January 10, 1999
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church of San Francisco
House Gods
When you come into my sister-in-law’s house in Boston where my mother lived for almost 30 years, high above the mirror over the fireplace is this framed picture of Jesus Christ. But it is one of those that if you move your head slightly, the picture changes to Michelangelo’s Lord’s Supper too. Underneath this picture among a collection of knick knacks gathered over time, stands the three Chinese patriarchs representing prosperity, long life, and good luck. For my sister-in-law and her household, these are house gods. Both in religious faith and in cultural traditions, this double imaged picture and these statues are acknowledged with power to protect them.
I used to try to convince our children when their rooms need picking up, that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Their response usually conveys this thought “This is an example of creativity.”
How do we define “Godliness” today? Can our homes be places where the joy of the Lord finds a place in all the nooks and crannies of every room? Do we think of ourselves as “godly”? Are we building a “godly” family? Or does that sound too quaint, too old-fashioned to apply to our busy, complex 21st century lives?
Cornelius and Peter’s Visions
Our scripture lesson for this morning picks up in the middle of a story about Cornelius a God-fearing Roman centurion. Cornelius and his whole family believed in God and gave generously to the poor. One afternoon, Cornelius had a vision of seeing an angel from God. The angel said that God was pleased with him and that he is to send for Peter who was in Joppa.
In the meantime, around noontime, Peter went up on a roof to pray. He saw the heaven opened up and something like a large sheet came down being lowered by its four corners. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds, which Peter thought were unclean to eat, but the voice told Peter, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This vision happened three times for Peter. Peter must have been a slow learner!
While Peter was still trying to figure out the meaning of this vision, the men whom Cornelius sent to ask Peter to come, showed up. After traveling for two days, Peter arrives in Cornelius house where Cornelius explains to Peter the vision he had of a man with dazzling clothes standing before him. Peter confirms Cornelius’ love for God and that his prayers have been heard and his giving remembered by God. Peter was able to
affirm Cornelius’ vision and acceptance by God because of the dream that he had on the roof.
Before Peter’s dream, he thought that Jesus was only for the Jews. In ancient times, people thought that the world was flat like a sheet. The sheet in Peter’s dream represented all four corners of the world. And that everything that is in the world, all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air are also loved by God and chosen by God for his blessings.
Cornelius’ Household
When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ house, Peter was met not only by Cornelius, but by his entire household: relatives and close friends. They were all waiting and expecting Peter to arrive. When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ door, the first thing the centurion did was prostrate himself at Peter’s feet to worship him. Peter, recognizing what was happening, immediately corrected Cornelius and commanded him to stand up. Peter’s response was, “I am only a mortal”—I am not divine!
What can we draw from this story about Cornelius’ God-fearing household and Peter’s dream about how we might live today? If we were to have a household that reflects that of Cornelius,’ what would that look like? What might be some godly behavior in our own homes that will exhibit signs of God’s presence? What does “Homestyle Godliness” look like today?
Homestyle Godliness
“Homestyle” means that we begin first at home. The God-fearing Gentile Cornelius is described as “devout” and as one who “gave alms generously” and “prayed constantly.” When Peter was speaking to Cornelius’ household, his words reveal more of what it means to be a “godly” or “god-fearing” household. Peter offers four ways of embodying a God-fearing household or what we are calling “homestyle godliness.”
- Desire God.
When we think about “desiring” something, we tend to think about coffee or chocolates! Maybe that beautiful long dress in that catalog or that new car! When we desire for something, it consumes our every minute until we either get it or we realized with disappointment that it’s impossible.
Does your household desire God above everything else? Is pleasing God the one desire of your heart as a family of faith?
There’s a book that describes what children would desire from their parents. Here are some of the things kids are saying about their parents:
Come home early.
Stop talking on the phone and talk to me.
Take care of me until the end of my day.
I love it when I’m considered as a wonderful kid.
Love me for what I am.
Be proud of me even when I didn’t get all the answers correct.
Think when you were a kid and not yell so much.
If you get mad at me remember to forgive me.
Sometimes can you play with me instead of saying no?
Do you hear it? Over and over again, these kids are saying in a variety of ways: Am I special to you? Show me. Do you desire me in your life? Show me. Do you love me like you say you do? Show me.
Do we desire God in our family life? Show God. Is God special to this home? Show God. Does our family truly love God as we say we do? Show God.
Cornelius assembled his entire household: relatives and friends to meet Peter. And unawared that Peter was not divine, Cornelius knelt down to Peter to worship him in front of his whole family. When we desire God in our homes, the reality of Christ’s presence in our own hearts is so great and so unquenchable that it is virtually indistinguishable from our heartbeat itself! We need to spend time as a family together desiring God and worshipping God.
Proclaim God.
Our scripture lesson for this morning captures Peter before Cornelius’ family proclaiming God. To be godly, is to proclaim what Peter did: “preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.” This message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after Jesus was baptized by John and now with us in San Francisco.
When we are at home with our family, do you proclaim God in what you do and say? I’m not suggesting that you become fanatical about ascribing everything that happens in your life to God’s will and that we have nothing to say about it. What I am saying, though, is your family aware that in everything that it does, your family reflects God’s spirit and plan? Would your neighbors recognize that you and your family are Christians? Would they say that about you?
Serve God.
Peter’s speech in Cornelius’ home makes it clear that to be “godly” is more than a state of mind. It is a mode of action. Peter said when God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power, Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with him.
“Doing good” here is not like telling our kids to do good at school, or encouraging our coworkers to do good at their jobs.
“Doing good” is coupled with “healing” the world. By serving God, we can transform the world. Jesus imparted both physical and spiritual healing as he traveled about doing good. Cornelius helped heal hunger pains by generously
giving alms to the poor. We all have the power to heal just as we have the power to do good. Jesus calls godly families to save by serving and serve by healing the wounds in our neighborhoods, city, and world.
Eat with God.
One of the most remarkable points Peter makes in his sharing with Cornelius’ family is also one of the most common events in our lives—the disciples “ate and drank” with the risen Christ. If our homes are to be godly households, we are called to do no less. Does Jesus join you at your table every day as you and your family sit down to eat? Sharing a meal as a family can be an opportunity to experience our faith and to share it.
Because Joy and I pray before our meals, our children are now confident in praying before their meals too. I am especially happy when they are willing to say grace in front of their friends. This demonstrates that their faith is vibrant and strong to bear Christian witness to their friends.
All these four godly traits: Desire God, Proclaim God, Serve God, and to Eat with God are not to be internalized into some syrupy sentimental version of godliness. We are not to focus on just our own family like some holy huddle. To be godly and god-fearing means that we move from our inward vibrant family faith to go outward into the blinding day-light glare of the real world, everyday demands and disasters. Wouldn’t it be nice to have our godly family locked in on itself in a protective embrace? We want to build up four safety walls to keep out the worldly pollution that has poisoned the air out there.
The real focus on the family is not on family at all. It is a focus on God. The focus is outward, not inward. In the biblical model of godliness, we are called to raise up our households and our children to serve. We are called to rise up from our own tables and offer hospitality to strangers, to those who live and work and suffer and struggle outside the comfortable confines of a godly home.
Godliness seeks out godlessness…in our community, our country, our world. Not to condemn it, but to save it. Godliness offers itself in service and love to others who are not of the household of faith.
Jesus Christ is Lord of Everything
When Peter was speaking to Cornelius’ family, he was thinking about that dream he had. It was unmistakenly clear: Jesus was not just for the Jews but Jesus Christ is also for Cornelius and his family. Jesus Christ is for everyone who lives and works on Waverly Place. Jesus Christ is for you and for me. Peter said, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation (every tribe, every racial/ethnic group, every nationality) anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to God.
This may not sound too radical to our ears today. But to a first-century Jewish hearer, what Peter said was close to blasphemy. This message flies in the face of ancient
tradition that the Lord has set his heart on Israel and chosen her above all nations to be his special people.
Today this message may still sound like blasphemy. Peter said, “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all—everything that is—cosmic in scope! This means that Jesus Christ is Lord of all that is—of everything and everyone in the created order. Everyone includes Jew, Samaritan, Roman, Greek, African, European, Hispanic, American, Asian—is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ! And since this is the case, then God does not show preference for any one people.
The good news of Jesus and the message of Peter is inclusive. As Paul said in Galatians, “All of you are one in Christ.” We read that while Peter was still speaking to Cornelius’ family, the gift of the Holy Spirit came. He saw how the Spirit touched these Gentile lives and ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
God’s Global Household
Just as Cornelius’ household demonstrated godly traits, we too begin with our own families to Desire God, Proclaim God, Serve God, and to Eat with God. But we can’t become too comfortable with the blessings we may receive in our own households. From the vibrant and strong faith expressed in our households, God calls us to evangelize the world with godliness. The whole world is God’s and it is up to us to bring unity, wholeness, inclusiveness and peace to God’s creation.
Let me close with a heartfelt story. There was an elementary school teacher who felt that too many of her first-grade students were missing so many fundamental experiences others often take for granted.
One small child named Terrence would forever be in her heart. Terrence was a small child with big brown eyes and hair that was seldom combed. To many, he was a “throwaway” kid. He had basically been raised by his brother, who was a year older, and an 18-year old sister. Terrence’s mother was frequently in jail with numerous problems.
When Terrence came to school, this teacher noticed how sad he was. She knew that no one had ever loved or cherished this small, scared child. During group reading, the teacher would ask Terrence to sit in her lap to help turn the pages. At first, Terrence didn’t even know how to sit in her lap and lean against her. When Terrence’s mother was arrested again, he left school and went to live with his sister. The teacher never saw Terrence again because he was killed in a freak accident in the spring of that year.
The teacher was heart-broken when she heard of Terrence’s death through the news. She told her family how sad she was; how she never taught him a single thing. She said, “He couldn’t read when he left me, he couldn’t write when he left me. All I taught him to do was to sit in a woman’s lap—what kind of life skill is that?”
A few days after she had discussed her sadness with her family and her inability to help Terrence, her own small son came to her and said, “Mommy, it’s a good thing you taught that little boy to sit in someone’s lap because he’s sitting in God’s lap right now.”
As for you and your house, will you practice “homestyle godliness” by reaching out to the Terrences of the world? As for me and my house, we shall desire God, proclaim God, serve God, and eat with God.
Let us pray.
Eternal God, in the days ahead, help us to put you first in our lives. Open our eyes to see what is really happening in the world, to see what you are doing in the lives of individuals, families, and nations. Open our ears to hear what you are saying to us, so that we may know what you want us to do. Give us such trust in the power of the risen Christ, that we may seek above all else to do his will. Amen.