Grace for Every Race 9:32-11:18

This is the longest section of scripture in the book of acts with a specific focus, and the focus of 9:32-11:18 is that Jesus came to give grace to all races.

So we are introduced back to Peter after focusing on Paul for the last little bit.

Read 32-35

And we see in verse 33-34 the healing of a man. The town of Lydda is 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. This man was clearly one who needed to be healed notice the detail of being bedridden for eight years.

And the healing of this man attracted a crowd and many from that crowd was saved.

Read 36-43

This women Tabitha dies, and the scripture says that she was a women who was full of good works, and acts of charity. It appears she was well loved by many, now when she had became ill and died, they did not even bury her, now notice the faith of these people because they knew Peter was nereby, and they sent two men calling Peters attention to come without delay.

So Peter comes, and when he arrives the widows are crying because of her death, and Peter tells them to go all outside if you know your bible this is like when Elisha and Jesus healed those who were dead, the difference is Elisha and Peter prayed while Jesus said Arise alone.

So After peter prayed and told her to arise she opened her eyes, and gave her his hands and raised up.

So Peter calls the saints and widows and presents her alive. And again we see many people believe in the Lord.

Read Acts 10:1-2

Some background.. Ceasarea was the Capital of Roman occupation of Israel. It was a military town. The Jews hated this town which is important to note. Scholars said they hated it so much they called it little Edom, a place of ungodliness.

Cornelius was the captain of this army. He would have made 5 times as much as a regular solider. He was in charge of at least 100 soldiers.

SO peter has to go to a place where the Jews hate these people, teaching us an important lesson that we need to be people willing to go to places we don’t even like to advance the gospel.

Going back to Cornelius he was what the scripture says a devout man who feared God. But he was not saved at the time of this vision.

Acts 10-3-8

We see the angel of God show up in a vision to this man Cornelius And it scared him, he was in terror and said what is it Lord.

And The angel says essentially to him the prayers and alms he has made the Lord has seen, and now send men to God to get someone who can show you the way. That man is named Peter and he is with Simon a Tanner. And the they went.

9-16

So while this Vision took place Peter had not yet been informed of all that was going on until he went to pray.

Now Peter did not have a vision that men where coming to see him he had a different vision. So as he prays this 6th hour he becomes hungry, and wants food, and so while they are preparing food he fell into a trance, and saw the heavens opened up, and a great sheet descending down with all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air on it, and this is what is important to hear a voice came and said rise, Peter, kill and eat.

And Peter said By no means Lord, for I have never eating anything that is common or unclean.

What is he referring to well lets go to Lev 11

Leviticus 11 ESV

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. 4 Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 5 And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 6 And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 7 And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8 You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. 9 “These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 But anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. 11 You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 12 Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you. 13 “And these you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 14 the kite, the falcon of any kind, 15 every raven of any kind, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the short-eared owl, 18 the barn owl, the tawny owl, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 “All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. 22 Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. 23 But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you. 24 “And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 25 and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26 Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And all that walk on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 28 and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you. 29 “And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These are unclean to you among all that swarm. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. 32 And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. It must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. 33 And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. 34 Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you. 36 Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. 37 And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean, 38 but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. 39 “And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 40 and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 41 “Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. 43 You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. 44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” 46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.

But the Lord said What God has made clean do not call common. And he did this three times, and the thing was taken up to heaven.

Application

17-33

SO Peter gets this revelation from God that he is thinking about, and this may not seem like a big deal to us, but truly it is, because the gospel is going global now.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So Peter gets a visit from men who were sent by Cornelius, and the Spirit said to him Go without hesitation.

So these men tell Peter about the dream, and to come to his house, so you can tell him what you have to say. So Peter tells them come in and they head off on this two day trip tomorrow. And when Cornelius meets Peter he falls down on his knees, and Peter tells him you dont do that I am just a man.

And here is where we see this massive revelation..

It was unlawful for you and I to associate with one another, or anyone of another nation ( Muslims do this in their Holy Place )

But God ( Great words in scripture ) has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. (So before Peter gets into the good news he tells them we are not so different after all.

So he says I came without objection even though I could have, so why am I here.

So Cornelius tells him about this vision. We see this alot in scripture God using more than just one person to get out the message he wants shows that its actually valid.

So Peter came to preach now. Declaration.

Acts 10:34-43.

So how does he preach to this people?

1st he says God shows no partiality across ethnic lines.

Deuteronomy 10:17–19 ESV

17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

2nd he says God welcomes all who fear him, and does what is right is acceptable to him.

3rd He says. Jesus is Lord of All.

4th.. Speaks of Jesus Ministry.

5th.. Focuses on the death burial and resurrection.

This is a complete sermon if you ask me.

6th tells them how to be saved.

Confirmation.

44-48

Many people call this the gentile Pentecost.

You see a few things.. Spirit comes upon these people.

believers speak in tongues. Lets go back to the first one…

Acts 2:4–11 ESV

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

People are amazed… Because they recieved the Holy Spirit.

These people are Baptized.

Resolution.

1-3

He returned and was met with criticism.

4-16

retails of the events…

17

powerful.

How can I stand in God’s way?

18.

They praised God for allowing the gentiles to be saved..

Does not mean all agreed, but many of them did while some fell silent.