Jump Start # 380

Acts 10:33 “So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

  Our passage today sets the scene for the conversion of Cornelius, a Roman soldier, a Gentile. Cornelius was a god-fearing man who loved the Lord. He prayed, gave alms but he wasn’t in Jesus Christ, he wasn’t saved. Goodness is not the same as salvation. Doing “religious acts”, including praying, reading Scriptures is not the same as salvation. God sent Peter. God had to convince Peter that a Gentile was “clean”. To do that, God gave Peter a vision of clean and unclean animals. It took three visions for Peter to fully grasp what God wanted.

  Peter connects with Cornelius. He preaches Jesus to him. Cornelius is baptized, as all people in the book of Acts who are seeking salvation. Cornelius opens the door to the Gentiles. Later, the apostle Paul would spend most of his time among the gentiles, preaching and establishing churches.

  Before Peter reached Cornelius an interesting lesson takes place. In verse 24 we read, “On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and he had called together his relatives and close friends.”  Our verse today is the words Cornelius says to Peter as they meet. What I want you to notice is the expression, “we are all here present before God to hear…”

  We are all here present before God to hear…

1. Could that be said of us? Has church services become so routine that we gather out of habit or guilt but not before God to hear. Some things must take place for a person to be ready to hear. They must have the attitude and heart to want to hear. Some are preoccupied. Their minds are elsewhere. They are thinking of work, things they have to do, day dreaming, or just in zombieland. They are there but they are not ready to hear. Others are tired. They have been up all night or chasing kids so much that they sit down, but they are not ready to hear, they are ready to sleep. It shows. God knows.

  If I am ready to hear, then I have my Bible with me. I may have some paper and a pen so I can write things down. I am focused. I am alert. I am ready. I wonder if we put too much emphasis upon the preacher and the sermon. “He better have a great one today, because I’m really tired.” Are you serious? Is that person ready to hear God’s word? If the sermon doesn’t have whistles and bells and lightning and thunder we blame the lack of attention upon the poor sermon. Some sermons are pitiful. I’ve preached enough of those to know. But there is something about the audience gathered ready to hear. There was an anticipation, an expectation and even an excitement about that.

2. Cornelius had an impact upon his relatives and friends. He invited them to come. And they came. They had never heard preaching like Peter was going to do. In fact, none of them, not even Cornelius, had heard Peter preach before. The gathering wasn’t so much to hear Peter as it was what Peter had to say. They came for the message not the messenger. Cornelius invited. The invited came. What a great influence Cornelius had and what a great lesson for us. Invite our family and friends. Invite those we know to come. We do that, but they don’t come. With Cornelius they came. Have you ever thought about that? Have you wondered why? Could it be us? Could it be the way we are inviting? Could it be the times that we live in? Could it be our friends?

  The greatest impact you will have is upon those that know you. The influence and relationships that you have upon others is powerful. They see your faith. They know you. They know your heart.

  Cornelius and his family and friends were all present to hear the word of God. Great things happen when good and honest hearts connect with the word of God. That’s what happened in Acts 10 and it still happens today.

Roger