To the Ends of the Earth, Part 15
Proclaiming Peace to the World
Acts 10:34-43
Introduction
- Welcome to Seasons Church & 2024 sermon series, “To the Ends of the Earth”
-- In 2023 we unpacked the beginning of all history (Creation/Fall/Promise)
-- And we looked ahead, anticipated the coming & victory of Jesus (Revelation)
-- But, in order to get to the end, we have to be busy doing the work now (Acts)
- Last time we saw Peter and Cornelius and the beginning of their interaction
-- RE: The Jews, like all other people, had developed their own laws and customs
-- These created unrealistic, and fixed prejudices between them and all people
-- Gentiles were especially rejected, if only for being non-Jewish by heritage
• Understanding damage prejudices was a highlighted topic
• But also, Cornelius receives a vision to seek out Simon Peter
• Peter receives vision from God about what is clean & to go see Cornelius
- Today we’ll explore the sermon that Peter gives to Cornelius’ household
-- It is important to note that all of this is a result of obedience to God’s calling
- Read Acts 10:34-43 / Pray
- TR: Two things for us to see today, beginning with …
Point 1 – The truth about humanity to God
- We’ve studied creation, and we know about God’s feelings for creation
-- So much so, that He called it: “Very good” (Ref Gen 1:31)
- BIG FACT: God has no favorites – He “is no respecter of persons” (v34)
-- Greek: ouk; not
-- Greek: prosópolémptés; an accepter of a face, a respecter of persons
-- This has to also mean that He also has NO prejudices against anyone
-- Regardless of who you are, what you do, what you have – we are equal to Him
- So what makes a person acceptable to God? Peter covers both: (v35)
• Fearing God – one who willingly follows (accepting Christ)
• Working righteousness – to be right and to do right (actively obeying)
- The truth is, God sent His word into Israel; and He sent Jesus to preach peace
-- Through Jesus, God sent us an example of how we can, and should, live
-- However, the word of God was not meant JUST for Israel (PTL!!)
- Jesus did not come only to rescue the Jews; but for all to hear God’s Word
-- Thought: If it were for only the Jews, that would be prejudicial, right?
- Peter instructs those listening (v36): (Jesus) He is Lord of all!
-- Every nation, every nationality, every living creature, and every non-believer
-- It is why there is such definitive response (salvation) in responding to Jesus
-- Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
- BIG: Peter declared that the Word reflects the one who it describes: Jesus!
-- He even tells Cornelius that this is not new information, not even to him!
-- He summarizes it, telling him that he’s heard it before! Re-read verses 37-38
- On the heels of John the Baptist’s ministry, Jesus began preaching in Galilee
-- Then, He went from town to town, teaching, healing, declaring, and offering
-- And because of this, even he and his house had no excuse to say they didn’t hear
-- 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
- TR: Consider it: Cornelius would have heard about who Jesus is!
-- This would’ve been fast-paced, widely shared, breaking news in the region!!
-- So, why does Peter begin with this? To set the stage for the application …
Point 2 – The truth about Jesus to humanity
- Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is, truly, is emphatic (100% without doubt)
-- APP: Jesus is God’s anointed savior – His name Christ means Messiah (v38)
-- He was anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit – no one else had this
-- RE: Already talked about charlatan (Simon) who held people captive (Acts 8)
- Only Jesus was anointed with a miraculous authority – a result of the Holy Spirit
-- RE: When He was baptized, the Spirit descended upon like a dove (Matthew 3)
-- FACT: His anointing is what gave him power, Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
- We receive the Holy Spirit so that we can have the power to witness to the world
-- Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
- Don’t miss this: The message is the same – but the anointing is different
-- Except for those Disciples (the Apostles) who were appointed directly by Him
-- APP: The power is different; theirs was a sign of their closeness to Him
-- Just an observation: There are no more Apostles, people with the title are fake
- Get this: Jesus was not anointed to go and debate with the religious
-- He was not called to lead a discussion about what we think we ought to do
-- He was specifically given a mission to tell of the Father; to show righteousness
-- And, to deliver into the hands of God those who would accept and follow
- Peter goes on to explain that they were eyewitnesses of these things (v39)
-- They saw Him heal, preach, and die by crucifixion for the message He spoke
-- Thankfully, they also saw Him raised from the dead – but notice something
- He appeared to those to have an intimate friendship / association with Him
-- Jesus was shown to those who were chosen by God; those called to continue
-- Greek: procheirotoneó; to appoint beforehand
-- These were the ones who fellowshipped with Him often (were taught by Him)
- Notice how John described their fellowship: 1 John 1:1-4, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”
- Bible records at least 8 appearances of Jesus post-resurrection
• First, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene at the tomb (Mark 16:9)
• Second, Jesus appeared to other women as they were leaving the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10)
• Third, Jesus met up with two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32)
• Fourth, Jesus appeared to 10 disciples who were hiding together (Luke 24:36-43)
• Fifth, Jesus appeared to all 11 remaining disciples (Mark 16:14)
• Sixth, Jesus appeared to seven disciples, restoring Peter (John 21)
• Seventh, Jesus appeared to the 11 disciples on a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20)
• Eighth, Jesus finally appeared to many of His followers at one time. He confirmed the completion of His mission and the promise of the Holy Spirit to be given to them to continue to the work (Acts 1:3-8)
- This was all done to show and prove that He is who He said He is
-- Yes - His resurrection was a miracle, but it was a sign that God could be trusted
-- Trusted not only to walk faithfully with us; but to provide assurance of salvation
-- The resurrection showed He could be trusted to do what He said He would do
- EX: If he did not resurrect from the grave, then how reliable is His salvation?
-- If we cannot believe that He rose, how can we be assured that He is our Lord?
-- This is what “religion” misses … it’s not about ritual, but about faith to follow!
Even more than that, Jesus was established as the judge of all nations:
• Rich and Poor
• Strong and Weak
• Healthy and Sick
• Pretty and Ugly
• Happy and Unhappy
• Employee and Employer
• White and Black
• Yellow and Red
• Dark and Light
• And yes, even between the Religious and Unreligious
- It is in Christ that the condition of salvation is found (because He is the judge)
-- This is why He can say, “depart from me I never knew you” – because He knows
-- APP: He either knows you as His, or that you are a stranger to Him
- This also means that He judges the condition of everyone’s eternity
-- Matthew 25:32, “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
- It is a belief in Christ that brings the forgiveness of sins, not who we are
-- Also, it is a life in Him that brings from a spiritual darkness of sinful behavior
-- John 12:46, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
-- This is why Peter is so clear at the beginning: God is no respecter of persons
- It is in Christ that we have forgiveness, in Christ we have salvation
-- And it is only in Christ there is hope for life that brings joy and peace!
BIG IDEA
- This is what Peter drives home to any that would listen in Cornelius’s house
-- It is the same truth that you and I should hear today – without Him, we are lost
-- Without salvation, we are without a Lord to redeem us in eternity
- The setup is clear; the message is plain … so how do they respond?
-- We’ll come back and examine that next week!
- Pray
