This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson \”Faith Comes By Hearing and Hearing By The Word\”, 10/18/2015

FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD

 

Acts 10:24-38

 

 

A CHANGE OF HEART

This story starts with a vision from God to a Roman soldier who loved God and was generous to the poor. Because of his prayers, his love for God and his love for the poor,

God made available to him the preaching of  the Gospel through the Apostle Peter.

At that time, Jews were still holding on to their law that they could not fellowship

with Gentiles (anyone who was not a Jew).

 

Prior  to the visit to Cornelius, a Roman soldier, God visited Peter in a vision.

God had to break down the belief in Peter\’s mind that the Jews were better than

Gentiles. God made it known to Peter that He was no respecter of people, and

the Gospel of Salvation was available to all who would believe.  Acts 10:1-23

 

 

A REWARD FOR GODLINESS AND LOVE

V:24. \” The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.\”

1. You have to expect that God will do what He says He will do.
2. The Christian life ought to be one of happy expectations.
3. We ought to get up in the morning expecting God to do something special in our

lives.

1. We should be so excited about God, that we share our excitement with friends and

relatives.

1. People around us need the Word just as much as we do.
2. We get excited when our favorite team wins. Why not get excited about Jesus?
3. With Jesus, we are always on the winning side.
4. We know that the battle has already been won, so that should be the source of

our joy.

 

WORSHIP GOD ONLY

V: 25-26. \” As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. \”Stand up,\” he said, \”I am only a man myself.\”

1. No preacher or teacher should be reverenced.
2. We are all equal servants in God\’s eyes.
3. The only person we should bow down to is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
4. All believers have a job to do and are at different stages of spiritual development.
5. We all have been given the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:18
6. Some of us are new to the ministry and some are mature.
7. The older mature Christians ought to teach the younger Christians.
8. Peter was teaching respect of God and not man.

 

ASSEMBLY OF THE SAINTS

V:27-29. \” Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: \”You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.\”

1. When you have been trained in the Word, you should live by the Word.
2. One of the things we find common in Peter and Cornelius is obedience to the

Word of God.

1. God said, and they both acted upon the Word.
2. God said, and they both acted immediately upon the Word.
3. God said, and they both believed the Word.
4. You never know what ministry God has for you when you visit the lost.
5. A large crowd of people in the dark need to hear the word of truth

from you about the light that is Jesus Christ.

1. To much is given, much is required.
2. We get much preaching and much teaching in the Church.
3. God expects us to do much sharing of the Word outside the walls of the Church.
4. All us have a testimony of what we use to be.
5. All of us have a testimony of how God change our heart to focus on Him and His

Word.

1. It is the sharing of our testimonies that encourages and uplifts others.
2. We have not always been right. We got a history of being wrong.
3. People need to know that it is Jesus that makes a difference in our lives.

 

OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD

V:29-32. \” So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?\” 30 Cornelius answered: \”Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, \’Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.\”

1. Sometimes God will send us some where or direct us to do something without giving

the reason for His command.

1. When you meditate on the Word and are open to hear from God, He will give

insight and enlightenment when your mind is on the Word.

1. You will notice that both Peter and Cornelius were in prayer when they got a

vision from God concerning important activities in their lives.

1. Their prayers were prayers of devotion.
2. Their prayers were prayers of service.
3. Their prayers were on a regular basis.
4. They had a lifestyle of prayer.
5. God is every where, all the time and knows what you need when you need it.
6. God prepares the hearts of people to hear a Word from Him through you.
7. God chooses the time of our conversion.
8. God chooses the place of our conversion.
9. God chooses the person who will be the first to preach the Gospel to us.

 

A CALL TO PREACH

V: 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.\”

1. There is a window of opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord.
2. Tomorrow is not promised to us.
3. The Word of the Lord is so important that we need to move immediately to

listen to the man of God proclaiming His word.

1. It is God who gives the preacher a Word to give to His people.
2. Peter knew that he was speaking to a group of people who knew God,

but had not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1. There are Churches on every corner who have different beliefs about God, Jesus

and the Holy Spirit.

1. There are many who believe in God, but have no knowledge of the saving Grace

of Jesus Christ.

1. There are many who believe that God is God and Jesus is the son created by

God.

1. It is the Job of the preacher to teach that God is the Father and Jesus is the Son but

equal with the Father.

1. Jesus said that I am one with the Father.
2. It is the job of the preacher to proclaim the Gospel of salvation through faith

in the atoning blood of Jesus.

 

A TESTIMONY

V: 34-35. \” Then Peter began to speak: \”I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.\”

1. One of the main doctrines of God the Father is that we are all equal.
2. The Word states, that there is none righteous, no not one.
3. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
4. God\’s example to Peter in his vision was one of foods that the Jews held to be

unclean.

1. It was true under the Law that some foods and animals were considered unclean, but

not true under Grace.

1. Jesus death under the Law fulfilled all the requirements of the Law.
2. Jesus death freed us from the penalty of the Law.
3. The Law was unforgiving, but Grace is all forgiving.
4. The Law condemns, but Grace saves.
5. Peter preached the keeping of God\’s commands.
6. Jesus said if you love me, keep my commands.  John 14:15
7. Jesus said, if you love me, love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
8. We have peace with God through the atoning blood of Jesus.

 

PREACH THE GOSPEL

V: 37-38. \” You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.\”

1. To bring salvation to the World, God followed His perfect plan that was published

in the Old Testament hundreds of years earlier.

1. Isaiah 40:3-5 is the prophecy of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus Christ

( 700 BC).

1. Isaiah 53 is the prophecy of coming of the Messiah,  Jesus Christ to be the blood

sacrifice for the sins of man (700 BC).

1. The Old Testament contains the complete record of God\’s plan of redemption.
2. Peter preached the fulfillment of God\’s Plan of Redemption in the crucified Christ.
3. Peter knew Jesus through the prophecies about Him, the witness of His miracles

and the witness of His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

1. Peter had a solid foundation in the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
2. It is up to us to study and meditate on the Word Of God for ourselves.
3. God has a mission for each of us.
4. He communicates to us through prayer,
5. He communicates to us through others devoted to Christ.
6. We must at all times be open to a word from God.
7. We are blessed when we serve others.

 

 

SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

 

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church