27. Rise, Kill and Eat!

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Middle school youth group

Friday @6pm

Random Question

If you had to delete all but three apps on your phone, what would you keep?

Intro

Recap from last week

Vs. 43

Verse 43 tells us that Peter stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, Simon’s career was a tanner.

Anyone with a study Bible want to tell me what a tanner was? (Essentially taxidermists, made leather out of dead animal skins)

Think Jewish purity laws here, should a Jew like Peter have some problems with tanners? How so? (Dead animals were unclean, and Simon made a living out of this!)

Imagine the stench of that house...

Back in the day, when a Jewish couple got engaged and the woman learned that her fiance is a tanner, she has permission to break off the engagement. Serious stuff! But Peter stays at this man’s house for a while!

What’s significant about Peter staying in this man’s house in particular? (Peter’s prejudice over some people is breaking down, he is getting a step closer to what’s next for him)

Vs. 1

Acts 10:1 NKJV

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

We’re introduced to a hugely important person in verse 1, who do we see here? (Cornelius)

Context on Caesarea (Shaylyn’s map)

- 48kms north of Joppa on the Mediterranean coastline

- Originally “Strateo’s Tower”, but Herod I rebuilt it extravagantly

- Predominately Gentile

- Big Greek & Roman influence in the culture

- Harbor

- Theater

- Amphitheater

- Hippodrome (Chariot races)

- Temple dedicated to Caesar

What would a Jew think about a place like this? (Uncomfortable, to be avoided at all costs. Yet God is calling Peter to this place)

Vs. 2

Acts 10:2 NKJV

2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

We know that Cornelius wasn’t a believer quite yet, but he was searching, what do you see in vs. 2 that shows us he’s searching?

Feared God with all his household

Gave alms

Prayed

Cornelius seemed to be a Proselyte...

Cornelius was the exact kind of guy you’d hope to meet on the street or at work. The Lord has been working in this Gentile’s heart over a certain amount of time.

Here’s an interesting question, one that I’ve wrestled over even up to today. Does God hear the prayers of unbelievers?

Cornelius prayed always. And I think what matters is the content of his prayers are. There are certain prayers that glorify the Lord, and other ones that definitely don’t!

Vs. 3-4

Based on verse 3, how do we know the Lord heard his prayer? (Angle appears in a vision)

Acts 10:3 NKJV

3 About the ninth hour of the day [3pm] he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

As Cornelius prayed, he immediately gets a vision.

Illustrate it

Angel appears CLEARLY

So, to answer my question from earlier, I think the Bible is pretty clear here. God hears the prayer of all unbelievers (Omniscience), and He choses to answer some prayers of unbelievers (Cornelius).

vs. 4,

Acts 10:4 NKJV

4 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.

No wonder Cornelius is scared here, he’s literally looking face to face with an angelic being. So he says, “What is it, lord?”

I love how he asks that question, his roman military speech is coming out. It’s almost like he’s expecting to get orders from the angel, “Corporal Cornelius, I’ve got a mission for you!”

The angel tells him something interesting here, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.” How could a prayer be a memorial? What’s he talking about?

On first reading this term is confusing. But this is Old Testament language here, describing the sacrifices that rose up to the Lord. Ancient Israel would offer up sacrifices as a memorial to the Lord, they were a picture of the dedication and the love they had for the Lord. God was saying here that He saw Cornelius’ prayers rise up to Him and He was happy to answer.

Vs. 5-6

Acts 10:5–6 NKJV

5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

God gives Cornelius the orders for his new mission.

How do you see the sovereign control of God at play here?

What’s amazing to me is how the Lord approached Cornelius. Althoug he didn’t know Jesus yet, he feared God and wanted a relationship with Him, so the Lord, seeing this approaches Cornelius.

Respond to revelation, God will give more...

So, Cornelius responds well, God tells him to send his servants to Peter. And bam, Cornelius doesn’t waste a second, calls the men in vs. 7 and he sends those guys away in vs. 8.

Vs. 9-10

Acts 10:9 NKJV

9 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.

Peter has a prayer time of his own, right at noon. What happens next is pure gold.

Acts 10:10 NKJV

10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance

What’s Peter struggling with? (Empty stomach)

Stomach gurgling

Simon’s people preparing the food (Smells)

Distracted in prayer (Fresh fish roasted over fire, freshly made loaf)

In our western minds this makes total sense right? At noon you have lunch. But for Peter to be super hungry at noon is kind of weird. Typically you’d have a light breakfast later in the morning, and a big lunch would come late afternoon.

Either

Peter didn’t have breakfast

God brought this hunger on him for the vision...

Vs. 11-12

Acts 10:11–12 NKJV

11 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. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

Heaven opens up, and I just imagine Peter loosing his mind. (Wipes his face) “Am I seeing this?”

Sheet held up by 4 corners, looks like a blanket almost, holding up all sorts of animals and it comes down toward Peter...

What kind of animals are described here?

Four footed animals

What would that be? (Deer, goat, sheep, elephant, etc.)

Wild beasts

What would that be? (Lions, bears, Hyena, etc.)

Creeping things

How aboout this one? (Lizards, crocodile, snakes, bugs, etc.)

Does this look like a 5 star restaurant dish yet?

Birds of the air (Pidgeons, eagles, flacons, blue jays...)

When you think of the animal world and the types of creatures with their environments, what is represented on this sheet? (Mammals, reptiles, birds)

Can you see how this might be a tad bit important knowing the fact three gentiles were about to knock on the door? How so? (Unclean animals made clean, there is no kind that is restricted)

Vs. 13

So, the Lord tells Peter,

Acts 10:13 NKJV

13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

Based on God’s command here, go ahead, kill and eat, we can assume God blesses us eating these.

If for some crazy reason the province allows eagle hunting, what would you find most hunters doing at that time?

Vs. 14

Once again thoug, Peter gives the Lord a wonderful answer,

Acts 10:14 NKJV

14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

Peter just won’t learn his lesson! He sounds like a toddler when mom says its time for bed, “No mom!” Is it ever a good idea to talk back to God?

Now before we scold him too hard, can you see why this would be a struggle for Peter?

Imagine avoiding something for your whole life, and now all of a sudden you’re totally allowed, this is tough!

Many of these animals Peter saw were ceremonially unclean, everyone knew to avoid this! Peter would’ve been spanked for even touching some of these animals.

What’s a family rule at your house?

Imagine your parents tell you today that the rule is gone, you’re free to do that thing. It’s crazy!!!

Moving on your own is weired that way...

Vs. 15

Peter struggles with this, so God shows him the vision again,

Acts 10:15 NKJV

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”

Think specifically of the animals in the vision, what is God saying about them here? God cleansed them, they are not unclean anymore. Bacon time!)

Now, think in terms of people, what might be the point of thiss vision? (Nobody is excluded from the Gospel, all can receive the truth.)

God does not discriminate, He has no favorites!

Vs. 16

Acts 10:16 NKJV

16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

God had to show him three times, Peter had a hard skull!!!

But it raises the question for us, are there any people that we count “unworthy” to witness to?

We won’t struggle with the whole Jew vs. Gentile issue, but what about people that aren’t like us? People from different countries? Different cultures?

What about people who disagree with us? Who look, dress, and think differently?

Witnessing in Fredericton...

Application

How can we apply this truth to our lives?

We hold the Gospel back on no one

Love all kinds of people