54 Acts 10:24-43 THE APOSTLE PETERS ARRIVAL AT THE HOME OF CORNELIUS Introduction: In our previous text the Apostle Peter was told to go to the home of a Gentile man by the name of Cornelious. In our text today Simon Peter arrives at the home of Cornelius and witnesses to him and to all who have gathered there. I. Simon Peter’s reception at the home of Cornelius V. 24, “And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea...” Perhaps you will remember that after the messengers had arrived at Joppa to see Simon Peter, they were invited to stay the night with Simon Peter at the home of Simon the tanner. Then they left early the next morning to make their journey to Caesarea. They did not arrive there until the following morning. (V. 24), “...And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.” By the time they arrived at the home of Cornelius, Cornelius had a large crowd of people waiting to greet the Apostle Peter. He had invited all of his kin folk who were in the area along with any of his friends and they were anxiously waiting for the Apostle Peter to arrive. Cornelius had told them all about the vision that he had seen and how an angel of God had instructed him to send for Simon Peter. He had informed them that the angel of God had said that Simon Peter would tell him how that he and the members of his household could be saved. That is, the angel had said that Peter would tell them all how they could go to heaven. It impresses me that here was an unsaved man who was not only anxious to get saved so that he would go to heaven, but he was anxious for all of his kin folks and all of his friends to get saved and go to heaven. You might expect a saved man to be interested in his family and friends getting saved, but it is very unusual for an unsaved man to be anxious for his family and his friends to get saved. Yet when you stop to think about it, it makes perfectly good sense. Anybody with good judgment should know that he is going to die and that he needs to make preparation to go to heaven when he dies. It also makes perfectly good sense for him to be concerned about his children, his parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and all his friends and acquaintances to be saved so that they would also go to heaven. And all of these people who came were just as concerned as Cornelius was about going to heaven. Do you not wish that every unsaved person was that interested in getting saved and that interested in getting his family and friends saved? Let me tell you that it would be a lot easier to win people to the Lord if folks were as concerned about going to heaven as Cornelious and his family and friends were. V. 25, “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped [him]...” Peter must have been taken by surprise by the actions of his host. Cornelius walked up to him and then fell down at his feet to worship him. You can see how badly Cornelius needed somebody like to Apostle Peter to instruct him about true worship. Cornelius had been brought up in idolatry and had been taught not only to fall down and worship idol gods made with hands, but that they were also to fall down and worship certain men as gods. For example, the Roman Caesar was worshipped as a god and many of the Roman governors proclaimed themselves to be gods and demanded that the people fall at their feet in worship. Cornelius had come to accept the fact that Jehovah God, the God which the Hebrews worshipped, is the Supreme God, but he had not gotten rid all of the teachings about idolatry. Judging by the importance that the angel of God had placed on Simon Peter, he just assumed that Simon Peter was one of the lesser gods. So when Peter walked into his home, he fell at his feet to worship him. V. 26, “But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.” I cannot help but notice that Simon Peter did not wait for him to get up. Luke says that Simon Peter “took him up.” That is, Peter reached down and lifted him up. Then once he got him up he told him, “Stand up.” That is, “Keep standing. Don’t get back down.” Peter did not for a minute want Cornelius or any man to worship him. Peter want him to worship God and God only. But let me point out something to you right here. A lot of people in general have a tendency to go to extremes in their attitude about preachers. They either lift the preacher up too high or else they put them down too low. But God does not want anybody to do either. God does not want people to put any man on a pedestal to worship him --- not even a preacher. But neither does God want anyone to put a preacher down and try to stomp him in the ground and smear his name. God wants people to respect His preachers and to listen to them and to heed God’s word which they preach and teach, but God does not want them to be either worshipped or cut down. V. 27, “And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.” Again Simon Peter must have been taken by surprise. He could hardly have expected such a crowd of people as this. The house was packed with people. I would like such a surprise next Sunday. Can you imagine the stunned expression on the face of Peter as his eyes surveyed the room. Where in the world did all these people come from? What in the world is going on? Peter still did not fully understand the purpose for which he was sent to this home, but he was most certainly impressed by the reception he had received. II. An explanation concerning the Jewish law V. 28, “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Peter first of all thought it was needful for him to explain why he had accepted the invitation of Cornelius to come to his home. Cornelius and all of the others surely knew that his coming there was contrary to Jewish law. Cornelius surely knew this even before he sent the messengers asking Peter to come. But he had sent for Simon Peter to come even though he knew this. He had sent the invitation because the angel of the Lord had told him to do it. Simon Peter had come for the same reason even though it was against Jewish law for him to do so. The Lord had made it clear in a vision to Peter that God did not disapprove of him going to this Gentile home and then God had spoken to him giving him a direct order to go. It was because of this order that he had come. Let me see if I can clarify a question which I assume that you are wondering about. You may wonder: If God had made a law forbidding Jews to go into the homes of Gentiles, why would God tell Simon Peter, who was a Jew, to break the law? In other words: Why would God tell Peter to do something which would be a sin? The answer is: He wouldn’t. God would never tell anybody to sin. The fact of the matter is that God had never given a law which forbid the Jews from having dealings with Gentiles. God never gave a law which forbid them to go into the home of a Gentile. God had forbidden the Jews which moved into Canaan’s land from intermarrying with the inhabitants of Canaan, but that was not because of a difference in bloodline. It was because of a difference in their religion. The inhabitants of the land were idol worshippers and God did not want the Jews to be led into idolatry by intermarrying with idolaters. In fact God forbid the Jews to get involved in idolatry period. Likewise God had given the Jews laws which forbade them to do other things which were commonly done by the Gentiles, such as eating or drinking blood. But God had never forbid the Jews to have dealings with the Gentiles. Nor had He forbidden them to go into the homes of Gentiles. That was a law which had been established by the Jewish forefathers. It was against Jewish law, but it was not against God’s law. It never had been. III. Peter’s inquiry about why Cornelius had sent for him V. 29, “Therefore came I [unto you] without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? Simon Peter was still somewhat in the dark as to why Cornelius had sent for him. He had been told by the messengers that Cornelius had seen a vision and that in the vision an angel of the Lord had instructed him to send for Simon Peter who would tell him and his household words which he should hear. But this did not inform Simon Peter what words he was supposed to speak to them. In chapter 11 we are told that the angel had told Cornelius that Peter would tell him words informing him and his family how to be saved, but at this time Simon Peter did not know that this was the purpose of him being there. Cornelius explained to Simon Peter how he had seen a vision and an angel of the Lord had instructed him to send for Peter, which he had done. Then while he was waiting for Peter to come he had gathered this crowd of people together to hear the message of God which Peter would speak to them. V. 30-33, “And Cornelius said, 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, And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of [one] Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.” Cornelius still did not explain to Simon Peter that he should tell them how to be saved. Never-the-less, Peter was convinced that God had sent him there and he proceeded to tell Cornelius and all who were gathered there about the Lord Jesus Christ. IV. Simon Peter’s message to Cornelius However, he did not start out by telling them how to be saved. He started out by stating that in all of this he had learned something. He had learned that God is no respecter of persons. V. 34-35, “ Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” God is just as willing to save Gentiles as He is to save Jews. Peter went on to explain that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be a Savior of men of all nations. These Gentiles were familiar with the life and ministry of Jesus. They were well aware of the miracles which Jesus had performed. They also knew that He had been crucified. Peter reminded them of these things, which actually they already knew. V. 36-39, “The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, [I say], ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: 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 things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree.” Corneleius and everybody else in that part of the world had heard about Jesus. They did not need to be persuaded by Simon Peter that Jesus is a great man. They knew about the crucifixion and they had probably heard that the disciples of Jesus claim that He had been raised from the dead. However, this was probably their first time to talk to someone who had seen the resurrected Jesus with his own eyes. Peter did not hesitate to tell them that he and other Christians had actually seen Jesus after He had come forth from the grave. V. 40-41, “Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, [even] to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.” Simon Peter said that they had not only seen Jesus after He had been raised from the dead, but that they did eat and drink with Him after He was raised from the dead. In other words, this was no vision which they had seen. This was the real resurrected Jesus who could eat food. V. 42, “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 quick and dead.” Peter said that Jesus, Himself, had commanded them to preach. He could have added that Jesus had commanded them to preach even to Gentiles, but he did not mention that. Peter said that all of the Old Testament prophets had spoken and written about Jesus. V. 43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” The Old Testament prophets had not only written about Jesus. They all testified that whoever would believe in Jesus would receive remission of sin.” That means that whoever trusts in Jesus to be His Savior would have all of his sins forgiven. This was what Cornelius had been waiting for the past four days to hear. This was what he was anxious for Simon Peter to tell him and his family and his friends. This means that Cornelius could trust in Jesus Christ to save his soul and that Jesus Christ would save his soul. It means that his wife, his children, his brothers and sisters could believe in Jesus and be saved. It means that they would go to heaven when they die. God through an angel had told him that Simon Peter would tell him word whereby he and his household could be saved. He had no reason to doubt that what Simon Peter was telling them was the absolute truth. V. God’s message to you Let me remind you of something that you have been told. All of your life you have been told that the Bible is God’s Holy word. You have been told that the Bible would tell you the truth about how to go to heaven when you die. I say to you that there is no reason for you to doubt what the Bible has to say to you. It should be of special interest to you that the Bible has words which tell you how you and your family can go to heaven. The Bible tells you that Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God and that He is the Savior of men. In Matthew 1:21 is recorded a message from an angel of the Lord to Joseph about Mary, his espoused wife. The angel said, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Likewise and angel of the Lord on the night that Jesus was born appeared to shepherds in the field and said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Furthermore, in Acts 16:31 we read, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” That is, “You believe on the Lord and you will be saved. If any member of your house believes on the Lord, that person will be saved.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” In Romans 10:13 the Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I can think of no message in all of the world that is more important for you and for your family than the Bible message about how to go to heaven when you die. If I were able to tell you that God has called me to preach to you and to tell you how you and all of the members of your family could become millionaires, you would all be interested. But I have better news than that. God has called me to preach to you and to tell you how that you and all of your family can go to heaven. The question is: Are you interested in what the Bible tells you to do to go to heaven? The question further is: Are you willing to do that the Bible tells you to do? The question now is: Are you ready to do what the Bible is telling you to do? The question further is: Are you willing to do what the Bible tells you to do? Are you ready to right now to do what the Bible is telling you to do? Conclusion: I am going to ask your musicians to come and lead this congregation in an invitation hymn and I am going to ask you to come and place your faith in Jesus Christ to be your Savior.