Them Too!
Notes
Transcript
This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of 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 understand what the Bible means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the book of Acts. A NT book written by a disciple named Luke who wrote this book primarily for two reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church, how it started, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, to give us a template for how Jesus intends for us to accomplish the mission of taking the Gospel to the rest of the world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life, where you can listen to messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking back up in as we come back to the story of a man named Cornelius.
You may recall the story of Cornelius is a story about a pagan Roman officer, living in a pagan city, who had a desire too seek, know, and be right with God. In fact, that’s how Luke introduced him. Back in verse 1 Luke writes:
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.
Acts 10:1
. A journey of faith that would eventually lead him to the Apostle Peter.
And so very quickly, just to make sure we are all on the same page, I want to take a few minutes to recount where we’ve
And what we’ve learned through this story, is that Cornelius represents really any person that would desire to know and be right with God, and in many respects serves as the model for that process.
And so very quickly, just to make sure we are all on the same page, I want to take a few minutes to recount this process.
Triangle Graph:
You may recall it all started on a particular day around 3pm in the city of Caesarea. And while we don’t know what day of the week it was, to help us get our minds around how the account played out, we decided to just assume it could have been a Monday.
So on this particular Monday, around 3pm, apparently Cornelius was praying and seeking God, something that had become a daily habit in his life.
But on this particular day, something happened that Cornelius wasn’t expecting. Because as he prayed, he had a vision, and in the vision God sent an angel to give him a message. And the message was twofold:
The first part of the message was confirmation. Confirmation that God had heard Cornelius’s prayers, as the angel says to him, “Cornelius God has heard your prayers and He is pleased with your desire to know Him.”
Which highlights the fact, that when somebody desires to know and be right with God, God responds to that desire. The Psalmist writes:
2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
Such is the case for Cornelius and anybody that would desire to know God.
But the vision didn’t end there, because along with the message, the angel gives Conrelius some specific instructions.
And the instructions are that he is to send men to the city of Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter.
Why Peter? Because Peter has the answer that Cornelius needs. Peter knows what it takes for Cornelius to be right with God.
And so Cornelius promptly sends men to Joppa.
The story then shifts to the next day, which would have been Tuesday.
And it’s at this point we are told as Cornelius’s men are approaching Joppa, around noon, Peter goes up on the roof of the house he is staying at, to have his prayer time. A prayer time that he consistently had at this time on a daily basis.
And just like Cornelius, as Peter prays, he is caught off guard as God gives him a vision as well. A very strange vision. A vision that involves a sheet coming down from heaven with all kinds of animals in it. And along with the sheet full of animals comes a voice that says, “Rise Peter, kill and eat!”.
But as we learned, Peter wasn’t about to eat anything from this sheet, because according to Peter, it was filled with unclean animals.
And as we learned, the reason they weren’t allowed to eat
Because the fact is, until a person reaches that point, it will be impossible for them to be right with God.
But the good news is, when a person reaches that point, God responds too that desire.
Unclean in that there were animals in the sheet that the OT forbid the Jewish people from eating because it would have made them ceremonially and ritualistically unclean.
We saw this with Cornelius. Because Luke says as Cornelius sought to know God, Dod responded. Because Luke says as Cornelius prayed:
And the good news is, when a person reaches that point, God responds. Because Luke goes on to tell us:
We saw some examples of the clean and unclean animals in this chart.
Animal Chart:
And what we learned is for the most part, not eating certain foods was a religious and symbolic gesture that highlighted one of the ways the people of Israel were to be different from other nations.
A way to set them apart from the impurities of the world.
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.
And so by avoiding the foods God had asked them to avoid, they were demonstrating their desire to be pure and right before God.
But as we learned, eating or not eating certain food isn’t what makes a person pure or right before God. Yes, it may demonstrate our desire to be right with God, but unfortunately it doesn’t take care of the deeper issue. Because the deeper issue is our sin problem.
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.
So, the question then is, “Why is God asking Peter to disobey the command?” Well, as we learned, what God is trying to show Peter is that there is now a new covenant called the gospel. And unlike the old covenant, which didn’t have the ability to make a person right before God, the new covenant actually has the ability to make us spiritually clean.
Jesus himself verifies this. In Jesus says this:
15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
And then Jesus goes on to clarify what actually makes a person unclean. He says:
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.”
Jesus says what defiles a person, what makes them unclean, is what is already on the inside of all of us. Our sin.
That the days of religious and ritualistic thinking are over. And that if a person wants to be right with God, all they have to do is put their faith in Jesus, because Jesus is the one who has the power to actually make a person clean.
And for Peter, that’s part of what this vision is meant to remind him of. That it’s not religion or rituals that make us right with God.
Yes, they may serve as great reminders. Yes, they may steer us in the right direction, but they don’t take care of our sin problem. Because only Jesus can do that.
And the reason God is reminding Peter of this is because apparently Peter is still holding on to some OT thinking. For Peter, it’s Jesus + being Jewish. Jesus + observing certain rituals. Jesus + avoiding certain foods.
And what God wants to remind Peter of is that the New Covenant, the gospel, now has the power to do what the law couldn’t. So now it’s Jesus + nothing.
But that’s not all this vision is about. Because along with his OT thinking, Peter is also holding onto some personal prejudice towards people of other nations. Prejudice that will keep him from being an obedient messenger of the gospel if he’s not careful.
Because as we learned last week, up until this point, the Jewish people in a sense were racist, and refused to have association with anybody that wasn’t Jewish.
And what we’ve learned through this story, is that if a person wants to be right with God, that’s where it starts. It’s starts with a desire to know and be right with God. Because once a person gets to that place, that’s when God responds. Because as Cornelius prayed, God responded. Luke writes:
Because in the Jewish mindset, to come into contact with a Gentile or pagan people would make them ceremonially and spiritually unclean.
And that’s why along with the command to kill and eat, God gives Peter another command as well. Because as Peter refuses to eat anything unclean, God says:
“What God has made clean, do not call common.”
In other words, “Peter, in addition to your ritualistic and religious thinking, you need to get rid of your prejudice. You need to quit judging and classifying people as clean or unclean. You need to quit seeing yourself as better than other people.”
How do we know that’s what God is referring to? We know for two reasons:
First, because as God is giving Peter this vision, the pagan men that Cornelius had sent arrive at Peter’s house. And God tells Peter that he needs to go with these men.
And so after talking to the men, Peter agrees to go with them to meet Cornelius. Something that prior to the vision, Peter would have never done. And upon arriving at Cornelius’s house, Peter makes a stunning statement. Luke writes:
Acts 10:28-
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.”
And so after talking to the men, Peter agrees to go with them to meet Cornelius.
What Peter confirms here is that the vision was indeed about his prejudice, because he references the prejudice view of the Jews towards other people groups.
Second, we know this is an issue of prejudice because after making this statement, Peter then reveals the revelation that God had given him. Luke writes:
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),
Acts 10:34-
At his point Peter sheds his prejudice as he now recognizes that he can’t be prejudice because God’s not prejudice.
And that the gospel wasn’t just meant for Jews, but was meant for all people. That God isn’t just Lord of one people group, but all people groups.
And as we learned last week, what is true for Peter is true for all of us. The fact is, if we want to be obedient messengers of the gospel, we have to not only get rid of our religious and ritualistic thinking, but we also have to get rid of our prejudice.
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.”
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.”
We have to get away from thinking we are better than other people or people groups. We have to stop classifying people as worthy or unworthy. We have to get to a place where we meet people who need Jesus on level ground, with the understanding that nobody has arrived.
Because the fact is, you can’t lead somebody to Jesus if you think you’re better than them. And like it or not, God sees us all the same. As human beings who all share the same sin problem. As human begins who are all in need of a savior.
Bottom line, if you want to be an obedient messenger, you have to get rid of your prejudice.
So, that’s where we’ve been, and what sets us up for where we are going today.
Because now that the table has been set. Everything is in place for Peter to share the gospel with Cornelius. The next question then is, “What will Peter say?”
And so, to help us build some frame work for where we are going this morning, I want to begin by asking you a similar question. A question that we need to know the answer to if we are going to lead people to Jesus. And the question is:
Question - When given the opportunity to share your faith, what would you say?
In other words, what would you tell them about Jesus? How would you lead them to the conclusion that they need to put their faith in Him? What would you say in order to lead them to faith in Jesus?
I think that’s a great question that a lot of Christians don’t know the answer to. And as a result, what often keeps a Christian from sharing their faith. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by the Christian Post, it was discovered that the number 1 reason Because after all, what do you say?
To be honest, that’s a great question that a lot of Christians don’t know the answer to. And as a result, what often keeps most Christians from sharing their faith.
In fact, in a recent survey conducted by the Christian Post, it was discovered that the number 1 reason Christians don’t share their faith is because they don’t know what to say.
And I think if we did the same survey in this room this morning, we would discover it’s the number one reason for us as well.
And that’s a problem. Because if we don’t know what to say, then how are we going to tell the person God has called us to reach about Jesus?
Because in order for somebody to hear about Jesus, it takes somebody telling them about him. That’s what Paul was referring to in . Concerning this he writes:
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Paul says in order for somebody to put their faith in Jesus, somebody has to tell them about Jesus. Somebody has to open up their mouth. And guess what, that somebody isn’t just the pastor, it’s you as well.
And so as we approach our passage this morning, I have one goal, and that’s simply to answer the question, “What do you say?” What do you say the to the person God has called you to reach? What do you say in order to lead them to Jesus?
And so, to get us started, I want to begin by reading through the portion of our passage today that relates to this question, and then I want to walk back through it and identify three essential elements in sharing your faith. Three elements that I hope can serve as a template for you and I when it comes to knowing what to say.
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.
What Peter confirms here is that prior to the vision, he had a prejudice problem, but that God had told him he needed to get rid of his prejudice because God is not p
Acts 10:34-
In other words, Peter says, “
So, to get us started, let’s pick back up where we left off last week as Peter begins to tell Cornelius and his friends about Jesus. Beginning in verse 34 Luke writes:
Acts 10:34-
And what was true for Cornelius is true for anybody that desires to know and be right with God. Because the fact is, God wants to have a relationship with us. And according to the Bible, He is looking for those who desire to seek and be right with HIm. The Apostle Peter puts it like this:
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
But not only does God respond, He also gives Cornelius specific instructions. Luke goes on too write:
God not only responds, but He orchestrates what we called a supernatural moment. A moment where God will reveal to us how we can know Him. Because not only does God respond, but he gives Cornelius specific instructions. Luke writes:
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 10:5-
We called this step in the process a supernatural moment. And it’s supernatural because it was a moment that God had orchestrated. A plan He had put in place for Cornelius to know Him. A plan that would involve a man named Peter, a man we know as the Apostle Peter.
Which led us to the third step in this process, a step that involves an obedient messenger of the Gospel.
Because as we learned through this story, at about the same time God is speaking to Cornelius, He is speaking to Peter as well, and preparing Peter to go and share the gospel with Cornelius.
And we know that to be the case, because later on in the story, after finding Peter
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.
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.’
0:
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.’
The angel tells Cornelius
Because But what we’ve also learned, is not only does God respond to those who seek Him, He provides a way for them to know him. Because along with the angelic visitation, God gives Cornelius specific instructions. Because in the next verse God says:
:30-
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.’
Cornelius says
by sending an obedient messenger. And in this case, it was the Apostle Peter.
Because after
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.”
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
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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I know we talked a little bit about this last week, but the first thing I want you to notice, is that Peter begins by pointing to the fact that God is not a God of favoritism. That He shows no partiality.
And while that points to the need to remove our prejudice, it also points to another important aspect of sharing our faith.
Which leads us to the first essential element, and I would state it like this:
When You Share Your Faith:
1. Begin by telling them that God doesn’t hold grudges.
In other words, for the person who is seeking god, they need to know that God loves them, regardless of who they are, where they’ve been, or what they’ve done.
How do I know that? Let me give you two specific passages that back that up. The first, is one we should all be familiar with. It goes something like this:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Notice it doesn’t says, “For God so loved people who never made any mistakes...” It doesn’t say, “For God so loved only people who go to church...” It doesn’t say, “For God so loved people who have it all together...”
No, it says, “For God so loved the world…that’s everybody in the world…that he gave his only Son...”
Here’s another scripture for you.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Paul says that before anybody said they were sorry, before anybody acknowledged their sin, before anybody said thank you God, that Christ died for us. Paul goes on to say:
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
In other words, while we were still pathetic and without hope, Jesus dies for us.
Why’s it important for us to understand this?
It’s important because when a person is at a point where they are seeking to know and be right with God, one of the greatest struggles they will face is in believing that God could love someone like them.
Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. The truth is, when you first started to seek, know, and be right with God, you weren’t certain God could love somebody like you.
In fact, that’s what kept you from coming to church. For awhile, that’s what held you back from fully embracing your faith in Jesus. You just couldn’t fathom, after all you’ve done, that God could love somebody like you.
The truth is, I hear it all the time from people. They say things like, “Pastor, if you only knew what I’ve done. Pastor, you just don’t understand, Pastor I’ve made some really poor choices. Pastor, I’m not sure God could ever forgive me, let alone want me.”
Because after all, you’ve made a lot of mistakes.
Because the fact is,
Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about:
A couple years ago a young man showed up at the church, knocked on the door, and asked if I could come outside and talk to him. I thought it was a little strange, but I knew the individual, so I went outside.
As we talked he told me he was tired of drugs controlling his life and he wanted to make a change. So I said, “Let’s go inside and talk about it”. But he refused to come inside. He said, “Pastor, I’m not worthy to walk into a church. I’m not good enough to come back to God yet. I’ve got some work to do first.”
But here’s the reality, you and I will never be good enough. We’ll never be worthy enough.
That’s why Paul said:
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
And not only that, here’s a news flash for you. God knows what you’ve done. He’s aware of your sin. He’s seen every bad choice, bad decision, and immoral act in your life.
And here’s the amazing thing. And the good news of the gospel
But for some reason we think our sin is going to surprise God. Like we’re going to tell Him something about ourselves that he doesn’t already know.
It’s like the story of the woman at the well who was surprised that Jesus would talk to someone like her. The Apostle John records it like this:
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
John 4:
John says as Jesus engages the women, she is caught off guard. And she asks why Jesus why someone like him would talk to someone like her?
This then leads to a lengthy conversation, and eventually the woman putting her hope in Jesus.
John 4:
But what I love about the story is at one point Jesus tells the woman to go and get her husband, and she says, “I have no husband.”
And it’s at that point Jesus reveals that he’s already aware of her situation, because Jesus says:
“You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.” (ESV)
how did Jesus know that? How about this, because God already knows what you’ve done. And what John is showing us here is, while Jesus knew all along how sinful this woman was, knew all about her mistakes of the past, and was fully aware of her current sinful living condition, regardless of all that, he still engaged with her and loved her.
And the interaction had such an impact on the woman, that she went back to her friends and encouraged them to come and meet Jesus. John records it like this:
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
John says the woman didn’t even finish getting the water she had come for. Instead she went back into town and told all her friends about Jesus. About how He knew everything she ever did, and how regardless of that He still talked to her.
And then she says, “Could this be the Christ? Could this be the one who has come to save us?”
All that to say, if you want to lead somebody to Jesus:
Start by telling them about his amazing love for them.
Start by telling them about a God who loves them so much, that He gave His only Son.
Start by telling them about a savior who meets us where we are at regardless of who we are, where we’ve been, or what we’ve done.
That God is a God who doesn’t hold grudges.
Because that’s what Peter did. He started by saying, “Listen, the God I’m going to tell you about is a God who doesn’t hold grudges.
He doesn’t care if you’ve done drugs, never done drugs, or if you’re high right now.
He doesn’t care if you’ve had an abortion, had 10 abortions, or no abortions at all.
He doesn’t care if you’ve slept with 1, 5, 10 or 50 people.
He doesn’t care if you’ve been divorced 1 time, 2 times, or 5 times.
The fact is, He’s not concerned that your life isn’t all cleaned up, because that’s why He came.
He came because we’re all a hot mess.
He came because we all have a past and present history of making a royal mess or our lives.
But regardless of our mess, He still came, and He very much wants to have a relationship with us so He can lead us out of our mess and into the promise of peace.
That’s why Peter goes on to say:
36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
Peter says He came to bring peace into our lives, and not just into the lives of some, but into the lives of all.
I’m telling you right now, people are looking for peace. People are tired of trying to be good enough. People are tired of living in past regrets. So, if you can introduce them to a God who doesn’t require a performance. A God who is willing to accept them regardless of their past. A God who will love them despite of who they are, where they’ve been, or what they’ve done, like the woman at the well, you’re going to have their attention.
So, like Peter, I would encourage you to start there.
This leads us to another essential element of sharing your faith:
2. Continue by telling them about Jesus.
Listen to what Peter says next:
Acts 10:37-
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.
Notice what Peter does. He goes from telling them about a loving God that takes people where they are at, to telling them about Jesus. So, what does he tell them?
Well, to be honest, Peter’s initial statement and explanation of Jesus is interesting and unique for a couple of reasons:
It’s interesting because he begins by making an assumption. And the assumption is that they’ve already heard about Jesus. Notice again what he says.
“you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea...” (ESV)
37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
“
What Luke is showing us
Peter begins by assuming they probably have a general knowledge of who Jesus was. And it would be safe for Peter to assume this for two reasons.
First, since Caesarea is only about 75 miles from Jersualem, more than likely news about Jesus would have reached Caesarea.
Second, since Cornelius was a Roman Centurion, more than likely Cornelius was familiar with the recent political and social unrest that had led to the death and crucifixion of Jesus.
And so, from the get go Peter assumes they have some knowledge or know something about Jesus.
What’s unique though, is while Peter assumes they’ve heard of Jesus, he doesn’t assume they know everything about Jesus. Because listen to what he says next:
Acts 10:38
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.
Acts 10:37
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,
Acts 10:37
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.
What I want to point out here is in a nutshell, Peter summarizes the life and ministry of Jesus. In fact, the outline he gives represents a summary of the gospel of Mark. Let me show you what I mean.
What I want to point out here is in a nutshell, Peter summarizes the life and ministry of Jesus. In fact, the outline he gives represents a summary of the gospel of Mark. Let me show you what I mean.
First, he starts with the baptism that John proclaimed which can be found in . Which was a baptism of repentance.
He says, “
He then moves to the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus which can be found in . A healing ministry that Peter says delivered those who were oppressed by the devil.
And then he ends with the death and resurrection of Jesus which can be found in . A resurrection that Peter himself had witnessed and could give testimony too.
So, what does this mean and how does it apply to us? It applies in two ways:
#1 - What it shows us that part a big part of witnessing is telling people about who Jesus is and what He did for us.
So, let’s start with who Jesus is:
According to Peter and Mark’s gospel, he was a man sent by God.
But he wasn’t just any man, he’s a spiritual man.
In addition to that, according to Peter and Mark, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and given power to heal and destroy the works of the devil.
In addition to that, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and given power to heal and destroy the works of the devil.
And finally, he wasn’t just a spiritual man, he was divine, because even though his enemies killed him, death couldn’t hold him, and he rose from the dead.
And in essence, that’s the story of the gospel. That’s what is all about. That God so loved the world that He sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
But here’s the deal, in order to lead somebody to Jesus, you have to be able to tell them about Jesus. So, how does that work?
Well, like Peter, you need to be able to tell people about who Jesus is and what He did.
Meaning, you need to know what the Gospel of Mark says. You need to know the stories. You need to be able to tell the story of the woman of at the well. You need to be able to tell the story of how Jesus can heal broken lives, restore broken bodies, and cast out demonic influences and addictions in our lives.
That he has the power to restore broken marriages.
That he hast he power to heal broken bodies.
That he has the power to cast out the demon of alcohol addiction.
That he has the power to cast out the demon of sexual immorality.
That Jesus has the power to totally transform life as we know it.
You need to be able to recount to people who Jesus is and what He did.
So, a great question would be, “How do you get that kind of knowledge?”
I’m glad you’re sitting down, because this is going to blow your mind. You get that knowledge by reading and studying about who Jesus is and what He did.
Meaning, you have to become a student of God’s Word. You need to know what the Bible says. And the only way that can happen is if you take the time to read and study it.
To be honest, there is no excuse for a Christian to not read their Bible. As modern Christians we have more access to the Bible than any other generation before us. We have it in print, we have it on our computers, and we have it on our phones.
We have the option of reading it and even listening to it.
We have multiple translations, versions, and study materials at our finger tips.
And as a result, every Christian should know what the Bible says and be able to share what it says with others.
Because I’ll be honest with you, if you can’t tell somebody about who Jesus is and what he did. If you can’t recount the stories of the gospels, then it’s going to be difficult for you to lead somebody to Jesus.
So, that’s the first
So, if you want to know what to say, fill your heart and mind with what the Bible says.
#2, along with knowing what the Bible says, like Peter, you need to have first hand experience with Jesus. Experience that comes from a relationship with Jesus.
Notice what Peter said as he told them about who Jesus was and is. He said, “And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and Jerusalem.”
Peter says, “Listen, I’m not just telling you stories, I’m telling you what I saw and experienced with Jesus.”
And what was true for Peter, must be true for us as well.
Because the fact is, if you’ve put your faith in Jesus, then you have first hand experience with Jesus. You have a first hand account of what Jesus has done in your life. It’s what you might call “Your testimony”. And your testimony is a powerful tool.
Because here’s the deal. While you need to know what the Bible says and be able to recount the stories, there are going to be people who don’t believe the stories. People who think the Bible is a fair tale.
But here’s something they can’t argue with. Something they can’t call a fairy tale. And that’s your testimony. Because your testimony is your story about what Jesus has done in your life.
A story about how he delivered you from drug addiction.
A story about how he restored your marriage.
A story about how he delivered you from sexual immorality.
A story about how he gave you hope when there was no hope.
A story about how you were lost, but now you are found.
It’s like the story of the blind man in who Jesus healed. A story where the religious leaders were trying to cast doubt and discredit Jesus. But at the end of the story, as they tried to disapprove the power of Jesus, the formally blind man said something they couldn’t discredit. Because as they tried to discredit Jesus, listen to what the man said:
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
In other words, “Say what you want, discredit Jesus all you want, all I can tell you is, before I met Jesus I was blind, but now I can see.”
And what was true for that bind man is true for your life. Because before you met Jesus, you were blind, but now you can see. And nobody can argue with that.
All that to say, your testimony is a powerful tool that God has given you to share with others as evidence that Jesus is who He says He is.
This leads us to the final element, and we’ll close with this.
3. Finish by telling them the truth.
Notice what Peter finishes his speech with. Luke writes:
:42-
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.”
Luke says as Peter comes to a close, he tells them that Jesus didn’t just come give us hope in this life, but in the life to come as well.
Because Jesus wasn’t just a spiritual man with miraculous powers, Jesus is God. He is the one who will judge the living and the dead. He’s the one God sent to bridge the gap. He’s the one sent to restore our relationship with God. He’s the only one with the power to save us from eternal damnation. And the only way a person can have that, is if they put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.
In other words, Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
And let’s just be honest, It’s hard because it’s offensive.
So who is He? Well, according to the Gospel of Mark, he was the promised Messiah
And unfortunately, because it is offensive, it keeps a lot of Christians from telling people the truth. Why? Because we don’t want to offend them. We don’t want to come across as judgmental. We don’t want them to not like us. We don’t want to be labeled as an intolerant Jesus freak. We don’t to be made fun of. And the list goes on.
But here’s the deal.
But here’s the deal, if you want to lead somebody to Jesus, you have to tell them the truth. You have to tell them why they need Him. Because scripture is abundantly clear. And Jesus himself says it in , that:
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
You have to tell them the truth. And let me say this, if you’re not willing to tell them the truth, then you yourself don’t understand the gospel. Because Jesus didn’t come to make our temporal lives better, He came to restore our relationship with God. He came to save us from eternal damnation. Jesus is the cure to our sin problem.
And if you want somebody to truly put their faith in Jesus, you have to be willing to tell them that. To tell them the truth.
The truth that that they are a sinner in need in saving. The truth that without Jesus they will die in their sin. The truth that if they die in their sin, they will forever be separated from God, in a place called hell. A place where God’s presence doesn’t exist. A place where they will pay the penalty for their sin.
But the good news of the gospel is this. Jesus paid the price for your sin. Jesus suffered the penalty on your behalf. And if you’re willing to put your faith in Him. If you’re willing to make Him Lord of your life. That payment will be transfered to your account, and you will be free from your sin debt.
The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
But unless you’re willing to tell them the truth, they’ll never be able to make that confession.
You see, it’s really not that difficult to know what to say.
It starts as you tell them about a loving God who wants to have a relationship with them. A God that doesn’t hold grudges and will take them where they are at.
It continues as you tell them about Jesus. Who he was, what he did, and how he has worked in your life.
And it ends as you tell them the truth. That without Jesus in their life, there are eternal consequences. Consequences that can only be avoided through faith in Jesus.
And then that’s it. At that point, you’ve done your part. You’ve said everything there is to say.
The question now is, “Are you willing to do what it takes to say what needs to be said?”
Let’s Pray
Questions For Reflection:
Are you committed to knowing what God’s Word says about Jesus?
What’s your testimony and are you willing to share it?
If you don’t have a testimony, are you ready to have one?