Who am I?

Acts 11
And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we
believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?
Acts 11:17 NLT


LET IT GLOW

When our children were young, we used to play a game with them while we
traveled six hours in the car to their grandma's house. The game was called
"Who am I?" I would read descriptive card clues of a person in the Bible
and my family would guess the name of the person it described.
Peter asked the question in our key verse written above. Let's see what led
up to it.

Due to the strong criticism of Peter's visit to Cornelius, a Gentile, Peter reports
what happened back in chapter 10. God spoke to Peter, sending him to
witness to Cornelius and his household. These Gentiles were saved,
through repentance, as a result of Peter's obedience. (verse 14)

The reference book, The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible says:

          Peter was convinced of another truth: he could not withstand
          (stand against) God. The Greek is emphasized, "I, who was I that I
          could withstand God?" Peter had absolutely nothing to do with giving
          the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. No man is going to stop God from doing
          what He purposes to do. It was God's will that the door of salvation be
          swung open to the Gentiles and God was doing it.

Peter asked, "Who am I?"  I think he was meaning that not even Peter was
going to stop God from saving Gentiles when it was His will.

In John 11:25-26, Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life; he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

Back in Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples,"Whom say ye that I am?"
Peter answered,"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Praise God that He included us Gentiles in His plan of salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ.


LET IT GROW

In verse 18, the reality of Gentile salvation, the Greeks at Antioch, is accepted
in the Jerusalem church.
Then, verse 19 tells us that because of the stoning and death of deacon
Stephen, believing Jews of Jerusalem scattered. This was God's way of
spreading the gospel into the world. However, it was only preached to the
Jews.

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Handbook says:

          Gentiles in Antioch turned to Christ in great numbers.(Population was
           500,000.) So the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas as a missionary to
           Antioch. Then, he brings Saul to Antioch to help and both stay and
           minister to the first Gentile congregation.
           It is here the name "Christian" which means "little Christs," is
           coined for the followers of Jesus.


A famine occurs in Judea and the church at Antioch sent money to help with
relief and to show brotherly Christian love.

We should not only care about the souls of people, but their physical needs
of the body, also.


LET IT GO

I do not want to stand in God's way of achieving His purposes.

I want to be a missionary that shows  Christian love to people in need
around me and elsewhere.