When the Rock Rolled: Are You Too Comfortable>

June 28, 2015

When the Rock Rolled

Are You Too Comfortable?

Acts 10:10-48

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Introduction

Despite being a man of innovation, creation and design Henry Ford resisted change.

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• It took other automotive makers to make certain improvements that forced him to begin making changes.

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Let’s be honest...we do not like it when things change.

• One writer stated that the only people that do like change is ‘wet babies.’
• Churches are often guilty of accepting this attitude of fear of change.
• Even when we are sure that Change will please and glorify God we still resist.

Things were not all that different in the first century.

• The events of Acts 10 were earth shaking to the church.
• As we read the institution of these changes we may question what the big deal was.
• As we examine the history and implications we can see how they struggled with this change.
• In these instances we too can learn how to embrace change.

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Text

10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. Acts 10:10-16

In this dream God is telling Peter that something new was going to happen.

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• Peter was a Jew and was raised to obey the law of Moses.
• In that law there were strict restriction on what a Jewish person could eat (see Deut. 14)

Fast forward to Acts 10 and the church has been established for several years...things changed

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• They no longer offered sacrifices.
• They no longer kept the Sabbath as their holy day.
• While, they did not do those things any more they were still Jewish in their thinking and actions.
• This could be seen in their observance of the food laws...but there was something else.

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The house of Cornelius is taught the gospel and baptized - vs. 17-48

After he returns from this we read, “So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Acts 11:2-3

• Gentiles were considered unclean dogs...why?
• They had not been circumcised!
• Jews would not sit with them, spend the night in their home, and avoided buy from them if they could.
• Jews would only accept a Gentile if they had been circumcised, thus becoming a Jew.

Since the blessed gospel is for all God intended to change all of this.

• Circumcision was the mark of the old covenant.
• Baptism was the mark of the new covenant in Christ.

This took an adjustment and God used the house of Cornelius for this.

“Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation...” - vs. 22

• This was a man that they Jews knew...not a stranger.
• This was someone that the jews would have respected.

After Cornelius was taught Peter asks this question, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people…”

• Why ask this question?
• vs. 45 we read, “And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.”
• God was changing things.

On the other end of this transition God used Peter.

• He was a stubborn, hard headed, uncompromising man.

Lesson

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How do we know that change was hard for people in the first century?

• vs. 10 says that this vision happened three times!
• God said, “Go kill and eat” and Peter said “NO!”
• 3 times God told him to not call impure what God called pure.
• God had repeat some messages/visions, but we don’t find things being repeated 3 times!

Later Peter is at a Conference in Jerusalem and makes this statement:

“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:8-9

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Overcome Your Fear Change

Change makes people anxious!

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• However Philippians 4:6 tells us “do not be anxious about anything…”
• However, when anxiety sets in we are to engage in “prayer and supplications.”

God knows who change affects us, so throughout Scripture we find the encouragement of Philippians 4.

• In these accounts we can learn 2 things:

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1. As Christians we should not fear change

• God is a God of Change!
• “Behold, I make all things new!”
• He does all kinds of new things everyday in our lives.
• Becoming a Christian is changing through Him.
• Through baptism we become “new creations.”

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2. As Christians we should go beyond our comfort zone

• Why do we need to reach past our comfort zone?
• So that we can reach more and more people for Christ.
• The first century church was constantly challenged to do things more might have been uncomfortable so that they could win souls.
• Like Peter stepping out of the boat we too need to step out in faith!

Prayer

Conclusion

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While I like change I too become fearful at the thought of change.

• But why are we so scared?

I am reminded about the day when the Israelites were on the border of the promise land the first time.

• They were afraid, but of what?
• The size of the giants in the land and the strength of the walled cities.
• They were afraid of change because they looked to all the new things and lost sight of God.
• Their fear came when they came to the thought that God was not big enough for their challenges.

For us to overcome our fear we need to draw near to the God who is big enough to do amazing things!