Okay, let's go back to Acts chapter
10. The story of this man, Cornelius,
is a very precious story. I remember the first time I read
this, and the Lord allowed me to enter into it. It was a blessing to me, and
it always has been. It's one of my favorite spots.
And it's an amazing story. It really is. It's one that I
pray the Lord would repeat here in Kingsport over and over again. This is what I pray for Kingsport. Kingsport is a very religious
town. More religious than any town
I've ever known. I didn't know Bible Belt until I came here. And I pray this for Kingsport
specifically. The title of this message is,
A Religious Man is Saved. A Religious Man is Saved. Acts chapter 9 is Saul of Tarsus,
and God saved a wicked man in Acts chapter 9. Acts chapter
10, God saved a religious man. Total opposite ends of the spectrum.
Verse 1 says in Acts chapter 10, there was a certain man in
Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian
band. A centurion was a captain who was in charge of 100 men.
He had 100 men under him. He was a successful man. He was
a man of authority and position. He had worked his way up and
he was a man of position. Verse 2 says, a devout man. He was devoted, very devoted to God, to family,
to country. Mankind, devoted. Verse 2 says,
a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which
gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. I know
a lot of people like that. Odds are you do too. I mean,
I'm not being silly, I'm being sincere. Good church going people. Really. As the world sees them,
honest, they wouldn't steal from you. They fear God in the sense that
they don't want to break His laws. They don't want to suffer
His punishment. They don't want to go to hell. They give themselves to humanitarian
efforts. And they do it with a sincere
heart. They give their time, they give
their money, they give their talents. A hurricane comes through,
they go down and build houses. True, sincere givers. And they pray to God always.
Not only do they do it in the churches, you see them do it
in the restaurants, they do it in the locker room before the
game. And this was, worldly speaking,
a very good, devout, religious man. Now Saul of Tarsus in Acts
chapter 9, he was a murderer and he hated God. Had God not
revealed Christ to Saul, what would have been his end? Where
would Saul have ended up had God not revealed Christ to him?
The answer is in hell. All right, now this is a good
religious man. This man does not yet know the
true God of Scripture. The Lord is, we're going to see
in this story, He's going to reveal the true God to him. But God has not revealed Christ
to him yet. What would have been his end
had God not revealed Christ to him? Where would this good religious
man have ended up? Same place is, or the answer
is, same place as Saul. Two totally different men, same
outcome had God not revealed Christ to him. I don't care how
devout a man is. He is not devout enough to stand
in the presence of a holy God. Something in our mind says maybe
he'll get a pass. He's a really good man. I don't care how devout he is.
He is not devout enough to stand in the presence of a holy God.
That's not opinion, that's the truth. I don't care how much
he gives, it will never amount to what Christ had to give to
redeem a sinner from hell. That will never stack up. He'll
never give enough to match what Christ had to give. Never. I
don't care how much he thinks he fears God, or how much he
thinks he's praying to God. If God does not reveal Christ
to him, it is total vanity. It's completely empty. It does
not mean anything. It's just a show. That's all
it is, is a show. But this is a religious man that God chose
to save from his religion. Verse 3 says, He saw in a vision
evidently. It doesn't mean, well, apparently,
he saw in a vision. It means he saw a vision with
evidence. He saw it very clearly. About
the ninth hour of the day, that's three o'clock, an angel of God
coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked
on him, he was afraid and said, what is it, Lord? And he said
unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial
before God. He called him Lord out of fear
because he could tell this was a servant of God. Later on it says he had bright
clothing and so he, out of fear and reverence, called him Lord.
But this was not the Lord, this was an angel. And this angel
told him, God's going to have mercy on you. Verse 5, he said,
Now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname
is Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner,
whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou
oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake
unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household
servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually,
And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent
them to Joppa. The angel didn't deliver God's
message to him. He sent him to God's messenger. And the Lord is doing every bit
of this. The Lord is ordering every bit
of this. He's moving the hearts and preparing
the hearts. He's preparing Cornelius to receive
the word. And he's about to prepare Peter
to preach the word. And that's what happens on both
sides of this thing. The Lord takes men and women
and in mercy he starts to prepare their heart to receive the truth.
And the Lord takes a man and he starts to prepare that man
to preach the truth. And right here in verse 9 the
Lord shows Peter something he's never seen before. Verse 9 says,
"'On the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew nigh
unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about
the sixth hour,' that's noon, "'and he became very hungry and
would have eaten. But while they made ready, he
fell into a trance and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel
descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the
four corners and let down to the earth, wherein were all manner
of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping
things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him,
Rise, Peter, kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord,
for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And
the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice,
and the vessel was received up again into heaven." Now this
gospel was about to go to men and women that Peter would have
never dreamed the gospel was going to go to. Never dreamed
it. I want to learn a lesson from
this. This gospel was about to go to
men and women that Peter thought were too sinful. That's what
he thought. Unworthy. Idle worshipers, that's all they
are. Unworthy Gentiles. And the Jews were not allowed
to eat certain animals by law. But God said, eat these. And Peter said, no, they're unclean. And God said, don't you call
unclean what I have made clean. Don't do it. The vilest offender,
and this is what I want to learn, is Christ came to save sinners. And the vilest, most wicked sinner
on earth, who has been covered in the blood of Christ, is as
clean as God Himself." Whoever is covered in the blood
of Christ is as clean as God Himself. He said, don't you call
unclean what I've made clean. Verse 17 says, Now while Peter
doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should
mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made
inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate." They
came knocking on the door. Verse 18, "'And called and asked
whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While
Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold,
three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee
down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them."
God impresses the hearts of His people to do His will. And they
really are willing in the day of His power. Whenever you all called me to
come here, Three of you men were here and
called me to come here. And there was a period of time
before you actually called me that something in me was saying
I want to go to Kingsport. And it had to be the money and
the people you had here. That's probably what it was.
But something in me was saying, I want to go to Kingsport. And
something in you was saying, I think we need to call Gabe. And God did this. God moved on
the hearts and He did this. He put all this together. The
lot was cast into the lap, and you men thought about this, and
you prayed about this, and so did I. I put a lot of time into
what would God have me to do. And the lot was cast into the
lap, but the whole disposing was of the Lord. Every single
bit of it was of the Lord. God did this, and God does this
every single time. Verse 20 says, �Arise, therefore,
and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I
have sent them.� Then Peter went down to the men which were sent
unto him from Cornelius and said, �Behold, I am he whom you seek. What is the cause wherefore you
are come?� And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man and
one that feareth God and of good report among all the nation of
the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for
thee into his house and to hear words of thee. Then called he
them in and lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went away
with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. Some
of the believing Jews in Joppa went with Peter because he was
called to go preach. And that is a very precious thing. That's a wonderful and precious
thing. Peter was going to go preach to people who had never
heard the gospel before, never heard this truth before. And
some of these brethren went with him to support him. and encourage
him and strengthen him. And here's what I want to tell
you. Here's a side note. If God ever opens up a door for me to
go preach the gospel to a group of people that have never heard
the gospel, I want you to go with me. It doesn't actually
say if this was all men. It just says brethren. But especially
some of you men, I want you to go with me. I want to say that
now. I'll need you. I'll need your
encouragement. I'll need somebody out there
that I can preach to. That's what Peter had. Those
men came from Joppa, and I guarantee you Peter was like, I know he
wants to hear this, and I know he wants to hear this, and maybe
God will bless this to somebody else. So keep that in the back
of your mind. Verse 24, And the morrow after
they entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them, and
had called together his kinsmen and near friends. Cornelius called
his family and his neighbors and he told them, you'd better
get to my house. That reminds me of two sweet, dear believers
that I wish I had met, and one day I will. Both of them live or lived, I
believe, lived in Mexico. And I told you the story of that
man Feliz. Right after Walter moved to Mexico,
he was going to preach. He had an appointment with a
lady in a village. And he was driving down the road
and this man stopped him. with a gun in his hand. Two men,
both of them had guns. And they saw Walter was a white
man and they asked him if he was a missionary and he said,
I thought they were going to kill me. But I said, yes, I am. And this man said, he said, my
name is Felice and I am so sad. He said, we just finished burying
my 16 year old daughter. And he said, I know that there
is a God, but I don't know where He is. He said, would you come
into my house and tell me who God is? And Walter said, I can't. I have an appointment. I told
this lady I would be there. It's a long journey. He said,
I will come back tomorrow. And he said, I'll stop at your
house at this time. He said it was a mud hut, mud
and grass hut. And when he came back the next
day, he pulled up and he said he couldn't hardly get in the
front door. This man, Felice, had gone and invited everybody
in town he could find. There is a man coming to tell
us who God is. And if you want to know who God
is, you better come to my house. And God saved the man. And his
name means happy. Felice. Happy man. But there's
another lady that Brother Henry used to tell the story about.
Two sisters, I believe they lived in different areas of Mexico,
but they were in Chiapas. And Brother Milton Howard was
the missionary to Chiapas. And one of these sisters, her
name was Marta, and she had a sister named Carmelita. And Walter,
when the men would come from the States, Walter would take
them around to the different churches. Well, he took Henry
to Chiapas. And I believe Henry was planning
on preaching to one woman. and Walter and Milton. But he said when they got to
this lady's house and he said if you could call it that, they
walked through the house and went into her backyard and there
was over 120 people in the backyard. She went up and down the streets
saying the preacher's coming to tell us who God is. And she
fed them all tamales and everybody sat down and he preached the
gospel to them. I wish that would happen again.
Don't you wish that happened again? Don't you wish somebody
would hear about the true and living God and say, would you
come tell me about this? And then go tell their family
and their neighbors and their friends? You've got to hear who
God is. And then they come and they sit
and listen and God opens their ears and God starts saving souls.
I wish that on this town. I really do. I don't know where I am now.
Verse 24 says, And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea,
and Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen
and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius
met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But
Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man. You know, religion glorifies
men too much. I'm just a sinner saved by grace
just like everybody else. Every man is nothing but a man.
Verse 27 says, And as he talked with him, he went in and found
many that were come together. And he said unto them, You know
how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep
company or come unto one of another nation. But God hath showed me
that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore
came I unto you without gain, saying, As soon as I was sent
for, I ask therefore for what intent you have sent for me.
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this
hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house. And behold, a man
stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer
is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight
of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose
surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of
one Simon a Tanner by the seaside, who when he cometh shall speak
unto thee. Immediately, therefore, I sent
to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now, therefore,
are we all here present before God to hear all things that are
commanded thee of God." I would love to hear more men
and women say that. We are all here to hear from
God. We have gathered here, we're
waiting, we're ready to hear whatever God has to say. I believe
God has given us a heart to say that. I really do. We are here
to hear what God has to say. all present before God to hear
all things that are commanded thee of God. Samuel said, Speak,
Lord, thy servant heareth. We're ready to hear. And if you
knew that this was the last time you were going to hear the gospel, if you knew that, Your last message. If you knew
this was your last message, and then you were going to go stand
in front of God. And that's the case for everybody
at some point. One more message, and then you
go meet God. If this was it, what would you
want to hear? If this was your last message
before you physically went and stood before God, what would
you want to hear? Look at verse 34. Then Peter
opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is
no respecter of persons. He said, it makes no difference
how devout you are, how religious you are, it makes no difference
what you give, all flesh is grass. That's what he told them. They
said, we're all here to hear what God has to say. And he said,
God is no respecter of persons. First thing, verse 35, But in
every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness
is accepted with him." If a man truly feared God, he would be
accepted. But here's what Romans 3.18 says,
there is no fear of God before their eyes. None. Peter said, if any soul would
work righteousness, he would be accepted with God. But here's
what Romans 3.10 says, there's none righteous, no not one. Peter
said, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but
there is something I want to tell you about. Verse 36, the
word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching
peace by Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all. Jesus Christ made
peace for you. Now Peter has come in to a group
of men and women who have never heard the gospel before. And
he did start out by telling them he is no respecter of persons.
But Jesus Christ has made peace for you. Peace with God. You can rest assured in that
peace because he is Lord of all. That's what I would want to hear.
If this was my last message, that's what I would want to hear.
I would want to hear you have peace with God through Jesus
Christ, the Lord of all. Verse 37 says, "...that word,
I say, ye know, which was published 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." What he's saying is, all
of the righteousness you need, He provided for you. He accomplished
it for you. If a man will work righteousness,
he'll be accepted with God. And Jesus Christ has performed
all the righteousness you need. He was the devout man. He was the one that feared God
for all His house. He was the one that gave much
alms. He gave it all. He gave it all
to His people. He was the one who prayed to
God always on behalf of His people. If this was my last message,
that's what I would want to hear. Verse 39 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. Peter said,
Cornelius, there's your peace right there. God killed him because
your sin was found on him, and God is no respecter of persons. That's amazing. Even though it
was his own son, because your sin was found on him, God killed
him because God is no respecter of persons. When God killed him, God killed
you in him. Verse 40, Him God raised up the
third day and showed him openly. Cornelius, here is your peace,
here is your comfort. When God raised him up, God raised
you up in him and He showed him openly. Verse 41, "...not to
all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to
us who did eat and drink with him 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 the
quick and the dead." Now, I shared this with Brother Chris on the
phone because he called me yesterday and I couldn't stand it, I couldn't
keep it in. Yesterday when the Lord revealed
this to me, I never felt higher. If this was the last message
I ever heard, I'm telling you if this was the last message
I ever heard, this is what I would want to hear. The one who loved me, Okay, I've
never gotten a hold of this in this way before. I've never seen
this before. The one who loved me, the one
who suffered all of my punishment for me willingly, the one who
looked at me and saw what I was and in his own heart chose to
suffer my punishment for me. The One who gave all of His righteous
works to me, took them off of His own account and gave them
to me. The One who covered me in His
own blood, His very own blood. The One who satisfied God for
me and daily makes intercession for me, the one who has me in
the front of his mind at all times and has given himself to
my care and salvation. He is the one who has been ordained
of God to be the judge that I have to stand before." Do you know
what that means? That means I will not have to
plead my case. He already knows I'm innocent.
He made me innocent. We go before this judge pleading
Christ, pleading Christ. Well, Christ is the judge. I'm
pleading the blood of Christ. I know it was my blood. My only hope is that I'm in Christ.
I know you're in me. He has been ordained to be my
judge. Not my lawyer who is going to
try as hard as he can to plead before the judge. He is my judge. I know I made him innocent. Verse
43 says, To him give all the prophets witness that through
his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remissions
of sin. Go before that throne pleading
Christ alone, the work of Christ alone and the blood of Christ
alone. Stand before Him pleading Him. I plead you. And you're safe. Totally safe. The first message
that a sinner needs to hear is the last message that a sinner
needs to hear. Verse 44 says, ìWhile Peter yet
spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard
the word, and they of the circumcision which believed were astonished
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was
poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.î Cornelius and his family
and his friends and his neighbors, they believed the Word of God.
God's Holy Ghost came to them and they believed and they were
astonished. That's a present from God. Verse
46, For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water that these should
not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
And he commanded them. He didn't ask. He didn't offer. He commanded them to be baptized
in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they Him to tarry
certain days. They said, Peter, don't leave
us. Stay here and keep preaching. We have got to hear this word. We cannot do without this word.
This religious man finally saw that he was a sinner. This man,
this religious man, had always seen that he was devout. He'd
always seen he was a big giver. He'd always seen he prayed a
lot. Now he saw, I'm a sinner. And he humbled himself in the
sight of God and he acknowledged that his only hope was in the
death of Christ. And he confessed that to the
world through water baptism. And that's exactly what I pray
would happen here in Kingsport time and time again. There's
a lot of sinners out there in the name of religion. Lord, open
their eyes, save them from their religion, show them the truth,
and bring as many as you will. All right, let's stand together.