Sunday Worship Service February ２２, 2026

Prelude
Call to Worship Genesis ２：７Joel 2:13 b,c
Hymn JBC # 4 Come, Christians, join to sing
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Acts 11:1~18
Prayer
Sermon “Repentance that leads to life”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 455 Jesus is tenderly calling thee home
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction

Today’s passage starts by saying, “The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.”
This means that people other than the Jews, people who were foreigners to the Jews, the Gentiles, were told about the true God through Jesus Christ and accepted His word.
Before today’s passage, Christ’s disciple Peter met a Gentile named Cornelius, told him about Jesus Christ, and Cornelius believed and was baptized.
Peter met Cornelius and told him about what Jesus Christ had done on Earth and how Christ resurrected after three days.

He (Peter) also spoke about how the resurrected Christ had appeared before him and the other disciples and commanded them to evangelize.
With this, God’s Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius, his family, and his friends (Acts 10:44-45). Not just Cornelius, but the Holy Spirit came to his family and friends as well.
There Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:47)
And in 10:48, Peter ordered the baptism of Cornelius and the others.

As I said in last week’s message, baptism is a declaration of faith from a new believer to the church family so they can be welcomed into the flock.
That Peter commanded Cornelius and his household to be baptized also signifies that Peter himself had been given the heart to welcome Cornelius and his household, Gentiles as they were, as fellow believers from that point forward.
Until this point, Peter believed that the Gentiles were unclean and that it was improper to fraternize with them. This was a major change.
When one person has conviction of faith and receives baptism, sometimes the end receiving that person (the church) also undergoes a large change and is given new conviction.
In other words, when one person receives baptism in faith, it may become an opportunity for both parties (both the person being baptized and the church) to learn to welcome and accept each other.

Cornelius lived in place called Caesarea. Today’s passage takes place in Judea, which is thought to be Jerusalem.
If you check a map, there is about 120 kilometers between Caesarea and Jerusalem.
2000 years ago when they did not have our modern communication methods, I wonder how long it would take to send news to someone over that distance?
At the very least it would take a few days for someone to carry the news by carrying a letter or by word of mouth.
The news that reached the disciples in Jerusalem was that a Gentile had accepted the word of God and they also came to believe in God.

We would imagine it must have been joyous news to hear that people who had never believed in God finally found faith in the true God.
However, today’s passage points to a different reaction that people had to Gentiles accepting God’s word and being baptized. They brought up another problem and criticisms.
Their complaint was that Peter went to Gentiles (uncircumcised people) of his own will and ate with them.
More than Gentiles accepting God’s word, the Jewish disciples took issue with Peter breaking the Law.

They criticized Peter for eating with the uncircumcised Gentiles.
Jewish men were circumcised when they were 8 days old to show that they were descendants of their father in the faith, Abraham, and part of God’s specially chosen covenant people, Israel.
They also strictly observed Old Testament food laws about what was clean or unclean to eat.
For those who firmly believed that uncircumcised Gentiles—those different from themselves, incompatible with Israelites, and unclean before God—must never be associated with, what Peter did was utterly unacceptable.　

To us now it may be confusing as to why circumcision was so important or why different nations or peoples were so important.
However, even now it is difficult for us to understand and accept people who have different ways of thinking or different beliefs from ourselves.
I think our thoughts often begin from ourselves, believing that others should be more like us in a self-centered manner.
However, where is God’s heart in that?
“Even if they believe in the same God, the same Christ as me, in other matters others should follow my way. If not, then we cannot get along.” If we think like this, what would God have to say about that?
I think for our church now, this will be a large problem.

Peter was shown God’s heart through a vision. Also, through meeting Cornelius he was shown that God does not call any person unclean.
With regard to man’s salvation, God does not discriminate between Israelites and other people.
Certainly, God first revealed Himself through the people of Israel. However, Peter understood that God’s plan is for all people to receive the Holy Spirit, be baptized and receive salvation.
　And through Peter this message was conveyed to the other Jews. Today’s passage shows Peter persuading other Jewish Christians.

In verse 4 it states, “Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story.”
When people criticized Peter, his first reaction was not to defend himself, but rather he calmly explained what happened from the beginning.
For us as well, it may help solve problems if, when problems occur, we can calmly reflect on what started the whole situation.
Peter told them (the Jewish believers) what had happened to him, and how God had said in the vision, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean,” and “Do not call any person impure or unclean.”
Peter calmly explained that the reason he went to the Gentiles was that God had sent him. As he explained, the people listening gradually began to understand.

As such, it was revealed to them that they were no longer to view Jews as clean and other people as unclean.

Let us read verse 18.
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Through Peter’s explanation, what God had done and God’s heart were made clear to the people listening.
You could also say that through Peter’s words, God worked in the hearts of those who listened.
　Peter said, “Just as the Holy Spirit came upon us, so the Holy Spirit, God's gift, has come upon these Gentiles too.”
Acts 10:46-47 states that when the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles, they spoke in tongues (speaking a special language, which is called a gift from God).
Gentiles praised the true God. This was likely a surprising event to Peter as well. They (Gentiles) were praising God, which was a clear confirmation that God’s Spirit was in them.
One litmus test of our faith is whether or not we joyfully praise God, giving Him the glory and not ourselves.

The Jews who heard Peter’s story (those who were circumcised and firmly believed that uncircumcised people could not receive God’s grace) calmed down.
Even their stubborn hearts understood that God was doing something new.
They may have even felt their own hearts being changed.
They also praised God saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
This is why those who believe in the same God are a brother or sister in the faith and we have great joy.
　In today’s passage, through breaking a law that was thought clear and obvious until that point, Peter was criticized.

Peter then calmly explained everything that God had done.
When problems happen among us, as people who believe in the same God and are united in the desire to give God glory, we should start by calmly and prayerfully looking for God’s heart in the situation.
When we face each other while looking to God and giving Him glory, our desire to prove ourselves right or assert ourselves will disappear.
Then the Word of the Bible can become our foundation of knowing what God’s desire is. I hope we can live constantly within the Word of God seeking His heart.
When we look to God together and are united in a desire to glorify Him, then we will surely be shown His heart.
As fellow believers in faith at this church, let us search out God’s heart and obey it together.