Our Response to God’s Plan

Imagine you're walking through your neighborhood and you see a new family moving in. They're from a different part of the world, with customs and a language you're not familiar with. You notice your neighbors whispering, some even expressing outright disapproval. There's a sense of unease, a questioning of how this new family will fit into the well-established norms of the community.

This scenario isn't just about a neighborhood; it's a reflection of a common human reaction. We often view anything new or different through a lens of skepticism and judgment. It's almost a reflex, to assess and sometimes dismiss what doesn't align with our understanding or experience.

Now, let's look back to the early days of the Christian church. In Acts 11, we find a very similar situation. The apostle Peter, a key figure in the church, has just done something groundbreaking – something that rattled the early believers to their core. He shared the message of Jesus with a Gentile – that's right, a non-Jew! This was more than just stepping into a neighbor's yard; it was stepping into uncharted territory, actually eating with them, breaking barriers that had existed for generations.

Just like our neighborhood scenario, the early church had its share of whispers and disapproving glances. They questioned, they doubted, and yes, they criticized. But what unfolds in Acts 11 is not just a story of overcoming cultural barriers; it's a powerful example of how God's vision often challenges our limited perspectives, inviting us into a broader understanding of His kingdom and His plans.

So, as we dive into this chapter, let's open our hearts and minds. Let's learn from the early church's experience and see how God's plans might be inviting us to step beyond our own comfort zones, to embrace a vision that's bigger than our traditions, our cultures, and our limited perspectives. Welcome to Acts 11 – a chapter that challenges, convicts, and invites us to see the world through God's eyes.

This entire section through verse 18 is about the Jewish Christians in the church who criticized Peter for offending their traditions by doing God’s will.

This chapter begins on a negative note, but it ends by showing how Christians can reconcile their differences and work together - an important mark of a healthy, biblical church.

Chapter 11 teaches us that: We should acknowledge God’s will and submit to it regardless of its lack of popularity.

Read…

I. We Are Prone to Criticize Others Based on Our Limited Understanding (1-3)

When we share the gospel some will receive it, others will reject it.

Some will surrender to it and others will be stirred up because of it.

In this section Luke shows us (1) The obedience of Peter (2) The opposition to Peter and (3) The opportunity for Peter in sharing the Good News.

We need to understand that there’s always been opposition to the work of God and the Word of God, but most of the time it comes from unbelievers or unsaved religious rulers.

Here we learn that opposition arose from within the church. This was a major transitional time in the life of the church.

God’s new way of doing things and the rapid changes that resulted upset some.

A. News Travels Fast (1)

Word of the Gentiles salvation got back to Jerusalem even before Peter got back. The news spread like wildfire!

Even though the speed of news today has changed, human nature hasn’t.

But let’s see their response to that news.

B. The Jewish believers chose to criticize rather than cheer (2)

“Those of the circumcision” tell us that these were Jewish Christians that were still attached to the law of God and the traditions of men.

Many believers were still hanging on to the rituals and teachings of Judaism. We will see this come back up again in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council. This issue just wouldn’t go away.

They clearly represented a conservative minority within the church, a group dedicated to protecting a Jewish perspective on Christianity.

Verse 2 says they contended with Peter. This word Luke used means to to divide, withdraw from, oppose or to criticize.

There will always be those who oppose the work of God. They will oppose God’s servants doing God’s work God’s way!

This is nothing new! When God is at work there is change from the old to the new and many people don’t like the change of bringing in people into the church that are not like them!

What was all the fuss about?

C. Their criticism centered around a breach of their tradition (3)

Their problem wasn’t that people were being saved, it was with “the people” that were being saved.

They were more concerned with their legalist, traditional standards than the Lord’s servant sharing the gospel with lost sinners.

We need to be careful about our convictions and make sure our convictions are in line with the Word of God, not traditions, and carried out in the Spirit of God.

They were angry with Peter because he ate with Gentiles.

They weren’t concerned at this point about the conversion of the people , but about the condition of Peter.

Their focus was all messed up!

Luke said this also about Jesus in Luke 15:2: “And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

David Jeremiah said, “It’s interesting that Peter was accused by his fellow Christians of the same thing Jesus was accused by the Pharisees: eating with sinners. At least Peter was in good company.”

Most of the time the dissenters’ issues are not with the main thing, but with some side issues.

Getting the gospel to lost people is God’s mission and He accomplishes that through His servants.

Most church fusses could be defused if people would keep the main thing the main thing.

Herschel Ford, pastor and author from the beginning of the last century wrote, “You notice here that these people did not rebuke Peter for preaching Christ to the Gentiles, but for eating with them. It is usually that way. When a quarrel starts in a church, it is not over a big doctrinal question, but over some trivial thing which cannot compare with the main issue.”

Some people are going to be critical no matter what you do. We need to make sure that we are doing the will of God!

When we are doing the work of God some people will criticize us, but we must remain faithful to the Lord Jesus and not turn aside or give up when we face opposition.

Peter was attacked and criticized for going to the home of Gentiles and eating with them. He could have easily given up and threw his hands in the air and say, “I quit! You people don’t get it!” Realize that we can’t please everyone all the time.

One of Aesop’s fables tells of an old man and his son bringing a donkey to market. Passing some people on the way, they hear the remark, “Look at that silly pair—walking when they could be riding comfortably.” The idea seemed sensible to the old man, so he and the boy mounted the donkey and continued on their way.

Soon they passed another group. “Look at that lazy pair,’ they heard, ‘breaking the back of that poor donkey, tiring him so that no one will buy him.” The old man slid off, but soon they heard another criticism from a passerby: ‘What a terrible thing, this old man walking while the boy gets to ride.”

They changed places, but soon heard people whispering, ‘What a terrible thing, the big strong man riding and making the little boy walk.’ The old man and the boy pondered the situation and finally continued their journey in yet another manner, carrying the donkey on a pole between them.

As they crossed the bridge, the donkey broke loose, fell into the river, and drowned. Aesop’s moral: You can’t please everyone.

These Jewish Christians blew right past the fact that the Gentiles embraced the gospel and trusted Christ, and focused on what offended their sensibilities.

Now Peter has to defend his actions.

II. Peter Has to Explain His Actions (4-17)

Peter didn’t have anything to be afraid of. He was merely following orders from God, and the Holy Spirit had confirmed the Gentile’s salvation.

We’re not going to spend a lot of time on this section, because Peter is reviewing everything Luke has already told us.

The old Peter might have been tempted to cut off an ear or two at this point; but this is the Spirit-filled version.

Peter had matured enough to understand why these brothers struggled with the same clean/unclean problems that plagued him in that horrible sheet.

A. Peter admitted his hesitation in accepting God’s new operating plan (4-8)

But Peter decided to be open to God’s guidance, even though it challenged his preconceptions.

B. Peter aligned himself with God’s new plan (9-14)

Peter tells his brethren that the Holy Spirit of God spoke to him and told him to go with those men that were sent to him.

It’s always good to hear from and obey the Spirit of the Lord.

When we are facing a decision in life we have to seek the mind of the Lord and the direction from the Spirit of the Lord.

John Phillips wrote, “It is a great thing when contemplating some course of action to be sure that we have the mind of the Spirit. That is true of all of life’s decisions but particularly so when contemplating some major change of direction or some wholly new course of action.”

The Holy Spirit doesn’t lead us to dead end streets and wasted opportunities. He leads us to accomplish the will of the Lord and bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ.

C. Peter got out of God’s way (15-17)

Peter remembered what Jesus said. That’s always a good thing.

Jesus came and He told His disciples that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

(v. 17) Peter realized that God is sovereign. Peter finishes up by saying, “Who am I to stand in God’s way?”

And as Paul Harvey would say from many years ago: “And now for the rest of the story.”

These Jewish Christians learned…

III. Don’t Argue With God (18)

How did these Jewish believers respond?

A. The Jewish believers accepted Peter’s explanation and stopped objecting. “When they heard these things they stopped objecting.” (18a)

They listened and they “got it.”

They had missed the will of God by not seeing the Gentiles as God saw them and not being willing to receive the Gentiles as God received them.

John G. Butler said, “So often critics in church will not listen to explanations. Let the pastor or some church official try to explain something at a business meeting and do it ever so well even as Peter did here, and these people interrupt or pay no attention to what he says. And as soon as he stops speaking, they start in again making charges which evidence they did not listen at all. Such critics only expose themselves as the problem, not the answer.”

B. They accepted the new paradigm (18c)

“We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.

A paradigm is a way of looking at something, a framework through which to view things.

They now saw that God accepted the Gentiles into the family of God and into the church.

And lastly…

C. They stopped complaining and started praising God’s new plan. (18b)

“They glorified God.”

They celebrated the work of God in saving the Gentiles. They changed their perspectives about the Gentiles.

A work of grace in the hearts of people will always change their outlook about others.

God gets all the glory and we should celebrate over those who are being saved.

We need to thank God for working in His church, whether it’s this church, or the church down the road.

What do we learn from the experience of these Jewish believers?

Acknowledge God’s will and submit to it regardless of its lack of popularity.