My Father, My Husband

Would you join me this morning in the book of Acts? The book of Acts chapter 10. It's a wonderful thing to have a lot of time to think about the Word of God. And airplanes are good for that. I had to thank Brother Gary again for helping me put this Bible program on my phone. I have my several translations of the Bible and number of commentaries on the Bible and I can read them at 30,000 feet. It's wonderful.

Here in the book of Acts chapter 10, it struck me as I was reading through here one more time Why did God pay particular attention to Cornelius? We have a chapter dedicated to it. What was there that caught God's attention that we would have Him pay particular attention to Cornelius? Notice here in the book of Acts chapter 10 verse 1, and we're going to go a little further than that today, but there was a certain man of Caesarea called Cornelius. how God paid particular attention.

And then he paid particular attention so much to this man that he made sure that he got a gospel preacher over there to preach to him. He just didn't leave him alone. He made sure that a particular gospel preacher got over there and preached to him. And that was Peter. And Peter had to go through some training before he could go over there and preach to that man.

He was a prejudiced man. If you say you're not prejudiced, you are. We all are about some things. I'm prejudiced about green leafy vegetables. Now, that's just as simple as I can make it. We are all prejudiced. Peter was prejudiced. He'd been trained to be prejudiced. He'd been trained to be prejudiced against Gentiles.

And God spoke to him in a very powerful way to go and be able to preach to a Gentile man by the name of Cornelius. Now, Cornelius was so particular, or so, God stationed him in the military in Israel. He could have been in Gaul. He could have been in Britain. He could have been anywhere in the Roman Empire that the Caesar wanted him to be, but he is stationed in Israel. He sent a messenger. Peter went now. What is it that made this man?

So particular that God would take the time to go have this conversation with him through Peter Well, we've heard read this morning. Just keep your finger right there But turn with me over to the book of the book of first Peter if you would first Peter I Could turn to many places in the Bible about why?

God paid particular attention to Cornelius. But this verse of Scripture, like many other verses of Scripture, are so clear about why He did that. It's said here in 1 Peter 1, it says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered abroad through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, and then he brings up a very, very important subject. elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. That is exactly why God is paying particular attention to Cornelius.

He had him in his mind before the foundation of the world and it was absolutely necessary and essential that he pay particular attention to this man so much that he would pay particular attention to a gospel preacher to get over there and preach to him. So we have, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto the obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, and peace be multiplied. The gospel is declared here in this verse of scripture, and this gospel is going to be declared to those that he had pointed out in that verse of scripture, elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

We read something like this earlier in the book of Acts when God paid particular attention to an Ethiopian eunuch, a man traveling, a religious man. We've mentioned that in the past. We just, we're there. But this man, this Ethiopian eunuch, we don't have his name. We know he's from Ethiopia. We don't know where in Ethiopia.

But God had particular attention given to him because he was elect before the foundation of the world. God had him put out, mined out, placed out as one of his children. And he is going to have him intercept with the gospel. And exactly what we read there in the book of Acts chapter 8, he sent Philip over there directly.

Now, another thing that struck my mind, there's a verse over in the book of Ezekiel chapter 37. Would you turn, that's the Valley of Dry Bones. Wonderful passage of scripture. One of the most important parts of that whole section, though, is found in verse 11. This is who they were. This is who they were.

This is why there was particular attention paid to this Valley of Dry Bones. Now there are many valleys of dry bones, I'm sure. Every time there's a battle, You know, 10,000 men on this side going to battle, 10,000 men on that side going to battle, 10,000 men are going to die. Well, here we have a valley of dry bones. There could have been probably valleys filled with Gentile bones, valleys filled with Hittite bones, valleys filled with Jebusite bones.

And this particular place that God sent His prophet to, it tells us in the book of Ezekiel chapter 36 and verse 11. Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. There's no talking about nationalism in particular. He's talking about the church. This is the church. This is why I am paying particular attention to this Valley of Dry Bones.

Who took him out there? Verse one, the hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the spirit to a valley which was full of bones. The spirit of God took the preacher of God out to a valley full of dry bones and in the end of it, it was found out that this valley of dry bones was filled with the whole house of Israel. Those that God had chosen before the foundation of the world were there in symbolic form. There was no form, There was no muscle, there was nothing but bones, and it was going to take the act of God before they could ever walk.

But in so doing, they needed to hear the gospel truth about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now, our salvation is not in the gospel. Our salvation is in Christ. He uses it. It's the means. I don't comprehend it all, but it is necessary. I was talking to someone very dear to me recently, and she had the idea that you could just go out and pick up a Bible somewhere, and that would lead you to Christ. And I said, that is not the gospel form. The gospel form is, he's going to send somebody to preach the gospel. Or he's going to take you to hear the gospel. But you just can't pick up the Bible and find it out. It's a hidden book. The gospel, the Bible is a hidden book to our natural mind.

All right. So we have another incident that I just had to bring up, and that's the woman at the well. Another particular incident. Now, I like what we read about that woman at the well. Jesus said himself, I must needs go. It was imperative that he be there. There was an appointment that he made. Now he's going to be the gospel preacher this time. He's the one that is going to declare himself as the Savior. I am he. I am the Messiah. So here we find that God does this throughout the Bible. He came to Noah. He came to Moses. He came to Joshua. He came to Caleb. He came in particular, very special, had in mind before the foundation of the world. He's not looking for somebody to be made into his children. He's looking for his lost children. He's not trying to make anybody his child. They're already his child. but they were lost in Adam, and now he is out looking for them, finding them, and saving them by his grace.

All right, would you travel back with me to the book of Acts? Acts chapter 10, and we find that the apostle Peter, when he came to Cornelius' house, or even before he came, he asked some very pertinent questions. Acts chapter 10, verse 21, we read this. He said, And Peter went down to the men which were set upon him from Cornelius, and said, Behold, I am whom ye seek. What is the cause wherewith ye are come?

What are you doing here? Good question to ask. Good question. Are you just going to discuss religion? We don't have time to discuss religion. We don't have time to argue religion. We have time to preach Christ. All right. And they said, Our master had a dream. An angel appeared unto him, saith, Get over there, and get hold of Peter. Not just any Peter, Peter, Simon Peter. There was another Simon in that household. He was Simon the Tanner. Get a hold of the right man, and you tell him to come over here.

Well, and then in verse 29 of that same chapter, we read this, Therefore came I unto you without gain, saying, As soon as I was sent for, I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me. What do you want me for? What is this business that you're interested in? What good questions Peter asked as he was moved by the Holy Spirit? What are we here for? Well, it goes on to tell us that He was there because God sent Him.

In verse 34 and verse 35 of that chapter, Peter opened his mouth and said, �Of a truth I perceive God is no respecter of persons. Out of every kindred, nation, people, and tongue, He�s going to have His people, Gentiles and Jews alike.� The wonderful promise that God made in Christ Jesus is that He would break down the middle wall of partition. He would tear it aside. There would no longer be Jews and Gentiles as such. It would be the gospel would make us all one in Christ Jesus, and you know what? Every Gentile that God ever saves, they're glad to say, I am the Israel of God. I'm the true Israel of God. I bow before that great term, the chosen of God, those that God had watched over for eternity. I am in that group and I'm thankful for it. In verse 35 of that 10th chapter, it says, but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him.

God is not looking for people that fear him and he's not looking for people who are righteous. That's not his goal. He's not a, well, I'm looking for some people over here that fear me and some people over here that have righteousness. That's exactly the opposite of what God's going to find. It's not the fear of the Lord or the works of righteousness, which we have done that catches God's attention. You know what catches God's attention? The covenant of grace.

I'm going to carry it out. I will fulfill it. There will not be one particle of that covenant of grace made before the foundation of the world that I will not carry out, and I will save all that are mentioned in the covenant of grace. I will lose none of them, and they will be out of every kindred nation, people, and tongue. And we will rejoice in one language in heaven.

Praise God Almighty for Jesus Christ our Savior. Verse 36 of this chapter, it says, the word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. You know, the message goes out as it says there, which is the word sent to the children of Israel. And then it tells us there in verse 37, that word I say ye know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism, which John preached. Now we're going to spend a little time on this John that's here.

It wasn't the baptism that he preached it was at that time when this baptism was preached He had was the forerunner of God. He's promised from the Old Testament But in verse 38 he says 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 and he was witness of all things and which he had done 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. Now to all the people, but unto the witness 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. To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

While Peter yet spake these words, The Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost fell on all that heard the word, and they, of the circumcision which were believed, were astonished. Those Jews that went with him traveled with him from Jerusalem and from Joppa, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God, then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should be baptized? Which were received the Holy Ghost as well as we, and He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, and they prayed they Him to tarry with them certain days."

When Peter went to preach to this man's household, He went to preach to everyone in that household. He did not delineate and say, well, I know that you won't hear me, so you go outside. He preached to everybody in that household. And it tells us that this man, I'm going to have to write it on my forehead, Cornelius, This man, Cornelius, had invited his family and friends over to hear this message. And Peter preached to them freely. Peter preached to them declaratively. Peter preached to them Christ and Him crucified. The same thing he had preached to the Jews for years.

He's preaching to this group of people that are gathered together that day, there in that household, and we find out that when God had that preaching going on to them, He's not trying to make children out of them. As we mentioned earlier, God is not looking to make sons and daughters. He already has sons and daughters, and they were lost in Adam. They were his children before the foundation of the world. He has great conversation with them in the covenant of grace. I promise not to lose any of you. I promise that I'll take care of you. I promise that I will find you. I promise that I will save you.

They are His and He is theirs. And then as Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, that great, glorious, wonderful relationship Adam chose to break, but it didn't change the relationship one iota. They still were God's children, and that's who he's after. You know, the reason I can mention this is about the lost son. Remember that parable? Well, it's not even a parable. I believe it's just the truth that Jesus Christ mentioned about the lost son. Man had two sons. One was older, one was younger. And the younger one, well, just travel with me, if you would, over to Luke chapter 15. Luke chapter 15.

Who is Peter preaching to, and who is God intending to save out of that group? Now, I've had people tell me that everybody that was there was saved. Everybody that heard was saved. And who gave them a hearing ear, and who gave them seeing eyes? We know the truth about that. So, we're just going to have to keep this in context. Everyone that God had here, everyone God gave ears to heard, everyone God gave eyes to saw.

Here in the book of Luke chapter 15 we read about this lost son. Luke chapter 15 and there we find in verse 11, Luke chapter 15 and verse 11, and he said a certain man had two sons. Now at the top of this it says this is the parable of the lost son. Well if it is a parable, it's going to speak the truth, but it's probably more apparent an actual event that took place. that Jesus Christ knew about. The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.

And he divided unto him his living. What did he call this man that was the head of the household before he left? Father, And not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into the far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. Now, what did he do with the wealth that the father had given him? What did he do with the wealth? What did Adam do with the wealth that the father had given him? He wasted it all. in choosing against God and in His favor. It goes on to say, And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Who sent the mighty famine? Who's the one that hurts us even in our lost condition? Who's the one that brings the situations into our life even when we're without Christ and without hope and without God in this world? Who is it? Who moves in those mysterious ways His wonders to perform. Who puts us in the right place? Who puts us where we could hear the gospel?

Well, that's exactly what happened here. The circumstances are going to move this man that is a son of the Father. Now, he's the lost son. This father may not know where he is, but this father knows where he is. We may not know where our physical children are all the time, but the heavenly father knows where all his children are all the time, even the lost ones, even the worst of them, even in the jails.

You know, as I've mentioned, somebody will say, well, my son or my daughter, they're away from God. And we can just say, now, where is that? Because they're not. All right. He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. I'm in trouble, and I need help, so I'm going to go to this church. I want to get involved in this religion, because they promised me food. What's it say?

He would fain have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. Those hust at the swine ain't they that's That's fake chocolate. What was that chocolate stuff that used to be around it. They tried to make me think was good carob oh My goodness. Now, this is really good and it's good for you And you know what it is. It's garbage compared to real chocolate Compared to real silver this stuff we have for coins today. It's garbage and Compared to real food, this is garbage. And that's all there is offered is garbage and trash.

No man gave unto him, and when he came to himself, oh my goodness, you know, there's something about this whole situation that is so characteristic of what we have even with Cornelius and everybody else that God ever saves. There's going to be a light turned on. God is going to show us the situation that we are in, and it is not good. God is going to lead us to a place where we can get refreshment. Where did God lead this young man to after he came to himself? He didn't go join another church. He didn't go to another country. He didn't try to find happiness somewhere else. Here we find that this young man, just as Cornelius, God led him where?

Right to the foot of the father. Goes on to say there, and when he come to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my, who? My father's. Relationship had not been thrown away. Father wasn't going to throw that relationship away, and he may have been a lost son for some time, but he, when he came to himself, he remembers. There's how many hired servants of my father's have spread enough despair and I perish with hunger No, this is exactly what Cornelius was going through.

He was very Generous with what he had and he prayed a lot and he did all the things that the Jewish religion Imposed upon him, but was he any better for what he was doing? Then when he was in the religion of the Romans He could say he was, but in essence there was no difference but where he was as a Jewish proselyte and being in the Roman religion of following after all of those multitudes of gods. I perish with hunger, I will arise, and where will I go? Where can I go? Where will I be welcome? Not to the preacher's house. not to the deacon's house, not to the Sunday school teacher's house. I've got to go back to the father. And that's where God takes his children, back to the father.

Goes on to say there, I will arise and go back, go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. Against thee and thee only have I sinned. I've taken what you've given me graciously and I've gone and wasted it and turned my life into an absolute wreck. I've wasted it. I've sinned against my father. I've sinned against heaven and before thee.

What a change we have that God rots in the hearts of His children when He saves them by His grace. They never mind being called a sinner. And we admit we're sinners by nature, sinners by practice, and sinners by choice, but save sinners. and I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me one of thy hired servants.

Well, he arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him. Now, who did he see? He saw his son. Who did God see when God saved Cornelius? He saw his son. Who did he see when he saved Lydia? Saw his daughter. He's not trying to make us into children. He's not trying to make us into sons and daughters.

He's out with the very reality of finding his lost sons and daughters. and He s going to bring them the gospel, and He s going to have that preached to them, and by that, God is going to send His Holy Spirit, just like we did there, see there with Cornelius, just as we heard read this morning, and we can read anytime, that it was not just in power, word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit. That's when God saves his people. I remember Brother Dwayne praying many times, God send your spirit in power, or your word in power and demonstration of the spirit. Don't just let it go out, but let it be in power and in the Holy Spirit.

Well, his father, as he looked down, he says, oh no, no, no, no. That rascal's home. What's he want now? Another portion? No, no, no. He's already said, I'm not worthy to be called a son anymore. I will just be a servant. If I could just be a servant. My dad's servants are better off than I am here down here eating carob and feeding swine.

Well, he arose and came to his father. And when he had yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. Give him the robe of righteousness, his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and a ring that proves that he also is a king priest in the kingdom of God. Well, how wonderful it is.

The father watched for how long? Doesn't say, but he's going to watch until his son is brought in. It may be a day, it may be a week, it may be years, but God will not lose any. Those that are in Christ Jesus, as Peter preached over there in Acts chapter 2 and Acts chapter 10, the gospel of an accomplished redemption was preached He's not trying to preach that God is out trying to make children. He's preaching that God has children. They are lost children. He will find those children and He will save those children and bring them into glory.

For just a moment in the time that I have left, I'd like to look at another incident that has been so precious to me recently and that's in the book of Hosea. Here again we find Cornelius. Now, Cornelius was a nice Pharisee. The Pharisee that was there in the temple praying that time, you know, we'd say, I just don't like him very much.

All he does is brag. He just wants to talk about his religion. He wants to tell me how much he tithes. He wants to tell me how much he gives. He wants to tell me how much he prays. He wants me to know all those things. Well, I think Cornelius was smart enough. Well, I shouldn't even use that term. Cornelius didn't go down to the temple to pray. He stayed in his house. He didn't let all the gifts that he gave be known to everybody. And he didn't do all the things that religion does for outward show like the other. He was the same in the heart. but he wasn't in for the show. Saying no difference really. And here God came to him not because of his tithes, not because of his prayers, and not because of his fastings. He came to him because he was in the covenant of grace.

Alright. Now the same is true over here about a woman by the name of Hosea's wife. Turn with me if you would to the book of Hosea chapter 2. Hosea chapter 2. This is such a story of God's children. Here, His children is called a wife, husband and wife. We heard that read there in Ephesians chapter 5 this morning. No truer statement could be made. As we read the book of Hosea, Hosea was called on to marry a harlot. That's a tough thing. God, are you sure? go marry this harlot."

And after they were married, what did she do? She left. Just like that young son left his father, this wife left her husband and went after her lovers. Almost the identical story with different backgrounds. One left the father, took his money, and ruined himself in riotous living. She was already in the dumps. She�s married to a righteous man and chooses to leave and goes off with her lovers.

Well, what is the husband going to do? Hosea is a wonderful picture of Christ, just a wonderful picture of Christ. What's the husband going to do? Is he going to stand back and say, in this situation, as God looked down and saw the fall of Adam and his sin against God, is he going to say, well, that's enough?

No, because he's already got a covenant of grace, and he's going to keep it. He is the only one that has the power to say something and accomplish it. We may say something, but many times we cannot accomplish it. He's the one that can say, I will, and does it. Well, here's this lady, Hosea, Hosea 2, verse 5, we read this. For their mother hath played the harlot, she hath conceived them, hath done shamefully, for she said, I will go after my lovers.

What did Adam do? That gave me my bread, and my water, and my wool, and my flax. Who did she say gave her that stuff? You know, we're going to find out that Hosea was giving her all that stuff. God loved us even when we were unlovable. God took care of us even when we were out. It goes on to say, Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy ways with thorns. Hosea said, I'll hedge you up. And my friends, that's exactly what God does with us. He hedges us up, and sometimes it's with thorns.

We'll not get involved in this hedge, we'll move along. And make wall, and she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them. Who's doing this? The father, the husband. I'm keeping her from doing what she wants to do. Will God go against our will? Amen! And He better, because left to her will, she'd have been doomed forever.

Goes on to tell us there, it says, verse 8, And she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. She didn't know who was providing everything for her. And you know what? Before the Lord saves us, we have no idea where our provisions have come from, or the grace that God has put into our life. in order to bring us to salvation.

Therefore will I return and take away my corn in time, therefore my wine and season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of my hand." What a wonderful thing God says, none will deliver her out of my hand.

Well, the last verse I want to read is verse 16. You take the time to read in between. But there's an opportunity here for some translation, and I wished our translators had translated it. Because when we read there in verse 16, and we're going to find out that's probably exactly what Cornelius said.

He thought of God as his master, his taskmaster. I need to do this to make God happy. I had a lady tell me one time when she was wearing socks. I said, I just mentioned something about it. She said, God loves me more if I wear socks. And I thought, oh my gosh. We come up with some crazy ideas, don't we, of how we're going to attract God's love. If I'm more obedient, He'll love me more. If I'm more sanctified, He'll love me more. If I'm more redeemable, He'll love me more. If I do both.

Let's not have a wits interest in God. He has it from His side down to us. And when he does save us, we are no longer looking at him as a taskmaster of the law. It tells us in that verse of scripture, verse 16, and it shall come to be at that day, says the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Belei.

All right, you that have that in your translation, tell me what it means. I wish they'd have translated it for us. Because the first word that is in there, you're going to call me my husband. God's people are going to say, you're my husband. As we heard read over there in Ephesians chapter five, he is my husband. He's no longer, as the last word said, my master. You're not my taskmaster. You're not my legal master.

You're not telling, the law could not save anybody. There was no salvation in any law ever given. It was condemnation. And here this This lady, Cornelius, anybody we read about, the son, lost son, Peter, James, John, all the rest of them, Saul of Tarsus, oh my goodness, if I could just keep the law, God will be happy with me. And this lady confesses, that's not where it is. My hope is in my husband. It's not in me keeping the law. He's not my master. Now we turn to him as Lord, but it's a favored word. It's not a mean word. It's a lovely word. Who is this?

As Cornelius was brought the gospel, we find out he was caused to rejoice in the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace. He rejoiced that somebody was sent to him that knew something about the gospel. He preached Jesus. He didn't preach law. He preached Jesus Christ, just like was preached to Israel. And the prophets gave witness to this all the way through. And so when he preached it, the Holy Spirit was so pleased, because the appointed time, as we read over in the book of Jeremiah, the time of love had arrived. And God showed his love to Cornelius by the giving of the Holy Spirit. And they spoke in some language that those apostles, Peter and those that were with him, were able to say, these men know something. These ladies know something. God has revealed something to them. To us, it would say, what think you of Jesus? What think ye of Jesus? Is He just your friend? Or is He your husband? Brother Mike.

My Father, My Husband

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My Father, My Husband

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