Turning the World Upside Down: Prejudice BreakDown Part 1: Acts 10:23b-11:18

I. Peter’s Journey vs. 24b-33

A. Peter has Gentiles stay in the same house overnight. As we will see he really caused a stir and got people talking.

B. Cornelius starts to worship Peter, but Peter stops him. So much for the Pope!

C. Peter admits that Yahweh is working on him concerning his prejudices. For a Christian to be prejudice is anathema to the gospel that they say they believe. But we all have it in some part of our life or another. Even if it is minute.

D. Cornelius relays his vision, having invited friends and family to hear what the Lord wanted them to hear. This is a Spiritually thirsty people.

II. Peter’s Sermon vs. 34-44

A. Peter’s relays how Jesus showed no partiality.

James 2:1 NASB95

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

B. Jesus is the Messiah and healed people.

C. Jesus was crucified.

D. Jesus rose again.

E. Jesus only appeared to His followers. The Jews. Many cults try to say that Jesus appeared, or was reincarnated. But none were where Jesus was appearing, nor Jewish.

F. Speaking in tongues was a sign for the Jews. That is judgment.

Isaiah 28:11–12 NASB95

Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,” And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen.

G. William Barclay says this was because they and Peter were seven witnesses, the number of witnesses necessary to validate a case.

H. Peter baptized and discipled them.

III. Peter’s Defense: 11:1-18

A. People’s problem wasn’t that the Gentiles were being saved, but rather Peter was eating with them. Sounds like the Pharisees to me.

B. Peter defends his vision, because it is in line with God’s word. If someone’s vision is contrary to scripture then it is not of God.

C. We need men with a heart for God and people, so that they will have a vision for new horizons. “When such ambassadors of Christ impart their vision, the horizons of those around them are widened”- R. Kent Hughes.

D. At first the Jews took the Gentile believers in. False teachers always go after sensetive areas, like the Judizers after Gentiles keeping the law in order to be saved!