Acts 10:1-11:18 is the longest narrative in Acts. This suggests that the events and insights related to Peter’s vision and Cornelius’s conversion are important to us all. It shows we need to break through barriers caused by cultural mindsets, personal prejudices, or religious pride. These can hinder our understanding of God, as well as our attitudes and effectiveness in serving, evangelism or missions.
Q-Is evangelism uncomfortable/intimidating 2U? How & Why?
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I. The Priority of Missions-
Acts is a story of mission history and how the gospel moved across cultural, racial and geographic barriers. It encourages us to overcome fears, get out of our comfort zones and trust God to do wonderful things. This story is an inspiring example of Peter doing this not by faith or love, but with stubbornness and hesitancy. He is learning the true meaning of the Great Commandments, and just now (years later) obeying the Great Commission by sharing the Gospel with Roman Gentiles (Mt.22:36-40, 28:19).
God’s agenda for history and what He is doing to fulfill that agenda is outlined in Genesis 12:3 with the call of Abraham. “All the families of the earth will be blessed.” This is the redemptive purpose of Jesus’ life, death and victorious resurrection. Luke echoes this in his “Great Commission” (Lk.24:47, Acts1:8) with an emphasis on all peoples and all places. In these scriptures and this story, we see the mission to the world is as much a part of the message and purpose of God as is the incarnation, cross and resurrection of Christ. The Church and the Kingdom of God includes men and women of every race, language and culture (Rev.7:9-10, 22:2, 17). This is what Christian mission is all about and is the biblical revelation God is teaching Peter and the Jerusalem church.
It’s essential for the Church to be missionary to the ends of the earth and the end of history. To believe that relationship with God and participating in His purposes are inseparable. To know God, we get close to His heart…and there we discover love for the world and billions of people! This inspires a life of worship and witnessing while helping us read the bible and see other people with God’s heart and eyes. “For God so loved the whole world” that HE gave Jesus and sent us. Learning to live Jn.3:16, motivated by love with a mission vision is important for Peter and us.
Mission is not something peripheral to the Christian life. It is to have priority over mind and manifestations. Understanding this will help us to avoid the traps that have often paralyzed the western church. The pursuits of both the intellectual mind and spiritual manifestations are valuable, but they are not of 1st importance. There are many well meaning Christians that have pursued almost exclusively one of these to the neglect of the others. However, mission is to have priority and the mind and manifestations are to serve the mission of knowing God and making Him known.
II. The Process of Christian Expansion-
Acts is a missionary manual for Church expansion, and the whole biblical agenda is that the people of God would take the gospel message to all people.
This story of Peter and Cornelius is one of the great turning points of Church history. For the first time, a Gentile was being admitted into the fellowship of the Church. This rocked the church to its core, and threatened to divide it in two. It was the beginning of a controversy that Peter continued to struggle with, and Paul was to fight throughout his ministry. We want to look at the factors that led Peter and the Church to take the gospel across these significant cultural and racial barriers.
At the time of Peter’s vision, the Christian movement was distinctively Hebrew and still centered in Jerusalem. Christianity was in real danger of becoming just another minority sect of Judaism. Then, in a flury of Spirit led actions and adventures, the Church found itself in new territory, facing a bold new vision of Christ’s redemptive work and the nature of HIS Kingdom. Steven became the 1st martyr, Phillip the 1st missionary to foreigners, Paul was called as apostle to the Gentiles, and now Peter is supernaturally overcoming prejudice which will lead to the conversion of Cornelius.
The Holy Spirit, is a Spirit of mission
The Holy Spirit is “sent” to empower our participation in God’s purposes. To help us “go” and be witnesses for Jesus Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are, primarily, to equip us for mission and ministry. In Acts we see the Holy Spirit at work forming & expanding the outreach of the church. It is a magnificent record of the Spirit using the most unlikely people, overcoming formidable obstacles, employing unconventional methods and achieving remarkable results. The special activity of the Holy Spirit in Acts seems to be at points where the gospel is breaking through from one place and one culture to another, ex. Pentecost (2), the Samaritan (8:16), the Ethiopian (8:26), Cornelius (9), the mission structure (13), the call to Europe (16:9) and the voyage to Rome (27:23). Acts and mission history is full of surprises, and so is the story of Peter and Cornelius. When participating in missions, or ministering to people very different than us, we should expect God to do the unexpected!
III. The Practical Lessons for Us -
This story of Peter and Cornelius and the reaction of the church in Jerusalem gives some important lessons for Christians and churches today. One of the clearest lessons is that God is in charge! At every step the Holy Spirit was directing things.
A second lesson is that sometimes the Holy Spirit pushes us to think in a new way. Peter’s heavenly vision forced him to a totally different way of looking at people. Is the Holy Spirit working in us to see people in new ways…without personal experience, preferential bias or ethnic prejudice clouding our thinking?
There are no “common people.”
The 1st significance of Peter’s vision is an understanding that in Christianity, there is to be no racial or religious superiority. There are no inferior people, for we are all created in the image of God, and we cannot call impure what God has cleansed. Strict Jews believed that God had no use for Gentiles. The vision of a sheet from Heaven with all kinds of animals for a picnic was offensive. It was a violation of their dietary laws and something Peter had followed all his life.
“In contrast with so many Bible personalities who seem to get it right the 1st time, Peter’s life of faith is characterized by fits and starts, steps forward and backward, acts of faith and cowardice…Sometime’s it looks like he’s got it; then it seems he doesn’t get it at all” (Williamson). “It is not at all surprising that Peter should challenge (and see) this vision three times” (Walasky). Peter had to learn the lesson, and with the vision’s repetition, there could be no possible mistake or dodging of this lesson.
There was another word from God in prayer, a knock on the door and conversation with the men Cornelius had sent. Suddenly, it dawned on Peter that this vision was not about animals but people. The message was not about menus but salvation. Never before had God’s people thought of HIS love and promises being available to unclean Gentiles, but that was about to change!
God is no respecter of persons…
Notice that in Acts 8, 9, and 10 we have the conversion of a descendant of each of Noah’s sons. The Ethiopian eunuch was the offspring of Ham, Saul from the line of Shem, and now Cornelius a descendent of Japheth. This is yet another marvelous picture that the Gospel is for all; and Christ is not prejudiced. His salvation and abundant life are for whoever believes.
It’s also important to notice that both Peter and Cornelius are equally significant to this story and incredible breakthrough. They had diverse upbringings and personalities, and came from “different sides of the tracks.” Yet, both were overcoming what was custom and “politically correct” to step out into uncomfortable and unfamiliar waters. Both were praying men that God spoke to and gave spiritual visions. Both trusted and obeyed God, and were helped by Angels. The real hero of the story is the One who answers prayers, makes promises and finds a way to keep them even in the midst of our stubbornness and partiality. Peter came to this revelation when at Cornelius’ house. Then Peter said, “I now realize that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation…and the message God sent, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, WHO IS LORD OF ALL!!!” (Acts 10:34-36).
The Cornelius Factor -
The setting of most of this story is the house of Cornelius, a Gentile soldier. He lived about 30 miles north of Joppa and west of Jerusalem in Caesarea. Cornelius was an officer (Centurion) in the Roman military commanding 100 men. This means he was a man of proven character, loyalty and courage. His life of self-discipline, leadership and service had earned a position of prominence and the respect of colleagues and subordinates. His caring heart was seen in the big crowd he invited to hear Peter.
However, the most amazing thing about him was his piety. He was a devout, God-fearing, generous and praying man. “God-fearers” was a technical term for Gentiles who became frustrated with their ancestral beliefs (the gods and their immoralities) and turned to Jewish religion. They accepted the Jewish faith but did not accept the whole law or circumcision. They were 1 of the 3 types of people found in synagogues; and after this story (throughout NT times), they most commonly formed the nucleus of new Churches.
Cornelius is an example of a “seeker.” He was a man who lived with conviction and conscience. He was searching for God, had some faith and knew there was more…but had incomplete understanding. He was ready to “hear and be saved”-Rom.10:11-17.
“Memorials”
“Your prayers and gifts have come up as a memorial offering before God.”-Acts10:4, 31
God remembered the sincerity, faith and generosity of this man. The way he lived and worshipped got the attention of Almighty God. This marks a memorial not on earth, but in Heaven; a telling of one’s life, words and deeds not in the annals of history, but in Eternity’s Book of Remembrance! Remembering is important and memorials matter.
The prophets were always telling people to remember, and the function of remembering is encouragement. Biblically, when we “remember,” we see the faithfulness of God and our faith increases. Biblically when God “remembers,” HE moves immediately and supernaturally to bring change or blessing into your life or difficult situations (Ex.2:24+). Our remembrance is hope, and God’s remembrance is answered prayers and fulfilled promises from Heaven…now!
“I read the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important” (CS Lewis). Many strive to move the hands of men, but few seek to move the heart of God. May we be remembered with a heart for God and hands toward men and women.
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