Introduction

I want to begin with a story of change for the better.
Now, if you’d known me just ten years ago, you’d have been looking at a guy who hated tomatoes.

That’s right – I didn’t like the things.
Would order burgers to come without them, the whole nine yards.

But then, something happened.

I was working at a church with a lot of home gardeners.
Then, one of those home gardeners planted a huge amount of tomatoes.

Soon, I was receiving near-daily allotments of these tomatoes.

Which I hated but took home, figuring Natalie might eat them.

She didn’t.

Then, the day came where I needed lunch.

Lo and behold, there wasn’t much in the fridge but some iceberg lettuce and some bacon.

Looking up above the refrigerator, I spotted some bread.

I realized I had all the makings of a BLT.

The BLT

Was so good, I kept eating them for lunch until I ran out of bacon and lettuce.

I’d heard about mater sandwiches, but I’d never ventured there.

I ate one – it was a revelation.

Ate so many that summer, I ended up getting a canker sore.

That’s an example of change for the better, right?

But it’s a change.

HOW do we feel about change?

Change

As we all know, the one overriding trait of change is its inevitability.

Change comes to us sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but it’s always there if we’re looking for it.

The problem for many of us is that our capacity to handle change as we grow older diminishes a bit.

Cognitive inertia sets in and it becomes harder and harder to learn.

Not impossible, just much, much more difficult.

Trying to learn to play the piano was really hard.

Turn to Scripture

Today’s lesson is all about change, a major one that we shouldn’t overlook.
In Judaism, from which Christianity was birthed, there were lots of laws and cultural taboos about being with Gentiles.

Gentiles were considered to be HIGHLY unclean.
Interacting with one would require ritual cleansings under the wrong circumstances.

This wasn’t just a dislike or a disregard, this was a detestation of the Gentile.

And for good reason, right?

The Gentiles were also the oppressors at the time in the form of the Romans.

And lo and behold, at the beginning of the chapter, one of those Gentile oppressors has a vision.

He’s to send for Peter.

Who is Corneilus?

Well, Cornelius is a Centurion.

Middle manager, really, like a sergeant.

In charge of somewhere between 200 and 300 men.

He’s also a God-fearer.

This was a category known to the Jews, it was someone who’d become enamored of God and sought to follow His ways, even though technically an outsider.

We know Cornelius is a good man as the text tells us that he was providing for widows and orphans and prayed multiple times, daily.

So, a vision comes to this Gentile man saying, essentially, go and fetch Peter from a particular place.

Peter

Well, the man he’s sent to get is a man named, Peter.
We know Peter, he’s the most fully fleshed out Apostle in the Gospels.

We know his heart; his abilities and we know his weaknesses and foibles.

Namely, rejecting Jesus three times as he was awaiting trial.

Peter, too, has a vision, although his is HIGHLY DISRUPTIVE.
All his life, Peter as a faithful Jew, has sought to distance himself from Gentiles.

Now, through this vision, Peter is shown powerfully, that GOD IS CHANGING THE RULES.

With Peter’s vision, God makes it abundantly clear that Gentiles are part of the plan when it comes to God’s Kingdom.

Why is that?

Genesis 22:18 – “Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.”

But even though this expansion of God’s blessings was fated to come, Peter finds himself on the other side of the equation.

In his vision, Peter is told to eat unclean animals to which he replies, “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

God changes things on Peter.

Now look, this is a very good change for US.

Unless you were born Jewish, Jesus is your way into God’s family.

But it’s a change, and it’s a change we recognize that Peter is actually going to struggle with.

Despite doing the right thing here, there are times where he drifts, only to be called back to this awareness by Paul himself.

Peter manages the change but not without some difficulty.

So, it got me to thinking about change.

I’m getting older, I definitely don’t like it.

I remember once when Yahoo changed their home screen, I had a mini-meltdown promising never to use their site again.

That didn’t work out so well, but it was an earnest reaction to change.

When Change Arrives

One of the things that we all know will happen is that changes come.
But how do we handle them in a Godly fashion?
The first step is PRAYER.
When change arrives, especially life-changes, the first step is as you might expect it, to seek out the Lord in prayer.

Psalm 102:25-27: “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.”
Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

This is the most important thing to keep in mind.

Although the immediate circumstances of our life can and will change in an ongoing fashion, the one who loves and keeps us DOES NOT.

That means His LOVE IS CONSTANT.
His GRACE IS CONSTANT.

You are always loved, always forgiven of your transgressions through Jesus Christ.

When change arrives, if you first focus on your relationship with God through prayer, things will be better.
Pastor Gayle

Worked with her at RHCC.
She was diagnosed with cancer in her late 30s.
She was terrified, began waking up in fear at 3am every night.
Began reading the Bible, mainly to go to sleep.

Changed her for the better.

She managed the change and took on more change for herself, becoming a Pastor.

Trust

The prayer is designed to get you to the next step in successfully navigating change.
The prayer is meant to bring you to a place of trust.

You must trust that no matter what the change is, that God is with you in it and is working alongside to get you through it.

No matter what kind of change is forced upon you, if you realize a number of things, it can work to your advantage.

First, consider this verse of Scripture.

Jeremiah 29:11 offers reassurance: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

It could be that the change is moving you towards a better place.

I’ll never forget working at the Pewter Rose.

I was originally working at the Lamplighter but it closed.
My job at the PR was tough.

Saturday night into Sunday morning brunch.

I was miserable.

But I was in a good place, faith wise and I was just trusting the Lord.

The change stunk but I was dealing with it well.

Lo and behold, that’s when I got an offer to teach which led to me becoming a preacher.

I just trusted that things would work out and, thanks be to God, they did.

Notice how more of your stories go like that over time!!!

That even the worst things sometimes turn out to be the beginning of something more wonderful than you could ever imagine.

Not all change is like that but perhaps more than you’re willing to concede.

Other People

When change comes, this is a great opportunity to employ your network of friends and associates.

Not in a bad or annoying way, but, as they say, a friend in need is a friend, indeed.

Sometimes, when change comes, we’re going to find that we NEED other people.

I remember once asking one of our women that was going to doctors all the time how she was managing.

She told me she was laughing through it all.

Her friend was taking her to the appointments, and they were having fun during and after then.

Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Patti’s Story

Diagnosed with MS, this was a former ER nurse who found her purpose in life challenged.

She came to me, crying over what was going on.
Over time, she began to see new avenues to touch and help people in nursing even with MS.

She’s now engaged in healing work with people of faith with MS.