Do you remember last week’s story of how Peter came down from the rooftop and went with three guides to the house of Cornelius, the Roman centurion? He got a wonderful welcome there, and everyone was eager to hear the message God had given Peter. In fact, Cornelius was so delighted that he knelt down at Peter’s feet to worship him! Peter immediately told him, Stand up! I also am a man!
Perhaps you need to learn that lesson too. Our message for you is important if it comes from God, and it would be wise for you to look in your Bible to see if our message is true. Don’t worship the messenger, no matter who the messenger is or what clothes he wears.
Cornelius said to Peter, We are here to listen to everything that God commanded you.
Here was Peter, who was Jewish, looking at that roomful of Romans, who were Gentiles, and the first thing he told them was, God is no respecter of persons. This was something Peter had just learned when God had given him the vision of a great sheet let down from heaven with all kinds of animals, birds and creeping things in it. God had told him, “Rise, Peter; kill, and eat”!
Peter had said, Not so, Lord, but the Lord had not made a mistake. Up until then the Jewish people could only eat what God called “clean animals,” but the Gentiles ate all those creatures in that great sheet. Now the Jews and Gentiles could eat the same thing.
God is no respecter of persons. Are you Jewish? Are you Gentile? Are you little or big? Are you black or white? Are you from the east or from the west? God has no favorites. Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)), and He has no other door for sinners to enter heaven no matter who you are. This was hard for Peter to learn, and maybe it is hard for you to learn too.
Peter told them that God had commanded him to preach the peace of Jesus Christ who is Lord of all. Jesus, raised from the dead, is ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead, and through His name, whoever (Jew or Gentile) believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.
This was astounding news to the Romans who were listening that day, and they believed it. This Jesus, whom the Romans had crucified, was the Judge of the living and the dead! This did not frighten them because the Judge Himself was their Saviour.
And then the Holy Spirit came from heaven to live within them. They praised the God who had saved them. Peter saw no reason why they should not be baptized, and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
He stayed a few days, but nobody was worshipping Peter. They were a happy group of believers, with the power of the Holy Spirit within them. They understood that this was all really God’s plan and not Peter’s. Peter was only the messenger.
You may read this whole account in your Bible in Acts, chapter 10.
ML-12/05/2010