During the next few weeks, I am going to write about Acts 11:19-30. This is a key church planting passage. Scattering. Germination. Shoots. Roots. Fruits. It is the story of Christians preaching the Lord Jesus, making disciples, and teaching them to live for Christ! This is exactly what we will be doing at Harvest Bible Chapel North Raleigh because it is what Jesus commanded us to do!
The above passage refers to Christians scattering in fear of persecution likened to the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60. This does not mean that the Christians were wimps. They knew that in order to spread the gospel and make disciples, they must flee immediately hostile areas. As Stephen's boldness brought glory to God, so did the scattering of the Christians so they might likewise give testimony of the gospel. This decision bore much fruit. Stephen was stoned for proclaiming that Jesus is the foretold Christ, the "Righteous One." The Christians fled north to Phoenicia (modern day Lebanon), Cyprus (via trade ship to Mediterranean island), and Antioch (northeastern corner of the Mediterranean sea).
This scattering allowed the seeds of the gospel to be planted in foreign soil!
Before the scattering, Christians only proclaimed the gospel to the Jews, but some of them evangelized the Hellenists (Greeks/Gentiles) in Antioch. This was unprecedented. The Gospel is the redeeming message for ALL people. They must embrace it. What message do you think was most forthcoming on the lips of these scattered Christians? Yeah, the Gospel! "Jesus, God's Son, was crucified in order to displace God's wrath, which you irrevocably deserve, onto Himself." They were "preaching the Lord Jesus." There are many, many things preached by the church today other than Jesus, even good things that Jesus promoted. But we cannot preach anything separated from gospel of the Lord Jesus or we are merely humanitarians rather than Christians.
The events in Acts took place in the 40's and 50's of the first century, scattering the gospel several hundred miles. 1,950 years later, the gospel has been scattered throughout the world! Our continuing obedience to Christ's commission involves us continuing to spread this message. We are sowing seeds of the gospel. They didn't focus on a strategy, they focused on the message. Our message is simple: Christ.
For your joy and progress in the faith (Phil 1:25),
mike