Breaking Through by Brett DavisUzorak

Breakthrough Three: “I Lost My Tribe” – Scattered to Make New Tribes

Read: Acts 8:1–8

As communities grow, it’s inevitable that different cultures will emerge and tensions will arise.

I’m old enough to remember the birth of bodyboarding and the persecution they suffered. Spongers, shark biscuits, speed humps – these were just the polite names that ‘real surfers’ gave to bodyboarders.

But bodyboarders banded together to find their own surf breaks. They formed their own surf brands and underground connections.

Nothing like a healthy bit of persecution to build new communities, hey?

This is just what happened so soon after the ‘glory days’ of the thriving Jerusalem Church. As we read in Acts 8:1–8, a persecution broke out and the church was dispersed.

But would this be the end or a new beginning?

The Tribe Was Always Meant To Disperse

Jesus had already told His followers in His parting words that they would be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

However, it would seem that stage-one Jerusalem was going pretty well, and why would you leave that? But God’s plans are always bigger and more inclusive than ours.

The Tribe Suffering

It didn’t take long before the same religious authorities who challenged Jesus also found this “Jesus people” sect equally confronting. The sect was growing, they were unafraid, they had increasing influence. Better take out some leaders to shut it down! Saul was a key zealot committed to taking the Christians out. It didn’t matter if they were men or women – he would help crush this movement. The church would be scattered and that would be the end of that… or would it?

The Tribe Would Be Found Again

Rather than giving up, the movement kept going, and kept growing.

They didn’t lose their tribe in Jerusalem, they just started new tribes! Philip was just one example of how people were driven out, and he ended up in the reviled “bad end of town” – Samaria. But he didn’t go into hiding to avoid a similar death to his friend, Stephen, who was murdered by a mob. Rather, Philip was out there proclaiming the truth and seeing Jesus show up in the miraculous.

The end result was great new joy in that city. A new tribe was found.

What seemed at first to be a heartbreak was actually a breakthrough!

Reflection

We all love being in our tribe, but not at the cost of not moving out and moving up as God wants.

Are you overly dependent on your comfortable group?

How would you cope if your group was dispersed?

Will you be part of growing the tribe of Jesus beyond your initial group?