Acts 10:9-48

the Lord together. So good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This is where every day you and I, we get together, we get into God's Word, and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2022, we'll go from the book of Acts to the book of Philemon. And today we are at Acts chapter 22, chapter 10. We're going to read from verse 9 through the end of the chapter. I'm so excited to be in this passage with you.
There's good news for us. Let's go ahead and have some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day, and we thank you for your word. We pray that as we read your word this morning, that you might care for us. We pray that you would teach us. We pray that we would know who you are, and that you would instruct us in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen. Here we go, Acts chapter 9, beginning at, or Acts chapter 10, beginning at verse 9.
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up to the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat, but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened up and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners descending to him and let down to the earth. And it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
And a voice said to him, Rise up, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything common or unclean. And a voice spoke to him again a second time, what God has cleansed you must not call common. This was done three times, and the object was taken up into heaven again. Well, what a interesting trance.
Peter's hungry, people go off to make food, and while he's waiting for them, this sheet is brought down from heaven with all sorts of animals on it. And God tells him, kill and eat and be whoa whoa whoa right no no no that's that's not kosher that's not clean i can't and god tells him what god has cleansed you must not call common Well, now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius made an inquiry of Simon's house and stood before the gate. And they called and asked whether Simon, the surname was Peter, was lodging there. While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you.
Arise, go down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius and said, Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come? And they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nations of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you.
Then he invited them in and lodged with them. On the next day Peter went with them and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him." Now this is amazing. We need to stop here and realize something incredible has happened. Peter has invited, not Jews, but Gentiles into his home. He's eating, drinking, lodging with Gentiles. This is not okay. This is not okay by Jewish standards. This was not kosher. And so as we're going to keep seeing, this was one of the dividing walls in which God had brought down so that the Jews and the Greeks could be one together.
And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down on his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up saying, Stand up. I myself am also a man. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.
Then he said to them, You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to another nation? But God has shown me that I must not call any man common or unclean. Therefore, I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I asked then, For what reason have you sent for me?
So Cornelius said, four days ago I was fasting until this hour and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house and behold a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius your prayer has been heard and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of Simon the tanner by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you. So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now, therefore, we are all present before God to hear the things commanded you by God."
Peter didn't know why he was going there. He just obeyed the Lord and he tells them, hey look, what does he say in verse 28, you know that how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to another nation. He's saying this shouldn't be done. So, but the Lord told me not to call y'all unclean.
So I came. Why am I here? Cornelius said I had a vision at this very hour. that you were to teach us the things commanded by God. He told me exactly where to send my servants, and they brought you here, so now teach us. Talk about a divine appointment.
Then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. That word, you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. and we are witnesses of all these things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging from a tree." Him, God raised up on the third day and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To Him, all the prophets witness, that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission from sins."
So Peter tells them the gospel. Peter tells them about Jesus Christ being the one who is the judge, who is the Lord, who is the one who redeems us from our sins if we believe in Him. This is what Jesus came to do. And so he's preaching this not to Jewish people, but to Cornelius, a centurion, a Roman soldier. He's preaching the gospel to someone he thought was out of the covenant, without hope, without the promises, and now he's telling him about the good news of Jesus Christ. Now, Philip did this with the Ethiopian eunuch, but now an apostle himself has been told by God to go and do this.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word, and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. for they feared or so for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God then Peter said can anyone forbid water that these should be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord then they asked him to stay a few days the confirmation during the apostolic age that they had true faith. They've spoken tongues, the Holy Spirit came down upon them and Peter says, whoa, yo, who's got some water? We need to baptize these people. And the Jewish people who are with Peter were amazed because the gospel has now gone even to the Gentiles.
This is the beauty. of what the gospel is. It's not baked into ethnic lines, but it transcends all ethnic lines. This is the blessing that we see that Jesus Christ came to save the entire world, all of his elect and all the nations. that all of the Psalms might be fulfilled, that all the nations might come and to bow to him. This is what all the prophets were pointing to, that one day this was going to happen.
And now it's begun. So what is this passage about? Well, this chapter is about Peter, a Jewish apostle, going to a Gentile and the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile being torn down. Because now there's nothing clean or unclean. Because God has made all things and declared them clean. Now there's hope for all the nations. Now Jew and Gentile can live with one another. Circumcision in the flesh has become nothing. But now it's about faith in Christ. Do you believe? Do you have faith in Jesus Christ? Do you trust in Him alone for your salvation? Is He your only hope before God? Let's pray so. Let's pray now.
Lord, we thank you so much that you have torn down the dividing wall, that you have sent your good news to Jew and a Gentile, that all the nations might come and may worship you. We thank you for our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the faithful witness of the apostles. Lord, we pray that we would follow in your ways, that we indeed would be those who would do works of righteousness by faith in Jesus. Help us to stay, Lord, to walk in this faith in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, may the Lord bless you today. May you walk with joy, knowing that the good news is for all those who believe. And I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.