Friday: The Center of Spiritual Power Shifts
WEEK 12
FRIDAY
THE CENTER OF SPIRITUAL POWER SHIFTS
Acts 8:4-8
What happened as a result of this disastrous division between the sacred and the secular on the part of the apostles? One of the most important things in the history of religion happened. It was this: the center of spiritual influence and power shifted from the apostles to this group of the “seven.” From that moment on the center of revival and the center of missionary advance were in this so-called lay group. It was Stephen, the leader of the seven, who precipitated the revival in Jerusalem. And also, by his straightforward boldness, precipitated his martyrdom and a persecution of the church.
If Stephen became the center of revival in Jerusalem, it was Philip, another member of the seven, who precipitated a revival in Samaria (Acts 8:4-8). They were scattered abroad by the persecution that arose over Stephen and “traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They proclaimed the word only to Jews. Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. The Lord’s power was with them, and a large number came to believe and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19-21). They founded the church in Antioch. And Antioch, not Jerusalem, then became the center of Christian influence and missionary activity. It was out of Antioch that Paul and Barnabas went on their missionary journeys and laid the foundations of Christianity in Asia and Europe, hence in America. We received our gospel from Antioch, not Jerusalem.
What did all this mean? It meant that God had tipped the weight of approval and hence influence and power toward this lay movement headed by the seven. They kept life a unified whole, and hence God put the stamp of approval on them. They were entrusted with God’s movement of redemption and became the channels of God’s power. And the apostles? They could apparently only try to regularize what they could not produce. They sent John and Peter to Samaria to lay hands on the products of Philip’s revival and sent Barnabas to Antioch to encourage the new converts of the lay group.
Lord, we thank you that you are behind those who are behind your purposes. Help me to align myself with those purposes today; then I can expect your power. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: If I keep in line with God’s purpose, I will keep in line with God’s power.