When Pigs Fly

Text: Acts 10:1-48

Central Idea of the Text: God breaks down the barrier for Peter to see: The Kingdom include Gentiles

Proposition: God’s message is meant to be heard by all people to call them to obedience of the Son.

Purpose: All hearers should respond to the Open Door of the Gospel, and look for open doors that the Gospel would advance through.

Hook

There are a good many idioms or phrases in the English language that we use to describe impossible ...

One might be “Herding Cats”. It’s a great metaphor for trying to get a group of very independent minded people to do something in one direction together. Sometimes this applies to church leadership, but I digress.

Another might be to do something “Until the Cows come home”. Wives, if your husband says that one to you regarding his love for you, he’s saying his love is forever, because cows won’t be wandering home on their own any time soon.

Some of you might have said that something would happen “When hell freezes over.” What did you mean by that? You meant it’s not happening, because hell, by its very nature, never freezes over. It is eternally hot.

You might try to find the needle in the haystack, but to literally think about the odds? They are not with you, and you are generally meaning that a thing or task is practically impossible.

But one of my favorite phrases, and the title of today’s sermon, is “When Pigs Fly.” You might use this phrase in a lot of settings, from when is the next time the Huskers will when a football national championship, to when the boyfriend is actually going to propose, to when the boss might actually give you that raise, to when the kids will actually pick up their room. What you mean generally is: “It ain’t happening.” Because pigs do not have wings, nor do they appear to be on the verge of sprouting them. And unless Quentin is gonna start loading up some pork in a catapult, I’m still not anticipating seeing a flying pig anytime soon.

BUT, This week’s text does include (by implication) a flying pig, coming from the sky, carried on a sheet, straight to Peter. What could it mean? Peter certainly wonders that. God will provide the answer and make it all clear.

Today’s sermon will cover all of Acts 10. It will take us a moment to read, but it is worth it, because this text is (among several reasons) the reason why we sit here today. Let’s look at the text today: (Read Text)

This is the Word of the Lord for us this morning.

Please pray with me: Lord, thank you for opening the gates of the Kingdom, making it clear that both Jews and Gentiles are welcome and received by faith as your children. I pray that you would change our vision for what the church should look like. Help us to look past flags, borders, languages, skin colors and other boundaries that would cause us to draw lines and divide us, and help us to the unity that you are building of all who join with your church. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

I said it last week, and I will continue to say it: The events of Acts 10 are an earthquake in Acts. The lay of the land, the trajectory of the church, and the mission of her greatest workers will look different from this point forward. If this movement had simply been a movement of God among the Jews as a sect of the Jews, the church would likely have died long ago. But that was not God’s plan.

The thrust of Acts 10 is very focused on the stories of people, but make no mistake: God is at work! From the beginning to the end of Acts, God is building his church. Today’s text displays God’s work in three ways:

God’s work on Cornelius: A Heart Prepared (Acts 10:1-8)

The chapter starts with Cornelius. We should note here what the background and position of Cornelius represent. As a Roman Centurion, he commands a group of 100 soldiers, out of a full group of 600 soldiers in a cohort. He’s living and serving in Caesarea, which is the Roman capital of Judea. All in all, if Paul was a Jew among the Jews, Cornelius is a Roman among the Romans. Except for this one thing: He does not serve “the gods”. He fears the God is Israel. What is intended to be conveyed by using this phrase is that he understand the commands of the Lord, and has had a mind and heart that have desired to do what is right. He gives, he prays, even adopting the prayer patterns of the Jews that prayed three times daily to God. It would be fascinating to know the backstory that we don’t know here, but for whatever reason, Cornelius has become disillusioned by the gods of Rome. He does not visit their temples, sacrifice to their gods, or participate in their pagan rituals. It says in verse 2 that he fears God along with his whole household. So not only is he aware of and seeking to do things that please Israel’s God, he is also teaching his family to do the same. The household of his faith is in order.

It is from these very prayers that the Lord hears, and angel appears, and instructions are given to send men to Joppa to find Peter and have him brought to Cornelius’ house. What Cornelius is exhibiting from the very start of this account is that the Lord has been preparing his very heart with open ears and a soft heart to respond to what the Lord is doing. He must call for 2 faithful servants and a devout soldier to go and find this Peter.

It would be appropriate to call Cornelius a prime candidate to follow Jesus. He desires to be faithful and do what is right. He loves one God and puts off idols. He wants to practice a religion that is both real and pure. When Jesus sent out his disciples in Luke 10 to do Kingdom work and proclaim Jesus to the surrounding towns and villiages, he taught them to go proclaiming peace to the households they visited. When they were greeted with peace in return, they had found a person of peace.

Cornelius has a heart prepped for God. He Fears God. He prays to God. He knows the God is Israel. He teaches his family to fear the Lord as well.

The angel’s message: servants must be sent for Peter. It is God’s will for him to come. Cornelius obeys.

Jesus trained his disciples in sending them out to find a “son or person of peace.” (Luke 10:6)

God uses many means to raise spiritual ears: books, people, visions, music, movies, podcasts, circumstances.

Are you present and attentive: wondering what God would have you do, and how he would call you to respond? You’ve come to the right place … keep listening.

God’s work on Peter: A Paradigm Shifted (Acts 10:9-23)

If the next part of God’s plan would be enacted, Peter’s mind would need to be transformed.

Peter … the disciple of extremes. “You will never be killed.” (Matt 16:21-25) “Tell me to come to you on the water.” (Matt 14:22-33) “Give me a bath” (Jn 13:1-11)

God speaks in an extreme example- A Vision when he’s hungry. “Eat all these animals that you’ve been told that you should not eat.”

Is this just about diets? No. It is about favoritism: Note verse 15: “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

God is saying to Peter: Stop thinking so highly of yourself.

People finding Jesus is more important than your pet project holiness or your theological minutiae.

Grow to put these things into practice first. Christ’s two most important commands: Love God & Love Your Neighbor.

God’s work for the Church: He is Lord of ALL. (Acts 10:24-48)

So how do we love our neighbor? We serve them and we point them to God … we share the Gospel of Jesus and call them to believe Him, to repent and be baptized.

God works in this passage in circumstances. The discussion and recounting makes God’s purposes clear.

God works in words. Peter uses the occasion to concisely share what Jesus has done!

God works in responses. The movement of the Holy Spirit. (Descriptive!) & the action of baptism! (Immediate Gospel response.)

A relevant passage: Ephesians 2:11-22

Ephesians 2:11–22 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Some people would have said: “Gentiles will be welcomed into God’s kingdom when pigs fly.” Well, the pigs have flown in, and God has declared them clean to Peter and to the church.

Bottom Line: God is opening the Doors to both the Jews and the Gentiles (and that includes us).

The full plan of Christ from the books beginning is in effect now: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Ends of Earth.

Closing: I don’t know what brought you here. But I know who brought you here, and I know why he brought you here.

Step up: Believe Jesus. Turn from sin and be baptized. Join with Christ’s church. Grow in obedience. Make a disciple near you.