July 11, 2025 • 51 mins
The Spirit breaks rules. It demolishes barriers. It interrupts our neat theological packages. Through the revolutionary story of Peter and Cornelius, we witness what happens when divine inclusion confronts religious exclusion.
Peter, raised with strict Jewish purity laws, encounters a vision challenging everything he believed about who belongs in God's family. Simultaneously, Cornelius—a Roman officer representing the occupying empire—receives divine instruction to seek Peter out. These parallel supernatural experiences set the stage for a boundary-shattering encounter that would forever transform the early church.
What makes this story so powerful is how it confronts our tendency to create insider/outsider dynamics. Peter's declaration that "God shows no favoritism" directly challenged the fundamental Jewish belief that they were God's chosen people. This radical message of inclusion—that God accepts those who fear Him from every nation—demolished religious barriers that had defined identity for centuries.
The climactic moment arrives when, even as Peter speaks, "the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening." The timing demonstrates how the Spirit operates as a divine interrupter, not waiting for human processes to complete. The spontaneous outpouring on Gentiles forced the Jewish believers present to reconsider their theological boundaries, culminating in Peter's powerful question: "Can anyone object to their baptism now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"
This account challenges us to examine where we've drawn our own exclusionary lines. Who have you decided God won't accept? Whose prayers do you believe won't be heard? Are you positioned as a "stomper-out of the move of God" or as a participant in divine inclusion? When God breaks the rules you thought were unbreakable, will you resist or embrace the Spirit's revolutionary work?
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In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the First Love Church podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala,
Florida.
I'm grateful for your presencethis morning with us here, thank
you all for being here and I amexcited I think that I'm always
excited, but I'm particularlyexcited to talk about the Spirit
(00:23):
, to talk about the power, totalk about the inner unction, to
talk about the comforter, theadvocate, but the presence that
allows us to experience all ofthe love that God is and then
for us to be light and lovearound us.
Thomas mentioned I think,probably because I've been
(00:43):
mentioning it is the season ofPentecost and in the season of
Pentecost we get to practice allof the things that we learned
the other six months of the year, when we're talking about the
story of Jesus.
Now we've heard the witnessesin the story of Jesus and now we
get to live as Jesus would livein our homes, in our
neighborhoods, as Jesus wouldlive in our homes, in our
(01:08):
neighborhoods, in our city.
We get to practice the way ofJesus, empowered by the Holy
Spirit.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
You know, because we live in this natural world, like
it or not.
You train in natural things,you surround yourself with that,
and oftentimes that's all wethink about in a day's time.
But for those of us thatbelieve, we believe there is a
spirit realm, we believe thatthere is a dimension that is
(01:34):
outside of this dimension, andthat is not something that would
come natural for us tounderstand, much less interact
with, unless we were to havesome kind of practices, some
kind of teaching.
And so I wonder how much effortis given intentionally on
(01:55):
understanding and developing thespiritual part of a person.
I remember all the way back towhen I worked at the treatment
center, when we would get thosekids in they would say that you
know that in helping thesestudents we need to recognize
that they are three parts toeach one of us.
(02:17):
And there's that social partthat you need, there's that
physical part that you must takecare of, and then there's the
spiritual side, and sometimesyou people that boy they're
socialists can be uh.
And there's people that are gymrats uh.
But how many pay that kind ofeffort towards training in the
spirit?
Sometimes that is a forgottenpart, and then we find people,
(02:41):
quite frankly that that mightignore any of those things.
Any one of those things putsyou out of balance, and so I
hope that in this season wewould, because it comes around
every year I think God isoffering us the opportunity to
recalculate, realign, you know,and reconnect, or maybe inspire
(03:07):
and develop that kind ofunderstanding that maybe we
hadn't had before.
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I'm hopeful.
I'm hopeful for all of us.
I'm going to read to us aportion from the letter to the
Galatian church, just kind ofsetting the stage for us for
Pentecost to remind us of somethings before we get to our text
today.
One of my favorite storiesabout Peter and Cornelius.
The stage for us for Pentecostto remind us of some things
before we get to our text today.
One of my favorite storiesabout Peter and Cornelius, just
for those of you who are goingto go through your little
automatic scripture in your headthere.
But I want to read to us fromGalatians, chapter 5.
(03:35):
So Christ has really set us free.
Now make sure that you stayfree and don't get tied up again
into slavery to the law.
I tell you, if you are countingon circumcision to make you
right with God, then Christcannot help you.
If you are trying to find favorwith God by obeying regulations
(03:58):
in the law of Moses, then youare trying to make yourself
right with God by keeping thelaw.
You are cut off from Christ andyou have fallen away from grace
.
Dear friends, if I werepreaching to you that you must
be circumcised which some peopletell you that you must do, and
(04:20):
why would the Jews continue topersecute me?
The fact that I am stillpersecuted means I am preaching
salvation through Jesus Christalone.
You, dear friends, have beencalled to live in freedom, not
freedom to satisfy your sinfulnature, but freedom to serve one
(04:40):
another in love.
For the whole command can besummed up in this one teaching
Love your neighbor as yourself,but instead, if you're showing
loves among yourselves, you arebiting and devouring each other.
Watch out, watch out, beware ofdestroying one another.
(05:00):
So I advise you to liveaccording to this new life, by
the power of the Holy Spirit,and then you won't be doing what
the sinful nature craves, thesinful nature loves to do.
That is evil and that is apartfrom what the Holy Spirit wants.
When the Holy Spirit controlsour lives, the Spirit will
(05:23):
produce this kind of evidence inus Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Here there is no conflict withthe law, and those who belong to
Christ Jesus have nailed thesinful passions to his cross and
(05:46):
crucified them there.
And if we are now living by theHoly Spirit, then let's follow
the Holy Spirit's leading inevery part of our lives.
Now, that is for us a beautifulframework for us.
Going into this story, that weremember that if the spirit is
leading our lives, there will beevidence of joy, there will be
(06:09):
evidence of peace, there will beevidence of love, there will be
gentleness, loving kindness,faithfulness.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
All of these things evidence that the spirit is
controlling our lives you know,when, um, when I was young, we
were raised in the Catholictradition and I can only speak
for the few parishes that Iattended, so I would never make
a statement about Catholicismthat would assume that I could
(06:41):
speak on behalf of all Catholics, and the Pope and I are best
friends or something.
I can just tell you that whatmy experience and my
understanding of the doctrinewas, as it were, taught to me by
those particular priests, anduh, um, and what, what happened
for me was uh, uh, I ended up ata, uh, at a, uh, pentecostal
(07:04):
church.
You know, here here's a, achurch, uh, uh.
When you're um, when you'recatholic, you, you, uh, are kind
of trained that catholics stayaway from protestant churches,
and uh.
So here I found myself in thisprotestant church and I felt
something pulling.
I felt the Spirit of God.
(07:25):
The words seemed to light up inmy mind and in my heart and I
felt God drawing me and I feltlike I had never, like a thirsty
person was getting a drink, Ihad never heard the Word of God
like this, and so I began tohave an experience, the word of
(07:47):
God like this, and so I began tohave an experience, uh, and
then, quickly, um, shame andguilt started to overtake me,
like, well, maybe I was doingsomething, I was stepping out on
my spouse, almost as it were.
You know, and so I was.
I'd go back to to my Catholicchurch on Sunday mornings and
then I would go to thatcharismatic church on Sunday
nights and I and I would justbattle back and forth, you know,
(08:09):
and, and I I could recognizethat one was telling me that it
was through these works of myown that I would receive things.
You know, through through theamount of prayers I might
receive my forgiveness, and, andthese and and this other
message was a message telling methat it was completed in Christ
(08:31):
Jesus.
And I was struggling back andforth until finally I made a
plunge.
I said I know that I was raisedthis way and I know I was
taught all these things, but I'mfeeling a drawing.
And I know I was taught allthese things, but I'm feeling a
drawing, and I'm putting myfaith in you, god, that you've
shown me in scripture, and I'mmaking this plunge and I'm
(08:52):
trusting you.
And boy, I got to tell you thatit was scary, but yet I found a
peace.
That torment began to leave mebecause I quit being
double-minded, I decided tobelieve.
But then something began tohappen in the Protestant church
that continues to happen.
(09:12):
All the time.
People come up and say, yeah,but you're forgiven in Jesus,
but you got to do.
And they pull out a laundrylist and they start telling me,
yeah, but don't forget theselaws and that law.
And all of a sudden I find attimes I'm lured back into this
(09:37):
place of trying to accomplishsalvation in my own strength,
trying to, and I want to tellyou that, whether you come from
from any kind of denominationalSalvation in my own strength,
trying to, and I want to tellyou that, whether you come from
From any kind of denominationalbackground, where you sit right
now, there's a constant barrage.
It seems To be for all of usthat we're tempted.
You know, like, like Paul said,oh, you foolish Galatians who
(10:01):
bewitched you that you wouldstart off in the spirit but end
up in the spirit but end up inthe flesh, start out in the fire
but end up in the smoke.
I can't see a single thing, andwe get deceived and distracted.
And so I want to challenge youthat it's by the spirit that we
maintain our trust in oursalvation through Christ Jesus
and not through your works.
(10:22):
Now, I'm not to say that thatmeans you get to just go behave
like a carnal fool, but what I'msaying to you is, in all your
efforts to perfect yourself,have you ever been able to do it
?
Because I haven't.
But what I have found?
That the more I lean on thespirit and the more I trust in
(10:43):
the, the completed work inchrist salvation being
accomplished through the spiritand I walk in that then I begin
to see changes in me, and so I'mchallenging you to consider
where have you picked back upand started working on that
project in your own strength?
(11:04):
And maybe the effort and thework really is in just learning
how to let go and trust.
Is this making sense to anybody?
Are you about ready to tar andfeather me and get me out of
town?
Help us, lord.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
From the book of Acts , chapter 10, in Caesarea there
lived a Roman army officer namedCornelius who was the captain
of the Italian regiment.
He was a devout, god-fearingman, as was everyone in his
household.
That's a feat in itself.
(11:42):
I just want to remind you.
This man clearly was not just atalker, was a doer.
He displayed this, he hadevidence of this.
He was a devout, god-fearingman, as was everyone in his
household.
He gave generously to the poorand prayed regularly to God.
One afternoon, about threeo'clock, he had a vision in
(12:06):
which he saw an angel of Godcoming toward him, cornelius.
The angel said.
And Cornelius stared at him interror.
And this is how we knew he sawan actual angel, because when
people see actual angels, theyare face down trying to plead
for their lives.
And so he encounters this light, this angel, and the angel says
(12:28):
he says what is it, sir?
And the angel replies yourprayers and gifts to the poor
have been received by God as anoffering.
Now send some men to Joppa andsummon a man named Simon Peter.
He is staying with Simon, atanner who lives near the
(12:49):
seashore.
And as soon as the angel wasgone, cornelius called two of
his household servants and adevout soldier and one of his
personal attendants.
So I just want for thestorytelling for you to realize
that he is sending a smallgarrison of people, he's sending
his servants, a soldier andpersonal attendants, and he told
(13:13):
them what happened and sentthem off to Joppa.
And the next day, as Cornelius'smessages were nearing the town,
peter went to a flat roof topray.
It was about noon and he washungry.
But while a meal was beingprepared, he fell into a trance
and he saw the sky open andsomething like a large sheet was
(13:36):
let down by its four cornersand in the sheet were all sorts
of animals, reptiles and birds.
And a voice said to him Get up,peter, kill and eat them.
No, lord, just no.
(14:02):
I have never eaten anythingthat our Jewish laws have
declared impure and unclean.
And the voice spoke again Donot call something unclean if
God has made it clean.
And the same vision was repeatedthree times and the sheet was
(14:24):
suddenly pulled up to heaven.
I remind you who is having thisvision Peter, who also denied
the Christ three times, who alsomade a proclamation that he
loved the Lord three times.
And so I just have to remindall of us that, whoever we are.
The Lord knows exactly what weneed.
Peter needs it three times.
(14:44):
I don't know how many times youneed it, but Peter needs it
three times.
This is the same God who'ssaying this.
I am changing the way that youare thinking about things.
I am asking you to change.
Give up what you believedbefore and listen to me.
And Peter was very perplexed tome.
(15:09):
And Peter was very perplexed.
What could the vision mean?
I just have to thank you, joni,for laughing.
Yes, what could the vision meanwhen God already told him what
the vision meant?
The vision meant do what I tellyou and don't call it unclean.
What could he mean?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Know, I appreciate very much this beautiful
interchange here I just kind ofwant to interject as we're
listening to this.
You know, I think that peter'sapproaching this the way many of
us do, like god's sayingsomething, but he's a puzzle
that is to be figured out.
And am I being tricked?
And I think that he really was.
Wait a minute, you know, eatthis.
(15:43):
Oh, no, no, you know, I alreadyknow that you don't want me to
eat this, so you must have beentempting me, right, you know?
And so I think that even here,he's perplexed, because he's
like trying to figure out whatthe vision meant when God said
what the vision meant.
And so I think that for many ofus, I wonder if it's just Peter,
or do we do that same thing,overthink, when we can actually
just trust our spirit?
(16:03):
This couldn't be, could it?
So I better ask somebody elsewho will give me a different
answer than what I know, what Iknow, that I know.
Do you understand what I'msaying?
And so I would challenge you tobe able to trust God that he's
not pulling a fast one on you ortrying to trick you and take
something from you.
(16:24):
God loves you and wants totrick you and take something
from you.
God loves you and wants to giveyou good things.
No, no mother is trying totrick a baby out of their
necessities.
Amen, but making them soavailable so we can trust god
peter was very perplexed.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
What could the vision mean?
And just then, men sent byCornelius found Simon's house
standing outside the gate.
I do want to remind you thatJesus had very recently been
crucified, that there werepeople after them.
So this may not have been ajoyous proclamation that there
(17:01):
is an entire garrison of peopleoutside of this person's house
looking for Peter.
It may have struck terror inhim.
It may have been a thought wellnow, who am I being hauled off
by?
What is going to happen to me?
And they asked if a man namedSimon Peter was staying there.
Also, pay attention to the fact.
It says that Cornelius in thebeginning is from Caesarea,
(17:24):
which is a beautiful place.
He had a beautiful house, he'sa homeowner, he is part of
Rome's empire, he is a colonizerby all effects of this.
He is a devout Christian, he isa person who gives alms and who
prays, but he is part of asystem that is terrorizing the
Jews, terrorizing them.
(17:46):
And so we look at this storyand we pay attention to whom we
are listening to and where weare in the story.
And they asked if Simon Peterwere staying there.
Meanwhile, peter was puzzlingover the vision.
The Holy Spirit said to himthree men have come looking for
you.
So while he's trying to befiguring out what God is saying,
(18:09):
now the Holy Spirit comes andsays hey, hey, there's people
and they're looking for you.
Get up and go downstairs and gowith them without hesitation.
Again, that probably would havefreaked him out all the more.
I'm confident of it because I'msupposed to go with this person
of this whole garrison.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Last time I saw somebody hauled off with some
Roman soldiers, it was not good.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Don't worry, for I have sent them.
So Peter went down and said Iam the man you are looking for.
Why have you come?
And they said we were sent byCornelius, a Roman officer.
He is a devout and God-fearingman, well-respected by all the
(18:55):
Jews.
A holy angel instructed him tosummon you to his house so that
he could hear your message.
I remind you that would havebeen against the rules too.
An angel summoned him to go tothe house of a Gentile
unacceptable.
An angel told him to go andbreak all the rules.
I just want to remind you howthis would have been difficult
(19:17):
for Peter.
I'm not to go into the house ofan unbeliever and eat with them
.
I'm not to go into the house ofa person and have communion
with them and an angel shows upand says you're to do it and
you're due without hesitation.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You know, and this speaks of the inclusion that I
believe God is still trying toget to the church today.
Because you know, keep in mind,this whole chapter started when
this roman soldier, this personoutside of the jewish faith and
not even someone who, who waspart of really, uh, uh, because
(19:53):
you know he's a, he's, he's aroman, he's a, you know.
And then the, then god says,through that angel, your prayers
have been heard.
That just doesn't kind of makesense and and to put it in
modern terms, what?
What does that mean for you?
Who is it that, in your mind,you're convinced their prayers
(20:14):
would not be heard by god?
Is it certain people in yourhouse, because the way they
behave?
Is it certain people ofdifferent denominations that you
think are there, because I betyou there's somebody that votes
different than you that you'reconvinced could not possibly
their prayers be heard?
And that's how shocking thatwas then and, unfortunately, how
(20:38):
still shocking it is today thatwe have this narrow idea of the
power of God and the scope ofGod's reach.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
A holy angel instructed him to summon you to
his house so that he could hearyour message, and so Peter
invited the men to stay for thenight, and the next day he went
with them, accompanied by someof the brothers from Joppa, and
they arrived in Caesarea thefollowing day and Cornelius was
waiting for them and had calledtogether his relatives and his
(21:11):
close friends, and as Peterentered his home, cornelius fell
at his feet and worshipped him.
Now stop there for a minute too.
Here is a person with all ofthe power of Rome behind them,
with the trust of the empire,and he is bowing at the feet of
the messenger of the, jesusChrist of Nazareth.
(21:32):
And so here we see a beautifulpicture of Cornelius's humility
in recognizing there is agreater power than the one I
know.
I mean.
Rome was a power.
Rome had a lot of power takenby force and taken through
cruelty and evil, but that powerbowed to the power that lived
(21:55):
in Peter, and Peter pulled himup and said stand up, I'm a
human being just like you.
And Peter pulled him up andsaid stand up, I'm a human being
just like you.
And so they talked together andthey went outside, where many
others were assembled Corneliushad been talking about the fact
that he had an experience, andthis was a mystical experience.
(22:18):
An angel shows up and says goand get this man and he's going
to come here and he's going totell you about me.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
You know, let's.
Let's talk about that becausewe can't breeze by the fact that
that we keep reading all thesestories about people having
these mystical experiences.
Where's my mystical experience?
Well, I wonder if I'm open toit.
Um, what would you say if yourpartner or friend fell into a
trance right now?
Person right next to you justfell into a trance.
(22:50):
We would call 9-1-1, or or tryto start casting the devil out,
or something you know that we'renot really familiar with, the
move of the spirit, like maybewe think we are as christians,
that that there's something youknow that is supernatural about
(23:12):
following god that we haveconveniently pushed aside
because that stuff's messy, it's, it's unpredictable.
It is, it is oftentimes veryscary, and I would.
I want the I'm just talkingabout me, no one else here.
I want the predictable, I wantthe familiar, I want the, the
confident thing, so I can havesome certainty, because
(23:36):
certainty as we and if we're notcareful, we exchange it for the
mystical, we trade it for theSpirit of God, amen.
I'm not talking to anybody inhere.
It's probably the first servicepeople.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Peter told them you know it's against our laws for a
Jewish man to enter a Gentilehome like this or to associate
with you, but God has shown methat I should no longer think of
anyone as impure or unclean.
I do want to say this about theSpirit the Spirit is a rule
breaker, absolutely is a rulebreaker.
The rules that you have and therules of people around you.
The Spirit, over and over again, is a rule breaker, even the
(24:16):
laws of nature.
The Spirit has broken thoserules and there is this incoming
, there is this beautifulinvitation by the Spirit to live
into and to co-create thiskingdom that God is offering.
But God has shown me that Ishould no longer think of anyone
, anyone, as impure or unclean.
(24:38):
So I came without objection.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Well, except for some people, right, because this is
crazy radical stuff you'retalking about.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Well, I just want to remind everybody that the Jesus
we loved was a radical Beforeyou thought he wasn't he.
I just remind you, the Jesusthat we know and the Jesus that
we follow is a radical, radicalin love, radical in grace.
We pause here for a moment tothank you for joining us today.
(25:10):
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This podcast is made possiblethanks to the generosity of
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(25:33):
subscribe.
So I came without objection assoon as I was sent for Not
really, you and I both knowthere was a lot of objection
here in his head, but he heardthe voice of the Lord and he did
it.
Now tell me why you sent for me.
And Cornelius replied.
Four days ago I was praying inmy house about this time.
(25:56):
Pay attention to the fact thatcontinual prayers have always
been a part of someone who ispracticing the presence of God.
Continual prayers has alwaysbeen a practice for those who
are looking to have an encounterwith the divine At three
o'clock in the afternoon, andsuddenly a man in dazzling
clothes was standing in front ofme and he told me Cornelius,
(26:19):
your prayer has been heard andyour that's a sermon in itself.
We'll let the Holy Spirit teachit to you.
Now send messengers to Joppa andsummon a man named Simon Peter.
He is staying in the home ofSimon, a tanner who lives near
(26:40):
the seashore.
That may have been startlingtoo, that the Holy Spirit knew
exactly where Peter was, gavevery specific directions and
said this man is staying in thatman's house.
You can't look for Peter, hedoesn't have a house.
But that man has a house.
That's where he's staying, atanner who lives near the
seashore.
(27:00):
Pay attention also to the factthat history would tell us that
tanners would not have had a lotof money and it was very messy,
very smelly.
You could look it up on what atanner actually does.
It's not a pretty thing.
And so this man is staying in ahouse by the seashore, a
beautiful house.
He's invited people to come,but he's invited the man to
teach him who is a guest of, aman who lives in a not beautiful
(27:25):
house and has a very smellyplace.
And I sent for you at once andit was good of you to come, for
now we are all here, waitingbefore God, to hear the message
the Lord has given to you.
Again, I remind you, thissounds very much like the story
in account the first that wehear in the book of Acts.
(27:45):
All the people were assembledtogether and waiting.
It is the assembly that mattersin these particular portions of
scripture, where we learn tohear and to experience the
spirit.
An angel appeared to Cornelius.
It is possible the angel couldhave taught him everything he
knows.
It is possible the angel couldhave given him the message right
(28:07):
.
But this is the work of thespirit.
This is how God intends for itto do.
If you want to hear, there willbe someone who gives you the
message.
Who are you?
Are you a Peter?
To someone that you will give amessage to of the good news of
the inclusion, of the breakingof the barriers?
It is good that you came andnow we are all here, waiting
(28:32):
before god to hear the messagethe lord gave you I want you to
see how you know.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Obviously, like I was saying, you know, god could
have spoke, uh, the Spirit,through the angel, but he chose
to use Peter in a group ofpeople, that is.
You know.
Not that God will always do itthat way.
God reserves the right to dowhatever God chooses to do, but
you'll see, so much of the timethat it happens in community,
(29:01):
because we are not, you know,and I really want to challenge
you on that Because I think somuch of the time we want our
spirituality to be developed onour own, and it's going to
happen around people, around themessy Tanner's house.
It's going to be amongst peoplethat have rough edges and have
(29:22):
issues, and so look for that.
In community you can find thatmessage that you need Now
understand.
If community isn't available toyou, god is not now all of a
sudden unable to pull out anyassistance for us.
But I do want you to know thatthere's going to be a tendency
(29:45):
for you, and always is, for us,to pull away, to not really
invest, not really trust, whenwe even see God's self as a
trinity, as a community as this,working in and among and with
(30:06):
and through each other, and weare made in God's image, and so
there's a beautiful thing thathappens.
And you know, heather and I Ihave such a spiritual partner
with Heather, but it's amazinghow her and I can be dealing
with very carnal things likegroceries and then all of a
sudden begin to talk aboutthings in the spirit or or maybe
(30:28):
joking around about funnythings that happen, and then all
at once, just you know, move inand out freely through, through
those things that are and evenin offense of one another,
choosing to rise above that andthen really finding and seeing
and feeling and experiencing God.
So I can't stress enough to youthe importance of that family
(30:54):
community and growingspiritually and the church
community that seems to be kindof in our culture now, just when
we can get around to it kind ofthing, present company excluded
, of course, uh, and those folksthat are faithful online of
course we're not talking aboutyou, but let that really
(31:15):
challenge us to maybe, when wedo allow other things to
distract, the way God mightreally be using to teach us
spiritual things.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
And here's the beautiful paradox of how God
works, because I just mentionedtwo times when the people
gathered and the Holy Spiritshowed up.
And then I want to remind youof the Ethiopian eunuch who's in
a chariot by himself, and theapostle is teleported to his
presence, just with theEthiopian eunuch who's in a
chariot by himself, and theapostle is teleported to his
presence just with the Ethiopianeunuch, and then says what are
you reading in the prophetIsaiah?
And he begins to have thisconversation.
(31:50):
And then the Ethiopian eunuchsays what prevents me from being
baptized?
I wasn't there, but I thinkPhilip looked around.
Nothing, except every singlelaw we have, except everything I
knew to be true.
Uh, okay, yeah, this is theHoly Spirit who is coming upon
us saying if you are seeking,the Lord will be found.
(32:14):
And Peter, okay, I want to goback to this next part.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Yeah, that's that a little bit, though, because I
think that the very foundationof the first really act uh, we
see, of the holy spirit outsideof the day of pentecost, is this
ethiopian man being broughtinto the community when the?
Uh, the reason why he was wherehe was is because he couldn't
go into the city and worship andlearn, and so he was outside.
(32:39):
And then, and then now, thefirst move, the spirit, is to
say no, those people that havebeen rejected have been pushed
outside, bring them home.
The very first one.
And so I wonder, where is yourlawbreaker?
You know, what is it kind ofthat you've settled in as a law
that god's not going to go pastand then allow god to be a
lawbreaker that way?
(33:00):
I loved how you talked aboutthat.
Even nature itself.
Jesus breaks that law of natureby coming back.
There was a law of sin anddeath.
It has been broken.
What laws need to be broken foryou and I to be made free?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
And so why would we prop up some you and I to be
made free, and so why would weprop up some?
So I said for you at once itwas good of you to come.
Now we're all here waitingbefore God to hear the message
the Lord has given you.
So he says I want to hear whatGod has given you.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
No pressure here.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
And Peter says I see very clearly that God shows no
favoritism.
Thank you, sue.
Sue also believes in themessage that Peter has heard
that God shows no favoritism,which sounds like beautiful
music now to us, because werecognize we are not God's
favorite, like that wasn't howwe grew up.
That wasn't the culture that wedepended on.
(33:58):
In this particular culture,everything they believed was
based on the fact that they wereGod's favorite.
Every hope they have was builtinto this cultural belief that
we are favorites, we arefavorites.
This is where our hope is.
And now Peter says I see veryclearly that that is not going
(34:19):
to be the way.
Peter is offering a completelydifferent way and that would be
astonishing, I think, even tohimself.
God shows no favorites.
In every nation he acceptsthose who fear him and do what
is right.
Please do not miss the and dowhat is right.
(34:41):
This doing what is right is notbecause they have to or that's
how they get their saving ortheir salvation, but the doing
what is right is after followingafter the Spirit.
The Spirit is intending thatthe kingdom will come, that all
of the good that God has will bemanifest, and it will be done
(35:03):
through us.
In every nation.
He accepts those who fear himand do what is right.
This is the message of the goodnews for the people of Israel
that there is peace with Godthrough Jesus Christ, who is
Lord of all.
Again, this is not as politicalas it needs to be, but we need
to be reminded of it.
(35:24):
At that particular time, caesardemanded that he was Lord and he
would send out proclamationsthat I'm Lord, and so this
empire said that I am the waythat anything is going to be
happen.
In fact, they would say overand over again peace only comes
through Rome, through crushingother nations.
And so, by Peter standing up infront of an Italian garrison,
(35:47):
in front of somebody whorepresents Rome, and says Jesus
Christ is Lord of all, I meanthere's not the sting in it that
it was when he was telling thisman the empire that you serve
is not the Lord.
Jesus Christ is above them.
And you know what happenedthroughout Judea, beginning in
Galilee, after John beganpreaching his message of baptism
(36:09):
, and you know that God anointedJesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power, andJesus went around doing good and
healing all who were oppressedby the devil, for God was with
him, and we apostles arewitnesses of all he did
throughout Judea and inJerusalem, and they put him to
(36:32):
death by hanging him on a cross.
But God raised him to life onthe third day and God allowed
him to appear, not to thegeneral public but to those of
us whom God had chosen inadvance to be his witnesses, and
we were those who ate and drankwith him after he rose from the
dead and he ordered us topreach everywhere and to testify
(36:57):
that Jesus is the one appointedby God to be the judge of all
the living and the dead Beloved.
That means you can take that offyour plate.
You do not have to judgeeveryone.
Jesus Christ is alreadyappointed.
There is already someone whohas that job.
It's not yours.
Jesus is the one appointed byGod to judge all the living and
(37:19):
the dead.
The one appointed by God tojudge all the living and the
dead.
I also am very excited aboutthat because I'm confident that
Jesus loves me.
If anyone is going to judge me,let it be someone who loves me.
If anyone is going to judge you,let it be someone who loves you
.
He is the one that all theprophets testified about, saying
(37:44):
that everyone who believes inthem will have their sins
forgiven through his name.
And even as Peter was sayingthese things, the Holy Spirit
fell upon all of those who werelistening to the message.
I love this about the HolySpirit as much.
As the Holy Spirit is a rulebreaker, the Holy Spirit is also
(38:05):
an interrupter.
Now this is a message that weactually had someone coming and
saying.
I mean, they actually traveled,angels orchestrated this.
A lot of this was happening andthe Holy Spirit was.
It's too good.
I'm just giving it now.
Thank you for your time.
You started.
That's wonderful, wonderful,but here the holy spirit falls
upon all of them who arelistening to the message you
(38:26):
know, I've been taught by manypeople over the years about the
holy spirit.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
You know that the holy spirit is almost uh, the
teaching is kind of like theholy spirit's kind of finicky or
um or or explained as the holyspirit of being like a bird, a
skittish bird, and if you dosudden movements the bird will
fly off, you know.
And so there was always thatfear of doing something wrong
(38:51):
with the Holy Spirit.
And I just love this storybecause this is accounts of the
actual Holy Spirit and not someideas of man, of teaching, of
what might have happened, butthe but here's a story of what
actually happened, that, asthese people that are that are
actually way outside of the norm, hear this message, the Holy
(39:12):
Spirit falls upon them.
You know, the Holy Spirit onthe day of Pentecost begins to.
People are hearing all thesepeople from all over are
beginning to understand.
You know, and being understoodis one of the greatest miracles
and isn't that awesome thatthat's how God starts off this
demonstration of this new move,this promise of the Holy Spirit.
(39:37):
And so you and I need not beafraid of, you know, running off
the Holy Spirit, but be excitedabout learning and opening and
asking questions.
You know, and I do know, that Iwas also taught one thing that I
would like to consider youdebunking with me, and it was
(39:58):
the idea that you have to tarryfor the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you've heard that thing.
You know that you would waitfor the holy spirit.
The holy spirit will come uponyou.
Well, you know, there was atime in the bible where they
waited and they tarried for theholy spirit, and then guess what
happened?
The holy spirit came.
So what does that mean to you?
In past tense, holy spirit hascome, so why would we tarry and
wait, for it's already come,amen.
(40:23):
And so I would now ask you toconsider do you have any kind of
an appointment time?
Is there ever a time in yourday that you would have or would
consider from this moment onsetting aside, so that you could
say, okay, holy Spirit.
What would you say to me?
(40:43):
Have or would consider fromthis moment on setting aside, so
that you could say, okay, holyspirit.
What would you say to me?
I would like to see a man indazzling clothes give me a
message about going anywhere.
That would just be cool, youknow, because I'm picturing like
Elvis, because Elvis haddazzling clothes.
So I mean, I'm ready forsomething cooler than Elvis to
come visit.
Are you?
Have you set aside and I'mteasing a little bit, but I'm
(41:05):
not in a way because I reallywant you to think about have you
set aside that time where theSpirit could speak to you to
direct you?
Or has this culture done a fastone on us, got us so busy and
so distracted, so churned upthat we just forgot to fuel up?
Speaker 1 (41:26):
No, because this is the summer of love and we talked
about that last week.
We're all sitting in silencewaiting for the presence of the
Holy Spirit.
So this is the wrong crowd.
These are people who arealready listening to the Spirit.
The Jewish believers who camewith Peter were amazed at the
gift of the Holy Spirit had beenpoured out on the Gentiles too,
(41:48):
because, again, these arepeople that are thinking it's
for us only.
We are the exclusive ones, forthey heard them speaking in
other tongues and praising God.
And then Peter asked can anyoneobject to the baptism Now that
they have received the HolySpirit just as we did?
(42:11):
I mean to be baptized, meant tobe a part of the family.
To be baptized meant you werein.
It was part of the covenant youare in.
To be baptized meant you werein.
It was part of the covenant youare in.
If you're baptized, you're in.
The Ethiopian eunuch asks am Iin?
Am I allowed to get in?
And Philip says yes, thesepeople also are asking.
And now here Peter says now wecan't forbid them baptism, right
(42:33):
, the Holy Spirit has just comeupon them, the same way it did
on us.
And so he gave orders for themto be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ, and afterwardCornelius asked him to stay with
them for several days, which,since Peter, thought we broke
all the other rules anyway, sowe might as well stay at the
(42:54):
house here.
It's very nice by the sea.
I'm sure there were a lot offurther conversations, but this
continued as part and we seethis as a work of the spirit.
Now there is a friendship, nowthere is a community, now there
is a joint learning.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
And I would like the perfect opportunity to interject
that July 13th we're having abaptism at the church here.
Well, not here here.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
If you want to be baptized.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Yes, and so if you're not already scheduled and you'd
like to be baptized, I lookaround and I say, why not?
Speaker 1 (43:36):
There is no one who prevents you from being baptized
.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
It is your choice, and so that is a beautiful thing
uh, we have, we have a pool, uh, and by july 13th it'll be.
It won't shock you at all tostep in that pool.
It will, uh, it will feelprobably just as warm as the the
air of the day.
And we will baptize you in thename of the Father, son and of
the Holy Spirit, and you will,you will go from from into this
(44:10):
new life.
As you're plunged into thatwater, come out, you're made new
.
I know that for me.
I was baptized as a baby.
I was sprinkled, I was spritzed, as it were, and it turns out I
needed a dunking.
And so when I got in my 20s andgot into the church, I made the
(44:36):
decision for myself, and I'mgrateful.
And you see throughoutscriptures, the dedications
where parents should and did andI believe, continue.
We do that, we dedicate ourchildren to Christ.
But I think and believedoctrinally, it's important for
us as individuals to make thatdecision as well.
(44:57):
And so what prevents you at all?
More than likely, when I dunkyou, I will pull you back out.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
I'll affirm that you will definitely be coming back
up.
I will affirm that for you.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
And so what prevents us?
And so let us know if that'syou and if you're online and
just scheduled to be here intown on uh on july 13th, and we
will uh baptize you so we giveorders for them to be baptized
in the name of jesus christ andafterward cornelius asked him to
stay with them for several days.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
I want a little little spoiler alert.
You can go home and read therest of the chapter.
When Peter gets back, he's inbig trouble.
He is in big trouble with thechurch because he has broken all
these rules and they're nothaving it.
They are just not having it andthey don't care that he has had
some transvision, they don'tcare about his mystical
experience, they don't careabout Cornelius.
(45:56):
It is the rules that they arefocused on.
And Peter is in trouble.
He is brought before the wholecouncil and then Peter just
happens to say yeah, but theHoly Spirit came upon him, and
then they were all like what?
What they recanted after that.
But my point was this is noteasy for Peter.
This whole thing is not easy.
(46:18):
This inclusion, this biggerlove.
But there is so much grace forus as we follow this, as we
celebrate baptism, as wecelebrate our own baptism and I
want to remind you with one ofthe elders of our faith has told
us that it is our hope, all ofus, to live as if we were wet,
(46:41):
like we just got into thebaptism, we're just in this
family.
Now Live like you, remember yourbaptism.
You are beloved, you are wanted, you are in the family.
But in this time of HolyCommunion and in this time of
Pentecost, and in this time ofHoly Communion and in this time
of Pentecost and in this time ofpaying attention to what the
(47:02):
Spirit is asking us to do, thatwe would be people who live
inspired by the Spirit, who livefull of God's Spirit and who do
greater works than these.
Jesus has told us that we willbe his witnesses, that we will
be the people who say well,there's room for you at the
table, do not even question ifyou do not belong, you belong
(47:26):
because Jesus said you did.
And this, beloved friends, thisis the good news.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
You know, in this exciting walk that we talk about
, it doesn't mean it'll alwaysbe like easy for you.
There are struggles in growingand learning and experiencing
and even obeying.
You know, I remember there wasa time with my youth group where
god was just pouring out hismercy and people were getting
saved left and right and thesekids were coming.
You know, they were they calledstraight edge back then and
they would have tattooed necksand stuff and and colored hair
(47:54):
and stuff and they were justcoming to christ like by the
droves and and then I wasgetting in trouble from the, the
church I worked at, becausethey're like, you know, you're
bringing all these kids in thatyou know have tattoos and and
now our tithing members are kids, are asking to color their hair
and tattoo their necks, and wecan't have this anymore in our
church, you know.
And so I'm like why I don't?
(48:14):
How do you stop the move of God?
I mean it's kind of awkwardbecause you know whatever.
And then you know things wouldhappen and one time thank God
for Pastor Leah I ended theservice.
I said, listen, god's movinghere, but you know the main
service is out, so you have togo.
But if you've driven yourselfor whatever.
If you want to stay, you canstay.
(48:35):
And so there's just hundreds ofkids at the altar just praying
and crying.
And I, sure enough, got calledin the office the next day and
you're so rebellious, you know,we told you, when we dismiss,
you dismiss, you're notdismissing.
And so, thankfully, pastor Leehad sat in the service and he
goes no, I was there, hedismissed, you know.
(49:00):
And and so, uh and I say allthat because I, I, I don't stand
up here uh, going, oh, check meout, you know, I'm in the side
of god and all these otherpeople on the other side.
You know, I haven't had anexperience like that in a while,
so I wonder if I've slippedinto the category of the stomper
outers of the move of god.
You, you want to ask yourselfthat on a pretty regular basis.
Maybe not that way, becausethat wouldn't understand it
(49:21):
clear, or whatever, but I guesswhat I'm trying to say to you is
this that God wants to move,and are we going to be that kind
of church who who yells atpeter for letting these people
that we think shouldn't belong,or we're going to be peter who's
(49:44):
just inviting people?
You know, I, I don't want to beon the side like the, the
church leadership at that timewas who was trying to
desperately control things, or,you know, I want to be able to,
to let god, uh, be god.
And then if that means my rulesor my boundaries have to be
expanded, then so be it.
(50:05):
Amen.
And so just, really.
Please don't misunderstand me, Iuse that story because it's an
experience that I had, but notto point fingers anyone else but
say you know, where am I maybedoing that now, where I'm
thinking I'm right, because allthe justification was there why
it was a good idea to run thosekids off, except for the fact
(50:26):
that it's not a good idea to runthose kids off, right, you know
.
And so for us, I think we agreesometimes with things that seem
to be right and, as a result,we've pushed god aside.
So, uh, uh, when are we open to?
I just want it to be your way,god.
And if that means that I'muncomfortable or I even have to
(50:48):
be at risk of being accused ofbeing a heretical, or you know,
their big label for me was thatlove to call me rebellious, and
it was something that reallyhurt and it was something I was
very afraid of.
They knew what button to push.
Because I don't want to be thatperson and I've been that so
(51:11):
much of my life that you knowpeople recognize that as a fear,
and so I want to challenge youthat too.
Stepping out of this doesn'tmean everything comes easy for
you at that point.
It might be that you have tothen deal with those discomforts
and those issues and thoseplaces, but that is, I would
(51:34):
hope, that what we would want isto have those things exposed
and dealt with.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
We hope you've enjoyed this week's sermon.
If you would like moreinformation about us, visit us
online at firstlovechurchorg.
Welcome to the First Love Church podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala,
Florida.
I'm grateful for your presencethis morning with us here, thank
you all for being here and I amexcited I think that I'm always
excited, but I'm particularlyexcited to talk about the Spirit
(00:23):
, to talk about the power, totalk about the inner unction, to
talk about the comforter, theadvocate, but the presence that
allows us to experience all ofthe love that God is and then
for us to be light and lovearound us.
Thomas mentioned I think,probably because I've been
(00:43):
mentioning it is the season ofPentecost and in the season of
Pentecost we get to practice allof the things that we learned
the other six months of the year, when we're talking about the
story of Jesus.
Now we've heard the witnessesin the story of Jesus and now we
get to live as Jesus would livein our homes, in our
neighborhoods, as Jesus wouldlive in our homes, in our
(01:08):
neighborhoods, in our city.
We get to practice the way ofJesus, empowered by the Holy
Spirit.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
You know, because we live in this natural world, like
it or not.
You train in natural things,you surround yourself with that,
and oftentimes that's all wethink about in a day's time.
But for those of us thatbelieve, we believe there is a
spirit realm, we believe thatthere is a dimension that is
(01:34):
outside of this dimension, andthat is not something that would
come natural for us tounderstand, much less interact
with, unless we were to havesome kind of practices, some
kind of teaching.
And so I wonder how much effortis given intentionally on
(01:55):
understanding and developing thespiritual part of a person.
I remember all the way back towhen I worked at the treatment
center, when we would get thosekids in they would say that you
know that in helping thesestudents we need to recognize
that they are three parts toeach one of us.
(02:17):
And there's that social partthat you need, there's that
physical part that you must takecare of, and then there's the
spiritual side, and sometimesyou people that boy they're
socialists can be uh.
And there's people that are gymrats uh.
But how many pay that kind ofeffort towards training in the
spirit?
Sometimes that is a forgottenpart, and then we find people,
(02:41):
quite frankly that that mightignore any of those things.
Any one of those things putsyou out of balance, and so I
hope that in this season wewould, because it comes around
every year I think God isoffering us the opportunity to
recalculate, realign, you know,and reconnect, or maybe inspire
(03:07):
and develop that kind ofunderstanding that maybe we
hadn't had before.
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I'm hopeful.
I'm hopeful for all of us.
I'm going to read to us aportion from the letter to the
Galatian church, just kind ofsetting the stage for us for
Pentecost to remind us of somethings before we get to our text
today.
One of my favorite storiesabout Peter and Cornelius.
The stage for us for Pentecostto remind us of some things
before we get to our text today.
One of my favorite storiesabout Peter and Cornelius, just
for those of you who are goingto go through your little
automatic scripture in your headthere.
But I want to read to us fromGalatians, chapter 5.
(03:35):
So Christ has really set us free.
Now make sure that you stayfree and don't get tied up again
into slavery to the law.
I tell you, if you are countingon circumcision to make you
right with God, then Christcannot help you.
If you are trying to find favorwith God by obeying regulations
(03:58):
in the law of Moses, then youare trying to make yourself
right with God by keeping thelaw.
You are cut off from Christ andyou have fallen away from grace
.
Dear friends, if I werepreaching to you that you must
be circumcised which some peopletell you that you must do, and
(04:20):
why would the Jews continue topersecute me?
The fact that I am stillpersecuted means I am preaching
salvation through Jesus Christalone.
You, dear friends, have beencalled to live in freedom, not
freedom to satisfy your sinfulnature, but freedom to serve one
(04:40):
another in love.
For the whole command can besummed up in this one teaching
Love your neighbor as yourself,but instead, if you're showing
loves among yourselves, you arebiting and devouring each other.
Watch out, watch out, beware ofdestroying one another.
(05:00):
So I advise you to liveaccording to this new life, by
the power of the Holy Spirit,and then you won't be doing what
the sinful nature craves, thesinful nature loves to do.
That is evil and that is apartfrom what the Holy Spirit wants.
When the Holy Spirit controlsour lives, the Spirit will
(05:23):
produce this kind of evidence inus Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Here there is no conflict withthe law, and those who belong to
Christ Jesus have nailed thesinful passions to his cross and
(05:46):
crucified them there.
And if we are now living by theHoly Spirit, then let's follow
the Holy Spirit's leading inevery part of our lives.
Now, that is for us a beautifulframework for us.
Going into this story, that weremember that if the spirit is
leading our lives, there will beevidence of joy, there will be
(06:09):
evidence of peace, there will beevidence of love, there will be
gentleness, loving kindness,faithfulness.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
All of these things evidence that the spirit is
controlling our lives you know,when, um, when I was young, we
were raised in the Catholictradition and I can only speak
for the few parishes that Iattended, so I would never make
a statement about Catholicismthat would assume that I could
(06:41):
speak on behalf of all Catholics, and the Pope and I are best
friends or something.
I can just tell you that whatmy experience and my
understanding of the doctrinewas, as it were, taught to me by
those particular priests, anduh, um, and what, what happened
for me was uh, uh, I ended up ata, uh, at a, uh, pentecostal
(07:04):
church.
You know, here here's a, achurch, uh, uh.
When you're um, when you'recatholic, you, you, uh, are kind
of trained that catholics stayaway from protestant churches,
and uh.
So here I found myself in thisprotestant church and I felt
something pulling.
I felt the Spirit of God.
(07:25):
The words seemed to light up inmy mind and in my heart and I
felt God drawing me and I feltlike I had never, like a thirsty
person was getting a drink, Ihad never heard the Word of God
like this, and so I began tohave an experience, the word of
(07:47):
God like this, and so I began tohave an experience, uh, and
then, quickly, um, shame andguilt started to overtake me,
like, well, maybe I was doingsomething, I was stepping out on
my spouse, almost as it were.
You know, and so I was.
I'd go back to to my Catholicchurch on Sunday mornings and
then I would go to thatcharismatic church on Sunday
nights and I and I would justbattle back and forth, you know,
(08:09):
and, and I I could recognizethat one was telling me that it
was through these works of myown that I would receive things.
You know, through through theamount of prayers I might
receive my forgiveness, and, andthese and and this other
message was a message telling methat it was completed in Christ
(08:31):
Jesus.
And I was struggling back andforth until finally I made a
plunge.
I said I know that I was raisedthis way and I know I was
taught all these things, but I'mfeeling a drawing.
And I know I was taught allthese things, but I'm feeling a
drawing, and I'm putting myfaith in you, god, that you've
shown me in scripture, and I'mmaking this plunge and I'm
(08:52):
trusting you.
And boy, I got to tell you thatit was scary, but yet I found a
peace.
That torment began to leave mebecause I quit being
double-minded, I decided tobelieve.
But then something began tohappen in the Protestant church
that continues to happen.
(09:12):
All the time.
People come up and say, yeah,but you're forgiven in Jesus,
but you got to do.
And they pull out a laundrylist and they start telling me,
yeah, but don't forget theselaws and that law.
And all of a sudden I find attimes I'm lured back into this
(09:37):
place of trying to accomplishsalvation in my own strength,
trying to, and I want to tellyou that, whether you come from
from any kind of denominationalSalvation in my own strength,
trying to, and I want to tellyou that, whether you come from
From any kind of denominationalbackground, where you sit right
now, there's a constant barrage.
It seems To be for all of usthat we're tempted.
You know, like, like Paul said,oh, you foolish Galatians who
(10:01):
bewitched you that you wouldstart off in the spirit but end
up in the spirit but end up inthe flesh, start out in the fire
but end up in the smoke.
I can't see a single thing, andwe get deceived and distracted.
And so I want to challenge youthat it's by the spirit that we
maintain our trust in oursalvation through Christ Jesus
and not through your works.
(10:22):
Now, I'm not to say that thatmeans you get to just go behave
like a carnal fool, but what I'msaying to you is, in all your
efforts to perfect yourself,have you ever been able to do it
?
Because I haven't.
But what I have found?
That the more I lean on thespirit and the more I trust in
(10:43):
the, the completed work inchrist salvation being
accomplished through the spiritand I walk in that then I begin
to see changes in me, and so I'mchallenging you to consider
where have you picked back upand started working on that
project in your own strength?
(11:04):
And maybe the effort and thework really is in just learning
how to let go and trust.
Is this making sense to anybody?
Are you about ready to tar andfeather me and get me out of
town?
Help us, lord.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
From the book of Acts , chapter 10, in Caesarea there
lived a Roman army officer namedCornelius who was the captain
of the Italian regiment.
He was a devout, god-fearingman, as was everyone in his
household.
That's a feat in itself.
(11:42):
I just want to remind you.
This man clearly was not just atalker, was a doer.
He displayed this, he hadevidence of this.
He was a devout, god-fearingman, as was everyone in his
household.
He gave generously to the poorand prayed regularly to God.
One afternoon, about threeo'clock, he had a vision in
(12:06):
which he saw an angel of Godcoming toward him, cornelius.
The angel said.
And Cornelius stared at him interror.
And this is how we knew he sawan actual angel, because when
people see actual angels, theyare face down trying to plead
for their lives.
And so he encounters this light, this angel, and the angel says
(12:28):
he says what is it, sir?
And the angel replies yourprayers and gifts to the poor
have been received by God as anoffering.
Now send some men to Joppa andsummon a man named Simon Peter.
He is staying with Simon, atanner who lives near the
(12:49):
seashore.
And as soon as the angel wasgone, cornelius called two of
his household servants and adevout soldier and one of his
personal attendants.
So I just want for thestorytelling for you to realize
that he is sending a smallgarrison of people, he's sending
his servants, a soldier andpersonal attendants, and he told
(13:13):
them what happened and sentthem off to Joppa.
And the next day, as Cornelius'smessages were nearing the town,
peter went to a flat roof topray.
It was about noon and he washungry.
But while a meal was beingprepared, he fell into a trance
and he saw the sky open andsomething like a large sheet was
(13:36):
let down by its four cornersand in the sheet were all sorts
of animals, reptiles and birds.
And a voice said to him Get up,peter, kill and eat them.
No, lord, just no.
(14:02):
I have never eaten anythingthat our Jewish laws have
declared impure and unclean.
And the voice spoke again Donot call something unclean if
God has made it clean.
And the same vision was repeatedthree times and the sheet was
(14:24):
suddenly pulled up to heaven.
I remind you who is having thisvision Peter, who also denied
the Christ three times, who alsomade a proclamation that he
loved the Lord three times.
And so I just have to remindall of us that, whoever we are.
The Lord knows exactly what weneed.
Peter needs it three times.
(14:44):
I don't know how many times youneed it, but Peter needs it
three times.
This is the same God who'ssaying this.
I am changing the way that youare thinking about things.
I am asking you to change.
Give up what you believedbefore and listen to me.
And Peter was very perplexed tome.
(15:09):
And Peter was very perplexed.
What could the vision mean?
I just have to thank you, joni,for laughing.
Yes, what could the vision meanwhen God already told him what
the vision meant?
The vision meant do what I tellyou and don't call it unclean.
What could he mean?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Know, I appreciate very much this beautiful
interchange here I just kind ofwant to interject as we're
listening to this.
You know, I think that peter'sapproaching this the way many of
us do, like god's sayingsomething, but he's a puzzle
that is to be figured out.
And am I being tricked?
And I think that he really was.
Wait a minute, you know, eatthis.
(15:43):
Oh, no, no, you know, I alreadyknow that you don't want me to
eat this, so you must have beentempting me, right, you know?
And so I think that even here,he's perplexed, because he's
like trying to figure out whatthe vision meant when God said
what the vision meant.
And so I think that for many ofus, I wonder if it's just Peter,
or do we do that same thing,overthink, when we can actually
just trust our spirit?
(16:03):
This couldn't be, could it?
So I better ask somebody elsewho will give me a different
answer than what I know, what Iknow, that I know.
Do you understand what I'msaying?
And so I would challenge you tobe able to trust God that he's
not pulling a fast one on you ortrying to trick you and take
something from you.
(16:24):
God loves you and wants totrick you and take something
from you.
God loves you and wants to giveyou good things.
No, no mother is trying totrick a baby out of their
necessities.
Amen, but making them soavailable so we can trust god
peter was very perplexed.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
What could the vision mean?
And just then, men sent byCornelius found Simon's house
standing outside the gate.
I do want to remind you thatJesus had very recently been
crucified, that there werepeople after them.
So this may not have been ajoyous proclamation that there
(17:01):
is an entire garrison of peopleoutside of this person's house
looking for Peter.
It may have struck terror inhim.
It may have been a thought wellnow, who am I being hauled off
by?
What is going to happen to me?
And they asked if a man namedSimon Peter was staying there.
Also, pay attention to the fact.
It says that Cornelius in thebeginning is from Caesarea,
(17:24):
which is a beautiful place.
He had a beautiful house, he'sa homeowner, he is part of
Rome's empire, he is a colonizerby all effects of this.
He is a devout Christian, he isa person who gives alms and who
prays, but he is part of asystem that is terrorizing the
Jews, terrorizing them.
(17:46):
And so we look at this storyand we pay attention to whom we
are listening to and where weare in the story.
And they asked if Simon Peterwere staying there.
Meanwhile, peter was puzzlingover the vision.
The Holy Spirit said to himthree men have come looking for
you.
So while he's trying to befiguring out what God is saying,
(18:09):
now the Holy Spirit comes andsays hey, hey, there's people
and they're looking for you.
Get up and go downstairs and gowith them without hesitation.
Again, that probably would havefreaked him out all the more.
I'm confident of it because I'msupposed to go with this person
of this whole garrison.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Last time I saw somebody hauled off with some
Roman soldiers, it was not good.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Don't worry, for I have sent them.
So Peter went down and said Iam the man you are looking for.
Why have you come?
And they said we were sent byCornelius, a Roman officer.
He is a devout and God-fearingman, well-respected by all the
(18:55):
Jews.
A holy angel instructed him tosummon you to his house so that
he could hear your message.
I remind you that would havebeen against the rules too.
An angel summoned him to go tothe house of a Gentile
unacceptable.
An angel told him to go andbreak all the rules.
I just want to remind you howthis would have been difficult
(19:17):
for Peter.
I'm not to go into the house ofan unbeliever and eat with them
.
I'm not to go into the house ofa person and have communion
with them and an angel shows upand says you're to do it and
you're due without hesitation.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You know, and this speaks of the inclusion that I
believe God is still trying toget to the church today.
Because you know, keep in mind,this whole chapter started when
this roman soldier, this personoutside of the jewish faith and
not even someone who, who waspart of really, uh, uh, because
(19:53):
you know he's a, he's, he's aroman, he's a, you know.
And then the, then god says,through that angel, your prayers
have been heard.
That just doesn't kind of makesense and and to put it in
modern terms, what?
What does that mean for you?
Who is it that, in your mind,you're convinced their prayers
(20:14):
would not be heard by god?
Is it certain people in yourhouse, because the way they
behave?
Is it certain people ofdifferent denominations that you
think are there, because I betyou there's somebody that votes
different than you that you'reconvinced could not possibly
their prayers be heard?
And that's how shocking thatwas then and, unfortunately, how
(20:38):
still shocking it is today thatwe have this narrow idea of the
power of God and the scope ofGod's reach.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
A holy angel instructed him to summon you to
his house so that he could hearyour message, and so Peter
invited the men to stay for thenight, and the next day he went
with them, accompanied by someof the brothers from Joppa, and
they arrived in Caesarea thefollowing day and Cornelius was
waiting for them and had calledtogether his relatives and his
(21:11):
close friends, and as Peterentered his home, cornelius fell
at his feet and worshipped him.
Now stop there for a minute too.
Here is a person with all ofthe power of Rome behind them,
with the trust of the empire,and he is bowing at the feet of
the messenger of the, jesusChrist of Nazareth.
(21:32):
And so here we see a beautifulpicture of Cornelius's humility
in recognizing there is agreater power than the one I
know.
I mean.
Rome was a power.
Rome had a lot of power takenby force and taken through
cruelty and evil, but that powerbowed to the power that lived
(21:55):
in Peter, and Peter pulled himup and said stand up, I'm a
human being just like you.
And Peter pulled him up andsaid stand up, I'm a human being
just like you.
And so they talked together andthey went outside, where many
others were assembled Corneliushad been talking about the fact
that he had an experience, andthis was a mystical experience.
(22:18):
An angel shows up and says goand get this man and he's going
to come here and he's going totell you about me.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
You know, let's.
Let's talk about that becausewe can't breeze by the fact that
that we keep reading all thesestories about people having
these mystical experiences.
Where's my mystical experience?
Well, I wonder if I'm open toit.
Um, what would you say if yourpartner or friend fell into a
trance right now?
Person right next to you justfell into a trance.
(22:50):
We would call 9-1-1, or or tryto start casting the devil out,
or something you know that we'renot really familiar with, the
move of the spirit, like maybewe think we are as christians,
that that there's something youknow that is supernatural about
(23:12):
following god that we haveconveniently pushed aside
because that stuff's messy, it's, it's unpredictable.
It is, it is oftentimes veryscary, and I would.
I want the I'm just talkingabout me, no one else here.
I want the predictable, I wantthe familiar, I want the, the
confident thing, so I can havesome certainty, because
(23:36):
certainty as we and if we're notcareful, we exchange it for the
mystical, we trade it for theSpirit of God, amen.
I'm not talking to anybody inhere.
It's probably the first servicepeople.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Peter told them you know it's against our laws for a
Jewish man to enter a Gentilehome like this or to associate
with you, but God has shown methat I should no longer think of
anyone as impure or unclean.
I do want to say this about theSpirit the Spirit is a rule
breaker, absolutely is a rulebreaker.
The rules that you have and therules of people around you.
The Spirit, over and over again, is a rule breaker, even the
(24:16):
laws of nature.
The Spirit has broken thoserules and there is this incoming
, there is this beautifulinvitation by the Spirit to live
into and to co-create thiskingdom that God is offering.
But God has shown me that Ishould no longer think of anyone
, anyone, as impure or unclean.
(24:38):
So I came without objection.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Well, except for some people, right, because this is
crazy radical stuff you'retalking about.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Well, I just want to remind everybody that the Jesus
we loved was a radical Beforeyou thought he wasn't he.
I just remind you, the Jesusthat we know and the Jesus that
we follow is a radical, radicalin love, radical in grace.
We pause here for a moment tothank you for joining us today.
(25:10):
If you're finding this episodemeaningful, would you take a
moment to share it with a friend?
This podcast is made possiblethanks to the generosity of
people just like you.
If you would like to supportthe ongoing work of First Love
Church and the continued work ofour podcast, visit us online at
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(25:33):
subscribe.
So I came without objection assoon as I was sent for Not
really, you and I both knowthere was a lot of objection
here in his head, but he heardthe voice of the Lord and he did
it.
Now tell me why you sent for me.
And Cornelius replied.
Four days ago I was praying inmy house about this time.
(25:56):
Pay attention to the fact thatcontinual prayers have always
been a part of someone who ispracticing the presence of God.
Continual prayers has alwaysbeen a practice for those who
are looking to have an encounterwith the divine At three
o'clock in the afternoon, andsuddenly a man in dazzling
clothes was standing in front ofme and he told me Cornelius,
(26:19):
your prayer has been heard andyour that's a sermon in itself.
We'll let the Holy Spirit teachit to you.
Now send messengers to Joppa andsummon a man named Simon Peter.
He is staying in the home ofSimon, a tanner who lives near
(26:40):
the seashore.
That may have been startlingtoo, that the Holy Spirit knew
exactly where Peter was, gavevery specific directions and
said this man is staying in thatman's house.
You can't look for Peter, hedoesn't have a house.
But that man has a house.
That's where he's staying, atanner who lives near the
seashore.
(27:00):
Pay attention also to the factthat history would tell us that
tanners would not have had a lotof money and it was very messy,
very smelly.
You could look it up on what atanner actually does.
It's not a pretty thing.
And so this man is staying in ahouse by the seashore, a
beautiful house.
He's invited people to come,but he's invited the man to
teach him who is a guest of, aman who lives in a not beautiful
(27:25):
house and has a very smellyplace.
And I sent for you at once andit was good of you to come, for
now we are all here, waitingbefore God, to hear the message
the Lord has given to you.
Again, I remind you, thissounds very much like the story
in account the first that wehear in the book of Acts.
(27:45):
All the people were assembledtogether and waiting.
It is the assembly that mattersin these particular portions of
scripture, where we learn tohear and to experience the
spirit.
An angel appeared to Cornelius.
It is possible the angel couldhave taught him everything he
knows.
It is possible the angel couldhave given him the message right
(28:07):
.
But this is the work of thespirit.
This is how God intends for itto do.
If you want to hear, there willbe someone who gives you the
message.
Who are you?
Are you a Peter?
To someone that you will give amessage to of the good news of
the inclusion, of the breakingof the barriers?
It is good that you came andnow we are all here, waiting
(28:32):
before god to hear the messagethe lord gave you I want you to
see how you know.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Obviously, like I was saying, you know, god could
have spoke, uh, the Spirit,through the angel, but he chose
to use Peter in a group ofpeople, that is.
You know.
Not that God will always do itthat way.
God reserves the right to dowhatever God chooses to do, but
you'll see, so much of the timethat it happens in community,
(29:01):
because we are not, you know,and I really want to challenge
you on that Because I think somuch of the time we want our
spirituality to be developed onour own, and it's going to
happen around people, around themessy Tanner's house.
It's going to be amongst peoplethat have rough edges and have
(29:22):
issues, and so look for that.
In community you can find thatmessage that you need Now
understand.
If community isn't available toyou, god is not now all of a
sudden unable to pull out anyassistance for us.
But I do want you to know thatthere's going to be a tendency
(29:45):
for you, and always is, for us,to pull away, to not really
invest, not really trust, whenwe even see God's self as a
trinity, as a community as this,working in and among and with
(30:06):
and through each other, and weare made in God's image, and so
there's a beautiful thing thathappens.
And you know, heather and I Ihave such a spiritual partner
with Heather, but it's amazinghow her and I can be dealing
with very carnal things likegroceries and then all of a
sudden begin to talk aboutthings in the spirit or or maybe
(30:28):
joking around about funnythings that happen, and then all
at once, just you know, move inand out freely through, through
those things that are and evenin offense of one another,
choosing to rise above that andthen really finding and seeing
and feeling and experiencing God.
So I can't stress enough to youthe importance of that family
(30:54):
community and growingspiritually and the church
community that seems to be kindof in our culture now, just when
we can get around to it kind ofthing, present company excluded
, of course, uh, and those folksthat are faithful online of
course we're not talking aboutyou, but let that really
(31:15):
challenge us to maybe, when wedo allow other things to
distract, the way God mightreally be using to teach us
spiritual things.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
And here's the beautiful paradox of how God
works, because I just mentionedtwo times when the people
gathered and the Holy Spiritshowed up.
And then I want to remind youof the Ethiopian eunuch who's in
a chariot by himself, and theapostle is teleported to his
presence, just with theEthiopian eunuch who's in a
chariot by himself, and theapostle is teleported to his
presence just with the Ethiopianeunuch, and then says what are
you reading in the prophetIsaiah?
And he begins to have thisconversation.
(31:50):
And then the Ethiopian eunuchsays what prevents me from being
baptized?
I wasn't there, but I thinkPhilip looked around.
Nothing, except every singlelaw we have, except everything I
knew to be true.
Uh, okay, yeah, this is theHoly Spirit who is coming upon
us saying if you are seeking,the Lord will be found.
(32:14):
And Peter, okay, I want to goback to this next part.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Yeah, that's that a little bit, though, because I
think that the very foundationof the first really act uh, we
see, of the holy spirit outsideof the day of pentecost, is this
ethiopian man being broughtinto the community when the?
Uh, the reason why he was wherehe was is because he couldn't
go into the city and worship andlearn, and so he was outside.
(32:39):
And then, and then now, thefirst move, the spirit, is to
say no, those people that havebeen rejected have been pushed
outside, bring them home.
The very first one.
And so I wonder, where is yourlawbreaker?
You know, what is it kind ofthat you've settled in as a law
that god's not going to go pastand then allow god to be a
lawbreaker that way?
(33:00):
I loved how you talked aboutthat.
Even nature itself.
Jesus breaks that law of natureby coming back.
There was a law of sin anddeath.
It has been broken.
What laws need to be broken foryou and I to be made free?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
And so why would we prop up some you and I to be
made free, and so why would weprop up some?
So I said for you at once itwas good of you to come.
Now we're all here waitingbefore God to hear the message
the Lord has given you.
So he says I want to hear whatGod has given you.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
No pressure here.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
And Peter says I see very clearly that God shows no
favoritism.
Thank you, sue.
Sue also believes in themessage that Peter has heard
that God shows no favoritism,which sounds like beautiful
music now to us, because werecognize we are not God's
favorite, like that wasn't howwe grew up.
That wasn't the culture that wedepended on.
(33:58):
In this particular culture,everything they believed was
based on the fact that they wereGod's favorite.
Every hope they have was builtinto this cultural belief that
we are favorites, we arefavorites.
This is where our hope is.
And now Peter says I see veryclearly that that is not going
(34:19):
to be the way.
Peter is offering a completelydifferent way and that would be
astonishing, I think, even tohimself.
God shows no favorites.
In every nation he acceptsthose who fear him and do what
is right.
Please do not miss the and dowhat is right.
(34:41):
This doing what is right is notbecause they have to or that's
how they get their saving ortheir salvation, but the doing
what is right is after followingafter the Spirit.
The Spirit is intending thatthe kingdom will come, that all
of the good that God has will bemanifest, and it will be done
(35:03):
through us.
In every nation.
He accepts those who fear himand do what is right.
This is the message of the goodnews for the people of Israel
that there is peace with Godthrough Jesus Christ, who is
Lord of all.
Again, this is not as politicalas it needs to be, but we need
to be reminded of it.
(35:24):
At that particular time, caesardemanded that he was Lord and he
would send out proclamationsthat I'm Lord, and so this
empire said that I am the waythat anything is going to be
happen.
In fact, they would say overand over again peace only comes
through Rome, through crushingother nations.
And so, by Peter standing up infront of an Italian garrison,
(35:47):
in front of somebody whorepresents Rome, and says Jesus
Christ is Lord of all, I meanthere's not the sting in it that
it was when he was telling thisman the empire that you serve
is not the Lord.
Jesus Christ is above them.
And you know what happenedthroughout Judea, beginning in
Galilee, after John beganpreaching his message of baptism
(36:09):
, and you know that God anointedJesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power, andJesus went around doing good and
healing all who were oppressedby the devil, for God was with
him, and we apostles arewitnesses of all he did
throughout Judea and inJerusalem, and they put him to
(36:32):
death by hanging him on a cross.
But God raised him to life onthe third day and God allowed
him to appear, not to thegeneral public but to those of
us whom God had chosen inadvance to be his witnesses, and
we were those who ate and drankwith him after he rose from the
dead and he ordered us topreach everywhere and to testify
(36:57):
that Jesus is the one appointedby God to be the judge of all
the living and the dead Beloved.
That means you can take that offyour plate.
You do not have to judgeeveryone.
Jesus Christ is alreadyappointed.
There is already someone whohas that job.
It's not yours.
Jesus is the one appointed byGod to judge all the living and
(37:19):
the dead.
The one appointed by God tojudge all the living and the
dead.
I also am very excited aboutthat because I'm confident that
Jesus loves me.
If anyone is going to judge me,let it be someone who loves me.
If anyone is going to judge you,let it be someone who loves you
.
He is the one that all theprophets testified about, saying
(37:44):
that everyone who believes inthem will have their sins
forgiven through his name.
And even as Peter was sayingthese things, the Holy Spirit
fell upon all of those who werelistening to the message.
I love this about the HolySpirit as much.
As the Holy Spirit is a rulebreaker, the Holy Spirit is also
(38:05):
an interrupter.
Now this is a message that weactually had someone coming and
saying.
I mean, they actually traveled,angels orchestrated this.
A lot of this was happening andthe Holy Spirit was.
It's too good.
I'm just giving it now.
Thank you for your time.
You started.
That's wonderful, wonderful,but here the holy spirit falls
upon all of them who arelistening to the message you
(38:26):
know, I've been taught by manypeople over the years about the
holy spirit.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
You know that the holy spirit is almost uh, the
teaching is kind of like theholy spirit's kind of finicky or
um or or explained as the holyspirit of being like a bird, a
skittish bird, and if you dosudden movements the bird will
fly off, you know.
And so there was always thatfear of doing something wrong
(38:51):
with the Holy Spirit.
And I just love this storybecause this is accounts of the
actual Holy Spirit and not someideas of man, of teaching, of
what might have happened, butthe but here's a story of what
actually happened, that, asthese people that are that are
actually way outside of the norm, hear this message, the Holy
(39:12):
Spirit falls upon them.
You know, the Holy Spirit onthe day of Pentecost begins to.
People are hearing all thesepeople from all over are
beginning to understand.
You know, and being understoodis one of the greatest miracles
and isn't that awesome thatthat's how God starts off this
demonstration of this new move,this promise of the Holy Spirit.
(39:37):
And so you and I need not beafraid of, you know, running off
the Holy Spirit, but be excitedabout learning and opening and
asking questions.
You know, and I do know, that Iwas also taught one thing that I
would like to consider youdebunking with me, and it was
(39:58):
the idea that you have to tarryfor the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you've heard that thing.
You know that you would waitfor the holy spirit.
The holy spirit will come uponyou.
Well, you know, there was atime in the bible where they
waited and they tarried for theholy spirit, and then guess what
happened?
The holy spirit came.
So what does that mean to you?
In past tense, holy spirit hascome, so why would we tarry and
wait, for it's already come,amen.
(40:23):
And so I would now ask you toconsider do you have any kind of
an appointment time?
Is there ever a time in yourday that you would have or would
consider from this moment onsetting aside, so that you could
say, okay, holy Spirit.
What would you say to me?
(40:43):
Have or would consider fromthis moment on setting aside, so
that you could say, okay, holyspirit.
What would you say to me?
I would like to see a man indazzling clothes give me a
message about going anywhere.
That would just be cool, youknow, because I'm picturing like
Elvis, because Elvis haddazzling clothes.
So I mean, I'm ready forsomething cooler than Elvis to
come visit.
Are you?
Have you set aside and I'mteasing a little bit, but I'm
(41:05):
not in a way because I reallywant you to think about have you
set aside that time where theSpirit could speak to you to
direct you?
Or has this culture done a fastone on us, got us so busy and
so distracted, so churned upthat we just forgot to fuel up?
Speaker 1 (41:26):
No, because this is the summer of love and we talked
about that last week.
We're all sitting in silencewaiting for the presence of the
Holy Spirit.
So this is the wrong crowd.
These are people who arealready listening to the Spirit.
The Jewish believers who camewith Peter were amazed at the
gift of the Holy Spirit had beenpoured out on the Gentiles too,
(41:48):
because, again, these arepeople that are thinking it's
for us only.
We are the exclusive ones, forthey heard them speaking in
other tongues and praising God.
And then Peter asked can anyoneobject to the baptism Now that
they have received the HolySpirit just as we did?
(42:11):
I mean to be baptized, meant tobe a part of the family.
To be baptized meant you werein.
It was part of the covenant youare in.
To be baptized meant you werein.
It was part of the covenant youare in.
If you're baptized, you're in.
The Ethiopian eunuch asks am Iin?
Am I allowed to get in?
And Philip says yes, thesepeople also are asking.
And now here Peter says now wecan't forbid them baptism, right
(42:33):
, the Holy Spirit has just comeupon them, the same way it did
on us.
And so he gave orders for themto be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ, and afterwardCornelius asked him to stay with
them for several days, which,since Peter, thought we broke
all the other rules anyway, sowe might as well stay at the
(42:54):
house here.
It's very nice by the sea.
I'm sure there were a lot offurther conversations, but this
continued as part and we seethis as a work of the spirit.
Now there is a friendship, nowthere is a community, now there
is a joint learning.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
And I would like the perfect opportunity to interject
that July 13th we're having abaptism at the church here.
Well, not here here.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
If you want to be baptized.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Yes, and so if you're not already scheduled and you'd
like to be baptized, I lookaround and I say, why not?
Speaker 1 (43:36):
There is no one who prevents you from being baptized
.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
It is your choice, and so that is a beautiful thing
uh, we have, we have a pool, uh, and by july 13th it'll be.
It won't shock you at all tostep in that pool.
It will, uh, it will feelprobably just as warm as the the
air of the day.
And we will baptize you in thename of the Father, son and of
the Holy Spirit, and you will,you will go from from into this
(44:10):
new life.
As you're plunged into thatwater, come out, you're made new
.
I know that for me.
I was baptized as a baby.
I was sprinkled, I was spritzed, as it were, and it turns out I
needed a dunking.
And so when I got in my 20s andgot into the church, I made the
(44:36):
decision for myself, and I'mgrateful.
And you see throughoutscriptures, the dedications
where parents should and did andI believe, continue.
We do that, we dedicate ourchildren to Christ.
But I think and believedoctrinally, it's important for
us as individuals to make thatdecision as well.
(44:57):
And so what prevents you at all?
More than likely, when I dunkyou, I will pull you back out.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
I'll affirm that you will definitely be coming back
up.
I will affirm that for you.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
And so what prevents us?
And so let us know if that'syou and if you're online and
just scheduled to be here intown on uh on july 13th, and we
will uh baptize you so we giveorders for them to be baptized
in the name of jesus christ andafterward cornelius asked him to
stay with them for several days.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
I want a little little spoiler alert.
You can go home and read therest of the chapter.
When Peter gets back, he's inbig trouble.
He is in big trouble with thechurch because he has broken all
these rules and they're nothaving it.
They are just not having it andthey don't care that he has had
some transvision, they don'tcare about his mystical
experience, they don't careabout Cornelius.
(45:56):
It is the rules that they arefocused on.
And Peter is in trouble.
He is brought before the wholecouncil and then Peter just
happens to say yeah, but theHoly Spirit came upon him, and
then they were all like what?
What they recanted after that.
But my point was this is noteasy for Peter.
This whole thing is not easy.
(46:18):
This inclusion, this biggerlove.
But there is so much grace forus as we follow this, as we
celebrate baptism, as wecelebrate our own baptism and I
want to remind you with one ofthe elders of our faith has told
us that it is our hope, all ofus, to live as if we were wet,
(46:41):
like we just got into thebaptism, we're just in this
family.
Now Live like you, remember yourbaptism.
You are beloved, you are wanted, you are in the family.
But in this time of HolyCommunion and in this time of
Pentecost, and in this time ofHoly Communion and in this time
of Pentecost and in this time ofpaying attention to what the
(47:02):
Spirit is asking us to do, thatwe would be people who live
inspired by the Spirit, who livefull of God's Spirit and who do
greater works than these.
Jesus has told us that we willbe his witnesses, that we will
be the people who say well,there's room for you at the
table, do not even question ifyou do not belong, you belong
(47:26):
because Jesus said you did.
And this, beloved friends, thisis the good news.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
You know, in this exciting walk that we talk about
, it doesn't mean it'll alwaysbe like easy for you.
There are struggles in growingand learning and experiencing
and even obeying.
You know, I remember there wasa time with my youth group where
god was just pouring out hismercy and people were getting
saved left and right and thesekids were coming.
You know, they were they calledstraight edge back then and
they would have tattooed necksand stuff and and colored hair
(47:54):
and stuff and they were justcoming to christ like by the
droves and and then I wasgetting in trouble from the, the
church I worked at, becausethey're like, you know, you're
bringing all these kids in thatyou know have tattoos and and
now our tithing members are kids, are asking to color their hair
and tattoo their necks, and wecan't have this anymore in our
church, you know.
And so I'm like why I don't?
(48:14):
How do you stop the move of God?
I mean it's kind of awkwardbecause you know whatever.
And then you know things wouldhappen and one time thank God
for Pastor Leah I ended theservice.
I said, listen, god's movinghere, but you know the main
service is out, so you have togo.
But if you've driven yourselfor whatever.
If you want to stay, you canstay.
(48:35):
And so there's just hundreds ofkids at the altar just praying
and crying.
And I, sure enough, got calledin the office the next day and
you're so rebellious, you know,we told you, when we dismiss,
you dismiss, you're notdismissing.
And so, thankfully, pastor Leehad sat in the service and he
goes no, I was there, hedismissed, you know.
(49:00):
And and so, uh and I say allthat because I, I, I don't stand
up here uh, going, oh, check meout, you know, I'm in the side
of god and all these otherpeople on the other side.
You know, I haven't had anexperience like that in a while,
so I wonder if I've slippedinto the category of the stomper
outers of the move of god.
You, you want to ask yourselfthat on a pretty regular basis.
Maybe not that way, becausethat wouldn't understand it
(49:21):
clear, or whatever, but I guesswhat I'm trying to say to you is
this that God wants to move,and are we going to be that kind
of church who who yells atpeter for letting these people
that we think shouldn't belong,or we're going to be peter who's
(49:44):
just inviting people?
You know, I, I don't want to beon the side like the, the
church leadership at that timewas who was trying to
desperately control things, or,you know, I want to be able to,
to let god, uh, be god.
And then if that means my rulesor my boundaries have to be
expanded, then so be it.
(50:05):
Amen.
And so just, really.
Please don't misunderstand me, Iuse that story because it's an
experience that I had, but notto point fingers anyone else but
say you know, where am I maybedoing that now, where I'm
thinking I'm right, because allthe justification was there why
it was a good idea to run thosekids off, except for the fact
(50:26):
that it's not a good idea to runthose kids off, right, you know
.
And so for us, I think we agreesometimes with things that seem
to be right and, as a result,we've pushed god aside.
So, uh, uh, when are we open to?
I just want it to be your way,god.
And if that means that I'muncomfortable or I even have to
(50:48):
be at risk of being accused ofbeing a heretical, or you know,
their big label for me was thatlove to call me rebellious, and
it was something that reallyhurt and it was something I was
very afraid of.
They knew what button to push.
Because I don't want to be thatperson and I've been that so
(51:11):
much of my life that you knowpeople recognize that as a fear,
and so I want to challenge youthat too.
Stepping out of this doesn'tmean everything comes easy for
you at that point.
It might be that you have tothen deal with those discomforts
and those issues and thoseplaces, but that is, I would
(51:34):
hope, that what we would want isto have those things exposed
and dealt with.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
We hope you've enjoyed this week's sermon.
If you would like moreinformation about us, visit us
online at firstlovechurchorg.
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