Who? Me?

Text: Romans 8:17-27

Focus: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Function: To empower people to use their gifts

Form: Storytelling

Intro:

Children love birthdays.

• The first birthday I remember is my third.
• I was looking out the front window of our house when I saw Jim and Meredith (the Meredith mom has us praying for) Knott pull up and their arms well full of toys.
• I remember thinking how odd that was.
• And then they gave the presents to my twin and me.
• It wasn’t until the next year that I realized just what had happened.
• A birthday occurred, and it was a very special time for me, every year.
• I didn’t do anything to deserve it except be born into the family.
• But that first year, I didn’t know what it was about; I didn’t understand what I had coming, every year.

Today we celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.

And, I need to emphasize that the coming of the Holy Spirit is to bring Glory to Jesus.

Still, it is pretty exciting when we get into partnership with God and He uses us beyond our human ability.

The first year that I remember getting presents, I still didn’t understand because I didn’t know what a birthday was.

That is opposite to the Apostles on the first birthday of the Church. As soon as it happened, they understood exactly what was going on.

They were excited, because not only had Jesus rose from the dead, but He had indeed came back to them in a greater and more real way than when He was walking with them.

So, I ask the question, do we regard this birthday like I did with my 3^rd, or like the Apostles did with the Church’s 1^st birthday?

Jesus was living inside of them in a powerful way. (SHOW) Jesus is living in us in a powerful way.

This passage of scripture is one of many descriptions of just what is happening when God dwells inside a believer.

• Initially, we need to clear up a little bit of the theology of the Holy Spirit.

(SHOW) John 20: ²¹After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, "I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me." ²²Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone's sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven."

Now, there are several sermons to be preached on this passage alone, but I want to point out 3 important things:

(SHOW):

1). The Holy Spirit gives us real authority.

2). The Holy Spirit is given to every believer.

3). The Acts 2 passage is a different event
than this one.

Real authority: Authority to forgive sins.

Given to all: A measure is given to each.

Different than Acts 2:

• In John, a measure of the Spirit is given to everyone.
• But in Acts 2, a special empowering, for the moment was given to all.
• This second act is considered the Birthday of the Church:
• (SHOW) The Apostles were continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
• This miracle marks the beginning of the Church.
• Up until this time, as the apostles were waiting, Peter said: “I go fishing.”
• Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit.
• He told them they would receive special power for the purpose of building the Church.
• Everyone has the authority and seal of their faith, but at times, God gives a special empowering.
• (SHOW) God’s special empowering is available to all believers.
• That is the day we celebrate as the birthday of the church.

Now I know that this doctrine has divided churches and families. The devil himself has twisted it into groups of the haves and have-nots. What a tragedy.

Because (SHOW) The Holy Spirit is given to build up the Church.

So this morning, on the day we celebrate the birthday of the Church, I want us to look at what this passage of scripture says about the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit “The Comforter.” (read from bible).

Romans 8 speaks to us about this need of comfort and God tells us just exactly how it works.

Vs 18, we are suffering now, but heaven is coming. It’s the same thing, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s a comin”!”

But then he says something odd.

• (SHOW) God’s comfort is not about heaven only.
• The whole creation is waiting for the revelation of Christians.
• In other words, God has appointed the time of the Church as the time when God would be very visibly present in the lives of believers.
• I believe, because of Christian’s prayers and faith, God will be bringing a blessing to the whole wide world.
• And indeed it has.
• Because of Christianity, slavery is illegal across the world.
• Because of Christianity, democracies are being founded in places where people are oppressed.
• Because of Christianity, women no longer are treated as possessions. (Were still working on that one).
• But Jesus included the women.
• Jesus put a human face on women.
• Paul included women in Christian leadership.
• How many times have you found yourself praying about the oil spill in the gulf over the last month?
• We see the politicians slugging it out with their mean remarks to each other, and we bow our heads to pray for peace.
• We hear of innocent families, forced to be human shields, being killed by drones in Pakistan and we pray for peace.
• The whole creation needs what we can bring to it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, right here on Third Street, right here in Drexel, New Lebanon, Trotwood and in our counties, state, nation and entire world.
• However, we still have a long way to go.
• I mentioned slavery. I heard a statistic that there are actually more slaves in the world today than there has ever been.
• That is mainly because there are close to 7 billion people in the world, so the percentage of slaves is way down; the actual numbers is way up.
• The director of Linden Life recovery center told me that statistics show that the Dayton area is 3^rd largest in actual sex trafficking in the US.
• This is just one example of how we are called to be salt and light, a city on a hill that brings a blessing to the people we meet.
• Think about it, every single person you meet is someone that God wants to bless through you.

Now to the Title: “Who? Me?”

The apostle Paul is prophesying here and he is telling us that God has subjected the world to the hope that Believers would change their world.

One of the prison guards was very angry with us last weekend for giving the prisoners hope and for contradicting the structures that they use to dehumanize the prisoners.

The prisoners kept asking us, “Why would you give up 10 Friday nights, a whole weekend to be in an uncomfortable room, all the while paying out of your own pockets and those who are generous to help you over $7,000 to spend this time with just 30 of us?

Because, (SHOW) God has subjected the world to its sorrow and then sent the Church into the world to bring God’s hope.

And hope is a huge thing for the hurting world.

I am not allowed to do marital therapy, because I do not have a license in it.

However, I do 2-4 sessions in order to build hope.

The prisoner beside me had 5 children, the oldest of which is 6, with cerebral palsy.

He thinks that the 2 years he has left in his sentence is eternity as he recounts all the things he will miss out on because of his crime.

He wasn’t complaining about his sentence, he wasn’t claiming to be innocent. He admitted he needed God. He admitted his sentence was just.

And for him, the moment that he placed his trust in Christ, it came with his decision to allow God to build his hope.

He was so covered with shame, mainly from his own sins, but also from a terribly abusive childhood that he just couldn’t believe that anything would work out for him.

God gave him hope.

(SHOW) Christians have the power to bring hope and blessings to the world.

That is what the initial part of this scripture talks about.

In one sense, most of you cannot go into the prison setting like I was last weekend, but be assured that you were very much a part of giving hope. The ministry of cookies is a metaphor for the hope and joy God brings.

Thank you for sending me there, you too can stand with the sheep, instead of the goats at the final judgment when Jesus says, because you visited the prisoner, you visited me.

God wants us to ask that question: (SHOW) “Who? Me?

Do you see yourself as one whom God has empowered to heal the world?

As one whom God has called to proclaim His salvation from sin?

Looking at People Through A Mothers Eyes.

Text: Luke 7:36-49

Focus: Focusing on the person.

Function: To help the congregation understand my vision of caring for the “one.”

Form: Story Telling

Intro:

I Come to the Garden’s purpose

• A woman loving her son.

Mothers believe in their children.

When no one else believes in them, a mother and a good wife know how to believe in and trust.

It is a special quality that women have.

Jesus was going through this time when people did not believe in Him.

He had enemies. The only people Jesus had conflicts with were the religious leaders of the day.

When a “sinner” came to Jesus: He welcomed them. So, the leaders condemned Him for being a Friend of Sinners.

I like that term.

It is like Susan’s sign, “No Sin is Greater that God’s Forgiveness.”

On the other side, “be safe, pull in here to text or make a call.”

The message is that we care for holistic ministry: body, spirit, mind and soul.

So Jesus upset the status-quo of society.

He called the rich to be generous to the poor.

He commanded people to stop using their religion as an excuse

And He was making enemies pretty fast.

READ LUKE 7:36-49

He is in the house of His enemy, Simon the Pharisee. Simon is hoping to trap Him in something. He is also being rude to Him.

A woman walks in, a prostitute. She is crying, she washes his feet with expensive perfume; she dries them with her hair.

Simon thinks he has Jesus trapped. He says to himself: “If Jesus were a prophet He would not let such a person touch him.”

But look at verse 36, first statement: Behold.

• Not a literary device to open a new story, but a command to really think about this next story. God says, “Look at this. It is a visual image. When you see it for what it really is, you will understand. (That is, provided you are willing to let God be the one to lead you).

Then again, Verse 44: Do you see this woman?

Everything changes when we stop to consider the consequences of our actions, the consequences of the way we judge people, the consequences of the way we justify ourselves.

Simon has just “justified himself” by objectifying this woman.

To objectify a person is to ignore them, or not love them as a neighbor, or condemn them, or mistreat them because they are “less.”

It was easy for Simon. Although he was wealthy, arrogant, proud, an abuser of the poor, a religious hypocrite, at least he wasn’t her.

That is the beauty of mothers, or what mothers are supposed to be. They always see the potential inside someone. They have that quality of being able to love unconditionally.

He said to himself, at least I am not her.

And, that sinful human device continues today.

My mom gave me permission to say this.

• Raised in Clyde, Ohio, in Sandusky County.
• Unlike where she raised me, in the middle of an inner city-
• Because of the location where she was raised, she did not have the pleasure of knowing and learning to appreciate people of different races.
• Until her and my dad took on their first pastorate.
• They moved to Brownsville, Tennessee and started a church in an old storefront right downtown.
• Her first reaction to people of different color was fear. She did not know them.
• All she heard was stories about them.
• But she quickly changed her mind when she lived in a multi-cultural community.
• And she was terrible grieved at the way the African Americans were treated in the South, in the 50’s.
• BEHOLD THE PERSON.
• She was incredulous –I mean she found it incredible that people could treat their fellow people that way!

This Pharisee used the term “sinner” in order to justify himself.

I have fought racism my entire life. It is a big part of my calling. And it comes from the way I see Jesus looking at people.

The Pharisee was looking for any excuse to continue his lavish lifestyle, his control over the people. He needed to not feel bad about taking advantage of others, so he uses this term: Sinner.

Jesus, uses the term: Woman. Neighbor.

Terms have been used throughout history to objectify others.

Have you ever heard the term: Cretan?

• If you watched Mash, Charles Winchester, the snobby doctor would use that term any time he felt someone was acting out of the common class.
• It is actually a biblical reference.
• Titus 12, Paul criticizes a church because one of their pastors said, “all Cretans are liars, lazy and worthless.”
• That term, in that day, wasn’t any different than my mom hearing the “N” word in the South.

Hitler’s propaganda minister, Goebbels, started the Pollock joke as a way to objectify the Slavic people in Poland and Czechoslovakia. They were white, like his beloved Aryan race, but he wanted their land for himself and he figured his soldiers would have a moral problem with killing similar peoples, so he started the jokes in order to help his troops see another person as less than human.

He did the same thing with the Jews.

I hate it when I hear believers call Homosexuals: “Queers” and “Fags.”

It keeps us from seeing others as people that Jesus died for.

The Pastor Parish committee asked me to articulate a little more clearly what my vision is as the pastor of this church.

And if one statement could sum up how I believe the Church should do its ministry it is this: “Look at the woman.”

I could add, “Simon, look at the woman.”

Do you see the difference?

I want to look at the woman the same was Jesus looked at her, not the way Simon looked at her.

In Korea and Vietnam, the enemy was referred to as Gooks. It is another objectifying term used to dehumanize the other.

Those words should not come out of the mouths of believers.

No less than 8 times in the New Testament, does the command from Jesus get said and repeated: A new command I give you, Love one another.

In Romans 13 Paul said, all the commands about how we live with others is summed up in the one command, Love one another.

The change starts with language. When I stopped telling Pollock Jokes, my whole attitude towards everyone began to change.

I began more and more to see everyone as my neighbor.

I was working on this language thing with one of my parishioners in Indiana, and he said to me: “But my whole life, I have comforted myself with the knowledge that at least I am not a ***** (you can fill in whatever racial slur you want).

I believe it was Charles Wesley, the preacher of the Great Awakening who commanded his pastors to prepare sermons with “a bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.”

If the preaching isn’t relevant to the culture, then it is mere theory and there is nothing practical about it.

So here goes, and I am not being political.

Two weeks ago on facebook I was called a liar, a heretic, a twister of scripture and unpatriotic.

I was told this by a friend of a friend who posted a question on her facebook page.

• She said, “what do you think of Arizona’s new immigration law.”
• I am sure we would have a variety of opinions here.
• I am sure that everyone has reached their conclusions with sincerity and integrity.
• My twin brother is pretty far right in his politics, and next to my wife and my mom, he is one of my most trusted friends.
• He keeps telling me, “Phil, we need a balanced approach to our news outlets, in order to make good choices, the way our democracy and press work, two sides speak their minds and the population then makes decisions.”
• And he agrees with me that the conversation has gotten so mean-spirited that we are stuck.
• The rhetoric is too strong.
• So, on this friends Facebook page, I simply asked this question: “Would Jesus call them `Neighbor’ or `Illegals?’” I said, the whole discussion changes for us Christians when instead of objectifying them, we use Jesus terms.
• Apparently, that makes me a heretic and a liar in the eyes of the woman who bitterly opposed my question.
• You see, she just objectified me by calling me names that are not true.
• Given the other Pharisees question, right before the story of the Good Samaritan, “Who is my neighbor?”
• I can’t in any universe picture Jesus using any other term for her.
• Jesus told him the foreigner, the alien, the despised, and for lack of better terms, the despised illegal alien –there was real hatred between the races- was his neighbor.
• But please, I know you are smart enough to consider this: I hope you are thinking how deep this goes.
• Because not only did she objectify me, but I objectified her.
• That woman isn’t my enemy, she is my neighbor and I didn’t treat her like one.

I learned this from my mother. She taught me how to love others unconditionally.

Sometimes, when we point to “the enemy, the other” and say to someone else: “Is that person your neighbor?” it works.

In John 8, there was the woman caught in adultery.

It is easy to blame the woman in that sense and you have all heard about the hypocrisy of the men condemning her when they didn’t bring the man to Jesus as well. I have heard sermons “Where was the man?”

And Jesus, in her defense says to them, look at the woman, and then look at yourselves and if you are sinless, cast the first stone.

From the oldest to the youngest, they were convicted and left her.

For once, people looked at the woman and recognized that they too, needed a savior.

Let us never cast stones, at anyone.

The story had an happy outcome when the people gave up self righteousness.

That is my vision. I believe that ministry will begin to flow out of it.

I think about next weekend, sitting in a room with people who are guilty of murder, rape, theft. God keeps speaking to me, when I look into the face of those men, I am looking into Jesus face.

The more we adopt this spirit, the more God will send His hurting babies, His tender sheep, His lost souls for comfort and rest.

God Has Broken Through

Text: Acts 11:1-18

Focus: Salvation

Function: To help people see that salvations is open to all

Form: Story telling

Intro:

In order for people to prepare, I picked this subject a couple of months ago.

I titled this message GOD HAS BROKEN THROUGH because that is the title of this passage in The Message.

I love this title for this passage. Most translations, rightfully so, give us a heading intended to help us find a specific verse. In 1 Corinthians 13, you’ll read something like: “The importance of Love.” In Revelation, you might read something like: “The letter to the church in Laodecia.”

But Peterson, the translator of the Message uses a unique phrase here. God has broken through!

This isn’t “humanity broke through to God.” But (SHOW) God broke through to us!

He is excited about what it means.

And, it is an interesting story. It is a story full of miracles, visions, mystery, conflict, legalism, judgmentalism and finally, reconciliation.

Here is the story:

• Peter is a fine, upstanding Jew of kosher reputation.
• He has never eaten anything unclean by Jewish dietary standards.
• They are complex. My brother sold a bunch of houses to a resort community for orthodox Jews and he had to design units with 2 separate sinks in order to fulfill their interpretation of the dietary laws.
• Because of Paul’s persecution, Peter has fled to Joppa and is staying a Simon the Tanner’s house.
• Perhaps they weren’t fulfilling the great commission to go to all the world so God permitted persecution so they would spread out.
• While there, he is praying and he sees a vision of a sheet lowering from heaven with all kinds of “unclean” animals to eat.
• The voice tells him to kill and eat.
• He refuses because he is pure according to dietary restrictions.
• Peter is very literal in his theology.
• He loves God and wants to obey.
• (SHOW) But God changes His mind.
• God says to him: The previously unclean things are now made clean.
• God tells him that by faith, everything is clean.Peter doesn’t understand. It is a mystery to him.
• Right away, men from a Roman Centurion arrive at Simon’s house and ask for Peter.
• These people are Gentiles. That means they are not Jewish.
• The Jews also had very strict rules about being in the houses of Gentiles.
• Gentiles were unclean and to go into their house was a sin by to most of the Jews.
• But Peter understands the meaning of the vision, and I believe hope is born in him.
• I believe he understands the meaning of Jesus command to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.
• He understands the promise to Abraham given 3600 years before: (SHOW) “I will bless you so that you can be a blessing to the world.”
• You see, that was problematic because if they weren’t allowed to mingle with Gentiles, then ministering to them is almost impossible.
• The Jews had a law that makes Christian Charity a criminal act.
• And God quickly and completely countermanded it by saying: “These are people, and people are not unclean anymore.”
• (SHOW) Even the foreigner, the stranger, and in this case, the enemy is considered “neighbor” and worthy of the gospel.
• So Peter, in his love and devotion to God’s word, has a hurdle overcome and chooses to go with these men.
• Now Cornelius the Roman Centurion is a beautiful person as well.
• Remember who had Jesus judiciously murdered?
• The Jewish leaders used the Roman law to murder Jesus.
• Why?
• Jesus’ gospel really upset them.
• All of a sudden they couldn’t use their religion to justify the way they held the poor in bondage.
• Jesus preached to them that they are to love their neighbors as their selves and they didn’t want to do it.
• Jesus upset the status quo of the rich and ruling class and they had Him killed for it.
• So this is interesting for the Roman Centurion.
• He associated with the ruling class.
• He was a big reason why they had so much power.
• There was a Roman sword behind these rules.
• But this man doesn’t not see Judaism as a form of civil religion that was used to justify greed.
• This man saw the genuine nature behind the law of God.
• As Jesus said, its intention was to help the people see how to love their neighbor as themselves.
• In Matthew 5:22 (SHOW) Jesus said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the leaders, you cannot have a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• Jesus’ statement was that one could follow the letter of the law and still be greedy, wicked, judgmental, legalistic and sinful.
• That whole Sermon on the Mount teaches us that we follow God in His intent.
• So, although the Jewish leaders didn’t get it, Cornelius, the Roman Centurion does.
• This is how his righteousness is defined: (SHOW) Acts 10:1-2 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer, Cornelius, a captain of an Italian regiment. He was a godly man, deeply reverent, as was his entire household. He gave generously to charity and was a man of prayer.
• He was reverent, godly, prayed hard and regularly gave to the poor.
• So, even though the Leaders who stood to lose financially if they followed Jesus refused to see what Jesus was about, this man did.
• 2 days before Peter has this vision, Cornelius sees an angel who calls him to go to Joppa and get Peter.
• Peter walks into the house, remember up until that point, he was sure that this would be a sin.
• Cornelius falls down and starts worshipping Peter.
• Peter refuses the worship and starts telling them about Jesus.
• Peter’s sermon is interesting:
• Peter reminds Cornelius of what has just happened in Israel.
• He reminds him how Jesus was baptized, taught, did miracles and was arrested and crucified.
• He explains how Jesus rose from the dead.
• How they were appointed to preach Jesus.
• How the Holy Spirit comes to believers.
• How Jesus washes away the sins of those who believe in Him.
• And right at that point, the Holy Spirit comes inside Cornelius and his family.
• Let us talk about that:
• I remember during my first ministry, there was this kind old Pentecostal preacher who took me under his wing.
• I asked him one day: “You know, I never know how to end my message.
• I get done, I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, but I do not know what to say.”
• He said, “in other words, you just prepared a meal and it is now time to invite them to come and eat it.”
• I said: “something like that; I really don’t know how to give an altar call.”
• He gave me some sound advice about relying on God’s Spirit and being careful not to manipulate anyone, but trusting in a genuine work from God.
• He told me that numbers, and personal responses to my preaching were not as important as people coming closer to God.
• In other words, (SHOW): Bringing people to Jesus is God’s job.
• Not mine.
• So what is the point?
• Cornelius got saved long before an altar call, or any outward confession.
• Somewhere in that story, while he was listening to Peter preach, he decided to believe and God, as soon as he believed in Jesus God sent the Holy Spirit into him.
• And the proof of their acceptance into God’s family was this powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
• Cornelius made it easy for God, he was searching pretty hard and God showed up, broke through the barrier between God and man in a pretty wonderful way.

So, at this point, one would think the story is over. But that is where our text begins.

• Peter comes back home and the legalistic Christians, who still don’t quite understand that salvation is a free gift…
• Who don’t understand that salvation is: “simply believe…”
• Or who think it is believe and you get the free gift of salvation but as soon as it happens, you have to earn it.
• They taught, and we see this later on in Galatians and 2^nd Corinthians that they had to believe and then follow all those legitimate Jewish customs.
• They felt this way because they loved God, but they forgot about grace.
• They don’t understand that the gift of salvation is free, and it is open to anyone.
• That question: “Who is my neighbor?” is answered by God, and the answer is, Everyone.
• It isn’t just people from their town, their family, their nation, but everyone.
• Gloria gave me a Green Card last Sunday.
• The Green card symbolizes that I am a member of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• The story should be over.
• God showed by His power, by a vision to Cornelius, a vision to Peter, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that salvation is open to anyone who believes.
• And you would think it was over, but the rest of the Apostles, and James, Jesus’ brother called Peter on the carpet and accused him of sinning, lowering the standard of faith, compromising with the world, making salvation too easy and cheap, disobeying God’s law and the list goes on.
• Brothers and sisters: Remember this: (SHOW) Satan hates grace.
• And the devil whipped up the religious spirit, the demonic religious spirit inside the rest of the apostles so that they would do something about it.
• This is a big conflict. The Holy Spirit was leading and they were too afraid to follow him.
• It still happens.
• I got into trouble at my last church because this young man, who played softball got saved and called into the ministry.
• He got saved right at the time that he did the wrong thing and divorced his wife while she was going through post-partum depression.
• He felt terrible about it after he realized the wrong that he did, but it was too late, she was remarried.
• So he married a real nice Baptist gal.
• All of this happened before I came to the church.
• I didn’t go through the pain of that divorce and the way it affected the congregation.
• The woman who chaired the committee that secured preachers for when I was gone suggested we ask him to preach.
• So we did.
• And a great thing happened.
• At the end of his message, a couple of the youth came forward and gave their lives to Christ.
• And, the sad thing was, that was the last time anyone came forward in that church.
• Two people on the board were really mad at me for letting him preach, even though it wasn’t my call.
• The woman who asked him to preach was divorced herself and there were bitter words between the people at the board meeting.
• Another woman had a brother in law with a real heart for Jesus and worship.
• Before he was a believer, his wife left him and after he got saved, he met a woman whose husband left her.
• He is a talented musician, so one Sunday, when he was visiting from Florida, they asked him to lead worship.
• But before that could happen, they made him stand beside the pulpit.
• And they made sure that I never asked a divorced person to preach again.
• And that was the last time anyone came forward at that church.
• Was I a lousy preacher?
• Several people were saved in my office
• They left grace for the law and decided that only certain people could become believers.
• They would say, “I know that he is saved, but we don’t have to worship with him.”
• It became a big fight.
• Someone said, “I would rather worship with 10 people who are “sold out to Jesus” than a 100 that are mediocre.
• I said in response, I would rather worship with 100 sinners who know they still need a Savior that with 10 who are so self-righteous.
• I remember that woman, hurt because of the way her brother in law was treated saying: “But if the Holy Spirit called someone to Christ during the message, how could it have been wrong?”
• They wouldn’t listen, but this group did.
• The apostles quickly abandoned their prejudice and learned to love everyone.
• It was a clear case of racism being destroyed.
• More than that, this man was their enemy, and they loved and embraced him.
• They understood that they are residents of a bigger nation: The Kingdom of God.

God broke through.

And it wasn’t just a break-through between the racial divides of Jews and Gentiles, but He broke down the things that keep us from loving one another.

(SHOW) Ephesians 2:14: For Christ himself is our way of peace. He has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one family, breaking down the wall of contempt that used to separate us.

By breaking down the barrier of salvation to Gentiles, He also broke down the barrier of separation.

In light of a greater presence, two great things happened: Salvation is opened up to us, and a huge wall between people of different cultures was torn down.

That greater presence is Jesus.

And it started when Christians loved their enemies.

I think Peterson, the translator of the Message, is being prophetic when he says: “God has broken through.”

There is an obvious spiritual thing here. Sin, when in the presence of God flees away.

And before Jesus, we sinners, couldn’t have direct access to God.

So, when Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom.

From top to bottom because God did it.

That veil had separated the people from the presence of God.

Once a year, the High Priest would go into that place and would tie a rope to his ankle and had bells on his robe. If the robe stopped ringing, he was dead and the rope would pull him out.

But now, since Jesus paid the price for our sins, the Holy Spirit left that place and dwells in the hearts of everyone who believes in Him.

And in that passage, one of the first changes that happened was reconciliation, not only with God, but with fellow man.

Last weekend, at the Intercultural celebration in the mountains of Western PA, the director asked all the churches in the area to bring food for Friday night.

So, the majority of leaders in our churches that are integrated got to spend time with people who do not get a chance to mix interracially.

It was a great time of celebration.

(SHOW) God broke down the wall of division between people.

Go broke through the hearts of the legalistic, proud, patriotic and religious folks to bring peace between them and their former enemies.

(SHOW –same slide) God broke through the barrier of sin that keeps us from Him.

He changes us. He first changed Peter and then He changed the apostles and in the process, changed Cornelius’s last name to: Christian.

(show) Have you been changed?