Divine Encounters with God
Acts 10:1-48
Introduction-
Last week we looked at getting ourselves in the presence of God and allowing Him to intervene in our lives.
Worship can put in the presence of God as we enter into His presence.
Those that seem to encounter God have either been intentional or God had something to say and they are obedient.
The constant danger is wither we will respond or recognize God trying to get our attention.
We make choices- good ones pay dividends and poor ones consequences.
Let me set up scripture this morning as we continue to look at God intervening in lives.
Most think God still speaks, just not them.
Most believe that God does miracles, but not for anyone they know.
Acts chapter 10 is about two people that God spoke too and how they responded.
The text is really about three chapters long so let me set it and then we will talk about the takeaways learned.
In Caesarea there is a man named Cornelius.
He is a Centurion soldier with a lot of people working under him.
The Scripture says that he was a God fearing man that was generous to those that were in need.
One day while he was in prayer he had a vision. The vision was an angel of the Lord coming to him and saying “ that his prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial before God.”
He was instructed to send some men to Joppa and bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with a man named Simon, the tanner by the sea.
Cornelius, being a man of God did as he was instructed.
He send two servants and one of his soldiers to go find this man Peter.
The next day these men went to Joppa to find Peter. Peter was a hard man to find but when they found him, he was up on his roof praying.
Peter up on his roof praying became hungry and was waiting for food to be prepared and as he was praying had a vision.
His vision was heaven opening up and something like a large sheet fell from the sky with all kinds of animals on it.
Then he heard a voice that said… “Get up Peter, kill and eat”.
He was hungry and God was providing food for a man that was praying and hungry.
One problem, Peter saw unclean things being offered to him to eat that any good practicing Jew would not eat or even touch.
Surly notLord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.
While Peter was being a good Jew and praying at noon- these men from Cornelius house come and are asking around for Peter. Peter while sorting out all these things. God spoke to Peter and told him men would be coming to him and that he was to go with these men
These men introduction went something like this.
Peter asking them why are you here? The men of Cornelius house saying that God showed him a vision. He is a God fearing man and respected by many and he was told by a holy angel to come to you and you are to go to his house and that you have words to say to him.
Peter goes to his house and they have a conversation.
So forget the conversation they had for a moment-
What can we learn from these two people coming together?
Who had heard from God separately that they were ordained of God to meet.
Cornelius a Roman soldier who knew God but didn’t have a relationship with God was praying seeking God and was instructed to meet up with Peter the apostle and listen to what he has to say to him.
There is a turning point here!
Unsaved Gentile Cornelius and his family seeking God and God sending Jewish Peter to answer his prayer.
Peter praying and God showing him this blanket of animals including animals that Jews don’t eat or touch.
Peter being told by God himself in that vision that he has no right to call unclean anything that God has purified.
Jews were not to socialize with Gentiles.
They were not to go to their houses and for sure they were not to share a meal with them.
Turning point for relationships
Turning point for the church.
There was a book out many years ago called “Tipping point,” written by Malcolm Gladwell- it was a book about why there are some things that take off and others things not- the tipping point of what was successful and what never took off. Why the hula hoop became so popular. Why pet rocks went crazy- who would had thought a rock in a box would sell millions.
Acts chapter 10 was a tipping point for the church!
God was going to make a way for Gentiles to be saved, to become a part of the family of God
What other observations can we take away?
God answers prayer!
Though men were separated with different reasons for seeking or speaking to God, God brought them to together to answer their prayers and just as important use them both for kingdom work.
A Jew and a Gentile actually sitting down together and sharing experiences of God and not about religion but relationship.
After prayer, that both men would get up and get out of their comfort zones and journey to find and seek truth from the spoken word to them.
To break down barriers that keep people from experiencing God the way God intended it to be.
God would have the audacity to put a seeking person who did not know Christ with someone that has experienced Christ in a personal way.
People under everyday circumstances would not meet and who would not have like each other. A proud Jew and a Gentile who was a structured warrior for Rome.
A poor fisherman who was now unemployed and following Jesus and a man of wealth. One living in money Caesarea, and poor blue collar worker in Joppa.
What happens when we pray?
We can break down barriers!
We can cross socio and economic lines
We can even cross racial barriers that keep us from encountering a God that wants and has provided for all people.
Proud Peter got a life lesson from God as he sent out to Caesarea- Unclean food was the vision he saw, but realizing that God loves all people and that even the Gentiles in God’s eyes were clean and welcome at the table of God.
While Peter was praying, He got a lesson on redefining his identity and the identity of those that he would get the privilege of sharing the gospel with in the future.
That each one of us, no matter what side of the track that we can from need to come to Jesus the same way.
Each one of us is a sinner in need of God and God will change our identity as we turn our lives over to Him.
Praying people change lives! Our own and those we come in contact with.
Read from the Bible
Acts 10:34-39
Number one- God answers prayer- maybe not always the way we think He should- but God does respond to praying believers. Some miss what God has for not spending time with God
God calls all of us to share the gospel as we know it.
We do not know what has been preparing as we wake up each morning and go through our day.
We do not know what person He will bring into your path and journey.
We do not know the words that come out of our mouth that day might be life saving words that you are to bring to someone that has been praying and/or seeking to find God in a fresh and new way.
10:44- “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.”
Illustration- SermonCentral
A story of a Chicago bank that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young Bostonian being considered for employment. The Boston investment company could not say enough about the young man. His father, they wrote, was a Cabot, his mother was a Lowell. Further back was a happy blend of Saltonstalls, Peabodys, and other of Boston’s first families. His recommendation was given without hesitation. Several days later, the Chicago bank sent a note back saying the information supplied was inadequate. It reads- “We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes, just for work.”
The gospel accepts every family, nation, race.
God is not a respecter of persons.
SermonCentral illustration
In heaven, no one will ask you about the color of your skin.
No one will ask you your nationality
No one will ask you political party
Will not ask about your social standing
They will want to know if you love Jesus!
The gospel is for all who accept and love Jesus!
Illustration-
A man in a hole that he cannot get out- He is ten feet down and no way to get out by himself.
People that pass by
People pass by and they are too busy to even hear him calling for help.
People who pass by, working, they notice him, they have tools to get him out but choose to not help.
Compassionate person- noticed him, acknowledges that they see him. They pray for him. Sometimes this is all we can do. Praying is important. It is the right thing to do if there is not more that you could do immediately.
Servant person- noticed them, acknowledged that they saw Him. Goes down in the hole or at least stays with the person, shares their lunch, prays for the person, and works to figure out not only how to get them out, but help that they may not fall into that hole again.
Closing,
From the point that God told Peter to get up till He told Peter to not call anything impure that God has made clean is the message that we as believers must carry to those God brings into our paths- the gospel is for everyone that will accept Christ as Lord and the only way that they hear about Jesus is by believers sharing the gospel and their experiences with God. The rest is up to the Lord- we do not save anyone- That is the job of the Holy Spirit of God.
We have to make up our minds that we will take on the responsibility that God places on each one of us. It is not just preachers and board members, it I up to each one of us who claim the name of Jesus Christ as Lord to spread the Good News!
