Change The Way You Look...at People Series

CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK...At People: Unclean to Clean

Acts 10:1-16 January 7, 2009

God gives Peter a vision to help him see people like God does. God can change the way we look...at people!

• How would people describe you in one word? (The truth is you probably don’t really know!)

• Would you like to experience change? Please don’t say you have no regrets or wouldn’t change anything.

• Change is the Hot Word Today: Ask God what needs to change in your life.

• Are there any people in your life that you want nothing to do with? Why?

Acts Review: A New Church: A major change is about to occur that will require a major change in thinking.

Change will come into our lives when we change the way we look at people:

We can experience change in the following ways:

I. Recognize that there are people different from me that are seeking God.

A. Cornelius:

• A Roman officer, Gentile, probably not well liked by Jews, Christians

• Probably wealthy

• But he feared God, prayed, and gave to the needy.

• But being good does not make you a Christian.

B. What about people who have not heard the Gospel?

• And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

• But he did not know Jesus or the message of the Gospel

• Challenge: Ask someone if they have heard the Good News.

Illus: What would you do after you won the Heisman? Tim Tebow: Goes to prisons.

“One day, people are going to forget about the Heisman Trophy, the jump pass and the national championship. One day, this [championship] ring is going to rust. There are only four things that are going to last forever: God, his word, people and rewards.”

"Because I’m so passionate about it, and because I learned that gift so early, I don’t want to go to heaven and hear Jesus tell me, ’Tim, why didn’t you tell someone else about it?’

II. Peter has a vision: We need a vision to see people the way God does.

• Do not call anything unclean that God has made.

• Who is “unclean” to us?

o People we look down on, even people “better” than us

o We need to be able to relate to different kinds of people.

• It took God three times to get Peter’s attention

o (Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him three times)

o How many times will it take for God to get our attention?

This is critical: key people would bring the Gospel to the world. There are people in your life that are critical to what God wants to do.

We are not here for a building or a denomination; we are here for God and real, living people.

Change is hard, but it feels good when it is done!

Don’t be one dimensional: (Don’t be “one word”)

• See beyond your world – your friends.

(You probably won’t talk to your best friend five years from now)

• Do not look down on people not like you

• Even people “better” than you.

• “I’m just quiet, shy…” maybe you’re rude.

• Develop some social skills. Learn to say hi, thank you,

• Put away your cell and your ipod and pay attention to the people standing next to you!

• Even stuck up people need God – maybe they are masking a lot of pain.

Be the change: If the world is going to change, we have to change.

Rebel – be countercultural.

Start really caring about people besides yourself and your friends

• Confront Wrong: Illus: CSUN Basketball Players

• If we care, we will confront sin.

• We all sin…

• But Please don’t advertise your sin and call yourself a Christian.

• Make God the priority in your life

• Get to know people who are totally different than you.

What about 2008?

God has been so faithful. Wake up call for us.

Prayer, fasting, some more involved.

New Class

But perhaps we relaxed – We are not reaching out enough

We do not worship with enough passion

What about 2009?

Change: Do things we are not already doing.

Know God’s Word

Be intentional about reaching people outside of church

Worship with Passion – like we love God.

Do something you have never done before this year.

 Learn to play an instrument

 Learn to play a new sport

 Clean your house.

 Make new friends with people not like you.

 Start a prayer group.

 Memorize a chapter of the Bible

 Fast and pray.

Prayer Partners:

1. Are there certain types of people that you cannot be around?

2. How could you change the way you see people?

3. Ask God to help you see people like he does.

4. Ask God to show you specific people that are seeking Him.