Peter and Cornelius
Acts of the the Apostles • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We are continuing through the book of Acts this week and will be in Acts chapter 10. Up to this point through acts, we have primarily seen the disciples of Jesus interacting with Jews. Though we have also seen events like Philip leading the Ethiopian man to Jesus in Acts 8. The church is spreading all over the place. So many people are coming to Christ. The Holy Spirit is doing incredible things. Let’s pick up the unfolding story in chapter 10.
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
This man is already a God-fearing man it said. A man who knew the truth of the God of Isreal. He was intentional to be in prayer, and intentional to give and take care of the poor. And those acts were an offering to God. We saw a couple of weeks ago with Philip that when God sent him, he told him simply to go to a certain road. Now here, this man, who by the way has not recieved the gift of the holy spirit, and who does not have faith in Jesus, is told by an angel of God specifics. Go to this man by this name in this location to bring him back here.
So he send 2 servants and a devout solider toward Joppa.
Peter at this point has made his way from Jerusalem. We have an encounter in Acts 9 in the city of Lydda, where he healed a paralyzed man named Aeneas. While in Lydda, he recieved word from the disciples in Joppa that a disciple named Tabitha, or Dorcas in greek, had died. He made his way there, prayed for here to be raised from the dead, and she was. Many came to faith in Jesus through that event. That is what brought Peter to Joppa.
We’ve been seeing every week how the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of people’s lives, preparing them both. We saw the messenger that God sent to Cornelius, now let’s see Peter’s events.
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.
Immediately the scriptures come to mind.
25 “ ‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you.
Here’s all of these “unclean” animals he is prohibited to eat. Eating kosher, or proper, food.
13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
I love God’s timing. They’ve travelled all this way, and once they arrive, Peter suddenly has this vision. He doesn’t have long to wonder.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”
23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.
Peter has been travelling around talking to so many people. But he has still been going to the Jewish people. The Holy Spirit is powerfully at work in him, because it’s not simply sending him somewhere, he is having a fundamental shift in his understanding of what Jesus was sent to do. Even now, after all that he’s been through. We see exactly why once he arrives.
24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.
Being clean and unclean was a big deal for the Jewish people. They were set apart and chosen by God. They had ritualistic cleansing and proper ways to go about life. God was very clear about what they could eat and couldn’t eat, about intermarrying with anyone outside of their people. About not associating with idolaters. So the people’s custom was to abstain from associating completely.
We like to toe the line. God says don’t do something, so how close can we get without going over. It’s like drinking has been viewed by Free Methodists. Is drinking wine a sin? No. It’s clearly not. Is having a beer a sin? No. However, is being a drunk? Yes. Does alcohol lead to terrible things like affairs, violence, and terrible drunk driving incidents? Yes. Our denomination promotes abstinence in many areas. Not because having a drink is a sin, but rather than going up to the line, I’m just going to stay over here.
For the Jewish people, though, this line of thinking went too far. Because now they even look at anyone not Jewish as impure. They are the only ones God really loves.
Peter then asks why he was sent for.
Cornelius recounts his vision for Peter, telling him the messenger had him send for Peter by name so he would come and listen to everything the Lord commanded him to tell them.
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
Peter was with Jesus His entire ministry. He walked on water with Jesus. He saw Him crucified and rise from the dead. Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, is going all over the place, bringing many to faith in Christ, healing people, and even raised someone from the dead shortly before this. He knows to a certain degree that Jesus is for all the world, but to him it’s still about Judaism. In this home, with these people, after receiving the vision and hearing what happened to Cornelius, he is starting to understand what Jesus’ kingdom really is. What the church really is. I wonder if the words of Jesus come to mind at this moment.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
And as he looks at these people he hears the words of Jesus again as Jesus spoke to the pharisees.
11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
At this point, Peter is still learning. Isn’t that encouraging? Now what is the message the Peter has for them? Make a note of this, because I know often we don’t know what to say. We don’t know how to succinctly communicate the gospel. Acts 10, verses 34-43. This is how Peter summarized the entire gospel to this whole household.
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Imagine the energy in the room.
“You know what has happened. You’ve heard the stories. I’m here to tell you I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I was with him. It’s all true. And it’s not just for my people. It’s for you too. Everything has changed. He is the one.”
And just like the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples, it happens again in this room.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
Acts 10:45–46 (NIV)
45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
At this moment, they hadn’t been baptized, Peter didn’t lead them in a prayer. But they were open to the truth. Open to Jesus. Open to the Holy Spirit. They didn’t want power. They wanted God. His will. They loved God. When Peter said “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through His name, they believed. They didn’t even say anything. It happened in their hearts. In their souls. Peter then orders they be baptized.
That is what the kingdom of heaven is all about. God chose Abraham 2,000 years earlier with the promise that His descendants would be a blessing to all the world. And we see that coming to fruition here. God moved in the life of Cornelius, and he moved Peter to go to him. Yet again, we see the spirit preparing both parties before they even really know about each other.
I see this happening in our world today. It’s easy to get discouraged and completely focused on all the people fighting against God. But there are so many who are seeking the truth. So many that are experiencing Jesus. What if Peter had kept his view of the others and how impure they were?
We so often limit the Holy Spirit to what we think should happen. We can look at certain people, certain groups, as other. Unreachable. We can look at ourselves as special, even.
Thank God He is still at work. I’d like to share a video I came across recently. It’s a video highlighting the work the Holy Spirit is doing in the hearts of those that seek God. A Muslim man that encountered Jesus is in a powerful way, just like Cornelius.
PLAY VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jpBo6M0bLI
