Week 16, Acts 10:1 48 Hook

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1 Week 16, Acts 10:1 48 Hook Main point: God uses our faithful obedience to fulfill and reveal His purposes. Current Event: The LifeLock company promised in advertisements that a $10 monthly service charge would shield customers from identity theft. A major component to the company s campaign was the confidence of its CEO, Todd Davis. Formerly posted on the LifeLock website was Davis social security number and the following quote: I m Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock. Yes, that is my social security number. No, I m not crazy. I m just sure our system works. Just like we have with mine, LifeLock will make your personal information useless to a criminal. And it s GUARANTEED. As of 2010, Davis had his identity stolen 13 times. 1 What guarantees have you been given in the past that turned out to be empty? 1 1

2 What promises did God make to the early church that we see coming to fruition in the book of Acts? 2

3 Week 16, Acts 10:1 48 Book Main point: God uses our faithful obedience to fulfill and reveal His purposes. Text Summary: Acts 10:1 48 Our study this week is a powerful reminder that God s Word stands eternal and the promises He makes are reliable, without fault or an expiration date. When we are obedient to His commands, we witness and participate in the supernatural work of His Word and will. Acts 10:1 23a [Read] Sub-Point: God works in ways beyond our control to accomplish His will. Verses 1 8 Our passage last week ended with Peter s taking up residence at Simon the tanner s home in Joppa, a coastal city near the center of Israel (Acts 9:43). In verse 1, Luke s narrative jumps several cities to the north, to a port town called Caesarea where a man named Cornelius lives. Luke describes Cornelius as a devout man who feared God (v. 2) and lives according to Christian practices of worship, prayer and giving. Verse 3 records the arrival of a heavenly messenger who encourages Cornelius in that God accepts his life of worship and has plans for him to meet with the apostle Peter (vv. 4 6). God has used Luke s writing to pull back the curtain on divine activity that puts His will into motion. Reading verses 7 8, we note Cornelius s obedience after the encounter. As He did with Mary in the Gospel of Luke and Saul on the way to Damascus, God accomplishes His plans in both supernatural and natural ways. God doesn t force us to obey Him but He uses our obedience as part of His plan. Q: If someone described your life the way Luke recorded Cornelius s, what might they observe? Q: How has God worked through your ordinary, everyday obedience to accomplish His plans? Verse 9 17a Luke s narrative returns to the city of Joppa where Peter is staying. While the men are already on the road, Peter goes to the roof of his house to pray (v. 9). God has already set one piece of His plan into motion and is moving in His own perfect timing to initiate the next stage. 2 2 While Peter was at Joppa, events were moving toward a new stage in his missionary career as God prepared for the entry of the Gentiles into the church, (Marshall 191). 3

4 As with Cornelius, Peter s ordinary lifestyle of honoring God is recorded as an important part of the story. 3 His ascent to the roof prepares him for his own divine encounter (v. 10). In verses 11 12, Luke describes Peter s vision of a tablecloth covered in animals that the Jews had been forbidden to eat when God first established the Mosaic code in Leviticus. A voice commands him in verse 13 to eat from what he sees, but Peter declines out of what he believes to be obedience to God s will (v. 14). The vision and command are repeated two more times (vv ) before Peter is left alone on the roof, uncertain about what he has seen (v. 17a). Q: Can you think of a time when you experienced God s presence in an unexpected way? Q: How has God s will surprised or confused you, particularly in your times of obedience? Verses 17b 23a While Peter is still thinking through what he s just experienced, Cornelius s messengers arrive and ask to see him (vv. 17b 18). Consider for a moment the incredible timing of this sequence of events. In one city, God appeared to Cornelius, who sent his men to travel down the coast to another city, where the next day Peter decided to pray on his roof and then received a vision that ended just as the messengers arrived at his home. As Marshall comments, the arrival of the men at this point is clearly meant to be understood as providential (198). What an incredible testimony that God knows the beginning and end of all circumstances and works everything in between to accomplish His will (Isaiah 46:10). The Holy Spirit directs Peter to follow the visitors immediately because God is at work (vv ). Peter obeys (v. 21) and hears about their mission in verse 22. He invites them to stay a night before they leave (v. 23a). Q: When have you been surprised by the timing of God s work in your life? Q: Describe the significance of faithfulness in the small things of those who seek to be used by God. Acts 10:23b 48 [Read] Sub-Point: God works through our faithful obedience to fulfill His promises. Verses 23b 33 Luke records the group s trip back from Joppa to Caesarea. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by Cornelius and his household (v. 24). Cornelius falls at Peter s feet, but Peter quickly reminds Cornelius that he, too, is just a man (vv ). Next, Luke sets up a mirrored account of both men s faithful obedience to God s leading. Neither have received proof of God s promises yet, nor have they been told the entire plan, but 3 The fact that Peter was praying means that he was in a condition to receive a divine message; Luke often emphasizes how God speaks to people when they are at prayer (Marshall 196). 4

5 both have responded to God s directions in faith. Peter has come to visit the Gentile household of Cornelius despite his initial belief that God s will required separation between clean and unclean (vv ). 4 Cornelius has followed God s command to summon Peter to his home without any idea of the message he awaits Peter to deliver (vv ). The effect is almost comical: two men, of opposite backgrounds, standing under one roof and explaining to each other how God s intervention has brought them into contact with one another, each ready and waiting to see what happens next. Q: Has God ever led you into an unexpected circumstance without explaining everything at once? Were you quick to follow God s leading, or hesitant? Q: Why would God pair such diverse men together? Describe God s heart for diversity in the church. Verses Luke records that Peter opened his mouth and said, the same phrase that set up Philip s conversation with the Ethiopian eunuch (v. 34; cf. Acts 8:35). This phrase signals to the reader that what is about to follow is a declaration of divine truth directly inspired by God. Peter proceeds to speak unwaveringly of God s great plan to send a savior for all of mankind (vv ). He makes it clear that God s intent is to offer salvation to all people, not just those who first heard the promises (v. 36). He recounts the person and mission of Jesus, summarizing his life, death and Resurrection (vv ). Peter boldly affirms the ability of Scripture to preserve God s promises and accomplish His will on the earth (v. 43). 5 We must note at this point that Luke has not recorded any instructions from God other than for Peter to travel to Cornelius and speak. In the very moment of conversation, the power of the Holy Spirit equips Peter with the words to share the Gospel clearly and with authority, just as Jesus had promised His disciples (Luke 12:11 12). Q: How has God given you the ability to speak boldly and clearly about the Gospel? Have you ever felt empowered to speak about God in an unexpected moment? Q: How well do you know the Bible? Would you be able to explain God s promises the way Peter did? Verses What happens next is a surprise to everyone. In most other accounts of New 4 The vision had challenged his understanding about the continuing relevance of the clean and unclean distinctions in the Levitical law. The meaning of this vision is further revealed to Peter as the Spirit directs his attitude and actions (Peterson 326). 5 See Marshall and Peterson 336 for a further study of the Scriptures Peter references. 5

6 Testament evangelism, a writer first records the specific preaching and then the conversion that follows. In verse 44, however, Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit comes upon Cornelius s household even as Peter is still speaking. Imagine giving a presentation and receiving applause before you ve even reached your final point, or making a case before a jury and receiving their decision before you ve finished your defense. Luke wants us to understand that the effect of God s working through Peter is so unexpected it can only be attributed to His power. In verses 45 46, Luke records the great surprise of the Christian Jews who have traveled with Peter. The anointing of the Spirit on Gentiles has come as a surprise to them, even after God poured out His Spirit in the same way on the international Jews who had gathered at Pentecost (Acts 2). The vision of the early church was apparently still narrow, expecting salvation only for Jews. 6 Q: Think of a time when God surprised you by accomplishing something beyond what you expected. How did you respond? Q: How has God s work in someone else s life expanded your perspective of what God can do and whom He can work through? Verses In verse 47, Peter grasps the ultimate confirmation that God shows no partiality (v. 34). 7 His vision of the unclean animals has now been personalized and given a face and a name in the person of Cornelius. Peter now understands that God has taken away the dividing wall between clean and unclean because His plan for salvation has just exponentially expanded to include all people, regardless of their background. 8 This is no longer a time to direct the Gospel message exclusively to the people of Israel. Through Jesus, God announced to the rest of the world a message that Israel had long been poised to share: a worldwide rescue mission among people of all nations, languages and tongues to redeem worshippers. Peter responds by inviting the newly reborn Christians to be baptized and join Christ s growing church (v. 48). Q: What is your response when you see God save unexpected people? Q: How do you see God s fulfilling your favorite Bible promises today? 6 Peterson notes that they were not prepared for this divine demonstration of the full and equal status of uncircumcised Gentiles in the church, despite Peter s visions and his growing awareness of their significance (340). 7 There could be no mistake about what had happened (Marshall 206). 8 Peterson comments that Peter must acknowledge God s right to determine what is clean and to redefine boundaries for the Gospel era (330). 6

7 Week 16, Acts 10:1 48 Took Main point: God uses our faithful obedience to fulfill and reveal His purposes. Current Event: Daniel B. Towner was the music leader during one of Dwight L. Moody s revivals in Massachusetts. One night, a young man stood up during a testimony meeting and said I am not quite sure but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey. Towner wrote that sentence down, later collaborated with Reverend J. H. Sammis and produced the classic hymn Trust and Obey. 9 The chorus states: Trust and obey for there s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Lesson Conclusion: Luke s account of the unexpected meeting of Peter and Cornelius shows us that nothing can stop God s mission to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Our limited understanding of His will and our narrowly-defined experiences can t possibly give us full knowledge of everything God is doing to work out His will in our world. But we can count on the reliability of His Word and His power to accomplish His promises even when we can t see exactly what the outcome will be. Challenges Spend time in prayer Prayer is not just an opportunity to make requests. Prayer connects us intimately to God through the Holy Spirit and unites our hearts with His will. It shapes us and remakes our perspective into one that is divinely directed. How can you expand the role of prayer in your life? When can you schedule more time alone with God during the day, seeking to be united with Him so that He can work more effectively through you? Don t underestimate the power of prayer to prepare us for God s plans. Read God s Word We will never recognize the fulfillment of God s promises if we don t know what they are. The Bible is rich in descriptions of the way God desires to work in us and throughout the world. Spend time reading through the Old Testament (for example, Isaiah or Habakkuk), or read a few Psalms that speak to God s global perspective on salvation (for example, Psalms 66, 72, 96). Ask God to fill your heart with His Word so that you are ready to proclaim it at any time. Ask God for the wisdom to clearly and boldly recount the history of Jesus life, death and Resurrection and the salvation that He brings. Respond in faith Ask God to make you aware of His work in other people s lives so you are ready to respond. Ask God to soften your heart toward those you have discounted, and pray for 9 7

8 the willingness to desire salvation for all people. Look for opportunities to join the work God has started in the lives of your family members, friends and coworkers. Don t allow your limited perspective to impose limits on how God brings others to salvation. Pray for a readiness to celebrate the next new member of God s kingdom, and thank God in advance for the plans He has already put into motion. 8