WHO BELONGS TO THE KINGDOM? | Acts 10:34-43

if you have a Bible or an app go ahead

and open it up we are going to be in

Acts chapter 10 this morning acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention Acts 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 we are in week 26 of our

sermon series that we began last year as

we're walking through the book of Acts

several things that we've learned

throughout this series mainly that the

gospel full of power and full of glory

is going forth

unhindered prior to the ascension Jesus

gave a command to his disciples he said

"You are to take the word of God you are

to take it to Jerusalem begin here then

go to J Judea Samaria and the ends of

the earth." And what's incredible is

that's not just a New Testament promise

or command we are seeing the prophetic

fulfillment of the gospel and God's

kingdom going forward to the ends of the

earth that was prophesied all the way

back in the book of Isaiah isaiah

prophesied it this way that salvation

will go to the ends of the earth and

here's what's incredible it's very easy

for us to miss this being so many

centuries removed from what has taken

place in the book of Acts is that we are

currently living in prophetic

fulfillment here's what I mean by that

we are currently living in a moment in

time where the gospel is continuing to

go forward where the kingdom of God is

continuing to be proclaimed and inviting

people in to be a part of God's family

right here right now at this moment

around the world across cultures across

geography across pastimes across all

barriers we are experiencing the

prophetic fulfillment of the gospel

going forward and it's an incredible

thing to be a part of here in Acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 we are seeing the gospel

break into new boundaries if you were

with us last week we learned that there

are a lot of barriers and boundaries

that that we can set up in our own lives

pretenses and prejudices and and issues

like pride that that would hinder us

from seeing God at work and in through

our lives and and so often we can become

so prideful and we can create these

barriers and these walls in our lives

that that we ourselves would be hindered

from taking the gospel to people in need

and so Acts chapter 10 really serves as

Acts 10 · chapter mention

a hinge for what's taking place

throughout the book right now Peter has

gone to Cesaria which is about 30 to 40

miles from where he previously was in

the city of Japa god has orchestrated

this tremendously god has given Peter a

vision he has also given a Roman

centurion by the name of Cornelius a

vision peter's in Japa 30 to 40 miles

away cornelius is up in Cesaria god

provides a vision to both of them and

through his power majesty and

sovereignty orchestrates this divine

appointment we're going to read about it

here in just a moment and what takes

place the gospel being

proclaimed if there's anything that we

learn from our series throughout the

book of Acts it's it's

this that no matter who it is no matter

where they're from no matter the culture

in which they were raised no matter

their background no matter their past

sin everyone through faith in Jesus can

become part of the family of God and so

here's the question i want to ask this

morning question um that we're going to

dive into is who belongs to the

kingdom and here's what I want to

challenge you with throughout this

morning is don't just approach that

question who belongs to the kingdom but

I want you to personalize it because

maybe some of us here this morning we

don't belong to the kingdom maybe for

for decades we've been on the fray of of

of full faith in the Lord maybe for some

of us we're we're just now stepping into

what the gospel is and what Christianity

means and and and what Jesus could mean

to me as as a personal savior so So not

only will we tackle the question who

belongs to the kingdom i want to

challenge you with this question i want

you to personalize it throughout this

morning ask yourself do I belong to the

kingdom

because whether we believe it or not we

all wrestle with that question maybe in

the past you've

wrestled with being good enough or maybe

because of pride you you've looked at

certain people and you've assumed that

they don't know Jesus or you've assumed

that they'll never belong to the Lord

and if we're not careful we can start

believing that the kingdom of God is for

people just like us everyone has been

guilty of

this as we dive into Acts chapter 10

Acts 10 · chapter mention

what we learn is that the kingdom of God

is not limited the kingdom of God is

never limited the gospel is not to make

people like us don't miss this the

gospel is to make people like Jesus and

I think so often we miss it that this is

the

thing that that that they'll really

headline when it comes to missionaries

around the world right the the goal of

missionaries is not to

Americanize other people the goal of

missionaries is to point them to Jesus

as a matter of fact there's there's an

entire ideology about this and how in

Western culture we kind of we have this

savior mentality we feel that we need to

go and save everyone and that's

admirable that's respectable that that's

honorable i think a lot of that is

really rooted in a heart and a genuine

desire to help people but but remember

good things can often become bad things

if those good things become our only

things and they become our greatest

thing but what should be our one thing

what should be the greatest thing it

should be the gospel it should be Jesus

paul said it this way there is one

thing one thing that I know one thing

that I live by one thing that I pursue

one thing that I chase after and and

Paul was not

diminishing everything else he wasn't

saying the gifts of the spirit aren't a

thing he wasn't saying good ministry

isn't a thing he wasn't saying great

churches aren't a thing but those things

are not anything if not for the one

thing and what's the one thing he says

Christ Jesus and him crucified that's

the gospel message that's here in Acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 the message that goes forward

so in our passage Peter preaches to

Cornelius and Cornelius remember he's

received this vision and he is preparing

to hear a message from the Lord

cornelius knows this this is what I love

you'll pick this up in our passage here

in just a moment so Cornelius doesn't

just prepare himself to receive the

message he calls his family he calls his

neighbors he calls his friends he calls

his co-workers he calls his people to

come and sit in with him to hear this

message from God this is a divine

appointment in the history of the church

where the gospel is breaking through

Jewish prejudices and into the gentile

world so if you have your Bible open

let's go to Acts chapter 10 we'll throw

Acts 10 · chapter mention

it up on the screen we'll be in verse 34

on through

43 here's what Dr luke he's the author

of Acts here's what he writes

so Peter opened his mouth and

said

"Truly I

understand that God shows no

partiality." That is

powerful and the reason that it's

powerful is because of the vision Peter

had several days ago

that

vision clearly communicated to him that

the

gospel is for every nation every tongue

every tribe every kingdom that the

gospel is not exclusive to one people

group that it's not exclusive to those

in a particular geographical area or to

those in a particular culture but the

gospel is for anyone who will call upon

the name of Jesus and so Peter as he is

now in Cornelius's household he says

"Truly I understand." What's incredible

about that meeting we learned about this

last week peter's Jewish cornelius is a

Gentile them being together in the same

room having fellowship and community

that would never have happened a week

ago Peter would never have found himself

in the middle of a Gentile's living room

because that would have traditionally

made Peter unclean it would have made

him

common and the Lord tells Peter don't

call common or unclean what God has

deemed

holy and I think this is this this is

for free i think how often do we do that

in our own

life how often do we not recognize what

God is

doing or or or maybe we have an inkling

that God is moving and God is working

but but we neglect to step into it maybe

because of

fear maybe because of shame maybe

because we feel we're not worthy there's

not enough value or purpose in our life

for various reasons we we don't step

into what God has deemed holy because we

think it's common or unclean let's

continue verse

35 so Peter says "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 amen

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 we are

witnesses of all he did both in the

country of the Jews and in Jerusalem

they put him to death by hanging him on

a

tree but I love this we're going to

celebrate in a couple of weeks 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 don't miss

this 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 to who to

Jesus the one who was raised from the

grave the one who is judge of the living

and the dead the one who all glory honor

and praise is due to his name and his

name alone all the prophets bear witness

that everyone who believes don't miss

this everyone who believes in him

receives forgiveness of sins through his

name and all God's people said "Amen."

Lord would you bless your word Holy

Spirit would you stir our

hearts

power power is taking place in this

passage there's salvation and no other

name under heaven or earth except the

name of Jesus that is gospel 101

and so if we look at the question who

belongs to the kingdom peter makes it

abundantly clear everyone who believes

in him receives forgiveness of sins

through his name so here's the question

today do you belong to the

kingdom have you've come to Christ in

faith the one who judges the living and

the dead the one who death sin and evil

have no claim over him because he has

conquered it does he live in you does he

guide you does he direct you does he

influence you and I'm not talking about

guiding and influencing over big things

in your life i'm talking about as Paul

declares to the Corinthians whether you

eat or drink whatever you do you do it

for the glory of God but I'm talking

about Paul's words to the Colossians

when he says "Work heartedly unto the

Lord and not to man what you do you do

for the audience of one and what you do

for the audience of one overflows into

every other area of your life." This is

why Jesus with full power and

authority with spiritfilled words

proclaimed in Matthew 5 "Let your light

shine before men." Now don't miss this

who's

light your

light my wife has an incredible light i

tell her one of the things I love about

her is her giving heart she has such

compassion for

people but she can shine her light all

day long that doesn't benefit me

spiritually

so it's my light that I need to shine

because my light is God living in me so

that he can work through me and what

happens when that light shines jesus

says people recognize it your light

shines before men they recognize your

good deeds and what happens they give

honor and glory to our father who is in

heaven i know many of your stories many

of your salvation stories and many of

those stories include you being

evangelized by a family member by a

close friend and you recognizing a light

a difference something unique in them

that you could not explain through

worldly

means and so you came to know Christ you

came to receive the gospel you came to

place faith in the Lord because of that

and so Peter is speaking he's

proclaiming the gospel to Cornelius to

this room that is packed with Gentiles

and I love this because as he's

preaching the

gospel as the word is being received and

next week we'll we'll see how the Holy

Spirit descends upon the gentile world

and how Cornelius and his family becomes

representations of the rest of the world

receiving and being filled by the Holy

Spirit it's an incredible story we'll

learn about next week but what we see

here what Peter is doing is he is

outlining five powerful markers of those

who belong to the kingdom

not the ones who are perfect not the

ones who put on a performance but the

one who

believes the one who is experiencing

what what Paul tells the Ephesians it is

by grace

through

faith through the faith that has been

awakened in you that has been stirred in

you and that is the focus of your life

of your marriage of your work of your

of your stewardship of your resources of

everything about you so that through a

changed and transformed life people

recognize Christ in you and he gets the

glory not you there's nothing that we

can boast in the only thing that we can

boast in is the cross who Christ is what

he's done and how he's worked so here's

what I want to do with our remaining

time i want to look at each of these

markers that Peter outline outlines in

his gospel presentation as we look at

the question who belongs to the kingdom

peter gives us the answer here in the

gospel if you're taking notes here's the

first one those who belong to the

kingdom know the heart of

God last week I celebrated 21 years

shout out married to my

wife and the only listen the only reason

we have 21 years is because of Jesus man

how many of us can testify the only

reason our wife is putting up with us is

because of Jesus

amen in 21 years oh I've been with my

wife since I was 15 i'm 41 y'all do the

math but in all those

decades I've come to know the heart of

my

wife and I'm still growing in

understanding her

heart marriage is a great picture of the

gospel matter of fact in every marriage

ceremony um I that I uh not perform

what's the word I'm looking

for what's the word officiate thank you

amen amen every marriage ceremony that I

officiate I make it a point to have a

gospel presentation because marriage is

a beautiful picture of the gospel it's

two people knowing the hearts of one

another listen when we are in a

relationship with Jesus we know his

heart those who belong to the kingdom

know the heart of God go back with me to

verse 34 this is this is the turning

point right it's the moment that that

Peter is realizing that God is not

playing favorites with people verse 34

it says "Peter opened his mouth and said

truly I understand that God shows no

partiality." Here's what's incredible i

love word studies you know this the

Greek word for

partiality means receiver of

faces and so what Peter is is clearly

communicating is is what the priest

Samuel told us in his writings is is

that God does not look on the outward

appearance but he looks straight into

the heart of the individual

peter is understanding that that the

kingdom belongs to those who Christ has

entered into their hearts paul tells us

in Romans chapter 10 that if we confess

Romans 10 · chapter mention

with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and

believe in our hearts that Christ indeed

raised him from the grave we shall be

saved there is something about the heart

that is

powerful in salvation

so powerful in fact that it connects us

to the heart of God and so what Peter

recognizes here is that God doesn't

judge by

appearances he judges by the heart to

belong to the kingdom is to know the

heart of God to belong to the kingdom is

to live for the glory of God it's a

heart that

isn't

prejudice or prideful or

partial it's overflowing with mercy it's

a heart that's for

you that's the heart of our king that's

the heart of our father in heaven here's

what I want you to do it's a heart for

you do this with me it's a heart for

Roland put your name in

there it's a heart for Josh it's a heart

for Lacy it's a heart for Mary it's a

heart for Scott it's a heart for you

that's the king's heart that's what the

gospel does and it calls you out of sin

and into what into holy living here's

the second marker those who belong to

the kingdom live obedient lives did you

catch that

so now I I want you to follow the

pattern here the natural overflow this

is biblical the natural overflow of a

heart that's connected to the heart of

God is going to be seen in an obedient

life so I've been talking about this

pretty regularly with with a circle of

friends with with w with pastors who I

lead a Bible study uh and a book study

with in the scripture faith and

obedience are connected they are not

separated what we've done in our culture

is we have separated faith in the Lord

from obedience to the Lord and so we'll

say things like this we can live life

the way that we want we can live in

active sin that is clearly rebellious

and a sign of evil and and an affront to

the holiness and righteousness of God

and we won't bat an eye why because we

made a confession at some point in our

life if there is no obedience James the

brother of Jesus will say this if there

is no

works that demonstrates the faith that

you

proclaim then the works is not the issue

it's the absence of faith that faith is

corrupt it's rotten james says it this

way it is a dead faith so go with me

here to verse 35 it's powerful what does

Peter say peter says 'In every nation

anyone who fears him he's talking about

the Lord anyone who fears the Lord and

does what is right is acceptable to him

before we dive into what Peter is saying

let's focus on what he's not saying he

is not saying that works are what merit

salvation he is not saying that if you

just do these things correctly if you do

them right then your ticket to heaven is

punched let's get that out the way he is

not saying that as a matter of fact

there is an entire doctrine in theology

and scripture that speaks against

work-based salvation so what is Peter

saying he is saying that those who

belong to the kingdom fear God those who

belong to the kingdom walk in reverence

those who belong to the kingdom strive

to live

rightly there is genuine

desire in living obediently before the

Lord don't miss this

not out of

obligation but out of love for

Jesus out of a desire to see his face

and to experience his glory and his

majesty in your

life the nearer you draw to the

Lord the nearer he draws to you

what that means is the more I'm pursuing

God the more I'm going to love God the

more I'm going to experience God the

more I'm going to see the face of God

what's incredible here is that word

acceptable when Peter says "Whoever does

these things is acceptable to the Lord."

Some of your translations will read "Are

welcomed by the Lord." He's not talking

about being perfect what Peter is

talking about is being postured before

the Lord ask yourself this question

what's the posture of my life if if I

profess to be a

Christian what is the posture of my

heart if if I profess to know the heart

of my king what is the posture of my

life what does it demonstrate does it

demonstrate that I fear him and that I'm

doing what is acceptable because a a

life that is postured in obedience

before the Lord is a life that says "God

I want to walk in your

ways i want to be a part of what you're

doing." And at the end of the day you

know this obedience is the fruit of

belief right works is the product of

faith not the other way around so does

our lives reflect the heart of God

here's the third thing that we recognize

those who belong to the kingdom respond

to God's invitation i think this is my

favorite part out of this gospel

presentation go with me to verse

36 peter says "As for the word," don't

miss this as for the word that he sent

to Israel that's key here preaching good

news and and peace through Jesus Christ

he is Lord of all here's what Peter is

getting at god sent the word god

initiates the invitation and Peter says

that word is good news that word is the

gospel that word brings peace that word

is Lord of all and and the thing about

the gospel is this gospel of peace this

this peace with God peace within

yourself it's all through

who it's all through Jesus Christ so so

so here's the challenge to us ask

yourself am I truly walking in peace now

now we have to clarify what what peace

is this is not

original peace is not the absence of the

storm

peace is a shift in attitude a shift in

mindset a shift of of perspective a

shift of heart in the midst of the storm

which is

why you can endure hell on

earth and still worship

you can endure pain that you would not

wish on your worst enemy and with lifted

hands still proclaim "He is the lover of

my

soul." This is the peace that God

invites us into this is the peace that

is available to anyone who calls upon

the name of Jesus but here's the thing

those who belong to the kingdom aren't

ones who just hear the invitation

remember the word was sent god initiates

god invites god reaches down it's not us

reaching up it's God reaching down the

scriptur is clear there's no one who

does good no one who seeks after the

father not one which is why God in his

great love and mercy sends his son

becomes flesh lives a life we couldn't

live dies a death we all deserve raises

from the grave three days later ascends

to be at the right hand of the father

and one day will return in glory and in

honor the ones who belong to the kingdom

are those who respond to the invitation

we don't stay on the

sidelines but we admire and we admit and

we confess and we submit to the Lord and

what does Peter say he is Lord of what

of

all not Lord of

some not Lord only on Sundays

not Lord only during your Bible study or

prayer time during the week but Lord of

all here's the fourth marker peter in

proclaiming his gospel says "Those who

belong to the kingdom they fix their

eyes on the crucified Christ." I I love

how Peter begins to walk them very

quickly a cliffnotes version of the life

of Jesus beginning in verse 37

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 let me hit

the pause

button before you came to Jesus in faith

you and I were oppressed by the devil

before you and I came to Jesus in faith

we were influenced and

enslaved by the devil that's the

seriousness of sin did you know that sin

is not something that that that is just

halfhazard in our life hazardous yes

indeed but it's not just something that

that we just look at and say "Well no

big deal." No your sin is a very big

deal your sin separates you from the

Lord it separates you from the heart of

God and if you don't respond to the

invitation if you don't connect your

heart to the heart of the King if

obedience is not the overflow of your

faith in the Lord then we are in danger

of being eternally separated from God

and my hope and my prayer is that maybe

if you've been wrestling with that

question do I belong to the kingdom that

today for you as a scripture mightily

and boldly declares would be the day of

salvation scripture says they put Jesus

to

death the one who brought

life and was killed by our sin and to

belong to the kingdom is to never move

past the cross we have to go through the

cross of Christ which is why throughout

the New Testament we'll hear things like

this that we are called to

bear our own

cross we are called to walk with what

we've been dealt with through the storms

and all experiencing peace but focused

on the cross of

Jesus is the cross still personal to you

or is it background noise in your faith

here's the fifth and last one those who

belong to the kingdom they live and they

speak the resurrection right that that's

the lynch pin for Christianity paul says

if there is no resurrection then our

work is in vain and our faith means

nothing but because the resurrection

indeed is true signified by countless

witnesses by written accounts that we

have in the gospels those who belong to

the kingdom live and speak the

resurrection verse 40 god raised him on

the third day and made him to appear not

to all people but to us who had been

chosen by God as witnesses who ate and

drank with him after he rose from the

dead in other words real these were

things that we experienced 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 here it is

everyone who believes in him receives

forgiveness of sins through his

name all based on

what on a savior who is

alive we don't believe in a savior who's

dead who has no power because the grave

overpowered him but we believe in a

savior who has overcome sin death and

the grave the one who lives and breathes

this is why Peter in using the word

witness is demonstrating what that

actually means did you know the Greek

word for witness is martus is where we

get the word martyr from and so here's

here's what Peter is saying he's not

just saying we saw something but we

experienced and we know it to the point

that I will stake my life on it which is

why church history and tradition tells

us that each of the disciples died as

martyrs for the faith you don't die for

something that's not true you don't die

for a

lie you don't have to be a preacher to

preach the

gospel kingdom people live like Jesus is

alive and the thing is because he

is so who belongs to the kingdom i pray

that it's you i pray that you know the

heart of

God that you walk in obedience before

him that you

responded to the gospel invitation that

your eyes are fixed on the crucified

Christ and as a result you will live and

breathe the

resurrection the life of Christ in you

and through you would you pray with me

lord we thank you for your word we thank

you for our time this morning

i pray Lord that as you continue to move

through this place would you draw us

closer to you spirit would you move in

the lives of people maybe someone needed

to hear this word this

morning and that's why they're

here for no other

reason to experience salvation

lord as we close our time and as we go

into a a moment of

response I pray that you would draw

people to your spirit in Christ's name

we pray all God's people said amen