DEALING WITH PREJUDICES

DEALING WITH PREJUDICES.

Prejudices: An area where some Christians struggle, but need to overcome.

Question:
What are some things that cause prejudices?
– Passed down from parents
– Bad experiences
– Lack of knowledge about the other person
– Pre-conceived opinions
– A tendency to judge all people as a group based on the actions of a few.

God is impartial and He expects followers of Christ
to avoid prejudices (prejudging others) as well .

ACTS 10

VERSES 1-2:

After Paul was converted,
another important event took place – the first Gentiles became believers.

Before we look at a Gentile name Cornelius,
we need to look at what is going on in the life of Peter (Acts 9:32-43):
– He went to Lydda (while there he healed a paralytic).
– Went to Joppa (God used him to raise a dead woman back to life).
  Note: While he was in Joppa, God was at work in a city 30 miles to the north.

Cornelius:
A Roman centurion (he commanded at least 100 soldiers).

Stationed in Caesarea:
– Mostly a Gentile population.
– A center for Roman administration.
– The location of many of Herod the Great’s building projects.

Centurion:
– He was equivalent to a US Army Sergeant Major.

– It was the highest rank an ordinary enlisted soldier could attain.

– Promotion to this rank was based on battle experience and military aptitude.

– It was usually a position that was held for life.

– Based on his experience and position,
   we could assume he was a hardened military man, but…

        – He and his family were known as sincere, God-fearing people.

        – He helped the poor and prayed on a regular basis.

          Question: What made the difference?

– Apparently he had adopted the religion of this new land.

– He turned from the pagan worship of his culture, and converted to Judaism.
   Note: Many Gentiles were disillusioned with the paganism
              of their area, and seriously considered converting.
   Note: More women than men converted to Judaism:
               – They only had to fulfill two of the three requirements:
                 (Offer a sacrifice; Be baptized; Be circumcised).
    Note: Those who did not meet all the requirements,
               but were close, were called “God-fearers”
               (they were allowed to worship in the synagogues).

VERSES 3-6:

3:00 PM:
    – This was the customary time for prayer in first century Judea.

    – This is when Cornelius had a vision.

– The angel came and called his name.
   Question: Why would he call his name?

– Cornelius stared at the angel in fear.
   Question: Why was he afraid?

– Cornelius asked, “What is it Lord?”
   Note: We might wonder if he was stuttering when he asked the question.
   Question: Why did he address the angel as Lord?

– The angel explained that his good works had not gone unnoticed in heaven.

– He compared his prayers and gifts to a memorial offering to God.
  Note: We may wonder if God actually hears our prayers and sees our good works.
             We may wonder if He appreciates our sacrifices to Him.
             Note: We may not get confirmation through a vision,
                         but we will receive God’s approval in the life to come.
             Note: Until then, we can have confidence that He does see our good works.

– After giving him confidence that God was pleased with him,
   he gave Cornelius some specific instructions.

– He was to send for a man name Peter.
   Note: Peter was in Joppa.
   Note: Simon the tanner may have lived by the sea in order to get the salt
              (used for curing the leather before tanning it).
   Note: It’s interesting that Peter stayed with Simon:
                   – Handling carcasses made Simon ritually unclean.
                   – Purification would have been difficult,
                   – His daily contact with dead animals made him perpetually unclean.
                     Note: This showed that Peter must have had
                                 some openness toward unclean people
                                 (which included the Gentiles).

VERSES 7-8:

As a soldier, Cornelius was used to giving, receiving, and obeying orders.

Regardless of his personal feelings from the vision, he obeyed the angel’s command.

He called two servants and a soldier; then he told them what had happened.

He dispatched them to Joppa to bring back Peter.

Question: Do you think he knew why he was to send for Peter?

Note: God does the same thing with us.
            – He gives us guidelines for living and expects us to follow them
              (but sometimes we don’t know what that will mean for us in this life).

            – He also calls us into area of service that may not make sense to us.
              Note: We should respond in faith and obedience;
                          and with a belief that God will work everything out for our good.

Question: Wonder why he sent a soldier with the servants?

Question: Why did he send three men?
                            – It was part of Gods’ plan (we’ll see later in verses 17-20).

VERSES 9-10:

Now, back to Peter and God’s preparing him for the three men and their message.

Obstacles:
– The three men were uncircumcised Gentiles
   (these people were strictly avoided by the Jews).
– Jewish guidelines considered it wrong for a Jew (like Peter)
   to enter the home of a non-Jew (like Cornelius).

Solution:
– God would prepare Peter through a vision.
   Note: God was about to work through Peter and Cornelius to teach
              the revolutionary truth that Gentiles can become part of the church.

“Roof”
– This is where Peter’s vision would take place.
– Roofs were flat and were used like decks are today.
– Peter went there about noon to pray.

After awhile, Peter became hungry
(which means he may have spent a long time in prayer).

While he was waiting for food, he fell into a trance

Vision:
– Similar to dreams, visions were one of God’s ways of communicating.
– Dreams occurred when a person was asleep, but visions
   could happen while a person was awake (Example: Daniel 10:4-9).

VERSES 11-16:

The vision:
– Something like a large sheet was lowered from heaven by its four corners.
– The contents: Many kinds of four-footed mammals, reptiles, and birds.
– As a Jew, Peter saw that the sheet contained both clean and unclean animals.
        Clean: Could have been cows, sheep, and fish.
        Unclean: Could have been pigs, lizards, and vultures.

– Since the clean were mixed with the unclean,
   the Jews felt that the clean were also now unclean.

– Old Testament law made a distinction
   between clean and unclean animals (Leviticus 11).

– The difference was symbolic of the difference
   between God’s covenant people (the Jews) and all others.

– Under the covenant (established by Christ),
   Jews and Gentiles are considered equal in the church
   (this was symbolized by the mixture of animals in the vision).

– Along with Peter’s vision was a voice commanding him
   to kill and eat the creatures in the large sheet.

– Even though he was hungry, Peter protested
   that he had never eaten anything unclean.
   Note: Jesus had previously taught that the food laws were obsolete
              (Matthew 15:10-11), but apparently Peter didn’t get the message.
              He thought that God could not seriously want him to eat unclean meat.

Note:
Learning what God expects is a lifelong process.

After He saves us, He wants us to increase
our understanding of His will and to quickly
(and without question) obey His will for us.

– The voice sounded again:
   Forbidding Peter (and all Christians) from calling anything
   unclean (unacceptable) that God had called clean (acceptable).
   Note: When Peter was told to eat the animals, God was declaring them clean.

– God reinforced His point telling Peter three times.
   Note: This was an important revelation for all Gentiles.

VERSES 17-20:

Apparently, Peter was still struggling with the meaning of the vision.
Question: Should he be having trouble understanding the vision? Why?

The men Cornelius sent,
arrived and were trying to determine if they were at the right house.

Peter’s thoughts were interrupted by the Spirit’s voice:
– Three men are here for you.
– Go down and meet them.
– Go with them without hesitation.

Question: If you were Peter, what would you do? Why?

Question: Would you still be wondering about the vision?

Summary:
– The Jews were God’s chosen people.
– God now accepts the Gentiles as well.
– Peter considered the Gentiles as unclean (unacceptable).
– Through a vision, God removed Peter’s prejudice toward the Gentiles.
– We also struggle with prejudices.
– God can help us to remove our prejudices and so we can witness to all people.

BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com