Daily Bread Acts 10
Daily Bread Acts 10
Cornelius Calls for Peter
1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
4Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.
The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."
7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Observation:
Acts 10 marks a major shift in the spread of the Gospel. Cornelius, a man who feared God, prayed and gave to those in need, has a vision to send for Peter. Peter has a similar vision, in which God introduces him to a paradigm shift for his Jewish Worldview. Kosher Jews had a strict adherence to what was clean and unclean. In Jewish Law, it was forbidden for a practicing Jew to even enter a Gentile’s home.
Peter trusted that this vision from God superseded this previous revelation. By trusting God, it opened a whole new avenue for God’s grace to reach an unreached people group. We see too, that God honored Cornelius’ heart, which was seeking Him. Praying to God as He understood Him, and doing good things for those in need were Cornelius’ way of seeking God, and God honored this.
As Peter followed in obedience to go to Cornelius’ house, many were filed with the Holy Spirit, as they heard the message and then were baptized. The Holy Spirit’s presence and manifestation was a sign that they had received the message, and Baptism was the outward sign that they were now a part of the Jewish community.
Application:
There are people who are seeking God, but not necessarily in church on Sunday mornings. God is constantly calling us out of our comfort zones and prejudice, to share the Good News to those who are open to it. Importantly Peter left his home and went to Cornelius’ house. Sometimes people won’t come to church, but they would allow us into their home to get to know them.
Some churches go as far as to make Sunday morning their seeker service, assuming that if a guest or seeker were to come to church, they would naturally come on a Sunday. The messages are relevant to those investigating the Christian faith and “churchy”, insider language is avoided.
Studies show that mainline denominations have steadily declined over the past twenty years. And yet there are more un-churched people than ever before. Maybe it is time for us to be like Peter and visit some homes of those we might never have associated with before. God has a desire for all people made in His image to know Him. There are no clean and unclean people. All are made to be redeemed by the relationship made possible by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
Prayer:
God give us a heart to see those who are open and seeking you. Help us to leave our comfort zones to go into the homes of those who you have prepared from the beginning of time to know You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Cornelius Calls for Peter
1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
4Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.
The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."
7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Observation:
Acts 10 marks a major shift in the spread of the Gospel. Cornelius, a man who feared God, prayed and gave to those in need, has a vision to send for Peter. Peter has a similar vision, in which God introduces him to a paradigm shift for his Jewish Worldview. Kosher Jews had a strict adherence to what was clean and unclean. In Jewish Law, it was forbidden for a practicing Jew to even enter a Gentile’s home.
Peter trusted that this vision from God superseded this previous revelation. By trusting God, it opened a whole new avenue for God’s grace to reach an unreached people group. We see too, that God honored Cornelius’ heart, which was seeking Him. Praying to God as He understood Him, and doing good things for those in need were Cornelius’ way of seeking God, and God honored this.
As Peter followed in obedience to go to Cornelius’ house, many were filed with the Holy Spirit, as they heard the message and then were baptized. The Holy Spirit’s presence and manifestation was a sign that they had received the message, and Baptism was the outward sign that they were now a part of the Jewish community.
Application:
There are people who are seeking God, but not necessarily in church on Sunday mornings. God is constantly calling us out of our comfort zones and prejudice, to share the Good News to those who are open to it. Importantly Peter left his home and went to Cornelius’ house. Sometimes people won’t come to church, but they would allow us into their home to get to know them.
Some churches go as far as to make Sunday morning their seeker service, assuming that if a guest or seeker were to come to church, they would naturally come on a Sunday. The messages are relevant to those investigating the Christian faith and “churchy”, insider language is avoided.
Studies show that mainline denominations have steadily declined over the past twenty years. And yet there are more un-churched people than ever before. Maybe it is time for us to be like Peter and visit some homes of those we might never have associated with before. God has a desire for all people made in His image to know Him. There are no clean and unclean people. All are made to be redeemed by the relationship made possible by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
Prayer:
God give us a heart to see those who are open and seeking you. Help us to leave our comfort zones to go into the homes of those who you have prepared from the beginning of time to know You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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