Scattered

James Weidner III   -   October 15, 2024

Acts 8:4-13 (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. 9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

  1. They were scattered.

    1.1. The greatest care that can be offered is preaching the Word. 1.2. To be scattered:

    1.2.1. to sow throughout, 1.2.2.distribute in foreign lands: 1.2.3. scatter abroad.
    1.2.4. to disperse

    1.3. Scattering is unsettling.
    1.4. People are creatures of comfort.

    1.4.1. Comfort attracts.

    1.4.2. Comfort settles.
    1.5. The plan of God was, and is, to go out.

    Mark 16:15 (ESV) And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

    1.5.1. It is not to say that the early Church being launched… was without challenges but they were not yet going to the end of the earth.

    1.5.2. The Lord has creative ways of scattering that always seems to surprises us.

    1.5.3. Paul was the vessel being used to scatter God’s people before His conversion.

    1.5.4. During the initial scattering season we find our selves calling upon the Name of the Lord more.

    1.5.5. It is equally important to maintain that same determination when the season scattering seems to settle down….

    1.5.6. To look back and see how the plan of God comes to past in our life was always the result of some kind of sovereign scattering.

  2. Scattering looks random.

Acts 8: 1 ….. at that time great persecution arose against the Church which was at Jerusalem; and they were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.

Mark 4:26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground

2.1. People often say and believe that nothing happens randomly.
2.2. One guys says to “I believe in Charma” meaning “everything has it’s purpose” and then in the next breathe “I’m blessed by God” – well which one is it?
2.3. Yet school teach, write entire libraries, on the random creation of the world and everything we know and love –
2.4. which one is it – everything has a purpose or everything is completely random?
2.5. “The kingdom of God is as if”
2.6. Not an accident.

3. Sovereignty within seemingly scattered randomness.

3.1.Within the random there is always God’s specific purpose.

Acts 17:26 (NKJV) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, The expansion of the Kingdom of God comes by the scattering seed

3.1.1. We all come from the same blood. 3.1.2. Prearranged times.
3.1.3. And a set of boundaries.

3.1.3.1. laying down limits, a definite limit
3.1.3.2. Ela… kids like to push boundaries. At some point we realize that boundaries are overall good.

3.2. The idea of a self made person. 3.2.1. There is no such person. 3.2.2. God made
3.2.3. Self destroyed

4. Faith in the purpose and plan of God.

Acts 17:27 (NKJV) so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

4.1.The righteous walk by faith.
4.1.1. The righteous keep walking by faith. 4.1.2. The faith walk never ends.
4.1.3. Faith in God’s control.

4.2. Ela… I think back about my family’s life… ministry life.

4.2.1. Today it looks like it was kind of sovereign. But the process from my side thinking back were completely random feeling… I got put in jail and opened my life to the Lord, Doug Armand came and visited me in jail as a leader at Victory Church, which got me sent to Teen Challenge where I was discipled and surrendered my life, to find myself a few years later in Doug’s home group with Rachel there and occasionally her sister who I fell in love with, that got me sent to Manila Philippines, where two years later we received a calling to China, but first ended up in New Orleans right before Katrina to be there when it did hit, to be able to coordinate the first faith based outreach post because of the connections from Manila, to three years later leaving for Shanghai, but before leaving receiving a Word that almost 10 years to the day we will look back and not be able to believe wha the Lord had done, at the end of 10 years Reach Church was launched here in Mandeville.

4.3. Now this is only our story. It is up to each one of us to be able to see the hand of God in the way He guides our life.

4.4. The seeming randomness is not random but pushing us towards seeking after God.

Conclusion:

“start with what you have: don’t wait for perfect conditions; risk everything for what you believe to be right, and surely in the end the harvest will come.”