Acts 10:1-23 "Cornelius Seeks the Lord"

Last time, the author of Acts (Luke), shared a high point in the early church, where the church was at peace, revering God, encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and grew in numbers.

And, Peter was sent from Jerusalem to Lydda where he encountered Aeneas… a man paralyzed for 8 years.

Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.”

Aeneas was immediately healed… and all the people of Lydda and Sharon “turned to the Lord.”

Then, two men came from the neighboring town of Joppa because a dear saint named Tabitha (in Ara.) or Dorcas (in Gk.) had died.

She lived her life abounding in good works making clothing for widows… and was sorely missed.

Peter knelt down and prayed over her lifeless body, and said, “Tabitha, arise” and she opened her eyes! And “… many believed on the Lord.”

And, from these two miracles we saw that God often uses physical healings as a set up to the greater healing- Salvation… the only healing that will last eternally.

If you are saved here today, YOU were formerly dead, whether you know it or not, and you were raised from the dead the moment you said, “Yes” to Jesus.

You were born again spiritually… and we praise God for salvation through Jesus Christ.

We closed out Acts 9 where Peter was staying in Joppa at the home of one Simon the Tanner.

Tanners were considered unclean by Levitical Law each day they handled animal hides.

They were forced to live outside of town because of the foul smells of the tanning process…

There are even provisions in Jewish oral law allowing a woman to divorce a husband who becomes a tanner after they married.

This was NOT a loved occupation amongst Jews.

So, the fact that Peter stayed at the Tanner’s house was a big deal.

And, it’s possible that God was preparing Peter’s heart for what was next…

To go to an unclean Roman Gentile… a double whammy of people groups Jews hated… Romans & Gentiles.

Today we will see how God breaks down this division in order bring the gospel to the Gentiles… starting with a man named Cornelius.

The title of today’s sermon is “Cornelius Seeks the Lord.”

Let’s pray!

Acts 10:1 “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,”

Let’s stop there for an introduction to Caesarea, Cornelius, and his position in the Roman Army.

You history buffs will enjoy this background…

Caesarea Maritima was a city built by Herod the Great. I have a slide of Caesarea Maritima with the Italian words “Yesterday” and “Today.”

Herod the Great named this city after the Roman Caesar Augustus.

As brilliant of an architect as Herod was… he was equally crazy. Herod was a paranoid tyrant and a murderer…

Today, Caesarea is the home of Caesarea National Park… with remains of it’s Amphitheater, Hippodrome for horse racing; aqueducts (an amazing feat of engineering), and so many other archeological sites.

This is the same city where the Pilate Stone was found in 1961… engraved with the name of the Roman Governor) Pontius Pilate.

This discovery silenced Bible critic who doubted Pilate was real.

Archeology has consistently proven you can trust your Bible.

Caesarea is also the hometown of one of our main characters in Acts 10… Cornelius.

His name surged in popularity after 82 B.C. when General Cornelius Sulla liberated ten thousand slaves, and they all took their patron’s name.

Cornelius in Acts 10 is likely a descendant of one of these liberated men.

Cornelius was a Roman Centurion. A captain of 100 soldiers who was part of “the Italian Regiment.”

Romans ethnically considered themselves Italians…

Have you ever wondered how Rome of the Bible become Italy? Well if that question has been burning in your mind, today’s your day!

Rome developed in three stages: A Roman Kingdom, a Roman Republic, then a Roman Empire… altogether in existence for over 1200 years.

King Romulus (thus the name Rome) founded the kingdom in 753 B.C. where Rome was ruled by kings.

Italy is the ancient name of Calabria, the tip of the boot, which was called ‘Vitalia’ “the land of young cattle.”

‘Vitalia’ morphed over time to ‘Italia’, then ‘Italy.’

And, what was a name for originally Southern Italy, became a name for the whole peninsula… influencing Cornelius being of “the Italian Regiment.”

In 509 B.C. Rome became a Republic where, generally speaking, it was run through a representation of the people until 27 B.C.

Speaking about Republics…often the United States is erroneously titled a democracy, but we are in fact a “constitutional republic” where a representative is elected by the people to govern over them, according to the rules established in the law of the land.

Article 4 Section 4 of the US Constitution reads, “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.”

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands…”

We are not a true democracy as was Ancient Athens, where the citizens voted on all laws to be passed.

The US is a “constitutional republic” with a federalist form of government (meaning each State is controlled by two levels of government. Federal government, our strong central government, oversees national concerns. State government governs local issues),

And we follow democratic principles, but, we are NOT a democracy…

Scary, but a proponent to democracy was Karl Marx.

Our founding fathers deemed democracy as the worst form of government as it’s essentially “mob rule” where majorities can abuse minorities.

To quote a friend, “Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner.”

Republics protect against mob rule as they are ruled by law…

Democracies are ruled by man… and wolves.

Lot’s of free information today…

Back to Rome. Rome ceased as a Republic and became an Empire in 27 B.C. until it’s fall in 476 A.D.

As an Empire it was run through a single sovereign ruler- the Emperor, who was titled “Caesar.”

After the Fall of Rome, the Italian peninsula was fragmented into feudal kingdoms… and ‘Italy’ became the collective name for diverse states.

Now… check out this pattern. Remember Rome was a Kingdom, Republic, then Empire?

Well, in 1861, Italy was unified again under a king, and was called “The Kingdom of Italy.”

After WWII, Italy was left with a wrecked economy, a divided society, and anger towards the monarch.

Thus, in 1946, Italy voted and again became a republic… still to this day it’s “The Republic of Italy” with Rome as it’s capital.

And, very interesting… Prophecy speaks about a future “Revived Roman Empire” (Dan 7:7; Rev 13:1)… ruled by a single evil dictator… the Anti-Christ.

What a pattern! Kingdom, Republic, Empire. Keep your eyes up! Jesus is coming soon!

So, Cornelius of the Italian Regiment… there is great history in that ethnic identity which shaped Italy as the name for their country today.

Cornelius was part of a regiment… or “cohort.”

A Roman legion, led by 6 Tribunes, consisted of 6000 soldiers… broken into 10 cohorts (roughly 600 men each). There were 6 Centurions per cohort & 60 Centurions per legion… and Cornelius was one of these rugged Roman Centurions.

Well let’s look at the good character of Cornelius… Look at V2

Acts 10:2 “...a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”

A Gentile who revered the God of Israel was titled a “God-fearer” and Cornelius seems to be such a man.

There was another God-fearing Centurion in Luke 7, who had a sick servant, and elders of the Jews pleaded to Jesus on his behalf.

Luke 7:3–5 “So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

The Centurion’s message was: Luke 7:6-7 “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

It’s the only time we read that Jesus marveled, and it was regarding the faith of a Gentile. Jesus said, Lk 7:9 “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

So, more than once in scripture, we observe an authentic openness to Jesus amongst these Centurions.

They have a desire to follow the true God…

They seem to have forsaken the pantheon of gods in Roman mythology.

They were not hindered by religion as were the Scribes and Pharisees.

And, they seem to recognize the need for more beyond religion.

In V2, we see the many good qualities of Cornelius:

He’s Devout: pious, godly, worshipful.

One who feared God with all his household: Support for him as a “God fearer.”

But, it seems… according to Acts 11:3… he was uncircumcised… which disqualified him for full conversion to Judaism.

Therefore, he could attend synagogue, but not temple sacrifice.

We also read Cornelius’ household feared God.

Which is a great reminder that strong spiritual leadership impacts the home. Parents… lead your families spiritually.

For husbands, Eph 5:25-26 instructs “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word...”

Are you cleansing your family with the word of God?

Cornelius’ family was in order… they follow his godly leadership… and when he accepts Christ… they do as well.

Cornelius also “gave alms generously to the people.”

Cornelius consistently, willingly, and not sparingly… financially supported the poor amongst the Jews.

Like God, he had a heart for those who were often overlooked…

Finally, we read, Cornelius “prayed to God always.”

He had a dedicated prayed life to the God of Israel.

He was on the right track… he was seeking God… but, he was not saved.

Even a man like Cornelius who is full of good works… a man who is leading his family well… living a life of kindness towards others… and is spiritual… even he was not eternally saved.

He needed to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

And, the miracle of this account is that as Cornelius was honestly seeking the Lord… the Lord sought him.

God, throughout the generations, OT & NT He has promised this would be so…

Through Moses He promised… Deut 4:29 “...you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

He promised in 2 Chr 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

Jesus Himself promised… Matt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Over and over… to many generations throughout the ages… God has promised that if you honestly seek Him… you will find Him… you will be found… and you will be blessed.

I know this to be true in my life. In my late teens… I became a theist… one who believed in God (like Cornelius).

A friend invited me to her Mormon church… I didn’t know any better… and I was moved by how friendly they were.

But, my friend was an hour from my house.

So I called my Mormon Uncle and asked him, “Are there any good local Mormon churches?”

He replied, “I’m no longer a Mormon, I’m born again.” Let’s get together.

My Uncle was saved out of Mormonism by reading the word of God… by honestly seeking the Lord.

And, as I honestly sought the Lord, God re-directed my steps to truth… He found me and used my Uncle to share the truth of Christ with me… an on that day of May 12th, 1998… I was completed in Christ.

And, on the same day, 9 years later… my eldest daughter, Elliana, was born.

Elliana… who’s name means “My God has answered.”

And, He has over and over.

Well, back to Acts… let’s see how God showed Himself strong to Cornelius…

Acts 10:3-6 “About the ninth hour [3pm] of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

We find ourselves at 3 in the afternoon.

Jews pray three times a day… morning, afternoon, and evening… and 3pm was the time of prayer according to Acts 3:1.

So likely Cornelius who was “devout” and “prayed to God always” was praying at 3pm.

And, during this time he had a vision.

Notice the words of emphasis in V3 “he saw clearly a vision…”

The vision happened in broad daylight… this was not some illusion or deception of the senses. It was authentic.

And, the vision was of an angel coming to Cornelius… knowing him by name… and sent with a message.

One time in 2013, I had a vision (also in the middle of the day)… it led to a conversation with my parents… and to both of them professing the Lord Jesus.

Here too… the Lord will use this vision to lead to Cornelius’ salvation.

When Cornelius sees the angel, he is fearful. Later in V30, he will describe the angel as wearing “bright clothing.”

It’s quite the sight. And, Cornelius responds, “What is it, lord?”

Note: Cornelius is not rebuked by the angel for mis-placed worship…

Twice in Revelation John is overwhelmed by heavenly visions and falls at the feet of an angel and worships him… both times the angel rebukes John… Rev 22:9 records, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

Being Cornelius is not rebuked, it seems this soldier is doing what soldiers do… submitting to authority and being respectful… as in “Sir”, but not worship.

And, the angel says, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.”

There is a heavenly recognition of Cornelius’ good works… his good heart… his compassion on others… they stand as a memorial by def. “a record” before God.

God took note of the good deeds and heart of this unsaved Gentile. In love God sent an Angel … then an Apostle to complete this man in Christ.

Because without Christ, for all of his good works, Cornelius would not be permitted into heaven.

Eph 2:8-10 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship [Gk. pŏiēma- poem] , created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Because of saving faith, good works should be present in your life.

Good works are like a poem written by God, and it would be a travesty if you did not read that poem aloud.

Be doers of the word, not hearers only.

Cornelius was a doer of the word… and he didn’t even yet have the full revelation.

Now… interesting, but why doesn’t the angel just share the gospel with Cornelius?

Why go through all the hassle? As we will see… of calling on Peter… wrestling with Peter’s prejudices towards Gentiles… orchestrating Peter and Cornelius to connect when they are in separate cities (Peter’s in Joppa & Cornelius in Caesarea) 37 miles apart / a 12 hour walk.

So, why all the hassle?

It would be easier not to deal with mankind’s limitations… like our inability to zip here and there like Angels do, but God patiently waits on us to do His bidding.

It would be easier not to deal with our hang ups, but God works through our struggles. He is bringing Peter to a place of understanding that God loves Gentiles.

God wants to work out the rough spots in our hearts and minds… to conform us into the image of His Son.

It would be easier to leave us in our present mess, but He loves us too much… He’s a good Father.

In Matt 4:19 Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Jesus did NOT promise to send Angels to do the work… the work would remain in the hands of mankind.

The keys to the kingdom of heaven… the Gospel… entrusted to mankind.

God calls us… trusts us to be His mouthpiece… to deliver hope… that there is a God in heaven and He offers salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ… it’s a free gift… believe and receive.

In our present dispensation of time, the Church Age, it is NOT the place of angels to share the Gospel, and that’s why we don’t see angels preaching the gospel in the NT.

Except one time, and that’s after the church age has come to close. It’s during the time of the Great Tribulation.

Rev 14:6 “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—"

But, until that day… the Gospel is entrusted to us. And, this fascinates angels… the sharing of the gospel and the salvation of mankind are as Peter says, “… things which angels desire to look into.” (1 Pet 1:12)

Sharing the gospel and leading a person to Christ is a privilege.

It would be easier for God to have angels do the work, but in His mysterious and great ways… He chooses us.

So, why all the hassle? Sometimes the hard road creates the best results.

And, so… instead of delivering the Gospel… the angel delivers instructions to Cornelius… VSS 5-6…

Cornelius is to send men from Caesarea to Joppa… and find Peter at Simon the Tanner’s house… who will have further instructions.

Obey step 1… then Step 2 will be revealed. So often God works this way.

And, don’t let your obedience to God’s step linger.

For Cornelius, he doesn’t let Step 1 linger… he immediately obeys…

Acts 10:7-8 “And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.”

The angel departs and Cornelius obeys. He calls on two of his household servants… which tells you he has amassed wealth.

A denarius was a days wage.

A common Roman foot-soldier was paid between $300-$675 denarii per year.

A Centurion was paid between $3750-$15,000 denarii per year.

So, Cornelius was doing alright financially.

Cornelius sends 2 of his paid servants, and a soldier who was devout (also a God fearing man) down to Joppa to find Peter.

And, note V8… “when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them...”

The word “explained” in Gk. is exēgēsamenos… in English we say “exegesis”… it’s how we teach the Bible… Exegetical.

The word means “to show the way.”

When I teach Chapter-by-Chapter, Verse-by-Verse… I’m showing you the way.

As Cornelius “recounts” his experience… it seems his people believe, for in V22 they sincerely summarize Cornelius’ divine encounter.

Now, here’s where things get even more interesting… we just saw how God was working on Cornelius’ heart… now we are going to see how God works on Peter’s heart.

Acts 10:9-16 “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. [12pm] 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” [That’s a hunter’s memory verse. Sorry Vegans…] 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.”

So, the next day the three men Cornelius sent approach Joppa (impressive that they made that 12 hour journey in 1 day)…

At lunchtime… noon… Peter is going to the rooftop to pray.

Roofs were commonly flat in Israel, allowing space for people to gather.

And, Peter was heading to the rooftop of Simon the Tanner’s house to pray at 12 noon… probably needed some fresh air from all the animal hides being tanned…

Peter may finally be learning the lessons he saw in Jesus… modeling how often Jesus prayed.

As Peter prays… he starts getting hungry (V10)… always a distraction when your body is working against your spirit.

You desire to press into spiritual matters, yet your body is tired, hungry, in pain… gassy… there’s so many things that can be a distraction.

Would Peter remember Jesus’ words in Matt 26:41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

And, as Peter could not stay awake that evening in the garden with Jesus… again his body is failing him… he is having hunger pangs as he prays, and he’d like to eat but the food it was not yet prepared.

We’re going to see Peter struggle today. And, this should encourage you… we all have struggles.

Let me remind you Peter already received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit about 10 years prior.

And yet, here Peter struggles. You see while the Baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses… it does not make us free from failing.

Peter is still a work in progress… he’s not the man he used to be… Mr. ready, fire, aim… he’s grown so much, but still is being conformed into the image of the Son. … as are we.

As he prays, he falls into a trance… Gk. ĕkstasis- ecstasy “a displacement of the mind.”

In his vision heaven opens (V11), and something like (figurative language) a great sheet (fine linen)…

bound (some versions say descending)… it’s tied at the ends and by these is lowered from heaven to earth.

Could this represent the “banner” and the “four corners of the earth” as spoken of in Isaiah and Revelation?

Isa 11:10 “And in that day [The Millennial Kingdom] there shall be a Root of Jesse, [Messiah] Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”

Isa 11:12 “He will set up a banner for the nations, [Gentiles] And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”

Which ties to Acts 1:8 “To the ends of the earth”… the gospel is to go out to all people.

In this great sheet were a variety of animals that were considered both clean and unclean by Levitical law.

For a Jew, the world consists of clean and unclean people. Jews and Gentiles… all nations.

And in V13, Peter is commanded to eat of any of these animals… clean or unclean. “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” ‘Kill and eat’ are not suggestions, they are imperatives… commands.

But, look how Peter responds, “Not so, Lord!” Not..so..Lord?

There is something fundamentally wrong with this statement.

IF Jesus is the Lord of your life, and He gives you a command, there is only one acceptable response… “Yes Lord!” …

To say, “Not so, Lord!” exposes one’s heart… Either He is NOT truly Lord, or that person is in rebellion.

Last time we looked at the many times Peter said “Yes” to the Lord. Interesting contrast today.

Amazing how quick things can change… today we observe Peter saying, “No.”

And there were a number of times Peter formerly said, “No” to the Lord.

‘Cast your net’… “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

‘I’m going to die and rise again’… “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to you!”

‘Let me wash your feet’… “You shall never wash my feet!”

You will deny me… “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

The difference here is in Acts is Peter was baptized with the Holy Spirit and yet he is still having a struggle.

There is not a state of sinless perfection… not until we die and are glorified.

Until then, we are all sinners saved by grace... being conformed into the image of His Son.

God was patient with Peter… He’s patient with us… we need to be patient with one another.

Peter’s disobedience is followed by an explanation… “For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

With that statement, Peter reveals there are deep seated Jewish practices that are part of his core.

What initial is a stubborn refusal of eating unclean… non-kosher food… will reveal a deeper prejudice…

Bigotry against gentiles… which we will see play out in this narrative.

As a young Jewish boy, Peter would have been exposed to a number of hateful statements…

Classic literature reveals a prayer from his patriarchal society, where men thanked God for their station in life… “Thank God that I am not a gentile, a woman, or a slave...”

Gentiles were referred to as “Gentile dogs...”

It’s said Jews taught that Gentiles were created to keep the fires of hell hot. That Gentiles were “fuel for the fodder of hell.”

And so, in V16 we see that “three times” this exchange between Peter and God transpires.

Eat Peter… Not so, Lord.

Eat Peter… It’s unclean… I cannot.

Eat Peter… Lord, I object.

Peter is stubborn… deep convictions… and there’s something about him and three times…

Three denials of the Lord Jesus. Three times Jesus had to restore him. Three times the Lord commands him to look past dietary restrictions.

In the OT, Jews are called a “stiff-necked people… obstinate… stubborn… impudent… hard-hearted.”

Peter shows this to be true. Even for a man baptized with the holy spirit, there are lies taught to him as a youth that he must work through.

As must we… If there are lies that were taught to you as a child either about you… or about other people not like you… how does that narrative stack up against the Bible?

Well, as Peter’s vision comes to a close and the object is taken back up to heaven… the three men approach…

Acts 10:17-20 “Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

The timing in the order of these events is intentional… the vision… the wondering… the arrival of the men… the Holy Spirit instructing.

Gentiles arrive at the gate… men who were unclean… Romans (the worst of the Gentiles… the current occupying force)…

And, as they ask for Peter, look at the Spirit’s instructions in VSS 19-20…

Three men are seeking you… not three Gentile dogs… that was man’s prejudice. God sees three men.

“… go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

This was not a time to doubt the vision, but a time to trust the Lord’s leading… God had sent these Gentiles… He had a plan beyond Peter’s national prejudice.

“Doubting nothing” could be translated “to hesitate.” This was NOT a time for hesitation, but for obedience to the Lord’s command.

And, despite Peter’s initial struggles, he ends well…

Let’s close with these words…

Acts 10:21-23 “Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.”

Peter ends well. He’s already staying at the unclean home of Simon the Tanner… so what’s three more Gentiles?

This is like a bad bar joke… “A Jew, a Tanner, and three Gentiles walk into a bar…”

This is one of those moments where you look around and you think, “What is my life?”

It’s surreal, but Peter is going with it. He’s done fighting… He’s obeying.

It’s great to come to that place of surrender… to stop fighting against God.

If you’re not saved stop fighting against God… Jesus is your Lord and He can be your Savior… accept Him… get saved today.

If you’re wrestling with sin… the Holy Spirit is convicting you to live a holy life. Give up the sinful practice. Stop fighting against God.

Let’s close with this final observation… notice that God works both ends.

Through an angel God spoke to Cornelius… in a vision God spoke to Peter. God was working on both of their hearts simultaneously.

Often times God will put something on YOUR heart, which will be CONFIRMED by someone else.

If someone comes to you sharing what God has for you… “God told me to tell you...” BUT, God has NOT worked on your heart or given you a similar prompting…

It may not be from the Lord.

Just file it away… thank them… and wait. If it’s truly from the Lord, He will confirm it in your heart.

There are always stories of guys and girls at Bible College telling someone they like, “The Lord told me we’re going to get married.”

Just smile and tell them. That’s great… you stay in Caesarea… I’ll remain in Joppa and when the Lord confirms this to both of us… we’ll get together.

That’s solid advice for you young people out there.

Read ahead… Next week we will finish Chapter 10.

Let’s Pray!

This is not a season for us to be distracted by false narratives of the past. Time is short.

Give it to God and Go impact the world.

If you’re fighting God… it’s time to stop. Give Him your life…

Cornelius was a man of means, a good man doing good works… but he needed to be completed in Christ. Be completed in Christ today.

And, if sin is holding you back… let it go.

Go this week in the full empowerment of God and live out His calling upon your life.

If you need prayer to invite God into you life or to re-dedicate you life… let’s pray today.