SUNDAY - AUGUST 17, 2025 "Proclaiming the Reality" Acts 10:34-48

Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.

Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 am.

You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service.

We hope you enjoy.

God bless.

We're gonna finish out Acts, chapter 10.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

We'll start in verse 34.

As we've been there, we have talked about the reality of how salvation has been for what we just sang about, for every people and tribe, every nation and tongue, and it has been salvation.

That has been the plan of salvation, god's plan of salvation, from before the beginning of time.

That was his plan and we saw this.

We've seen this revealed to us over and over in chapter 10.

At the beginning of chapter 10, we saw both Peter and Cornelius had had separate visions, two different visions that all pointed to this one reality that salvation was for all of the nations, how God was calling people from all nations and tribes to come to him.

And these two visions, although they were to two separate people and two separate visions, revealed this one reality.

And then last week we saw how God brought Peter and Cornelius face to face as they chased this reality that salvation was for all people, even though they didn't totally understand the reality that they were chasing.

They didn't understand it, they just knew they were obeying God.

They were following what God called them to do and God had brought them together there to bring us actually to this moment.

To bring us.

Actually, to this moment, god has been working to bring Peter and Cornelius to this place where we find ourselves today.

And in our passage today, what we're going to see is that Peter preached the reality of salvation to Gentiles not just to the Jews, to Gentiles and as he preached, the Holy Spirit fell upon them.

We're going to see that, but, but some clarification needs, that needs to be made here.

When we say that salvation is for all nations.

I've said that, I've said it from here and and we sang about it.

But you need to understand this is not a a universalism that we're preaching.

I'm not preaching, uh, the whole thing that that love wins and in the end we all go to heaven.

That's not.

That's not the thing.

What he is saying is really what what peter says at the very beginning of verse 34.

He says truly, I understand that god shows no partiality.

So what he is saying is in the presentation of the gospel message and from the nations of whom can be called to God, god shows no partiality between the Jews and the Gentiles.

The gospel message is for all of them.

We see that even further as he goes in verse 35 when he says but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Did you hear that?

But in every nation, anyone it's not that all will, it's that anyone can.

When the gospel is proclaimed, anyone here who hears the gospel message has the opportunity to believe in jesus.

They have the opportunity to respond in faith to jesus and so so.

So what we see here, it's not that salvation is.

Is is given to what he's saying is anyone.

The gospel is given to all, and salvation comes to anyone who believes, no matter what your background.

And so we see that.

So what does this mean for us?

What do we do with this?

We need to understand this that, just like we're going to see cornelius, just like we've seen others in the in the in the book of acts, we are saved when we believe in jesus, and as we believe in j, we receive the Holy Spirit.

So the challenge for us is this To believe in Jesus, believe in Him, trust in Him.

So we want to answer the question this morning.

If Peter preached this message, what did he preach?

So I invite you this morning, if you are able, stand with us as we read God's word together from Acts, chapter 10,.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

We're going to start in verse 34 and read down through verse 48.

So Peter opened his mouth and said truly, I understand what God showed, that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all, you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.

He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him and we are witnesses that of all that he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.

In the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, they put him to death by hanging him on a 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, as 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 sins through his name.

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word, and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles, for they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have?

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Let's pray together.

God, we thank you for your word and we thank you for the gospel message that your word proclaims to us.

God, we recognize this morning that we all need this message.

Those who are unbelievers need to hear the gospel message.

We who are believers, father, we need to hear this gospel message and we pray that through your word and by your word that you will change our lives for all eternity.

God, we love you.

Jesus, it's in your name we pray, amen.

So again, we are seeking to answer the question what did Peter preach?

Well, peter begins with, really, the basis of the gospel message.

He starts right there, in verse 35, telling them to believe in Jesus.

Now, this is not a new message.

It's not a new message for the people in Acts, it's not a new message for us.

We've talked about belief and what it means to believe in Jesus, and we've talked about there are really two aspects.

When we say believe in Jesus, there are two aspects of this belief.

The first one is faith.

We need faith when we believe in Jesus and Peter proclaims that here and we see it in verse 35, and when he says but in every nation, anyone who fears him.

Well, when he says anyone who fears him, what he is pointing to is faith.

What he is pointing to is faith that we believe in him.

Let me see if I can describe how he's talking.

To fear him means faith, I believe.

When we talk about fear God here, he is talking about how we believe what God actually says about himself is true, what we see revealed in Scripture, what the apostles said about God, what the prophets said about God, what the prophets said about God, what the Old Testament reveals about God, to believe that all of that is actually true and not just words that have been spoken.

Let's see how that relates to this gospel message here If you go back to Matthew, chapter 3.

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

In Matthew, chapter 3, we see the baptism of Jesus.

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

Jesus has grown and he is ready now to go out into the ministry that God has prepared for him.

And in Matthew, chapter 3, verse 16 and 17, we find this and when Jesus was was baptized, immediately he went up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

Matthew 3:16

And behold, a voice from heaven said this is my beloved son, in whom I am.

To fear God means that when God speaks these words, jesus right here, the man who John the Baptist has just baptized, as he came up out of the water, as the heavens opened, as the Spirit descended on him in the form of the dove, and God spoke these words, he actually meant them.

To fear God means God actually meant these words when he looked at Jesus and said this is my beloved Son, in him I am well pleased.

So the message is to fear God means when God spoke these words, we look at Jesus now and we know that he is the Son of God.

How do we know it?

Because God said it, and if we fear God, we believe what he said when he said this is my beloved son.

Now let's take this a little bit further.

If you go to John chapter 14, in John chapter 14, in John chapter 14, jesus is teaching the disciples and in verse 6 he says this Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life.

John 14 · chapter mention John 14 · chapter mention John 14 · chapter mention

No one comes to the father except me.

So understand it, jesus.

To fear God means, when God spoke, that Jesus is my son.

He actually is the son of God.

And now here the son of God, who is also God himself, proclaim and declare that no one gets to the Father unless they go through Him.

To fear God means those words are literally true that there is no way to God.

We can't work it, we can't earn it, we can't be good enough.

There is no way to God.

We can't work it, we can't earn it, we can't be good enough.

There is no way to God except through Jesus Christ.

Now we need to clarify, because last week we talked about Cornelius and how Cornelius was.

I said it several times last week.

If you weren't here, let me repeat it.

Okay, if you were here you need to hear it again.

Anyway.

We said Cornelius was a God fearer, not a Jesus believer.

Okay, there are two different things, two different elements going on.

There are people who Believe In, believe in God, that God exists, but they do not believe believe this second part of this that we are being called to place our faith in that the only way to the father is through jesus.

Hey, scripture tells us.

The demons believe that and they tremble because they know what lies ahead for them.

The difference here what Peter is saying is he's not saying be like Cornelius.

Cornelius is there, he's preaching to Cornelius.

It's more than just being a God-fearer saying, hey, there is a God, okay, fine.

It is placing everything in the fact that God sent His Son and believing that the only way to the Father is through the Son.

Peter is calling them to not just be God-fearers but to be Jesus-believers by placing their faith in Him.

He is calling them to believe in Jesus.

Now, there's faith.

The second part of belief is repentance.

He says it right there again, in verse in 35 anyone who fears him and does what is right and does what is right and does what is right.

Now let's remember what repentance is.

We've talked about repentance, how repentance is a turning away.

Repentance is like we are walking in our own selfish desires and in the way of the world and when we repent, we repudiate, we turn away from those desires and we turn towards God and, in faith, we follow him.

It is an acknowledgement that this way is wrong and this way is right.

Paul explains it to us in Romans, chapter 12, verse 1 and 2.

Romans 12:1

In Romans 12, 1 and 2, paul writes this I appeal to you, therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that, by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Repentance, faith and repentance, when they come together and believe it, is us offering ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.

Now, this is obscure to many people, because sacrifices are usually dead.

When you offer a sacrifice in the Jewish religion, what do you do with the lamb or the oxen or the dove or whatever you're offering they're dead.

But what Paul is telling us is we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, not that we are living, but that Christ is now alive in us.

And he tells us how we do that in verse 2.

Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world.

In the New Testament language that could really even come across stronger than what the ESV does here, it could say this Stop, stop being conformed to the pattern of this world.

Stop it.

That's repentance.

We're going this way, in the pattern of the world.

We're allowing the world to tell us what is right and wrong, what to do, what not to do, what to believe, what not to believe, and the world and the chaos of the world is all around us and we're walking in this way.

Stop, stop, stop being conformed to the pattern of this world and be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Now that word transformed, that is the same word.

So what he is calling us to do is to be something completely different from what we were before.

As we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, as we believe in Jesus, we stop, we repent and in faith, we become something that we are not, which is what God has called us to do, because what has happened is that Jesus has died on the cross and made us holy, and we are called to be holy.

That is, do know about you.

I do know about me too, that is, I'm a long way from that, and so are you, but we are called to become what god has already made us through jesus christ.

And so we repent and, in faith, we trust in him and we allow him to change us into something that we were not before, but something that only he can make us into.

We believe in him.

To believe means that we place our faith in him.

In Jesus alone, we stop being conformed to this world and be transformed, become something totally new, and that's something only he can do in us.

And then Peter goes on and tells us why we need to do that.

Thank goodness, he does it.

You know, I remember as a kid and I remember as a parent to my kids Telling them to stop doing something, and they ask why.

And I say because I told you to.

I hated that, although I've said it a bunch, thank goodness, that's not what Peter does here.

Peter tells them in verse 35.

He says Anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable.

And then in verse 36.

Down through verse 43.

He tells them why they should do this.

Hear what he says.

As for the word that he sent to israel, preaching good news of peace through jesus christ, preaching good news of peace through jesus christ, here's why we should believe in jesus, because it is good news of peace through jesus.

And Luke puts in parentheses here he is Lord of all.

Let me ask you a question what if that's true?

I could just about bet that if I went I'm not a gambling man, I'm not supposed to do that right, but I could just about guarantee.

How about if I said I could just about guarantee if I went?

I'm not a gambling man, I'm not supposed to do that right, but I could just about guarantee.

How about if I said I could just about guarantee if I went through this building and I said is Jesus Lord of all?

Most of you would say yes, he's Lord of all.

What if you really believed it and gave him every aspect of your life?

Jesus is Lord of all and he in and he's lord of all, and he's lord.

And again proclaiming this reality that salvation can come to anyone.

And so he says he is lord of all.

And then he goes on in verse 37.

He says you yourselves know what happened throughout all judea, beginning from galilee, after the baptism, that John proclaimed how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

We've already talked about the baptism of Jesus.

We talked about how Jesus went to John the Baptist and said hey, I need to be baptized.

And John said really, I need to be baptized with you.

And Jesus said hey, let me do this.

This is an example for all.

And so, john, he baptizes Jesus and when he comes up, the spirit descends, god speaks and Jesus then begins his earthly ministry and he goes about doing good works because God was with him, and not just because God was with him, but because he was God.

And he goes about doing this.

And in the Gospel of John we hear we've talked about it in here before how Jesus told them listen, if you don't believe the words that I'm telling you, if you don't believe the words that I have come from God, if you don't believe the words that I'm telling you, if you don't believe the words that I have come from God.

If you don't believe the words that I have come to offer you salvation.

If you don't believe the words, look at the works, look at the signs that I'm doing.

Who could do those except for God?

Nobody could.

So Jesus is declaring to them and Peter is coming back now and, just like Jesus, he's saying look, consider the works that Jesus did.

You know, you heard.

Even the Gentiles there in Cornelius' house had heard about the signs of Jesus.

They had heard about the miracles of Jesus, they had heard about all the things that Jesus had done.

And what Peter is saying is just look, just look at them, look at what has happened.

You know there was something different about this man.

Then he goes on and moves from the works of Jesus to talk about the crucifixion of Jesus Verse 39,.

And we are witnesses of all that he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.

Now Peter is doing what Peter has done already in the book of Acts.

In the book of Acts, peter has already talked about the responsibility that the Jewish leadership had for the crucifixion of Jesus, even though it was God's plan before the foundation of the world, that Jesus be crucified.

He has talked about the responsibility that these people had because Jesus was crucified, how they hung him on a tree, but it didn't end there.

Peter goes on just like he has proclaimed to the Jews and he said but God raised Him on the third day and made Him to appear, but God raised Him on the third day.

We've seen Peter proclaim this message Back in Acts, chapter 5,.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Peter is proclaiming this very message to the Jews that Jesus was hung on the cross because the Jewish leadership led him to that place and he was hung on the cross, although, while they led him and they hold that responsibility it had been a plan of God before the foundation of the world.

And how Jesus, even though they hung him on the cross, god raised him from the dead.

This is the same message that he proclaimed in Acts, chapter 5 to the Jews.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

This is the same message that he is proclaiming now to the Gentiles in Acts, chapter 10.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

And it is the same message that will save you from hell and damnation.

It is the same message that will save you from the sins that we have committed.

It is the same message that will save us from the wrath of God that we deserve if we do not believe in him, that Jesus, the son of God, came and walked perfectly on this earth and was unjustly crucified so that he could justify us.

And then he, god, raised him on the third day, and now he is seated at the right hand of the father, interceding for us, praying for us.

This is the gospel message Peter proclaimed that saved thousands of Jews.

This is the gospel message that Peter is proclaiming to Cornelius and the Gentiles in his house, and we're going to see them receive salvation.

It is the same message that we need to hear if you are not a believer of Jesus.

The same message that we need to hear if you are not a believer of Jesus.

We need Jesus Because he is the only way to the Father.

Peter began with we need to believe in Jesus, and then he ended with we need to depend on the Spirit.

In verses 44 through 48.

We see the Holy Spirit come.

There's some things that we can learn about the Spirit here.

First, we can learn this Just as Jesus was and is God, just as the Father was, is, will be God, the Holy Spirit was, is and will be God, and we cannot manipulate Him.

Listen to what he says in verse 44.

While Peter was still saying these things.

Listen, there is no secret formula to get the Holy Spirit to work.

You know why?

Because he is God and he does what he wants to do when he wants to do it.

Think about it Back in Acts, chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to the Jews, did he come after a message was preached, mm-mm.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

They were gathered into the room.

The Holy Spirit came upon them.

They began to speak in different languages and then Peter stood up and proclaimed and thousands were saved.

He came before the preaching.

Think about, in Acts, chapter 8, at the Samaritan Pentecost.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

Think about in Acts, chapter 8, at the Samaritan Pentecost.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

In Acts, chapter 8, philip goes to Samaria and he proclaims the gospel, this same message that Jesus came, that he lived, that he died, that he arose to earn salvation for us.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

When we see that Peter proclaimed, that Philip proclaimed that message to the Samaritans, the Samaritans believed it and began to be baptized.

And Peter and John come down and they see what's happening.

They lay hands on them, pray for them.

That's when the Holy Spirit comes, after the preaching.

And then in Acts, chapter 10, while Peter is preaching, the Holy Spirit comes.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

Listen.

We need to get out of our mind that we can do this and this and manipulate the spirit, because we are not in control.

What we need to wrap our brains around is this the Holy Spirit is God, he is in.

What we need to wrap our brains around is this the Holy Spirit is God, he is in control and we need to depend upon Him.

We need to trust Him.

We need to trust Him to work in our lives.

We need to trust Him to move in our lives because he is God.

Second thing that we need to see here is this While he is God, he is also a gift.

Now, in churches, a lot we talk about spiritual gifts.

Spiritual gifts are gifts given to people.

A definition of them would be gifts given to people by the Spirit to carry out ministry within the context of the local church.

That's what a spiritual gift is.

It's not something that we can take and we can do to broaden our individual selves.

Spiritual gifts are given to be used in the context of the local church.

Read it Now.

While I believe the Spirit gives gifts to people to do ministry, listen to what he says here.

They were amazed in verse 45 because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles.

Did you hear that?

While I believe the Spirit gives gifts to people, the gift of the Spirit is the Spirit.

It's not these other things that he allowed that he gives us.

It is the Spirit.

What we need to learn to do is to depend upon the Spirit and try to stop manipulating the Spirit to do what we want to do, because we can use gifts and the talents that we have.

No, we need to depend upon the Spirit to do what we want to do because we can use gifts and talents that we have.

No, we need to depend upon the Spirit and know that he will give us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it, to do ministry within the church and outside of the walls of the church.

They received the gift of the Holy Spirit teaching them to depend upon him.

What we see first here in the coming of the Holy Spirit to these people, is that he is God and he guarantees.

He is God who can't be manipulated.

He is a gift that comes to them and he guarantees their salvation.

Paul says it in Ephesians, chapter 1, verses 13 and 14.

Ephesians 1:13

He says this In him also.

When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.

See, the Holy Spirit we don't know in the New Testament, because he was God.

He came before the preaching, he came after the preaching, he came during the preaching.

So what does that mean for us?

Here's what it means.

What the New testament promises us is, as we are believers, when we have believed in jesus in faith, we have repented and turned to god.

When that happens, we are promised the gift of the spirit, who then guarantees our salvation.

We need to depend up on him.

And then, finally, the conversation moves into baptism.

We've talked about what baptism is Baptism.

So far, in Acts, what baptism has demonstrated is loyalty of the people to the kingdom of God.

Baptism is declaring fealty to the Lord of all, who is Jesus.

But baptism is also so much deeper.

We forget it.

But in Acts, chapter 1, verse 4 and 5, luke writes this and while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father which he said.

Acts 1:4

This is Jesus speaking.

You heard from me for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Many days from now.

Baptism for us Is a symbol of a lot of things, but one thing that it symbolizes for us Is that the Holy Spirit has been poured out over us.

As believers, we need to depend upon him, because we have been given a task that is too big for us.

What's the task?

Jesus tells him in verse 8.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses In Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

This is an impossible task that these twelve men and the few followers that they had could not do without the working of the Holy Spirit, and the task is too great for us.

Do without the working of the Holy Spirit, and the task is too great for us.

So we must.

We must depend upon Him.

So we're about to enter into a time of invitation.

So we're about to enter into a time of invitation.

If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, I'm going to pray, we're going to stand and sing, and as we sing, we are inviting you.

We are inviting you If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, if you've never believed in Him.

You may be a God-fearer, but you are not a Jesus believer.

We are asking, we are inviting you to today.

But today be the day of salvation, where you believe in Jesus, because he is the only way to the Father.

He is the only way to the Father.

Or, if you have, maybe you have forgotten.

You've forgotten how you didn't earn your salvation.

It wasn't a work of you, it was a work of you, it was a work of God.

And now, to carry out the task that God has given us to do, it is not a work of you, it is a work of God.

Maybe you have forgotten, and this morning you need to repent and depend upon the Holy Spirit, who guarantees and seals your salvation as we stand and sing.

If you've never trusted Christ, we invite you to come.

We'll pray for you.

There'll be counselors who can take you out and share with you how you can trust in Christ.

Or, if you have, and this morning you need to find dependence upon the Spirit because you've been trying to do it on your own.

We invite you to come.

We'd love to pray for you.

You can come and kneel at this altar and pray.

You can do that right at your seat, but we invite you to come.

If you're looking for a church home, we invite you to come.

However, the Spirit is moving in you.

I ask you this morning to depend upon him, to trust in him, to follow him.

Let's pray, god.

You are so good and we love you.

God, I thank you for this opportunity that we have this morning to answer your call, god.

I pray that, as you are moving and as you are working here, god, as you are pouring your spirit out on us, god, we will answer your call.

Give us the faith that we need to trust in you, jesus.

It's in your name we pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at desotohillscom.