Acts 11: 1-18
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
July 14, 2019
The Spirit of God was on the move and the apostles were encouraging the first century church to keep in step with God’s Spirit.
You see, God’s mission focused on drawing the circle of faith wider and wider to break down barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Last week Rev. Janet Alford shared the apostles’ first experience of this as Holy Spirit led Phillip to guide the Ethiopian eunuch into Christ’s love. This was a radical thing in the first century.
Our text today circles around the apostle Peter and the Roman centurion Cornelius; a God-fearing man and also Gentile. God’s Spirit brought these two together in an amazing way to further God’s mission in the world and to accomplish God’s purposes of reconnecting us to God and one another (Acts 10).
When the apostles and the believers in Jerusalem caught wind of this, they criticized Peter for being with a Gentile.
Listen to Peter retell the story to move the hearts of his ministry colleagues in Jerusalem, Acts 11: 1-18:
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’
Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air.
I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”
But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”
This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven.
At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s (Cornelius') house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.”
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’
The most pressing barriers between Jews and Gentiles were worship and dietary differences. Many Gentiles (but not all) worshipped other gods. Jews were to worship God alone. Jewish tradition had long held that circumcision was the covenant sign showing that one belonged to God. Jews were also restricted to eat foods that were kosher; a sign of faithfulness to have a clean heart and mind before God. Therefore, these differences often kept these two peoples at a distance.
And yet, the Spirit of God moved in the lives of Cornelius and Peter. They each received a profound message from God through a vision that reshaped the ways they saw one another.
God told Cornelius in a vision that he, his household, and his men needed to hear a message from Peter that would completely change their lives (Acts 10:5, 30-32; 11: 13-14).
God made a point to tell Peter in a vision three times, “What God has made clean, do not call profane” (Acts 10:14-16; 11:9-10). Whenever something is repeated in Scripture the Spirit is shining a neon light “THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!” God’s point was this – God shows no partiality therefore we are not to single out anyone for their differences (Acts 10:28).
My friends, God’s love changes things. Scripture is God’s story that shapes our hearts and minds to better understand how we are to interact and relate to one another because of who God is.
God’s love changed Peter. While Peter was trying to be faithful to the Jewish tradition of only welcoming those who thought and acted like him into the circle of faith, God did a new thing. God opened the eyes of Peter’s heart to see God’s reality; in Jesus Christ we all have been reconciled to God and one another. Therefore, unity is both a gift and a responsibility for every disciple to pursue. It was a humbling moment for Peter as he said, “Who am I to hinder God?” (Acts 11:17).
God’s love changed Cornelius. While Cornelius was learning to be faithful to God, he felt the affirmation of Christian belonging, connection, and community through Peter. As a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit and Peter’s participation in what God was already doing, Cornelius and his household were empowered by God’s saving grace. It was a humbling moment for Cornelius and his household as they received the same power of the Holy Spirit as the apostles received at Pentecost (Acts 2).
God’s love changed the rest of the apostles and the believers who received Peter’s testimony. By hearing God’s story of amazing grace these men and women went from an attitude of criticism to a posture of praising God. Their fear of change to widen the circle of faith took a 180 degree turn as they were awed by God’s power to do far more than they could have hoped, asked for, or imagined. Their skepticism of Gentiles was changed by God’s radical hospitality and love as they saw the image of God in one another. Their fear of sharing the same circle of faith was transformed as the Holy Spirit renewed their minds by the will of God. What a humbling moment for the apostles and believers who received Peter’s story.
God brought Peter and Cornelius together to share the Spirit’s gift of holy connection.
God brought Cornelius and Peter together to show that God’s love created each of us as God’s beloved sons and daughters.
God brought Peter and Cornelius together to proclaim that the love of Jesus Christ is cleansing our hearts by faith by the power of Holy Spirit.
God brought Cornelius and Peter together to demonstrate that God sees us without labels or distinction.
God brought Peter and Cornelius together to illustrate that the Kingdom of God is about uniting us for God’s purposes to build the kingdom of God.
God brought Cornelius and Peter together to reveal what the body of Christ looks like when we let God’s love lead us.
In order to understand God’s love, our keynote presenters took us to the beginning of God’s Word in the second creation story (Genesis 2: 7-9, 18-23). This is a story of God’s love as God created humanity; male and female. God lived in the Garden, played in the dirt, created humanity, breathed life into us, and made community for us to know our value because we are created by God. You are loved because you have been created. This story belongs to each and every one of us. Our keynoter reminded us that because of this biblical truth, “Whoever you are there is a place for you here.”
God’s grace connects all of us as children of God. Therefore God said, “Do not call profane what God has made clean” (Acts 11: ). The Rev Dr. Jerry Cannon, put it like this at Montreat Youth Conference:
“I am made of dirt. You are made of dirt. So I cannot talk about your dirt!”
Now look your neighbor in the eyes and say these words!
It is a humbling thing to know we have no earthly reason to look down on one another. As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to live differently than the world lives. We are to live as Jesus lived and compassionately come alongside all God’s children and especially those whom society has cast aside.
God’s grace opens our spiritual eyes to see the image of God in one another. Do not miss the opportunity to see the beauty of God’s grace in another’s differences. We each have something to learn from one another’s respective worldviews, theological and political positions, family backgrounds, personal experiences, cultures, and contexts. God’s grace humbles us as we let love lead us to see the other as our sister, our brother.
God’s grace challenges us with the truth that God is in control and we are mere stewards of God’s grace. God’s divine purposes will change the world and we are invited to join God in making the Lord’s vision of reconciliation and unity a realization.
God’s grace humbles us to have the same “Aha! Moment” that Peter had, saying, “Who am I to hinder God?”
I want for you to imagine an individual or a group that you have had difficulty including in your circle of relationships or in the circle of faith. Name the barriers that seem to create distance between you. Pray for God to give you the courage to draw closer and look for the image of God in this individual or group. Hospitality, genuine sharing of stories, and empathy are key virtues to breaking down barriers that divide us. I want for each of us to say together, “Who am I to hinder God?”
The Apostle Paul tells us the more we let Jesus’ love lead our daily lives then the more our faith is shaped by grace and gratitude to glorify God Paul says in Romans 12: 9-18 -
Let love be genuine; hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
May you and I be empowered by the apostles acts of humility to join God in bringing all of God’s children home.
In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer Amen.
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