Jesus’ ministry on earth was about connecting with people – multitudes, small groups and individuals – a thief, a prostitute, a businessman, a fisherman, a religious leader, a child, a housewife, a mother, a father, people living with a disability, poor people, rich people, and everyone in between!
Christians are the “body of Christ” on earth and we are called to follow in the master’s footsteps: Jesus was God in flesh. God is still in flesh in the church.
If you are a disciple of Jesus, God’s Spirit lives in you and you take him with you wherever you go. That’s why it’s so powerful when Christians gather together. But the fact is the church is not gathered most of the time – it’s scattered. And that’s when we are most effective as we see in today’s text…
Acts 8:1-4, On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
The Church Scattered
Go and make disciples of all the nations
Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised
So, they waited, received, and stayed
Making disciples of all the nations doesn’t mean that we’re always on the “GO.” It does mean that we are always ready to share the good news about Jesus wherever we are…
Ephesians 6:15, “with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
God wanted these people who had come to Jerusalem to return home and take the Gospel with them. And so, he made it uncomfortable for them to stay…
“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered…” (Acts 8:1)
The scattered Christians “preached the word wherever they went” (Preached = tell good news) We all love to receive good news…
We all love to receive good news. And that’s what the Christians brought people as they travelled back to their homes all over the world. The good news about Jesus Christ. In other words, they reimagined what the church looked like. And they reimagined what ministry looked like too…
Reimagine Ministry
Up until then, the apostles had done all the work of the ministry. But God had other plans. He wanted them to reimagine ministry. And we need to do the same…
Ephesians 4:12, “to equip his people for works of service [ministry], so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
Confession: God’s Spirit lives in me and I take him with me wherever I go.
Confession: I am filled with the Spirit and I’m open for business!
Confession: I am a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ
The church is not gathered most of the time – it’s scattered throughout the community and the city with opportunities to bring good news wherever we go! And, as we go, we have an awareness that we are a minister…
We need to reimagine ministry…
Ministry – a narrow perspective
Ministry refers only to ways I get involved in my church
We need to reimagine ministry…
Ministry – a broad perspective
Ministry refers to all the ways I serve others with my God-given gifts.
The whole church taking the whole Gospel into the whole world!
God’s Spirit lives in you and you take him with you wherever I go.
you are filled with the Spirit and open for business!
You are a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Discussion Questions
Share together a time when you received good news or shared good news with someone. What was the outcome?
What are the implications of this statement: “If you are a disciple of Jesus, God’s Spirit lives in you and you take him with you wherever you go.”
Why do you think Jesus wanted his people to be filled with the Holy Spirit BEFORE they were to “Go into all the world?” What are the implications for Christians today?
A church suffers when people rely on a few “professional ministers” to do all the work. What do/can you do to make sure your church doesn’t fall into this trap?
Broadly speaking, “ministry” refers to all the ways you serve others with your God-given gifts. What does your ministry look like right now? Are there areas where your ministry could grow to better serve God and others?