“God’s Forgiveness Available for All” (Pt. 1)
(Acts 10:1-11:18)
Series: The Church on Fire!
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
First Baptist Church Henderson, KY
(11-4-07) (AM)
- Take God’s word and open to Acts, chapter 10.
If you’re visiting with us we began a series of messages some weeks ago from the Book of Acts. Our series is entitled “The Church on Fire!” and we’re learning about what happened 2,000 years ago when the church was born and spread like wildfire and we’re also learning how God speaks to us today in our lives and through our church.
We’re studying today the story about how one man named Cornelius becomes a Christian. Now, it is the longest story of one man’s conversion in the book of Acts so we’re not going to deal with the entire story today, but just take a look at the first half of it. So, to get us started I’ll read just the first few verses in chapter 10 and invite you to follow along.
- Stand in honor of the reading of God’s word.
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
5 “Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.
6 “He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”
7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.
8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
- Pray.
Introduction:
Those of you who are FAITH trained. Let me see your hands? Here’s the question: “F is for what?” Forgiveness. F is for forgiveness. FAITH is a simple way to share the gospel with someone. We learn this word FAITH and that each letter represents something. F is for forgiveness. What is A? A is for available. What is available? God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is available for all, for everyone. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His unique, one-of-a-kind Son that whosoever believes on Him should not die, but have eternal life.”
Now, I got my sermon title from that phrase: “God’s forgiveness is available for all” because that’s the main point of chapter 10 and the first part of chapter 11. God’s forgiveness is available for all. God’s forgiveness, the hope of the gospel, is available for every single person in the entire world.
By the way, I really like the new FAITH outline that we’ll be teaching to everyone in the next semester. It is a wonderful improvement over the old one that is more theologically balanced. For example, it begins with explaining why we need God’s forgiveness. So it goes, “F is for forgiveness” then this phrase: “Everyone has sinned and needs God’s forgiveness.” Then, Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Everyone has sinned and needs God’s forgiveness.
Chapter 10 opens with a man who needs God’s forgiveness. His name is Cornelius and Cornelius is not a Jew. He is a Gentile. Now why is that such a big deal? Well, the Jews had sort of become a people who believed they were superior over everyone else. God chose them to be a special people who mirrored the grace of God so that others—Gentiles—would be drawn to God through them. But instead, the Jews became more concerned with their “special status” as God’s chosen people than they were concerned that others would know Him. And so they had, in large measure, become a people who didn’t spend much time with non-Jews and didn’t care much about the spiritual condition of Gentiles. So what happens to Cornelius and the subsequent fallout that we’ll read about in chapter 11 and then again in chapter 15 is something for which we should all be grateful.
How many of you in this building are Gentiles, non-Jews? Can I see your hands? Looks like every one of us. Well, we can thank God for Acts 10 this morning that tells us how the Gentiles came to hear the saving message of the gospel. So we’re going to deal with the first half of this story this morning. It is a story of 66 verses and we’re going to divide it in half and deal with part-one of the story of Cornelius’ conversion and then we’ll come back next week, Lord willing, and look the second part of the story. Let’s consider some truths about God’s forgiveness. First:
1. The Mandate of God’s Forgiveness (10:1-8)
By mandate, I simply mean what Romans 3:23 teaches: “Everyone has sinned and needs God’s forgiveness.” Everyone! Because of our sin, the only thing that will keep us out of hell is God’s forgiveness through Christ Jesus. It’s a mandate. There’s no other way into heaven. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.” So forgiveness of sin is mandated and it happens only through Jesus Christ.
Now we see that truth in verses 1-8 as we read about Cornelius. Cornelius is lost. He is not a Christian. He is lost. Everyone say, “Lost.” Lost. How do we know Cornelius is lost? Let’s look again at our Bibles. Verse one tells us a little about him. He lives in Caesarea. That’s on the Mediterranean Coast about 60 miles Northwest of Jerusalem and about 30 miles from Joppa. He is a centurion, that word means he was a Roman soldier over a hundred men; centurion—century; a centurion of the Italian Regiment. So he’s a Roman soldier and he’s a very religious man. Verse 2 says he is “devout” and one who “feared God.” He wasn’t a believer. He wasn’t saved. He is described simply as a “God-fearer,” one who is close to becoming a follower; a religious man, but not yet a Christian and not yet saved. The term “God-fearer” was a first-century way of referring to a Gentile who believed in God, but had not converted to Judaism by being circumcised. So he knew God in only a general kind of way. He was a religious man. He “gave alms generously” which means he gave a lot of money to charitable causes. And he “prayed to God always.” He fears God but he’s not a Christian. He’s not yet saved. So what happens?
At 3 PM, Cornelius has a vision. He sees an angel of God coming to him who says to him, “Cornelius!” Cornelius is afraid—just as you and I would be—and he says, “What is it?” The angel then says, “Your prayers and your alms have come up as a memorial before God.” That is, “God knows every single thing you have been doing. God knows you have been responding to the light He has given you in revealing Himself to you, responding to the gentle tug of the Spirit as God is making Himself known to you. So here’s what to do: Send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with another Simon, a tanner,”—that’s a person who worked with animal skins, turning them into leather—“his house is by the sea,”—tanners used saltwater in their work. So when you get to Simon the tanner’s house there’s another guy there named Simon Peter. Ask for him and he’ll tell you what you must do.” So Cornelius gets a couple of servants and a soldier and he sends for Peter.
Now I told you a moment ago that Cornelius was not saved. We know that because we just read that he only knows God in a general sense. He is a “God-fearer” but he has not yet heard the saving message of the Gospel. The whole point of the angel’s telling Cornelius to ask for Simon Peter to come is so that Cornelius will hear the message of the gospel; the Good News, the word of salvation. That’s the whole point of his sending for Peter. We’ll see that unfold as we continue reading, but you can also see it captured in a couple of verses in chapter 11. Look quickly at Acts 11:13-14. Peter, speaking of Cornelius, says, “He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be—what?—saved.’” So Cornelius is not yet saved back here in the first few verses of chapter 10. That’s the whole point of the angel’s telling Cornelius to send for Peter, so that Peter will tell Cornelius the Good News, the saving message of the Gospel.
In a moment we’ll read about Peter’s coming to Cornelius and delivering him the message of the Gospel. Before we do that, there are several very important implications that arise from the story thus far. First, because Cornelius is not yet a believer, not yet a Christian, then all of these things he is known for in verse 2, while good things, do not save a person. Look again at this guy’s religious resume in verse 2. The Bible describes Cornelius as “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” This is all good stuff, but it doesn’t get us into heaven.
How we need to be reminded of that today! Someone says, “But he’s a sincere man. He’s a religious man. Leave him alone.” No! Cornelius is proof that a person can be 100% sincere and be sincerely wrong. And giving money, while a wonderful thing to do, does not earn us a place in heaven. How unfortunate wealthy businessmen such as Ted Turner and Warren Buffett believe they can earn a place in heaven through giving money. Last year, Buffett, who is the second-richest person in the world, announced he would give $37 billion dollars over the next several years to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve education and improve medical research. That’s a great thing to do. The problem is not that he’s giving the bulk of his investments away. The problem is in what he thinks it will earn him. Referring to his charitable giving, Buffett said, “There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way.” No! Look at Cornelius. Giving money doesn’t get us to heaven.
This story about Cornelius should cause us to be bolder in our evangelism. It’s a reminder that our neighbors, while good people, will go to hell if they don’t receive Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s a reminder that you can be a religious person and “pray always” and still be lost. You can be a member of a church—a member of this church—and be an upstanding citizen in the city of Henderson and still go to hell. Our goodness doesn’t save us. Our giving doesn’t save us. Only Christ saves us! Now Cornelius will hear about Christ.
Cornelius is responding to the light that God has given him. We’ll deal with this more next time, but for now let me say that Paul teaches in Romans 1 that God reveals Himself to us in nature and through our consciences. He reveals Himself like light in a dark world and our automatic response is to turn away from that light, to suppress the truth of God’s light. But if a person like Cornelius responds to the light God has given him, then God gives him more light and works wonders to get the saving message of the Gospel to him. Again, more about that next time, but for now just understand that if a person responds to the light God has given to him, then God will keep revealing more light until a messenger comes with the saving message. And that takes us to the next point. We’ve considered the mandate of forgiveness. Number two, let’s consider:
2. The Messenger of God’s Forgiveness (10:9-23)
The Bible says that an angel appears to Cornelius and tells him to send for Peter who will tell Cornelius the saving message of the Gospel. Here’s a question: Why didn’t the angel just tell Peter himself? Why didn’t the angel share the Gospel? Well, it’s not the angel’s job to be the messenger of God’s forgiveness. Whose job is it? It is ours. Only mankind knows the glory of redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sin. Angels know nothing of what it means to be saved. 1 Peter 1:12 teaches that the angels sort of scratch their head in wonder and what it must be like to experience salvation. So it’s not the angel’s job to share the Gospel; it’s the Christian’s job. Peter is the messenger of God’s forgiveness.
9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour (that’s noon).
10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat (he was a Baptist!); but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
This is quite a vision, isn’t it? The point here is that Peter sees all of these kinds of animals that are, according to the law as in Leviticus 11, are unclean. That is, they were foods that were off-limits to the Jews. You couldn’t eat these kinds of animals.
13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
We’ll that’s pretty strange, isn’t it? He has this vision three times of a large sheet being lowered down with all of these unclean animals on it and he hears the voice of God say, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” Peter’s like, “No way! I’m a devout Jew! I’m not going to eat foods that are unclean when the Bible says not to!” By the way, many a preacher has pointed out the inconsistency of Peter’s reply in verse 14, “Not so, Lord!” Those words are really a contradiction. You can’t say, “Not so” and “Lord” at the same time. It’s either, “Yes, Lord” or, “Not so,” but you can’t say “No” to Christ and refer to Him as “Lord” in the same breath. As has often been said, “He’s either Lord of all or He’s not Lord at all.”
But God is teaching a few things here. First, God is teaching that all foods are now clean. Jesus had begun to deal with that back in the gospels, such as in Mark 7:19 where the Bible says all foods are now clean. The New Testament teaching supersedes the Old Testament so you can eat any kinds of foods you want now. But there’s something else God is teaching here to Peter. He’ll get it in just a moment.
17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate (talk about God’s providential, perfect timing!),
18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.
19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you.
20 “Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”
21 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?”
22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.”
23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
So Peter’s like, “I get the vision now! Previously I would have had some scruples about traveling with a Gentile and entering into a Gentile’s home and eating with a Gentile, but God has shown me to go with these men. He’s working here.” So Peter invites these Gentiles inside to share a meal together and then he goes with them the next day to Joppa. Now, this takes us to the final point in the first-half of our study together. We have considered the mandate of God’s forgiveness and the messenger of God’s forgiveness. Look with me now at:
3. The Magnitude of God’s Forgiveness (10:24-33)
By this I mean, consider how far God’s forgiveness reaches. God’s forgiveness is available for all. God’s forgiveness is available for every single person no matter who they are!
24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.
Time out for a moment. Did you notice what Cornelius did over the day and a half he’s waiting on Peter to arrive? He called together his relatives and close friends. He’s like, “You’ve got to come to my place. There’s a guy coming who’s got an important message. God told me to send for him. You’ve got to be here!” I mean, Cornelius is evangelizing before he’s even a Christian! God help us be more intentional in our inviting people to hear the saving message of the Gospel, inviting people to church to hear the messenger share the message.
25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”
I love that! Some people believe Peter was the first Pope. Well, no one would have been more surprised to learn that than Peter! If he was the first Pope, he didn’t know it. He’s like, “Stand up! Don’t kiss my ring! Good night, I’m merely a human being like you! Don’t worship a man. Worship God!”
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.
28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 “Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”
Peter says, “I understand now how wrong it is to think of a non-Jewish person as “common” or “unclean.” I understand now how wrong it is to think of myself as superior to the Gentile. I understand now that God’s forgiveness is available for all persons. “I should not call any man common or unclean. So Peter says he came as soon as he was sent for. He then asks, “For what reason have you sent for me?”
30 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,
31 “and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
32 ‘Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’
33 “So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
So now Peter will share with them the saving message of the Gospel. We’ll deal with that next time. Right now, I want to underscore the magnitude of God’s forgiveness, the fact that God’s forgiveness is available for all persons. Peter said in verse 28, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” The magnitude of God’s forgiveness is such that it reaches all nationalities, all races, all classes, and all peoples. There is no one outside of the scope of God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is available for ALL.
We have a tendency to sort of compartmentalize God’s forgiveness into certain groups. We’re not always as quick to share the gospel with all persons. I spoke yesterday morning at a breakfast at Greater Norris Chapel over here on Washington Street. If we’re a predominantly white church, then Greater Norris Chapel is predominantly an African-American church and as I was driving home I was thinking about how little cross-cultural ministry we really do as Christians. I mean if God’s forgiveness is available for all then we should be taking the gospel to all people—red, brown, yellow, black and white—all precious in his sight. People of different races, different nationalities, different socio-economic classes, physically different, all precious in God’s sight.
And people of different backgrounds! I mean, you know, really bad sinners! Did you know that the magnitude of God’s forgiveness is such that it reaches a person no matter how lost they are? You can’t be so lost as to not be forgiven. Can I say that again? You cannot be so lost as to not be forgiven.
Let me share this passage and then I’ll close. Write it down in the margin of your Bible. Paul’s talking about how lost we were before we were saved. He’s talking about the magnitude of God’s forgiveness; how God forgives and changes the Christian. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
If you have ever been guilty of any of the things mentioned in those verses, can I see your hand? Let me read them again…fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, thieving, coveting, drunkenness, reviling, extortion. I’m raising my hand. Look around. God’s forgiveness is available for all and our congregation is a testimony to that truth. Paul says, “And such were some of you.” Such were some of you. But you were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Such were some of you.
I’m so glad God’s forgiveness is available for all, aren’t you?
- Let’s stand for prayer.
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