Acts 10

 

Up to this point, the Disciple thought this movement was just for Jews. Peter learns differently in Acts 10. 

 

There are three things we need to kep in mind: 

  1. The Kingdom of God is multi-ethnic. … Every tribe 
  2. The Kingdom of God is multicultural. … Every language 
  3. The Kingdom of God is multi-generational. … Boomers, Millennials, Gen Zers, etc. 

 

These three truths are why we should welcome everyone who believes into the church. The more diversity there is in your local church (from those three points), the more it will reflect what Heaven will be like. People of every tribe, of every tongue and language, of every generation ever will be in Heaven. 

 

In Acts 10, God tells Peter He has made food that was once unclean to be clean. (Thank God, we can eat bacon now!) But the message wasn’t just about food; it was about people too. God wants everyone to experience salvation, whether Jew or Roman or Greek or Saxon. Red, yellow, black, or white, they are all precious in His sight. Peter ends up going to a centurion’s house and baptizing him and his household.

 

Three things to learn from this story:

  1. Recognize every person matters to god. … We were created in the image of God. Everyone. No exceptions. We all matter to God and thus we matter. Period. Our dignity, worth, and value are tied to our Creator. Every person with every skin tone is important to God and has value. Together, we are an artwork that glorifies God and shows His creativity and power. 
  2. Allow the gospel to break down dividing walls. … Cultural and racial walls can come down because we are united in Christ. We are all creations of the same God. We all share the same value and worth and dignity. We may see things differently and have varying opinions on certain matters. But we worship the same God and we worship together. 
  3. Remember the common ground of our salvation. … The blood of Jesus Christ is the only way we can be saved. There is no other way. Christ is the One who saves us; we cannot do it on our own. 

 

For Further Study/Resources Used to Prepare This Message

  • Exalting Jesus in Acts by Tony Merida
  • NIV Commentary (Acts) by Ajith Fernando
  • Acts: The Church Afire by Kent Hughes
  • Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary by Patrick Schreiner
  • The Gospel-Driven Church by Jared C. Wilson