The Gospel Breaks Down Barriers | Acts 10:1-33

What do you do with the walls between people — the labels, the lunch-table lines, the "us" and "them"? In Acts 10, God brings together a Roman centurion and a Jewish fisherman who never should have shared a table, and shows us that the gospel of Jesus breaks down every barrier. God Himself initiates the breakthrough — and He teaches us to never call unclean what He has made clean.

Scripture: Acts 10:1-33
Series: Living by the Spirit, Following the Way

The Way Church KC is a community of misfits & saints in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City following the Way of Jesus & pushing back darkness — together. Join us Sundays or learn more at thewaykc.church.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome to Sermons from the Way Church KC, a community of listened saints in Kansas City following the way of Jesus and pushing back darkness together.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Ah, there I am. Yay. Good morning, everyone. I am going to be reading scripture this morning. I double-checked with Zach. I said, You want me to read all 33 verses? He said, Absolutely. I said something to Jeremy earlier, and he goes, We sit too much anyway. So let's all stand for the reading of 33 verses this morning. Here we go. This is from Acts chapter 10, starting with verse 1. At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian cohort, a devout man who feared God with all of his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly, in a vision, an angel of God come in and say to him, Cornelius. And he stared at him in terror and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Jobbah and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among them who attended him. And having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became very hungry and wanted something to eat. But while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and he saw heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice came to him a second again, a second time. This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. Now, while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them. And Peter went down to the men and said, I am the one you're looking for. What is this reason? What is the reason for your coming? And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man who is well known by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house to hear what you have to say. So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. On the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, Stand up, I too am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I asked then why you sent for me. And Cornelius said, Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner by the sea. So I sent for you at once, and when you have been kind enough to come, now therefore, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. That is the word of the Lord. You can be seated.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Amen, amen. Thank you, Teresa. Doesn't treat yeah, give it up. Okay, you can clap for clap for Teresa, clap for God's word. Amen. Amen. Teresa always does such a great job of reading the scripture, though. Um well it's a it's a wonderful day to be in church with you guys. Um I'm glad to be back in the pulpit. You remember two weeks ago we uh didn't have service because of the snow, so I preached here to Roman. That's it. Just me and Roman in here. And then last week we had a guest preacher, we had Seth, so it is great to be back. If I haven't gotten the chance to meet you guys, my name is Zach. I'm the lead pastor here at the Way Church KC. And um we're we're a new, new-ish church plant. We're coming up on our two years as a church on uh Easter of this year. Um, but we're, yeah, that's exciting. Uh but we're we're we're a church who exists to follow the way of Jesus and push back darkness together. And I believe that God's really building a sweet, sweet family here at this church. Um so we'll be diving in today, uh, back into our Acts sermon series. Um, we've been out of it for two weeks now, which feels weird. I'm excited to get back into it. And as Teresa read, we'll be in Acts chapter 10, verse 1 through 33. So if you got your Bible, you can go ahead and open there to Acts 10. And if you don't have a Bible, we got some right outside the sanctuary doors for you to have, for you to keep, for you to mark up, do all the things. Um, I don't know if you guys feel this way or not, but I think that we live in an increasingly divided cultural moment. Is that fair to say? Um it's often a divided and tribalistic world. Um, we instinctively draw lines, lines between ethnicity, lines between political views, lines between cultural cultures, lines between socioeconomic classes, lines between backgrounds, lines between like which side of the tracks you grew up on. And from my vantage point, it seems as though these lines are often hardening. They're often more, bigger walls being built. And so, with that understanding, I think it's pretty cool that the Lord's brought us to Acts chapter 10. Because Acts chapter 10, verses 1 through 33, it is an absolutely incredible story that shows us that the gospel of Jesus Christ breaks down every barrier, crosses every dividing line, and that God Himself initiates the breakthrough. What we see in today's text is the conversion of Cornelius and the transformation of Peter, and what both of these narratives do is they remind us that the gospel is for all people. The gospel is for all people, family. And another thing that we learn is that we must never call unclean what God has made clean. You know, as I was preparing this sermon this week, I thought back to like elementary school, middle school. Go back, go there in your own life with me, if you will. Um you remember like lunchtime, the lunch break, the lunch tables, like everybody kind of be like clicked up, hanging out with their friends at the lunch table. And then I'm not as familiar with it as my wife, but there's the the mean girls movie where they're like, hey, you can't sit with us, right? I know enough about it to know that quote. That's like the main thing from the movie that I know. Um but everybody be like sitting with their certain group or their certain clique. And I think if we're being honest, that's kind of like our current cultural moment. You can't sit with us. It's as though we are adults still living at the lunch table. I know you're not an adult, Jevin. I don't know if you're dealing with that at high school or not, but like that's what it seems like at times. And if we're being honest, I think that the church can be just as guilty of that as those outside of these four walls. So, what I want us to do this morning as we begin is to think about for you individually, think about those times where you have inadvertently drawn lines. Perhaps emotionally, perhaps racially, perhaps socioeconomically, perhaps even religiously. Ask yourself this as we begin. Who are the people in your life who you quietly consider outside the grace of God? Who are the people, if you're honest with yourself in your heart of hearts, that you would consider outside the grace of God? Whoever that they are for you, I got some news for you, and the writer of Acts has some news for us as well. Acts 10, it completely shatters that illusion. This moment in Acts 10 is a redemptive historical hinge. This is critical to the explosion of the early church. What we see today is the first explicit Gentile conversion after Pentecost, after the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is the first explicit Gentile conversion. Gentile just means non-Jew. And what this is doing, it's fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. Look all the way back to Genesis chapter 12. All nations will be blessed through his seed. That's what's happening here. All nations is becoming a reality. And what's going on is it's launching the gospel toward Rome. That's, you guys remember kind of our thematic verse of this Acts sermon series is Acts 1.8. And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in all Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This is the ends of the earth beginning to take shape. So what we're seeing, it's not just Cornelius' individual salvation. No, we are seeing a tectonic shift in salvific history. Here's our big idea this morning. Our big idea is this the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. And as followers of Christ, we are called to actively seek the lost regardless of their backgrounds or status. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone, and as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to actively seek the lost regardless of their background or status. With that, there's four truths from Acts chapter 10 that I hope to encourage you with this morning. First, we'll look at God's chosen outsider. Second, we'll look at Peter's paradigm shift. Third, we'll look at Peter's radical openness. And fourthly and lastly, we'll look at cross-cultural connection. I'll pray and then let's dig in. Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us here today to worship together, to sit under the preaching of your word together, to grow in community and fellowship together. Lord, I praise you for who you are. You are mighty, you are good, you are holy, you are just. God, I pray that today we encounter you. We would encounter your son, Jesus. Jesus, would you make yourself clear through this text today? Holy Spirit, you are welcome here in this place. We love you, we praise you. It's in the mighty name of Jesus. And all God's people said, Amen. Amen. Well, hey, point number one this morning is God's chosen outsider. God's chosen outsider. Acts chapter 10, verse 1 through 8 reads this. At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, Cornelius, and he stared at him in terror and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants, and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to him to them, he sent them to Joppa. So there's this guy, Cornelius, and Cornelius, he's a Gentile, but he's not just any old Gentile. No, he's a Roman centurion, is what the text shows us, which means that he was a commander of about a hundred soldiers. And we learn that he was stationed in Caesarea, which Caesarea, it was the seat of Roman power in Judea. So centurions, they were often seen favorably in the New Testament, but they represented Roman authority, they represented discipline, they had a certain level of respectability that they carried. And this was true even among the Jews. Yet their military role still links them closely to the Roman government and to oppression. So it's significant that God chose one, a centurion, as the first Gentile convert. What we see is like this level of power meeting the Prince of Peace. So from a Jewish perspective, the Jewish people in the context of this scripture, to them, Cornelius, he represents the empire, he represents the state, he represents the enemy. Although they had like somewhat good relationships, he still was representative of these things that they were against, that there was a wall, a barrier between them. And significantly, what we see in this text is that Luke describes him as devout, as a Godfear, as one who gives alms generously and prays continuously. So Godfears, for a little context, they were Gentiles who admired Jewish monotheism and admired Jewish ethics, but they had not fully converted to Judaism. They were often welcome in synagogues, but they were not considered true members of Israel. So Cornelius, he's living out like aspects of faith, but he has not yet heard the gospel of Christ. And then, radically, in a moment, Cornelius, he receives a vision from the Lord. An angel of God appears to him and he is terrified. Rightfully so, right? And the angel's message, it's twofold. First, the angel tells him that his prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And so this is a phrase echoing Leviticus chapter 2, verse 2, and Psalm chapter 141, verse 2. And though Cornelius, he's not yet a part of the covenant community, what we see is that God still hears him. God still sees the good that he's doing. The second thing that the angel of the Lord speaks is for him to send men to Joppa and bring one Simon Peter. Cornelius, he does not yet know the why. He doesn't yet know why God's calling him to send these his men to Peter. But he's given the mission. He knows the what, but he doesn't know the why. And I think that oftentimes when God speaks, when God tells us to go, we do not yet know why God is directing us somewhere, or why God is directing us to do something. But we do know kind of where it is he is leading. So the question for us is when God calls you, will you go? Before you know the why, will you go? And here's what's so interesting about this text is that God's mission here in this section of text, it starts with an outsider. It starts with Cornelius. God initiates. God says, Cornelius, send your men to go meet Peter. As we established, there was a deep rift between the Jewish people and the Gentiles. Cornelius, he's an outsider, but yet he is chosen for God's purposes. So if we look at it from Peter's perspective, as we'll look at in a second, like Peter is gonna need to be open to Cornelius and company's arrival. So for us, are we open to whom God might be drawing near, even if they don't yet fit our framework? Or maybe we need to think about it this way: who is the outsider for us as a church? Or another question to ponder who in your community might be spiritually open, but is yet to hear the gospel? Maybe they're considered like a devout, a good person, but they don't yet know Jesus Christ. They need to hear the gospel of Christ. So now, while Cornelius is receiving these divine instructions and responding in obedience, God's also preparing another figure. Peter. You see, when God is working to bring someone to faith, he's often working on both ends. Right? It's like while you're at work, Jeremy, and you, Lord willing, are sharing the gospel, God's not only giving you the words and preparing your heart, but he's preparing the heart of that person that you're sharing the gospel with. Amen? So Cornelius, he may be ready to hear, but Peter, he isn't yet ready to go. And so now the Spirit turns to Peter, addresses him directly. Not to affirm his categories, but to upend them. So let's look at the heart level paradigm shift that Peter undergoes. Point number two, Peter's paradigm shift. Peter's paradigm shift. Acts chapter 10, verse 9 through 16, the word says, The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry, and wanted something to eat. But while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance, and saw the heavens opened, and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice came to him again a second time. What God has made clean do not call common. This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once into heaven. So Cornelius' two servants, they're heading to Joppa. While Cornelius is seeking, while his servants are on the way, Peter is praying. Peter, too, is a devout man. He's a man of prayer. He's a man of generosity. And so God shows up in a vision once again, this time to Peter. And God, he gives Peter a vision that completely disrupts his worldview. A sheet descends from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals, clean and unclean. And a voice says, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. So the sheet being lowered, it likely symbolizes the four corners of the earth in biblical language, reinforcing that Acts 1.8 language, that ends of the earth language, that universal scope of the gospel. And this command to rise, this command for Peter to rise, it echoes resurrection language. Peter, who once denied Christ, who once resisted the cross, is now a little bit resistant to God's mission. God is breaking down walls in Peter's heart to prepare him for his mission. And so this call is a resurrection of sorts in Peter's heart and in Peter's life. It's a transformation from this cultural tradition to gospel mission. And Peter, as a devout Jew who adheres to the Mosaic law, he recoils and says, By no means, Lord. But the response from the angel of the Lord is striking. It's definitive. It's clearly a word from the Lord. The angel of the Lord says, What God has made clean, do not call common. And the vision repeats three times. And that's wild. That's really cool. Because if you look back at the Gospels, what we see is that Peter denied Jesus three times. Then, after Christ rises from the dead, he then appears to Peter and he restores him in a threefold manner. So there's something about threes for Peter. This is another moment like that. This is another moment of like this divine sort of reorientation that God's doing in Peter's life. Peter, he's being taught that the old purity boundaries have been transcended in Christ. Christ is the fulfillment of the law. And on the surface, we may read this and think this is just about food. But that's not the case at all. This, right here, this text is about people. Peter learns that God's cleansing applies not only to Jewish dietary laws, but also to Gentiles, also to people. What we're seeing is God's covenant mercy is now spilling over, spilling over traditional boundaries, spilling over people groups, and reaching the people that were probably least expected to encounter the risen Christ. Imagine, if you will, like a lifelong vegetarian. They're committed to not eating meat for religious reasons, maybe. God appears to them in a vision and says, hey, go to Joe's barbecue and get some burn-ins. It's unthinkable. We laugh, right? But it would be unthinkable for that person. And the lighthearted nature speaks to it because, like, imagine that. But there's centuries and centuries of tradition. There's centuries of ethnic identity rooted in this practice. That is the sort of shock that Peter would have had. And so here's the truth for us this morning. God may have to break down some of our categories in order to build his kingdom. So ask yourself, what sort of theological or cultural assumptions might be keeping you from embracing others? So the vision ends, but the lesson is just beginning. Peter's rightfully so, he's still a little bit confused. He's still trying to make sense of what he's seen. But the Spirit of God does not let him sit in uncertainty for long. As if on cue, there's a knock at the door. And what Peter does next shows that the seeds of a new understanding, a deep heart level change, are already beginning to grow. Which brings us to point number three. Peter's radical openness. Peter's radical openness. Verses 17 through 23. Now, while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them. And Peter went down to the men and said, I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming? And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say. So he invited them in to be his guests. Peter's still puzzled by the vision. He's perplexed, is what the text says. He's like, What are you saying, Lord? Everything that he'd learned, the entirety of like his upbringing is being flipped on its head. So even as Peter puzzles over this vision, God's working. God's at work. Cornelius' men, they arrive just in time. And the Spirit commands Peter, go with them, for I have sent them. And Peter, he responds with surprising openness. He invites them into his house. That's significant. We'll come back to that. Verses 17 through 18, they they show God's just like providential hands over this entire narrative. While Peter is still inwardly perplexed, the men sent by Cornelius, they arrive right on cue. So, church, don't miss this. God is not only preparing Peter for the mission, he's preparing the mission for Peter. He doesn't call us to step out until he's already made a way. And just then, at the nick of time, God gives him the answer. Not through another vision, but through a knock at the door. Verse 19 through 20, the Spirit speaks directly. Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go, for I have sent them. So this is significant. Peter's not just like going with the spirit of the age. He's not simply responding to human need. He's not going because there's someone at the gate. No, he's going because God's commanded him to. The spirit doesn't say, hey, go because these people need you. These three men at your gate need you. The spirit says, go because I've sent them to you. And that's like a healthy truth for us to realize in terms of evangelism and mission. Because evangelism and mission, they don't begin with anything in and of ourselves. They're not to make us look good. They're not because we're good people. No, it's simply because God's commissioning us. God has sent us to go, Matthew 28, 19, make disciples of all nations. Then verse 23 comes Peter's moment of decision. I think so often when we're like reading our Bibles and we might read over verse 23 in this chapter, we might just gloss over it. But this is one of the most like quietly explosive verses in this story. So he invited them in to be his guests. So he invited them in to be his guest family. It seems simple, it sounds simple, but that simple act of hospitality, it breaks centuries of ethnic and religious separation. In the first century, in the time of this text, this act would have been considered scandalous. For Peter, a Jewish man, to invite Gentiles into his house was unheard of. But that's the thing. Gospel obedience always looks strange before it looks beautiful. And there's more, like as you get into it, there's even more there. If you look at the the Greek word for guests, this this does this implies hosting strangers, not like just letting them stay, not like, hey, just pleasantries, but it's treating them with dignity. It's the same root word used in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 2, that says, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. And what's likely happening is he's not only like inviting them in, they're not just like talking in the entryway. No, he's likely inviting them in and hosting them. And they're likely sitting around a table, reclining at table together. And in the ancient world, table fellowship was more than like simply sharing food. No, it was like sharing identity. For Peter to host Gentiles, this was socially scandalous. And what this does is it shows us and exemplifies and challenges us by the radical hospitality shown by the early church. And also it like rebukes and speaks against any boundary that hinders gospel fellowship. Just brass tacks talking about the Old Testament Mosaic law for a Jew inviting Gentiles into one's home or entering a Gentile's home, it would result in ceremonial uncleanness. So, Peter, he's already walking in this new reality that the Spirit is creating. Peter, he takes this one step of obedience without fully understanding the whole picture. He does not yet fully see what God is doing. And to put it simply, that's faith, right? We walk by faith, we don't walk by sight. We put one foot in front of the other. We obey before we see the whole picture. So Peter, he's beginning to live into this, his new identity, not just as a Jewish believer, but as a witness to the nations, as a follower of the way of Jesus. And this small, seemingly menial act of hospitality, it points us to, it prefigures the church's mission. To welcome in the outsider, to make space for those previously excluded, and to trust that the gospel is big enough to bridge every divide. But here's the thing, like it's risky, right? Peter's invitation, though, is into spirit-led risk. So maybe ask yourself this who would who would it feel awkward if I invited them to my dinner table? Or to put it another way, who would surprise people if they walked into our church today and were truly welcomed? Are we open to being interrupted by the Holy Spirit for the sake of someone else's salvation? That doesn't mean we like condone sin. This is a come as you are church, but what we believe is that Jesus brings about the change. Right? So often we we operate the opposite way. We wait for full understanding before we obey. But the Spirit often works in the opposite order. Obey first, understand later. Peter, he didn't have a five-point sermon ready. No, Peter had an open door. Sometimes that's where gospel ministry begins. So Peter's willingness to receive Gentiles guests, Gentile guests is a radical act, but it's only just the beginning. Then he takes a step even further. He goes and travels with them. He enters the home of a Gentile. He discovers that God has not only prepared Cornelius, but an entire household that's hungry to hear the word of God. This is no longer a private vision, it's now like a public collision of cultures. And the gospel of Jesus Christ is at the very center of it. Point number four in our last point is cross-cultural connection. Cross-cultural connection. Verses 24 through 33. The next day he rose and went away with them. And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, Stand up, I too am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me. And Cornelius said, Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner by the sea. So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. Leaves us on a little cliffhanger of sorts, doesn't it? Spoiler alert, Peter's about to preach the good news. But that's next week. Before we get there, Peter he enters Cornelius' home. Like we said, it's a seismic shift. It's a radical act of obedience. And Cornelius he falls before him in reverence. But Peter lifts him up, says, I too am a man. Peter then interprets his vision. God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. Cornelius then recounts his vision and finishes with this remarkable line. Now therefore, we are all here in the presence of the Lord to hear all that you have been commanded. This is like a this is a household example. Later on in Acts, we see these household conversions. Now my little brother who's who's Presbyterian would likely use this verse to argue for infant baptism, but I don't think that's what it says. I think what we see is that the gospel spreads through networks of relationships. God often uses the faith of one to reach many, to weak reach a group of people, to reach a family, to reach a network. And I was as I was preparing this text, I couldn't help but think of the Moody's. Like that's how it works, right? Like God worked on Dayton and used Dayton for the sake of the family. Tossia. Cornelius' house, it becomes a place of worship, a temple space of sorts. God's presence has moved beyond Jerusalem into the Gentile home. Luke is intentionally echoing temple language here. This is now a sacred space. Cornelius' home, this Gentile centurion's home, is now a sacred space. So this shows us like the temple-breaking reality of the Holy Spirit's presence. No longer do you have to worship in this one place. The Spirit is now present in us. So it's not that the building makes a space holy. Although I love our building. I like a stained glass. No, it's the gospel and the gathered people. This ain't a church without us. Peter, he now understands the vision was not about dietary reform, but about missional transformation. Missional transformation. Being transformed for God's mission. So where do you draw lines that God is calling you to cross? Where do you draw lines that God is calling you to cross to lead others to the cross? Are you willing to walk into unfamiliar spaces to bring the gospel? Have you ever had one of those moments? I'll share a quick story as we land the plane. Have you ever had one of those moments when you're like in a house or you're in a building or space and you're like, what on earth am I doing here? How did I get here? And it's very clear like it's for God and for his mission. So I was thinking, and for me, that that moment that comes to mind is when I, like a week, a couple weeks before we launched this church, I went on a mission trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. And I was with this dude that was showing me around, and we he's walking me through, following him through the um Jakarta slums, and he's like, hey, there's somebody I want you to meet. And he walks me into this, you know, just kind of like hole-in-the-wall house. You wouldn't think anything of it. And I'm standing there talking to it's this lady, she's um married, she has kiddos, she's the only Christian in her family. Her husband is uh practicing Muslim. Her kid, one, one, her youngest daughter is a believer, but her other child is not. And I'm standing there getting to share the gospel through this um broken English and this guy who's interpreting, and I'm like, what on earth am I doing here? Like, God, you want me to be here in this house in Jakarta, Indonesia? And that moment shook me because it's like, God's gone before me. Did I, 11 years ago, when I was living in the darkness of addiction, did I think that I'd be in Jakarta, Indonesia sharing the gospel? No. But God has a way. I think that this meeting between Peter and Cornelius is probably a little bit the same. Like, maybe, you know, the text doesn't show us, but I like to think that Peter's like, what on earth am I doing in this Roman centurion's house? But what we know is that this is no random encounter. It is the Spirit of God orchestrating a collision of grace. Jew and Gentile, apostle and centurion, insider and outsider, coming together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And church, this is not just their story. It should be our story too. In fact, there's no church, modern-day church, were it not for the Gentiles being accepted into the church. Because we are the nations that the gospel came to reach. And now we are sent to others to break down barriers with the same bold boundary-crossing love. So as we close this morning, this story of Peter and Cornelius Ashton, you can go ahead and come up, sorry. It prepares us for the greater outpouring of the spirit on Gentiles that will come in verses 34 and 38. But even here we see a spirit-led gospel breaking down cultural, ethnic, and religious walls. Peter, the Jewish apostle, Cornelius, the Roman soldier, meeting in and under the presence of God. Their obedience, both of them have to be obedient, and it leads to transformation. So here's a couple practical things for us to take with us. Jesus, he's the ultimate boundary breaker. Jesus breaks down walls, he breaks down chains, he sets us free. Jesus, he touched the leper, he ate with sinners, he crossed into Samaria, and in his death, the curtain of the temple was torn in two. And in his resurrection, he sent his followers to the nations. And in Acts 10, he continues this ministry through the Holy Spirit. So I think the question for us to ponder, as Ashton closes us in song, is who are those that we deem unclean? Maybe it's those who are who are living in sin. Well, I think that we should not see those people through the lens of sin, but through the lens of them being God's image bearers and trusting that Christ will bring about change and repentance. Again, we don't, that doesn't mean we compromise theologically. Peter didn't stop being Jewish, but he did eat with Gentiles and welcomed them in Christ. Maybe it's other religions. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, I don't know, whoever's in your circle. Maybe there's some little g God fearers praying. Maybe they're generous. Maybe they're seeking. But they haven't heard the gospel of Jesus. Well, what I believe that we should see is that hospitality, not hostility, opens doors. Too many Christians view these individuals more as threats than image bearers who are in need of good news. Or maybe it's the addicted, the incarcerated, or the formerly incarcerated. Maybe we're the dividing line that we're building, that we're riding, is seeing them as too broken or beyond help. But God, He seeks those who society overlooks. Mark chapter 2, verse 17, Jesus says, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Or let's just be real. Maybe the line, I think the obvious line that we see in culture is like the political lines, left or right. And this is by no means a political statement, but so often we can't imagine sharing table fellowship with the other side or church membership with someone from the other side. But the cross breaks down those walls of hostility. Not only between Jew versus Gentile, but between all, whatever us versus them we have in our head and in our hearts. Maybe it's the poor, the homeless, the unhoused. Often treated as invisible or inconvenient, rather than as souls whom Jesus loves. Like Cornelius, some are spiritually hungry. They're God fears, but they're socially distanced from the church. Or maybe it's like the buzzword today in the Christian world, deconstructing. Maybe it's those who are deconstructing or spiritually doubting. Many churches treat doubters as dangerous rather than engaging with them in patience and truth. What I believe, family, is that the word of God is sufficient, the scripture is sufficient, and the scripture is going to do what the scripture is going to do. We just have to be patient and speak the truth in love. As we see from Cornelius and Peter, like God often meets the seeker before he sends the preacher. This should be a comfort for us in evangelism. Because it's not on us. God is already working in people before we arrive. We're simply the messengers of a work that God is already preparing. So who knows, family? God may just call you to someone you've silently written off. Like Peter, we might be called to enter homes. We might be called to step into relationships. We might be called to step into conversations that feel uncomfortable, but we must not call unclean those whom God is calling clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. May the God who cleanses hearts and welcomes outsiders fill you with his spirit this morning. May he guide you into bold love and use you to break down barriers with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'll pray and the national closes in song. Lord, we love you, we praise you. We thank you that you are a God who breaks down walls, who sets men and women free, who causes the blind to see. Jesus, I pray that we would encounter you this morning. Lord, let us declare to let us declare our praises to you. We love you, we praise you. It's in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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