Lechem Panim #168 “Salvation Comes To Cornelius” (Acts 10:34-48) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to the show today!

The First Missionary to Gentiles— In chapter 10 of our study of the book of Acts, we have encountered a Roman Centurion by the name of Cornelius; a man full of good works living the best way that he knew how. But he did not yet know about Jesus. And so God has sent Peter to him and to his entire household, who have gathered to hear the wonderful news that not only has God’s salvation come in the person of Jesus Christ, but that that salvation is available to even them, even though they are Gentiles. Now this would mean some radical changes for Cornelius and his household; changes would radically affect their views of God, their way of worship, and ultimately their mission and purposes. And this would fly in the face of many of the customs and elements of their culture that had become the norm for them. Paul (the first real missionary to the Gentiles) had set into motion something that would radically change them and their culture.

Below The Surface— And you know missionaries are often criticized for this very reason; for imposing their religion and way of doing things on other cultures. Sometimes it’s even painted as if missionaries are the ones who come in and destroy culture. Now we know that that is devilish propaganda. Yes, you might have a few bad apples here and there, but for the most part missionaries have made a world of positive difference in the various cultures they have touched, bringing hope, healing, education, and so much more. I have been to a lot of places in the world where the the main religion(s) is a false religion. And there is often beautiful artistry and fascinating tradition connected with it. But what we have to remember is that just because a religion may be beautiful on the outside and there may be gorgeous religious icons and captivating rituals that have become a part of a nation’s heritage, that doesn’t mean that things are beautiful below the surface. Don’t believe me? Start asking the followers of those religions questions like, “Where do you believe you are going to go when you die?” “If you believe in heaven, how do you believe you can get there?” “In your belief system, is it possible for you to even know if you are going there?” And what you’ll find is that in no other religion can you truly know that you are going to heaven. Why? Because they are all works-based; and you can never know if you have done enough to earn your way there. And so you can never really have peace. It is only Christianity that requires works as a result of salvation; not as the means of salvation. And it is only after salvation that works can be truly good anyways because we can finally perform good works without the selfish motivation for personal salvation. But if we are to receive salvation first, then our sins must be paid for in advance; hence our need for Christ. Only He was good enough to be a sacrifice for our sins and so it is only in and through Him that we can be saved. And that’s why it doesn’t matter how devout Cornelius is; how good his works are. It is only in Jesus that we can experience deliverance from sin and have eternal life. And Peter knows this, which is why he is about to share with all these men and women about the person of Jesus. It says…

Acts 10:34-35 (NKJV)— 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 

God Accepts All Who Fear Him— I love how Peter starts with what God was teaching him right at that time; and that is that God will receive any person from any nation who fears Him and works righteousness. Now it may seem from verse 35 that Peter is preaching salvation by works. However, we will see in verse 43 just the opposite, as he will proclaim that salvation only comes though belief in Jesus. And so the phrase “fears Him {(God)} and works righteousness” is a description of the outflow of a Christian’s life. It is the outward sign that the inward work has been accomplished. Now Peter’s audience had heard a good bit about Jesus already, which is why Peter says in…

Acts 10:36-43 (NKJV)— 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

The Shortest Sermon— Now this is perhaps one of the shortest sermons ever preached, and yet it had everything that Cornelius and his family and friends needed to know. Jesus is Lord of all (which speaks to both His divinity, but also His availability; He is Lord of all ); He had led a perfect life of servanthood and obedience before God; He died on the cross, was raised on the third day, many (including Peter) were witnesses of this; Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures concerning the Messiah; and salvation through remission of sins is available to whoever believes in Him. You can’t get more basic than that. And similarly, when you and I share Christ, we need to remember that we don’t need to be long to be effective. All we need to do is allow ourselves to (like Peter) be led by the Spirit and do what we can to center our message on the person and work of Christ, the Way, the Truth, and The Life.

Laying Hold of “whoever”— Now these men and women immediately reacted to Peter’s sermon, particularly laying hold of that word whoever. They immediately recognize Christ’s availability to them, receive Him in faith, and are saved. And Peter no doubt intended to continue his sermon; he was just getting started. But the greatest thing that can happen while preaching happens. It says in…

Acts 10:44 (NKJV)— 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 

Peter Interrupted— What an awesome thing when God breaks in! But you know, Peter was probably kind of getting used to God interrupting him. You will remember that [God the Father interrupted Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:4–5), and God the Son interrupted him in the matter of the temple tax (Matt. 17:24–27). Now, God the Spirit interrupted him—] Peter was interrupted by every member of the Trinity. But you, know, it is a good thing when God interrupts. Would that every sermon be interrupted with an outpouring of the Spirit of God. And it says than in response to this… 

Acts 10:45-46a (NKJV)— 45 And those of the circumcision {(the Jews)} who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. 

A 2nd Pentecost— And so the six Jews who came with Peter as witnesses suddenly became witness to the Holy Spirt, who was Himself bearing witness that God (through faith in Christ) had accepted these Gentile believers. And this was important because remember that they had not been privy to the vision of Peter. And so God needed to enact a second Pentecost so that these Jews could see that God had indeed put these new Gentile believers on equal footing with them. This is why God empowered these Gentiles also to speak in tongues. This doesn’t mean that every believer will receive the gift of tongues. It was merely a way for God to prove without question that the same Spirit that had been poured out on the Jews was also on the Gentiles. And [With this event, the period of transition in the early history of the church comes to an end. Believers among the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles have all received the Spirit of God and are united in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27).] And it says in…

Acts 10:46b-48a (NKJV)— Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. 

The Salvation Process— Now this passage shows us very clearly the process of salvation. We hear the Word, we place our faith in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit, and then we are baptized as an outward sign of that inward work. These men and women were not baptized in order to obtain salvation, but rather [they were baptized because they gave evidence of being saved.] The Holy Spirit had already been given to them. And we know that the Holy Spirit is only given to those who are in Christ Jesus. Now following salvation, something else ought always to take place; and it takes place here. They [unite with other believers in the church to serve and worship God.] And that begins right here, where it says…

Acts 10:48b (NKJV)— Then they asked him {(Peter)} to stay a few days.

The Chain of Discipleship— And so Peter tarries there in Caesarea to help ground these new believers in their faith. And Philip (who remember was already in Caesarea) may have joined him in this task of discipleship. But there they are, doing what neither of them could have ever imagined themselves doing; discipling Gentiles who would go and disciple other Gentiles who would go and disciples other Gentiles. And you and I are part of that glorious chain of discipleship. The question is, who are we going to bring the good news to? Who are we going to make disciples for Jesus?

Debtors— P.F. Bresee, founder of the Church of Nazarene once said this: "We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it.”

How beautiful are your feet?— Let me ask you a personal question. Any of you gotten a pedicure lately? Men, you don’t have to answer. Any of you ladies get a pedicure lately? How do your feet feel after you get a pedicure? How do they look? When my wife has gotten pedicures, her feet are always extra soft afterwards; the calluses are gone; the toenails are all shiny and colored, sometimes even with sparkles. I mean they are just beautiful! But do you know there is such a thing as a Biblical pedicure? It’s right here in… 

Romans 10:15b (NKJV)— As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Beautiful Feet— You want your feet to be truly beautiful in the eyes of God? Use them to bring to others the good news of Jesus Christ. Present and future generations are relying on your feet; on my feet; to bring them this message of life. In this very passage in Romans Paul asks…

Romans 10:14-15a (NKJV)— 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? 

Eternity Without— You know, it was once estimated that [158,857 people die each day with approximately 66,000 of those people dying each day having had no access to the Gospel. According to those numbers, every 15 minutes (the length of our broadcast today) 1,654 people will die.] How many of them will enter an eternity without Jesus?

In Time— Carl F.H. Henry once pointed out that “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” 

Our Part— Now you and I can’t reach every person. But the Church of Christ is called to try. And (as Keith Green once said) "This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!” You may not reach the masses; but you may be able to reach somebody. There is somebody out there right now that God is preparing for you to introduce to Jesus. The question is, “Are you ready to play the part God wants you to play in that person’s journey towards salvation?"

Called To Missions— And you know, one of the things we also learn from this story is that you don't have to go overseas to be a missionary, though God may want you to. But you can be a missionary right here in Renton, Washington. But no matter where God has placed you, He has called you to be a missionary. And the closer you draw to Jesus, the more you will recognize that call upon your life. 

The More Missionary— Henry Martyn, who was a missionary to both India and Persia, once said “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." And you know, he’s right.

At Least One Person— Many of you have heard of Dwight L. Moody. Well, [D.L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o-clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Later, that same man went to an elder in the church and complained that Moody was "doing more harm in Chicago than ten men were doing good." The elder begged Moody to temper his zeal with knowledge. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. "I want to talk to you about my soul," he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school.]

Our Feet Are Needed— Now just think; what would have happened if Moody had looked at his watch that evening and (seeing the time) just decided to let this one slide? A life would have failed to be touched. The message of the gospel is a powerful thing. But it needs our feet. And even if somebody rejects you, the power of the seed of the gospel you planted can still do its work. All we have to do is be faithful to plant and God will yield the increase. And so let us be faithful to be obedient ambassadors for Christ. Amen.