Acts | Chapter 10

 

Acts Ch. 10 Vs 1-8
“Cornelius’s Vision” 

Intro

Vs.1-8 Now look at this passage and you will see some things about Cornelius beyond his occupation. Oh, yes he was a centurion, roughly equivalent to our captain with 100 men in his charge. Furthermore he was stationed  at the Roman capital of Caesarea.

Look what Luke has to say about him:

• A devout man = knows there is a God.

• feared God with all his household = has a deep respect for God and moral things.

• gave charitable gifts = Is a generous man, he is not just talking about religious things he seeks to practice it.

• prayed to God always = he spends a lot of time praying to God.

Wow, it would appear as though this guy is right on with the Lord. As admirable as all of these qualities are, notice that he is still not a saved man! Oh he is religious, sincere, generous, lives a good life and even prays, but there is still something missing; he is not born again. All of those qualities reveal that he has an open heart but he has yet to see Jesus. He is in prayer at 3 pm seeking the Lord when the Lord sends an angel to get him to go to Peter. What? Why did the angel not just tell him to receive Jesus? Well because God wants Peter who is blinded by his prejudices to be the guy who opens the eyes of the heart of Cornelius. Now we will take this story up as we move through this chapter, but what great news this is no matter what your condition is spiritually today Jesus can help.

• If you are like Aeneas and you are alive but pew ridden, Jesus can get you up and out.

• If you are like Dorcas and the world has taken away all the beauty from your life then Jesus will breathe new life back into you so that you will be even more fruitful then you were prior.

• Or if you are like Cornelius and are a good religious person but there is still something missing, He will bring you from where you are searching to the light of the knowledge of His grace! 

Acts Ch 10:9-23

“Cheese burger in paradise?”

Vs. 9-16 Peter on a diet

Vs. 17-23 No difference

Intro.

Now previously we started out by looking at the work of the Holy Spirit through Peter. Then we saw God working in Cornelius. That’s where we pick up the story now, the Lord bringing together his working in Cornelius’ life with His desire to work through Peter. But to do that He must first work IN Peter! The longer I’m a Christian the more I realize the hindrance in the Lord working through me is to be found in my reluctance to allow the Lord to work in me! How about you? Are you waiting for someone else to change when all along the one that needs to change is you?

         As this is being written I celebrate 13 years of ministry,  and every year at this time I get introspective. Many folks have come in and out of our doors, some have left better, others I’m sad to say left bitter. I can’t help but wonder about the bitter ones, which one of us needs to change? I can’t speak for any of them but I can pray that I will forever be open to the Lord’s work in my life so that He can work through me. We can all be thankful that Peter was open to the Lord working in his life, for if he had not been, then what would have become of the gentile church? What lives could be changed if you and I would remain open to the Holy Spirit to change us daily! And may I say that He uses some of the strangest things to accomplish this in our lives?    

Vs. 9-16 Peter on a diet

Vs. 9 I love this passage as we get to see the Lord behind the scenes directing events to correspond. The day before you had Cornelius praying at 3 pm, seeking the Lord and now 21 hours later Peter goes up on the roof (patio) to pray. 

You will remember the facts about Cornelius as described by Luke:

• Devout man = knows there is a God.

• Feared God with all his household = has a deep respect for God and moral things.

• Gave charitable gifts = Is a generous man, he is not just talking about religious things he seeks to practice it.

• Prayed to God always = he spends a lot of time praying to God.

Yet with that said he is still an unsaved gentile, worse yet he is a Roman centurion. Somewhere along the line he left the worship of idols and started his search for truth. This had led him to the belief in one God and that led him to Judaism. He had followed that and practiced that but there was still something missing. How do we know that? Well look at Cornelius’ own words in verse 30 where he says, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house.” Then Peter tells us in chapter 11, as he reported the events before the Church in Jerusalem, that an angel told Cornelius to send, “for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” 

Cornelius, a religious man, a good man, was seeking the Lord for something greater, or shall I say someone greater! His heart was hungry and his spirit was willing, he prayed, “There’s got to be more than this, God!” And the angel replies, “There is, go get this guy Peter and he will bring you the Word of God by which you and all with you will get saved!” Hey, folks, did you ever wonder why you are not closer to God? Have you stopped praying what old Cornelius prayed? Man, that hits me in the heart!

So 27 miles up the road, and 21 hours later we have good old Peter. It’s noon and Peter goes up on the patio to pray. Now hold on a minute, why is Peter praying at noontime? You see this was not a normal time of prayer nor was it a normal place of prayer. Do you see that? Peter is already breaking the rut of religion, he is not praying at the designated hour or the designated place.

Vs. 10 Did we read this right? Peter, my buddy, is up there seeking the Lord and he gets hungry as they are preparing lunch. Furthermore the word trance means a “displacement of the mind” which is a fancy way of saying he was day dreaming. Peter the spiritual giant is thinking about what’s in the kitchen, “Hmm, man a pastrami on rye sure sounds good.” Have you ever had that happen? You are seeking the Lord and your stomach starts to growl and then your mind starts to wonder? Wow, Peter went through that just like me! So far we see Cornelius fasting and praying for four days wanting to have something more with God. And the Lord sends him to a guy who can’t even pray without day dreaming about what’s for lunch! I love it! The Lord uses us right where we are, doesn’t He?

Vs. 11-13 So God uses Peter’s hungry daydream to minister to him about esteeming some people higher and more worthy of the gospel than others. Peter sees this great big table cloth come down with foods that were kosher mixed in with ones that weren’t. Then came the shocking words of the Lord, “Rise, kill and eat.” You see the Jews had all these dietary laws for Israel to keep and certain foods were off limits and Peter had always kept them. But what was the reason for these laws? Well Lev. 20:25-26 tells us, “You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any animal or bird or creeping creature that I have forbidden. You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.”

The reason was not to keep the gentiles out of a relationship with God but rather it was to keep Israel in one. And the Jews had begun to interpret what they did not do as the basis of why they were special with the Lord. But we are told in Deut 7:7-8a  “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you!” You see God was showing the Israelites that it was He who loved them that made them valuable, not anything they would do! Instead they began to see themselves as superior to all other people and the reason that God had chosen them was because they had certain qualities that all other people did not possess. 

Vs. 14-15 You can say, “Not so,” or you can say “Lord,” but this phrase can not be said together as they are mutually exclusive of each other. Now the words “not so” literally mean “I’ll have none of that!” God gave Peter a commandment and Peter says, “I’ll have none of that!” Have you ever been guilty of this as a Christian? I mean here we have Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, used by God to preach the gospel, baptize with the Holy Spirit, heal the sick and even raise the dead and he says, “Lord, some traditions are greater than your Word!” “Love my wife, give to the Church, die to this or that? I’ll have none of that Lord!” 

You see Peter is pulling a Dale, he wants all the benefits of a believer without having to surrender his life! “God I know what is best!” Peter is showing that he is legalistic in his attitudes. Look at his reason for not obeying, “I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” The problem is not to be found in the words “… eaten anything common or unclean.” No, it’s fine not to do or eat certain things or not to have done certain things. The problem lies in the words, “I have never!” You see, Peter’s problem is the same as yours and mine, it’s when we become proud of the things that we won’t do! Let me give you a simple definition of legalism: “Legalism is when we are proud of what we aren’t doing as the source of our righteousness instead of rejoicing in what Jesus Christ has done.”

I’m a Christian I don’t:

• DANCE

• DRINK

• SMOKE

• CHEW

• GO WITH GIRLS THAT DO

Folks it’s not what you don’t do that makes you a Christian. No, it’s all about what Jesus HAS done that makes you a Christian! So that is what the Lord tells Peter in verse 15, “What I have cleansed you should not call ordinary.” You and I have been cleansed not by what we don’t do but rather by the blood of Jesus. You see what the Lord is doing to Peter? He is setting him up for Cornelius; “Peter, I’m going to bring you this guy who is as hungry for me as you are for that hot pastrami, but he is not going to fit your parameters. Peter I’ve made all who trust on Me clean just as I made you clean buddy!”

         Now, a lot of times we try to be like Peter here and the rest of Israel in our witness to the world don’t we? I mean we go right up to them and snub our noses at them and flaunt that we would never be so disgusting as they are. I mean we act as if we have sworn off having fun and laughter. I mean the way some of us act they should call us NO-FUN-DAMENTALS. But that is not what our life in Christ is about is it? Is it about what we don’t do or is it about what we do in Christ? 

Let me challenge you right here and now, you want to impress the people apart from God? It’s simple, out live them! Jesus said in John 10:10, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”  Let the world see your life not in what you don’t do but rather let them see your love of one another, let them see your joy and laughter, let them see your peace in the midst of a chaotic world! The world will be impressed by what you are able to do in Jesus not what you are not! 

Vs. 16 Three times this was repeated to Peter. Now think of this a minute won’t you? Peter had a thing about God showing him things in three’s didn’t he?

• Matt. 26:34-75 There was that little incident where Peter had boasted about his superior relationship with Jesus above that of his fellow disciples. You remember the story after the arrest of Jesus there in the courtyard of the high priest as Peter was warming himself by the fire. Three times he swore he did not know Jesus.

• John 21:15 Then there is the time after the resurrection where Jesus appeared on the seashore and took Peter aside and asked him three times if he loved him more then all the others. It busted Peter, because he realized that he had thought  his relationship with Jesus was better than all the others based upon what he was doing.

That brings us right to this passage before us. What do you think? Peter there says, “I’ll have none of that, Lord.”  and three times the Lord repeats the vision. Now my mind would go right back to the last two times the Lord repeated Himself three times and the reason for my failure to grasp what the Lord was telling me. “Hum, let me see, the first time I thought too highly of myself, then the second time I was too prideful, uh seems like a pattern here!” 

Vs. 17-23 No difference

Vs. 17-18 Now Peter is scratching his head about what the Lord is telling him at the time Cornelius’ men show up at the tanner’s door. Now I’ve been to the place where they believe Simon the tanner lived and you have to go down this windy road until it comes to a dead end. For hundreds of years there was a Catholic Church on the site and now there is a mosque and above the gate to enter, the words in Arabic, “Simon the tanners house”. I wonder if Cornelius knew all of this stuff if he would have still sent for Peter? God uses us in spite of us not because of us doesn’t He? Peter, a man who saw the life of Jesus, witnessed the resurrection, was part of the awesome outpouring of the Holy Spirit, living in the day of God’s glorious grace and he is choking on a piece of forbidden meat.

Vs. 19-20 In the midst of Peter thinking all of this over the Lord says, “Peter three guys are seeking you, I want you to go with them for I have sent them!” Oh thank you Lord, for breaking through our hard hearts!

Vs.21-23 Now as Peter goes down to meet them I’m sure he notices right away that they are gentiles but he does what the lord had shown him. There is a key phrase right here that shows that Peter does exactly what the Lord had told him. It’s found in the words, “lodged” them, the word literally means he entertained them. In that room that night were a bunch of barriers beginning to come down. You see you had a smelly tanner, three heathen Romans and a self-righteous Jew come together in Christ and eat together. We are told in Col. 3:11 “there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” How about it? Are you ready to have your world turned right side up by allowing him to change you? You won’t be disappointed!     

Acts 10:24-48

“Lets make a deal”

Vs. 24-33 Home study fellowship

Vs. 34-43 Seven reasons Jesus is a great deal

Vs. 44-48 Where do I sign?

Intro.

God had first worked in the heart of Cornelius then He worked in the heart of Peter. What is interesting to me is the means in which He does this. The common denominator is that of hunger. You see Cornelius was spiritually hungry for more of God, here was a man raised in a pagan world who was on a journey which led him to Judaism and even though he was doing all the religious stuff it was not enough. You see the hunger? Then you have Peter and to get him to be open to feeding Cornelius, God allows Peter to get hungry physically and daydream about it. The lesson for Peter was, “Don’t keep people who are starving for the Word of God from coming and feeding on it.” How different would this whole story have been had Peter not been open to the Lord working in his life? He would have missed out on a second Pentecost; this one before us today is the gentile Pentecost. Now before us today is their meeting, Peter’s reasons why Jesus is a good deal and Cornelius’ reaction to it.  

Vs. 24-33 Home study fellowship

Vs. 24 Now there were ten on this road trip to Caesarea, Peter with the six that he mentions in 11:12 and the three that Cornelius sent to get Peter and it takes them two days to go the 30 miles. What an odd bunch this must have been as they traveled those two days. It was a clash of two worlds: seven pious Jews walking on the same side of the road with three Romans, stopping and eating. You think that’s weird? Take a look around the room at the people sitting around you. Now if it was not for Jesus, I mean prior to becoming a Christian, would you have hung out with some of these folks? Christianity unites people together from all sorts of backgrounds doesn’t it?

The world clamoring for peace and unity amongst different groups and only in Christ can all come together and hang out. I just think of the stares they must have gotten as they entered the Roman City of Caesarea. Years earlier God had called another Jew named Jonah to reach out to gentiles and he left the sea port of Joppa only he headed the opposite direction away from ministering to them. How about you, are you a Peter or a Jonah? Are you moving toward God’s call or running away from it? Are you willing to risk the stares and ridicule of your friends for reaching out to those who hunger for God?

Look at this carefully and we get great insight into Cornelius as we are told, “Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.”  Do you see that? He is waiting for them to return and while he was waiting he invited all of his relatives and close friends to come and hear. 

This shows us several things:

He was a man who had great faith: The odds of getting a Jew into your house to tell you anything were far less than winning the lottery.  Jewish men spent time in prayer every day thanking God he was not a gentile. They felt that the only reason God created gentiles was to fuel the fires of hell. They took an oath to God never to help a gentile under any circumstances. Not even if they asked you for directions or even if a pregnant woman needed help as she was about to give birth because in helping her all you would do is bring another gentile into the world. If a Jew married a gentile the Jewish community would come together and have a funeral for that person. Yet, as Cornelius had been praying for four days and God spoke to him to send for Peter, Cornelius was waiting for them to return. How about you? Do you act in faith or do you use the situation or circumstance to interpret Who God is.

He is a man of great compassion: He is not only waiting for this entourage to return with “good news”, he is so convinced that what Peter has to share will change his life that he wants everyone he knows to hear it as well. He has sent three men to get a man he has never met, knowing that the guy is a pious Jew and he invites all of his closest family and friends to hear Peter. You know what this shows? It shows that Cornelius already possessed what he needed to become a believer, trust in God’s word so all he needs is to hear it!

Vs. 25-27 In the excitement, and knowing that God had him send for Peter so that he would give them the words by which he and his whole house would be saved, (11:14) Cornelius falls at his feet to worship him. Now there is a weird scene, Cornelius, a Roman commander with many men under him not to mention his family and friends, falls at the feet of a man who his country has conquered, a Jewish peasant no less and worships him. Put it in perspective and imagine Winston Churchill coming into Germany and going up to a German soldier and falling at his feet to worship him in front of all the British soldiers. They would wonder what he was smoking in that cigar of his.

         Then you have Peter, the pious Jew, having this happen to you. “Well it’s about time you know I am the first Pope and all!” Wow, his reaction is such a far cry from what they do even today at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. They have this big old statue of Peter made by Michelangeo and for 100’s of years people have come up to it and kissed the feet so many times they have kissed the big toe of his right foot completely off! But instead of this Peters says, “Stand up I’m a man just like you and I want to keep my big toe.” I added that second part!

As one commentator put it, “Peter refused to be treated as a god or to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog!” Hey you know what, Peter falls in line of all other folks including angels and refuses the worship of man. In fact I’m reminded of that passage of scripture in Rev. 19:10 where John fell at the feet of an angel to worship him. To which the angel said, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

         Finally we see the first home study fellowship gathered together to hear the Word of God. Now that must have been a little hard for Peter as he is expecting Cornelius and perhaps his family and instead walks into a crowded house packed full of folks to hear the Word.

Vs. 28-29 Peter shows his uneasiness of this by saying that it was unlawful for him to come into their house at all. It was taboo for Peter to do this yet immediately his mind switched to what only two days earlier he had learned that he was not to hinder the Word of God from those that were hungry for it. In fact by the words, “Therefore I came” reveals that apart from God working IN his heart he would never have gone with the three men that Cornelius had sent.

Vs. 30-33 As Cornelius retells the vision God had given him, notice verse 31,  “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.” Have you ever told someone that unless they are a Christian God does not hear their prayers? Well here is the fact of the matter: God always hears the earnest cries of the human heart that seeks to know Him!

The other point that I again want to make based upon Cornelius’ prayer and God’s reply is that even though he is a good man, a religious man, it is not enough. God did not say, “Hey Cornelius your religion and your sincerity is good enough in my eyes.” I mean as long as you believe there is a God and that’s all that matters to Me!” No, in fact God says, “I hear the cry of your heart and you need to change your religion.”

So Cornelius says, “We are here for this purpose so that you will open up the Word of God and our hearts are ready to receive it even if it means that we will have to change our belief system!” I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, it is very difficult for us to be open to change isn’t it? How about it? Are you ready to have God through His word radically change your life? Are you open to the Holy Spirit to come in and change your worldview? You see we put a lot of importance upon outward things but “the LORD sees every heart and understands and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him.” (1 Chron 28:9).

Vs. 34-43 Seven reasons Jesus is a great deal

Vs. 34-43 Peter here gives a brief but complete gospel to his gentile listeners. In it he reveals seven reasons why Jesus is the answer that Cornelius has been searching for.

Vs. 34-35 NOT FOR A LIMITED FEW: Jesus is a great deal because it does not matter who you are, where you’re from, or what your situation is, He alone is the answer. In other words He is the “One size fits all” spiritual answer. This is not something new about God in fact we are told in Deut. 10:17 “The LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality.” He is not a respecter of people He is the lover of people! He receives everyone from anywhere regardless of their background, social class, religion or race. He favors no one; all are equal as they seek to know Him. Hey we live in a world where we separate and segregate the food on our plates don’t we? I mean God forbid the applesauce touches the green peas and everyone knows that the blue M&M’s taste better. What if God was like that? “Can’t save you, you’re not the right color!”

Vs. 35 Now don’t miss understand Peter’s words here, he is not saying that God accepts everyone who is sincere based upon works. How do we know that? Well if that was the case then Cornelius would have already been saved and there was no need to send for Peter. No it means that God sees the heart of a man and any honest heart that is seeking after Him will find God leading them to the truth about His Son. Jesus said in John 6:28-29 when the crowd asked, “What does God want us to do?” Jesus replied “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.” .

The work of righteousness is to believe in the one he has sent!

•   Vs. 36-38 IT’S A FREE OFFER: God sent Jesus to the world, He never asked man to come to heaven. Do you get it; God sent His one and only Son to you free of charge. He came down as a man and furthermore He was not hidden so that only a few had the opportunity to receive Him. No he was in plain view and proclaimed to all. You see Peter’s point? Here is God reaching out to man in his weakness, failure and sin for the sole purpose of restoring him back to how God intended him to be. I’ve seen some of the highlights of reality based shows where you can win 50,000 dollars but only if you eat some bugs or hang upside down in a tank of water longer than everybody else. The prize is awarded based upon man’s effort but not so in Jesus it’s awarded based upon His effort!

Vs. 38b-39a COMPLETE MAKE OVER: Jesus reversed the effects of death! Peter is saying that the effects of Jesus in a human life can be seen in the effects He had while He walked the earth.

• Doing good

• Healing all who were oppressed by the devil

• Didn’t matter where He was

You see it does not matter your condition He can give you a complete make over of the heart. He has come to reverse the effects of man’s separation from God.

• Vs. 39 IT’S EXTREMELY VALUABLE: Jesus did all the above and then gave His life. Hey, if you had terminal cancer would you be willing to be a man who had the only cure? Well, the world didn’t pay Him anything instead they killed Him and rejected the free offer. Not only that, they did so by the most horrible death imaginable. One Roman author of this time said that it was not polite to even speak of crucifixion in public.

• Vs. 40-41 IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS: Man’s sin and pride can not defeat God’s work through His Son. Jesus conquered death, His was a bodily resurrection from the dead and he was not some ghost or spirit as He ate and drank with them afterwards. How great is that? When Jesus changes a life it stays forever changed and you can be sure of that just as certain as you can be sure of the resurrection Peter says. Nothing can or ever will change the effects Jesus has on the human condition.

• Vs 42 TODAY HE IS AVAILABLE TO YOU: It’s kind of like that “Fram” oil filter ad that said, “You can pay me now or pay me later!” Only in Jesus it is “He has paid for you NOW or you will pay later!” He is not dead but alive and available to everyone everywhere and without Him you will die. Jesus is not just one of many options, no he is the only way to life everlasting. He alone stands at the end of every man’s journey in life.

• Vs. 43 EVERYONE AGREES IT’S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OFFER: God had spoken through the prophets hundreds and thousands of years earlier of this great opportunity for all of mankind. And here He has come that whoever believes in Jesus will receive forgiveness of all sins. Not just past but present and future as well. Do you get that last sentence here? 

Peter states three things about the free offer of Jesus:

• EVERYONE: It’s for everyone! It’s universal in scope no one is excluded no matter what your background. In fact Jesus said, “a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” In other words the greater your debt to God the more you will appreciate your forgiveness. 

• WHO BELIEVES IN HIM: It’s only available through Jesus. Not available through any other offer or along with any other offer. In other words it’s not Jesus and works, or law keeping or anything else. It’s trusting only in Him and nothing else or anyone else.

• RECEIVES FORGIVENESS OF SINS: It’s a guarantee! Peter does not say “most” receive forgiveness of sin no, everyone does that trusts in Jesus. There is not some fine print at the bottom of a page that says, “results may vary!”  

Vs. 44-48 Where do I sign?

Vs. 44 Do you see this? Peter does not even get to an altar call. I mean he could have said, “Hey fellows don’t get saved yet I need to give you the opportunity.” Peter gets no further with his sermon than verse 43 when those there took the offer and the Holy Spirit signed the deal in their hearts. I can tell you that many of us pastor types would not mind the Holy Spirit interrupting our sermon if this was the result. You see Peter taught the Word and the Spirit of God moved on the heart. Folks, the Spirit of God always seems to move in the people of God when the Word of God is being taught. That is what Paul says in Col. “Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” 

Vs. 45-46 Now this totally blows away the six Jewish Christians that Peter had brought with him. I mean not only did God show that He loved gentiles, He showed that He would indwell them and empower them apart from them becoming Jews first. And He did this without even asking them! And God showed this by giving them the gift of tongues just as He had them and in the same way they are praising God with the gift.

Vs. 47-48 Now like other places in scripture baptism follows salvation. It wasn’t the dunking in the water that saved them, it was trusting Jesus that did that and the baptism was an outward sign of an inward reality. That is Peter’s statement here, “You can baptize them seeing that they are saved just like us!” So they are baptized in the name of the Lord and note that he hung out with them for a few days. How sweet was that fellowship?

         Here is how Paul would later put it in Eph. Chapter 2.  “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”