The Church’s Outreach – The World

THE CHURCH’S OUTREACH – THE WORLD

ACTS 10:1-43

THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL TYPE OF MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY. I DO HAVE THREE POINTS TO IT, BUT MY FIRST POINT IS ABOUT 20 MINUTES, AND MY SECOND AND THIRD MAY BE FIVE MINUTES FOR BOTH. MOST OF THE MEAT OF THE PASSAGE IS FOUND IN THE FIRST 20 VERSES AND THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.

ZENO, ONE OF THE EARLY GREEK PHILOSOPHERS, CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT THE ONLY CONSTANT IN THE WORLD IS CHANGE. HE BELIEVED THE ONLY THING THAT STAYED THE SAME WAS THE IDEA OF THE IMAGE YOU WERE LOOKING AT. HE WOULD SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON YOU WERE WHEN YOU CAME INTO THE CHURCH BUILDING TODAY. YOU GOT OLDER. CELLS IN YOUR BODY DIED, WHILE OTHERS WERE GENERATED.

THERE IS SOME TRUTH TO THIS. THINK OF TWO PEOPLE. WE’LL PUT THIS IN A TIME FRAME OF TEN YEARS. ONE PERSON YOU SEE EVERY DAY, THE OTHER YOU DON’T SEE AT ALL OVER THE TEN YEAR PERIOD. WHO WILL YOU NOTICE THE MOST CHANGES IN? IN MOST CASES IT WILL BE THE PERSON YOU HAVEN’T SEEN FOR TEN YEARS BECAUSE THEY WILL CHANGE SO MUCH IN THEIR LOOKS.

THE IDEA OF THE PERSON, OR THE IMAGE OF THE PERSON HE HAVE IN OUR MINDS, CHANGES VERY LITTLE IN EVERY DAY LIFE. IT IS ONLY AS WE THINK ABOUT THEM OVER THE LONG TERM THAT WE NOTICE BIG CHANGES. IF WE HAVEN’T SEEN THE PESON FOR A LONG TIME, WE HAVE IN OUR MIND A PICTURE OF WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE THEN, NOT WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE NOW.

THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO ZENO’S THOUGHT IS GOD. GOD NEVER CHANGES, AND WE HAVE HIS WORD ON THAT.

MALACHI 3:6: “I THE LORD DO NOT CHANGE. SO YOU DESCENDANTS OF JACOB HAVE NOT BEEN DESTROYED.

JAMES 1:17: EVERY GOOD ACTION AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM GOD. THESE GOOD GIFTS COME DOWN FROM THE CREATOR OF THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS, WHO DOES NOT CHANGE LIKE THEIR SHIFTING SHADOWS.

HEBREWS 13:8: 8 JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.

GOD’S STABILITY AND CHANGELESSNESS, IS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS ABOUT GOD, THAT WE CAN FIND COMFORTING WHEN WE PUR OUR FAITH IN HIM.

GOD DOES NOT CHANGE, BUT WE DO, AND CHANGE FOR US IS BOTH A BLESSING AND CURSE. CHANGE IS A BLESSING AS WE WATCH CHILDREN AND GRAND-CHILDREN DISCOVER FOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME, OR TAKE THE FIRST FEW STEPS. CHANGE IS EXCITING WHEN WE CONSIDER HOME RENOVATIONS, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS NEW OR RENEWED, AND A HOST OF OTHER THINGS.

CHANGE IS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH AT TIMES. I REMEMBER WHEN MY SISTER GOT HER FIRST GREY HAIR. IT INVOVLED A FIVE DAY MOURNING PERIOD AND HAVING LADY CLAIROL ON SPEED DIAL. ANY HOW MANY GUYS GO TO THE GYM IMPRESSED BY THEIR EVER INCREASING SPARE TIRE. THE SEVEN MOST DANGEROUS WORDS IN THE CHURCH ARE NOT “I PROMISE THAT I’LL KEEP IT SHORT” FROM THE PASTOR, IT’S “WE’VE NEVER DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE.”

CHANGES FROM CHOIRS TO PRIASE TEAMS, IN TYPES OF MUSIC USED, TYPES OF SERVICES ARE ALL VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT, BUT IS THE DIRECTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

THE HARDEST CHANGE BY FAR TO ACCEPT ARE CHANGES TO WHAT WE BELIEVE. I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIALS TO THE FAITH, FOR THEY DO NOT CHANGE. WHAT I’M SPEAKING ABOUT ARE THINGS THAT WE EITHER BELIEVED IN OR DIDN’T BELIEVE IN AT ONE TIME, BUT AS WE MATURED IN THE FAITH, FOUND OUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE OUR STANCE ON THESE THINGS.

AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE LEARNING, AND IF ALWAYS LEARNING, THEN WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE READY TO CHANGE OUR VIEWPOINT IF WARRANTED. THIS IS WHY SUNDAY SCHOOL AND BIBLE STUDY ARE SO IMPORTANT AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE THERE.

PETER IS FACING A CHANGE IN HIS PERSONAL BELIEFS IN THIS PASSAGE TODAY. I ASK YOU, IF THE APOSTLE PETER CAN BE IN THIS POSITION OF CHANGE, WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT YOU AND I COULD NOT FIND OURSELVES THERE AS WELL?

WE CAN BREAK THE PASSAGE INTO THREE SECTIONS AS WE CONSIDER IT:

1. PREPARATION (VV. 1-23)

2. PRESENTATION (VV. 23-33)

3. PROCLAMATION (VV.33-43)

POINT ONE: PREPARATION (VV.1-23)

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE JEWS AND GENTILES AT CAESAREA WERE VERY STRAINED, AND HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PREPARE CORNELIUS TO RECEIVE THE GOSPEL, AND ALSO PETER TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL. HE WOULD USE A VISION AND A TRANCE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.

HE BEGINS HIS PREPARATION WITH CORNELIUS.

WE ARE TOLD THAT CORNELIUS IS A CENTURION WITH THE ITALIAN REGIMENT OR CO-HORT. THE RANK OF CENTURIAN IS EQUIVILENT TO A MODERN-DAY CAPTAIN OR COMPANY COMMANDER. HE WOULD HAVE 60 – 100 MEN UNDER HIS COMMAND. CENTURIONS ALWAYS APPEAR IN A FAVORABLE LIGHT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.