Greg Ford - The Old Dog New Tricks Test
When we love, it will lead to unity. I’m 100% confident it is at the heart and the will of God that his church be unified. Welcome to the power of one. Today, we’re gonna continue in our series of messages called, «The master’s degree». We’re looking at how Jesus discipled the disciples, training them to be leaders. Ultimately he was gonna leave his life work and his legacy in their hands to take the great commission to the ends of the earth. Today, we’re going to look at what I like to call, the old dog new tricks test. Jesus is going to take these men who had learned many lessons, who were taking generations of precedent and were moving into something new from an old covenant to a new covenant. They were about to have to learn a new trick. We all have to learn new tricks throughout our lives, but how? Let’s check it out together.
I want you think about this now, old dog new tricks. When I’m talking about old dog, new tricks, I’m not talking about just people of a certain age or generation. We all have a little old dog in us, I don’t care if you’re 20, 30, 40. We all have some areas where we have grown comfortable, we are stubborn, we are set in our ways. I think this way, I’m a proponent for this, and often it’s in that area that God wants to do something. And if we’re not careful, that sort of thinking, that rigid way of thinking, that lack of flexibility or openness to what God is up to could cost you the opportunity to lead in a profound way that you never thought possible. Okay, I want to start with this thought, «Don’t allow the unconditional love of God to become an excuse for you staying stuck where you are».
We know God loves us unconditionally, that’s good news that he loves us. He commended his love toward us and that while we were sinners Christ died for us. He gets you, he knows you, he understands. I don’t understand me half the time. «Greg, why’d you do that»? Heck if I know. I don’t know. God knows. God knows why you think the way you think. God knows how you got to where you are. God knows why you feel what you feel better than you do. So, you’re fully known, fully understood. He took on flesh, so he understands flesh. He took on sin. In the book of Hebrews it says, «We have a high priest, who knows how to empathize with our weaknesses». He understands our weaknesses 'Cause he took on the same flesh.
So, you are fully understood by God and you’re loved unconditionally, but do not, please, allow that to cause you to stay stuck where you are because you’re so loved. God loves you so much he loves you where you are, but he’s trying to kind of move you along. He wants to you to get out of the place you were at right now. And for some of you getting out of where you are is getting out of the chaos, but for some of you he wants to get you out of your comfort. He loves you, but don’t allow that to cause you to stay stuck. And whatever age, and stage of life we’re in we never graduate the new thing God wants to do in our life. He always has something new. The question is, are you willing to learn the new trick?
Acts 9, you have the apostle Paul who is committed so to the law, he’s so committed to what God was doing, had been doing, that it says, «He was going, he’s on the Damascus road and he’s eager to kill these people that are trying to do a new thing». Eager to kill. Dude, you gotta be pretty bought into what you believe to be eager to kill, not just willing to kill, not willing to kill, eager. He’s eager, why? Because he thinks his way of thinking is so correct, it’s so correct he can’t imagine anything else. And yet, God hits him with this two by four. Boom! He’s on the ground, light shines in his eye. He’s gone blind, voice from heaven, «Why are you persecuting me»? «Persecuting you, I thought I was defending you». «You thought wrong, I’m doing a new thing».
So now, Paul, I mean, it takes this sort of dramatic event. Paul gets up and he’s literally blind, he’s being led by the hand and mentored by one of the guys he was on his way eager to kill. Dramatic stuff, why? Because this is a massive shift. I put myself there, and I just think about what that would feel like. It’d be overwhelming. Peter goes through the same sort of two by four experience in Acts 10. So, it says in Acts 10 starting in verse 1, «In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of an Italian regiment». Okay, Roman army officer, Cornelius. It says in verse 2, «He was a devout, God-fearing man as was everyone in his household».
Quick timeout there. So, it says, «He was God-fearing». Don’t read that as Christ following. He was God-fearing, not Christ following. He was a Roman officer. So, at this point, where we find him in Acts 10 if you went up and say, «Hey, Cornelius ever heard of Jesus of Nazareth»? «Yeah, I’ve heard of him». «What do you think of him»? «I think he’s a criminal, we had to kill him. Think he was crazy. He thought he was God he thought he was God. A bunch of people thought they were God, they had this little coup, we did everyone a favor. He was leading people astray, they were saying, 'he walked on water. He turned water into wine, ' okay. They’re saying all this stuff about him. He claimed to be the Son of God».
Okay, so this is Cornelius his theology is not right he’s about to figure that out, but his heart is right in that he is a God-fearing man. It says, «He was God fearing, he gave generously to the poor, and prayed regularly to God». Verse 3, «One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. 'Cornelius'! The angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. 'what is it, sir'? He asked the angel. And the angel replied, 'your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering'»! In other words, God sees your sincerity but we have to, like your heart’s right, but we have to straighten out what you know, what you understand in your thinking. In verse 5, he said, «Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter».
I want us to look at a couple dimensions of just what’s happened right here. You’re Cornelius, sincere guy, God sends an angel to get your attention. The intention of the angel is to let you know God is in this. God sees you, and God wants to take you somewhere. But notice the next part, he says, «Go to Joppa, find this guy named Simon Peter». You ever wonder why the angel doesn’t just do the job himself? Do you know what I’m saying? Like it’s, I mean, that’s like you came here to say, «Hey, God sees your heart, now go find Simon Peter». I’ll be like, «Why don’t you save me a trip and you just tell me what Peter would tell me? Why do I need to do that? Like you came all the way down from heaven to talk to me and you’re just telling me to go find Simon? Like, I’d rather hear it right from you, you know».
Why didn’t the angel sit down and say, you know, «Sit down, take out some parchment here, I wanna tell you some stuff,» and explain everything in detail. I mean, isn’t that what we want? Haven’t you ever thought that before? Like, haven’t you ever prayed that kind of thing? «Lord, just make it really clear to me. Tell me exactly what you want me to do. I promise I’ll do it, Lord. You know me, I’m a doer». We cannot get around the fact that Almighty God values the fact that we work some stuff out together. Jesus came not just to restore man to God, but he came also to restore man to man. In John 17, the high priestly prayer Jesus prays right before he goes to the cross, «Lord, I pray that they may be one. As I am one and you’re in me, and I’m in you. I pray that they may be in us and that they may be one so that the world will know that you sent me».
Think of Jesus saying, «By this all men will know you’re my disciples, that you love each other». Think of 1 John 4. 1 John 4 says, «Anyone who claims to love God whom they have not seen, but doesn’t love their brothers and sisters is a liar,» he says. He says, «How are you going to claim to love God who you haven’t seen, but you don’t love the people that God’s put in your life»? So, the angel could have sat here and told Cornelius everything Peter was about to tell him, but God wanted Cornelius and Peter to work some things out together and to have an awkward interaction. It’s about, what was about to happen. Alright so, we’ll keep going. Acts 10, starting in verse 9, it says, «The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on a flat roof to pray».
By the way, my wife and I had this debate the other day R-O-O-F, do you pronounce it ruff or roo-f? Roof? How many say ruff? How many say roo-f? Alright, so roo-f. Honey, you win. «It was about noon,» verse 10, «And he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared he fell into a trance». Now, look at this, verse 11, «He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, 'get up, Peter: kill and eat'».
Okay, you have to understand, what’s the significance? This is more than just animals that you wouldn’t normally eat. This represents an attitude toward people. This represents what was connected to the old covenant and the 613 laws were designed to consecrate or separate the nation from other nations, people from other people. This is what it means to be set apart. This is what it means to be godly. So, things like planting two vegetables in the same garden or wearing clothes with two different types of fabric. These legalistic type things, like, what’s up with that? Well, the whole spirit of that was God wants to set you apart. So, their whole mentality was set apart. I’ve never eaten that food, it’s unclean, it’s out of order, I don’t eat that. And yet, God says, «Kill and eat,» which gives him a visceral reaction.
The text says he was already hungry but he didn’t want to eat this stuff. He’s like, «No i», his reply verse 14 is, «No, Lord,» Peter declared, «I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws declare impure or unclean'. But the voice spoke again, 'do not call something unclean if God has made it clean'». Verse 16, «The same vision was repeated three times», 'Cause Peter liked to work in threes. «And then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven». And look at this now. Now, this is where it gets good, verse 17. «Peter was very perplexed». Perplexed for Peter in this story is a step in the right direction because he started out stubborn, dogmatic, and resistant. «Kill and eat». «No»! He had a visceral reaction. «No, do I have to tell you about the stone laws you gave? No, I’ve never done», he said, «No», look at his next word, «I have never. No, I have never. God why would I have to talk to you about theology? We know what you think, we know how you want us to think. We know what you do. We know what you want us to do. No, I’m not eating this. I’ve never done that».
But he goes from stubborn to quickly perplexed. Perplexed isn’t a great place to be. It’s a bit disorienting to be perplexed, but it’s better than completely resistant. He went from, «No, whoa to hmm». See, hmm is better than no. It’s where he started out. It’s a visceral reaction, it’s normal. There’s some things you’ve accepted for years you’ve thought was right for years and maybe it was right in a season. Now, something’s changing, the old dog’s learning a new trick. God’s trying to get, he’s trying to teach you something. He’s trying to teach you something, and the first reaction is, «No, whoa». But quickly, in verse 17, he goes from stubborn to perplexed. If you keep reading, he goes further than that he asked the question, «What could the vision mean? What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius to Simon’s house standing outside the gate they asked if Peter was staying here meanwhile,» look at this, «Peter was puzzling over the vision».
Oh, Peter, good, buddy. Good, you’re going in the right direction. You went from telling an audible voice from heaven, «No,» to being perplexed, to now you’re puzzling. That’s good, we’re moving, we’re moving into orientation. We’re going from the chaos into orientation. One of the ways that we work through the anxiety of seismic change, some of you are walking through in your life. God is guiding and leading you through, and introducing to you seismic change. And seismic change creates anxiety because it doesn’t go with the stone. It doesn’t go with the stone. I have ideas in stone, I have dreams in stone, I have plans in stone, I have values in stone, I think, these things in stone and something’s operating outside of what you had thought about.
And so, now, it’s outside of that and it creates anxiety. How do I deal with anxiety? I know anxiety is a big conversation. I’m not equipped to talk about every dimension of anxiety. I’m talking about anxiety brought on by massive change. How do I do that? Well, the way that you deal with anxiety is to develop flexibility. The reason I’m having this anxiety is because I’m not flexible, man, I’m in stone. How do you become more flexible? You become more flexible when you become more curious, curious. Peter say, «What could the vision mean»? You gotta puzzle over it. You gotta allow yourself the disorientation of being perplexed. You gotta ask a good question, what could the vision mean? I’m perplexed. Why would God go to all the trouble to send out a vision three times? The sheet from heaven, and all these animals. And why would he even care if I eat a reptile? Why would he care if I eat these birds?
Like they’re dirty, I don’t want to eat that. Like, why is God, and so, he’s puzzling, he’s perplexed, but he’s staying in it. Pray, process, persevere. And as he’s in the middle of that look at this, «The Holy Spirit said to him, 'three men have come looking for you get up and go downstairs and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry for I’ve sent them. So Peter went down, 'I’m the man you’re looking for why have you come? They said, 'we were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout, God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message'».
And so, Peter goes at once. He goes at once. So, God gave Peter just enough to let Peter know, I’m in this. He gave Cornelius just enough. He go, «Cornelius, I want you to know I’m in this». And then, he sent them together to figure it out. Verse 24, «When they arrived the following day, Cornelius was waiting for them and he called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter pulled him up and said, 'stand up! I’m a human being just like you'. They talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled».
Now, guys, don’t miss this. This is really beautiful. This is probably, this is one of the most beautiful stories ever. This is at the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant. This is what go into all the world and preach the gospel. This is something, you have Peter who has never entered the home of a gentile. It’s against his custom, it’s against his tradition, and he goes in. You have Cornelius who is in, he’s in the power position. He’s an officer in the military of the country that is over top of Israel, and he doesn’t know what to do. He’s got his family together, God’s up to something. I don’t want you guys to miss this. «There’s this Simon Peter, I don’t know, man, he must be somebody. 'Cause God sent an angel to tell me to get him. This guy must be amazing».
Simon Peter shows up and Cornelius has his whole family there. He’s like… Bows down to him, he starts worshiping him. You’ve got this Roman soldier worshiping this Jewish man, who’s subject to the Romans. When you study the Roman military, especially in that day, the Roman military was a place where you could advance in life. If you weren’t born into money and you weren’t born to a patriarch, or somebody, a patron who is in a power position, but you’re like, «I’m ambitious. I don’t want to stay stuck here».
What would you do? You’d go into the military because in the military you could go up on your merits. You could prove yourself in battle, you could be disciplined. You could show your loyalty to Caesar, and you could show your loyalty to your nationalism. And okay, all of this will cause you then to go up. You become a centurion. You’re over 100 men, you’re paid 60 times better than the average soldier. So, your income goes up and now, «I can make a new life for my family». So, Cornelius was either born into a name of a family, or he fought his way up. And yet, here he is, he sees Peter, he’s bowing to Peter, and Peter’s like, «Man, don’t do that. Stand up». And then, Peter starts talking about how awkward it is for him. In verse 28, «Peter told them, 'you know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a gentile home like this and to associate with you».
Now, look at this verse, the second part of verse 28, «But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean, so I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now, tell me why you sent for me». A few verses earlier Peter’s puzzling over the vision. Why would God show up on my roof? Roof? Roof. Why would God show up on my roof on a normal day to tell me to eat reptiles? Why would he show up on my roof? Give me a vision three times telling me to eat these things that is unclean? He was willing instead of going, «No, Lord I’ve never». And putting his fingers in his ears done, to be perplexed. He was willing to be puzzled, he was willing to stay in disorientation until he asked him, «What could the vision mean»?
And the Lord sent an answer. And so, now he’s here and he goes, «Ahh. This has nothing to do with reptiles. This has everything to do with gentiles. This has everything to do with other people, this has everything to do with go to the ends of the earth. Ahh, that’s what call nothing unclean that I’ve called clean, ah. This is God’s doing something new». Go back into the feeling of what it would have been like. You’re Peter, you’ve never been in the home of a gentile. «Here I am. I was just starting to get used to tax collectors, and now, I’m in here».
And this guy’s bowing to you and you’re going «Ah». And you’re having a moment. If you keep reading in the text, you’ll see that they have this incredibly beautiful, spiritual moment. God sends the Holy Spirit to fill these gentiles and he’s telling 'em about Jesus and he’s like, «You know, dude you guys killed God but don’t worry, he resurrected. He came back». He tells them about the resurrection. And so, you have, by the way, you have, this isn’t about one dog learning a new trick, this is about a bunch of dogs learning new tricks. Because you have Peter who’s having this whole paradigm shift of, what do I do with the stuff in stone that God is now changing? And then, you have Cornelius who has sworn allegiance to Caesar and has some sort of warped theology, you know, polytheistic theology that he’s now realizing who Jesus is.
And what that could cost him in terms of his allegiance to Rome. All of the, they’re all learning new tricks in this clunky little story where, but it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful. And this is what Peter says at the end of it. He says, «Peter replied, I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and who do what is right». Hey, maybe you already knew this. This is, you’re seeing Peter discover this for the first time. Verse 36, «This is the message of good news for the people of Israel, that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all». Jesus takes Peter on a journey. It started in Mark 1, and it went to Acts 10. And in Mark 1 it was simple, «Put down your nets and follow me».
There is no way in the world, Peter was ready for the message he was gonna give, the change he was gonna make in Acts 10, he wasn’t ready for that in Mark 1. It took constant, consistent, iterations of change, but God has a way of inviting us into the change he wants for us right now. I’ll say this last thing and then I’m done, probably. I went and watched a bunch of videos on YouTube about how to teach an old dog new tricks, alright. The good news is, it’s totally possible, alright. If you don’t believe me, go to YouTube look it up, I’ve watched a bunch of 'em. And I watched it after I prepared the message 'Cause I wanted to look at through the lens of Peter’s story. And without turning this into a whole other message about how to literally teach a old dog new tricks there’s a few things.
A few themes that ran through all the trainings. One of them is, they said, «Hey, you gotta understand that an older dog gets tired more quickly, and so you have to do it in smaller doses». Like, don’t try to do it all. Like do what the dog can handle. When the dog gets tired or whatever you just, you have mercy and, great, okay, cool. They said, «When the dog gets it wrong, you don’t punish the dog. But when they get it right, you incentivize the dog». And then, this is my favorite part, this was worth all the watching. They said this, «There’s something special about the older dog because older dogs can learn new tricks because older dogs have a longer track record of learning to trust their master».
You get a young dog, they’re still learning to trust the master. Yeah, they’re fast. They’re running all over, they’re doing stuff. Okay, more energy, bounding, jumping, all this. An old dog is not doing all that, but an old dog has years and years of trusting the master. Knowing the master’s good, knowing the master’s faithful, knowing the master as a friend. And they said, «The old dog, if you’ll be patient with that old dog, and you’ll incentivize the old dog when the old dog gets a new trick and starts to get it right,» they said, «That one will learn it because they know the master is good».
And friend, I wanna say, I know we got some old dogs, and some young old dogs, and some old young dogs, and we got all kinds of dogs in the house. All of us can identify with this. We all have a little stubborn, we all have a little stone in us. And yet, I want to encourage you, be a leader. Embrace the change that God wants to use in you.
Think about all of the things that have led you up to this moment. The wins, the losses, the lessons, everything, the years that have led you to right here. You’ve had so many iterations of gaining and losing, you’ve gained a lot, and you’ve lost a lot, and you’ve been disoriented, you’ve been hopeless, you’ve had some dark nights. But you came through and you got your orientation, and you came to peace, and maturity, and strength. And all of that has led you up to right now what God is doing. And maybe God, right now, is leading you through the most seismic change you’ve ever had. «No, Lord, I have never». Don’t stop there, God wants to take you to a new trick. Be willing to be perplexed, and puzzled. Trust your master, trust God in what he’s doing to bring you all the way through.