You’ve Got Mail!
Acts 10:23-48
Intro: Most people like to check the mail. It is especially nice when you receive a personal letter from a friend, sharing things that only friends would share. There are always important bills and other business-related things that we need to keep track of. Then there is the junk mail pile. I notice that a lot of people leave their junk mail in the Post Office trash so they don’t have to deal with it at home. What classifies as junk mail? Usually, somebody is either trying to sell you something you don’t need or convince you of something you don’t believe. Most of us have no interest in junk mail, because we don’t want to be bothered by what somebody else thinks we should do with our time or money.
-Email works pretty much the same way. We can get important email messages from friends and family members. Sometimes they pass messages on to us from somebody else – funny stories or warnings about the latest internet scams. Some of these are okay, but it is really nice when someone just wants to talk and communicate with you on a personal level. Most internet services provide a great feature: When you are on-line and someone sends you a message, you hear a chime and a voice comes through your computer that says something like, “You’ve got mail!” Pretty cool, huh? It’s old news to some of you, because it has been around several years now. But it is still kind of fun to know when somebody is sending you a message.
-God has spoken to mankind throughout history. He has used creation, nature, prophets, teachers, preachers, writers, direct revelation, visions, dreams, events, and so on. God has spoken to mankind so that we would get to know who He is and what He wants to do in our lives. God has something to say to each one of us everyday. In fact, if you listen closely, you just might hear a little voice that says, “You’ve got mail!” God has specific messages for each of us, if we will just open our mail and read it each day. However, He also has a message that He wants to send to everyone on this earth. Some people treat it like junk mail and either throw it away or delete it. Some adjust their spam settings so that God’s message cannot get through all the filters they have set up. I’d like to talk about this message from God for a few minutes this morning.
Prop: God has an instant message of love that He wants to send to everyone.
Interrogative: What is the message that God wants every person to hear?
TS: Here is the message from God to you! Let me read some excerpts from your mail that tell us some important things God wants you to know about His Son.
I. Jesus Was Sent into Your World by God (36-38)
-In. v.36 we find out that Cornelius has been reading someone else’s mail. Peter said, “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.”
-Cornelius had apparently studied the OT Scriptures and knew that God was going to send a Messiah to save Israel. It is quite possible that he was aware of some of the prophecies that linked the Messiah to the Gentiles. One such prophecy comes from Isaiah 49:6, where God says, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Cornelius had heard about Jesus, His teachings, and miracles. Yet he did not yet know Him, and he was not certain whether He was the One God had promised to send.
-V.38 says that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. Even as you look at the OT, you see that kings and leaders were anointed with oil in preparation for a task God was calling them to do. King David was anointed as king of Israel. Oil typically represents the Holy Spirit. We can do nothing significant without the help of God the Holy Spirit. I think that is one reason the Bible tells us that God anointed Jesus with the HS and power, so we would know that we too must receive the Spirit’s help to live our lives for God.
-Now, why did God send Jesus into our world? Most of us could probably answer that, but let’s see what God’s message says about it. John 3:16 says that He gave His Son because He loved us. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”
-Jesus was sent into your world because God cares about you. If He didn’t care, Jesus would not have come. God sent Jesus because you needed help.
-One thing that shows how much God cares about you is that He really does seek to enter your world. Not only did Jesus come to the world, but He has entered your world. If you look closely enough at your own life, you will see how God has sought to reveal Himself to you personally. He has sent certain people to show you how much He loves you. He brought you here today to hear more about His love for you. God has provided for you in ways that you were never even aware of. He cares enough about you to come into your little world and help you find your way to His.
-TS: That leads us to the 2nd point.
II. Jesus Wants to Help You (38)
-Jesus went around doing good & healing all who were under the power of the devil.
-While Jesus was in this world, He was on a mission to help people like you and me. As you read the 1st 4 books of the NT, you will find Jesus helping people who were in need. He spoke encouraging words to people who were discouraged and did not have any hope. He did good to others, always seeking their benefit.
-One of the 5 purposes of the Church is to serve others by meeting their needs. Since the Church belongs to Jesus, it is no wonder we find serving as part of His mission. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
-When people receive help from others, this question usually comes up: “Why are you doing this? What do you want in return? What do you want from me?” We are used to some strings being attached when people are willing to help us. The thing that might prevent this question from being asked is the mentality that we somehow deserve the help we receive. Think about it. There are some who feel like they are entitled to assistance in whatever form it comes. They think, “I need help; therefore, I deserve it.”
-Well, there is no doubt that we all need help sometimes, but we are far from deserving it. There is a little 5-letter word called GRACE. Grace refers to help or kindness that is given but not deserved. If we deserved it, then it would simply be a payment that someone owes to us. Did you know that God would be totally just in writing off the human race as a lost cause? Think back again to the OT. The very people God chose to represent Him to the rest of the world turned their backs on Him and began doing what everybody else was doing – worshiping idols and other gods. God told Moses He was going to wipe out the whole nation of Israel and start over with him, but Moses pleaded with God to spare His people.
-It is only by God’s grace that we receive His help. He wants to help us, and He has the power to help us. He wants to help us live right and love right. He wants to set us free from every form of bondage. V.38 says Jesus went around healing all who were under the power of the devil. Jesus wants to help us become all that He created us to be.
-TS: The greatest help of all comes to us through the death of Jesus. That is what this next point is about.
III. Jesus Died to Pay the Penalty for Your Sins (39)
-Peter says that the Jews killed Jesus by hanging him on a tree.
-You can read about the execution of Jesus in the last few chapters of the 1st 4 books of the NT. Why did Jesus allow Himself to be executed? He had the power to escape or overthrow His enemies. Why didn’t He use it?
-The short answer is that He knew His death was your only hope. Why? Because nothing else could satisfy justice. One of the principles that we find in the Bible is that sin requires death. In the OT the sacrificial death of an animal covered a person’s sin. In the NT, only the death of a perfectly sinless man would pay for a person’s sin. Jesus is the only One who has ever qualified. Only His life could be given in exchange for ours.
-Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst.” Paul considered himself the worst of sinners because he persecuted the church that Jesus died for. He’s not alone, however. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can never be good enough to approach God. There is only one thing that gives us access into God’s presence: trusting that what Jesus did for us in His death was enough to take away our sins. If we believe that and let Jesus lead our lives, then we can know God and enjoy Him forever.
-Please hear me as I repeat this important truth: There is no other way to get to heaven or be right with God than through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross.
-TS: Yet, that is not quite the whole story. Our next point tells us more.
IV. Jesus Rose Again to Give You Life (40-41)
-God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
-We just finished studying 1 Cor. 15 in our midweek Care Group and Bible Study. Paul makes the strong point in this chapter that if Jesus did not rise from the dead then everything we do as Christians is empty and meaningless. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our sins aren’t really forgiven. Why not? Because Jesus said He would rise from the dead. If He did not, then He would be a liar, which would show that He was an imposter. If He was an imposter, then everything we are trusting in is false. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we are done. Church is done, Christianity is done, Life is done!
-However, the Bible makes it very clear that Jesus did rise from the dead. Peter says, “God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.” Paul tells us that Jesus was seen by Peter, the rest of the 12 disciples, more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, James, all the apostles, and last of all by Paul himself. There is a tremendous amount of eyewitness evidence that is more than sufficient to show us that Jesus did rise from the dead! He defeated death and when He returns, He will finalize His victory over death by raising up all believers who have died, and transforming the bodies of those who are still alive so that they will never die. Death will never win again!
-This stuff is in your mailbox! Will you open it and read about it? God wants you to know that He sent Jesus to your world to help you. Jesus died for your sins and rose again because He was greater than death. He will either raise you or change you when He returns to this earth to gather those who love and trust Him.
-TS: Let’s read some more of your mail. God wants you to know more about Jesus and how important it is to know where you stand with Him.
V. Jesus Will Be Your Judge (42)
-God appointed Jesus as the judge of the living and the dead.
-I’m thinking that it is a good thing to be in good standing with the judge. We all will give an account of our lives to God. Doctrinally, we believe that true believers are exempt from the Great White Throne judgment, when those who hated God are judged by the Lord. However, we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, as Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:10.
-Peter’s point in telling Cornelius that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead is to show that Jesus was more than a man. He was all man, but He was also all God. Jesus is the divine Son of God, and everybody will answer to Him.
-He will be totally fair, and completely just. Revelation 20:13 indicates that each person whose name is not written in the book of life will be judged according to what he or she has done. After that, they will be thrown into the lake of fire. That makes me want to be certain that my name is in the right book!
-How do we get our name in the right book? Everyone makes the books, but not everyone makes the book! Revelation 20:12 says, “The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” However, the book trumps the books! If your name is in the book of life, you will spend eternity as a friend of God!
-TS: So, how do we get in the book? This final point tells us about it.
VI. Jesus Wants to Forgive You (43)
-Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
-Jesus wants to forgive you! All He asks from you is sincere repentance, which involves a change of life. If we believe in Jesus – that He really is the Judge of all people – then we will ask Him to forgive us for all the wrong things we’ve said and done. If we really believe in Jesus, then we will ask Him to change us so we can do what is right.
-Jesus wants to forgive you! 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Close: You’ve got mail! What will you do with it? Don’t delete it! Don’t let it get lost in the piles and piles of junk mail that are sent your way! Don’t ignore it. Read it. Think about it. Ask questions about it. Reply to it. One nice thing about email is all you have to do is hit reply and start writing. One nice thing about prayer is all you have to do is start talking to the Lord. Even if you’ve not yet made a commitment to love and serve God, I believe you can reply to His message. Saul did. When Jesus gave him a message, Saul said, “Lord, who are You?” If you’re not sure about who God is or what He is up to, ask Him. Ask other people who already know Him. God wants to show you who He really is, if you will let Him.
-Your mail- God’s message to you- says that Jesus was sent to your world to help you. He loves to meet needs, giving gifts, providing for those in need, and healing those who are sick or perhaps even under the power of the devil. Jesus was sent to your world to die as a payment for your sins, and to rise from the dead. This same Jesus will be the judge that we all answer to at the end of time. This same Jesus wants to forgive you and welcome you into a loving relationship with His Father.
-How about it? How will you respond to God’s message to you? I hope that you will say Yes to Him and ask Him to forgive you and lead your life. If you’ve already done that, just make sure that you are really letting Him lead. Keep following Him and He will take you where He wants you to go. If you haven’t asked God to forgive you and lead you, then you’ve got some mail to respond to. In fact, you can send an instant message to the Lord right now, just by speaking to Him from your heart. Tell Him you want to receive His help and experience His forgiveness. He hears you when you call out to Him. Whatever your need is, He wants to help you.
-Let’s pray and ask God to help us pay attention to what He is saying to us. If you would like to receive prayer, please come and we will pray for you.
