“Fly High” – Acts part 9
Thesis: Acts chapter 10, 11 reveals to the world and to all generations that God will pour out His Holy Spirit on anyone who is devoted to God and His ways --whether they are Jewish, Italian, American or even Muslim. Peter showed that God is ready to pour out His Holy Spirit on all who believe and it does not matter what the critics think or say-what matters is what God says!
Introduction:
Over the last few weeks we have been studying the Book of Acts. We have been digging in this book and discovering how God uses ordinary people. We see that God draws these people to Him and then fills them with the Holy Spirit. The primary focus of the book of acts is how the Holy Spirit empowers people to do ministry. How the Holy Spirit enables ordinary men and women to be witnesses for the Kingdom of the Lord. We see the Holy Spirit at work using people like Barnabas, Stephen, Philip, Simon, Philip’s daughter’s, Paul and today we are back to Peter and a new individual named Cornelius (A Gentile). For the first time in Acts we get a new twist to the story on the out pouring of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.
The book of Acts demonstrates what happens to a person when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. If you recall prior to Pentecost the disciples had frequently got into trouble and seemed to be powerless in their witnessing role for Jesus. At the time of Jesus arrest one tried to stop the arrest by the power of the sword. His name was Peter! The others ran like mice running from a cat. Others scattered and hid for cover. The church of Acts was not represented well before the Day of Pentecost. It seemed as if the church was in big trouble because of its frequent failures but Jesus went to the cross and then rose again on the third day and commanded his followers to go to Jerusalem to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
It’s interesting if you read the life of the apostles before the Day of Pentecost and then read about their lives after this pinnacle day because you must admit the group changes dramatically. Something happened!
So what was the difference? It was the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – It was the infilling from the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised. I honestly believe that the primary focus in the book of Acts is not the Apostles but it is actually the Holy Spirit. I believe Luke penned this book as the Lord directed to show the church and His followers that their power and ability to do ministry was linked with the Holy Spirit. The power to be a witness for Jesus would only come from the Holy Spirit’s enablement.
The book reveals that power does not come from our own strength or abilities but from the anointing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts tells me that if I want to do marvelous and supernatural things for the Kingdom of God then I need to yield my life to the Holy Spirit. I need to allow the Holy Spirit to fill me and dwell in me so that I can be empowered by the Lord from the inside to do and fulfill His purpose for my life.
The key is I must make sure that my mindset is rooted in the Teaching of the Lord Jesus and not rooted in religious legalism. In our passage of Scripture we learn from the Life of Peter that we must have the right attitude and mindset to serve Jesus.
Video Illustration: Show Acts 10 from the Visual Bible to the congregation.
Scripture Text: Acts 10:1-48:
1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. 24The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47“Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Acts 11:1-21
1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9“The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11“Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17So 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?”
18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
19Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
T.S. – Peter is the central figure in our Scripture text along with a Gentile named Cornelius. The Lord blesses the Gentile and corrects Peter’s religious thinking and reasoning. Peter learns a valuable lesson that we all need to learn today in the church of Jesus Christ.
I. Peter receives correction from the Lord and instruction by the Holy Spirit.
a. Religious thinking even plagued the disciples at times and the Lord Jesus had to address it and correct it.
i. Peter is an example of what can happen to someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.
1. This section in Acts points to faulty thinking-distorted holiness thinking to be exact.
2. Peter had it in his head that he could never enter into a Gentile persons home because if he did then he would become –unclean – or unholy because the Gentiles were considered by the Jewish religious elite as impure or unholy-or not in connection with God.
3. Peter is given a vision – a spiritual lesson from the Lord about his misguided belief system.
a. He is told by the Lord “You are wrong – stop what you thinking and doing and go do what I say to do!”
b. He is also told, “Don’t call someone or something unclean when I made it clean!”
i. In other words who are you to judge what is clean – or holy –and what is not holy!
b. Peter had an error in his religious thinking and it needed to be corrected by Jesus.
i. His responsibility is to admit that he is wrong and then follow the direction and instruction of the Lord.
1. The problem: He is prejudice toward non-Jewish people and God tells him he is wrong in calling non-Jewish people unclean or polluted and off limits by God.
a. This prejudice mindset was rooted in the Jewish nation and the Lord was about to change it in the New Testament Acts Church.
2. This deception is revealed to him in a vision as he is also placed in a trance type state of being.
3. He is told to correct his mindset and obey God by going with the men who have just arrived.
a. God orchestrates the events around Peter to reveal to him what the truth is in regards to the Gentiles, to there salvation and to being filled with the Holy Spirit.
4. Remember the Holy Spirit is promised in Scripture to lead us into all truth.
a. Scripture Text: The Work of the Holy Spirit John 16:5-16: 5“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. 16“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
i. The Holy Spirit is going to do the work of a Counselor.
ii. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin.
iii. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of its lack of righteousness.
iv. The Holy Spirit will convict the world that they deserve to be judged.
v. The Holy Spirit will lead believers to the Truth
vi. The Holy Spirit will not speak for himself but for the Lord Jesus.
vii. The Holy Spirit will speak and communicate what the Lord Jesus tells him to communicate.
viii. The Holy Spirit will point to Jesus.
ix. The Holy Spirit will make known to the believer what the Lord wants them to know.
c. The Holy Spirit prepares the way for Peter then proceeds to give him an object lesson on the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days.
i. It is not just going to happen to Jewish people – it is going to happen to all who call on the Lord for salvation.
ii. All who fear God and are devoted to God will be saved and empowered with the Holy Spirit.
iii. All who give and meet the needs of the poor will be recognized by the Lord and honored for their faithful commitment to the ways of the Lord.
T.S. – Peter is corrected by the Lord and then taught a valuable lesson about the role the Gentiles will play in the Spreading of the Kingdom of God in the last days.
II. The role the Gentiles will play in the last days and the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on non-Jewish people.
a. The Lord sends an angel to appear to Cornelius.
i. He instructs him and tells him that he has seen his good life and heard his prayers.
1. He is instructed through the vision to send for Peter.
2. Peter has a spiritual blessing that this family needs and deserves – this is the Holy Spirit!
ii. They are obedient and follow the direction of the angel of the Lord.
1. Peter is worked on even before they get there that he is to bring the Holy Spirit to this Gentile family for the glory of God and he is to get rid of his legalistic thinking.
a. This change in mindset will not only impact Peter but other Jewish believers as well.
2. This is the New Testament era and God is pouring out His Holy Spirit out on all of mankind as He prophesied that He would.
a. Both Jew and Gentile.
b. Joel 2:28-32: 28“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”
iii. He fills up this Italian family with the Holy Spirit and they get baptized in the Holy Spirit and Speak in tongues.
1. The Lord teaches us and Peter that this man was honored by God because he feared God and he gave to the poor.
a. God saw his memorial offerings and he sends an angel to bless him for his sacrificial giving.
2. Therefore the Lord sent Peter to them to baptize them in the Holy Spirit and also in water. This Gentile family is the first non-Jewish family to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be God’s witness to the world.
3. God does not show favoritism! This message is clearly portrayed in our text today!
a. It does not matter if you are Jew or not – He still loves you the same.
b. He will fill those who want to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
c. He will use those who commit their lives to Him and then empower them with the Holy Spirit.
d. Reference Scripture in James “God is no respecter of persons.”
i. James 2:1-13: 1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
T.S. – God does not show favoritism and he is pouring out His Holy Spirit on all who fear and are devoted to Him so that they can be empowered to be His witnesses in the last days. But please note there will be those who will criticize you for being obedient to what God tells you to do.
III. How to handle criticism for doing the Lord’s work.
a. Peter receives criticism for bringing the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles.
i. Criticism is sad part of life today and we need to learn the best way to respond to it in life.
ii. Peter gives us some insight into how to handle the critics in your life:
1. Be obedient to what God has called you to do and never allow criticism to stop you from following God’s directives.
2. Tell the critics the result of what God showed you to do.
3. Give God the glory.
4. Stand up for grace and mercy against the legalists
5. Let them know that it is not wise to stand in opposition against God.
6. The testimony and God’s moving on this family resulted in the critics praising God and honoring God as he pours out repentance on the Gentiles too.
b. How to handle criticism:
i. Article: “Staring Down the Critic’s Barrel!” Proverbs 9: 7-10 Key verse(s): 8b:“. . . rebuke a wise man and he will love you.”
The Bible tells us that “rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” Love? What happened to getting the emotional revenge that is so satisfying? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of room in that statement for pride, is there? In fact, being made to look the dummy seems like an invitation to wisdom. That’s something that doesn’t square real well with the world or our own self-esteem. It almost sounds like it would be better to be meek and withdrawing when others criticize us. In fact, if you are one of those people who are not “quick on the trigger” when others start shooting criticism your way, are you blessed? Perhaps. While it is never good to respond to anyone when we don’t have full command of our senses, it doesn’t mean that we should empty ourselves out completely and allow that criticism to fill us up to overflowing. There is a process of assimilation that can help.
Several years ago I read a helpful article on the subject of receiving and benefiting from criticism. If you can keep this process in mind even when bitter criticism is being leveled at you, you may find it easier to bear up and certainly less recriminating when you consider the criticism down the road. It stated that when we are criticized we ought to ask ourselves whether the criticism contains any truth. If it does, we should learn from it, even when it is not given with the right motivation and in the right spirit. The article then offered these four suggestions: (1) Commit the matter instantly to God, asking Him to remove all resentment or counter-criticism on your part and teach you the needed lessons. (2) Remember that we are all great sinners and that the one who has criticized us does not begin to know the worst about us. (3) If you have made a mistake or committed a sin, humbly and frankly confess it to God and to anyone you may have injured. (4) Be willing to learn afresh that you are not infallible and that you need God’s grace and wisdom every moment of the day to keep on the straight path.
When we are criticized, it’s good to accept what is true and act upon it, thereby becoming a stronger person. And, as the proverb says, “instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still.” Isn’t that every Christian’s goal? Give me more of that wisdom and if criticism is one of the best ways of getting more of it, “bring it on!” I remember a worship dialog from Don Moen’s “God With Us!” that has stuck with me over the years. “Your strength is made strong in our weakness.” When you think of it, there is no weaker state than that of receiving criticism. Is there ever a time when we need to rely on our God more? Being on the receiving end of criticism opens us completely to the devil’s wiles. It is an open door to sin just waiting for the evil to enter. What better time to invite the Holy Spirit in than when we are vulnerable to criticism. The key to being receptive to other people’s criticism is who we are willing to invite in at the first moment when the words begin to sting. We can choose to “commit the matter” to God or “commit” it to Satan. The choice is ours. When staring down the critic’s barrel expect the infusion of the Spirit not the bullet of sin and you may find that the criticism doesn’t sting so much after all.
Contributed to Sermon Central by: Mark Brunner
ii. GRATITUDE- A NECESSARY ATTITUDE to refute criticism:
A few years ago Dr. Nick Stinnett of the University of Nebraska conducted a group of studies called the "Family Strengths Research Project"
Stinnett and his researchers identified six qualities that make for strong families. The first quality and one of the most important to be found in strong families was the quality of appreciation. Families that are strong are strong in part, Dr. Stinnett concludes, because family members express to each other their appreciation for what the other members DO and for who they ARE.
In a similar study another researcher looked into the effect of praise in the workplace.
His study showed that the ratio of praise to criticism in the workplace needs to be four to one before employees feel that there is a balance - that there must be four times as much praise as there is criticism before they feel good about their work and about the environment they work in.
That is pretty staggering information - information that tells us that if we want to do something good, that if we want to have a healthy family, a strong workplace, or any other effective group
that we need to be sure that appreciation, praise, and thanksgiving are heard at least four times as often as is criticism.
SOURCE: Rev. Richard J. Fairchild 1998, 2001. "Gratitude - A Necessary Attitude"
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-thansesn.html
Contributed by: SermonCentral
iii. Quote: “It’s easy to avoid criticism: all you have to do is say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” – Aristotle
iv. Other quotes related to critcism:
1. “Nothing can be stated so perfectly as not to be misunderstood.” - Philip Melanchthon
2. “When you throw dirt at people you’re not doing a thing but losing ground.” - Zig Ziglar
3. “Lord, deliver me from the lust of vindicating myself.” - Augustine
4. “Let the man who says it cannot be done not disturb the man doing it.” - Chinese proverb
5. “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” - Elbert Hubbard.
6. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.” - Harrison’s Postulate
7. “It is much easier to be critical than to be correct.” - Disraeli
8. “Grant me prudently to avoid him that flatters me, and to endure patiently him that contradicts me.” - Thomas `a Kempis
9. “He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.” - Lincoln
10. “Most of us would rather be ruined by praise than helped by criticism. Nobody wants constructive criticism. It’s all we can do to put up with constructive praise.” - M. McLaughlin
11. “You can’t hold a man down without staying down with him.” - Booker T. Washington
Quotes contributed to Sermon Central by: Sermon Central Pro
v. Dealing with criticism: “She Bought Me Another Dog”
Pepper Rogers, coach of UCLA’s football team suffered through a poor season back in the 1970’s. He came under intense criticism and pressure from alumni and fans. Things got so bad that he felt as if all his friends were gone. “My dog was my only true friend,” he said. “I told my wife that every man needs at least two good friends–and she bought me another dog.”
Contributed to Sermon Central by: Bruce Howell
vi. Illustration on criticism and it’s blindness: Two taxidermists stopped in front of a window where an owl was on display. They immediately began to criticize the way it was mounted. Its eyes were not natural; its wings were not in proportion with its head; its feathers were not neatly arranged; and its feet could be improved. Just when they had finished with their criticism, the owl turned his head...and blinked. It’s easier to be critical than correct.
Contributed to Sermon Central by: John Beehler
vii. ILLUSTRATION… “If a child lives”, from a sermon called The Divine Family
If a child lives with criticism,
HE learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
HE learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
HE learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
HE learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
HE learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
HE learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
HE learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
HE learns justice.
If a child lives with security, HE learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
HE learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
HE learns to find love in the world.
Contributed to Sermon Central by: Troy Borst
viii. The foolishness of listening to criticism:
1. Making a journey w/ grandson by donkey…only had 1 donkey, but had to go a ways thru 5 villages to get home.
He put the boy on the donkey and walked along beside. The 1st village criticized, saying, “look at that healthy young boy, making that old man walk.”
He couldn’t take the criticism, so he switched places w/ the boy.
2nd village criticized, “look at that…a healthy, grown man makin’ a little boy walk.”
He couldn’t take it, so they both got on the donkey.
3rd village said, “that’s animal abuse…2 of them on that one little donkey”
So, they both started walking.
4th village said, “can you believe it, 2 people walking when they have a perfectly good donkey…you’d think one of them would have sense enough to get on and ride!”
He had enough, so guess what he did.
Came to 5th village, and what did the people see? The boy was walking, the man was walking, and they were carrying the donkey!
Moral: You’re going be criticized, so make sure you’re right, and then take your stand! Contributor to Sermon Central : Jerry Shirley
c. Contributor to Sermon Central - Paul Fritz has this to say about the reality of criticism:
i. Realize that the origin of complaints are often found in greed, envy, jealousy, anger, hatred, immaturity, ungodliness, rebelliousness, misunderstanding, presumption, lack of knowledge, lack of wisdom, or carnality.
ii. Remember that you are serving the Lord more than you are serving man. Do not become disappointed when people misuse, abuse or criticize you recognizing that they are not rejecting you but the one who sent you.
iii. Realize that different personalities, cultures, generations, genders and individuals will see things differently.
Application: Ask the Lord for the serenity to accept the things you cannot change (Like most peoples’ thinking) the courage to change the things you can and the wisdom to know the difference.
Conclusion:
Lessons learned from our study today!
1. We must learn to listen to the voice of the Lord and correct any religious thinking we may have toward others.
2. We must drive out religious legalism from our hearts and minds.
3. We must be willing to go do what God tells us to do even if others may criticize us.
4. God does not show favoritism and he is pouring out His Holy Spirit on all who want desire it and are open to it.
5. We must learn how to deal with criticism because it will come upon us as we do the Lord’s work.
6. We must remember it is better to serve the Lord than men.
7. We must check our heart and always stay committed to the cause of the Gospel!
