I heard a story the other day of a lady who was getting ready to commit suicide. As she had the gun in her hand, she thought of a pastor whom she had heard of, and she begged God to let her speak with him. For she did not really know him, had no idea where he lived, and did not know how to reach him. I think she had just seen him on television. However, as she is getting ready to pull the trigger, a 10-digit number pops into her head. She puts the gun down, walks over to the phone, and dials the number.
The phone rings. A man answers. She asks if it is so-and-so, the pastor whom she knew of. He acknowledged that it was. She began to cry as she related to him the story. However, he just kept asking over and over, “How did you get this number?” Finally, she blurted out, “I told you, God just gave it to me!” He then said, “But you don’t understand, I am 300 miles away from home, walking along this sidewalk when the payphone beside me rang. I picked it up, and it was you, asking for me.
Isn’t that incredible? Unless you are a skeptic, this story probably makes you simply want to fall down and praise God. That is what happens when, in our fight of faith, we catch a glimpse of the majesty of God.
However, I am convinced that as we meditate on the word, we will find ourselves with a similar reaction. For I think this story tonight is equally if not more unbelievable. And yet we have become so comfortable with the events of the story that we are not amazed. That is why I started with the story I did, so we could regain an amazement for God. But this passage tonight has floored me again—in two ways. First, I am amazed by the chronology of the events of the story.
First, Cornelius is praying and seeking God. (This probably means that he had embraced the Jewish idea that there is one God, but he did not know Jesus Christ.) God tells him to send men to Peter who is a guest in another man’s house. He does it. Meanwhile, Peter goes up on the rooftop of his host’s house to pray. As he is praying, he sees a vision of a sheet with all kinds of animals in it—clean and unclean. And God tells him to eat. He responds that he will not eat anything unclean. Then a voice says to him, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” And this happened three times.
And while he is having this vision, Cornelius’ men are approaching the city (vv. 9-16). And then as he is confused as to what the vision might mean, the men arrive at the house and ask for Peter (17-18). And as Peter is still thinking about the vision, the Spirit tells him that these are men sent by God, and that he is to go with them (21-23). Then as Peter goes with them, he arrives at Cornelius’ house and finds himself in the home of a Gentile (which was taboo); he understands the vision, Cornelius tells him to share with him the words of God, Peter preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Cornelius and those in his house believe and are saved.
Isn’t it incredible how God orchestrated all this in order that Cornelius could be the first Gentile believer and Peter could be prepared to handle the role that he was to play in all of it?
But equally amazing in my mind is how the Spirit led Luke to record all of this within the book of Acts. And I want to point this out because I think we often miss it, especially because of the chapter divisions that have been put in, which I enjoy but which can hinder seeing these things.
If you remember, we left off last Wednesday night with Acts 9:31 after reading of the conversion of Saul, whom we know as Paul, as God was calling him to be the missionary to the Gentiles.
And then all of the sudden, Luke jumps right into Peter’s ministry again. And not only that, but he just writes of a couple of miracles that occurred through Peter and then went into Cornelius’ story. Why?
I think there are a number of reasons:
1) Paul was to be the missionary of the Gentiles—Peter was going to be an agent in the conversion of the first Gentile.
2) If he had gone straight to Paul preaching and Gentiles being converted, there would have been an absence of one of the twelve to give apostolic approval.
3) Luke mentions in 9:31 that there was peace. This is important because the apostles apparently felt that they should not leave Jerusalem in times of persecution (e.g. Acts 8:1). Therefore, it opened up for them to go out to the Gentiles.
4) Luke records the miracles that were worked through Peter to verify to all the Jewish believers that he was a true apostolic witness and follower of Jesus Christ.
And Luke does this, I believe, by listing two miracles that must lead one to think about the work of Christ himself. The first miracle is the healing of a paralytic man named Aeneas. Peter speaks to him and says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; arise, and make your bed” (9:34). Isn’t that remarkably similar to the paralytic whom Jesus healed in Capernaum as he told him to “rise, take up [his] pallet and go home” (Mark 2:11)?
And then the second miracle is the miracle of a girl named Tabitha who died and was brought back to life. Peter simply says to her, “Tabitha, arise” (9:40). And she does and many believed in the Lord. This is also similar to a miracle of Jesus when a girl named Talitha dies, and he says to her, “Talitha arise” (Mark 5:41), and she was brought back to life.
Therefore, I think that Luke is not simply telling us of a couple of things that happen before Peter has the vision, I think that through him, the Spirit is verifying for us the fact that Peter is an authentic apostle of Jesus Christ in order that we may be ready for the work that he will do next in the life of the Gentile, Cornelius.
And this is very important for the Jewish believers who were taught that Gentiles could not join them in being the covenant people of God. For God is about to unveil a denial of that assumption with the inclusion of the Gentiles.
Therefore, there are two things that I definitely want us to leave with tonight. One is simply an amazement at the work of God. He does things so perfectly. Only God would have thought of killing his Son so that he could justify his people and yet remain just, and only God could have orchestrated this story. And the second is a realization that we further our fear, awe, and amazement of God through studying the beauty of his word. For that is what studying these chapters (and this book) has done for me.
However, I also want to point out a few things that we can learn from in this story in conjunction with the aforementioned things. I’ll mention them briefly.
Do not doubt this. He has not ceased his plan to bring people to himself and to do that by using his children. And the great commission is not finished. The work that we are to fulfill is not complete. Therefore, do not become dull of hearing God instruct you to be involved in miraculous works. This is so easy as we grow content with where we are and start to think that we know what the Christian life is all about.
Cornelius and Peter are both involved in secret prayer when God directs them as to what he wants to do in their lives.
What I mean by “secret” prayer is prayer that is simply between you and God in private. I am not saying that corporate prayer, or prayer with one or two others is bad. I think it is great. Such prayer is found in Acts 1:14, 2:42-47, 4:23-31, 12:1-11, 13:1-3, etc. However, it is not a substitute for secret, private prayer.
And this is the hardest thing to do in the Christian life, I think. You gain knowledge from bible study. You can gain fellowship in times of corporate prayer. In secret prayer, however, there is no one to applaud or fellowship with, therefore, you must be satisfied in believing that God hears you and rewards you as you diligently seek him. And I believe that reward is the joy that is found in God Himself.
Do you have times of communion with God? Is he ever able to speak to you, guide you, and teach you? Or are we busied with living the Christian life? This is where the power of the kingdom is found. This is where God gives us insight into his work in order that we may join him. This is where he will gift us for ministry within the body, and outside the body. This is where we will know him—on our knees, in our closet.
Peter was constantly being filled, people were being healed through him, he was receiving words of wisdom and prophecy, he was preaching powerfully, and yet he knew that he needed this time of secret prayer. Jesus knew that he needed it, as he would often depart to a solitary place to pray. How much more do we need it?
Yes, I am convinced that God can and will work in similar ways in our lives as we read in this story, but I am also convinced that he will equip us in our times of secret prayer.
God had to do a great work to open Peter’s eyes to the fact that the Gentiles could be grafted in and become God’s covenant people. He showed him the vision, commanded him to accompany the men, miraculously allowed them to arrive at the perfect time, and then poured out his Spirit as Peter spoke and the people believed.
There should be no such need for us today. And I doubt that any of us are prejudice against someone of another race. However, do we get as excited about God bringing someone who is impoverished to us in order that we might minister to him?
For even though this isn’t the exact case with the Gentiles versus the Jews, the idea of each might be much the same. And the poor are the very ones whom the early Church was most concerned about. In fact, later as Paul departs from the disciples to go to the Gentiles, Paul writes of the disciples, “They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I was also eager to do” (Galatians 2:10).
We need to be anxious to do the same.
In Acts 10:1-8, Cornelius is praying, God sends an angel, and he sends for Peter. Now if this man is praying and God can send an angel, then why can’t the angel preach the gospel to him? The reason is that we are the earthen vessels who hold the gospel. Men have been ordained to share the gospel.
God has decided that the means for salvation will be the gospel (Romans 1:16), and he has decided that men will be the bearers of that good news, therefore we have a great responsibility to take the gospel all over the world.
The final stage of the great commission was only started with the conversion of Cornelius. We are able to play a great role in redemptive history by joining in this cause of taking the gospel to men everywhere and ushering in the coming of our King.
Therefore, do not grow content in thinking that God does not want to work powerfully in your life. Spend much time in secret prayer. Ask him to rid you of any prejudice you have (even unknowingly) that would limit your passion to spread the gospel. And realize the blessing and responsibility that has been given to us as we have been given the gospel.
As we grow in a longing for the great commission to be complete, and as that is fueled by a passion to see all the nations exalt the God with whom we are enamored, and as we are renewing our minds to the things mentioned tonight, I believe that God will use us to complete this final stage of the great commission that was started in this passage.
We are soon to identify a number of the unreached people groups for whom we can pray. And we may begin to devote time of corporate and secret prayer, our finances, and our lives to this cause.
May God shine on us for the sake of his glory. Amen.