Conversion Stories - Acts 10

The story of Cornelius isn't one that can be thoroughly discussed in just 15 minutes. But we gave it our best shot! It's an amazing story of the gospel of Jesus being taken to the Gentiles and a devout, God-fearing man, anxious to receive it. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Hello and welcome back to Cultivating Growth. We want to thank everyone for joining us again this week. We are going to be in Acts chapter 10. Today we're going to be talking about the conversion story of Cornelius. Normally, being the last episode of the month, we would have a guest in with us. And believe it or not, we did, but we had some technical issues. And uh so unfortunately, that episode is not going to be released. And so today you get just Jeremy and I talking about Acts chapter 10 and the story of Cornelius. So we hope you'll join us as we study and we'll get right to the conversation.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Well, John, we've been this month in the book of Acts, kind of spending some time and looking at specific conversions as we have in Acts chapter 2, and in Acts chapter 8 and 9, and now in Acts chapter 10. I kind of want to start, you know, just by throwing out the caveat that this is not the only conversion stories, you know, in the book of Acts. It is really from the very beginning to the very end. It is a book filled with stories of conversions. And there are a lot of differences, and we've seen differences from Acts chapter 2 with thousands of people being involved, to, you know, Acts chapter 8 with just a kind of one-on-one scenario. And that'll be a similar kind of thing here, even though there are friends and family involved with Cornelius as well. But even though there are certainly some differences, there's been some key similarities. And the biggest key similarity is that Jesus is at the forefront of all this. So we'll talk more about that as we dig into it, but that will certainly continue to be the case here in Acts chapter 10. This story is a unique one in another way, in that it is now the Gentiles that are coming on the scene. And that was always God's plan, not anything new. It was always his plan. You can think about that even going all the way back to the promises made to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. But when we think about this story, it's certainly character-driven. Cornelius plays a big role. Peter himself plays a big role, and then certainly their interaction together. So we'll kind of take those in order as we see them here in Acts chapter 10, and we'll talk about maybe some significant things that stands out to us about Cornelius, and then about Peter, and then some significance about their interaction. So we'll start with Cornelius himself. You think about the way he's introduced to us, you know, just uh from his perspective, you know, what are some of the things that stand out to you?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

There's a few things right off the bat that stand out. Number one, as you mentioned, he's a Gentile, and that uh detail is called attention to early on. But really, I think the thing that stands out more than anything for me is how good of a man Cornelius is and how intentional the Holy Spirit is in describing him that way early on. In verse 2, we're told that he's a devout man, one who feared God with all his household. He gave alms generously to the people, prayed to God always. Later on, we're told that he was fasting and praying. I mean, this is a man who is serious about his relationship with God, his worship of God, and he is a righteous, devout man, somebody that would be respected, and somebody that would be admired. And the fact that we're told that immediately as a way of describing Cornelius really sets up the rest of this story, because on the surface, it would seem as if this was a man who was already one of God's children. This was a man who was ready to go and bring others to Christ, not one who still needed the gospel taught to him. But I think that is really an important part of kind of what's going to unfold next, is understanding that Cornelius was already inclined to worship God, already inclined to be a righteous, devout man, and that really is going to be the stepping stone that we're going to need to follow as we go through this story to see that even given all of these wonderful qualities, there was still something Cornelius needed. There was still something lacking, and that's where God and Peter are going to step in for this man.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

We talked about this briefly, just briefly last week. We kind of touched on it in the story of Paul, and as he as we see that story unfold in Acts chapter 9, and then he recounts it for us a couple of times later on in the book of Acts. That we made the point that, you know, you you had someone uh different for certainly, you know, for sure, but you had someone after, you know, Jesus comes to him and he he uh clearly saw then believe that he had a uh an interaction with Jesus there on the road to Damascus, and he is uh he's fasting, he's praying, and he's doing so for days, but yet when he comes in contact with Ananias, there's still more uh that was in it. We talked about that briefly. Well, we see that again here on a little bit different level, but we do see that. And one thing that stands out to me with Cornelius is you have this man who was clearly religious. He was giving alms, we we learn, he's praying always, the text tells us in in verse two of chapter ten. But yet he's told that listen, there's more to be known, there's more to learn, there's more come that you know, there's more that you need. And he is excited, urgent, uh he's all in on what that more is, and and he's interested in that big time. And even when we we'll talk to it when we get to the end, but when he does come in contact with Peter, it it's it's like the formalities are out of the way very quickly, and he's like, Hey, let's get to what that more is. And I think that says something about him because he knows he has a r you know that he is a religious person, but yeah, when he finds out that there's more, that is what he's looking for, and I think that's a great attitude, really, for e even for us to adopt.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Yeah, when this angel appears to Cornelius in a vision and and tells him that you need to send for Simon and and verse six, and he'll tell you what you must do, I I think you make a really good point. I think sometimes we we could potentially find ourselves in a situation where that would be almost off-putting to us. What do you mean, tell me what I need to do? Look at what I'm already doing. I'm I'm ten times better than most of the people out here are. Why don't you go tell them what they need to do? I've I've kind of got this down. I'm doing a good job. That's not Cornelius' attitude at all. Right. He he's he immediately sends for Peter. He hey, if there's more than I need to be doing, let's talk about it. I'm I'm ready. And so that that should be our attitude as well, is as we study the Bible and as we learn more about God and what it means to be in a relationship with him. If we realize that there is more to do, or if someone brings to our attention that there is more to do, I'm excited about that. I I I wanna I want to do it. I I understand what it me what it means to be in a relationship with God. And so if there's more that I need to do, then I'm ready to do that. That should be the attitude that we have. And so I think Cornelius sets a really good example for us to follow in that regard.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Yeah, it's that attitude of whether it's each in every day or it's each at every moment. It it I'm I'm striving to get closer to God. Whatever that looks like, whatever that takes, uh that's what I want. I I want if I'm close to God, I want to be closer to God. If I'm closer to God, I want to be even closer to God. And you know, we see that biblically. I mean, we see that with Moses. Uh, you know, it's an example we'll we'll often use. You know, there's a hymn that we sing, a nearer still nearer, that I really, really like, that conveys that same idea, that it is it's ever nearer. That that's what I'm searching for. And I feel like that's where Cornelius is. And so you have this, you know, you this man who is so interested in getting closer to God, and then for a second we leave him, and now we come to Peter, who is really close to God. One of you know the apostles up to this point, you know, we've seen him already. We've talked about him in Acts chapter two. He is preaching the gospel, uh, he continues to do so. And like Philip was called basically by God in Acts eight to go to the eunuch, that that's what's ultimately going to happen here with Peter. But it is a bit different because I think sometimes we we miss the difficulty of it a little bit, that what God is asking Peter to do sounds very simple. Yep. But there is a challenge to it, and I think God understood that there's a challenge to it because of the way that he communicated here with Peter.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Yeah, he needed to give Peter very clear indication that, yes, I am in fact sending you to a Gentile, and I know what I'm doing by making this request of you. And and Peter needed to hear that. And we we know that Peter has some issues with how he interacts with the Jews and the Gentiles. Uh, Paul is going to rebuke him in Galatians for some of the hypocrisy that he is showing around the Gentiles. And so we know that this is a particularly uh important issue for Peter and one that he struggles with. And so God makes it very clear in this vision that he's going to give to Peter of the sheet and the animals coming down, that God determines who is clean and who is unclean. God determines what is clean and what is unclean, not Peter. Right. And so if God says, go teach the Gentiles, you go teach the Gentiles, that's a decision that God has made. It is not one for Peter to make. And then, of course, we get, which is almost kind of comical, God shows this vision to him three times. Yep. You know, not he wants to make sure, Peter, you understand what I'm saying, right? I don't want there to be any confusion around this. And so he sees it once, he sees it twice, he sees it a third time, and then we get the indication that Peter understands and he's ready to go.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yeah, and you know, at the end kind of of this interaction, you know, he's told that there's there's men that are going to be coming. You know, the end of the Cornelius section, kind of at the you know, at the beginning, it is immediately Cornelius is sending uh, you know, men that are there with him to go get Peter, and God tells Peter that listen, there are men coming, and I think it's interesting in verse 20 when he says, you know, you you go down and you go with them, doubting nothing. You you you don't have to be concerned, you don't have to, you know, you know, be concerned with this in any capacity. And I think that goes to your point that sometimes we miss he he showed him this three times. And and that is to reiterate this guy God speaking, I'm the one who determines clean and unclean. I'm the one who determines salvation or not salvation. I'm the one that determines these things. And the Gentiles was always going to be a part of the plan. And to Peter's credit here, yeah, you you're right. He certainly continues with some struggles down the line, but to his credit here, he goes. Yeah. And you know, the end of this story is a a significant interaction, you know, that Peter has with Cornelius. So now that we're kind of at that, they find each other, where are a couple things maybe that stands out about that?

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Well, one, i the the the pattern that we saw early on with Cornelius of being sincere in his desire to serve God continues once Peter arrives. He he is excited to welcome Peter into his home. There's even this moment where I mean the men fall down to worship Peter almost when he arrives. They're so excited, and Peter is like, hey, stand up. I'm I'm just a man like you. This is not about me. But there's an excitement around all of these things, and they're ready to hear. Peter Cornelius has been told that you have something to tell me, tell me, let's let's hear it. And so the the pattern of sincerity, the pattern of eagerness that we saw early on with Cornelius continues as Peter arrives. And again, I think that is just so heartwarming. It's that's what we should all be like, and that's what we should all desire others to be like as well. If someone is going to teach Jesus, let's be excited and interested about that, and let's look for people in this world who are excited and interested about hearing the message of Jesus. This is one of those stories where there is just no, there's no bad guy, there's no villain, there's just this is just a great story of Peter doing his part to take the gospel to the Gentiles and Cornelius being excited to receive the good news of Jesus. It's just a heartwarming story all the way around.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Yeah, and I think a broader uh kind of theme that we see in the midst of this is even though Peter is now speaking to Gentiles, Jesus and that story, which is the central part about what the gospel is and about what conversion certainly is based upon, was not a Jewish story. It wasn't it there's no adjustment made to now that he's speaking to the Gentiles and the you know the gospel is different or uh the the preaching is different or the teaching is different. It isn't from Acts chapter 2 to Acts chapter 8 to Acts chapter 9. What Peter does here, he speaks about Jesus. He speaks about his life, he speaks about his death, his burial, and his resurrection. And it is that gospel story that worked for the Jews, that works for the Gentiles, that continues to have the power today, and then you see Cornelius and his household responding to it.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Yeah, I mean, I feel like a broken record sometimes over the course of this month because we we keep harping on that point, but it truly is the most important point that can be made, and it's just a reminder to us today that if we want to make disciples in the world today, the only way to do that is to preach about Jesus, his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection. And after you've done it, go do it again. That that has to be the central message that is preached today. We see the power and the effect that it had in the pages of Acts, and I believe wholeheartedly that it can have the same power and effect in the world today. Let's not try to get fancy about it, let's not try to get cute, let's not try to preach something that nobody's ever heard before. We preach the message of Jesus, people respond to that. And they always have and they always will, and then this is just one more reminder of that, as Peter does. Again, nothing complicated about his message. It's very direct, it's Jesus focused, and the result then is the same result that we've seen every time we've studied conversion stories throughout the month. When this message is preached, what happens? People are led then to a decision. What am I gonna do about this? It's the same one that everyone we've talked about this month, and all the ones in the pages of Acts that we haven't talked about. And everyone today, when we hear the story of Jesus, we're faced with a decision. What are we gonna do? And it's the same one that Cornelius faced.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Yeah, and we see in Acts 2 and Acts 8 and Acts 9 in Acts 10 and all the other conversion stories that we can read about in the book of Acts, you're led to the waters of baptism, because the waters of baptism is where your sins are forgiven. And ultimately, that's what's allowing now that relationship with God. And it is only because of the blood of Christ that allows this. And that's why Jesus himself is such a centralized focus, even here in the book of Acts, after he has been ascended into heaven, he still is the centralized focus to everything. And I'll say it as we close for us here, thousands of years later, from even where they were here in the book of Acts, Jesus remains the centralized focus to what the gospel is all about, to what conversion is all about, to what salvation is all about, to what a relationship with God is all about. It remains Jesus focused. And it's just a powerful, powerful thing as we worked our way through a few of the conversion stories here in the book of Acts. Well, we're going to close as we do with the passage, and we'll do so from Acts chapter 10, and we'll kind of make reference to uh towards the end of that when Peter is spending some time with Cornelius and his family, and he has this truth to say specifically about God in verses 34 and 35. It says that Peter opened his mouth and he said, In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

Thank you for listening this week. If you haven't already done so, we'd appreciate it if you would take just a second to subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you're listening and rate and review the show so we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus as widely and effectively as possible. Thanks again for joining us this week, and we'll talk to you again next week.