Peter Goes

At the same time as the Spirit is telling Peter to go downstairs, Cornelius’ men arrive asking for him. Peter is offered an invitation to something new--an invitation to invite others who aren't like him, into his house and his faith. Peter understands God is up to something, so he agrees to go.

Read: Acts 10:17-23(NLT)

Explore the Theme: Peter had been given a vision that he was trying to make sense of and was then invited to go with three strangers to meet with someone who isn’t part of his culture. So far, the gospel was strictly tied to Judaism; this meeting was going to give way to the reality that the gospel was for everyone. How do you think Peter felt going into all this uncharted territory with the gospel? Unsure of how people would receive it? Scared? Excited? Confused?

Ask God: The gospel is for every tongue, tribe and nation, every living being needs to hear and be given the opportunity to accept or reject the invitation for eternal life. Sometimes we assume people will reject the message before we ever give them a chance to hear it. Ask God to help you not decide who will or who will not hear from you. Ask him to give you a boldness that cannot be stopped. Ask him to not allow rejections to silence you. Be mindful that a rejection can turn into acceptance in due time.

Live it Out: Along with our words comes the alignment of our feet--they should match up. It is vitally important for us to live out the gospel in being like Jesus. How are you doing in representing Jesus in your daily life? How can you better improve in reflecting his love and his heart for the lost? Who can you ask to help you grow in your walk with God? Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help--being discipled by a more mature believer is necessary for all of us to grow.