Turn back, if you would, to Acts
chapter 10. Acts chapter 10. In verse 1, we read of a certain man, a certain
man named Cornelius. Cornelius was a centurion. And if we read on in verse two,
you'll see that there's a description of him here. He is described
as a devout man, a man that feared God with all his house, a man
which gave much alms to the people. He was apparently a generous
man. And he prayed to God always. And it would appear that while
Cornelius was in prayer, he received some type of a vision. And he
was told to send some men to Joppa for Simon, whose surname
is Peter. And look at Acts 10 verse 6. told him where to find him. He
said, he lodges with one Simon a Tanner, whose house is by the
seaside. And he, Peter, shall tell thee
what thou oughtest to do. So Cornelius sends some of his
servants after Peter. And when the servants bring Peter
back, And Cornelius tells him about
this vision, what had happened, what he'd seen, and why he'd
sent after Peter. But look with me again at verse
33. And this is Cornelius talking
to Peter. He said, when this happened,
when this vision took place, immediately, didn't waste any
time, immediately, therefore, I sent to thee, and thou hast
well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here
present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee
of God." We're here. Cornelius is saying, Peter, we're
here. to hear. We're here to hear what the Lord
has given you for us. And I, you know, I pray that's
something we never ever take for granted. That the Lord would
be pleased every time we gather together, every time we come
into his presence, that he would truly give us a desire a heartfelt
desire to hear the message. I want to hear the Word being
spoken. I want to hear the Word being
preached. And look at verse 34. Peter brings
a message concerning Christ. Look at verse 34. Peter opened
his mouth and he said of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons. God's not a respecter. We are. Naturally, that's just kind of
how we are, aren't we? We're a respecter of persons.
But God's not. Is it possible, think about this,
is it possible for a man to be taken up with his own works We
know that to be true, don't we? To be taken up with his own deeds. Cornelius, think about this,
he was described as a devout man, a man that feared God. Not just him, but apparently
everybody lived in his house, his whole family. A man which
gave much alms to the people and he prayed to God always.
Men would have looked upon Cornelius and seen him, just as he's described
there, as a devout man. He was a good man. He prayed. He gave to the poor. And this
was true of all of his house. We've got to be careful there,
don't we? Listen to Romans 3.19. We know that what's thing soever
the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that
every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world become what? Guilty. Guilty before Almighty
God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, by being devout, by being given, by all these things that
describe Cornelius, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. In Matthew 23, our Lord spoke
to some Pharisees and he said, woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees. He said, hypocrites. He said,
you're like whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful
outward on the outside, They just sparkle and shine, they're
just beautiful. But within, what's inside of
them? Dead man's bones. All uncleanness. Even so, outwardly you appear
righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and
iniquity. God is no respecter of persons. The Lord doesn't look upon man
like we look upon man. How does man, we look on the
outward appearance, but God, he looks on the heart. Jew, Gentile,
bond-free. In Galatians 2, 6, we read this,
God accepteth no man's person. To be accepted of God, we must
be perfect. We must be, listen, we must be
found in Christ. We must be in Him. Paul wrote
that, he said, we are accepted in the Beloved. Go back to our
text here, look at Acts 10, verse 35. In every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness
is accepted with him." In every nation, God has a people out
of every nation, a great multitude, which no man can number, of all
nation, kindred, people, tongue. That's what's written in God's
Word. He has a people. And in Revelation it says those
people stood before the throne, stood before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes and with palms in their hands. Clothed in the
very righteousness of God. A reference here to God's elect,
people out of every nation. Paul wrote this, he said, we
give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you
in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, your
labor of love, your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the sight of God and our Father, knowing, brethren, Knowing, beloved,
what? Your election of God. A people, a people out of every
nation. And he goes on to say there,
he that feareth him and worketh righteousness. I ask you, who
worketh righteousness? That can only be one. That can
only be one. John wrote this. He said, if
any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. What's his name? Jesus Christ the righteous. The righteous. There's none other. Listen to
the words of Isaiah. He said, I will greatly rejoice
in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath
clothed me in the garments of salvation. He hath covered me
with a robe of righteousness." Let's read on. Read on in our
text. Acts 10. Listen to the message. This is
Peter's message. Verse 36. The Word. The Word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, He is
Lord of all. It's the Word which God sent. Who sent it? God did. God sent
it unto the children of Israel. What's the Word that He sent?
It's the Living Word. God sent the Living Word. He sent forth His Son. The Word
we read was made flesh and dwelt among us. The Word of God which
He sent. Who is it? It's His Son. It's
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He sent Him into the world made
of a woman. He was made flesh. He identified
with His people in every respect. Made under the law. Made under
the civil law. Made under the judicial law.
Made under the ceremonial law. made under the moral law. He
was made a man and he was made the surety of his people for
this purpose, to redeem them, to redeem them. He obeyed the
law completely. Not one thing left undone. The word which God sent to this
earth, that he sent to his people, He sent to the cross for the
suffering of death. That's the penalty of our sin. The wages of sin is death. And
the Lord Jesus Christ suffered that death in the room instead
of His people. He bore the penalty, the punishment. He bore our sins. It's the Word
which God sent, the Word which He sent. He redeemed us. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law and satisfied the justice of Almighty God that
we, his people, might be made the sons of God, that we might
be made sons. It's his word which he sent declaring
his son. The written word, that which
we handle, that which we read, that which we listen to, the
word which God sent unto the children of Israel. Who's that
a reference to? Again, His elect, His people
preaching peace. Peace. Not peace where there
is no peace. That's what man declares, peace
where there is no peace. It's the gospel of peace. Peace
by Jesus Christ. Peace with God by the Lord Jesus
Christ. Peace and reconciliation by the
blood of his precious son. Peace with God, which we had
broken. Adam broke it by sinning against
God, and we just continued in that path. Peace with God which
we're unable to restore. We can't fix that. We can't repair
that. Only Christ can restore that
peace. It's the gospel of peace and
he says it's to the Jew and to the Gentile. What's his name? What's the Lord's name? He's
the Prince of Peace. Paul writing to the Romans, he
said, we have peace with God. How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's a peace that passeth
all understanding. Listen to this again, this message
by Peter. It's the word which God sent. That's what he told Cornelius.
He said, this is the word which God sent to the children of Israel. preaching peace by Jesus Christ. And then what else did he say?
He is Lord of all. He's Lord of all. Jesus Christ
is Lord. Scripture says every knee is
going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord. to the glory of God the Father. You know, that's not something
we do. You listen to men and they'll
say something to the effect of making Him. Well, you just need
to make Him Lord. Well, if that's our thinking,
We're late to the dance, aren't we? Because he's already made
him Lord. We're sadly mistaken because
God already made him Lord. He declared him to be Lord. Men do not make Christ Lord. We bow to him as Lord. We submit to him as Lord. We worship the Lord Jesus Christ
as Lord. Acts 2.36, therefore, let all
the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this same
Jesus whom you've crucified, both Lord and Christ. This is the word. This is the
word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by
Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all. Well, continue with me here.
Look at verse 37. The word I say, you 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." This thing of doing good, this is what God's Word says
about it. He went about doing good. When John was in prison,
he sent two disciples to ask, ask the Lord, that should come,
is it you or should we look for somebody else? And the Lord answered
them and he said, you go and show John again those things
which you do here and those things which you've seen. What was it? The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. Lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. and the dead are
raised up. And listen to this last one,
huh? The poor have the gospel preached to them. I love the
thought of all those other miracles he performed, but think about
what a miracle of grace that is, that he would be pleased
to preach the gospel to his people. Any question? Is there any question
at all? that he went about doing good,
that God was with him. Read on, Acts 10, verse 39. We're witnesses. 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. This message, this message, this
gospel declares Jesus Christ who was hanged on a tree, Jesus
Christ who suffered, Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. Why did that have to happen?
Why did the Lord Jesus Christ have to hang on the cross? To
redeem his people. To redeem his people from the
curse of the law. And as my substitute, that which I deserved. Can we
enter into that? That which we deserved. That
debt that we could never ever pay. An eternity of hell, we
could never pay that price. That which I deserved, He took
upon Himself. Christ crucified. Paul said that's our message. We preach Christ crucified. Under the Jews, it's a stumbling
block. Under the Greeks, it's foolishness. But unto us, it's the power of
God. He is a crucified Savior. He's
a crucified Savior, but listen, He is also a risen Savior, exalted. Look at Acts 10 verse 40. Him, God, raised up the third day. and showed him openly. Cornelius, he needed to hear this, didn't
he? Call us all Cornelius, right?
We all need to hear, we all need to hear this message. That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, Him, that Word which was sent,
that One who was crucified, that One who was hanged on a tree.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead." God
raised Him from the dead the third day. He's satisfied, satisfied
with His sacrifice. Thou shalt be saved. Do you believe these things?
Do you believe the record that God has given concerning His
Son? Do you believe that He came to
this earth? God in flesh, that God was made a man and He came
to this earth. Do you believe this? Do you believe
that He truly died on the cross for our sins? More importantly,
my sins. Do you believe that that sacrifice
he made was effectual, that it was sufficient, knowing this,
that God raised him from the dead? Turn to Romans chapter
10. Romans chapter 10, verse 9. Look at verse 9. If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Well, turn back to Acts chapter
10. Look at verse 41. God has revealed this. Verse
41, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before
of God, even to us. who did eat and drink with him
after he rose from the dead. Not to all, but to witnesses
chosen before of God. Not to all, but thank God to
some, that he would be, isn't it amazing that he'd be merciful
to any? Acts 10 verse 42, and He commanded
us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is He,
the Lord Jesus Christ, which was ordained of God to be the
judge of the quick and the dead. Peter says he commanded us to
preach, to preach unto the people, preach the word, to preach the
word. Back in Ezekiel, Ezekiel 37,
that story of that valley of dry bones, those old, dead, dry
bones, And the Lord asked Ezekiel, can these bones, can they live? Can they? Can an Ethiopian change his skin? Can a leopard get rid of his
spots? Can we that are accustomed to
doing evil, can we do good? Can the fragrance, that beautiful
smell of a rose, can it come forth from the grave? Can this
tongue that curses God, can it praise God? Can it praise
Him? Can these bones, can they live? Ezekiel had the right answer,
didn't he? He said, Lord, thou knowest. What was the command? What did
the Lord tell Ezekiel to do? Prophesy on these bones. Oh ye
dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Preach, preach unto these
bones. What's the command here? Preach
to the people. hadn't changed, had preached
the word, be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering, preached to the people. It pleased God. It pleased God
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Let's read on Acts 10, verse
43. He says to him, give all the
prophets witness that through his name, that name which is
above every name, through his name, whosoever believeth in
him shall receive remission of sins. whosoever believeth in
him, as he's revealed in God's word, by faith, with a true heart,
as a gift of God's grace, he shall receive the remission of
sin. That word remission, it means
forgiven. I need my sin forgiven. It means delivered. I need to
be delivered from sin. It means set at liberty. Free. I'm free from my sin. And you know it also means this,
passed over. Passed over. Just as the Lord
passed over the children of Israel, He passes over His people in
Christ. His blood, which cleanses us
from not just most of our sin, all sin. By His power, He's forgiven
us. Why would we do anything? Why
would we do anything but look to Him and just rest in Him? In verse 44 of Acts 10 it says,
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all of
them which heard the word. The word was made effectual by
the Spirit of God. He breathed life into dead sinners. That's the only way we'll ever
hear. He must give us life. He must bless his word. He must
cause it to go forth in power. Peter preached and Cornelius
and those that were with him heard. They heard the word just
as those Just as those dry bones back there in Ezekiel's time,
there rose up a mighty army. God breathed life into them.
Verse 45, and they of the circumcision which believed, they were astonished. And as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift
of the Holy Ghost. The word went forth in power. for they heard them speak with
tongues and magnify Almighty God.' And then answered Peter,
he said, Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized,
which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" Can any
man forbid water? Listen, they heard the Word.
They believed the Word. And Peter, verse 48, he commanded
them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Did that sound like
an invitation? No. It was a command. And those that
heard, those that believed, they were baptized. A public confession. A public confession of what God
has done in my heart. Baptize me. It's identifying
with Christ in His death, His burial, His resurrection. It's
a public confession saying, I believe Him. I rest in Him. This wasn't just Peter's command.
They were obeying the command of the Lord. The Lord told his
disciples in Matthew 28 verse 19, he said, Go ye therefore
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you. Well, After that, they,
you finish reading there, it says they prayed him to continue
there certain days. They just want him to stay and
just continue to preach the word. Here, here to here, here to here. Again, I pray that would be true
every time we gather.