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Have you ever believed something, only to find out it wasn't true?

"Daring to Dream Again: Confronting our Un-Godly Prejudices"  Acts 10: 1-35

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Well I can tell you, that has happened to me more than once! When I lived in Buffalo, I would listen to different people on my favorite sports radio station. And every year, at the Buffalo Bills training camp, these same personalities would do their radio programs live at the State University of NY at Fredonia. And one year, while on insurance business in the area, I decided to stop in and see what the radio people looked like. And boy was I surprised! Based on what I had heard on the radio, I thought they would look a certain way. But in real life, they looked totally different - some of them were tall even though they sounded short on the radio! Some of them were heavy, even though I had pictured them as thin. Some of them were bald, but they way they talked they sounded like they had a full head of hair!

Have you ever believed something, pictured something one way, only to find out that it was completely different? I wonder if that's how it is, when people start to learn more about

God? "I always thought God was this way. I always pictured him this way." But then, after spending some time in the Bible, reading God's Word, you find out he's different, not at all the way you pictured him. Is it possible, that you have always believed something about God, even though it's not really true?

As we begin Day 29 of our 50 day spiritual adventure, Daring to Dream Again, we are

asked to confront some of those un-Godly prejudices that have become a part of our lives. So let's look at what happened to a couple of people in our Scripture lesson for today from Acts 10: 1-35. Both the Roman centurion Cornelius and the Apostle Peter had God pictured one way, only to find out that he was very different from how they had him pictured in their minds. As we focus on God's Word for today, you also might be surprised at their view of God. You might just find out some things about God that you had never known before, things that contradict the way you had always thought. God will change the way you think, as you study his Word - that always happens, and it's always for the better. So may God bless you in these next few minutes as we take some time to focus on the lives of two people you will someday see in heaven.

The first person we meet is a man named Cornelius. Cornelius was a centurion in the

Italian regiment of the Roman army. These centurions were each in charge of 100 men, and they were always men of very noble character. The Bible describes Cornelius and his family as God-fearing and devout. He was always donating money to the poor, and he prayed regularly. Cornelius was a great guy, but something was wrong - he wasn't going to heaven. Why? He seemed good. He followed the religion of the Jews. He prayed, he donated to the poor; he tried to live a good, clean, life. In his mind, that's what God wanted - that's the way to heaven.

But something was wrong. Something was missing from his heart, something big, and so

God sent an angel to Cornelius, and told Cornelius to find the Apostle Peter. And so he does -- Peter comes to his house, and shares with Cornelius the true way to salvation. Something was missing in the heart of Cornelius you see, and that something was more important than all the good works in the world. And without that something, no matter how hard he tried, Cornelius wouldn't be going to heaven. That something was faith in Jesus Christ. Cornelius had heard of Jesus before, and how he died. He knew that people were saying good things about him. But he didn't understand that Jesus was his Savior. And so here, in our text, the Apostle Peter puts it all together: "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all." If you're looking for peace, Cornelius - it comes through Jesus Christ, and nowhere else. “You know what has happened... how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power..." That's what our scripture lesson talks about--- at Jesus' baptism, God the Father put his stamp of approval on Jesus, gave him a special measure of the Holy Spirit, and gave him power. And he used that power - "he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him..." All those miracles that Jesus performed served one major purpose - to show people that he was the Messiah - the only real way to heaven.

And Peter later goes on to describe how Jesus took away the sins of the world by dying on the cross and then rising from the dead. And I'm pretty sure this probably blew Cornelius away. He had, you know, always thought that being a good person, helping the poor, praying - that's how you please God, that's how you get into heaven. But now, Cornelius finds out something different. He finds out that no matter how good you are, you can never be good enough. He finds out that Jesus Christ, someone he had only heard of before, was his Savior. He finds out that Jesus has taken all of his sins away, and that God loves him and forgives him because of what Jesus had done for him. He finds out that prayer and good works are not the way to heaven, but instead, ways of thanking Jesus for saving him. God had changed the way he thought.

So today, can you relate to this Roman soldier? "I always thought that I could get to

heaven by being a good person. I pray once in a while. I help out the needy. I try to live a good, clean life. Sure I've heard of Jesus Christ. Just be a good person like him, right?" And then, you find out, no that's not how it works. Through his Word, God changes the way you think. You find out that no matter how good you are, you'll never be good enough, you'll never do enough to earn God's favor. Through his Word, you'll find out that even the nicest person in the world still has his faults, still has his shortcomings, and because of those shortcomings, you can never be nice enough to earn your way into heaven. That's what God tells us in his Word.

But then you find out who Jesus Christ really is. You find out that he's more than just an example of how to be a good person. You find out that he has done something for you, something that you really need. You find out that he has taken all your faults, all your shortcomings, all your sins, and has washed them away, by dying on a cross. You find out that Jesus has risen from the dead, to prove to you that God really does love you and forgive you for all the mistakes you have made in your life. You can stop trying to earn your way into heaven, and you can start trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior. You hear these things and say in your heart, "I know that I am a sinner. But I also know that because of you, Jesus, I am going to heaven."

There is the story told of a young man who went to a minister in great distress about his spiritual state. He was like Cornelius - a good guy, but he didn't know that Jesus was his Savior. He said to the minister, "Sir, can you tell me what I must do to find peace?" The minister replied, "Young man, you are too late." "Oh, no!" said the young man, “you don't mean to say I am too late to be saved, do you?" “No, no," was the reply. “But you are too late to do anything. Jesus did everything that you needed twenty centuries ago. Learn about and believe in what Jesus has done for you, and you will find peace."

Today, as we stand ready to continue dreaming again, we too need to let go of the preconceived notions we have in our heads, the prejudices we bring, and we need to dedicate ourselves anew to learning about and believing in what Jesus has done for us.

That good news turned that Roman soldier's life upside down - for the better. And it will turn our lives upside down today, as well, also for the better. Imagine spending your whole life believing that being a good person is the way to heaven. But then finding out that it's not the way, that's it's through Jesus Christ, his life and death and resurrection - that's the way to heaven. What wonderful news, Good News that is!

And this situation also turned the Apostle Peter's life upside down too. In verse 34, Peter says, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men (and women) from EVERY nation who fear him and do what is right." Peter couldn't believe what he was seeing. Here he was in the house of a Gentile, and God was converting Gentiles and blessing Gentiles just like God had done for the Jews. This went against everything that Peter had been brought up to believe. Peter, you see, had always thought that God was an exclusive God, for the Jews only, that Gentiles were the outsiders, the second class citizens of the world who surely didn't deserve God's attention like the Jews did.

So who did we today identify as the outsiders in our communities? Who are the second

class citizens of our world? Could it be

People who swear a lot

People who smoke

People who smell

People who complain

People who do strange things with their hair

People who place strange objects in the noses, their ears, their tongues

People whose main transportation is a Harley Davidson motorcycle

Authority figures

Poor people...or rich people

Un-educated people

Computer "geeks"

But now, like Peter maybe you are coming to realize that God loves the Gentiles just like the Jews. Maybe God loves the un-educated as much as He loves the educated. Maybe God loves the folks who pierce their tongues as much as He loves those who wear neck ties. Or maybe God loves THEM as much as He loves US. Peter sees with his own eyes that God

loves all people, regardless of their nationality. God is a God for every person on earth and not just a select few. This whole idea blew Peter away - it changed the way he had thought throughout his life.

And boy, can we relate to Peter! Sometimes we forget that no matter what a person's nationality, no matter what a person social or economic situation, God wants every person on the face of this earth to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. Sometimes it's pretty hard to accept, that God loves me but he also loves that dark-skinned child in Afghanistan just as much. God loves me but he loves that homeless person who's mumbling and begging on the street - God loves him just as much. God loves me, but he loves that person who has made too many mistakes in his life and is now sitting in jail - God loves that person just as much. God, you see is a God who loves all people, and wants all people no matter who they are, to believe in Jesus and be saved. He does not show favoritism, as the Apostle Peter reminds us today. What an amazing and loving God we have!

God changes the way we think - that's what happens when you spend time in his Word.

And really, that's the purpose of the church. The purpose of our church is to get people in touch with his wonderful message, so that God can change people for the better. There are so many people out there just like Cornelius, nice people who don't know the way to salvation. There are so many people out there like Peter, people who don't know just how loving our God really is. As a church, we are called to dream again and then to share with people these wonderful truths from God's Word, so that God can change people for the better.

There's a story that when Jesus ascended into heaven after his mission on earth, the angels asked him, “Did you accomplish your task?" “Yes, all is finished," the Lord replied. "We have a second question," said the angels. “Has the whole world heard of you?" “No", said Jesus. The angels next asked, “Then what is your plan?" Jesus said, “I have left 12 men and some other followers to carry the message to the whole world." The angels looked at each other, and then at him and said, “What is your plan B?"

Friends, there is no plan B. God sent Peter to help that Gentile, the Roman soldier, to learn the true way to heaven. Today, he is sending us to every person on the face of the earth, no matter who they are, so that they might find the peace that they are looking for in their lives.

As you Dare to Dream again this week, ask God to show you any relationships in your life that are road blocked and that need your immediate attention. Before this week is over you might need to write a letter or make a phone call or a visit. You may need to engage in some positive, observable gesture of reconciliation toward individuals or members of a group who have, so far, been the Gentiles to you.

And your feelings may be,"I don't know if I can do it." And that's exactly the point. You can't! But thanks be to God, in Christ, all things are possible because he alone is the great Reconciler. And for that we should all give thanks and praise! AMEN.