How can we respond to persecution today, inspired by Acts 11:19? Setting the Scene Acts 11:19 – “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.” Persecution scattered the believers, yet their scattering became God’s strategy for wider witness. The same Lord who ruled their circumstances rules ours. What Persecution Looked Like in Acts 11:19 • Believers were uprooted from home and routine. • The hostility was violent, connected to Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:54-60). • Despite loss and fear, they “traveled” and “spoke the word.” Disruption became deployment. Timeless Principles for Today 1. Keep the Gospel moving forward • “They…traveled…speaking the word.” Geographic or social displacement becomes a platform. • 2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.” • Practical step: share Christ in new workplaces, online communities, and neighborhoods created by pressure or exclusion. 2. Trust God’s sovereign purpose in scattering • Genesis 50:20 – what others meant for evil, God turns for good. • Acts 8:4 mirrors Acts 11:19: “Those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” • Remember: persecution cannot derail God’s mission; it often accelerates it. 3. Stay anchored in Scripture’s certainty • Matthew 24:9-14 – Jesus predicted opposition; it confirms, not contradicts, His lordship. • Resolve: daily reading fortifies courage; memorize promises like Psalm 118:6. 4. Speak boldly, yet wisely • Acts 4:29 – “Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness.” • Boldness is prayer-sustained, Spirit-empowered, never reckless. • Colossians 4:5-6 – season speech with grace. 5. Pursue fellowship and mutual strengthening • Hebrews 10:24-25 – meet together “all the more as you see the Day approaching.” • Early believers gathered in Antioch, forming the first “Christian” community (Acts 11:26). • Modern application: small groups, encrypted online studies, hospitality networks. 6. Respond with blessing, not retaliation • Romans 12:14 – “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” • 1 Peter 3:14-16 – gentleness and reverence disarm slander. • Practical step: pray for persecutors by name, meet hate with tangible kindness. 7. Rejoice in eternal reward • Matthew 5:10-12 – “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” • Acts 5:41 – apostles rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” • Joy springs from identity in Christ, not circumstances. 8. Anticipate the Spirit’s creative guidance • Acts 13:1-3 – Antioch became a missionary launchpad because persecuted believers were listening to the Spirit. • Expect new callings, giftings, and open doors birthed through hardship. Living It Out This Week • Identify one new setting (work break room, sports team, online forum) where persecution-driven change has placed you; intentionally share biblical hope there. • Memorize Acts 11:19 as a reminder that scattering serves God’s strategy. • Commit to encourage another believer facing opposition today—text a verse such as 1 Peter 4:14. The same Christ who upheld His church in Acts 11 empowers us now; persecution cannot silence the gospel when God’s people keep speaking the word. |
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