Unstoppable – Good News for Everyone
11/5/17
Acts 10
In his book, "An Uncompromising Faith Lived Out w/ Grace," Michael Ramsden shares of an Iranian pastor who drove w/ his wife to buy water in an Iranian village. Before entering the store the pastor noticed an intimidating man holding a machine gun leaning against the wall outside the store. His wife looked at the man's face and the gun, then put a Bible in her husband's hand and said, "Give that man this Bible." Her husband looked at the man and replied, "I don't think so." But his wife persisted, "I'm serious – give him the Bible." Avoiding her request, the pastor casually said, "I'll pray about it." After entering the shop to purchase the water, he climbed back into the car and started to drive away. His wife said, "I guessing you didn't give him the Bible?" Looking straight ahead, he replied, "No, I prayed about it and it wasn't the right thing to do." She quietly said, "You should’ve given him the Bible," and then she bowed to pray. The pastor then turned to his wife and said, "Fine! If you want me to die, I will." Upon returning to the store, the pastor approached the man w/ the machine gun and placed the Bible in his hand. When the saw it was a Bible, he started crying and said to the pastor, "I don't live here! I walked for (3) days to get to this village. But (3) days ago an angel appeared to me and told me to walk to this village and wait – b/c someone was going to come and give me the Book of Life. Thank you for this book."
God amazes me w/ His relentless grace. In my life I’ve heard story after story of Divine appointments where the H.S. has shown up in amazing ways to express His love and win people to faith.
When I lived in MS, there was an Indian man in my ministry who grew up Hindu but always struggled w/ his idea of God. One day, after years of searching for more, Kenny prayed a simple prayer to an unseen God asking Him to reveal Himself. Kenny said he knew there had to be more b/c what he’d been taught growing up just didn’t seem to add up. W/in weeks of praying, out of the blue he was presented w/ a Bible – which Kenny read cover to cover in 2 weeks and then gave his life to Christ. Kenny would often say, the moment I opened the Bible I knew I had found the God whom I had been looking for my entire life.
In Acts 10, we read of another remarkable conversion where God shows up in an amazing way to reveal Himself to a man named Cornelius – but in this particular story, there’s more to the story than just the conversion of a Roman soldier.
If you’re just joining us, we’re in a study in Acts about the unstoppable ministry of the H.S. In particular, we’ve discovered that the gift of salvation and the ministry/growth of the church have never been, nor will ever be, a work of the human ingenuity, effort, or ability, but solely the work/influence of the H.S.
We saw this last week in Acts 9, when the H.S. miraculously confronted/rescued a resistant soul by the name of Saul. In Acts 10, we find a similar story, only Cornelius wasn’t resistant, but an unclean, undeserving Gentile.
From the fall, God’s had a plan to redeem His creation yet somewhere along the way this message was lost. I was reminded of this in Israel as we stood on the Mt. of Olives overlooking the Temple site. From the beginning God so loved the world He gave His only Son… but the Israelites missed that memo and thought they were a special people for a different reason. They saw the Gospel exclusive for them instead of understanding that God was using them to express His love/grace thru them to all people.
This is why Jesus got so upset in the Gentile Courts in the Temple and began turning over the tables. It is b/c in this court the Israelites were supposed to be sharing the news of God’s love/grace to the nations; instead they were excluding the nations and exploiting the people for selfish gain.
I God Meets Us WHO We Are
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
As a centurion, Cornelius was a commander of 100 soldiers, but we discover he was a man spiritually-minded man searching for answers to satisfy his soul. Cornelius was a Gentile seeker. As a Roman, he certainly was raised in the pagan idolatry of all things Rome – and yet we learn from the text that like my friend Kenny, he realized while living in/around the Israelites that there had to be more and He was finding something in this God named Jehovah.
Before He could hear the truth, God had to prepare his heart to receive it and Peter’s heart to bring it.
II God Meets Us WHERE We Are
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!” 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. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying w/ Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 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. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
This is where the fun begins. Cornelius is searching and God meets him where he is to prepare His heart.
God has to prepare the messenger to deliver the message – and this might just require an even bigger miracle. Why? B/c Peter has a few hang ups of his own. Despite his time following Jesus, Peter was still drenched in his Jewish culture and had a warped perspective of God’s heart to rescue the world from condemnation. So God has to go to work on Pete too.
About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three] men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go w/ them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so he could hear what you have to say.”
Don’t you love how God works? It’s not enough to meet Cornelius at the point of his need, but he works in Peter’s life too to work in/thru Peter.
This very well might be the big hairy lesson – the Gospel is for everyone. While no one is deserving of God’s grace, it is available to all. No matter whether you’re a Jew or Gentile – black, white, red, or brown – Muslim, Hindu, atheist or agnostic – good, bad, or indifferent – Jesus died to offer His love/grace to every undeserving, needy soul.
Even as a disciple, Peter had missed this truth. So God had to prepare him to overcome his traditions / cultures to get him to go into the world. And he did!
III God Meets Us HOW We Are
So Peter goes to Caesarea w/ these men and met Cornelius and his household and friends. He met them right there at the point of their need and began to share the whole Gospel.
This is what God does – he meets us HOW we are.
Then Peter spoke, “I now realize how true it is that God doesn’t show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth w/ the H.S. and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, b/c God was w/ him. “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the 3rd day and caused him to be seen. He wasn’t seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank w/ him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still speaking these words, the H.S. came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come w/ Peter were astonished the gift of the H.S. had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized w/ water. They have received the H.S. just as we have.” So he ordered they be baptized in the name of Jesus.
Peter now understood the vision and had no partiality toward anyone – specifically the Gentiles. So he preached a simple Gospel Message about Jesus. Never has a preacher had a more attentive audience than did Simon Peter that day at Caesarea. Notice the message Peter proclaimed.
A Jesus is the PEACE of God
Peter said, "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peach through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all" (vs 36).
Humanity is estranged from God. Jesus is the One who brings us back together and restores peace b/w us.
B Jesus is the POWER of God
Peter declared about Jesus, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth w/ the H.S. and power" (vs 38).
Humans need more than peace w/ God. They need God’s power to live out their lives – that’s only available in Jesus.
C Jesus is the PRESENCE of God
Peter explained the special presence of God in Jesus' life when he declared, "God was w/ Him” (vs 38).
Jesus was more than a messenger from God. He was more than a prophet of God. He was God Himself, incarnate – in human flesh, and dwelling among men.
D Jesus is the PARDON of God
Peter said, "Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (vs 43).
For all of his goodness and in his moments of clearest insight, Cornelius was aware of the dark shadow of sin in his life. He knew he needed to be forgiven. He needed to be pardoned from his past. That forgiveness was made possible only through Jesus.
I think there’s (2) big lessons here. First, we’re reminded that salvation is only/always a work of the H.S. – I can save no one. It’s the H.S.’s job to confront, convict, convince, convert – and second, my job is to walk in the Spirit so when the H.S. calls me into service – I am ready to hear and follow His lead to convey the message.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear w/out someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15
