May it please the Lord to bless
us together for a few moments this evening as we continue our
meditation in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 10, and we'll
think upon verse 34 to verse 43 this evening. When we left the subject last
week, the people with Peter and those with him had come to the
house of Cornelius and Cornelius had gathered a lot of people
together and now they were all in that house and Peter is about
to speak to them and it must have been a wonderful scene as
we think of Peter and his friends travelling along the dusty old
road and they get to the house of Cornelius and Cornelius comes
out and falls down before Peter and explains the reason why he's
desired that Peter should come and Peter's able to confess the
reason why he was willing to come. And so there was that great
unity of the Spirit. And there they were all gathered
together just as they were. They didn't stop to eat or drink
or do anything. They just came, they come here
to hear what Peter would say. That was the important thing.
They didn't worry about anything else. And how good it is when
our minds are concentrated upon the things of God. This man had
rushed in from the road, as it were, with all with him and they
just were there together and now Peter was going to preach
to them. And he opened his mouth and he said, of a truth, I perceive
that God is no respecter of persons. Yes, previously you may well
have thought that the Jews were kind of above the Gentiles and
in one sense they had been, but now we see The Lord is using
Peter to bring the Gospel to this household of Gentiles. And Peter observes the situation. He'd been blessed with that vision,
and now he's given that faith to come and to speak to this
mixed multitude, as it were. And he says, about in every nation,
he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with
him." He'd seen then that there was an acceptance to every nation. Previously it had really been
just to the Hebrews, the Jewish people, but now the gospel was
to be spread abroad throughout the world. Indeed, as the Lord
Jesus spoke to the disciples and the people when he was about
to leave this earth and enter into glory, and the Lord spoke
to them and he said they were to go into all the world and
to preach the gospel and Peter clearly had not forgotten that
statement that the Lord Jesus may go ye therefore and teach
all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I command you and know I am with you all the
way even unto the end of the world. So here we see then Peter
in this situation now speaking to this multitude and he comes
and says the word which God sent unto the children of Israel preaching
peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all. That was a wonderful
statement to make and remember he's here addressing not only
the Jews, but also the Gentiles. And he leads directly to the
centre of true religion, which is and must always be the Lord
Jesus Christ. And therefore, he says, the word
which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by
Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. And that is the only place of
peace for a guilty Hell-deserving sinner, under conviction by the
Spirit of God, there is no peace. It's turmoil. Yes, it's like
a storm, and there's no rest. They're tossed about. They wonder
where they're going to end up. They fear they're going to go
and end up in Hell. Where is peace? Where is peace? Peace by His cross, as Jesus
made. That's where peace is to be found,
in the sin-atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're only
given here, aren't we, just a few words, which gives us some idea
of the picture and the sermon that the Apostle was preaching
here to these people in Cornelius' house, about to arrive at a statement
like this. the world which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He must have laid before them
the whole truth of the Gospel, the glorious truth of the Gospel,
and that's the only place they were to find peace in and through
the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as it was preached
then, so it is today, for you and me. That's the only place
of peace, the only place of comfort, The only place of true blessing
is to view the Lord Jesus Christ in His finished work. And He
says, and He is Lord of all. Lord of all. What a blessing
to realise that in our own hearts. The Lord Jesus is the Lord of
all. And a blessing is when we know
and realise He is our Lord. And if He is our Lord, what will
be the response? What will be the outcome, sure
it would be to follow, sure it would be to acknowledge, sure
it would be to seek his honour and his glory. He is Lord of
Lord and he is worthy of all our praise and all our praises. That word I say, ye know, which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism which John preached. Well, we know that
John the Baptist preached the gospel, preached the gospel of
repentance, and was favoured and blessed to behold the Lamb
of God, the Lord Jesus Christ coming to him to be baptised. And the need that he realised
he had, I have need of thee, says John the Baptist. But the
Lord says, suffer it to be so now. And so, he came to him. And so, John the Baptist, baptised,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And there was that wonderful
acknowledgement, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. What a great confirmation that
was. Not only that Jesus was the Son
of God, but also that he was giving us that gracious and blessed
example of believers' baptism. And so we see the Apostle here
speaking then in this way, The word, I say, ye know, which was
published. And of course, many of them knew
what had been spoken. It had passed down, the great
news, the good news, throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism which John preached. How God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil,
for God was with him." Well, we know that the Lord Jesus Christ
was those 30 years before he was revealed as the Anointed
One. But you see, when that came to
pass, what occurred? The Lord Jesus began to preach
the Gospel. He went about saying, repent
to all those that he preached to. And he came And the Word
was with power. The Word was an effectual power. The Word had an effect upon those
that he addressed, those he spoke to, those he touched. He went
about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil. Now there were those, of course,
who were healed in a natural way, but here we observe a more
important and special way, those who were oppressed of the devil. Oppressed by him, the devil would
intend and desires to make us give up our faith, perhaps our
little faith, and call no more on Jesus' name. And as we view
ourselves, view our sin, view our vile sins. Surely that causes
us to be oppressed. Oppressed because of the evil
nature that we possess. Well, here we have the good news
that Peter spoke to these people, and healing. All that we're oppressed,
that healing balm. Yes, the blessing of the Lord,
the word of the Lord, which declares to us that Jesus came to seek
and to save those which were lost. He came to seek and to
save sinners. And God was with him. How clear
that was. The Lord was with the Lord Jesus
Christ. Here Peter was reaffirming really that which was so obvious
and had occurred. But now, by the Spirit of God,
he's able to confirm these great and precious and glorious truths. And he says, and we are witnesses
of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in
Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree." Now the word
of God tells us, and such were some of you. Yes, that means
you and me. We were those who were guilty. We were those that caused the
Lord of life and glory to be hanged upon that cross at Calvary. and Peter tells them, we are
witnesses of these things which he did. They were in a physical
way, they were also in a spiritual way, we not in a physical way,
but bless God if it is so in our lives, it is so in a spiritual
way that we are witnesses as to what God has done, that the
Lord is risen from the dead and we know it to be true because
of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit of God in our own hearts,
which has given us that blessed eternal life. It is the Holy
Ghost, and with power, who went about doing good and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.
We are witnesses of these things, which he did both in the land
of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on
a tree. Him God raised up the third day
and showed him openly. Yes, it was the work of God that
raised up the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful
thing it is to know that God did raise him up. He raised him
from the dead. He was dead. God raised him up
as the firstfruits of all that slept. What a wonderful situation
to realise that he was the firstfruits and there will be that time when
the Lord returns and that great day of the resurrection when
all those who have died in the faith will be raised unto eternal
life, Him God raised up from the third day and showed Him
openly, not to all the people, no, it's not revealed to all
the people, but it is revealed to those whom He has called,
to those whom He has chosen, but unto witnesses chosen before
God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose
from the dead. Now, of course, the Apostle Peter
and those with him did physically eat and drink with the Lord Jesus
Christ after he'd risen from the dead. But his people, his
church today, they eat and drink with him in a spiritual sense. We eat the flesh and drink the
blood of the Son of God as we meditate upon his great and glorious
work. It's food to our souls and we're
in union with the Lamb from condemnation free. who did eat and drink. Well, it's a blessing. Truth,
isn't it? If you and I tonight have the evidence that we have
eaten and drunken with the Lord Jesus Christ and after he rose
from the dead and he commanded us to preach unto the people
and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to
be the judge of quick and dead. No doubt about it. the blessed
Saviour was ordained of God. And what a favour it is to know
that you and I are ordained of God, to be born again of the
Spirit of God, and to walk before Him in the light of His countenance. This God, to be the judge of
the quick and the dead, that great judge, that glorious judge,
who would indeed stand on that judgment, sit on that judgment
throne, on that great day of judgment, when you and I will
be there. What a day that will be. when
a blessed day, if we are amongst those who have been quickened
into life, made spiritually alive of our condition, and to praise
and bless the great and glorious Saviour, to whom give all the
prophets witness, that through his name, whoso believeth in
him shall receive remission of sins." Well, we know that the
Lord Jesus was prophesied through all the prophets. They all speak
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's amazing, isn't it? As we
read the Word of God, there's wonderful prophecies which we
read of, which are so confirming, which came to pass so many, many
years after those prophecies were written. They came to pass
exactly as they prophesied, and it's a wonderful thought to know
the Spirit of God spoke into those prophets, those words,
with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ, which came to pass. and they were witnesses and we
are witnesses of the truth of those words. To him give all
the prophets witness that through his name, and here we have the
glorious blessed gospel, whosoever believeth in him shall receive
the remission of sins. Oh what a favour it is if you
and I are possessors of that living faith, that gift of faith
to believe the great truth of the Gospel and to believe that
Lord Jesus Christ came in this world to save sinners of whom
I am chief. If we believe in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ we shall receive the forgiveness, the
remission of sins. We shall be amongst those who
are washed in the blood of the Lamb, amongst those who are clothed
with the spotless robe of Christ's righteousness amongst those who
one day, through His grace, be found in glory around that throne
in God and Heaven, singing His praises for evermore. Well, what
a great and glorious occasion this was in the history of the
world, as Peter was able to come in to the house of Cornelius,
what a blessed house that was, where the gospel was so gloriously
proclaimed to those people that were in that place, and we're
thankful today to have an outline of what occurred and to bless
God for the great truths of the gospel. Amen.