordance with His plan for spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Let’s begin reading in Acts 8.

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.

Life Ain’t Easy

Where we are picking up in the book of Acts comes directly after the martyrdom of Stephen. We see here in chapter 8 verse 1 that this man named Saul approved of Stephen’s execution. If you have read through the book of Acts, the name Saul is significant. For our purposes this morning, we aren’t going to dive into this important biblical figure this morning. If you’re taking notes in your Bible, just circle his name and write a note that says see chapter 9. We’ll dig into that deeper in a few weeks, but for this morning just know that no one is so far gone in sin that the grace of God cannot break through.

What I do want us to focus on in these verses this morning is that “Life ain’t easy.” Life ain’t easy!

As we place this scene into the greater story of the whole book of Acts, this is a jarring scene. Thus far in the book, we have predominantly seen the church in Jerusalem blossoming! Things were going very well for the most part. The gospel is proclaimed and received at Pentecost. Thousands are coming to saving faith in Christ as Lord. They are breaking bread in one another’s homes. They’re devoted to teaching, growing and hungry for more. People are being healed. A form of deacons have been installed to care for the needs in the congregation and fully affirmed by the entirety of the church. Yes, there has been *Some* pushback, the apostles have been tried and told to stop preaching. At the end of Chapter 7, we do see Stephen have his life taken. But by and large, for the everyday church member, the regular believer, the Joe in the pew if you would, things were going pretty well thus far in the life of the early church.

All of that changes here.

“On that day a GREAT PERSECUTION arose against the church in Jerusalem.”

In our cultural context of religious freedom, this level of persecution almost seems unfathomable. The Martyrdom of Stephen would be the incident that turned the page of the early church over to a dark chapter. We see in verse 3 that that man Saul was RAVAGING the church. Both men and women were being tried and placed in prison. The utopian picture we see in passages like Acts 2:42 and 4:32 has become something very different. The church is now scattered, lamenting, and abused. Life ain’t easy.

Let’s look at those three aspects of the church in this setting as we seek to make application to our church today.

First we see the church Scattered.

Thus far they had been communing in Jerusalem, but as the persecution set in, it necessitated that many in the church to move to various places throughout the region. I do think it is important to understand the reasoning for scattering. They weren’t leaving because of discontent within the church. We’ll see throughout the book of Acts and even through the rest of the New Testament Epistles that the church was still very connected, even if they were in different regions. For our application today, we should note that there are times in which we may need to leave our homes for the protection and betterment of our family. Geographical changes may mean that we are no longer able to remain in consistent communion with our church family. However, as we will see better in the next section of our text this morning, our location doesn’t change our mission nor our unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. James Montgomery Boice noted, “There are different words for “scattered” in Greek. One means dispersed so that the item is gone from that point on, like scattering a person’s ashes on the ocean’s waves. That is not the word used here in Acts 8:1 and Acts 8:4. The word used here means scattered in order to be planted. It is exactly like the Hebrew word jezreel, meaning “God scattered”  and also “God planted.” It is what God did with Israel, scattering the Jews throughout the world because of their sin; but He also brought them back and planted them in their land. The disciples [here] were scattered as a result of the persecution. But all the leaders did by scattering the disciples was to plant them in the places to which they had been scattered, for there they “preached the word” (Acts 8:4).” So the question now is, is this true for you? Are you taking the gospel with you wherever you go, understanding that God has placed you there for His purpose? Do you recognize that this life is a mission field and as we move from place to place, the mission and unity in Christ does not change? Life ain’t easy, the church was scattered.

Then we see the church lamenting. In verse two, devout men bury Stephen. Then we read that they “made great lamentation” over him. They were mourning! They were sad over what had happened here. Now there is some debate as to who these devout men were. Were they Christian brothers, or devout Jews who did not know Christ but were still moved to mourn by the events that happened. One pastor described these men as secretly inclined to Christianity, though not yet prepared, especially while the persecution raged, to openly declare themselves as Christians. In either case, whether they were believers or intrigued by Christ without professing Christ, they were lamenting. When you think about this in the context of what happens in chapter 7, it might seem a little odd. Of course we never like dealing with loss, but in Stephen’s case, but they should have known that this man had gone to be with Jesus. Stephen had just declared to the crowd that Jesus was receiving his spirit! Stephen’s glorious ETERNAL fate was broadcast to the crowds and yet they lament in their temporal loss.

It is possible that this reaction comes from a lack of understanding of how good it is to leave this life and be with Jesus. But I think there is something deeper that we need to note. And that is that sometimes lamenting, weeping, is the appropriate reaction to difficulties in life, even when we have a proper understanding of the joys of Christ. Remember that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus knowing good and well He would raise him from the dead. In Romans 12 we are given a blueprint for unity in the church and in the midst of the exhortation is that phrase, “weep with those who weep.” Properly processing emotion and lamenting in response to tragedy is allowable and should even be encouraged in Christians circles!

The other day I was meeting with someone going through a difficult personal circumstance. They know the gospel. They know they are sealed for glory and the Lord is using their circumstance for their good. And yet their situation was making them sad. They basically apologized to me for not being in better spirits. But what I told them is that their circumstance should NOT sit well with them. We don’t have to throw the Christian Band-Aid on everything and immediately repress the sorrow we feel in the face of tragedy. Disease, sickness, death, even interpersonal conflicts are the results of living in a fallen world and they should NOT sit well with us. We lament tragedy because we are designed for something better! Don’t take this as an excuse to lose hope or an encouragement to simply stayed depressed all the time. That’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is that when we face tragedy let’s cry together and cry to GOD together! Life ain’t easy and thus the church laments.

Finally in this section, we see the church was abused. I won’t dwell here too long because we’ve already touched on this in the church being scattered, but in verse 3 we see that the church was attacked. Homes raided. Men and women drug off and thrown in prison.

In our context it is unlikely that we will ever face such extreme treatment. However smaller yet not insignificant cultural challenges arise. You may be cast out of friend group for keeping the faith, put down, looked at differently, even fired from a job where you refuse to follow orders that go against your biblical convictions. Though I do not see any immediate changes before us, I cannot promise you that we will always have the freedom here in America to gather freely, without the threat of persecution. This text is a warning that church life ain’t easy! we aren’t guaranteed to be exempt from scattering, lamentation, and abuse. This text is a reminder for us all to buckle up! As the Pastor of this church I would be neglecting my duties if I tried to paint a picture that this life, even in the church, is easy. Life ain’t easy. But life, even the difficult parts, does have purpose. Look to the next section of our text this morning.

Acts 8:4–6 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.

Life Has Purpose

What would be your response to fleeing from your home because of religious persecution? I think that many in our context would go silent. If that Christian stuff got them into courage over there, then when they got out they’d be silent about it over here. But look again at the response of the early church in verse 4:

They were scattered, but they went wherever they were scattered to PREACHING THE WORD. This is a great reminder that physical circumstance doesn’t change the veracity of the gospel! Jesus is worthy to be shared EVEN WHEN LIFE AIN’T EASY. While we may never know the specific reason why God has allowed you to go through a particular struggle, but I can assure you that everything has a purpose and that if you know the Lord, you exist to proclaim the gospel. Your trial may open the door to relate to or meet new people that are in need of hearing the gospel.

I want to make two primary points on this section of Scripture for our application.

First, we have to ask, “Who are the ones preaching the gospel here?”

If you look back to verse 1, we see that the apostles didn’t scatter with most of the believers. They stayed back in Jerusalem. This means that the ones going around preaching the gospel, sharing the good news of Christ’s life death and resurrection, were not the “primary leaders” it was the everyday believers, the new converts even! I don’t want to equate the office of pastor to that of the apostles, but in our context we have to realize that God doesn’t reserve ministry for the “professionals.” Pastors certainly play a role in tending to the church and are not exempt from sharing the gospel, but throughout history every major advancement of Christianity throughout the world has been characterized by everyday believers loving their neighbors enough to share the gospel with them! Church, I’m talking about you right now! God has called you to be His ambassadors! That difficult situation you are going through is an opportunity to glorify God through the proclamation of the gospel! Renowned Yale historian Kenneth S. Latourette said that “the chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear not to have been those who made it a profession…but men and women who carried on their livelihood in some purely secular manner and spoke of their faith to those they met in this natural fashion.” That is you!

You might say, pastor Brad I’m just a guy. I didn’t go to seminary. I don’t know enough to share the gospel with others. But think about these people! They didn’t have apps on their phone to pull up Scripture. They didn’t even have the full canon of Scripture. Most of them were probably not highly educated and certainly didn’t have any sort of divinity degree. Everything that we have read thus far in the book of Acts occurs in roughly a year or two. They didn’t get to grow up in Sunday school or spend decades under the apostles teaching. But what they did have is the Holy Spirit and rooted faith in the life-changing reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Church, we are without excuses for not sharing the gospel with fervor and zeal. It is certainly God’s purpose for us as a church and as individual believers.

Second, with the full testament of Scripture we see God’s greater purpose for the early church. If you look back at Acts 1:8 you will read “8 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.””

Now with that refresher, scan back through what we’ve read thus far in chapter 8. In verse 1, we see the believers were scattered through where? Regions of JUDEA AND SAMARIA. The struggle that they were going through was in order to accomplish the greater plan of redemption that God has for this world. Though the means were not comfortable in the moment, they were necessary and a part of God’s greater plan! Through their struggle, these early believers were able to reach Judea and Samaria, while simultaneously strengthening their own faith! Look at Philip. The last time we saw Philip he was being installed as a proto-deacon. He was serving the Hellenistic widows and taking care of their needs. Now he has been driven and sent out to Samaria where he goes from a deacon to an evangelist! Calamity can often be the catalyst for growth! Church, are you going to grow through the storm or wither away.

In these simple verses we are witnessing a profound step in God’s plan for His church. New leaders are rising up. The direct command given in Acts 1:8 is being fulfilled AND on a grander stage, the church is learning of the great Scope that God has for His church. Thus far the church had been filled with Jews, we saw the assimilation of the hellenistic Jews in chapter 6, and now the church is expanding to their black sheep cousins the Samaritans. Throughout the rest of the book of Acts we will see the gospel go even further out.

The church is learning that the gospel is for everyone and that everyone means anyone from any background, not just those they are culturally comfortable with. This is a HUGE step and a good reminder for us today!

The believers discomfort was used to spread the Gospel. There was a purpose for it. The same is true today. Your life, your struggle has purpose. It may not always be as black and white as fulfilling Acts 1:8, but you can be rest assured that Your God will never leave nor forsake you. He has a purpose for you in every moment and that purpose is for your good and for your glory. Which brings us to the last section of our text this morning. Read with me Acts 8:7-8

Acts 8:7–8 ESV

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.

Life is Good

We’ve seen that life ain’t easy. We’ve seen that life has purpose. Here we see that Life is Good.

As the Christians dispersed through the area and preach the gospel, much good followed. We’ll come to see later in Acts that not everything was perfect, but in our text this morning we see that people are praising and miracles are being performed.

Now anytime we read a passage like this, as we’ve already seen several throughout the earlier parts of Acts, questions come to mind. We see the miracles, the casting out of demons, the healings, and we ask if these should be the regular experience in the church today. On that point it is important to remember first and foremost that the book of Acts is history book and intended to be read as such. The epistles are more instructive for regular practice. This means that when Luke wrote this book he was describing the events of the early church, not necessarily prescribing all of the practices. There was a unique nature to the early church’s ministry. I do believe that God still works miraculously today. I fully believe my family has experienced a miracle in that our own daughter went from having a prenatal death sentence at only 20 weeks gestation to only having to spend 22 days in the NICU post birth. But when we look through the whole New Testament, we don’t see commands for the church to consistently use these miracles as the mode of sharing the gospel. Regardless all miracles, the ones in this moment, or any we are graced to receive today are done in order to give us a a powerful picture of what life will be like in Christ’s coming Kingdom.

What is more explicitly corollary to our experience in the church today is what is described in verse 8. Acts 8:8 “8 So there was much joy in that city.”

The joy doesn’t come from the miracles in and of themselves. The joy comes from the receipt of the gospel and an understanding of the goodness of God.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “There was joy in Samaria because the gospel was preached there. If men did but know it, the greatest boon a city can have is to have the gospel preached in it. Remember the old motto of the city of Glasgow, “Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the Word.” No city flourishes so well as that which has a clear, powerful, gospel bell ringing in the midst of it. It is a famishing city which has not the bread of life; but it is a flourishing city which has the bread of life freely dispensed from the pulpit every Sabbath day by loving hands.”

There is joy in knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior. There is joy in knowing that you are faithfully serving the Lord by sharing the gospel. There is joy in looking forward to hearing Well done my good and faithful servant when you get to glory because you have been obedient to command of Christ.

Listen, life aint easy but life has purpose and life is good, that is, when it is a life spent for the glory of God. There is joy even in the times of sorrow because you can know that God is using even this.

This joy is accessed by coming to the end of yourself and seeing the greatness of God. It comes by seeing that God loved you enough to die for your sins. It comes by seeing that His purpose is for your good even when it is uncomfortable in the moment.

My question as we conclude this morning is this, do you know that goodness of God? Have you come to the end yourself and discovered His overwhelming goodness? If you have, then cherish that you have a purpose and get to work. If not, may today be the day you come to see the goodness of God. This church exists to tell you about it. In a moment, we are going to have a hymn of response. I would challenge us all to reflect on how we are viewing our lives in light of the goodness of God. I invite you to see where you have fallen short in appreciating God’s goodness in your struggle and if you would allow me, I’d love to point you to Him. Church, may we respond for the glory of God today.

Let’s pray.