Episode 816
Divine Disruption: Peter's Vision in Acts 10. |816
The discourse centers around Peter's vision as recounted in Acts 10:1-8, elucidating the theme of divine disruption of power structures within early Christian history. We delve into the significant implications of this passage, particularly the challenge it presents to prevailing social barriers and the concepts of inclusion. Cornelius, a Roman centurion, serves as a pivotal figure, illustrating how God can utilize unexpected individuals and circumstances to further His divine purpose. We reflect on the multifaceted nature of faith, which must transcend mere spiritual devotion to encompass tangible acts of justice and community care. Ultimately, we are prompted to identify and dismantle barriers within our own faith communities, fostering a more inclusive environment for all.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
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Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
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A profound exploration of Acts 10:1-8 reveals a pivotal moment in early Christian history, wherein divine disruption manifests through the character of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. This narrative serves not only as a historical account but also as an invitation to reflect on the boundaries we maintain within our faith communities. Cornelius, described as a devout man who actively engaged in prayers and charitable deeds, embodies the concept of embodied faith. His actions serve as a reminder that spirituality transcends mere private devotion; it necessitates active engagement with the needs of the community. The angelic visitation he experiences is emblematic of God's desire to include those who are often marginalized or deemed unworthy by societal standards. As we delve into this text, we are prompted to examine our own perceptions of who is considered an ally or an enemy in our spiritual journey. The challenge posed is to recognize and dismantle the barriers that inhibit inclusivity, urging us to reconsider who we view as unlikely candidates for divine purpose.
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes the divine disruption of traditional power structures as illustrated in Acts 10:1-8.
- It highlights the importance of embodied faith, where prayer must be accompanied by concrete action for justice.
- The episode discusses the necessity of breaking down social barriers within faith communities to foster inclusivity.
- We are encouraged to reflect on our unconscious biases and the boundaries we maintain that exclude others.
- The transformative nature of God's call is illustrated by the story of Cornelius, a Roman captain seeking truth.
- Listeners are challenged to identify and address one specific barrier within their faith community to promote inclusivity.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Peter's vision for a divine disruption of power in a Study of Acts 10:1:8 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:Hello good people.
Speaker A:Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:Enjoy and a privilege for having you to join me today as we have a daily reading of the New Testament which is brought to you every day with a selected verse of Scripture for this very day.
Speaker A:We use the Revised Common Lectionary to do that.
Speaker A:As we're in year C of a three year cycle, we're in the epiphany season.
Speaker A:We make the Bible here understandable by using the Message version of the Bible relatable by giving you some points to ponder, teaching points if you will applicable, I'll give you an action step to follow.
Speaker A:We have a prayer.
Speaker A:We do a little under 10 minutes.
Speaker A:It's all brought to you by our website voiceofgodddaily.com that is the home of a great resource, the ABC 123 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:Here's our lesson for the day from Acts 10:1 8 reading from the Message Peter's Vision There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, Captain of the Italian Guard St stationed there.
Speaker A:He was a thoroughly good man.
Speaker A:He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God and was always helping people in need and had the habit of prayer.
Speaker A:One day about 3:00 in the afternoon, he had a vision.
Speaker A:An angel of God as real as his next door neighbor came in and said, cornelius.
Speaker A:Cornelius stared hard, wondered if he was seeing things.
Speaker A:Then he said, what do you.
Speaker A:What do you want, sir?
Speaker A:The angel said, you, prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God's attention.
Speaker A:Here's what you are to do.
Speaker A:Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter.
Speaker A:He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is by the sea.
Speaker A:As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly devout soldier from the Guard.
Speaker A:He went over with them in great detail everything that had just happened and then sent them off to Joppa.
Speaker A:Really interesting verse of passage of Scripture here and it's really about really a pivotal moment in early Christian history that speaks powerfully to issues of inclusion, divine disruption, if you will, and breaking down social barriers.
Speaker A:Let's get into some points to ponder about this.
Speaker A:One of them is about breaking imperial barriers.
Speaker A:Cornelius represented the Roman military.
Speaker A:That was the authority, that was the authority of Rome in this area, the very system which was oppressing the Jewish people.
Speaker A:Yet God chose the enemy, as it were, as a vessel for expanding the movement this radically challenges our tendency to create in groups and out groups in our faith communities today.
Speaker A:We might ask who?
Speaker A:Who do you consider unlikely candidates for a divine purpose?
Speaker A:And what boundaries are we maintaining that God wants us to dissolve?
Speaker A:Another point to ponder is embodied faith.
Speaker A:The text specifically notes Cornelius neighborly acts alongside his prayers.
Speaker A:This reflects a progressive understanding that spirituality must be expressed through concrete action for justice and community care.
Speaker A:His faith wasn't just private devotion, but active engagement with human need.
Speaker A:A model for faith based activism today.
Speaker A:One more point.
Speaker A:It's about a divine disruption of power.
Speaker A:I want you to notice how God disrupts traditional power dynamics.
Speaker A:Where a Roman captain must was sent for a Jewish fisherman to learn truth.
Speaker A:This is kind of an upside down kingdom going on here moment.
Speaker A:And it challenges hierarchies of privilege and position.
Speaker A:It reminds us that transformation often requires those with institutional power to humble themselves and learn from those they've traditionally dominated.
Speaker A:Here's your action step for the day.
Speaker A:Identify one boundary in your faith community that might be excluding others.
Speaker A:Perhaps it's some unconscious class barriers, racial segregation, heteronormative assumptions, or accessibility issues.
Speaker A:Take one concrete step to address this barrier.
Speaker A:This might mean advocating for inclusive language in worship, or supporting accessibility and modifications, or initiating conversation about who's missing from your community and why.
Speaker A:Hmm, great stuff there.
Speaker A:We're gonna pray in just a second here, but just.
Speaker A:I just want to share with you that you need to take advantage of a resource, a free resource that we give to you.
Speaker A:It's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:Indeed, it truly makes Bible study as straightforward and really, it's easy as ABC 1, 2, 3.
Speaker A:You can find it at our website, voiceofgoddaily.com or along with our entire catalog of over 800 episodes of the Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:So please go and check it out.
Speaker A:Let's pray.
Speaker A:Oh God, you are the divine boundary breaker.
Speaker A:And we confess our comfort with walls that separate us from others.
Speaker A:Our quick assumptions about who belongs and who doesn't in our sacred spaces.
Speaker A:Thank you for holy disruptions that challenge our certainties and expand our a vision of community.
Speaker A:Give us, Cornelius.
Speaker A:Humility to recognize truth in unexpected places and courage to act when you call.
Speaker A:Help us to see where privilege might be blocking someone else's access to community.
Speaker A:Make us brave enough to question the barriers we've built and loving enough to welcome those who we once kept at arm's length.
Speaker A:May we become people who, like Cornelius, combine prayer with action, devotion with justice, and open us to your surprising work in our lives.
Speaker A:And communities.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Well, it's always a great privilege to share these moments with you.
Speaker A:Every day we come to you here on the Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:We often drop these episodes just before 6:00am Eastern Time.
Speaker A:Please come join us.
Speaker A:Bring a friend.
Speaker A:Until next time, everybody remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up.
Speaker A:It's created new every morning.
