Exclusive Party (Not!)

Grace loves to go to church; she goes on a regular basis, sings worship, gives great answers in small group, and hangs out with her church buddies almost every day. She also prays a lot, is filled with love, and does her devotionals every day. Then, she repeats. See the problem here? Grace has a great relationship with Christ, but she is stuck in the bubble that is her church. She only grazes with the sheep of her own flock, and that’s not what God is calling us to do. This year’s theme is United; Without Walls, where we are concentrating on extending out of our comfort zone known as WCAC. We Christians are part of God’s family, not individual families of God. How can we carry out God’s will if day after day we exist in the two domes of our church? Let me ask you this. When you do the dishes, do you wash only the clean dishes? When you help trim the bushes, do you just stick to the bushes that are already in good order? Of course not. And our faith is no different. We cannot just stick to what is already here for us, because then we are missing the great horizon that God has set up for us. So now, I want you to be honest to yourself and inspect your walk with God. Are you ever out of your comfort zone? Have you really tried to introduce God to your friends? Have you even tried going to a different church a few times? If you answered no to any of these questions, do not lose heart, for in Simon Peter’s example we can find encouragement.

Read Acts 10:17-33

In this passage, God calls Peter to basically break a Jewish tradition that is so upstanding it is known as a law. Back then, associating with Gentiles (non-Jewish people) was considered unclean. In other words, back then the Jewish thought, “Ok, we have the family of God right here. We’re closed, no vacancy.” It doesn’t take a theologist to realize that that’s just a bit obnoxious. But God calls Peter to Cornelius’ house, and in doing so Peter becomes “unclean”. However, before the passage, God tells Peter that “What God has made clean, do not call common.” In essence, there is no such thing as unclean and common. There are two big things to note here: God’s calling of Peter, and Peter’s innate trust and immediate obedience to God. God does not want His people to become complacent. He does not have a population limit for his family; Christianity is not an exclusive party. That’s why He is calling us to go out into the community and seek other members of God’s family as well as the lost. Jesus did not just dine with his followers, but with tax-collectors and prostitutes as well. I want you guys to get out into the community and open your eyes.

I had the honor of going to Hanmee Korean Church in Itasca, Illinois. It was encouraging to see the similarities as well as the differences in how they worshipped and dug into the Word. I met with Pastor Eric, who is the only Chinese there and gets a lot of teasing for it, and shared with him how WCAC runs small groups because Hanmee YG wants to start a small group program. In return, I got to sit through an amazing sermon which was called the 7 Marks of Christian Immaturity. It was interesting to listen to a sermon that was complete rebuke. If I had this awesome experience, so can you! God called me to this church (through my sister), and when He did, I was reluctant at first. But now, I see how Peter was able to just get up and break tradition without a qualm. Use his example to get out of your comfort zone! Go mingle in the soiree known as God’s people!