Peter in non-Jewish society, a 2nd Pentecost God Pours out His Spirit on Non-Jews

Based on Acts 10

Â POY! SKIT GUIDELINES:

In a small group, participants might simply read their lines, or glance at their lines to get the idea so they can speak in their own words.
Most POY! skits require no practice in advance.
Have any small children play a brief part. Most scripts have an optional part for children, listed last under Participants.
Most scripts have a Narrator who should read the script beforehand to see how to keep moving the story along.
It is not necessary to employ costumes and objects, unless the skit recommends such.
It is not required to have an audience watch the skit. All present may participate.
Scripture and paraphrases, if any, usually appear in bold.

PARTICIPANTS:

Peter (also serves as Narrator)
Angel
Cornelius

Prompter (Optional). Prompter shouts a brief line and Companions repeat it.
Companions (Optional): children and all adults that want to take part. Make sure Companions know who the Prompter is, and that they are to repeat Prompterâ€™s words.

SCRIPT:

Peter	We will relive my experience with what some call the â€œSecond Pentecost for Gentilesâ€. The first Pentecost was when God poured out His Holy Spirit for the first time on us Jews in Jerusalem. My companions and I were in Cesarea, when God poured out His spirit on non-Jews. Jesus had told His disciples to take His Kingdom to non-Jews, but years later, we still had not done so. This startling adventure started when I was in Joppa, sitting on a roof praying, while waiting for lunch.
Angel	(Shout, sternly from the side of the room where Peter is.) Peter! Get up!
Peter	(Jump up, startled and look around.) Whoa! Whatâ€™s that! Who called me?
Angel	Kill and eat!
Peter	Oh, no! What can this mean? A sheet coming down from heaven with unclean animals! And a voice telling me to eat those pigs, reptiles, buzzards and serpents! Yuk! How can I break Mosesâ€™ law and eat pork? Iâ€™ve never done such a thing. Ohhh!
Angel	I said, Kill and eat!
Prompter & Companions	Kill and eat! Kill and eat!
Peter	Meanwhile, God has also given Cornelius, a Roman army officer, a vision. Cornelius, a non-Jew, also called a Gentile, gives alms and prays, even though he practices a non-Christian religion. He is an Italian, and they eat pork pepperoni on their pizza. Ugh!
Cornelius	(Wipe your mouth with your sleeve.) Mmmm! Yum! Now, those were tasty pork chops! Too bad my Jewish friends canâ€™t enjoy them.
Angel	(Go to Cornelius.) Cornelius!
Cornelius	(Jump, startled.) Ay ay ay! Sergeant of the Guard! An intruder!
Prompter & Companions	Intruder! Intruder!
Angel	Relax, Cornelius. The Lord has seen your good deeds and heard your prayers. Send to Joppa for a man named Peter, and have him come to you.
Cornelius	Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir! (Turn) You, my two servants, go to Joppa with my most loyal aide, Sergeant Fortaleza. He will protect you. Find a man called Peter, and bring him.
Peter	Iâ€™m puzzling about my rooftop vision when I hear knocking at the door. The men from Cornelius have made the long trip. They ask me to go with them to Corneliusâ€™ home in Cesarea. After the vision Iâ€™d seen, I know that God has prepared me for this trip. I take several brothers with me, and off we go.
Cornelius	Oh! Here comes the man God told me to send for! Come in, Peter, and all your Jewish companions. Come in!
Peter	Cornelius, Sir, our Law forbids us to enter non-Jewsâ€™ homes and eat unclean food, but God showed me in a vision that weâ€™re not to regard anyone as unclean. Why did you send for me?
Cornelius	I and all my close friends and relatives are gathered to hear what you have say to us.
Peter	I tell Cornelius and his friends about Jesus, and come to the account of the resurrection. Oh! What is this? The Holy Spirit is coming upon these Gentiles! He has come with the sign of tongues, just as He came on us Jews when He empowered me to proclaim Christâ€™s salvation at Pentecost. Only this time, those that speak in tongues are the people who hear the good news, not we who tell it! How marvelous! We all rejoice.
Cornelius	Thank you, dear Lord!
Prompter & Companions	Â Thank you, dear Lord! Thank you, dear Lord!
Peter	Let these be baptized without delay, since they also have received the Holy Spirit.
Cornelius	Peter, please, you and your friends stay a few days and teach us about all this.
Peter	Well, we stayed, and guess whatâ€¦ We Jews actually eat those Italiansâ€™ food! We eat it, for the gospelâ€™s sake, even though it is ceremonially unclean food. Jewish believers harshly criticize me later for that when I get back to Jerusalem, until they know that God has granted repentance to Gentiles also. This is amazing, heart-warming news for all of us believing Jews. Repentance and life have come to the Gentiles.
Prompter & Companions	Repentance and life! Repentance and life!

DISCUSS:

Why did Peter need such a startling vision to get him to enter a Gentileâ€™s non-Jewish? home?

Why did it surprise Peter and his Jewish companions to see Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit?

Why is it normally better to tell about Jesus in the home of unbelievers who are willing to listen, than to invite them to the home of believers?

(Good answer: the Holy Spirit works more powerfully when people are at ease among their own friends in their own homes. They are ill at ease when folk they do not know well are in control.)

Peter in non-Jewish society, a 2nd Pentecost God Pours out His Spirit on Non-Jews

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