SCRIPTURE: Acts 10
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 8:11] Our reading in Acts is a fulfillment of what Jesus said, after He had encountered the amazing faith of a Roman centurion [Matthew 8:5-13]. Cornelius displays amazing faith in God, even though he’s an uncircumcised Gentile. God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right [Acts 10:34-35].
Notice how Cornelius, though not a Jew, still finds his way to God. God has been at work in his life, and he responds with devotion, the fear, generosity and prayer. God is pleased with his character and conduct: ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God’ [Acts 10:4]. Is this true of other people, who do not know Jesus? Why shouldn’t it be? This story encourages me to know that God is at work outside of christian circles, reaching people for Himself.
A humble heart is essential for God. Cornelius has a broken and contrite heart, the kind of heart God accepts [Psalm 51:17]. I believe that all over the world, from the east and west, there are people like this They do not earn God’s grace, they simply acknowledge their need for grace. Such ‘faith’, apart from an awareness of Jesus, is a gift of God, a result of the Spirit working within. And their acceptance by God is not because of their goodness, but through Jesus.
Jesus’ death and resurrection remain the only way that we can be restored to God. But this story in Acts shows us that God is reaching people through Jesus in ways that we do not even know. Like Peter and the others, we tend to dismiss people that do not fit our categories. But I hear in God’s warning not to call unclean what God has called clean, a warning not to dismiss people simply because they do not fit our categories.
God, through Jesus, is gathering the humble-hearted all over the world, and filling them with His Spirit. He is declaring clean those that are unclean. He is building His kingdom beyond our little cliques. Many more will be saved than we think, and many others that we assumed were saved will not be. This is the point Jesus makes in Matthew 8:12.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for loving EVERYONE and giving everyone an opportunity to respond to You. Help me to eagerly welcome all people, whatever their background!
Oh yeah, forgot to ask … what on earth does “tsaddiq goyim” mean?
The persecution of the early church in Jerusalem was a terrible thing. But what it did cause was for the church to be dispersed, kind of like a cold bucket of water to break up the cozy communal living they were experiencing. Don’t get me wrong, I truely believe the communal living that the early church had in Jerusalem was exactly what they needed to experience unity in prayer and spirit to become prepared by the Lord to be dispersed… God never leaves you unprepared!
But what it led to was … the conversion of the household of Cornelius, the conversion of Peters attitude towards the gentiles, the conversion of Saul, the boldness of Philip, the faith of Ananias to trust Gods word to go meet Saul the persecutor … all these changes happened as a result of the church being dispersed and pushed out of their comfort zone.
And the result was …
“much rejoicing in that city (Samaria)” from the preaching of Philip in Acts 8:8
“the eunuch … went on his way rejoicing” Acts 8:39
“But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ” Acts 9:22
“And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw (the paralyzed man healed by Peter) and they turned to the Lord” Acts 9:35
“And it (the raising of Tabitha from the dead) became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord” Acts 9:42
“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality” Peters conversion of attitude towards the gentiles Acts 10:34
“And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter (to Cornelius’ house) were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also” Acts 10:45
Lord, what am I waiting for? I open my life to You again … continue to pour the cold water on me to take me out of my comfort zone … because the end results are far too amazing … you hear the cries of peoples hearts and I do believe your will is to meet their needs … here I am Lord, send me
God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. Here we see how God works through people by dreams/visions so all may know Him. God does not show favouritism, but accepts people from every nation who believe in Him. We do not know how Cornelius had heard about Christ, but we do know that he was included in the family. God’s Spirit descended upon them and they were baptized. Together, they were all in the family. Welcome to the household of God.
I must be careful to let the Spirit do His work and not put my rules. regulations upon who’s in or who’s out. God’s people are from far and wide crossing all man made barriers – inclusive and not exclusive.
Far and near the fields are teeming
With the waves of ripened grain;
Far and near their gold is gleaming
O’er the sunny slope and plain.
Refrain
Lord of harvest, send forth reapers!
Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry;
Send them now the sheaves to gather
Ere the harvest time pass by.
Send them forth with morn’s first beaming,
Send them in the noontide’s glare;
When the sun’s last rays are gleaming,
Bid them gather everywhere.