To the Ends of the Earth, Part 16
Receiving the Holy Spirit (The Gentile Pentecost)
Acts 10:44 – 11:18
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 Peter gave a simple story of the testimony of Jesus
-- Peter spoke to all that would listen (in Cornelius’s house) a factual truth
-- He did not lead with emotion, nor did he cast dispersion on any in attendance
-- Spoke the same truth that we should share today: Without Him, we are lost!
- Today we’ll explore the response to this, but we’ll see even more than that
-- RE: Part 1: Church can be for prejudicial towards people (why they avoid it)
-- EX: You don’t worship like us so we cannot have fellowship (Jews & Gentiles)
-- Peter runs into the very same spirit that plagues 2024, and scripture highlights it
-- But more than that, we will see what the actual purpose of the Church is …
- Read Acts 10:44 – 11:18 / Pray
- TR: Let’s get the obvious out of the way to frame our message …
Point 1 – When the Spirit falls, the people must respond
- The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles when they heard the Word (v44)
-- Know this: It did not fall because of Peter, but while Peter was declaring truth
-- Yes, Peter had an anointing (or mission) to deliver, but the result was all God
- FACT: No man has anything to do with God’s Spirit being poured out
-- The Spirit fell - Greek: epipiptó; to fall on something
-- And it was heard by those who heard it (active) – Greek: akouó; to listen
- Now, don’t miss the results:
-- The Jewish listeners who were present were astonished!
-- Greek: existémi; to stand aside from
-- RE: There were Jewish believers who went with Peter to see Cornelius (v45)
- They believed that the Spirit was only for them, so this is a shock!
-- APP: Kind of like being surprised when God shows up at church!!
- Even before they accept Christ, God was already calling them to Himself!
-- They were told the message so they might be affected by it; by a Jewish convert
-- Result: The Gentile believers spoke in tongues and praised God! (vv45-46)
- We need to be absolutely clear here – and I want to approach this scripturally:
- First, tongues is not an unknown language between a Christ follower & God
-- It is a real language, spoken by real people, but unknown naturally to the speaker
-- We saw this clearly in Scripture when the Spirit was first given, remember?
-- Acts 2:4, “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”
- Second, (KEY) tongues is n-o-t a universal sign of faith in Christ
-- Some claim this as a necessity, and well, that is complete nonsense
-- It is not proof that the Spirit has fallen, and it does not involve putting on a show
-- Matter of fact: Book of Acts doesn’t record many cases of this happening!
- Third, the message of salvation must be spread to other languages
-- But speaking in tongues today is rare because of the availability of translations
-- APP: No one should doubt their salvation because they don't speak in tongues
- This was a specific situation, for these gathered, which God used to prove a point
-- The point: Gentiles who are not circumcised, or not baptized, who have not had an apostle lay hands on them, can still receive the Holy Spirit!!
- Get this: Salvation (which is receiving grace) is only by faith in Jesus Christ
-- There is nothing we do: Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
- The events in Acts 10 marked the permanent giving of the Holy Spirit to Gentiles
-- Why?? To show Peter and his Jewish friends that God was in the business of rescuing His creation! Why? They needed something incredible to change their long-held belief that Israel was God’s (only) people.
- Peter asks a question of his fellow Jews to make them realize this (Re-read v47)
-- Result: the Gentile believers were baptized, as a response to what Jesus did!
- Praise God, if ever there was a moment to understand scripture it’s NOW!
-- HUGE: The door to the Gentiles was now opened to receive Jesus!
- This is the event that the Bible records specifically where Gentiles are saved
-- RE: Paul is called an Apostle of Gentiles – specifically anointed (Rom 11:13)
-- And we’ll see him come back into the story in a just a few weeks
- TR: Having received the Spirit, let’s turn to the Church and its purpose …
Point 2 – The Church’s primary vision and mission
- In the beginning, their vision was narrow and traditional: (vv1-3)
- The apostles and brothers, the whole church, heard about Peter’s preaching
-- They heard about how Gentiles had received the “word of God” (gasp!)
-- But worse – they heard about how Peter fellowshipped with Gentiles
- REM: At this time, most if not all believers were from the Jewish faith
-- So, to accept the Messiah (enter their legalism) they had to follow the “rules”
-- EX: be circumcised & become Jews first, then they could know the Messiah
- The circumcised in the Church were obviously troubled by these deeds
-- Said another way: Those who were “devout” had a real problem with Peter
-- Sounds like the Pharisees were still alive and well here, no?
- v2 The brothers criticized Peter – Greek: diakrinó; to judge
-- Why? He stepped outside of the norm, and they disagreed with it
-- He was offering something to the “dogs” of society not “meant” for them!
- What can we learn from this? How about we stop judging a book by its cover?
• Religious things (traditions) may be important, but they are not all there is
• They should have been rejoicing, but instead prejudice was ruling the day
• APP: These are the things that can blind us to seeing God’s movement
- IMP: Churches cannot monopolize the Gospel - it is a message meant for ALL
-- Greek: pas; all, every
-- We are not the owners of the Gospel; we are the messengers of it to everyone
- We are called to reach the world, to evangelize, and then let God work!
-- FACT: From the 1st century, churches tried to monopolize the Word
-- Paul amplifies this later in Romans 2:10-11, “But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good - for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” (Remember Peter’s words)
- So, if the Gospel is for all, what exactly is God’s will for the church? (vv4-16)
-- We must understand that it is a worldwide mission – a ministry to be shared
-- Wed: “Christianity is a team sport” - it is not about individual awards/applause
-- What Peter does is recount how he got here, even shares the vision given by God
- Consider: God showed him simple things like food are not to be segregated
-- Imagine the reception that one got! RE: Religious preference was all they knew
-- Doing something against that would be … ! YET here God is calling it good!
- What does this mean?
-- Everything that Peter experienced was God teaching him to draw closer
-- RE: 6 Jewish witnesses saw this, which gave credence to the message (v12)
-- Even Luke (the author) stresses this event three (3) different times in Acts
- First when it happened and as they each met, then now in the retelling
-- And this comes up again in Acts Ch. 15 – to stress the worldwide mission
-- SUBTLE: When the Bible says something repeatedly, pay attention to it!
- Why does this story matter? Mark 16:15, “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” Got it?
- TR: Let’s ask a question of ourselves to take with us this week …
Point 3 – How must the Church respond to God’s message?
- The early church’s response was from the conviction they felt from the message
-- Dare I say: Have no conviction? Maybe you are not hearing God’s word?
- Peter was deeply convicted about what God had promised: (v15)
• He said His promise would be fulfilled in the Gentiles also
• Peter was convinced that he could not stand against God’s plan
• Realized it is not in a ritual (like circumcision) where salvation is found
• Rather, salvation was found in coming to, or obeying, God’s calling
- Repentance brings life to a person, because God has called us to Himself
-- And once called, we have a choice to make – this is what the people felt
-- God was calling them, His Spirit was moving them, and they had to respond
- FACT: Repentance brings comfort, because it leads to everlasting life
-- It is what we are called to do to be redeemed: Acts 3:19, “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”
- What God has done, through Peter, is tore the doors off the religious hinges
-- All people, even Gentiles, are called to repent and see Jesus for who He is
-- John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
BIG IDEA
- This is the first battle for the church, and the most important one of all
-- Freedom is not found in religious things, but in a Messiah who died for you
-- The time to repent and come is now, because He is still Lord; still offering it
-- What we must do, is respond and show an urgency to get this word out!!
- There’s no secret society, no religious tasks, no formal training, no fan club
-- Certainly no social, economic, churchy, or favored group is included or excluded
-- Peter already told us (Acts 10:34) that God is “no respecter of persons”
-- God’s grace is freely given while you are still alive – you can choose … A, B, C
- But there is the rub … you have to choose, you have to move, you have to submit
-- These people did, because Peter obeyed God’s call to go and speak
- Ask: What are you waiting for?
- Pray
