Fritha Dinwiddie 12/13/25 Fritha Dinwiddie 12/13/25

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

#779b THE FULFILLMENT OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

Scripture Acts 8:1-13, NIV Orig. 3/16/1980

Passage: 1 And Saul approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Purpose: To continue the series from the Book of Acts, calling attention to the fulfillment of the command of Christ to go into all the world. That commission is put into effect when the believers left Jerusalem for Judea and Samaria

Keywords: Church Mission Missions Biography of Phillip Evangelism

Timeline/Series: Acts Bible Study

Introduction

It was probably three years after the ascension of Christ when the scattering of the believers came to crisis proportions. Remember that the church in Jerusalem was almost entirely Jewish. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit accomplished the conversion of 3,000 souls through Peter’s preaching. They were all Jews, in Jerusalem for the feast. But they were Jews from outside Judea and Galilee. They were Mesopotamian, Asian, Egyptian, Cretan, Arabian, and others; all were Jews and proselytes, with a vested interest in Jerusalem. Undoubtedly they went back to their homes with this new found faith, some perhaps even organizing churches in those places.

They soon came to understand a need for a ministry beyond preaching and prayer, and in Jerusalem this resulted in the singling out of certain people to perform particular ministries. The first bud of missions on the tree of Christianity exposed itself over this problem in the church. The native Jews were being served. The Hellenistic Jews, the ones who had lived outside of Judea, and who had been conditioned somewhat by the Hellenist ideas of the Greeks, were not being served. Out of murmuring of discontent came the selection of seven men of Hellenist background to minister to non-native persons.

One of these so selected was Stephen. They killed him because, in effect, he said, “God is not limited to you, or your Temple, or this land: Others are his people also.” This was a vital and necessary concept before the church could expand to the far places of the earth. It is almost as if the death of Stephen was also the sounding of the “death-knell” of a purely Jewish church. The Jewish leaders are committed to a program of containment. The believers, if they are going to be free to practice their faith, will have to do so elsewhere.

Chapter eight is the story of Christians forced out of Jerusalem by the purge following Stephen’s death. More particularly, it is the story of one believer, Phillip, one of the chosen seven, who in Samaria preaches to the people and leads in organizing a church amongst these half breed Jews.

The last recorded words of Jesus, other than His contact with Saul of Tarsus, are these: Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power with the Holy Spirit coming upon you and you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

I. Fulfilling Christ’s Commission Means People that are at the Disposal of God. 1f, . . . and at that time there a great persecution against the church that was at Jerusalem: . . . they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. This is precisely the cost of the covenant proclaimed in the Old Testament.

· Psalm 33:12, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

· Isaiah 6:8, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

· Psalm 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and staff comfort me.

· Galatians 1:13, For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.

· I Corinthians 13:9, For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

· Philippians 3:6, Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

· I Timothy 1:13, Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

It was under this mandate that Jesus chose to live His life. Jesus taught His disciples to pray—Matthew 6:10, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” In His own agonizing hour of aloneness He prayed—Matthew 26:39, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

This, clearly, was the only message that would see the church on fire for God. As Jesus was at the disposal of God, we must be those who would be followers of Him. As Jesus was willing to face the most dispelling of circumstances, so must we be who would be followers of Christ.

By the way, nothing has changed: Our call is to be at the disposal of God. It means He has a vested interest in us.

II. Fulfilling Christ’s Commission Means that there are People who have not Heard, who Need to Hear. V5, Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there.

First, who was Phillip? It was clearly not the apostle Phillip. Synoptics’ only name. John identifies Nathaniel/Greeks/“Show us the Father.” He was a man named Phillip of Hellenist background or learning, who was chosen to serve the non-native Jews. Stephen is mentioned first. Phillip second. He responds to the persecution in Jerusalem by looking for a place to freely serve and proclaim Jesus Lord.

Phillip chose to go into the area of Samaria. He chose a specific place: The city of Samaria, KJ and Greek; a city in Samaria, newer translations. Why the choice of Samaria was significant: Jesus shared His feelings about Samaria and its people. He told of “the good Samaritan,” and the “10th leper,” and the “woman at the well.” He was called “a Samaritan and a devil” (8:48). The devil part he denied.

In John 4 of the Woman at the Well, the woman said to Him, “for the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”

Here was a people who had earned the hatred of the Jews. In the 8th Century BC, the northern kingdom, with Samaria as its capital, was captured by the Assyrians. The leaders of the people were taken captive. Their disposition is one of history’s mysteries. Captives from other places brought to Samaria. In the 6th Century, the Jews from the southern kingdom were allowed to return. Ezra—offered to help rebuild. Help refused—reason? Determined resistance. 536 Return/516 Temple/444 wall.

No more important step would ever be taken by followers of Jesus than to move into Samaria. The sovereign will of God included people of every racial and cultural distinction. Hosea 2:23, And I will say to them which art not my people, Thou art my people, and they shall say, Thou art my God. Jesus gave His life to the end that people of every race and clime would own His Father as the eternal God, the Almighty.

Baptist Hymnal #176/148

Word of God across the ages, Comes thy message to our life,

Source of hope, forever present, In our toils and fears and strife;

Constant witness to God’s mercy, Still our grace what e’er befall;

Guide unfailing, strength eternal, Offered freely for us all.

In the tongues of all the peoples May the message bless and heal

As devout and patient scholars More and more its depths reveal.

Bless, O God, to wise and simple, All Thy truth of ageless worth

Till all hands receive the witness, And Thy knowledge fills the earth.

To be a follower of Jesus, and to keep company of those who walk with the Lord, is to be one who reaches out to the “Samarias” around us: by personal witness, by cooperative sharing, whether near or far.

III. There Are Other Things that Testify that this was a Wondrous Event in the Life of the Church. It was a people to people movement. We must not ever lose this. V4, The ones being scattered passed through preaching the word. V1, And all were scattered throughout the countries of Judea and Samaria, except to stay behind.

Why were they allowed to stay behind? Because of respect from the people. Hellenistic Jews may have born the brunt of the attack. Some say that they were the least ready for the faith to be separated from its roots. Many things will keep Jerusalem central. But Christian outlook is outward, to the world. 8:25, Paul and John “returning to Jerusalem they preached the word in many villages of the Samaritans.”

It was a message and ministry movement. Nothing will ever take the place of the preaching of the word. Whether one person to another on a bus. Or, one person to 100,000 in a great stadium. The great TV spectacles have their place but are not primary because they are first of all entertaining. Romans 10:14, How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? But equally as important is our understanding of ministry. We dare not presume that the simple proclamation of a liturgy twice on Sunday is the extent of faith. James 1:21f, . . . receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. . . .

What happened in Samaria as a result: It brought the story of Jesus, v4; it brought healing, v7; it brought joy, v8.

Closing

#308, People to People

How do you share the love of Jesus with a lonely man?

How do you tell a hungry man about the bread of life?

How do you tell a thirsty man about the living water of the Lord?

How do you tell him of His word?

People who know go to people who need to know Jesus.

People who love go to people alone without Jesus.

For there are people who need to see,
People who need to love,
People who need to know God's redeeming love.

Fritha Dinwiddie 12/10/25 Fritha Dinwiddie 12/10/25

SCATTERED, THEY WENT PREACHING

#779a SCATTERED, THEY WENT PREACHING

(A BUMP ON THE GREAT COMMISSION ROAD)

Scripture Acts 8:1-13, NIV Orig. 3/16/1980

Rewr. 5/12/1988

Passage: 1 And Saul approved of their killing him.

Purpose: Using a mission message to acknowledge the occasion of the 100th anniversary of a most significant WMU emphasis

Keywords: Church Mission Christ, Orders Evangelism Missions

Timeline/Series: Acts Bible Study

Introduction

It never ceases to leave me incredulously wondering when I hear the story of the organization of Women’s Missionary Union. It happened, as surely you are aware, exactly 100 years ago. May 14th was a Monday in the year 1888, and the Southern Baptist Convention was in session in Richmond, Virginia. The men, mostly pastors, were meeting in First Baptist Church. The women were a few blocks away down Broad Street at Broad Street Methodist Church. Actually, they had been denied permission to hold an organizational meeting for the purpose of women’s work at First Baptist Church.

This 100th anniversary year may be unique in yet another way. It is possible that when the proceeds of this present year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is counted, mission gifts through that annual fund raising will climb to a grand total of $1 billion dollars. For an organization having such difficulty in the outset, they have done rather well.

You may be interested in knowing that enrollment is well over a million (1,947,479). In some churches, it is actually on the increase, though shamefully, not in ours. I am happy to report however, that response to our mission offering goals has been excellent.

Also, our national organization, auxiliary to the SBC, has a current budget of 10.8 million, none of which comes from mission offerings. The major portion is generated by the WMU through the publication and sale of eleven magazines prepared to facilitate church mission organizations.

I. “Scattered, They Went Preaching,” Means People Who Are at the Disposal of God. V1f, “. . . And at that time there was a great persecution against the church that was at Jerusalem: . . . They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.”

I’m not suggesting to you that our great grandmothers in Richmond were persecuted. I’ve no doubt they were respected. Men tipped their hats, opened doors, gave up seats. But to many such a woman’s organization was “playing” church. But I say unequivocally that those ladies prayed harder and worked more tirelessly because of this lack of adequacy.

It could well be what we most need today. I am not eager for persecution. I do suspect that if we had less material advocacy, our prayer and our work would be different. And we would reexamine our faithfulness. Where were you last Sunday night? Where will you be tonight? Ladies, what excuse did you use to give up on WMU?

In our day of extremes, even the extremes of faith, our principal function is the spread of the word. It was so with the Hebrew covenant. Isaiah 6:8, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’” Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” It was under which commitment that Christ lived His life. He taught the disciples to pray Matthew 6:10, “Thy kingdom, thy will be done.” On the cross, He, Himself prayed. Matthew 26:39, “Not as I will but as thou.”

If we are not at the disposal of God in this late 20th century, we have reason to question if we are Christian at all.

II. “Scattered, They Went Preaching,” Means that People Needed to Hear the Word. V5, “Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there.” It is of only passing interest who this Phillip was. Not the apostle of that name. John 1:43f. The one called “deacon,” Acts 6:5: A Jew of Hellenist background; chose to serve non-native Jews; responds to persecution by seeking a place elsewhere to serve. Article in NSW (5-12) about school club being shut down by ACLU. “We knew we would have to stop if anyone complained.”

The place he chose to go to serve was Samaria. “The city of Samaria,” KJV and Greek; “a city in Samaria,” NIV and others. Its significance is that here was a people who still carried the stigma of Jewish hatred. It’s a long story. Ezra tells part of it in effort to interfere with rebuilding. John 4 tells of Jesus encountering the culture of prejudice with the “woman at the well.”

Phillip will go in response to his Lord even where others would not go. The church at this juncture is only Jewish. The commission’s command was to “all the world,” Matthew 28:19-20. The step is taken here that brings half-breed Jews into the kingdom. The open door to Gentiles is now a step closer. The prophecy is being fulfilled. Hosea 2:23, “And I will say to them which art not my people, ‘Thou art my people’, and they shall say, ‘Thou art my God.’”

Baptist Hymnal #176/148

Word of God across the ages, Comes thy message to our life,

Source of hope, forever present, In our toils and fears and strife;

Constant witness to God’s mercy, Still our grace what e’er befall;

Guide unfailing, strength eternal, Offered freely for us all.

In the tongues of all the peoples May the message bless and heal

As devout and patient scholars More and more its depths reveal.

Bless, O God, to wise and simple, All Thy truth of ageless worth

Till all hands receive the witness, And Thy knowledge fills the earth.

It brought truth (v4), healing (v7), and joy (v8).

III. “Scattered, They Went Preaching,” Defines a Wondrous Event in the Life of the Church. V6, “And the people with one accord gave heed . . . .” V8, “And there was great joy in (the) city.” It was a people to people movement. V4, “The ones being scattered passed through preaching the word,” LSV.

It is interesting that the apostles were allowed to remain in Jerusalem. Clearly, they had the respect of the people. It may be that the non-native Jews were the ones who bore the brunt of this religious persecution. Some suggest that the apostles were the least ready for their faith to be separated from its homeland, and its Hebrew culture.

There were Christians who wanted only to be a Hebrew sub-culture. Many things will keep Jerusalem central. But the gospel outlook is beyond Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the world. V14, Peter and John sent to Samaria; v17, the Samaritan Pentecost; v25, “. . . Returning to Jerusalem, (they) preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.” It would be interesting to know how many cities of the earth have had the gospel preached to them because some Baptist women went to Richmond 100 years ago and organized a venture that would bring their sons and daughters a mission consciousness unequal in the world.

As it was people to people, it was also geared to message and ministry. Nothing will ever take the place of the preaching of the word. Whether one person to another over a telephone, or in a letter, or on a bus. Or, whether it is one person to 100,000 persons in a great sports complex. When you support tv ministries, you support what is first entertainment. When you support your church, you are supporting what is “gospel proclamation.”

Romans 10:14, “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Fritha Dinwiddie 11/5/24 Fritha Dinwiddie 11/5/24

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH UNDER FIRE

#686 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH UNDER FIRE

Scripture Hebrews 10:25, NIV Orig. 12/1/1977

Rewr. 1/16/1985

Passage: 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Purpose: To state the three essential criteria for the contemporary believer.

Keywords: Believer Evangelism Revival Church Worship

Introduction

One of the great art galleries in our country has a famous painting by G.F. Watts called Hope. The painting itself may not elicit the interest that has centered around an absurd little story about the painting.

To describe the painting is to see a blindfolded woman seated on a sphere with her head bowed, holding a lyre. She seems to represent human fertility in a shrinking world. The musical instrument which she holds retains only one string. The space around the sphere contains one star against a backdrop of blackness. The artist wanted those who viewed his work to see it as he did. He therefore labelled it Hope.

Watts, G.F. Hope1

The story is about two cleaning women who worked in the gallery. One of the women regularly cleaned in this part of the museum, the other was on her first round. When she came to Watt’s display she stopped dead in her tracks and looked with wonderment at the painting. Finally, she said aloud, “Hope! Hope? Why is it called ‘Hope’?”

The other replied, with little wonderment, and probably some agitation, as she turned her attention to the precariously perched figure, “Why, I suppose because she hopes she won’t fall off.”

There are people around us, some who identify themselves as Christian, who view the contemporary church scene with the same doubtful perplexity. What does “church” mean? Has it become an art-form symbolizing that is no longer meaningful? Is it only a supplier of sanctimonious symbols?

The writer of Hebrews sees it differently. He declares it to be what it is: What God has made it to be. It is people, alive in a dead world, with a sense of mission. It is an awesome explosive power awaiting the torch of commitment. There are 3 guidelines.

I. They were to Attend Their Church. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.”

Though I rule it out, I wonder if boredom was ever the cause. Or fatigue: I heard of one pastor who called a meeting of the board following the service. A stranger was present. “Sir, we were happy you came, but this meeting is just for the board.” “I have trouble believing that these people were more bored than I!”

We are here instructed that our first attitude about our church is faithful attentiveness. (1)There is a triad of meaning (Romans 3): For worship and praise; for instruction from the Word; for preparation in ministry. (2)Romans 1:21 (Glorified not as God, nor were thankful.) When these go begging, no matter what other reasons we have, we have rejected our mandate.

Old Testament—Samuel anointed Saul (I Samuel 12), had the people assemble at Gilgal. They sacrificed, had great joy in praise. I Samuel 12:7, “Now, therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.”

New Testament—Acts 11:26, when Barnabas located Paul he brought him to Antioch. “For a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught many people. They were first called Christians at Antioch.”

This “assembly” was essential for empowering in and to service. The young Indian brave inquired of the steps necessary to become chief. [Some text lost.] The sacred bobcat: You must bring down the great white buffalo with your bard hands. You must wrestle the brown bear [to] win two of three challenges. Then must come the trials of fire and ice. The brave interrupted with “What ever happened to wholesome good looks and a nice personality?”

II. They were to Defend Their Church. “Exhorting one another.”

This is akin to paraklētos—“comforter.” This form is never retrospective, and always prospective. (Parakaleo.) It is “beseech, entreat, admonish.” See Psalm 141:5—

"Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.”

It guards against the infiltration of error. II Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they will heap themselves teachers. . . .” Notice again the charge to exhort, a call to higher living. Notice the condemnation of “heaping”: Man in Oakdale who enlarged capacity of concrete plant without increasing foundation.

To defend against worldliness. II Timothy 4:10 “Demas hath forsaken . . . having loved this . . . world.” Revelation 3:14, Laodicea—“I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

To defend against complacency. Not enough just not to oppose. One must take a vital stand.

To defend against cliquishness. Like at Corinth, people separate into factions: talents, worldly goods, gifts, pastors. “Paul is my favorite.” I Corinthians 3:11, “ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

III. They were to Extend Their Church. “And all the more as you see the day approaching.”

Which statement he clarifies in the verses that follow. The example of the Old Testament covenant. Anyone rejecting Moses died by the witness of two or three. Rejecting Jesus is rejecting His death, rejecting God’s will, and insulting the Holy Spirit (29). It is deadly for the so-called believer and unbeliever alike.

We are to be extensions of our church: From active participation—worship, study, ministry awareness; we receive the enablement to be Christ’s representative in our community and beyond.

We might say that through this means we Commend our church. You commend it first and foremost by your support. You commend it to the degree that you support it. What think you of token support to: your job? Your children’s school? Your family? You commend your church by supporting and praying for its leaders. It is much easier to criticize another than to condition one’s own life to support just causes in Christ. You commend your church by every positive referral.

Closing

As the day approaches

***The remainder of this sermon has been lost.***

1Watts, G.F. (2020). Hope. [Oil on canvas]. Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey, U.K. In Reitsema, E.M. Hebrews 11:1—Hope by G.F. Watts, ArtWay Visual Meditation, (16 February 2020). (Original work 1885/1886). https://artway.eu/content.php?id=2901&lang=en&action=show

Hope https://artway.eu/content.php?id=2901&lang=en&action=show