God Wants Our Church to Grow!
Acts 10:1-23
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - Feb. 16, 2014
*Does God want our church to grow? There is no doubt about it. The Scripture makes this truth clear in many places. For example, 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says that: "God our Savior" desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
*God surely wants our church to grow, and He gives us some strong evidence in tonight's Scripture.
1. First, He stresses that no one is saved without Jesus.
*Faith in Christ is absolutely necessary for salvation, and God's Word reminds us of this in vs. 1-2:
1. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
2. a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
*If there was ever anyone who could be saved without faith in Jesus Christ, it would be someone like Cornelius. He was a good man, a generous man, a religious man, a reverent man, and a praying man. But Cornelius still needed to be saved.
*No one is good enough to go to Heaven on their own goodness. The nicest people you have ever known will spend eternity in hell, if they don't receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
*One of the most difficult things for us to do is to come face to face with the reality that people are hopelessly lost without Jesus. People we know and love. People we've never met. People who have never heard the good news are hopelessly lost without Jesus.
*Some church people want to think that somehow those other people will be okay. But the Bible is very clear on this matter. The Great Commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20. There God's Word says:
18. Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'' Amen.
*Think about the Great Commission. If people could be saved without Jesus, the Great Commission would be: "Shhhh! Don't tell anybody about Jesus, because then they will be responsible for rejecting the Lord. Just keep quiet, and God will make another way to save them."
*But there is no other way. As Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. And listen to Jesus speaking about Himself in John 3:18: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
*We must believe in Jesus to be saved. We must receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior. We must be born again by believing in Jesus Christ.
*Brian Bill connected this vital truth to the Christmas story in Luke 2 and said: "Christmas is real history but it must become your story." Corrie Ten Boom once said: "If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost." (1)
2. God wants His church to grow, so He stresses that no one is saved without Jesus. And He seeks to save the lost.
*Jesus Christ is always seeking to save the lost. Think about how the Lord sought to save Cornelius. We begin to get an idea in vs. 3-8, where God's Word says:
3. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!''
4. And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?'' So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
5. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.
6. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.''
7. And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.
8. So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
*How far did God go to save Cornelius? -- God was willing to send an angel to Cornelius. Then in the following verses, God was willing to give a vision to Peter, and willing to repeat it 3 times
*Now think about how far God was willing to go to save us. Most likely there wasn't an angel involved, at least in an obvious way. But God was willing to come to earth for us, willing to give us His Word, even willing to die on the cross for our sins. God was also willing to send His Spirit into the world as a witness to us, and willing to send faithful Christians to witness to us.
*This story about Cornelius reminds us how far God was willing to go to save us. Yes, it is true in vs. 7-8 that Cornelius started to seek Christ. But the truth is that Jesus was seeking him first, and the same thing is true in our lives.
*In Luke 19:10, Jesus said that He had "come to seek and to save that which was lost." And we will see this truth so clearly in Heaven. God was seeking us a long, long time before we ever thought about seeking Him! He went the distance for us.
*I have always liked the story of Alvin Straight. He was the 73-year-old man from Iowa who desperately wanted to visit his sick brother. But his brother lived on the other side of the state. Alvin couldn't get anyone to drive him to his brother's house. And he wasn't able to drive a car, because he couldn't read road signs when he went over 20 mph. So Alvin did what he could. He rode his lawn mower 240 miles across the state of Iowa to be with his brother. Alvin went the distance for his brother. And that's a tiny picture of what God has done for us. (2)
3. God wants our church to grow, so He always seeks to save the lost. He also stretches us to reach new people.
*Christians: God wants to stretch our spiritual lives. And Peter helps us see how God stretches us to grow and go. In vs. 9-16:
9. The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
10. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
11. and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
12. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat.''
14. But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.''
15. And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common.''
16. This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
17. Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.
18. And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.
[1] God gave Peter a vision to stretch his heart for the lost.
*And the Lord probably won't put us in a trance. But we can be sure that He wants to give us a vision for our lives, and the life of our church.
*Notice that God's vision is great. In vs. 11, the Lord sent down a great big sheet! This reminds us that God has big plans for our lives, maybe not from the world's point of view, but from His point of view. And that's what counts! God has big plans for us. He doesn't want us to settle for mediocrity.
*So it's a great vision, and it's a growing vision, because God wants us to grow. That's why His vision will sometimes seem shocking or even scary to us. There Peter was, maybe waiting on a good fish dinner, when this huge sheet comes down from Heaven. And it was filled with wild animals and all kinds of creepy things. That was shocking, even scary, but God wants to challenge us. He wants to move us. He wants us to grow.
*It's a growing vision, and it has to be grasped. That can be hard to do. It was hard for Peter that day. But God is persistent. He repeated that vision three times for Peter. That's because God wants us to see things that we have never seen before.
*God wants us to grasp His vision for our lives, and when we do it's glorious. It will take us to new people! And it will take us to a whole new place in life.
[2] This was a stretching vision. But it was also a saving vision
*Think again about the sheet in the vision God gave to Peter. In vs. 11-15, Peter:
11. . . saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
12. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat.''
14. But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.''
15. And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common.''
*Here God was giving Peter a message about salvation, and part of this message was about race. Peter followed the Old Testament rules about eating from the Book of Leviticus. But the Lord wanted him to know that he was living under a new covenant, a New Testament. And God used this example of dietary law to teach Peter a much more important spiritual truth: That salvation wasn't just for the Jews. The salvation of the cross is for all the people of the world! -- for every race and tongue and nation. This was a huge step forward in the life of the church, and a radical transformation in Peter's life.
*William Barclay put it this way: "In this passage the most surprising things are happening. Once again let us remember that the Jews believed that other nations were quite outside the mercy of God.
*The really strict Jew would have no contact with a Gentile or even with a Jew who did not observe the Law. In particular he would never have as a guest, nor ever be the guest of a man who did not observe the Law. But in these verses, those old barriers are beginning to go down in an amazing way." (3)
*W. A. Criswell said: "With this passage of Scripture we have come to a great continental divide, to a watershed. In the tenth chapter we see that the Lord is doing a new and wondrous thing. It includes us who are not Jews, who are not of the seed of Abraham, but who belong to the Gentile families of the earth. . .
*For centuries, the Lord had been dealing with His chosen family, Israel, but now the grace of God is extended to the nations of the world. The love and mercy of our Lord is overflowing its banks, and now is bathing the feet of all the peoples of mankind with loving grace." (4)
*Salvation is for every race and tongue and nation. Aren't you glad? If it was just for the Jews, there would be no hope for you and me. Part of God's salvation vision was about race. But the biggest part was about grace.
*This is the message from the Lord in vs. 12-15:
12. In it (that sheet) were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat.''
14. But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.''
15. And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common.''
*God can clean up even the creepy things! He will wash away all of our sins by the blood of the Lamb. God will forgive your sins and give you everlasting life! This is the message of the cross! It's the same message that God wanted Peter to preach to Cornelius 2,000 years ago! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by the grace of Almighty God.
*Dr. Harry Ironside was the great Bible teacher who preached for 50 years. He also served as pastor of Moody Church in Chicago from 1930 to 1948. Harry told the story that his mother told him about his father's dying hour.
*There was an unusual connection with these vs. from Acts 10. Ironside's mother said, "Your father had this passage running through his mind. He kept repeating it constantly, 'A great sheet and wild beasts, and, and...' He could not seem to get the next word out, but went back and started over and over.
*Finally, once more he came to that same place. Then a friend bent over and whispered, 'John, it says, creeping things.' 'Oh, yes,' the dying man replied. 'That is how I got in, just a poor, good-for-nothing creeping thing. But I got in, -- saved by grace.'" (5)
*That's the message: Saved by grace! And it is God's great goal for more and more people to be saved by grace!
4. God wants our church to grow, so He stretches us to reach new people.
-He also sets-up divine appointments for His people.
*We can see the appointment starting to come together in vs. 17: "Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate."
*We should love the timing here. It was about a 40-mile walk for those two servants from Caesarea Philippi to Joppa, but they got there right after Peter's vision. God's timing was perfect, and it always is.
*God set-up a divine appointment for those men, and He will do the same thing in our lives. God will set them up. But we will have to follow up. That's what God was telling Peter back up in vs. 13, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat.''
*The Holy Spirit made it even more clear in vs. 19-20:
19. While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.
20. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.''
*God set the appointment up, but Peter had to follow up. And Cornelius will be grateful forever that he did!
*In vs. 21-23:
21. Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?''
22. And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.''
23. Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
*God is going to give us golden opportunities to reach people for Him. The question is: Will we follow-up on them? The right thing said at the right time can change someone's life forever.
*Bill Bouknight told the story of an old Methodist preacher. He was retired, but never missed an opportunity to say a word for our Lord. One day this preacher was in the barbershop getting a haircut from the young man who was his regular barber. And the old pastor said, "Harry, how are you and the Lord getting along."
*The young man rudely replied, "I do the best I can and that's good enough for me." The pastor said no more, but when his haircut was finished, he got up and paid the barber. Then he said with a smile, "Harry, you work so hard that you deserve a break. Sit down, rest, and have a coke. I'll cut the next customer's hair."
*The barber smiled and said, "I appreciate that but I can't let you do it." "But why not?" the preacher replied. "I promise to do my best." "But," said the barber. "I'm afraid that your best wouldn't be good enough." Then the preacher made the obvious point: "Son, neither is your best good enough for Almighty God."
CONCLUSION:
*I hope that young man got the point and got saved, because God wants His church to grow! God wants our church to grow!
*That's why in these verses:
-He stresses that no one is saved without Jesus.
-He is seeking to save the lost.
-He stretches us to reach new people.
-And He sets up divine appointments for His people.
*May the Lord help us to apply these truths as we go to God in prayer.
(1) SermonCentral sermon "The Shepherds' Joy about Jesus" by Brian Bill - Luke 2:8-20
(2) Sources:
SermonCentral illustration contributed by David Yarbrough
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Straight
(3) Adapted from "BARCLAY'S DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES (NT)" by William Barclay, Revised Edition - Copyright 1975 William Barclay - First published by the Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland - The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Meeting of Peter and Cornelius - Acts 10:17-33
(4) Acts, an Exposition, Volume II, W.A. Criswell, Zondervan Corp., Grand Rapids, 1979, p. 65
(5) Sources:
H. A. Ironside - Children's Corner Christian Biography
SermonCentral sermon "The Door to Abundant Life" by Evie Megginson - John 10:9-11
(6) Sermons.com sermon "Even the Bosses Wash Feet!" by Bill Bouknight - John 13:1-17
