What God Has Made Clean

What Divides Us

Politics - can a Christian vote for a candidate who supports abortion; can a Christian vote for a candidate who’s arrogance and intemperance causes as much harm as abortion

COVID and Masks - Does it demonstrate a lack of faith if the Church encourages masks and social distancing, or is it infringing upon the rights of the believer? Will we insist upon our own liberty, or will we choose to put others’ needs before our own?

We’re divided over the music we use in worship: some won’t sing to God unless the hymn has been printed in a hymnal, others won’t sing unless it was written within the last 10 years. We’re divided over the style of worship, but don’t worry much about the content of it.

KJV only vs. Modern Translations

Ancient Divisions

Jews and the goyim - God’s people and everyone elseSet apart by moral law - rooted in the character of GodSet apart by ceremony - separated by distinctive living, to be a light to the nations, a nation of priests

Greeks/Romans and the barbarians - set apart by culture and religious plurality - a genuine Greek/Roman city had standards (walls around the city for protection, government buildings, commerce, temple and theatre)

Those things that divide us have been brought to nothing through the cleansing work of Jesus Christ.

Cornelius the Centurion

A Centurion - Captain of 100-600 men

Italian Cohort - elite forces, guarding the Governor

A Devout Man - religious/pious

God-Fearer - a convert to Judaism in every way but circumcision - he and his household

He had left the paganism of Roman culture for the monotheism of the Jewish faith - drawn by the moral and ethical teaching - the simplicity of the faith

Demonstrated in giving alms (Charity) and in praying continuously to God

Cornelius’ Vision

While praying at the 9th hour and angel of the Lord appeared to him

He stared and was terrified - the common response to an angelic visitation

“What is it, Lord?” - like Paul’s response on the Damascus road - “Who are you, Lord” - it is a recognition that he is being addressed by the Lord - and a willingness to obey.

Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God

Like the sacrifices of the OT - rising like a fragrant offering before the Lord - a symbol of how our prayers come before God

Psalm 141:2 - Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice

Psalm 141:2 ESV

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Rev 8:3-4 - The angle offers incense with the prayers of the saints before the throne of God, and it rose before GodGod has heard your prayers, and will answer you.

Revelation 8:3–4 ESV

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.

What is Cornelius praying for? As a God-fearer, a convert to Judaism, he is certainly looking for righteousness and peace with God - but all the law could do is convict him of his own sinfulness and a need for a Savior

God’s answer: Send for Peter.

Notice the angel didn’t give the answer, but told Cornelius where to find the answers he was looking for. God uses men and women to proclaim the gospel

Peter the Apostle

Peter - a Hebrew of Hebrews - apostle of Christ - goes to the roof top to pray at the 6th hour - noon

He’s hungry - so the attendants begin to prepare him a meal - though it takes time

In his hunger, he prays, then falls into a trance - a vision

The Sheet from Heaven - all kinds of animals and birds - both clean and unclean -

The purpose of OT Ceremonial laws - Israel was to be set apart from all other peoples of the earth, not only by how they worshiped, but also by what they ate. Following the Law was a sign of commitment to the one true and living God.

God’s Command - Rise, Kill, and Eat

Now that Jesus Christ has come, our entrance into the presence of God is not based on external things but on our coming to God through his appointed way (of which the ceremonial laws were pointers or signposts) which is through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:8-14). It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sin (Heb. 10:4) or keeping a kosher diet to make us acceptable to God. This is why Christ himself declared all foods clean in Mark 7:18–19 “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)”

Mark 7:18–19 ESV

And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

The Ceremonial law has been set aside - as it pointed to what was to be accomplished through Jesus Christ.

The moral law, that which reflects the character of God, remains - as God’s character remains the same

Peter’s Response

By no means, Lord

Contrast with Cornelius’ and Paul’s response

Paul said, “Who are you, Lord?”

Cornelius said, “What is it, Lord?”

Peter says, “No, Lord.”

You cannot say, “No” and “Lord” at the same time.

Other times Peter said no:

Matt 16:22 - After Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus began to teach that he must suffer and die and be raised again, to which Peter objected, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

Matthew 16:22 ESV

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

Matt 26:33 - Jesus predicts that all his disciples will abandon him, Peter said, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”

Matthew 26:33 ESV

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

3 times this vision happens - Other 3 times for Peter

Denied Jesus three timesRestored three times - John 21:15-19

What Peter eventually learns

As he awakes from the vision - the messengers arrive from Cornelius - and the Spirit tells Peter to go with them.

vs. 28 - “God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.”

Though his vision was about food, he plainly saw that it was dealing with more than that. This isn’t about the food. It is a parable: God is setting aside the dietary laws as a sign that those things that divide us (Jew, Gentile, slave or free, democrat or republican, black or white) have been broken down through Christ.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has broken down the things that divide us

What God Has Made Clean

You have been made clean in Christ

This is the Gospel: Christ’s atoning work upon the cross, his dying for your sin, and his rising for your justification, is the means by which God declares you clean

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

You are the creeping thing that has been declared clean

The point of every sermon is not: “do this and live.” Instead, the point of every sermon should be: “See what God has done for you to bring you to life: worship and give Him all glory!”

Live this Gospel - There are none that are beyond God’s redeeming and cleansing work

We are called to be one in Christ - live as one

We are called to the ministry of reconciliation - those whom we would look down on, and think they cannot come to Jesus - those are the one’s to whom the Gospel must be preached

Those things that divide us have been overcome in Christ