Acts 10:44-48 - Holy Spirit Falls On the Gentiles

Introduction

[Read Text]

Last Week we discussed...

Peter gets his vision from God about the giant picnic blanket.

God is showing him about how he will also save the gentiles.

After seeing the vision he then goes with the men who had sent for him

He then arrives at the house of Cornelius and gets to preach to them.

Peter shared the gospel in our text last week

Preach the gospel that Peter preached (10 minutes)

(We looked at that passage and saw a step by step way the Apostles shared the gospel)

God shows no partiality

We were not at peace with the Lord - we needed saving

God sent Christ to be the savior

He loved a perfect life

He died

He rose again

Many witnessed this

What we are studying today is what happens after he shares the gospel.

The Text

V. 44: The Holy Spirit Fell on all who heard

Acts 10:44 ESV

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

These gentiles heard the good news and came to saving faith and they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

This was the sign that they were accepted as equals along with the Jewish believers.

If you remember, the same thing happened at Pentecost:

They believe and they too received the Holy Spirit.

This passage is often referred to as the Gentile Pentecost

V. 45: The circumcised believers amazed

Acts 10:45 ESV

45 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.

Gentiles brought into the fold of salvation.

God has removed the dividing wall between us.

This was a big deal for them back then!

Gentiles could not enter the temple and to dine with one would make you unclean.

Now God has brought them into the fold of salvation.

God giving them the Spirit tells everyone that there is no one “unclean” anymore.

We have people in our own lives that we can view as unclean - or people that we do not like or even hate. We look at them and distaste them for whatever reason and forget that we are called to share Christ with them. No one is to far from the grace of God.

Adoption - God adopted the gentiles into his family - we have been adopted into God’s family.

Romans 8:14–15 ESV

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Think of the amazing things we receive knowing that we are part of the family of God!

We are called Sons and Daughters of the creator of universe

We have an inheritance that is greater than gold for we will see heaven itself.

Through adoption we have forgiveness of sins which God have us purely by his grace - we did not earn or deserve it.

We receive the Holy Spirit - God Himself dwelling within you.

Adoption comes with responsibility - to share Christ

Called to share Christ as ambassadors of Christ to the community around us.

Share the doors that God is opening to allow us to have the opportunity to minister to the high schoolers and college students

V. 46: Speaking in Tongues and Extolling God

Acts 10:46 ESV

46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,

This tongues was a sign that the New Covenant was here for the gentiles.

We see this miraculous thing of tongues in Acts 2 at Pentecost (which was the marking of the New Covenants arrival)

This act of tongues is not something we should be expecting to see - it does not happen at every salvation account but rather it happens at these big “new covenant” moments.

V. 47-48: Who can withhold water from them?

Acts 10:47–48 ESV

47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

These people saw the grace of God and responded in faith receiving new life through the Spirit - now what is the response they should have to such a great salvation? They are commanded to be baptized!

This baptism, modeled in other parts of Acts (Acts 2 & 8), is done only to those who give a confession of faith (they believe), and is done by immersion.

We never once see in Acts a direct telling of anyone being “baptized” as an infant or sprinkled.

In fact the greek word for baptism is baptizo which literally means to be immersed.

We have many examples where people in Scripture could have chosen to just have water poured on their head but did not - rather they took the extra steps and got physically in the water.

In the same we we also never have any recorded instances in Scriptures where an infant is baptized or immersed - only people who can make a credible confession of faith.

Now you might be sitting here thinking about your own “baptism” and you were not immersed or you were baptized as an infant.

Sprinkling or infant baptized person: Someone probably told you that this was the proper mode of baptism and you listened to them with the best intentions. If you were a baby your parents were trying to do the best thing they knew how to and I commend them for that. You or your parents wanted to follow God and do what he says with the absolute best intentions, however, I would say what you experienced was not actually Biblical baptism.

In fact I would encourage you submit to a Baptism that models that of Scripture - that you would do it as a believer through immersion.

A beautiful thing about this type of Baptism is that it is a public confession of faith that proclaims that you have experienced the new birth. Romans 6 tells us that it is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Now some of you may be frustrated with what I am telling you but I am simply just trying to lead you to follow Scripture.

Perhaps you may struggle and think that if you are get Baptized in this way by immersion that you are saying everything you experienced before was completely wrong and the people that led you to do that were “bad.” I am not trying to say that those who sprinkled you as in infant or an adult or evil - I think they just got this one thing wrong.

So why not seek to try to be as Biblical as possible? Why not seek to participate in this ordinance of the church that is meant to testify to the rest of the body?

I would say “Can anyone withhold water from you?”

Conclusion

Do you know Christ?

God cares about our community, so will we!

What could stop you from being baptized?