Acts 10:28-48 (NIV)

28He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47“Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

 (Bold Emphasis Mine)

Introduction:

Problems have arisen recently. The experience of Peter is Relative to what we are experiencing. He did not find it easy to accept others either.

I.      The church's confession must be one of acceptance.

John 3:16
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)
22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 5:21 (NIV)
21I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Matthew 28:18 through Matthew 28:20 (NIV) 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in£ the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 (NIV)
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Romans 10:12-13 (NIV)
12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

II.   The church's Conduct must be one of acceptance.

Galatians 2:11-16 (NIV)
11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
15“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Acts 13:38 through Acts 13:52 (NIV) /38“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39Through him everyone who believes* is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41      “‘Look, you scoffers,

          wonder and perish,

for I am going to do something in your days

          that you would never believe,

          even if someone told you.’”

42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

      “‘I have made you£ a light for the Gentiles,

          that you£ may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

III.  The church's consummation will be one of acceptance.

Revelation 7:9-12 (NIV)
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language*, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:

      “Salvation belongs to our God,

      who sits on the throne,

      and to the Lamb.”

11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:

      “Amen!

      Praise and glory

      and wisdom and thanks and honor

      and power and strength

      be to our God for ever and ever.

      Amen!”

Conclusion:

If we are to be a part of the church of  God in heaven, we have to start believing and acting like the church of God on earth.  We pray the Lord's prayer and ask that the Father's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, but are we really willing to embrace the shame and embarrassment that might come with implementing that will. Here in the south, to be a white person and to make a call for inclusive acceptance of all races and the love of all people under the banner of Christ can lose us friends and cause us shame and embarrassment. Christ faced that shame and embarrassment head on in the garden of Gethsemene, when He said

Luke 22:42 (NIV)
42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

I understand that you might be put to some shame and embarrassment, and some life long friends might be offended if you accept people of another color into your fellowship.  I understand you are worried about the Thanksgiving services that are to be held at this church, but isn't it ironic that the service you are trying to protect by excluding those of another color, itself celebrates the sitting down of two races, both pilgrim and Indian, as they sit together at a table of fellowship offering thanks to God for their blessings?

My prayer is that God's will would be done through his church. He calls us to accept people of all races into fellowship.  It is hard to accept acceptance.  But I am afraid if our confession and conduct are not right as the church on earth, we will fail to become part of that church which shall be around the throne in heaven.