Valley View Chapel October 30, 2016

Pastor Andrew Brackmann “Get Comfortable”

(Ac. 10)

Am I Comfortable?

Preachers job: 'comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable Preaching in sweat pants Those thinking, "I don't mind that he has on sweat pants- good for him!"… What are you uncomfortable with that God is OK with? Or, What are you so comfortable with that Jesus wouldn't be? Worldviews. Opinions. Political affiliations. Ethnicities. Addresses. Theologies. We all have limits or boundaries inside of which we feel comfortable. That is, outside of those contexts or standards, we increasingly feel uncomfortable. "COMFORT"= Our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that we

think are right and acceptable (not sofas or air temperatures, though I guess you can start there!)

But what if we're comfortable with the wrong things? In fact, what if we're comfortable with things God is uncomfortable with? …And what if we're uncomfortable with things God is comfortable with? That would be bad. You're a level-headed person and I know you wouldn't want any of those scenarios to be true of you. But isn't it fair and wise to look into our hearts to see if they are true, even just a little? Don't worry, we won't pick on you. We'll pick on Jesus' apostle Peter through his experience in Acts 10 and see if the things he learned about Jesus can expand what we're comfortable with as well.

READ Acts 10:1-29, 33-36, 43-48

- 10:33- "Oh to hear that invitation as a preacher now!! - Peter's vision of food (when he was hungry ) ~ Night Before

Christmas poem: "visions of sugar plums dancing in my head" Peter's Comfort Zone He was learning and growing (he'd already preached to Samaritans in Acts 8 and heard Jesus' teaching about loving them in the Good Samaritan parable), but… A. Jews & Gentiles don't mix! The Jews saw Gentiles as incompatible with them. They didn't see common ground enough for 2 people to stand side-by-side on. To a pious, Law-abiding, God-fearing Jew (such as you'd find among 1st century Jesus-followers) a Gentile couldn't be part of their world in any positive way. Gentiles would bring them down; at least they thought. Anti-Semitism is as old as Judaism! Look at how Jews have been treated through the centuries, from Egypt to the exilic periods to the Roman Rule and occupation to our own history of World Wars, Middle East conflicts Yousef filled us in on Jew-Gentile (Palestinian) relations still!

("every 4 years = war")

10:28 "unlawful"= "not customary; taboo" not "illegal" (bad translation!) but it might as well have been illegal based on the Jews despisement of Gentiles

Stott: "the tragedy was that Israel twisted the doctrine of election into one of favoritism + became filled with racial pride and hatred, despised Gentiles as dogs, and developed traditions which kept them apart."Bible Speaks

Today- Acts, 185

They didn't talk to Gentiles unless they had to and they certainly wouldn't become friends or share a meal with them.

Are there people you think about that way categorically,

prejudicially?... Where you think there's irreparable,

incompatible differences. With whom having a relationship- even conversation- will just go wrong. They make you "uncomfortable."

- In USA there's lots of this. Racism is not dead but alive and ravenously destroying lives and communities.

- You don't need a political opinion to observe the hot animosity there is between people. What we witness in debate form is simply a drama of what's going on in so many cities and hearts everywhere. People hate each other. People are comfortable hating each other.

B. If there are ranks in society, there are ranks in God's kingdom:

o if Jesus is King, He shouldn't be a servant (Jn 13- washed feet) o Peter wondered if he was the greatest in Jesus' kingdom (Lk 9-

confession of Christ, Transfiguration, then argument about greatest) But Jesus taught servanthood, not rulership;

the way "up" is down… o Php 2: 5You must have the same attitude that

Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,

C. Righteous people shouldn't suffer

o Matt 16:22- "This [crucifixion] shall never happen to you!" "Get behind me Satan!"

o Jn 18:10- cut off ear at arrest We know our 'Comfort Zones' by what makes us comfortable and what makes us uncomfortable.

Cornelius' Comfort Zone: A. There are ranks in society and God's kingdom (v. 25) I wonder if Cornelius would've been comfortable with Jesus lowering Himself to wash Cornelius' feet? B. God should be served, but He's not relational

- (v.4- God talks back?!?!) What if we're comfortable with things we shouldn't be

comfortable with? Ask: "What am I comfortable with that God isn't comfortable

with?" I wonder if our comfort with things that God hates looks as ridiculous as this to God: Funny Pictures (5)- they wouldn't have these happy or normal

expressions if they knew what was coming If only some of what we've gotten comfortable with as Jesus' followers would be as funny. But it's not:

The morality we're ok with

The stuff we're ok watching, listening to, liking online

Ways we break relationships from friendships to marriages

Ways we devalue human life, no matter how young or old….

Ways we deceive, lie and distort for our own self-gain…

Ways we hoard resources instead of sharing with those in need…

Ways we pick out others' tiny flaws and ignore our own glaring failures…

How we ignore others' suffering either because we're numb to it or simply don't feel like doing anything about it

Even our pain, guilt, shame… we get comfortable in it, accepting it, thinking there's no way out so just take it

o Peter knew guilt and shame after he denied even knowing Jesus 3X in a row! This one who said he'd die

before he denied Jesus, watched Jesus die and denied his friendship with Him. And I wonder if Peter had settled his mind on living with that guilt. After the crucifixion, Peter tried to go back to the way things were before He followed Jesus, so he went fishing. But Jesus appeared, cooked them breakfast, and had a conversation with Peter where He restored the relationship back to love. Years later, Peter would write this: "Above all, love each other, because love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Pe. 4:8)

Get Uncomfortable

The only way to align ourselves with God is to adjust our attitudes and beliefs about the things we're "comfortable" with that He isn't (comfort= Our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that we think are right and acceptable). Peter had gotten so comfortable with the low view of Gentiles that it took an act of God to change his mind. Peter should've known that God's heart (comfort) was always for all people to come to Him:

Mk 11: 15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple

courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. … 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’*

*Isa 56:6-7 6And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— 7these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

But in v. 28 Peter says he hadn't understood this.

The Bible has a word for thinking rightly about the ways we don't live right before God- agreeing with Him that we shouldn't be comfortable in those ways- and then turning from them: REPENTANCE= turning from sin & turning to God. It's seeing our sins the way God sees them.

1 Jn 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

And in the area of things God is or likes- but we aren't or don't- we need to:

(a) know His ways in Scripture (b) trust and believe His ways are best.

e.g. In Jesus' day, people were comfortable with the Law as the way to God. But Jesus came to show them their need for GOD, not more Law! He came to make them uncomfortable with what they'd gotten comfy with.

At the end, I'll give you an invitation to repent for sin and

embrace God's ways

Get Comfortable

We talk about "breaking out of our comfort zones," esp. at church when we think about mission trips, service projects at soup kitchens, etc. But we are meant to EXPAND our "comfort zones," not just occasionally "step out" of them. Acts 10 is more the story about the "conversion" of Peter's and the church's view of Gentiles than it is about Cornelius' conversion to Christ. Note God's decision to use Peter (Jew) to bring gospel to Cornelius (Gentile). He appeared to Peter and sent an angel to Cornelius , so it's not like He couldn't explain the truth to Cornelius ls Himself in a vision like Paul and other apostles were privileged to experience. No. God chose to expand Peter's and then the church's-

comfort zone so they'd be comfortable with what God was comfortable with. And just to ensure you notice that, Luke records the story two times in a row in Acts (read ch. 11!)- once in his own narrative form, once as Peter's retelling it. Peter's Expanded Comfort Zone:

- hearing from God in visions (v. 14- Peter converses with Jesus in vision without hesitation must be comfy with that level)

- hearing God's voice in His heart (v. 19ff.- He's immediately obedient)

- God's love and rescue from sin is offered to all people, no matter their background

o Peter had learned that all food was ok to eat (Mk 7:14,19- though obviously it didn't sink in then). But now he knows all people can come to God.

- God's Spirit works in people in visible ways (v. 46- tongues) Cornelius' Expanded Comfort Zone: Cornelius was comfortable giving, praying, learning about God… then God showed up and that freaked him out!

Has God ever spoken to you with that degree of detail and direction? He does… Are you ready for that? Are you "comfortable" with that?

If Cornelius was uncomfortable with God speaking back in prayer, he got used to it quickly enough because when Peter came, Cornelius acknowledged God was present also (v. 33) and then certainly God's Spirit came and changed them all forever (v.44,46).

Maybe you need to grow more comfortable with God's ways. That's what "expand CZ" means CZ 1: "I'm good right here, God." CZ 2: "God, I'm not sure about that." CZ 3: "God, I'm in for whatever you have!"

Scripture As one's comfort zone expands, its borders also become less rigid and impenetrable. Instead of a solid red line, it becomes porous, with increasing space to allow- even welcome- surprises that are within the realm of God's ways told us in Scripture. My different friends: Somehow, God arranged for me to have

close friendships with guys completely different from me! (Danny, Charlie (fresh air fund), Matt W, Martin, Scott M)

(For a good idea of what God's "comfortable" doing among His people, read Acts)

APPLY:

Comfortable keeping Jesus to ourselves?

With ignorance of Scripture or others' access to it?

With powerless Christian life or witness?

With morals of world?

With our sin? Just think of the stuff Peter became comfortable with as He spent time with Jesus:

- Peter thought righteous people shouldn't suffer & he thought

you could disdain and disrespect governing authorities if you

thought they opposed God's ways

But then Jesus turns his world upside down and later Peter would write:

- 13For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14or the officials he has appointed. …

- "if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your

example, and you must follow in his steps" (1 Pet 2:13-14,

20b-21)

- Miracles of all kinds, from changing weather to making dead people live and blind people see, casting out demons…!

- Theology of grace, not law - Theology of kingdom, not lineage

David Platt, Radical: "You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in life and the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by culture around us. Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed Him and really obeyed Him."3

What are you comfortable with that God isn't? Repent. What ways of God are you uncomfortable with that He would

have for you if you let Him? Receive. Are you willing to let God shape you and expand what you expect

of Him? Risk.

Rom 12: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.