Learning To Be Inclusive
Acts 10:1-2, 23-48
“Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.”
Following The Instructions
Chuck Yeager, the famed test pilot, was flying an F-86 Sabre over a lake in the Sierras when he decided to buzz a friend’s house near the edge of the lake. During a slow roll, he suddenly felt his aileron lock. Says Yeager, “It was a hairy moment, flying about 150 feet off the ground and upside down.”
A lesser pilot might have panicked with fatal results, but Yeager let off on the G’s, pushed up the nose, and sure enough, the aileron unlocked. Climbing to 15,000 feet, where it was safer, Yeager tried the maneuver again. Every time he rolled, the problem recurred.
Yeager knew three or four pilots had died under similar circumstances, but to date, investigators were puzzled as to the source of the Sabre’s fatal flaw. Yeager went to his superior with a report, and the inspectors went to work. They found that a bolt on the aileron cylinder was installed upside down.
Eventually, the culprit was found in a North American plant. He was an older man on the assembly line who ignored instructions about how to insert that bolt, because, by golly, he knew that bolts were supposed to be placed head up, not head down. In a sad commentary, Yeager says that “nobody ever told the man how many pilots he had killed.” (From “Yeager” by Chuck Yeager, Bantam, 1985)
Now I know this probably doesn’t happen to you but some people are so stubborn, so stuck in their ways, and by golly, they know how to do it the right way and the better way and no one can tell them different.
Read Passage – Acts 10:1-9
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers 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. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone 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: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. 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.” 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 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 tonguesand 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.
Cornelius
Cornelius – This passage tells us that he was Italian. Secondly, we are told that he was a Roman soldier. We understand him to be a fairly high-ranking officer. He was a Centurion. This tells us that he was over thirty years old because it took 12 to 16 years of military service to be eligible for promotion to such a rank. Furthermore, from his being a Centurion we know that Cornelius was a literate man who had to have shown administrative skills along with combat leadership. The centurion in the infantry is chosen for his size, strength and dexterity
Now, there were sixty grades or levels of rank even within the office of Centurion. To be of the lowest rank of Centurion meant that you were responsible for a “Century”; that is, a unit of 60-80 soldiers but was most commonly thought to be 100 soldiers. The highest ranking Centurion was the leader of a “Cohort”; that is, 480 soldiers and a sizable administrative staff.
We can also surmise that Cornelius was a man of noble character. To move up in the Roman guard you had to be trustworthy, dependable, and sure of yourself. You also had to have letters of recommendation and
Caesarea
Cornelius was stationed at Caesarea, a coastal city about 50 miles Northwest of Jerusalem. (Show map) Caesarea was the seat of Roman government in Palestine and Syria. This is where the Roman governor was head-quartered We need to remember that Rome conquered the territories the New Testament calls Judea, Galilee and Samaria 60 years before the birth of Christ. From that time, the Jews increasingly ceased to be a free and independent nation. They were ruled by people of Rome’s choosing.
The Jews never fully accepted their being a part of the Roman Empire and so, from time to time, they would resist Roman authority. For this reason, Rome had to constantly keep military troops in and around the Jewish nation to keep them from outright rebellion.
There was a clash of these two cultures and societies.
Romans – Very crass, pagan, polytheistic, arrogant, felt they were a superior civilization, thought they alone were wise and powerful, usually showed contempt for those they conquered
Jews – Zealots, rule oriented (to the Jewish law), stubborn, monotheistic, felt they were the chosen nation by God
This leads me to mention that the Jews thought they were to be separate from other nations (Gentiles). Remember God called them not to mix with other nations, not to intermarry, not to take foreign Gods. This was all in their culture and religion so they could uphold the ways of God and to maintain holiness.
Jesus Models a New Paradigm
This story is a crucial one in the spreading of the gospel. Why? Because Christ and his life, and then his subsequent death changed everything. The time for separateness and for division was over. The time for a “chosen people” was moving from a nation to those who would choose Jesus as their Savior. Jesus brought this new shift or paradigm and modeled it in his life. He was ridiculed for this and questioned over and over again because of this.
Ex. He is accused of mingling with tax gathers and sinners
He talks with the woman at the well
God’s Calls To Love People
So God does something here that we need to take note of; God speaks to both sides, to both parties; to the centurion and to Peter. And this is the message; His followers are to be inclusive not exclusive. His message is to love and that the gospel is good news to all people and the time for division is over. This story is an important turning point in the gospel going out to all people and is a building block for the New Testament church. So let’s look at the traits of being a person loves like God loves and becoming a person who models the love of Jesus.
1. Each Person Has Significance
The first step is to understand and realize that every person has significance. Verse 4:
“Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” vs. 4
God saw what Cornelius was dong and his generous acts to the poor and he heard his prayers. This had to confuse the Jews. God hears the prayers of Gentiles? But listen again to the verse, it says that those things came up as a memorial offering. The picture here is the sacrifices that the Jews made and the smoke that would rise from the Temple to be a pleasing aroma to God.
Ex. Walking through the mall recently and I smelled Cinnabon. Better for me was walking into a La Tapitia restauranand smelling the steak fajitas. Wow! You know what I ordered.
Let me quote a verse from Paul from Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, you are all one in Christ Jesus.“ Gal. 3:28
Notice Paul says “in Christ.” In Jesus everything is made new and each person is valued, has significance and is affirmed. God loves all people and calls us to do the same.
2. Putting Aside Our Biases
Which leads us to the second trait, that we put aside our biases and prejudices and be people who bring together. Verses 34-35:
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.“ vs. 34-35
Both sides here had their biases. When they began to look at each other with God’s eyes and His heart, they saw each other much different. It goes to the heart and he wants us to love like He loves. His love supersedes the differences. It’s admitting that we are different and that those differences are good because God has given each of us gifts and talents and thigns that we are gifted with to use for uniting and bringing together. Paul said in Romans 10:12:
“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all…” Romans 10:12
God is Lord of all. When you look at someone as a child of God, someone that He loves, we put the biases aside. The bottom line is that we are all more alike than we are different. God love s all of us and we all have our own issues yet God pursues us and wants us.
Ex. I walked into a bookstore this week, just browsing, and the girl behind the counter had a Mohawk and different clothes. Me and my polo shirt looked like a straight laced guy. Another woman walked in and they both started sharing their story to each other. Share my thoughts on what was going on.
3. Strive for Peace
The third trait is that we strive to be people of peace. Verse 36:
“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. “ vs. 36
The Good news is a message of peace. Peace that accepts people for who they are and who God created them to be. Now notice that he isn’t calling for “tolerance.” Tolerance is a catch word today. But tolerance is the idea of putting up with or accepting but with qualifications. God’s call here is deeper than that. Let me follow this up with the words of Paul from Romans 12:18:
“As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” Romans 12:18
Peace. As far as it depends on you, live at peace. What does peace look like? Peace is living isn harmony, it’s putting an end to hostility, it’s changing our thinking from division and superiority to unity and acceptance, it’s choosing to value people, every person.
4. Do Unto Others…
And finally, it’s doing unto others. I love the way this story ends. It actually starts and ends with a similar thread. Verse 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.” vs. 47
Remember both sides here didn’t really like each other. In fact, in many ways they were opposed to each other. But God changes Peters heart and he not only recognizes what God is doing but chooses to be a part of the process by baptizing the centurion. We can’t love and accept without being part of the process of restoration and healing and that includes stepping out of our comfort zone and walk along side others. It’s treating others as we want to be treated. Remember the centurion was in the practice of helping others. Verse 4:
“The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. “ vs.
He was in the practice of helping others and now, he was prepared to have the heart of Christ and continue that work in Jesus name.
Finish with saying from Maya Angelou, American author and poet.
People will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel
– Maya Angelou
