Yesterday was a special day as the Body of Christ gathered to worship together. It was a blessing to get home and see how you enjoyed fellowship on Facebook. But even with the blessing that resulted from reading the comments was the stark reminder that we are scattered and unable to meet together.
This is not the first time the church has been scattered. God sovereignly preserved the story of the early church in the book of Acts. When we think about the book of Acts, we think about the two massive conversions that are preserved for us in the early chapters of Acts. But most of Acts is reserved for the individual stories of how the gospel was spread throughout the world.
In the 8th Chapter we read how the church was scattered after the stoning of Stephen. Luke tells us that, Acts 8:1 (CSB) “On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.”
Today we are not facing a severe persecution, rather we are facing a redistribution of the church. I am convinced that God, for a season, has forced the church in America back into the harvest fields that are so white. We have been spending so much time in the barn that we have seen the fruit of conversion diminish over the years. It’s comfortable in the barn; it’s fun in the barn,; it’s even a blessing to be in the barn. But it is unproductive to stay in the barn.
The great commission had been given to, “Go into all the world.” The church had confined it’s ministry to Jerusalem, so God sent them out. Notice it was not the Apostles who were scattered; it was the rank and file of the church. It was every day ordinary people who had been reached with the power of the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the Gospel that were scattered.
This should have been enough to stop this small movement known as The Way. Sure they had had a few big rallies, but there was no way that they could stand strong amidst such persecution. Something happened that could not be foreseen by men. God did something incredible. As these ordinary converts to following Christ were dispersed, they didn’t flee fearfully; they marched boldly. We read in
Acts 8:4–5 (CSB) “ So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.”
Acts should have been a short book; instead, it wound up being an introduction to a history that is still being written. Wow! How could such a thing happen? These ordinary Christians were obedient to an extraordinary God. As the Spirit filled them and the Apostles discipled them, they were equipped to go into the world with the power of the Gospel.
Could it be that God wants to use you in the same way? The same Spirit that dwelt in the young church is living in you and me today. God has placed us strategically in our neighborhoods and in our circles of influence for a reason. The only question left to be answered is, “Will we be obedient?” Let’s get out of the barn.
Attention All PBC Kids:
Every Tuesday night at 7 pm, we will be having Sunday School
for kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Join Carol Jo Taylor on Zoom
for Sunday School. Contact Carol Jo if you need the link.
Also, all kids are invited to a Biblical Storytime with Carol Jo on Sunday nights at 6 pm on Piner Baptist Church Facebook Live.
Items needef for Food Collection Week of April 27-30
Cereal
Canned Vegetables
Pop Tarts
Oatmeal
Dinty Moore Stew
Canned Chicken Breast
Loaves of Bread
Peanut Butter
Granola/Snack Bars
Microwave Popcorn
Saltine Crackers
VBS on the Road
We are looking for volunteers to lead and/or host 2-hour day camps in subdivisions around our area during the month of July. If you are interested in teaching or hosting, please contact Bro. Mark. mark@pinerbaptist.org
Grace Marriage
Hey everyone! We want to serve your marriages and your families during this time. We realize that you are enduring stress, anxiety and uncertainty. In an effort to help you draw closer to Jesus and one another, we are providing you virtual sessions to do together that will help your marriage and family. These sessions are specifically designed to help you navigate your marriage during this time of quarantine.
Please be intentional with this resource. Each session has a 7-10 minute teaching video and a worksheet you can download to apply the teaching to your own relationship. Set aside about 45 minutes a week of undistracted time as a couple to go through each lesson. If you don’t set aside the time and put it on your weekly calendar, it will not happen.
Week 1: “The Grace-Based Marriage” – As Christ and His grace are the foundation of everything, we desire couples to think through this concept during such a trying time. Plus, we pray this lesson will help many couples who have not started building their marriage on the foundation of grace.
Week 2: “I Would Have Never” – With couples experiencing so much negative news, it’s important that we visit a lesson on gratitude. Gratitude is a core principle in Grace Marriage and in the times we are in, it’s needed that much more.
Week 3: “Instinctive vs. Intentional” – It’s easy to be driven by anxiety, emotion and instinct right now. Without intentionality in our home and in our marriage, we’ll find ourselves on a roller-coaster of emotions and chaos.
Week 4: “Are You Smarter Than Your Cell Phone?” – We continue to hear of frequent conflict over technology. It’s important to address this topic during this season of technology overload.
Week 5: “Intimacy Igniter & The 621 Challenge: Creative Dating” – Intentional one-on-one time is needed to process and weather our current trials. Regardless if you have kids or not, don’t let the sudden isolation keep you from being intentional and creative. You may have a ton of time together right now, but how are you using it? We’ll spark discussion and get into specific ways you can be creative in a time where there are restrictions on what you can do.
Please contact Bro. Mark if you are interested in accessing this free resource.