To move forward in any area of life means leaving the safety of the known and getting out of your depth. That’s why Jesus told his disciples in Luke 5:4: ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ At every age and stage of life and ministry we each have to decide whether or not to take a step of faith to see what lies on the other side of a door that God may be opening up to you.
In Acts 10 we come across one of the most defining moments in the whole history of Christianity, when the apostle Peter took a huge step out of his comfort zone and Christianity broke out from being a sub-culture of Judaism to becoming a global faith for all people. Not long before, Peter had been unprepared for all that God was about to do. However he quickly came to a place of new blessing and influence because he decided to step out of all that he was familiar with and ‘go with the flow’ of the Holy Spirit. We see some important lessons from this story of Peter and Cornelius, a Roman centurion, about getting out of our comfort zones.
1. God can get us out of our comfort zone when we stay close to God in prayer (Acts 10:1-20; James 5:16 AMP)
2. God will get us out of our comfort zones when we are prepared to change (Acts 10:14-15; Mark 7:19; Acts 10:34-35)
3. God will work powerfully when we take action get out of our comfort zones (Acts 10:19-23)
a. A new group of people to minister to (Acts 10:27)
b. A new outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48)
Apply
Do you live close to the Lord in prayer and receive direction from Him? The Holy Spirit will lead us in new ways when we are living a life of close fellowship with God. Both Cornelius and Peter were men of prayer (Acts 10:1-2, 9). Cornelius not only prayed but, significantly, was also a God-fearing man who gave generously to the poor. When righteous people pray great things happen (James 5.16). And it was while these two very different men were each praying in different places and on different days that they each had a vision from God and the Spirit told them what to do next (Acts 10:3-6; Acts 10:9-16). When God gives visions, they are not dark or mystical or vague but very clear and very directional. God always listens when righteous people pray. And in one way or another through a vision, the witness of the Holy Spirit within you, and of course always the Scriptures, He will stir you to move out of your comfort zone into new territory.
Are you going to be fixed and stuck in your old ways or flexible and obedient in following the Holy Spirit? It was Peter, the committed disciple, the preacher, the apostle, who needed to change rather than Cornelius! When Peter was told to kill and eat the animals he saw in the vision, he resisted based on the Old Testament teachings that certain foods were prohibited (Acts 10:14-15). But Jesus had declared all foods clean (Mark 7.19), and He had abolished the distinction between clean and unclean food and clean and unclean people. Peter knew in his head that the kingdom of God was not about special rules and religious practices, but he still instinctively responded in a traditional way. And that’s why he had to quickly lose his old ideas and prejudices which thankfully he did (Acts 10:34-35). When Peter changed everything changed. Change starts in the church, in you, not in the world. Like Peter you have to start to think differently, act differently and lose any prejudices towards others if you are going to reach people you haven’t reached before and see things you haven’t seen before. We must have a new love for all people groups, all ethnicities, and all places.
Are you willing to step out in faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit's leading? From the moment that both Peter and Cornelius stepped out of their comfort zones in faith and obedience, they opened a greater door for change than they could have ever imagined. And the same thing will happen for you when you decide to fully follow Jesus, when you commit to bringing up your family in a Christian way and when you accept the challenge to be a leader. Stop playing safe. Launch out into the new. When Cornelius took the risk of contacting Peter and Peter stepped out to go where he had never gone before, everything moved to another level. There was a new group of people to minister to (v27) and a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48). From this moment the Christian church accelerated in new ways. Today so many people groups, so many families, so many in your neighbourhood and circle of influence are far more open to the good news of the gospel than you may know. And they will be more willing to listen to you than you may imagine. Today great things can happen in your personal life, in your family life, your ministry and career when you too listen to God and step out of your comfort zone to obey His call.
