In every Nation - acceptance with God

Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayer for attention to Acts chapter 10, the portion that we read in reading for our text, verses 34 and 35. Acts 10 verse 34 and 35. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. Acts 10 verse 34 and 35.

Last week we read the account in Acts 2 and spoke in the morning of Pentecost, the time when the Holy Spirit was first given poured out upon the Jews. On this occasion is just as important, some seven to ten years, I often think of ten years, those scriptures don't specify, after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles. You might ask, why was it that Peter was the one chosen by God? to be the preacher on this occasion, when a number of years before Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul, was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles. But Peter, being the one that was used at Pentecost, he was the one that was really the only one qualifying to preach on this occasion, and when he was challenged later on in the next chapter, he is able to say that the Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the first. So he had been a personal witness to the effect upon his preaching, not just by report, but being a first-hand witness.

Another reason is that the Lord would have Jew and Gentile be as one. Other sheep I have, he says, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. There shall be one fold and one shepherd. And so anything that could have divided between Jew and Gentile, and we know by Peter's needing to be prepared, and what he says of the situation between the Jews and Gentiles, there was already a division, was already a separation, and so there is to be a bringing together.

And so, lest there be an idea of them saying, like in the Corinthian church, I'm of Paul, I'm of Paulus, I'm of Christ, lest the Gentiles said, well, we are of Paul, and the Jews said, but we are of Peter. The Spirit came through Peter in both cases. And we can see, again, the design of the Lord that any cause of division in that way would not happen. There's quite remarkable providences, you might say, of Peter being brought to Cornelius, told by an angel to go and send for Peter.

And he is told where to go. But not exactly, because we read how there was an inquiring of his house and where he was. And even they stood at the door and asking whether Peter was there. But guided by providence, we must expect as well sometimes to have directions so far, but not complete. it still has to be walked out and yet we see they're going, they're finding the house, all ordered of the Lord.

In one sense, if the Lord was to tell exactly where something was or where do we find a person, we wouldn't experience the Lord's leading and guidance as we actually walked it out and so Peter is brought to be with the people and the people are brought to be with Peter and we could really forgive Cornelius in bowing down and trying to worship Peter if he thought well he must be something better than the angel if the angel is to be bidding me to seek for him, but Peter is very clear that he is but just a man. God will not use angels to proclaim the gospel, but sinners, those who know it themselves, those who need that same salvation, those who are pointing to a way that they also have gone. Husbandmen must first be partakers of the fruits, and that which we preach, we trust, we have known, we've handled and tasted ourselves, we rely on that same word to be fed and to be quickened by Him.

So I want to, this evening, with the Lord's help, look at four points. in every nation. And what that means, some think of the prophecies and also examples and fulfilment of that word, in every nation. And then secondly, our great need, acceptance with God. We read in verse 35, is accepted with Him. And the other two points also on this same aspect. Thirdly, the cause of our acceptance, and fourthly, the fruit of our acceptance.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him in every nation. It seems a strange thing to us to read in the next chapter how that when Peter came to Jerusalem, that they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest into men uncircumcised and did eat with them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order unto them, saying, and he goes over what had happened. It's a good example, really, that when we are challenged on something, if we do something we think, well, the brethren might not agree with this, if we feel that it is according to the word of God and we can rightly give a reason for what we're doing when we are challenged to do what Peter does here, which is to explain it from the beginning, to set forth why we've acted as we have in a sober, reverent and kind way. And it's good for us to Think of some of the other examples in the scriptures.

You think of when the children of Israel were going into the promised land, and the children of Reuben, of Gad, and half-tribe of Manasseh, they had their inheritance on the other side of Jordan. But they had agreed that they would go over with their brethren and fight, recover the land, the Canaanites, for their brethren, And when the land had been conquered, then they would go back to their cattle, to their foals, and to their wives and little ones, and have their inheritance on the other side, Jordan, or the side of the wilderness. When they did go back, they then built an altar at Jordan. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were very concerned. They thought that they had built theirs just like the golden calf, and that they would bring the wrath of God down upon them.

But instead of just going and fighting them, they asked the reason. They came to them and challenged them as to why they had done it. And the reason that they gave was lest, and it wasn't ever to be an altar to have sacrifices on it, but it was to be a reminder that they had a part and an interest with the rest of Israel, so that Israel wouldn't say in years to come, well, you didn't go over Jordan, you are not part of Israel, and push them aside. And so that was the reason. And when they heard that reason, they glorified God, and they ceased from being angry with them.

When we think first, well, there's an ulterior motive, or we think that they've done something contrary to the word of God, ask first. There might be a good reason why that someone is acting as they are. And if we have a case like this, it's so clearly ordered of God, and yet it is still challenged. And you might think it would be strange. Why is it? that even Peter needed to be prepared to come?

Why was it that he didn't know that the Lord would bless the Gentiles? Because we have it right back from when the Lord first blessed Abraham. You can read of it in Genesis 12 and verse 3. The Lord blessed Abraham, he says, I'll make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Then we have the same when the Lord blessed Abraham in Genesis 22, and we have it in Genesis, other passages in Genesis as well, but Genesis 22, and in thy seed, verse 18, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice. We especially see it in the prophecies in Isaiah, Isaiah 42 and verse 6.

I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison and then that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord, that is my name. My glory will I not give to another. And further on in Isaiah 49, again verse six, and he said, it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob to restore the preserved of Israel.

I will also Give thee for a light, this is the prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ, a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. And then again in Isaiah 60, a further prophecy in verse 3, And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

And they would have known or should have known those prophecies of our Lord. And we've said of what our Lord said in John 10, that other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. They should have been mindful as well, and yet it seems that even that was overlooked as to the very commission of the Lord. because Peter, when he opened his mouth, and he says that the Lord commanded them to preach unto the people.

But the actual commission is to be in every nation. And so in Luke 24 and verse 47, that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name. among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And we have the line commission also in the gospel according to Matthew, the sending forth or the great commission in Matthew 28 verse 19. Do ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

It's a reminder to us that we can maybe sit under the sound of the truth for many years. We may hear things and yet not hear things, not really understanding the import or the practical application of it. If the apostles could hear these things or have them in prophecy and not really realize what was intended, but in God's providence, he brings them to understand, he brings them to know and to fulfil what he had prophesied would happen.

And of course, we have the examples. We have the case of Rahab, a Canaanite, one not of Israel, brought not only into Israel, but in the line to Christ. And then we have Ruth as well, the Moabites, brought in from outside as a Gentile and again in the line to Christ, in the line to David. And so this is a clear direction and an important time when all of that prophesied, pointed to, is being brought to pass and begun. Of course, with us as Gentiles, That means such a lot that we can see clearly the Lord has sent the word to us and the very beginning of it being sent to us.

But Peter needed to be prepared to bring that word. We have said it no doubt before, because Peter here was at Joppa by the seaside. And we have the account of Jonah that was sent from that very place, or he took ship from that very place, not to go and do God's bidding to preach to Nineveh, which was Gentiles, but to flee from the Lord, and he fled from Joppa. And so in this very same place, one of the Lord's servants fled, and the other one was prepared by God so that he should go and preach. You might say with Jonah, he was also prepared. But what a different way, what a dramatic way, to be thrown into the sea, swallowed by the whale, cast up on the shore after three days, and then to go and preach to them.

And Jonah not happy with his success, rather than Peter, being used and seeing the blessing of God. But Peter needed to be prepared and that is part of the account here. It's also noted how that, and we spoke of prayer, Jabez's prayer this morning, but here we have Cornelius and he is praying and his prayers, his arms have come up before God and Peter as well. He goes up and he is praying upon the housetop.

And while he is there, then the Lord gives him this vision three times to show him that God will not have him call anyone common or unclean. Very remarkable way of The Lord using those animals, those beasts that were unclean in the Old Testament, that which they should not eat, and being bound up in a sheet and let down from heaven, and the voice saying, arise, kill, and eat. And Peter saying, not so, Lord. I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean.

This then was done three times. And then as an interpretation of that, when they inquire, then the Spirit says, arise therefore, get thee down, and go with them doubting nothing, for I have sent them. And bringing together a prepared people, prepared hearers, and a prepared servant to speak the word the Lord would have him to bring. You think also of Philip and how God, the Holy Spirit, erected him into the desert where the eunuch was in his chariot and brought the two together.

That's another thing to notice. We might be blessed under the word, under the preaching of the word, but do notice how that has come to pass, as well as the actual blessing. Sometimes it may be that we've gone to a service, might be a special service, and the Lord's servant that was due to be there is not there. So when we get there, we hear a different service, a different man who has a text that he has been given, and it may be because of the short notice and that he's standing in the place of another. And the Lord blesses that. So it's not just a blessing, but to be able to trace like here, there's been a providence that has brought a change of minister and brought the minister and the people together to make it a blessing.

Sometimes as well, we might have things that go wrong, things that happen, changes in plans, We've had some here where we've had to, instead of a visiting minister, come here. We've swapped around. He's taken my way of engagements. I've stayed here. The congregations that thought they were going to hear me heard the visiting minister that would have been here.

Those changes, they don't happen by chance. And if the Lord brings a blessing upon that, You can see it even in a double way, what the Lord has done in moving man, in bringing things to pass, to bring that word to us. And I say that because that often is remembered or able to mark an occasion even more than the blessing itself. They might have said with the Apostle Paul, Well, they did when he rehearsed his call, and Fester said, thou art mad.

But they could not change what had happened on that Damascus road. And the hymn writer says, dost thou mind the spot and place where Jesus did thee meet? Thou is not just the blessing, but the spot and place. You say to Jacob, Well, where did the Lord bless you? Where did he give you the promise that he'd be with thee in all places that thou goest and bring thee again to this land? He said, well, I was lying with stones through my pillow and the sky over my head. That's where I was. And that's where I had the vision of the ladder set up upon earth and going into heaven.

And so we're to note these things as well. as part of the blessing that the Lord gives us to help us to remember it and to make it even more conspicuous that the Lord has brought it to pass in providence as well as brought it spiritually a blessing to our souls.

So in every nation, and we need to remember this today, sometimes we might think as Maybe gospel standard Baptist, well, yes, we believe it is every nation. But when it comes to practice, we expect those of every nation to be just like us, to dress like us, to speak like us, to act like us, to have exactly the same form of doctrine. They will all agree on the essential things, the things that are vital, faith, in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by grace and not works. But there will be great differences throughout the world, throughout every nation and kindred and tongue. There is differences even in our own nation. And we want then, when we come to doctrines like this, not to just have it as a theory, but think of it in practice.

How does it actually work? And the best way is to meet people of every nation, to actually see them, to actually know them. Of course, we have visitors here. We had them last last day from Holland. This morning I was ministering to Australia and at the same time a stream going into the Philippines and various parts of Australia and our live streams here going into Many nations, our sermons are heard from over 143 nations of the world. And the Lord has people in these nations that desire to hear the truth of God. And when we have a passage like this, it's wonderful to see the Lord's stamp and the Lord's blessing upon the sending forth of the preaching of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

And thinking of that, even of sending out the word in the way that we're able to do here, before COVID, that was not possible. We didn't do that at all. And it's only in the last five years that that means has been used. And those who are blessed under that means would then be able to trace blessings to what has been done and done through Providence. The ministry that I have regularly for Australia and other Lord's servants ministering from here into the churches there. The Providence has brought that about and the blessings that have followed.

Of course, we never want to use that as a reason we don't pray for pastors or for a ministry, a live ministry in the places where the churches are. But again, it's a thinking of the practical ministering to the Lord's people in every place, our day very different to Peter Cornelius' day, the means that we have, but still it is the preaching of the word.

And that we must always hold to. The message that was said to Cornelius was that Peter should come and that he should tell the words. And that is a vital thing, that it is faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord. And so Our first point, in every nation, by prophecy, by example with Rahab, Ruth, and by fulfilment here and in our nation and in the nations of the world, the word of God is sent forth. I want to look secondly at our great need. In our text we read is accepted with him.

Acceptance with God is a most solemn thing that by nature with the fall of Adam and as we are born in sin, shapen in iniquity, man of ourselves, we are not accepted of God. We cannot stand before God. We are sinners. He cannot look upon sin except with utter abhorrence.

And in our text here, it is vital that there be those things done, that we are accepted. You know, if we were just to arrive unannounced at Buckingham Palace or go to another venue or event or something like that and expect to get in, is very doubtful that we'd be accepted. We'd be rejected and told to go out. You're not welcome here. And by nature, we cannot stand in the presence of God. Sin separates. Sin separates, as is described in Adam in the Garden of Eden, frightened. of the God that he'd had communion and fellowship with, then banished from the garden, separated from God.

What a solemn thing that we should live in this world with not a concern whether we are accepted of God or not. Whether we can stand in his presence We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We must all appear before God. But how can we be accepted there? How can we be sure that we will be?

And of course, the Lord gives not only glory, but gives grace. He will give grace and glory. And that acceptance begins here below in grace. and in our lives and in our songs. And so we may then ask, what is the cause of our acceptance? How can we be accepted? Now, in first reading these verses, we might say, well, does it not suggest That is, those that fear the Lord and work righteousness, they are accepted with Him. That is what is needed, to be accepted. Because you say, that's what the verse says. But is it really so?

Is it setting forth the cause of acceptance or the fruit of acceptance? If Cornelius, who had been giving alms, working righteousness, and who had been praying much, praying to God always, verse 2, a devout man, one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. If that was his acceptance before God, why didn't the angel just go to him and tell him that he was accepted? His devotions, his fearing, his praying, he was accepted on those grounds, but he didn't.

He sent him to go to Peter. He said, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when Peter then comes and he asks, well, first when the messengers come. We read in verse 22 they're saying to Peter, Cornelius 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. So the acceptance is all the time pointing to Peter's message, to the words that he was going to speak, and that which was going to be heard.

It really elevates the word of God, the preached word. It pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The commission is to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, the waiting for the Holy Spirit in the first place, the evidence here of the Holy Spirit falling, that acceptance with God is through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through faith in Him and His finished work alone. Very important to really isolate fruits and works from our very ground of acceptance. We are accepted in the Beloved.

It is in Christ alone, not Christ plus works, not Christ plus baptism or plus prayers or plus even repentance. The Lord is exalted to give repentance and remission of sins unto Israel, a spiritual Israel. But the ground of justification is justification by faith alone in Christ. That was what liberated Luther from the grip of Rome. They were adding works to faith alone. It is Christ's work alone and now.

Trust in Him. This was emphasised with the eunuch desiring to be baptised. If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Peter Philip had preached unto him Jesus and his text was in Isaiah 53. His sufferings, his death, the atonement made, the wrath of God falling upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That was the acceptance of a sinner.

This is why we observe the Lord's Supper. We show forth his death till he come. The Church is not to forget. That is our standing. That is our acceptance. Christ's body was broken. Christ's blood was shed. And the Church must remember that. Satan will always try to add something to it. Man likes to add something to it, something instead of receiving the mercies of God as mercies, free, sovereign, undeserved, nothing in ourselves but all of God, to the cause of our acceptance. His arms wasn't enough, the angel appearing wasn't enough, His prayers were not enough, but the gospel preached with power from heaven. That was where he was blessed. And that was where those and those with him received the Lord and believed the saving of their souls as the Holy Spirit applied that word.

And then we come lastly to the fruit of our acceptance. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. And the Lord says, From me is thy fruit found. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

We might say if there is here an evidence of the Spirit's work, it is where the Lord gives the fear in a sinner's heart, and where that soul is doing those things that are pleasing to the Lord, works of righteousness, that not our acceptance, but the effect, wherever the work of God is, the true work of man as he was. And notice, you might think in the lead up to this here, that with Cornelius, his prayers, his seeking, surely the work was already done. The beginning was already done. The new birth had already begun. but assurance hadn't been given, and the blessing of acceptance not given. It's the same with the eunuch. He was returning from worshipping, but he was reading his Bible. He couldn't understand what he was reading. The Lord knows where he begins a work. He knows where one is seeking, but needs the seal and the blessing and the knowledge of being accepted before God.

All of God's people have been known from eternity. They've been chosen in Him before the world began. And when the Lord begins, then like our Lord says in John 3, is like the wind. Gentle it may be, gradual it may be, a person begins to be mindful of God, fear God, begins to pray and call upon the Lord. And then the Lord sends his word and blesses his word through the ministry and seals what he has begun and shows them how they are saved, why they are saved, what the Lord has done for them, his sufferings and his death. And applied by the Holy Spirit, then immediately, as in this case, they were baptised.

In Acts 2, we read of Peter's sermon. In Acts 10, here we read of it. They're short sermons, aren't they? Not many words. But they all center in Christ, his sufferings, his death. Just these few verses from verse 38, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.

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. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly." And then he speaks of the witnessing and the command to preach unto the people, and then points back to the prophets.

But just a few words, few verses, the essentials in Christ being the true Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, the true Christ, his sufferings, his death, his resurrection, and the Spirit bear witness to that. Sometimes we look for more than what the scripture points to. and what is absolutely vital for acceptance and what will bring forth fruits, fruits of praise, fruits of obedience, fruits of righteousness, fruits of thanksgiving to God and praise to God and the removing of the burdens of guilt of sin and has seen the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ as our sole acceptance before God. May we look for the Lord's blessing upon the simple declaration of the gospel, the good news of salvation through the Lamb of God. John begins, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. And blessed is that soul that with believing eyes, with the heart wrought upon by the Holy Spirit, believes on that Lamb of God, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What a blessing if we are numbered amongst those in all nations and favoured with faith and acceptance with Him. May we truly have a heart to praise the Lord for that. Amen.

In every Nation - acceptance with God

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In every Nation - acceptance with God

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About Rowland Wheatley

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