Who are we to Stand in God's Way

Matthew McDonnell

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Acts 10–12 — The Gospel for All Nations

Main Theme

“Who was I to stand in God’s way?” — Acts 11:17

Introduction

Thank everyone for the prayers over sickness

Recognize sister Evelyn for stepping in

Prayer

School

Teachers

Health -Evelyn

Bold Witnesses

Main Thought for Tonight

As we go through Acts 10–12 tonight, I want us to notice something.

Over and over again, God is pushing His people outside of what they are comfortable with.

And I think there is one question that really ties all three of these chapters together.

It comes from Peter in Acts 11:17.

Peter says:

“Who was I to stand in God’s way?”

And I want that question to stay in the back of our minds tonight.

Because God doesn’t always do things the way we expect. He reaches people we wouldn’t expect.

He asks us to go places we wouldn’t choose. And He calls us to step outside of what we’re comfortable with.

So the question is:

Will we trust God and follow Him, or will we stand in His way?

So tonight, as we walk through Acts 10–12, I want us to see what happens when God’s people simply say yes.

Recap of the Last Two Weeks

Before we get into Acts 10, let’s quickly recap where we’ve been.

Over the last two weeks, Sister Evelyn has been taking us through some really important moments in Acts.

First, we talked about Stephen and the scattered Church in Acts 6–8.

Stephen was a man who was full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit.

He was chosen by the disciples to help serve the growing Church, but Stephen wasn’t just serving tables.

He was preaching Jesus. He was boldly proclaiming the Gospel. And because of that, false accusations were brought against him.

Stephen was arrested and brought before the religious leaders.

And instead of backing down, Stephen stood up and boldly confronted them about their rejection of God.

Eventually, they became so angry that they dragged him outside of the city and stoned him.

Stephen became the first recorded martyr of the early Church.

And from our perspective, it would have looked like the enemy won. Stephen was dead.

But what looked like the end was actually a turning point.

Because after Stephen was killed, persecution broke out against the Church.

And the believers began to scatter.

But here’s the amazing thing:

When the Church scattered, the Gospel scattered with them.

Jesus had already told His disciples that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

And now, through persecution, God was pushing His people into those places.

The enemy thought he was stopping the Church.

But God was using the situation to advance the mission.

And that’s something we need to remember.

Sometimes what looks like a setback is actually God positioning you for something you couldn’t see yet.

Stephen may have never known what his death would produce. But his faithfulness helped set the stage for the Gospel to continue spreading.

Then last week, we talked about Saul’s conversion and calling in Acts 9.

And at the end of Stephen’s story, we were introduced to Saul.

Saul was there when Stephen was killed. And Saul wasn’t just standing around watching.

Saul was a persecutor of believers. He was actively trying to destroy the Church.

But God had a completely different plan for his life.

On the road to Damascus, Jesus confronted Saul.

Jesus blinded him physically, but in the process, God began opening Saul’s spiritual eyes.

God showed Saul who He really was.

And God told Ananias that Saul was His chosen instrument to carry the Gospel.

Think about the transformation.

The man who was trying to destroy the Church would eventually spend his life building the Church.

The man who was trying to stop the Gospel would eventually travel across nations preaching the Gospel.

The man who once persecuted Christians would become one of the greatest missionaries in the history of Christianity.

And again, we’re seeing the same thing.

God’s mission is bigger than our understanding.

And that’s where we come into Acts 10.

Overview of Tonight

Tonight we’re going to walk through Acts 10, 11, and 12.

And we’re going to see three major movements.

In Acts 10, God breaks barriers and changes Peter’s perspective.

In Acts 11, the Church learns to recognize what God is doing, and we see the Church becoming a sending Church.

And in Acts 12, opposition comes against the Church, but God continues advancing His mission.

So let’s get into the Word.

Acts 10 — God Breaks Barriers

Acts 10:1–2

[Read Acts 10:1–2]

Luke introduces us to a man named Cornelius.

Cornelius was a centurion. Basically meaning a captain in the Roman army.

He was a Roman military officer living in Caesarea.

And Caesarea was a very important city. It was a Roman city on the Mediterranean coast, and it was a major political and military center.

And there’s something very important about Cornelius that we need to understand.

Cornelius was a Gentile.

He wasn’t Jewish.

He didn’t come from the Jewish people.

He didn’t grow up with the same traditions Peter grew up with.

He didn’t have the same background.

He wasn’t part of the Jewish community.

But look at what Luke says about him.

It says that Cornelius was a devout man who feared God.

He gave generously to people who were in need.

And he prayed regularly to God.

So this is a man who is genuinely seeking God. But there was still a barrier.

Cornelius was a Gentile.

And there was a cultural and religious wall between Cornelius and Peter.

Peter would have been taught his entire life that there were certain people you didn’t associate with.

There were certain foods you didn’t eat.

There were certain places you didn’t go.

There were certain people you didn’t associate yourself with.

Acts 10:3–8

[Read Acts 10:3–8]

Cornelius has a vision. An angel appears to him.

And Luke tells us that Cornelius stared at the angel in terror.

And honestly, I think that’s probably how most of us would respond.

If an angel suddenly appeared in the room while we were praying, we’d probably have a few questions.

But the angel says something interesting.

He says: “Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”

In other words:

God sees you.

He had been praying, giving and seeking God.

And God was saying:

“I see you.”

But God wasn’t finished.

The angel tells Cornelius to send men to Joppa and find a man named Simon Peter.

Now, Cornelius probably didn’t understand why.

He probably didn’t know what Peter was going to say.

He probably didn’t know what was about to happen.

But he obeyed.

He sent his servants and a soldier to find Peter.

And I think there is an important principle here.

God speaks to Cornelius, but Cornelius still has to act.

God could have simply dropped Peter in front of Cornelius.

But He didn’t. God gave Cornelius an instruction.

And Cornelius responded. And throughout Scripture, we see this pattern.

God speaks, and then He calls people to respond.

Moses — go.

Abraham — go.

The disciples — follow Me.

Cornelius — send men.

And sometimes we want God to show us everything before we’re willing to move.

But that’s not usually how God works.

Sometimes God gives you the next step before He gives you the whole plan.

Acts 10:9–16

[Read Acts 10:9–16]

Now we move from Cornelius to Peter.

Peter is up on the roof praying. And I love how Luke continues to show us the humanity of these people.

Peter is hungry.

In the KJV, it says that Peter was “very hungry.”

And I don’t know about you, but I think I understand Peter here.

It’s hard to focus on prayer when you know food is being prepared downstairs.

Peter falls into a trance. And he sees a sheet coming down from heaven.

And inside the sheet are all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds.

Then God says:

“Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”

And Peter responds:

“No, Lord.”

Now, have you ever told God no?

Because Peter has. Peter loves Jesus. Peter is an apostle. Peter was there at Pentecost. Peter has seen miracles. Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit.

But Peter is still human.

He still has things that God needs to work on - in him.

Think about Peter’s history.

In John 13, Jesus tries to wash Peter’s feet, and Peter says, “No.”

In Matthew 26, Jesus tells Peter that he is going to deny Him, and Peter basically says, “That could never happen.”

Peter loves Jesus. But Peter still has areas where God needs to change his perspective.

And that’s exactly what’s happening here.

Point 1 — God Changes Our Perspective

Peter thinks this vision is about food. But God is talking about people.

God tells him:

“Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”

Peter thinks the question is:

“What am I allowed to eat?”

God is answering a much bigger question:

“Who am I willing to reach?”

God was preparing Peter to walk into a Gentile home and preach to people Peter would have previously kept at a distance.

This wasn’t really about pork.

Side note: Crazy to think about this Peter had never had a piece of Bacon

This was about people. God was tearing down a barrier.

And I think we have to ask ourselves the same question.

Who have I written off?

Who have I decided is too far gone? Who have I decided doesn’t belong?

Who have I decided God couldn’t possibly use? Who do I struggle to see the way God sees them?

Because sometimes before God can use us to reach people, He has to change the way we see people.

And God is saying:

“Don’t call unclean what I have made clean.”

Acts 10:17–48

Peter is still trying to figure out what this vision means.

He’s thinking about it. He’s trying to connect the dots.

And then Cornelius’ men show up at the house.

And the Holy Spirit speaks clearly to Peter:

“Go with them without hesitation.”

And Peter gets up and goes after they stayed the night.

And I want us to notice three things happening here.

1. God Is Preparing Peter

Peter doesn’t have the whole blueprint. He doesn’t know everything that’s about to happen.

God hasn’t given him a five-year plan. God simply gives him the next step.

Go with them.

And Peter goes.

Sometimes God doesn’t show us the whole mountain. He just shows us where to put our foot next.

Peter doesn’t know what’s waiting for him at Cornelius’ house.

But he knows God said go.

And that’s enough.

2. God Is Shifting Peter’s Perspective

Peter arrives at Cornelius’ house, and he says:

“God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.”

And finally, Peter gets it.

The vision wasn’t really about food. It was about people.

God was tearing down the wall between Jew and Gentile.

The Gospel wasn’t just for people who looked like Peter. It wasn’t just for people who had Peter’s traditions. It wasn’t just for people who came from Peter’s background.

The Gospel is for everyone.

And that’s important for us to understand.

Because the Gospel isn’t our possession. The Gospel isn’t something we get to decide who deserves.

The Gospel is God’s message of salvation for the world.

3. God Was Already Working in Cornelius

And this might be one of my favorite parts of this story.

Peter wasn’t walking into a spiritual vacuum.

God was preparing Cornelius before Peter ever arrived. Peter was simply stepping into something God had already started.

And then Peter begins preaching and while preaching, the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles.

Just like He had fallen on the Jews in the upper room.

And Peter realizes:

God has accepted them.

This wasn’t Peter’s idea. This wasn’t the disciples’ idea. This wasn’t some new strategy Peter came up with.

This was God’s Plan.

Peter was simply catching up to what God was already doing.

We can think we’re bringing God to people, but we’re really just catching up to where God is already working.

God may already be speaking, drawing, and preparing someone’s heart.

And then He puts us in their path. Our job is to say yes to go and obey.

Acts 11 — Don’t Stand in God’s Way

Acts 11:1–18

[Read Acts 11:1–18]

Now Peter goes back to Jerusalem. And you would think everybody would be excited.

You would think they would say: “Peter! Tell us what happened!”

But that’s not what happens.

Peter gets criticized.

The believers are asking:

“Why did you go into a Gentile home?”

“Why did you eat with them?”

Peter has to explain himself.

So he tells them the whole story.

He tells them about the vision.

He tells them about the Holy Spirit.

He tells them about Cornelius.

And then he gets to verse 17.

And Peter says:

“Who was I to stand in God’s way?”

That is the question I want us to remember tonight

Point 2 — Don’t Stand in God’s Way

Peter had a choice here.

He could have held onto his traditions.

He could have said:

“This isn’t how we’ve always done it.”

He could have said:

“These people aren’t like us.”

He could have said:

“God can’t possibly be doing this.”

Or he could say:

“If God is doing this, who am I to stand in His way?”

And I think that’s a question the Church still needs to ask.

Who are we to stand in God’s way?

If God wants to save somebody, who are we to say they’re too far gone?

If God wants to use somebody, who are we to say they’re not qualified?

If God wants to reach somebody who doesn’t look like us, who are we to stand in the way?

If God wants to do something differently than we’re accustomed to, who are we to say no?

Peter goes from:

“No, Lord.”

to:

“Who am I to stand in Your way?”

That’s growth. That’s surrender.

Peter is learning that following Jesus isn’t about getting God to follow our plans.

It’s about learning to follow God’s plan.

He’s no longer saying:

“God, here’s where I think we should go.”

He’s saying:

“God, where are You going, and how can I be a part of it?”

And when the believers hear Peter’s explanation, something changes.

They stop arguing.

They start praising God.

They went from rejecting what God was doing to rejoicing over what God was doing.

And sometimes we miss what God is doing because we’re too busy trying to make God do things our way.

But when we get out of God’s way, we get to participate in what God is doing.

Acts 11:19–30 Church of Antioch

[Read Acts 11:19–30]

Now the Gospel continues spreading. Remember the people who scattered after Stephen was killed?

They’re still going. They’re traveling to specifically to Antioch.

And some of them begin preaching the Gospel to Gentiles.

And many people believe. And this becomes the beginning of something incredibly important.

Point 3 — God Builds a Sending Church

Antioch becomes one of the most important centers of the early Christian movement.

This is actually where believers were first called Christians.

Antioch was a massive city with pagan worship, immorality, trade, culture & influence.

And God plants His Church right in the middle of it.

Don’t miss this.

God didn’t put the Church somewhere where nobody needed Jesus.

He put them somewhere where people desperately needed Jesus.

And maybe that’s why you’re at your school.

Maybe that’s why you’re at your workplace.

Maybe that’s why you’re in your neighborhood.

Maybe that’s why you’re in your family.

Maybe you’re looking around thinking:

“Why am I here?”

And God is saying:

“Because I put you here.”

God has strategically placed you somewhere.

And I love how Stephen’s story comes back into this.

Stephen dies. The Church scatters. The scattered Church preaches.

The Gospel reaches Antioch. Antioch becomes a major center of the Christian mission.

Stephen probably never saw any of that coming.

He never got to stand in Antioch and watch the Church grow.

He never got to see the people who would eventually come to Christ.

He simply stayed faithful to what God had asked him to do.

And that gives us an important reminder:

Your faithfulness can outlive your visibility.

You may never know everything your obedience produces.

You may never see the full impact of your prayers.

You may never know who is watching you.

You may never know what God is doing through your faithfulness.

So stay faithful.

Barnabas comes to Antioch. He sees what God is doing. And then Barnabas goes looking for Saul.

Remember Saul? The persecutor? Now Barnabas brings Saul to Antioch.

And they teach the believers there for an entire year.

They’re growing.

They’re learning.

They’re being discipled.

They’re preparing for what comes next.

And this is important because sometimes we want God to use us in big ways, but we don’t want to be faithful in small ways.

But the Church at Antioch was being built through faithfulness.

They were learning, serving and growing.

They were becoming the kind of Church that God could use.

That’s why Luke 16:10 says:

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”

Faithfulness in little prepares you for faithfulness in much.

Then Agabus a prophet gives a prophetic word about a coming famine.

And look at what the Church does. They don’t just hear about the need.

They respond to the need. They send relief to the believers in Judea.

And that brings us to another important point.

Point 4 — A Healthy Church Is a Sending Church

The Antioch Church wasn’t just taking. They were sending.

They weren’t just receiving. They were giving.

They weren’t just asking:

“What can God give me?”

They were asking:

“What can God give through me?”

And I think that’s a question we need to ask ourselves.

God has blessed us. What are we going to do with it?

God has given us gifts. How are we going to use them?

God has given us resources. Where can we give?

God has given us opportunities. Where can we go?

My prayer for us should be:

“Lord, make us a sending Church.”

When we see a need:

Send.

When God gives us resources:

Give.

When God gives us an opportunity:

Go.

When God gives us a platform:

Use it for Him.

Because the Church was never designed to simply sit and receive.

The Church was designed to go.

Acts 12 — The Gospel Keeps Moving

Now we enter Acts 12.

And the tone changes.

Everything gets more serious.

Herod begins another wave of persecution against the Church.

James, the brother of John, is killed.

Peter is arrested; thrown into prison.

And Luke tells us that four squads of soldiers are assigned to guard him.

Herod is planning to bring Peter out for a public trial.

And it looks like the opposition is getting stronger.

But here’s what I want you to notice:

The mission doesn’t stop.

Acts 12:5–11

Peter is sitting in prison.

He’s chained. He’s guarded.

And what is the Church doing?

They’re praying.

Acts 12:5 says:

“The church prayed very earnestly for him.”

Think about the situation.

They couldn’t break Peter out.

They couldn’t change Herod’s mind.

They couldn’t overpower the Roman military.

They couldn’t walk into the prison and unlock the doors.

But they could pray.

So they prayed. And God responds.

An angel appears. Peter’s chains fall off.

The guards don’t stop him. The iron gate opens.

And Peter walks out of the prison.

And I love the fact that Peter doesn’t even realize what’s happening.

He’s walking out thinking he’s seeing a vision.

He’s basically walking down the street thinking:

“Is this actually happening?”

And then he realizes:

“God really did this.”

Point 5 — God Can Move in Places We Cannot

The Church couldn’t reach Peter.

The Church couldn’t open the prison.

The Church couldn’t change Herod.

But God could.

And there are places you can’t go, but God can.

There are situations you can’t fix, but God can.

There are doors you can’t open, but God can.

There are people you can’t reach, but God can.

And that’s why we pray.

Prayer isn’t us trying to convince God to do something.

Prayer is us trusting that God can do what we cannot.

Acts 12:12–17

Peter eventually goes to Mary’s house. And the believers are gathered there praying. Then Peter knocks on the door.

A servant named Rhoda comes to answer.

She recognizes Peter’s voice.

And she gets so excited that she forgets to open the door.

She runs back and tells everybody:

“Peter is at the door!”

And their response is basically:

“You’re crazy.”

Which is kind of funny.

Because they’re praying for Peter.

Peter is literally standing outside the door.

And they’re saying:

“No, he isn’t.”

Sometimes we do the same thing.

We pray:

“God, please do it.”

And then God does it.

And we’re like:

“Wait… He actually did it?”

But that’s what prayer does.

It puts us in a position where we have to trust God even when we don’t know how He’s going to answer.

The Church prayed. God answered. And Peter walked out of prison.

Acts 12:18–25

Herod can’t find Peter.

And eventually, Herod dies after accepting praise that belonged to God.

But Luke gives us the most important line.

Acts 12:24 says:

“Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.”

I want you to think about that.

James is dead.

Peter was imprisoned.

The Church was being persecuted.

Herod was trying to stop them.

And yet…

The Word of God continued to spread.

The opposition didn’t stop it.

The prison didn’t stop it.

The persecution didn’t stop it.

Herod didn’t stop it.

Nothing could stop the Gospel.

Bringing It All Together

So let’s step back and look at everything we’ve just seen.

In Acts 10, God breaks barriers.

God changes Peter’s perspective.

God shows Peter that the Gospel is for people he never thought he would reach.

Then in Acts 11, the Church learns to recognize what God is doing.

Peter says:

“Who was I to stand in God’s way?”

Then the Gospel spreads to Antioch.

And Antioch becomes a sending Church.

They don’t just receive. They give.

They don’t just sit. They go.

Then in Acts 12, persecution comes.

James is killed. Peter is arrested.

But the Church prays.

And God delivers Peter. Herod falls.

And then Luke says:

“Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread.”

That’s the story.

The Gospel keeps moving.

Final Challenge

And I want to go back to Peter’s words.

“Who was I to stand in God’s way?”

Because I think that’s the question we need to wrestle with tonight.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to what God wants to do isn’t the devil.

Sometimes it’s us.

Sometimes it’s our comfort.

Sometimes it’s our fear.

our pride.

our traditions.

our opinions.

our unwillingness to change.

Sometimes we want God to move, but we want Him to move according to our plan.

Peter had to change. Cornelius had to obey.

The believers in Jerusalem had to change their perspective.

Barnabas had to go find Saul. The Antioch Church had to give.

The Church had to pray. Everybody had a role to play.

And God moved through every yes.

Final Thought

So maybe God is asking you tonight:

Who have you written off?

Maybe there is somebody you’ve decided is too far gone.

Maybe there’s somebody you’ve decided doesn’t belong.

Maybe there’s somebody you don’t think God could ever use.