Hitting the Curve Ball

Have you ever been surprised by things that happen in life. I am sure all of us can think of a moment in time that we were surprised or something unexpected happened to us. Now of course we can think of these things in a positive way. I think about the experience with Isaac in the hospital and spending three months in the hospital and wondering how in the world we would pay for all of this. Yet, when the bill came we found out that we owed nothing. We were incredibly blessed and it took a great weight off of us at a moment in our life when we needed to be more worried about taking care of our son and not about the finances.

Then there are the times that life throws us a curve ball that we were never expecting. In College both Angie and I had a Professor who talked about when life throws you a curve ball how are you going to respond.

One of the reasons a curve ball is so hard to hit is because it fools your eyes. It messes your brains natural ability to track motion. This is what makes it so difficult to track and to hit for players. This happens in life sometimes and it is always a challenge when these things happen. Sometimes it is a good thing sometimes it is a bad thing. Most of the time its how react to the curve that determines the outcome. This morning i want to look at a story in the Book of Acts to help us see what can happen when things don’t go exactly as anticipated.

Lets turn to

Acts 10:44–48 NIV

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

They were Astonished

These last couple verses from Peter’s ministry show us an interesting curve ball that some of the early followers were not expecting and it includes even Peter himself. To help us better understand it though i need to set the stage of what is happening in this passage.

Peter was a man who was committed to his Judaism. As you read the book of Acts Peter and Paul actually even had an argument about Peter’s struggles with forcing Gentiles to get circumcised. The view of Gentiles form Peter is one of his faults that seems to plague him in the book of Acts. It wasn’t that he was against Gentiles just he had certain expectations. He comes and speaks to Cornelius a centurion and his household. This is the stage that is set and where Peter is sharing this message. He is sharing the Gospel with a group of Gentiles and they hear the message and then something amazing happens.

The Holy Spirit Showed up

The Holy Spirit showed up and was poured out upon the gentiles. This was something that you have to wonder if the people with Peter never thought could happen. It was something that astonished them and they had to deal with that and you wonder how much it really affected them in that moment to see these people that they never expected to receive the Holy Spirit get blessed.

Its like wait a minute why are they getting this blessing? They aren’t a part of the club are they?

Its amazing because at times we have this same kind of attitude in the church. We often will make that mistake based on Physical appearance, or nationality, or some other reason. We make these mistakes and we see the problems that the Holy Spirit doesn’t recognize our own biases. Yet, Peter had a different response and we have to go back a little bit further to understand what is going on.

Acts 10:9–17 NIV

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 17 While 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.

Peter’s Vision

I remember this passage and vision because growing up i was a part of teen bible quizzing in the church. IT was something that i enjoyed and it also helped me get a good strong knowledge of the Bible. One year we did the book of Acts and i remember this passage because i memorized a large portion of it. I honestly can’t say what about this passage captured my attention but i do remember it. Maybe its the fact that this passage allows us to eat bacon because it says its okay to eat little piggies. Yet, for Peter this was a powerful vision that really challenged him.

Peter experienced this vision three times. God had to tell him to get up and eat three times before the sheet was taken back up into heaven. Yet, Peter after the vision was over sat there and was still confused on what had happened. He didn’t see what God was telling him in this moment. It is then that Cornelius men had found him and called him to come speak with them and the household to share the message of God.

Peter than travels and shares that message. He shares with them the good news and the people come to believe. This was not what was expected we know this because of the reaction of the followers. Yet, It is in these moments that Peter understands the completeness of his vision that he had received. It was in this moment that He understood what God mean when he said.

Acts 10:15 NIV

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

It is in this moment that you have to wonder if the light bulb went on for Peter. That he suddenly was able to see the spin on the curve ball and hit it. Oh my God is telling me that the Gentiles aren’t unclean that I need to be careful in how i reference them. Who am I to say who does or doesn’t have the ability to come to faith. It makes Passages like this even more real for us.

1 John 5:1 NIV

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

The Believers need to Love

It is in these moments that we see there is a deep need to recognize that those born of God those who truly believe and do what God commands are people we are called to love because the reality is they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. It was in this moment that we see that we have to remember to check ourselves and some of our preconceived notions of what it means to be a believer and what it means to follow God. That it isn’t always as clear to tell who may live a life following God by first impressions or appearances. Instead we need to remember to get to know people. Engage in life together and in turn help each other. It is only in these kinds of acitons that we find that we are able to fully realize the love that God has for us. That through loving each other we gain access to the Father in ways that we never had before. It is in our love of God that we are able to show the love of God and in turn when we show the love of God to others that we love God.

More and more i am reminded each day by the love of God what he has done for me and what he is doing in my life. I choose to believe in him and the love he had for me and remember that he died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins. It is only through Christ that i gain this. I wasn’t deserving of it but yet he did it for me anyway and that love is the same love that all people of this world deserve.

Communion