Scripture
“ So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”
Observation
After seeing the vision, Peter is told by the Holy Spirit that three men have come to the house, and Peter is to go with them. He goes downstairs where the men explain why they have come.
The next day they leave for Caesarea. There, Cornelius has gathered his friends and relatives together to hear the message.
Peter explains his realisation that he should not call any person impure or unclean, despite the Jewish laws. Cornelius then recounts his experience of seeing the angel, and the message the angel gave him.
Application
After their respective experiences, Cornelius and Peter were both expecting God to do something powerful. Cornelius had even invited friends and relatives to hear Peter’s message, even though he did not know for sure what the message would be, or even if Peter would come.
Wouldn’t it be different if each Sunday in church everybody came with the sense of anticipation? We don’t know what the preacher is going to say, but we know that the Holy Spirit is leading him and it will be awesome!
As a pastor, I sometimes get my hopes up that God will do something this week. Sometimes He chooses to do visible healings and miracles; sometimes lives are changed by the Holy Spirit applying the message to people’s hearts.
I am sure that if we gather together with an expectation that God is going to do something, He will be more likely to act.
As I talk to people, they are already excited about getting together for worship after the lock down ends. I hope that the expectation is about meeting God as much as it is about meeting people.
This is the kind of expectation that God will use.
Prayer
Please help me Lord to grow in expectation that you will meet with me at any time and in any place, but especially when the church meets together. Amen.
