WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:09.679 Well, as we prepare to witness a visible demonstration of faith, I would like you to spend a few moments with me in Acts chapter 10. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:22.160 This is a special service, and this morning, in our first service, we had the privilege of witnessing some baptisms as well. 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:25.839 And in a few moments we will again. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:36.320 We have a picture of this in Acts chapter 10 that may be familiar to you, or parts of it may be familiar to you. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:42.079 Just like to read a good portion of this and then just share a few thoughts with you about it. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:49.039 Acts chapter 10, beginning in verse 30, and I'll read through the end of the chapter. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:01:02.719 So Cornelius here is speaking to Peter, with the apostle Peter, and he says, Four days ago, about this hour I was praying in my house at the ninth hour. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:13.040 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. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:18.159 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:22.239 He is lodging in the house of Simon a tanner by the sea. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.159 So I sent for you at once, and you've been kind enough to come. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:32.879 Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:44.959 So Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:02:05.280 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he's Lord of all, you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed, that is, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:11.919 He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:18.240 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:22.960 They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:35.599 But God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:44.800 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:52.639 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:57.919 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:07.360 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:10.560 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:19.680 And then Peter declared, Can any one withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:27.919 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they asked him to remain for some days. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:29.039 Amen. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:38.000 This passage illustrates one of my hidden fears. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:48.639 One of the things that you are told in seminary as in pastoral training is that you need to be ready to preach at a moment's moment's notice. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:51.840 And Peter had to preach at a moment's notice. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:04:03.680 Without any preparation, without taking the time to study a passage of Scripture and prepare some notes, write out an outline, and say to Cornelius, Cornelius, here is my message for today. 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:09.199 Now Peter was a rigid and structured kind of guy, so I like to think that he liked to have time to prepare. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:16.160 But here he got to Cornelius' house, and Cornelius said to him, Peter, I was told to send for you, preach. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:17.360 Go. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.000 We're ready, we're listening. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:28.560 You may have heard of this interaction, and you may have heard of what led to this interaction. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:36.000 This man named Cornelius was a Roman centurion, a Roman soldier who believed in the Jewish God. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:41.839 And how he lived his life displayed that faith in his Jewish God. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:48.240 But what he did not know was that the God he was worshiping had visited his people. 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:56.959 He didn't know what John wrote in John chapter 1, that the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have beheld his glory. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:59.040 The glory is of the only begotten of the Father. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:00.319 He didn't know that. 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:05.360 He didn't know that God had come in human form. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:08.639 That was unknown to him. 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:15.360 And so God himself acted to provide Cornelius with that message of saving truth. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:27.120 How gracious of God is that! Cornelius was just going about his life doing what he thought he should be doing in faithfulness to the Jewish God, and God said, No, Cornelius, you need more. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:28.800 I'm gonna send it. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:41.120 So he sent an angel to Cornelius who told him to send for the apostle Peter, and Peter would deliver a message by which they would be saved. 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:50.560 At the same time, at the same time that God was speaking to Cornelius and working in his heart, God was preparing Peter as well. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:56.399 And that was a huge deal, bigger than most of us can really comprehend today. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:01.199 Peter was a Jew, Cornelius was a Gentile Roman. 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:08.879 And the racial distinctions between Jews and non-Jews were extremely important to the Jewish people. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:19.360 In fact, according to Jewish law and Jewish pattern, Peter would not be able to cross the threshold of Cornelius' home without incurring guilt. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:28.959 He wouldn't be able to be invited into Cornelius' home and sit down at his table and have a meal with him without becoming unclean. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:40.399 There's simply no way that a righteous Jew would willingly put himself in that position, and Peter considered himself to be a righteous Jew. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:42.639 And God knew that. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:46.319 So he began to correct that problem. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:48.800 He sent a vision. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:56.879 Peter was doing his daily prayers up on the roof of his home, and God sent him a vision, and you may remember this vision, right? 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:03.680 He sent down a sheet coming down out of heaven, suspended by the corners, and in that sheet were all kinds of animals. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:06.639 And God told Peter, kill and eat. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:08.639 That's my kind of vision. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.199 But Peter couldn't do that, could he? 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:28.959 Peter couldn't even begin to comprehend in his own mind how God could ask him to do such a thing, because there were animals in there that were unclean according to Jewish law. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:34.720 If Peter was going to be a righteous person, he could not do that. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:41.759 But what God told him was, Peter, what I have made clean, do not call common or unclean. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:48.079 Peter was not to see a distinction between the things that God had made. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:51.839 And in this context, that applied to people. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:00.560 That's why we see, when Peter arrived and began to speak, verse 34, Peter opened his mouth, and didn't he always do that? 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:06.560 He opened his mouth and just started talking, except this time God had prepared him for what to say, right? 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:13.199 Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I understand that God shows no partiality. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:20.160 But in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:26.240 The word fears there is often used in the book of Acts as a synonym for faith. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.639 It's a synonym for believing. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:33.039 And that demonstrates an important truth here. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:39.679 The good news of salvation in Christ alone is impartial. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:42.399 It's impartial. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:52.399 But the Jewish mindset at that time was that God's grace was limited, limited to just his chosen people, Israel. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:56.720 If you want an illustration of that, just read the book of Jonah. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:03.360 God told Jonah, I want you to go to those heathens up in Nineveh. 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.440 And I want you to preach to them so that they will repent. 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:10.240 And Jonah said, Absolutely not, God. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:11.840 Why not? 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:15.200 Because I know that you're going to be gracious to them. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:22.399 He couldn't conceive of God's grace being given to those outside of the boundaries of Israel. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:27.759 So if you wanted to receive God's grace, you had to convert to Judaism. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:34.240 But God showed Peter that everyone is in need of his grace. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:41.759 Everyone has a need for forgiveness of sins, and God is willing that all should receive it. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:50.080 For all to receive it requires the good news to be impartial. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:53.759 Race doesn't matter. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:55.759 Language doesn't matter. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.200 Color doesn't matter. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:58.720 Location doesn't matter. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:00.080 Status doesn't matter. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:06.159 Everyone, everyone needs the gospel of God's grace in Christ. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:15.440 In this account, God's good news brought salvation to Jews and Roman Gentiles. 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:22.080 Every nation needs the gospel, every people group, every status group. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:28.639 God doesn't restrict his good news to just a select few. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:34.559 That's what God taught Peter and the early church. 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:41.360 But for us, the truth being communicated to us is that we need the gospel. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:44.000 You need the gospel. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:45.600 I need the gospel. 00:10:46.399 --> 00:11:00.559 We need the good news that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he rose again, so that we might be offered forgiveness of sins and peace with God because of what Christ has done. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.440 It doesn't matter then if you live in a nice house or on the street. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.360 It doesn't matter if you have a great job or no job. 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:17.679 It doesn't matter what nationality you are, where you are from, what you think about yourself. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:21.519 God is not biased. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.200 He is not partial. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.200 His truth is for you. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:34.720 But that truth, that good news, that gospel needs to be received. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:42.399 In chapter 11, Peter returned to his home church in Jerusalem, and he told them what God had done. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:45.039 He told them all about his vision. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:48.639 He told them all about his encounter with Cornelius. 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:52.480 And I want you to notice what Peter says in verses 13 and 14. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:56.159 So again, he's recounting events that happened. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:09.679 Chapter 11, verse 13, and Cornelius told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:17.279 He will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household. 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:22.399 Do you see there that Cornelius expected to hear something? 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:25.120 He expected to hear a message. 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:30.960 That's why he told Peter, Preach! Proclaim what God has commanded you. 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.759 And he was ready to receive whatever he heard from Peter. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:38.159 So what did Peter do? 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.360 He told them the good news. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:44.399 He told them the good news. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:58.080 Verse 38, how God anointed Jesus, how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed, how he was put to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:03.120 Peter told him the good news. 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:12.080 The good news about Jesus, about God sending a message of peace and forgiveness through Jesus accomplished through the cross. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:15.360 And how was that message communicated? 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:20.080 By Peter telling them, through speaking. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:23.759 Someone said something so that others could hear it. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:35.279 God sent Peter to tell what Jesus did on the cross so that people might hear the good news of the forgiveness of sins. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:36.399 That's important to know. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.480 It's important because of Romans 10, verses 9 and 10. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:48.799 There it is made clear that belief cannot happen, cannot occur without hearing about Jesus. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:52.320 And people can't hear without someone telling them. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:56.240 That's exactly what happens here in Acts chapter 10. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:58.080 God sent Peter. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:07.519 He sent him to communicate the message of forgiveness of sins in Jesus, and Cornelius and all his family and his guests all heard the message. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:15.279 They received the truth of peace with God through the forgiveness of sin as a result of Jesus' payment for that sin. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.799 And Cornelius needed to hear that message. 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:24.000 And God paved the way for that from beginning to end. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:29.759 You need to hear that message. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:34.399 Your friends and your family need to hear that message. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.480 But the question then becomes what then? 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:43.200 What comes after hearing? 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:48.080 Well, the Bible tells us that faith comes after hearing. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.159 And that's exactly what we see here. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:55.039 There is a response to this truth, and that response is faith. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:55.759 It is belief. 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:58.159 Look at chapter 10, verse 44. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:04.559 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:09.679 They first heard the message of Jesus, and those who heard believed. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:13.360 Now you might argue with that, saying, How do you know they believed? 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:14.720 It doesn't say that. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:23.200 Well, look down at chapter 11 again, where Peter returned to Jerusalem and told the church what happened. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:28.639 In verse 15, Peter begins to recount what happened. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:35.200 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:42.639 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John baptized you with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:53.759 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way? 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:56.720 Who was I? 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:04.240 It's almost a there are there are sections of that that are almost word for word repetitions of chapter 10. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:06.480 So the Holy Spirit fell on them. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:09.440 That's almost word-for-word repetition of chapter 10. 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:13.919 Then Peter says, I remembered the word of the Lord. 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.960 How he said, This is what's going to happen. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:24.480 And if then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us, when we believed, how could I stand in the way? 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:25.679 Do you see that? 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:34.240 Peter connects the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with believing in Jesus. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:45.919 We know that when Cornelius and whoever was with him believed in Jesus through the message that they heard from Peter, the Spirit of God came to be within them. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:48.399 We call that spirit baptism. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.559 That is different from water baptism. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:58.879 That is when God initiates you in the family of God at the moment that you believe, he puts his spirit within you. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:07.680 Peter was sent so that they could hear the message. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:11.200 When they heard, they believed. 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:15.279 When they believed, God gave them his spirit. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:25.680 In the Bible, we never see anyone belonging to God's people without them first exercising the faith given to them by God. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:40.480 They hear the message, they understand the message, and they respond to the message by believing in Christ alone, in his death, burial, and resurrection that secures their salvation. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:49.920 That means that baptism is the good news on display. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:56.480 Baptism is the gospel of God's grace being displayed to a watching world. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:57.920 Notice what happened. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:05.039 Peter realized that the defining characteristic of a genuine Christian was evident in these people. 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:09.519 That defining characteristic is being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:15.279 They received the message of truth, they believed, and God gave them his spirit. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:19.519 In a gracious display of confirmation, Peter could see that. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:22.960 Now we see Peter's response. 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:28.720 Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people? 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:35.519 When they believed the message, God gave them the Holy Spirit. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:37.680 That happens with every believer. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:41.759 If you have come to faith in Christ, that has happened with you. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:46.559 It generally isn't as dramatic as it is for these folks. 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:51.039 But every person who believes in Christ receives the Holy Spirit. 00:18:51.279 --> 00:19:00.400 And Peter responded to that saving faith of these new believers by expecting them to immediately put that on display through water baptism. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:09.039 In baptism, those who believed proclaimed the message in which they believed. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:16.319 They proclaimed that Jesus died, that he was buried, and that he rose again. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:20.000 What a wonderful, beautiful picture of the good news. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:24.559 And going down into the water, you are dying with Christ. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:28.799 You are being buried with him, and you are being raised up again to new life. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:33.599 That's not what happens, that symbolizes pictures what happens. 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:43.680 Their inward faith was put on outward display, showing everyone that new life in Christ had taken place. 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:57.119 I know that there are various traditions and patterns for baptism, but this is one of the main reasons why we at Faith Evangelical Free Church don't do infant baptisms. 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:06.000 Because baptism, as demonstrated all throughout the book of Acts, follows an expression of faith. 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:16.240 It follows when somebody hears the good news, responds to the good news by placing their trust in Christ, and then they display that to a watching world. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:24.240 Now that doesn't mean that if you were baptized as an infant, that that wasn't important for your family or that it means something to you. 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:29.519 Just means this is what the book of Acts demonstrates for us that Jesus prescribed. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:36.480 In reality, baptism doesn't do anything but get you wet. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:46.720 Now every Christian should follow the Lord's command and be baptized, but it doesn't save you. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:58.160 It proclaims that you have already been saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:06.000 Baptism displays what the Christian receives in Jesus the forgiveness of sins and new life in him. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:13.359 It's saying, I am entrusting my all to Jesus because he has done everything for me. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:19.200 And in Cornelius, we have an example. 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:31.519 He heard the message, he understood the message, and he believed in the good news of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:34.960 And then he was baptized in a display of that faith. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:47.039 Now there's no indication here, no indication from Scripture that Cornelius or anyone else who believed that day objected to being baptized. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:22:02.880 There was simply an understanding in the New Testament church that when you come to faith in Christ, you display what has happened on the inside with an outward public display that everyone can see. 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:10.240 And this morning, we have the wonderful privilege of witnessing that. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:19.200 We've had five individuals already this morning follow Christ in this way. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:29.359 In the first service, we witnessed uh Skyly and Leah and Semitia and Noel and Joyce go through the waters of baptism. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:33.200 We heard their professions of faith in Christ. 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:44.400 And now I would like to invite Kaya to come forward and to share with us what Christ has done for her.