When grace prevails, unity is possible

Introduction:  Who and what will define us:  why does talking about race make us uncomfortable?

Acts 17:26-28–And he made from one man every nation of mankindto live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

–Paul in an attempt to bring those who were shut out from God b/c of their race-starts with the foundation of where everyone comes from, God!

-But from those “boundaries and dwelling places”, we created things that are unique to us that we take pride in, which can be good-But whenever those distinctions causes us to overstep in thinking we are somehow better, we have re-defined our status from God-(there is nothing wrong with cultural pride, God loves it, but does it rebel against grace, imago dei?)

–Paul through a call of the gospel is inviting them to understand their origin of why they are, the way they are-not to create an idol to worship, and cling toit in pride, to be distinct from everyone, but to unify

-the gospel/love always brings unity at the deepest levels of existence-but our distinctions from God, we pervert and they keep us divided on a surface level=many people are comfortable with that

Why: because it feeds the lie, that somehow what I represent is better than what you represent?=such pride breeds racism

1 Corinthians 4:6-7-I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written,that none of you may bepuffed upin favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive?If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

-Paul puts the Word as the standard of what we are to esteem ourselves under-that grace is the defining distinction of our talents, abilities and blessings in God’s eyes!=if that is Who matters the most

-But in our eyes, in pride we go above “what is written”, we think we are where we are (for example) b/c of hard work-but not understanding that having the heart to care to work hard, is grace!

Ex:  talking to my son about people “who don’t care”-be thankful God gave you the grace to care!

But that takes decreasing in pride, that God can increase in His grace to define us-we cannot try and find ways to “increase” and boast in ourselves, while thinking that God is going to increase His grace in our life

John 3:30-He must increase, but I must decrease.” =will grace define us, or will our pride/world says?

When God disturbs our “normal” outlook-(context of God preparing Peter to minister to a Gentiles prayer)

Acts 10:9-13-The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hourto pray.10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it,he fell into a trance11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”  

–As a Christian who is coming to understand the full scope of the gospel in God bringing salvation to the Gentiles-Peter is also growing to renew His mind in the “new and living way”-(much like us, who need our mind renewed to what the gospel is and what it isn’t Peter is no different)

Ex:  that my giving, my church attendance, and my ability to use my gifts is what makes me accepted by God-when none of those things save your soul..

–Notice that Peter goes to pray, and in prayer he is confronted with all kinds of animals that were declared unclean according to Judaism (what he was raised in)-if we are genuinely praying than we are seeking God, and in doing so we are to be open to what He reveals, but he falls into a trance…that God uses to speak clearly

Job 33:15-17-In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,

16 then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, 17 that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;

-God reveals in a trance what Peter would have never considered or thought of while conscious-the dream is to arrest him in the way he considers ever eating these animals...consciously no way, but in a dream/prayer I am forced to consider

Ex:  What is God forcing you to consider, or continually challenging you to change in how you perceive things?

(vs.12)–God is challenging Peter’s prideful distinctions that aren’t in sync with the gospel /unity to His plan-that he can’t be prideful and segregate from people b/c of “foods”, because God is doing a new thing in the earth!

Hebrews 13:9-10–Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace,not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

-Is what you’re holding onto, so precious that it keeps you from change, for the sake of advancing God’s Kingdom?

–For Peter to be confronted by God to “kill and eat” unclean foods, was a call to sacrifice what he grew up with as part

of his identity-that pride over his Jewish heritage wouldn’t become a stumbling block for people to believe the gospel(To hold onto things that God calls us to let go to further His name sake-is not to be strengthened by grace, but our own pride, it is choosing not to decrease for Christ sake!)

1 Corinthians 9:22-23-To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have becomeall things to all people, that by all means I might save some.23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with themin its blessings.

Our love for God, must overcome our selfishness to remain unchanged, when God challenges what should change…

Working out what should change

Acts 10:14-16-But Peter said, “By no means,Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”  16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

(vs.14)-Notice how Peter still has the mind state that eating what is unclean is sinful-yet God is about to send him to a Gentile, who doesn’t care about his passion for Jewish rituals, but for Jesus!

-God gave Peter the vision so that he would not be a stumbling block-for someone who needs the love of Christ more than how strict he was to a religious regulation that is irrelevant–(had he not been confronted by God, he would be “holding onto something” that was irrelevant-keeping him from ministering to someone different than him)

-“If I am Lord, why would you let something such as food keep Me from being exalted in you”?-But it is how we perceive who we are, and what we are passionate for that becomes the real stumbling block for people to believe Jesus from us.

Ex:  witnessed to by a Mormon, and their “doctrine of black people” became a stumbling block for me

-Churches like us exist so that we can promote Christ as the Bridge for unity for of all people groups to worship/enjoy-that we challenge the world’s system that lives with “surface level” integration (work together), and heart level segregation

(vs15)-The Lord seeing Peter still entrenched in his upbringing-challenges if he worships what he has known vs. worshiping Jesus…

–this is why we cannot be stubborn in OUR ways, and not flexible to what God deems as right-this a growth opportunity for Peter to see more of God’s plan/Kingdom-(though it is terrifying and completely unfamiliar to his own way of life)

Ex: The inability to change with the times that God brings us into-is a sign of stubbornness/pride, that eventually He forces us to consider changing b/c things have changed!-(If we don’t change with God, we risk being irrelevant and influential for Christ sake-eventually older children are affected by a relevant/effective influence)

-Peter was running the risk of being left behind in irrelevance, if he were to not come into agreement with God-Are you striving to come into agreement with God, b/c it is that step that brings us closer in relevance of the times we’re in-(Jesus being the most relevant and influential Person/God ever!)

Not a worldly relevance that changes every 6 months-but a Christ centered relevance where people are challenged by what should change when they get to know us..

Conclusion:  God reconciles the races by His amazing grace

Acts 10:25-29–When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jewto associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown methat I should not call any person common or unclean.29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection.I ask then why you sent for me.”

-The power of God in this, is that Peter humbles his societal status-disarming them of the stigma that he sees them as less than, by identifying himself as being just a man…(do you see yourself as simply that, a man or woman?–it’s the inability to “strip ourselves” of all the things we gather, to make us seem more valuable than others that distorts the gospel)

Ex:  Whereas Jesus did the exact opposite–in that came down and made Himself relevant to us!

(vs. 28)-Yet Peter concludes that His mind was changed by God, in God using “food” to reveal to Peter how he saw people (clean and unclean)-in Peter accepting this change of mind (grace), found himself sharing Christ with Cornelius and his family…(Peter would later impart this revelation from God to the leaders in Jerusalem-and the gospel spreads to all the nations, including all of us!)

It was a person willing to lay down his racist past for Christ sake, in order to engage a people he never would have-we are product of someone willing to do that, of course Christ first, but then everyone He has ordered to minister the gospel

Do you agree with God, or do you agree with what think