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Loving in a Divided Culture

Loving in a Divided Culture. Week of January 22, 2012. Outline of the Passage. Challenge Your Assumptions (Acts 10:9-15) Change Your Behavior (Acts 10:22-25,27-33) Clarify that Jesus Is Lord of All (Acts 10:34-36).

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Loving in a Divided Culture

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  1. Loving in a Divided Culture Week of January 22, 2012

  2. Outline of the Passage • Challenge Your Assumptions (Acts 10:9-15) • Change Your Behavior (Acts 10:22-25,27-33) • Clarify that Jesus Is Lord of All (Acts 10:34-36)

  3. God doesn’t show favoritism and neither should we. Let’s Pray for the Spirit’s Guidance This study will help you identify your prejudices and look for ways to overcome them.

  4. Challenge Your Assumptions Acts 10:9-159 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.

  5. Challenge Your Assumptions 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 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."

  6. Challenge Your Assumptions • Ever feel God was preparing you for something new? Forcing you to rethink old assumptions? That’s where Peter was. • Two visions led up to this rethinking: • Cornelius’s vision; “Send for Peter” • Peter’s vision; “Minister to Gentiles” • “Arise Peter, kill and eat…”

  7. What God has made clean, you must not call impure.

  8. Why? • Do you have any prejudices? • This happened three times. • How many times did Peter deny Jesus? • How many times does Jesus ask Peter, “Do you love Me?” • Peter was a stubborn and slow learner. • Peter was prejudice toward Gentiles. But Jesus had declared ALL foods clean (Mark 7:19) and ministered to a Gentile woman (Mark 7:24-30). 3 3

  9. Where are your blind spots or prejudices? Last Sunday we learned that God loves and values all people. Today, we take that one step further. Do you think God loves Muslims? Do you have any blind spots regarding how you view certain people groups? Do we avoid, shun or even fear certain people groups?

  10. Where are your blind spots or prejudices? God loves and values all people and wants to have a saving relationship with all people, regardless of race, etc., through Jesus Christ. Does that rock any of our assumptions? Does that statement bring to light any of our prejudices?

  11. Change Your Behavior Acts 10:22-25, 27-33 22 The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

  12. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence…. 27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.

  13. 28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?" 30 Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon.

  14. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

  15. Change Your Behavior • Just as soon as the vision was over, Peter had some Gentile visitors. • Fortunately, Peter connected the dots…if God made all animals clean, then Gentiles must be okay too. • Did Peter invite these visitors to join him for lunch? • Would these visitors spend the night?

  16. We too cannot wait until we feel differently to obey God? Sometimes our obedience requires us to step outside of our comfort zones. Jesus does not want us just to be “nicepeople.” He wants us to build relationships with people so that we can share the Good News of a Savior. Don’t let prejudice stop the message of Salvation!

  17. Feeling Uncomfortable Lately? When we seek to obey God and change our behavior, the uncomfortable feelings we experience can come from many different places. Which of the following best describes your discomfort?

  18. __ I may have to admit I was wrong; __ I won’t know what to say; __ I am afraid what my friends might think; __ I may afraid of how the other person will respond; __ I don’t have the time or the resources that it will take; __ What would God think if I refuse?

  19. Peter did not refuse! • Peter admits his discomfort: “Jews do not associate with Gentiles.” • But, God has shown him otherwise! • Peter had surrendered his prejudice to be obedient to God. Would we do the same?

  20. Clarify that Jesus Is Lord of All Acts 10:34-3634 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

  21. Clarify that Jesus Is Lord of All • God doesn’t show favoritism,” literally, “to receive the face.” • God wants all people, every race, to be saved. • This salvation is not on the basis of good works, or even sincerity, but ONLY through faith in Jesus Christ. Meaning?

  22. God’s peace comes through the receiving of the Gospel Message of Jesus’ suffering, dying and rising again. • Since we have an impartial God and a universal Lord and Savior, we are called by Jesus in His Great Commission to make disciples of whom? All Nations! JesusisLordofAll

  23. Our Lutheran World Relief In Japan In Africa

  24. We will join LWR during Lent In Africa

  25. We will join LWR on Palm Sunday

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