Good morning Lord Jesus, In you alone I want to align my all my heart, mind, soul, and strength as I begin my new week.
“Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing.” (Acts 8:4-6)
I was almost excited when I read chapter 8. The early church in Jerusalem, was forced to scatter, to leave the only "church" they knew. This scattering, caused them to proclaim and share the Gospel to new people, new neighbors, and plant new churches. “The Church” became a movement of God as it was created to be! Later in chapter 11 we will read:
"Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch" (11:19)
Those early disciples were forced to leave their "Home church", this led to planting of other churches, including the great church in Antioch! The persecution and scattering the enemy meant to destroy the church, God used it to grow and further establish His church.
As you start your day and go through your week and set to fulfill your plans you have made, remember God has set his plans he has made for you and needs you to fulfill as well. His plan is to release you and I, ordinary people in the church out into our communities to do extraordinary things in the kingdom. Just like in Acts 8:1. It was ordinary, un-named Jews, just some people, that scattered and spread the Gospel, lead others into salvation, made disciples, and grew churches.”
God’s plan this week includes the scattering and sending of you and I. People are saved, disciples are made, lives are restored and churches grow not primarily through programs and Sunday services, but through ordinary people spreading the Gospel. Spreading and sharing the Gospel is not about bringing people into a building to hear someone speak, but sending people out of a building to speak it into the world. Armies of ordinary people in the church, empowered by the extraordinary power and presence of the Holy Spirit, speaking life, truth, and transformation to those they encounter in their day.
Lets all commit to get rid of any spectator mentality we may possess about our role in Christ’s church. What ever is the name of the church you attend, what ever is the last name of your family, let that name be known in your neighborhood not because of its seating capacity, but its sending capacity. Because I believe at the end of the day that is how God is going to judge the church.
A change in spectator mentality won’t happen accidently. Just like setting aside and scheduling time in your day and calendar is required to fulfill your plans for the week, setting aside time and creating margins in your day and calendar is required to fulfill God’s plan for you to do extraordinary things for his kingdom. It requires intentionality.
Read Acts 8:1-8, 11:17-22. Then I challenge you this morning to open your calendar for the week and look at where you have scheduled times to release yourself in your community and spread the Gospel. Write down Intentional dates and times of release, sentness into an area of your community with no prescript expectation or outcome but sharing your testimony and the Gospel. Schedule in times to prayer walk, go to a Waffle House, bar, mall, Walmart, hospital waiting room, Laundromat…ect. If you do not have times set aside and scheduled for this, for fulfilling God’s plan for you, it won’t happen. Luther said, “Delay is the sharpest arrow in the enemies quiver.” Don’t delay.
My family, I pray you will schedule on your calendar this week on at least one day and time and an action you plan to do to be sent out in some way into your community, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
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