Don't Allow Persecution to Distract You from God's Purpose

Persecution Motivated Them to Scatter & Preach the Word (vv. 1-4)

The word “scatter” comes from the Greek word that refers to “sowing seed.”

What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good. Persecution was intended to silence the church, whereas God used persecution to SPREAD the church.

The persecution was intense, particularly from Saul. Scripture says he made “havoc” of the church. The picture is a wild boar wreaking havoc in a vineyard. He was raging against them and dragging men and women of the faith off to prison.

In spite of the opposition they faced, the Word of God continued to be proclaimed.

Today we are starting to see persecution against believers increase closer to home. It’s always existed, and more intense persecution is heard about overseas, but now it’s just across the border in Canada.

We know that persecution will increase as the return of Christ draws near.

The real question is how do WE respond to persecution?

It would be easy to rant and rave against our persecutors, use our social media accounts to talk about how evil they are…but the early church responded with the preaching of the Word.

The more they were persecuted the more the Word spread. Persecution drove them from their homes, but it didn’t drive them into silence…it drove them to share the TRUTH wherever they went.

We should not be driven to silence, nor should we be driven to being sidetracked or distracted.

It’s the WORD OF GOD that is the SWORD of the Spirit…not our arguments, not our craftiness, but the WORD OF THE LIVING GOD!

Just as the early church was scattered like seed that took root and grew, may God do the same with us!

Philip was Sensitive to the Leading of the Lord (vv. 26, 29)

As the church began to scatter and the Word began to spread God was doing GREAT things in the city of Samaria. One of the standout preachers of this Great Awakening was a man by the name of Philip (vv. 4-7). Demons were fleeing, the sick were being healed and Christ was being preached.

Souls were being saved and baptized and lives were being changed.

Right in the middle of this Great Awakening the Lord led Philip to leave Samaria and head to the desert. We don’t find any record of Philip questioning the Lord about this abrupt movement. Why would God lead Philip to leave such an exciting Great Awakening among the Samaritans.

When God said to go, he went…even if it was the “desert.”

When he arrived in the desert God directed him to a specific chariot, where a specific man, was reading a specific passage of Scripture, of a specific prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

Something else I noticed from this passage is that...

God did not Overlook the Individual (v. 27)

Even when crowds of people get saved and there is a Great Awakening in a certain area, people still have to come to Jesus individually. While God loves the world, He also loves the individual. He loved the Ethiopian Eunuch and He knew that his heart was open to the Gospel.

He drew Philip away from the crowds and brought him to an individual.

We should never discount what God does in the LIVES of individuals. Everytime ONE soul gets saved there is REJOICING in the presence of the angels in Heaven!

God is the SHEPHERD looking for the ONE lost lamb!

God is the HOUSEWIFE looking forthe ONE lost coin.

God is the FATHER standing on the FRONT PORCH of Heaven waiting for the prodigal to return.

God loves YOU individually! God wants US to love and care about individuals.

God is Concerned About People who are not Like You (v. 27)

Philip and the Eunuch were not alike. One was a follower of Christ the other was not. One was a Jew the other was a Gentile. Peter was a servant of the Most High God, the King of Kings while the Eunuch was a servant of the Queen.

Did you know God is also concerned about people who aren’t like you?

They may not make the money you do, they may not wear the clothes you do, they might not know the things you do, they might not look the way you do, or speak the language you do, or have the same color of skin as you do, but the Lord Jesus Christ LOVES them MORE than YOU do!

The fact of the matter is, humanly speaking, Jesus didn’t make the money you do, wore clothes like you do, speak English like you do, and his skin color was probably much darker than yours…yet He is our Savior, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

It’s time we quit limiting our ministry to people who are “like us.” Jesus didn’t and why should we?

He ate with PUBLICANS and SINNERS…people who were not like Him!

Who are we to think we are better than the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe!