Good News for All

November 28, 2021 Background Scripture: Acts 10:34 —47 Lesson Passage: Acts 10:34 —47 I believe it is a rare opportunity when one can declare that something is good news for everybody. Over the years, people have recorded songs to remind us that "somebody's gotta win and somebody's gotta lose". To a large extent, many people adopted that as the norm. We live in a society where there seems to be opposition to everything that is proposed. This is not a new phenomenon. In today's text, Peter preaches an unlikely sermon to an unlikely group in an unlikely place. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, took great pride in his Jewish heritage. Peter's pride caused him to maintain social separation from non-Jews, or Gentiles. As a devout Christian, Peter might have felt justified in doing so since Jesus was a Jew. All of that changed when God sent Peter to the home of a Gentile— Peter even told the Gentiles at the house that it was not lawful for him to be in their house; more on that later, Peter took his separation from Gentiles very seriously. Yet, Peter acknowledged that God told him to go to the house and to not consider anyone common or unclean. Meanwhile, God had sent a messenger to Cornelius to tell him to summon Peter to his house. This is another example of God being in total control of the circumstances. (We should remember this when we pray. Not only does God's hand guide us, but He also guide others who we interact with—or avoid interacting with.) The divinely arranged meeting in Cornelius' house was not going to be a one-on-one meeting. Cornelius had invited his relatives and close friends to join him for the meeting, When Peter observed the crowd in the house, he reminded them that Jews were not supposed to socialize with non-Jews. Peter acknowledged that God had rebuked him for his self-righteous attitude; so, he came to the house without objection. The question Peter asked was, "Why have you sent for me?" Cornelius shared the testimony of his encounter with an angel God sent to him as he was fasting and praying. The angel told Cornelius to send for Peter and he would speak to him. Therefore, Cornelius gathered his family and friends together to hear what God would say to them through Peter. Peter summarized for them the person, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter also told them that the apostles of Jesus were witnesses of what happened and had eaten and drank with Jesus after his resurrection from the dead. The good news: Jesus sent them to preach to people and declare that Jesus is the one who will judge the living and the dead. And whoever believes in Jesus will receive remission of sins. Before Peter could finish talking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard Peter and they spoke with tongues and glorified God. Peter and the Jews who traveled to the house with him were astounded that God had poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles. Peter declared that they should receive water baptism to acknowledge that God had saved them from their sins. They baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus as new converts into the Christian faith. Many people today, like Peter and the Christian Jews then, relish being part of something exclusive. We like being part of a select group that's set apart from the masses. True evangelism never seeks to maintain this status, but rather to constantly reach others for Christ. We, like Christians of the first century, have been given a mission to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth so that all people will have the opportunity for the remission of their sins. And that's good news for all! Robert C. Hudson October 27, 2021