Acts 10:1-48 - God's Family is Bigger Than You Think
Notes
Transcript
In 2016, Jamal Hinton received a text message:
“Thanksgiving dinner is at my house on Nov. 24 at 3:00”
He asked who was texting him
“Your grandma”
He asked for a pic—It was a white woman.
He sent a selfie back and said “You not my grandma”
He’s a young black man.
Jamal asks: “Can I still get a plate tho?”
“Of course you can. That’s what grandma’s do…feed everyone.”
Picture of Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton
By a text to a wrong number, the Dench family that Thanksgiving was slightly bigger than everyone thought it would be.
Big Idea: God’s family is bigger than you think.
Big Idea: God’s family is bigger than you think.
Stand to read
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
Leader: This is God’s Word.
Everyone: Thanks be to God.
Explanation
The Jews hated Caesarea.
They called it“Daughter of Edom” - a place of ungodliness/symbolic name for Rome.
Cornelius is a captain in the Roman army.
Highly paid officer who stood mightily for Rome.
“God fearer” = Gentiles who believed in Judaism’s faith and observed the 10 commandments, but didn’t submit to circumcision or other dietary restrictions like the Jews did.
The Roman’s were disgusting to the Jews.
The Jews viewed them as godless dogs.
Jews hated Gentiles.
Peter receives this vision from God three times.
A white sheet falls from heaven and all kinds of animals, birds, fish are on it.
“Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (v. 13).
Peter was Jewish, and he knew that some foods were unclean according to the Levitical law.
Then the Lord reveals to him that “What God has made clean, do not call common” (v. 15).
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”
Peter, a Jew, was just told to go to a very Gentile place and speak to Gentiles.
Which nation, city, or part of town repulses you?
Where on the planet could you just do without?
A place you don’t want to go.
When Hilary and I bought our van, we went to Carver Toyota in Columbus.
I’m going to get honest with you for a second. It was an AWFUL experience.
Silas was hungry, unnapped.
Paperwork took entirely too long.
Our salesman was a snake.
We had to go back to get some work done that was agreed upon in the negotiation that the salesman didn’t “remember”.
We were told, it shouldn’t be that much longer several times.
That took 7 or 8 hours to get simple things fixed.
Finally, we went back to cancel the warranties and the guy was not complementary.
“I don’t think you should do this” “I don’t care what you think.”
I finally looked at him and said, “What do I have to do to ensure that I never have to come back here again?”
How would you feel about going to that location, working to befriend the people you meet there, and offering them the good news?
That’s Peter’s assignment.
Go without hesitation; doubt, or wavering.
“I have sent them” to get you. Go with them.
24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
Explanation
It was social suicide for Peter to be meeting with the Gentiles.
But he was more worried about the calling of God than his own reputation or even comfortability.
Peter demonstrates what it looks like Walk by the Spirit.
Church, what this should show us is:
No one is too unclean to be in God’s family
No one is too unclean to be in God’s family
The Lord does not show preference to us.
The gospel is to be heard by the whole creation.
Gospel presentation
There is no one you know that doesn’t need to hear the good news that God sent His Son to die for our sins.
Everyone you know has the same sin-issue you do.
We’re really good at sin.
Our issue is that we’ve gotten great at comparing sin.
Several times, Cornerlius is called a “God-fearer” and a good man.
“Good is not good enough.”
Seekers still need the gospel.
For the Jews, they failed to see their religious snobbery compared to the Gentiles debauchery.
We’re great at hiding our sin and hyper focusing on someone else’s weaknesses.
Jesus doesn’t do this.
This is a too low view of God and too high view of ourselves.
Some of you feel as though you’re too dirty to be forgiven.
I know me, and I’m the worst.
God could never forgive me.
This gives us a too little view of God and too high view of ourselves.
We think we or someone else could out-sin God’s grace.
God sent Jesus to redeem us from our sin and be restored into a right relationship with Him!
On the cross, Jesus took the sins of all who would believe and died for them!
Then He conquered death so that we could have eternal life with Him!
Fully justified! Freely forgiven! Forever family!
Not a Christian, you can be brought into God’s family.
Turn from your sins and follow Jesus!
You can have a new identity, a new faith, and new family today!
Do you want to be a Christian?
There are no qualification to coming to Jesus!
You don’t have to a religious Jew
You don’t have to have your act together.
Jesus receives those who comes to Him with the empty hands of faith and will receive the gospel by faith alone.
God just revealed to Peter the true power of the gospel.
This gospel is for all who would believe.
So Peter starts telling them everything I just told you!
Look at what happens!
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 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. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
Explanation
Peter preaches the gospel and the Holy Spirit applies it to the hearts of all who heard it!
God saved these people!
Look at the response of the Jewish Christians who came with Peter!
They’re amazed because even the Gentiles can be Christians.
What if you looked at the people you think would never come to faith in Jesus and believed this?
Would this leave you worshipping the Lord?
Even my neighbor
Even my boss
Even my dad
Even my enemy can be forgiven and changed.
If you’re a Christian, someone once thought this about you.
Someone once thought you were someone who’d never believe in Jesus and they marveled at your baptism.
What if we truly decided to believe the gospel’s power to change people today?
What if we decided to be obedient to Jesus and be witness to what we’ve seen Him do in our own lives?
No one is too unclean for the gospel.
No one is too dirty to be in God’s family.
By accident, in 2016 Wanda Dench texted Jamal Hinton and they ended up having a family Thanksgiving together.
These two are very different people.
Last Thanksgiving, they celebrated their 8th Thanksgiving together.
Updated pic of Jamal and Wanda.
Church,
There’s more room for our family to get bigger
There’s more room for our family to get bigger
There are people in your life that need to hear this good news.
In your heart, you’ve written them off because you’re convinced they’ll never believe.
Our God raises the dead and has adopted us into His family.
Jesus said “All who the Father gives to me, will come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out” (John 6:37)
What if you made up your mind to move toward people and begin to befriend them in hopes/expectation that they become a Christian?
For these Gentiles, they become believers and begin following Jesus.
Watch.
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.
Peter called them to take the next step in obedience to Jesus.
“Somebody fill the tank!”
Everyone has a next step to take.
Take the Next Step
Take the Next Step
If you want to put your faith in Jesus for the first time, I want you to come tell me.
If you’ve put your faith in Jesus and want to be baptized.
If you want to be a part of our fellowship here, let’s get you started with Starting Point.
I want to help you take your next step toward a life with Jesus today.
You can be brought into family of God today
There is a place here at Graceland for you.
You know someone that needs a family.
Who are you going to invite to our family table?
There is a place here at Graceland for them.
Invite someone this week to join us for worship and join our family here at Graceland.
No one is too dirty and there’s room for the family to get bigger.
