“A Spirit-Filled Expansion"
Acts 8:1-25
“At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” [Acts 7:51]
A Spirit-filled expansion is what Acts 8 records, and it comes upon the heels of persecution. Stephen, a man filled with the Spirit, was stoned, and “a time of great persecution arose against the church.”
Tertulian once said “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” His observation was certainly on target. It was Stephen’s death in Acts 7 that pushed the church outward in Acts 8, “…and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” [Acts 8:1]. The word scattered is diaspeiro in the Greek. It is where we get our English word disperse. It means to scatter abroad.
Through persecution God scattered abroad spiritual seed throughout the region. And it is through this same kind of persecution that He expanded the church to the outermost parts of the earth. God’s ways are higher than ours. Our inclination is to stay where we are comfortable. God, however, allows trials and tribulation [and even persecution] to push us out of our comfort zone. He uses challenges to drive us toward His purposes.
For the early disciples persecution was a privilege [ref. Acts 5:41: “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” This reaction is only possible when Spirit-filled, and this filling is described, yet again, in our passage this morning. Just as the Spirit came upon the apostles at Pentecost; He came upon believers in Samaria [ref. Acts 8:16-17].
Now think about the context of Samaritans at that time. They were seen as outcasts, half-breeds, unclean. But then the Gospel of Jesus Christ was pressed out to them through persecution in Jerusalem. The result? Grafted in, inserted in the church.
It was the undeniable way of the Spirit. Such unity can only be accomplished through the power of God. Spirit filled expansion across social, economic, and ethnic boundaries is done through Spirit-filled lives yielded to God, a privilege that believers have available for the asking.
Ask for the baptism of the Spirit and yield to His work in your life. He will certainly lead you outside your comfort zone and into His greater work for His glory.
