How They Became Christians
Acts 10 Cornelius (part 4)
In the past few lessons I have been talking
about someone I feel is a very special, a Bible character that I never
really looked at before. In Acts chapter 10 I’ve spent some time looking
Cornelius. He is a special individual not only because of who he is,
but also because what he does.
Who is he? He is a Roman
soldier of high rank, a centurion, probably part of a squadron of men
that were in charge of security, guarding the Roman governor Marcellus
in the capitol city of Caesarea.
Being a Roman soldier he had not only
pledged his allegiance to Caesar who also claimed to be divine he also
had pledged his allegiance to the Roman many pagan Gods.
As mentioned in an earlier lesson, what
made Cornelius unique was the fact that at some point he seemingly
turned his back on those pagan Gods and after learning about the God of
the Jews, he accepted Him as his new Lord and God. And we read in
chapter 10 that he and his family were totally devoted to the Lord, and
was on good terms with the Jews helping those who were in need.
In chapter 10 we also read about the angel
that came to Cornelius one afternoon as he was praying. The angel
instructed him to send for the Apostle Peter to listen to what he had to
say. In the meantime the Lord also sent Peter a vision of unclean
animals being lowered in a sheet to the earth from above with the
command to kill and eat. After Peter responded saying that he couldn’t
he was told that he should no longer consider things impure if the Lord
has made it clean. After repeating this three times, the sheet was
taken back up to heaven and that’s when Cornelius’ men came searching
for Peter to bring him back to Cornelius. And it is at this point that
the Spirit tells Peter to go with these men.
Why is this story so important? Because
when Peter goes to Cornelius’ house and preaches the good new about
Jesus it is the first time we see non-Jews accepted into the kingdom of
God. From the time of Abraham, who was literally the first Hebrew or
Jew, until that day in Cornelius’ house, no one could be part God’s
covenant people unless they were born a Jew or unless they became a
proselyte Jew.
This is the first time in Bible history
since before the time of Abraham that a non-Jew or gentile could become
part of God’s family. This is a pivotal time in all Bible history!
And so that Peter and the other Jews that
came with him would recognize this great event, that God was now going
to accept gentiles into His kingdom and His Church, the miraculous
gifts and power of the Holy Spirit were poured out on these uncircumcised gentiles by God Himself, showing Peter and the Jews that these people were also accepted.(44) God tore down the wall that divided the Jews from the gentiles. Now we all can become God’s chosen people.
Later Paul would write about this in Ephesians 2:11-18 , he wrote, “Therefore,
remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called
“uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” remember
that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from
citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,
without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Notice
he technically made peace by setting aside or doing away with the old
Jewish covenant at the cross so that Jews and Gentiles are now on equal
ground cf.. to Colossians 2:14) (Click on highlighted Bibles verses to read)
That’s why this story about what happens
here with Cornelius’ is so special. Because of it, we as gentiles (or
non Jews) have the same hope as the chosen people of old. We can become
part of God’s family and be saved from our sin without first becoming a
Jew.
So why Cornelius? Why this household?
Well, as we already mentioned, he and his
family are already devoted to God. It took a lot of courage to turn his
back on the pagan Roman gods. He could be seen as a traitor.
They are more than just believers in our Lord, they are devoted and
this devotion was reflected in how generous they were to others, and
even in how the Jews saw Cornelius. We read that he was respected by all
the Jews.
In the last less (part 3) I talked
about Cornelius being a spiritual leader, a man who probably influenced
people in a good way. Evidence of this is seen by how many people
gathered at his home when Peter arrives. Friend s and family obviously
liked him and had enough respect for him to show up when he invited them
to his house to hear this Jew speak.
But I believe there’s more; it goes deeper. I believe Cornelius is what we would now call a seeker.
What he had, what he already knew and
believed about the Lord, probably wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He was
still open to hear more truth, more revelation. Maybe he wasn’t
satisfied with his present spiritual condition or serve.
I almost wonder if when he prayed, he
prayed, “Lord help me understand, I’m not a Jew but I want to be right
with you. I want to serve you. Help me Lord.”
And so when the angel appeared to him and
told him to send for Peter, I almost sense an excitement, some
anticipation in the text. This is something I fear many of us have forgotten. This desire, the thirst and hunger for wanting to know more about God and how we can fit into His plan.
Jesus Promised us something when He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (that is for God) he will be filled.” (Matt. 5:6)
And this hunger grows into excitement..
Cornelius had to be excited about Peter coming to his home; otherwise he
would not tried to pack his house so full of people.
We also see this great man’s humility. Do
you see his reaction when he first meets Peter? Verse 25 says that he
fell at Peter’s feet in reverence. It probably embarrassed the heck out
of Peter because he told him, “get up, I’m just a man myself.”
After Peter enters the house full of people
he explains to them that Jews normally don’t associate with non-Jews
but he explain to them that God himself showed him not to call any man
impure.
After Cornelius explained why he summoned
Peter (because an angel told him to do so) I find what Peter has to says
next is interesting. (Please click on Bible verses to read) Acts 10:34-43
Did you notice what Peter said here. Did you notice how he began vss. 36 and 39? He said, “YOU KNOW the message about Jesus. YOU KNOW what happened throughout Judea from the time of John’s baptism to when they nailed Him on the cross.”
And then Peter let these people know that
he was a witnesses of these facts and not only saw Jesus die on that
cross but also witness of the fact that He rose on the third day and was
seen by many. And then Jesus commanded them to go out and share this
good news, that he will Judge both the living and the dead. Peter goes
on and let’s Cornelius’ household know that even the prophets talked
about Him and that everyone that believed in Him could receive
forgiveness of Sin through His name.
And then ‘BAM’, that’s when the Holy Spirit poured out some miraculous gifts on
these people. Right then and there God was letting Peter and these
Jews know that these people were ready, these people were believers; God
was willing to accept them into his kingdom.
Were these people Christian yet? No, they only needed one more thing, the same thing that was needed in Acts 2 when the 3000 believed and repented. It was the same thing that the Samaritans needed in Acts 8 after they repented and believed. It was the same thing that the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:34-39 recognized,
that he needed after he came to believe in Jesus; and the same thing
Paul needed after he came to faith, fasting and repenting in Acts 9 and Acts 22. These people needed that master surgeon to cut away or remove their sin in the waters of Baptism. So in verse 47 Peter says, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus.”
So why did I use the terminology that Jesus is the Master surgeon? In Colossians 2:9-12 Paul clearly tells us that Jesus cuts away our sin in the waters of baptism. And in Roman 6 tells us that after we come up out of the water we rise to a newness of life. (Click on the verses to READ)
Without hesitation Cornelius and his
household allow themselves to be baptized so that Jesus could remove
their sin and so fulfill what God had ordained as a final and necessary
step in their redemption; thus opening the door for us as believing
gentiles to follow. So here we see another example like with the
Samaritans in Acts 8,
where just belief in God was not enough. Knowledge of Jesus was not
enough for they knew of Him. Praying was not enough. Even good works and
a good reputation were not good enough.
There comes a point where we have to allow Jesus to purify us, and remove our sin. And based on Colossians 2 Paul wrote that it is in the waters of baptism that Jesus Himself removes our sin. It is a “circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism”.
You can’t pray your sin away. Doing a
bunch of good works is not going to get rid of our sin. There is
nothing we or any man can do to fix our sin problem. Only Jesus can do
that. On the cross He died for our sin and based on this text and
others, it is in the waters of Baptism, when we are buried with Him He
personally removes our sin.
So what I hope you can take from this lesson today:
#1. I don’t think we should ever stop
seeking, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness and what God
wants and expects from us. Continue to seek out his will for you. Pray,
study the scriptures.
And as Jesus promised, you will be blessed,
or happy, because if you seek with all sincerity you will find, and you
will be filled.
2nd Our own pride and
stubbornness, and ‘know it all attitude,’ can be our greatest
enemy. When it comes to truth and learning the things of God, and
understanding your spiritual relationship with God, don’t ever settle
for what someone tells you what you should or should not do. God has
preserved His word in the Bible so that you can know the truth and that
truth will set you free. Research it out for yourself!
#3. If you have not done what Cornelius and
his family did that day, having consciously put their faith in Jesus
and then allowed themselves to be baptized so that Jesus could remove
their sin, Then I suggest that you seriously consider looking into
this matter and doing what Cornelius and family decided to do.
I believe that there is a right way to be
baptized, a right time to be baptized, and and a right and a wrong
reason to be baptized. If you this is new to you and you want to learn
more about it email me for more information