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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 10:23-48

INTRODUCTION: Today’s message draws from the second part of this section of Scripture on Peter and Cornelius. As we learned last week, this was a key event in the early church and in the book of Acts. It is the longest narrative section of the whole book.

This event launched the third stage in Jesus’ commission. Remember, Jesus told his disciples to share the gospel first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth. The gospel was about to go to the Gentiles, which was the first step in the gospel going to the ends of the earth.

As we learned last week, there were two obstacles to the gospel going to the Gentiles. First, there was the question of table fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. And then secondly, there was the question of whether Gentiles had to become Jews before they could become Christians.

Last week we saw how God gave Peter the vision of the unclean animals to help remove the first obstacle. This week we see how God began to remove the second obstacle. Cornelius and his friends were Gentiles, not Jews. God will use this event to teach Peter and the rest of the apostles that Jesus is a Savior for everyone, both Jew and Gentile. (Read Acts 10:44-46 and pray.)

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One of the important truths this passage teaches us is that we need God’s assistance to share the gospel effectively. God works together with us for the effective sharing of the gospel. God doesn’t share the gospel without us, and if we try to share the gospel without him, we will not see any fruit. You need God to share the gospel, and this passage shows us how God works together with us to bring people to Christ.

I. God prepares the way (23-33)

First, God prepares the way. There is no effective sharing of the gospel where God does not first prepare the way. God prepares the setting—what we sometimes call a divine appointment. God prepares the preacher—that’s you! And God prepares the hearts of those who will hear and receive the gospel. Let’s see how all three of these elements work out in our passage this morning.

   A. God prepared the setting (23-26)

First of all, God prepared the setting. Look at verses 23-26:

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” (Acts 10:23-26)

As we saw from last week, God is the one who set up this entire meeting. First, he gave Cornelius a vision telling him to send for Peter. Then he gave Peter a vision telling him to go to Cornelius. So, when the messengers from Cornelius came knocking, Peter was up and ready to go with them. Peter took some of the brothers from Joppa with him. Later we learn that these numbered six men (Acts 11:12).

When they arrived in Caesarea, there was already a group of people gathered. Cornelius had called together a group of his relatives and close friends. When we do evangelism training at the church, we often talk about the network of relationships God has blessed you with. We all have friends, relatives, neighbors and associates, and we should be praying for them and seeking how we can best share the gospel with them.

When Peter enters the house, Cornelius falls at his feet in reverence. He means well, but Peter stands him right up. Peter knows his own place, and he will not take any glory from God.

And so, God prepared the setting for Peter. There was already a group of people ready and waiting to hear the gospel. This was what we call a divine appointment. God had a divine appointment for Peter and Cornelius, and God has divine appointments for you and me as well. God has people and places already picked out for you. You just need to be watchful and ready.

   B. God prepared Peter (27-29)

That leads us to the next point. God also prepared Peter. Look at verses 27-29:

Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” (Acts 10:27-29)

Peter went inside and found this gathering of people waiting. Don’t overlook the magnitude of those two tiny words “went inside.” Peter was a Jew, and Jews did not associate with Gentiles or enter their homes. Peter going inside Cornelius’ house went against centuries of hostilities and tradition. Do you remember Peter’s horror at the thought of eating unclean food? He would have felt the same horror and disgust at the thought of entering a Gentile home.

But remember, God had prepared Peter for this meeting through the vision of the sheet with the unclean animals. John Stott comments on this part of the passage: “[Peter] had come to see that it was entirely inappropriate either to worship somebody as divine (which Cornelius had tried to do to him), or to reject somebody as unclean (which he would previously have done to Cornelius). Peter refused both to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a god, and to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog” (Acts p. 189). Peter explains to them how God changed his heart on this matter, and he asks why they have sent for him.

   C. God prepared Cornelius (30-33)

So, God prepared the setting. God prepared Peter. And God also prepared Cornelius. Look at verses 30-33:

Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” (Acts 10:30-33)

Cornelius explains how God gave him specific instructions to call Peter. He immediately sent for Peter and gathered his family and friends. And then he makes this wonderful statement at the end of verse 33: “Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” It’s a good reminder that whenever we gather to hear God’s word preached, we do so in the presence of God.

This whole scene is an amazing example of God preparing the way. Everyone in the room knew that God had brought them there. Talk about a divine appointment! Talk about God preparing people to hear the gospel! There is a remarkable sense of anticipation in the room, similar to the group of people in Acts 2 waiting in expectation for the Holy Spirit.

Effective gospel sharing always begins with God as God prepares the way. He prepares the setting, he prepares the preacher, and he prepares the hearts of those who will hear and receive his word. Knowing that sharing the gospel begins with God will increase your excitement, confidence and boldness in sharing the gospel with others.

II. Peter shares the gospel (Jesus) (34-43)

So back to our passage, first God prepares the way. And then, Peter shares the gospel. You might say, “Well, of course Peter shared the gospel. God set everything up for him. How could he not share the gospel?” But how often does God create a divine appointment for you or me, and yet we fail to follow through? We either don’t notice the opportunity until later, or even when we do notice it, we sometimes chicken out.

God prepares the way for us, but for effective gospel sharing to take place, we need to do our part. Imagine preparing a banquet. The food has all been prepared, everyone is there, seated and ready, and then the host doesn’t serve the food! That wouldn’t make any sense. It’s the same thing with sharing the gospel. God has already prepared the setting, the preacher and the audience. The hard part has already been accomplished. Now we just need to follow through.

God had clearly prepared this meeting with Cornelius. Peter was ready. He had a receptive audience. And so, Peter goes ahead and shares the gospel.

   A. This message is for you! (34-36)

He begins by letting them know: “This message is for you!” What a great way to start in sharing the gospel. Don’t share the gospel as though it were a history lesson or only focus on how Jesus has impacted you. Let the person know up front that this message is for them. Tell them, “God has good news for you today!” Look at verses 34-36:

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:34-36)

So much has changed for Peter in the last twenty-four hours. Before God gave him the vision, he didn’t know that the gospel was for the Gentiles. But now he understands that God does not show favoritism but accepts people from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

God does not look at external factors in determining who to receive into the kingdom of God. It doesn’t matter about your appearance, age, race, nationality, gender or class. What matters is, do you believe in Jesus? If God accepts anyone who trusts in Jesus, then so should we. We should not withhold the gospel from anyone, because God can touch anyone’s heart to believe.

God sent this message first to Israel, telling them the good news of peace through Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, which means he is the Jewish Messiah. But he is also Lord of all, which means he is the Savior of all who believe in him, whether Jew or Gentile.

Peter begins by telling this group of Gentiles who have gathered to hear his message: “This message is for you! Jesus is a Savior for everyone.” Once again, this is so important to remember when sharing the gospel. You are not just sharing facts and information, but you are sharing a message that is expressly for the person with whom you are sharing. Let them know up front, “This message is for you!”

   B. Jesus’ life and ministry (37-38)

Next, Peter shares about Jesus’ life and ministry. Look at verses 37-38:

“You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:37-38)

Peter gives them a quick summary of Jesus’ life and ministry, starting with John’s baptism and the anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit. He goes on to tell them about Jesus’ life, how he did good for others, healed the sick and delivered them from the power of Satan. Remember, Jesus is Lord of all, and that means he has power over Satan and all the forces of evil. Basically, Peter is going through the gospels in summary form.

One advantage we have today is we already have the gospels written down for us. The gospels are a wonderful tool for evangelism. Remember, evangelism doesn’t have to be one conversation. When you have a relationship with someone, it can be an ongoing conversation. One of the best things you can do when talking with someone about Jesus is encourage them to read one of the gospels and then get together to talk about it.

In reading the gospels, they will learn all about Jesus’ life and ministry for themselves. Many people can testify that they came to Christ simply by reading the gospels. God’s word is living and active, and in reading the gospels they encountered the wonderful, beautiful person of Jesus and came to love and trust him as Lord and Savior.

   C. Jesus’ death and resurrection (39-41)

Next, Peter tells them about Jesus’ death and resurrection. Look at verses 39-41:

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” (Acts 10:39-41)

This of course is the heart of the gospel. The good news is not that Jesus led an impressive life. The good news is that after living a perfect life, Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and he rose again triumphant over sin and death. No matter how attractive and moving was Jesus’ life, if he had not died on the cross for our sins and rose again, we could not be saved.

And so, Peter tells them about Jesus’ death and resurrection. He shares that he and the other apostles are eyewitnesses of the resurrection. This is not just rumor or fable. They saw him. They ate with him and drank with him. We have those eyewitness accounts recorded for us in the gospels today. We too can have confidence that Jesus physically rose from the dead because we have eyewitness testimony.

   D. Jesus as universal judge and Savior (42-43)

Finally, Peter presents to them Jesus as the universal judge and Savior of the world. Look at verses 42-43:

“He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:42-43)

Notice Jesus commanded Peter and the others to preach the gospel. Jesus has commanded you and me to share the gospel with others as well. God appointed Jesus as judge of both the living and the dead. Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through faith in his name. Notice the word “everyone.” This is what Peter was learning, that everyone means everyone, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. This shouldn’t have been a surprise. All the prophets testified that the Messiah would bring salvation to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

Jesus is the universal judge, and he is the Savior of the world. Everyone who lives and dies gets judged by him. Everyone who is saved gets saved by him. You don’t get to choose your judge, and you don’t get to choose your Savior. Jesus will judge the living and the dead, and everyone who believes in him will be saved.

Notice in preaching the gospel, Peter is preaching Jesus. He preaches Jesus’ life and ministry. He preaches Jesus’ death and resurrection. He preaches Jesus’ authority and forgiveness. In sharing the gospel with others, we do not merely present spiritual truth. We present a person. We are inviting people to come to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

III. The Holy Spirit comes down (44-48)

God prepared the way. Peter shared the gospel. And then the Holy Spirit came down. That’s the same way it works today. God prepares the way, we share the gospel, and then the Holy Spirit comes down and brings the change. People believe in Jesus, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and they are baptized as a sign of their new faith in Christ.

   A. The gift of the Holy Spirit (44-46)

Look at verses 44-46 next where we read of the gift of the Holy Spirit:

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. (Acts 10:44-46)

Peter was still speaking when the Holy Spirit came down. His sermon got interrupted. Normally, I don’t like sermon interruptions, but when God does the interrupting, that’s okay. Lord, you can interrupt my sermons anytime you want to!

Notice where in Peter’s message he got interrupted. He was interrupted precisely at the point when he introduced faith in Jesus. In other words, Peter shared Jesus, the people believed, and God immediately sent the Holy Spirit. How do we know God sent the Spirit? They all began speaking in tongues, just as the first believers did when they received the Spirit at Pentecost.

This is another mini-Pentecost. We have the main Pentecost in Acts 2 when God sent the Holy Spirit on the gathered group of believers, and they all spoke in tongues. We had a second mini-Pentecost in Acts 8 when the gospel first went to the Samaritans. Now we have a third mini-Pentecost here when the gospel first comes to the Gentles. (There’s one more coming up in Acts 19, but that’s a separate case, and we will deal with it when we get there.)

Why did God do this three times? As the gospel went forth to each new people group—first the Jews, then the Samaritans, then the Gentiles—God made it crystal clear that they had received the Spirit. Usually when we receive the Spirit, there is no immediate evidence that a person has believed. The evidence comes to light over time as the Spirit bears fruit in that person’s life. But as the gospel first went forth to each of these various people groups, God provided immediate, objective evidence that he had given them the Spirit through the speaking of tongues.

Remember, there were two obstacles to the gospel going to the Gentiles. First, there was the question of table fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. God settled that one with the vision he gave Peter of the unclean animals telling him to kill and eat. And then secondly, there was the question of whether Gentiles had to become Jews before they could become Christians. God settles that one here when he gives the Spirit to these Gentile believers as soon as they believe in Christ, without them having to become Jews first.

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished. These were the six Jewish men who accompanied Peter from Joppa. They were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been given even to the Gentiles.

At this stage in history, they probably thought that a person needed to become a Jew first, and then they could come to Christ. But now right before their eyes, they see an entire room of Gentiles believe in Christ and receive the gift of the Spirit.

Everyone who believes in Jesus receives the gift of the Spirit. We don’t normally speak in tongues when we believe in Jesus today, but we immediately receive the gift of the Spirit and begin growing in our new Christian faith.

   B. Baptized in the name of Jesus (47-48)

The Gentile believers received the gift of the Spirit, and then they were baptized in the name of Jesus. Look at verses 47-48:

Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. (Acts 10:47-48)

Peter puts it all together—the vision God gave him, God telling him not to call unclean what God has called clean, and the good news of Jesus for both Jews and Gentiles. He goes ahead and baptizes these new Gentile believers as Gentiles without requiring any extra steps. God welcomed the Gentiles into his family. The church must welcome them also.

Finally, we learn that Peter stayed with them for several days. Peter not only entered their house—remember that was a big step in itself—but now he stays with them for several days, probably teaching them and instructing them in their new faith.

CONCLUSION: What does this all mean? You need God to share the gospel! God works together with us for the effective sharing of the gospel. We need to be fully dependent on God when sharing the gospel with others. Here are our three main applications from this passage.

First, ask God to prepare the way. Each morning, ask God to write his divine appointments into your calendar for the day. Let God do his part, so you can do yours.

Then, share the gospel as God gives you opportunity. Don’t just present facts and information. Keep the focus on Jesus. Let your hearers know that this message is for them! Tell them about Jesus’ life and ministry, his death and resurrection, and that he is the only Judge and Savior.

And then, look for the Holy Spirit to bring the change. Look for the Holy Spirit to change the lives of those who hear and believe. We look for evidence of the gift of the Spirit, and then we baptize those who have believed.

How do people come to Christ? Three things: 1) God prepares the way. 2) We share the gospel. 3) The Holy Spirit brings the change. It’s that simple.

© Ray Fowler

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