I've entitled this message from
Acts chapter 10, Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile. He was not a Jew. He was Italian
from Rome, and he was a Roman centurion. And at the end of this story
in Acts chapter 11, we read these words. Peter says, for as much then
as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand
God? I think Peter is saying I wouldn't
have saved him, but God did. What can I do about that? Peter
had a hard time with Gentiles all of his life. And here was
the Conclusion, when they heard these things, they held their
peace and glorified God saying, then have God also to the Gentiles
granted repentance unto life. Now, most of us in this room,
maybe all of us are Gentiles. And we don't understand this
thing of the gospel coming to Gentiles. We think, well, of
course it would. In 1 Timothy 3.16, when Paul
spoke of the great mystery of godliness, he said, the gospels
preached to Gentiles. That was amazing. Now here is
the Gentile or the Jews' belief. Not the Gentiles, the Jews. We
be Abraham's seed. That was their hope of salvation. We be Abraham's seed. That's why we believe God will
save us. They believe that made them children
of God, and that was their hope. When John the Baptist came preaching
to them, he knew that that's what they were hoping in. He
said, say ye not within your hearts, we be Abraham's seed.
God is able of these stones to make children of Abraham. The Lord opened his public ministry
in Luke chapter four. At one point when he saw the
rejection of his message by the Jews, he said, there were many
Jews in Israel that were widows. And Elijah wasn't sent to any
of them, but to a Gentile widow. And there were many lepers in
Israel. And Elisha wasn't sent to any
of them, but he came to a Jewish, I mean a Gentile leper and saved
him. And you, when they heard these
things, the scripture says they were filled with wrath and they rose
up to throw him off of a cliff. That's how mad and angry they
were. When Paul is giving his testimony
in Acts chapter 22, when he says that God has sent him to the
Gentiles, that's when they said it's not fit that such a one
should live. And they tried to put him to death. over that. You see, the Jews believed that
God was a respecter of persons and that being a Jew counted
for something with him. And so this passage in Acts chapter
10 is a watershed event in the New Testament. And I think what
is really interesting is he used a man that was deeply prejudiced
against the Gentiles to do this. Peter, that's the man he used
to demonstrate how God had called Gentiles as well. And I think it's interesting
how he says at the end of this, who is I that I can withstand
God? When he saw these Gentiles saved, he thought, I wouldn't
have done this, but God did it. What are we going to do about
it? Now it's pointed out in verse 43 of chapter nine. And it came
to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon,
a tanner. Now that's significant. A tanner
was someone who stripped the skins off of dead animals and
made leather. Now to a Jew, that was a horrible
job. Why? Because he was in constant
contact with death. What happened if you were in
contact with death? You were unclean. And the Jews
would have considered the Tanner the most unclean of all professions,
always in contact with death. And that's where Peter was staying.
I think that's interesting. That's where Peter was staying
with one Simon, a Tanner. There was a certain man in Caesarea
called Cornelius, the centurion of the band called the Italian
band. And look how he's described a
devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which
gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. Now people have used this to
prove you can be saved without faith in Christ. Look at Cornelius.
I mean, he prayed always, he was a devout man, gave much alms. Here's a man who was saved that
never heard the gospel. Now that's foolishness. This
could describe so many religious people. That's the way people
ought to be. But Cornelius had never believed
the gospel as of yet. As a matter of fact, look in
chapter 11, verse 14. This settles this issue. Verse 13, and he showed us how
he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him,
send me into Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter,
who will tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall
be saved. They weren't saved yet. He wasn't
saved yet, but he was a Roman centurion. And I have no doubt
that he had been raised up in the religion of the Romans. pantheistic, all kinds of different
kinds of gods, very human gods might I also add. And he had
converted to the Jewish religion and now believed in the one God
of Israel. And he now believed in the God of the Bible. And
he had great respect for the Jewish religion. Did he know
Christ? No. Is there salvation apart
from knowing Christ? No. But he was a very religious
man. So don't look at this man and
say, well, he must have been saved without the gospel. No, he wasn't.
How many religious people do you know? Very religious people
who really don't believe the gospel. That would have described
Cornelius, this Roman centurion. Well, verse three, he saw a vision
evidently about the ninth hour of the day and an angel of God
coming in and saying to 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. Now send men to Joppa and call
for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodges with one
Simon a Tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell
thee what thou oughtest to do. That's so important. He'll tell
you what you ought to do. He didn't know yet what he ought
to do, but he's going to find out what he ought 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 declared all these things unto them, he sent him
to Joppa looking for Peter. The Lord said, you need to hear
what this man has to say. With the next day, as they went
on their journey and drew nigh into the city, Peter went up
upon the housetop to pray about the six hour. He's at Simon Tanner's
house. About noon, he goes up to the housetop to pray. And
he became very hungry and would have eaten, but while they made
ready, he fell into a trance. And he saw heaven opened and
a certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet
knit at the four corners and laid down to the earth, wherein
were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, of wild
beasts, creeping things and fowls of the air, things that were
unclean according to the Levitical law that a Jew should never eat. What this has brought down to
him And there came a voice to him, rise, Peter, kill and eat. And Peter said, not so, Lord.
I'm not going to do that. Like I said, only Peter. He says
so many stupid things. Next time you say something stupid,
Peter did too. Next time I say something stupid,
contrary to the gospel, Peter did too. Peter was Peter all
his life. Not so, Lord. Remember when the Lord said he's
going to the cross, and he said, no, Lord, don't do that. And
the Lord said, get thee behind me, Satan. That's what he said
to Peter at that time. Peter, what about when he was
on the Mount of Transfiguration, he said, let us make three tabernacles. One for you, one for Moses, one
for Elijah. Peter, Peter. Well, that was
Peter. The Lord loved him. Not so, Lord. I've never eaten anything that's
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 three times and
the vessel was received up into heaven. Now, Peter didn't know
what this meant this time. Scripture says he doubted. In
other words, he's confused. He didn't know what the Lord
was saying. He's gonna find out what he's saying later though. But let
me remind you of this. What God hath cleansed. Every believer, you have been
cleansed. Not you will be if you have been
cleansed from all your sins. When he had by himself purged
our sins. He didn't offer to purge them.
He didn't make purging available. He purged. What God hath cleansed. Right now, child of God, you
have no sin. What God hath cleansed, don't
you dare call common. Verse 17, now while Peter doubted
in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold,
the men were sent from Cornelius, had made inquire for Simon's
house, and stood before the gate, and called and asked where the
Simon, which was surnamed Peter, was lodged there. While Peter
thought on this vision, he still didn't know what it meant, 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'm he whom you seek.
What is the cause wherefore you are come? And they said, Cornelius,
the centurion, a just man, one that feareth God and of good
report among all the nations of the Jews. Now that tells you
something. All the Jews loved him. The Jews hated Christ, but
they loved him. They respected him. He was of the Jewish religion.
He was a Jewish proselyte. He no longer believed in the
many gods of the Romans. He believed in the one God of
the Jews. And he would even give money
to support the building of temples and so on. I mean, he was a Jewish
proselyte is what he was. A just man, one that feareth
God, and of good report among all the nations of the Jews,
was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his
house to hear words of thee. He wants to hear what you have
to say. Then called he them in and lodged them. And on the morrow
Peter went away with him, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied
him. And the morrow, after they had entered into Caesarea, Cornelius
waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near
friends. Now think of this audience he's called together. All of
his buddies, all of his relatives, they're all here to hear this
message. He knows Peter's coming to them. Verse 25, and as Peter was coming
in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped
him. Now he demonstrates by that how little he knew of God because
he fell at the feet of a man and worshiped him. That is so
wrong. But he did it, didn't he? He
did it. But Peter took him up saying, stand up, I myself also
am a man. As he talked with him, he went
in and found many that were gathered together. And he said unto them,
you know that it's an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew
to keep company or come into one of another nation. But God
has showed me, now he knows what it means. God has 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
asked therefore for what intent you sent for me. And Cornelius
tells him, he said, four days ago, I was fasting unto this
hour. And at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house, and behold,
a man stood before me in white clothing, an angel, and said,
Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine arms are had in remembrance
in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joplin, call
hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He's lodged in the house
of one Simon and Tanner by the seaside, who when he cometh,
he shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore, I sent
to thee, and thou'st well done that thou art come. Now therefore,
we're all here present before God, to hear all things that
are commanded thee of God." We're here to hear. Now, we're listening.
Say on. And the first thing Peter says,
then Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth, I perceive that
God is no respecter of persons. You know, God really is the only
one that's no respecter of persons. Why do I say that? Well, I know
that me and you, we have more strict standards on others than
we do for ourselves. Isn't that so? You have a reason
for doing what you did. It can be justified. That other
person doesn't. That's being a respecter of persons. Showing somebody favoritism because
of how they can benefit you, that is respect. of persons. Everybody here is inflicted with
this horrible sin, and that's what it is, of being a respecter
of persons. Every one of us. The only one
who's not a respecter of persons is the Lord himself. And let
me tell you what proves that, the cross. When the Lord found sin on his
son, he killed him because he is no respecter of persons. No one is gonna get favoritism
because of who they are or what they can present. No, he's absolutely,
perfectly righteous and just. He's no respecter of persons.
Don't you admire him for this? He absolutely is no respecter
of persons. I love that scripture in Luke
16, where the Lord said, that which is highly esteemed among
men. Oh, we want to impress men with these things. That which
is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight
of God. He and only he is no respecter
of persons. Look in verse 35, but in every
nation, He that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted
with him. Now, once again, this is a verse
that's used to show as long as you're sincere and you work righteousness
and you have a respect for God, wherever you're from, you'll
be saved. That's so wrong. You got to throw
the whole Bible at a passage of scripture to see what it really
means. Now, this working of righteousness,
Doesn't the Bible say there's none righteous, no not one? Sure
it does. What is this working of righteousness?
This working of righteousness is justification. If you're justified
by God, you are one who God would describe as one who worketh righteousness. Everything you do, if you have
his righteousness in God's sight, is righteous because it is righteous.
You see, you have the righteousness of his son. That's the working
of righteousness. What is the fear of God? It's
the new birth. Everybody that's born of God, the scripture says
that there's none that feareth God. Who fears God? The people
who he gives life to. And they fear him. And what is
the fear of God? You're afraid to look anywhere
but Christ. That's what the fear of God is. You're afraid to look
anywhere, but Christ alone is all your salvation. So this is
what this is a reference to. Somebody says, well, that shows
that somebody's saved who doesn't believe the gospel. That's heretical.
That's heretical. You can't look at that verse
in that light. And I have no doubt that the
Lord presents some scriptures where if you want to have enough
rope to hang yourself, he'll give it to you. There he is.
But this is talking about justification and regeneration. That's all
that is talking about. That's not talking about somebody
who works righteousness even though he didn't know the gospel.
But he's saying this is not just for the Jews. Every nation, Gentile,
whatever it might be, every nation where you have someone who fears
God and works righteousness is accepted of him. God is no respecter
of persons. He doesn't show respect for somebody
simply because they're a Jew. perfectly, absolutely just and
impartial. When he sees someone who fears
him and works righteousness, that person is accepted of him
no matter what their ethnic background, no matter what they are. And wherever he doesn't see this,
he's perfectly just and righteous in condemnation. God is utterly
righteous and just and impartial. Verse 36, the word which God sent unto the children
of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. Now, here's the gospel. Peace
by Jesus Christ. You know, religion makes this
emphasis. Changed lives. That's even the
name of some ministries. Changed lives. Your peace comes
because of your changed life. Now, I'm all for people living
the way they ought to live, beginning right here. But my peace is not
my changed life. If it is, it's a false peace.
It's a peace that's not real. My peace is by Jesus Christ. He is the author of my peace. He is the subject of my peace. He is the object of my peace. What he accomplished. Now hold
your finger there in Acts chapter 10, turn to Colossians 1. Verse 20. And having made peace through
the blood of his cross. Now he didn't make peace available.
He didn't offer you peace if you'll just accept it. He made
Peace. Have you made peace with God?
No, I haven't. He made my peace with God. Having made peace through the
blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself,
by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in
heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death. to present you holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight. And let me remind you how God
sees is the way it really is. And if he died for you, right
now you are holy. and unblameable and unreprovable
in the very sight of God. Peace by Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2.14 says he is our
peace. Now listen real carefully to
this statement. The only thing that satisfies
my conscience, the only thing that satisfies my conscience
is what God is satisfied with. Who is God satisfied with? Jesus
Christ. He's satisfied with his sin payment.
He's satisfied with his life. He demonstrated that when he
raised him from the dead. God said, I'm infinitely satisfied
with him. Me too. That's my lease. that he is my peace before God. Peace by Jesus Christ. Isaiah
chapter nine, verse six, his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. Peace by Jesus Christ. And look what he says next. In
verse 36, he is. Lord of all. Now, he is the Lord. That means he is the dictator. That means he is the one who
is in control. He's the Lord of creation and
he's the Lord of all. He's Lord of creation. That means
he spake the world into existence. All things were created by Him
and for Him. He's the Lord of Providence.
Now, providence is everything that happens. You know, whenever
we say that was providential, we deny what providence is in
the first place. Everything is providential. Everything is His
will being done. The Lord is cast into the light,
but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. He controls everything,
every event, every circumstance, every thought that goes through
your mind. He is control of because he is the Lord. He's Lord of salvation. That
means if you're saved, it's simply because He willed your salvation.
The Lord is the one whose will is done. You're in His hands.
He's the Lord of salvation. He controls your destiny. That's who He is. He's the Lord. Now, somebody might get upset
with that, but I'll tell you what the wise thing to do is, Lord,
save me. Have mercy on me. He's not gonna turn down anybody
who asks for mercy. If you come to Him for mercy,
you'll have it. But here's my reaction to that. Lord, save
me. You're the Lord. The leper understood this. Lord,
if you will, you can make me clean. He said, I will be thou
clean. He's the Lord. He's the Lord
of all. He's Lord over everything and
everybody. He's the Lord of angels. He's the Lord of demons. He's
Satan's Lord. I love saying that. The devil's God's devil, and
he can't make a move without the permission of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's the believer's Lord, he's the unbeliever's Lord. The
scripture says he's Lord both of the dead and living, both
the believer and the unbeliever. Somebody says, he's not my Lord.
Yeah, he is, you just don't know it, but he is. He's in absolute
control of all people and all things. He's Lord of all, and
that includes me, and that includes you. He's called the Lord of
Lords and the King of Kings. Verse 36, that word which God
sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ,
he is Lord of all. That word, I say, know ye which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism which John preached. Now he talks about
the life of Christ, 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're witnesses of all these things, which he did, both in
the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on
a tree. Now he's talking about the death
of Christ. He went about doing good. What'd they do? They murdered
him and nailed him to a tree. He was put to death. Verse 40. Him, God raised up the third
day and showed him openly. Now, why was he put to death? All he did was go on about doing
good, healing those that were oppressed of the devil. Why was
he put to death? Because he was made sin. The only reason for death is
sin. And the sins of God's people
became his sins. Those sins that you've committed,
if you're a believer, they're not yours anymore. God placed
them upon him and he voluntarily took them. He said, I laid down
my life for myself. He voluntarily took those sins
out of love to his father, out of love to you. but God raised
Him from the dead. He died because of sin. Like
I said, God's no respecter of persons. When sin is found on
His only begotten and well-beloved Son, He kills Him. The soul that
sinners shall die. God's no respecter of persons.
But when He was raised from the dead, why was He raised? Because
God was so infinitely satisfied with what He did. That's the
key word, satisfaction. God's satisfied with what He
did. He's satisfied with His obedience. He's satisfied with
Him putting away sin. That's what the resurrection
of Christ means. God's infinite satisfaction with
what His Son did. God is satisfied with Christ
alone. Are you? Are you? Do you find this satisfaction
in what God finds satisfaction in? The glorious life, death,
and resurrection of his dear son. This is his infinite satisfaction. Him God raised up the third day
and showed him openly. You know, he was seen at one
point by 500 eyewitnesses at once. You can read about that
in first Corinthians chapter 15. There's no question about
this. God raised him from the dead,
not to all the people. You know, God, Christ never made
himself known or seen to any unbelievers when he was raised
from the dead. I think that's interesting. He felt no need
to do that. I love to think of him being
Raised from the dead in that dark tomb. No witnesses but God. God saw. No men did, no angels
did, but God did. I love to think of him opening
his eyes, raising up, taking his grave clothes off. I don't
know if the room flooded with light. Maybe it did. I don't
know. But he was raised from the dead. God raised him from
the dead. because he was so satisfied with what he did. When he died,
he never went through the process of decay because infinite satisfaction
was made. Not to all the people, but in
the witness 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 was he
which was ordained of God to judge the quick and the dead,
the living and the dead. God ordained him to this end.
This is God's eternal purpose that Christ Jesus is the judge. He is the one who determines
my and your eternal destiny. He can say, come ye blessed of
my father, Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Or he can say, depart ye cursed
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
He's the judge. Now he didn't come to condemn
the world. He said that the world already was condemned. He came
to save the world. But he is the one who will determine
whether you'll be in heaven or whether you'll be in hell. Now
what do you think of that? You don't have any control in
this. You don't have any control. Now, the only thing to do is,
Lord, have mercy on me. Reveal yourself to me. Save me
by your grace. Make me clean. Anyone who prays
for mercy has mercy. Don't say, well, there's some
people who want to be saved from their sins. But he says, no.
No. Anybody who comes for mercy receives
mercy. But he's the one who determines.
He's the judge of the quick and the dead. Somebody says, won't
you accept Jesus? That is so stupid. The issue
is not, will you accept Jesus? Will he accept you? Lord, have
mercy on me. May I be found in your son. That's, he's the judge of the
quick and dead. Don't anybody say, well, won't
you accept him? Where do you get that in the
Bible? It's not there. Will he accept you is the issue. Now, verse 43, to him, give all
the prophets witness. Do you know that he's the only
message of the Old Testament? You know, people say, well, the
Bible's a complicated book. Well, it's complex, but it's
not complicated. He is the only message of the
scriptures. Everything goes through that.
To him, give all the prophets witness that through his name,
and that's very important. I've looked at a bunch of different
versions, and it was amazing how many versions left out through
his name, through his name. name. You see this is the name
that's above every name and this is the only name given under
heaven whereby we must be saved. God will not speak to you or
me nor be spoken to by you or me apart from this name. The name of the Lord Jesus Christ
through His name. Whosoever believeth in him shall
have the remission, the full and complete putting away of
sins. Whosoever, one of my favorite
words in the Bible, because I'm one of them. I can take that. Whosoever, that's me, I'm one
of them. Whosoever believeth in Him. You believe that He is the Son
of God. You believe that He is the man
Christ Jesus. You believe Him. You believe He is God's Christ. It's not talking about you believe
you're saved or you believe Christ died for you. You believe in
Him. That's what faith is. It's not believing anything about
yourself. It's believing Him. Whoso believeth in Him. should
have, or should receive, because he gives
it to you, receive the remission of sins, the complete putting
away of sins. While yet Peter spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word. Now we're gonna
pick up there next week, but let me say this. Words are just
words and nothing more, unless the Holy Ghost falls upon you,
and then it's much more. It's the word of God. You may
hear this and say, well, it's just the word of the preacher.
But when the Holy Ghost falls on you, it's not the words of
the preacher. It's the words of God himself. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that Christ
is our peace How we thank you that he's Lord
of all. How we thank you for his life,
for his death, and for his resurrection. Teach us what it means to believe
on him only. Bless this word according to
your will for your glory and for our good. In Christ's name
we pray, amen.