Acts 10: Clean

Introduction

Scripture Acts 10

Acts 10 ESV

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 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. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 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 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 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. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but 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), 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 are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but 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 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 all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 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. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Last time I was with you we examined Acts chapter 9; dealing with the conversion of Saul. Saul *Paul* whose ministry as we will see in the coming chapters is with the gentile church.

Today’s passage Peter will be taught that no longer are God’s people refrained by the gentile nation but the gentile nation will become part of God’s people.

There are a few angles as with many passages of scripture that can be taught, I want to point our attention to how the gentiles coming into the church is the fulfillment of old covenant promises.

We will then examine the application of this passage for today’s hearers of the word.

Cornelius V 1-7

Let us look at the Gentile Cornelius in verses 1-7. Here is a man who remind you is not saved yet, and we will get to this in a minute. On the surface he appears as a pious man, fears God, and rightly hears the voice the Lord.

His mission is very simple go and talk to Simon.

It is important to note the status of himself, his servants, and his family. They are gentiles and at this point in this narrative are not saved.

It leaves us with a couple of questions; why do they fear God if they are not saved? How will he be saved?

Many of you sitting here today, much like myself probably grew up in the church or least a culture of Christianity. I’ll give my story, I grew up in a Christian home, I feared God, I said my prayers with my dad every night, and heaven forbid I did not wear a tie on Sunday.

At fourteen I knew who the Lord was and in one way was truly saved but in another was I? I fell from the Lord. Two years later Jesus found me working with kids in a VBS camp. Towards the end of that week, I was a changed man.

I don’t know if my dad remembers but we went to the beach the following week, I was reading through the bible and asked my dad all these questions.

Jesus became the love of my life. From that day I was on fire for the Lord nearly twenty years later at 35, I am more in love with Jesus.

The point being Cornelius is living in Roman/Jewish culture where an understanding of God is prevalent and like all good people know to pray and fear God.

Even Satan knows God, and Satan fears God maybe not in the same way a Christian does but none the less knows God.

Cornelius however is a gentile and would be welcomed into the outer courts of temple where the gentiles would be but could go no further. He was unclean and no Jew associates with a Gentile.

Next our question is how we will he be saved; turn with me to Acts 11:1-18

Acts 11:1–18 ESV

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began and explained it to them in order: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

This gentile needed the gospel message because Jesus is the only way of Salvation. Being religious, going to church, does not save you. Only Jesus saves and brings true religion into the life of a sinner.

If you need a recap of how one is saved by Christ; please refer to my sermon from Acts Chapter 9 in which examined the doctrines of grace.

Peters Vision

Let us turn back to Acts 10:9-23

Acts 10:9–23 ESV

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 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 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

Peter is now in prayer and during prayer he falls hungry. This hunger God reveals a vision of clean/unclean animals. Being Jewish Peter understood the symbols of clean and unclean based upon ceremonial laws.

God reveals to Peter to not call anything impure that God has made clean.

Peter enters the house

Acts 10:28 ESV

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.

Here Peter is now a welcomed guest, eases the mind of himself and his peers that we are free by the Lord’s command to associate with each other.

As peter begins to then share the gospel message the Holy Spirit is poured out among the gentiles. Acts 10:44–46“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,”

Doctrine of Covenant Theology

This leads us to our doctrine of today’s sermon which in Christianity there are two streams of thought as to God’s workings with the Jew and the Gentile.

The first stream of thought or hermuntic is Dispensationlism. In this view (and this is very broad for the sake of time and place) is that during this dispensation salvation is for the gentile through Jesus but after the age of grace there will be a return to the temple and the promises to the Jews will be fulfilled, Israel as a nation will be restored, issuing in a millennial reign.

In other words there are the Gentiles and the Jews; to distnic people of God with different purpose.

The second stream of thought which I personally hold to with strong conviction is known as Covenant Theology.

That God’s plan of redemption was before time of the Adam in the treaty of peace and Israel, the temple, was but a foreshadow of the greater which is in the New Covenant. The Church is Israel and Christ is the Savior of those whom were predestined before time began.

In this very passage we are seeing the fulfillment of the Old Covenant being birthed into the New Covenant. That is now all who are in Christ are true Israel. Jew and Gentile. The way of Salvation is through Christ alone.

We are not a age of grace or dispensation of grace, rather we who are in Christ are part of the New Covenant which is eternal. The Old Covenant is fulfilled in Christ and Christ has established His people as now being neither Jew nor Gentile but rather as one olive tree.

Let us turn our attention to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith Chapter 7 sec 2 and 3.

Since humanity brought itself under the curse of the law by its fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace.2  In this covenant he freely offers to sinners life and salvation through Jesus Christ. On their part he requires faith in him, that they may be saved,3 and promises to give his Holy Spirit to all who are ordained to eternal life, to make them willing and able to believe.4

2Genesis 2:17; Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:20, 21. 3Romans 8:3; Mark 16:15, 16; John 3:16. 4Ezekiel 36:26, 27; John 6:44, 45; Psalms 110:3.

3. This covenant is revealed in the gospel. It was revealed first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation through the seed of the woman.5  After that, it was revealed step by step until the full revelation of it was completed in the New Testament.6  This covenant is based on the eternal covenant transaction between the Father and the Son concerning the redemption of the elect.7  Only through the grace of this covenant have those saved from among the descendants of fallen Adam obtained life and blessed immortality. Humanity is now utterly incapable of being accepted by God on the same terms on which Adam was accepted in his state of innocence.8

5Genesis 3:15. 6Hebrews 1:1. 72 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 8Hebrews 11:6, 13; Romans 4:1, 2ff.; Acts 4:12; John 8:56.

Here we are seeing the unfolding of this covenant of grace being unpacked to Peter himself and now to the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul will be their minister and Peter will remain in ministry to the Jews as we will see in further passages.

Application

How does this passage apply to you the Christian.

It is a calling to examine your faith. Are you on the side of Cornelius before his encountered with Peter? Is your religion just that of being upright, and attending religious duties?

I will tell you now that I don’t believe in any of the churches I have Pastored that I am a man who will give your comfort of your salvation. Rather I must always point you to Christ who is the assurance of your salvation. I believe doubt is a helpful examiner of the soul to get one to be real with their state of salvation.

Having now been in some fashion of preaching ministry a little before 2019, I have found many religious people and while I can not know for certain if it is just weak faith or unsaving religion there are far too many who think they are saved when in reality there is no evidence of salvation within their life.

What are the marks of a Christian?

There faith is in Christ alone and none other. Christ is truly in their heart and it pours out through the love of mission, the love of the word, the love of prayer, the fierce pursuit of holiness, love for the church.

There is more that can be said on the matters of true faith; but a man or woman who is saved desires nothing but Christ and His glory.

2. Christian Church in what ways are we in need of a vision like Peter who understands all of God’s elect are declared pure and righteous by His blood.

Evidence of this is clear; what if the Lord were to turn Waughtown Baptist into a church that was no longer pristine, but had men from the streets come and worship the Lord.

or former adult workers repent of sin and find shelter in Christ in the home of Waughtown Baptist Church.

Would you turn to me and say Pastor get these people out of here? Or would you embrace them in Christ? Let’s go one step further, would you invite them to eat at your dinner table, to eat from your fine silverware and plates? Would you say take off your shoes and stay awhile?

The unclean Gentile was viewed in the way that today many if the church view the Prodigal Son who is returning home from sleeping with the pigs. They are the big brother who is not filled with excitement over the lost sheep return but instead dread his coming to the table.

3. Are you on the other side of this Narrative where the gospel is poured out upon your sou and Christ is your everything. Then praise God and obey His commands. Walk upright.

Conclusion

The gospel message is for all who will believe, there is no neither clean or unclean but there are the redeemed and non redeemed. The Calling of the church is to enter the home, to proclaim Christ, and live out the ways of our Master.

Our passage today is about the redemption of Christ in the life of gentiles.