Announcements –Prayer

First law of motion- Isaac Newton – Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it.

“He who thinks half-heartedly will not believe in God; but he who really thinks has to believe in God.”

Change – The one constant in all of life is change but we don’t usually like change.

Brief time of peace, relief from persecution, so Peter is traveling the area sharing the gospel and encouraging and teaching. Healed a man unable to walk and raised Tabitha from the dead.He stayed there for some time until he heard word from some disciples that there was an individual by the name of Dorcas, It was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord."

Staying with Simon the Tanner - But there's a still a tough, tough barrier to knock over, and that's the barrier between the Jew and the Gentile, but it has to come, because, you see, in the new covenant, the design of God is to take of two and make, as Paul says, "one new man." And this is Paul's great message when he defines the church in Ephesians 2. I read you from verse 11 these words. "Wherefore, remember that ye, being in time past Gentiles in the flesh," and then he goes on to discuss what that means. "You were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." He says, "You were a mess. You were cut off from everything God was involved in."

And he says in verse 13 of Ephesians 2, "But now in Christ Jesus, ye who once were far off are made near. You who were separated are brought together in Christ. For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Then he goes on to say, "He made one new man, reconciling both into one body." In chapter 3, he says, "This is the mystery, that the Jews and the Gentiles would be one body." Well, this was just a difficult thing for the Jew to understand. Extremely hard, after centuries and centuries of exclusiveness, and especially from the Gentiles, to be then thrown together as equals like Paul says in Galatians 3:8, 3:28, "From now on there's neither bond nor free, male nor female, Jew or Gentile. You're all one in Christ." That's a whole new concept for the Jew. TWO CULTURES CONVERGE – History, Tradition, Prejudices, Culture, Values

VS 1-2a. A certain man in Caesarea: Caesarea was a predominately Roman city on the shores of the Mediterranean in Judea. It was the headquarters of the Roman governor of the province of Judea. Archaeologists have discovered a stone from a building in Caesarea inscribed with the name Pontus Pilate.

b. Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment: Cornelius was an officer in the Roman Army. A patriotic Jew of that day would naturally dislike or even hate him.

i. “Thirty-two such Italian cohorts were stationed in the different provinces of the empire. They were made up of Italian volunteers and were considered the most loyal Roman troops.” (Lenski) Because he was such a loyal servant of the oppressors of Israel, most every patriotic Jewish person of that day would naturally be prejudiced against Cornelius.Most Devout Gentile will meet the most devout Jewish Christian.

i. “As a typical Roman he had been exposed to the Roman gods – Jupiter, Augustus, Mars,

ii. Cornelius was in the category of what the Jews called God-fearers (one who feared God). These were Gentiles who loved the God of Israel; they were sympathetic to and supportive of the Jewish faith. Yet they stopped short of becoming full Jews in lifestyle and in circumcision.Godfearers expressed enough interest in Judaism to attend synagogue and give alms, but did not fully embrace the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy).

iii. Jewish people of that time respected and appreciated these God-fearing Gentiles, but they could not really share their life and homes and food with them, because they were still in fact Gentiles and not full Jewish converts.

d. And prayed to God always: Because of the way the life and heart of Cornelius is described, we see a man who obviously had a real relationship with God. At the same time, he was not a part of the mainstream of Jewish life.

VS 3-6About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel

  1. We are not told specifically here that Cornelius was praying, but it was the ninth hour (3:00 in the afternoon). This was a customary time of prayer for Jews. Also, as Cornelius related the incident to Peter in Acts 10:30, he specifically said he was praying (at the ninth hour I prayed in my house). 9th hour – prayer time,
  2. First prayer time is 9 am – 12 and 3PM is the third hour of prayer [Acts 3:1; 10:9]. The Hebrew word for this hour of prayer is "Minchah" (gift-offering). This hour of prayer was known as the "hour of confession."It was at the ninth hour that Elijah prayed down fire on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel 1 Kings 18. It was the ninth hour when Ezra led the people in prayer of confession and intercession Ezra 9:5. It was at the ninth hour that Daniel opened his window and prayed Daniel 9:21.Peter & John heal a man in Acts 3, This is the exact time Jesus dies on the cross.
  3. Time of prayer was called the “hour of confession - Minchah" (gift-offering)

b. He saw clearly in a vision an angel of God: This was not a dream, nor did it actually happen. This was a vision that came in the “mind’s eye” of Cornelius. At the same time, it was so vivid that Cornelius would later say, a man stood beside me in bright clothing (Acts 10:30).

  1. Cornelius! It is significant that God spoke to Cornelius directly, even calling him by name. It is also significant that Cornelius responded with a healthy fear of the heavenly and holy (he was afraid). This shows that Cornelius had a real relationship with God.
  2. “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
  3. Your prayers and Alms (Praying, talking to God – Alms – your actions of mercy, gifts of mercy – have come before God as a memorial before God – reminder offering,
  4. When God sees your prayers and your actions – he thinks of you, reminded of you. Not just a life spent praying to God – it is your actions too. Put them into practice. Matthew 7.

Send for Simon whose surname is Peter: Probably, Cornelius didn’t even know who Peter was. But he knew that he should do what God told him to do, and he could trust that God was speaking to this one named Peter also (He will tell you what you must do).

e. He will tell you what you must do: God sent an angel in a vision to Cornelius, but He used a man to preach the gospel to him.

VS 7-8) Cornelius obeys God’s command and sends for Peter.

a. Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier: Apparently, the faith of Cornelius was contagious and there were those of his household and under his command who also honored the God of Israel.

VS 9-10) Peter on Simon the Tanner’s housetop.

a. As they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray: As God spoke to Cornelius, and as Cornelius sent the messengers to call Peter, God also spoke to Peter himself.

i. Typically, this is how God operates. He speaks to several people about a matter, not just one. Then confirmation is provided, and out of the mouth of two or three witnesses a word is established.

ii. “Two men are thirty miles apart. They must be brought together. In order that they may meet, while Joppa is busy with its trade, and Caesarea with its great shipping interests, and will know nothing of what is going on; God within the shadows keeping watch above His own, sends the angel to Caesarea, and grants the ecstatic trance in Joppa. They were thus brought together.” (Morgan)

b. Peter went up on the housetop to pray: In that culture, the housetop was normally used as a sort of patio. There was nothing strange about Peter going up on the housetop to pray.

c. Then he became very hungry: Noon – Lunchtime - This often happens during prayer; distractions in our body come as we try to direct ourselves to God.

Vs 11-16 Peter’s vision.

a. All kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air: Peter saw all sorts of kosher and non-kosher animals prominently displayed on a sheet-like background (a great sheet bound at the four corners). Then, Peter heard a command: Rise, Peter, kill and eat.

i. When Peter became very hungry and wanted to eat during prayer, he no doubt regarded it as a distraction. Yet, God used it by speaking to him through a vision regarding food. His hunger perhaps made him pay more attention!

b. A voice came to him: We don’t know exactly what this was like for Peter. It is rare for God to speak in an audible voice. More often, God speaks to our inner man. As a vision can be “seen” by the “mind’s eye,” even so we can “hear” the voice of God with the “mind’s ear.”

c. Rise, Peter, kill and eat: This obviously went against Peter’s commitment as a Jew, which was to never eat anything except kosher foods. Certainly, among the all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air there were non-kosher animals included.

d. Not so, Lord! Peter’s response was both absurd and yet typical of us. He said “no” to his Lord. The only legitimate answer to a request from our Lord is “yes.”

i. Peter had a bad habit of telling Jesus “no” (Matthew 16:22, John 13:8). Compare Peter’s response to God (Not so, Lord!) with Cornelius’ response to God (What is it, Lord?). On that day, it seemed that Cornelius was more responsive to God than Peter was.

e. And a voice spoke to him again the second time: God responded clearly to Peter. What God has cleansed (declared clean)you must not call common (impure, unholy, unacceptable to God).

  1. In Old Testament thinking, there was the holy and the common. The holy was made common when it came into contact with something common, and could only be made holy again through a ritual cleansing. When something was made holy it was called consecration; when it was made common it was called desecration.

The voice then talks back to Peter and says, “What the Almighty has made clean, you must not call common.” A more accurate, technical translation here is, “What the Almighty deems to be clean, you should not call common.” The point is not that Yahweh is cleansing something “anew” here in Acts 10, but that Peter should not deem common what Yahweh deems clean. Notice that the voice never tells Peter to call something unclean, clean. The voice specifically uses the word “common” when correcting Peter. There is a difference between something common and unclean.

Acts 10:17 tells us that Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean. I ask you, why? Almost everyone I talk to seems to interpret the vision very quickly and readily by saying we are allowed to eat unclean animals. Peter, however, knew that Yeshua, the sinless Son of Yahweh, was not telling him to violate the Torah. This is why Peter was perplexed. He knew that there must be another meaning to the vision.

ii. At this point, Peter believed that God spoke only about food. But shortly, God showed Peter that He was really getting at another point.

. A strict Jew wouldn't have anything to do with a Gentile. In fact, a strict Jew wouldn't even be the guest in a Gentile's house, nor would he have a guest in his house, since Gentiles were unclean. The scribal law said, "The dwelling places of Gentiles are unclean."

And this is exactly how the Jews felt, that the Gentiles were unclean. In fact, milk that was drawn out of a cow by Gentile hands was not allowed to be consumed by Jews, so you had to make sure you checked on who provided your milk. Bread and oil, for example, prepared by a Gentile, could be sold to a stranger, but could never be used by a Jew...No Jew would eat with a Gentile at all; and, in fact, if a Gentile was invited to a Jewish house, you couldn't leave him in the room unless...lest he would defile all the food in the room. If cooking utensils, for example, were bought from a Gentile, they had to be purified by fire and water. Any article that was in the hands of a Gentile at any time was unclean. If you had, for example, a weaving shuttle, and that weaving shuttle was made out of wood that was grown in a grove where Gentiles worshipped false god, you had to burn up the shuttle.

f. This was done three times: For deep emphasis, God repeated this vision three times. Peter was to regard this as important. If God tells you once, you listen, 3 times…

  1. Nothing to do with Food – This is not about C;ean versus unclean foods – God is trying to teach Peter that when God cleanses someone they are made holy – set apart for Him. Gentiles are going to be coming into the church. Ethiopian Eunuch first.

i. “By the time the drama had been acted out the third time, Peter must have begun to get the idea that God was trying to tell him something, even though he did not know exactly what it was.” (Boice)

Vs 17-20 God makes Peter aware of the arrival of the messengers from Cornelius.

a. Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant: When the vision ended, Peter did not have it all figured out. That came in time, and it came as God spoke to Peter through the visitors just arriving at his door.

b. The Spirit said to him: Previously, in Acts 10:13 and 10:15, it was simply said that a voice spoke to Peter. Now, we are told that the Spirit spoke to Peter. This was God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, speaking to Peter.

c. Three men are seeking you…go down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them: Roman soldier and 2 others. At this point, God has not told Peter that his visitors were Gentiles. Normally, a godly Jew like Peter would not associate in this manner with Gentiles. Knowing this, and knowing Peter’s previous resistance (Not so, Lord!), God simply surprised Peter with the knowledge that these men were Gentiles. All Peter needed to know was that the Spirit said, “I have sent them.”

ChristLikeness:

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Romans 12:1-2 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

(2) Meditating on God’s Word Develops the Mind of Christ

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

James 1:22 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

First law of motion- Isaac Newton – Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it.

“He who thinks half-heartedly will not believe in God; but he who really thinks has to believe in God.”

Test Tube Babies of the 80’s –on a tv show – Struggled with their identity – Only knew a mother - search for their father and siblings.We live in a land and among a people who have no idea...Not only who they are BUT where they came from How in the world can we expect them to know where they are going? Most are using all their energies to learn their true identities. Well, there is good news for them, and for you... for when someone introduces them to Jesus Christ, or for that fact...when you introduce anyone to Jesus Christ, he provides that person with their true identity, their true purpose in life.

Thank God for tithes and offerings - Benediction: