We're On the Same Team

The life God has invited us to is SO different than what we think it should be.  In our society, competition has become our focus.  We are always on edge trying to figure out how we are better than other people.  Social classes are pitted against each other by saying the rich people are better than the poor people.  In fashion, models are competing against each other in an effort to prove how much prettier and talented they are than someone else.  In the countless reality shows on tv, we see one competition after another. 

It is all about how those people aren’t as good as us.  Even more so, we are always trying to find ways of how we are better than other people, even if those people are actually on our side.  In seminary, sometimes part of classroom discussion becomes less about learning theology and more about how to look smarter than other people in the room.  In sports, one teammate may be competing against another teammate in order to show off to scouts or fans or the media. 

Take for instance this past summer’s Olympic games.  I really enjoyed watching the gymnastics portion.  It is fascinating how limber those girls are and the types of jumps, flips, and routines they can do within such a short amount of time.  For the US team, the media was glued to watching a handful of young woman do what they have dedicated their lives to doing. 

These girls were part of a team, yet they were individuals competing against not only other countries, but also their own teammates.  We saw moments of triumph and even glimpses of sheer disappointment.  These girls who have trained for years were competing against one another in order to see who was the better gymnast.

Our lives revolve around competition.  Even in the church, we like to compete.  We can see it in children’s Bible quizzing.  We can see it in youth groups as some compete for attention.  We can see it in some testimonies where one person wants to outdo the miraculous transformation story of another. We can see it in the opinions of Christians about other Christians in the way they came to know Christ. 

I have grown up in the church.  My parents knew how important going to church and getting involved was and I am glad they taught me that.  I love listening to sermons and learning more about God and others.  I love potlucks in that different groups of people can gather at the table, share a meal, and share stories with one another.  I love worshipping with others as we draw closer to the heart of God. 

There are other Christians who have not had a similar experience.  Some were never brought up knowing or even stepping inside a church.  Their childhood or adulthood may have looked very different than mine.  Instead of listening to sermons, they may have learned about the world through the media or only their parents’ stories.  Instead of eating at potlucks together, they may have spent their time eating their tv dinners in their rooms alone.  Instead of worshipping together, they may never have known who God was, much less why they should sing about Him or to Him.

Some who have been Christians for most of their lives may have a hard time understanding or welcoming in these new Christians that don’t think or act or look like us.  Sometimes it is hard to embrace new people especially when they didn’t take the same path we did.  Sometimes we who grew up in the church think we are better than new Christians.

In our Scripture for today, we see a similar experience.  Here we step into Peter’s ministry and see how God is using him to build God’s Kingdom.  While in Joppa, God reveals something to Peter in a vision.  In our passage today, Peter recaps this story and turning point for the circumcised believers. 

Read Acts 11:1-18 (NRSV)

This passage of Scripture can be seen as a retelling of the previous chapter.  Chapter 10 speaks about a conversion story of Cornelius who is an uncircumcised, Gentile Roman.  Here Peter is addressing a group of church leaders.  Some people were upset about the reports that Gentiles were being converted.  As Peter shares the story, it seems that he is more intent on revealing what God is doing rather than his own ministry.  Some of his colleagues were glad to hear of what God was doing.  It was the circumcised believers who were having a hard time welcoming these uncircumcised Gentiles. 

There were many reasons why they were unaccepting of these Gentiles.  First of all, for Jews, being circumcised was a sign of their covenant with God, as can be read in Genesis.  Covenants were essential to their identity as it showed the type of relationship existing between them and God.  For Peter, these circumcised believers expected any new converts to be circumcised in order to really be converted.  However, this was not what God had in mind.  God did not want to use a sacred bond between Him and His people in order to exclude new believers. 

Second of all, these Gentiles also received the gift of the Holy Spirit as did the other believers when they repented and believed in Jesus Christ.  Both the Jews and Gentiles repented, were forgiven of their sins, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This gift united the Jews and the Gentiles, whether or not they were willing to accept it.  It was hard to notice the unity when all they saw were the differences. 

The significance of Peter’s vision is that this blanket that fell from heaven held within it various species of animals.  In their day, these animals would not be grouped together because some were clean and some were unclean.  Yet, in this vision from God, all these animals were together.  God is not distinguishing clean from unclean.  Just as God is not distinguishing the circumcised believers from the Gentile believers and converts. 

When Peter responds to God’s instruction to ‘get up, kill and eat’, it is no surprise, coming from his Jewish background, that Peter says no.  These animals were considered unclean, so of course Peter was not going to even touch them because then he would become unclean.  Fortunately, Peter did not let this tradition keep him from “being exposed” to the unclean people.  Peter was willing to listen to the Holy Spirit and trust that God was leading.  Because of his willingness, Peter walked with the so-called unclean people and entered the home of an unclean man, and was able to share this gift of the Holy Spirit to this repentant, uncircumcised Gentile. 

Peter shares a powerful statement in Acts 10:34-35.  He says, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  The Holy Spirit that these repentant Gentiles received was the same gift of the Holy Spirit that the repentant Jews received.  God really doesn’t show any partiality.  God invites everyone into a relationship with Him.  It is not our job to stand in the way directing God who should and should not be welcomed into the body of Christ. 

This Christian life is not about who is better than the other.  It is not about playing favorites or condemning others for not conforming to traditions.

The beauty about this life that God has invited us to is that it doesn’t look like what we think it should look like!  This relationship with God is open to everyone, not just those who follow a set of rules or those who have followed a specific path.  God wants to give every repentant believer the gift of the Holy Spirit.  God’s blessings are open to Jews and to Gentiles, to born and raised Christians and to new Christians.  God wants everyone to come to Him, to ask for forgiveness, to draw closer to Him, to fall in love with Him, and to learn how to love others.

There might be people who come into the body of Christ who we don’t think belong, people who look differently, act differently, and speak differently.  They may not have been born and raised in the church.  They may not know all the rules or even follow them as strictly as others.  They may not think the way others do. 

What is so great about this life with God is that it is not about us.  It is not about what we think matters or what we believe should be important.  It is not about playing by the rules in order the make God happy and rejecting others who do not do the same.  It is not about exclusion based on our opinions. 

This life with God is all about what God is doing.  God has done and is continuing to do incredible things in each of our lives.  God wanted a relationship with the Jews AND the Gentiles.  God wants a relationship with the born and raised Christians and the new Christians. 

Through God’s grace, we can all come together in one purpose….to give praise to God.  It doesn’t have to be about drawing boundary lines between believers.  It does not have to be one Christian pitted against the other because of their political opinions.  It does not have to be what we think is best.  It is about the good grace of God and how God wants to use us.  Amen.

Benediction:

May we be gracious like God as we welcome all repentant believers into the loving body of Christ.  May we come together to draw closer to God and to each other.  May you be filled with the Holy Spirit and be reminded of God’s love for all.