Acts 11:1

 Acts 11:1 says, And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.  The apostles and Jews in Judea hear that the Gentiles had received the gospel.  We today are hopefully hearing of people all over the world hearing the Gospel. Verse two adds, And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,  When Peter got there, the Jews who were circumcised began to contend, or argue, with him.  There are still some Christians who will argue about legalistic requirements today.  Verse three continues, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them   They had heard that Peter was meeting and eating with uncircumcised people.  Now, these were not just Jewish men, but Jewish men who were followers of Christ.  They still wanted to keep God for themselves and away from other nations. We must be careful that we don't become the same way.  We must never view Christ as the Christ of any nation.  If God has seemingly blessed one nation more than another, that simply means that nation will ultimately have to answer for how they used those blessings.  If we believe it was simply to enrich ourselves, with little concern for the rest of the world, then I don't think God will be pleased and call us good and faithful servants.  I see signs occasionally that say let's bring God back to America, but He has never been deported.  We hear of making American great again, and it nearly always refers to material matters. God is still in America, as He is in the rest of the world.  He is simply waiting for those who call themselves His people to put the spreading of the gospel first.  Verse four states, But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,  Verse five adds, I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:  Peter defended his actions to the apostles and the brethren that were at Judea.  Peter started from the beginning of his experience on the rooftop praying and fasting when the food came down in a sheet.  If we are sharing our beliefs about Christianity, we must base it on what the Holy Spirit reveals to us, and it will never contradict scripture. Reaching the whole world was not a new concept, but it had been God’s intention since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.  Since the gospel was being spread and the number of believers was growing daily, we might think that was what the apostles and brethren at Judea were discussing, but their concern was who was being added to the church.  Verse six continues, Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.  Peter told them about seeing the sheet filled with all kinds of animals that he considered unclean.  Our concern, like Perter would realize was his also, is not with what we eat, but with whom we witness to and fellowship with.  Verse seven declares, And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.  Peter shared with them hearing a Voice that told him to kill them and eat.  We may not hear a voice, but we know that God has already told us to go and share the gospel with everyone, even those that we may consider unworthy.  Verse eight adds, But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.  Peter said he replied that he did not eat things that were unclean, which means that he was speaking out of self-pride.  When we feel superior to others, we are acting out of self-pride as well and not following God’s command.  Verse nine continues, But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.  As Peter told them about the Voice saying for him to not call unclean what God had made clean, we should do as well.  There is no one who is any more unworthy of salvation than anyone else because none is worthy.  Verse ten concludes, And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.  Peter said this occurred three times, and then the sheet was drawn up again into heaven.  If these animals clean enough to go into heaven, then they were certainly clean enough for this old sinful world.