The Conversion of the Gentiles

Intro

Show Mr. Bean’s “conductor” video clip

It’s always entertaining to watch the conductor when you are at the symphony

He holds the entire orchestra together

“Orchestrate” comes from this idea

In Acts 10 and 11, we see God orchestrate events (in great detail) to prove a hugely significant point to the church

Not always how God may choose to exercise His sovereignty, but He orchestrated the events with Cornelius and Peter in an amazing way

The Story

Meet Cornelius the centurion

Roman centurion (officer of some repute)

Based in Caeserea (Roman headquarters in Judea)

God-fearing man (very similar to Ethiopian eunuch)

Devout; generous; prayed continually

Not circumcised; therefore not a convert, but a Gentile

Cornelius is given a vision from God

Message from an angel

Read Acts 10:3-6.

God has heard his prayers!

A noteworthy piece of information that an unclean Gentile would have God be “mindful” of him

God also gives some very specific instructions: Find Simon Peter the apostle

So Cornelius sends 2 servants and a soldier to Joppa where Peter was staying

A few days later, in Joppa, Peter is on the roof praying

And he is hungry! So hungry he falls into a trance

Make a “food coma” joke

He is given a unique “food-related” vision from God

Read Acts 10:11-16.

“What God has made clean, do not call common” (v. 15)

Common = unclean or impure

Peter is “inwardly perplexed” as to the vision (becomes clear later on)

As Peter tries to figure out this vision, the 3 men sent by Cornelius arrive

Great timing! And a great indication of God’s orechastration

The Holy Spirit tells Peter to go with the men, because God has sent them

They stay the night with Peter in Joppa, and then head on their way to Cornelius in Caeserea the next day

When Peter leaves, some other Jewish brothers go with him

The group arrives in Caeserea to find that Cornelius had gathered his relatives and closest friends

It was a crowd of Gentiles, but by now Peter understood the nature of his vision:

Read Acts 10:28-29.

in Jesus, God has made all things - all people - clean!

Formerly would have been forbidden for a Jew to eat unclean animals or even eat with unclean Gentiles

Cornelius recounts his angelic visit (God orchestrating events again!) and asks Peter to share “all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (v. 33)

Peter obliges and shares the message of the good news of Jesus Christ

Read Acts 10:43 as the dramatic conclusion

EVERYONE who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins

This is good news! And the Gentiles believe

Peter is still preaching while the Holy Spirit falls on those listening...

… the gift of the Holy Spirit was “poured out” on the Gentiles

Impactful symbolism we saw through the baptism

Expressed through the speaking of tongues and praising God (v. 46)

The other Jewish brothers with Peter could not believe their eyes

It was irrefutable evidence that God had poured out His Spirit on the Gentiles; and this changed everything

Christ had commanded to make disciples in Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth

Judea = Acts 2; Samaria = Acts 8; Ends of earth = Acts 10 (breakthrough into the entire Roman empire)

The only proper response to this work of God and belief of the people was baptism

They are all baptized and Peter (and his brothers) stay with them for some days (I am certain to disciple further)

Word of this event gets back to Jerusalem before Peter does

A group of Jewish Christians (the circumcision party) is not pleased with Peter

Make some (kind of) appropriate circumcision party jokes

They were convinced that to follow Jesus required converting to Judaism and upholding the Law

This debate would take a while to be settled

But Peter gives the whole account of how God beautifully orchestrated these events:

Cornelius’ vision -> Peter’s vision -> arrival of Cornelius’ servants -> other Christians going with Peter as witnesses -> outward evidence of God pouring out His Spirit

There was no way to deny what God had done… which is why Peter’s opponents were silent

The Good News of Jesus is for EVERYONE

Read Acts 11:18b.

The lesson learned is clear: The good news of Jesus is for EVERYONE

The divide between Jew and Gentile has been erased by Jesus

This is what the vision meant

Jesus inverts the notion of purity

Old = Impure things taint and defile a person

New = Purity of Christ makes the unclean… clean

This is what the outpouring of the Spirit meant

Exactly like Penetcost (Acts 11:15b)

Peter declares that God shows no impartiality (Acts 10:34)

Back in Acts the main divide was Jew/Gentile; today, the good news of Jesus (and promised HS) is still for everyone

For the marginalized

Look at the SBF mission statement and focus on “over-churched” and “under-churched”

Focus on these groups is NOT meant to be exlusive; it is the other way around

In other words, we want to be a church where people who feel “on the margins” can meet Jesus readily

You are welcome here; the good news of Jesus is for you!

This was a focus for Jesus, too!

He spents lots of his time with tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans, lepers, women… people on the margins

In fact, the first person He revealed His messianic identity to was an oft-divorced Samaritan woman at the well

Read John 4:25-30.

If you feel like you don’t belong; if you have a hard time fitting in; the good news of Jesus is for you

He doesn’t care about pretenses, keeping up appearances, popularity or fitting a certain mould

He cares about you, and offers you relationship and community in the abiding Holy Spirit, membership into His church, and eternal life

For the broken

It wasn’t just the marginalized that Jesus reached out to, but the broken

People who were demon possessed, caught in the act of adultery, dealing with chronic health issues, full of grief from losing a loved one...

When confronted by the Pharisees, Jesus boldy claims that the broken are exactly the people he has come to save

Read Luke 5:30-32.

Do you feel broken? Burdened by the weight of your sin and shortcomings? Unworthy? Physically unwell? Brought down by grief and sadness?

The good news of Jesus is for you! In Him you can receive forgiveness of sins, healing for your soul, and eternal life

Show picture of kintsugi and reference Lillis’ story

Who Are We to Stand in God’s Way?

I’m aware that most here this morning have already responded to the good news of Jesus that is for all of us

What does this have to do with me?

You may not feel like part of the marginalized or broken (or over-churched or under-churched), but you can ensure that they know that the good news of Jesus is for them

When Peter was called to task for eating with and then baptizing Gentiles, he pointed to the work of God as his defense

Read Acts 11:17.

“Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”

Picture of withstanding God, or hindering him in some way; not strong enough!

Who are we to stand in God’s way?

My heart breaks when I consider all the many stories of the church standing in God’s way of the good news of Jesus that is for everyone

Refer to Lillis’ experience with her son; conversation with co-worker in Airdrie; my brother’s story

How can we let any of these things happen?! Scripture makes it abundantly clear that this should NEVER be the case! How can the church of Jesus Christ stand in the way of Jesus Christ?!

Church, can we do differently?

Welcome all

The marginalized and the broken need to be here even more than you do

Reach out to all

Who in your life needs to hear the good news of Jesus?

Don’t wait for them to come to you or to church; this message still needs to spread to the ends of the earth, and that begins with us

Pray