Breaking Down The Barriers Series

Good morning. We are going to look at one of the most significant chapters in the book of Acts - Acts 10 the account of the conversion of the Gentiles in response to the Gospel.

• This account was mentioned 3 times in this book. Luke gave it much space in Acts 10 and then again in Acts 11 when Peter recounted it, and finally in Acts 15 when Peter explained it to the Council.

• It’s the conversion of the Roman centurion Cornelius, a non-Jew and his family and friends. We see the breaking down of barriers.

• It marks the crossing of the psychological barrier for apostle Peter and the crossing of the Gospel from one race to another, from the Jews to the Gentiles.

• No matter how different or how unfit the Jews think the Gentiles are, the Lord wants to reach out to them and save them. Everyone matters to God.

Let’s pray and ask God to bless our time of learning today.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us our daily bread today. May our soul be nourished and our spirit strengthened again by your living Word. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. To you alone, Lord belongs all the glory and praise.

Help us see you through your Word today. This we pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Let’s read Acts 10:1-8.

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"

4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

We see God breaking down the barriers in this chapter.

• Cornelius faced the barrier of faith in Christ, not being able to fully know God, being a Roman soldier and from a different race and culture from the apostles.

• Even though he has been pious and God-fearing, being religious and doing good works cannot save him.

• All men have sinned and stand guilty before God, Cornelius included. No amount of piety and good works can change that.

Cornelius needs to know Jesus - the only Mediator between God and man. The problem of sin that separated him from God has to be resolved.

• The only way for him to truly know God and be reconciled to Him is through faith in Jesus. He needs to hear the Gospel. The Lord steps in to make that possible.

Over the last few chapters, we have been seeing God at work, through the church at large as well as individuals, like Stephen, Philip, Paul and Peter.

• The message of the good news of Jesus was preached beyond Jerusalem to Samaria and Damascus. God initiated those events.

• And now in Acts 10, we see God orchestrating a meetup between Cornelius (the one who needs to know) and Peter (the one with the Gospel) and bringing them together.

• Even though they did not know each other and were 50km apart (Cornelius in Caesarea and Peter in Joppa), God would make that happen.

• How? By preparing both of them, separately with different visions, for a divine appointment.

None of these encounters was humanly possible; they were divinely arranged.

• God has not been passive; He has been actively involved in the lives of His people, both in the carriers of the Gospel (Jewish believers), as well as those whose hearts were opened to Him.

• If there is no coincidence with God, then we can find ourselves speaking to people who are in need and struggling to find the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Cornelius was such a man, in search of this living hope. He might be a Roman centurion commanding a unit of 100 soldiers, but he needed to be saved.

• God would provide that answer. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” (10:4b-6)