The Unstoppable Kingdom
As we delve into Acts chapter 8 today, I want to draw your attention to something remarkable about the Kingdom of God – it is unstoppable!
In Acts 8:1, we learn that ‘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.’ This might appear like a negative start to the chapter. The people were scattered, and some may have felt that it would halt the spread of the gospel. Have you ever been in a situation like that where you felt that all the progress you made came to a halt due to an unexpected event?
Prior to Chapter 8, there had been such great progress with spreading the gospel. Beginning on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 men were saved (Acts 2:41). In chapter 4:4, we read that the number of men who believed grew to about 5000. The enemy then tried to undermine the church by introducing a lying spirit, resulting in God’s judgment on Ananias and Sapphira in Chapter 5. This was followed by an attempt to bring disunity, but the apostles dealt with this by appointing deacons to deal with practical matters, allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and the ministry of the word. The enemy struck again through persecution of Stephen, who was stoned to death in chapter 7. We can see the unrelenting attack of the enemy on the early church’s growth, and chapter 8 illustrates the attack on an even larger scale, stating that ‘they were all scattered…’
However, something powerful arises in Acts 8:4: ‘Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word’. Wow, what a response to persecution! The kingdom was enlarged because the Kingdom of God is unstoppable. When we say that something is unstoppable, it means it is ‘unable to be stopped or prevented from developing’ - it means continuity.
Persecution and the scattering of the church did not impede its progress because the church is made up of living stones - people, not just a building. Persecution awakened each person to their role in the propagation of the kingdom of God. They did not have to wait for the apostles to preach; each person stepped out in faith and preached everywhere they went (Acts 8:4). Christ was preached in Samaria with a great impact on the people (Acts 8:8) and Christ preached to an Ethiopian Eunuch, and he was baptised (Acts 8:38). Christ remained their focus - not the persecution itself, but Christ who was the reason for the persecution.
Be encouraged! No matter what challenges come your way this year, remember that the kingdom of God is unstoppable. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us be determined to keep Jesus at the centre and preach Him boldly despite the challenges posed to the centrality of the gospel and its relevance to our world today. Keep declaring the unstoppable Kingdom of God with confidence!
- Dr Rachael Ita
In Acts 8:1, we learn that ‘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.’ This might appear like a negative start to the chapter. The people were scattered, and some may have felt that it would halt the spread of the gospel. Have you ever been in a situation like that where you felt that all the progress you made came to a halt due to an unexpected event?
Prior to Chapter 8, there had been such great progress with spreading the gospel. Beginning on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 men were saved (Acts 2:41). In chapter 4:4, we read that the number of men who believed grew to about 5000. The enemy then tried to undermine the church by introducing a lying spirit, resulting in God’s judgment on Ananias and Sapphira in Chapter 5. This was followed by an attempt to bring disunity, but the apostles dealt with this by appointing deacons to deal with practical matters, allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and the ministry of the word. The enemy struck again through persecution of Stephen, who was stoned to death in chapter 7. We can see the unrelenting attack of the enemy on the early church’s growth, and chapter 8 illustrates the attack on an even larger scale, stating that ‘they were all scattered…’
However, something powerful arises in Acts 8:4: ‘Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word’. Wow, what a response to persecution! The kingdom was enlarged because the Kingdom of God is unstoppable. When we say that something is unstoppable, it means it is ‘unable to be stopped or prevented from developing’ - it means continuity.
Persecution and the scattering of the church did not impede its progress because the church is made up of living stones - people, not just a building. Persecution awakened each person to their role in the propagation of the kingdom of God. They did not have to wait for the apostles to preach; each person stepped out in faith and preached everywhere they went (Acts 8:4). Christ was preached in Samaria with a great impact on the people (Acts 8:8) and Christ preached to an Ethiopian Eunuch, and he was baptised (Acts 8:38). Christ remained their focus - not the persecution itself, but Christ who was the reason for the persecution.
Be encouraged! No matter what challenges come your way this year, remember that the kingdom of God is unstoppable. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us be determined to keep Jesus at the centre and preach Him boldly despite the challenges posed to the centrality of the gospel and its relevance to our world today. Keep declaring the unstoppable Kingdom of God with confidence!
- Dr Rachael Ita
No Comments