Peter and Cornelius

July 2, 1989

Galatians 2:9-21, Acts 10:1-16

Purpose:

(1) To appreciate the great grace of our Lord, Who extends His mercy to all those who seek His face; and (2) to get to know and appreciate St. Peter as a very human, very great man of God.

Introduction:

What sort of man do you envision when you think of the great Apostle Peter? Do you think "impetuous" or "forward" or "talkative"? These are the stereotypes.

I am not certain that we grasp the scope and power of this man whom Jesus chose, and who was the acknowledged leader of the early church. I am not sure that we understand this man very well, who, along with St. Paul, was one of the two great heroes of the Book of Acts.

Peter was the undisputed leader of the Jerusalem believers; he was powerful in his persuasive speaking; he was powerful in his dealings with believers and unbelievers. Peter was such a man of God that people followed him around, and tried to get lame and halt people into his shadow, believing that his shadow brought healing.

I. PETER VERY MUCH A KOSHER JEW

Peter was comfortable with keeping many rules

Peter had never read Romans or Galatians. They had not yet been written, even though the truth in them is eternal. The early church was still feeling its way.

Peter knew that Life was a free gift of God in Christ. But Peter had been raised a strict Jew. Never in his life had he ever tasted pork; never had he ever had any social dealings with Gentiles. Peter knew that Israel was favored of God; and perhaps in his mind he thought that Jesus had come as a Jewish Messiah to set up a Jewish kingdom.

Years later this upbringing was still very much with Peter— as we read in Galatians 2, where Paul says that Peter had grown comfortable in the freedom from legalism that real salvation brings- but when some of his old Jewish friends came from Jerusalem to Antioch, where Peter had been eating with Gentiles (as well he should!) Peter reverted to his old, comfortable ways!

This is not to criticize Peter. I can identify with him in many respects.

Peter's heart and mind were 'stretched' by God's LOVE

We get some insight into just how great a man, how great a servant of God that Peter was by the fact that, given his background, he was still the instrument of God's choice to bring the Good News to Cornelius.

Here we see Peter dealing with a man with whom he had very little in common— at least so far as we might think.

We might think God would rather choose a "Luke" or at least a cosmopolitan Paul to witness to a professional soldier Gentile. But God's ways are beyond our understanding.

[Illus: I cannot help but think of Jack White, from Indiana, and the "Jesus Revival" at New Milford— totally incongruous from our understanding and perspective.]

(Transition: "But there are two men in this story in Acts 10...")

II. CORNELIUS .. A GOOD MAN SEEKING AFTER GOD

Does God ever answer the prayers of a "non-Christian?"

A professional soldier ... hardly where we would expect to find a gentle man. Yet here was a devout man, a man who prayed. Here was a man who gave to others. Yet he was not saved.

MY answer: God does what HE wants to do!

Cornelius was SEEKING AFTER GOD! How many are doing just that?

Does God answer the prayers of a non-Christian? Does God love non-Christians? DO WE? [One of the moving moments of General Assembly was the introduction of a District Superintendent who happened to be a South American Indian (from a tribe very similar to the Agauruna head hunters.) Head of one of the church's largest districts.

As a completely unlettered pagan he "saw" a man all in glowing, gleaming robes who appeared in his hut (dirt floor, grass roof, and all) and spoke to him about a Book and about finding a man who could get HIS name written there. This Indian man came to Larry Garman ...

WHY DON'T WE HAVE SUCH VISIONS? Do we walk in all the light we have? I JOHN 1:9

I believe

  1. God will honor those who SEEK Him.
  2. There are people LOOKING after God that God will guide US to if we are prepared— if we pray— of we are FILLED with the Spirit.

(Philip— taken to the Ethiopian eunuch)

III. GOD ANSWERED THE PRAYERS OF A PAGAN BY SENDING PETER

Peter had a viable prayer life

  1. If we ever are used of God in any significant way we, too, will have to be people of prayer; available to God; in "right relationship" with Him.
  2. Peter was "wrong" in his thinking— but God gently talked with him about his prejudice. [In the "discussion/argument" Peter was on the side of law and order— God was on the side of love and redemption.]
  3. Peter was CERTAIN of His relationship to God in Christ. And that certainty never left him. But Peter was also" certain" of a lot of other things. Certain that HIS rightness had to do with his keeping of kosher law... certain that the chosen people were the nucleus of the church.
  4. And Peter came aware of the heuristic quality of genuine faith! Peter was open to the Lord's leading

    He was uncomfortable with change. He had a pure heart— that was filled with prejudice And yet PETER WAS OBEDIENT TO THE SPIRIT

  5. Peter walked in the light ... and Peter reaped a great harvest! (10:44)

Conclusion:

  1. Aren't you glad that Peter was open to God's Spirit? Aren't you happy that we are saved by FREE GRACE, and not by the keeping of kosher laws?
  2. But wait a minute— are WE (you and I) AVAILABLE to God, even as Peter was? EVEN WHEN IT STRETCHES US AND CAUSES US GROWING PAINS [Illus: At General Assembly the entire Church Growth Convention heard Jim Couchenour tell of his dealings in a saloon in Columbiana, Ohio.]
  3. And there are still many, many Cornelius-type people out there praying as best they can: "Oh, God! Send someone my way to show me how I can know You in a personal, satisfying, sin-forgiving, heart-cleansing way!"

Are YOU (am I) available if God should need someone to tell them?

PRAYER: (For a faith that stretches us— to be more like YOU!)

EH 47 God of Grace/Glory or EH 52 Ye Servants of God