Good Morning Friends,
Peter stirred controversy in the church. He
traveled to Caesarea, preached to the Gentile Cornelius, and welcomed him and
his household into the church. The church had not decided that Gentiles could become
a part of it. There had been no meeting to discuss it, no vote to be sure it
was okay. Peter responded unilaterally and that caused him to be called before
the leaders of the church at Jerusalem to give an answer.
Peter’s answer was that it was not his idea
to preach to Cornelius. It was not something that Peter considered and decided
it was time to do. From Peter’s perspective, it was clearly God’s idea.
Three times Peter received a vision and a
voice from God telling him God was declaring all of His creation clean. (Acts
11:5-10) In a divinely orchestrated coincidence, the representatives of Cornelius
arrived at the house Peter was staying at precisely when Peter was receiving
the vision and listening to the voice. (Acts 11:11-14) The connection was
clear, God was saying these unclean Gentiles were clean, so Peter went with
them and preached to them.
And God confirmed that He was calling the
Gentiles, too, into His church. During Peter’s sermon to Cornelius and his
house, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as He had upon those gathered in the
upper room on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 11:15-17)
Peter did not usher the Gentiles into the
church --- God did. Here is Peter’s response to what God was doing: “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?” (Acts 11:17)
Who was Peter to think that he could oppose
God? Indeed, who would dare to oppose God? God does not have to ask our
permission. God does not have to wait for our agreement!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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