God Grants Grace

Pray 1

If you were with us last week,

you’ll remember that God has been setting up a very unlikely meeting.

Two men – Peter and Cornelius – living in completely different worlds, are being drawn together by God’s hand.

Cornelius, a Roman centurion,

is what you might call a “good man.”

He’s devout, generous, and prayerful,

but still outside the covenant people of God.

Peter, on the other hand,

is a faithful Jew and a follower of Jesus

– but he’s spent his whole life being told that to enter a Gentile home would make him unclean.

So God gives each man a vision.

Cornelius sees an angel telling him to send for Peter.

Peter sees a sheet descending from heaven, filled with animals that his law forbids him to eat- and he’s told to eat.

No way says Peter,

And a voice says, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

It’s hard to overstate how radical that was.

God was not just changing Peter’s diet – (and we’re all very thankful that we can now eat bacon and crackling)

- He was changing Peter’s worldview.

By the time we reach verse 33, the two men stand face to face.

Cornelius gathers his friends and relatives,

Peter begins to preach,

and we listen in on a sermon that ends with this climactic promise:

v42-43

New International Version: Anglicised Edition (2011) Chapter 10

[Jesus] he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that

And it’s right there – on that word “everyone” – that history turns.

Before Peter can even finish, God Himself acts. The Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles - dramatically.

It’s a repeat almost of Pentecost – but this time in a Gentile house.

The Jewish Christian, will be in shock!

How can those unclean gentile dogs now be coming into fellowship with God and his holy people?

That’s the challenge Peter is going to have to convince the Jews of as he returns to Jerusalem with his report - in today’s passage.

And we have much to learn along the way.

But the main point we are going to learn is that this opening wide of the gospel is not man’s work - but God’s.

So first:

1. God Grants Grace to the Gentiles (10:44–48)

Acts 10:44 NIVUK

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

Peter hasn’t even finished preaching.

No invitation, no response song, no time to process.

The Spirit interrupts his sermon!

The Gentiles now have the Holy Spirit.

Now, just to be clear — Cornelius isn’t technically the first Gentile to believe the gospel.

The Ethiopian eunuch back in chapter 8 had already trusted Christ and gone on his way rejoicing.

But that was a private, individual conversion.

What’s happening here in Acts 10 is public, corporate, and controversial - as we’ll see.

For the first time, an entire Gentile household, his relatives and all his close frineds

all receive the Holy Spirit in full view of Jewish witnesses, confirmed by an apostle.

This isn’t just one outsider brought in

— it’s the moment the church itself realises that the nations are fully included.

So God moves in an extraordinary way that is not normal at conversion,

But required at this time to evidenc that he now includes the gentiles in his Family.

That’s why we sometimes call this scene the “Gentile Pentecost.”

The same Spirit who fell on the Jews in Jerusalem now falls on Gentiles in Caesarea — visibly, unmistakably, and without distinction.

And it couldn’t be clearer -

this is God’s grace at work - not Peter.

Before he fininshes his sermon, the Holy Spirit came on the gentiles:

The gospel is not a human project. Salvation doesn’t wait for our permission or our timing. God’s Grace moves first.

The Jewish believers who came with Peter are astonished.

v45 ‘that The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.”

They hear them v46, speaking in tongues and praising God – the exact same evidence as Acts 2.

The miraculous ability to speak foreign languages to declare the Word of God to others,

And Peter’s response in verse 47 is perfectly logical - but to the Jews perfectly controversial.

Acts 10:47 NIVUK

‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’

In other words, who are we to say no when God has said yes?

Or to quote God himself from Peter’s vision about foods earlier in the chapter

v15

New International Version (2011) Chapter 10

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

It’s not up to us who is saved

- it’s up to us to recognises what the Spirit has already done and respond in obedience, and baptism..

Salvation begins and ends with God. He moves first. He opens hearts. He sends His Spirit.

We’ll meet Lydia later in Acts 16. and we’ll read, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

That’s what’s happening here. God opens hearts, by His grace.

What a reassuring truth this is.

It means your wayward child, or your unbelieveing spouse can be saved.

It also means that the one who began the good work of salvation in you will not fail to complete it - even when we struggle in faith and with sin - God is faithful to us in Christ.

Take heart suffering children of God - he will do it.

Pause

But what will the Jewish believer make of this grace of God to the unclean?

2. God’s People Struggle with God’s Grace (11:1–3)

Acts 11:2–3 NIVUK

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.’

These objectors are believers!

They love Jesus. They’ve seen Pentecost.

But they’re still thinking through old categories.

To them, fellowship with Gentiles looks like compromise.

They’re still trying to make sense of what God is doing.

Their whole life has taught them gentiles are unclean, and they are finding it hard to adjust.

It’s like 30mph speed limits your whole life and then one day you wake up and everywhere is now 20mph!

It takes some getting your head around! There’s confusion, hesitation, even fear.

But the Circumsised Christian Jews have forgotten that they don’t live under the law of God any longer for salvation.

They live under Christ - the one who fulfilled the law on their behalf before God.

And so, if salvation is by Jesus, through faith alone, by grace alone,

then it is not just Jews that can be saved

- but any person who repents and believes in Him.

For us I think we’d be less suspicious of God saving those we don’t normally associate with than the Jews were.

Perhaps that’s becasue we are gentiles!

But perhaps we’d be tested by recently converted addicts or terrorists coming to church next SUnday?

However. I think we still sometimes forget the bigger point that salvation is God’s choice not ours.

Perhaps we find someone here today annoying, or we just don’t understand them.

We’re surprised, although we wouldn’t think of it like this

- that God’s grace has saved them, and used them.

God’s grace feels uncomfortable to us at times. It challenges our boundaries - our perceptions of people.

We might not divide the world into “clean” and “unclean,” but we have our own versions.

We categorise people as “likely” or “unlikely” converts,

“safe” or “messy.” Christians

We build little fences around the gospel and our fellowship.

But grace is stubbornly inclusive.

God keeps calling people we would never have chosen – and He delights to do it.

And we should delight with him and them.

If we’re honest, we often need God to do with us what He did with Peter – to dismantle our assumptions about other people.

So instead of judging - we can unite in Christ’s love and sacrifice for us.

3. God’s Initiative Always (11:4–17)

Peter, having been challenged by the Jewish believers in Jerusalem,

now defends everything that happened from the beginning – not to defend himself,

but to show that this was God’s idea - God’s initiative - from start to finish.

Firstly

1. It Was God’s Revelation (vv. 4–10)

Peter tell them of his vision:

the sheet full of unclean animals and the voice saying,

v9 - “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

At first Peter recall, v8

V8 ‘I replied, “Surely not, Lord!

three times I resisted he tells them!

He can’t imagine crossing that line - and eating unclean meat. But God insists: what He has made clean, Peter must not call unclean.

And as Peter tells them this story,

He is realising this vision isn’t just about food. It’s about people.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the ceremonial laws have been fulfilled.

The old boundary markers of clean and unclean no longer define food, or who belongs to God.

Christ has done what the law could never do – He has created one new humanity in Himself.

God is at Work.

Not Peter,

Not the circumcised Believers,

And in Christ - all are welcome - all are commanded to bow to Christ Jesus,

So, it was God’s initiate, God’s revelation,

also

2. It Was God’s Direction (vv. 11–12)

Peter yes stepped into the house of an unclean gentile,

But it was not his decision, he was under God’s direction.

Acts 11:12 NIVUK

The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house.

Peter’s vision isn’t just information; it’s instruction.

The Spirit doesn’t simply remove the barrier – He sends Peter through it.

So Peter obeys, taking six Jewish believers with him as witnesses.

Again the big point - is that God is calling all people to himself - it’s His initiative .

But it’s worth noting the obedience of Peter and those 6 men.

We’re seeing just how counter cultural

and even ‘counter personal convictions’ their actions were.

But for them Obedience to God’s direction comes before full understanding of the bigger theological point.

Peter doesn’t yet know what will happen, but he knows who has spoken.

Faith means stepping out when God Word compels us, even if we can’t see the whole plan.

Even if we don’t like it.

We all struggle with understanding some of Gods commands,

But obedience is required, not understanding.

Honour your mother and Father

- there is a command that when you’re a teenager perhaps you just can’t understand why you would honour such a clueless human as your mum and dad!

But it’s right and good before God,

and you’ll even discover they weren’t as clueless as you thought when you get older.

Or Marriage is for 1 man to 1 woman

- even if our culture, our friends, even our own minds wage war against this command.

Or male eldership in the church or husbands having headship in our marriages.

Or giving generously to God’s work,

Or protecting the in content lives of unborn children so standing against abortion,

loving our enemies,

or putting others before ourselevs.

I could go on, but this is not the main point.

The main point - God is calling all people by his own initiave.

But part of his plan is to do his work as he mobilises his ‘obedient church.’

When God opens doors for gospel conversation, our task isn’t to calculate the outcome – it’s to walk through the door.

Thirdly, we see God’s initiative as

3. It Was God’s Preparation (vv. 13–14)

Cornelius, too, has been prepared by God. He saw an angel who told him to send for Peter,

God’s angel even told Cornelius what Peter would bring with him:

Acts 11:14 NIVUK

He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.”

Notice that word “saved.” Even this upright, generous, prayerful man still needs ‘saving’. His good deeds and religious devotion are not enough.

Sometimes we think good people don’t need the gospel. But Cornelius shows us that morality and religious observance cannot substitute for the message of Christ crucified.

Jesus is the only way to be saved.

So Peter comes not to congratulate Cornelius, but to preach Jesus.

And God prepared his heart.

And God intends to save them.

Fourthly

4. It Was God’s Confirmation (vv. 15–17)

Acts 11:15–16 NIVUK

‘As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”

In other words, God Himself is confirming the Gentiles’ inclusion.

And Peter draws the obvious conclusion in verse 17:

Acts 11:17 NIVUK

So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?’

What a sentence that is. Peter’s journey from “Surely not, Lord” (10:14)

to “Who am I to stand in God’s way?”

is a story of grace transforming a heart.

And I hope it’s journey we’re all on.

Maturity in Christ means learning to

‘rejoice’ when God works in ways we didn’t expect.

It means trusting that the same Spirit who leads us can also lead others we didn’t expect.

Our task isn’t to control the gospel but to keep in step with the one who gave us the gospel.

In short - we should remeber our place in God’s plan - obedient servants not directors.

Salvation and the extension of God’s kingdom is always His iniative.

And so we reach the end of Peter’s response to his critics.

What will the circumsiced believers do.

We want nothing to do with those unclean gentile dogs!?

No…

4. God’s Church Praises Him (11:18)

Acts 11:18 NIVUK

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.’

Everything in Acts has been moving toward this realisation. The critics fall silent – not in defeat,

but in worship.

The Gospel is going to the ends of the earth.

It’s worth noting here,

The sign of a true believer is not that we never get anything wrong,

but that when we hear the evidence and Word of God,

we respond in agreement, obedicene, often repentance, trust, a deepend faith - and ultimately Praise of God.

These Christian critics got it very wrong - but on hearing the truth turned around - repented of their views - and praised God.

People often tell me they are doubting their faith, or their sin is too great,

Perhaps they are not a Christian…

but what we should look for in oneanother is not:

sinlessness - for only Jesus is that,

or confidence (for that is a gift of God)

but responsiveness to the Lord's word.

THat’s how we know if we are saved - for we hear Jesus speak,

and even if we had different opinions before - we say -

no further objections - my saviour has spoken - now we praise.

Pause

Now, we can’t finish this passage, until we reflect on that wonderful summary of the gospel in v18:

“Even to Gentiles, ‘God has granted’ ‘repentance’ ‘that leads to life.”

“God has granted” – God’s initiative

Repentance is not a human achievement. It’s a divine gift. God grants it. He gives what we could never produce.

Salvation belongs to our God - we sing it - do we believe it.

He chooses, He calls, He brings to repentance and faith, He leads us to eternal life..

The father bends down, holds his child’s hands, and they takes the first step with him. The child moves, yes, – but only because the father holds him up.

That’s repentance. We turn, but only because God grants the turning.

Praise God.

And ‘Repentance’ isn’t just remorse or self-improvement.

It’s a Spirit-created turning from sin to Christ.

It’s not just sorry for my sin - it’s crucially saying “Jesus, You are my Lord.”

and this granted repentance ‘leads to life’

a new life of forgiveness, fellowship, and joy in Christ.

It’s the life promised in John 10:10:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Faith is not a moral upgrade; it’s a resurrection.

Free, undeserved eternal, life now with JEsus our Lord and King, our saviour, who saves us by grace.

If God grants repentance, then no one is beyond hope - and no believer will be lost.

The hardest heart, the most resistant person, is still within reach of sovereign grace.

Pray for them, and like obedient Peter, go speak to them.

God, by his own grace and initiative, can save them.

So, to paraphrase v18

if no one has any objections - let us praise God.

SONG