ACTS 11:1-18 SERMON

Sermon Notes, May 19, 2019

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

Pastor Garry’s sermon was titled “Acts 11:1-18 Sermon.”  This passage is one of the most important for our faith.  There are many important scripture passages: the Creation story, the story of David bringing the Ark home, and the stories of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection all are important to our beliefs and our faith.  This passage is a re-telling of Peter’s vision, recorded in Chapter 10.  Peter’s experience on the beach with Jesus was still fresh in his mind, when after denying Him before the crucifixion, Jesus forgave him, and gave him a vision to feed His lambs, His sheep, and take care of them. In essence, take care of people.

Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, also wrote the book of Acts—in fact some people think of Acts as Luke part 2.  Chapters 1-10 of Acts seem to affirm that salvation through Jesus is just for Jewish believers, their families and friends.  But that all changed after Peter’s visit to the house of Cornelius.

In chapter 11, the apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the word of God.  Jerusalem was the hub of the faith, so when Peter went back to Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him, and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Then, starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story.  How he’d been praying and saw the vision of the animals being let down from heaven, and heard the voice telling him to kill and eat, and his refusal because he’d never eaten anything impure or unclean.  This happened three times; and three men from Caesarea came to the house looking for him.  The Spirit told Peter to have no hesitation about going with them.  When they arrived at Cornelius’ house, he told them an angel had appeared to him and told him to send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter; and that he would bring them a message through which he and all his household would be saved.  As he began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on Peter and the believers on the Day of Pentecost.  Then he remembered what the Lord had said: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”  Peter ended the story by asking “So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Church history changed completely after this.  They realized that the good news of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus was also for the Gentiles.  They, too, were to follow Jesus.

Following Jesus means to Get up and Go.  Peter gets to the point.  The salvation of Cornelius’ household means that ALL are invited to follow Jesus.  God initiated it, not Peter.  God had already been at work in Cornelius’ household.   This is prevenient grace.  In Jewish culture, what a person eats was who they are.  This parameter excluded people who ate differently.

Peter turned the attention of the interrogators to scripture, reason, tradition and the collective religious experience to show that God wants to redeem ALL people. The church was challenged to re-think their scriptural understanding. This divine discernment was done collectively and not individually.

This passage can open the door to help us see God at work.  It can help us to rethink God, His character, and His mission that He has called us to.  Who are we excluding from the table of God that God may want us to invite?  What boundaries have we built that are doing more harm to the family of God than expanding it?  How can we extend grace to the community?  If we are to be the mouthpiece of God, His image in our community, we need to ask ourselves these questions.