WEBVTT
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Seen beyond through communion with Jesus. It's
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devotional day four and it's time to switch things
00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.359
up. This new story we find in the book of Acts
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:11.939
is among the retellings of what happened after
00:00:11.939 --> 00:00:15.560
Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension. This
00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:19.000
is the story of Peter's vision in Acts 10. Go
00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.719
read it now and come back to this. Or you can
00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:24.620
read just verses one to seven for now. Quite
00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:28.179
the story, right? Peter's incredible vision revealed
00:00:28.179 --> 00:00:31.579
God's clear plan to include the Gentiles in Christ's
00:00:31.579 --> 00:00:34.740
salvific plan. This encounter with God, quite
00:00:34.740 --> 00:00:37.679
a vivid encounter, caused Peter to look beyond
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.960
himself and his people. He began to see the harvest
00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:43.340
of the nations that God desired to bring into
00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:47.380
his family. Cornelius, a Gentile, was in the
00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:49.740
habit of regular prayer and communion with God.
00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.200
We see a genuine and earnest pursuit of God through
00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.070
prayer from this man. When Cornelius' prayers
00:00:56.070 --> 00:00:59.369
are heard by God, this is the only time in the
00:00:59.369 --> 00:01:02.030
NT this word is used. It harkens back to the
00:01:02.030 --> 00:01:05.170
Old Testament. In other words, Cornelius' prayer
00:01:05.170 --> 00:01:08.890
is described in the same way as Psalm 141, 2,
00:01:09.209 --> 00:01:14.170
a sacrifice. And guess what? God responds! Cornelius'
00:01:14.409 --> 00:01:17.670
deep devotion to God, as a Gentile, opened an
00:01:17.670 --> 00:01:20.150
opportunity for him to see beyond his current
00:01:20.150 --> 00:01:23.500
context. His obedience from the visionary experience
00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:26.519
was the first step in what God was doing. He
00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:29.280
saw beyond his own expectations of God in prayer
00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:34.000
and acted upon it in obedience. Reflection. When
00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.920
seeking God in prayer, is your posture one of
00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:39.400
expectation of the potential of God to respond?
00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.780
If so, are you open to it being a response you
00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:46.819
weren't expecting? Practice. Imagine yourself
00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:49.810
in Cornelius's shoes for a moment. What is your
00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:52.069
natural reaction to something unexpected like
00:01:52.069 --> 00:01:56.390
this? Is it doubt, confusion, worry, or excitement?
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.520
Seen beyond through communion with Jesus. It's
00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:06.240
devotional day four and it's time to switch things
00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.359
up. This new story we find in the book of Acts
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:11.939
is among the retellings of what happened after
00:00:11.939 --> 00:00:15.560
Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension. This
00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:19.000
is the story of Peter's vision in Acts 10. Go
00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.719
read it now and come back to this. Or you can
00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:24.620
read just verses one to seven for now. Quite
00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:28.179
the story, right? Peter's incredible vision revealed
00:00:28.179 --> 00:00:31.579
God's clear plan to include the Gentiles in Christ's
00:00:31.579 --> 00:00:34.740
salvific plan. This encounter with God, quite
00:00:34.740 --> 00:00:37.679
a vivid encounter, caused Peter to look beyond
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.960
himself and his people. He began to see the harvest
00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:43.340
of the nations that God desired to bring into
00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:47.380
his family. Cornelius, a Gentile, was in the
00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:49.740
habit of regular prayer and communion with God.
00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.200
We see a genuine and earnest pursuit of God through
00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.070
prayer from this man. When Cornelius' prayers
00:00:56.070 --> 00:00:59.369
are heard by God, this is the only time in the
00:00:59.369 --> 00:01:02.030
NT this word is used. It harkens back to the
00:01:02.030 --> 00:01:05.170
Old Testament. In other words, Cornelius' prayer
00:01:05.170 --> 00:01:08.890
is described in the same way as Psalm 141, 2,
00:01:09.209 --> 00:01:14.170
a sacrifice. And guess what? God responds! Cornelius'
00:01:14.409 --> 00:01:17.670
deep devotion to God, as a Gentile, opened an
00:01:17.670 --> 00:01:20.150
opportunity for him to see beyond his current
00:01:20.150 --> 00:01:23.500
context. His obedience from the visionary experience
00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:26.519
was the first step in what God was doing. He
00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:29.280
saw beyond his own expectations of God in prayer
00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:34.000
and acted upon it in obedience. Reflection. When
00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.920
seeking God in prayer, is your posture one of
00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:39.400
expectation of the potential of God to respond?
00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.780
If so, are you open to it being a response you
00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:46.819
weren't expecting? Practice. Imagine yourself
00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:49.810
in Cornelius's shoes for a moment. What is your
00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:52.069
natural reaction to something unexpected like
00:01:52.069 --> 00:01:56.390
this? Is it doubt, confusion, worry, or excitement?
