Acts 10 — Bill Gallatin

This Bible study was recorded at Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes and was taught by Pastor Bill Gallatin. This evening we're in the Book of Acts, beginning with verse one of chapter ten. At this particular time, Paul's probably in the Arabian Desert, very possibly on Mount Horeb, where Moses has been put in the cleft of the rock and very possibly the very place that Elijah, when he fled into the cave, ended up.

The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh

And so the story now turns back to the Apostle Peter, I think, until we get to chapter twelve or thirteen. But now, you remember in the Book of Joel that he prophesied that in the last days that the Spirit of the Lord would be poured out upon all flesh, not just the Jews.

And we know that it's happened on Pentecost, and one of the most difficult things for the Jews and for many people is to get tradition out of their lives and replace it with doctrine. It can truly be so ingrained, tradition, that it's a difficult thing for the Lord.

And what's amazing to me in this chapter ten is that the Apostle Peter has been baptized in the Holy Spirit, he's experienced Pentecost, and it's some ten years later, and it doesn't seem to bother the Lord that he's still got some of these prejudices and these traditions that have to be worked out, and God is picking this point now to free Peter.

Now, he's already been free to a point. You remember that he stayed in chapter nine, at the end of chapter nine, he was in Joppa. That city remains today. It's a great little city near Tel Aviv. We visit it every time we fly over, and he stayed in someone's house named Simon the Tanner.

Now, those people were of such contempt in the Jewish tradition or the ritual law that they were not allowed to build even their homes within fifty meters of any city or town because they were constantly touching dead carcasses and animals with their trade.

They were considered unclean. In fact, if a woman was betrothed to be married and they discovered that her husband-to-be was a Tanner, they would null and void the wedding. That's how despised Tanners were.

The Jews would have nothing to do with their Jewish brethren if they were Tanners. But you remember now, since Jesus Christ has moved in their lives, the prejudice and the traditions and these attitudes begin to move out.

And so, Peter was staying in Joppa with Simon the Tanner. There's one area of his life that he could deal with, and the Spirit of God has set him free. But now, we're going to see that God's portion of the Scripture concerning Joel chapter two has to deal with Gentiles.

Peter, Gentile Prejudice, and the Gospel

Now, another thing that the Jews, and Peter even up to this point, would not even associate with the Gentiles. In fact, if a Gentile entered a Jew's home and touched the furniture or sat on a piece of furniture, if a Jew sat on that piece of furniture, he considered himself unclean.

They were so bigoted against the Gentiles. The Jewish rabbis taught that Gentiles were created by God to stoke the fires of hell. They were used as timber to keep the flames of hell burning. And so, there was this extreme hatred, in fact, for some eight to ten years.

And this portion of the Bible is ten years after Pentecost, after these people had been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, had been with Jesus Christ some three and a half years before that with his personal teaching.

Now, even though back in Deuteronomy, God said that they were to share their truth with the Gentiles, God had planned to save Gentiles. But you see, the rabbis had taught in such a way and wrapped them up with the weaving of Judaism far and beyond what the law meant, that this prejudice was ingrained within them.

And so, Peter's coming to a point in his life where he's going to see that God not only is going to pour out his Spirit on the Jews, but also on the Gentiles, his love and his grace, and set him free even more.

And it's interesting how Peter kind of reverts back to the old Peter some years ago, as he reacts to what the Lord does to him. There was a certain man in Caesarea, now that's some thirty miles up the coast, north of Joppa.

In fact, there's a tremendous city, great excavation going on there, and that's another place we visit. There's an amphitheater there that we usually have a Bible study in, and it's quite possible that the place there in Caesarea is where Paul gave his testimony and his defense before Festus in the book of Acts.

Later on, we'll come to that. But here he goes to a man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a Roman centurion of the band called the Italian band. So, remember, Rome ruled the world. Rome was ruling Palestine, and this powerful, and they were men of very extreme high character to be a centurion.

They would rule over one hundred of the top soldiers, or the marines of the Roman army. They would have servants of their own, extremely wealthy and of high character. You remember back in Luke chapter seven, some ten years earlier, there was a Roman centurion that had said he was a devout man, he worshipped God, he gave much alms to the Jewish people.

In fact, he even built them a synagogue. And he had a slave in his household that was extremely ill, ready to die. And he sent his servants to Jesus Christ. And remember, they came to Jesus Christ and they said, the centurion, our master has sent us to thee.

His slave is dying, and he would ask you if you might do something for him. And Jesus responded after he heard that they, you know, this Roman centurion had done so much for his people. You remember in Matthew chapter ten, I think verse forty-two, and then later on in chapter twenty-five, verse forty, Jesus teaches that if you give so much as a drink of water to the least of these my servants, one of these little ones, you've done it unto me, you will not lose your reward.

And then later on in the end of Matthew, he says, if you've done this unto the least of these my servants, you've done it unto me. And so Jesus reacts to the love of this centurion and responds because of his attitude towards the Jewish people, even though he's ruling over them for the Roman Empire.

His decency and his love and his searching for God, even though it may be an ignorant, he was searching for God. And he heard about Jesus Christ, and so Jesus responded so quickly, just as he will to each one of us, just as he will to you, whatever your need may be, if you cry out to him.

How quickly he responds because of his love for all of us. So he goes on his way back, and the centurion, before he even sees Jesus, as he hears that Jesus is approaching, he says, you know, he sends out some more servants, he says, Master, Lord, I'm not worthy that you'd even enter into my home.

So the high regard that he had for this Jewish Messiah. And so there was a man, there was a humility and a beauty about this man, even though he had authority, and he sends a message to Jesus, I'm not worthy that thou would come into my home, and I have power and authority, and I tell this soldier to go here.

I tell this servant to do this, and he does it, and I know you have that same authority, that same power, far superior to mine. If you'll just speak the word, I'm not worthy that you'd come into my home, but if you'll just speak the word, I know that my servant will be healed.

And Jesus just marveled at this man, this centurion, and so he spoke, and he healed the slave, the servant. Jesus made the statement, I have not seen such faith, not ever, in the whole state of Israel.

I haven't seen this kind of faith that this Gentile has within my own people. So the character of these people. Now, here's another Roman centurion in Caesarea. Now, here's a man who is devout. He is not of the Jewish faith.

He's not a Christian. More than likely, you see, he's worshiping Aphrodite, Diana, Zeus, or one of the many pagan Roman gods, and yet he's devout. He's sincere, but sincerely deceived, and it's interesting how God, when someone is searching for him in something false with all of their heart, how Jesus Christ will reveal himself to whoever.

It doesn't matter what kind of a cult or false religion, until someone has really heard the truth concerning Jesus Christ, and everything that ached for God, how Jesus responds to that. And so here we have this devout man, one that feared God with all of his house.

So his servants, the soldiers under him, maybe he was married, but he had this tremendous devotion to God with everybody around him, and they responded to him. He was such an example. He gave alms to the people, much alms, and he prayed to God always.

God’s Providence in Cornelius’s Vision

He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius. So some three o 'clock in the afternoon, as he's praying to a God that he doesn't know, to a false God, and here Satan is thinking he has this man trapped in all the pantheism of Rome, yet his heart is yearning, his heart is searching.

He sincerely deceives, and Jesus Christ gives him a vision. God's going to open his eyes and reveal himself to him, and it's interesting how he's going to work. And God usually does do something like that, working in two places at the same time setting up such wonderful, what we would call coincidences.

Always working usually with both parties at a distance. So when he looked upon him, he was afraid, and he said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thy alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Your sincerity has reached the throne of God. I believe that if we are sincere with all of our, no matter what our sin is, what our failure, what our fears, what our experience, if we're sincerely seeking God, he is so faithful to be there.

Remember, Jesus said, and I love this, He who comes unto me I will in no wise cast out. And I don't know what your problem is tonight, or your situation, but if you have a desperate need, and you really do need help from God, if you will cry out to Jesus Christ before this night is over, he'll respond to you if you're sincere.

That's how much he loves you, and he has the power to help you, to impart his grace to you. So thy prayers have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.

He lodges with one Simon a Tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And so here God's working, and as he's working in Caesarea, he's going to respond to this Roman centurion.

He's going to work at the same time 30 miles to the south with Peter. And I like that about God, the omnipresence and the omnipotence of God that can work all over the world all at once. We have to get to a telephone, get to a computer, send e-mail.

We think e-mail is fast. God's a lot faster than e-mail. In fact, I'm really not into it. Everybody in the church is into their computers, and it's just amazing the technology. And they keep saying, Bill, have you got a laptop yet?

Are you into it yet? I said, no, I'm not into it yet. I just don't even want to go into the learning curve. I just, my Bible's enough. And so my only, you know, my only defense is if I can find a computer that's faster than the Holy Ghost, I'll start getting into it.

That's my only defense. And I haven't found a computer yet that can go faster and quicker at the same distance as the Holy Spirit can. And so here he's working 30 miles apart. When the angel which spoke unto Cuneus was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them, and waited on him continually.

And when he declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey in July unto the city, Peter went up upon the house, talked to pray about the six hour.

That would be 12 noon, Jewish time. Now, it's interesting, again, still they maintain many of their Jewish traditional times of prayer. Morning, noon, and afternoon prayer. 3 p .m. in the afternoon, when the afternoon, the evening, or the afternoon sacrifice is taking place on the temple in Jerusalem, they still maintain many of those traditions.

Remember, it's only been about 8 to 10 years after Pentecost. And just because somebody is born again and comes out of his old religion, is filled with the Spirit of God, and has the gifts of the Spirit, that doesn't mean that God's going to go in and turn him inside out, and then correct everything, wash all the tradition out immediately.

And all of a sudden, they see clearly, God is very patient with us. Just as he's been with many of you. He's been patient with you, he's been patient with me. I can recall the denomination I came out of, and it wasn't instantaneous that I just quit and dropped some of the excess baggage that isn't even biblical that I'd been taught for holiness and sanctification.

Thank God that God was patient, and it didn't stop God from blessing me, because I still maintained some of those things out of fear, because of what holy men had drained in me in that denomination. But praise the Lord for reading the Bible.

And God begins to work in the Spirit of God like water, that living water begins to flush out and replace with the truth. And as Jesus said, who the Son makes free is free indeed. And you begin to know the truth.

It's the same as it was then. So, as Peter went out to pray, he was very hungry, would have eaten, but while they made ready, he fell into a trance. So, he's not given a vision, maybe like Cornelius, but he goes into some kind of a trance as he's praying.

Peter’s Vision of the Clean and Unclean

"...and he 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 earth. Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord. Now, remember some 13 years or 12 years earlier, when Jesus was saying he must go to the cross and he was going to give his life, Peter immediately said, Not so, Lord, and began to rebuke the Lord and actually, in his ignorance, try to stop the redemption of man.

How quickly, you see, we can go from revelation to our own stupidity. And I can relate to it so easily. Remember earlier than that, just a day earlier, moments earlier, Jesus said, Who do men say that I am?

And Peter brought it out suddenly. He said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And he said, That's correct, Peter, but flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. It's not your own understanding, your knowledge.

This is divine revelation, but my Father which is in heaven. And he said, And upon this statement, upon this declaration, this revelation that you've been given the church, the church will be built upon that rock, that declaration.

I am the Son of God. The church is based on Jesus Christ, his deity. You're a little stone. You're Petros. But this Petra, this massive, wonderful Petra rock and foundation. And then shortly thereafter, maybe still flushed with his revelation, he's trying to stop the redemption of man.

He's telling, tell you what? Not so, Lord. You're not going to the cross. No suffering. Well, I'm not into that doctrine. And remember, as he went on, he denied the Lord three times. And this is what I find interesting.

When Jesus restored Peter in that perfect love before all, showing the other apostles what they make the mistake that they will. God could never use Peter again. He denied him. He failed. So what does Jesus do in his perfect love?

He takes Peter before the rest of the apostles in the Galilee before he returns to the father and he recommissioned Peter in a loving, wonderful way before them all that they would see it. That God's not finished with the managers because he failed.

Because Peter truly was broken. He truly was broken. It wasn't the tears of Esau. He wasn't sorry for something lost like Judas and so tormented, committed suicide. No, he was broken for what he'd done.

He denied his Lord and it broke his heart. And there was true repentance. And so Jesus restored him before them all. And it's interesting. He said, Peter, love is found me because Peter denied him three times, you recall.

And so Jesus drew him back into fellowship. Love is found me. And remember when he said, your whole heart down the most that I love thee, he said, now feed my lambs or make sure you have a good Sunday school.

If you're going to feed my sheep, the most important thing is the little lambs. That's the next generation. Then he said, love is found me, Peter. He says, now tend my sheep, take care of them, feed them.

And then the third time he recommissioned them. Now, I really believe that the Lord dropped the sheet three times and probably the third time Peter saying, oh, no, here I go again. Here I go again. I mean, he could have dropped it once, I'm sure, but three times he lowered it because that tendency in Peter to blurt out the impulse of them because I don't understand it.

Not so, Lord. I'm not going to do it. It's not right. I'm going to be a faithful Jew, even though I believe in you. And so he dropped it three times. Then it was received up into heaven. Peter had been instructed what I call clean.

Don't you call unclean. And the Lord wasn't referring to food here, even though there was a dietary laws of the Jewish people. The Spirit of God had changed that the church after Pentecost. And if you look at Paul's writing and you can pray over anything, eat whatever you want.

Maggots, Doritos, peanut butter cups. I mean, depending on what culture you're in to be a faithful missionary is to eat what's put before you. And certainly you do learn to pray. I've been in places where I prayed, really prayed.

I prayed in my understanding. I prayed in tongues. Prayed so long it got cold, but I'll tell you, I survived and it blessed the people I was with. And so what he's saying here is now you've got this. You're starting to fellowship with Jews within your own society.

You know, you're breaking down the caste system. So to speak, but you still have something about another race that's down deep inside. We're going to deal with it. And you see, there is no room for that.

Is there in the body of Christ? There's absolutely no room for that in the body of Christ, because we're all from Adam and the last Adam came to redeem us all. We're all created in God's image. He says God is no respecter of persons.

He loves everybody equally in every race. Every type of person is important in God's eyes and equal. And so God will deal with that. Here it is in Peter. Peter's never had to deal with it. It's just for all these years.

And again, spirit filled gifts of the spirit operating his life. Ten years after Pentecost. Yes, this deep, ingrained thing down deep inside. And God's saying now we're going to deal with it. And it could be there's something in your life that may not be prejudiced.

That may not. It may be something else in your life God's never even dealt with yet. And you've been filled with the spirit for so many years. And now God's beginning to put the pressure on your life in some area.

And it's time to yield. It's time to be free from it. You've had it buried down inside, kind of like Achan. And you remember in the book of Joshua, that thing he had buried has stopped everybody from moving forward.

It could be stopping the blessings of your family, your home, your own life. And God's saying now it's time to deal with it. I want to set you free. And so it's time for Peter. Well, Peter doubted himself what this vision which he had seen should mean.

Peter Meets Cornelius

Behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate. Peter's probably still up there wondering what to eat, you know, and what he should do. I'm sure he's not exactly sure.

When you drop that sheet, it reminded me I heard something pretty interesting today that about the pandas that walked into the restaurant to get something to eat. Did you have? I don't know if you've heard that story.

I'm certain I haven't shared it with you. There's this luncheon place or, you know, like a delicatessen in the city of Rochester. And it's that place where everybody, all the yuppies run out every day about 12 o 'clock at the same time.

The people from Kodak and Bosch and Long. And they all kind of knew each other. And they're all in there having lunch, a quick 40-minute lunch before they go back for the afternoon work. And they're all sitting there eating and a panda walks in.

Walks up to the counter and orders a salad and a glass of water. Eats the salad, drinks the water, pulls out a gun and blasts the ceiling. Empties the pistol in the ceiling. Bam! Bam! Bam! Just eight shots.

Gets up and walks out. Everybody's screaming, hitting the floor. What the heck is going on? Why'd that panda do that? Can't figure that out. And they all leave. Makes the papers. The next day they come back and they're still talking about lunchtime again, you know.

And they drift in for their lunch and they're talking. Says, man, wasn't it a crazy thing? Never saw anything like that in my life. A panda coming in here eating like that and then shooting holes in the ceiling and walking out.

And the owner says, well, I did a little research. I can understand. There's nothing new about that. We should expect that with a panda. They said, why? What do you mean? What are you talking about? That's not normal.

Said, look, pandas, it's normal. I got to thinking about that. I went and got an encyclopedia Britannica. I looked up panda. It says it's an animal. It's from China. It says it eats, leaves, shoots or eats, shoots and leaves.

Eats, shoots and leaves. So now they're standing before the gate and they called and they asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. And while Peter thought on the vision, the spirit said unto him, Behold, three men to you.

Notice how God working up and the spirit of God is a personality is a person with a voice. So you have this third person of the Trinity. Speaking audibly arise, therefore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing for I have sent them.

So the deity and the personality of the Holy Spirit working in this. And then Peter went down to the members who sent unto him from Cornelius, and he said, Behold, I am he whom you seek. What is the cause whereof you are come?

And he said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man and one that fear of God and of good report. Man, is that something a man that had such a good report? Now, the Jews hated Rome because they were under the dominion of Rome.

They lost the sepulchre. They lost the authority of their own nation. But this man was such an example, just in his devotion to seeking God. He was an example to the whole nation. He had good report with regard that we would live such a way that all who knew us would say there's such a good report about that person, a good report among all the nation of the Jews.

And he was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee unto his house, and to hear words of thee. And then called he them and lodged them. And on the morrow, Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea, so up the coast they go, Peter being obedient. And Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And so here's this whole contingent of Gentiles, and Peter's finally in his life.

He's going to have to deal with it. God's working in his life. And as he was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him, just to give him homage. He had such a high regard.

And certainly because he had a vision and an angel appeared, and here he comes up the coast, he's overwhelmed. And most pagans do get overwhelmed, and they bow down before humans. And notice Peter didn't say, here, kiss my reign, or stick his foot out and say, kiss my big toe.

I'm the Pope. He's a true servant of God. Peter took him up, saying, stand up. I myself also am a man. It's a terrible thing what's happened in the church, and it happens a lot, I think, with maybe baby Christians, immature Christians.

As they begin to see God using somebody, they become more enamored with the instrument that God is using than God himself, because they haven't learned to walk by faith, and so much is by what they see.

And so they see the man or the woman, the instrument that God's using for his own glory, and the man or the woman may be being faithful also in the ministry, but don't ever allow someone to put you on a pedestal, because God has ways of knocking us off.

That's the tragedy of the church. God began to use people in the church, and they allowed themselves to be placed on the pedestal, and then they're being called reverend. And the Bible says there's only one person who's reverend, and that's God.

It says, holy and reverend is his name. So then he made a little higher pedestal, and then it's the right reverend. Then he got a little higher pedestal, and they liked that height, and so they allowed themselves to be called the very right reverend, and the very holy right reverend.

Then they start calling them cardinals and blue jays and robins and all the other things. It's a tragedy that these men have allowed that to happen and allowed people to do that, but in the early church, true servants of God will not allow that.

There's only one person that should be exalted, and that's Jesus Christ. That's our precious Lord. He's holy. He's reverend, and so Peter quickly refuses homage or adoration or adulation. He refuses to allow somebody who is ignorant to place him on a pedestal, just because God is using him.

He refuses to touch the glory, and as he talked with him, he went in and he found many that were come together, so now he's exposed to the Gentiles. A Jew mingling with the Gentiles, and only the Holy Spirit could cause a man to do that.

God Shows No Partiality

Again, there can be such ingrained prejudices and fears, but it's only the Spirit of God, the love of God breaks down every barrier there is. It says perfect love casts out all fear. It says he who fears is not made perfect in love.

The wonderful love of Jesus can cause us to mingle with anybody in his grace. He said unto them, you know how that is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or to come unto one of another nation, but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

And again, the thing that just strikes me, this is ten years after Pentecost, so it shows you even though you may be filled with the Spirit, have the gifts of the Spirit, it takes a lot longer to start to develop the fruit of the Spirit, which is love.

Many people get tongues, have miracles in their lives, can prophesy, teach, have the gift of help to do many, many things, and still not have love. And Paul devotes that whole wonderful chapter in 1 Corinthians 13, the greatest is love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. That's the love that God has for all of us. And he's asking us to have that kind of love for each other, the love of Jesus. And there's no such thing as a common person.

There's a common face for every person, as you tell us. There's no such thing, though, as a common person in the eyes of God. And that means that everybody here, you see, you are very valuable, very important in the scheme of things.

God loves you, has a plan for your redemption. He has plans to bless you. His thoughts towards you are precious. It says, His thoughts towards you are more than the sand of the sea. Now, stop and think how many grains of sand there are in all the seas and the beaches.

Here's some folks right here that have quite a bit just where they live, just up and down the coast of Florida. But that's just one tiny little area. Now, just stop and think, how many different thoughts do you think you could have?

Try and spend the next hour with a different thought every second. Try to spend the next 24 hours with absolute new thoughts for 24 hours without repeating yourself with a thought. We are still in. But God, his thoughts toward you are more than the sand of the sea.

He knows more about you, cares more about you than you can even conceive. The sand of the sea. Beside that, it says His mercies are new every morning. Now, stop a minute. Come up with a new mercy tomorrow.

Have somebody do something against you. Start to check. Get your list out. Think of new mercy every single moment for somebody who's done something against you. Don't repeat the mercy. How much new mercy can you design?

We get to a point and say, that's it. No more mercy. You've done it. You've pulled the plug on it. Now, that's it. No more mercy. God's mercies are new every morning. He has even given you the same mercy since you've been born again.

He hasn't given us what we deserve since we've been born again. He's given us mercy and new mercy. He's given you new mercy today and he'll give you new mercy tonight. He'll give you new mercy tomorrow if you need it.

They're new every morning. What a wonderful Lord. Wonderful God. And he doesn't see anybody unclean, because with his touch, you see, he can make whole. He can cleanse. Therefore, came I unto you without gain, saying, As soon as I was sent for, I asked, therefore, for what intent you have sent for me.

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. I really believe truly that this man was sincere in giving aid, building synagogues and seeing something in the Jewish religion, seeing the example of maybe a Jewish believer, that God honored that.

And he did. Whoever he gave that cup of cold water to as a Roman centurion, not having any prejudice or bigotry. And here's a pagan. He wasn't of the household of faith. He wasn't of the Jewish race. But Jesus rewarded that.

And that's why I believe it doesn't matter what culture, what jungle, what maze of buildings in the city caught up. If someone's heart begins to try out and consider and seek after God. No matter what Satan tries to deceive, if that heart is sincere in yearning, Jesus Christ is there to rescue us.

We're the brand plucked out of the fire. Remember, the Bible speaks of us as a brand plucked out of a fire. How many of you would stick your hand in a fire to get a burning brand, nothing but a piece of old, burnt, charred wood?

Do you think it's worth it? How many here would do that? You saw a dirty, twisted piece of wood glowing red, white, hot in a fire, and you see something valuable in that old piece of dirty, burning wood, would stick your hand in the fire and pull it out simply so it wouldn't burn up.

You see, that's what God did for you and I. We're the brands plucked out of the fire. The fires of hell that we're facing, the wrath that comes because we're damned. We're outside of Christ, and God in his love and mercy leads us down to put his hand and pulls us out, worthless as we were, because he saw something wonderful, what he could do with his love, his regeneration, his salvation.

And so, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard. 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 the Tanner by the seaside, who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

And 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? I want to hear.

Peter Proclaims Jesus as Lord of All

And 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 seareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all.

He is the Prince of Peace. He preaches peace. I like what it says about Jesus. You remember in the synagogue, I think it's in Luke, when Jesus spoke and it says that after he was finished, they said, We've never heard such gracious words.

He spoke with such peace, such love, as he read Isaiah chapter 61, verse 1, declaring who he was, the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. And after they heard, they said, We've never heard such gracious speech.

Now, stop and think. Again, if you know this, I think I've shared this before. The Jews have cyclical readings. They have seasons where they read through the Torah every year through their seasons in the synagogue.