How Do We Love People Who Are Different From Us? | Acts 10:1-48 | Kevin Queen

Well, good morning church, how we feeling? Oh, I heard all three of you. I said good morning church, how we feeling? All right. Yeah, man. Thank you all for coming to church and worship with us. My name is Desi. It is a pleasure to be here with y'all at Cross Point Church. We believe that church is not just a field. It's a place where God's people gather to worship enter. And honestly, if you know Scripps, if you wear two or three or gather, there he is in the present. So if you look around, there's way more than two or three of us. So God is here, man. He's here and we're going to worship him together. Can we do that together? Y'all excited to worship this morning? Come on, let's go, son! Everybody put your hands together. Come on. Let's go! [MUSIC PLAYING] Everybody put your hands, come on, come on, man. Come on, it's 11 feet and every day. We got to wake it up in the field. Come on! [MUSIC PLAYING] Whoa! [MUSIC PLAYING]

Sing it like this, say, come all you weary, come all you thirsty, come to the whip that never runs dry, drink of the water, come at the smoke bar. Yeah, come on. We say, come all your sinners, come by his mercy, come to the table, he will satisfy, taste of his goodness, find what you're looking for. If you know what's bringing love like this, say, for God's soul is the world that he gave us. He's wanting only some to save us, whoever believes in him. We'll live forever. Everybody, let's go! [MUSIC PLAYING] Everybody put your hands together, come on, come on. [MUSIC PLAYING] There's no time like God, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, sing it like this, say, bring all your failures, bring your intentions, come lay them down at the foot of the cross. Jesus is waiting there, we've opened our hearts. He is open arms, for God's soul loves, the world that he gave us. He's wanting only some to save us, whoever believes in him. We'll live forever. Hey, don't power up hell, forever defeated, now it is well. I'm walking in freedom for God's soul loves, God's soul loves, the world. Praise God, praise God, from whom all blessings go. Oh, praise him, praise him for the wonders of his love. Praise God, praise God, from whom all blessings go. He praise him, praise him for the wonders of his love. He's amazing love, from God's soul loves, the world that he gave us.

He's wanting only some to save us, oh God's soul loves, the world that he gave us. He's wanting only some to save us, whoever believes in him. We'll live forever, yeah, don't power up hell, forever defeated, now it is well, I'm walking in freedom for God's soul loves, God's soul loves, the world. Oh, let's go, let's go. Come on, everybody let me in, come on. ♪ There's no body like a god or no ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Can we give a praise all over the room ♪ ♪ Say praise God ♪ ♪ Praise God ♪ ♪ Oh, come on ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, get it up ♪ ♪ Hands high, hands high ♪ ♪ Come on, say praise God ♪ ♪ Praise God ♪ ♪ Yeah, y'all sound good this morning ♪ ♪ Come on, we gotta lift it up ♪ ♪ All over the room ♪ We say praise God, praise God, from whom all that she's heard. Praise him, praise him, praise him, for the wonder of his love. Yes! That's right, we're here to pray for the Lord today. Can you wave your hand if God has been good to you? Can you wave both hands if God's been really good to you? Hey, the greatest miracle that we can experience in this life is to be transformed from dead to alive, to be born again, to be saved by the amazing grace of God.

I'm a new creation, so I'm glad to sing that with you today. Wave your hand if you know Jesus, you're glad to be saved by amazing grace. That's me too, man. Come on, let's keep singing and praising the Lord. Hey, for the sun sets free, it's free indeed. I'm not who I used to be. I'm not who I used to be. His amazing grace took away my shame. I'm not who I used to be. Come on, sing it out. Yeah, because I've been born again. I'm a child of God. The old is gone, the new has come. I'm born again. Lord, you paid my debt, all that roughing cross, all my name, it raised me up my born again. I've been welcomed in to a family. Look at what He got. Come on, sing it. I've got a brand new start. I've got all I need. Look at what He's done for me. Look at what He's done for me. I've been born again. I'm a child of God. The old is gone, the new has come. I'm born again. Let's go, Lord, you paid my debt, all that roughing cross,

all my name, it raised me up my born again. Born again, yeah, yeah. That's the reason I celebrate today. You've been served by amazing grace. Look at the sun, it's setting free, it's free indeed. Yeah. It's a whole new world of freedom. It's a whole new life I'm living. And it's all because of Jesus. Now my past is dead and buried. Now my future's just beginning. And it's all because of Jesus. All because of Jesus. Let's sing it out. It's a whole new life I'm living. And it's all because of Jesus. Now my past is dead and buried. Now my future's just beginning. And it's all because of Jesus. I've been born again. I'm a child of God. The old is God. The new has come my born again. Come on, sing it, Church, it's good news. Lord, you paid my debt, all that roughing cross, hallelujah, come on, please get shout hallelujah for praise me Jesus for all of his grace and mercy that saved us from our sin, come on, feed out to me. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, I'm born again. You got it, man, you got it now, come on, sing it out, say hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, I'm born again. Sing it out, sing it out, say hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, I'm born again. Yes I am, I'm born again, yes I am, I'm born again, yes I am, I'm born again.

Hallelujah, let's sing it one more time. I've been born again. Yeah, that's good news, sing it out, Lord you pay. One more time, church, it sounds good to praise him, come on. I've been born again, I'm a child, yes I am. The only one who has come on. Yes it is, Lord you pay my debt on that run. You call my name, you raise me up, I'm born again. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. You know what unites, Christians all around the world is a song like that. If you're a believer in Jesus that means you have received amazing grace to transform your heart not from good to better but from dead to alive. And that's a testimony that all of us have that have received Jesus by faith. And that's something that we got to celebrate and pray for others to receive all around the world through 24 hours of prayer. In this room we got to pray for 24 hours as a church this past week, joining houses and houses of worship and churches. That's right, you can praise God for that, that's a good thing. It was awesome to pray with thanksgiving for what God has done but also to pray and expectation and faith for what God still wants to do. There are people who still don't know him. There's still chaos and sickness and brokenness all around the world and who else can we go to but God, who else can we pray to but him. But maybe you weren't able to come to that, that's okay, I want to invite you to sing this song with us because sometimes singing is an act of prayer. In this song amazing grace you probably have heard at some point in your life. I'm gonna invite you to sing that with us, this song has been sung for generations. This song has been sung all around the world thousands and thousands of times. But in this room I want you to sing it from one to two places. Either you have received amazing grace from the Lord and are singing from a testimony or you need His grace to save you from your sin. I believe that there are Christians in here that are probably people who are not Christians but all of us are in the right place today in the house of God. No matter what you've done in the past that you think this qualifies you from this song. What other song could you say today other than amazing grace? As a testimony or as a supplication of prayer to the Lord I need more of your grace, all of us need more of us grace in our life. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I was once lost but now I found. I was blind but now I see. If that's your testimony I invite you to sing that with us. Let's celebrate the amazing grace of Jesus. (gentle music) ♪ Amazing grace ♪ ♪ How sweet and sound ♪ ♪ I saved a rich like me ♪ ♪ How watch was lost ♪ ♪ But now ♪ ♪ It's bad but now ♪ ♪ I see ♪ ♪ 'Cause grace let's all ♪ ♪ My heart take me ♪ ♪ And praise my fears ♪ ♪ Relieve ♪ ♪ How precious did that grace mean ♪ ♪ And how our prayers will be ♪ ♪ My chains are gone ♪ ♪ I've been set free ♪ ♪ But my Savior has grant to me ♪ ♪ And like of love ♪ ♪ His mercy waits ♪ ♪ On ending love ♪ ♪ Amazing grace ♪ ♪ Oh it's amazing ♪ ♪ The Lord has promised good to me ♪ ♪ His word, my hope ♪ ♪ Secures ♪ ♪ He will my shield ♪ ♪ And more shall we ♪

♪ As long as I'm in doors ♪ ♪ And my chains are gone ♪ ♪ I've been set free ♪ ♪ But God, my Savior has grant to me ♪ ♪ And like of love ♪ ♪ His mercy waits ♪ ♪ On ending love ♪ ♪ Amazing grace ♪ ♪ Your shall soon dissolve ♪ ♪ My soul and soul ♪ ♪ For bear to shine ♪ ♪ But God, oh God ♪ ♪ Be here below ♪ ♪ We'll be forever mine ♪ ♪ Oh, you are forever mine ♪ ♪ My chains are gone ♪ ♪ I've been set free ♪ ♪ God, my Savior has led to me ♪ ♪ And like a flood ♪ ♪ He's a mercy gray ♪ ♪ On anything low ♪ ♪ On anything low ♪ ♪ A crazy gray ♪ ♪ Oh, it's a magic gray ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, I couldn't have it ♪ ♪ No one can't deserve it ♪ ♪ But it's a crazy gray ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, say, say my chains are gone ♪ ♪ And I've been set free, say ♪ ♪ And like a flood ♪

[MUSIC PLAYING] ♪ Do my chains are gone, my chains are ♪ [♪♪♪] ♪ Oh, believe it, my God, my state ♪ [♪♪♪] ♪ And like a blow ♪ [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] ♪ An ending love, an ending love ♪ [♪♪♪] ♪ Amazing, say an ending love, an ending love ♪ [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] [♪♪♪] Renewal is possible when Jesus shows up at the table. Renewal is possible. But for people to experience Jesus at the table, we've got to pull up a chair. And I experienced something that I learned that this past week. It was on a Tuesday that I was driving in church. And once I finally got in part, I realized I left my laptop at home. I left my computer at the house. And I just, I had this thought, "How am I supposed to do work today? How am I supposed to do ministry when I left my laptop?" And I get out of the car and I'm walking and I see this other car pulling in to the parking lot. Got pulling in and said, "Is this where I get the coffee?" And I said, "Well, no, this is the church. Actually, the coffee's right over there in that air stream. We share a parking lot with sure-fire coffee." And so that's where you get the coffee. I said, "But I'd be glad to get you." I was feeling kind. And that day, I said, "I'll get you a coffee. What would you like?" He said, "Cole brew." And it was about 130 degrees in Nashville on that day. So I was like, "That sounds like a good plan. I'll have it on myself."

He said, "Meet me over there." And so we met over there and I hand him the coffee and we start talking. And I asked him, I said, "Where are you from?" He said, "Burming him." I said, "My daughter lives in Birmingham." I said, "What part town?" He said, "Bestavia Hills." I was like, "My daughter lives in Bestavia Hills." She goes to Samford. He was like, "Really?" I said, "What are you doing in Nashville?" And he said, "I'm here for a job interview." And I was like, "Really? Man, where'd you go to school?" He said, "I went to Auburn." I said, "No way. I got a son at Auburn. My son goes to Auburn." And he said, "Really?" He said, "War Eagle." I didn't say anything. I said, "What was your major?" He said, "Finance." And I said, "Well, my son's an engineering major." He said, "Really?" I said, "Yeah. So are you a fraternity?" And he said, "I was a Fiji." I was like, "Really? My son? He's a Fiji." And it was one of those moments where, you know, he's like, "What's your son's name?" I said, "I said Durham Queen." And he's like, "I know Durham." And like all these things came together. Have you ever had one of those moments where it's like, there are too many, like, coincidences, like too many connections for this to just be a coincidence. Like, this is a, like, God setting something up. And then in that moment, there was something in my heart that I just felt like God would have me share with him. And so I shared that with him, and it seemed like there was something on that word for him. And so I was just like, I said, "Man, do you have a few more moments to kind of talk and pray?" He's like, "I got ten minutes." I said, "That's ten minutes." He's all in it. And so we went upstairs to the offices. We went into the little, the break room kitchen and I said, "Pull up a chair." And we sat down and listened to a little bit of his story. And then just kind of just had a moment to just just pray with him. And as we were praying there at that table, it was like, God just, God met with us at that table. And the irony of it, as I was reflecting back on that, I thought, you know what? I thought that I wasn't going to be able to do ministry because I left my laptop at home. I thought that I wasn't going to be, and maybe the most significant ministry that took place that day happened at that table in a moment that wasn't on the calendar. So this is what I learned that day, just want to share it with you, is that often what feels like an interruption is actually the assignment. Oftentimes what feels, and we can get so committed. So we get so committed to our calendar. We get so committed to what we have planned

that we miss the person that God is. in Acts chapter 10. If you got a Bible, turn with me to Acts chapter 10. If you don't have a Bible, just take your neighbors. Acts chapter 10 is what we're gonna look at, and this chapter, I believe, may be one of the most significant chapters in the book of Acts. We're going verse by verse through the book of Acts. I believe it's one of the most significant chapters in the book of Acts. R.C. Sproul said it may be one of the most significant chapters in all of the New Testament, because here God introduces, there's this turn in the redemptive story where God makes it clear to the church that the Gentiles get in on faith with Jesus too, that the Gentiles are included, and so God's letting the church know that his table is bigger than their table. God's table was always bigger. They just hadn't seen it yet, and God made it unmistakably clear that the Gentiles are welcome in. So we're gonna see in Acts chapter 10. We're gonna begin in verse one, but before we start, I'd love to pray for us. Father, we need your help with this. We need your Holy Spirit to help us understand your word, to illuminate truth, to give us revelation,

to help us see ourselves as you see us, to see other people as you see them, to see Jesus as he is. I pray that today we would see Christ high and lifted up. God, I pray that you would speak to the deepest places of our hearts, and that you would encourage us, that you would correct us, that you would lead us, that you would shepherd us, right where we need it. So Holy Spirit, would you have a conversation with every heart and earshot of this word, and would the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be pleasing to you? In Christ's name, amen, amen. Acts chapter 10, verse one is where we'll pick up. Says that Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian regiment. He and all his family were devout, and God fearing he gave generously to those in need, and prayed to God regularly. So Luke introduces us to this man Cornelius, and it tells us that he's a military officer, that he's a military commander, he's in the Italian regiment, which in that day would have meant that these ties, closer ties, even strengthening ties to Rome. And the tension here is that the Roman Empire, the military that he represents,

would have been the ones who occupied Israel, they would have been the ones who had invaded Israel, they would have been the ones who were responsible, Roman soldiers who wear uniforms like him, responsible for nailing Jesus to the cross. And at the same time, this man Cornelius is a God seeker, he is one who is hungry spiritually, he is seeking for God. Luke tells us that he's a good man, he's a godly man, he's a godfearing, generous man, he prays. He is a religious man, but what we're gonna see today is that religion in and of itself is not enough to save you. The religion in and of itself is not enough, that no matter how religious you are, you still need Jesus. We see it with Cornelius, we see it in the text, and add to that Cornelius as a Gentile, and a Gentile in that day, in a Jewish worldview, in Judaism, there were two groups of people, there were Jews, and there were Gentiles. Jews were those who were of the covenant, they were of the people of God, the nation of God that God had made a promise, and through whom his people, they became the promises and the Scriptures, and the Messiah would come. So you had Jews, and then you had Gentiles, and the word Gentile meant other nations, any nation other than the Jewish people, other nations. And in that day, there was this rift between those two groups,

between Jew and Gentile, there was hostility, and there was suspicion, and there was resentment that went both ways. And because of the purity laws, and because of the traditions, there was this social separation that took place specifically when it came to meals, and when it came to table fellowship, and time shared in the homes. And so that's what's going on when we pick up in verse three. One day, let me hear you say one day. One day, you can do better than that. One day, let me hear you say one day. So one day, about three in the afternoon, he Cornelius had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him and said Cornelius. Cornelius stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord, he asked? The angel answered, your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Japa to bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is by the sea. And when the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Japa.

Now in this passage, what we're gonna see are five moves that God, Five moves that God makes. And my hope that today, that through these moves that God would move in us so that he could move through us. God would move in our hearts so that he could move through us and so that we would have eyes to see the divine appointments that God has in store for us. Because I believe that he has, the scripture tells us that there are good works that he prepares in advance for us. And I believe every day when you wake up that God has divine appointments for you and for me. And my prayer is that we would have eyes to see them. And the first thing that we see in this text is that first move that God makes is that God seeks the seeker. God seeks the seeker. Cornelius is seeking God, but God was seeking Cornelius first. God was seeking Cornelius. In fact, anytime where we are drawn to God or where we seek God, it is because grace had begun to work first in our hearts, to even seek God is a grace of God. Grace always moves first. And so God called heaven calls Cornelius by name. I love it, God knows Gentile names. He knows Cornelius name. Have you ever been at a restaurant and waited a really long time? And then finally they say your name.

That's great at a restaurant. How much more so when heaven, you need to know God knows your name. God knows your name, he knows your address. God says Cornelius calls him by name. So Cornelius is seeking God, but what we see here is that God is seeking Cornelius. Hebrews chapter 11, verse six says, "Without faith it's impossible to please God." Because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So what this verse tells us is it is possible for us to please God, for us to bring pleasure to the heart of God. And how do we do that? First, believing that God exists. And then second, by earnestly seeking him, that word earnestly means it means to passionately pursue with intention. If you wanna know what earnestly looks like, just look at a middle school when they lose their phone. Earnously seeking what was lost. Or just imagine with me that you open up your bank app and there's a zero missing from your balance. Earnestly seeking. You start scrambling through, you start looking through, you start trying to figure out through your statements and through your transactions, what has happened? If you are one of those people who it would not bother 'cause for most people you're gonna call the bank before you even have your coffee.

But if you're one of those people where it wouldn't bother you to lose a zero on your bank account, you could go to crosspoint.tv/give. We would be glad to help you, help you with that. But what you care about is where you direct your attention. And so when we, earnestly, what we see with Cornelius, he was earnestly seeking God. Says that he was praying. What time did it say he was praying? Three in the afternoon. Why is that important? Because there were set times of prayer in the Jewish day, set times of prayer. And so Cornelius, even though he's a Gentile, he is pursuing God. He's like, oh, I've heard you guys pray at three. He shows up and he prays. He prays at three. And so there's this earnestly seeking God. God loves to be sought. God loves to be chased. I remember when our kids were little, we'd play chase together and so I'd chase them for a little bit and then tell them to come chase me. And they would chase me. I could have dominated them at that game. Like the moment when they started to chase me, I could have gotten my car and driven to Nova Scotia. Just completely destroyed them.

But that's not the game because the joy of the father is to be found. The joy of your father in heaven is not to hide himself from you, but to hide himself for you. So that as you seek him that you would find him, God wants you to seek. He says, if you seek me, you will find me when you seek with all your heart. That's what God wants most. It's not your money, it's your heart. It's that we would treasure him, that we would seek him and so Cornelius is seeking God. He's seeking God and he's found, he's not saved because he's seeking God, but because he's seeking God, he encounters the truth of the gospel because whenever somebody genuinely wants to know God, God knows how to get the truth to them. So God brings the truth to Cornelius, which is this number two, second movement. God sends the messenger. God sends the messenger. Now it would have been a whole lot easier with saving some time if the angel would have just proclaimed the gospel to Cornelius, if the angel just showed up and gave him the gospel. But that's not the way it works in the economy of God. Angels give direction, angels give messages, angels give declaration, but angels don't deliver.

share the good news. Whenever God wants to get the gospel to somebody, he sends somebody, that as human beings, we share in the privilege and the responsibility to declare the best news that the world is ever. How many of us know? You pause your phone. You go see some bad news. People in these good news, and God uses his people to get goodness. Can I say something? The one thing you won't be able to do in heaven is share the gospel with people who don't know it. We will pray. We will sing in heaven. We will worship in heaven. We will feast in heaven. We will enjoy God in heaven. We will work in heaven. We will do lots of things in heaven, but the one thing you won't be able to do in heaven is to share the gospel with somebody who doesn't know the gospel. That is a privilege that we have in this life that has an expiration date. When the angel says, "Send for Peter," it's because when God wants somebody to know the good news, he sends somebody, and God sends the messenger, but next, God prepares the messenger. It's the next move, verse 9. We want to cover some territory right here. About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four

corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals. It's where, well, it's reptiles and birds, and then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord," Peter replied. "I've never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven, and while Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. They called out asking if Simon, who was known as Peter, was staying there, and while Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, these men are looking for you, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them." And Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?" The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius to Centurion. He is a righteous and God-free man who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." And then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guest. Now it says that Peter was praying at what time? "No." Remember these were the set times of prayer. So Peter is praying at noon and it says that he had a vision. What is a vision biblically? A vision is a God-inspired picture in your mind. They pray where God gives a picture, an image, the Holy Spirit directs your thoughts to an

image. And unless you're driving, I want you to do something with me. Just close your eyes. I want you to just close your eyes, just take a deep breath. And now I want you to picture in your mind a red apple. I want you to picture an apple on a plate, on a white plate, on a table, apple on a plate, on a table. I'll open up your eyes. You had a vision. You had a picture. It was a picture. It was a vision that I directed. How many of you thought of a giraffe when -- why? Because that wasn't the way you were directed. But you thought of what you were directed toward. What a vision is biblically is when the Spirit of God is when God's Spirit gives us a mental picture, a sanctified imagination. Your imagination is a gift of God to be used for God and when God gives us a picture, what He does is He changes what we're seeing so He can change how we see. That's what He's doing with Peter. He changes what He's seeing. He gives him this vision to change how He sees and how He sees specifically people. And so the Spirit of God gives a vision to address how He sees people. It's not about His diet primarily. It's about the table. It's about how He sees people because of the traditions of the day. There was all kind of -- there was this clean and unclean, Jew and gentile. And God needed to address the way that He saw other people. And so He gives them -- He gives them this vision to communicate their heart because really what this about -- it's not about His diet, it's about His table, about who belongs and

who doesn't belong, about who is clean and who is unclean, about who Peter is willing to at a distance. God changes what Peter sees to change how Peter sees. And we know that this was really hard for him because he says surely not, Lord. Like surely not, which is kind of an oxymoron. 'Cause you can't tell Lord, no. Because if God is Lord, it means he gets to make the call. And God says it three times, which is like italicized, bold, underlined. God says it three times, so they would be unmistakably clear for Peter. And what I love about this is Peter, he begins to get it. He begins to understand because in verse 23, it says Peter invited the man into his house to be his guest. So we know that he began to understand the vision because he welcomed them into his home. People who normally who for centuries, for years, there would have been the separation. He said, you got, before he ever went to Cornelius' house, he invited Cornelius' friends into his own house. Do you realize how we love people is a greater indicator of our theology than anything else? Jesus said, the two grace, the grace, the grace, love the Lord your God with our heart, soul, mind, strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, that we would love others. If we have a theology that makes us less loving toward others, and we need to go back and look at our theology,

that there's this compassion that God is already moving in Peter's heart from this vision, they're already letting him know. And so he welcomes Cornelius' friends into his house, which just rearrates this truth, that you don't have to affirm everything about somebody to welcome them into your home. That hospitality, biblical hospitality, making space for strangers is not an endorsement, it's not an affirmation, it's not an agreement with them. Because we know this because Jesus made room for us before we got anything together. Jesus said, pull up a chair as we are. And so Jesus welcomes us in, and in Christ, we extend the same love to others. And so the next move is God opens the door, verse 23. It says, the next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Japa went along, so he's got an entourage because people are like, God is moving, I wanna go see what God's gonna do. It says the following day he arrived in Caesarea, and Cornelius was expecting them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. I love this, you can see the expectancy, in Cornelius, he believes that Peter's gonna show up. You see the faith, he believes that he's gonna come to his house, and as Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up, stand up. He said, I'm only a man myself.

Peter's like, get up, don't worship me, worship Jesus. Don't look at me, look at Jesus, which is a mark of healthy spiritual leadership. To say, don't look at me, look at Christ. You know, it was at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and at St. Peter's, there's a statue of Peter, and on the right foot, the right foot of that statue, a bronze statue, it has been, I'll show you a picture, it has been rubbed off by all the pilgrims that have come there and kissed the feet and rubbed the feet of St. Peter. And I just wonder, what would Peter say? Like, what would Peter say if he's like, like, that's, that's, don't look at me, look at him. Like, don't worship me, don't revere me, look to Christ, look to him. It says, while talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. So he thought that he was going for just one person, but really there was a whole room. And he said to them, you are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate or visit a Gentile. Now, there's not a law per se in the Old Testament. He's talking about the customs and the traditions because as humans, we can put traditions on top of God's word. And so he's like, these traditions have created this barrier. It's not our custom to do this, this is not normal. But God has shown me that I should not call

anyone in pure or unclean. God is dismantling a category for Peter that he's had his entire life. And verse one, it says, so when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask you why you sent for me? And it's Cornelius to start telling about the division. Said three days ago I was in my house and I was praying at this hour at three in the afternoon and suddenly a man and shining clothes stood before me. He said, Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Sent a japa for Simon who is called Peter. He has a guest in the house of Simon the Tanner who lives by the sea. So I sent for you immediately. And it was good for you, 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. So I want you to see what was happening. Peter is in japa and he's praying. Cornelius is in Caesarea and he's praying. If Cornelius doesn't know what's going on with you, And God is working at both ends. God is always working behind the scenes to draw and woo people to himself. God is moving and he's drawing people to himself. And how is it happening? It's happening through prayer.

You got to see this. It was prayer. It was in making space, making room. That we can talk a lot about hospitality, but the most important hospital is is to make room for God in our lives. And the way we make room for God in our lives is through prayer that we sit. And I know it looks like a waste of time, but it is a royal waste of time for us to sit and to sit with the King of Kings. It is the greatest privilege in your life. As a follower of Jesus, you have access to the throne of God. Any time, anywhere where you can be in the presence of God. And we look at the story and we're like, man, it was through prayer he gets a vision. It was through prayer he gets direction. It's through prayer that he gets a word. It's in prayer that he gets a encounter with God. It's in prayer that he gets his next assignment. It's in prayer that he's encouraged. It's in prayer that he gets revelation. It's in prayer that God changes the way that he transforms the way he sees other people. What would God long to do in a moment of prayer with you and him and the enemy wants to do anything, anything, to keep us from praying? It's one of the moment you sit down to pray. The first thing you want to do is pick up your phone. That's a temptation.

It's a temptation because the enemy doesn't want you to talk to God. It's where your power comes from. Man, that's where your next word comes from. The enemy wants to cut off communication. What do you do in war? In war, they try to cut off communication. And God wants to speak to you. And so I want you to put a case on your phone so you can throw it, throw it to the other side of the room. Not today, Satan. There's an apple on the back with a bite taken out. Get it away so you can sit with God. Man, we said, well, I don't have time to pray. Did you know the low end of the average screen time on a phone is four hours? It's not that we don't have the time. We still steward the time. On average, low end, 2,000 pickups, times we touch our phone. 2,000 times we touch our phone today. And heaven wants to touch your heart. But it's in that place of prayer. Man, I was so inspired this past week as we had 24 hours of prayer. We had a-- we had no idea when we said yes to be a part of this. This is so much bigger than us. The church is all across Nashville. But we said it took 24 hours. Had no idea that on Tuesday we would begin.

I got a text from Pastor Tom Tindall who helped start the church, one of the pastors who helped start the church. He said September 8th, 2002, was the first service at Crosspoint. And so here we are 24 years later commemorating our 24th anniversary as a church with 24 hours of prayer. Only God. [APPLAUSE] In some of the stories that happened, there was a young man, 16-year-old young man, who came-- we started at 9 o'clock with 200 college students. And there was this young man who stayed the entire night. And I found out about a story he called his parents and said, I just don't want to leave. I just don't want to leave the presence. He didn't leave. They brought him food. His parents brought him food. Because he was like, I just don't want to leave the presence. That reminds me of Joshua who lingered at the tent with Moses. Like, I believe that God's raising up a Joshua generation. That just longs for the presence of God. There was a lady who came in and she said one o'clock. She said that she said the last time I drove into Nashville at one o'clock in the morning, it was to look for drugs. She said, but this time I'm driving a Nashville at one o'clock. Looking for Jesus. And here's our entire-- I don't know all of what God did in that 16-year-old and then that woman, but I know he did something because Jesus said, the promise is in Hebrews that he rewards those who earnestly

seek him. I think sometimes we want God to do all the seeking. When God says, if you'll seek me, you'll find me when you seek with all your heart. And so finally, this last minute of God confirms the welcome. Look at verse 34. It says, then Peter began to speak. I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation, the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. So he's just flowing. He's just speaking. And then right here, he just brings it to the gospel. He's like, he brings it to the good news. everybody can just come to the table because they're good. He's saying, you can come to the table because Jesus is good. And he tells us what Jesus has done in verse 37. He says, you know what has happened throughout the promise of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all those who are under the power of the devil because God was with him. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen, by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one who God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. Who are you saying? He's saying, this is the gospel, that Jesus lived and he died and he's raised from the dead and he's judgment, but he brings forgiveness. In verse 43, all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. That word everyone, if you've got a Bible, you circle that word everyone in the Greek, you know what that means? It means everyone, that everyone who believes on Jesus, who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins for his name, through his name. Everyone, all people, means white people and black people and Asian people and Hispanic people and immigrant people and refugee people, rich people, poor people, educated people, uneducated people, house people, unhoused people, republican people, democrat people, young people and old people, single people, married people, divorced people, widowed people, incarcerated people, people in recovery, people in addiction, skeptics and cynics, religious and atheists, people who grew up in church and people who wouldn't know where the book of Acts is if you're handed in a Bible. People you understand and people that you don't, people you agree with and people that you don't, that everyone, everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through

his name. That just means that there's nobody who's too far to hold. That there's nobody who's outside of the reach of God's mercy and his grace. And so verse 44, while Peter is still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. God didn't even wait for the altar call, the Holy Spirit's just poured out. So as the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. This is the first time that they've seen such a thing and then for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. It's a Gentile Pentecost in the same way that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church in Acts chapter 2 in the upper room. The Holy Spirit is being poured out here and it says, and Peter said, "Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." Well, I love about this. He started with a Shirley Knot and then now he's saying, "Surely no one can stand in their way." And so he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and then they asked Peter to stay with them a few days. They're like, "Don't leave." What started with separation and distinction separation between Jew and Gentile, now they're having a lock in. They're like, "Just stay with us for a while." And only God, this is the first recorded baptism service in Caesarea, that word Caesarea means Caesar's town. It means Caesar's city. It's Caesar's town. And so here we have this Roman soldier in Caesar's town who is the leader of the Italian Regiment and now he hears of Jesus Christ.

He is baptized into Christ. That word Christ is not Jesus' last name, it means Jesus the anointed one, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the king. In a town that says Caesar is king, Cornelius is baptized saying, "Jesus is king." No, Jesus is king overall in my life, in my family. We belong to him. You better be careful, Cornelius, because when you're baptized in the name of Jesus the king, Rome will put people on crosses for that. Cornelius, how can I not God has moved heaven and earth for me to be made right with him? And you need to know God has moved heaven and earth for you to be made right with him. And just like that was his one day, today can be your one day. So I want to lead you in a moment in prayer because I believe there are two groups of people. Two groups of people today. I believe there are some today. [BLANK_AUDIO] Some today you're like Peter and there is a group of people or maybe groups of people, maybe even in that list that I mentioned, where you have been withholding love. Maybe even one of those groups of people where there has been a rift that's been allowed in your heart and maybe what God is not necessarily calling you to change what you believe, maybe your beliefs about God is right, but the way you're loving other people is wrong and He's calling you to love because I believe that the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, I don't believe that it's speaking in tongues, I believe it's loving our enemies. That's the evidence of a life because you can't do that in your own power. You can't do that in your own strength. So maybe the prayer today is God would you and I'd just encourage you to repent. Say God I'm sorry because it's hard to love somebody that you're looking down your nose at. Being condescending or withholding love is a terrible strategy for evangelism. And God is saying I want to put my love in your heart for others.

And so when that's not the way it is, we repent, we come back home. Maybe another group of people is like Cornelius. Maybe like Cornelius you've been religious but you've never truly trusted Jesus. Maybe you've worn yourself out but trying to be good enough, trying to earn your salvation with religion or with good works, and today the invitation is to receive the gospel. That Jesus has done all the work. That Jesus Christ wants to save you by grace through faith and to put your trust in Him and receive the forgiveness of sin that your heart longs for. So what I want to do is I want to lead in a prayer for those of us who would maybe say like Peter, you got you to do some surgery in our hearts. Fill us with your spirit with those like Cornelius and say yes to Jesus for the first time. Let's pray to God. Father, we thank You. We thank You for Your Word and how it reveals, it reveals where we're at and it reveals our great need. We've got to pray for those today, those of us included who need to repent. Where there are people or groups of people that we've allowed ourselves not to love. So Holy Spirit, would You reveal that right now so that we can repent? That we can say to You Father, forgive me. And as we repent, we pray Holy Spirit that You would be poured out, pray that You would fill every heart and earshot of this message, who longs to love as You love, would You do a supernatural work in us so that You can do a supernatural work through us. And give us opportunities, we pray, divine appointments to love like You, that You would love through us. And then God, we pray for those who are here today who like Cornelius is their day, to put their faith and trust in You for the very first time. And if that's you today, then I want to invite you to pray something like this. Father, thank You for loving me. Please whisper to Him, thank You for sending Jesus for me.

I believe that Jesus lived and that He died on a cross and that He was raised from the dead for me. God, I give You my life. I want to walk with You here on earth and spend forever with You in heaven. Thank You for saving me. Father, pray for those that made that their prayer, would You give them the courage to tell somebody and God, would You give them the courage like Cornelius and his family to be baptized, to go public with their faith? And God, that we as the Church would carry Your message of love and hope to the world. God, would You give us opportunity this week to invite others to know the truth. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Would you stand with me? I'm closed with a verse and a chorus. (gentle music) ♪ Come all you hear ♪ ♪ Come all you thirst ♪ ♪ Come to the where ♪ ♪ And ever is dry ♪ ♪ Drink of the water ♪ ♪ Come and thirst ♪ ♪ Come all you sinner ♪ ♪ Come find his verse ♪ ♪ Come to the table ♪ ♪ He will satisfy ♪ ♪ Taste of his goods ♪ ♪ Find what you're looking for ♪ ♪ Oh no ♪ ♪ For God so loved ♪ ♪ The world that he gave ♪ ♪ Is one and all ♪

♪ Son to save us ♪ ♪ Whoever believes it ♪ ♪ Whoever ♪ ♪ The power of heaven ♪ ♪ Whoever can feed ♪ ♪ Now it is worth ♪ ♪ Walking in feet ♪ ♪ What God so loved ♪ ♪ God so loved ♪ (gentle music) ♪ Praise God ♪ ♪ Praise God ♪ ♪ The world won't resist ♪ ♪ Praise him ♪ ♪ Praise him ♪ ♪ For the wonders of his love ♪ ♪ Oh praise God ♪ ♪ Praise God ♪ ♪ From whom all blessings grow ♪ ♪ Praise him ♪ ♪ Praise him ♪ ♪ For the wonders of his love ♪ (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) You