Church Scattered: God"s Instrument for His Mission

Open my eyes to see who you are and fill my heart with the love for others.

What a great prayer to pray, one must tremble and died the death of thousand deaths to teach from this book, the Bible, because it is very word of the living God. A double edged sword that can convict us at the same time and courageous. Both the deliverer of the message and its hearers. I pray that it will convict you and encourage you as much as it did to that end, let's pray father, thank you for your word.

Thank you that you speak to us through your word so we come to you expectantly. Speak to us challenges, convict us and courageous and equip us, embolden us and transform us today that we will be a powerful instrument in your hands for your mission.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen. The Lord's final instruction to his disciples before he ascended into heaven was to remain in Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit from above and then be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and the rest of the word after they receive this power of the Holy Spirit in acts chapter 2 the church grew exponentially gaining a unique potential to take the gospel beyond Jerusalem.

The first century church was grounded in the word of God and we read that in acts chapter 2 verse two.

But however by acts chapter 6 we see that this friend of the gospel was largely confined to Jerusalem in God's sovereign orchestration. He loved the church in Jerusalem to go through a severe persecution that scattered many believers forcing them to leave Jerusalem only with Aydin possibility to return back to the beloved city for their regular daily fellowship and activities. Those who were scattered were then faced with the challenge. How will they respond when they go into hiding and wait till normalcy is restored. All will they follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and be God's powerful instrument for his mission. We today are faced with a similar challenge in God's sovereign plan covert has disrupted us our daily lives and to some degree has scattered us, making it considerably difficult to return back to Jerusalem, so to speak for our daily regular fellowship and activities. Ward will be our response at Calvary.

We are being grounded in the word of God for the purpose. Are we going to idly wait till normality is restored. All will we be God's powerful instrument for his mission in the places where he has scattered us in our neighborhoods and communities or where ever we are one of the challenges from our senior pastor this year is to share our faith. We will see from the passage this morning and we will be in acts chapter 8 versus 26 to 40 and we will see from the passage this morning that the first century believers who were scattered, particularly Philip became God's instrument for his mission to save those who are not yet believers, but how did God accomplish his mission through those who were scattered by sovereignly using them. By strategically placing them by supernaturally empowering them to do art to communicate the gospel as God did, then so he will guide us now let me invite you to open your Bibles and let's read acts chapter 8 versus 26 to 29 first. This is acts chapter 8 versus 26 to 29.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert place, and he rose and went and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a corporate official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.

He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning seated in his chariot and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

In the spirit said to Philip go over and join this chariot.

So first of all, God sovereignly uses us for his mission to communicate the gospel now is Philip the first time we read about Philip is in acts chapter 6 verse five due to the numeric growth of the church in Jerusalem. They needed additional leaders to oversee their benevolence ministry that growing benevolence ministry so they appointed seven deacons and Philip is one of the deacons as a deacon. Philip love the daily fellowship and ministry to the widows who were in need but the Lord is going to use is going to do remarkable things to Philip. He is going use Philip as a powerful instrument for his mission. Now notice in acts chapter 8 verse 26 now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, the angel of the Lord called Philip but why car Philip, don't you think, humanly speaking, is more effective and efficient for God to use the Angels Angels for his mission. Angels are not riddled with human frailties, but more than that God is fitly more powerful that he does not need any thing else to accomplish his mission. He does not need even his angels, let alone human beings to do his work. Remember what the Lord said in Matthew chapter 16 verse 18. I will build my church. It is his mission. He is powerful and well capable of completing his mission without human assistance.

However, in God's grace and infinite wisdom. He calls broken moral half probably inadequate people like us to join his mission to be a powerful instrument for his mission. Can you imagine that the Almighty God the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who holds all things together by the power of his might and his word, the source the author perfecter of our faith and our salvation would call ordinary people like Philip for his mission board and credible privilege. This is but see this is not a privilege only for Philip. Do you realize that every authentic follower of Jesus is called by the living God to share his or her faith to communicate the gospel go to first Peter chapter 2 verse nine, first Peter chapter 2 verse nine, first Peter chapter 2 verse nine but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Why that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out office darkness out of the darkness into his marvelous light. Every authentic follower of Jesus is called to proclaim the excellencies of God to communicate the gospel. Would you joyfully consider this privilege today and be God's instrument for his mission to communicate the gospel. So first, God sovereignly uses this people to communicate the gospel. Now we will see God strategically placed assists people to communicate the gospel sometime after the seven deacons were appointed Stephen another deacon God the opportunity to preach the gospel to the religious leaders, especially the high priest. Stephen was brutally stoned to death and this opens up the door for a charge wide persecution by a man named Saul who would become the apostle Paul and the believers were scattered and they went to the neighboring places in Judea and Samaria turned to acts chapter 8 verse one. Please. This is acts chapter 8 verse one and two and Saul approved of his persecution that is refereeing to Stevens persecution execution and there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria and wanted the believers do look at verse four now those who are scattered went about preaching the word where Philip go Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed them the Christ our Philip goes from the bustling city of Jerusalem to the villages of Samaria and from there he goes to a desert place the road to Gaza, and on that road.

He meets an unnamed Ethiopian eunuch, the minister of finances of the Queen of Ethiopia which is modern day Sudan on let's read acts chapter 8 verse 27 at 229. This is acts chapter 8 versus 27 to 29 and he rose and went and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.

He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning, seated in his chariot and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. In the spirit said to Philip go over and join this chariot that Seeley Ethiopian eunuch was a non-Jewish man a God-fearing man who went to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel. Now we don't know what motivated him to go to Jerusalem. We also don't know if this was his first trip to Jerusalem. What we do know is this that God had been working in his life, guiding him and preparing him for this precise moment, how do we know that go to acts chapter 17 versus 26 and 27 acts chapter 17 versus 26 and 27 this is apostle Paul speaking to the men at Avon's, and he is speaking at our progress about God. This is verse 26 and he made that is talking about God and God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted. And the boundaries of Their Dwelling Pl., God predetermines when and where we live.

Why did he do that. Look at verse 27 so that they may see God in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him now see Philip meeting the Ethiopian eunuch was no happenstance, we can rightly say that God strategically placed Philip on that road to communicate the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch. We can also say that God strategically placed the Ethiopian eunuch at that precise location at that precise moment to hear the gospel from Philip, can I say that your neighbors and I'm speaking to those who are authentic followers of Jesus, your neighbors, your friends and those around you are strategically placed there so they can seek God, you realize just like Philip was placed on the road to Gaza to communicate the gospel. Those of us who are authentic followers of Jesus are placed strategically in our respective neighborhoods to communicate the gospel to those who are not yet believers that it is persecution that scattered the first century believers, forcing them to focus on the neighboring towns and to share the gospel with the people there to read forcing them to read think or write anything mission as a personal responsibility of every believer not in our case we are already scattered all around Charlotte and Fort Mill and Raquel and Munro all these places and even those joining us online you're already scattered in the places where you are, but because it has forced us to spend more time and engage in law or in our neighborhoods, compelling us to rethink all rightly think missions as a personal responsibility of every believer of every authentic followers of Christ.

Will you accept that responsibility. This morning will you follow the example of Philip that awarded Philip to in obedience to the great commission being led by the Holy Spirit.

He intentionally shared the gospel. He communicated the gospel in the place where he was strategically placed.

Let's continue reading in our passage this morning. Let's read from verse 29 onward and the spirit said to Philip go over and join this chariot, so Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, do you understand what your reading and he said how can I unless someone guides me and he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading was this like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a llama before his shearers is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation.

Justice was denied him who can describe his generation for his life is taken away from the earth.

Now this is a quotation from Isaiah 53 we will not have time to go in detail in this passage, but you can read at home is Isaiah 53 talking about the sacrifice of our perfect Savior Jesus Christ and the eunuch said to Philip about home I ask you, does this prophet say this about himself or about someone else.

Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning with the Scripture keyed toward the good news about Jesus and asked they were going along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, see, here is water.

What prevents me from being baptized, and he commanded the chariot to stop and the board went down into the water.

Philip and the eunuch and he baptized in water and credible story visits would you follow the example of Philip. Now you might say well I will wait wait wait wait.

This is Philip the evangelist, I am no Philip I know evangelist but that brings us to our third point. First, God somberly uses us his people to communicate the gospel, God strategically places his people to communicate the gospel now God soup naturally empowers his people to communicate the gospel. How does he do that. How does he supernaturally empower his people to communicate the gospel first by providing super natural boldness. Now most of us are familiar with the fear that comes upon us. The crippling fear that comes when it comes to chatting gospel communicating the gospel and for me it is the fear of rejection, I should say at the fear of rejection cripples me really well. A few years ago at a local India Festival Calvary send a team to share the gospel with the festivalgoers.

A dear brother of mine, Richard and I we planned to solve together and I reached the venue a few hours before the others, so thinking that I would get a head start into communicating the gospel with others.

Now I'm at the venue and I see this individual sitting on a bench here at the site of this individual and the thought that I should walk up to him and start sharing the gospel of brain, fearing fury, dark cloud of fear just dropped upon me, and my heart started pounding so hard that I felt it was going to jump out of the window double of a chest.

I was so afraid of rejection. I paced back and forth contemplating whether I should go to this person and talk to also thinking why am I here only the second time the past for outreach.

I should be here that inhabit the fear. I paced back and forth and finally I mustered all my courage that I could. I walk up to the stars and I take a gospel tract for my back pocket doing have you seen one of these before and he said nope. Thank you go away. I felt so defeated-so inadequate.

I wish that the Lord came back at that very moment and took me back to heaven.

I also thought you forgiveness go back home, sit on my couch and sipping a cup of coffee and reflect on my inadequacy. It took me 45 minutes of walking and praying to recover from this paralysis cost by the fear of rejection.

I know fear. But what we do. What did the first century believers do they prayed our turn with me to acts chapter 4 and let's read verse 31 acts chapter 4 verse 31 and when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to speak the word of God with what boldness also look at acts chapter 4 verse 13 now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, and men. They were astonished. Second, this is Peter. This is the same individual who denied the Lord Jesus three times before his crucifixion when he is boldness go to acts chapter 4 verse eight then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, God and power versus people with super natural boldness, but he also empowers his people through super natural gifts that turned back to acts chapter 8 and let's read verses 34 and 35 acts chapter 8 verses 34 and 35 and the eunuch said to Philip about home I ask you, does the prophet say this about himself or about someone else. Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning with this Scripture. He told him the good news about Jesus. How was Philip able to do this.

How was Philip able to start with this Scripture the Old Testament. Isaiah 53 and talk about Jesus, but remember in acts chapter 2, verse 42 we read that all believers devoted themselves to be apostles teachings.

Philip was prepared for this. He will start under the best expository preaching that there is an Ward Philip learned when the church was gathered. He used when the church was scattered. Do you realize that you and I are being prepared Sunday after Sunday by strong expository preaching at Calvary Bible study after Bible study AOC after AOC for reward purpose to communicate the gospel. We must what we learn when we gather we must use when we scatter turn also with me to Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers for purpose to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Gifted teachers are given so you and I can learn the word of God gifted shepherds are given so you and I can learn to live godly holy lives gifted evangelists are given so that you and I can learn how to communicate the gospel with others. Now I understand that not many are gifted evangelists. But every authentic follower of Jesus is called to be a witness for Christ and communicate the gospel got the got the Lord of all creation, the living God will supernaturally empower you. Do you lack boldness to communicate the gospel.

Please don't succumb to fear and retreat.

Get down on your knees and pray, and the Lord will give you supernatural boldness he will know when it comes to communicating the gospel. Do you feel paralyzed like a deer in the headlights not knowing what to do or what to say we want to help you.

We want to equip you that God has blessed Calvary with phenomenal evangelists past the castle and the others who are well capable of equipping you well capable of helping you to communicate the gospel clearly effectively and intentionally so what have we learned so far we saw that those who were scattered from Jerusalem in the first century were God's powerful instruments as he sovereignly use them as he strategically placed them, as he supernaturally empower them for what to communicate the gospel to communicate the gospel. We who are authentic followers of Jesus can also be used as God's powerful instruments to know why because he uses us sovereignly. He has already placed us strategically. He will empower us supernaturally to do what, in obedience to the great commission. Following the leading of the Holy Spirit to be intentional and communicating the gospel toward the gospel. The gospel is this that all human beings. Every single one of us have sinned and broken God's perfect law making us utterly sinful and unclean that an infinitely holy God and a perfect judge has to send us away just like dirty water cannot be used, but throwing away God has to throw sinful people away. Send them away, but in God's amazing love and grace. Please send Jesus to die. The perfect Savior to die on the cross for your sins for my sins for the sins of the word that who ever would believe in Jesus Christ would be forgiven will be cleansed would be made. You and be used for his purposes, and to be with him for ever you know why because Jesus didn't die and stay dead. He rose again on the third day victoriously giving us this whole of eternal life. I realize there might be several who come to Calvary for the very first time of or have never heard this message before and those online. Do you know the Savior. Do you have this intimate relationship God with God.

Your create tour through the perfect Savior Jesus Christ. Now see, there is no one else in this entire universe who can save you or save me, save anyone from the divine punishment for your sins, for there is no name other than Jesus Christ. That is been given unto men that they may call and be saved. If you do not know this Savior Jesus Christ, please don't leave this place.

Without speaking to one of the pastors or the deacons or or the elders. We would love to explain the gospel to you and those attending online.

If you've never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. Please reach out to your host on Lifestream.

We were left explain the gospel to Dr. those who are authentic followers of Jesus Christ, would you follow the example of Philip and would you be intentional, especially in your neighborhood to communicate the gospel to those around you, and I realize that many of there are many at Calvary who are already doing this, I will praise and thank God for you and I pray that God would continue to use you as a powerful instrument for his mission, but there are many others who struggle to be intentional, who are fearful who are discouraged, we want to help you.

We want to equip you. We are very excited to introduce to you I knew ministry. One of the ministries that can help you be intentional to communicate the gospel this for and beyond, especially in your neighborhood. We are calling it be light be lights in the Lord commands every authentic follower of Jesus to shine his light and not hide it under a basket. What is it mean to shine the light of Christ to show Christ and to share Christ the light is a ministry that will equip you and encourage you to show the love of Christ and communicate the gospel intentionally effectively and organically. The light utilizes a tool and you can see the tool up on the screen. This tool is called to bless every home.com which is built on a mapping directory. This mapping directory uses the public information sources and public census data, and it gives you once you sign up the names and addresses of your neighbors and will remind you to pray for them regularly as you pray God will open up the door to care for them now be a light also adopts a very simple yet effective strategy of pray care share disciple pray care share disciple. Like I said, as you pray for your neighbor's. The Lord will open up doors to care for them. Once you care for them, you plan to share the gospel with them. And when the Lord touches their hearts open their hearts and give them a desire to follow him. You will disciple them. Please don't fret, we will provide you all the resources and the training that need to follow the strategy that is also away in the tool in the belied ministry to to let others in the belied ministry to know what the Lord is doing in your neighborhood through you. I believe this is from this will be a tremendous encouragement for others to continue as they pray care share disciple do you desire to be used by God as powerful instrument in your neighborhood sign-up to be light. The I tell you already. We will provide you with all the training and the resources that you need to be effective now and pass a cash lanai when we proposed this ministry to Dr. Monroe.

He was very excited because it helps us to be intentional and strategic and we did a trial run with the pastor cashless ALG. We already started seeing results as they started praying for them. Neighbor and one of their neighbors.

One of pastor cashless neighbor is is going to attend their zoom meeting tonight that a Oji can you imagine the impact that Calvary can make in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. When we start praying for our neighbors, and when we start being intentional and strategically reach out to our neighbors to communicate the gospel. All you need to do to be a part of this ministry is send that text to the number that you see on the screen.

If you don't want to send a text. There is the link on the website as well and it gives you the information.

Once you send the text we will get in touch with you this week and let you know give you more information about the upcoming trainings and how to be a part of this ministry in the fall and beyond that we can pray in a bit.

I want us to reflect on what we heard from the word of God.

God's sovereignty uses you to communicate the gospel, God strategically.

He has already strategically placed you in a neighborhood where you can communicate the gospel, God will super naturally and how will you to communicate the gospel. I want to spend few moment inside in prayer reflect on that and ask God to reveal impress on your heart what he wants you to do if it is the case that you want to be a part of belied ministry. Please send that text.

You can take this moment to send that text to the number as well is pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for speaking to us through your word. Thank you for convicting us yet. And creationists so we ask you Lord that you would move us, help us to know that he was sovereignly uses that you strategically place us and you supernaturally empowers us to please help us to be intentional to be strategic to communicate the gospel where you have placed us challenges today empowers today. Make us your choice instrument in your hands for your mission, for he asked in the majestic matchless beautiful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen