The Gentiles hear the Good News and the early church continues to grow.
Acts 10: Peter and Cornelius
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,
2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius."
4 And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.
6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."
7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,
8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter's Vision
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common."
16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate
18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them."
21 And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?"
22 And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say."
23 So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man."
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.
28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."
30 And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.'
33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."
Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,
41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
47 "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Acts 11: Peter Reports to the Church
1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying,
3 "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them."
4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order:
5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me.
6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'
8 But I said, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.'
10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.
11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea.
12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.
13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;
14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,
24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).
29 So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Things to think about…
1. Caesarea was a massive Roman made port built by Herod the Great. Cornelius was stationed there. Consider this centurion Cornelius. He commanded 100 men. Yet he was seeking after God. Look at what this battle experienced roman warrior is known for. Luke tells us, Acts 10:2 that he “gave alms (gifts) generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.” It’s about 3pm in the afternoon (the 9th hour) and he is praying. The Lord gives him a vision and a voice from an angel. Cornelius obeys and sends to the 2 Simons in Joppa – Simon the Tanner and Simon who is called Peter. Simon means “I listen” or “I hear”. God is a God of order and prepares Peter’s heart to receive the message from Cornelius’s servants. The point about this man Cornelius is that he is praying and God hears his prayers and he is about to be blessed with the overwhelming presents of God’s Spirit. Do it again Lord!
2. When you go to Joppa you can still see a flat roofed house that is claimed to be that of Simon the Tanner. It is a wonderful place with a good view of the Mediterranean sea. Peter is praying as Cornelius’s men are on their way the next day at around 12pm. God’s timing is perfect. Peter’s heart is being prepared to receive them. Peter, a Jew, is given a vision of unclean animals, reptiles and birds, Acts10:12 and told to rise and eat. This was an abhorrent thought for any Jew. As Christians we can be hyper critical of unbelievers because they are so spiritually and culturally different to us. But we are called to rise and go to them with the gospel. Peter needed a gentle nudge by the Holy Spirit to go to the Gentiles. Even though he had just ministered in Samaria, he still had work to do. Jesus said the church would be established by him. No longer would he be fickle self-willed man, but strong and stable as a rock.
3. The Lord will call those who are marked out for his grace. Cornelius was already a devout man and the Lord wants him to come to a full knowledge of the truth. Jesus was right when he said to the Samaritan woman “salvation is from the Jews”, Jn 4:22. Here Peter is sent to this God-fearing Gentile. Now, sadly, we must take the gospel back to the Jews as they have rejected and forgotten the true fulfilment of the scriptures is only found in Christ. Pray for our ministry to the Jews through our One for Israel ministry. But look at what Cornelius does when Peter enters his house/ Cornelius falls down and worships Peter, Acts 10:25. Peter lifts him up and tells him he is also a man. We can be devout and love the Lord but need basic instruction. This is the privilege of mature Christians to help new believers grow in truth.
4. The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit and speak in other languages, Acts 10:44-48. Here we see it is while Peter was preaching that the Holy Spirit was poured out, not through the laying on of hands, but as he was preaching. This was a marvellous confirmation that this message (the gospel) was for all the nations and not just Israel. We don’t see the gift of tongues poured out in every situation in the scriptures. When the Apostle Paul goes into a new country with the gospel, he preaches but we do not hear that the gift of tongues was given with the gospel. While this gift has not ceased it is not required for every Christian to receive at the point of belief. The Holy Spirit however is necessary. This is what makes a person born from above, and indeed, born in the Spirit, John 3:5, 6.
5. It is interesting to see that they believed first, receiving the Holy Spirit and then were baptised. This is the right order of things. We must be genuine converts, the fruit of the Holy Spirit evident in one’s life then be baptised. There is no justification for any other process or mode seen in the NT.
6. The ‘Circumcision party’ had cornered Peter at Jerusalem accusing him of hanging out with Gentiles, Acts 11:1-3. Once Peter explains his story it says ‘they fell silent’, vs 18. What a blessing when people hear the truth and don’t fight against it. Pray that we are all sensitive to what the Lord has revealed in His word. We know from this point in the scriptures a group called the Judaists rise. While they believed in Jesus they also said that the law must also be followed. This grieved the Holy Spirit, and as such were not converted, much like Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8. They believed but did not have the Holy Spirit that displays that we are saved by grace, not the law. They grew into a noxious cult that the Apostle Paul had to deal with later in his ministry.
7. Note that the word of God was confirmed to the Jewish believers of the ‘circumcision’ party in Jerusalem by the same 6 Jewish men who were with Peter in Cornelius’s house when the Holy Spirit fell, Acts 11:12. This is an important detail because it confirms Peter’s words and gives testimony by more than 2 or 3 witnesses that God had indeed sent the Holy Spirit to the Gentile believers. Sometimes critics only listen to their own. In this case fellow Jews who witnessed the event with their own eyes. Praise God for the clarity of these details in His word given through the pen of Luke.
8. Some Gentile Christians who heard the gospel in Jerusalem got saved and as they were on their way back to Cyprus and Cyrene they had to pass through Antioch. They share the gospel with other Gentiles, Acts 11:19-21. Barnabas is called from Jerusalem to check the situation out, he asks that Saul be brought from Tarsus. They stayed a whole year at Antioch. This is where we first hear the term ”Christian”. The Antioch church grows to the point where it can now minister to those who are suffering from a great famine that especially affected Judea. Some churches outgrow others, those churches must take the responsibility of being resource centres for other smaller churches. This was the case for Kenmore Baptist (now Riverlife) years ago when they sent preachers and musicians over to Chuwar when we them. They were a great blessing and encouragement for us.
9. The Spirit of God is very generous, and we see this to be the case in Acts 11:29, 30 when hardship comes to the church in Judea. We have been praying for the Spirit of God to fall on our city. Let’s continue to see His grace in our day.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Life groups Wednesdays. On break over the school holidays.
Young adult Life group – Onbreak over school holidays
Prayer Points
1. The beginning of “The Blessed Life” series. The encouragement of the ‘Stories’ we heard on Sunday.
2. Pray for Lauren as her brother has just passed this morning. She is with the family in South Africa now.
3. Pray for Tad and his son Tad as he comes to terms with a brain tumour and the path forward.
4. Keep praying for Anna and the Playgroup on Fridays, pray for more families to be reached.
5. Pray for Chaplaincy and Kids Hope at Karalee State School.
6. The ongoing conflict in Israel and Ukraine.
7. Church finances to continue to grow and expenses to be more than met.
8. Pray for Kids@Church, Life groups. Young Adults back this week.
9. Mathys has a prayer time at church on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, 5:30pm at church. He would be happy for you to join him and to send prayer requests.
10. Pray about the possibility and planning of a Farmers Market at Chuwar Baptist Church on Saturdays. Anastasia taking the lead on this. Pray for us as we plan
11. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you to be saved. Pray for the blessing over the new pastoral care and hosting program.
12. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. New folk this week. Pray the stories speak to those in the building and online.
2. Worship team did a great job.
3. Praise God for young people stepping up in the worship ministry.
4. Playgroup is a great encouragement for our church.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Working bee Saturday morning 27th July. Please contact Che for a list jobs and requirements.
2. Monday and Wednesday evening prayer at church 5:30-6:30pm
3. Life Group Wednesday 6:30pm at church – start back this week.
4. Kids@Church starts back this week. Check your roster out today.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for July...
Q. 22. What is Sin? A. Sin is any transgression of the law of God.
Bible References – 1Jn.3:4; Rom.3:20; James 2:9-11
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” Jer 33:3
