May 6, 2007
May 6, 2007 - 5th Sunday of Easter
SERMON TITLE:
“Search and Rescue”
Communion Sunday
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful
God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an
obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled
against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the
needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the believers who were
in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up
to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to
uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by
step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.
There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four
corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals,
beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me,
“Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for
nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a second time the voice
answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This
happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment
three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told
me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers
also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the
angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called
Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be
saved.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon
us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave
them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I
that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised
God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to
life.’
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Borodino United Methodist Church
1820 Rt. 174
Skaneateles, NY 13152
Pastor Peter Agnew
E-mail: BorodinoChurch@aol.com