Fearing God & Doing His Will

A man was walking down the street when he saw a sign outside a small shop that read: "God's Will Repair Services." Curious, he walked in and found an elderly man tinkering with an old clock.

“Excuse me,” the man said, “what exactly do you repair here?”

The old man smiled and replied, “Oh, anything that’s broken: clocks, furniture, relationships, faith—you name it! I try to do God’s will by fixing what I can.”

Intrigued, the man thought for a moment and said, “Well, I feel like my life is a bit broken. Can you fix that?”

The old man chuckled. “Sure thing. Take a seat.”

The man sat down, expecting a deep spiritual conversation or maybe some life advice. But instead, the old man handed him a broom and said, “Start by sweeping the floor. Doing God’s will starts with lending a hand!”

Sometimes, doing God’s will begins with the simple stuff—like cleaning up.

Historical/Cultural Context -

Luke was a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul. He wrote the book of Acts. The earliest possible date of Acts is immediately after the events that Luke recorded in, which would have been c. A.D. 62. Acts is addressed to “Theophilus,” about whom nothing more is known. Luke’s broader audience consisted primarily of Gentile Christians like Theophilus who had already “been taught” about Jesus.

Biblical Text -

Acts 10:1–16 NKJV

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Be A God Fearer, Do What He Says & Pay Attention When He Speaks

Life Point- Be A God Fearer

Exegetical -

Acts 10:1–4 NLT

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!

Homiletical -

Unbeknown to Peter who is in Joppa at this time there is a man who sends up prayers and gives to the needy and is not a jew but a gentile, however he is what they would have called in that day a God-fearer.

He honestly sought God and so God sends him a vision with an angel. Today I don’t think if we received a vision we would be as accommodating as he was. We might chock it up to a dream or a day-dream. So what happens in this vision?

The angel speaks to him and recounts the things he has done and He gives him instructions, which we will see in a minute.

Here is what we know about Cornelius. He was a centurion. A man who was in charge of about one hundred other men in the Roman army. He was a well to do man because he had slaves. Yet despite all that he feared God.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Now we know as Christians that we should be following Christ’s principles in our lives and it when we get away from those principles that we make horrendous mistakes in our lives. Now we are all gonna make poor judgement mistakes, but not horrendous ones, if we follow the clear teaching of scripture.

That is what is wrong with the world today. The culture left Jesus far behind. People now do the opposite of what scripture teaches and expect to have a great outcome. It never works that way.

Oh, sin is fun for a while, but the end of it is destruction.

Sin will take you further than you want to go, and keep you longer than you want to stay.

I am warning you now church if you do the same things the world does, you will reap the same things the world reaps.

Galatians 6:7–10 NLT

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

If we fear God then God will point us in the right direction.

Illustration -

A man recounts a story of when he was a kid, He writes “I remember a time when I was a kid, I tried to sneak a cookie before dinner, thinking I could get away with it. Just as I reached for it, my mom walked in with that knowing look. I realized in that moment that I feared her wrath more than I desired the cookie! Fear of authority can bring accountability, just like our healthy fear of God keeps us on the right path. Sometimes we need a little divine ‘supervision’ to help us resist temptation.”

Life Point - Do What God Says, No Matter How Weird It Is To You

Exegetical -

Acts 10:5–8 NLT

Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.” As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

Homiletical -

So this angel shows up in a vision and tells Cornelius some pretty specific stuff. He says to send men to Joppa and summon Peter. The angel even tells him where he is residing.

When God wants you to do something he is usually pretty specific.

Now notice here that the angel didn’t give Cornelius the Gospel, but sent for a human being to proclaim it.

Why is that?

Because God has desired for the Gospel to be spread by humans not by angels. It is our job to give the Gospel.

People say God doesn’t do this anymore, but I disagree. There are conversion stories with visions happening all over the muslim world. You can google them, there are books written that recount them and how they came to Jesus because of it.

Also notice that Cornelius sent two his household servants and a devout soldier to fetch Peter.

All he had to go on was a vision and he sent these men on a long journey.

When the Holy Spirit gives us an unction or if God communicates some other way with us, then we need to listen to Him and do what He says. He says jump, and we say How High?

Visions may still be happening but the main way God speaks is through His Word. This is how I know the great commission is of utmost importance. Unfortunately though, the great commission for a lot of Christians has become the great omission.

Matthew 28:16–20 NLT

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Illustration -

Let me read you a report I came across.

More than 200 Muslim men in Gaza have converted to Christianity after reportedly seeing Jesus in their dreams, said Christian professor Michael Licona.

Licona teaches New Testament studies at Houston Christian University and has also written a number of books, including “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” and “Paul Meets Muhammad.”

In a recent Facebook post, Licona said he received a report from “underground Christian ministries” in the Middle East that detailed the miraculous conversions.

“God is working in the midst of war!” his post began.

He then quoted the report from the ministries.

“Over the past two days, we have ministered to hundreds of fathers who have lost most, if not all, of their children in the war. As we moved these men to safety, we fed them, washed their clothes, and began to read the Bible to them — sharing the way of peace through Jesus.

“Then, a big miracle happened. Last night, Jesus appeared to more than 200 of them in their dreams! They have come back to us to learn more from God’s Word and are asking how to follow Jesus,” the report said.

Life Point - Pay Attention When God Is Speaking To You

Exegetical -

Acts 10:9–16 NLT

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.” But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

Homiletical -

So Cornelius’s messengers are nearing where Peter is and it was around time for lunch.

Peter goes up to the roof. One thing you have to understand about these roofs is that they were designed flat so that you could go up on them.

Why? Because there is no A/C at this time and it gets hot, so you go up on the roof to catch a breeze.

So Peter is up there and he has this vision about clean and unclean animals. You see in the Jewish laws there were animals you eat and animals you don’t. By the way, Pig is something their laws wouldn’t let them eat. It was an unclean animal. That means there is no bacon for you. I am so glad that these food laws are no longer required by God, because I like bacon.

God was trying to get Peter’s attention about something because he repeated the vision three times before it was over.

So Peter is seeing this and he is shocked. How could God be taking away these laws and more importantly what does the whole vision mean?

When God is trying to get your attention He can and will use different methods.

1) Through The Bible

2) Through circumstances

3) Supernatural means

This is not an all exhaustive list, but the three main categories in what I believe is the order of frequency.

Never put God in a box though, He is God and He can do as He pleases.

Remember what we are seeing in the end times and in the birth of the church was all prophesied about years before it happened.

Joel 2:28–29 NKJV

“And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

But remember just because someone says they have a supernatural experience doesn’t mean it is always from God. There are false signs and wonders as well. That is why we need discernment and to look at the fruit that is produced.

1 John 4:1 NKJV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Illustration -

A man was once absolutely convinced they had misplaced their phone. After searching for it everywhere, they found it in their pocket—all the while it was with them. In our spiritual lives, we often overlook the simple ways God communicates with us. We might search for grand signs when really, He’s been there all along, waiting for us to realize we simply need to listen carefully, just like finding that phone in his pocket!

Life Principle– Be A God Fearer, Do What He Says & Pay Attention When He Speaks

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