The Olympics and Acts 10 - Jason Brown

The Olympics and Acts 10 - Jason Brown

I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to blog about something in the sermon and Acts 10 . . . but did any of you catch the men's 4x100 at the Swimming Cube in Beijing last night?!  I actually didn't watch it until this morning (on the web).  The American team won by a finger-length, destroying the world record by more than 3 seconds.  The win kept open the possibility of Michael Phelps leaving Beijing with a record 8 gold medals in a single olympics.  Anyway, I digress . . . 


Alright, on Sunday morning we saw God take the initiative.  This seems to be the major theme in Acts up to this point.  Peter wouldn't be caught dead in the home of a non-Jew.  But God visits Cornelius in a dream.  Then God visits Peter in a dream.  Immediately after this dream some of Corny's envoys show up at Peter's house letting him (Peter) know that he'll be taking a trip to Caesarea.  Because of God's power and passion, Peter ends up in the home of Cornelius proclaiming the gospel and witnessing the Holy Spirit fall on, GULP!, an entire household of gentiles.

Acts 10 is a pivotal story in the Bible.  Luke spends an entire chapter on this single event -- something rare in the narrative writing of the New Testament.  The story is rich with theological and practical import.  Pastor Harold spoke of the dynamic legacy we leave when we seize our divine moments.  Pastor Larry spoke of God's inherent desire for racial reconciliation.  Both of them shared that our self-imposed rules (which are often couched in theology) keep us distant from people who aren't like us and from the activity of the Holy Spirit in the world. 

Being able to see these self-imposed rules is extraordinarily difficult in the moment because they seem so right -- just as staying away from unclean foods seemed so right to Peter (he certainly could have made a strong Biblical case for this, right!).  What are some of the rules you follow -- theological or otherwise -- which keep you distant from others and the activity of the Holy Spirit?  Also, what do you see in Acts 10 as you read it?  And, as always, if you've got any great stories, take a minute to share them . . . particularly if they're short and sweet!

Posted on Mon, August 11, 2008 by Jason Brown

3 comments (Add your own)

1. Heather Gates wrote:
Verse 43: All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

That part – “receives forgiveness of sins” is what jumped out at me as I read Acts 10 this morning. Why? Because it’s the part that I most easily leave out in conversations with people who don’t yet know Jesus. And it was left out last night at the memorial service I attended at a Christian church where I had been hoping to hear an inspiring gospel message given to the grieving people around me. But I went home thinking ‘Even though they heard about Jesus, these people probably aren’t any closer to wanting to follow Him than they were before hearing tonight’s message,’ and I hadn’t quite put my finger on why I thought that until I read Acts 10 this morning.

It’s just easier and safer to simply say “We need to follow Jesus.” But that’s not enough because if no need for a savior has been identified, then why follow him?

We need to know the reason, the NEED for following Christ -- Forgiveness. Jesus is the only one who has the authority to forgive us and the power to help us forgive each other. And it’s only through forgiveness that people of all different cultures and backgrounds can begin to be reconciled to each other.

So back to verse 43 – “All the prophets testify. . .” What if all the Christians did the same?

Tue, August 12, 2008 @ 12:59 PM

2. ken dingle wrote:
Heather, Ditto! Brilliant! Me and my wife thank the Lord for you. ken d

Fri, August 15, 2008 @ 7:30 PM

3. Rachel Shivers wrote:
Amen to everything my mom said!
The book of Acts is all about the work of the Holy Spirit!
We need the FULLNESS of the Spirit's power, direction, fruit and gifts if we are to be an "e-church" that resembles more fully the early church we're reading about in Acts.

I truly thank God for all the beautiful fruit I see at ERC! But like apostle Paul, I want the fullness of God's presence, purposes and power - which Paul says is beyond anything we can think and ask! WOW! More Lord Jesus! Make us bigger and better channels of your love, purpose and power.

Mon, August 18, 2008 @ 9:20 AM

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