ACTS 10 Review: ● The birth of the church and how it has grown and spread. ○ It was scattered through persecution ■ The gospel, at this point, ● has now reached Judea, Samaria and Ethiopia

● We’re in the midst of four chapters here, 8-11, ○ that establish for us the truth that in Christ Jesus, under His blood, ■ in the Holy Spirit, we are all one. ○ These four chapters provide the vehicle, ■ that brought the gospel here to us this morning. ● We’ve talked about Saul, who was perhaps the church’s greatest opponent ○ And how in a breath, he has become one of its staunchest champions.

Theme: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything ​ give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

CHAPTER 10

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called 2 the Italian Regiment, ​a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, ​ who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. - This man, Cornelius: - He feared God with all his household - He gave generously - He prayed to God always - Something to consider in this: - Rome was polytheistic in its beliefs, - and caesars were worshipped as a god - Temples were constructed specifically for the worship of the caesar. - It was regular military duty to worship the image - At times, citizens and soldiers, were ordered to confess caesar as “lord and god” as a test of their loyalty - We have a Centurion here, - an officer of the Roman government, - A leader over hundreds of men - Who believes something treasonous - To his nation, - to his office, - To his people: - He fears and prays to the true and living God. - Centurions hold a unique place in scripture. - They commanded an occupying force in the holy land, - but you do not see them portrayed negatively in scripture. - More than that, they come up, repeatedly - in instances of great proclamations of faith - The Centurion’s servant who was healed in Luke 7 ​ - A certain centurion’s servant was sick and ready to die. - He sent to Jesus through elders of the Jews, - pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. - These elders came to Jesus, they begged Him - Noted that he loved this nation, and had built them a synagogue! - Jesus went with them, - But the centurion sent word ahead: - 6 “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. ​7 ​Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8​ ​For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does ​it.”​ - 9 ​When Jesus heard these things, He ​marveled at him, ​ and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, ​I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”​ - 10 ​And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick. - Jesus marveled at his faith - Only three instances in scripture of Jesus marveling - there in L​ uke 7​, - In a parallel description of the same account in ​Matthew 8 - And in M​ ark 6 ​ at the unbelief of the his own hometown - When He returned to Nazareth and they were offended at Him - Scripture shows Jesus marvel over the faith of a gentile Centurion, - And over the faithlessness of His Jewish countrymen. - In ​Matthew 8:11-13, Jesus tells the centurion: “Many will come from the ​ ​ ​ east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. - He prefaces in that moment what we are seeing play out in these four chapter of Acts. - Gentiles coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, - giving them a seat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven - And Jews rejecting Jesus in favor of their tradition, and losing their seat. - At the cross, - Luke 23 tells us there was darkness that fell over the earth, ​ - the sun was darkened, - the veil in the temple was torn in two - Matthews tells us there was a great earthquake - And Jesus breathed His last. - Luke 23:47 “So when the Centurion saw what happened he glorified God, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ saying, ‘Certainly, this was a righteous Man!’” - Matthew 27:54 tells us the Centurion and the soldiers guarding Jesus with ​ him, said “Truly, this was the Son of God.” ​ ​ - Again, that’s a treasonous act, - occurring out in a public place for that centurion and his men - But you have this gentile Centurion impacted profoundly by Jesus’ work on the cross - It caused him to glorify God. - And profess Jesus as the Son of God.

- When Peter made this same confession, - Jesus told Him “...flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” - The same happened here for this Centurion and his soliders, - at the cross. - It’s just no one really put two-and-two together yet.

- So now you have another Centurion, Cornelius, 3 ​About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 ​And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before 5 6 God. ​Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. H​ e is ​ ​ lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” - Send men to Joppa. - Context -- that’s a distance of 30 miles. - Two day’s journey. - Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God - God was hearing him - And sent word to him - Tells him specifically who to send for, and exactly where to find him.

- This angel tells him Peter is staying with a tanner - Now, a tanner was habitually unclean. - They had to live outside of the city, - specifically because of the smell of the dead carcasses - According to the Talmud, (not the Bible!) if a woman married a tanner, - And somehow didn’t realize he was a tanner, - it was grounds for divorce if she wished, - because it was a life of uncleanness that lay ahead.

7 A​ nd when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his ​ household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him 8 continually. ​So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to ​ Joppa. - You will see this pattern throughout this story, and throughout the story of the church: - God calls. God speaks. Men obey. Men follow. - And the Spirit moves mightily, within that very simple chain.

9 T​ he next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on 10 the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. T​ hen he became very hungry and wanted ​ 11 to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance ​and saw heaven opened and ​ an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down 12 to the earth. ​In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, ​ 13 creeping things, and birds of the air. ​And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and ​ eat.”

14 ​But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” - Not so, Lord! - Again! - Compare this with the centurion - who spoke “lord” without a capital letter at the beginning, - he saw an Angel ​ ​ - But knew the word was from God, and immediately obeyed it. - Peter hears from Jesus - Compare even with Saul in the last chapter - “Lord, what would you have me do?” - Peter here, falls back on this reflexive refrain: Not so, Lord! - If Jesus is truly Lord over our lives, we can’t say no to Him - And to Peter’s defense, he ultimately obeys in this - Obedience erases everything else. - What you do trumps what you say - But always check your attitude to Jesus’ Lordship over your heart

- We can’t lie to God. - We can’t super-righteous ourselves to God - We tend to major in the things we think we get right - God is faithful to tear those things down - Consider the full equation of what Peter is saying to Jesus here: - He is denying Jesus’ lordship in the same breath that he is trumpeting his own works - And, again, he’s saying this to Jesus, - Our very righteousness. - Major in Jesus! - He is what matters. ​

15 ​And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” - Mark 7:6-8 - The Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus why his disciples eat bread with unwashed hands. 6 - H​ e answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But ​ ​ 7 their heart is far from Me. A​ nd in vain they worship Me, teaching as ​ ​ 8 doctrines the commandments of men.’ F​ or laying aside the ​

commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men — t​ he washing ​ of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” (Drop down to verse 14) 14 - ​ ​When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said ​ ​ ​ 15 to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: T​ here is nothing that ​ enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come 16 out of him, those are the things that defile a man. I​ f anyone has ears to ​ 17 hear, let him hear!” ​When He had entered a house away from the crowd, ​ 18 His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. S​ o He said to them, “Are ​ you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever 19 enters a man from outside cannot defile him, b​ ecause it does not enter ​ his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” 20 ​ ​ ​ ​ 21 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. F​ or from ​ within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, 22 fornications, murders, t​ hefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, ​ 23 lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. A​ ll these evil things ​ come from within and defile a man.

Peter was in this room and he heard these words. - That was the moment Jesus had declared all things clean - Not in an arbitrary sense, - But in that sense that the sinful nature, - Our true uncleaness, comes from within -- from our hearts.

Again, at this point in scripture, this whole concept is not new in its substance, - What we read back in Acts is a course correction - 10 years the church has been alive at this point - And, frankly, they have delayed in fulfilling that last portion of Jesus’ promise -- to the ends of the earth. - Because their understanding, - They’re general acceptance was that the gospel was for all - as long as they adhered to the covenant of circumcision - As long as they had gone through the proper rituals - Philip reached out to the Samaritans, - Who already lived under the Sabbath, - and the circumcision, and dietary law, - by nature of their Hebrew roots. - They accepted the gospel, - and Peter and John came and ratified the work - Philip went to the Ethiopian, who was a Jewish prosthelyte, - Who worshipped at the temple, - and the Ethiopian returned to his people with the Gospel. - But then the Gospel has delayed here for a bit - For a decade.

The Lord ushers the Gospel forward - Hanging on this necessary clarification -- - that He had already outlined, during His ministry on earth: - it is not the exterior, but interior -- the nature of our hearts -- that defiles us.

16 T​ his was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. ​ - This was done THREE TIMES!!!! - This is Peter! This is his pattern. - The implication is that the full dialogue occurred three times - So, see within that, Peter denied the Lord three times - “Not so, Lord. Not so, Lord. Not so Lord.” - Peter, who three times denied His Lord on the night of His capture - Who Jesus asked three times, “Do you love me?” - And who Jesus told told three times to care for His sheep.

- That third time here, as the object is taken up, maybe a lightbulb goes on, ​ ​ - Alarm bells start ringing - “Oh, Lord, you’re trying to tell me something here.” - Sourcing matters greatly, as you read through scripture - Peter, himself, is the source of the details of this vision. - He’s the source of the fact that this was repeated three times. - He’s the source of the words “ Not so, Lord” - unafraid to be transparent about his stumblings - Not afraid to be real. - Many of the shortcomings we see in Peter in scripture, - can be traced back to him as the source of the information. - The discussion on the beach when Jesus restored him. - Going away and weeping bitterly after denying Jesus on the night of his capture. - This vision here. - He was faithful to present the full picture of how things played out. - To allow the full picture to be presented. - The other accounts of his missteps, came from friends, - brothers in the Lord - Those moments got told -- to a greater degree than the others - We don’t chuckle over the what Bartholomew said or did - Peter didn’t just allow the accounts of his missteps, - He encouraged them. - We’ll see why in a moment here - But, a person like that, you can trust

17 N​ ow while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s 18 house, and stood before the gate. ​And they called and asked whether Simon, whose ​ surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 W​ hile Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are 20 seeking you. A​ rise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have ​ 21 sent them.” T​ hen Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from ​ ​ Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?” 22 A​ nd they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy 23 angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” ​Then he invited ​ them in and lodged them. - Taking Gentiles in and lodging them - This is a small sentence that is truly a big deal. - Under the law, you couldn’t have a gentile in your house. - But Peter invited them right in. - Walls are just crumbling down in a matter of moments here. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. - This is a two-day journey - Be ready to pick up and go when God gives you something to do!

24 A​ nd the following day they entered Caesarea. - Now, consider this - Philip was in Caesarea at this point. - He lived here and had put down roots here. - He was raising a family here. - The Lord sent Philip to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian - And he is in town now as the gospel is being brought to this centurion. - But God calls Peter forward for this moment. - The work here is two-fold. - It is bringing the gospel to the Gentiles, - and it is bringing about a change in Peter’s heart. ​ ​

- Philip had already worked through these barriers of tradition in his own heart, while following the Lord where He had called him. - Now it’s Peter’s turn. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. - Anticipating a Word from God, Cornelius gathered a crowd - Remember in this, - Even in gathering a crowd to hear from this man of God, - Cornelius is turning in his own birthright - He is renouncing the godship of Caesar. - It is a treasonous act - but Cornelius fears God more than man.

- We’ve seen Barnabas forsake his birthright as a Levite - We’ve seen Saul forsake his birthright as an officer of God’s law - And now this Cornelius forsakes his birthright as a Roman citizen, - as an officer of Caesar’s government

Later in Acts we’ll see a Roman commander, - speak of having paid a large sum to purchase his citizenship. - You could be born into it or you could purchase it at great cost, - but citizenship in the Roman empire, - was no trifle to throw away.

- But see, Cornelius gathers a crowd, - on the promise that God is bringing a man he’s never met, - with a message of which he doesn’t yet know - Only, that is from the true and living God. - “Well, then how do you know he’s coming??” - “God told me!”

- May our witness be as such, - that when we say God is about to do something, - people will listen. - This is only found through steadfast obedience to the Lord. - Earned over a great amount of time, - through great faithfulness to Him

25 ​As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped ​ 26 him. ​But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” ​ - For those that would call Peter the first pope -- take note of this section here. - “Stand up! I myself am also a man.” - Remember what we just said - Peter, this man unafraid -- who was dogged, - in presenting his faults and shortcomings for the record. - Knowing, long in advance, man’s tendency to worship man - Knowing people see God at work, - They see His power flowing through a life, - and they start to esteem the vessel, - instead of the source. - “Get up! I just not-soed the Lord three times. I’m just a man - I’m just a sinner, living under grace.

- A true servant of God will always, always point the Glory to God. - In how they live their own lives, - and in how any one else esteems them. - A man should not accept worship - Beware if you see one who does. It is treacherous territory.

- Angels even, as we see throughout scripture, will not accept worship for themselves - unless that Angel is an appearance of Jesus Christ Himself, - and that is how you know, because Jesus will be worshipped. - Those times, that is no ordinary angel!

Satan sought worship for himself. - He will encourage worship of self. - Pursuing it and receiving it. - Understand the danger in seeking self-esteem - or being more loving toward yourself - “Self” has a voracious appetite. - It knows no bounds. - Self has no satisfaction. - More than that though, - understand, simply, that God loves you with a deeper love, - And a purer love, - than you can ever shower on yourself. - You can never love yourself, or anyone else, - the way that God loves you. - That is the truth. - His love is better than yours.

- Only God is ever going to be worthy of worship.

27 28 ​And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. ​ ​ Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any 29 man common or unclean. T​ herefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent ​ for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?” - Peter is saying this as a man who stinks, - Living with a tanner - following a two-day journey. - He speaks now to this room, - full of many people, - about how God has now shown him, - that no man is common or unclean under His covenant - But he speaks as a man who stinks! - He says this as one, who in this moment who is ceremonially unclean. - He has been around death, - And that death is apparent on him.

- This is the great caveat in teaching any Bible study - In witnessing to anyone - You carry God’s message to the people, - you carry words of the Spirit, - but you carry it in a body of dying flesh. - If I say something, you all can see it’s application to me, - as much as you can see it for yourself. - That’s as it should be.

That’s as it should be in your own walk with the Lord, - not the good things you do, but the great thing God has done in you. - They could smell Peter as he told them, - about who is common and unclean, and who isn’t.

Only Jesus -- only Jesus is uncommon and clean - and any who fall in under Him, - under His blood, are esteemed the same in God’s eyes. - For whatever conviction you feel during a study, - realize the teacher has been working through the same things - The entire time they were preparing. - It is often a week full of “Not so, Lord!” - And then submitting under it.

- Peter here bears the truth of God’s word, - as one to whom, this truth is obviously apparent. - It is a humbling thing -- and it is a necessary thing. - It is the thing that brings him to the point of - “Stand up, I myself am also a man.”

- All glory goes to God, because only God will ever be worthy of glory.

30 S​ o Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I 31 prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, ​and said, ​ ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of 32 God. ​Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is ​ lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to 33 you.’ ​So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, ​ we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.” ​ ​

34 T​ hen Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. - Repeat that phrase into everything you see happening out in the world today. - God shows no partiality!

35 ​But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. ​ 36 T​ he word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus 37 Christ—He is Lord of all— ​that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all ​ Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: - The Centurion states they are all there, - to hear the things commanded to Peter by God, - And Peter opens his mouth and just begins dispensing the word of God. - Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ​ - No clever arguments, - Carefully planned talking points - Dispense the word. - Faith comes by hearing. And hearing comes by the word of God.

- The here word is this: 38 ​how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went ​ about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with 39 Him. A​ nd we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews ​ ​ ​ and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. - Subtle point here: - Cornelius knew the method of Roman execution. - Probably had a hand in a couple himself - Peter says the Jews killed Jesus, but they did so by Gentile means. - Jesus died for all mankind, - and all mankind bears responsibility in His death. - Cannot hang it on one race. Or one people.

40 41 ​Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, ​not to all the people, ​ ​ but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after 42 He arose from the dead. A​ nd He commanded us to preach to the people, and to ​ testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 ​ To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” - There - that right there - that’s the message. - That’s the gospel. - Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

- All of the prophets witness to this one basic idea. - We can really complicate things outside of that.

- Paul will spend the bulk of his writing ministry trying to boil it back down to that very basic truth

- A word for those today who would shy away from prophecy, - Who think we spend too much time talking about it.

- See this here: “To Him all the prophets witness …” ​ ​ - Prophecy carries with it the spirit of Jesus Christ. - He fulfilled prophecy. - And Prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled, - points to His imminent return.

- You can’t shy away from it. - to Him all the prophets witness.

And what does a prophet do? Speaks forth the word of God:

- Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - - 44 W​ hile Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. - The Spirit doesn’t even let him finish, - those words get spoken, and the Spirit gets poured out again - Suddenly, - just as on the Day of Pentecost - And now we have the Gentile pentecost some 10 years later. For Peter -- He’s always getting interrupted like this. - Jesus called him out of the boat - Told him to follow. Interrupted his entire life.

- When Peter realized and proclaimed Jesus as the Christ - the son of the living God. - Jesus then showed the disciples that He would be killed and raised again on the third day. - Peter began to rebuke Him, - telling Him this shall not happen to You! - And Jesus, the Son of God, interrupted him -- “Get behind Me, Satan! - “you are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men.”

- When Jesus was transfigured into His Glory, and Moses and Elijah appeared, - And we know Moses to be a picture of the law - Capable of bringing the nation up to the promised land, but could not deliver them in

- And we Elijah to be a type of the prophets. - Empowered by God to powerfullyspeak forth God’s word

Peter says “It’s good that we are here -- and proposes building shelters there for Jesus, Moses and Elijah For Jesus, the law and the prophets. And God the Father interrupts him, and says “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

- And here, as Peter is presenting the gospel to the Gentiles, - Now the Holy Spirit interrupts him, - and pours out on the people who gathered there and heard the word. - Who in that moment obtained faith in Jesus. - Faith comes hearing, hearing by the word of God. - The Holy Spirit moves through the Word of God.

Peter gets interrupted at key moments, monumental moments, - by each person of the trinity. - He was interrupted by the Son of God, - when he began to speak against the sacrificial death, - when he began to speak against the work on the cross.

- He was interrupted by God the Father, - when he began to direct honor and glory to the law and the prophets to the same degree as Jesus -- who fulfills the law and the prophets.

- And he is here interrupted by God the Spirit, - when he would have otherwise gone and added anything else to the gospel message

Jesus. Him crucified. Him risen again. - whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. - That is the gospel. - We are saved by grace. - Saved by justification through faith, - in the perfect work on the cross.

45 ​And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with ​ Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 ​ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. 47 Then Peter answered, “​ Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized ​ 48 who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ​And he commanded them to be ​ baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. - Tremendous, undeniable work of the Holy Spirit - Witnessed by a good number that Peter had brought along with him. - “This is real!” - From there, Peter sticks around to teach them up - speak forth more of God’s word. Maybe this is your first exposure to the gospel this morning. - Maybe you have feared God - prayed constantly - and given of your time and your effort and your life, - but something has always been missing. - Maybe you have been wandering, - you’ve heard the gospel, accepted and professed the gospel, - but you’ve slidden backward . - And the weight of your guilt is blocking you from returning. - Maybe you feel empty. - You know the routine and you do the routine. And your proud of your routine. - And in that, you’ve slidden forward. - And the weight of your frustration, and your fatigue -- - It is hard keeping up appearances. - The weight of your pride is keeping you from enjoying His rest. - See God’s tremendous grace to you this morning - He provided His Son, who was - filled with power and anointed with the Holy Spirit. - Who was killed by hanging on a tree. - God raised Him up on the third day and showed Him openly! - It was no secret, what happened. - All of us have sin. - Our sin separates us from God. Condemns us to hell. - But God. - God provided a way. Through His Name -- whoever believes in Jesus. - Not just believes in His existence, - but believes He Himself is payment - to a brutal and unthinkable degree - Jesus is payment for my sin. - Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. - Remission -- the Greek is aphesis: - freedom; pardon; deliverance; forgiveness That can be yours this morning. Believe in the Name of Jesus. Believe in Him and glorify God for His overwhelming goodness to you.