Acts #31 - Standing in God's Way

Acts 11:1-18 (NIV)

Have you ever found yourself tempted to stand in God’s way by controlling how something goes or refusing to participate in something God's clearly doing?

There is a reflection on humility available to us in today’s passage. As Peter returns to Jerusalem, and as word spreads that the Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit, he finds himself with some explaining to do. Now, remember it’s no small thing to say that a group of Gentiles could belong in God’s new family without being circumcised, or committing to the food laws and Sabbath observance. So tensions are high.

It may seem hard to relate to this passage today. We don’t require people to be circumcised or not, eat certain foods or not, observe a strict Sabbath or not… do we? As I name those things, the things we do require begin to come to mind. Think about it, we may not explicitly require those exact things but sometimes how a person presents themselves, where they are from, how they vote or how they spend their money changes our willingness to engage what the Spirit might do in their lives.

As you listen to this passage, bring to mind groups that do not tend to align with your church, chapter or community.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of this passage stood out to you?

2. For Peter it was the circumcised believers who began to criticize him. But what about you, who might come to you with questions and criticism, depending on who you might care for across differences?

3. Peter says, “who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way.” He saw the Spirit fall on him and the other disciples at pentecost, and it’s this reasoning that leads him to say this. That is Humility. He acknowledges how utterly gracious it was to receive the gift of the spirit, they didn’t merit it, so they can’t control it. How might this help you take a posture of humility towards the Spirit’s work in others?

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Bible Project: Acts 1-12 Overview >>

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