God doesn’t call us to play it safe

Here’s a question worth sitting with: Have you ever shown up to pray without really expecting God to do anything?

I think a lot of us do that more than we’d like to admit. We pray because it’s what we’re supposed to do. We show up to church because it’s the right thing. But there’s a big difference between checking a box and actually checking in with God and with the people we love.

In Acts 10, there are two main characters in the story: Cornelius and Peter. And what’s fascinating is they both go to prayer – at different times and in different places – but they both expect to meet God. Not as a ritual. Not as a duty. As a relationship.

Cornelius was a Roman centurion – as Gentile as it gets. But he prayed constantly, gave generously, and lived with a genuine fear of the Lord. By any measure, this guy was doing everything right. He was, as I like to say, as Jewish as you can be and still be Gentile.
And yet – he still lacked one thing. He lacked Jesus.

That’s the warning buried in this story. If we’ve been told that a good life is enough, that God weighs our good deeds against our bad at the end and lets us in if we’ve done more good, then hear the story of Cornelius. He was doing all the good things. And God still sent an angel to say, "Go find Peter, because you need to hear the gospel."

Good works matter. Generosity matters. Prayer matters. But none of it replaces Jesus – who was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead for us.

So what does Acts 10 practically mean? Here are some things we can apply.

Go to prayer expecting God to actually show up.
Cornelius didn’t pray just to feel spiritual. Peter didn’t go to the rooftop just to check it off the list. They went expecting a real encounter. Next time we sit down to pray, let’s try actually anticipating that God is going to meet us there. Because He promised He would.

Sit with God’s Word long enough to understand it.
When Peter saw his vision – a sheet full of unclean animals and a voice saying “get up, kill, and eat” – he didn’t just shake it off. He was perplexed. He reflected. He thought it through. And in doing so, he began to see what God was really saying. We need to be people who don’t just read scripture but actually wrestle with it. That’s why Bible study matters. That’s why showing up at church consistently matters. We can Read Acts 10 for ourselves – all of it – and see what God stirs in us.

Say yes to what God is telling us to do, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Peter walked into a Gentile’s house – something his whole life had told him was off-limits. Cornelius sent his men on a long journey to find a stranger because God told him to do so. Both of them could have said “that seems like a lot.” Neither of them did. What is God asking us to do right now that feels a little outside our comfort zone? Say yes.

Share the gospel with people we might have written off.
Peter thought Gentiles were unclean, unworthy of the gospel. He was wrong. God’s family was always meant to include everyone – every nation, every background, every person who fears God and reaches toward him. Who in our lives have we quietly decided “probably isn’t the type”? Go there.

Here’s what I love most about this whole story: While Peter was still preaching, before he even gave an invitation, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who was listening. They just believed. That was it. No hoops, no checklists – just belief in Jesus. That’s the gospel. It’s for all people. It always has been.

We’re here today – Gentiles worshipping a Jewish Messiah – because someone was courageous enough to go tell the story.

Now it’s our turn.