Acts 10:30-33
Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.” So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
Reflection
If Peter had not been willing to change and have what he believed in expressed in a different manner then he would not have been willing to go to the home of Cornelius. If he had not been willing to take the gospel to Cornelius then Cornelius and his household might have never had the opportunity to receive the gospel.
However, Peter did go and he discovered that Cornelius, a Gentile, and all of his household were very open and eager to receive the good news of Jesus. Possibly, if the church of today were willing to change and allow the church to be re-imagined in new and creative ways (the form of the church not the message of Jesus) then we might be surprised how willing people would be to listen to and consider the good news that Jesus wants to share with them.
What is wrong with this attitude?: “If people want to know Jesus let them come to the church as it is. We shouldn’t have to change to reach people who are not a part of our church.”
Do you think we might be surprised how many people might be interested in Jesus if we were willing to take the church to them and present the church in such a way that it becomes relevant to the people who are not believers?
