Sermon Tone Analysis

A PROMISE KEPT (1): PREPARING CORNELIUS

(Acts 10:1-8)

Date: April 24, 2022

Read Acts 10:1-8 - Two thousand years before this event, promised Abraham: Gen 12:3b: "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

God called Abe not only to give him a land and make him a great nation, but also to bless the whole world thru him.

But you know the story.

Abe's descendants became vainglorious about their unique calling as God's people.

They split time between ignoring Jehovah altogether in favor of the gods of the neighbors, and treating God as their exclusive possession, not to be shared with anyone.

Their only interest in other nations was to want them obliterated.

But God's promises never fail.

So, when Jesus arrived on the scene as Abe's ultimate descendant, He fulfilled those promises.

His goal was not to defeat the Romans, but to deliver people from sin.

He did not die just for Jews, but for the whole world.

So, at the place of greatest weakness - the cross - God's promise to bless all families on earth was fulfilled -- potentially.

Forgiveness for believers, of any ethnic background, was bought and paid for.

The problem was that the early church was little more than a Jewish sect.

They still went to temple; still practiced Jewish traditions, and still looked down their noses at outsiders.

That needed to change, and by HS power, that did change.

Luke devotes 2 chapters to this without which you and I would never have heard the gospel and would still be on the outside looking in.

Instead, today no religious faith in the world as widespread as the Xn faith.

All others have local flavor and physical boundaries, but not Xnty.

It remains to this day the fastest growing faith in the world -- and it all started here.

It wasn't easy.

It's 10 years after Pentecost.

The apostles were slow to absorb the inclusiveness of the gospel.

Even now, it took two divine visions to prime this pump.

But in the end, God wins, as always.

So here's how God prepared the Roman Cornelius, not for annihilation as the Jews desired, but for inclusion in a new kingdom.

It's a wonderful story of God's grace.

I.

The Honest Seeker

Luke begins, "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius."

We're now beyond Jerusalem.

Caesarea was a beautiful coastal city about 60 miles NW of Jerusalem - the Roman capital of Palestine.

Herod made it the showcase of the East with a theater, amphitheater, public buildings, racecourse, palace aqueduct and magnificent harbor.

Beautiful to this day, until you realize at the amphitheater you're looking at where hundreds of Xns were fed to the lions.

Cornelius was "a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort - volunteer soldiers from Italy serving in Israel - 3,000 of them.

Each centurion commanded 100 men - non-commissioned, but like a modern captain.

They were the backbone of the Roman army.

Roman historian Polybius says: "Centurions are required to be good leaders, of steady and prudent mind, not prone to take the offensive or start fighting wantonly, but able when hard-pressed to stand fast and die at their post."

Centurions get good press in the Bible.

Cornelius got his rank by being strong, responsible and reliable.

But he was more than that.

He was 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.

Quite a description!

One might ask if most believers could be described in such terms.

This description makes Cornelius a fascinating character.

He knew the Roman pantheon of deities - Jupiter, Augustus, Mars, Venus and others.

But he had seen the bankruptcy of polytheism.

While stationed in Palestine, he'd been exposed to the Jewish belief in one true God.

He became "a devout (reverent) man who feared God."

That he also "gave alms" and "prayed continually to God" implies he attended a local synagogue - observed the Sabbath, prayed at set times and kept the Jewish dietary laws.

F. F. Bruce says, "One may say that he had every qualification, short of circumcision, which could satisfy Jewish requirements."

He was what Ryrie describes as a "proselyte at the gate" - believing in the God of the Jews, practicing Jewish tradition, lacking only baptism and circumcision for full acceptance.

So, was Cornelius saved?

He was clearly on his way, but he was not yet saved.

We know that bc when Peter later reports back to Jerusalem believers, he quotes Cornelius as telling him an angel told him, Acts 11:13b: "Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14) he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved."

That's future tense, Beloved.

At the time the angel said that, Cornelius was not yet justified despite his belief in the true God, his prayer and good works.

All of that wasn't enough to justify him.

He lacked Jesus!

But his heart was seeking truth.

God make sure he got what he needed.

Now we know even his seeking heart was a gift of God.

Jesus says in Jn 6:44: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

He reiterates in Jn 6:65b: "No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

Cornelius responded to the light that he already had.

He opened himself to the pull of the Spirit on his life.

He's a good guy.

But he doesn't yet know Jesus.

And Peter says in Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me by which we must be saved."

By grace, God sent Peter to introduce him to Jesus.

Believing in Gid is great, but it is not enough.

Jas 2:19: "You believe that God is one; you do well.

Even the demons believe-and shudder!"

But they're not saved.

Saying daily prayers, tho a good thing, is not enough.

Doing good and giving to the poor, is commendable, but it will not save you.

We are saved by repenting of sin and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

It's the world's greatest gift, but it will never be imposed; it has to be accepted by faith.

Cornelius is like John Wesley, also a good man - devout and filled with good intentions.

He founded a religious club at Cambridge devoted to promote Godliness.

He went from England to America as a missionary, preaching to others, but he was not saved.

On his way back from America, his ship was in a mighty storm which terrified him.

Yet he saw some Moravian believers who "seemed as happy in the hurricane as they were when the sun was shining."

After reaching England, he attended a small meeting where someone read from Luther's commentary on Romans.

He testifies, "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed, I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

It wasn't good works that saved Wesley, nor Cornelius.

It was Christ alone when they put their trust in Him to forgive them and give them a new heart.

So, our question is what James Kennedy always asked, "If you died today and God asked you, 'Why should I let you into My heaven?', what would you say?" Would you point to your pile of good intentions, your baptism or confirmation certificate, your gift to the building fund?

Or would you point to Jesus and say, "My trust is in Him alone."

That's the only right answer.

II.

The Divine Intervention

Okay, so Cornelius is a good Roman.

He's already thrown over the pantheon of Roman gods in favor of the true God.

He prays, gives to the poor and has led his household this direction.

What he knew about Messiah, and what he'd heard of Jesus over in Galilee, we don't know.

But he's a good guy who has been as responsive as possible to the light he has - truly seeking God.

And - God intervenes.