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We Were Not Saved To Be Silent

Dr. I. David Byrd September 15, 2019

 

“There is longer no Jew or Gentile . . .
you are all Christians . . .
one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28

 

Peter obeyed the Lord and went to Caesarea to tell Cornelius and those gathered with him the Good News of Jesus Christ. Peter’s words revealed a new understanding as his humility through Christ allowed him to serve others.

 

Peter’s witnessing paralleled that of the Gospel of Mark. (Acts 10:37-41)

 

The Book of Mark recounted Jesus’ perfect life from His baptism, to His ministry, to the miracles performed in Galilee and throughout Judea. His death on the cross, burial and in His resurrection scripture was fulfilled. Through His death, all sin is forgiven. Everyone sins and everyone needs to be saved. You can only be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Moreover, faith is available to everyone, not only for the Jews.

 

Upon hearing the Word of God through Peter, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and all who heard the message. They were all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. God speaks to people not only through their circumstances but also through the words of others. That’s why the message of August’s Journey, Do You Understand What You Are Reading, is so important. You can shine but if you don’t give them content, people won’t know what to do.

 

The key takeaway of Chapter 10 is not so much the conversion of Cornelius as the conversion of Peter. Peter was willing to remove barriers and set aside previous presuppositions, prejudices and pride. Peter entered the house of a Gentile, something that Jewish customs and traditions strictly prohibited. By entering a Gentile’s home, Peter showed that his heart and mind had changed. He was committed to the lifestyle Jesus commanded. While scripture tells us we are not to become like our neighbors; it also says God wanted His people to become a light to our neighbors who don’t know the true God.

 

We’ll pick up the story in Acts Chapter 15 next time. Where we will examine how Peter responded when challenged by his community for loving someone outside of his culture and community. Many of us want to be bold for Jesus, but sometimes we lack the courage to go against our communities’ presuppositions, prejudices and pride for fear of how we will be viewed or treated.

 

Father God,
Give us the boldness of Peter to be a living witness to all who don’t know you. Help us to be the leaders of culture rather than to be followers of culture. You didn’t save us to be silent. You called us to be a beacon of light to the world. So, strengthen our witness through our thoughts, lifestyle and most importantly our actions.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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The Call To Courage

Dr. I. David Byrd September 1, 2019

 

“My children, we should love people not only with words and talk,
but by our actions and true caring.”
1 John 3:18 (NCV)

 

The Church is meant to be the expression of God’s love witnessed through our demonstration of purity in thought, actions, and lifestyle. We cloud our witness when people see us live in ways that are antithetical to the gospel we proclaim. If we are to be effective witnesses for the kingdom, we must live out God’s design for the unity of the Church. Our witness will determine how the word sees Jesus.

 

Peter’s story can assist us in capturing Scripture’s vision of the church as a community that transcends barriers. In the book of Acts, the kingdom was initially made up of Jews who were believers in Jesus. When the first Gentiles came to faith in Chapter 10, led by Cornelius, it created quite a stir amongst the Jews. Fellow Theologians note, Jews were skeptical because they thought faith was a “God given right”, only for them. The prevailing Jewish thought was that God showed partiality towards the Jews and against the Gentiles. In essence, many thought that God loved the Jews and hated the Gentiles.

 

Cultural beliefs were so divisive that a basic part of the Jewish religion in the days of the New Testament was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstance. Jewish daily prayers begin by thanking God that they were not a Gentile. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral and consider that Jew dead. Gentiles were seen as “unclean”. It was thought that even entering the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. Now that’s some serious hate! Perhaps out of comfort, fear or blindness; some Christians today have capitulated to similar ways of thinking.

 

Cornelius was a good person, yet he still needed someone to explain the gospel to him. He needed to understand that the only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Not through good deeds, being a good person or even because he prayed to God. God sent Peter to share the Good News with Cornelius, but first God prepared Peter for service. God revealed to him, in multiple dreams, the need to reach those believed to be ”unclean”. The cleansing of impure foods in his dream was related to the cleansing of the Gentiles. Peter came to understand that he should never think of anyone as impure because the foundation for unity of the Church was in traditional distinctions being dissolved. Ethnicity was no longer of any consequence. Peter answered the call to see the presence of God in a culture not his own.

 

In our next addition of The Journey, we will unpack Peter’s decision and learn the affect it had on the lives of others.

 

Father God,
At times I am faced with making a choice that might not be the most popular. Help me to be on the right side of your Word; even if it means going against the crowd. I realize I my actions can have a life transforming affect on others, so help me to represent you well.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God