BREAKING BARRIERS - Acts 10:9-33

if you have a Bible why don't you go

ahead and grab it we are going to be in

the book of Acts this morning acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 we're going to start in verse

9 and we're going to make our way

through a couple of verses it's going to

be a um a big section this morning acts

10:es

9-33 we have been looking at this

picture over the past couple of weeks of

the gospel breaking into Gentile

territory and really whenever you read

that word in the Bible gentile that just

means anyone who is not a Jew by

ancestry and so that's everyone else my

assumption is all of us or at least most

of us in here we are Gentiles we we

don't have Jewish ancestry or at least

we can't trace our family roots all the

way back to Judaism and so remember when

Jesus came onto the scene his his

mission was largely through the nation

of Israel the entire prophecies of the

Old Testament are geared towards the

nation of Israel that did not seclude

the rest of the world from salvation in

Jesus Christ but but rather what it

demonstrates to us is that there was a

nation a people group by which Jesus

would come and extend his kingdom

throughout the world that nation that

people group just so happened to be the

Jewish nation the nation of Israel so

looking back here on where we've been

through our series in Acts we we've seen

the gospel push forward we see the

gospel go into new territory and what

we're going to see this morning in Acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 is we're going to see the

gospel now breaking barriers breaking

religious barriers personal barriers

cultural barriers and more specifically

we're going to see how the gospel allows

us to overcome barriers in our own lives

you know we are no strangers to what

barriers are some barriers are good for

for example if if you know me you know

that I'm a type A personality i'm very

organized and so I like to set up time

barriers for my week and so I have a

time barrier that's known as an alarm

clock and so I'll set myself out to do a

specific task and I need to get it done

in accordance with that time barrier if

I don't set up that barrier in my life

then my week can get away from me really

quick some of us can really relate to

that there's another barrier that I have

in my backyard it's known as a fence it

keeps my dogs from going into the

neighborhood it keeps them from going

out into the street we We know that some

barriers in our life are good but we're

going to look at barriers today in the

scripture that are not good some of us

have barriers in our life that keep us

from fully walking in biblical deepfelt

relationships some of us maybe because

of past hurts we've set up barriers in

our lives maybe barriers in our family

and really those barriers are not good

and our passage speaks into those types

of barriers you have them i have them

some are very visible barriers like

politics race

religion others are

invisible maybe a barrier of pride maybe

a barrier of a bad attitude and here's

my challenge to us this morning i want

us throughout our time together as we

learn and as we grow um and look at what

God's word says about these walls these

barriers in our life that that we will

see them as nothing more that that

things that separate us from others and

if we're not careful don't miss this if

we're not careful those barriers that

we've erected in our lives can really

separate us and cause us to be in danger

of missing what God is doing in the

midst of us and so I have a map that

we'll throw up here this kind of gives

us an idea of what is taking place right

now in Acts chap 10 you got that map

there there it is so right now you can

see Jerusalem right here at the center

of that map that that bottom center now

up here to the north you see in bold

print there it says Galilee jesus's

ministry largely focused in the region

of Galilee it really wasn't until that

final week of Jesus's life that he began

to focus his efforts right here in

Jerusalem and if you've been with us

throughout our series in the book of

Acts we've seen what's taken place that

this this call that Jesus gave to his

disciples at the end of his ministry

prior to his ascension he says that you

are to be my disciples and take the

gospel beginning in Judea then

throughout Samaria and really to the

ends of the earth and throughout our

series in the book of Acts we've we've

seen how from Jerusalem the gospel is

made his way to Gaza you remember that

story of Philillip and the Ethiopian

unic and how the unic was reading from

the scrolls of Isaiah and Philip began

to explain how that all pointed to Jesus

the unic was baptized the unic

eventually made his way into Africa and

now we have the

gospel breaking barriers being

proclaimed in the continent of Africa

we've we've read back in Acts chapter

nine how how Peter made his way to Japa

and how Japa is a port city and how it's

there through trade and commerce that

that people would hear the message that

Peter is proclaiming the message of the

risen Christ who has come to take away

the sins of the world and because it's a

port city the gospel will then cross the

Mediterranean and make its way into

Italy and the rest of Europe we read

here in Acts chapter 10 that up in

Acts 10 · chapter mention

Cesaria that Peter will go and meet with

a man by the name of Cornelius cesaria

was the Roman

headquarters as they governed and

subjugated the nation of Israel and

because that's a port city trade and

commerce will then cross the

Mediterranean because the gospel is

being proclaimed there it'll be taken to

places like Turkey and Greece what we're

seeing already is that the gospel is

breaking geographical barriers to be

taken to the rest of the world the

reason the gospel made its way to

America the reason the gospel exists

here in Orange Grove Texas the reason

First Baptist Church exists here in

Orange Grove Texas is because people

remain faithful to breaking the barriers

of gospel proclamation so that those who

don't know Jesus might come to know

Jesus and here's what I find incredible

throughout the book of Acts if you

notice Acts contains bookends there's no

official ending to the book of Acts but

but here's what I mean in Acts chapter 1

Acts 1:8

verse 8 we have a promise given to us by

Jesus let me just read to you what that

promise says jesus says "You will

receive power you will be my witnesses

Jerusalem Samaria Judea and to the ends

of the earth." And then we have at the

ending the closing chapter of the book

of Acts we have Paul or rather Luke

recording this instance of Paul this

proclamation that Paul proclaimed the

kingdom of God teaching about the Lord

Jesus Christ with what with all boldness

and hindrance so here's what's

incredible you have the book of Acts

begin with a promise the book of Acts

end with a proclamation and what do we

have happening in between we have the

gospel moving forward did you know your

life and my life begins with a promise

and ends with a proclamation that

promise is this that if you come to

Jesus in faith he will save you what's

that proclamation that you as a disciple

of Jesus are to go and tell people about

him to teach the gospel to those who

will listen baptizing them in the name

of the father the son and the holy

spirit knowing being assured that Christ

is with us every step of the way here in

our passage Acts chapter 10 we see the

Acts 10 · chapter mention

fruition of that so gave your Bibles

we'll begin in verse 9 it's quite

lengthy so bear with me we'll go on to

verse

33 the next day as they were on their

journey and approaching the city Peter

went up on the housetop about the sixth

hour to pray he became hungry and wanted

something to eat remember every word in

the scripture serves a purpose and this

is important to to understand luke who's

writing the book of Acts the same Luke

who wrote the Gospel of Luke he is

informing us that Peter is hungry why

why that added detail why something that

seems so minuscule compared to the rest

of what we read throughout the book of

Acts let me tell you why because the

vision Peter is about to have is deeply

personal remember Peter is a devout

Jewish

individual and by virtue of him being a

devout Jewish individual he has

boundaries set up in his life well

there's a boundary that he's facing

right now a very practical boundary one

of physical hunger but Jesus is going to

use that physical hunger to demonstrate

an even deeper hunger once spiritually

let's

continue so Peter became hungry and

wanted something to eat but while they

were preparing it he fell into a trance

he saw the heavens opened and something

like a great sheet descending being let

down by its four corners upon the earth

in it in the sheet were all kinds of

animals reptiles and birds of the air

and then there came a

voice to

him rise Peter kill and eat now notice

Peter's response this is significant

here peter said "By no means Lord for I

have never eaten anything that is common

or unclean."

Peter was what he was Jewish and by

virtue of being Jewish Peter had to

follow strict ceremonial purification

and dietary laws according to Jewish

faith and tradition Peter could not eat

any animal that was considered unclean

lest he be considered unclean and if he

was considered unclean then he could not

offer up a worship that God would

approve or accept which is why if any

Jewish individual became unclean they

would have to go through a set of

purification laws in order to be deemed

unclean now watch

this all those purification laws were a

picture of the gospel how are they a

picture of the gospel because you and I

in our sin we are unclean before the

Lord our worship is not approved nor is

it received by the God of creation but

because of Jesus Christ praise God for

Jesus because of his love his grace and

his mercy for you and I his perfect life

his sacrificial death and his glorious

resurrection from the grave purifies us

from all uncleanliness and

unrighteousness so now Jesus on Roland's

behalf on your behalf has appeased the

justice and the purification laws of God

the Father through his life death and

resurrection this is the picture that

Peter is getting here let's

continue verse 16 this happened three

times

if you're familiar with the life of

Peter three is a pretty big deal in his

life how many times did Peter deny Jesus

three times how many times or rather how

many times did Jesus repeat himself to

restore Peter three times here we have

this vision occurring three times this

conversation this happening three times

to approve Peter of the truth did you

know there's there is a significance to

the number three in the Bible that

significance points us to wholeness to

completion to approval to healing and

this is the picture we have taking place

here let's continue to paint it this

happened three times and the thing was

taken up at once to heaven

now while Peter was inwardly

perplexed as to what the vision that he

had seen might mean behold the men who

were sent by Cornelius going back to the

end of Acts chapter 9 the men who were

Acts 9 · chapter mention

sent by Cornelius having made inquiry

for Simon's house stood at the gate they

called out to ask whether Simon who was

also called Peter was lodging there and

while Peter was pondering the vision the

spirit said to him "Behold here we have

it again three men are looking for you

rise and go and accompany them without

hesitation for I have sent them." God is

putting his stamp of approval here this

is a God moment peter take advantage

peter step into that and let me just hit

the pause button because this is worth

mentioning i don't want us to be so

consumed by the things of this world i

don't want us to be so held back by the

barriers that we refuse to break that we

refuse to allow the gospel to step in

and shatter in our lives that we miss

out on what God is doing here's the

reality of where some of us might be

today you're wondering why God has not

shown up why God has not answered your

prayer why God is not moving a couple of

things number one God always shows up

and he's always on time amen god is

always moving god is always working

here's the thing sometimes it's the

barriers in our life self-made barriers

pretenses prejudices or pride or

whatever it is that keep us from fully

seeing and being aware of what God is

doing paul talks about it this way in

his letter to the Corinthian church that

sin and Satan utilize those barriers to

be nothing more than a veil that blinds

us from the hand and the work of God

so maybe today if for nothing more God

has purposed you to be here to recognize

that maybe what you're facing and what

you're enduring and what you're going

through can be overcome when you bring

that barrier before the Lord and you say

"This pride that I've held on to Lord

will your gospel shatter it this sin

this addiction this issue that I've been

facing God I release it to you." and you

let God have his way let's continue

verse

21 peter went down to the men he said "I

am the one you are looking for what is

the reason for your coming?" And they

said

"Cornelius a centurion and upright and

God-fearing man who was well spoken of

by the whole Jewish community was

directed by a holy angel to send for you

to come to this house and to hear what

you have to say." So he invited them in

to be his guests the next day he rose

and went away with them and some of the

brothers from Japa accompanied him so

now where are they going they're going

from Japa and now they're making their

way up to Cesaria it's about 30 to 40

miles is what history tells

us when Peter entered or verse 24 and on

the following day they entered Cesaria

Cornelius was expecting them and had

called together his relatives and close

friends and when Peter entered Cornelius

met him and fell down at his feet and

worshiped him verse 26 but Peter lifted

him up saying "Stand up i too am a man

here's another point that's worth

mentioning quit bowing down to the

things of this world it's not going to

save you quit bowing down to agendas and

and ideologies those things won't save

you remember Cornelius is not saved yet

cornelius means well but meaning well

won't get you to heaven only Jesus can

do that only the gospel provides the way

peter did what was right he said "Stand

up i too am a man i'm a sinner just like

you i've fallen short just like you

jesus saves and he saves this way verse

27 and as he talked with him he went in

and found many persons gathered i love

how the Lord is setting this

up the barriers that have been set up in

this moment are about to be torn down by

the gospel and the Lord has assembled a

crowd to witness it

he said to them verse 28 "You yourselves

know how unlawful it is for a Jew to

associate with or to visit anyone of

another nation but God has shown me that

I should not call any person common or

unclean." We're all made in the image of

God we all bear the mark of our creator

peter through this vision recognizes

that the gospel goes

forth that the gospel is for the entire

world that's why the scripture says

every tongue tribe and nation will bow

down at the name of

Jesus that every tongue tribe and nation

in heaven above and the earth below will

know that Christ is king the gospel is

not exclusive to a people the gospel is

not exclusive to a particular region

it's not exclusive to a specific type of

local church the gospel is for the world

and anyone who would call upon the faith

who would call upon through faith the

name of Jesus is no longer considered

common or unclean but they are purified

by the blood of Jesus

so when I sent for I came without

objection objection I asked then why you

sent for me verse 30 Cornelius said hey

four days ago about this hour I was

praying in my house at the 9th hour and

behold a man stood before me in bright

clothing and said Cornelius your prayer

has been heard and your alms have been

remembered before God send therefore to

Japa and asked for Simon who was called

Peter he is lodging in the house of

Simon a tanner by the sea so I sent for

you at once and you have been kind

enough to come now therefore we are all

here in the presence of God to hear all

that you have been commanded by the Lord

and all God's people said

"Amen." Lord would you bless your word

holy Spirit would you stir our hearts

what a powerful powerful picture we are

getting here here's what I want us to

know in our remaining time acts chapter

Acts 10 · chapter mention

10 this passage that we just read really

the entire scripture but specifically

here Acts chapter 10 this is not just

Acts 10 · chapter mention

about Peter and

Cornelius sure it's specific to this

dialogue and interaction that the spirit

in its prof in his profound wisdom and

sovereignty has set up between these two

individuals but it's not just about

Peter and Cornelius this is about

us it's about you it's about me as

individuals it's about us as the Grove

as a corporate body of believers it's

about the barriers that we create and

about how God and only God can tear them

down and how God can make us whole and

how God can break them so here's what I

want to do i want us let's go back to

our passage and let's look at three

barriers that the gospel breaks down in

this story and these are barriers that

still exist in the world today maybe

they are some that will speak to you

individually barriers that you're

dealing with issues that you're going

through maybe some that you've

encountered if you're taking notes

here's the first barrier the gospel

breaks religious barriers remember Peter

was Jewish and by virtue of being Jewish

he had to live his life in agreement

with a strict religious system this was

Peter as well as every other devout Jews

life this was their reality this was

their existence and and it's not that we

are not held to particular religious

standards we are those religious

standards today is known as the truth of

God's word we adhere to these religious

standards quote unquote not so that they

would make us right with God but because

through Jesus Christ and the gospel

we've already been made right with God

let me just share this with you this

might challenge some of you if you find

no joy and no desire and I'm talking

about overall I know there are windows

and I know there are moments and I know

there are are are vapors of moments in

our life where we struggle with being

Christian i get that but I'm talking

about your overall Christian experience

let's use that phrase your life in

accordance with Jesus if you find no joy

in being obedient to the scriptures no

joy in honoring the Lord here's here's

the challenge this is going to rub us

the wrong way here's the challenge you

need to question whether your faith is

genuine but whether you're truly in this

because what the scripture shows us is

the natural spiritfilled overflow of a

life that has placed faith in Jesus will

result in a joy of being obedient to the

gospel that's a challenge for us this

morning here's the thing every single

one of us we have a religious bent

we feel and we live by certain

convictions and and if we're not careful

those

convictions can create barriers in our

life for Peter it looked this way i

can't eat certain

foods i have to abide by certain rules

and if people eat those foods and they

don't follow these rules then then they

can't be in my circle they can't be part

of God's kingdom i can't even associate

with them what does Peter tell us here

later in our passage peter says that

it's not even appropriate for me to hang

out with you because then that puts my

cleanliness into question and Peter's

vision of unclean animals challenges his

religious identity his whole life he's

following the Jewish

law and then he gets this grand slam of

a vision of why his heart and why he

needs to understand that the gospel is

open to the world right go back with me

to verses 15 and

16 god speaks to him three times and and

what does the scripture say that what

God has made clean do not call

common so Peter was faithful but don't

mess this but he was limited well how

was Peter limited he believed the gospel

was powerful but but this is what Acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 and what will follow as a

result of this vision tells us he

believed it was powerful but he did not

fully yet understand that it was for

everyone

how do religious barriers play out in

our lives especially this side of the

cross this side of the resurrection i I

I'll tell you how it plays out and this

is not me throwing stones at anybody

this is me just in 20 plus years of

ministry making an observation here's

how it plays out these religious

barriers we all have in our mind what a

good church service should look like we

all have in our mind what ministry and

programs should look like and when that

outlook or that expectation is not met

then there's a tension there with

us if the music's not to our liking then

maybe it gets us

upset if we don't play enough hymns then

then maybe it starts to turn us the

wrong way and I get it i have religious

barriers

myself i got saved when I was 17 years

old in the early 2000s i was a senior in

high school never heard the gospel

preached before and on a Wednesday night

in my home church in Rockstown Texas the

Holy Spirit illuminated my mind drew me

to faith in Jesus Christ and so being 18

years of age still a senior in high

school about to turn the chapter into a

new part of my life I became very um

intrigued by the scriptures i I began to

just read and like drinking from a fire

hydrant be filled with the word of God

as a matter of fact Crystal and I were

still dating at the time i would go to

her house and while I was at her house I

would be studying the scriptures and it

created issues between us and it was

things like you come to the house to

study the scriptures not to see me and

in my mind as a new believer I'm like

what the ain't that the point i mean we

could be friends and God had a great

plan for that praise praise the Lord but

but here's here's the religious barriers

that existed because I got saved in the

early 2000s a lot of my formative years

in my Christian life was formed by

worship music from the 90s and early

2000s and so I love modern- day worship

music in the 2020s today but I tell you

what really speaks to me is when we're

worshiping from music from the 90s and

early 2000s you senior adults what

speaks to you is when we bust out a hymn

and we begin to lift up our hands and

sing to Jesus the words of that song

here's what I'm getting at you know and

I know that we have religious barriers

in our life the question is do those

barriers keep me from acknowledging and

seeing what God is doing in this world

what he's doing in this church what he's

doing here in this community or am I so

in tune with what I want and what I

desire that I would rather look to a

kingdom of self rather than the kingdom

of God

so the gospel breaks down religious

barriers god had to break down these old

categories for Peter to expand Peter's

calling so here's the challenge real

quick what does God need to break down

in your life what is keeping you from

from fully walking in God's kingdom from

fully being a part of what God is doing

not just here locally in this church

praise God for his work and for how he's

moving but in your life at the office in

your neighborhood in your living room at

the dinner table what barriers

religiously have you erected in your

life that are keeping you from what God

is doing here's the second barrier the

gospel breaks down the gospel breaks

down

cultural barriers did you pick up on

that we see this all throughout the

ministry and the life of Jesus case in

point Luke tells us about a specific

moment that Jesus on his way back to

town took the roundabout way that

wouldn't take him directly to town but

rather caused him to go through Samaria

if you're familiar at all about the

barriers that existed between the Jewish

people and the Samaritans then you

recognize like the disciples did there's

a problem here

jesus we don't associate with Samaritans

number one they're unclean but also

number two they've polluted the

bloodline samaritans were Jewish people

who intermarried with Gentiles who

intermarried with people that were not

of their traditions that were not of

their race that were not of their ethnic

origins that were not of their faith

that created an issue between the Jews

and the Samaritans here's here's what's

really neat in the story of the good

Samaritan we find that individuals who

knew Jewish law who were raised in

accordance with Jewish customs they

don't even bother to acknowledge or

serve the man who was left for dead but

the one who shouldn't have acknowledged

and served the man left for dead the

Samaritan is the one who loves the one

who serves do we see this pattern

throughout the scripture on how the

gospel breaks barriers so Jesus goes

through Samaria he has a conversation

with a Samaritan woman he reveals that

he's the Messiah and what's her

response she goes to town and she says

"Come and meet the man who told me

everything about my life where hope is

where love is where joy is where peace

is." And when Peter entered Cornelius's

house watch this go back with me to

verse

28 what does he say you yourselves know

how unlawful it is for a Jew to

associate with or visit anyone of

another nation could you imagine a man

of God saying that today hey welcome to

the Grove only if you're American

and yet watch

this we say "Welcome to the kingdom only

if you're

Republican welcome to the kingdom only

if you do life this way welcome to the

kingdom only if you believe this only if

you believe that and those are things of

our own making we create these cultural

boundaries and yet Peter he he goes to

Cornelius why because God sent him god

told him to go and Peter went and Peter

admits there at the rest of verse 28 God

has shown me that I should not call any

person common or unclean this is huge

because this wall wasn't just custom

just a custom like this wall was a

reality it was

real and it's being broken down

here's here's a story out of my life so

again saved at at 18 started consuming

the word of God it is so rich so moving

so

amazing and my window the barriers in my

life were so tiny i I didn't realize in

in in my small 18 years of existence

that that the gospel surpassed and broke

down boundaries believe it or not here's

here's what I thought anyone outside of

America can't know

Jesus because the gospel is American

that's what Can you believe that can you

the ignorance and the pride in my mind

to not even recognize that the gospel

began in the Middle

East by a Middle

Easterner by someone from Eastern

civilization that their traditions and

customs are totally opposite of what we

know here in Western culture that's

where the gospel came from and to be so

prideful and so ignorant of the fact

that the gospel is only for Americans

and and yet we have to recognize what is

it in the culture that I've established

and and the life that that I live that

creates a barrier that does not allow me

to recognize that the gospel goes to the

ends of the earth because here's what

happens the more we begin to see these

barriers the more we begin to allow them

to create a hindrance and a wall between

us and the mission of God the more we

miss

out on people coming to know the Lord so

the gospel breaks down religious

barriers the gospel breaks down cultural

barriers barriers here's here's the

third and final one the gospel breaks

down

personal

barriers right it breaks down personal

barriers of of of fear of of pride

especially Peter's fear of what others

will think well Roland what do you mean

by that so praise God for for what's

happening here in Acts chapter 10 but we

Acts 10 · chapter mention

need to understand as as great a role

model and superch Christian that Peter

was but Peter like you and I had faults

and so later in Galatians chapter 2 we

Galatians 2 · chapter mention

read that Peter has still not yet

overcome this personal barrier this

cultural and religious barrier in his

life so much so that at one point right

let me just paint the picture this way

he's at a dinner party he's hanging out

with Gentiles non-Jewish people peter's

doing his thing he's smiling he's

greeting they're rejoicing and then in

walk a group of Jewish people and what

does Peter do peter backs away from the

Gentile group and he begins to walk and

mosey over to the Jewish group which you

think on the surface sounds fine maybe

he's just saying hi to friends maybe

he's just seeing people he hasn't seen

in a while what's the big deal Roland

but but through that conversation and

what takes place Peter's heart is

exposed and then he begins to look down

on the very people he was hanging out

with what we call that today is

two-faced anyone ever been too anyone

ever experienced the effects of

two-face and what does Paul do paul

holds Peter accountable paul says "Hey

you got it all wrong here don't play too

the gospel has broken down these

barriers don't let your personal agenda

don't let your personal pride don't let

your personal preference interfere and

rob you from God at work this is the

danger of barriers god didn't just want

Peter's

obedience he wanted the alignment of his

heart here's what that means for us that

means confronting blind spots now blind

spots are called blind spots for a

reason because we very rarely if ever

recognize them which is why community is

so important

which is why having solid people in your

corner is so important which is why it

is a good thing when a brother in Christ

when a sister in Christ comes alongside

you and says "Hey I love you but here's

what I've

noticed here's where I see that you need

correction here's where I got to provide

just just a little rebuke not because I

think I'm better than you not because I

want something bad to happen to you but

because I love you and as my brother or

sister in Christ I want us arm in-arms

soldiering on the battlefield because

souls are at risk and you can't be the

best soldier for the Lord's army if

you're in sin if you're in rebellion if

you can't overcome and be reconciled to

the goodness and the glory of God so

let's get after this together this is

why the alignment of our heart with the

gospel is so important and your heart

can't be aligned with the

gospel if those barriers are still

existent in your life so what does this

mean for us what's what's the challenge

as we leave here this is so much more

than just yes Roland that is good amen i

agree with that but then we do nothing

when we leave the four walls of this

building what does this mean for us

practically it means that the gospel is

not ours to

control it means that the gospel is

God's to proclaim for us to share it

with anyone and everyone that the Lord

would bring into our path peter receives

a vision cornelius receives a vision god

has orchestrated the Holy Spirit has

aligned it in such a way where these two

men leaders in their different nations

in their different people groups in

their different followings would line up

together to understand the gospel

message and do God does something

incredible he does an amazing work what

What does that look like for you who is

God how is God prepping you

now and who is God prepping you to go to

and this is for everyone this is from

the youngest in the room to the oldest

in the room students like this this is

real if not for you all the more for you

because of the mission field of your of

your school campus of the hallways of

the locker rooms of of your group chat

of the people that you snap and the

people that you follow on social media

for for the adults your your group of

friends the people who work down the

hall what what barriers need to be

broken down so that you can walk in

obedience to the gospel and proclaim it

and here's the thing we must be a church

that breaks barriers barriers of fear

barriers of prejudice barriers of

spiritual discomfort because the gospel

includes everyone let me close with this

and I need everyone to listen up because

I don't want there to be a

misunderstanding the gospel is

inclusive we need to tread very

carefully how we use that word because

the word inclusion means something today

that it doesn't mean biblically

the word inclusion today means come as

you are stay as you

are god loves everyone embrace your sin

live your life do what you want live

your truth god loves everyone that's how

the world defines inclusion here's how

the gospel defines inclusion you are

welcome to come to the kingdom come as

you are broken dirty file polluted

adulterated by the sin in your life but

be

transformed by the one who created

everything come as you are but be

transformed by who he is that's the

gospel message and so God says "Anyone

can come to me in faith but when you

come to me in faith your life is

transformed your life is

changed." So Acts 10 it's not just a

history lesson for us church

acts 10 is a reminder that the gospel

goes

forth and we need to be held accountable

for the barriers that we've created in

our own life whether they're religiously

culturally or

personally that would keep the

gospel and would keep us from

recognizing the full power of God at

work let's pray