Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - In-Group vs. Out-Group | New Testament | Acts 10

Episode Date: May 4, 2023

Who do you see as an outsider? Who around you seems too far from God? Is anyone ever too far gone? In today's episode, Patrick discusses Peter's change of heart in Acts 10. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Join the TMBT community in reading the entire New Testament in one year. Get your FREE reading plan here. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Acts 10

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Patrick Miller. I will never forget one conversation I had with a very frustrated activist. She stated that my views on certain issues made me a bigot, the equivalent of a segregationist or a slaver. I'd never had someone say something like that to me before, and I honestly found it a bit surprising. Because while we disagreed on some ethical issues, I've always taught that Jesus commands us to love everyone, absolutely everyone radically, that Jesus teaches us to show radical respect and dignity and

that Christians have no right to rule over the lives of others in any way or oppress them. But the minute she said it, I also felt something else. I'm just being honest. I felt it rise up in my heart. It was the opposite of everything that I teach. It was frustration. It was anger. Suddenly, the hurt she caused me made me view her as an enemy, as an outsider, as someone who wanted to destroy me. I know I'm not alone. I've had friends tell me that people in the opposing political party want to destroy their life. Those people on the left want to destroy my family, my business, my livelihood, or those people on the right, they want to destroy people who look like me, have desires like me or feel like me. I know most people don't like admitting that they have enemies,

but the truth is you probably do. I say that because Jesus said, and I quote, love your enemies. And then he did exactly that by a, according to the Apostle Paul, dying for the enemies of God. So if Jesus had enemies that he loved and died for, I doubt that we are so righteous that we lack enemies to love and lay down our lives for. The truth is that there are people in your life whom I know you find it hard to love. I mean, just ask yourself, when someone walks into a room that you don't know, what could they say that would make you suspicious about them? What political affiliation could they have that would make you question them. What vocation could they do that makes you wonder if they're really a good

person? Where could they live? What could they believe about XYZ issues that make you say, I'm not sure you're in my camp. I'm not sure we're on the same team. We all have something that makes it hard for us to assume the best about others. The people that we might call enemies, or even if we wouldn't call them enemies, maybe we'd call them outsiders or the other team. And we're not alone. Peter experienced something similar. He saw Gentiles. maybe not as enemies, but certainly as outsiders. If they wanted to follow Jesus, they needed to be circumcised and follow the Jewish food and purity laws.

In other words, those Gentiles needed to become Jews. Until then, they were on the outside. Again, who do you see on the outside of Christianity? Too far from God to reach? Well, Peter discovers that God's boundary lines were different than his. God wasn't just inviting Jews to be a part of his kingdom. He wasn't just inviting circumcised people who abstained from unclean animals like pigs into his kingdom. No, he was inviting the uncircumcised pig-eating Gentiles to receive the kingdom and His Holy Spirit.

We pick up the story in chapter 10 of Acts. Verse 1. At Cessaria, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion, and what was known as the Italian regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day, at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him and said, Cornelius. The angel tells Cornelius that God has heard his prayers. And maybe that's because Cornelius wanted to be a member of the covenant community, but he was excluded because he was a Gentile and he wasn't

living like a Jew. And so anyways, this angel tells Cornelius to reach out to Peter because his prayer, his desires have been answered. We'll pick up in verse 9. About noon, the following day, as they, these are messengers that Cornelius sent. As they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat. And while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven open and something like a large sheep being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.

Then a voice told him, get up, Peter, kill and eat. Surely not, Lord, Peter replied. I have never eaten anything. impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him a second time. Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. This happened three times and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. So Peter, he's dumbstruck. He starts meditating on what God just showed him. And then messengers from Cornelius show up and they ask Peter to come along with him and visit Cornelius. Verse 23. The next day, Peter started out with them and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day,

he arrived in Cessaria. That's where Cornelius is. And so when Peter arrives, Cornelius falls in front of him, but Peter tells him to get up. He goes, hey, I'm not a God. I'm just a person. But what happens next is honestly a bit sad, because this is basically the first thing Peter says to Cornelius. And it sounds a little smug. Verse 28, Peter said to them, you are all well aware that it's against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. You know, it's maybe not the best start to a conversation, but let's keep going. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. And so when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me? Cornelius is a Gentile. Cornelius is an outsider. Cornelius is a kind of enemy. And so Peter clearly

doesn't really want to associate with him. But Cornelius is gracious. He explains what God said to him. And Peter actually sets aside his enmity. In verse 34, he says this, I now realize, how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Then Peter goes on and he preaches the gospel. And that's when things get really wild because in verse 44, while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

They're astonished. Again, it's a little sad, but that's true of all of us. We're all astonished when God changes someone's life who we see as being on the other team, as an enemy, as an outsider. Where we draw lines, God builds bridges. Where we see enemies, God sees sons and daughters. Where we scoff, God gives hope. Peter now sees that truth.

Again, we'll pick up in verse 46. Then Peter said, surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water they have received the holy spirit just as we have and so he ordered that they be baptized in the name of jesus christ then they asked peter to stay with them for a few days jesus came to tear down the wall that divided jews and gentiles he did that by laying down his own life before the foot of the cross jew and gentiles stood equally as sinners in need of a loving God. Before the promise of resurrection,

they stood equally as recipients of hope. Who are the outsiders and enemies in your life? Who do you assume would never, ever, ever know Jesus? Who do you put on the other side of the boundary? Jesus might be calling you to reach them, just like he called Peter to reach the Gentiles. Jesus might be calling you to reach them just as he reached you when you were an enemy of God.

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