God's Word for Me Today
Thursday, September 27, 2001
Focus: Our Mission With The World
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, as You showed the Apostle Peter that You love all people everywhere, open my heart to be loving to every person I meet today. Fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit so I may rightly understand Your Word and apply it in my life! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Brief Introduction to Today’s Scripture
In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Peter meets with a group of “Gentiles.” In Peter’s day, a Gentile was anyone who was not a Jew. Peter wasn’t excited about meeting with Gentiles, in fact, up until Peter had a vision from God (See Acts 10:1-33 for the full background), which God had to send three times, it is unlikely that Peter would even have set foot inside a Gentile’s house. Peter’s meeting with Cornelius, and God’s demonstration of His acceptance of Cornelius and his household, showed Peter that God’s love is for everyone. If there was ever a Scripture that demonstrates the need for God’s people to open our lives to every kind of person, today’s text is the one! With all that is going on in our world right now, this text is as fresh as the front page of the evening news.
God's Word for Me Today: Acts 10:34-43
34Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God doesn’t show partiality. 35In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. 36I’m sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what happened all through Judea, beginning in Galilee after John the Baptist began preaching. 38And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him.
39“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifying him, 40but God raised him to life three days later. Then God allowed him to appear, 41not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen beforehand to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Questions for Reflection
When have you been afraid to meet a new group of people? What was the result?
Think of a time you met someone from a different culture. What was the most surprising about it?
Questions for Exploration
According to the text what are the “requirements” for God to accept a person? (10:35)
What was the source of Jesus’ power? (10:38)
What are the “qualifications” and responsibilities of Jesus’ witnesses? (39-42)
Questions for Understanding
What did Cornelius already know that Peter used to help him understand that Jesus is the Savior of all?
Why do you suppose that Jesus appeared to the apostles, but not to the “general public”?
Look at verse 42. What is our task as witnesses?
Questions for Application
Peter was instructed by God to share the Good News with “Gentiles.” This would never have occurred to Peter naturally. Think of several people with whom can you share the Good News of Jesus, but wouldn’t do so naturally, either. Make a commitment to share a kind act or word of Good News with one of them today.
What is one specific piece or component of the Good News of Jesus that you feel confident being a witness about? Share it with someone today!
Pray for someone that is not like you today—either an individual or a group of people. Ask God’s love to penetrate their hearts in Jesus’ name.
Never Lord!
When God asked Peter to share the Good News of Jesus with Gentiles, He knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task. In order to prepare Peter for it, God sent a vision. In the vision Peter saw a sheet coming down out of heaven, filled with all kinds of animals. God commanded Peter to get up, kill one of the animals and eat. Peter’s answer was, “Never, Lord!” Some of the animals on the sheet were “unclean.” That means there weren’t permitted by Jewish dietary law. God told Peter not to call anything unclean that He called clean. This vision was repeated three times. (What is it with Peter and three’s?) Anyway, as soon as the vision ended, Cornelius’ servants arrived and asked Peter to come and stay with Cornelius.
When Peter arrived the vision became clear. It wasn’t about animals. It was about PEOPLE. Peter thought Gentiles were “unclean” and undeserving of God’s love. God had shown him that all people are to receive the Good News of Jesus. At this time in our nation’s history, we may be finding it difficult to see all people as “clean,” as deserving of God’s love. In the end, none of us is deserving of His love. That’s why Jesus came in the first place. That’s why the Good News is such GOOD NEWS! Jesus died for the undeserving—for all of us, and for each one of us.
Our calling as Jesus’ followers, as His witnesses in the world is to share the Good News with anyone and everyone who will receive it! Thank God that while we can’t always see the good in others, God sees the good that Jesus did for us, and offers it to us through a relationship with Him! Let’s go out today and find someone who needs to know that he or she is “clean” in God’s eyes—or will be after the cleansing blood of Jesus is claimed. What a wonderful opportunity to be witnesses to ALL people everywhere!
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