Last week, we looked at a turning point in the history of the church: Peter’s meeting with Cornelius. For the first time ever, a Gentile believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit! You would think that Peter’s return to Jerusalem after the meeting would be marked by overwhelming joy. Well, not so much.

Before Peter can even tell the church about the amazing things he saw in Caesarea, a “concerned” group in the church confronts him for eating with a Gentile. Peter immediately goes on the defensive: “Look,” he says, “God orchestrated the whole meeting. Who was I to stand in the way of God?”

It took the church some time to get used to diversity. Even today, the struggle is real. We can forget that the body of Christ is multicultural, and “Christ in me” might not look exactly like “Christ in you.”

But that’s the beauty of the church. It transcends time and culture.

If you’ve ever felt different or out of place in the church, then Acts 11 has some encouraging words for you. Jesus doesn’t want to conform you into another’s vision of what a Christian should look like. He wants to manifest himself in you as He created you. You are His unique masterpiece!