I make it a practice to have
a children's talk as well in the mornings and we know that
there are a number of children who look in and so I wanted to
continue that pattern and speak to the children for a little
while. Having said that however, I want to read a fairly long
chapter today so I'm going to really not say too much in the
way of commenting on the verses of Acts chapter 10, but I want
to just mention that it is a long chapter and it contains a single
story. And yet it's a very important
story. So that's why I wanted to read
the whole chapter in a single sitting. I did think about breaking
it up and then I thought, well, no, that loses the import, it
loses the urgency and the emphasis of the narrative. Because here's
the explanation behind Acts chapter 10. Up until this point in the
Bible, and there are a few exceptions, I won't mention them at this
stage, but with the few exceptions acknowledged, up until this point
in the Bible, there had been a general division between Jews
and Gentiles. Now the Jews, they take their
name from Judah, which was one of the 12 tribes of Israel in
the Old Testament scriptures. And the Gentiles, well they were
everybody else basically. They were the non-Jews. So we have in scripture, when
we read in the Old Testament especially, this distinction
between the children of Israel, who then became known as the
Jews for one or two reasons, including the exile of some of
the tribes, and the Gentiles, who were all of the other nations
amongst whom the Jews lived. And what we discover in the Bible
when we read the scriptures together is that the Jews treated the
Gentiles with a great deal of contempt. They regarded the Gentiles
as being ignorant people, as being untaught people, as being
heathen and idolatrous people. And while in many respects this
was true, the Jews had been blessed by God with revelations and with
prophecies and with leaders that honoured God, nevertheless the
Jews also had their troubles and their problems of sin and
wickedness. and it was wrong for them to
treat the Gentiles with the contempt that they did. God caused that
distinction to exist in Old Testament times, as he revealed himself
and his purpose of salvation primarily to Jews only. But here's the point, that as
far as the church is concerned, there is no distinction between
the two. Indeed, the book of Galatians
tells us that there is neither Jew nor Greek or Gentile. Greek was another word because
the Gentiles tended to speak Greek in New Testament times.
So there is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ. You're all one in Christ Jesus
in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus, as
he came into the world during his own ministry, he gave a commission
to the apostles. that they were to go into all
the world, not just into Jerusalem and Judea and Galilee and the
lands that were owned by the Jews, but they were to take as
a great commission the message of the gospel to all the world.
And it does appear as if the apostles struggled, even they
struggled, to see beyond their Jewishness. And that's what makes
Acts chapter 10 so important because here the Holy Spirit
reinforces by this revelation His design to bring the Gentiles
into the church. And it's good to remember that
while people make divisions still in the world today between rich
and poor and black and white and old and young and educated
and uneducated, in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, all
believers are united and equal regardless of their outward differences. And I delight to see how Peter,
or sorry, how the Holy Spirit has brought Peter and Cornelius
together, telling Cornelius about Peter and telling Peter about
Cornelius, Peter being the Jew, Cornelius being the Gentile,
and preparing them both for this union and this lesson of their
oneness to be learned. Let's read together and see then
what it is that the narrative, which the account shows to us. So we're reading from Acts chapter
10. Acts chapter 10. There was a certain man of Caesarea
called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian
Band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house,
which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision, evidently
about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming into 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. And 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. 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. 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 unto 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 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, and called
and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged
there. While Peter thought in 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. Then Peter went down to the men
which were sent unto him from Cornelius, and said, Behold,
I am he whom ye seek. What is the cause whereof ye
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. 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. 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 gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for. I
ask therefore, for what intent ye 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 at 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 we are all here present before God to hear all things
that are commanded thee of God. 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. The word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, He is
Lord of all. 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. 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. Him God raised up the
third day and showed him openly, 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 judge of quick and dead, to him give 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 Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision
which believed were astonished, and as many as came with Peter,
because on that 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 not be baptised, which
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded
them to be baptised in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they
him to tarry certain days. Amen. May God bless to us this
reading from his word. Here we are told that the Lord
Jesus Christ was Lord of all men and women, all the nations
from all the tribes and all the languages and all the tongues
and all the families, all of the people who trust in the Lord
from all over the world find that the Lord Jesus Christ is
the same to each one of them. These Gentiles believed. And do you see what happened
when they believed? because they did most certainly
believe. Nothing had to be said by these
Gentiles. They believed in their hearts,
and when they believed in their hearts, the Holy Ghost came and
indwelt them in the same way as he had done to the Jews at
the time of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles. and then again upon the 3,000
that were saved. So it happened to the Gentiles. They believed in their hearts
and the Holy Spirit came on them as they had done, as he had done
to the apostles before, showing us that the Gentiles were accepted
by God as were the Jews. But the testimony that we have
is this, that for Everyone who believes, whosoever believeth
in him shall receive the remission of sins. And this is the great
message that still is the message of the preacher today, to take
the gospel out to all men and women. with this promise that
whosoever believeth in him shall receive the remission of their
sins. Their sins will be taken away,
their sins will be pardoned and they will know the Lord Jesus
Christ as their own and personal saviour. Thank you very much
for listening to this part of the service.