This week's Sermon from First B Jackson- February 16th 2025

In one paragraph

Pastor Ray preached through Acts 11:1-18, the scene where Peter returns to Jerusalem and defends his visit to the Gentile household of Cornelius. The sermon traced how God moved Peter, the Jerusalem believers, and eventually the wider church past the assumption that the gospel was only for one kind of person. When news reached Jerusalem that Peter had entered a Gentile home and eaten with...

Read together

1. Acts 11:1-18 the main passage read and expounded throughout the sermon
2. Acts 10 referenced repeatedly as the prior chapter telling the story of Peter and Cornelius that chapter 11 recounts
3. Acts 11:19-21 previewed as next week's passage about believers scattered after Stephen's death preaching in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch
4. Romans 10:9-10 read as the benediction about declaring Jesus is Lord and believing in the resurrection

Talk about it

1. Peter went back to Jerusalem and faced immediate criticism from fellow believers when he shared the gospel with Cornelius. Have you ever done something you felt God was leading you to do, only to face pushback from people inside the church? How did you handle it?
2. Peter retold the story of the vision precisely and in order, letting the facts speak for themselves and even bringing six witnesses. When you have had to explain or defend something God led you to do, how did you go about making your case?
3. The vision God gave Peter said not to call something unclean that God has made clean, and the Holy Spirit told him to make no distinction about the men who came to his door. Are there people or groups you have been tempted to think of as outside the reach of the gospel? What would it look like to let go of that?
4. The critics started out objecting and ended up praising God and calling repentance a privilege. What do you think changed in them when they heard Peter out? Have you ever changed your mind about something God was doing after hearing more of the story?
5. Pastor Ray talked about praying for divine appointments rather than treating interruptions as interruptions. What would it look like practically in your own week to hold your plans loosely enough to recognize and respond to those kinds of moments?