March 27, 2025

#267 - Acts 10.1-8 - The Gentile Breakthrough

In this foundational episode, Pastor Brian walks us verse by verse through Acts 10:1–8, a turning point in redemptive history. We meet Cornelius—a Roman centurion, a Gentile outsider, and yet a devout seeker of the one true God. Through divine choreography involving visions, angelic visitations, and radical obedience, we see how the gospel begins to break past ethnic and religious boundaries.
This episode reminds us that God hears the humble, draws near to the sincere, and often works in places we least expect—yes, even Caesarea. You’ll be challenged to reflect on your assumptions about who belongs in God’s kingdom and inspired to respond with obedience when God calls your name.

🔔 Disclaimer: This podcast description was created with assistance from ChatGPT based on the transcripts. Listening to this podcast is for spiritual edification and biblical education. It is not a replacement for your personal study of Scripture or participation in the local church. Always test what you hear with God’s Word and seek pastoral guidance for deeper questions.
For full notes & transcript please visit ⁠www.alpastor.org⁠

Show Notes
Transcript

🔹 Overview

Acts 10 marks a major turning point in redemptive history: the Gospel is now fully extending to Gentiles without the requirement of becoming Jewish. This episode introduces Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, who—despite his cultural and political background—is a man who fears God. God's response to Cornelius affirms the truth that salvation is by grace through faith alone and that He is no respecter of persons.

🧱 Verse-by-Verse Exposition

Acts 10:1 – “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment.”

Historical & Cultural Setting:
- Caesarea was a prominent Roman city filled with Gentile culture, Roman architecture, and pagan worship. It symbolized Roman authority and was in sharp contrast to Jerusalem’s Jewish religious life.
- Cornelius is stationed here as a centurion—a mid-level Roman officer over ~80–100 soldiers.
- The “Italian Regiment” suggests elite status. These weren’t just any soldiers—they were handpicked, and many were Roman citizens from Italy.
Insight:
God’s redemptive plan begins not in a synagogue or temple, but in a pagan military stronghold. Salvation is expanding its borders—this is the beginning of the Gentile Pentecost.
Application:
Who in your life looks like a spiritual outsider? Would you expect someone like Cornelius to be the next move of God?

Acts 10:2 – “A devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”

Character Profile:
- Cornelius is described with four traits:
  - Devout: Not casual, but serious and reverent about his worship.
  - God-fearing: A known class of Gentiles who revered Israel’s God but had not fully converted to Judaism (i.e., not circumcised).
  - Generous: Gave alms (charity) to the poor—consistent with Jewish piety.
  - Prayerful: Had a vibrant, consistent prayer life.
Family Leadership:
- His household feared God with him, indicating spiritual influence and respect.
- In Greco-Roman culture, the household included family, servants, slaves, and dependents.
Application:
What kind of spiritual culture are you building in your home or sphere of influence?

Acts 10:3 – “About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!’”

Time Reference:
- The ninth hour = 3:00 PM, the Jewish hour of prayer (cf. Acts 3:1). Heaven moves during prayer.
Vision Details:
- “Clearly” indicates clarity—not a vague impression.
- The angel greets Cornelius by name, showing divine intimacy and intentionality.
Parallel to Zechariah in Luke 1:
- Same hour. Same type of visitation. Same divine breakthrough.
- Suggests this is not random—God is beginning a new chapter in salvation history.
Application:
Are you creating space for God to speak during prayer? Are you sensitive to His voice, even if it comes outside your tradition?

Acts 10:4 – “And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ So he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.’”

Fear Response:
Normal for angelic encounters (cf. Zechariah, Mary, shepherds, etc.). Holiness is always unsettling.
Heaven's Recognition:
- “Memorial” is temple/sacrificial language (cf. Leviticus).
- God accepted Cornelius’s prayer and generosity like an offering on the altar—even though he’s uncircumcised and outside the Jewish temple.
Theological Insight:
- God sees spiritual hunger before He sees ethnic, cultural, or ceremonial status.
- Cornelius’s life is an aroma rising to heaven.
Application:
- Do you ever wonder if your hidden devotion matters? This verse says yes.
- Are we living lives that rise up as memorials before God?

Acts 10:5–6 – “Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Why Not Just Preach the Gospel Directly?
- God chooses human agents. The gospel is always passed person to person.
- Even angelic beings don’t preach the gospel—people do.
Symbolic Geography:
- Joppa is the same port Jonah fled from when he rejected God's call to preach to Gentiles (Nineveh). Now Peter must face the same test—will he obey or resist?
Application:
- Have you grown comfortable with the boundaries of your faith community?
- Is God calling you to go where you don’t want to go?

Acts 10:7–8 – “And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier … he sent them to Joppa.”

Immediate Obedience:
- Cornelius doesn’t debate. He moves in faith.
- He sends two household servants and a devout soldier—showing trust and spiritual community even among Gentile military members.
Faith in Action:
- A 30-mile journey for a man he doesn’t know to hear a message he doesn’t yet understand—but he goes.
Application:
- Do you move when God prompts you, or delay and overanalyze?
- Obedience isn’t always glamorous, but it’s always the catalyst for greater revelation.

🧠 Theological Themes

Salvation is by Grace, Not Ethnicity or Works
Cornelius is not circumcised, not Jewish, not ceremonially clean—yet God initiates with him.
God Uses Human Messengers
Even when angels appear, the actual gospel is delivered through faithful believers like Peter.
God Honors Hunger and Sincerity
Cornelius models a responsive heart long before he fully understands the gospel. God honors that.

❤️ Personal Reflection Questions

Are there people you’ve silently disqualified from the gospel because of their background, politics, or appearance?
Does your household culture reflect reverence and generosity like Cornelius’s?
Have you allowed spiritual routine to dull your expectation for divine interruptions?
What’s your next act of obedience, even if you don’t have all the answers yet?

📜 Final Thoughts

Acts 10 begins with a centurion and ends with a church forever changed. The gospel moves from the edges of the synagogue to the heart of the empire. Cornelius reminds us that no one is too far, too foreign, or too different for God’s grace. This is not just the conversion of Cornelius—it’s the conversion of the church toward a global gospel.

🔔 Disclaimer: The podcast notes were created with assistance from ChatGPT based on the transcripts. Listening to this podcast is for spiritual edification and biblical education. It is not a replacement for your personal study of Scripture or participation in the local church. Always test what you hear with God’s Word and seek pastoral guidance for deeper questions.

0:07

You're listening to Al Pastor, the show that helps you love God, love your neighbor and eat more

tacos.

0:15

I'm your host, Pastor Brian.

Welcome to the show.

0:21

Hey, friends, I want to welcome you to today's podcast.

We're going to be walking through Acts chapter 10.

0:27

This is probably one of the most pivotal chapters in all of the New Testament.

I know that you might be thinking, hey, you're speaking hyperbolic there, but no, I'm, I really mean

0:37

it.

This is probably one of the most weighty pivotal moments in the New Testament.

0:45

And I believe that it is important for us to be able to grasp exactly what is going on here.

I've said this many times to those of you that are part of an Assembly of God, whether it be in the

0:57

podcast or even at a Bible study or in a Sunday morning.

We cannot take for granted the method by which we are saved.

1:05

This field of study we would call like the doctrine of salvation, we call it soteriology.

And so the question is, is are there any prerequisites for salvation?

1:16

Now the obvious answer to that that we may take for granted is no.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Ephesians 289.

1:26

It's not of works.

In other words, there is nothing that you can bring to the table when it comes to salvation.

1:33

It is all of God.

You contribute nothing to your salvation.

1:39

And all we do is repent and confess and we believe.

But that's not a work.

1:46

And So what is going on here in Acts chapter 10 fundamentally will help shape the church, the early

church.

1:54

And then if we speak from a church history perspective, the waters begin to get muddy down the road.

It's going to take several 100 years for that.

2:04

But at this point, we want to be able to lay a good foundation for what it means to be saved.

And so this is a turning point not just in Acts, but the entire storyline of God's redemptive plan.

2:20

So let's just recap a little bit.

Can't promise that this podcast is going to be short by any means.

2:26

But up until now, we have seen God working through the Jews.

We've been walking chapter through chapter in the book of Acts.

2:33

We've seen him work through some proselytes, through some Samaritans, those who in some way were

tied.

2:42

This is the important part to the covenant people of Israel.

That means that they could relate in some way.

2:49

But now what we're seeing is a Roman, a gentile, a centurion.

This isn't a fringe person, even like the Ethiopian eunuch, but this is a symbol of Rome's power and

3:01

dominance, someone who represented everything that Jewish nationalism might resist.

And yet the irony, the plot twist here is God chooses him.

3:15

Of course, I'm talking about Cornelius.

And what's really astounding or, or profound to me is he is welcomed into the people of God, not by

3:25

becoming a Jew, not by circumcision, not by adopting all the visible outward marks of Jewish

tradition, but by faith, by receiving the Holy Spirit, just like the apostles did, just like you and

3:41

I have.

And God confirms this new direction.

3:46

And I'm a little hesitant to say new.

It's, it's new from the perspective of God's covenant, but it, it's new, but it's very old.

3:54

This has been wrapped, embedded into God's redemptive plan from the very beginning.

And so he is going to confirm what he is expanding upon multiple times.

4:06

He's going to do it with visions, with angelic visitations, with an outpouring of the Spirit, and

even with some Apostolic affirmation.

4:16

And so Peter is the first one to get it.

He is the first one to experience God's plan.

4:25

Now that in part is because Peter has been given the keys to the Kingdom.

And sometimes as Protestants, we're a little hesitant to use that type of language.

4:35

And I want you to know by no means does this does this affirm the papacy of Peter and and the the

the unhinged or Unchained.

4:45

I should say unbroken was probably the best word lineage of passing down the baton.

I guess we could say from from Pope to Pope to Pope.

4:55

That is not what we mean when we say that Peter had the keys to unlock the Kingdom.

God was using Peter.

5:02

And I don't know if this is if this is right or not.

This is just me thinking.

5:07

I believe that God looked down and he said, I know Peter and I know that if Peter gets this like,

you know, Peter's, let's just face it, he's, he's, he's traditionally a little slow to pick up on

5:22

certain things.

But what we see here is once he gets something, he's really going to get it.

5:29

And so Peter is going to to receive this revelation first.

And then of course, the whole Jerusalem church, they're going to be wrestling with it too.

5:41

In fact, the entirety, well, I shouldn't say the entirety, the majority, that's a better word.

Majority of the New Testament is going to be dealing with this issue of what does it take to become

5:53

the covenant people of God.

And so this episode is not just about Cornelius conversion.

6:00

It's beautiful, but it is it is really about the church's conversion a conversion from from a narrow

view of God's grace to a bigger a broader a more global one.

6:13

And they're going to shift.

They're going to go from only us, meaning like Jews where we're isolated, we're special to all who

6:22

believe.

And so we're going to walk through this verse by verse, starting with Cornelius and Caesarea.

6:28

We're going to move through Peter's rooftop vision and leading to that Siritfield encounter, of

course, at the end of Acts chapter 10, that shifts the entire trajectory of Acts from Jerusalem to

6:43

the ends of the earth.

So I hope you can grab your Bible.

6:46

That's that's a kind of a long introduction, but fitting for this episode.

Grab your Bible and let's begin in Acts chapter 10.

6:55

Now, the Bible says that there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what

was called the Italian regiment.

7:05

All right, so this is just one verse, one line, and yet we are being dropped into a historical

moment that's going to change everything.

7:15

A Gentile story begins right here.

And I want you to notice that it's not with some sensational Thunder or lightning or angels or, or

7:25

what we would call a great theophany, but it's really a simple introduction.

We have a name, we have a place, and we have a title.

7:34

His name is Cornelius.

He's from Caesarea and he's a centurion.

7:40

Cornelius is no ordinary man.

Luke is introducing him with very, very careful precision, almost as if a surgeon is using a

7:52

scalpel.

He's very careful here.

7:55

And so where does he live?

Let's take this one by one.

7:57

He lives in Caesarea, not Jerusalem.

He's not in Galilee, but Caesarea.

8:03

This is a city that is full of Roman wealth and and and dripping with Gentile culture everywhere.

It's a port city.

8:13

It was rebuilt by Herod the Great.

It was named after Caesar Augustus and this is one of the most sought after military post in the

8:24

Roman world at this particular time.

They actually were very famous for being able to work with with cement in water.

8:33

And so as this port city, it was a hub to be able to distribute goods all over that region.

They had an amphitheater really large.

8:44

I've got some incredible pictures standing in front of that amphitheater.

They had a horse racing track.

8:50

They had an incredible palace that was for Herod the Great, the king.

They also had an aqueduct system that brought in fresh water.

9:02

And so this place is elaborate.

This place is is extravagant.

9:08

This was no friend to Jewish identity.

It it really stood as a monument to Roman power, Roman innovation, Roman gods, and of course, Roman

9:22

rule.

And yet it is right here.

9:25

Isn't this interesting that in a place full of of Pagan statues and temples and Gentile pride, that

God chooses to initiate the next phase of his plan of redemption?

9:41

So who is Cornelius?

Well, he's a centurion, and that is a commander of roughly 80 to 100 soldiers.

9:50

There's some debate commentary wise really doesn't matter if it's 80 or 100.

But he is a Roman officer.

9:57

He is a a, a man of war, a man of discipline, a man who's trusted by Rome.

And this isn't just any centurion.

10:07

He is part of what the Bible calls the Italian regiment.

This was likely an an elite cohort originally formed in Italy or or comprised of Roman citizens with

10:20

deep ties to the to the heart and the mission of the empire.

And of course, the name Cornelius itself tells us something.

10:30

You know, it was a common Roman family name, especially since the time of a person by the name of

Sula when thousands of freed slaves, they took this name from their former masters captivity and

10:47

they were freed and they were called the Cornelli.

So Cornelius.

10:51

So this man isn't isn't just a, a Gentile, he's actually a representation of the entirety of the

Roman Empire itself.

11:02

And one of the questions that we've got to ask is why does Luke give us all of this?

Because Cornelius is the poster child for Rome.

11:11

He's the the face of the outsider.

He is the very person that many, many Jews, if not all of them, would have considered beyond reach,

11:22

beyond covenant, beyond hope.

But yet we see God calls him.

11:29

I want you to know this is not random.

This is a divine choreography.

11:36

And so I want to ask you, do you have a Cornelius in your life?

I mean, maybe maybe it's a person that you've written off because of their background or maybe their

11:47

prestige or maybe their power, maybe their their politics or their culture.

What if the Holy Spirit is already working in them before you ever arrive with the gospel?

11:58

What if the next great move of God isn't maybe in the temple or in the church, but what if it's in

Caesarea?

12:06

And this is just the opening verse, but we're already invited to look ourselves in the mirror and

look at some of our assumptions.

12:16

And God is about to flip the script.

He's about to, he's about to declare the what is quote UN quote unclean as clean and common as

12:25

clean.

And and he's going to declare the the insider and the outsider to become one.

12:32

And he's going to do it through a Roman centurion who's stationed in a Gentile city.

And so the Gospels on the move, and it's, it is headed to the very heart of the empire.

12:46

Let's read verse #2 and, and, and get a little bit further about him.

It says that he's a devout man, Speaking of Cornelius, and one who feared God with all of his

12:56

household, who gave alms generously to the people and prayed to God always.

Now this verse gives us a window into the soul of Cornelius, not just the man, but also the

13:12

household.

And this is very critical because when God works, he often works through families, through homes,

13:19

through communities that are closely knit together by trust and by influence.

And so Luke tells us that Cornelius was a devout man.

13:29

And that word means more than just some external religious activity.

It means reverence.

13:36

It means a heart bowed low before the God of Israel.

It it means he's one of the good guys.

13:43

And I want you to notice that it's not just him.

His entire family, his household feared God with him.

13:51

This is not incidental.

This is absolutely intentional because in the book of Acts, entire households will be coming to the

14:00

faith.

We see it in Lydia.

14:02

We see it in the with the Philippian jailer and we'll see it with a man by the name of Christmas and

of course, right here.

14:10

And Cornelius isn't just a military man.

What this tells us is he's also the spiritual leader of his home.

14:18

And you know what?

That really, really matters.

14:21

You see, in the Roman world, the household didn't just include the what we would call the nuclear

family that's like you just your wife and your kids.

14:29

I mean, it could include relatives.

It could include slaves and servants and even freedmen.

14:34

Anyone under, under the the care and the influence of whoever that person is, and in this case is

Cornelius, of course.

14:44

And so he is a centurion.

He has power, he has prestige.

14:50

His income level is through the roof.

Now we can do various, there's differing opinions on this, but his, his annual salary was

14:59

approximately OK, hold this very loosely please.

So don't go out and quote me on this.

15:04

It's about 30, three times the average salary of that day.

And so I was able to kind of do some math and it would make him over a millionaire today.

15:15

Can you imagine working with somebody that makes over $1,000,000 a year?

Maybe you do.

15:21

However, this is just communicating to us that He is at an elevated status.

And so the Bible is communicating to us that He leads not with not with pride, not with arrogance,

15:36

but with fear and awe for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And listen, it also says that He gave alms generously.

15:46

That means He was a giver.

He gave, He didn't hoard his wealth.

15:50

He he didn't use his military prestige or or background to build a bigger house or secure political

favor.

15:59

He gave generously.

And so the wording behind this in the original Greek scholars tell us that it suggests that he gave

16:08

very, very liberally a heart that is wide open to meet the needs of the poor.

And let's not stop there, because the Bible says that he also prayed to God always.

16:21

Isn't this remarkable?

A Roman officer immersed in a Gentile culture, in a Roman ruled city known for Pagan temples and

16:32

even their hostility towards Jews, lifting up prayers daily to the one true God.

And I've got to ask, I mean, this is hard.

16:42

How many people in our churches today could be described like this?

Think about it.

16:48

Devout, generous, prayerful, a spiritual influence and leader in their home.

I mean, this man, if you think about it, who has no circumcision, he has no access to the temple, he

17:02

has no covenantal birthright, is drawing near to God.

And here's the whole twist of it.

17:11

God sees it.

And so Cornelius is what scholars call a God fear.

17:17

That means that he hasn't fully converted to Judaism.

He's still uncircumcised, but he worships Israel's God.

17:26

He attends synagogue.

He gives alms to the poor.

17:30

He honors the moral law.

And it's the household that follows his lead.

17:36

Can I just tell you something here for a moment?

How you live your life, how you walk and pursue God has public implications.

17:46

I mean, the way that you pray privately, the way that you give, the way that you lead your friends

and your family, it creates an atmosphere where God can work in some incredible ways.

18:00

And so God's not only going to respond to Cornelius, he's going to transform this entire household.

And the gospel that has so far been moving from synagogue to synagogue to the Jews only is about to

18:15

burst wide open into Gentile homes.

And so I hope you'll take some time as you're listening to me.

18:23

Maybe you could even pause this here in a moment.

And I've got some questions for you.

18:28

What kind of spiritual culture are you building in your life and in your home, among your friends

and among your family?

18:36

I mean, are you leading people towards reverence and respect to God?

Are your prayers drawing the attention of heaven?

18:45

Cornelius didn't know that his his prayers and his giving had gone up before as a memorial to God.

But guess what?

18:54

They had And God was listening.

Let's go on to verse three.

19:02

It says at about the 9th hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an Angel of God coming in and

saying to him, Cornelius.

19:14

So let's notice right off the bat, it's the 9th hour.

This is 3:00 PM.

19:19

In fact, this is the Jewish hour of prayer, and it happens to be the same hour when Peter and John

went up to the temple in Acts chapter 3.

19:29

So again, there are no accidents here because heaven tends to move at the hour of prayer.

Cornelius, this Roman centurion, this Gentile, this God fearer, he isn't just going through the

19:43

motions, he's not just performing rituals, he is seeking.

He's not playing religious games.

19:50

He is crying out to the God of Israel.

And it's in this moment I want you to picture this, because at this moment, in the temple, back in

20:00

Jerusalem, the incense of prayer is still rising, symbolic of the prayers of the Saints ascending to

the throne.

20:10

And it's at this moment that something happens, something supernatural begins to breakthrough.

And the Bible says that he saw clearly.

20:23

OK, that's very, very important.

Not not vaguely, not ambiguously, but clearly in a vision.

20:31

What did he see?

An Angel of God.

20:34

Let that settle in for a moment.

This is not Peter, and it certainly isn't Paul.

20:40

And this isn't even somebody in covenant with God.

This is a Gentile, a Roman officer, and an Angel of God visits him.

20:53

This is what we would call the scandal of grace, a holy disruption.

And so God doesn't wait for Cornelius to climb into the Jewish world through circumcision.

21:07

It is God who comes to him through an Angel with his name on his lips.

And he says Cornelius, he speaks his name.

21:18

It is intimate, it's personal, it's powerful.

And so as we reflect on these things, are we praying like Cornelius?

21:27

Are we posturing and positioning ourselves and creating a, a space where God can speak into our

hearts and our lives?

21:38

Because sometimes we think that God, maybe he only speaks to pastors, or maybe he only speaks to

missionaries, or maybe he only speaks to the apostles, like what I'm reading about.

21:48

But you need to know the right here is a Gentile military officer in a hostile city and God breaks

through the veil to meet with him.

21:59

And this isn't the first time that God's done this.

I want to take your mind back, if you will, to Zechariah and Luke chapter 1.

22:07

You know, an Angel appeared at the very same hour of incense.

And it was at that time in Luke 1A, pivotal moment in the story of salvation, in the plan of

22:21

redemption for the people of God.

And now we see a repetition right here.

22:28

It's absolutely beautiful, this another Angel appears at the same hour.

Why is he doing that?

22:36

It's because the next move of God isn't going to stay in Jerusalem.

It's going to Caesarea.

22:43

It's going to move outward into Gentile territory, into the enemy's camp, into in unexpected places.

And so this vision is, I guess we could say it's it's Heaven's stamp of divine approval.

23:01

And Cornelius, I want you to to think about this.

He didn't orchestrate this.

23:07

He didn't manipulate his environment.

He didn't even earn it.

23:11

But God saw his prayers and God sent a messenger.

And it's because the Gentile mission, it didn't begin with Peter strategy.

23:22

It wasn't the early churches outreach plan.

It was God's idea.

23:28

It was God's doing and God's mercy and God's timing.

And if you're listening to this episode today, and maybe you feel far from where you think God

23:40

moves, maybe far from the spiritual center, I want to let Cornelius remind you that God sees the

heart.

23:49

God sees the seeker.

He remembers the faithful.

23:53

God responds to prayer.

And so, friend, Are you ready for God to call your name?

24:01

Are you creating room for Him to speak in your life because of Cornelius A, a Roman soldier in a

Pagan city?

24:10

I mean, listen, if he can have a visitation from heaven during his prayer, so can you.

God is no respecter of persons.

24:21

Let's go on to verse #4 And when he observed him, he was afraid and said, what is it, Lord?

So he said to him, your prayers in your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

24:37

So Cornelius is afraid, and I don't think we can blame him a whole lot.

I'm throughout the Bible, these types of encounters, they often unsettle the soul.

24:48

And so when angels appear in Scripture, even the righteous tremble.

It happened at Zechariah in the temple.

24:54

It happened to the woman at at the empty tomb, and now it happens to a Roman soldier in Caesarea.

But I want you to notice this.

25:02

God doesn't rebuke the fear.

He meets it, He speaks into it and the angels words are absolutely stunning.

25:09

He says your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

Hold on for a second.

25:16

What is this?

Cornelius is not Jewish.

25:20

He's uncircumcised.

He hasn't offered a sacrifice in the temple, but yet heaven remembers him absolutely.

25:30

This is one of the most powerful moments of recognition in the entire book of Acts.

God sees the spiritual offerings of a Gentile outsider, his prayers, his giving, and he says they

25:46

have risen, they're remembered, they're acceptable.

Now you need to understand this is temple language, sacrificial language, Levitical language, the

26:01

phrase memorial before God was used of people like the children of Israel and people like Sarah and

God would use it of grain offerings in Leviticus.

26:11

It it's what the priest would OfferUp to God in the scent would rise a pleasing aroma, an act of

worship.

26:19

And so now you're trying to tell me that Cornelius's prayers and his his generosity are being

described with that same sacred imagery.

26:31

Absolutely.

Why is that it's because the gospel of Jesus.

26:38

It's tearing down boundaries it's because spiritual hunger matters more than your ethnic background

and it because God, what he truly desires isn't just the blood of bulls and goats.

26:55

It is a broken and contrite heart.

And so Cornelius, if you really stop to appreciate this, he couldn't go past the court of the

27:04

Gentiles into the temple.

He wasn't welcome beyond that barrier.

27:09

But now heaven has broken into his house.

And the Angel says, your offerings, Cornelius, they're enough.

27:17

Not because of of your merit, not because of your good works, not because you're a good guy, but

why?

27:24

Because God is merciful, because God sees and God remembers.

This should move us deeply.

27:33

And so maybe you've wondered, like, have my prayers even mattered?

Does God really hear me?

27:42

Is my generosity seen?

Is it is?

27:46

Does your quiet obedience count?

I want you to know they do, and they absolutely count.

27:54

God is not impressed by outward appearances, by showy sacrifices or even religious credentials.

He is drawn to the humble heart that prays in the secret place, the open hand that gives to one

28:09

another the person that longs and craves his presence, even if they feel like they're disqualified.

I want to pause here for a moment because sometimes we allow mess ups and slip UPS in our life to

28:26

prevent us from approaching God and that's the exact opposite of what should happen.

There are going to be times in your life when you blow it, when you really miss the mark.

28:36

That's the definition of sin.

I want to encourage you not to let that hinder you in your pursuit for God.

28:43

There's a fine line.

I understand that there is tension in what we would call hypocrisy.

28:49

And I'm not condoning unethical behavior and and I'm not condoning, you know, certain lifestyles by

any means, but I just, I want you to know that if you've messed up or if you've blown it, go after

29:03

God even more.

Don't, don't allow that to hinder you from approaching him with a humble and contrite broken heart

29:12

and just say, God, I need you.

I need your grace because grace not only forgives, grace empowers us and moves us forward so that we

29:22

can go on and conquer the sin that we're fighting against.

And so this is a beautiful example because Cornelius, he wasn't an apostle.

29:32

I mean, he didn't even write scripture.

He's not even baptized yet.

29:36

But God said you are not forgotten your offering, Cornelius, it's acceptable.

Let's go into verses 5 and 6 here.

29:49

He says now send men to Joppa and send for Simon, whose surname is Peter.

He's lodging with Simon, a Tanner whose house is by the sea.

30:00

We've got, I want to pause and sit on this for a minute because an Angel appears to him.

He's shaken, he's he's humbled and he listens.

30:08

And what comes next is not some like dramatic download of divine secrets.

It's not a sermon.

30:16

Instead, the Angel says, I want you to go find Peter.

Why would he do that?

30:20

Why wouldn't the Angel just proclaim the gospel right then and there?

I mean, why make Cornelius wait?

30:26

Why send him to Joppa of all places?

It's because this is how God works.

30:33

He chooses to use people, his messengers, his witnesses, his his human agents.

And from the very beginning the Lord has ordained that the message of the gospel, the message, the

30:45

proclamation of salvation, would travel not just from heaven to earth, but from person to person,

one obedient life to the next.

30:56

Isn't that what Jesus said in Acts 1/8?

He says you shall be witnesses to me.

31:04

Cornelius needs Peter and even though he doesn't know it yet, Peter actually also needs Cornelius.

And this is also a beautiful example of how the body of Christ is built.

31:16

You know, sometimes people are like, well, I don't need church or I don't need to go and fellowship.

Yes, you do.

31:22

You need one another.

This is, this is how the church is built.

31:27

It's built through obedience, it's built through trust.

It's it's built through the humility of seeking out somebody else for truth, humility of delivering

31:37

truth to someone that you weren't expecting to receive.

Now I want us to take no, because Joppa is not a random location.

31:48

In fact, it's the very port that Jonah had fled from when he had ran from God's call to go preach

from the Gentiles.

31:57

And so now look at this.

Peter is in Joppa and the call to the Gentiles is knocking on the door again.

32:06

I hope you can see the irony in this.

The prophet Jonah who said no Lord, and the apostle who's about to say the same thing here.

32:16

There is often times resistance, maybe even in our own hearts, to the to the wideness and to the

scope of God's grace and mercy.

32:28

And there's something in all of us that still wants God's grace to be kind of all neat and tidy and

maybe limited to the way that we think and the way that we see into our own kind, our own people,

32:41

our boundaries.

But guess what?

32:43

God doesn't play by our rules.

And Cornelius he, he listens, he obeys, he sends his men.

32:53

And by the way, this is a 30 mile journey S along the coast of Judea to find a man that he's never

met in a city filled with strangers and at a House of a Tanner, a a profession that is looked down

33:10

upon and lowly and and stinky.

I went over that on the previous episode.

33:17

It wasn't a good place.

It wasn't a nice place.

33:20

And so a every little detail is loaded with meaning.

I mean, Simon is just the Tanner, by the way, Simon the Tanner, not not Simon Peter.

33:31

He's not a person of high status.

And it is here in this humble place, unlikely place that God has positioned his apostle.

33:44

And you know what?

Sometimes we think that the next big thing or the next move of God is going to begin in like some

33:54

giant cathedral or some kind of palace or some kind of mega church.

But here, right here in the book of Acts, it starts in a place where most people wouldn't even stay

34:07

the night.

And yet the Holy Spirit is about to connect a Roman centurion with a Jewish fisherman.

34:16

If, if that doesn't just make you stop and make your jaw drop, I don't know what does.

And God's going to use this to launch an entire new chapter, if you will, in the history of

34:29

salvation.

Let's go on to verses 7 and 8.

34:35

And the Bible says, and when the Angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his

household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.

34:47

So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

So the Angel disappears.

34:54

The room is is quiet.

And what does Cornelius do?

34:59

He obeys.

There's no delay.

35:01

There's no debate.

He's not pulling out a notepad and listing out pros and cons and, and, and in the very moment that

35:09

he receives the word, he moves.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

35:16

You can't just believe.

You've got to move.

35:19

And so immediate obedience is often rare, especially if you think about this from somebody in power.

I mean, Cornelius, he doesn't delegate obedience.

35:32

He he models it.

He doesn't need to be convinced that that Peter is worth their journey.

35:38

He's not waiting to confirm that the dream was real.

He sends his servants, he even adds a soldier, and he explains what happened.

35:45

And then they go, this is what faith looks like in motion.

Now, I might think, well, of course he obeys.

35:55

I mean, you think about it.

He's a soldier.

35:57

He's trained for this.

And that's true.

35:59

I mean, discipline is in his bones, but this isn't a military command.

This is like a spiritual instruction.

36:07

And he's responding.

He's not responding as a Roman officer, but as somebody that is seeking and is hungry from God.

36:17

And that kind of obedience, this is the kind that comes from the heart.

Now let's focus in on who He sends.

36:25

It says that he sends to household servants, most likely these are these are slaves and this was

common in the in the the 1st century world.

36:36

But yet he trusts them.

He trusts them enough to travel over 30 miles carrying his instructions.

36:43

And so this really tells us something about how Cornelius ran his house.

He did so with integrity, with honor, with mutual respect at these, in other words, are not just

36:54

disposable people to him.

These were members of a household knit together by the fear of God.

37:01

And then, of course, we have a soldier and and the Bible describes him as a devout 1A man who shares

Cornelius's faith in the God of Israel.

37:13

And can I tell you that is absolutely rare.

Roman centurions were known to be feared and even hated.

37:21

But this centurion, he's, he inspires loyalty, not by dominating others, but through his devotion.

And this is a household where faith is is lived out, not just talked about.

37:38

And it's amazing how Luke highlights all of this in just a very, very simple way.

He just says they're sent.

37:46

But behind those words, there's a testimony.

A man sees a vision, he knew it was from God.

37:53

He acts.

And so here's the question for you and I what do we do when God speaks?

38:01

He might not speak through an Angel.

He might not even speak through a vision.

38:05

But guess what?

He speaks to us through His word.

38:08

He speaks to us maybe with a prompting or conviction, a nudge in prayer.

The question that we need to ask ourselves is, do we delay?

38:17

Do we wait for another confirmation?

Do we wait for another sign or are we like Cornelius, are we, are we, are we fully faithful?

38:25

Immediately you see, God doesn't just look at our ability, He looks at our availability.

And so Cornelius at this point it's, it's debated.

38:37

I've got to tell you this, there are some people that think he, it's possibly that he saved and

others say he isn't.

38:44

And I don't think that that is really the purpose to even kind of speculate on that.

It's possible either way.

38:51

Like there's a a commentator by the name of Horton, he believes he's saved.

And then there's some others that don't believe he's saved, like Craig Keener.

38:59

And Craig Keener is also a Pentecostal scholar.

I don't think it matters a whole lot, but what we see here in the end is regardless, there is no

39:08

question that the man is saved and his heart is aligned in this moment to whatever it is that God

has for him.

39:19

And you know what, Sometimes that's the start of everything.

And so this is some encouragement.

39:23

Let that be encouraging to you today.

Obedience can open up the door for God to move in your life, and it always starts with a step.

39:35

So Cornelius, he sends three people down the coast and he's sending them off to Joppa.

I don't know.

39:44

As we kind of closed today, I'm wondering what step might God be asking you to take?

I hope you will obey.

39:53

I'm looking forward to the next portion of this episode as we're going to shift scenes into what is

happening.

40:02

With Peter, again, I want to thank you for being patient with me.

I appreciate you tuning in.

40:08

I'm doing my best to get these up and uploaded and so we'll see you on the next episode.

Thank you for listening to Al Pastor with Brian Overturf.

40:27

If you found value in this, please subscribe and get updates.

Most places podcasts are available.

40:34

We're right here on Anchor FM through Spotify, also on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Amazon and

iHeartRadio.

40:43

I hope you'll TuneIn for the next episode.

Until then, we'll see you later.