For All Nations - Live From Brazil

Thank you so much for joining us. As we take a look at the Book of Acts, we take things nice and slowly. As we look and see what God is doing in the big picture of expanding the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. My name is David Humphrey, and I'm the pastoral care and missions pastor here at United City Church in Umbeltexas. We're excited to be your church family while you're incarcerated, but we're gonna be even more excited when you get out and you can come and be a part of our church in person. We love you very much. Please grab your Bible and a journal, perhaps a pen, and be ready to take some notes and let's learn together through the Book of Acts. - All right, for those of you that are joining us tonight, we're so glad that you are going to be with us. We watch this. We've got a whole room full of people that would like to say, "Oh, that's what we have." John, there's a whole room full, and they love you. And we're glad that you joined us. We are back in Acts, chapter 10. And we talked about last week that Acts, chapter 10, is a massive turning point. Like everything changes in the Book of Acts at chapter 10, and it's not gonna be the same all the way through.

I was noticing on our timeline, we've almost been a year in the Book of Acts. So if you might have taken notes, but I am. And so we're getting close to a year, and we've made it to chapter 10, so we're in good order, right? So at chapter 10, is this turning point in the story God is telling. And it begins, it's gotten us just full of visions, and all this sort of stuff we read, the whole thing last week. We're not gonna do that this week, but I encourage you, we're gonna go first by verse as we always do, but this is really a big story. Just a whole chapter itself, with some interesting sort of sub-chapters. But last week, we talked about God who sent an angel messenger to a God-fearing commander named who, Cornelius, right? And he was just out of his regular daily prayers, and when the angel shows up, calls him my name, he lets him know that his prayers have been heard. Not only have his prayers been heard, but what else was heaven taking note of? His alms, in other words, his generosity. It's like, hey, you might be doing that quietly, which we're told to do with our generosity, right? Quiet. We don't need to announce our generosity for everybody.

Hey, you know what I gave you? It's not wrong to share sometimes, because we ought to be doing more generosity, kind of quiet, that we do big amounts. But now as a church, we like to announce and celebrate generosity as a church. The reason why we do that is we want to inspire the people of God to more generosity, and we're gonna be doing more than this fall, guys. We are the church. We have given to some of the most amazing things this summer. You didn't know that you paid for a $10,000 water well that's being drilled in India in an unreached people, an unengaged unreached people group village, did you? You didn't know that, did you? But you did. You gave to that this summer. And so we loved generosity and God loved generosity. And so Cornelius gets the word that, okay, your prayers have been heard, your generosity has been noticed. And so now I'm gonna send a message to you through an earthly messenger who is gonna be what's his name? - Simon. - Simon. But this is Simon Peter. Not gonna be confused with Simon the Tanner

that Simon Peter is staying with, right? So he's trying to get all the logistics really clear. This is who you're gonna be asking for. And so that's what's gonna happen. So then Peter, meanwhile, 35 miles up the road in Japa has just been going about his business, still processing the sister tab of this resurrection that had just happened at his hands. And that wasn't a miracle that Peter had never experienced from his all-in-hands. And then he gives this surprise message from heaven himself. And that's where we are tonight is Peter's surprise message. And it's really kind of wacky here. So we're gonna begin in Acts chapter 10 and read verses nine through 16. So says the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. He began hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance. Saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him,

"Ride is Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him a second time and what God has made clean, do not call common. This happened three times. What is going on here? As this is really cooking. Now, I know that some of us know the story because some of us have got a church background and we all know the danger of being familiar with the scripture. We just kind of let, oh, yeah, I want, yeah, I know this story. That's especially nice. David, let's get on to the next part. But guys, there's so much hidden in this story that we're going to look into. All of what's going on. So of course, when you started verse nine, you've got to see this whole the next day as they were on their journey. Who is on their journey? Carne, carne, carne, I mean, that says. And for me, I guess his guys, right? Remember, he said three. There was one devout guy that he said he said and then to his best man, so he sent them on the 35 mile track to Japa. So they are on their journey the next day and they are approaching the city. And that's where we're like at the meanwhile. So remember, if we're watching a movie, you know, you got seen one going on over here and then seen two pans in, but scene two doesn't know what's happened. It's seen one, right? Because that's happening over here.

Peter doesn't know what's coming. Peter is just going about his business, right? And this business is going up on the house top about the sixth hour to pray. So one thing interesting about this whole sixth hour thing. That wasn't actually a common time to pray. And we know, I mean, the Bible teaches us pray long times and we should do that. But most of us have some sort of a set time that we pray and hopefully we pray in between those set times. But the most common times to pray were actually at nine a.m. and three p.m. Well, the sixth hour is Leonard. OK, so this is not like Peter was necessarily doing what everybody else was doing at the time. Now, it could be that Peter had his own little rhythm that that he always went up at noon. We don't know that far for sure. But what we know is Peter gets an unexpected visit that his not an angel involved this time. But anyway, there it was, the scared obviously had just called him to pray. And all we know from the text is he heads up the stairs. Well, the text doesn't say the stairs, but just like, you know, most of those houses had stairs on the outside and they would climb those outdoor stairs and then they would then they'd get up on the roof top. OK, so he gets up there, climbs the stairs at his at the noon time. He was going to pray. And that's when he gets hungry. Anybody ever said they were going to pray and then they got hungry. And then you get distracted, right? I mean, it happens to me quite rarely because I tend to spend more time praying in the morning than I do other times of the day.

And I'll hug her in the morning. So, you know, I try to get my belly situated before I'm still going to start praying because we know we just get distracted. And so I love this part of the story because God actually uses the distraction of the hunger. It's going to be part of the story, right? Like it's part of what God's going to teach it. So anyway, distractions come. But he's up there praying. And while he is there, says he gets someone to prepare a little something. So it's always nice when you got somebody else that'll make your breakfast or your lunch or whatever it was. But in the meantime, Paul calls it to a trance. Now, I don't know if it's ever been so long or you felt into a trance, but but that's what's happening here. I'm going to just relate it to his hunger. But when it says a trance in verse 10, that's really the same word that we could use for vision, anything like that. So he just suddenly has this this heavenly vision of school. And and his heavenly vision is extremely different than what's happened to Cornelius Cornelius. We had a we had an angel messenger show up calling his name. But what we see in verse 11 here is a bit different. So let's just read it again. It says he fell into a trance verse 10 and saw the heavens opened. And something like a great sheet descending left down by its four corners upon me. And so it's always let's just back it up and look at the submitting. This whole idea of solve the heavens opened thinking. Can anybody think of another time and scripture when that Stephen thank you, Ruth, couldn't even get it out.

She knows Stephen. We saw that in the book of Acts. They looked up and saw the heavens open and what did what did he see? Stegel, Jesus standing at the right hand of God. So that was super significant. We when we talked about that a couple months ago. OK, let's think of other times you saw the heavens opened in. >> Transfiguration, it doesn't say specifically that term, but that was definitely a heaven meets earth moment, right? Because you got Moses and you got Elijah. I mean, you got the law and the promise and the whole. I mean, like it was quite a deal on Jesus in heavenly glory. So that was a heavenly moment, but he doesn't use that specific language. You might think of another one. >> Jesus is Patrick. >> Jesus is, that root is tuned for two. >> Over here, okay? >> Root is winning the game. So yeah, that was what it says that the heavens opened and what happened? >> A dove came down. So with the Holy Spirit, the dove was the representation of the Holy Spirit. And so then we hear the voice from heaven. Remember, this is my beloved son and him I'm well pleased. So that's another time that we saw heaven open. Can anybody think of another times? >> No, Shennite. >> Revelation 19, you tell us about that melody.

>> Jesus comes back with the armies in heaven. >> Yes, the heavens opened, okay? So it's like this whole idea. We sing the Psalm, right? ♪ The skies be rolled back as a scroll ♪ That's this idea, the heavens are opening. 'Cause right now it's as if it's they're opening, that means right now there is they're closed. We don't see what is happening. You don't know what's happening behind a closed door. But when the door opens, oh, there's a lot going on in there for better for worse, right? So what we see here is he saw the heavens open and then coming out of heaven is a great big sheet. Guys, I think this was bigger than a king size sheet. (audience laughing) Because then everything that was coming down in this sheet is more than I got to thinking about. So I've read it that we've read this story before, right? But I really never thought all that much about all that was in this sheet until I kind of gated a little bit more thought and when I was preparing this morning. And guys, this is really something. It's a huge white sheet being let down by its four quarters, okay? And number 12, we'll just read it as it says it. In it, that's the sheet where all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. Now, the keywords here are all comings.

That's those are the most important two words in this phrase. All kinds. Because God is about to expand Peter's vision like explosion. Peter thinks he's got a really beautiful handle on cake. God loves his people and God's going after his people. But Peter thinks this is the size, this is, I see God's people. And God is when we go, no, no, no, no, no, no. All people. So when these animals come down and it says all kinds of animals, that's definitely representative of what God is about to teach him here. So again, pretty wild if you think about it. Heavenly visions are generally can be pretty interesting. But this one was wild, I mean wild animals, I mean the whole thing. So let's think about what he's for, I wonder what Peter's first thoughts could have been when he's taught all kinds of animals. - Yeah. - Yuck? Probably some yuck. Which being, so to that point, all kinds of animals, of course, includes unclean animals and so clean animals. And do you guys remember what some of the unclean animals of the Old Testament law were? - Cinello. - Donkeys.

- Donkeys. - Pigs. - Chemels. - Shrimp. - Shrimp. - Birds of prey. Yeah, you didn't have a shrimp, did you? I don't know, it's true. Catfish, two of those. All those mommy dwellers and the trash eaters, they're out. Okay, we like them, right? I mean, we pipe big money for those things, right? The battle of Ed. But yeah, so, I mean, we've got reptiles, all reptiles, off limits, dirty, unclean. And we're not gonna go through the whole list, but I'm just sharing all that to say, these are the kind of animals that were in this sheet. But because it's all kinds of animals, it wasn't just the dirty animals. - Yeah, I mean, right, there's all kinds, there's probably some, what were some clean animals in the Old Testament? I mean, Steve. - She, layup, right? Goats, cattle, right? Yeah, we can have some beeps, no problem. So. - Skiing it up.

- Right, yeah. I mean, there's fish with scales, very good. So yeah, I do find a new thing in, I don't have the answer, maybe some are smarter than me, It was just all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the year. So maybe there was some fish, maybe there were, and I'm not really sure, don't know about the shrimp, but maybe, you know, it could have been some lobster in there, but got like, this is not like so many of them. A little kid's blanket with three or four toys on it, guys. This is a big thing coming down. And Peter's just, he just went up there to pray, right? He's just hungry. And so, you know, he's got to be thinking, it's like, am I having, like, what's going on here? Like, am I really that hungry? And so, guys, it's just really an interesting moment of what's going on, and I'm thinking, he's probably thinking, unclean, he's probably thinking, what else do you think he's thinking? - He thinks all of it. - You know, what am I going to do all of this? I can't even touch those things. What are those things doing here? You know, I just saw so many things, because, listen, the Old Testament laws allow them in Leviticus, but there's certainly other places where you could find them, and give it all these strict guidelines.

And he, as he goes all to saying, had kept those things from childhood. Like, it was just like, there's no, what? It's not worth it. - Can it? - Tons, then, stuff. This just goes deep. It's just like in my roots. And so, it's part of the Old Covenant that he was like, man, I'm giving my life for this Messiah of the New Covenant, but like, we're doing it in kind of like an old covenant sort of a way. They're still beginning to understand what the New Covenant is all about, and the freedom of the New Covenant. Because Peter, up to this time, really doesn't understand it. Guys, he's given his, like he's just given his life for it, but he doesn't fully comprehend it, 'cause the Holy Spirit is slowly unfolding this. But that's why in chapter 10, it's so big. 'Cause suddenly, he's about to catch it. He's about to understand what's going on here, so. So this huge white sheep comes down, and we got pigs, and vultures, and eagles, and chameleons, and geckos, and cows, and dove. I mean, literally, just think about it. This is why this is crazy. This is like no authority has come down from heaven, right? And all these animals, and there they are.

And so here, but with them comes a command from heaven, verse 13. Yeah, we meet. Rise, Peter, kill, and eat. 10. And he's thinking, there is absolutely no way that that's God. If you, God, I really think, but you're probably questioned that God was, he's like, God would never say that to me. And he also says this rise, and he said, I think maybe, 'cause he hasn't sort of fell into a trance, so I don't know if that means he's kind of laid out on the ground, or if he's, we don't really know what that means, but he's gonna get up, and he's gotta kill it, which means he's gotta interact with some of these things. I don't think I wanna kill an eagle, or whatever some of these things. Who knows the lead one? And then I want you to eat it. Guys, this is really what Peter's being asked to do. I mean, this is a step, he's really outside, and I started thinking about it, and some of the reading that I was doing about this. Guys, it appears to Peter that God is asking him to break the Old Testament laws, that's his first thought. So he's like, I mean, what did he say? What did he say? Verse 14.

"By no means, Lord." We're gonna get to that statement in a minute, 'cause there's not all the long times in the Bible where we see the word "no," followed by the word "lord." But we do see it there, and we'll talk about that a minute, but I want you to think about this. You know, three things he's told to do, rise, which means get up and do something. Then kill that same word used for sacrifice. So this is just kind of some religious language in here, Mike. This is not just make yourself a sandwich, but I do, please. Right? I know, it's kind of full of your own. Peter was hungry, though. So I know that he was hungry, and he's probably thinking, wait. You know, Peter, God, make him hungry? I do, I will certainly do. Peter's hunger was part of what God's trying to teach him here. So here's all this food that he can't eat, and he's like, yes, you can't. And he's like, no, I can't. And God's like, yes, you can. And he's like, no, I can't. You see, it's like a three ton. It's got, Peter is fine. He's like, no, I can't do that. God's like, yes, you can.

So I don't know if the sheet came down enough three times, but all of this, it says, it went on three times, God. but let's think about for just a minute, the press that it's kind of some other times when God spoke from heaven to tell why they serviced to do something that was either very offensive or even contrary to his own laws. What about Abraham? - Kill. - Yeah, would God say sacrifice your son to me? It will, we don't think God would say that because God says, you know, love your kids, take care of your kids, protect your kids, right? And they were all sorts of, you know, child sacrificing religions in the world and Christianity was not one of them. So that kind of is like this whole thing with Peter, that this really goes in the same category with that. What's another one? - The brain is gonna snake with God's sac with the lag, his own? - Yes he did. - To be sacrificed. - It's exactly right. And that is part of what Abraham's almost killing his own son, right? We see that's foreshadowing the crumbs, right? Because the lanem was killed in the son's place. But what about Hoseaia? Well, there's something kind of crazy God has him to do.

- I can wife that. - Yeah, take a wife of adultery, AKA a harlot or a prostitute to bury her, stay faithful to her. She's not gonna be faithful to you. Bum, and you're gonna feel a little bit of how I think of him as God. Because that feels like something contrary to the law of God, but God directed his sermon to do it. What about, this is always a buddy when I'm anyway, I'll just say, Isaiah, it might think of something really contrary and strange God has him to do for three years. - In thy know, be afraid to say it. - You can. - Yeah, walk around with my clothes on. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - That doesn't sound exactly like God, that's it. I'm glad he's not called me to do such a bank. - Yes, but. - Right? Sometimes God just says things for his own purposes and it's hard for us to catch on to what it is. And that's, I'm bringing all of those up because I just want you to know this is very much like God, to stretch our boundaries right and to say, well, surely God couldn't be asking me to go on that ministry. I mean, just be, I couldn't be God on, maybe he is, Carol? - He has to decide until you send him out to not take an extra call. - Yes. - And not to take anything just to go.

- Yep. - And to, and to, go to wherever he's staying. Was he for the baby? No, and a big thing excepting just to walk away. - And just dust off your feet and just move on, right? God asks us to do very unusual things sometimes, but we have to listen and Peter did. But he did make the statement verse 14, "But no means will he." - No, it's fine. - Again, that's super rare. You rarely ever see the word no before the word Lord in the scripture because those are, they kind of counteract each other, right? Lord means boss, right? And when your boss says, do something, you say, yes, sir, or yes, ma'am, right? When Jason Nick gets me a task to do, I don't say, no, I'm not gonna do that. - That too. - No, I mean, he's, right, he's my boss. He's my overseer and he has all the right in the world to ask me to do this or that or the other. And he's a good boss, right? So, so you don't see this, but really what he's trying to do this, and it's interesting too, 'cause it really means like it's kind of a double negative in the original language by no means board. In other words, kind of like, there's absolutely no way I could ever do this.

But what he's trying to figure out in his head is, I can't do this because you told me not to do this. And now you're telling me to do this, so that doesn't, I'm not putting it all together, gun. So I think, I think he's really trying to obey God. But God is asking him to do something he didn't think God would ask him to do. So I think what we're seeing is kind of a little bit of a wrestling. So Peter goes on to say, you know, I've never eaten anything common or unclean. And this is when God speaks up to give a little clarity. What does God say in verse 15? - Don't call what God's name is. - It's often, yeah. What God has made clean. And I think Peter's going-- who said, God made that clean. Who said, God made that vulture clean over there, that scrapes, that eats, you know, like dales? Who said, God made that catfish over there clean? So he's like, Peter's like, I didn't get the mill out. That God said that he'd made that clean. God says, this is far bigger than what we're seeing. And Peter's still had a hard time kind of rapid as I'd around it. So he's got a hard time coming to grips with this because I think he slowly starts to begin to understand that this is actually God speaking. And this is real, and this is right.

If the hard kill is swallow, but God wanted Peter to hear him quite plainly. And I think that's why, verse 16, this happened three times. He might remember another time God had repeated so three times with Peter. He might see show him on the sea shore, right? God has his sister with Peter. He doesn't get it the first time. You know, feed my sheep, right? He doesn't get it the second time. He gets it the third time. So I don't know how all that's tied together, but I think that is tied together. I think that's not just so happens that it was three times. Oh, I wonder if he had to eat rooster. And maybe, maybe, maybe it was what he would ask. He'd eat a baby pro. Yeah, he'd eat pro, yeah, because that literally that's an unclaimed animal. Train was an unclaimed animal, right? So there was probably some crow over there with the yak out of the leaves and everything else. But guys, this was such a big deal because these foods and all of these animals by the Gentiles were they were very open to eating some of these things. And so here's the bigger picture that God's actually trying to paint. Here's what this is really all this. It's not about food. It's about this is about people.

This is about having fellowship with people. And if Raleigh is a Gentile and I have a Jew, at this moment, Peter thinks I can't go to Raleigh, south, and even eat with him because he might be eating something unclaimed. Therefore, I can't do that because I've gone to obey God and I can't go hang out with him. Even though he's a nice guy. And by the way, Raleigh always brings a salad. I mean, that's what Raleigh's going to bring. We know that always is Mr. Salad over here. So listen, this is what we're talking about. And so the bigger picture is not what you can be. It's about there are people to be a lot of them. And so I want you to understand the God speaking to the Peter that I love every night. Jews wanted to honor God and stand out as his holy people. And so that was a good thing. That's a good desire to stand out as his holy people. But God is actually opening their eyes to see that his church is multi-ethnic. You understand, up until this moment, they saw in his church as one ethnic group. But yeah, but the Jewish people, right? That's one ethnicity. That's not God's heart. It's never been God's heart. So I want to want us to be almost to take the next 10 minutes. And we're going to look through the Old Testament at a few just quick verses that show God's love for the Gentiles

from the jump. Guys, from the beginning. Genesis 12, 3. Some of you guys know that one. Genesis 12, 3. This is the calling of Abraham. This is a very-- one of the most important verses in the Old Testament is Genesis chapter 12, verse 3. When God's feasts him, somebody when you get there, just read it out for us. And I will bless those who bless you. And then what he cursed in you, I will curse. And in you, all the families of the church, do people. Do you hear God's heart for all the families of the earth? He is speaking to Abraham, which we Abraham at the time. Who is going to be the father of faith, right? I mean, the blood light of Jesus and the whole thing. And he said, "If you, all the families of the earth will be blessed." OK? We will turn there. But Joshua, too, is a beautiful example of God's love for a Gentile woman whose name was Rahab. You know her story. We won't go through her story. But God and Rahab and included her in the lineage of the Messiah. OK? Let's think about who's a good her in the Old Testament. "Ruse, guys, was a Gentile."

- You mean it? - God, it's been showing all along. I love the Gentiles. I don't know if the Jews more than all of the Gentiles. I just have a special plan for the Jews that's gonna help me reach the whole world. And the Jews got a little big in the head, thinking, "Oh, he just loves us the best." And no, he loves everybody. And so when you look, you go on down, you think about the book of Jonah. We don't have to turn there. But Jonah got really mad, 'cause God was sitting in the Gentiles, thinking of these pagans. And God was like, "No, don't preach. "Don't share." And Jonah didn't do a good job. It was kind of embarrassing. The whole story is really not a great story. I mean, it is a great story, but it's really not a great story. There's palates and old wedding. I mean, it just really kinda takes his towing and never really results. But so let me turn to Psalm 67. Psalm 67, I would say, is another very important passage. It's only, I think it's seven versus long, if I'm not mistaken. So.

- Do you need to die? - Yep, read it, brother. Read the whole thing. - Hey God, these ways to seal out it and you left soon. And they take the kind from it. That you're waving even more, so that you're saving hours among all of this. - That people phrase you in bars when all that's equal for it. Let the nation be praying and saving for joy. For a new chance to be filled with equity and God, the nations have formed her. Let the people phrase you all the time and all the time. - Right. - You're a yoga, you see crease, not as God, no blessers. God shall bless us, met all the good early. Genzi, the earth, fear games. - Yes, thank you so much. What a beautiful song, guys. If you can't see it and not with all those estimation points, and I mean, it's just like, we're gonna say, okay, did you get in the last time? Well, okay, well, I'm gonna say it again. I've got me to say it again. I want you to hear me. He's using some of the same language that he used with Genesis 12, right? That we are blessed to be a blessing to the nations. I love what I love for sport. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity. In other words, all the ground is level and the foot of the cross, right? It's not about you or Gentile, it's about equity. We all come to him through his son, Jesus. Okay, Isaiah 56. Confu, Isaiah 56. Then we're gonna jump to the New Testament. There's so much more we could say, but this is what we'll say tonight. Isaiah 56. This is a passage that Jesus quims, come in. But I want to just, I'll just read verse, we'll read verses six and seven, about that. The foreigners who joined themselves to the Lord, to minister to them, to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not prevent it, it holds fast as my covenant. These that will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. There weren't offerings in their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar from my house. Shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. You hear God, he's like, listen, my house is for everybody. Everybody's welcome in my house. All nations, okay? And you remember who quoted that? Jesus, when did Jesus say that? - Excellent.

- Well, he was mad as a hornet, right? He was turning tables and whipping people and the whole thing. There was a messy shadow in the table 'cause they had turned what was supposed to be a house of prayer for all peoples into a, you know, making money. He's like, this is not okay. My father's house is for all people to be welcomed into. And God, that's a good art of in church is how welcoming are we of people of all backgrounds, guys, 'cause anybody can be safe. So listen, guys, as they have 49, six people go there but I'll just gonna tell you it says that the Messiah will be a light to the nations to break salvation that would reach to the ends of the earth. Now last passage, I want us to look at the Ephesians, chapter three. - And I'm just, this shouldn't be its own mountain study. This one right here, but we're just gonna read it. And you and the Holy Spirit can handle the bound study at home in this. But I just wanna read it 'cause I just want you to think this is just so beautiful. forward from the story where we currently are. Paul in the story where we are in Ag still has not really caught, he's saved. But he's still in a regular memory. He's getting his heavenly visions and who knows what kind of sheets came down the bed and pre him. But Paul is, it's still understanding these things. But I want you, I want us to read together what his perspective was on this. I'm just going to read verses one through 11

because it's just all so good. For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming that you have heard of stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you. How the mystery that was made known to meet our revelation as I have written briefly, when you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men and other generations. That is, has now been revealed to this holy apostles and prophets by the spirit. Here's the mystery. Then the Gentiles are fellowed heirs members of the same body for takers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to life for everyone. What is the plan of the mystery given for ages in God to create in all things so that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has legalized in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We just kind of read the next two verses. In whom we have boldness that access with confidence to our faith in him. So I ask that you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. As do you see Paul's heart and his labor, this was like at the heartbeat of his message is this was always God's plan to reveal the gospel to the Gentiles. It was always hidden in God. But in this generation, Paul speaking of his generation, it's now been revealed. Now you can see it. It was always there. It's like hidden in plain sight. But now everybody can start to see it.

And that's why Acts chapter 10 is such a huge turning point. Because we're going to spend a good part of the rest of acts is going to be Paul preaching to the Gentiles and preaching to the Gentiles. Because remember, it was Jerusalem, Judeus, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. So that's what we're going to start to see is spreading out further and further and further. So that's why this is such a such a paramount passage in Acts chapter 10, because it's opening up the door. And of course, next week, we're going to actually see what happens. We're going to talk about how courteous and all of his Gentile career opened their hearts. And we're so excited to receive the message. Could you believe it could be for them too? Guys, we always have to keep this attitude that the gospel is for everybody. That's why we got to everyone every day cross every divide so that we can be united in Christ with other people, right? We want we want the people who seem so far from God to feel welcome and at home in God's house. And so that is that is our privilege. So what I want you to do, I'm going to say a word in prayer so that we can close. For those of you who are online, but I also want to give you guys some some questions. So I'm going to send our prayer. Father in heaven, we just bless you. We love you. We thank you for the glorious and just just unmatched beauty of your word. And your beautiful gospel, your gospel is just magnificent is so so beautiful. Lord, thank you for it. And thank you, then, we all these Gentiles in the room have received the gospel. Thank you that it was always for all of us. It was always for all them you would call. Lord, just empower us and show us who we can share your gospel with in Jesus name. Amen. Now, for those of you in the room, I want you to just kind of gather around the table with somebody. If you don't know, introduce yourself to

him. But take just a few minutes. And I want you to, I want you to just either look at that passage that we looked at it tonight, specifically, H 10 or even that passage in Ephesians chapter three, four through 11. And I'm just, it's literally just as simple as once stood out to you tonight from this message. What was, what was like God's message that really hit your heart tonight? I saw a lot of aha moments in your eyes tonight. So let's just share that with each other. And then when you're done, you can, you can, you can close up. Thanks again for joining us verse by verse through the book of I hope that you'll apply these things to your life this week. Share it with a friend. Great thing for you to just have some discussion with the other people around you. Share the things that God is doing in your life. Again, remember the Bible is a book about God far more than it is a book about us. So let's learn about him, let's grow to love him more and more. Here at United City, this is not the only thing that we have on the Pando app. We would love for you to follow some of our other content. Watch some of our worship services along with music and the messages as well as podcasts. We've got a lot of great content we would love for you to follow that. Also, if you would like to be in touch with us here at United City, the best way to do that is by writing us a letter. You can address that to Prison Ministry at United City Church. 1 9 9 0 1, Townsend Boulevard, Umber, Texas, 7 7 3 3 8. We'll read that, we'll pray for you and somebody will write you back. God bless you and we'll see you in the Word. [BLANK_AUDIO]