Taking Risks for the Gospel

May 16

(Acts 10:23 NIV) "Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along.”

(Acts 10:28 NIV) ““He (Peter) said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.””

(2 Corinthians 11:24-28 NIV) "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. {25} Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, {26} I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. {27} I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. {28} Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."

Peter took a great risk by letting Gentiles stay in his home. He took another great risk by going to Cornelius’s house to visit him. It was against Jewish law. Jews were not to enter the houses of Gentiles, let alone stay the night. Christians violating Jewish law were already being killed. Peter could have easily been next. Spiritually and politically, the Romans were despised and hated in Israel. They were usually polytheistic and were considered unclean. Peter was contaminating and condemning himself by going there, but he took the risk. If we are going to be obedient to our calling, and take the gospel with us wherever we go, we are going to have to take some risks. To save lives, we must often risk our own. If we refuse to take risks for the gospel, we are doomed to be sterile believers. We cannot fulfill the commission Christ gave us unless we are willing to take some risks. Will you do that? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day