Laughlin Community Church
Sunday, Jan 16, 2022
      • Bible Trivia
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  • You're Worthy Of My Praise
  • Shine Jesus Shine
  • King Of Kings

      • Acts 11.1-4CSB

      • Acts 11.5-6CSB

      • Acts 11.7-10CSB

      • Acts 11.11-12CSB

      • Acts 11.13-15CSB

      • Acts 11.16-17CSB

      • Acts 11.18CSB

  • Introduction

    Acts 11:1–18 CSB
    The apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Peter began to explain to them step by step, “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a trance, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ “ ‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing impure or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’ “Now this happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven. At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. He will speak a message to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning. I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?” When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”
    ​
    Pray
    ​
    News of Peter’s activity at Caesarea reached Jerusalem before Peter did. And the gossip started. It caused alarm both within the church and among the Jewish populace in general. Can’t you just hear them.
    It’s hard enough to witness to the Jews and now you go and start hanging out with these non-Jewish People. You have totally gone to the left field you liberal. You have total disregard for traditional laws. And good merit we may have had with the Jewish community is now gone. This is a bad political move.
    ​
    Peter will Defend himself and his reputation by telling them what had happened. The divine initiative. His inability to withstand God. And so it was God who took the initiative by baptizing Cornelius and his companions with the Holy Spirit. Who was I to think that I could oppose God.
    ​
    On hearing about Peter’s experiences the Christians at Jerusalem. They had no further objections. Remained silent And praised God. Which means that his critics were silenced. For the moment at least. While those more receptive to God’s working acknowledged that Peter was right and credited God rather than human ingenuity for what happened.
    Here in this passage we see an equally important moment in the church as the passage before it. Cornelius conversion is accepted as genuine among the rest of the believers. It was a validation of the Gentiles and the gentile mission. Which means it will be more than just peter witnessing to the Gentiles. The rest of the disciples, Paul. Others that aren’t recorded. The word of God will spread. It will also lead to many of the books that Paul will right. Telling us about what lifestyle was appropriate for us Gentiles who are directly out of false worship. So the validation of the gentile mission and there salvation is just as important as the actual mission
    I see two things here:
    One is an issue of leadership
    Two is an issue of validation

    Leadership

    It always takes one to start a mission to a group of people
    First instinct is to point to the pastor And I can understand why that’s part of the Sheppard role. But each of you are leaders in your own way. Even if you don’t believe it. Or if you don’t want to be. It is just a matter of who we are leading. You may be leading just one, Or you may be leading a group. But we are all leaders in some respect. There are always people looking at us to see how to act. To see how we should behave. What to believe. What is wrong. What is right. Leading friend, Family, Strangers. Those who know you are a Christian.
    Maybe you are the one who needs to start something. If you have a nagging in your heart. We need this. Or this needs to be done. Maybe God is telling you. You need to do this. Instead of waiting for the good thing that anybody good do but nobody did.
    ​

    Validation

    This one is a little different. This is the one in which someone says we need. And I will do. And you say what do you need: Support, Money, Help.
    This is the one that says I agree. That type of person needs Christ and I will help get it there. This is also the point in which leaders often want to be. Peter would have rather backed someone else instead of being the one who took the step. It’s easier and there is less risk. If you have been in this position for a while maybe you need to step up. If you haven’t been in this section. Maybe you need to be.

    Next Steps

    So the question then becomes to us
    What do we need to do
    Do you need to do something
    Pray
    Invitation
  • Be Thou My Vision
  • Closing Song: Freely, Freely
Laughlin Community Church
office@laughlinchurch.com
702-989-1228
http://laughlinchurch.com
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