
Are We Letting Fear Keep Us From Reconciliation? | Acts 11:1-18 | Kevin Queen
Cross Point Church PodcastShow Notes
Have you ever had a relationship that felt too broken to repair? Sometimes the distance between us and another person grows so slowly that it starts to feel normal. We don’t know how to close the gap, so we leave it alone. But underneath the distance, there can still be a desire for reconciliation.
In Acts 11:1-18, Peter faces criticism after welcoming Gentiles into the family of God. What begins as resistance eventually becomes worship as the believers realize God is doing something bigger than what they expected.
In this message, Pastor Kevin Queen explores what happens when fear becomes criticism, how God confirms His direction through His providence, Spirit, people and Word, and what it looks like to stop resisting what God is doing.
Because sometimes the question isn’t, “What is God doing?” It’s “Who am I to stand in God’s way?” The grace we’ve received from Jesus should make us the quickest to extend that same grace to others. Where might God be asking you to forgive, heal, surrender or extend grace?
COMMENT: What’s one thing from this message that challenged you? SHARE: Send this message to someone who needs encouragement today. STUDY ACTS: Dive deeper into the book of Acts with us at crosspoint.tv/acts FIND A CAMPUS: Join us this weekend at crosspoint.tv/locations
More from Cross Point Church Podcast
Have you ever had a moment where things didn’t go to plan? It can be frustrating, but God’s plan is much better than ours. As Pastor Daran shared in Acts 13:1-12, it’s important to trust His plan like the church in Antioch did. What are you doing to let go and trust God?
Do you like getting compliments? There’s nothing wrong with receiving one, but it’s important to not let a compliment get to your head! As Pastor Kevin shared in Acts 12:19 to 13:3 in week 25 of our series on the book of Acts, Herod was killed because he took what belonged to God and didn’t thank and give Him glory in return. If given a compliment, it’s important to also praise God and make Jesus the famous one, not ourselves. What are you bringing to Jesus today?
Have you ever hoped for something, but something different happened? As Pastor Kevin shows us in week 24 of our series on the book of Acts, following Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t suffer – it means we will never suffer alone. Prayer is the best way the church can respond to disappointment, like we see in Acts 12:1-19 when the church prayed for Peter before he was rescued from jail. They used that initial disappointment to be drawn toward God instead of away from Him. Christ already knows our suffering since He suffered for us. How are you using your disappointment for good?
In Acts 11, we see a picture of what it looks like when our faith becomes visible. The early church didn’t just talk about the Gospel. They shared Jesus, encouraged what God was doing, met the needs of others and invested in people who were still growing.
It’s easy to divide people into categories, decide who belongs and keep those who are different from us at a distance. But through Acts 10, God challenges us to see people differently.