The Gospel Takes Wings: The Missional Church in Action

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 7:54-8:25

 

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

(ESV)

 

In the State of Nevada, a double standard exists with Casinos, restaurants, bars, theme parks, and gyms allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity while churches are limited to 50 persons no matter the size of the venue.  (1)  Churches in Nevada continue to legally challenge the double standard but the state seems to be unwilling to lift the double standard.  (2)  At the center of this matter is the premise that all people are created equal with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness stated in the Declaration of Independence of the United States.  (3)  There is also the legal protection of the practice of religion in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that states the Government shall not pass any law restricting the free practice of religion.  (4)  The judges in Nevada upholding this double standard, who are most likely lawyers, need to read their constitution or go back to law school and learn how to constitutionally interpret the law. 

 

These judges most likely know their ruling violates the premise of equality and constitutional law but instead of an interest in equality, they have an interest in preserving state tax revenue by allowing businesses that provide tax revenue to the state 50 percent occupancy and restricting Churches not providing tax revenue to 50 people.  What these judges are failing to consider is the toll Covid19 is taking on mental health (5) and an increase in substance abuse.  (6)   Religion has demonstrated a positive effect on mental illness (7) indicating the impact of the church on a world in crisis goes deeper than an economic impact and to the wellbeing of the human spirit and soul.   

 

Religious leaders in Jerusalem had previously questioned the Apostles regarding their preaching in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:1-22; Acts 5:17-42), ordering them not to preach in that name any longer (Acts 4:18; Acts 5:40).  However, it is not until Stephen, a non-apostle shares the Gospel with a Jewish history lesson pointing out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders (Acts 7:1-53) in Jerusalem that the persecution turns deadly with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60).  The stoning of Stephen brought on great persecution resulting in the scattering of believers from Jerusalem with Saul dragging believers from their homes and arresting them (Acts 8:1-3). 

 

Among the believers that scattered with the persecution was Philip who went to the city of Samaria, proclaiming Christ (Acts 8:5).  The people of Samaria paid attention to what Philip said when they heard him and witnessed the signs the Lord performed through his ministry (Acts 8:6-8).  Among those coming to believe in Jesus Christ in Samaria was Simon a magician who had captured the attention of the people of Samaria through his magic (Acts 8:9-13). 

 

Upon hearing of the volume of new believers in Samaria, Peter and John come to solidify the faith of the new believers by praying with them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14).  When Simon sees Peter and John lay hands upon the people of Samaria and they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he equates it with a magic trick and offers Peter and John money for their gift.  The intention of Simon’s heart is not right with him still placing a higher value on earning money from magic rather than offering himself up in service to God (Acts 8:20-23).  Simon’s wrong intentions are not much different than the wrong intentions and priorities of the state of Nevada that values increased tax revenue over opening churches in the interest of the mental and spiritual welfare of the citizens of Nevada whom they serve. 

 

Like persecution leading to the spreading of the Gospel in the early church, the shutting down of Churches due to Covid19 has led to many smaller churches now having an online presence out of necessity.  Even though many of these churches have now reopened, they still maintain an online presence that provides greater outreach beyond their local communities.  Once again, a weapon formed by the enemy designed to stop the spread of the Gospel has backfired as churches of all sizes now have a powerful tool for global outreach (Isaiah 54:17). 

 

This blog also represents an opportunity for global outreach and I would be negligent if I did not offer readers who have not made a profession of faith in Jesus as Savior an opportunity to do so by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

The Church plays a vital role in preserving the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of individuals and must be allowed to function within safety protocols like any other organization in society.  To single out the Church for greater restriction like is occurring in Nevada is an attempt to silence and stop the Church from carrying out its vital role in society.  While the Church must speak out and fight this unconstitutional attack on its right to function as an organization in society, it must also continue to carry out its mission by seeking other methods of delivering its vital message, like an online presence.  The Church will thrive in the environment of Covid19 just as it thrived in the environment of persecution in Acts 7:54-8:25.  May God bless the Church and everyone reading this post. 

 

1. Head, Timothy. Why is Nevada allowing more people into its casinos than its churches? christianpost.com. [Online] The Christian Post, August 4, 2020. [Cited: September 14, 2020.] https://www.christianpost.com/voices/why-is-nevada-allowing-more-people-into-its-casinos-than-its-churches.html.

 

2. Sonner, Scott. Nevada church renewing challenge of virus attendance cap. APnews.com. [Online] AP News, June 12, 2020. [Cited: September 14, 2020.] https://apnews.com/530eb5e5099f06be2a7b4ba9590cbdf1.

 

3. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

 

4. constitutioncenter.org. The Constitution of the United States. constitutioncenter.org. [Online] [Cited: September 15, 2020.] https://constitutioncenter.org/media/files/constitution.pdf.

 

5. Vaughn, Adam. Mental health toll of the coronavirus pandemic is now becoming clear. newscientist.com. [Online] NewScientist, July 16, 2020. [Cited: September 14, 2020.] https://www.newscientist.com/article/2249230-mental-health-toll-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-now-becoming-clear/.

 

6. Valentic, Stephanie. A Pandemic within a Pandemic: Substance Abuse Rises Amid COVID. ehstoday.com. [Online] EHS Today, June 18, 2020. [Cited: September 14, 2020.] https://www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21134240/a-pandemic-within-a-pandemic-substance-abuse-rises-amid-covid.

 

7. Archer, Maria. The Positive Effects of Religion on Mental Illness. ifstudies.org. [Online] IFS, July 28, 2017. [Cited: September 14, 2020.] https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-positive-effects-of-religion-on-mental-illness.