SPEAKER_00 1:11

I do ask a particular deliverance. I did not realize I used my voice so strongly over this weekend, and uh I'm finding it a little difficult to speak. But um but it would not be uh the first time I've also seen the Lord's deliverance in that. So please uh continue to pray. But um two days ago I woke up with a thought of memorials on my mind, um, and it has not left me yet. Uh so I'm gonna I'm gonna go to that thought, but uh but not in the same manner in which I tried to go to it before. Um there there are many, many, many instances of memorials in the scripture that God instituted. I'm not even gonna talk about the ones that man put up on their own. But as far as memorials are concerned, there are things that the Lord set forward for Israel and for the church to use to bring to remembrance certain things. In fact, one of the first memorials ever set up by God for the nation of Israel was his name. That he gave his name. He specifically told Moses that my my name, in other words, I am, the I am name that God gave Moses, he said, this will be a memorial to uh to my people forever. And so that was one of the first memorials God ever gave Israel. And what's important to know about a memorial, just in general, is that a memorial is intended to bring to mind something. Now, we in man's ways, we know that we set memorials to bring up uh uh things to our attention for or remembrance for things of uh of a certain person. Um we even have a memorial hospital uh in after the name of somebody that uh that we ought to bring to mind. Now, uh what is often the case, especially with man's memorials, is that we start to think about the memorial, but we forget what it was that was supposed to be brought to mind. Uh I can guarantee you uh there are many people who go to visit uh uh a capital or a place where a monument was put up as a memorial to some event. And you go see the memorial, you see the fantastic architecture, you see the beauty or the wonder of whatever it is that was set up, but may come away with absolutely no more understanding of what happened uh as a regard of that memorial than before they came. And so they're very it's very important to understand that a memorial can be started, can be worshipped or or honored in such a way that the the point of it was lost. And so it's very, very important, especially for those memorials that were set up for God and by God, uh, that the importance of what is memorialized is not lost in the observance of the memorial. Uh for example another example is that the very uh the very act of the Passover was set up as a memorial to the Passover event in Egypt. It was set up so that it would bring to mind the power of God in deliverance from Egypt with his mighty hand, that they, without the loss of a single uh firstborn uh by the covering of the blood of the Passover, uh, that they were brought out by the mighty hand of God out of Egypt that very night. And so that was set up as a memorial. Uh but we'll see in the days of uh we can see, I don't intend to take the time to turn and take that specific reference, uh, but we'll see even in the days of Christ that there were those that honored the Passover, but didn't honor the point of the Passover. Uh that was one of the greatest moments in which Christ himself said that uh with desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you. Because that Passover that Christ observed with the uh disciples on the night that he was betrayed was the greatest Passover ever because it was the final uh uh memorial observance of the Old Testament, and it was the first observance of the true Passover, because that that Passover that was established in the Old Testament, not only was it a memorial of that day, but it was a memorial of something that hadn't happened yet. Now that now I'm gonna say that is a contradiction in terms, except when it comes to God. You see, a memorial, by definition, especially with man's things, but even in the occasions that we see that set up with God, is that a memorial is set up in order to bring something to mind that has already happened or something that does already exist. In other words, you don't set up a memorial for someone that's not born yet, and you don't set up a memorial for an event that hasn't happened yet. A memorial is something to bring to mind a memory, something to remember an occasion that has already occurred. So when God tells Israel, my name is a memorial forever, what is his name? I am that I am. Tell them that I am has sent thee. So the the memory that was to bring to mind is God is the ever-present one. And so that was to be for them to lay hold upon as a remembrance. And here's the other important thing. You can derive this from what I've already said, but to try to say it more plainly, the memorial itself is not the thing that you're remembering. It is to bring to mind the thing that you're remembering. So even though the name of God is precious, the name of God is important. The importance of the name that God gave Israel was to remind them that he is eternal, that he is everlasting and he is ever present, that he does not rely on anyone, therefore, they can always rely on him. And so that was the importance of having his name as a memorial. The importance of having the Passover as a memorial was to bring to mind the power of God in deliverance. And there are many other memorials that that's uh put forward in the scripture. But I want to skip on down in time, and I don't want to lose fact, uh, lose sight of the fact that the memorial is set up for to bring to remembrance. But do you know there's God, there are things that God has set up to bring things to remembrance to Him. Now, we sometimes need memorials because memorials for us are a tool to use for our failing faculties, for our inability to keep things in attention, uh, that are brought to mind to purposefully bring certain things to mind. One of the greatest memorials that Christ set up in his church is uh, I think it's on this table. There should be a phrase up here, in remembrance of me. If it's not, it doesn't have to be. Uh, but if there is that phrase on this table, or regardless of whether it is or not, when Christ on that very last Passover observance of the Old Testament and the very first observance of the honoring of the true Passover God in the New Testament church, he took the bread and the wine and set them up as what? A memorial service in the church. Because it is set up to bring to mind something that has surely and most powerfully happened. Is that the body of Christ was broken for our sin and the blood of the New Testament was shed so that we might have liberty and we might have life in Christ. And every single time we honor that, uh, and he instituted the church on purpose, not so that we just might have something to do every so often, but it's so that our minds would have an opportunity to refocus to because the purpose of uh I might not have mentioned this, but memory has to do with bringing to mind. And not just in a passing way, but it's to bring it to focus, to think about it. You know as well as I do, there are times that you may be going along about your business, and just something, a word or a phrase, a smell, uh a sound, something will bring something to mind. Maybe it's a saying that that someone that you loved long ago and has gone now uh used to say, and it would bring to mind, oh yeah, they used to say that all the time, and it would bring back their voice or their their the the very the very tone or tenor of how they used to say it. Or a smell of a fragrance of something that that brings back fond great memories. Well, what that's doing is it's bringing it to mind, it's bringing it to your focus, to your attention. And that's what the purpose of the memorial and what a memory is, is to bring it to a dedicated focus within your mind so that you can dwell on it for a time. And so that's what the purpose of the bread and the wine is, is to bring it to focus. It's to it's to set aside that moment in which you can dedicate your mind and your attention to a memory of something that happened so that you might know that you have part in it, that it is for you, that the body was broken for you, that the blood was shed for you, and that it was done by him on your behalf, and that his death, burial, and resurrection has its power and authority over you. Uh that that that's why you can have hope and joy in Christ. And so that that's that's why he puts it there, and knowing, knowing that we cannot have something in mind all the time. We're limited creatures. We cannot have everything in mind all the time. We have to set our mind in focus. Focus, by definition, means it's on one thing. You cannot have your focus on multiple things. Uh that that I don't want to get into some of the things, the the philosophies or the the the language of this world. You know, you can have how many priorities can you have? You have one priority. There is no such thing. I know that you might say, well, we have our lists of priorities, and we after we get done with number one, then number two, then number three, but guess how many you can attend to at one at a time? You can only address one thing at one time. And the Lord says this very clearly in terms of mastery. You can only have one master, you can only listen to one order. You're gonna have to make a decision at some point which way to go. Well, the same thing goes with mind and attention. Because of our limitation, we cannot think of all things at all times. And so God gives us the opportunities to focus our mind, and that's part of the worship service as well, by the way. Is that that the the worship service in and of itself is a memorial service every time we come together because we remember the finished work of Christ. We remember uh his bountiful blessings, we remember uh his watch care and his provision, his shepherding uh care, his brothering care, his friendship care over us, his kingly authority over us, and his commandments, and his uh and uh the the uh and being that lamb slain from the foundation of the world for our the redemption of our sins. And every time it is a memorial service in which we focus our time and attention. But it's often we have to be careful when we think about the occasions in which God remembers something. Because when he remembers something, it's not because he ever lost track of it. It's not like he left his keys somewhere and then remembered them and picked them up. When you read about Noah, and then when it says God remembered Noah, he didn't forget Noah. But what happened was there was the moment in which Noah was brought to the forefront because it was Noah's time for something. And when he remembered Noah, it was time to bring the flood to an end. It's not because he forgot, it's not because uh he just happened to look at a calendar and remember it was the point of time, it was that time, and so God turned in away. He never turned away from Noah, but Noah became the focus of that event once more because it was now time for him to do something. He had to prepare for getting off that ark. Just like he had to prepare the ark to begin with, it was now time to prepare to no longer need it, at least in that regard. There is all of this to lead up to this occasion. In Acts chapter 10, there's an interesting scene that plays out. And this actually has a lot to do with us today, even if we're not familiar with it, in the fact that this is the first recorded and identified Gentile to join the church. It's Cornelius in chapter 10. And there's a phrase here I want to turn to in the in what happens here. Now, I I we're gonna go into the uh most of the account, maybe not every verse, but there's there's something that happens here that is important to us because as far as I know, we're all Gentiles here. I don't know if there are any natural Jews in this congregation. And if there are, then that doesn't diminish this at all. But most of us have to understand that as far as the church goes, there was a promise made of God before he ever, before Christ came in the flesh, there was a promise made of God is in that one day, the kingdom, access to the kingdom of heaven, access to close walking with God, access to the truths of God, access to the hope and the consolation that is in God, would not be restricted to the Jews only. But for centuries, from the time that Israel was brought out of Egypt to the coming of John the Baptist and Christ Himself, for all of those centuries, there was only one people on earth who had legal and rightful access to the truth of God, and that was the Jews. That doesn't mean God did not have a people among the Gentiles. We can go to some very precious moments where we see that there were those that were not Jews by flesh, but that believed and loved God. Uh the uh Ruth is one that stands out. Uh uh Rahab the harlot, someone that the Jews probably, quite frankly, especially in Christ's day, the Pharisees probably uh probably clearly or conveniently forgot that name out of history. But she is one that was a beautiful example of faith in spite of her circumstances and in spite of the fact that she was a Gentile by nature. Uh Naaman the Syrian ended up going back to Syria, being cleansed of leprosy, worshiping and praising God. So it's not that God did not have those people that loved and worshipped him, but they did not have uh Rahab uh before she uh uh joined in, before she basically became an Israelite, uh, and same thing with uh with Ruth, uh before they had before they were Israelites indeed, they did not have access to the worship of God. They did not have access to what God, in other words, here's God in heaven that says, this is the appropriate way to worship me. This is how, if you love me, you worship me. Except that you have to be a Jew to do it. And though there are Gentiles who love God, Syria, the Syrian Naaman loved and honored God, but he could not worship God. Not in the way that he wanted to, not in the way that God himself commanded that he ought to be worshipped. Now he could pray to God, but he could not go and offer sacrifices to God, it would not have been acceptable. I want to be clear about this because there is a manner in speaking in which that's still true today. There are many children of God who want to worship God, but there is only one acceptable way to worship God, and that is in spirit and in truth. And it does not matter if you are a child of God and you want to worship God, if you're not worshiping in spirit and in truth, you cannot worship him. You can pray to him, you can love him, you can even try to obey him. But to worship him, because remember what I said earlier about worship? What is worship? It's a memorial service in some ways. And what do you memorize? What do you commemorate when you are honoring him in worship? You have to worship the finished work of Christ. You have to honor him for what he did, and you have to honor what he did for you in truth and in acknowledgement. It would do us no good to go to any memorial that's out here in the world and uh uh pick one in your mind. I don't know, but you know what? Don't even take the time to do it right now. Uh but you could pick one in your mind and just imagine, well, what if you went to this such and such memorial and started talking about something that didn't have anything to do with it? Are you honoring that service? Are you honoring the memory of what is being uh commemorated there? No. Well, that's the same way it is in worship. You must worship him in spirit and in truth for it to be acceptable and honorable worship, because it must be the honoring of the memory and the acknowledgement of the work of Christ in order for it to be worship. And so if there's any doctrine or practice out there that does not do that, it is not worship. And yes, God loves those children of God. He even hears their prayers of uh of uh earnest desire, just like Peter crying out for help from this uh from the seas. But as far as honoring up worship, he only accepts that which is true, which is honorable. Here's a moment in which we see that happen with Cornelius. See, Cornelius was a Jew who had not even yet heard about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. But he loved God, and he loved his people, and he prayed daily, and he gave of his alms, he gave, he gave, he gave of his wealth to the people of God. Why? Because he knew these were his people, but he wasn't a Jew. He didn't convert to be a Jew, he was not a Jew, he was he was a centurion soldier of the Italian band. He was a Gentile, but he knew that Israel was God's people, and he wanted to honor God by honoring his people. And then something happened one day. Cornelius was praying in Acts chapter 10. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man. Now, if you uh I don't want to take the time to do it again today, but you probably heard it by myself or any other preacher and on some other occasion, but I'll just summarize it again. You cannot be a devout man who loves God unless you're a child of God. Because by nature you will not seek after God. Now, you may seek a God. We could see that Christ even talked to some Pharisees who claim to be worshipers of God, but he said you are of your father the devil. So outward religion is not what we're talking about here. He's not we're not talking about someone who just had a practice and he knew that he did something every day, and that was in order to become something more than he was before. He was a divine. Devout man, meaning he was devoted to God. He was a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, by the way. If you read later, you're going to find out the whole household was affected by this. But it's also because the whole household was along with Cornelius in this. Cornelius is the head of the house, but we find that everyone was in agreement on this, including even his servants, that he had some very uh his servants and soldiers that loved him and loved the same thing that he loved as well. He says, A devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. By the way, that doesn't just mean always and all time, it also means in all ways and all different directions. That means in every manner and every time in which it was appropriate for him to pray, he prayed that way. He saw in a vision, evidently, meaning it was plain. This was not something that was a confusing circumstance. He saw in a vision, evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him, into him, and saying to him, Cornelius, when he looked on him, he was afraid, as no doubt I would be as well. And said, What is it, Lord? Now, I want to just say this. This is just a passing thought, but but this stood out when I was rereading this more recently. He said, What is it, Lord? Now, very often you'll find circumstances where someone will even fall down and worship an angel, and the angel will say, Not so. I am I am just like you, I'm a creature, uh, don't worship me. Now, I think it's important to make a distinction here. He does not worship this angel, but he does say, What is it, Lord? It is appropriate to hear the word of a Lord from an angel, because guess who sent that angel? The Lord did. So when you see when you when you credit the Lord for sending the angel, that's okay. Cornelius did nothing wrong in this. And the angel didn't correct him because he didn't need correcting. But it had he bowed down to worship this angel, the angel would have corrected that. And I feel very confident in that because we actually see that play out with something, with a very slightly different situation in this very same account. But here he says, uh he says, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. A memorial before God. So does God need a memorial? I would I would highly, highly suggest that he does not. He does not require a memorial. He does not have to go seeking something to bring his mind and attention back to something. But so it's not that God required the memorial. But what is happening is every single time Cornelius is praying and offering up his manner of sacrifice of alms to the people of God, that is coming up before the Lord in his attention. What it means, and the same thing I think holds true for every child of God. Every single time you pray, it is coming to the Lord's attention. He is memorializing it, he is regarding it, he is bringing it to his mind and to his attention. He is focusing on it, but here's something that's different with God. God can focus on everybody's prayers at the same time. He doesn't, he is not dividing his attention. So when we're seeing this declaration going up before God, or these prayers going up before God, he is paying attention to Cornelius. And not just in a general way. He's like, oh, you know what? That's a pleasant smell. I think I've smelled something like that before. Those are the prayers of the saints. That's good to know that they're still praying, and then move on. That's not what he's doing. He's saying every single time that Cornelius has been doing this, God has been looking at this, has been mindfully thinking about what it is that Cornelius is offering up. And you know what Cornelius is wanting? He's wanting closeness with God. He what why? Because he fears God and is a devout man and knows that Israel is the people of God. But do you know what's different now? You know what is very different in this day and time than ever before in the history of the world? Is that not only is there a called out people to worship God and a spirit of truth, as uh in at least in uh truth, uh no, there I won't say that what there was no spirit under the Old Testament, but there was a different manner of worship under the Old Testament. It was a physical way of worship, and there was a one restriction, is that the worship was done through a high priest uh in the offering up of sacrifices and the offering up of the uh uh the atonement sacrifice every year. But there was a change made in Christ. That now we uh as it as it says, and it's an important distinction, we are made priests and kings unto him, meaning that there is the right, uh, that there is the authority that is given to you to actually offer up your offerings before God directly, uh, in the manner of worship. That's why when we come together and worship in the spirit of truth in the church of God today today, you are not bringing your prayers to another man to offer up before God. You are not bringing up any kind of offering. You are not bringing, in fact, the offering that you we make in the church, it cannot be offered up by anybody else because it is the living sacrifice of your uh of your praise and of your heart before God. In fact, God made it impossible. He made it He literally made it impossible for anyone else to offer up worship and sacrifice uh uh before uh before God uh on anyone else's behalf. You have to worship God directly now. Um that's part of the importance of the the words of Christ to that woman, uh the Samaritan woman by the will of uh of Jacob, uh uh that uh that God seeketh such to worship him in spirit and in truth, is because that is the mode of worship directly now. And Cornelius has access to that. He just doesn't know it yet. He doesn't know that there's been a change, that the Old Testament covenants have been fulfilled in Christ, and that Cornelius has the right to know. Here's the thing: he's already been in a manner of mode of worship already, but without knowing what it is that Christ did, he cannot commemorate it, he cannot honor it, he cannot worship God in his spirit and truth without knowing the truth. And so Cornelius has this heart of worship, he has this heart and desire to worship God. He's doing what he can and what he knows to do, and what God says, Cornelius, I've got something better for you. Here's what you're gonna do. Here's what the angel says. Thy prayers and thy alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose surname is Peter. And yes, that is Simon Peter, the apostle. The angel says, Go call for the apostle Peter. It's not what he calls him, but that's who it is. He, by the way, he gives them an address in the way of the addresses in that day and time. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose address is by the seaside, so shall, so, excuse me, he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And why is why is he directing to Peter? Because Peter is an apostle of Christ, commanded to do what? To feed the sheep of God and to direct the children of God in truth. Now, the angel says this, and Cornelius, he says, when the angel spake unto Cornelius and was departed, verse 7, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually. And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. Two servants and a soldier. I'm just going to say this in passing. This, what what happens here, is a testimony to the love and affection that these three have for their for their for the centurion master. You could say the soldier, and the servants had no choice but to obey the commandments, but here, first of all, I want to call back to the fact that it already said that all his house was in the same circumstance. But two, they did not gainsay him. I just want to ask you a very real question. If your if your boss at work called you to the office and just said, I had a vision, I need you to go somewhere, would your first instinct to be said to say, okay, I'll go? Or would your first instinct to say, are you sure you're not having a medical episode? Are you are you sure? No, I'm and I'm dead serious. Because what is our first reaction to such an event? Are you sure? Are you are you are you sure you're not confused on this, Cornelius? Maybe you mistook, maybe you're you maybe you're just really, really hungry and you're having having uh uh artificial vision. No, that they it says they immediately went. He says they went, and in fact, it says uh he declared the um he declared all the things and he sent them to Joppa, and on the morrow, and you're gonna find out that they were already on the way on the morrow and to arrive on the morrow because the distance is about a day's journey. So they left and showed up the next day. And on the morrow, as they went on the journey, they drew nigh unto the city. Peter went unto the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. Now, I want to make mention of this. God is going to be working on both sides of this, but he's also working on both sides of this at the appropriate times. You see, Peter does not have his vision at the same time that Cornelius has his. And you know why? He didn't need it at the same time. God works things appropriately so that everyone is prepared at the same time or at the appropriate time, is what I meant to say. And so when Cornelius had his vision, the servants are already on their way and they're almost there before Peter has his. But what God knows is Peter's gonna get this message pretty strongly because he's gonna approach it a very, very significant way for Peter. In two different, at least two very significant ways. One, if you're familiar with this account, Peter's on this the rooftop and he gets hungry. And I'm gonna go, I'm not gonna take the time to read every aspect of it, but he's on the rooftop and he's hungry. And by the way, the rooftop was a common place to be. That wasn't unusual. It was an area of use for the houses back in that day. You it like a deck on your house. And so he was out there praying, got hungry, and as they were preparing the meal, he went, he he had the vision, he went into a trance, and the Lord lowered what looked like a giant sheet knit at four corners, and lowered it down, and as it opened up, it revealed that it was full of all manner of beasts, uh, of uh of fowl and of creeping things, and of four-footed beasts. And the Lord says, Rise, Peter, slay and eat. And the answer of Peter to the Lord is not so, Lord. Nothing has ever entered how does it say it? Um Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter says, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And then the answer of the Lord says, the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. He says in the very next verse, this happens three times. Now I don't know if what happened three times was the Lord saying, Rise, slay, and eat, and Peter saying, Not so, Lord, or if it was the three times the Lord saying, What uh what God hath cleansed, call that not common. It would not surprise me, however, for Peter to deny it three times, because I think that was part of the message. You see, Peter is probably very sensitive at this point for things happening three times in a row. If you remember, there was a night in which Peter denied the Lord three times. And on that third time, seeing the eyes of the Lord upon him, he went out and wept bitterly. It wasn't that long, in fact, just about a little over three days later, that the Lord asked him three times, lovest thou mean more than these? And that third time it grieved him. So here's the Lord coming to him, and the Lord says, I know how to talk to Peter. This is gonna happen three times, and he's gonna get it. God knew that, and Peter knew that. Because when this happens three times, it says he doubted in himself about this. He wasn't sure what was about to happen. But then the Lord tells him this, as he was doubting in his mind, says that the uh while the Peter Peter thought on the vision, and by the way, while this was happening, those three that came from uh Cornelius, they were at the gate. It's like Peter on the household or on the house roof, uh maybe I don't know how many yards away, these three men show up at the gate, knock on the gate, and say, Is there someone named Simon Peter here? And while he while this is going on, he's thinking about this vision. And the and the Lord says in the vision, uh verse 19, while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore and get thee down. Probably sounded very similar in his mind to arise, slay, and eat. He was just told to do that and just rebuked of the Lord. At the very least, the rebuke happened three times, if not the actual event three times. And in the rebuke, the Lord said, Call not thou uh what God hath cleansed, call thou not uh uncommon. And I believe Peter understood also the part of unclean, because he himself says that. And he says, What Peter thought on the vision, he says, the Spirit said, Behold, three men seek thee. So there's another three. I don't think the Lord was setting this up any better in order for Peter to get it. He he saw this happen. There were three, he heard at least the rebuke three times. He's very familiar with the number three, and three men show up in order to seek his name. And he says, uh, Behold, three men seek thee. Rise, therefore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. And so Peter says, Yes, I'll do this. And to Peter's credit, he didn't, he didn't, he didn't wait. He went immediately down. In fact, he met them at the gate and said, Behold, I am he whom thou whom ye seek. What is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius, Cornelius the centurion, a just man. These are his servants and his soldiers speaking on his behalf. I don't think this is what Cornelius told them to say. I think this is what they're saying because this is what they believe of Cornelius. Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned of God by a holy angel to send for thee in his house and to hear words of thee. Here's the second thing that stands out really strongly in this in this reading. He was warned of God. Not just informed of God, he was warned of God. Now, warning sometimes sounds very drastic. I mean, like if I say, okay, this is a warning, sometimes you might think, well, what did I do wrong? And so therefore I must I must be given a warning so that I don't do it badly again. That's not what that's not what this is about. Remember what I said? There is only one appropriate mode of worship. What if I told you, go here, don't go anywhere else. Everywhere else is a danger. If you go here, it's safe. Guess what I've just gave you? I gave you a warning. Because I've warned you about the circumstances about not obeying versus obeying. It doesn't mean it's it's it's a a uh it's a it's a uh thing of anger or a thing of rebuke. The warning is for Cornelius' uh uh benefit because what does Cornelius want to do? He wants to worship God, and God is gonna give him the appropriate way to worship him, and he's gonna send the man that sends him. And the warning is that he needs to listen to what Peter says, and that's the warning. So, and we we find uh that uh more elaborated on. Uh I know time is running short, but I'm gonna keep going. He says, uh he was warned of a holy angel to send thee to his house and to hear words of thee. Then I'm gonna skip this next passage, but what he does is says, Okay, we'll go. We just can't go right now because the length of the journey is such that if they turned around, it would be too late in the day. So they stayed that night, and on the morrow they went, and then they got there the next day, the day following. So there were four days that had passed in total by the time they made it back to Cornelius. And he said in verse 28, as he comes to Cornelius, he basically starts by saying, You have to understand something. I am not here out of the course of what I would normally do. In other words, this is not something I do. This is not something that's my habit to go to Gentiles, because by law I'm forbidden to do so. What he says, though, God told me to do this. So therefore I know it's important. Verse 28. And he said unto them, Ye know how that is unlawful, is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God hath shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Now I'm not saying Peter got it right from this point forward every time. We find that he there was a little dissimulation with Peter once upon a time that Paul called him out on on an occasion. So is Peter in perfect uh holiness uh from this point forward? No. But you know what? He got the message. In fact, he had to not only get the message, he had to relay that message to the rest of the church at Jerusalem after this. Uh we're not going to go take the time to go into it, but in chapter 11, there's fallout from this. There's fallout that people are saying, Peter, we heard you went to Gentiles. Speak for yourself. And he said, Okay, I will, because this was by the authority of God. In fact, uh, let's continue to the the uh the let's see what happens that he relates to uh the the people uh the church at Israel. So he's he tells Cornelius, Cornelius, I'm here, not because I'm a Jew, but because God said he He has cleansed all people. And so he says to Cornelius, Thy prayer Cornelius relates back to Peter the message that came to him. And I do want to read this. 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. That was part of what made it evident, by the way. And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and then alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. That's how we can confirm what a memorial is and what a remembrance is. Is a memorial brings to remembrance before God, especially in the aspect of prayer. But not because he needs it, but because every time a saint prays, it is brought before him in memory. There's a whole lot more, and we're going to have to skip on very quickly. Immediately, therefore, I sent to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come. I missed the part, but he started, he at first he bowed down to worship Peter, and Peter said, Nope, get up. I'm just a man like you. So that's how that ties back to the conversation that Peter or Cornelius had with the angel. But he says, Therefore, I sent unto thee, and thou art welcome to be here. Now, he says, Now, therefore, we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. By the way, it wasn't just Cornelius in his house. By the time Peter got there, uh Cornelius had assembled his friends and neighbors and family. Basically, he said, You know what? God came to me, God sent a man to speak to me, and I want everyone to hear it. I want everyone to hear what this was going to be. Now listen to what Peter says. Because if there's anything that you get out of this, I want this to be what you get out of it. Is that there is a point of a memorial service, and the memorial service in the church is this it points always to the finished work of Christ. In fact, uh, I'm not gonna have time to get to it, so I'm gonna go ahead and say it now. Uh that you are, you are a memorial unto God Himself. Not just your prayers, but you. Uh in the very fact uh that in the day and the time in which you are called forth out of the grave, conform to the image of Christ, guess what you're gonna look like? Uh I'm not gonna talk about your facial features because you're gonna have your body, you're gonna have your eyes, just like Job. Job with his own eyes shall see the Lord and not an uh with his own eyes and not another. Uh, but you know what you will be like? You will be like him. You will be conformed to the image of the Son of God, you will be in holiness, you will be in a spiritual body, you will be in the capacity to see God with your own eyes. And do you know what God is gonna see when he sees you? He's gonna see the finished work every single time. He's gonna see his son's righteousness, he's gonna see his work and his holiness, he's gonna see the the blood redemption that accomplished the salvation of his people every single time. You see the the beauty of it when we get to the uh to heaven and immortal glory is that uh it's gonna be an eternal memorial service. But what's gonna be very different in that memorial service is that it's not gonna be a faded memory of something that went on years ago, but it's gonna be a living, living, ever-present memory of the work of Christ. In other words, it's not gonna be something that we're gonna say, oh yeah, remember centuries ago when Christ redeemed us. No, it's gonna be an eternal song. Worthy is the lamb that was slain, a worthy is he to take up power and glory and honor, a worthy is he for all praise and honor and glory to be upon him. It will be an ever-present memory, almost as if a memory that's made where you know that this is gonna be a memory you're gonna keep forever, and then do that every moment of your life from that point forward. That's what it's gonna be like. It's gonna be an ever-present recognition, and you before the very throne of God will be the ever-present recognition of the finished work of Christ for all eternity. And and that's not all we're gonna do, but that's part of what we're gonna be serving as forever. It's as that royal crown in the hand of God and a royal diadem before his side. And that's what Peter starts to preach to Cornelius. Peter, for the first time, preaches words of the finished work of Christ to someone who had never heard about the the the uh the works of Christ before. You see, before this point, there were many, many who had heard of the deeds of Christ. Many who have heard about the things that Christ had done. And he preached to them, and you can see occasions where when they would go into synagogues and convince them of the truth, is because they pointed out. You know, we all know what happened in Jerusalem a few days ago or a few weeks ago or a few years ago. But Cornelius hears it for the very first time. Just like we have in our day. There's not one of us that can remember the crucifixion without having seen it or having been in the occasion of it being around us. But we can remember the crucifixion because we know it's true. We can remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ because we not only think of it and not only commemorate it, but we feel its effects in us. That our very ability to receive it as truth is a testimony that it's true. That awakens, that is made manifest here this very day with Cornelius. He said, I say to you, uh the word which God said to the children of Israel, verse 36. There's more, but but for the sake of time, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. That word I say, ye know, that was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all these things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, at least not at first, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead, and he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead. Is that this is the message to you that he is the one that gives life, he is the one that is the life giver. And guess what, Cornelius? It's the commandment of God that I tell you this too. Because apparently, and I'm putting words in the account that I think they fit. It says, apparently, Cornelius, you have the ability to receive this because he's judged you as alive. He's judged you as alive. Why? Because he's put his life in you. Uh by the way, that's the same judgment to every child of God. God doesn't ever come to one and say live, and then look at them and they say, Well, that didn't work. That's not how it works. When he says live, he looks at you and he sees the response of life in you, and you live. Now, he commanded us to preach unto the people and testify that he is he which is ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Do you know what Cornelius needed? You know what he was warned for? Do you know why he sought God? He needed to know his sin is dealt with. Because you know what you are? If you are a Gentile and not a Jew, you are one without any hope of intercessory sacrifice. You have to hope God has mercy. That's your only hope. There is no sacrifice for sin for no one who is not a Jew. Not under the law. You see, the atonement sacrifice every year was not for a single Gentile. Now, did that ever take away sin? No. But guess what the hope of it was? The hope of the Jew in the law, the true hope, what was supposed to happen, was that they would see that sacrifice and know God would take it away. But do you know who had the right to do it? Just the Jew. The Gentile could never say that he was there that day and had hope in the same atoning sacrifice. What Cornelius is hearing today, what Cornelius is hearing for the first time to the ears of the Gentile, is that you have the same hope of redemption as any Jew. Because he is the judge of the quick and the dead of all men, not just those that are Jews naturally. If you have life in you, Cornelius, if you love God, guess what that means for you, just like it means for me, the Apostle Peter, is that you are born of God, and that you are his and that he is yours. That's what Cornelius heard that day. And while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them, all of them, which heard the word. Everyone there, I'm not saying that was because uh you know what? I'm not gonna tell you what it's not, I'm gonna just tell you what it is. Everyone there heard and rejoiced. They heard and was moved upon them, they heard the sound of Christ being their remission of their sins, and they believed it, and they knew it to be true. Why? Because the Holy Ghost testified in their hearts. This is for you, Cornelius. This is why I sent Peter to you, so that you would know you have remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the word, and they of the circumcision, then, that is the Jews, which believed. By the way, Peter brought a whole contingent with him. He brought some witnesses. He didn't go alone. He went with others that would see what would happen. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because all that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and that that's a that that is a miracle that was in the uh the foundation of the Church of God, but that doesn't mean they spake with gibberish. That doesn't mean that they were that they were uh inintelligible. It means that they they spake uh in their own way and in their own understanding. In other words, if he was of the Italian band and spoke Latin at that time, I don't know if he did or not, but if he did, he was able to speak that and be understood and that they understood. Just like on the day of Pentecost. In other words, it was the same power, the same Holy Ghost, and the same authority, and the same power from the same apostles to the same members of the church, whether they were Jew or Gentile. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which we have received, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized. And so there was where the warning or the admonition that came from God was fulfilled by Cornelius and his house. He says they were baptized, commanded to be baptized in the name of the Lord, and then prayed with them certain days, because that baptism was part of obedience to the submission of the truth of God. Because what is baptism? It is the recognition that you are alive in Christ by his death, burial, and resurrection. And so they being baptized were the, again, another commemoration, another memorial of the acts of God. And so, in doing that, they honored God and did what they were supposed to do. Now, would that have changed Cornelius' eternal estate if he had not sent for Peter? Or if Peter had not come, which thankfully he did, and they had not listened or obeyed. No, but guess what would have changed entirely? Cornelius would not have had the authority or the privilege to go into worship and the nearness with God that he had from that point forward. Because guess what? From that point forward, he could go to God and say that I know I was redeemed by the same blood of Christ as the Apostle Peter. Now that's not the mark by which we live ourselves, but that's what he could say that day, that he had brotherhood with the saints of God and could worship the same God in the same way, in the same nearness, with the same truth, and in the same spirit of God. When Peter had to give account for that, he gave the account to the to the church there at uh Jerusalem. He said, basically, I'm gonna put in my words, I can't apologize for this because God told me to do it. And you're and guess what? When I preached, the same Holy Ghost came upon them that came upon us. And then I remembered the words of Christ. This is what Peter says. He says, indeed, John came baptizing with water, but I came baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He says, That was enough for me. That was enough to see that the Holy Ghost inundated them just like it did us, and that could have only come from Christ. And if it came from Christ, I was not going to forbid it. And the the saints at Jerusalem said, Neither will we. Welcome the brethren. And from that point forward, the Gentiles came to you. But my my my focus I wanted to get to, or I'm glad I ran out of time. I'm glad I mentioned earlier what I wanted to about concerning you being the memorial on the cross. But I also didn't want uh I didn't want to lose fact that God Himself uses memorials. The recognition of the saints and the prayers of God, he brings them to mind and focus every single time. And uh I'll go any further with that. It's a little bit maybe a little too much sense of it right now. But uh sometimes the answers of God are no. Sometimes they're you're like, that's not good for you. You may like it, you may want it, you don't need it, like a child with a senseful cookies. No, we must go back and have one. That's the way the Lord works with us. We may like the good things of God, in fact. One last time, one last time we'll turn this. What God did with Cornelius at dead was the Lord Cornelius's good. And it was the best thing for the end of the house, by the way. Everyone there heard the message of the gospel or heard and believed, and from that one the Lord was able to live in prayer and understanding of the finish word. That doesn't mean of course, but that doesn't mean that life was all the first is a better brothers. That never makes sense. It wasn't just a better gross panel, right? It wasn't just like an easy walk at the moment. Very often, sometimes the answers are all because it challenges, but it's sometimes something in which we must go. I like it if you kind of like work on both ends, they were either if you had full either the labor get up and go to a jet file center and preaching uh cross. Just a little bit of a working word. That was not a hard thing to do. But he didn't read it. He knew that's why he added dressed when we did it. He knew it. He was like, all the other brethren back there, there isn't Peter Jews don't do this. Peter was gonna have to act with you. He was gonna have a very uncomfortable but right conversation with the rest of his friends.

unknown 1:04:00

So sometimes the answers to our prayers, in this case, the answer to your prayer.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:12

Sometimes the answer to somebody else is prayer. That's not always the case. What did what did you do?