Daily Bread 2010 - Acts 11
Daily Bread 2010 - Acts 11
Peter Explains His Actions
1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
4Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'
8"I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
9"The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11"Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'
15"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
When we go out into the world to try and bring the Good News who don’t yet believe, there will always be those who criticize and say, “Why are you fraternizing with those in the world.” They reason that if we spend too much time in the world we might be swayed by it, or even possibly lose faith.
But the problem with this kind of isolationist church is that it fails to do what it was called to do. The Church by its nature is called to go outside of itself and be the salt and light of the world. We are the only organization on earth created for those outside of us. Although we must be careful as Paul says, “to not be conformed to the world”, our job is by our example and testimony to “transform the world”.
And none of this is possible without the Spirit’s power. That is why it is so clear throughout the book of Acts that it is the Spirit that turns men and women’s hearts to God. But unless the salt gets out of the salt shaker it cannot season the world. Unless the light is brought out from under the bushel it cannot illuminate the world.
And the Spirit gave the church unmistakeable evidence that God had transformed these new converts so the “naysayers” had no leg to stand on. They could not refute the obvious transformation and repentance that taken place among the Gentiles.
Do we see this kind of move of God in our churches today?
God we play for a fresh wind of the Spirit so that our churches might be infused with your grace and power so that we might be sent out to bring the Good News to those who have not yet heard. Send out us to eat and live among the world so that you might call all people back into a relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Peter Explains His Actions
1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
4Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'
8"I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
9"The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11"Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'
15"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
When we go out into the world to try and bring the Good News who don’t yet believe, there will always be those who criticize and say, “Why are you fraternizing with those in the world.” They reason that if we spend too much time in the world we might be swayed by it, or even possibly lose faith.
But the problem with this kind of isolationist church is that it fails to do what it was called to do. The Church by its nature is called to go outside of itself and be the salt and light of the world. We are the only organization on earth created for those outside of us. Although we must be careful as Paul says, “to not be conformed to the world”, our job is by our example and testimony to “transform the world”.
And none of this is possible without the Spirit’s power. That is why it is so clear throughout the book of Acts that it is the Spirit that turns men and women’s hearts to God. But unless the salt gets out of the salt shaker it cannot season the world. Unless the light is brought out from under the bushel it cannot illuminate the world.
And the Spirit gave the church unmistakeable evidence that God had transformed these new converts so the “naysayers” had no leg to stand on. They could not refute the obvious transformation and repentance that taken place among the Gentiles.
Do we see this kind of move of God in our churches today?
God we play for a fresh wind of the Spirit so that our churches might be infused with your grace and power so that we might be sent out to bring the Good News to those who have not yet heard. Send out us to eat and live among the world so that you might call all people back into a relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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