Acts 10 (intro)

Today, we are going to begin our, we're going to continue our journey through Acts. Today, we will begin our journey through Acts 10. Acts chapter 10 is the longest single narrative in the book of Acts. It's organized into seven separate scenes. There's a lot of duplication as we go through this between the scenes. But the repetition that Luke writes into it is important because it underlines the importance of this event. It will be repeated again, this event, in Peter's testimony before the Jerusalem Council. And we'll see that when we get to Acts chapter 15, very, very important chapter in your Bible. Luke rightly placed great importance on this incident involving Peter, a faithful Jew, and Cornelius, a devout Gentile, and an officer of Rome. What I'm going to do today is I am going to, and I typically don't do this, but because Acts chapter 10 is one complete narrative, and it bleeds over into Acts 11, I'm going to read the entire chapter of Acts 10. And today's sermon, today's message is kind of an introduction into this narrative that we're going to spend the next several weeks working through. So get your Bibles out, open them up to Acts chapter 10, and follow along as I read verses 1 through 48. Hear the word of the Lord. There was a certain man in Cessaria called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian regimen, a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming, coming in and saying to him, Cornelius, and when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, Lord? And so he said to him, your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Japa and send for Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon a Tanner whose house is by the sea. And 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 continually. So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Japa. The next day as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the house top to pray about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat. But while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven open and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners descended to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts creeping things and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, rise Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, not so Lord, but I have never eaten anything common or unclean. And a voice spoke to him again a second time. What God has cleansed, you must not call common. This was done three times and the object was taken up into heaven again. Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made their inquiry of Simon's house and stood before the gate. And they called and asked whether Simon whose surname was Peter was lodging there. And while Peter thought about the vision, the spirit said to him, behold three men are seeking you. And they were seeking you, arise therefore, go down, go with them doubting nothing for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius and said, yes, I am he whom you seek. And what reason have you come? And 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 angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you. And then he called them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them and some brethren from Japa accompanied him. And following day they entered Cessaria. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. And then he came to Cornelius and came back to Cornelius and came back to Cornelius and went to Cornelius and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up saying, stand up, I myself am also a man. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or to go to one another, one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I asked them for what reason have you sent for me. So Cornelius said four days ago I was fasting until this hour. And at the ninth hour I 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 side of God. Send therefore to Japa and call Simon here whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon a Tanner by the sea. And when he comes he will speak to 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. Then Peter opened his mouth and said in truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ he is Lord of all that that word you know which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all the way. All who were oppressed by the devil for God was with him and we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem whom they kill by hanging on a tree. 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 he arose from the dead. And 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 to him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. While Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word 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 for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized 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. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. Father we thank you for this word we thank you for this gospel account the good news. Father we are so grateful that the good news was not reserved only for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people but here you show us that Lord the gospel is for every person for every nation for every tribe for every tongue for every people. Lord we are a product of that truth. Lord our own salvation began when Peter obeyed your word and went to the Gentiles proclaiming the gospel and that gospel message has traveled from that day from that home in Caesarea even to this house. Lord this house today in Taylor Texas all ordained by your hand all accomplished by your grace through your glorious power working through your chosen vessels. Father we are most grateful for the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. Father would you take this word that we will look into over the next several weeks would you kindle a fresh in us a desire to see your gospel taken to the nations. Father that journey must begin right here right now within us among us your people put in this place for such a time as this no doubt to proclaim your gospel that your name might be known in all the earth even in Taylor Texas. Thank you we praise you in Jesus name we pray amen today is going to be an introduction to this chapter and in this introduction I want to encourage you I want to hopefully motivate you to think about what our mission is what Jesus has commanded us to do. It's a very same thing he commanded Peter to do to take the gospel even to a people not like himself. Chapter 10 in the book of Acts marks the beginning of a new phase in the New Testament church this phase would see the continued fulfillment of the directive that Jesus gave his church before his ascension to the father and that directive is what we call the great commission it is the expanding mission of the church beginning in Jerusalem. Then all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth before we dive into Acts chapter 10 and beyond looking at this pivotal event in the history of the church and in humanity. I'd like to talk to you about what seems to be that hot topic of the hour none other than Christian nationalism. The word nation in the Bible is the Hebrew word goi goi singular goiim is plural it's the Hebrew word for nation found in the old testament. In the New Testament our word nation is the Greek word ethnos typically in the old and New Testament the nations are those pagan peoples who stand in contrast to God's people. The term Gentile generally refers to anyone who is not of Jewish descent that's how it was used in the Old Testament. In Hebrew scriptures the term often corresponds as I said to the Hebrew word goi or goiim signifying nations or peoples or foreigners those foreign to Israel. In Greek text of the New Testament the word is typically ethnos translated as nation or people through centuries of scriptural and theological understanding the word Gentile has become the standard term to distinguish non-Jewish people from the covenant people of Israel. The term Greek and the term Gentile in the New Testament are used synonymously. So for instance when Paul writes in Galatians 328 and in Colossians 311 that there is neither Jew nor Greek he is conveying the truth that there is no longer a distinction between Jew or Gentile in Christ. The word Greek, Halene is the word in the Greek there it means Greeks but Paul uses it as a reference to the Gentiles the nations in general. There is neither Jew nor Greek, Jew nor Gentile. Why? Because there is no longer a distinction between Jew or Gentile in Christ. Paul writes in Ephesians 2 verses 14 and 15 that he has made both Jew and Gentile that is God specifically Christ has made both Jew and Gentile 1 so as to create in himself one new man from the two. You can read those words in Ephesians 2 verses 14 and 15. Now, now, at this time there is only the one new man created in Christ Jesus that the Father recognizes, the Father does not recognize Jews or Germans or Mexicans or Bohemians or Czechs or all those distinctions exist as ethnic places of origins and as people. We can even discover those differences through DNA right? You probably many of you have done the DNA testing to find out where your families came from. But God doesn't look at you that way. Man does but God doesn't. The Bible says now there is one new man created in Christ Jesus. There is no longer Jew nor Greek or Jew nor Gentile. The Father recognizes you in the one new man in Jesus Christ. The Father sees you through the veil or through the lens of the blood of Christ and you are no longer known as you were in the old creation. If you belong to Jesus and you have become a new creation, the old is passed away, 2 Corinthians 5, 17, behold all things are made new. You are a new creation in Jesus Christ by the grace of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit. God must do that in your heart. The way He does that is through the preaching of the gospel which is why He commands us to go and disciple the nations. In 1 Peter 2.9 that one new man that was created in Christ Jesus is called a holy nation. I don't think this is off topic when we talk about Christian nationalism or a Christian nation because Acts chapter 10 is where the door was open for the gospel to go to the nations. So the nations could be discipled. Christian nationalism or Christian nation is there a difference? In this chapter Acts chapter 10 that we see Peter introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ to the first Gentile believer named in the book of Acts. Cornelius is the first Gentile believer named. Peter opens the door of the gospel to the nations. From this event in history we could trace the path of the gospel and it would lead us right to where we are today. In a nation founded by Christians with the intent to make it a Christian nation. There is a reason we are right where we are today in a Christian church in a nation founded upon Christian principles instead of being in a mosque or in a nation governed by Sharia law. The reason we are where we are and we are who we are as a nation is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You cannot argue with this. It is simply history. People don't like that history but them to the facts. There is no doubt that we are struggling to uphold those founding principles and Christian virtues that made this nation the greatest and most free on earth. Period. The reason for our struggle today is our abandonment of the very good news that made us free, made us strong and made us prosperous to begin with. We have forsaken God and His Word and we are eating the bitter fruit of our rebellion. Still God is graceful but how long can we continue in our prideful rebellion? Only God knows. The answer or the problem depending on what side of the argument people are on seems to be associated with the phrase or the term Christian nationalism. I personally do not like the term because it is more problematic than helpful in my opinion. A definition of Christian nationalism from various sources does not eliminate the confusion the term creates. The term has become so conflated that its meaning is often lost in my opinion. I believe many people do not know what it means and many are simply defining or redefining the term based on whatever bias they may hold. Following some definitions of Christian nationalism from some major sources, for instance from the Encyclopedia Britannica. Christian nationalism is an ideology that seeks to create or maintain a legal fusion of Christian religion with a nation's character. From Wikipedia, Christian nationalism is a form of religious nationalism that focuses on promoting the Christian views of its followers in order to achieve prominence or dominance in political, cultural and social life. Notice the nuance there. From Merriam Webster, Christian nationalism is an ideology calling for a government that incorporates or endorses aspects of Christian religion. Depending on a person's religious and or political views, the above definitions may seem relatively benign or they may be outrageous and dangerous. Other definitions use the term white Christian nationalism and point or paint a picture of white supremacy in association with the term. That's not uncommon at all. Depending on who is defining the terms and setting the boundaries, it gets worse and more conflated. Perhaps it's not that people don't know what Christian nationalism means, perhaps it is a term that is too easily embellished. So as to fit a particular political or religious bias, those embellishments practically redefine the term and what it is intended to convey. Christian nationalism can seem to mean what people want it to mean or at least convey what message they want it to convey definitions or intentions be damned. Thus, in my humble opinion, Christian nationalism is a term that only creates more unnecessary questions and confusion. For some people it seems to become a weapon to use against those they disdain or dismiss. The Bible has much more helpful language and the Bible has a way of exposing those who would misuse such phrases or terms for their own ends. Only when we hold Christian nationalism against the light of Scripture can we know what is true, what is honorable and what is just. As a Christian, what should be my attitude toward my nation? I think that's a fair question. As we talk about Christian nationalism, we should look at the Bible to see what it has to say about Christians and nations. As an example, we can start by reading the Great Commission from the Gospel according to Matthew and also from the Book of Acts. Matthew 28 verses 18-20. And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, amen. Acts chapter 1 verse 8, the words of Christ, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria into the end of the earth. So from these two versions of the Great Commission, there's only one Great Commission, we haven't recorded in all the Gospels in the Book of Acts. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, Jesus said. He also said, you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria into the end of the earth. Jesus commands His church to make disciples of all the nations and be His witness to the end of the earth. When He says the end of the earth or the ends of the earth, He's speaking geographically, not chronologically, though it applies to both. That expanding mission of the church would necessitate taking the Gospel to all peoples into every nation with the intent purpose of making disciples of the nations. We know that Jesus is commanding us to disciple people. When He says go make disciples of the nations, He's actually commanding us to disciple people. But notice, and it's not accidental, that He speaks in terms of making disciples of the nations. When we read Psalm 2 verse 8, we see that Jesus is made a promise by the Father. Listen to Psalm 2 verse 8. Jesus is promised there the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession, the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. The language, if you didn't notice, the language of Psalm 2 verse 8 is very similar, very close to the language of the Great Commission. That's because one is the promise and the other is the fulfillment of the promise. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession, Psalm 2 verse 8. The nations belong to Jesus. We are commanded to disciple them for their king. The command of the Great Commission is to make disciples of the nations and to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. This is how Jesus will inherit the nations that are promised Him in Psalm 2. His church will go and make disciples. He will possess the ends of the earth as His church obeys His command and goes there and disciples the people and the nations of those far from the earth. The way we are to capture the hearts and the lands of the people is first through the saving power of the gospel. The ordering or reordering of societies and cultures, the reforms in government and in the church and all the necessary changes will come in time as men are being disciples and God is moving by His spirit. All this as the church obeys His Word, obedience produces blessings. Disciples do not make themselves. That's why Jesus commands us to go there and make disciples of the nations. Nations change as the hearts of the people in those nations are changed. Hearts are changed only by the power of God and the power of His gospel and His indwelling Holy Spirit. You are part of God's divine plan in purpose to disciple the nations. You are a product of that plan. This did not all begin with Peter being led to Cornelius. Peter the devout Jew being led to Cornelius, the devout Gentile, was the culmination of God's work since creation. That work continues today as the nations are still being disciples. God has guided His story to this very point using countless characters and events along the way. Many of those characters we know by name, but the vast majority used by God remain nameless and faceless. But no less vitally important to God's plan in purpose. The number of events that history records, pales in comparison to the number of events that history does not record. Yet those unrecorded events are just as vital to God's plan in purpose as those that are recorded. Remember it matters not if man knows your name, but it matters eternally whether the Lord knows you. If he does know you, he will one day welcome you into his kingdom, into his heaven with these words, inner in my good and faithful servant. The issue of the gospel going to the nations, the gospel being preached to the Gentiles, that issue would become the decisive issue in the history of the early New Testament church. The early church and its Jewish leaders in Jerusalem would come to recognize that the gospel is for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews, Acts 15. They would see there is no longer a distinction between God's people in Christ. The gospel must go to every nation and to all peoples and taking the gospel to all nations carries the command to make disciples of all the nations. It would become clear that this was no human plan. It wasn't Peter's idea to go to Cornelius. It was God's idea. This is God's plan. It is the result of God's providential and supernatural guidance for his church to disciple the nations. God would provide the decisive proof that this is his plan and not the plan of man. Peter would experience that along with Cornelius and his whole household and as history would march on many others would as well. The goal is every nation for Christ. The goal to see every nation come to Christ has obvious impact for us today. With all the buzz and controversy around this term, Christian nationalism, we must understand that it is God who has commanded us, his church, to go into disciple the nations. That begins here in our own nation where the Lord in his graceful providence has made you a part. You live in your nation. You live in your state. You live in your county. You live in your community. That means where we are commanded by God to work and to pray and to see this nation down to our communities and down to our friends and to our very families. We are to see them bow the knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Parents who have been given disciples, they are called your children and it is your responsibility to raise them in the fear and nurture of the Lord so that they bow the knee to Jesus their Lord. The timeframe for that work in the world is for your lifetime a visitation here on this earth. It is what we are called to do all our days on this earth. While you and I are physically here, we are to be working to see the nations disciple for Jesus. That work begins right here and right now where we are. Don't worry about phrases like Christian nationalism. Don't worry about what others say about it or about you. This is only a tool of the enemy to distract you from what Jesus has commanded you and I to do. Take the gospel and disciple the nations starting in your home and your neighborhood and yes in your church. When I was asked by CNN if I considered myself a Christian nationalist my response was that I am a Christian who wants his nation to follow Jesus. Do I want my nation to be a Christian nation? Yes. Don't you? I want that first and foremost because Christ commands it. He commands it with these words. I'll say them again. Go there for and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe, to obey all that I have commanded you. I have to choose whether I am going to be obedient or disobedient. I can't worry what people think about the command Jesus has given to us. It's my place to obey Jesus. Jesus Himself commands us to work to make our nation and its people a nation who identifies with and follows Christ. This is what discipleship is. A disciple is a follower of a teacher. Jesus is who we follow. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide. The Word of God is our benchmark in and for all things. God has given us what we need. Mighty weapons of war in the Spirit and the continual equipping and renewal found in the church. He has even given us his son. He has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. He has already won the victory. How can we not work to see our nation bow its collective need to Christ? I believe that Jesus is the one who will be able to fail to do so and be rebellion against our king of kings and our Lord of lords. His command to go is the promise from Jesus that he will always be with you even to the end of the age. Jesus told us to go but he has never told us to stop. I believe we will not stop until he returns to this earth to rule and to reign in person. We are to continue working to see the nation disciple. That would certainly include our own nation. We are to continue walking in submission to God to His Word and to His Spirit. And as we do that, we are preparing the generations to walk in the blessings of God and not know His curse. Jesus never said to disciple the nations if they want to be disciple. He commanded us to go disciple the nations commanding them to believe we can make no one become a Christian. We cannot force or course anyone into trusting in Jesus even if they confess with their mouth they must still believe in their heart. And that is something that God must do in the heart of a person. That means being a Christian nation has nothing to do with forcing people to follow Jesus. That is not what Jesus told us to do. Submission outwardly does not guarantee submission inwardly. You should know that as a parent. It is the condition of our heart that determines if we belong to Jesus. If our hearts have been circumcised by the unseen hand of God, then our bodies and the outward man will come in line. If there is life in the root, it is only a matter of time before you taste the fruit. If the life of Christ is in you, it is only a matter of time before He is seen and known through you. What does it mean to be a Christian nationalist? I don't know and quite frankly, I don't care. I do know what it means to be a Christian. And as a Christian, I do know what Christ commands me to do. He commands me to love God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, all my strength. He also commands me to love my neighbor as myself. Well, who is my neighbor? The answer is any and everyone around me, no matter their skin color, their place of origin or any other qualification. Even more Jesus commanded that we love others as we love ourselves. Actually, he commands us in a new commandment that we are to love others as he has loved us. That's what Jesus called the new commandment. To love as Jesus loves. Jesus loved people enough to offend them with the truth. Jesus loved people enough to make them uncomfortable in their sin. Jesus loved people enough to meet them where they were, right in the depths of their sin. And Jesus loved people enough to forgive them and tell them to go and sin no more. Jesus loved enough to drive those out who refused to obey His Word and honor His house. Love is not love. God is love. God has set a standard that very clearly defines love and defines who He is. And that standard is found in His holy Word, the Bible. And if we will not strive to live by it, then we will die by it. The Word will judge us. It will reveal what we fall infinitely. It reveals that we fall infinitely short. But there is hope in Jesus. Therefore, trust in Jesus. Trust in His Word, not your own. Trust in His cleansing blood. Trust in His Holy Spirit. Trust that His Spirit in you will lead you and guide you and teach you and intercede according to the will of God. Trust Him for your own salvation. And for that of those around you. Trust Him for the salvation of your nation. Trust Him as you humble yourself and pray and seek His face and turn from your wicked ways. Trust that He will hear from heaven and will forgive your sin and heal your land. That's what I'm trusting Him to do for me and for us all. You are a Christian. And if you are not, Christ commands you to trust Him and live. Do not resist Him. Trust Him as a Christian. You are to pray. You are to work. And you are to see your nation, Balvanine, to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not optional. There is coming a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. That day is inevitable. The truth is this, just as we pray and confess each week in our liturgy. Willingly or not, every nation will one day experience this reality recorded in Psalm 72 verses 8 through 11. The psalmist writes, he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him and His enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarsus and of the kings and of the Isles will bring presence. The kings of Shiba and Siba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall bow down before Him. All nations shall serve Him. Did you hear that language? All kings shall bow down before Him. All nations shall serve Him. Is that Christian nationalism? No, my friends, that is the gospel. That is the gospel of the kingdom. Praise be to the Lord of glory who rules over all the nations. May He rule over your heart in every part of your life, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our charge is really very simple. Jesus has commanded us to go and to make disciples. That necessitates your obedience. That also necessitates to go make a disciple you need to be one first. That doesn't mean you have to be a Bible scholar. That doesn't mean you have to know all the doctrines of the Bible. It just means you have to be willing to go. You have to love God. You have to trust Jesus. You have to know that your salvation has not come from yourself but it has come from God's grace in Jesus Christ. If you don't know anything more than that, you can go and you can make a disciple. You can begin a journey of discovery together with that disciple. You have a community around you. You have a church around you. You have resources around you to equip you for every good work. Most importantly, you have the Holy Spirit in you. You have a Savior who promised to never leave you nor forsake you. We come from a heritage of doing hard things. Don't believe that it was easy for Peter to go to those Gentiles. It was not. It was a step of faith that he had never had to take before. We are called to do hard things. Being obedient to Christ often necessitates we do hard things. We take steps of faith when we do those hard things. We are not doing them alone. We are not the first to have ever done them. We gain strength from that. So be encouraged, church, be encouraged, Christian, read what Jesus has commanded you to do and go obey and do it. Let's see this community changed. Let's see our families changed. Let's see our churches changed. Let's see our nation changed for the glory of God. Amen. Let's sing our thanks. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him of creatures here below. Praise him of the heavenly home. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. The Lord be with you.

Acts 10 · chapter mention Acts 15 · chapter mention Acts 10 · chapter mention Acts 10 · chapter mention Acts 10 · chapter mention Ephesians 2:14 Ephesians 2:14 Acts 10 · chapter mention Acts 10 · chapter mention Matthew 28:18–20 Acts 1:8 Psalms 2:8 Psalms 2:8 Psalms 2:8 Psalms 2:8 Psalms 72:8–11