Acts 11:1-18

“So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

God has granted the life-giving gift of faith not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles—even to Londoners! This is the message of Acts 11, and it’s a truth that still shakes the church today.

In Acts 11, Peter retells his vision and the events that led him to share the gospel with Gentiles. The early Jewish believers were shocked—Peter had entered the house of uncircumcised men, eaten with them, and treated them as equals. But Peter explained: “The Holy Spirit came upon them just as He did upon us.”

It was undeniable. The same Spirit who moved in Jerusalem and Samaria was now working to the ends of the earth. This was God’s doing, and the early church could no longer object. Though they had been told time and again, they hadn’t truly believed the good news was for everyone. But now, the Spirit was moving ahead of them—and they had to catch up.

We say we believe the gospel is for everyone, but often our churches tell a different story. Look around: who’s missing? Often, nearly everyone in a congregation is from the same background—graduates, professionals, people “like us.” And when we do evangelism, it’s usually toward people we’re comfortable with.

What about the people on our street corners? The ones society and even the church have forgotten? Many of our churches unintentionally exclude others—not because we don’t care, but because we haven’t been intentional.

One minister once said, “Why should we change our church for them? If they come, they can become like us.” That attitude mirrors the early Jewish believers who expected Gentiles to become culturally Jewish before joining the family of God.

But God says no. The gospel is for all cultures, all ethnicities, all classes. The Holy Spirit is at work among the rich and the poor, the white, the black, the Asian, and everyone in between. He is calling people from every background to worship Him.

Throughout history, God has gone ahead of His people. He moved in Jerusalem, then Samaria, then to the Gentiles. In the 20th century, He moved among industrial workers and miners. Today, He is still going ahead—reaching white working-class communities, drawing Muslims to faith, calling the marginalised into His kingdom.

If the Holy Spirit is doing this work, how can we not join Him? Even if people look different, speak differently, or come with broken stories, if the Spirit is calling them, we must welcome them as family.

The fields are white for harvest. In London alone, 80% of young people would be open to a faith conversation if a friend brought it up. But are we equipping our young people and our churches to have those conversations?

God’s mission is unstoppable. He will break through barriers of culture, class, and comfort. The question is: Will we join Him, or will we sit on the sidelines?

Too often we doubt that God could use “those kids”—rough, angry, broken. But He is at work, and He invites us to rejoice and join Him in the harvest.

How might you respond this week?

• Who in your community or church context might feel excluded from the gospel invitation, and how can you personally help create a more welcoming space for them?

• Where do you see the Holy Spirit already at work around you—and how might God be calling you to join in, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone?