Keeping Divine Appointments!
Reflection: Most of us have some sort of smart phone device to keep us aware of our appointments for the day. They usually come with all sorts of alarms that alert us that our appointment is 15 minutes away. And they are helpful for busy people who want to make sure they keep all of their appointments.
In our lesson in Acts today, we see another kind of appointment. We might call it a “divine appointment”. Peter has just gone through the huge paradigm shift, when he has the dream declaring that what God has called clean, he should not declare as “unclean”, even though his Jewish upbringing might have called for that. For him that means that he should not look at the Gentiles (basically everyone who wasn’t Jewish) as unclean either. This prepared him for when Cornelius, who was a Centurion (a leader of a large contingent of soldiers) sent three men to check out the vision he had received from an angel when he was praying (Cornelius was consider a God seeking man!).
At the same time he received the same vision, so when the men showed up at his door he was faced with a choice. Either he could listen to God’s voice and the vision he had received from the angel. Or refuse these men on account of the way things had always been. But in first verse it says, “Peter invited these men into his home.” That was his first act of obedience. Following this encounter he goes to Cornelius’ house, where after sharing their mutual stories that brought them together, Cornelius asks Peter to share the Gospel with him.
This is what we might call a “divine appointment” where God is going to act in a powerful way to change the nature of the Church, its mission, and who it reaches. And it all starts with two men being obedient to what they have heard from God. When the two men show up for the “divine appointment”, God acts powerfully and there is a huge movement of people into God’s kingdom.
I believe that God has arranged for us more divine appointments than we might imagine. I believe God is always at work bringing His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, so that the Great Commission might be fulfilled. The Great Commission if you remember is that all “people groups” might become disciples of Jesus obeying all that He has commanded. And, of course, the hard work of discipleship is very people intensive and requires that people number one, be a disciple; and then number two; be open to make other disciples.
So here is my challenge to you and to me as we begin a New Year. Can we be open to hearing and following through on the Divine Appointments God might have for us this year? God we pray that we might listen and obey like Peter and Cornelius did in our passage today! Amen.
Psalm 6
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?
4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.
All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
1 Chronicles 6:31-81
The Temple Musicians
31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. 33 Here are the men who served, together with their sons:
From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; 39 and Heman’s associate Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah,the son of Malkijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi; 44 and from their associates, the Merarites, at his left hand: Ethan son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluk, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 Their fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
50 These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son and Ahimaaz his son. 54 These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them): 55 They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir, 59 Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to thirteen. 61 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh. 62 The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan. 63 The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. 64 So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands. 65 From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns. 66 Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim. 67 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer,[e] 68 Jokmeam, Beth Horon, 69 Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands. 70 And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
71 The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh
they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands; 72 from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands; 74 from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands; 76 and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. 77 The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah,[f] Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands; 78 from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, 79 Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands; 80 and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.
Acts 10:23b-33
23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me? 30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to him, “What do you command your servant, my Lord?” Joshua 5:14
Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Luke 8:21
Holy God, as we worship you today, give us wisdom and understanding about your intention for us and courage to fulfill your commands in Jesus’ name. Amen.
In our lesson in Acts today, we see another kind of appointment. We might call it a “divine appointment”. Peter has just gone through the huge paradigm shift, when he has the dream declaring that what God has called clean, he should not declare as “unclean”, even though his Jewish upbringing might have called for that. For him that means that he should not look at the Gentiles (basically everyone who wasn’t Jewish) as unclean either. This prepared him for when Cornelius, who was a Centurion (a leader of a large contingent of soldiers) sent three men to check out the vision he had received from an angel when he was praying (Cornelius was consider a God seeking man!).
At the same time he received the same vision, so when the men showed up at his door he was faced with a choice. Either he could listen to God’s voice and the vision he had received from the angel. Or refuse these men on account of the way things had always been. But in first verse it says, “Peter invited these men into his home.” That was his first act of obedience. Following this encounter he goes to Cornelius’ house, where after sharing their mutual stories that brought them together, Cornelius asks Peter to share the Gospel with him.
This is what we might call a “divine appointment” where God is going to act in a powerful way to change the nature of the Church, its mission, and who it reaches. And it all starts with two men being obedient to what they have heard from God. When the two men show up for the “divine appointment”, God acts powerfully and there is a huge movement of people into God’s kingdom.
I believe that God has arranged for us more divine appointments than we might imagine. I believe God is always at work bringing His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, so that the Great Commission might be fulfilled. The Great Commission if you remember is that all “people groups” might become disciples of Jesus obeying all that He has commanded. And, of course, the hard work of discipleship is very people intensive and requires that people number one, be a disciple; and then number two; be open to make other disciples.
So here is my challenge to you and to me as we begin a New Year. Can we be open to hearing and following through on the Divine Appointments God might have for us this year? God we pray that we might listen and obey like Peter and Cornelius did in our passage today! Amen.
Psalm 6
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?
4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.
All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
1 Chronicles 6:31-81
The Temple Musicians
31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. 33 Here are the men who served, together with their sons:
From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; 39 and Heman’s associate Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah,the son of Malkijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi; 44 and from their associates, the Merarites, at his left hand: Ethan son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluk, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 Their fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
50 These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son and Ahimaaz his son. 54 These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them): 55 They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir, 59 Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to thirteen. 61 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh. 62 The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan. 63 The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. 64 So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands. 65 From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns. 66 Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim. 67 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer,[e] 68 Jokmeam, Beth Horon, 69 Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands. 70 And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
71 The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh
they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands; 72 from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands; 74 from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands; 76 and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. 77 The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah,[f] Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands; 78 from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, 79 Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands; 80 and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.
Acts 10:23b-33
23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me? 30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to him, “What do you command your servant, my Lord?” Joshua 5:14
Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Luke 8:21
Holy God, as we worship you today, give us wisdom and understanding about your intention for us and courage to fulfill your commands in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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