WEBVTT 00:00:04.339 --> 00:00:06.879 Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:09.859 Trinity Sermons. This week we are wrapping up 00:00:09.859 --> 00:00:12.300 our sermon series, Cross Culture, where we are 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:15.919 looking at God's plan for an intercultural church. 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:18.620 What does it mean for us to be a diverse group 00:00:18.620 --> 00:00:20.839 of people who are all part of God's family together? 00:00:21.579 --> 00:00:23.980 And today we are also welcoming a guest preacher, 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:27.219 Dorothy Pang, who is the director of the Tyndale 00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:30.050 Intercultural Ministry Center. And Dorothy brings 00:00:30.050 --> 00:00:33.170 lots of experience in law and business and executive 00:00:33.170 --> 00:00:35.950 leadership, but also her experience working with 00:00:35.950 --> 00:00:39.490 churches and her own story as a Chinese Canadian. 00:00:40.509 --> 00:00:42.869 Dorothy's going to share with us about Peter's 00:00:42.869 --> 00:00:46.909 vision, where there is this whole cast of unclean 00:00:46.909 --> 00:00:49.909 animals that Peter is asked to eat. But why? 00:00:50.049 --> 00:00:52.229 And what does that have to do with the gospel 00:00:52.229 --> 00:00:54.549 and with welcoming people from across cultures? 00:00:54.770 --> 00:01:01.740 That's what we'll unpack in today's sermon. Good 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:05.799 morning everyone. Today's reading is from the 00:01:05.799 --> 00:01:12.319 book of Acts, chapter 10, verses 9 to 48. Get 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:17.599 comfortable. About noon the following day, as 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:19.760 they were on their journey and approaching the 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:24.280 city, Peter went up to the roof to pray. He became 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:27.599 hungry and wanted something to eat. And while 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:31.200 the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 00:01:31.700 --> 00:01:35.879 He saw heaven opened and something like a large 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:39.319 sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 00:01:39.859 --> 00:01:43.299 It contained all kinds of four -footed animals, 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:47.620 as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told 00:01:47.620 --> 00:01:53.640 him, Get up, Peter, kill and eat. Surely not, 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.569 Lord, Peter replied. I have never eaten anything 00:01:57.569 --> 00:02:02.150 impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him a second 00:02:02.150 --> 00:02:06.689 time. Do not call anything impure that God has 00:02:06.689 --> 00:02:11.930 made clean. This happened three times and immediately 00:02:11.930 --> 00:02:15.949 the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter 00:02:15.949 --> 00:02:18.129 was wondering about the meaning of the vision, 00:02:18.310 --> 00:02:22.030 the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's 00:02:22.030 --> 00:02:25.819 house was and stopped at the gate. They called 00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:28.840 out, asking if Simon, who was known as Peter, 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:32.840 was staying there. While Peter was still thinking 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:37.020 about the vision, the Spirit said to him, Simon, 00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:41.060 three men are looking for you, so get up and 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:44.639 go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:49.439 for I have sent them. Peter went down and said 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:52.759 to the men, I'm the one you're looking for. Why 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:57.460 have you come? The men replied, we have come 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:01.199 from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:04.199 and God -fearing man who is respected by all 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:08.819 the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask 00:03:08.819 --> 00:03:11.800 you to come to his house so that he could hear 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:15.620 what you have to say. Then Peter invited the 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:20.580 men into the house to be his guests. The next 00:03:20.580 --> 00:03:23.650 day Peter started out with them. and some of 00:03:23.650 --> 00:03:27.569 the believers from Joppa came along. The following 00:03:27.569 --> 00:03:32.550 day, he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting 00:03:32.550 --> 00:03:35.389 them and had called together his relatives and 00:03:35.389 --> 00:03:40.009 close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius 00:03:40.009 --> 00:03:43.610 met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But 00:03:43.610 --> 00:03:47.949 Peter made him get up. Stand up, he said. I am 00:03:47.949 --> 00:03:53.259 only a man myself. While talking with him, Peter 00:03:53.259 --> 00:03:56.219 went inside and found a large gathering of people. 00:03:56.780 --> 00:04:01.360 He said to them, You are well aware that it is 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:04.719 against our law for a Jew to associate with or 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:08.680 visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:12.819 should not call anyone impure or unclean. So 00:04:12.819 --> 00:04:15.639 when I was sent for, I came without raising any 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:21.730 objection. May I ask why you sent for me? Cornelius 00:04:21.730 --> 00:04:25.649 answered, three days ago I was in my house praying 00:04:25.649 --> 00:04:29.889 at this hour at three in the afternoon. Suddenly 00:04:29.889 --> 00:04:32.970 a man in shining clothes stood before me and 00:04:32.970 --> 00:04:36.529 said, Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and 00:04:36.529 --> 00:04:40.750 remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa 00:04:40.750 --> 00:04:44.069 for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest 00:04:44.069 --> 00:04:46.370 in the home of Simon the Tanner who lives by 00:04:46.370 --> 00:04:50.560 the sea. So I sent for you immediately. and it 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:53.980 was good of you to come. Now we are all here 00:04:53.980 --> 00:04:56.500 in the presence of God to listen to everything 00:04:56.500 --> 00:05:01.720 the Lord has commanded you to tell us. Then Peter 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:06.480 began to speak. I now realize how true it is 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.779 that God does not show favoritism, but accepts 00:05:09.779 --> 00:05:12.819 from every nation the one who fears him and does 00:05:12.819 --> 00:05:16.360 what is right. You know the message God sent 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:19.240 to the people of Israel, announcing the good 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.560 news of peace through Jesus Christ, the Lord 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:27.680 of all, the Lord who is Lord of all. You know 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:30.720 what has happened through the province of Judea, 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.180 beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John 00:05:34.180 --> 00:05:37.639 preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:41.069 with the Holy Spirit and power. and how he went 00:05:41.069 --> 00:05:44.129 around doing good and healing all who were under 00:05:44.129 --> 00:05:47.170 the power of the devil, because God was with 00:05:47.170 --> 00:05:52.350 him. We are witnesses of everything he did in 00:05:52.350 --> 00:05:55.569 the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They 00:05:55.569 --> 00:05:59.029 killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God 00:05:59.029 --> 00:06:01.370 raised him from the dead on the third day and 00:06:01.370 --> 00:06:05.350 caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all 00:06:05.350 --> 00:06:08.629 the people, but by witnesses whom God had already 00:06:08.629 --> 00:06:12.519 chosen. by us who ate and drank with him after 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:16.079 he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.279 to the people and to testify that he is the one 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:21.839 whom God appointed as judge of the living and 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.600 the dead. All the prophets testify about him 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.579 that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness 00:06:28.579 --> 00:06:33.600 of sins through his name. While Peter was still 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.620 speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on 00:06:36.620 --> 00:06:40.449 all who heard the message. The circumcised believers 00:06:40.449 --> 00:06:43.310 who had come with Peter were astonished that 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:45.689 the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out 00:06:45.689 --> 00:06:50.189 even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking 00:06:50.189 --> 00:06:54.629 in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 00:06:54.889 --> 00:06:58.110 Surely no one can stand in the way of their being 00:06:58.110 --> 00:07:01.649 baptized with water. They have received the Holy 00:07:01.649 --> 00:07:06.329 Spirit just as we have. So he ordered that they 00:07:06.329 --> 00:07:10.250 be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then 00:07:10.250 --> 00:07:12.310 they asked Peter to stay with them for a few 00:07:12.310 --> 00:07:35.779 days. The word of the Lord. Dorothy got back 00:07:35.779 --> 00:07:39.379 to me right away and was so excited and enthusiastic 00:07:39.379 --> 00:07:43.139 about the focus that we wanted to have for this 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:46.339 month. And I need to also let you know that just 00:07:46.339 --> 00:07:49.699 this past Tuesday, Dorothy came and spent the 00:07:49.699 --> 00:07:52.279 whole morning with our staff team and with a 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:54.360 bunch of lay leaders here at Trinity as well, 00:07:54.420 --> 00:07:57.639 doing some really challenging but also really 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:04.100 transformative training with us. to experience 00:08:04.100 --> 00:08:07.279 even a little hint of that this morning, then 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.560 you are going to be blessed indeed. So I am very 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:15.279 grateful and I am very excited to welcome Dorothy 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:18.319 with us once again. Would you put your hands 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.480 together and let's give Dorothy a very warm Trinity 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:28.759 welcome. Thank you. Well, good morning, everyone. 00:08:29.060 --> 00:08:32.860 So, I was born and raised on the Canadian prairies 00:08:32.860 --> 00:08:35.980 in Saskatchewan, of all places, and you would 00:08:35.980 --> 00:08:38.919 think that I would not be fazed by the weather 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:41.919 that we're currently having in Toronto. But I'd 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:44.259 be lying to you, because I don't have that kind 00:08:44.259 --> 00:08:47.200 of resilience anymore. My husband, on the other 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.580 hand, is currently in Winnipeg. He was born and 00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:53.720 raised in Winnipeg, and this weekend happens 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:57.340 to be my mother -in -law's birthday. So Mike 00:08:57.340 --> 00:09:00.700 texted me this morning and he said, it is minus 00:09:00.700 --> 00:09:05.960 47 in Winnipeg this morning. So when I say I 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:08.580 am really glad to be here with all of you in 00:09:08.580 --> 00:09:13.179 balmy Toronto, I sincerely mean it. So in case 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:15.299 my mother -in -law is watching though, hi mom, 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:20.259 happy birthday. Okay, so I want to begin by thanking 00:09:20.259 --> 00:09:23.139 Pastor Rob for inviting me. I have been following 00:09:23.139 --> 00:09:26.279 your series online over the last three weeks, 00:09:26.419 --> 00:09:29.440 and it really is my privilege to be able to bring 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.659 the concluding message in this series. Pastor 00:09:32.659 --> 00:09:36.360 Rob opened the series with a profound and timely 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:39.460 question. What does it mean for Trinity Streetsville 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:42.320 to be a church in one of the most diverse cities 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:46.960 in Canada? In week one, he took you on a fast 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.940 but sweeping flyover of the Bible, from Genesis 00:09:50.940 --> 00:09:54.879 to Revelations, from bookend to bookend, showing 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:58.600 us that God's vision has always been for a diverse 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:02.200 humanity. Diversity was not an afterthought. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.899 It was not a concession. It was God's intention. 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:11.600 It was by his design. Diversity was God's plan 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:16.759 A. Then in week two, Pastor Rob invited you into 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:20.580 the tension that was emerging as the gospel moved 00:10:20.580 --> 00:10:24.820 beyond a Jewish -only movement to include the 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:28.960 Gentiles. As the people of God became more diverse, 00:10:29.299 --> 00:10:34.440 questions of belonging surfaced. Circumcision 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:37.340 became an ethnic boundary marker deciding who 00:10:37.340 --> 00:10:40.960 was in and who was out. Certain Jewish leaders 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.080 wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised just as 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:48.120 they were. There was a strong pull towards sameness, 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:52.200 a desire to erase cultural differences in order 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:55.799 to manage it, in order to control it, in order 00:10:55.799 --> 00:11:01.000 to make it feel safe. A kind of gatekeeping mindset 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:04.299 set in, one that said, you are welcome here, 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:08.399 but you need to show your faithfulness. the same 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:12.440 way that we show our faithfulness. And I think 00:11:12.440 --> 00:11:15.919 it's important that we pause and note here. The 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.019 ones feeling this pull to erase cultural differences, 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:22.440 it wasn't the newcomers. It wasn't the outsiders. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:27.440 It was the insiders. The ones who already belonged. 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:31.320 The ones who already knew the rules. The ones 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:34.379 who grew up with the rules. The ones who are 00:11:34.379 --> 00:11:38.509 now enforcing the rules. They were the ones on 00:11:38.509 --> 00:11:42.289 the inside who felt safe on the inside and who 00:11:42.289 --> 00:11:44.889 now felt disrupted because there were all these 00:11:44.889 --> 00:11:48.610 newcomers coming in with different ways of being 00:11:48.610 --> 00:11:51.289 and different ways of expressing their faith. 00:11:52.129 --> 00:11:55.210 In effect, they were saying, you're welcome here, 00:11:55.370 --> 00:11:59.889 but this is how we do things around here. So 00:11:59.889 --> 00:12:03.070 the question is, How does Trinity Streetsville 00:12:03.070 --> 00:12:06.690 respond when more and more newcomers come into 00:12:06.690 --> 00:12:10.409 this faith community? How do we respond when 00:12:10.409 --> 00:12:12.909 there are all these different ways of being and 00:12:12.909 --> 00:12:15.929 understanding the world and expressing our faith? 00:12:17.590 --> 00:12:20.830 Back to Jerusalem and the circumcision issue. 00:12:21.330 --> 00:12:24.470 This question was eventually brought to the Jerusalem 00:12:24.470 --> 00:12:27.889 Council. Should Gentiles be required to conform 00:12:27.889 --> 00:12:32.049 to Jewish ways in order to belong? And that's 00:12:32.049 --> 00:12:34.649 when Peter the Apostle stood up and said, quite 00:12:34.649 --> 00:12:39.490 simply, no. He asked the council, why do you 00:12:39.490 --> 00:12:42.889 try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles 00:12:42.889 --> 00:12:46.429 a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have 00:12:46.429 --> 00:12:49.909 been able to bear? And then he says something 00:12:49.909 --> 00:12:54.679 truly extraordinary. He declares, no. We believe 00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:56.740 it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that 00:12:56.740 --> 00:13:01.759 we are saved, just as they are. With these words, 00:13:02.059 --> 00:13:06.039 Peter recenters the entire conversation on Jesus. 00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:09.919 While others were trying to manage the difference, 00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:13.340 flatten the difference, Peter points towards 00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:18.710 a new way of being a community together. While 00:13:18.710 --> 00:13:21.330 some saw belonging as something to be granted 00:13:21.330 --> 00:13:24.850 by the insiders to the outsiders, Peter named 00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:28.490 something deeper. He names shared belonging. 00:13:29.549 --> 00:13:34.289 Shared belonging that isn't rooted in sameness, 00:13:34.389 --> 00:13:40.549 shared belonging that is rooted in Christ. Isn't 00:13:40.549 --> 00:13:43.450 that what we all want for Trinity Streetsville? 00:13:43.730 --> 00:13:48.669 That as a congregation grows, in diversity, as 00:13:48.669 --> 00:13:51.990 it becomes a gathering of folks with more and 00:13:51.990 --> 00:13:54.889 more different types of stories and backgrounds 00:13:54.889 --> 00:13:58.730 and ways of expressing faith, that community 00:13:58.730 --> 00:14:03.690 differences aren't erased here at Trinity Streetsville, 00:14:03.870 --> 00:14:06.750 that this will be a community where belonging 00:14:06.750 --> 00:14:10.090 doesn't have to be earned by the newcomers, a 00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:13.309 community where, with Christ at the center, belonging 00:14:13.309 --> 00:14:17.730 is shared. So if that is your heart, and if that 00:14:17.730 --> 00:14:20.370 resonates with you, then the question becomes, 00:14:20.730 --> 00:14:25.950 how? How do we live into that? How does Trinity 00:14:25.950 --> 00:14:28.929 Streetsville become a community of shared belonging 00:14:28.929 --> 00:14:33.090 with Christ at the center? Well, to explore that, 00:14:33.250 --> 00:14:35.889 I want to take us back to Peter himself and his 00:14:35.889 --> 00:14:38.809 own transformation, because Peter didn't arrive 00:14:38.809 --> 00:14:42.879 at this insight overnight. His mindset was shaped, 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:47.559 challenged, and reformed by God. Peter's transformation 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:50.799 unfolds in Acts chapter 10. And this morning, 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:53.259 I want to share with you a few reflections on 00:14:53.259 --> 00:14:55.899 that story. Now, just so you know a little bit 00:14:55.899 --> 00:15:00.220 about me, I am a storyteller. I am a practitioner. 00:15:00.990 --> 00:15:04.210 I work with leaders who are navigating intercultural 00:15:04.210 --> 00:15:07.129 spaces, helping them to develop mindsets and 00:15:07.129 --> 00:15:10.789 skills to navigate those diversity differences. 00:15:11.370 --> 00:15:14.549 But all of that work, everything that we do at 00:15:14.549 --> 00:15:17.610 the Tim Center, it has to be grounded in a theological 00:15:17.610 --> 00:15:21.570 conviction that through Jesus, we are reconciled 00:15:21.570 --> 00:15:24.350 to God, and through Jesus, we are reconciled 00:15:24.350 --> 00:15:28.450 to each other. With Jesus at the center, the 00:15:28.450 --> 00:15:32.429 walls of separation are torn down. The differences, 00:15:32.590 --> 00:15:36.009 the social categories, the cultural assumptions, 00:15:36.269 --> 00:15:41.350 the barriers of race, class, and power, all of 00:15:41.350 --> 00:15:45.929 that is torn down through Jesus. So, if you have 00:15:45.929 --> 00:15:47.789 your Bibles, you can turn with me to Acts chapter 00:15:47.789 --> 00:15:51.929 10. Acts 10 takes place after some big moments. 00:15:52.149 --> 00:15:57.039 Jesus has died, he's risen, he's ascended. The 00:15:57.039 --> 00:16:00.240 Holy Spirit has come at Pentecost. The church 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:04.039 is growing, but it is still mainly a Jewish movement. 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:08.480 Peter is one of Jesus' closest followers. He 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:12.159 walked with Jesus, ate with him, failed in front 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:16.299 of him, and was restored by him. By Acts 10, 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.679 Peter is a respected leader in the early church, 00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:24.799 moving along the coasts of Judea. And then God 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:29.120 disrupts him. God moves him into discomfort. 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.940 Peter's transformation begins in prayer. At that 00:16:34.940 --> 00:16:37.580 start of the story, we find Peter in a very ordinary 00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:42.220 moment. He's hungry. He's staying as a guest 00:16:42.220 --> 00:16:45.519 in the home of a Jewish tanner. And it's noon, 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:48.799 and it's hot, and he's waiting for lunch to be 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:53.460 served. Peter's probably uncomfortable. And in 00:16:53.460 --> 00:16:56.750 that discomfort, he chooses to pray. He goes 00:16:56.750 --> 00:17:00.029 up to the rooftop where, if we're honest, it's 00:17:00.029 --> 00:17:02.629 actually even more uncomfortable because now 00:17:02.629 --> 00:17:07.690 he's even more hot and he's exposed. And yet 00:17:07.690 --> 00:17:10.650 it is precisely in this ordinary, inconvenient, 00:17:11.089 --> 00:17:14.569 uncomfortable moment that God opens the heavens. 00:17:15.630 --> 00:17:18.670 Before we even get to the vision that Peter sees, 00:17:18.910 --> 00:17:23.210 I want us to pause here. Peter is praying and 00:17:23.210 --> 00:17:27.509 God speaks. Peter is praying, and God gives him 00:17:27.509 --> 00:17:31.970 a vision. Peter's transformation begins not with 00:17:31.970 --> 00:17:35.890 a plan, but with a prayer. It doesn't start with 00:17:35.890 --> 00:17:38.430 a church strategy meeting about church growth. 00:17:38.670 --> 00:17:41.170 It doesn't start with looking at the demographics, 00:17:41.369 --> 00:17:43.470 at the changing demographics of our neighborhood. 00:17:43.809 --> 00:17:47.150 It does not start with clever leadership or careful 00:17:47.150 --> 00:17:51.529 planning. Peter's transformation begins when 00:17:51.529 --> 00:17:55.240 he is driven by discomfort He drives them to 00:17:55.240 --> 00:18:01.099 the rooftop to pray. So I want to ask you, what 00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:04.299 discomfort is driving you to prayer right now? 00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:10.819 What pain, division, fragmentation in our world, 00:18:10.819 --> 00:18:15.140 or even in this church, what is stirring something 00:18:15.140 --> 00:18:18.240 in you that sends you to the rooftop to pray? 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:23.309 What is making you uncomfortable? And perhaps 00:18:23.309 --> 00:18:27.109 more importantly, what is that discomfort inviting 00:18:27.109 --> 00:18:32.569 you to bring before God in prayer? So what is 00:18:32.569 --> 00:18:35.950 this vision that Peter receives? Scripture tells 00:18:35.950 --> 00:18:39.410 us that Peter falls into a trance. He sees, he 00:18:39.410 --> 00:18:42.109 saw heaven opened and something like a large 00:18:42.109 --> 00:18:44.910 sheet. being let down to earth by its four corners. 00:18:45.130 --> 00:18:48.069 It contained all kinds of four -footed animals, 00:18:48.170 --> 00:18:51.529 as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told 00:18:51.529 --> 00:18:54.990 him, Get up, Peter, kill and eat. Surely not, 00:18:55.130 --> 00:18:57.789 Lord, Peter replied. I have never eaten anything 00:18:57.789 --> 00:19:01.750 impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him a second 00:19:01.750 --> 00:19:05.549 time, Do not call anything impure that God has 00:19:05.549 --> 00:19:09.099 made clean. This happened three times because 00:19:09.099 --> 00:19:12.000 with Peter, of course, everything has to be done 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:15.019 three times. And then the sheet was taken back 00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:18.299 up into heaven. Peter doesn't celebrate this 00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:21.019 moment. One translation says that Peter is deeply 00:19:21.019 --> 00:19:25.660 perplexed, troubled, confused, unsettled. And 00:19:25.660 --> 00:19:29.420 that makes sense. The vision doesn't simply challenge 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:32.900 a preference. It disrupts Peter's categories 00:19:32.900 --> 00:19:37.809 that he has lived with his entire life. His world 00:19:37.809 --> 00:19:42.769 has been clearly divided. Jews, Gentiles, clean, 00:19:43.109 --> 00:19:49.250 unclean, insider, outsider, us and them. Gentiles 00:19:49.250 --> 00:19:52.150 weren't just different. They were considered 00:19:52.150 --> 00:19:58.269 unclean, dangerous, spiritually suspect. Embedded 00:19:58.269 --> 00:20:01.349 in Peter's understanding of the world was a deep 00:20:01.349 --> 00:20:06.420 ethnocentric pride. This confidence that we are 00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:11.119 clean and they are not. I want to take a brief 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:14.160 personal detour here about how I experienced 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:18.480 this passage. I am a Chinese -Canadian, born 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:21.599 and raised in Saskatchewan. When I read this 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:25.359 story, I'm taken back to my childhood. Growing 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:29.059 up in the 1970s in Saskatchewan, it was predominantly 00:20:29.059 --> 00:20:33.339 Euro -Canadian. I remember classmates wrinkling 00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:38.039 their noses at my lunch and saying, ew, what 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:44.039 is that? Or saying, that's weird. Or worse, ugh, 00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:49.019 that's gross. This passage also brings to mind 00:20:49.019 --> 00:20:52.920 the rise of anti -Asian hate during COVID and 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:56.059 the ways cultural practices around food from 00:20:56.059 --> 00:20:59.160 different parts of the world How it's prepared, 00:20:59.420 --> 00:21:03.099 how it's sold, how it's shared. These were judged 00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:07.579 as dirty and dangerous. They were declared unclean. 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:11.859 I share this because none of us come to scripture 00:21:11.859 --> 00:21:15.259 empty -handed. We all read the Bible through 00:21:15.259 --> 00:21:18.319 our cultural lenses, through our lived experiences. 00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:22.000 And that is precisely why we need to read scripture 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:25.079 together with people whose stories are different 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:28.619 from our own. We need other perspectives if we 00:21:28.619 --> 00:21:31.319 are to more fully understand this multifaceted 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:34.380 God that we worship. Because now that you've 00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:38.559 heard my story, when you hear God say, do not 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:42.240 call anything impure that I have made clean, 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:45.519 There's another layer to it, isn't there? I hope 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:48.180 there's another layer of understanding. God's 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:51.640 vision doesn't just challenge Peter's diet. It 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:54.519 disrupts how he understands purity, difference, 00:21:54.920 --> 00:22:01.720 and belonging. The story continues with a knock 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:05.579 at the door. It is Cornelius' men, and that detail 00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:10.299 matters because Cornelius is a Roman centurion. 00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:14.859 an officer of the occupying power. To the Jews, 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.839 he represents the enemy, the oppressor. I can 00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:21.400 imagine the tension in that household as the 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:26.700 door is opened. Fear, uncertainty, questions 00:22:26.700 --> 00:22:31.200 in their minds. What could these Roman representatives 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:35.519 possibly want? Would someone be arrested? Would 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:39.039 there be consequences? Peter, too, must have 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:42.190 felt uncertain. accepting an invitation to a 00:22:42.190 --> 00:22:45.609 Roman officer's house was no small thing. And 00:22:45.609 --> 00:22:49.809 yet scripture tells us, the spirit said to him, 00:22:49.829 --> 00:22:52.269 Simon, three men are looking for you, so get 00:22:52.269 --> 00:22:55.130 up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with 00:22:55.130 --> 00:22:58.930 them, for I have sent them. Out of obedience, 00:22:59.349 --> 00:23:03.609 Peter goes. The next day, he sets out for Caesarea 00:23:03.609 --> 00:23:06.880 to visit Cornelius' house. It's not a short journey. 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:10.779 It takes about a day. But it's also a profound 00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:15.460 crossing of boundaries. Peter, a Jew, is about 00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:18.779 to enter the house of a Gentile. There are deep 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:22.059 cultural, religious, and social implications 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:26.000 wrapped up in this moment. When Peter arrives, 00:23:26.380 --> 00:23:29.220 he doesn't pretend everything is fine. He names 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:33.970 the tension out loud. You know, it's against 00:23:33.970 --> 00:23:36.710 our law for a Jew to associate with or visit 00:23:36.710 --> 00:23:40.210 a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should 00:23:40.210 --> 00:23:44.829 not call anyone impure or unclean. Peter doesn't 00:23:44.829 --> 00:23:48.450 sidestep the elephant in the room. He acknowledges 00:23:48.450 --> 00:23:52.549 the discomfort. He admits the tension. And he 00:23:52.549 --> 00:23:55.910 confesses that God has been correcting his thinking. 00:23:56.440 --> 00:24:00.400 revealing biases he has probably never acknowledged 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:06.039 to himself, let alone acknowledge out loud. It 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:08.960 is God who exposes these blind spots. It is God 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:12.619 who reshapes Peter's thinking. And Peter comes 00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:16.160 to an extraordinary insight. One, he is the first 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:20.180 among the apostles to articulate. In God's new 00:24:20.180 --> 00:24:23.640 family, there is no racial divide. In God's new 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:27.750 family, there is diversity. In God's new family, 00:24:27.869 --> 00:24:31.829 there is diversity, but that diversity does not 00:24:31.829 --> 00:24:40.289 lead to division. Before we continue with the 00:24:40.289 --> 00:24:42.730 story, I want you to notice something important. 00:24:43.069 --> 00:24:48.170 Who moved? This matters for us at Trinity Streetsville. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.539 In our modern churches, we often talk about welcoming 00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:57.160 newcomers into our space. And that is good. It 00:24:57.160 --> 00:24:59.759 is hospitable. And please keep doing that. Please 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:03.339 keep inviting your friends and neighbors to experience 00:25:03.339 --> 00:25:07.819 this faith community. But we also need to recognize 00:25:07.819 --> 00:25:12.539 something. When people come into our space, it 00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:16.440 is still our space. We're the ones who are the 00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:18.160 insiders. We're the ones who are comfortable 00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:22.279 here. So what would it mean not just to welcome 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:26.220 people into our space, but to move into theirs? 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:30.680 To step outside the safety of these walls, to 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:33.640 cross boundaries, to encounter people who are 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:38.099 different from us on their terms and in their 00:25:38.099 --> 00:25:42.819 space. Notice who bears the cost in this passage. 00:25:43.860 --> 00:25:47.160 Cornelius doesn't cross the cultural boundary. 00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:52.799 Peter does. Peter moves. Peter enters discomfort. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:59.799 Peter takes the risk. The story continues. While 00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:01.920 Peter is still speaking, the Holy Spirit falls 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:04.420 on the Gentiles. Does that sound familiar to 00:26:04.420 --> 00:26:08.829 you? It echoes Acts chapter 2. It echoes Pentecost, 00:26:08.869 --> 00:26:11.569 when the Holy Spirit fell on the Jewish believers 00:26:11.569 --> 00:26:14.589 gathered in Jerusalem, and they began to speak 00:26:14.589 --> 00:26:17.670 in tongues. And I imagine that as the Spirit 00:26:17.670 --> 00:26:21.130 moves in Cornelius' home, Peter is transported 00:26:21.130 --> 00:26:24.630 back to that moment. Some have even called Acts 00:26:24.630 --> 00:26:28.450 chapter 10 the Gentile Pentecost. In this moment, 00:26:28.569 --> 00:26:32.869 Peter's theology finally catches up with God's 00:26:32.869 --> 00:26:36.220 activity. And he declares, I now realize how 00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:39.400 true it is that God does not show favoritism, 00:26:39.420 --> 00:26:42.559 but accepts from every nation the one who fears 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:46.599 him and does what is right. God doesn't merely 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:50.740 tolerate diversity. He welcomes it, he delights 00:26:50.740 --> 00:26:54.119 in it, and he sends his Holy Spirit to confirm 00:26:54.119 --> 00:26:58.019 it. Peter then does something profoundly relational. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:02.980 He accepts Cornelius' invitation to stay. He 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:06.400 baptizes them, he eats with them, and he receives 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:10.819 hospitality from a Gentile. Later, Peter will 00:27:10.819 --> 00:27:14.480 be criticized by his fellow Jews, not for preaching 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:19.400 to the Gentiles, but for eating with them. And 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:23.220 as I reflect on how this story ends, it strikes 00:27:23.220 --> 00:27:26.779 me that while Peter may have gone to Cornelius' 00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:31.980 house out of obedience, he stayed. because something 00:27:31.980 --> 00:27:36.460 deeper had taken root. I'd like to think that 00:27:36.460 --> 00:27:39.960 Peter lingered because he had grown to love them. 00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:44.440 That is what reconciliation looks like. To be 00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:47.200 reconciled to Christ is to be reconciled to one 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:50.140 another. With Christ at the center, walls of 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:53.259 separation are torn down. As a reconciled people 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:58.000 under Jesus, we move into discomfort. We hold 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:02.450 the tension of difference. we examine our biases, 00:28:02.509 --> 00:28:06.589 and over time, we grow in love toward one another. 00:28:07.990 --> 00:28:10.730 So as we come to a close, I want to leave you 00:28:10.730 --> 00:28:13.450 with a few suggestions as you move towards shared 00:28:13.450 --> 00:28:17.029 belonging here at Trinity Streetsville. First, 00:28:17.029 --> 00:28:20.130 for you personally, and then for you as a church. 00:28:21.049 --> 00:28:24.789 For you personally, think about your circle of 00:28:24.789 --> 00:28:28.470 friends, the people you have meaningful interaction 00:28:28.470 --> 00:28:31.910 with. The people you invite over for lunch or 00:28:31.910 --> 00:28:36.029 for dinner. Who is missing from your circle of 00:28:36.029 --> 00:28:39.470 friends? Who might the Holy Spirit be prompting 00:28:39.470 --> 00:28:45.109 you to see that is missing from your table? Secondly, 00:28:45.250 --> 00:28:47.569 think about the times you have entered into someone 00:28:47.569 --> 00:28:53.109 else's space. Has it been a while? What would 00:28:53.109 --> 00:28:55.869 it mean for you to leave your space of comfort 00:28:55.869 --> 00:28:59.589 and move into someone else's space in order to 00:28:59.589 --> 00:29:05.569 truly encounter the other? And lastly, where 00:29:05.569 --> 00:29:08.809 might Jesus be gently confronting your biases? 00:29:09.509 --> 00:29:13.150 I know it is really uncomfortable and even socially 00:29:13.150 --> 00:29:17.690 unacceptable to admit we have biases. But the 00:29:17.690 --> 00:29:21.339 truth is, we all have biases. They have been 00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:25.420 socialized into us. They are deeply embedded 00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:29.500 into our subconscious. And we need to take responsibility 00:29:29.500 --> 00:29:33.599 for those biases. We need to become aware of 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:36.759 them and steward them responsibly. We cannot 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:40.720 change something if we are not willing to name 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:45.220 it. Search me, O God, and know my heart. See 00:29:45.220 --> 00:29:48.019 if there is any offensive way in me and lead 00:29:48.019 --> 00:29:53.259 me in the way everlasting. And then for you as 00:29:53.259 --> 00:29:56.180 a church, I'm so encouraged to hear about your 00:29:56.180 --> 00:29:59.299 upcoming Taste of the World potluck. If you haven't 00:29:59.299 --> 00:30:02.480 signed up yet, I encourage you to do so. As you 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:05.240 prepare for that evening, can I invite you to 00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:09.759 hold onto a posture? It's easy and it's fun to 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.119 go from table to table, booth to booth, sampling 00:30:12.119 --> 00:30:15.900 food, enjoying the music, admiring the cultural 00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:20.119 dress, and all of that is good. But what if you 00:30:20.119 --> 00:30:24.089 went... not as consumers of culture, but with 00:30:24.089 --> 00:30:28.890 a posture of curiosity. Behind every dish, every 00:30:28.890 --> 00:30:32.049 song, every piece of clothing, there are stories, 00:30:32.309 --> 00:30:35.930 meaningful stories, that hold the potential to 00:30:35.930 --> 00:30:38.589 deepen how you belong to one another in this 00:30:38.589 --> 00:30:42.369 community. Here are a handful of questions you 00:30:42.369 --> 00:30:45.730 can bring with you to that potluck. What is the 00:30:45.730 --> 00:30:50.240 story behind that dish? Does this song connect 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:54.400 to a special memory for you? What does this outfit 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:59.359 mean to you? And lastly, how did you or your 00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:02.440 family come to settle on Turtle Island, on what 00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:07.019 we call Canada today? That last question, that 00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:10.140 one matters. Because unless you are of indigenous 00:31:10.140 --> 00:31:15.450 heritage, we are all settlers on this land. how 00:31:15.450 --> 00:31:20.150 we came, how our families came, why we came, 00:31:20.430 --> 00:31:24.950 and how we were received, those stories shape 00:31:24.950 --> 00:31:28.049 us. When we share those stories with one another, 00:31:28.170 --> 00:31:31.589 we create shared belonging. And with Christ at 00:31:31.589 --> 00:31:34.630 the center, we become the kind of community that 00:31:34.630 --> 00:31:37.809 reflects God's beautiful vision right here at 00:31:37.809 --> 00:31:41.829 Trinity Streetsville. I want to end today by 00:31:41.829 --> 00:31:44.190 lifting our eyes toward a vision the scripture 00:31:44.190 --> 00:31:46.990 gives us, a vision of where all of this is headed. 00:31:47.450 --> 00:31:50.609 In Revelations 21, John is given a glimpse of 00:31:50.609 --> 00:31:53.309 the future that God is bringing about. He sees 00:31:53.309 --> 00:31:56.470 the new Jerusalem, the city of God, coming down 00:31:56.470 --> 00:32:00.390 from heaven. And what stands out first is not 00:32:00.390 --> 00:32:02.930 the architecture or the streets or the gates. 00:32:03.170 --> 00:32:07.450 What fills the city is the glory of God. God's 00:32:07.450 --> 00:32:10.490 presence illuminates everything. And at the center 00:32:10.490 --> 00:32:14.309 of it all, the Lamb, Jesus himself, is our light. 00:32:14.930 --> 00:32:17.970 And then we're told something beautiful. The 00:32:17.970 --> 00:32:21.589 nations walk by that light. They come into the 00:32:21.589 --> 00:32:24.390 city. They bring with them the glory and the 00:32:24.390 --> 00:32:27.930 honor of the nations. In other words, people 00:32:27.930 --> 00:32:30.710 do not enter the city stripped of who they are. 00:32:30.869 --> 00:32:33.690 They do not leave their histories, their stories, 00:32:33.769 --> 00:32:36.509 their cultures, their languages at the gate. 00:32:36.970 --> 00:32:41.450 They come as fully cultural people, bringing 00:32:41.450 --> 00:32:44.970 their cultural practices as gifts, and these 00:32:44.970 --> 00:32:47.650 gifts are received as something that glorifies 00:32:47.650 --> 00:32:52.569 God. The future God promises us is not colorless, 00:32:52.650 --> 00:32:57.950 it is not cultureless, it is not uniform. Instead, 00:32:58.089 --> 00:33:02.569 it is vibrant, it is rich, and it is deeply diverse, 00:33:02.869 --> 00:33:08.029 and it is perfectly united. With Christ at the 00:33:08.029 --> 00:33:11.650 center. This is the picture of shared belonging. 00:33:12.089 --> 00:33:15.170 And this vision isn't just about where we're 00:33:15.170 --> 00:33:18.869 going someday. It's meant to shape how we live 00:33:18.869 --> 00:33:24.089 today. Revelations 21 reminds us that God is 00:33:24.089 --> 00:33:26.950 not asking us to create something new here at 00:33:26.950 --> 00:33:30.109 Trinity Streetsville. God is inviting us to live 00:33:30.109 --> 00:33:33.309 into something that he has already promised. 00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:38.119 a people reconciled, a community of shared belonging 00:33:38.119 --> 00:33:42.180 with Christ at the center. Thanks very much, 00:33:42.259 --> 00:33:45.180 Trinity Streetsville, and God bless you. Thanks 00:33:45.180 --> 00:33:47.200 for tuning in to this week's episode of Trinity 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:49.980 Sermons. This sermon was recorded at Trinity 00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:53.059 Church Streetsville in Mississauga, Ontario on 00:33:53.059 --> 00:33:55.660 January 25th, 2026.