The Seeds of Joy of Scattered by God.

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I. Introduction.

a. Text: God brings great joy to unlikely people in the midst of unfortunate situations through the good news of his Kingdom and monumental things happen.

b. Prayer - Read . The highest report of happiness since 2000 was 38% of people.

c. How is deep joy experienced with God, with others, and within our own lives? By renewing our vision of God’s activity, being people about reconciliation, and reorienting our hearts and lives towards God through ongoing repentance.

II. Great joy comes when we realize that difficulty doesn’t have the final word.

a. Scattered (4) – The first systemic persecution moved believers out. It is both heartache and hope. This is the way is fulfilled – they are scattered like seed, not like mice...

b. The word, the Christ, good news of the Kingdom (5, 12) –

c. Signs - Philips ministry was marked by signs. Signs establish a reality, point to something else.

d. Philip viewed the opposition against him as an opportunity to grow and share the word.

e. The Kingdom moves us from opposition and obstacles to opportunities.

f. We should be willing to enter into messiness of life in order to see God’s movements.

g. Losing my job in 2010 – The obstacles were emotional and financial. The opportunity was that God used a church in Austin to help develop me as disciple, a husband, and father.

h. – When we renew our vision of what God might be up to, we find joy.

III. Great joy comes when we reconcile people to God and each other.

a. The main miracle of the text is a relational healing not physical healing.

b. A few years has passed since the resurrection, why did it so long? Busyness, comfort,

c. Samaria: 1000 years of conflict with Jews –10th cent – Division. 8th cent. Conquered. 6th cent. Rejected. 4th cent. Rival temple. 2nd cent. Jewish High Priest John Hyrcanus destroys their temple. No earthly political or religious system could fix the division and damage.

i. Nationally illegitimate, theologically liberal, religiously heretical and unclean.

d. , , – We realize that reconciliation of divided humanity is the heart of God.

e. The Spirit had not yet fallen. This is a surprise and an unexpected turn, believers not filled?

i. We have to remember that this is telling a story not laying down a law.

ii. “The believers could have met Christ but missed each other.” A healing phase.

f. They found their unity in the message of Jesus and his mission.

i. Peter and John had to come see and verify.

g. The Kingdom moves us from rivalry to relationship. (John Inazu).

h. Being in Austin, I became more open and intentional about common ground as part of mission.

i. – Reconciliation is the most clearly defined mission we have in Scripture.

IV. Great joy comes when we reorient our hearts and lives in repentance.

a. The narrative highlights Simon the Magician, who had claimed to be a demi-god based on his sorcery but who also came to believe in Christ. Yet, he struggles to let go of his former ways.

b. The Kingdom moves from self-focused to fully surrendered.

c.

V. Application.

Bible Verses

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.”

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Quotes

“Even in the midst of our deepest differences, we might share enough common ground to maintain the possibility of relationship across those differences. We can bridge relational distance even when we cannot bridge ideological distance” – John Inazu

“The gospel is the good news for all simply and solely because men stand in need of it. Black and white, slave and free, Jew or Greek, educated and barbarian – all of these [radical divisions] of antiquity were smashed by this totally new thing, the gospel of Christ. You could not find it anywhere else. It was intensely beautiful, profoundly threatening, and utterly unique.” - Michael Green