This
week we move into the book of Acts. This book tells the story of the early
church, the spread of the gospel, the movement of the Spirit, the travels of Paul, and the challenge of what
to do with non-Jews who were believers.
Peter
was one of the twelve who had travelled with Jesus. The twelve are known as the
disciples when they were travelling with Jesus - disciples means learner or
follower. But after the ascension, they are apostles – which means a messenger,
one who is sent on a mission. So they moved from being fellow travellers to being
messengers.
Peter
was one of the people who travelled with Jesus, and one who was commissioned to
go and spread the gospel or good news.
From
this passage we could think about what are the things or people we consider to
be unclean?
If
, in creation, God declared it good, is anyone or anything ‘unclean’ or outside
of God’s grace and love?
We
could think about when we have been challenged to do something outside our
comfort zone.
We
could think about a time we changed our mind on a significant issue.
And
you are welcome to reflect on those issues, but for the next few minutes I want
to look at the pattern in this reading.
The
passage starts with Cornelius, an Italian, so not a Jew but a gentile, an
outsider. Even though he was an outsider, he was a person who worshipped and
prayed and did good deeds.
And
he has a spiritual experience – an experience so profound he immediately acted
on the message he was given.
Peter
was a Jew as well as a follower of Jesus, an insider. Peter also had a
spiritual experience. Peter wasn’t sure about the experience and the sheet was
lowered three times, and the message repeated three times. Even then Peter was still trying to work out
what this meant, he couldn’t eat those creatures, Jews were not allowed to eat
those foods – why would God tell him to do something forbidden?
But
the messenger then tells him to meet the three men. That bit he acts on.
In
both cases there was a spiritual experience,
which
led to an action.
In
both cases that action included hospitality,
making space in their home for the
other.
And
then an excited , passionate proclamation from Peter.
And
in the telling, Peter recognises the message that being given to him in the vision
of the cloth and the animals. It wasn’t about food and what could or couldn’t be
eaten, it was about God breaking down the barriers.
One
of the big issues for the church at the time was what to do with people who
were not Jewish, but who believed the message of Jesus, and wanted to be part of
the Christian community. Did they need to be Jews?
And
in this moment, Peter gets it – you don’t need to be a Jew, before you can be a
Christian. You don’t need to be a certain race, or colour, or age, or school
background, or family or anything else. Because God is in the reconciliation business,
the breaking down of barriers, barriers between people and between people and God. But reconciliation so
more than breaking down barriers, it is also building relationship, and the
church is about relationship.
A
recap of the pattern.
Spiritual experience
Response
And
sometimes that may take some time
Some kind of action – welcoming,
sharing, being present
Telling the story
And
from telling the story, who knows what might happen – in the story we heard,
the Holy Spirit came and people were blessed and baptised.
Sometimes
it seems evangelism is a ‘dirty’ word. But evangelism is simply telling the good
news.
In
the Uniting Church there are concerns at time about our lack of evangelism, I think
this is partly because of the experiences some of us have had with people who
try and guilt us or scare us into believing, people who don’t seem to be able
to have a conversation without badgering.
But
notice, Peter does not do this, Peter asks Cornelius, why did you send for me,
then Peter tells the story of Jesus. The story of what he saw and experienced of
Jesus.
Now
none of us was there on the road to Jerusalem, or there when the storm hit the Lake of Galilee,
or the when the crowds were fed or the tomb was empty.
And
we can only tell the story out of our experience.
What
is your experience of God,
what
is your experience of God that leads you to response,
to
action,
to
sharing the story of your life transformed.
Notice
the order – telling the story is at the end of the list J
Evangelism
is
Living
out our faith,
and when appropriate telling our
story,
the
story of the way knowing God’s presence in our lives has changed us,
motivates
us to love,
and
challenges us to be more gracious, forgiving and welcoming.
