Love Lifted Me (Out of My Comfort Zone)

2-23-20Sermon Notes “Love Lifted Me: (out of my comfort zone)”Gadsden FUMC
I went with a friend one time to a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon. My friend was an Indonesian pastor, and he spoke fluent Mandarin. So I decided to get out of my comfort zone a little bit and let my friend do all the ordering for us. He carried on a conversation with the waiter – I didn’t understand a word, of course, but it was fun to watch and listen to. I asked my friend what he had ordered. He said, “A surprise.” The Dim Sum dishes arrived. I took the lid off of one and saw…chicken feet. Yes, I tried it. I thought, “What the heck?” No, I didn’t like it…too rubbery and not enough meat…and I couldn’t get over the way they looked. I mean, yikes!
Have you ever eaten anything weird? Have you ever tried something that was out of your normal comfort zone? That’s what Peter was asked to do in Acts chapter 10. Peter had grown up not eating certain things because he was Jewish. It would have been unthinkable for him to eat something that he considered “unclean.” But then there was that day… He had gone up on the roof about lunch time, and he had a vision. In his vision, Peter saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven, on which was displayed a variety of “unclean” animals. (Maybe not chicken feet, but pig feet?). He was told in his vision to kill and eat. “No way,” Peter said. I’m not going to eat anything unclean!” And the voice from heaven said, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This vision happened three times so he would get the point.
Peter’s vision calling him out of his culinary comfort zone was to prepare him for REALLY getting out of his comfort zone going to Cornelius’ house. To go to a Gentile’s house? To go to the home of a Roman Centurion? Unthinkable! Some lines just didn’t get crossed…except when God says, “Go!” right? You see, God had already been working on Cornelius, and Cornelius had been seeking God. When it comes to folks seeking God, lines can and do get crossed…must get crossed. Comfort zones are not as important as connecting folks to God! Here’s what happens when God calls us out of our comfort zone…
24 The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. 26 But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; 28 and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. 31 He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10: 24-35 NRSV)
Old dogs can learn new tricks when they have to. Peter did. We all do if we just will. Let’s not get so “comfortable” that we fail to listen to the Comforter (the Holy Spirit).
See you Sunday!
Pastor Sam