Acts  Sermon Series

Wheelersburg Baptist Church 5/26/02 Brad Brandt

Acts 10:24-48 "When We Move Out of Our Comfort Zone"**

On the last Lord’s Day we began to address the subject of moving out of our comfort zones. Someone has said, "You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." To move out of your comfort zone you must be willing to take risks. Hudson Taylor, the great man of faith who founded the China Inland Mission, integrated faith and risk. He said, "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith."

There are a lot of people who say they believe God and may even say they want to live for God, but when push comes to shove what they really want is comfort. They’re like the fellow described in the following ditty.

What happens when we move out of our comfort zone? The truth is, some amazing things can occur! But we’ll never see them as long as we cling to the status quo.

Last week we looked at the first part of Acts 10. Acts 10 is a highly significant chapter. In Acts 10 Peter left his comfort zone. In Acts 10 the early church began to leave its comfort zone and reach out to Gentiles in fulfillment of its God-given mission (Acts 1:8). It would not be an easy step to take and would require some divine persuasion.

As we examined the first 23 verses of the chapter, God fulfilled three acts of preparation in order to move His people out of their comfort zones. He prepared a ministry (with a Gentile named Cornelius, in verses 1-8), a messenger (namely Peter, in verses 9-16), and a meeting (in verses 17-23). By means of a vision He told a Gentile named Cornelius to send messengers to bring Peter to his house. He also sent a special message to Peter by means of a vision to let him know the messengers were coming and to go with them. That’s where we left off last time.

In today’s study we’re going to see firsthand what happened because Peter was willing to obey God and come out of his comfort zone. There’s a vital object lesson in this for us. If we’re willing to obey God and move out of our comfort zone, we’ll make three amazing discoveries, as did Peter in Acts 10:24-48.

It’s true. The Bible teaches that in eternity past the sovereign God of the universe made a decree to redeem a people for His glory (Eph 1:4ff; Rom 8:28-31). He gave this people as a love gift to His Son (John 17:6). The Son gave His life to redeem this gift from His Father by laying down His life as a shepherd for His sheep. "I am the good shepherd," Jesus said (in John 10:14-16). "I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen [speaking of the Gentiles]. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

Jesus did not die merely to make salvation possible, but to save a people. He laid down His life for His sheep. He knows His sheep. And He is at work in the world today, as He promised, bringing His sheep to Himself.

Know this. God is preparing people according to His eternal plan. He is preparing people to receive the good news. He is also preparing people to take the good news to those being prepared to receive it. That’s what is happening today in our very midst. And that’s what happened nearly twenty centuries ago in the story before us.

In the Acts account, Luke shows us God’s "preparing" work in three ways.

A. God prepared Cornelius for Peter (24-26). "The following day [that is, two days after the messengers came to Peter and the day after they left for the house of Cornelius] he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself.’"

Verse 23 indicates that Peter did not make the trip alone. Six Jewish brothers from Joppa went along (the number is given in 11:12). That’s three times the official number needed to serve as witnesses of an event. Peter would certainly need this triple proof once he made his report back at headquarters of what he was about to see.

The trip from Joppa to Caesarea covered about thirty miles, a hard day’s travel. The party left around 3:00 in the afternoon, but didn’t arrive at their destination until the following day shortly after noon.

It was obvious to Peter when he arrived that before him was a prepared man (in fact, a whole group of prepared men and women). Cornelius was serious about this meeting. By the way, how can you tell if a person is really serious about wanting to know and please God? Look for three traits demonstrated here by Cornelius. One, they’ll want to hear God’s Word. Two, they’ll want others to hear God’s Word. And three, they’ll take steps to make it happen. Cornelius called together the people who mattered most to him and told them, "A man is coming to tell me about God today. You must come, too!"

When Peter entered the house something startling occurred. I must remind you that Cornelius was a military man, a "centurion." No doubt, he had to put away some racism to interact with Peter. He was used to calling the shots and having men respond.

But what did he do? When Peter came into his presence he hit the floor. The Greek term proskuneo means "to kiss toward" and is used for homage given to deity, angels, and sometimes to men. Gripped by a sense of his unworthiness and in appreciation for this privilege to hear God’s Word, Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet and "worshipped" him [that’s the word the KJV uses]. Now there’s a man who’s prepared to hear God’s Word!

Peter refused the honor. He knew his role. He knew there is only one who is worthy of such honor, the Lord. He insisted Cornelius stand up saying, "I am only a man myself."

We’re in trouble when we forget this. At best we are but men, tools in the hands of the Maker, instruments He can use. The brush doesn’t take credit for the masterpiece painting, nor do the piano keys for the magnificent music. The artist deserves the honor.

So God prepared Cornelius for Peter. That’s not all…

B. God prepared Peter for Cornelius (27-29). Verse 27 states, "Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people." What a dream for a preacher! A room full of people just waiting to hear what he has to say! Peter’s first words were not exactly what homiletics professors would classify a model sermon introduction.

Verse 28—"He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him." Whoa, Peter! That’s not a very nice way to introduce yourself! But it was true. For centuries there existed a huge wall between Jews and Gentiles. The animosity was severe. Contact was forbidden by Jewish law.

By the way, that was a tragic misunderstanding of the intent of God’s law. God never intended His people to practice isolation. Separation—yes ("Be holy for I am holy"), for God’s people are to separate themselves from sin, but exclusivism—no. Israel was supposed to be a conduit not a bucket. God blessed Israel so that through Israel the Gentiles would know Him. But Israel began to hoard God and hate the goyim.

Peter was not overstating the barrier he had to cross. He was violating Jewish law to enter into the home of this Gentile. Why did he do it then? Because God had prepared him for this meeting just like He had prepared Cornelius. Both sides had to lay down their prejudices.

Listen to Peter again (28b-29), "But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean." Those were the same words Peter heard the Lord use in the vision (verse 15). Peter got the point!

The saying says, "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks." That may be true for dogs but it wasn’t true for Peter. Peter is doing something very new and very wonderful here. He’s learning and applying new truth from the mouth of God.

Is that true of you? No matter what our age God has new things to teach us from His Word. He’s interested in stretching us and opening new doors for us—but we must be ready and willing. Sadly, the church is full of people who stopped growing years ago. Their spiritual diet consists of things they learned five or ten or twenty years ago. They basically regurgitate old food for sustenance.

Peter was an apostle, yet he was still open to learning new truth, even hard truth. Verse 29—"So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?’"

God is bringing the barriers down. Peter’s question is intriguing, "May I ask why you sent for me?" On the one hand, it makes sense. He’s curious about Cornelius’ expectation. But on the other hand, surely he knew! Had he forgotten the Master’s commission to "go to the ends of the earth," preaching the gospel? That’s why he was there that day.

We’re a lot like Peter, aren’t we? God opens doors all around us for the advancement of the gospel, yet so often we miss them.

I was on my way to an evangelism seminar once when an unexpected visitor stopped by, a man I’d never met before. I could tell quickly by his language that he didn’t know the Lord. My first reaction was, "Oh no. If I take time to talk to this fellow, I’ll be late for my…evangelism seminar." And then it hit me how foolish I was being. I wanted to learn about evangelism, while God wanted me to do evangelism.

God prepared Cornelius for Peter. He also prepared Peter for Cornelius. Thirdly…

C. God prepared Cornelius to listen to Peter (30-33). "Cornelius answered: ‘Four days ago [notice it took four days to bring about this meeting; God is in no hurry!] I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.’"

Wow! Not only was Cornelius ready to listen but so was everyone in the house. Listen to that final admission, "We are here…to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us." Everything. Take as long as you like. Don’t leave out a thing. We are all ears. Give us the whole package. When people say that it’s clear evidence that God has been at work preparing their hearts.

Yet know this, fellow Christian. If you stay in your comfort zone you’ll never see them. You won’t see the people that God is preparing to bring to Himself. They’re out there, but you’ll miss them. But, if we’re willing to obey God and move out of our comfort zones we (like Peter) will discover that God is preparing people. Secondly…

How powerful? It’s so powerful it can break down the most ugly prejudices and bring enemies together. Barclay illustrates, "A missionary tells how once he officiated at a communion service in Africa. Beside him as an elder sat an old chief of the Ngoni called Manlyheart. The old chief could remember the days when the young warriors of the Ngoni had left behind them a trail of burned and devastated towns and come home with their spears red with blood and with the women of their enemies as booty. And what were the tribes which in those days they had ravaged? They were the Senga and the Tumbuka. And who were sitting at that communion service now? Ngoni, Senga and Tumbuka were sitting side by side, their enmities forgotten in the love of Jesus Christ."

Such is the power of God’s Word. Peter beheld that power in vivid fashion on the day he preached in the house of Cornelius. His sermon is highly significant. It’s the first time the gospel was ever preached to Gentiles. Apparently, Peter used no notes as he delivered this extemporaneous message. In it Peter explained the truth about three bottom-line subjects.

A. Peter explained the truth about God (34-35). "Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."

Peter shares two realities about God that he himself had just learned in recent days.

1. He doesn’t accept people on the basis of externals. He doesn’t "show favoritism" as the NIV puts it. The Greek word reflects the Hebrew idiom nasa panim, "to lift someone’s face," hence, "to show favor." God doesn’t play favorites. The fact is, not one person is more likely to experience His favor than another for all are sinners. Every person falls short of His standard, by virtue of inherited sin nature and willful sin choice. The KJV reads, "God is no respecter of persons."

That’s quite an admission for Peter, a Jew, to make. So is the next reality about God.

2. He accepts people from every nation. All kinds of people, too. That’s what Jesus had in mind in John 10:16 when He said to the Jewish disciples, "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold." Peter said the Lord accepts people from every ethnay—from every ethnic group or nation—who fear him and do what is right.

Some use this verse to teach universalism, that God accepts everybody who is sincere on the basis of good works. "See?" they say, "Peter told Cornelius that God accepts everybody who does what is good. It doesn’t matter what you call God as long as you believe in ‘him.’ You don’t have to believe in Jesus. One religion is as good as another. You’re okay if you just live a good life."

But that line of reasoning fails to account for the clear teaching of the rest of Scriptures (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) that says God saves only those who know Jesus. In fact, if Cornelius and the others were already saved, what was Peter doing there anyway? Why was he about to proclaim that salvation is only through the name of Jesus (verse 43) if that were not true? Later in Jerusalem Peter himself said that Cornelius and his Gentile friends were not yet saved prior to his coming (Acts 11:14). Prior to Peter’s coming Cornelius had piety and morality, but he did not have salvation.

An observation by John MacArthur is in order. "There are some who would deny that there is any pre-salvation work on the part of the sinner, leading to salvation. This, too, is absurd, since the text clearly states that salvation comes to those who fear God and do what is right. Is this salvation by works? Of course not. Peter is simply expressing the reality that there is a Spirit work in the heart of the sinner."

It’s all accomplished by God’s grace. When a sinner begins to seek God—this is evidence of the grace of God. When that sinner shows an interest in hearing the Word of God, when he calls for the preacher (as Cornelius did), this too is the result of the Spirit’s gracious working. When the sinner decides to change his lifestyle, stop living such a selfish life and start sharing what he has with those in need, this is because of God’s grace. That sinner is still not saved for he still has not placed his faith in Jesus, yet he is a candidate for salvation, all because of the grace of God.

After putting the spotlight on God, Peter next explained the truth about Jesus.

B. Peter explained the truth about Jesus (36-41). "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. ³⁹ "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead."

With those words Peter summarizes the apostolic message the early church preached wherever it went. This is the gospel. It is a Christ-centered message. With these words Peter communicates six vital truths concerning Jesus.

By the way, notice that twice Peter says to his audience, "You know." You know the message. You know what has happened throughout Judea. A person could scarcely have lived in Israel at this time and not known, especially a God-fearer like Cornelius. But it’s one thing to know the facts. It’s another thing to grasp the significance of those facts which is why Peter has come. You know that Jesus has come. What you may not know is the real truth about this Jesus…

1. He is the Lord of all. The final words of verse 36 are key. Peter presents Jesus not merely as Messiah of the Jews but as Lord of all. He’s the Lord of the Jews, yes, but also of the Gentiles. He is your Lord, too, Cornelius and company.

2. God anointed Him. For the first thirty years of His life He lived in relative obscurity, until His baptism. At that time God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, and thus inaugurated His public ministry.

3. He did good. What kind of good? A good life unlike any other. Jesus "went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil." Even the demons were no match for Him.

At this point Peter offers a personal testimony in verse 39, "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem." I saw it firsthand! I also saw this…

4. The people crucified Him. They put Him on a tree. They killed Him. But here’s what separates Jesus from every other religious leader.

5. God raised Him from the dead. Lest there be any doubt about it Peter says God raised Him from the dead "on the third day." What’s more, He "caused Him to be seen." By everybody? No.

6. God chose witnesses to see Him. Who were the witnesses? They weren’t volunteers. They were individuals God chose, the apostles, as Peter says in verse 41, "by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead."

That’s the truth about Jesus. To be right with God you must know and believe this truth. Jesus is the Lord, the God anointed one who lived a perfect life in the place of sinners, who died at the hand of sinners, whom God raised from the dead, an event He verified through the testimony of witnesses.

Peter moved quickly to a third bottom-line subject—first the truth about God, then about Jesus, and…

C. Peter explained the truth about our message (42-43). "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed [KJV ‘ordained’] as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

What Jesus accomplished Jesus wants made known. Peter says, "He commanded us to preach…and to testify that He is the one whom God appointed." This is our message. God wants the world to know two things about His Son.

1. Jesus is the judge (42). He is the judge of the living and the dead. That’s pretty comprehensive, isn’t it? You can’t fall between the cracks with those two options. You are either living or dead, and in either case Jesus is your judge. But here’s the good news…

2. Jesus is the source of forgiveness (43). Everyone who believes in Him [the KJV uses the word "whosoever"]—that includes Gentile as well as Jew—receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

Who needs forgiveness? We all do, for we are all sinners under the wrath of God. Who can experience forgiveness? Everyone can, everyone, that is, who believes in His name.

At that point the sermon ended, not by Peter’s choice but because of divine intervention. Something spectacular happened, something so magnanimous that Peter wouldn’t have believed it had he not seen it with his eyes (which is why God had him there!). Which brings us to discovery #3. If we’re willing to obey God and move out of our comfort zone, we’ll discover that God is preparing people, that God’s Word is powerful, and thirdly…

"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message (44)." Wow! Peter wasn’t even able to finish his sermon. In fact, when Peter later retold the story to the Jews back in Jerusalem he said he merely "began to speak" (11:15) when the Holy Spirit came. There was no altar call, no invitation, simply the powerful demonstration of the Holy Spirit. The listeners simply believed (as 11:17 states) and were born again. And Peter and his six Jewish friends got a firsthand taste of just how world-wide God’s agenda is.

Luke specifies that three things happened to Cornelius and his Gentile associates.

A. They received the Holy Spirit (44-46). Notice the text again, "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." There’s no mention that they sought for the Holy Spirit nor asked for Him. They merely heard Peter tell them about forgiveness through Jesus, believed in Jesus (an implied action here but states in 11:17), and then the Holy Spirit came on them.

The event made quite an impression on the Jewish onlookers, as verses 45-46 explain, "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."

Wait a minute. Haven’t we seen something like that before? Yes, we did. We saw it in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. There the Holy Spirit came on Jews who believed in Jesus. We saw a similar phenomena in Acts 8 when the Samaritans believed in Jesus. And now it’s the Gentiles’ turn.

What’s going on here? Allow me to suggest two things…

1. This account is not a model for us to follow. It’s not wise to use this episode to develop a pattern for the individual Christian. This passage isn’t intended to teach that a person should speak in tongues as proof that he has received the Spirit. For that matter, tongues speaking is not the only evidence of the Holy Spirit. It happens to be the evidence God used in Acts for a very specific reason, namely this…

2. This account shows that God saves all people the same way. God knew the Jewish Christians would be hard to convince, so He allowed them to see the same activity the Jewish believers experienced on the day of Pentecost. The connection was undeniable. The Gentiles believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit just like the Jews did.

There is no other way. God saves all people the same way. If you want to receive the Holy Spirit, believe in Jesus—and the Holy Spirit will enter your life and seal you until Christ returns (Eph 1:13-14). Luke mentions a second event…

B. They were baptized (47-48a). "Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ."

It was the "sameness" of the event that caught Peter’s attention. From his perspective Acts 10 paralleled Acts 2. Because it did he called for the same response as he did when the Jews asked him what to do in Acts 2. Baptism (2:38, 41). There is no such thing as an unbaptized believer in the New Testament. When a person truly believes in Jesus, they make it public through baptism. Notice that Peter "ordered" [‘commanded’ in the KJV] them to be baptized. If you are a believer in Jesus and have never been baptized, the command is for you, too.

C. They wanted to learn (48b). "Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days." Receiving Christ isn’t the end of the road. It’s just the beginning. These new believers exhibited a trait of a genuine Christian. They sought fellowship with other believers. They wanted to learn.

The second verse of The Church’s One Foundation begins, "Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth." God has one church, but His elect come from every nation. That’s what discovery #3 is all about. God’s agenda is worldwide.

In the final book of the Bible John recorded this declaration of heavenly praise given to Jesus (Rev 5:9), "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."

What a day it was! To use a statement coined by Kent Hughes, "A spiritual continental divide had been breached." It happened because Peter was willing to come out of his comfort zone.

Are you available to God, I mean really available? We miss out on so much when we cling to our comfort zones. In his book Turtle on a Fencepost, Allan Emery tells how as a wealthy man at age forty-five he sold his business and went to work for ServiceMaster. He says:

"My first assignment was to work for two weeks as a houseman at a large metropolitan hospital. I was to mop the corridors, empty trash containers, and clean ashtrays. While not in the best condition for this work, I completed the day’s schedule. The shock was not in the work but in the general rejection of me as a person because of my green uniform and the kind of work I was doing. Not a single person responded to my ‘Good Morning’ except others in the Housekeeping Department. I had never before experienced the caste system."

1. How big is your world? Let’s be honest with ourselves. Some of us live in a pretty small world. All around us are people who need the Lord, but they’re not in our world. They might as well live on another planet. We have no contact with them. They’re different from us.

And that’s what scares us. We like our comfortable, little world. It’s safe.

But is it really? Did you realize that the things we most fear—crashing in an airplane, being killed by a burglar, dying on the operating table—are unlikely ever to happen to us. "We are risk illiterate," one safety expert says. "We have a completely distorted view of life's real perils." The chance of dying in a commercial airplane crash is just one in 800,000. You are more likely to choke to death on a piece of food. You are twice as likely to be killed playing a sport as you are to be stabbed to death by a stranger. And the chance of dying of a medical complication or mistake is tiny (one in 84,000). You take a far greater risk riding in a car. One in 5000 of us die that way. The next time you buy a lottery ticket, bear in mind that you are at least 13 times as likely to be struck by lightning as you are to hit the jackpot...In helping to set insurance premiums, actuaries know that this year approximately 765,000 people in America will die of heart disease, 68,000 of pneumonia, 2000 of tuberculosis, 200 in storms and resulting floods, 100 by lightning, another 100 in tornadoes, and 50 of snakebites and bee stings.

The safest place in the world is in the will of God, whether or not that happens to be in our "comfort zone." Beloved, we have a responsibility for the lost, a God-given responsibility. And to reach them we must leave our comfort zones.

So just how big is your world? Acts 10 invites us to ask ourselves another question.

2. Will you ask God to see the world as He does? Do that and your life will never be the same again. Just ask Peter.

Acts  Sermon Series