Acts 11

​For such a small chapter, so much goes on in Acts 11. Peter explains the dream he had about the sheet coming down from heaven. He spoke of how God had told him that nothing he had made clean could be called impure. He told the others that God had sent three men to take him to Cornelius’s house, the house of a Gentile. The Jewish believers could not comprehend why Peter had spent time eating and fellowshipping, telling those in the household about Jesus. Most Jews at that time believed that since God had called the them to be his chosen people that salvation must only be for them. So why would Peter dare to waste his time with a house full of Gentiles? God chose to teach the Jews his laws so that they could go forth and bring salvation to the rest of the people. Like Peter said in verse 17, “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”

This was a major turning point for the church. The Jews accepted that God’s love was for everyone, not just them. From then on, they would preach the gospel, not only to other Jews but to everyone. This is where the believers were first called Christians. No longer were they called Jews and Gentiles, but Christians! How amazing it is that this term could bring so much unity among two separate groups! The love of God poured over them and the walls that kept them apart were knocked down. This relationship would cause the church to grow in ways never seen before.

Do we sometimes look at others and believe that God would never choose them as his disciples? Do we catch ourselves looking down upon others, thinking that because we know Jesus we are better than them? Do we avoid talking to someone else, just because they come from a different background than us? Like Acts 10:45-46 says, “... the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God”. God’s love is a gift that should not be kept a secret. We should go forth and share his love and mercy with everyone we meet! God used Peter to spread the word to the Gentiles. God used Peter so that His word would extend to those who had not yet heard it. God used Peter to reach out to the ones the others had forgotten about. God wants to use you to spread the word to those people no one else will talk to. Be Peter. Be the first to step out of your box, do God’s will, and reach the people who need His love the most.

Reaching Out With Love,
Beth