Scattered and Dispersed
“So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:8-9)
“And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” (Acts 8:1-4)
Good Evening New Springs Church!
I wanted to share with you a few personal thoughts and reflections as we continue in life as the church, and yet confront the reality of being scattered and dispersed for a short season due to the coronavirus which is affecting our lives and way of life daily. As this situation progresses, we will continually keep you informed concerning when and how we can meet in the future. Stay connected with us via Email, Instagram, Facebook, and our Website. We will continue to be New Springs Church.
First and foremost, I want to celebrate the reality of our church family and each of you! This past Sunday was a great joy and milestone that we as a church were able to celebrate. We have been gathering as a church for one year now, and I genuinely look forward to many years ahead. It really has been an act of God’s grace for me personally to grow in relationship among you this year, and I look forward to the future.
At this time, I want to ask you to be in constant personal prayer for all the issues and situations ahead as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Especially be in prayer for those affected and their respective loved ones and families. As time continues to unfold, God’s grace and mercy will be needed for many, and we as a church want to pray and serve those in need around us. This work begins through personal prayer. If you feel led, join with me in a concerted effort to pray and fast for the upcoming times and decisions ahead; commit and devote yourselves to prayer personally. If I could plead for you to do one thing during this time, it would be to: 1) pray more and 2) seek God more by reading his word. For this is the will of God for you now and each and every day, as you follow Him by faith (Acts 2:42, 1 Thess. 5:17).
Remember, there are very few moments in our lives that have the power to stop us in our tracks and change the course of daily life. This week we will be facing such a time. You will forever remember this moment in time, where you were and how your life was affected. From small effects, like local school closings, to larger effects, like nations in quarantine, you will remember “this very day”. I pray it serves a deep and eternal purpose of God in your life to fortify the reality of who He is and his call upon your life. He is your God, your Provider, your Protector, and your personal Savior. He wants nothing less than your whole heart and faith, and I hope you can find rest in knowing and growing in Him personally.
I want you to know and forever embrace the reality that we are indeed God’s church and his people, we know Him and follow Him when we gather and/or when we are “scattered/dispersed”. As God’s people, we have been sealed and brought into community with one another. Whether we meet at Maplewood Elementary, Riverside Park, or in coffee shops and houses, we will forever be the church (His people!), and we will always seek to devote ourselves to Christ and to one another (Heb. 10:25). This moment in time might serve to effect this deepening reality that should be the mark of all churches.
As New Springs Church, we will not stop being the church no matter the circumstances facing us. We will adapt and overcome as the Lord leads us. And we must always remember the reality of our identities as God’s children. We have been adopted into his family, are his everlasting people who will one day dwell in an eternal land prepared for us (Eph. 1:1-14). Jesus Christ stands over every facet of our daily lives today and tomorrow, and this is good and comforting news for us (Col. 1:15-18). I hope in this time, your faith is made active to seek him and watch Him work among you personally. In very tangible ways, it is my prayer for you all that you are comforted and assured by his very presence amidst much uncertainty. Indeed we need to be reminded each and every day of who we are, who God is, and what Christ has finished and accomplished on our behalf. There is no greater call and/or purpose for our lives other than knowing and following Christ in his mission as his church.
If you have read the two verses above, I hope you find a comforting assurance to know that God wills, works, and is among his people as they are dispersed and scattered for a season. Even though our season of being scattered as a church will hopefully be very short, I wanted to remind you and have you consider what God is working and doing among us during this time.
In Genesis 11, we come to see that the early nations of people on this earth, who have descended from Noah post the flood, are forced to scatter over the face of the earth as a result of disobeying God and building a tower. The people of the day were working together, were able to communicate freely, and were building themselves a great city and tower for the purpose of reaching the heavens. They were failing to obey God though, and were not dispersing over the face of the earth as commanded by God in Genesis 1:28 and 9:1. God confused the language of the people then and dispersed everyone as a result of his continued purposes and work in redemptive history. God wanted his image bearers spread over this earth as a reflection of his glory. The generations of Shem from whom Abraham would come immediately follows this work of God.
In Acts 8, we come to see the church facing persecution very early on it’s history. Steven, a servant in the church is full of faith, doing great wonders and signs among the people, when he is seized and killed as a result of his faith and testimony of Christ. As a result, “on that day” a great persecution against the church arose, and the church was scattered throughout the regions (Acts 8:1). Steven “on that very day” though gazing into heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God as Christ received him and willed the scattering of his people. What resulted from such a tragedy was the unthwarted mission and purpose of Christ to scatter his church into the world to proclaim the gospel as his “witnesses and image bearers”. God willed the scattering of the church for a season for his continued purpose and work in redemptive history to proclaim the gospel.
Today, tomorrow, and in the weeks to come, I hope you gain confidence in your faith and fortify your identity in Christ and realize your call to be a part of his church as witnesses of Christ and the grace of God. As we face this pandemic before us, we might be forced to scatter or disperse for a short season, but God is standing over this time using it for his purposes and work in redemptive history. We are his witnesses, his image bearers, his people, his church.
As we continue life as New Springs Church, I ask that you pray and consider the mission and purposes of God in your life and among one another. For there really is no greater joy of mine than to celebrate with each of you the reality that God has saved us and called us into his eternal family. It is my hope and prayer that you continue to celebrate being a part of his church, even though we may be scattered for some weeks. My prayer is that “this very day” in our lives serves as a time when God fortified us and used us for his glory, purposes, and gospel. Pray. Read. Devote yourselves to one another. We are God’s people and church eternally, and we will meet again as soon. We still have a one year celebration to kick off, and I am inclined to consider that when we are able to celebrate we might be given a deeper appreciation for the joys and blessings that we have received as New Springs Church. We will get through this time together by God’s grace and presence. Continue to be the church. I can’t wait to hug and handshake you all again.
Much love New Springs!
Jimmy Paugh