NO LIMITS
Building more than ourselves Celebration Church Pastors Bryan McDevitt & Tom Bartlett Daily Devotionals Week 5
Week Five: The character and power of the church.
WEEK FIVE DAY 1
WORD
About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” Acts 10:3-4 (ESV)
Today’s encouraging word:
Over the years I’ve encountered some amazing stories about people who came to know the Lord. Growing up in a strong missionary-minded church, our church would annually would host a mission’s conference with speakers each night and presentations from dozens of ministries and missionaries from around the world. Statements such as this one by Isobel Kuhn would stir my heart, “I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call. It is man who will not respond!” (Missionary to China and Thailand). My heart would be stirred and challenged to be that man to go. Another inspirational story I recall was from a man who was bringing the gospel to the furthest reaches of the globe, to people groups with no gospel witness. He would go into these remote places, befriend them, learn their language, and then share the Good News of Jesus. He one such group of the news that the Creator of all loves every person on the planet and that because of sin, man was separated from this great Creator, but the Creator made a way for every person to know Him and live with Him forever. He sent His own Son to die in our place. The missionary said that after sharing all this information, the leader of the tribe told him that his tribe had followed and worshipped the great Creator for a long time, they simply did not know His name or what He had done for them. The missionary told them that the name of the Creator is Jehovah, and His Son, our Savior is Jesus. The people readily accepted the love of God and now had the name of God and the Good News of salvation from God through His Son Jesus. These people, though not educated by modern standards were smarter than most. The Bible states, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1). And that, creation is a witness against those who refuse to believe, (Romans 1:20). These people could clearly see the moon and stars, all of creation, and by deduction know that there must be a creator, and whoever that creator was, they prayed to and worshipped Him. You see, God heard their prayers and sent a missionary to explain more fully who He is. This is much like the passage of Acts 10.
As the news of the gospel spread from Jerusalem, the church grew daily. What at first had primarily been a Jewish splinter group, the church was now reaching more and more gentiles. In acts 9 Paul is converted and begins his preparation to be the apostle to the Gentiles through a 3-year study of the Old Testament in the Arabian desert. It’s there that he uncovers Jesus all over the Old Testament and is prepared to preach Jesus to the Gentile world. Peter will be the apostle to the Jews primarily but he also needed some preparation to complete his training and understanding of the gospel for all people. Paul expresses these roles in Galatians, “For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.” Galatians 2:8 (NLT). Peter would be used to help redirect the Jews back to the purposes God chose them for, you see the Jews were to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 49:6) to help the world see and know God. Unfortunately, over time they simply kept the knowledge of a relationship with the Creator to themselves. As Paul is preparing for ministry after his conversion in Acts 9, in Acts 10 we see an encounter between a Gentile Roman soldier, an angel of God, and Peter.
An interesting fact occurs here in this passage of Acts 10. For years I’ve heard preachers say, “the only prayer God will hear if you’re not a believer is a prayer for salvation.” While I understand what preachers are saying, this scripture clearly refutes that notion since Cornelius’ prayers reached the ears of God. Cornelius, a very religious man prayed to God often, and his prayers were reflective of his heart. The Bible says that he was generous and helped those in need and that his whole household had this atmosphere of devotion and care. You might say he was a better Jew than many Jews living at that time, that he understood and lived the admonition of Micah when he wrote, He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (ESV). It was this attitude and a sincere pursuit of God that caused God to visit Cornelius in a vision. Now it’s important to state here that the work of the church is mandated by the world to “go and make disciples of all nations”, but while we are going, God is already at work in ways we cannot see. It’s also important to note that sincere faith and giving to the poor are not enough, Cornelius needed and encounter with the truth of who Jesus is. God was working out a plan to send help to this man who needed to know about Jesus.
So, the reality remains whether you go to your neighbor or a foreign land, God is already at work in the lives of people you will encounter. You may not know it, but He is. Our job is not to make converts, that’s the job of the Holy Spirit. Our job is to make disciples. Those who respond in favor of the gospel then become our responsibility to help them grow and become reproducing followers of Jesus also. Oh, for people in our church to have the missionary fervor that once was prevalent in our country. Today, South Korea is the largest missionary sending country in the world. Today, missions are slowing down in the US as we become a more pagan and godless society. As the torch is burning low here, would you pray that God would raise up men like C.T. Studd again who once said,
"Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."
PRAYER
Lord, place a fire within me Lord, one that burns for those who need you. Jesus help me to be as concerned for those in need physical and spiritual as Cornelius was and to do as You would for them. In Jesus’ name A-men.
WORSHIP – Honor God today by telling someone about the love of God.
Today’s suggested reading: • Nehemiah 11:1-21
WEEK FIVE DAY 2
WORD
Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. Acts 10:13b-16 (ESV) Today’s encouraging word:
I once flew to Las Vegas, (or as my dad would say, “Lost Wages”), to do a wedding for my younger brother. He lives there and works in show business. One of my life-long friends had flown out there too, to attend the wedding. On the Saturday after the wedding, we decided to attend a church locally. From the hotel we were staying in, we could see no less than 4 store-front churches in a shopping complex. Not knowing which one to attend, we randomly picked one, (probably the closest) and headed out to attend their service. Our experience left a lasting impression on the both of us, and not a good one. There was no greeting at the door, no greeting inside the building where about 50 or so people had gathered leaving us to feel less than welcomed. We found a place to sit and participated in the songs. During a welcome time, no one initiated talking to us as it seemed that they tried to avoid us, although we reached out to welcome those around us. We left with a feeling of emptiness and sadness for that body of believers. Now, I do not know what that church may have been facing as a congregation, but we got the message loud and clear, NO OUTSIDERS HERE! If someone needed hope, while we may have not known where to send them, we now knew where not to send them. Is that how the church is supposed to be? Are only certain people with the right look, or right vibe welcome? Not at all. Paul teaches that the church is a family, we didn’t get that impression in that church body on that day.
Now, yesterday we looked at the encounter Cornelius had with an “angel of the Lord”, a messenger from God who told him your “prayers and your alms” have been heard by God. What Cornelius would soon learn is that God was sending a missionary to him by the name of Peter, but before Peter could be that missionary, God would need to correct Peter’s traditional thinking about missions and who gets welcomed into the family. Peter suffered from what some might called “paradigmatic blindness”. That is, in his mind there was a certain way of thinking, a paradigm, a box that his ideas operated in especially when it came to the mission, and nothing else was possible. In Peter’s mind, apparently, Gentiles were unclean and not worthy of the Good News. How could they be? They were unclean. I find this situation strange since the final send-off of Jesus in Acts 1:8 was to go to the local region around Jerusalem, then to Samaria and those who lived in the greater region, then on to Samaria where the apostles would find people of a different ethnic background from their own. Did Peter not expect to find non-Jews there? Anyway, the Lord gives Peter a vision with all kinds of animals and tells Peter to eat these animals. Now, you might be thinking, “eat, sounds great, fire up the grill.” The problem is that many of these animals were considered unclean and to be avoided by the Jews. Now, this is not a devotion on nutritional health, but let me say that many of the stipulations for eating in the Jewish law were beneficial to the Hebrews especially while in the desert many years earlier, and many of these commands are still a good practice for general health. So, while the vision is not about what to eat and what not to eat, it does express a powerful example of who Jesus died for – all people, from every place regardless of where they are from, Jew or Gentile. Peter struggles with this message so much that the messenger has to repeat it him three times.
Over the years I’ve noticed that some church gatherings are very welcoming to guests and some are not. Some churches have an unwritten dress code and they frown on those who do not comply. Others have a “come as you are” mindset and make you feel like family the moment you arrive. Peter was being taught the lesson that the outward appearance is not what God looks at, He looks at the heart and His love is open for all. The Lord taught Samuel this truth as God sent him out to find the new leader of Israel. He told him to not focus on the outside appearance, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV).
So, the mission is all people, everywhere regardless and the church is to be comprised of people from these diverse settings. The church is not a building it’s you and me. So, how is Celebration Church doing at welcoming others into the gatherings? Let’s make that personal, how are you doing at welcoming others? How about people that different from you? Is there any prejudice (pre-judging) before you meet people, or are you freely welcoming all into the family of God?
Remember, technically you don’t “go” to church, you “are” the church! T. Bartlett PRAYER
Lord, I am the church, Your hands and feet in this world. Help me to do as You would do, be as You would be today and at all times. In Jesus’ name A-men.
WORSHIP – This week in corporate worship, would you make a commitment to honor God through welcoming others even those you do not know into the fellowship of Celebration Church
Today’s suggested reading: • Nehemiah 11:22-36
WEEK FIVE DAY 3
WORD
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. Acts 10:25-27 (ESV)
Today’s encouraging word:
As we continue our theme with the story of Peter and Cornelius, they have finally met. Now imagine the anticipation of Peter coming and all this being set up by divine intervention. Cornelius probably readied his servants, had the house cleaned, had a meal prepared and then sat with great anticipation, nervousness, and maybe even fear as he waited for Peter to arrive. On the other hand, Peter a veteran of the miracles of God and probably at this point nothing miraculous could amaze him, he’d seen the resurrected Jesus, what could top that? In acts 9 Peter heals a man who could not walk and then raises the dead! Now he’s on to his next divine appointment; Cornelius.
As Peter arrives all this anticipation was boiling over in Cornelius and he immediately imposes on Peter an undue worship. He falls at Peter’s feet in total honor and humility and in what is reserved for God alone, he worships Peter. Now it’s interesting to me because Cornelius doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. He’s just being introduced to the truth of who God is and who His Son Jesus the Christ is, but, isn’t that much like people who walk into our church who have never been in a church before? How do they feel? Nervous, excited, scared? Many people walk into church and have no idea what to expect. Some are afraid they will do or say the wrong thing. I’ve heard people express fear over not knowing when to stand and when to sit and what to say in the right way not wanting to offend anyone. Many churches today have a “what to expect” section on their website for guests to read and see before they come to help alleviate this.
Peter explains to Cornelius that they are no different, a lesson that was made very clear by the vision of the Lord to Peter. He did not allow Cornelius to elevate him in anyway, a trait that I’m sad to say many modern ministers do not have. In this regard, Robert Murray McCheyne once stated, “Don’t give glory to preachers. They are often instruments in bringing souls to Christ, but they cannot make Christ rise on the soul, just as they cannot make the sun rise on the earth. Only God can give spiritual light and he must have all the glory.” So, Peter takes a hold of Cornelius and elevates him. There they are eye to eye, face to face. One man who had experienced the miraculous and performed the miraculous, the other just being introduced into the life changing message of Jesus Christ. While I’m sure every day was an adventure for Peter, one might think that seeing so many out of the ordinary happenings, it wouldn’t be as astonishing for him, while for Cornelius the enthusiasm and interest would be over-flowing. Now, I do not mean to suggest that Peter lost his passion or the zeal for seeing life change, he lived for that. It’s just when it’s brand new there’s a certain overwhelming feeling for those experiencing for the first time. It’s this idea that we need to remember when new people come to Christ. We need to fan that flame of enthusiasm and encourage them to keep discovering, learning, and becoming. I’ve seen many people who should have a certain degree of maturity but at some point, they stopped growing in their relationship with Christ. And instead of say 25 years of spiritual maturity, they have 1 year repeated 24 times. You see, it’s possible to be a mature believer this year and immature next simply because you have stopped growing. Maturity is a lifelong pursuit. Peter had just matured in his faith and so had Cornelius. How about you? Growing spiritually? Stronger today than a year ago? It’s up to you to grow, obedience is the key!
Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God. Oswald Chambers
PRAYER
Dear Lord, I want to continue to grow, to see new things and experience You in fresh new ways. Help me keep the wonder of who You are day to day as You live through me and grow me. In Jesus’ name A- men.
WORSHIP – Commit to spiritual growth today and honor God with a plan for growth. How will you be more like Jesus one week, one month, one year from now. Honor God with commitments toward growth.
Today’s suggested reading: • Nehemiah 12:1-21
WEEK FIVE DAY 4 WORD
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34-35 (ESV)
Today’s encouraging word:
In the Acts 10 narrative, Peter discloses what all teaches could disclose if they were honest; much learning happens when you’re teaching. You see this declaration that “God shows no partiality” was also a confession. He expresses, “I now know . . .” before he made his statement. Peter, a devout follower of Jesus but also a devout Jew from birth had to wrestle with the tension between his traditions and the truth that was revealed to him. It’s not unlike what many of us today have to grapple with. Growing up, whether taught or simply evolved in my own personal theology, I believed many things that today, I simply no longer hold to. Not because I just decided to stop believing, but after careful personal examination, I had to separate what was tradition elevated to a sanctified position and what was truly from God. I’ve made decisions concerning music, hair-length on men and woman, clothes, translations of the Bible and more. You could say that I’ve had my own, “I now know . . .” moments.
Peter’s tradition taught him that Gentiles were outsiders and that the things of God were only for the Jews. His “I now know . . .” experience has led him to understand the beautiful union that God has made between both groups, Jews and Gentiles (Greeks/non-Jews). Paul would later explain it this way, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” Romans 10:12 (ESV). This Peter who struggled with ethnic division has now discovered the wonderful beauty of a brand-new entity, the church. You see, Jesus said He’d build the church (Matthew 16), and Peter was there at the birth of the church (Acts 2), but the church is different than the chosen people of God in the Old Testament. The beauty of the church is, they don’t all have to look like me, (thank God), or like you! Now God’s chosen people are any and everyone who will call on His name for salvation regardless of their ethnic background, skin color, language, gender, economic situation, and education. So, what are we chosen to? Is it a special place of honor? I guess you could say that, but not primarily. Are we chosen to receive God’s blessings? Yes, that too, but not primarily. The “chosen one’s” of God are chosen to be His light to the rest of the world. He chose us to tell them, what He has done for all of us! Now, I’m not referring to the theological topic of election per se, that’s for another time, I’m talking about the fact that out of all the world, God looked through time and space and chose you for a mission. He wants you to do what Peter is doing in this passage, to listen to the voice of God and go where He sends you to tell others about Him!
So, I have to ask you, what barriers are you facing in order to do this? Does your thinking need to be changed in order to do what God has asked you to do? If so, the Bible word for the changing of our mind and direction is “repentance”, (Greek: metanoia). We turn from that old way of thinking, belief, or conviction, to a change of heart, a new conviction, one that is generated and driven by God. Now, for many, in learning to take these bold steps of faith to tell people how much God loves them, there’s often fear. I can promise you this, the Spirit of God will guide your words as you follow your heart in telling the Good News. You’ll look back and think, “did I just say all that? Where did that come from?” God shows no partiality, He loves you and He loves them. But, will you accept your chosen position to tell others the Good News?
Let God be the Judge. Your job today is to be a witness. Warren Wiersbe
PRAYER
Lord help me be a light for You in this world. As the light of the gospel goes out from Steele Creek Church, I realize that means through me. Use me that way today. Help me to turn away from any traditions that take my gaze from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
WORSHIP – Honor God today by considering any actions in your spiritual life that are driven out of tradition and not relationship with God and make course corrections.
Today’s suggested reading: • Nehemiah 12:22-47 WEEK FIVE DAY 5
WORD
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. Acts 10:44-45 (ESV)
Today’s encouraging word:
While I was in college studying for the ministry, I once travelled to my home town on a break. During that time, my family including spouses of my older sibling got together. One of my sisters-in-law, that I did not know very well at the time was there. She was kind, but reserved, and I could tell, a deep thinker. The topic of the Bible and religion came up and of course since ministry was my life direction, she and I began a conversation that I remember clearly to this day. She was enlightening me on all kinds of new age theories and philosophies of the spiritual, all of which I was already aware of, but she made a statement that I had never heard of before or for that matter since. As she expounded on Hinduism and similar belief systems that teach that a person after death will come back in another life form, she made this statement, “even the Bible teaches about reincarnation.” I was blown away by that statement and asked with great interest, “where does the Bible speak about reincarnation?” She said that somewhere in the Bible it teaches that a man must be born again. I thought to myself, wow, what a set up for the gospel! I then explained to her in context that the very point of the teaching of Jesus found in John chapter 3, to a man named Nicodemus, was that man needs a spiritual birth, not another physical birth. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 ESV). Nicodemus’ thought was identical to my sister-in-law upon hearing these words of being born again. He too thought heaven required a new physical birth. Jesus goes on to teach that man needs not a physical birth, but a spiritual birth. I’m glad to report that since that time my sister-in-law has come to faith in Jesus. I’m sure that this conversation was a catalyst for that event in her life. Jesus explains that a new birth, a spiritual one, is birth by the Holy Spirit of God. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 ESV). “Water” refers to the physical and “Spirit” to the heavenly, divine, spiritual life Jesus gives.
Because of the spiritual birth at salvation, the Christian experiences both the presence and power of God within through the Holy Spirit. The moment a person crosses the line of faith and accepts the love of Jesus and forgiveness of their sins, turns away in repentance from the direction of a sinful life, and seeks to follow God, the Bible says that that person has had a “born again” experience. Here in the text, Peter shares Jesus with these people in the home of Cornelius and immediately there is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence within them. Now the Jews, and Peter himself were witnessing that the presence of God’s Spirit that came on Pentecost in Acts 2 to the Jews present in Jerusalem, was now present in these Gentile converts as well. The evidence was there that God accepts all people who believe His Word and indwells them all with His Spirit.
These believers now had the same access the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit that every other believer has. You see, The Spirit of God is a powerful tool to guide us (John 16:13), and convict us (John 16:7-11), when we do wrong. He also illumines our mind to the truth (John 14:26), and reveals what we need to know when we don’t. He seals us (Ephesians 1:3) in our relationship with God and He prays for us (Romans 8:26-27), and when we are sick, He comforts us (John 14:26). When we’re troubled He helps us (John 14:16). By the way, it’s acceptable to pray to the Holy Spirit when you need guidance, He’s there for that reason. The Holy Spirit is a gift to all believers, His presence came at Pentecost in Acts 2 when the church was birthed so His importance in the church through believers cannot be understated. Seek the wisdom of God through the Holy Spirit. Follow His leadership, allow Him to give you insight while growing to be more and more like Christ in and through the church.
Now don’t confuse the “gifts of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4, Romans 12), with the “fruits of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-24). The gifts show you your ministry, and the fruits show your maturity. A person serving in a ministry, (that’s a calling for all believers, not just pastors), must exhibit a growing maturity. If you focus on the fruit of the Spirit, the Gifts of the Spirit will be powerful and effective and God honoring. So, you see your “born again” experience came with many benefits. Understanding those benefits will allow you to be a greater blessing to the church and the world!
PRAYER
Holy Spirit, thank You for all You do for me. Please flow through me for Your work to be done in this world. I’m available, guide and direct me today as I live out my personal born-again experience with You. In Jesus’ name, A-men.
WORSHIP – Take time to remember the moment you gave your life to the Lord, reflect in what He’s done in and through you since and give God honor for all that He has done.
Today’s suggested reading: • Nehemiah 13:1-18