Scattered But Not Stopped

I T ' S T I M E T O A C T · W E E K 9 O F 1 2 SCATTERED BUT NOT STOPPED Sunday, July 26, 2026 · 10AM · Imagine Church USA Holiday Inn Express, 14651 NW 20th St, Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 Acts 8:1ß8 (ESV) Filled. Sent. Together. — Acts 17:6 'G BIG IDEA (repeat 3–4x) "What the enemy meant to scatter, God used to spread." Supporting line: "You can't bury fire. You only spread the flame." 'H OPENING HOOK (Walk up with fire.

Start in the pain, turn to power.) Let me ask you something today. Have you ever had a season blow up in your hands? The plan you had à gone. The place you were comfortable à gone. The thing you built à scattered.

And you stood there in the pieces asking à God, why did You let this fall apart? Church, hear me. Sometimes what feels like it's falling apart à is actually being spread out. Sometimes God isn't destroying your life à He's planting it. Because there are some seeds that only spread à when the wind blows hard enough to scatter them. Last week we watched Stephen à full of faith and power à give everything.

And today, in Acts 8, I want to show you what happened next à the thing the enemy did to STOP the church is the very thing God used to SEND it. They were scattered. But they were not stopped. What the enemy meant to scatter, God used to spread. IMAGINE CHURCH USA · IT'S TIME TO ACT · Week 9 — Scattered but Not Stopped

'I THE TEXT à Acts 8:1ß8 (ESV) (Set the scene: Stephen has just been killed for his faith. Read it steady. Let the tension land, then the turn.) "And Saul approved of his execution. 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. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city."

Look at verse 1. Scattered. The enemy thought he won. But look at verse 4 à “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” They didn't scatter and hide. They scattered and preached.

The church didn't shrink. It spread. Persecution didn't put out the fire à it carried the fire into new cities. Scattered à but not stopped. '- POINT 1 à YOU CAN'T BURY FIRE The enemy had a strategy: break the church in Jerusalem, and it dies. But he made one mistake à You can't bury fire.

When you throw dirt on a small flame, maybe you smother it. But when you throw pressure on a Spirit-filled church à you don't put it out à you spread the embers. Every place a believer got scattered à a new fire started. Church, write this down à The enemy is not fighting your weakness. He's fighting your fire. The pressure you're under is not proof you're finished.

It's proof there's fire on your life worth fighting. Real life: the person who lost the job, the family that had to move, the student starting over. That pressure feels like burial. It's planting. This week: when the pressure hits, stop asking ŁWhy is this happening TO me?Ø and start asking ŁWhere is this sending me?Ø IMAGINE CHURCH USA · IT'S TIME TO ACT · Week 9 — Scattered but Not Stopped

PREACHING MOMENT Somebody in this room has been under the heat à and you thought it was the end. No. They didn't bury you. They planted you. And what looked like your worst season is about to become the place your fire spreads. "You can't bury fire.

You only spread the flame." '- POINT 2 à GOD WILL USE WHAT WAS MEANT TO BREAK YOU TO SEND YOU For years, the church had a command they weren't obeying. Acts 1:8 à “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” But they got comfortable in Jerusalem. They stayed. They clustered.

They never went to Samaria. So what did God allow? A scattering à that pushed them exactly where they were always supposed to go. Verse 1 à scattered “throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.” The very places Jesus named. Don't miss this à Sometimes the discomfort is God moving you toward your assignment.

Some of you would never have moved à if life hadn't moved you. Still comfortable. Still parked. Still playing it safe in your Jerusalem. But God loved your destiny too much to leave you settled. (Slow down.

Tender.) That job you lost à it repositioned you. That door that closed à it redirected you. That season that fell apart à God used the breaking to do the sending. Don't waste your scattering.

There's a Samaria on the other side of it. This week: pray one honest prayer over your hardest season: ŁGod, where are You sending me through this?Ø "God will use what was meant to break you to send you." '- POINT 3 à ONE SCATTERED BELIEVER CAN LIGHT A WHOLE CITY Verse 5 à “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.” Philip. Not an apostle.

Two weeks ago we met the SEVEN à and Philip was one of them. A table-server. Stephen's friend. And now à scattered by persecution à he walks into a whole city. Verses 6ß8: crowds paying attention.

Demons coming out. The paralyzed walking. The lame healed. “So there was much joy in that city.” IMAGINE CHURCH USA · IT'S TIME TO ACT · Week 9 — Scattered but Not Stopped

One scattered believer lit an entire city. Not the pastor. Not the famous apostle. A table-server who refused to sit on the fire. You don't need a title to carry revival. You don't need a stage.

You need a yes à right where God scattered you. Your job is a Samaria. Your school is a Samaria. Your neighborhood, your gym, your family group chat à that's a Samaria. This week: have one real conversation about Jesus with one person in your Samaria. One.

That's how cities catch fire. PREACHING MOMENT There is a city waiting on your yes. There is joy waiting on the other side of your obedience. One believer. One yes. One city changed.

"One scattered believer can light a whole city." 'K BRINGING IT HOME The thing that scattered you à what if it wasn't the end? What if it was God, sending you? You are not a victim of your season. You are a seed in your season. And seeds don't stay buried.

They break open à and they spread. You can't bury fire. You only spread the flame. Scattered à but not stopped. So wherever God has scattered you à preach. serve. shine. carry the fire. There's a city waiting on your yes.

'L WHAT DO I DO THIS WEEK? Name your Samaria. Write down the ONE place God has "scattered" you à job, school, neighborhood, family à and own it as your mission field. Stop wasting the scattering. Ask: "God, where are You sending me through this?" Carry the fire.

One real conversation about Jesus with one person in your Samaria. Do a Philip. No title needed à one act of ministry right where you are. Bring the joy. Find one person carrying heaviness and bring them hope. "Much joy in that city" starts with you.1.

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'H LIVE THE ACT CHALLENGE à Filled. Sent. Together. (Acts 17:6) A à ASK: Pray for one person by name every morning. C à COMMIT: Fast one meal every week for South Florida. T à TELL: Invite one person to church every Sunday.

'G Free 12-Week Acts Reading Guide: imaginechurch.us/act 'H Imagine Groups: Tue à Miami 7:30 PM · Wed à Cooper City 7:30 PM · Fri à Deerfield Beach 7:30 PM 'M ALTAR CALL (Warm. Meets the broken and re-commissions the scattered.) 1. The one still standing in the pieces Life scattered you, and you've been asking where God is. He's right here. And He's not done à He's sending.

Give Him the pieces: “Jesus — I've been standing in what fell apart. Today I give You the pieces. I believe You died and rose for me. Forgive me. Fill me with Your Spirit. Send me.

I'm Yours. Amen.” 2. The believer God is re-commissioning You've been through a scattering à and you buried your fire instead of spreading it. Today, pick it back up: “God, I won't waste my scattering. Wherever You've sent me — I'll carry the fire.

Use me like Philip. Here I am. Send me.” THE WHOLE HOUSE à lift your hands. Father — take everything the enemy meant to scatter, and use it to spread Your fire. Send us into every Samaria — every job, every school, every street.

Let there be much joy in this city because Your people finally went. In Jesus' name. Amen. Not a church that huddles. A church that scatters and spreads the fire.

Scattered à but not stopped. Your comeback à and your commissioning à start now. 'N 7 VIRAL REEL HOOKS "They tried to bury the church. They just spread the fire." "What if the thing that scattered you was actually God sending you?"

"You can't bury fire. You only spread the flame."1. 2. 3. IMAGINE CHURCH USA · IT'S TIME TO ACT · Week 9 — Scattered but Not Stopped

"A table-server walked into a city and demons ran. Never underestimate a scattered believer." "God loved your destiny too much to leave you comfortable." "That door that closed didn't end you. It redirected you." "Scattered à but not stopped.

That's the church. That's you." 'O 15 ONE-LINER QUOTES "What the enemy meant to scatter, God used to spread." "You can't bury fire. You only spread the flame." "They didn't bury you.

They planted you." "The enemy isn't fighting your weakness. He's fighting your fire." "Sometimes the discomfort is God moving you toward your assignment." "God will use what was meant to break you to send you." "Don't waste your scattering à there's a Samaria on the other side."

"That door that closed didn't end you. It redirected you." "One scattered believer can light a whole city." "You don't need a title to carry revival. You need a yes." "Your job is a Samaria.

Your school is a Samaria." "You are not a victim of your season. You're a seed in your season." "Seeds don't stay buried. They break open and spread." "There's a city waiting on your yes."

"Scattered à but not stopped." 'P 14-SLIDE DECK TITLE à IT'S TIME TO ACT · Week 9 · "Scattered but Not Stopped" · Acts 8:1ß8 Have you ever had a season blow up in your hands? BIG IDEA: What the enemy meant to scatter, God used to spread. Acts 8:1ß8 (ESV) à The church scattered · Philip in Samaria (scripture slide) Verse 1: SCATTERED. / Verse 4: they went about PREACHING. POINT 1 à You can't bury fire. The enemy isn't fighting your weakness.

He's fighting your fire. POINT 2 à God will use what was meant to break you to send you. (Acts 1:8 à "ïand Samaria") Don't waste your scattering. There's a Samaria on the other side.4. 5. 6.

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POINT 3 à One scattered believer can light a whole city. (Philip à Acts 8:5ß8) You don't need a title to carry revival. You need a yes. "So there was much joy in that city." à Acts 8:8 THIS WEEK à ACT: ASK à pray for one by name · COMMIT à fast one meal · TELL à invite one to church. CALL TO ACTION à Scattered but not stopped. Carry the fire.

'I imaginechurch.us/act · Filled. Sent. Together. IMAGINE CHURCH USA · Sundays 10AM · Holiday Inn Express, 14651 NW 20th St, Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 imaginechurch.us/act · Filled. Sent. Together.

(Acts 17:6) 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. IMAGINE CHURCH USA · IT'S TIME TO ACT · Week 9 — Scattered but Not Stopped