NT Fire Starters – Day 174: Acts 11:1-18

READ: Acts 11:1-18

THINK: How does it feel to be misunderstood? How do you like it when people don’t give you the benefit of the doubt? How well do you take it when you’re denied an opportunity you deserved simply because people don’t know you? None of these experiences are pleasant, none are fair, and none have a place among Jesus followers. As humans, we’ll misjudge people at times, and it can certainly be difficult to accept those we don’t understand at first. But when God exposes our misguided notions and demonstrates His acceptance in people’s lives, we must be quick to change our attitudes, to accept one another and to get in line with God’s plan for us to work together.

RESPOND: Why do you think that the Jewish believers in the early church, who were obviously sincere and had been greatly used by God, were closed-minded toward people of other backgrounds and nationalities? What was the sign that God had accepted the Gentile believers and that they had accepted the message of Jesus? (See 11:15 note.) How do we know that God’s gifts of salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit and eternal life are for all who accept Jesus and entrust their lives to Him? How do we know that baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift people can receive only after accepting Jesus the Forgiver of their sins and Leader of their lives? (See 11:17 note.) What convinced the Jewish believers beyond doubt that the Gentile’s experience with God was authentic? (See 11:18 note.) What did the Jews’ response to Peter’s report indicate about their openness to God and their willingness to accept others for His sake?

PRAY: Pray for individuals at your school, workplace–or wherever–who you may have misjudged, particularly regarding their openness to God, and perhaps even in regard to God’s ability to reach them. Ask God to adjust your attitude toward these individuals and to give you the opportunity to influence them for Jesus.

ACT: Perhaps there is someone in your church or youth group that you’ve misjudged. Maybe you’ve been unduly skeptical of their commitment to God or have not given them the benefit of the doubt. You may have shut them out or simply not been open to developing a friendship because of a misunderstanding or personality difference. Make an effort to befriend that person. You may need to apologize and ask forgiveness for wrong attitudes you held toward him or her. Then encourage them in their commitment to God and their place of service in the church.