What Happens When the Church Scatters?
All Church members except the apostles were scattered over the countryside of Judea and Samaria…Those who were dispersed by this action went throughout the country, preaching the good news of the message as they went.
– Acts 8:1-4 (PHILLIPS)
Brothers and Sisters,
We find in Acts 8 a beautiful picture of the power of the Church living with Jesus as its Head.
Here, while the young fledgling Church was still finding its wings, we see it suddenly thrust out of the nest by persecution. The apostles and the “ordinary Christians” were violently separated from each other! What happened to these “Church Members”? Did they lose their faith? Did this dismembered Church die?
No! The Church expanded! It ran to the nations! In the following chapters, we see the gospel reach to Samaria, Ethiopia, Antioch, and beyond! And let’s not miss the incredible truth that the gospel spread, not only through the Apostles but also through the unknown, “ordinary Christians.”
There are two truths illustrated in this account that we must remember today.
Pastors and Church Leaders: Jesus is the Head of the Church, not you.
Every Believer: as a member of Christ you carry the full DNA of His Body.
I know these may sound like shocking statements. The Church in many places has forgotten these truths and put mere men at the head of the church, making believers dependent on them, not Jesus, for life. At best, in this state, the Church becomes dependent on the charisma of a few, and never moves beyond its current borders, failing at its divine mission of making disciples of all nations.
But often it doesn’t even fare that well. Pastors, carrying the weight of headship, burn out, become controlling and divisive, and lose their first love. Believers, overly dependent on this man, become non-functioning members of the Body, hanging limp like a dislocated limb. And if they ever become disconnected from their leader, they shrivel up and die.
Friends, that is not a beautiful vision of the Body of Christ! But we don’t need to stay there. Pastors, what if we allowed Jesus to be the Head — the source of life, direction, wisdom, and strength for His Body? Believers, what if we trusted that the life of the Head could flow directly by His Spirit to every one of us as a member of His Body, placing within us His very DNA, without the mediation of any other man? Could the Church, fully connected with Her Head and filled with His Spirit, infiltrate every nation, tribe, and tongue with the love and goodness of Christ?
In Acts, we see the Church lively in the face of opposition. The Church moved, adapted, and spread through the nations. There is no evidence of a master plan from the Apostles directing it. The only explanation is Jesus as the Head, filling each member of His Body with His Spirit, sending them to the nations.
Brothers and Sisters, let’s reconnect with our true Head, receiving His DNA. Pastors, let’s take our place as a member of the Body with Christ as the Head. Together, let’s spread the Good News of Jesus wherever we go.
Grace and Peace,
Delton
