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Complete Sermon Notes
The backdrop: An angel appears to Cornelius and Peter has a vision.
Acts 10:30 So 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, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
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“Christian disciplines” help us hear from God – many say, “That’s an Old Testament discipline as they push the double-double in their mouth.”
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“Hear all the things commanded by God” – all of His truth.
Debate – atheists, satanists, different religions – I had a choice – do I make Christianity palatable or powerful? Taste good or truthful? Easy or narrow?
Preaching to Cornelius’ Household 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Rom. 2:12 (NKJV) “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
Imputation – righteousness or sin is charged to our account [Adam to Christ].
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
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MEN ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE (cf. Romans 1) – Even those who have never heard the gospel have a witness.
“IF A PERSON WILL RESPOND TO THE REVELATION HE HAS…GOD WILL PROVIDE SOME MEANS FOR THAT PERSON TO HEAR THE GOSPEL” (MacArthur). THE LORD WILL HEAR YOUR PLEA!
The 2 Sides – It’s really about pursuit and choice: [cf. John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2]
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Both sides agree that God’s Spirit convicts and draws. But Can Man Respond?
Jh. 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father… draws [helko]…”
1 Cor. 2:14 – “The natural man does not receive [dechomai]…”
…36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—
Definition: someone having power, authority, and influence!
Rom. 10:9, “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Philippians 2 – “…every knee will bow.”
…37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
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John – the greatest man who ever lived! 400 yrs. – 20 yrs. – 6 months.
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
ISAIAH 61 [cf. Luke 4:18] “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
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Case For Christ – witnesses, secular sources, approx. 6,000 manuscripts.
42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
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Christ as Advocate & Judge – many talk about the lamb but not the lion. They mention the man who turned the other cheek, but not the one who will “tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God.” They talk about love, but not the coming judgment – heaven, but not hell – relationship, but not repentance.
“Whoever believes”: remission releases the shackles – it opens the prison doors.
GOD HEARD CORNELIUS – He feared, he obeyed, he sought God and repented.
God will hear the proud if they humble themselves. He will hear the addict if they confess and turn. He will hear the sexually immoral if they repent. He will hear the single mom who is struggling and the failing father – He will reach out to the depressed – restore the wounded – and heal the brokenhearted.
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles who believed – 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
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Has the Holy Spirit fallen on you?
- Paul Tripp’s book, Dangerous Calling – “When the Gospel of Jesus Christ gets reduced to theological ideas and concepts you are in trouble.”
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