Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner?
Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner?
- Greg Waybright
- Acts 10:1
- The Breakthrough
- 44 mins 16 secs
- Views: 1509
Pastor's Letter
Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner? - Week 15
This world is made up not only of many people but also of many people groups. There are many thousands of human groups. Some are based on language and others on religion. Some derive from social class and others from ethnic origin. To belong to some groups, you must have gone to a certain university (e.g., USC or UCLA). Groups all over the world are drawn and held together by attributes like age or musical preference or sports interests... Those affinities holding groups together are often quite natural and not always altogether bad.
This world is made up not only of many people but also of many people groups. There are many thousands of human groups. Some are based on language and others on religion. Some derive from social class and others from ethnic origin. To belong to some groups, you must have gone to a certain university (e.g., USC or UCLA). Groups all over the world are drawn and held together by attributes like age or musical preference or sports interests... Those affinities holding groups together are often quite natural and not always altogether bad.
One thing that every human group shares is that it develops a culture enabling it to define its distinctives and pass on its identity to others. Sadly, this fact has often led to the social and political divisions that trouble our world today. When we define our groups according to certain characteristics, we necessarily exclude those who do not possess them. And, sometimes our excluding leads to prejudice against those who are not a part of our group. We have all witnessed this countless times. I immediately think of the cultural divides I've witnessed in my lifetime: of black and white in South Africa, Catholic and Muslim in Northern India, and Tamil vs. Singhalese in Sri Lanka. In my own hometown, I grew up in the midst of severe racial segregation. Those who were of a more vibrant skin hue than my own were not allowed to attend my high school, live in my neighborhood, or swim in our public swimming pool.
Those of us who know our Bibles well are not surprised at all this. This is the lesson of Babel. Genesis 11 describes how God himself divided humankind into nationalities in response to creatures uniting against their Creator. In his wisdom, God determined that we are much less dangerous to one another that way. But, God has never intended to leave those made in his image (i.e., human beings) divided from him, from one another, and living lives of prejudice and suspicion. God has said that, someday, his people will be one people made up of individuals from every language, people, and national group (Rev. 7:9).
In one of the most remarkable texts in the Bible, Acts 10, we see the beginnings of God's reconciling previously divided people groups to himself. The beginnings of God's reconciling work were very dramatic. One of the most extreme members of one group learned to see that "God does not show favoritism but accepts from every people group those who fear him and do what is right" (Acts 10:34–35). This is what every local church should be doing too.
All week, I've been wondering whether this message from God might help us in the midst of the divisions we've been witnessing in our own nation. May the Lord give us wisdom as we consider this.
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
Study Notes
Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner? - Week 15 - Study Notes
Study Notes available in English and Chinese translations.
Fires have been raging all week here in Southern California. Destructive fires consuming 1,000s of acres and causing 1,000s of people to flee their homes have been burning in and around the Idyllwild area. We must keep the people affected and the 1st responders in the center our prayers.
title="English
Guess Who is Coming to Dinner
ACTS 10
Fires have been raging all week here in Southern California. Destructive fires consuming 1,000s of acres and causing 1,000s of people to flee their homes have been burning in and around the Idyllwild area. We must keep the people affected and the 1st responders in the center our prayers.
But, in my message today, I'll speak about the relational fires that have been raging since the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin verdict came down last weekend. What we are being forced to see is that we still have huge cultural/ethnic/racial divides in our country. As I was watching one news report earlier this week, the extremity of that divide became clear through the way the report was edited:
In Part 1: Some legal experts said that, simply looking at Florida laws, the case should not have even gone to court. They said there was no way a jury could convict Mr. Zimmerman of anything because the evidence demanded by Florida state laws for conviction does not exist. That part of the report ended with a man, who was about my age and skin-color, declaring, "Everyone will agree that justice was served in the verdict."
In Part 2: People demonstrating in Chicago were interviewed. They said that this sort of profiling, i.e., going after a person simply because of age or ethnicity, happens every day in their neighborhoods. That part of the report ended with a woman (much younger and of a more vibrant hue than I am) saying, "When a completely unarmed young man who is just going back home after getting some food at a store ends up being shot... well, everyone will agree that this was an injustice."
One thing has become clear this week: Not everyone agrees. And, some people have said to me, when I've spoken about race and ethnicity in the past, "Oh, you had problems with racial division growing up in the south or living where you have in Chicago or Miami – but we don't have those problems here in Southern California. We grow up alongside one another and know how to live in community." Well, may I respectfully but firmly disagree. We face the same issues of misunderstanding and prejudice here that the whole world grapples with. When sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, one of the foundational things that happened was that relationships were broken. So, we gather together in the 21st C AD in the midst of a world still divided by sin to see whether God's Word has anything to say to us. And it does.
I'm quite sure that someone can speak much more knowledgeably and profoundly about this topic than I can – but God has called me to the task today. Of the many things I might say, the point I want to make is that God has planted us as a local church into this deeply divided world to make known what He is like. In our current situation, I believe God is calling us to show His love for all people, His passion for justice, and His deep commitment to mercy-filled reconciliation. The powers of this world cannot bring together what is broken – but God can and we are placed here to show the world the greatness of a God who brings broken people into one unified family, i.e., God's unexpected family.
The origin of cultural and racial divides: Babel
According to Genesis 11, God himself divided humankind into language groupings and nationalities in response to creatures uniting against their Creator. The creatures (human beings) no longer wanted to be creatures subject to the Creator but wanted to be the Creator themselves – so they sought to unite against God. In his wisdom, God determined that we are much less dangerous to our world and to one another in separate people groups. But, God has never intended to leave people divided from him and from one another. God did not create people made in his image to live lives of prejudice and suspicion. God is committed to reconciliation. God has declared that, someday, his people will be one united family made up of individuals from every language group, people group and national group (Rev. 7:9).
But, the problems that lead to misunderstanding and prejudice in our world are deeply rooted in our fallen human nature. And, we need to be perceptive enough to know they cannot be rooted out through human means alone – even through political or military force. This was one lesson that we should have learned from the downfall of the Soviet Union. For four decades, the Soviet Union tried to end the divisions of tribalism and ethnic pride through totalitarian government and force. But, what we witnessed was that as soon as that oppressive force was removed with the overthrow of the communist governments, the old tribal and ethnic divisions came back up immediately. It became clear that we cannot effectively legislate unity. Laws and external force alone do not end the human divisions created by sin.
But what the world cannot do, God can. And God will. When God has finished his work, according to Revelation 21-22, everything will be new. Basic to God's renewing work is that he will reconcile every broken relationship. And until his work is done, God has planted local churches in neighborhoods like ours to declare that God is a reconciling God.
With that in mind, let's look again at what happens in Acts 10.
What the church is in God's plan – and must become in our world
When we get to the end of Acts 10, we find a conservative Jewish man named Peter preaching a sermon at a Roman military leader's home, a sermon like the one I'm trying to preach here today. Peter made three related and powerful points about God:
1. God does not show favoritism – his eternal plan is to bless and remake all people (10:34).
2. God's family is open to people from every people group – and is entered the same way by all, i.e., through faith in Jesus (10:35).
3. God's salvation is for all people (10:36) – yes, ALL people!
It was a good sermon. But, it took a miracle from God to get Peter and the Roman Cornelius together. Cornelius was more open to it than Peter. And Peter's excuses for not connecting with Cornelius would have made sense to the people in Peter's church. Peter said, "God, I've never defiled myself by associating with defiled things – including those defiled people out there who shouldn't even be in your country." You see, Peter would have regarded Cornelius as an illegal immigrant. Cornelius, according to Acts 10:1, was "a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment." In other words, Cornelius oversaw a regiment of over 600 soldiers who were in Israel for one reason, i.e., to keep Israel under the authority of Rome. The Jewish people wanted the Romans out of the country. But, it soon becomes clear that one of the reasons God had sent Cornelius to Israel was, ironically, to invite this Roman man into His eternal, unexpected family.
How did Peter change from being one who excluded Cornelius to one who called Cornelius brother?
The necessity of cross-cultural relationships
It took dreams and visions from God to get these two men even to sit down together. Cornelius was already seeking God and spending time in prayer so he only needed one divine vision saying, "I've heard you, Cornelius and am ready to bless you but guess who's coming to your house for dinner. Yes, a Jewish man named Peter. Go, invite him to your home." And Cornelius obeyed.
Meanwhile, Peter was resistant. Peter may have thought that he didn't need any instruction from God. After all, Peter had always sought to obey God's law. Peter had placed his faith in Jesus. Peter was even filled with the Holy Spirit! But, there were still some things deeply rooted in Peter's mind that had to be rooted out -- and one of them was his prejudice against Gentiles. According to 10:16, God had to give Peter the same vision three times to get His message into Peter's closed mind.
In Acts 10, God makes it known that the division caused by hatred and prejudice that had existed between Peter and Cornelius was no longer an option. And the beginning step was that God forced them to meet – to enter into a relationship with one another. Then, when they were in relationship and shared their testimonies with God, the wall that separated them came down. Cornelius greeted Peter with graciousness and honor. Listen to what Peter said to him in v.28: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean."
Then, Cornelius shared what God had said to him in a vision and Peter's heart melted. He said in vv. 34-35: "I now see how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right."
And you have heard the rest of the story. Peter taught these Romans about Jesus – about Jesus' death in our place for our sins and Jesus' defeat of sin and death through his resurrection. Peter called upon all of them to believe in Jesus and receive forgiveness of their sins through Jesus' name. They believed and then the Holy Spirit came on the Gentiles just as he had come upon the Jews in Acts 2. And, Cornelius and his friends were baptized in the name of Jesus and became a part of the family of God.
My main point is that this marvelous story started with God demanding that these two men, separated by centuries of their families' differences and prejudices, enter into relationship with one another. When they did, they discovered that they both were known and loved by God. They both needed God's forgiveness. Then, they both became followers of Jesus. And, they saw that God gave them both the Holy Spirit. God's work started with a relationship that neither man would have chosen on his own.
Many of you know how unexpected relationships have transformed my walk with God. I moved to Bluefield, West Virginia when I was just 12. This beautiful little "All American" city was also very segregated racially. The schools were segregated. The residential neighborhoods were segregated. Our town officials even shut down the public swimming pool when they were forced to integrate it. Soon after I moved to Bluefield, I rustled up the courage to walk downtown alone. This required me to walk through the more color-filled part of town.
When I turned one corner that Saturday morning, I found I was in front of Bundy's Gift Shop. Three older black men were sitting outside on the sidewalk talking... laughing. They saw me come around the bend and must have recognized the terror in my eyes. One of them said, "Young fellow, you should just pull up a chair and sit down with us for a spell. You look like you need a cool bottle of pop. And... you might learn something too. You might find out that we're just folks."
So I did. And I began to learn. I met brothers in Christ that day – and it opened up a world of other wonderful relationships. Several years later, when I headed off to college in Chicago, I volunteered to go weekly to Cabrini Green, one of "the Projects," in the city. I led children's ministries and Bible studies. And again, I met great people. I especially remember single moms who loved their kids and loved the Lord but were worried about the kind of world their kids would grow up into.
Many years later, as the president of a school with more ethnic diversity both in our administration and student body than most Christian universities, I heard story after story of our people being stopped and interrogated simply because of their skin color. The school is located in Chicago's wealthiest suburban area so our people of color stood out as "not belonging" in the community. I'll never forget one day that about 18 of our students opened up their lives to me just a bit and told about how hard it was for them to feel like they were constantly under suspicion and even being taken down to the police department for questioning over and over. You see, apart of these students blessing me by trusting me enough to tell me their stories, I would never have understood anything about why people of color all over our nation get upset when a young African American man is killed as he walks across a neighborhood in a state far away.
The issue struck closer to home here in our own church when a young woman I deeply respect wrote me an email this week. (She gave me permission to share this – but I will not give her name.) She wrote:
Hopefully, this verdict in Florida can begin a focused discussion of the responsibility of the local church to pray for and walk with those in our communities who live under the oppressiveness of suspicion. Maybe, we will be able to dialogue about the dangers (implicit and explicit) many experience living as minorities in our nation. I do not think some understand what that danger does to our families and our future families...
This current tragedy of Trayvon Martin's murder has been a reminder of the many black young men who have died in our country in similar circumstances. Many say that it is the Christian faith and hope that sustains the black community. That's where I see the opportunity for the church to learn to be a true family to us when we lose members of our own.
One day, I plan to have a family of my own. I dread the day that my husband and I will have to begin explaining to our son (in particular) the imperative of his survival despite forces and attitudes that would rather him not. On top of that, we'll also have the responsibility to teach him that God is still alive and real, and that having faith is worth it despite many injustices. Those are not conversations that all parents in our nation have to have, I understand. Though I don't have children yet, I know I'll have to have those conversations if God gives me children -- and I know why I'll have to have them. This is what I've been processing this week...and I still have more to pray over...
Acts 10 may help us to be a church family that helps us fulfill our sister's prayer – that we will walk with people across the racial, the generational, and the socio-economic divides. What we have to offer the world is a family of people who know that God's grace greater than our sin and that we have a Savior who unites in spite of the divisions in our world that would threaten to separate what God has brought together. Jesus is a Savior who brings us into one family and then asks us to walk together as good families always do.
How our lives should look as members of God's unexpected family (only by grace through faith)
• Develop God's eyes for people – knowing that is only possible through cross-cultural relationships. Peter didn't want this. God sent him three visions simply to get him to go over to a Gentile's house! Three visions were required! But it was only after clear instruction from God and a personal relationship with a man very different from himself that Peter would say in v. 34, "Now I see..." I'm sure it was hard for Peter at first to acknowledge that he had been wrong – that he had been blind. But, developing God's eyes opened up a whole world of ministry for him. It will for you too.
• Be willing to talk about the hard things. This will only be productive when you have a relationship of trust. And let me give you a phrase that my Mom passed on to me: Seek first to understand -- then to be understood. That's not a Bible verse but it is a principle rooted in biblical principles. And, it wasn't first found in management books. It's just good advice. When we listen to one another and understand one another, then we can talk about the hard things and learn from one another. We might have to talk these days about things like prejudice in our nation – maybe even in our church. If we do this like Peter did it, we'll end up in prayer and praise with one another even when we didn't agree at first.
• Be ready to walk together with your brothers and sisters in their hard times. Sometimes, there is a "pay the price" required when we begin to see more than we once did. We may have to go places we once would not go. We may have to support people we once would have ignored. Peter would have to learn that. Soon after Acts 10, he would have to go and explain to church leaders why he was spending time in a Roman Centurion's house. But he did it. And he was blessed. And the church was blessed.
What I want you to do:
• Pray – What is happening in our own community and world will be the focus of our Upper Room prayer time this weekend. We must pray for our church to be a place of unity with diversity – and for us to have a positive effect upon our divided and broken world. Come and join us in prayer.
• See – The Lake Avenue Church Foundation will have a table in back following the service. Those who are there can help you get to know our neighborhood better through taking you on a tour or even connecting you to someone to tutor or mentor. The relationships that could begin with people in our neighborhood will be life-changing both for you and for those you meet.
• Give – You can give through serving. And, you can support the work of the Foundation by giving financially in the offering that will be received as you leave the service today.
Let me end with this thought: I think we're only beginning to understand how profound Jesus' words were in John 13 and 17. Knowing that his church would eventually be made up of people from every people group living as brother and sister in this otherwise divided world, Jesus declared in John 13, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
And, perhaps envisioning how hard this would be for us to be a unified church family in this world, Jesus not only commanded us but he also prayed for us in John 17: I pray also for those who will believe in me..., that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one... Then the world will know that you sent me. Then the world will know that you love them even as you love me.
To His glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
title="Chinese
猜猜誰會赴宴《使徒行傳》10章
這個星期南加州火災肆虐。破壞性的火災燒毀了1000多畝土地,導致1000多人逃離家園,目前火災還在Idyllwild和周邊地區持續。我們要把受災人群和救援人員作為我們的禱告的中心。 但是,在今天的信息中,我要講的是由於上週末對George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin的判決下達後所形成一場相關的“大火”。我們不得不看到,在我們的國家裡,始終存在巨大的文化、種族、民族的差異。在這星期早些時候,我看到一則新聞報導,在報導中,這種差異一覽無餘: 報導的第一部分:一些法律專家認為,只要看看佛羅裡達州的法律,就會發現案件沒有必要告上法庭。他們說,陪審團無法宣判Zimmerman先生有罪,因為佛羅裡達州法律所要求的宣判有罪的證據根本不存在。在這一部分報導的結尾,一個與我年齡和膚色相仿的人宣稱:任何人都會贊成,這個判決彰顯了正義。 在報導的第二部分:對在芝加哥遊行的人群的採訪。他們說,像案件中的情況,僅僅因為一個人的年齡或者種族而跟蹤他,在他們的鄰居中每天都會發生。在這部分報導的結尾,一個比我年輕也更有活力的女子說,“當一個沒有任何武器的年輕人,剛剛在商店裡吃完飯,而在回家的路上就被人用槍打死了……任何人都會認為那是不公平的。” 但有一件事很清楚:不是每個人都贊同。我過去談到民族和種族問題時,一些人總對我說,“哦,你說的那些問題在南方或者在芝加哥和邁阿密會有——在南加州沒有那些問題。我們都一起長大,知道在社區裡該如何相處。”我尊重你,但是不贊同你的看法。我們在這兒同樣會面對誤解和偏見的問題,因為這些問題無處不在。當罪從伊甸園進入世界,一個事情就發生了:關係被破壞了。因此,在西元21世紀,在這個因罪而分裂的世界中,我們來看看神是否借著聖經對我們說了些什麼。下面就開始。 我確信,在這個話題上,有些人比我講的更有見識,也更有深度——但神召我今天來傳講這個信息。在許多事上我可以說,我的觀點是,神在這個深度分裂的世界裡把我們放在這個教會,是為了顯明祂的樣式。在當前的情況下,我相信神在呼召我們以和平的方式向所有人顯現祂的愛、祂的公義和祂的憐憫。這個世界的力量不能使破碎的世界重新和解——但神能,我們被放在這兒,向世界表明神的偉大,祂可以使分裂的人們重新聯合成一個大家庭,而這個家庭是超乎人所想的。
文化和種族分裂的起源:巴別塔 根據《創世記》11章,神自己使人類分成不同語言和不同民族,因為人聯合起來對抗造物主。人類不再想順服造物主做被造物,他們自己想要做造物主——因此,他們聯合起來對抗神。神以自己的智慧,決定把我們分成不同人群,認為這樣對這個世界和我們個人更有益處。神按著祂自己的形象造了人,不是讓我們充滿偏見和猜疑。神希望和諧。神已經表明,有一天,祂的百姓會以不同語言、不同種族、不同民族的個體聯合成一個大家庭(啟示錄7:9)。 但是,在我們的這個世界中,導致誤解和偏見的問題始自我們墮落的人性。我們需要有足夠的洞察力來明白,這些問題並不是單單通過人的手段就能被根除——不是通過政治和軍事力量。我們通過蘇聯的解體可以學習到這個教訓。在40年中,蘇聯試圖通過極權政府和強力來終結部落和種族的分裂局面。然而,我們看到,隨著共產主義政府的終結,專制力量隨之消失,部落和種族很快又恢復了以往的分裂局面。很清楚,我們不能有效地聯合。單靠法律和外部的力量,也不能結束由罪而來的分裂。 但世界不能做的,神能做,並且祂要做。當神完成祂的工作,根據《啟示錄》21-22,一切都變成新的了。神的更新工作的基礎就是祂將使破裂的關係得到修復。到祂工作完成的時候,神已經把像我們這樣的教會放在某個區域,以表明神是一個希望和解的神。 帶著這種想法,我們再來看看《使徒行傳》10章發生了什麼。
教會在神的計畫裡的使命——必會在我們這個世界成就 在《使徒行傳》的末尾,我們看到一個名叫彼得的保守的猶太人在一個羅馬軍官家裡講道,他的講道和我今天講的有點兒像。彼得講了有關神的三個要點,這三點既相互關聯又有力量。 1. 神不偏待人——祂永恆的計畫是祝福和重塑所有人(10:34)。 2. 神家的大門對各族人都是敞開的——所有人進入的道路都一樣,就是通過在基督裡的信心(10:35)。 3. 神的救恩是對所有人的(10:36)——是的,所有人! 這是一次很好的講道。然而,是神跡同時感動彼得和羅馬人哥尼流。哥尼流比彼得更開放。彼得不願意接觸哥尼流的理由,對於彼得教會的人來說是合情合理的。彼得說:“神啊,我從來沒有接觸過不潔淨的東西——包括那些不潔淨的人。”你看,彼得原本把哥尼流當做非法移民。根據《使徒行傳》10:1,哥尼流,是一個“義大利營的百夫長”。 換句話說,哥尼流在以色列統管600多名士兵,以維持羅馬對以色列的統治。猶太人希望羅馬人離開自己的國家,但是,很快就發現,神派哥尼流到以色列的一個頗具諷刺意味的原因是:要邀請羅馬人進到祂永恆的、超乎人所想的家庭裡。 彼得從排斥哥尼流到稱呼哥尼流為弟兄,這個轉變是如何發生的?
跨文化聯合的必要性 從神而來的夢與異象使這兩個人坐在一起。哥尼流已經在尋找神,並且花時間禱告,因此,他只需要神通過異象對他說,“我聽見了,哥尼流。我已經準備祝福你,但是猜猜誰會來你家和你一同就餐?是的,一個叫彼得的猶太人。你去邀請他到你家來。”哥尼流就照著做了。 而此時,彼得卻是抗拒的。彼得可能認為他不需要任何來自神的指示。畢竟,彼得始終在遵循神的律法。彼得把信心放在耶穌裡。彼得甚至被聖靈充滿!但是,還有一些東西紮根在彼得的頭腦裡,那些東西必須被除掉——其中之一就是他對外邦人的偏見。根據10:16,神為了讓自己的信息進入彼得固化的頭腦,祂把同一個異象向彼得顯現了三次。 在《使徒行傳》10章,神讓人們明白,由彼得和哥尼流之間的仇恨和偏見所造成的分裂不再是一種自由的選擇。開始的步驟是,神迫使他們相見——首先相互產生聯繫。然後,他們產生聯繫後就分享對神的見證,他們之間的牆就倒塌了。哥尼流對彼得態度親切而又充滿敬意。請聽28節彼得對他講的話:“你們知道,猶太人和別國的人親近來往,是不合例的,但神已經指示我,無論什麼人都不可看作俗而不潔淨的。” 然後,哥尼流就分享神在異象中對他說的話,彼得聽了,心就融化了。他在34-35節裡說:“我真看出神是不偏待人。原來在各國中,那敬畏主、行義的人都為主所悅納。” 你已經聽到故事餘下的部分。彼得向羅馬人教導耶穌的道理——耶穌為我們的罪而死,耶穌通過復活戰勝罪和死。彼得希望他們每個人都信耶穌,通過耶穌的名接受罪的赦免。他們就信了,然後聖靈就臨到外邦人,就像在《使徒行傳》2章臨到猶太人一樣。哥尼流和他的朋友在耶穌的名下受洗,成為神家庭中的一部分。 我的要點是:神奇妙的故事從這開始,幾個世紀以來,因家庭各異和偏見而分隔開來的兩個人,竟然開始進入彼此和好的關係中。他們這樣做的時候,發現自己都是被神所認識所愛的,都需要神的赦免。並且後來都成了耶穌的門徒。還有就是看見神一視同仁賜給他們聖靈。 神的工作從關係的建立中開始,這種關係絕對不是自己會選擇的。 你們中間許多人知道我曾有過不期而遇的關係,改變了我與神同行的道路。我搬到西弗吉尼亞州的Bluefield, 那時我只有12歲。這座美麗的"一色美國人"的小城市也有很嚴重的種族隔離。學校是分開的,居民區的鄰舍也是分開的。被迫開始種族合一的時候,鎮上的行政人員甚至把游泳池都給關閉了。我搬到Bluefield 不久,一天鼓足勇氣一人上了一趟中城。去中城的路需要我經過一段比較多黑人居住的區域。 在那個星期六的早晨,我轉過街道的拐彎口,就到了一家禮品店門口。三個黑人兄弟坐在路邊說笑聊天、、、他們看見我在拐彎口,大概是瞧見我恐懼的眼神,其中一人對我說,"小子,你應該拿把椅子跟我們坐下, 你看來需要要吃個冰棍什麼的、、、說不定你也可以學點什麼。也許你會發現我們不過都是人。" 我真就聽了他們的話。我開始學。那一天我遇到主裡的弟兄-從此打開我的一个世界-和其他一些人建立美好的关系。若干年后,我去芝加哥念大学,每周去Gabrini Green 做義工。其中一個項目是在城裡。我帶領孩童的事工和聖經學習。我再次遇到了不起的人們。我特別記得那些單身母親,他們愛孩子,愛神,但是擔心他們的孩子會在怎樣的一個世界中生活長大。 許多年之後,我作為一個學校的校長,這所學校不論是行政還是學生會都比其他基督教院校都更加多元化多種族裔, 我還是一而再再而三地聽到我們的人因為膚色的原因被攔住受詢問的情形。 學校坐落在芝加哥最富有的郊區,所以我們的黑人肢體顯目"不屬"與這個社區。我永遠不能忘記有一天大約18名的學生向我敞開他們的生活中的點滴,他們談到不好受的感覺,是常常受人的懷疑,被叫到警察局一遍又一遍地問話。你看到嗎?如果不是這些學生信任我,跟我說他們生活的故事給我帶來祝福,我永遠也不會理解為什麼我們全國上下的黑人對一個年輕非裔美國人,在遠方一州過路被殺的事件起如此強烈的反應。 一位我敬重的年轻姊妹這星期写给我一封电邮,使這一問題在我們的教會当中视如己出。 ( 我征得她的同意在这里分享-但我不说她的名字)她这样写到: 希望佛罗里达的案件可以使我們集中讨论当地教會的責任,為我們社區中這些生活在受嫌疑的壓力中的人禱告,並與他們同行。也許我們還可以就我們國家中生活的少數族裔他們經歷的危險(間接或直接的)有些對話。我想我們可能不一定很了解那些危險對我們的家庭和未來的家庭意味著什麼。。。 日前Trayon Martiin 被殺的悲劇事件對許多人是個提醒,有許多年輕的黑人在我們的國家死在相同的情形下。許多人說是他們的基督信仰和盼望支持著黑人社區。這也是我們教會在失去我們中間中的一員時要學習如何成為一個真正的家。 有一天我會有自己的家。我想那一天我先生和我会有负担不得不要對我們的兒子(特別是兒子)解釋他生存的迫切性,不論是外力還是看法不同。我們也有責任教給他神仍然活著,祂是真實的神,儘管許多不義的事情的存在,信心生活是值得的。我知道這些不是我們的國家每個家長和孩子們的對話。雖然我還沒有孩子,但我知道如果神給我孩子,這是我必須要和孩子談的話。這是我這個星期在腦子裡過的事情、、、我還有很多要禱告的。 使徒行傳第10章可以幫助我們實現這位姊妹所禱告的教會之家,跨越種族的,世代的,社會經濟上的鴻溝與大家走在一起。我們向這個世界獻上的是這樣一個大家庭,在那裡人們懂得神的恩典大於我們的罪,我們有一位有凝聚力的救主,儘管當今世界上的分裂試圖把神凝聚在一起的拆散。耶穌是把我們凝聚成一個家庭的救主,祂希望我們像美好家庭成員那樣團結。
我們的生活應該是怎樣的 作為神家出乎意料之外的成員(本乎恩,也因著信) •培養神的眼光看待人 - 要知道唯有通過跨文化交往才能使之成為可能。起初彼得不願意這樣做。神給了他三個異象才打發他去了一個外邦人的家!需要三個異象!但在從神得到明確指示並與這位和自己迥然不同的人親自交往後,彼得在34節中說,“現在我明白......”我敢肯定一開始很難讓彼得承認他一直以來是錯的 -一直以來他太盲目了。但是,培養神的眼光卻為他開闢了一個全世界的事工。對你也一樣。 •願意談論困難的事。而只有當你擁有一份信任的關係時才會有成果。讓我給你一句我母親對我說過的話:先尋求理解他人 -然後才能被他人理解。這不是一句經文,卻是一個根植於聖經的原則。而且,這句話也不止一次地在管理類書籍中被發現。這是一條很好的忠告。當我們相互傾聽,彼此理解,我們便可以討論困難的事,彼此學習。我可能會談這些天發生的事情,比如在我們國家當中,甚至我們教會當中存在的偏見。如果我們可以做到像彼得一樣,即使起初我們並不認同彼此,最終我們也會在一起禱告和讚美。 •準備好與困難中的弟兄姊妹相互扶持。有時,當我們開始看見比以前更多的事情需要我們去做時,這要求我們“付出代價”。我們可能要去一些我們曾經不會去的地方。我們可能要支持一些曾經被忽略的人。彼得就明白這個道理。在使徒行傳10章後不久,他就得去向教會領袖解釋為什麼他花時間待在羅馬百夫長的家裡。他去做了。他得到了神的祝福。教會也得到了神的祝福。 我希望你們做的: •禱告 -我們社區和這個世界上正在發生的事情就是我們這週禱告的重點。我們必須為我們的教會能成為多元化的統一體而禱告 -為我們能為這個分裂破碎的世界產生積極的影響而禱告。請來和我們一起禱告。 •看-在敬拜結束之後,湖邊大道教會基金會在後面準備了一張桌子。那邊的人可以領你們參觀周围或者帶你們結交一些良師益友。與我們周边邻舍的关系的建立對你和你將遇见的人,都將會是改變一生的。 •給-你可以通過事奉來給予。你也可以通過經濟上的給予來支持基金會的工作,我們將會在你結束敬拜儀式離開時收奉獻。 讓我以此來結束:我認為,我們才剛剛開始了解約翰福音13章和17章中耶穌的話語是何等深刻。我們知道教會最終将由生活在這個不然是四分五裂的世界,各族民中的弟兄姊妹組成,耶穌在約翰福音13章中說,“我賜給你們一條新命令:乃是叫你們彼此相愛; 我怎樣愛你們,你們也要怎樣相愛。你們若有彼此相愛的心,眾人因此就認出你們是我的門徒了。” 或許是预见在這個世界上建立一個合一的教會家庭對我們來說是多麼的困難,耶穌不僅吩咐我們,他也在約翰福音17章中為我們禱告:“我也為那些信我的人祈求…,使他們合而為一。正如你父在我裡面,我在你裡面,使他們也在我裡面,叫世人可以信你差了我來。你所賜給我的榮耀我已賜給他們,使他們合而為一,像我們合而為一…叫世人知道你差了我來,也知道你愛他們如愛我一樣。
榮耀歸給神,
格雷格博士
主任牧師
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2013, Lake Avenue Church
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2013, Lake Avenue Church
Study Guide
Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner? - Week 15 - Study Guide
GUESS WHO IS COMING TO DINNER?
ACTS 10:1-48
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Read what 10:1–8 says about Cornelius. Describe him in your own words. How different would he have been from Peter? What kinds of divisions might have existed between them?
- Read about the vision God gave Peter in 10:9–23. Focus on vv. 13–16. Why was the interchange so direct? Why did it have to happen three times? (See vv. 28–29.) Do we have any divisions in our culture—even in our church—that might be as wide as the Jew/Gentile divide was in the 1st century?
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Peter's response in 10:34–43 to Cornelius' testimony has often been called the biblical foundation for our mission to all people groups. What are the main points that Peter makes? How does this message apply to us?
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One of the most important parts of Acts is that not only do all Christians share faith in Jesus but they also possess the Holy Spirit. Compare 10:44–45 with the Samaritans' story in 8:14–17 and the Jewish people's in 2:1–12. What do we learn?
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Baptism included both a full identification with Jesus as Lord and with the family of God. Why was 10:47–48 so important in this report?
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What are the most important lessons we learn from this passage? Does it have any message to us regarding the divisions we have socially and politically in our own society?
2013 Study Series • Copyright © 2013, Lake Avenue Church