Acts: No Favorites

Well, good morning, it's good to see you all. Welcome to Betheza.

If you have your bibles. If you do, if you do,

show them, raise them up, let's see God's word. I'm glad you

have them again. I coourage you to have your bibles when you come,

and even that that is a phone, that's great too. But only do

you need to have your Bible. So you need to be in your Bible.

So I hope this week you've been in your bibles. If you turn

with me to Acts, Act chapter ten, we're going to be in the

Gospel, I mean not the Gospel, the Book of Acts that we've been

working through this book for some time, and this morning we're gonna finish chapter

ten. So if you turn with me to Acts chapter ten, and we're

going to start verse twenty three in just a minute, Acts chapter ten,

starting verse twenty three. Now, do you have favorites? I think we

probably all have favorites, right, and probably have favorite ice cream. My

favorite ice cream is black cherry, Just so you know you have probably favorite

foods. The other week, we took our students to Disney, our high

school students, and we wrote a bunch of rides and I remember at the

end of the day, I stopped all the students and I said, Okay,

to me, what was your favorite ride? So we have favorite rides,

we have favorite ice cream, we have favorite foods, we have favorite

music. There's different types of music that we like and we prefer more than

others. Typically, we maybe even have favorite things that we like to do.

But when we have certain favorites, at times we will show a partiality

to those things. Right, if you go to Good Berries this evening and

if they got black cherry on the on the menu today, I probably are

going to show a little partiality that I'm going to probably choose it over chocolate.

Right. At times, if we have favorites, we kind of show

maybe some more attention to one than the other. Same thing with rydes we

go to Disney. If you tire Tears your favorite ride, You're probably going

to spend more time writing it then maybe Aladdin's Carpet ride. Right, And

so you have those things where if you have a favorite, you tend to

show more attention to something that you maybe desire more than other things. But

can I tell today God shows no favorites you and I. We even have

favorite baseball teams sports teams right, and we will show more tension. But

God doesn't do that. God doesn't show favorites. Actually, God's word even

describes this idea. That God shows no partiality means that he doesn't show more

at tension to one and then the other. He says this in Deuteronomy ten

seventeen. For the Lord your God is a god of God's, the Lord

of Lord's, great and mighty and the awesome God, who is not partial

and takes no bribes, he says in Second Chronicles nineteen seven. So now

then, fear of the Lord of the Lord bit maybe upon you be careful

of what you do, for there's no injustice with the Lord our God,

no partiality or taking brid's. God doesn't show partiality. And this morning,

as we come to this passage of scripture, I think it's important understand as

we understand, you know, the best way to know who God is is

to study his word. And what we study his word, we know more

about who God is and what God is like. And as we come to

this passage of scripture today, I think the writer of Acts Luke really wants

you to see that God shows no partiality to people, to different people groups,

different races, different countries, different nationalities. God shows no partiality.

God loves all people. Can I tell you? And not only does God

show no partiality, but neither did Jesus. When Jesus was on earth,

he cared for the pharisee that was seen as the outcast, and he cared

for the unclean. As the leper came to him, he came to the

woman who had the issue of blood. Jesus showed no partiality. Jesus showed

no favorites. And can I tell you the Holy Spirit shows no partiality.

It showed no favorites. Can I tell you? This passage of scripture shows

us today that God loves all people from all nations, and it doesn't show

partiality the one or the other. You know, the Bible says in Second

Peter three nine, the Lord is slow to fulfill his promises, that some

count slowness, but patience towards you, not wishing that any should perish,

but that all should seek or me reach repentance. You know that God loved

all people, all nations, and God desires that all people from all nations

would would be saved and reach repentance. You know the country we've been praying

for this month is the Riti people. Is a country as continent in Africa

as kind of north East Africa near Sudan. And just a few weeks ago

in my sermon, I told you about a people group living in that country

is the Tigra people. There are no Mac people. And you know in

that that people group, there's seven hundred, seven hundred and fifty seven thousand

Tigra people in Rita and out of that seven hundred and fifty seven one hundred

thousand people, they have no access to the gospel. Now think about that

with me. God shows no partiality. God loves all people from all nations.

There's seven hundred and fifty seven thousand people God loves and God's word tells

us in First Peter he wishes all for them to be saved, every one

of them. But listen to me today, that group of people have no

access to the gospel. So what does that mean that the Tiger people will

live and die and go to hell, never hearing about Jesus, who loves

them, who died for them, who wants them to be saved. So

to this morning, as we come to this passage of Scripture, listen to

me today. This passage of scripture shows us God's work, Jesus works,

and the Holy Spirit's work at reaching the nations. You see, God is

a God who shows no favoritism and as a God who wants to reach all

people in all nations. And then this passage of scripture we see, just

as the Gospel goes to the gentile, how God the Father, how Jesus

and how the Holy Spirit are seeking to reach the nations for His glory for

their good. So let's read this passage in just a minute. I want

to remind you where we are in this passage scripture. Last week, Peter

is at Simon the Tanner's house, if you remember, and there's he's hungry

and he's preparing the meal. And as they're preparing the meal, the scripture

tells us that Peter goes up on the roof and and there on the roof

he has a dream. You remember this the or a trance, scripture says,

and in the trance he sees this this white cloth, it's almost like

a blanket or and it's it's been held by four corners, and it's coming

down from heaven. And in the white cloth you would probably see it as

a like a table or we maybe say a white tablecloth, and it's coming

down, and on that tablecloth is animal. Scripture says this to all types

of animals, reptiles and birds. And Peter as he sees this trance and

he sees these this tablecloth coming down with all these different animals, he hears

a voice and the voice says, Peter, rise up, kill and eat

well. Peter responds to the voice, and this is how he responds.

Peter says, Lord, I will never do that, because I've never eaten

anything that's unclean. Something that tells us about that vision. When he responds

to the voice, he thinks he understands that voice is God's voice, right,

And Peter says, I will never eat anything. I will never eat

any of those food those animals, why because they were unclean and he had

never done that. He hears the voice again. In the second time.

The voice says to Peter, Peter, do not call anything unclean that I've

made clean. About that time, Peter, as he sees the visionary he

has his vision three times, Scripture says, And as the vision ends,

Peter hears a knock at the door scripture says some had come to Tanner's house,

and they're from Corneus's house, and the voice from the Lord, the

spirit of the Lord, tells Peter to rise and go with these men to

Cornea's house. And this is where we come. Who's Cornias. Cornea is

a Roman centurion, who had God had come to and spoken to who had

sent God has spoken to Corneas and told him to send messengers to Simon the

Tanner's house and get Peter. So this is where we are this morning.

This is in the Book of Acts. The Gospel command the mission of the

Church was to take the Gospel what to Jerusalem, Judea, and to the

ends of the earth, to the nations. We've seen the Gospel and Acts

go to Jerusalem. We've seen the Gospel go to Samaria. Now we're seeing

the Gospel go to the ends of the earth, the Gospel going to the

Gentiles. And as we look today as how the Gospel goes to the Gentiles,

to Corneus's house, Listen, we're going to see just how the Trinity

works in reaching all people in all nations. The Trinity actions in reaching all

peoples and all nations let's stay together, and let's read God's word together,

the Bible says, and we'll start in verse twenty three. And he invited

their men to be his guests. And the next day he rose and went

away with him some of the brothers from Joppa accompanying him. And on the

following day they entered cesarea, and Corneas was expecting them and had called together

as relative as close friends. When Peter entered, Corneas met him and fell

down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up and said,

stand up, I'm too a man. And he talked with him,

and he went in and found many persons gathered, and he said to them,

you yourselves, and know how un lawful it is for Jude to associate

with or to visit anyone of another nation. But God has shown me that

I shall not call any person common or unclean, so that when I sent

for, I came without objection. And I asked, then, why have

you sent me in Corneas's Four days ago, about this hour I was praying

in my house on the ninth hour. Behold, a man stood before me

in bright clothing and said, Corneas, your prayer has been heard, and

your arms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and asked for

Simon, who is called Peter. He is lodging at the house of Simon,

to Tanner by the sea. I sent for you at once, and

you have been kind enough to come. Now. Therefore we are all here

and in the presence of God, to hear all that you have been commanded

by the Lord. So Peter opened his mouth, and he said, truly,

I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone

who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to him. And as

for the word that He sent to Israel, preaching the good news of peace

through Jesus Christ, he is lord of all. You yourselves know that what

happened throughout all Judea, beginning with Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed,

and how God appointed Jesus as a Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with

power, and went about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the

devil. For God was with him, and we are all witnesses that all

he did, both in country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put

him to death by hanging him on the tree. But God raised him on

the third day and made him to appear not to all the people, but

to us, who had been chosen by God his witnesses, who ate and

drank with him after he rose from the dead, and he commanded us to

preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God

to be judge of the living and the dead. To him, all the

prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sin through his

name. While Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all

who heard the word, and the believers from the circus size who had come

with Peter were maids because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even

on the gentiles, and they were hearing those speaking tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared, can anyone withhold water from baptizing these people, who over

see the Holy Spirit listen to this just as we have. And he commanded

them to be baptizing in them of Jesus Christ. And they asked him to

remain for some days. Let's pray together, Father, We thank you Lord

for today. We thank you that Lord, you are a God that shows

no partiality. God, You're God that Lord desires that all would be saved,

that all people would would put faith in you and repent and come to

know you, Lord Jesus. So Lord, today as we see Lord your

work at reaching the nations. God, I pray you give us a heart

for the nations, for all people. God, I pray that if there's

people here today that doesn't know your Lord and say for your God, they

would see Lord, your desire to reach them. Lord, your desire for

them to come to faith and salvation and really forgiveness of sin, and that

receive the Holy Spirit. Lord. So I pray today you lead us through

your word, that you would speak through me. God, you'd give me

clarity of thought, clarity speech, and Lord, I would declare, Lord,

your word and your word alone. Lord, move now in your name,

we pray, and then you may be see that the Trinity's action and

reaching all people in all nation. First, God seeks that seeks all that

seek him. God, God seeks all that seek him. Corneas is this

Roman centurion and he's has a vision of the Lord comes to him. An

angel tells us at the beginning of chapter ten, tells him that he has

seen his giving, he's heard his prayers, and tells him to send some

a group of men to Simon at Tanner's house and Joppa, and he does

that. Scripture tells us that Peter has this vision, and these messengers come,

and he followed him. The Bible tells us that, as we come

to verse twenty three, so they he invited these men in, these men

from Corneus's house, and the Bible says, the next day they arose.

We understand that there were three men, two servants of Corneas and one a

soldier. And then we understand that three men also go with Peter, sos

seven altogether to come back to Corneus's house. As Peter arrives, he comes

into Corneus's house, and you imagine, Scripture tells us, as you look

at verse twenty four, Corneus is waiting, and Scripture tells us he's been

waiting four days. You imagine, God gives you a vision and says,

I've heard your prayers, Corneus, and I've seen what you've done. Now

go get Peter. He's got a word for you from me. And again,

as I said before Corneus must have been anxious to hear what God's word

was for him. He's been waiting four days. Scripture tells us. He's

so excited. Look at the verse twenty four. And the following day Corneus,

who was expecting them, and he had called together his relatives and his

close friends. Man Corneus was excited that God was about to speak in a

way that he had never heard, and as result, he didn't want just

to keep it to himself. He gathered all his friends, all his family,

and they're waiting. Peter comes, and it's interesting. As Peter comes,

Corneus falls at Peter's feet and worship him. Scripture tells us, I

love what happens his pastors of Scripture that Peter grabs him and he picks up

Corneus. He says, Corneas, I am a man, just like you.

I know better than you. I'm just a man. I love the

imagery of what Peter's trying to show him. Don't worship me, worship the

Lord. As Peter comes to them, he Scripture tells us, he walks

in and Peter sees it. It's just not Corneass. Corneas his family is

Corneus, his friends, his whole group gathered. Now, as you remember

in a few weeks ago, as we've been studying through this, it was

unlawful. It was unheard of. You can say it was taboo for a

Jew to associate with the gentile. You were not to eat in a home

with the gentile. You were not to eat a meal with the gentile.

You were not stay in a home of gentile. It was it was considered,

it was taboo, was something that you did not do because you would

become unclean. Peter walks in. You imagine his whole life he's lived that,

he's not stayed with Jesus, he's not associated with Jews, he's not

eight with Jews, I mean juice gentiles. And now he comes to Cornela's

house, who is a gentile, and he's in a house full of gentiles.

And so Peter just Peter's one of those ones who says before he thinks,

you know what I mean. And so he sees all these gentiles.

In his whole life, he's been telling them, and so he just says,

hey, you know, I just want to tell you, you know

that it's unlawful for me to be with you. I shouldn't be when the

room was full of all gentiles. But God showed me something that I should

not call a person unclean, that he's a made clean. You see God's

working on Peter. And he says that, and listen to what he tells

them that man I'm struggling with, I've showed partiality. As he comes to

them, he asked them, what do you what do you want to hear?

And you can see that in verse twenty six, and Peter lifts up

the man, and verse eight twenty eight is where he says, Hey,

I'm telling you I've showed partiality. I said certain people are clean and certain

people are not. Then he asked Corneas, Corneas, what do you want?

Why did you call me? Why did you ask me? Here?

And here Corneas tells him about the events had happened, how he had seen

the vision four days ago, how God had come to him and told him

to send for Simon, and then and how God had seen Remember, God

had seen his giving, and God had seen heard his prayers. He tells

him that I'm telling you an angel of the Lord appeared to me. And

look at what Peter says. Now Peter's struggling right, Peter says, hey,

I used to couldn't associate with gentiles, but God showed me through that

vision that I shouldn't say certain people are unclean. But look at what he

says in this passage of scripture in verse thirty four, after hearing about Corneus's

vision and how God had come as an angel or an angel would come to

Cornius and sent for Peter. Look at what Peter says in verse thirty four.

So Peter opened his mouth and says this, truly, I understand.

Listen, this God shows no partiality. But in every nation, anyone who

fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. He says,

listen, you know I wasn't especially to shay shape, but God showed me.

But here's what Peter wants. And this is one what you see Peter

saying, Okay, God was working on me, saying I shouldn't show partiality,

right, and it's okay for me to be with you. But now

hear in your testimony that God has come to you knowing. Is God showing

me that I'm not to show partiality, I'm not to show feary feitism.

But neither does he. Can I say to you today, as we understand,

as we look at this passage of scripture, we understand God shows no

favorites, He shows no partiality. You know, we like Peter, at

times we want to show partiality. Right, We want to love people that

love us. We want to love our friends, we want to love our

family members, we want to care for people. We want to have relationships

with people who are like minded, like us theologically or politically or whatever it

may be. And we tend to hang out with people that think or act

and do like we do. Right, But people who are a little different

than us, or think a little different than us, or maybe act a

little different, or maybe dress a little different, or maybe come from a

different social class than we do, then then I don't know about them.

Somebody else who can relate better than them can kind of care for them.

But at times we show favoritism. We show partiality to people that we want

to show partiality to and the people who are a little different than us.

Let's be honest, we said, maybe someone else can do that. Can

I tell you today God shows no partiality and God is showing us neither should

we showed Peter that I'm gonna ask you today. God shows no partiality,

neither should we. Adam Iram Judson was a missionary. God called him from

America to go to Burma to share the gospel in India. There there was

a group of people, an unreached people group called the Karens. And they

were really evil people. They were a remote tribe. They had been unevangelized.

They had were really just they lived in a remote area, they lived

in the jungle. They were just seeing other, very very tough people to

reach. Ad and Irah Judson was really praying about. He really wanted to

reach these people. Well. One of the Christians in the community where he

was evangelizing working as a missionary, came across the man and his name was

we'll just say co I think it's kat i something. I don't know how

to pronounce his name. But he was a slave and he was a wicked

man. He had killed thirty people. He was a hard and criminal.

He was vicious, and he had an uncontrollable temper. Yet this Christian friend

brought him to Adam and I are Judson and I Denier began reaching sharing the

gospel with him. You know, It had been very easy for him to

say, you know what, Yeah, I want to reach this people group

for Jesus. But God, give me somebody better to work with. Not

a criminal, not a murderer, not someone that has an attitude problem.

No, he desired to reach the people for Jesus, and no matter who

God brought, he was going to share with meet us too. At times

we say, God, we know you want us to share the gospel,

but God, give me somebody easy to work with. Give me somebody I

can relate to, not someone that's hard or mean or cruel. Can I

tell you God shows no partiality. Neither should we. I love the imagery

and scripture and second Chronicle six nine sixteen nine that says, for the eyes

of Lord listen to this, run to and for throughout the whole earth,

to give strong support to those who heard his blame us toward him. You

have done unfoolishly in this. From now on you will have wars. But

I love the first part of that passes the eyes of the Lord, listen

wrong to and fro through all the throughout the earth, looking for a heart.

I tell you the Lord loves the lost, those who are right here

in our community. But to the people to the ends of the earth who

do not know Him, who are maybe in the remote parts of the jungle.

God loves all people, and God seeks all that seek him. Secondly,

Jesus saves all that believes in him. You know, Corneas was wanting

a message. God told him that to bring Peter, and Peter had a

message. His first message that he says, is listen. I realized today

that God shows no partiality. Second message to him that he has. He

begins telling them the gospel he's been telling them about Jesus. Look at verse

thirty six, and he explains the word that sent to Israel, preaching the

good news and peace to the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse twenty thirty six,

he says, verse thirty seven, he says, you yourselves know what happened

in all Judea, beginning with Galley after the baptism of John, and how

God appointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit with power. Begins only about

Jesus. He actually says this to those and I think I made this mistake

in a sermon earlier. But he begins explaining to them that they had heard

about Jesus, and this is the things that they had heard about Jesus.

Hey, you'd heard things about Jesus. One that you heard about Jesus.

One Jesus's power over life. And he'd begin explaining the first part of how

Jesus had power of life. He was This power, he explains, was

a light that was power that was given by God. It was appointed to

Jesus as nath by the Holy Spirit and by power. And how Jesus used

this power that God had given him to do good, to do good at

healing people who have different diseases, but also doing good and casting out demons.

He explains that that Jesus had this power of life, and it was

given by God and it was used for good. And he explained to them

that we, as Peter, as an apostle, I witness these things.

I witness how God gave him power. I witnessed how he did use that

power that God gave him for the good of others to heal people into cast

out demons. Eyewitness that Jesus had power over this life. But no only

explained that he not only witnessed the power that Jesus had over life, but

also he explained you also heard, and not only that Jesus had power over

life, but also Jesus had power over death. And he explained that Jesus

died on a cross or on the tree. You know, in scripture says

that even when anyone who died on a died on the tree was cursed.

So he explained that Jesus was put on the tree and he was cursed on

the cross. He explained that Jesus rose from the dead. They appeared to

some of the witnesses, and that only God's lected certain witnesses that would see

Jesus as he rose from the grave. And he explained that we were one

of the witnesses. Listen what Peter are saying this. Listen, we as

witnesses the apostles saw. We were eyewitnesses of jesus power over life. But

I'm telling you we are also eyewitnesses of Jesus power over death. And listen

to this. With that understanding, he tells the gentiles, Listen, you've

heard of these things. I'm telling you. You know that Jesus had power

of this life. You heard about his miracles. You hear he cast out

the demons, and I've seen that for myself. You heard it, but

I was a witness. And he says, you also heard that he had

power over death. And I'm telling you you heard it and I've seen it.

He had power of the death. And I was one of the witnesses,

the very few people who saw him, eyewitness that Jesus had power over

life and death. And as a result, this is very important, this

passive scripture in sermon, I mean Peter's sermon. Look at what he says

here in verse forty one, not to all people, but to us had

been chosen by God as witnesses who ate and drank with him after erose from

the dead. That shows that he was the actual person actually risen, that

he had actually eaten. It was an a ghosts or spirit. Verse forty

two. And he commanded us to preach the gospel to people and to testify

that he is the one appointed to with God. Listen to this, to

be the judge of the living and the dead, because Jesus had power over

life, because Jesus had power over death. Therefore Jesus has the authority.

He has the power to judge both the living and the dead. You understand

that Jesus, because what he did on this earth has a sinless sacrifice of

life, who lived perfect but also had power over life to raise the dead,

the heal the broken, to cast out the demons. Jesus had power

over life, but also Jesus had power over death. That he died,

he lived three days, I mean he died, he was in a grave

for three days and he rose again. He only had power over life,

but hey also have power death. And as a result, listen, every

individual from Durham to Asia. God, Jesus has power to judge every person

lives on this eight billion people who live on this earth today, and Jesus

has power and he is the authority to judge every one of those individuals,

all eight billion people. Jesus has the power to judge but the living,

but also to all those who have died. Why because he has power over

life and death. You see that. But listen to what Peter says here.

He says it's the gentiles. But to him in verse thirty three,

I mean forty three, to him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone

who believes in him receives forgiveness and sin through his name. You know what

he's saying here. Listening to the Gentiles. He's telling them, listen,

Jesus, God, the Father Jesus that you've heard of, have power over

life. The one who power of death also has power over you your life,

and he also has power of your death. Scripture tells us and Second

Corinthians, we must all appear before the judgment seed of Christ, so that

each will receive what is due for what he's done in the body where the

good or evil, we all, every one of us, in this room,

everyone watching online, You will appear before the judgment of Christ because he

has power over life and every death. And for those, the Scripture says,

those that have received Him and have believed in him, therefore forgiveness of

sin and eternal life. But those who have not received him will what what's

been eturnity in hell. This is the message, is what he's telling them.

In Verse forty three says, listen to all the prophetes he's talking about

all Scripture has showed us to all who believe in him. Listen, who

believe in him will receive forgiveness of sin through his name. You see,

God seeks to save, It seeks all that seek him, But Jesus seeks

all that believes in him. I'm going to tell you Jesus has the power

to judge all life and death, but that Jesus has the power to save

all who believe in his name. Whether you're here in Durham or whether you're

a remote place in Africa, Jesus has the power to save all people,

all who believe in his name. The imagery of believe in this trusting en.

You know. In two thousand August thirty of twenty twenty three, US

withdrew from Afghanistan and as a result, the Taliban took over the area.

There were stories that had came out that there was Christians who were living in

Afghanistan at the time, and message started rolling out that this was about to

happen, and the Taliban began sending messages throughout the community to the Christians saying

these words. A pastor received this letter from the Taliban. We know who

you are, we know what you do, and we know where to find

you. One pastor confessed that as a result of him believing and trusting in

Jesus, that the Taliban came in and took his daughter. Fourteen year old

daughter, ripped him from his arms and would force her then to live a

life of sexual servitude to Taliban. You see, believing in Jesus means we

live for Jesus and we're identified as one who follow Christ. It's just not

an intellectual idea, our thought. It is a lifestyle that's driven by ie

follow him. You see, when the Taliban went through Afghanistan, they weren't

just looking for people who say they believed in Jesus. They were looking for

people who lived their life following Jesus. And they lived their life following Jesus,

even if that means their life. Listen, all who believe in Jesus,

not just intellectually, but everyone who lives their life for Christ. Throughout

the early Church, the Christians were described as those those who believe in Him,

those who follow Jesus. Can I tell you those who believe in Jesus,

what will they receive or receive forgiveness of sin? Lastly, the Trinity's

action reaching all people that God seeks all that seek him. Secondly, Jesus

says all that believes in him. Third, the Holy Spirit feels all that

received salvation. Scripture says when Peter was preaching, suddenly, if you look

at verse forty four, while Peter was still saying these things. The Holy

Spirit fell on all he heard the word, and the believers among the Circumcis

who had come with Peter were made because the gift the Holy Spirit was poured

out even on the gentiles. You can imagine again, go back from the

very beginning. Peter thought that gentiles were unclean. You didn't associate with gentiles.

They believe that salvation was only for the Jews. Now he comes and

says, listen, I've met I've showed partiality. I've showed favoritism to just

the Jews. And God's told me I shouldn't do this. Now, he

says, God showed him. Not only did he should he not show favoritism.

But God doesn't show partiality. God seeks all from every nation to come

to know him. Not only he sees that, but he sees that salvation

from Jesus is for all people. And he did clares that to these gentiles.

And suddenly these gentiles what believe in Jesus. And Scripture says the Holy

Spirit fills them. Now, if you come to someone and you ask them

if they believe in Jesus, that they've received Jesus Christ, they may say,

yes, I've believed in Jesus, but you don't know if the Holy

Spirit lives within their heart right as the Holy Spirit came in the early Church

and acts. The Jews would want to see, how do we know for

sure? These gentiles say they believe in Jesus, but how do we know

they've believed in Jesus. Well, the answer is that they were filled with

the Holy Spirit just as they were. Scripture says is very important part of

this verse. In this section of verse forty five, and the believers from

among the circumcised, why did he use that wan? Did Luke say that?

The reason why is because they were again three people who went with Peter.

Then they were Jewish believers, and Scripture describes that they were circumcised.

You remember the Jews. There were three different gentiles. You remember this from

a few weeks back. Gentiles were just gentile unbelievers that have you anything to

do with God? That were God fears. These were people who who may

be believed in Israel's God, but they just they never were converted. And

then third they were proselytes. Proselytes were gentiles who not believed in Israel's God,

but converted to Judaism, even so far as being circumcised, Well,

Corneus was a God fear he never converted to Judaism. He'd never been circumcised.

Right, The Jews thought, in order to be someone to be saved,

they must first become a Jew. They must be first become a circumcised.

As you come to this passage of scripture, some of them still thought,

okay, Gentiles, yes, yes, yeah, God will say the

Gentiles, but before they become saved, that God at first become a Jew.

When salvation come to the gentiles, the Bible says, these circumcised Jews

are amazed. Why because salvation hasn't gone through Judaism. Salvation from Jesus had

went directly to the gentiles, because Corneas had not been circumcised. And so

for these Jews, they're amazed. And listen to what they say in this

passive scripture and verse verse forty five. And the believers under the circumcis who

come Apeter were amazed. Why because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured

out on even the gentiles. How was that verse forty six, because they

heard them speaking in tongues and it stolen God. You remember in Acts chapter

two, when Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit came to the Jews. What

happened? What was the sign that the Holy Spirit had come to the Jews?

They spoke in tongues. Scripture says, when salvation and when the Holy

Spirit fell upon the Gentiles. Guess what, just as the Jews spoke in

tongues, so the Gentiles some actually called this passive scripture the Gentiles Pentecost.

You see, Salvation had came to the Jews, but just in the same

way, the Holy Spirit came to the Jews, in the same way.

Listen, the Holy Spirit comes to the Gentiles. Can I tell you today

the Trinity action and reaching all people. God seeks all that seek him.

Jesus says all that believes in him, and this Holy Spirit feels all that

receives salvation. You know, we're guilty at times to think and I can't

tell you the times I've shared the Gospel. Probably you have to. You

talk to someone about Jesus and they said, well, that's good. You

know, I really need to get closer to the Lord. But I tell

you, you know, I probably just need to start going to church first.

And there's some things that I really need to probably give up my alcohol,

and I really probably need to start stop cussing. And once I kind

of get some things cleaned up in my life, then I'll come to Jesus.

You've ever heard someone do that? What are they saying? Well,

I've got to do something before I could come to Jesus. And it's no

different than what the Jews thought that the Gentiles needed to clean it up a

little bit before they came to Jesus. Right, Can I tell you the

Holy Spirit? Listen? The Holy Spirit will meet you right where you are.

You don't need some type of reformation inwardly to come to the Lord the

Holy Spirit. No matter who you are, and no matter how far you

are, the Holy Spirit will want to meet you right where you are as

we close this morning, just today, if you think about who is the

Lord? Who is the Holy Spirit? Who is Jesus? How do they

reach all people from all nations? God seeks all that seek him. Jesus

saves all that believes in him in him, and the Holy Spirit feels all

that receives salvation. God loves the lost. If you're here and you're in

a believer, can I tell you. God loves you, God seeks you

today. Can I tell you that Jesus has power of your life and over

death and he wants to save you. Can I tell you the Holy Spirit

today wants to feel you. Will you surrender to him? Had Denire Judson

was grew up in church and now it's the band you can come up.

He grew up in church and grew up in Christian home and went to school

and he began getting into a world philosophy that kind of turned her away from

Christianity. And so he kind of turned away from the Lord. And he

graduated college and I think it was Brown University, and he began after college

beginsporing the world kind of party and kind of living his life to the full.

And one night he was at a country inn. And that night in

the country in he was staying in a room and across from room there was

a room of a man and he didn't know who it was. He heard

the man and the man was dying. He heard the man groaning. Oh,

had an iron in his dream that that night he couldn't sleep. He

heard the man just groaning and moaning. Had an iron. He grew up

in a Christian home, and he knew about the gospel, and he kept

saying. He started thinking, he says, I wonder if this man is

grown him because he's saved and he's been delivered. He's just he's longing for

heaven. Then he thought, well, what if he's not. What if

he's lost. What if he's a sinner and he's grown him because he's no,

he's about to enter an eternity of hell. So all night he wrestled

back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. When he was

at college, there was a friend of his who converted him from Christianity to

turn away from God. His name was Ames. That night he wrestled back

and forth, wondered this man saved or lost? Saved or lost. The

next morning he got up and he found the undertaker was there, and he

asked the man. He says, I heard that man last night. Is

everything okay? He said, no, he died. He says, well,

by chance, you know with the man's name, he said, he

was actually young Fellows, a young fellow, and his name was Ames.

Come to find out, the man who converted him from christ was the man

who was in the room who died. And he knew that moment susan and

I heard it. He knew that moment was that man was lost, and

he cried out lost, lost, lost, He was lost. And in

that moment, listen, he realized not only was he lost, you realize

that moment, so was he. He was like that man who was lost

without a lord. There was a God who loved him, and there was

a God that was seeking him. There was a Jesus who had power over

life and death, and that Jesus wanted to save him. There was a

holy spirit that wanted to meet him right where he is. And over the

next little bit, I denyed Justin gave his life to Jesus, and he

gave his life to going to the nations that were lost. Can I tell

you today, if you're today, maybe you're like that man. Maybe you've

never seen Jesus Christ's Lord say. Can I tell you God loves you no

matter how far you are from God, no matter if you're living out on

your own like he was. God loves you. God seeks you. Listen.

Jesus came and he lived, and he died that he might deliver you

from from this life and deliver you from death. Can I tell you the

Holy Spirit wants to come and fill you. Jesus wants to forgive you,

and the Holy Spirit wants to come and save you. Would you surrender him

today? You pray with me, never head about every I close. Lord.

I thank you Lord for your word today. I thank you for Lord,

the power of your word. God. I thank you for the power

of your your Trinity and the work of salvation and reaching the nations. God,

I pray today we would hear your heart God, how you seek the

lost, how your Son came to save, your Holy Spirit comes to fill.

Today be the day Lord that we would see that you your great love

for the lost. Today or I pray you give us a heart for the

love the nations, the love the unreached. As you do, Lord,

Lord, lead us in the It's Time invitation, with braying miss painted and

all to Him.