Imagine that you have before you a 10 point scale on which you can mark your satisfaction with your “normal life.” Where would you put the marker? My unscientific guess would be somewhere between three and seven. We are somewhat dissatisfied or somewhat satisfied. On really bad days (or weeks), we may feel very dissatisfied. On good days or on a few good days strung together, we may even go up to 8 or 9 and say we are very satisfied.
It is interesting that although we may find ourselves somewhat dissatisfied or somewhat satisfied with life, few of us like to be disturbed. We become comfortable with our life as it is. The stress level goes up when our present routines, understandings and coping mechanisms are disturbed. Throw a major disruption into our life and immediately many of us want to go back to “normal,” whatever that might be.
Normal for the apostle Peter was caring (feeding) his fellow Jewish believers. It was to this task that Jesus had commissioned Peter. The first chapters of the book of Acts give us a glimpse of some of Peter’s activities. We trace his steps from Jerusalem to Lydda to Joppa. At Joppa, Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. Chapter 11 of Acts is a retelling of the story in chapter 10. Peter has a disturbing vision that resulted in a trip to Caesarea. He went with some men to the house of Cornelius. Cornelius was a Roman Centurion and a non-Jew or what the New Testament describes as a Gentile. Going to the home of a non Jewish person was not “normal” Jewish behaviour. Peter needed to be disturbed in order for him to go to the house of Cornelius!
Peter was disturbed enough by the events surrounding the request to go to Caesarea. His willingness to go disturbed many of his fellow Jewish believers, especially the believers in Jerusalem, the center of the early Christian Church.
Word of Peter’s visit to the house of Cornelius had gotten back to the church in Jerusalem. Even before the cell phone, fax machines, and instant messaging people heard quickly – especially critical words. In the first or the twenty first century, they seem to spread with speed. Peter is in trouble.
The believers in Jerusalem wanted an explanation. Acts 11:2- 3 tells us “the circumcised believers criticised him and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
Peter understands where they are coming from. What Peter did in visiting and eating at the home of Cornelius was revolutionary, completely contrary to his religious upbringing and his understanding of what it meant for him to be a dedicated man of God.
So Peter says, “Don’t think I didn’t have questions. Don’t imagine that what I did, I did easily. I am aware of what God said through Moses, commanding us to stay away from unclean food. I know Leviticus 11:47 says “You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.” I’ll tell you what happened...” Peter’s goal is to help those who were criticizing him understand that it was God who pushed him out of his religious tradition.
As you listen to Peter’s explanation to a critical group of people I want you to realize that this recorded event is a pivotal point in the history of the Christian faith. It was the beginning of the release of the gospel message to go into all the world. With this in mind, look at Peter’s explanation for his unusual actions.
Peter begins with his experience of a disturbing vision. He is on the rooftop praying. While praying, he falls into a trance and has a vision. A sheet came down from heaven. In the sheet are “four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air.” As Peter is looking at these animals, he hears a voice from heaven saying: “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter’s response is ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ The voice from heaven speaks again. ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
Three times this happened to Peter. Peter is confused. But God did not leave Peter puzzled for long. We read: "Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them.”
God knew that if Peter was to break out of what was considered “normal” for a Jewish believer and go with these Gentile men, he needed to be disturbed. So he acts accordingly, speaking to Peter through a vision and unusual circumstances.
Peter takes six other believers with him. Smart move! What he was doing was revolutionary. He wanted support. He wanted witnesses!
Peter discovers that while God was preparing him, God was also in communication with Cornelius. An angel had appeared to Cornelius and said, “Send for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.”
Peter arrives at Cornelius’ house and begins to tell the story of Jesus. Before he finishes the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius and his household. Peter tells his critics, “Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
Those who were critical of Peter’s actions were now convinced that God was at work. We read in verse 18: “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
The disturbing vision from God and the request to go to the house of Cornelius changed Peter’s understanding of normal. The disturbing vision and Peter’s obedience also prepared the Church in Jerusalem to be ready for the Gospel to expand beyond the early Jewish believers to the Gentiles. Hundreds of millions of people today, including you and me, are followers of Christ because Peter moved out of his understanding of normal to obey God’s call to expand his boundaries.
The vision statement of the Kingston Standard Church reads: Our vision is to honour God by being a healthy church, accessible to all, beginning with those in our sphere of influence. Three words capture what will help us be a congregation that honours God: healthy, accessible and influential.
God called Peter to be accessible to Cornelius. In this case accessibility for Peter meant that he had to step out of his sphere of influence--the Jewish people-- into a sphere of influence not his own. Peter had no contact with Cornelius and his household but God did. God said to Peter, “I am going to disturb your normal. I am calling you to move outside your comfort zone. I am calling you to be accessible to the people that I made myself accessible to through my Son Jesus.”
Our vision statement, which declares our desire to be accessible to all, beginning with those within our sphere of influence, is a good starting place. God wants to use you and me to bring a message through which people will be saved. The place to begin is neighbours, friends, family, co-workers and others who are part of our network of people.
But sometimes God calls us to move outside our sphere of influence to a whole new world like he did to Peter. God said, “Peter is my man. He is the one I am calling to crash through the barriers that separate Jew and Gentile. He is the one I am calling to be available for me.” You might say Peter became God’s accessibility project.
Last summer we began an accessibility project here at the church. Just as we had to punch holes through walls, change the grade of our parking lot, and add an addition and an elevator to be accessible so God punched some holes in the barriers that Peter and his religious culture had erected against Gentiles.
Why does God call us to be accessible to all, beginning with in our sphere of influence? Why does God want us to be influential for him? The answer is in the angel’s words to Cornelius (verse 14). “He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’ Verse 18 lets us see the conclusion of Peter’s critics: "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
If we are followers of Jesus, we have a message that will bring salvation into the lives of people. Do you believe that this morning? Do you really believe it? Do I believe it? Do we really believe we have a message that can make an eternal difference in the lives of people?
It is no wonder that God wants us to be accessible. It is no wonder he wants us to be influential for him. It is no wonder that there are times he disturbs our normal world. He wants to get our attention. God wants to work through us to make a difference in the lives of people around us. Sometimes he calls us to make a difference in the lives of people who are not part of our sphere of influence.
The story of Kay Warren is told in Christianity Today. Kay is the wife of Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life. She was disturbed, not by a vision, but by a magazine article. The article spoke of 12 million African children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Kay describes the article as “an appointment with God... he intended to grab my attention.”
For days afterward she was haunted by the fact of 12 million children living as orphans. Then she got mad at God. “Leave me alone. Even if it is true, what can I do about it? I’m a white, suburban soccer mom. There is nothing I can do.” What Kay was saying at that point is that those 12 million children were outside her sphere of influence. She begs God, “Leave me alone. Let me stay within my own comfort zone.” But God wouldn’t. Kay came to the conclusion that she could either pretend she did not know about the HIV/AIDS pandemic or she could become personally involved. She chose the latter. Eventually her husband came on board. Their normal lives were dramatically changed. Their ministry took on a new dimension as they began to DO something. They are not sad that they responded to a disturbing word from God. Their goal is to minister life, physical and eternal life, to the dying.
Let me ask you: Is God saying some disturbing things to you? Is he opening your eyes to some realities around you that you would just as soon ignore? Is he asking you to get involved in his work that takes you out of your comfort zone maybe even out of your sphere of influence? If he is, it is because he wants you to be accessible. He wants you to be available to him so that he can use you to make a difference in a broken world.
We give thanks that God through his Son made himself accessible to us as we celebrate communion. Through Christ’s death and resurrection we have experienced forgiveness. With forgiveness, we receive new life in Christ that will last forever.
As we give thanks, let us also pledge to be available to God so he can work through us to make a difference in our world through him.