We are Church

Acts 9:32-12

SLIDE: Ethnic Harmony: The gospel is for all people

SLIDE: Ethnos in Greek- this means people groups.

SLIDE: People Groups by Country: 17,260

Unreached Groups: 7,219

% Unreached Groups: 41.8%

Jews and Gentiles

We are called to make disciples of all nations. Two ways we see this in this section of verses- The right way and the wrong way.

RIght way: Acts 9:34 “And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.”

Wrong way: Acts 12:20-25

Acts 12:20–25 ESV

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

Peter and Cornelius- A jew meeting a gentile 10:1-8

God tells Peter in a vision to eat meat 10:9-16

Cornelis comes to Peter and Peter goes to his house 10:17-33

Acts 10:28 (ESV)

And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.

Gentiles hear the Good news Acts 10:34-43

Acts 10:34–43 (ESV)

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The Jews confront Peter about going to the house of a gentile. 11:1-18

Main point: Peter corrects everyone’s thinking 11:17-18

Acts 11:17–18 (ESV)

If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

What does this mean for us? We don’t really use words like Jews and Gentiles around here.

Ephesians 2:13–22 (ESV)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

SLIDE: look at a literal wall

SLIDE: so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

So what?

SLIDE: Learn: we can disagree with someone and still love them

Lament: where have we fallen short

Live:

Where we look at each other and say: you are a sinner like me, saved by grace like me you are being sanctified like me an idiot like me. How incredible is our savior who won’t stop working on us and in us?

What we need to understand from all of this is that if we live this out, this would be a picture of what God wants for his church. Where there’s harmony between everyone and I’ll say it again we can disagree on something and still love each other. When that happens people will see the church not as a giant wall they cant pass but open doors where they can come and as the SLIDE: Psalm says

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!