Book of Acts - Ch. 9, Vs. 21-Ch. 10, Vs. 31 (03/16/2003)

We're in the book of Acts, the ninth chapter, and we start with the 21st verse, but I want to back up one verse,

Acts 9, 20. Paul has just been converted, just been saved.

He was the terror of the Christian way, and sent many a person to their death.

But now he knows about Christ, and straightway he preached

Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Dennis, that is Dennis, isn't it? I want you to tell us why

Jesus Christ is presented to the world as the

Son of God. That doesn't explain it.

What? Well, that's all right, that's your reason.

David, tell us, why is Jesus presented as the Son of God?

All right.

Does the word Son mean that you get educated, you grow, and you know as you did that Jesus had to learn anything,

Virg? He didn't? I thought there was a scripture that said he grew in stature.

What is it? Was Jesus not a man?

Yes? Yes? All right, it's a statement

I wish you would move around in your mind, think about it, and in the weeks to come we'll see about your answer.

Son of God. Yes. Then what?

Somebody had their hand up over here. And if he learned, there was a time he didn't know.

All right. Think about it, divide Son and Christ, think about each one separate, and see what you come up with.

Verse 21, But all that heard him were amazed, and said,

Is this not he that destroyed them which called on his name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

Virg, they're saying, is this not the man that came to arrest us? They have a hard time believing this, much as we would if, in this day and time, if, well, say,

Saddam, for example, had a complete change, preaching

Christ, and got saved, would you believe him? You'd have your doubts.

You'd question, what? Absolutely.

All right, they were no different than we were, we are. But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the

Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very

Christ. Paul's coming on strong. People don't believe him.

And after that many days were fulfilled, we don't know how many, the

Jews took counsel to kill him. David, why did the devil want to kill this man so early in his ministry?

So the devil wanted to kill him. Did the devil have anybody available to do it?

That's right. Yes. This was before.

Yes. That's right. Well, he was changing things.

He changed. But their laying in wait was known as Saul.

He's no dummy. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

Then the disciples took him by night and led him down by the wall in a basket.

Virg, what happened here? Yes. God didn't take control, he had control.

Saul led him down by the wall in a basket. I can just see that.

In fact, there's a sermon, a very good sermon here, led down in a basket. Yes, they didn't throw him over the wall.

When Saul was come to Jerusalem, now he made his way to Jerusalem.

He assayed to join himself to the disciples, but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple.

Clarence, what's the word assayed mean? All right, it was his wish to join.

He tried to join. He tried to talk to them, but they didn't believe him.

None of them. But Barnabas took him in, dear old

Barnabas, and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the

Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Now, how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him. What are the pronouns here?

He, who's that? David? Yes. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

So, little by little, he's gaining their confidence and he spake boldly in the name of the

Lord, Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians, but they went about to slay him.

Merge, who's the Grecians? Dennis, who's the

Grecians? Greg, who's the

Grecians? Bill, who were the

Grecians? That's right.

Thirty. Which when the heathen knew, they brought him down to Caesarea.

When the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the

Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost and they were multiplied.

Isn't it amazing that when Paul, one man, he eventually let sail for Tarsus, that all of the churches throughout all of the country had rest.

Nobody, there was nobody but what knew about Saul and they feared his coming.

Yes, well, there's a reason for that.

And it came to pass, as Peter passed through all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydia.

And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years and was sick of the palsy.

Be, what is palsy? It's what?

Of the foot. Yes. And Peter said unto him,

Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. Arise, make up thy bed, and he arose immediately.

Now, Dennis, Peter comes on stage, we leave

Saul for a moment, and he sees a man, sick, and he restores him immediately.

Why was that man there and why did

Peter come on the scene? Dennis?

I don't know. All right.

All right. And all that dwelt at Lydia and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord. A vast number of people were saved.

Now, Peter's here, we're going to see him raise a woman, restore her to life because of her works.

Now, there was at Joppa a certain disciple named

Tabitha. That means female gazelle, which by interpretation is called

Dorcas, meaning gazelle. So they just shortened her name to gazelle.

We'd probably shorten it more than that. This woman was full of good works and alms deeds, which she did.

And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died, whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

Typical Jewish way. She died, they couldn't bring her back, they couldn't keep her alive.

And for as much as Lydia was nigh to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men desiring him that he would not delay in coming to them.

Now, David, was the woman already dead? Yes. And they sent after Peter.

What are they thinking? Now, you notice they didn't embalm.

They still don't. They laid her in an upper room on a bed, all cleaned, but they don't consider you permanently dead until after three days.

Then Peter rose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him, weeping, showing the coats and garments which

Dorcas made while she was yet with them. But Peter put them all forth.

What's that mean, Virge? Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed.

Now, he's praying to whom? All right.

Then he turns. We're in Acts 9, 40.

But Peter put them all forth and kneeling down and prayed and turning him to the body said,

Taptha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw

Peter, she sat up. And he gave her hand, took her, and he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when she had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

Now, why was she restored to life? Why was it that Peter did this or that he could do this?

All right. All right. Why do you suppose this whole episode took place?

That's right. That's right.

That's right. It was known throughout all of Joppa, and many believed in the

Lord. God had other plans for her. And it came to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with one

Simon the Tanner. Yes.

That's right. That's right.

That's right. Him going to Simon the Tanner destroyed whatever credibility he had with the

Jews. Now we come to chapter 10, verse 1. There was a certain man in Caesarea called

Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band.

Burge, what in the world is an Italian Band? Two banjos and a guitar.

Who knows what an Italian Band is? A commander of 100 men, routine

Italian Band, Roman soldiers recruited in Italy.

That's why they were called the Italian Band. Caesarea of the

Mediterranean on the great road from Tyre to Egypt, about 70 miles northwest of Jerusalem, at the northern extremity of the plain of Sharon.

It was built by Herod the Great, B .C. 10. He named it after Caesar Augustus, hence called

Caesarea, on the site of an old town called

Stratos, the Stratos Tower. It was the capital of Rome, Providence, and Judea, seat of the governors.

You don't need to hear all of that. The town does not exist any longer.

It is desolate. The present inhabitants of the ruins are snakes, scorpions, and lizards, boars, and jackals.

Most desolate city in Palestine. Now, verse 2. He was a devout man.

Now, can you imagine a Roman soldier being a devout man?

One that feared God with all of his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

God uses anybody to accomplish his purpose. That's right.

His purpose will be worked. Here was a man that knew that he depended on some divine power.

He was living up to the light which God had provided him. He is three.

He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him and saying unto him,

Cornelius, there is a way in which

God prepares a heart to learn that they belong to him. And each and every one of us know this truth.

Cornelius has a desire to know more. God does not send

Peter because he wants to know more. God causes Cornelius to desire more because Peter's coming.

And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, what is it, Lord? And he said unto him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial.

But was Cornelius saved at this point?

Was he not saved to get to the 47th verse? That's coming. If he was not saved at this time, how come

God heard his prayer of a lost man? Yes, exactly.

That's right. If he was saved at this time, how come the

Holy Spirit had not come upon him? Right. Because the

Holy Spirit had to be conveyed by an apostle at this time. Five.

And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose surname is

Peter. Yes.

That's right. From God's view, everybody is saved that's supposed to be saved already.

He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, telling him where Peter is, whose house is by the seaside.

He shall tell thee what thou ought to do. Now, he gets this information no more.

Why did the angel not give him the address where Peter was?

If we're going to a town, you look up the address and you go to that address.

Dennis, why didn't the angel make that address available? Well... The reason was because the odor of Peter's tanning business, it would not be hard to find that.

And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants and the devout soldier of them that waited on him continually.

And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. What do you suppose would cause this man to act with the utmost confirmation?

To act out this... In other words, what do you suppose caused

Cornelius to act as he did? Right.

On the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour.

What time is that, Bill? Six. Yes.

Well, the sixth hour is what we talked about. That's right. That's right. And he became very hungry.

It was noon. And would have eaten, but while they made ready, he fell into a trance.

Now, David, does God have control of this trance? Well, there's another miracle coming.

He was very hungry. He either went to sleep or sleep like trance.

Try it sometime when you're very hungry to go to sleep. Now, Peter knew nothing of their approach.

There's men coming. He knows nothing of it. They knew nothing of Peter.

Peter's praying. They don't know anything about him. But he who knows them both is preparing them both for an interview.

See how God's working? And Peter now, in a trance, saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth.

Only turned the other way up. What was it the other day

I heard? Oh, reverse osmosis. This would be reverse parachute.

And wherein in this sheet were all manner of four -footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air.

Now, today we can eat anything. Anything that you want, you can eat.

Without affecting your salvation. It might affect your indigestion, but not your salvation.

And there came a voice to him, says, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. Well, this was a shock to this

Jew. Why did God use this picture to instruct

Peter? All right, for his understanding which is coming.

But Peter said, No, not so, Lord. For I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.

I can't eat anything. Everything. And the voice spake unto him again the second time,

What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. My, what a sermon you can get out of that.

This was done three times. And the vessel was received up again unto heaven.

Now, three times he sees it come down, he sees all kinds of live animals, and he's told to go eat.

Now, while Peter doubted in himself what this vision was that he'd seen, or what it should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate.

Now, do you see how God prepares us for coming events? Provide this to your life.

He's preparing you right now for something that's coming. Surprise you and say,

I can't handle that. If they come, you can handle it. Can't you,

George? And called and asked whether Simon was surnamed

Peter and were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the spirit said unto him,

Behold, three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.

Now, he begins to bring them together. He's told Peter, don't doubt them. Go with them.

I'm the one who sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius and said,

Behold, I am he who seek thee, who you seek. What is the cause wherefore you are come?

Now, Peter didn't know why they were there. He knew God sent them. And they said,

Cornelius the centurion, a just man and one that feareth God and of good report among all the nations of the

Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee unto his house and to hear words of thee.

Then called he them in and lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went away with them, and the certain brethren from the

Joppa accompanied him. And they all went back together. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him.

David, why did Cornelius, a Gentile, do this? That's right, he didn't know better.

But Peter took him up saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man just like you.

And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together.

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 to come unto one of another nation? But God has showed me that I should not call any man common that he is clean.

Common or unclean. So right away, see,

Peter's putting it to work. Therefore came I unto you without gain saying,

As soon as I was sent for, I ask therefore for what intent you have sent for me.

He still doesn't know why he is there. We've switched to Peter here.

Okay. Greg, what does the word gain saying mean?

All right, without wasting any time, he came. What a statement that is of Peter.

Now he just had a vision that he can't believe. 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.

Let's stop here. We'll start with verse 31 next time. Is there anything from anybody?