Expanding the Circumference of the Heart

Date: July 3rd, 2011

Speaker: Pastor Kevin Snyder

Title: Expanding the Circumference of the Heart

Text: Acts 10,11

INTRODUCTION

Stories

I remember a sad moment in my ministry life when we had some people who became good friends come to our church. They were black and came from the Caribbean.

Suddenly I didn’t see them at church very often. I called him and he told me that they had decided to leavethe church and go elsewhere. I was shocked and asked “Why?”

I was told it was because they felt excluded. They didn’t feel embraced by the church. He told me of a time in the lobby of the church when he was having a conversation with someone. Another member of the church came up and greeted the other “white” person but didn’t even acknowledge him. He told me that when he would go downstairs to pick up his kids he would find them most often alone….playing by themselves. He told me that they seldom had been invited to anyone’s place besides ours for coffee which was a big thing in their culture. My heart broke to see these wonderful, incredibly talented people leave ….from their perspective because their race wasn’t really welcomed in our church.

When the deacons were working on our directional statement about receiving funds from gambling establishments I heard stories. Quote a couple of emails:

“I just don’t fit – I didn’t grow up here so I’m invisible, I am a no-one who works for the casino, which itself is shunned and judged in the community no matter how much goodness I try to bring to my workplace…I wanted to give back to my First Nations heritage, work in a non-profit organization that gives back to my people….I was excited about starting here, and from any Christian with whom I shared that excitement, I saw a wall of judgment wash over their face….”

Another First Nations woman told me:

A First Nations woman, who recently came to Christ, expressed a desire to be employed away from the casino but was repeatedly denied. She perceived the reason for this was her “native” heritage. Her tearful anguish is expressed in the words, “the casino is the only one who will hire me here.”

I remember parents of a young teenager who came to see me. Broken. Worried. Angry. They were desperately looking for some place their teen would be accepted. The teen was bullied at school because he was a little more effeminate. It seemed to continue in the youth group. Everywhere this child went he wasn’t finding acceptance…so slowly they began to gravitate to the lowest common denominator….the drug scene. In that group of angry, disenfranchised group of kids they were finding something their soul craved for more than the drugs….acceptance.

I remember hearing the story of a young man who grew up in the church who suddenly spoke about his gay leanings and how the church essentially rejected him and pushed him out and deeper into the sexualized gay community.

Friends , the stories could go on…We’ve seen it…felt it…and unfortunately at times been a part of writing it.

Somehow over our lives we’ve defined our “circle of love”.

We’ve defined who is in and who is out.

Sometimes it is on…

Racial lines.
Sexual orientation.
Occupational.
Economic
Social
Denominational

“Heard you Church Of Goder’s are pretty narrow & think you are the only one’s going to make it to heaven. Pastor replied: “I’m even more narrow than that….I don’t even think all of them are going to make it.”,

Geographic – people who don’t live here….”cut foreign aid… we have enough problems at home”…

i.e.

William Carey – 1st Protestant missionary of modern missionary movement. Stood up and spoke of his burden for people of India& his calling. Old gentlemen stood up and said: “If God wants to save the heathen over there he can do it…he certainly doesn’t need us.

Even hobbies & interests (those who like the Riders and those who favour another team with different colours)

Depending on our background, our concept of God, our experiences… the circle of our love can be pretty small.

One of the works of God in our lives is expanding the circumference of our hearts to progressively reflect his.

His work in us both seeks to

deepen our love for people (increase our compassion and sacrifice) and
broaden it.

Do you remember Jesus words in Matthew 5:43 – 48 (The Message)

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. … If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

When Christ enters our lives he begins the process of expanding our hearts to love God and LOVE PEOPLE.It doesn’t instantly happen. There are a still a lot of prejudiced, exclusive, cliquey Christians. Maybe that is why Paul often prayed in his letters that Christians would grow in love, grow in grace.

The question is: How does God grow a heart like his?

We have a great example in Acts 10 & 11.

A. Story of Peter and Cornelius.

Cornelius is a Roman Centurion. A Gentile.

In Jewish culture the circle of love didn’t extend to the Gentiles.

A Jew could not drink milk drawn by Gentiles or eat their food.
Jews could not aid a Gentile mother in her hour of need.
Jewish physicians could not attend to non-Jewish patients. Jewish people weren’t to eat with Gentiles or enter their home.

Thus, the kerfuffle when we read in Luke 15 just before the parable of the lost sheep:

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

Despite the fact that Cornelius was a God-fearer, generous, gave to the poor, and prayed regularly he was still on the outside. “He wasn’t one of us!”

But God wanted to show Cornelius and the whole early church that His love extended beyond the border and racial lines of the Jews. Even though Corny wasn’t accepted by the Jewish community he was loved and accepted by God.

Step 1: “God-thing”

Cornelius experiences a “God-thing”. An angel appears and tells him to invite Peter to come and visit him. Peter is a Jew.

He sends some men to go and ask him.

Before the men get there, God has been at work on the other side. Peter doesn’t know what God is doing with Cornelius. And Cornelius doesn’t know what God is doing with Peter. But God is working both sides of the fence.

Peter has a few minutes before lunch and decides to spend it in prayer. He goes up on the roof.

He is up on the roof and God gives him a vision.

Vision of this sheet with all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds in it. All kinds of animals that weren’t kosher. Animals prohibited by Jewish law.

God says;“Kill and eat.”

Peter objects. “I have never eaten any food prohibited by Jewish law.”

This is outside his theological box.

God says:

“If God says something is acceptable, don’t say it isn’t”

This vision is repeated 3x. (that’s why I usually have 3 points…get the message.)

Peter is perplexed. This messes with his theological worldview. This goes against his practises…his traditions.

This is like God telling a Mennonite to dance….to him that is like telling him to have sex standing up.

God is working on both sides.

Step 2: He Leaves the House

In the midst of this Cornelius’ delegation shows up. They tell him that an angel came to their Master and told them to come and invite Peter to go with them and give Cornelius a message.

When Peter gets there he discovers not only Cornelius, but he has invited all his relatives and close friends.

8 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. 29 So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”

Cornelius tells him his experience and says,“Now here we are, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

And Peter tells them the message about Jesus and what he is learning.

Pause - story

(i.e. Winnipeg – done a funeral for Ukrainian Orthodox family – father passed away – family wanted me to come over & talk to them about heaven & how to get there. Got to the house and the living room was packed with all the kids, spouses, and grandchildren of the deceased. Had opportunity to share Christ and personal relationship with them…6-8 people made a commitment to Jesus Christ. 4 families of them ended up coming to our church….great experience…God was at work)

Peter says:

34 “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.

He tells them about Jesus coming, his death and resurrection. They were told to tell this message everywhere that “anyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

While he is saying these things, the Holy Spirit falls upon this group of Gentiles. The Jewish believers that came with Peter are amazed that the H.S. is being poured out on the Gentiles too.

Same phenomena that happened to them in Acts 2 speaking in tongues, and praising god happens here…among these Gentiles.

Peter figures: “If God accepts them then whom am I not to”, and so he baptizes them.

Now note ch 11.

For a moment I thought this was written in Swift Current.

The news gets back to before Peter does. And as soon as he arrives he is met with a wall of criticism.

“You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!”….You’re ruining the church!...how dare you bring those kind of people into the church!”

Peter tells them the whole story again. He concludes by saying:

“And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we first believed in the Lord Jesus Christ who was I to argue?”

From this pivotal story,Christianity goes viral.

This same story repeats in Antioch….then every major city in Asia minor…Acts ends with the message reaching the heart of the then known world – Rome.
Antioch becomes the headquarters of this worldwide movement.
We are here today because the critics didn’t win.

B. Life Lessons

How does God expand a heart?

1. He starts in the classroom.

On the roof. He starts by expanding our head & our theology.

How big is our God?

How wide is his love?

How unconditional is it?

Jesus said it is big enough…

…to take in lost sheep,
…to eat in the homes of Gentiles
…to sit in the marketplace with prostitutes and sinners
… to touch the lepers
Big enough that Rev says- before his throne will people of every race, and language and nation.(Rev 7:9, 10)
Big enough that there is neither male nor female, slave nor free, Barbarian or Scythian but we are all one in Christ Jesus (Col 3:28)
Big enough to love those who read the Koran and those who kill those who don’t.

How big is the heart of your God?

Big enough to embrace the people in this church – the young, the old, no matter the culture or race…
Big enough to embrace your rangy neighbours…the annoying work associate…that “odd” kid in school…

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the “world”…

Summary

It starts with grasping and believing that all people matter to God.

Step 2: Practicum’s

He gets us out of our house.
God expands our hearts with practicums.

Believing it is just the 1st step.

The next step is living it.

God expands our love by inviting us to Corny’s house.

He takes us beyond the debates about what is clean & unclean &puts in situations and says : “Now, live it. Love. “

After you’ve discussed the love of God on Sunday, Monday morning …

God puts in the desk next to the “odd” kid and says. “What are you going to do? Christian, are you going to reflect the expansive love of God… Or treat them like everybody else?”
He puts you on the street behind the most timid slowest driver in Swift Current….and says “live it.”
He puts you in a small group with “people who are not your kind” and says “Show them my love”
He puts you face to face with someone who would rather spit at you than look at you and says,“Love them.”
He puts you in the coffee shop line with that person who has hurt you and wounded you and whispers “Forgive them.”
He puts you in the same room with that spouse who has caved to some addictive habit one more time…
He puts you in the pew with that person “you’ve heard about”…and he whispers,“Greet them” “welcome them.”

You see, God will keep growing your heart until it is like his….until it embraces the whole world…and he does that…

…one truth at a time

…one person

…one situation

…one day

…one stretch at a time.

Like an elastic band he drops us into the lives of people that stretch our heart a little bigger….

Honest with you….if you don’t want heart stretched….if you want a “country club church”, East Side isn’t for you…truth is Kingdom of God isn’t for you…because we are on the journey to love like God does and that embraces every color, every age, every type…every odd…sin-inflicted… person in this community.

We have been referred to as a hospital church….that means we have to love sick people…we have to be willing to get your hands dirty…to touch germ-infested bodies…live with and come to expect yucky messes.…Whoever heard of a hospital that rejects the sick?…what purpose do they have?

Conclusion

A, Corny Type

Maybe you ventured here today as a Cornelius

….hoping against hope that there was someplace in this world where you could be reminded of God’s love

…that you could be reminded not of your sin and your failure and your oddity...but of God’s unconditional love

….his never-ending willingness to forgive

…his welcoming acceptance of all people

…a place where you would be loved not rejected

…accepted not judged

…welcomed not shunned….

To you, I say from Jesus: “Welcome here. You are loved by God…and surrounded by a group of people progressively being stretched to express his love…we aren’t there yet…we have bad days …but we are on the journey to bring his vast , unconditional love into this world.“

B. Peter- Type

How is God stretching you? Breaking down the old mindsets…and barriers?
Who has God brought into your world who challenges your belief that God loves everyone…that all people matter to God?
Who has he brought across your path with the sole purpose to display the beauty of His love?
Who is your Cornelius?

Cnity is a worldwide religion because God loves the whole world….and he is expanding your heart to love the whole world one person….one situation….one day at a time.

Prayer

Father, you have used all types of people for your holy purposes: prostitutes, murderers, persecutors, liars, thieves, swindlers, the illiterate, the ignorant, the blind, the lame. Grant me the grace to treat everyone I meet as someone for whom Jesus died and rose again. Let there be no unwholesome or unholy distinctions in my eyes and no unworthy favoritism in my actions. Rather,make me into a vessel through whom Jesus shines. In Christ’s name I pray.

Amen

I close with this:

Poem that resonates with my soul:

I Stand at the Door

By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)
I stand by the door.
I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them

that they are spoiledFor the old life,

they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.

Click here to return to sermon page

Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. Mt 5:43-48

Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Lk 15:1-2

Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Ac 10:28-29

Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Ac 10:34-35