Gentiles coming to Christ
Acts #13
Acts 10
I. God fearing Gentiles needed some one to tell the good news of Jesus. 10:1-8
A. Introduction of Cornelius.
1. Lived in Caesarea
2. He was a Roman Soldier, a Centurion; He was in charge of a group of 100 soldiers.
3. He was a devout man that feared God.
4. His household feared God.
5. He gave to the Jewish people.
6. He was a man of Prayer.
B. The vision of Cornelius. 3-6
1. In the ninth hour of the day. 3pm.
2. And Angel of God came to him with a message.
3. The reaction of Cornelius was one of being alarmed.
4. The message that was delivered.
a. That your prayers have been received.
b. That your gifts have been received and they have been made a memorial before God.
NOTE: This is Old Testament language that says that his sacrifice is sweet smell to God.
c. Send someone to get Peter.
C. The action of Cornelius was to send to Men to Peter.
D. The return to Peter. 9-16
1. The vision of Peter.
a. It occurred at the sixth hour during his prayer time.
b. He was hungry
c. He was getting ready to eat.
d. The vision was in the form of a trance.
1) The vision involved eating animals that where unclean.
2) The reaction of Peter was he was not going to eat anything that was unclean.
3) The reaction was that anything that God gives is clean.
NOTE: The text tells us that this happened three times. And at the last time the object went up into the sky. I believe that this was a message for Peter telling him that there are going to be opportunities for you to share the Gospel with others and you need to take that opportunity and share Jesus. This was breaking down the Gentile barriers. This was telling Peter that everyone could receive the Gospel.
I think that we can apply that today in this way if we ever have a chance to share Jesus with someone that we need to take that chance then and there. God will open the doors to witness as long as you are willing to go through it. If you have a chance to witness, witness. Do not go home and pray about it. God does not want us to waste any opportunity.
2. The arrival of the servants of Cornelius. 17-23
a. Peter was concerned about the meaning of the vision.
b. The servants asked if Peter was there.
c. The Spirit came to Peter.
1) Told him that three men were hunting for him.
2) He told them to go with them for he sent them.
d. Peter went to meet them.
3. The telling of the mission and about Cornelius.
NOTE: The last verse in this paragraph tells us that Jewish people let Gentiles stay in their house. This is God softening the disciples to be able to present Jesus to the Gentiles.
II. Salvation comes to Cornelius and his family. 23b-48
A. They went to see Cornelius. 23. Peter and some of the disciples from Joppa.
B. The anticipation of Cornelius. 24 Notice that he had gathered his relatives and close friends together to hear the words which this Peter was going to tell them.
C. The action of Cornelius to the arrival. 25
1. Met him.
2. Fell at his feet
3. Worshiped him.
D. The response of Peter. 26
NOTE: He pulled Cornelius up and told him that I am just a man like you.
E. The words of Peter. 27-29
1. He talked with Cornelius.
2. He talked to the people that were gathered for the event.
a. He reminded them that it was unlawful for a Jew to be in the house of a Gentile.
b. He told them how God was dealing with him concerning Gentiles. That is why he came.
F. The words of Cornelius explaining the reason for calling Peter.30-33a
G. The request of Cornelius to Peter: Tell us what the Lord has commanded you to tell us.
H. The preaching of Peter. 34-43
1. He understands that God does not show Partiality.
a. All who fears God.
b. All that do what is right.
c. They can come to Jesus as the Christ.
2. Peter presented them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His life, His Death, His Resurrection, His command to witness.
3. The invitation that is given; anyone that believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.
I. The result of Peter’s Preaching. 44-46
1. The Holy Spirit fell upon them.
2. The Circumcised believers were amazed.
a. The Spirit fell upon the Gentiles.
b. They heard the Gentiles speak in tongues. (This was probably Hebrew.)
c. They were exulting God.
J. The response of Peter. 47-48
1. No one can refute the Water that means they can be baptized in the name of Christ.
2. They received the Holy Spirit the same as we did.
3. He stayed with them several days.
Application for the growth of the church.
We can see that practices that were unacceptable to many people were used by God to bring many people to Jesus Christ. For salvation to come to the Gentiles was an unheard of situation in the minds of most Jews including Peter. Peter had to break with tradition in order to follow the will of Jesus and preach to the gentiles. Notice I said tradition, God always wanted the Jewish nation to be a light to the gentiles but the religious leadership became arrogant and selfish with want God had given them. And because of this they made Laws that told that one could not associate with Gentiles or they would become unclean and ostracized by their community. These religious rulers interpreted the Laws of God in a way that God never meant for them to be interpreted they made impossible to fulfill the Law.
In Salvation coming to the Gentiles God is showing the Church that they are to beak tradition in order to win people to Christ. Some time if a church wants to win people to Jesus then they have to break with the tradition of the church. Some church traditions have been made because of people being proud and selfish, not wanting to share what they have with others. A lot of traditions come because of the lack of commitment on the part of the church, not wanting to be bothered events or programs because it takes time and that is something that we do not want to give up.
