“A Vision that Changed the World” Acts 10:1-33
God called the people of Israel to a special relationship with Him. They were to be His people, His witnesses and His missionaries to the rest of the world.
But somewhere along the way they forgot their purpose and began to create barriers between themselves and the rest of the world.
They soon believed that salvation was only for Jews.
It was this world the church was born into. The Apostle Peter, being a good Jew, had been taught, not to have anything to do with a Gentile.
If he touched one even accidentally he would have to go home and wash.
Think about what would happen if this attitude or this mindset were carried over into the church. This kind of belief system would have been devastating to the spread of the gospel.
Large areas of the world would have never heard of Jesus Christ. I think about the people we met in Africa who had been given membership cards to the “New Apostolic” church but had no idea who Jesus was.
Even you and I, as Gentile believers would be without Christ.
But remember from last week that Holy Spirit has been moving Peter from one human need to another until he ended up in the city of Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner…a man who touches dead things.
The very fact that Peter was willing to stay in the home of Simon the tanner proves that God was gradually moving Peter away from his man-made legalistic attitude.
This is what I think is so cool; the very moment God is drawing Peter away from his prejudice, He is drawing another man toward Him and ultimately toward Peter.
I. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE VISION vv. 1-8
Cornelius was a member of a military regiment made up of freedmen from Italy and who, because of their service, were given Roman citizenship. As a centurion, Cornelius commanded a group of about 100 soldiers.
Cornelius is also portrayed as a godly man. We are told that he was “devout.”
What this means is that he knows there is a god and he is seeking him. We are also told that he “fears God” that is that he lives his life as if he is answerable to God. We are also told that he is a generous man, one who gives to those in need. And we are told that he is a praying man.
Here is a man that is religious, sincere, and prayerful and yet he is not saved.
There are many people today who think that all you need in order to make it to heaven is to be religious, to be sincere and to live a good clean moral life. Cornelius’ position points out clearly that one can have all of that and still be lost.
The angel who appears to Cornelius tells him to send down to Joppa for a man named Peter who is staying in the house of Simon the tanner.
I remember Dan Paige, our team leader, telling about his encounter with the chief of one village, while we were in Africa. Dan said the chief kept staring at him and he had a strange look on his face. The chief told Dan and our missionary, Jim Mussen that he had experienced a dream of a white man with white hair, wearing a hat with a symbol on it, coming to his village with great news. The hat Dan was wearing had that same symbol the chief saw (Atlanta Braves) and when Dan pulled his hat off, his head was full of white hair. The chief even said the man in his dream looked just like Dan.
Cornelius’ story, and Dan’s experience, for me, sheds some light on the question that many ask, “What about the person who has never heard of Jesus Christ? What about the person who has lived up to the light that he has received, but has never heard of Jesus Christ? What happens to him?”
What happened to Cornelius? When he was obedient to the light he had, God saw to it that he received more light. I believe that it is safe to say that any person anywhere in the world who sincerely wants to be right with God and who is sincerely searching for the truth, can find that truth. God has ways, we know nothing about, of getting his word to those who truly seek Him. Someone once asked Charles Spurgeon if “the heathen could be saved if they did not hear the gospel.” His wise reply was, “Can WE be saved if we don’t deliver the gospel?”
II. THE INSPIRATION OF A VISION vv. 9-16
The vision was a sheet being lowered from heaven with several kinds of animals, some considered clean and some considered unclean.
Have you ever wondered why if Peter was so horrified, at the thought of killing and eating “unclean” animals why not not just pick a “clean” animal from among those presented? Here’s what we need to see. The “clean” animals mingled with the “unclean.” And for the devout Jew, the mingling of the “clean” with the “unclean” animals would have caused all the animals to be “unclean.”
Because of his upbringing Peter refused to kill and eat any of them.
Peter’s response to God’s command to kill and eat was, “Not, so Lord; for I have never eaten anything that was common or unclean” (v. 14).
Peter is proud of the fact that he had never done certain things and we today have our own similar form of legalism and sometimes we define ourselves by the things that we don’t do. Now there’s nothing wrong with not doing certain things but what is wrong is defining our spirituality based on the things that we refuse to do.
I heard my pastor jokingly say one time, “I don’t cuss, drink, smoke or chew and I don’t run around with women who do either.”
But the truth is that the world is not impressed by that. What non-Christians are looking for is the Christian who is able to live a life that is beyond the capabilities of the non-Christian. What impresses non-Christians is to find homes that are filled with loving acceptance of one another, a home that is characterized by warmth, joy and peace in the middle of a world where homes are falling apart on every side.
The Lord’s response to Peter in this vision is, “What God has cleansed you must not call common” (v. 15).
It soon becomes obvious to Peter that these words had a far greater implication than simply what he was and was not allowed to eat.
Peter suddenly realized that he was not to regard certain people as unclean nor were they to be avoided. God is revealing to him that all forgiven sinners are to be accepted including Gentiles.
The four corners of the sheet correspond to the four corners of the earth or to the four points of the compass. The sheets contents indicate the millions of people who make up Peter’s world.
I wonder if Peter thought about the words Jesus spoke in Mark 7:17-23; “When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. (18) So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, (19) because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” (20) And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. (21) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, (22) thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. (23) All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (NKJV)
In other words, being near pagans was not the problem, but being like pagans defiled the person.
Later Peter tells Cornelius in verse 28 that it was considered unlawful for him to associate with Gentiles.
Actually there is no Old Testament law that prohibited such association. What Peter is referring to is that it was unlawful according to Jewish custom and practice.
It was this custom and practice that Jesus commands his disciples to set aside.
Cornelius was ready. All God had to do now was prepare someone to share the gospel with him. When you look at this story you can see that it was harder to get someone prepared to witness than it was to get someone ready to listen.
I wonder if there more people ready to listen to the gospel, in our lives today, than there are people ready to share the gospel.
III. THE INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION vv. 17-23
While the vision left Peter wondering what in the world that God was trying to tell him, the three men from Cornelius came up to the gate asking if Peter was there.
John Stott wrote; “We note how perfectly God dovetailed his working in Cornelius and in Peter. For while Peter was praying and seeing his vision, the men from Cornelius were approaching the city (9-16); while Peter was still perplexed about the meaning of what he had seen, they arrived at the house (17-18); while Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him that the men were looking for him and that he must not hesitate to go with to go with them (19-20); and when Peter went down and introduced himself to them, they explained to him the purpose of their visit.” [John Stott. The Spirit, The Church and the World: The Message of Acts. (Downers Grove, ILL: InterVarsity Press, 1990) pp. 187-188.]
It is important that Peter invite these men into the house, where they must have shared in the meal and spent the night.
It is also obvious that barriers are continuing to be torn down.
When the Lord shows us some new truth He gives us an opportunity to act on what we have learned. The truth is that when God challenges our hearts, he often provides circumstances that call upon us to put those principles into practice.
When the Lord reveals His truth to us, He also provides perfectly timed opportunities. We should expect them and accept them as gifts. And when they happen we will know that God has given us opportunities to minister.
IV. THE IMPLEMENTATION (applying) OF THE VISION vv. 24-33
When Peter arrived Cornelius fell at his feet in worship. Peter’s response shows that he realized that it was inappropriate either to worship somebody as if they were God or to reject anyone as if they were unclean.
Peter refused to be treated as a god or to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog.
Conclusion
First, I want you to understand that it was prayer, focusing on God ( v5, 9) on the part of both Peter and Cornelius that made them receptive to God’s leading.
Is your prayer life strong enough that God can use it to guide you and give you direction?
“E Stanley Jones once said, ‘I find myself better or worse as I pray more or less. It works with almost mathematical precision.”
Second, the vision that changed the world began by changing one man.
Peter’s attitude was changed, although he was a still a little rough around the edges but God changed him and He can change us.
(Holding the napkin) Alexander Whyte said, “It would change your whole heart and life this very (day) if you would take Peter and Cornelius home with you and lay them both to heart. If you would take a four cornered napkin when you get home, and a…. Pen and ink and write the names of the nations, and the churches, and the denominations, and the congregations, and the ministers, and the public figures (men), and the private citizens, and the neighbors, and the fellow-worshippers – all the people you dislike, and despise and do not, cannot, and will not, love. Heap all their names into your unclean napkin, and then look up and say, ‘Not so, Lord, I neither can speak well, nor think well, of these people. I cannot do it and I will not try. (pause)
If you acted out and spoke out all the evil things that are in your heart in some such way as that, you would thus get such a sight of yourselves that you would never forget it.” [As quoted in (R. Kent Hughes. Acts: The Church Afire. Wheaton, ILL: Crossway Books, 1996) pp. 147-148]
The problem is that we can be just as selective about those with whom we are willing to share the gospel as Peter and his Jewish brethren were. Do we see those around us as potential believers or do we view them as unreachable? Are there co-workers and family that we have written off as impossible to reach for the kingdom of Christ?
Finally don’t forget that when God shows us some new truth He will give us an opportunity to act on what we have learned. He often provides circumstances that call upon us to put those principles into action. We need to expect it and welcome the opportunity.
