Act 10 - A Blog in 28 Acts

"Get Out Of Your Box."

Getting out of your box is an expression that is used to describe someone taking a risk or coming to a new understanding about something.  As we read the book of Acts we see many of the early followers of Jesus getting out of the box as they tried to build the early church.  Before I go on, Read Acts 10 and try to get a sense of how Peter was called to get out of the box.

Did you get it?  Did you sense how Peter was getting out of his box? 

Peter was building the church from Jerusalem.  His primary audience were the Jews.  They were believers already.  The Gentiles were a different story though.  They, for the most part were pagans.  Peter didn't see them in the same way he saw the Jews.  He thought the Jews were the chosen and the Gentiles were just heathens. But then Cornelius sends for him...Cornelius is an Italian!  Definitely not Jewish.  But Peter senses a call to go to him.  When he finally sees him some Jews are aghast at Peter being in the company of an "unclean gentile".  But Peter gets out his box when he says in verse 34, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts all people from every nation who fear him."  That is a big step for Peter.  He is acknowledging that there is really no difference between the Jews and Gentiles...God shows no partiality.  Didn't make him very popular among the Jewish Christians of the day.  But it opened the door for a legitimate evangelism effort to the Gentile world.  This would transform the church forever.

God often asks us to get out our boxes to see things in this life in a brand new way.  For Peter it was to realize that in God's eyes there was no difference between Jews and Gentiles.  What is it for you and me?  Is God trying to get us to see our neighbor in a new light?  Are we being challenged to forgive in a way that we have never had to forgive before? Is God asking us to reach out to someone we are not that comfortable around in order to share the love of Christ?

You and I are always in a process of growing to be more like Christ.  Think and pray about how God might be working on you today to get out of your box and see something in your life in a brand new way!

Pastor Greg This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.