How God Opens Doors We Never Imagined.

I grew up in a home east of here. My name is Sean, by the way, and my wife is Christy. I grew up in a small town called Wales, just outside of Milwaukee. Not many of you know it. There were about 300 people when I was growing up.

In our home, we would have church twice a week. We'd have it sometimes on Sundays and then we'd have it Wednesday nights, and about 30 kids from the high school, sometimes more than that, would come and worship like we were just doing. They'd keep singing. My dad was a teacher in the high school and he would share the word of God. God's Spirit was there and he was training us together to be his people in that school community. God did a mighty work there. There were a lot of people whose lives were rescued or changed or turned around.

I actually grew up in a home that had, we counted one time, over a 20-year period there were over 300 people that lived with us. I had foster brothers and sisters and whole family units that would stay in our basement. Very nice basement room. Five kids, two parents, sometimes a grandparent. Whoever needed a place, our home was open for them. It was every economic situation changed. I changed a lot of diapers.

And we're going to see that today in our Scripture. We're going to see a man named Cornelius open his home to the Lord and to the gospel. That's what my mom and dad did. And also we're going to see another man, Peter, who is going to open his heart to God's house, expanding beyond what he thinks his own home is in the gospel.

Let me pray as we go into His Word of life. Father, we're gathered, Lord. We're here at your feet. Thank you for the honor of being here, Lord. Thank you for the honor of opening up your words of life together. Lord, I pray that now by your Spirit you would illuminate, and it would resonate in our hearts. Lord, we say come, come and be our teacher. Come and be our Lord today. We ask these things in your name. If you agree, you can say amen.

The Book of Acts continues

We're looking at Acts 10 today. We were in Acts as a church a while back and then we took a detour. For those of you who have been coming, we just finished up the Sermon on the Mount. Now we're going back into the book of Acts and basically picking up right where we left off. It's like season two of Acts. Set Apart Summer is going to follow through with the book of Acts. We're going to finish out another portion of it.

So today, open up to Acts 10. I've titled this "For All," or Cornelius' faith. Some teachers teach from here and you don't see what they're saying. I'm going to let you read and hear and let the Holy Spirit process that for you as we're going through today.

Before we get into Acts 10, I want to set some context. During our prayer and worship time, the Lord lifted out a passage to my heart. It was Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 takes us back before there was even something called Jews or Judaism. It takes us into what faith is, the seed of faith from the beginning. It says this about God as we're gathered in His name together in this place.

Without faith, it's impossible to please God, because those who come to Him must believe that He is, and that He rewards you as you diligently seek Him. He has a reward for you. He has himself. He has his presence here for you.

Hebrews 11:6

The writer of Hebrews goes back way back to the beginning and says Abel had faith when he offered a good offering from his heart to the Lord. Cain didn't. God saw his heart. Enoch had faith when he walked with the Lord and then was not. He was taken up into heaven. He didn't taste or see death because he found that he was pleasing to the Lord by faith.

So in the context of Acts 10, we have Peter in this deep, deep rooted belief system through Abraham's offspring, through Isaac, and specifically Jacob, which we know as the Jewish people or the Jewish nation. Peter is so rooted and grounded in that in a holy and good way that they've come up with this idea that the gospel is mostly for the Jews. Even after Jesus rose from the dead, Peter is still thinking that salvation is only going to come through and with an incorporation into the Jews.

And here's what's going to happen. God is going to do what we call a paradigm shift. He's going to shift Peter's heart. He's going to shift his mind, and it's going to be miraculous. God's going to open up a door for Peter today. By the Spirit, the door of salvation is opening to the Gentiles, which was from the beginning God's plan for all to have salvation. It's going to happen with direct and miraculous revelation.

Cornelius the centurion

At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

One day about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him and said, Cornelius.

Cornelius stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord, he asked.

The angel answered, your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial before God.

Acts 10:4

Cornelius did it right. From his house it was happening. He was following the pattern. He would have been a really good partner in the Set Apart Summer with the daily rhythms. Who would want Cornelius? A centurion keeping you on track for your daily Bible reading and your prayer? Just give me a centurion. That's all I need. Give me Cornelius.

By the way, our kids used to have bowls for their cereal, and one was named Cornelius because it had the Cornflakes mascot. His name is Cornelius. They would fight over that bowl. Give me Cornelius. I don't want the three Rice Krispie guys. I want Cornelius. So we had a relationship with him as a family when they were young.

The angel says, your prayers have come up, and he gives this directive.

Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is by the sea.

When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

It's about 35 miles from Joppa to Caesarea north. But that's an eternal distance between salvation and separation from God. Cornelius, by our reckoning, shows much fruit of salvation, yet it's still only devotion. There's a difference between devotion and salvation. You can check all the right boxes but not be regenerated, renewed in your heart. You've seen that in people before? I've seen it in myself. Anybody else seen that? You're walking through the motions. You're checking your boxes before the Lord, but you sense your heart is really far from Him.

And the Spirit is so faithful. He just lets you know: come back in. He is good that way. It says he gave generously. Some of us are giving very generously, right? He prayed regularly. But as a centurion, he has to honor the emperor. So he's a mix in our sins. Sometimes the world acts more safe. Have you ever found that? The people that we call the world in the church. You've found that, right? It's always an argument about Christianity itself. How can there be more giving or more loving than we see sometimes with each other, our sisters and brothers?

I have a theory on that. I believe that the enemy attacks the church on that a lot because he wants to discredit God's people. But I also believe that we're all being sanctified and that we all need grace every day. We need the grace of the Lord Jesus today. This is by His design. The enemy goes after them. Though devout, Cornelius needs to hear the message. So God makes a way.

Peter's vision on the roof

About noon the following day, as they were on their journey going north and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. I just want to know personally: are there any roof prayers in the house today? Anybody else like me? I'm a little weird that way. I love praying up high. I don't know why. It's not like you're closer to God there, but you can see. You can have perspective.

Some of my favorite times in that house with 300 people living with us was going outside on the roof and praying to the Lord, right? You find that spot. This was Peter's quiet time. We would call it his rhythm of life here at New Culture.

The first time I was on a roof in Madison praying, I didn't have a good one my freshman year at Whitty Hall. They didn't have a roof for me. So I was looking for a place where I could go. I lived in the region. It had just been built. That's how old I am. The region had just been built on Regent Street. I went up to the roof and I was just beginning to pray before the Lord the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, holy is your name.

I'm standing on that rooftop and there was just a sense: this is your spot. So I continued to go there, even sometimes through the winter. That was where I went to meditate and to love Him. I went through the whole book of Job that summer, out loud, because I was feeling like Job. I was feeling like I was in a time of suffering and I was going through some serious pain. And the Lord really met me there.

So little note to you: if you find a roof, maybe try that this week.

Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and he wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, he fell into a vision. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to the earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Anybody ever eat a reptile? Okay.

Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter."

Surely not, Lord. Peter replied. I've never eaten anything impure or unclean.

Then the voice spoke to him a second time. Let's say this together.

Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.

Acts 10:15

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

The Spirit knows how to speak to Peter. Remember that this is the Spirit of Christ. It's Jesus, His Spirit, and His ways and words that are coming to Peter. He's using hunger, prayer, supernatural visions, and a voice. He's employing all of these to encourage Peter in this leap of faith, to confirm the matter to Peter and remind him that he is to feed My sheep.

The experience is repeated three times. After Jesus rose from the dead, He graciously and lovingly on a beach cooked breakfast for His disciples. Peter had denied the Lord three times and he was hiding. He had not been restored yet. He was still carrying the shame of denying Jesus. Jesus came to him and He said three times to him, "Peter, do you love me?"

And Peter says, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you. Feed my sheep."

"Do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know you know I love you. Feed my sheep. Tend my lambs."

"Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep."

I think something similar is connecting here. He's taking him from one place to the next and he's repeating this three times, saying, I am in this. I am with you. These are my sheep too. The Gentiles are my sheep. I need you to go and feed my sheep, even though you think they're unclean. Do not call them unclean. Go to them.

He is so good. Jesus will often teach in this way. He will give us enough light and enough strength just to obey, and then He'll unfold much further mission to us. You ever been surprised by the Lord that way? He just gives you enough light, enough understanding, and then comes the larger, bigger than yourself, impossible for you to do thing. You've experienced that. Then you're following Jesus because that's what He's done with all of His disciples. He's still doing and teaching this today.

The men from Cornelius arrive

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. So this is a big house with a gate. They called out, asking if Simon, who is known as Peter, was staying there.

While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, Simon, three men are looking for you. Get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.

Peter went down and said to the men, I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?

The men replied, We have come from Cornelius, the centurion. He is a righteous, God-fearing man. He's respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.

Then Peter invited the men into his house to be his guests. There is the hospitality. Peter's doing it not even at his own house. So it'd be like someone showing up to your house, staying with you for a few days, and when visitors come, they're the one that welcomed them in, right? That's Middle Eastern hospitality. Peter had favor. He was an honored guest. So he is hosting.

The Spirit is working and working with the obedience of everybody involved. This juncture of the faith reaching the Gentiles is so critical that the gracious gifts are employed to secure the fulfillment of the mission. God the Father is watching over the new birth of the Gentiles, the non-Jews into His church, similarly to the birth, the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Remember? Angels. We have heard Christmas in July, right? This is what's happening. There's angelic voices. There's miraculous provision. God the Father is watching over Peter and this whole process similarly to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. He's employing similar miraculous ways.

The real danger here was if Peter decided to be like Jonah and run from God's call. From Joppa to distant shores, Jonah went to Tarshish, which is like Spain. So from Joppa, centuries earlier, Jonah hears a voice of the Lord: go to Nineveh. And he says, no, I'm going to Tarshish. You know the rest of the story, right? The big fish spits him out on the land, and then he preaches to the people. Peter now is the righteous fulfillment of this. He's saying yes to the Lord. He's like a centurion himself. He's saying, I'm going to go. He's been convinced in his heart graciously by the gifts of God: the vision and the voice.

Acts 2 had all nations, but they were all still Jewish in those nations for the festivals. What this is going to do now is break out of that into actual Gentiles.

Peter's message

The next day, Peter started out with them and some of the believers 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.

And Peter made him get up. Stand up. He said, I am a man myself.

While 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 or visit a Gentile.

Pause. Was that in the actual law? God's law in the Old Testament? Those exact words. You can look high and low, and I don't think you'll find those exact words, right? It talks about being a set-apart people. The Jewish nation was to be set-apart, holy unto the Lord, and not sacrifice to pagan gods or offer the awful sacrifices that they used to do.

But here, God is using this situation to fulfill the law in that sense. And what Peter is saying is, I'm going to follow my Lord and Master Jesus who touched the lepers, because the law definitely said unclean to leprosy. Don't touch. Jesus goes and He touches them in His ministry. Peter's saying, I am going to do what Jesus did that way. I'm coming to you and I'm going to touch, even though it's an extra law that was given.

He says, So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me? God has made it clear that no one is unclean or impure as far as visiting and sharing the gospel. The gospel is for all, Jew and Gentile, because we're all what? Dead in sin, unclean before God, in need of repentance and forgiveness.

So for all is also tied to creation. God created us all in His image, male and female, and He shows no preference of persons, no favoritism. Peter knew that all needed the gospel, but he was not yet convinced that they're going to receive it the same way. He's speaking out here by faith.

Here it's about to break open. This is so exciting. Try and picture yourself with Cornelius. Maybe you're one of his soldiers. Just sometimes it's good to put yourself in the story.

My son-in-law is Jewish, so my daughter married into a Jewish family. I was a Hebrew major on campus. So we're all in this. You could have been in Cornelius' house.

Cornelius answered, Three 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. He 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 for you to come.

Now we're all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.

They hadn't even sung a song yet or had a pastry, and they were in the presence of God. Praise the Lord. He understands this, having hosted the presence of God in his home with his family, servants, and soldiers each day. Presence and salvation are not the same. You can be in the presence of God most of your life and still not have salvation. Devotion and salvation are not the same. It's the gift of God.

God is going to give His gift of grace through faith to Cornelius and his household. We remember Jesus' promise: where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.

Peter began to speak. I encourage you for homework to go over this message again. I'm only going to read it once.

I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of 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. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, and they killed him by hanging him on a cross. 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. 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 10:34-43

The Holy Spirit falls on all

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.

Even on us Gentiles while we were in our sin, Lord, thank you. Thank you for even when I was in my sin, that you made me your son. Even when I was outside of your family, that you adopted me in pride and my lust and my shame. You adopted me in, Lord. You didn't count me as an unclean Gentile, but your word came even to me. Lord, that it can come to anyone in any situation.

Lord, that your love is not limited by us or by our laws or by what we have thought or been even trained in. Lord, thank you that it came, and you didn't just decide to save one people out of the earth, but you went back to the beginning and you said, Adam, Eve, be restored. Be restored. A new creation in one man in Christ Jesus.

Lord, we praise you for that truth today. We love you for that truth today, Lord. Lord, we're here and we're just so grateful, Lord.