What Does It Take To Be An Obedient Messenger?

Bradley

Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.

If you’re new to our church it would be good for you to know that we practice a form or preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to discover what the Bible means in our lives today.

With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a 1st century disciple named Luke for two primary purposes:

First, to give us a history of the church. How it started, who was involved, and the circumstances that surrounded it.

Second, to give us template for how Jesus intends for us to accomplish the mission of taking the Gospel to the entire world.

So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to MCF.life, where you can listen to previous messages leading up to today.

Today however, we are coming back to as we continue the third of three stories surrounding the evangelistic ministry of the Apostle Peter.

Today however, we are diving into as Luke continues to focus on what you might call the Evangelistic ministry of the Apostle Peter.

I say evangelistic, because to a large degree, Luke’s focus on Peter in chapters 9 & 10 gives us great insight into what the process of evangelism looks like.

And when I say Evangelism, I’m talking about the responsibility of every Christian to share their faith with people who don’t know or haven’t heard about Jesus.

And as we’ve learned through this focus on Peter, there are some key components to the process of evangelism we need to understand if we want to be affective witnesses.

We saw the first component of evangelism in as Peter healed a crippled man named Aeneas who lived in the city of Lydda. A healing that resulted in the entire city and region coming to faith in Jesus.

And from that story we learned Evangelism requires commitment, three specifically:

A Commitment to share our faith

A Commitment to reach broken people

And a commitment to rely on the power of Jesus.

We then saw a second component of evangelism play out through the death and resuscitation to life of a woman named Tabitha.

And from that story we learned in order to lead people to faith in Jesus, we have to be willing to face some spiritual realities, again three specifically:

And from that story we learned in order to lead people to Jesus we have to approach it much like Tabitha’s friends and Peter did.

First, we have to be willing to acknowledge that people who don’t know Jesus are spiritually dead. That if they die without faith in Jesus, they will die in their sin and face eternal consequences.

First, we have to be willing to acknowledge that people who don’t know Jesus are spiritually dead.

In other words, regardless of how good they are or how religious they are, if they haven’t put their faith in Jesus, then physical death isn’t the only death they will experience. Because the Bible says there is a second death. A spiritual death that will result in eternal separation from God. A death that can only be avoided through the atoning work of Jesus, who died for our sins. But that atonement can only come if a person is willing to put their faith in Jesus and make Him Lord of their life.

Second, we learned in order to reach spiritually dead people, it needs to bother us that they’re spiritually dead.

In other words, if somebody we care about doesn’t know Jesus, then it ought to keep us up at night. It ought to bother us to the point that we are unwilling to accept it and would be willing to go to great lengths to do something about it.

And let me just say this, if it doesn’t bother you, then something is wrong with your faith. Because either you don’t really believe Jesus is the only way or you’re not in tune with what’s important to God.

Third, we learned in order to reach spiritually dead people, we have to see Jesus as the only solution to the sin problem. That Jesus is the answer to the sin and spiritual death problem.

And then last week, as we saw another component playing out through the story of a man named Cornelius. We called this component “The Tipping Point”.

The tipping point being the place a person needs to be in order to be saved. /And based on that we asked the question, “What does it take for a person to be saved.”

And when we say, “What does it take”, we’re not talking about:

What prayer do they need to pray, or what church to they attend.

What class do they need to go through.

But instead, where does a person need to be spiritually, emotionally, and mentally in order to put their faith in Jesus and be saved? What’s that tipping point?

And not only that, but how does that process work? And who is involved in that process?

And today Luke is going to continue this focus as he gives us one more story surrounding the evangelistic efforts of the Apostle Peter.

And as we learned last week it’s a three part process.

It begins as a person desires to seek, know, and be right with God.

We saw this with Cornelius, as a pagan man, living in a pagan city, had a desire to seek, know, and be right with God. Luke writes:

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Acts 10:1–2 ESV

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.

And from this we learned, if a person wants to be saved, they have recognize that there is a gap between them and God. And that the gap is a result of their sin. And that if they want to be right with God, then something must be done to bridge the gap.

This is the the place Cornelius was at.

It then continues as God responds to the person who is seeking Him. A response that we learned comes through a spiritual conversation and a supernatural moment. Luke writes:

Acts 10:3–4 ESV

0:3-

Acts 10:3–6 ESV

3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Acts 10:3–4 ESV

Acts 10:3-

Luke says as Cornelius prayed and sought God, God heard and responded to his prayer. Which is good news for all of us. Knowing that when we seek to know and be right with God, He hears and responds. Solomon writes this:

Luke says as Cornelius prayed, God

Proverbs 8:17 ESV

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Solomon says those who seek to know God find Him.

But what’s interesting, is God’s response doesn’t always come in in our time frame. Instead, it comes at what we called a supernatural moment. A moment He has orchestrated.

We saw this with Cornelius as God responded at a specific time in order to give Cornelius specific directions through a divine messenger. Because Luke says as God responds and sends a heavenly messenger too Cornelius, the angel directs him to a specific person. Luke writes:

Acts 10:5–6 ESV

5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Acts 10:

when the Apostle Peter just happened to be nearby in the city of Joppa.

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The angel tells Cornelius to seek out a man named Peter. A man we know as the Apostle Peter? A man who just happened to be in a city nearby. A man who just happens to have the answers that Cornelius has been seeking.

But as we learned last week, it wasn’t by chance that Peter was nearby. Instead, it was by God’s plan and design that Peter would be in a certain place at a certain time in order to minister to a man named Cornelius who had been seeking to know and be right with God.

And what was true for Cornelius, is true for all of us. The fact is, if you want to know and be right with God, God will orchestrate a moment for you to know Him. A moment when you will be introduced to the truth of what it takes to be saved and be right with Him.

And for Cornelius, this was his moment. A moment that would come through the ministry of the Apostle Peter.

Which led us to the third part of this process. Because along with a desire to seek, know, and be right with God. Along with a spiritual conversation and a supernatural moment. In order for a person to be saved, it takes an obedient messenger of the gospel. Somebody who is ready and willing to share the message.

And please hear me, when I say that, I’m not saying a person’s salvation is dependent on another person telling them about Jesus.

What I’m saying is, as followers and witnesses for Jesus, we have the privilege to be the conduit through which God delivers the message of the gospel. The Apostle Paul says it like this:

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1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:

Using himself as an example, the Apostle Paul says the gospel was delivered to him through people, and now he delivers it too others.

And what was true for Paul and Peter, is true for you and me. We are the conduit through which the the gospel is delivered. But for it to be delivered through us, we have to be prepared and obedient messengers. The question then is, “What do we need to be prepared for and what kind of obedience is necessary?”

Which leads us to the next part of this story, and another component for evangelism.

And so, to set up this next component and where we are going this morning, I want to build today’s message around another question. A similar but different question from last week. Last week we asked, “What would it take for a person to be saved.” But this week the question is, “What does it take to be an obedient messenger of the gospel?”

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And when I ask that question, again, I’m not asking, “What prayer do we need to lead them through? Or what church do we need to direct them too? Or what pastor do they need to talk to?”

What I’m asking is, “Where do we need to be spiritually, emotionally, and mentally in order to lead somebody to faith in Jesus? What does it take for us to be obedient messengers of the gospel and the conduit that God speaks through?”

And there’s two reasons we need to know the answer to this question:

Reason #1 - If we don’t know what it takes to be obedient messengers of the gospel, we could literally miss an opportunity to lead somebody to faith in Jesus.

In other words, if we have a misunderstanding of what it takes, we could unintentionally lead them to a wrong conclusion about faith or to a version of Jesus that doesn’t line up with the Bible.

For example,

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss out on the opportunities that God gives me.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of Christians make this mistake.

For example, I’ve seen some Christians present Jesus as a symbol versus a savior. As somebody to be looked up too or modeled instead of somebody we desperately need to save us.

I’ve also seen some Christians present Jesus as an answer to all of life’s problems.

Reason #2 - If we don’t know what it takes to be obedient messengers, then we won’t be prepared to reach the people God’s called us to reach.

In other words, in order to reach certain people, it takes a requires a certain understanding of the gospel. An understanding that may require us to change our worldview and force us to step out of our spiritual comfort zone.

And again, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss out on reaching the people God wants me to reach.

And so, in order to answer our question, “What does it take to to be an obedient messenger of the gospel?”, we’re going to cover 15 verses of this story today, and as we walk through the passage, we’re going to identify two of the three steps it takes to be an obedient messenger of the gospel.

I say two because the third step requires an entire message, and so we’ll look at that step next week. But, for today, we’ll stick with the first two steps.

So, to get us started, let’s pick back up in as Luke continues the story of Cornelius. In verse 9 Luke writes:

Second, as we move through the passage, I’m going to identify two “What would it takes?” Two steps that we need to be willing to take if we want to lead somebody to faith in Jesus.

Luke writes:

But unlike the previous two stories, this next story is an extensive story with a lot of moving parts, and so it’s going to require us to slow down and break it down into at least three parts, the first of which we will cover today.

And so, in order to set up this story and where we are going this morning, I want to begin by throwing out a question I’d like us all to consider for a moment. A question I’m not sure we give much thought to when it comes to evangelism, but a question we need to know the answer to is we want to lead people to faith in Jesus.

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Acts 10:9 ESV

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

I know we haven’t read far, but we’re going to stop and camp here for a moment, because right out of the gate Luke has given us some important details that are going to lead us to our first what would it take step.

In order to lead somebody to faith in Jesus:

1. It takes a consistent prayer life.

To see this, notice again what Luke tells us. He says:

Acts 10:9 ESV

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

Couple of things I want you to notice in this verse that point us to our first step:

Now, before we got too far, I want to stop here for a moment and highlight a couple of important details that Luke has just given us.

The first detail I want you to notice is the phrase, “The next day”.

And this is an important detail, because the phrase “The next day” is a time reference and represents the day after Cornelius had his vision where the angel told him to send men to Joppa in order to find the Apostle Peter.

What that means then is, this phrase is the chronological link between the story of Cornelius and the Apostle Peter.

we read last week that during the 9th hour of the day, which would have been 3PM, Cornelius had a vision where he was told to send men to Joppa to find the Apostle Peter.

And so by giving us this phrase, Luke is establishing a time line for us to work with. A timeline that is essential to this story.

So, to help us get our mind around this timeline, let’s make it as simple as we can, and let’s just say Cornelius had his vision on a Monday.

According to what we read last week, Cornelius had his vision during the 9th hour, which would have been around 3PM. So to make it simple, let’s just say it was a Monday at 3PM.

And

Acts 10:3 ESV

3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.”

And now in verse 9, Luke

And based on what we learned last week, we know the vision took place during the 9th hour, which would have been around 3pm. Which gives us our starting point, which for our purposes would be Monday at 3pm. So, that’s our starting point.

And the time reference is the time frame in which Cornelius received the vision and then sent his men to find Peter. And Luke says it was the next day. Meaning, not even a day has passed. In fact, more than likely, the men left right after Cornelius had the vision.

This now brings us to our passage today and the phrase, “The next day”. Which means, verse 10 begins on Tuesday.

Everybody with me?

So, think of it like this. On the previous day, during the 9th hour, which on the Jewish clock would have been 3:00 in the afternoon, Cornelius is praying. It’s at that point an angel appears to him and tells him to send for Peter in Joppa, which would have been a 30 mile journey.

And now, it’s the next day as the men Cornelius sent our journeying towards and approaching Joppa.

But that’s not the only time reference we are given. Because Luke says, the next day, as Cornelius’s men are approaching the city, at the same time, “Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.”

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Again, another important time detail. Why? Because from that detail, we get two important insights.

The 1st hour was 6am, the 3rd hour was 9am, the 6th hour was Noon, and the 9th hour was 3pm.

And so from that detail, we get two important insights.

#1, we now know the time frame not only for the departure of Cornelius’s men from Cesarea, but of their arrival in Joppa.

So, now we know

Because Luke says they arrived about the sixth hour as Peter was praying. Which on the Jewish clock means it was during the noon hour.

Fast forward to the next day, which would be Tuesday, and the men Cornelius sent are arriving in Joppa.

What that tells is us then is it’s been less than 24 hours since Cornelius had the vision and the men arrive in Joppa to find Peter.

Everybody with me?

So, hold that thought. Because there’s another important insight here:

#2, From what Luke tells us, we now know as well that Peter follows the Jewish custom of daily prayer. How do we know?

We know because as we learned last week, there were set times during the day Jews would pray, and the 6th hour is one of those times, which is the noon hour.

And so it appears Peter follows that custom, because Luke says about the sixth hour, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

#2, we now know as well that Peter is following the Jewish custom of daily prayer as he goes to a private place on the rooftop to pray at the 6th hour, which again is the noon hour.

Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, that’s all very interesting, but what does this mean? What does this have to do with being an obedient messenger of the gospel?”

The next several verses tells us. Listen to what happens next. Luke writes:

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Acts 10:10 ESV

10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance

Acts 10:

Luke says as Peter prayed, he started getting hungry, to the point that he wanted something to eat.

Seems kind of strange right? So, why is he so hunger?

Well, I guess it could be because its the noon hour, and that’s when people typically have lunch.

Acts 10:11

Or maybe he skipped breakfast and now he’s paying for it.

Or it could be, he worked up his appetite because he was praying really hard. So, which is it?

Well, were’ not told at this point, but I think we’re going to see a reason for it in a moment.

Because Luke says while he was waiting for the food, he fell into a trance and had a vision. So, what did he see? Luke tells us:

Acts 10:10–16 ESV

10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Acts 10:11–16 ESV

11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Acts 10:

Luke says as Peter is in this trance like state, he has a strange vision involving animals of all kinds, and in the vision a voice speaks and tells Peter to rise, kill, and eat.

So, what’s that all about? Is Peter so famished that he’s having food visions now?

We’ll get to that in a moment, but before we do, there’s something else I want you to see that is going to lead us to our first what would it take. Because listen to what happens following the vision. Luke writes:

Acts 10:17–20 ESV

17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”

Acts 10:

Notice what Luke tells us. First he says the vision leaves Peter baffled and wondering what in the world it could mean.

Second, Luke tells us, at the same time, while Peter continues too pray and ponder the vision, the men who Cornelius had sent to find Peter arrive at the house, and are asking for Peter.

And then finally he tells us before the attendants can let Peter know somebody is at the door for him, the Holy Spirit speaks to Peter and gives him some specific directions.

Look again at what the Spirit says, “…the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.’”

Wow, there’s a lot happening here all at once. I started as Peter went to pray, then he gets these severe hunger pains, all of a sudden he has a weird vision about food, and now there’s some men at the door looking for him, and God is directing him to go with them.

To be honest, I’m not sure Peter was thinking his prayer time would end up like that.

So, what does Peter do? How does he respond to all of this? Luke tells us:

Acts 10:21–23 ESV

21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

Luke says Peter listens to the Spirit, greets the men, listens to what they have to say, and goes with them to Cesarea.

Again, a lot happening all at once? So, what does this all mean and what does this have to do with begin an obedient messenger?

Based on everything we just read and observed, I would state the first step like this:

And this lead us to our first what would it take step to lead somebody to faith in Jesus, and I would state it like this:

In order to be an obedient messenger of the gospel:

It takes a committed and consistent prayer life.

Here’s what I want you to see, and we’ve covered a lot of ground to get to this point, but I think it’s going to be obvious once you see it, and to see it we need to go back to our timeline. So, let me explain and show it to you like this:

Graph Example:

In Cesarea, on Monday at 3PM, Cornelius prays, and God responds through a vision. In the vision he’s told to send men to Joppa to find a man named Peter.

The next day, on Tuesday at 12PM, as Peter engages in his daily routine of prayer, he falls into a trance, and has a vision.

Meaning,

So, a good question might be, “Why is this detail important?” It’s important because it highlights once again how God communicates his plan to those who seek and follow Him.

It’s at that point, the men Cornelius sent, show up where Peter is staying, and start knocking on the door.

At the same time, the Holy Spirit speaks to Peter and tells him there are men at the door and he needs to go with them.

First, by referencing the time frames, it connects Cornelius and Peter both chronologically and spiritually.

Chronologically in that

All that to say, less than 24 hours have passed since Cornelius had his vision, sent his men, and they arrived in Joppa. So, everybody with

Now, based on that timeline, let me ask you this, “In order for Peter to be ready, available, and willing to go with three strangers who have come to his door, what needed to take place?”

Now, let me ask you this, “In order for Peter to be ready, available, and willing to go with three strangers who have come to his door, what needed to take place?”

We talked about that last week. Remember, we said if a person wants to put their faith in Jesus, it requires a spiritual conversation.

Peter had to pray, right? Peter had to be in a place where God could communicate with him. A place where a spiritual conversation could take place. A place called prayer.

In fact, I would go as far to say, had Peter not been praying, this scenario wouldn’t have played out like this.

Because what if Peter hadn’t prayed? What if he hadn’t made it a priority to spend time with the Lord? What if he would have said, “You know what, I prayed yesterday. I’m good. I’ve got other pressing matters to attend to.” What if that’s how the story went?

Do you think there would have been a different outcome?

I do. Because he Peter not taken time to pray, then he wouldn’t have received the instructions. He wouldn’t have been ready and prepared to go with the men. He would have missed the window of opportunity in which God wanted to use him.

When the men arrived, he would have had no idea who they were or what he was supposed to do, so he probably would have said something like, “Sorry, I don’t go on long journeys with people I’ve never met and I don’t know. Let me pray about it, and I’ll get back to you in a few days.”

Here’s what I want you to see and understand. God’s plan for Cornelius to hear the gospel started on Monday at 3pm.

The plan then carried over into the next day where Peter, who has a habit of praying and seeking God, received the necessary instructions that would eventually take him too Cornelius.

Here’s what this means for you and me. If you want to be an obedient messenger of the gospel, it starts with being in tune with God’s plan.

Because as we learned last week, for every person that seeks God, God has orchestrated a supernatural moment for them to meet Him.

And that supernatural moment involves an obedient messenger of the gospel who will share the Gospel with them. That’s you and me.

But in order for you and I to be obedient messengers of the gospel, we have to be in tune with God’s plan. And the only way we get in tune with God’s plan is by daily and consistently setting time aside to listen and allow the Lord to lead us.

But that can only happen if we are aware of the plan. And in order to be aware of the plan, you have to be in communication with the plan maker.

Because as we learned last week, for every person that seeks God, God has orchestrated a supernatural moment for them to meet Him. And that supernatural moment involves an obedient messenger of the gospel. But in order to be an obedient messenger of the gospel, you have to be in tune with God’s plan. And the only way you get in tune with God’s plan is by

And the only way that’s going to happen is if you and I take time to allow the Lord to direct and guide our day, through prayer.

The Psalmist puts it like this:

Psalm 32:8 ESV

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Psalm 37:23 ESV

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;

Solomon writes:

Proverbs 16:9 ESV

9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

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The point is, in order to be an obedient messenger, it takes a daily and consistent prayer life.

A prayer life that opens your mind and heart to the leading of the Lord.

A prayer life that leads you into and makes you a part of the plan of God.

A plan the Holy Spirit will speak into your mind and heart if you’ll take the time to listen.

A plan that may involve leading somebody who doesn’t know Jesus to faith in Jesus.

A plan the Holy Spirit will speak into your heart if you’ll take the time to listen.

You know what I wonder? I wonder how often you and I have missed out on being a part of God’s plan, simply because we haven’t taken the time to pray.

Because we didn’t take time to seek his guidance for the day ahead. We didn’t put ourselves in a place where the Lord could speak to us and lead us.

But thankfully Peter was in that place. And because he was, he’s now a part of God’s plan and on the road to Cornelius’s house.

Acts 10:11-

Because that’s what it takes to be an obedient messenger. It takes a daily and consistent prayer life.

But it doesn't’ stop there. Because while Peter may be going in the right direction, he’s not quite ready to lead Cornelius to faith in Jesus.

So, what’s the next step? What else does Peter need to do in order to be an obedient messenger?

Acts 10:11–16 ESV

We’ll get to that in a moment, but first, I want to go back to Peter’s Vision. Because Peter’s vision plays a big part in this next step.

So, let’s go back to verse 11 as Peter falls into his trance, and let’s look again at what Peter sees. Luke writes:

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Acts 10:10–16 ESV

As I said earlier, while it may seem odd that Peter sent people to get food while his praying, what the vision shows us is that Peter’s hunger was more than likely placed upon Peter by God, and played a part in what God was wanting to show him.

Acts 10:11 ESV

11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

So, what is God trying to show him? Let’s break it down and find out.

In verse 11 Luke says:

I mean, how many of you have ever done that? You’re so hungry that you start imagining

Acts 10:11–12 ESV

11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

Definitely odd, but just imagine if you will, a large bed sheet stretched out with all kinds of animals in the center of it. This isn’t the best picture, but it could have looked something like this:

Picture:

We then read there was a voice that spoke, and the voice said,

Acts 10:12 ESV

12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

“Rise Peter; kill and eat.”

Acts 10:13 ESV

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

Again, an odd statement. But maybe makes sense due to Peter’s hunger? I don’t know, maybe he’s so hungry that he’s now dreaming about what’s for dinner. Or maybe God is providing him lunch? Possibly? I don’t think so. Because listen to how Peter responds:

Luke writes:

Psalm 32:23

Acts 10:14 ESV

14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

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Well, that’s an interesting and odd response. Because with Peter begin so hungry, probably not the response we would expect. that’s an interesting and odd response. Because even though he’s hungry he says, “By no means, Lord”.

Leviticus 20:24–26 ESV

24 But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. 26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

So, why this response what does he mean by, “I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean?”

Here’s what we need to understand. While Peter is a Christian, he’s also still very much a Jew, who is still adhering to the Jewish customs and food laws that God established back in the OT. Food laws that God gave the Israelites as they journeyed towards the Promised Land.

Let me show you what I’m talking about. Listen to what God says about food in :

Leviticus 20:25–26 ESV

25 You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. 26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

GO TO PULPIT:

In this passage God tells the people of Israel that they are to be a people set apart from other nations. And that includes the food that they would eat. And while we won’t take the time to read it all, God then goes on to list all the animals that are clean and unclean. Animals that they can and can’t eat.

Now, you might be wondering, “Pastor, that’s weird. Why would God do that? And why were some animals deemed clean and others unclean?”

To be honest, that’s another sermon, but what I will tell you is that it was more symbolic than anything.

A symbol that God’s people were to be different than other people and were to be set apart. A symbol of purity and a desire to be clean before God.

And that’s what makes this vision so perplexing to Peter, because God is encouraging him to eat food that would make him ceremonially unclean. To do something he had been taught his entire life to avoid.

So, what’s going on? Why is God encouraging this?

What’s going on is that God is giving Peter a lesson in the gospel. And the lesson is, the gospel has changed things. And to illustrate it, God uses food.

And what God wants to show Peter is that eating certain food and not eating certain foods isn’t what makes a person clean or unclean.

It goes back to something Jesus said in .

Mark 7:

In the religious leaders of Jesus’s day were getting upset because Jesus’s disciples were eating food without washing their hands. I know, gross, right?

But in their minds, really gross, Because according to their religious customs, that was a major no no. Look at how it went down. Mark writes:

GO TO TV:

Mark 7:1–5 ESV

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

Mark says the religious leaders have a major issue with the disciples not washing their hands. Because in their mind, by not washing their hands, they were brining spiritual defilement to their bodies.

Kind of like what happens when somebody wears a Chiefs shirt.

I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

So, how does Jesus respond to the religious leader? Well, if we read on, we’d see that He basically says, “Leave them alone and quit being hypocrites.”

But what I want to show you is what he says later to the disciples concerning this incident. Listen to what Mark tells us:

Mark 7:20–23 ESV

20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

What Jesus wanted the disciples to understand is that it’s not the washing or not washing of hands that makes a person spiritually clean or unclean. That’s not what defiles us. What spiritually defiles us are the sinful desires and behaviors that come out of the heart. Meaning, it’s not what goes in, but what comes out that make us unclean.

And in , it’s the same lesson. But this time Jesus is using food as the example. And his point to Peter is this:

Peter, remember, it’s not what you eat that makes you spiritually unclean.

That’s why God says, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

So, a good question might be, “What does this have to do with what it takes to be an obedient messenger of the gospel?”

rebukes them for being hypocrites, and then in private with his disciples, he gives us further

More than you might imagine, and I would state it like this:

In order to be an obedient messenger of the gospel:

In order to lead a person to faith in Jesus:

2. It takes the removal of religious and ritualistic thinking.

GO TO PULPIT:

It would appear this is something that Peter is struggling with.

Struggling with the idea that keeping religious customs and holding on to ritualistic thinking has nothing to do with what God has called us to do.

Struggling with the notion that the gospel has replaced such thinking.

Struggling with the notion that being devoted to Jesus is more important than being devoted to a certain religous sect.

Struggling with the idea that keeping certain rituals or customs has nothing to do with taking care of our sin problem.

You see the problem for Peter is he is still associating religion and rituals with the gospel. He still holds to this idea that its Jesus + religious association and ritualistic thinking.

And that kind of thinking is going to keep him from being an obedient messenger. In fact, that kind of thinking is going to cause him to actually lead people away from the gospel.

This was the issue the church in Galatia was facing when Paul wrote the letter of Galatians.

Because within the church at Galatia, a Jewish group of Christians known as the Judeizers had come into the church there and were teaching people that it was Jesus + being Jewish. Jesus + hand washing. Jesus + eating certain foods. And the list went on.

So, Paul addressed it. Listen to what he tells the church at Galatia:

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Galatians 1:6–9 ESV

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

BACK TO PULPIT:

Paul says, “Let me tell you what I think about their teaching. What they are teaching you is not the gospel. The gospel isn’t Jesus + something else. The gospel is Jesus + nothing. And for the person teaching you anything else besides that, let them be accursed.”

Greek translation - To hell with them.

Pretty strong words form the Apostle Paul.

And this is the lesson Peter needs to learn. That what makes a person clean isn’t Jesus + religion and rituals, but Jesus, and Jesus alone.

So, if Peter is going to be an obedient messenger of the gospel, he’s going to have to get this straight in his heart and head. He’s going to have to let go of his religious and ritualistic thinking. Otherwise, he’s going to present a gospel that’s not the gospel.

So, a great question would be, “How does this apply to us?”

How about in the same way.

Because the truth is, this is still a struggle for many in the church today.

The first group is the group that grew up in church.

Why’s it a struggle? It’s a

struggle for several reasons:

For some, it’s a struggle because it’s hard for them to accept that the gospel is enough. They struggle to believe that all a person has to do in order to be right with God is put their faith in Jesus. For them, there just has to be more to it. It just can’t be that simple.

For some, it’s a struggle because they can’t let go of their religious heritage and ritualistic thinking. For them, church attendance, baptism, communion, certain prayers, and the list goes on, are all part of the formula. It’s what’s necessary if they truly want to be right with God.

For others, it’s a struggle because they can’t let go of denominational titles and church association. For them, having the title Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, AG, or Catholic is more important than having the title Christian. And by doing so they’ve made their religious association a part of their salvation. For them its Jesus + religious association.

And please hear me, by saying all of this, I’m not saying that religious heritage, rituals, and church association aren’t important. In fact, there’s a place for all of that.

The truth is, without your religious heritage, you probably wouldn’t be here today. Your religious heritage has been a part of your faith journey. It’s what’s brought you to this point in your spiritual journey. And that’s a wonderful thing. Thank God for your religious heritage.

As we struggle to hold onto denominational titles and identities.

The same is true for rituals. Rituals are wonderful and beautiful part of our faith. Largely because they serve as great reminders for us of what is important and what God has done for us. In fact, that’s their intended purpose.

For example, communion is a ritual that reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. The bread representing his broken body and the wine the blood that he shed for us.

As we struggle to believe

Baptism is a ritual that symbolizes the new life that Jesus has given us. A life that has been transformed and washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

Church attendance is a ritual that should be followed and encouraged. Because it puts us in a place week after week where we can be encouraged and strengthened in our faith journey.

But what we can never forget is that none of those things make us right with God. None of those things make us clean. Only Jesus can do that.

The same is true for denominational and church association. Because there’s nothing wrong with saying your a Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, AG, or Catholic. Nothing wrong with that at all.

But what you can’t forget is that association with a certain denomination or church isn’t what makes you right with God. It’s not what makes you spiritually clean. That no denomination or church has the market on salvation. Because the only one that can save you is Jesus.

So, how about this, if you want to be associated with what saves you, start by putting your faith in Jesus. And then start calling yourself a Christian. And then determine the church you will attend based not on what you were raised to believe or what your denomination says, but on what the Bible says.

You see, we still have the same lesson to learn as Peter. And unless I miss my guess, there are some Peter’s in the room this morning. People who love God, but are struggling to let go of religious and ritualistic thinking.

And my challenge to you today is to come to terms with the fact, that while there’s nothing wrong with being religious or keeping rituals, those things won’t save you or anybody else. And until you settle that in your heart and head, you can’t be an obedient messenger of the gospel.

This was a critical lesson for Peter to learn if he was going to take the next step in leading Cornelius to faith in Jesus. A step we will get to next week.

That

But for now, as we close, I want to close like we started, by asking you a question, and the question is, “Based on what we’ve learned today, are you an obedient messenger of the gospel?”

Meaning, are you committed to a daily and consistent prayer life. Are you taking time in your day to seek God’s direction? Are you giving God opportunity to make you a part of his plan?

If you’re not , why not? What’s stopping you?

And if you’re not, can I challenge you to making a change? That beginning tomorrow you would commit to a daily prayer life. That you would daily and consistently seek opportunity for God to use you and make you a part of his plan. Because who knows, it’s possible that God is setting something in motion today that he wants you to be a part of tomorrow. But for you to receive instructions, you have to put yourself in a place you can receive them. A place of prayer.

Do you understand as well, it’s not what you do or where you go to church that makes you right with God? That it’s not a ritual or religion that saves you. Is that something you’ve settled in your heart and mind? Or, is it something you are still holding onto?

If it’s something you’re struggling with, can I challenge you to let go of it today. To leave here today without it. To not make your faith Jesus + other things, and to simply make it Jesus only.

Because that’s what it takes. In order to be an obedient messenger of the gospel, it takes a consistent prayer life, and it takes a pure gospel that leads people to Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Let’s Pray

So, what’s the time reference? The time reference is the time between Cornelius sending his men to find Peter

Acts 10:9–43 ESV

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” 30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” 34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

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