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[Music] well good morning welcome to the house of the Lord that free grace Baptist if your visitor a warm welcome to you and trust we have an opportunity at the end of the service to that to get to know you and to meet you so we trust you will stay around for some fellowship in regards to announcements tonight is the Lord's Supper when we meet when we meet back together tonight at 5 o'clock and there is no Wednesday night Bible study this week just this week it will resume probably after that but this week probably an email coming out just to remind people because we are in the routine of that and regards to baptism and membership Hanna Kim and Marissa Porter will be going through the waters of baptism and obviously joined the church in the in the in the near future as well as next Sunday night there's a joint service with the Syriac Reformed Baptist Church they'll be the evening service October 13th and after that evening service there'll be a time of fellowship up in the up in the fellowship hall just light light refreshments and tea tea and coffee so we look forward to meeting with with the Missouri Missouri folk and have a hub and have a meeting together with the with all the reformed Baptists in the whole in the whole Fraser Valley we'll all be together in in one in one one church service well having announced those things let's turn our Bibles to begin worship this morning let's turn to Psalm 130 Psalm 130 Psalm 130 a song of a sense out of the depths I have cried to you O Lord Lord hear my voice let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications if you Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared I wait for the Lord my soul waits and in his word I do hope my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch the morning yes more than those who watch for the morning o Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him his abundant Redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to him number 99 be 99 be I'll ask you to stand please [Music] go to God in prayer and ask his blessing to be upon our worship here this morning let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come into your holy presence this morning now through your son the Lord Jesus Christ we are grateful Father that we have this privilege to access you through your son the Lord Jesus Christ to come into the throne room of the King of Kings the Lord of lords and how we praise you father in such a glorious day as this that that you would be pleased to Tabernacle with we your people father we confess that we are sinful people we are people who who were born in Adam born in sin and father we need we we needed that that cleansing that that blood is spilt on our behalf in the purse of your son the Lord Jesus Christ how grateful we are father for such a for such a savior as your son that you are well pleased to crush your son not for his sins but rather for our sins and should we - Lord we worship you that's not this day we worship you this that this we trust that not just this morning but this whole day and into tomorrow and the next day as well thought that we might be a grateful people for the forgiveness that we have with you through your son Lord Jesus Christ thank you Lord that you take our sins and you remove them from us you you plunge them into the deepest part of the ocean to remove them from as as far as the East is from the West and truly we are grateful father for such a forgiving God caused us to live in light of these things father we pray that you would help us in our sanctification to grow in our knowledge of you to grow in those Christian Grace's that be speak of a of saved individuals and we truly brave we do we do truly pray father that you be pleased to - to - cause we who are your children to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel forgive us when we do not Father forgive us when we do break your law forgive us father when we do not love you as we ought to love you we do not love you with our whole heart soul mind and strength and we pray Lord that you would help us in this day and help us tomorrow and into the next day for the rest of this week father we pray that we truly would desire these things that you give us those those graces that are required in order to put on the Lord Jesus Christ each and every day father we thank you for your word we praise you've given you're giving your word to us in in the in these old and New Testaments that sit upon our laps we praise you Father for the for the freedom that we get to enjoy in this nation where we where we can open our Bibles where we can read them and where we can gain knowledge of you and gain and and gain knowledge that that would build us up and cause us to grow in our Christian faith we pray Lord that you would help us in this day to listen to the Word of God give to us that that that that devotion give to us that listening ears and listening heart to hear the Word of God and we pray Lord your blessing upon that word that you would be pleased to empower our pastor with with with the Holy Spirit and cause the words not to be his own but rather that which you would have for us here this day in this place at free grace we we give you our grateful thanks father for the blessing of being able to meet together in this place week after week and year after year after year father we truly praise you for your goodness and kindness your smile upon us as a nation as we consider the the election coming up in a very short short couple of weeks father we pray that you would be merciful to us as a nation cause cause father you're you're you're undeserved grace to be upon us we know Lord that we deserve your wrath as a nation yet father we pray that you would be merciful even in as we consider the the very very important election that does come up we do pray Lord that you would be merciful and that you would cause those men and women who know you those men and women who desire to to be godly to be elected to to have an opportunity to to be in that sphere of influence in this nation we do pray so I we just commit ourselves and your hands and acknowledge your sovereign over all things father we do confess you even just that the the the the sin of abortion in this nation truly we do need your mercy upon us as a nation and we pray Lord that that these things would be spoken up as as in the distant past and we pray Lord that you would bring upon the consciences of this nation such such wickedness that follow which really would turn from our sinful ways and turn to you the true and living God you know you to be a merciful god father you will reset you will receive sinners who come to you and so how we pray that that that gossip the gospel that has preached from pulpits throughout the Lower Mainland this day and throughout our nation and around the world father that you'd be pleased to prosper that gospel this day cause it to be for the for the salvation of sinners we pray even in this place father that those who come in amongst us who who know nothing of the grace of God nothing of the forgiveness of a kind and a benevolent God we pray Lord that you would be merciful upon their souls and cause them to hear of crisis day as Christ has lifted up here in this pulpit we pray that they might look and believe that you would be merciful to them and cause them to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved from their sins father we do pray for any and all amongst us who are who are ill who are who are suffering who who have had perhaps recent tragedies in their lives we pray Lord that you would just show yourself merciful to them cause Lord your face the smile upon them may be they may those who who who do know you as their Lord and Savior may enjoy the grace that does come from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ and being in fellowship with Christ we pray Lord that you would just minister to each and all whether it be an illness sickness poor in poor in spirit whatever it might be if we do pray father that you would just be gracious to your people this day and and cause your face to smile upon them we pray Lord for your blessing to be upon the Surrey church and the church and Vernon as well we thank you Lord for these for these established works and we pray that your continued blessing might be upon them at what we pray for ourselves we pray for them that they would grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would add to their to their numbers as mains are to be saved and we do pray Lord that you looked with favor upon the church in Vernon that they might soon be able to call it pastor one day that you put it upon their heart upon the heart of a man that would be raised up for that place and the Lord they would have that that kind and good gift of having a pastor amongst them a Shepherd to to Shepherd that flock we do pray to that end believe in father that you have and you will set someone apart for them if this is your will and that you will give that to give that good gift to them father we do ask your blessing to - to - also VP upon the persecuted Church this day we know Lord that as we enjoy the freedom as we enjoy the the many luxuries in this this in the West father we do praise you for these things but we pray for those who are not as privileged as we are they truly are suffering for the gospel sake men and women are being separated and pastors are being separated from their churches and Lord we know that these things do go on but they do not go on outside of the watchful eye of a loving and a faithful and a kind God and so what we prayed should be gracious to them be gracious to those who are suffering we pray that they would not think hard thoughts of you father we think of family members who who were often left when fathers are taken away to prison or even killed certainly the the temptation would be to think hard thoughts of you and we prayed lo that you'd be gracious to those individuals be gracious to the churches and we pray that that you would be pleased to to to cause the the blood that is spilt the the imprisonment of your children to be ultimately for the furtherance of the gospel you know the enemy of our souls is against view follow them because they are and they cannot strike out against you they strike out against your servants o Lord be merciful to the church worldwide and we do pray that they would continue to grow and that the influence of Christianity might continue around this world and we know father's only because Christ and His Church is growing that there is animosity and and hatred towards you and a seeking to stamp these things out so lord we pray that you would continue to build your church and the the Lord Jesus Christ as head of the church has promised that he will do that and we do pray that that many enemies will meet will be made Friends of Christ through the preach gospel around this world and so Lord again we just commit ourselves into your hands we acknowledge your goodness your kindness to us and we pray that you would be pleased to forgive us of all of our sins and cleanse us afresh and that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ as we worship you now help us we do pray in Jesus precious name Amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to through the second him to him number 425 425 and I'll ask you to stand please [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a man you may be seated and turn with me in your Bibles to to Acts chapter seven Acts chapter seven and we'll read beginning at 17 will you read to from verses 1 to 16 last week so we'll continue 17 and we'll go to 43 again we're in the middle of Stephens address to to the to the Pharisees the high priests in regards to they've brought charges against Stephen he's against the law and ultimately that meant ofcourse he was against Moses and that he had a low view of the temple so thus he would have had a low view of the place of the place where God dwells and so he's answering those charges and as a good creature would of course he brings some application in this passage here today to those charges to the to the ultimately delivering them to the hearts of these of these individuals who were charging him so keep that in mind as we as we read these verses that this is Stephens answer to the to the high priest and to the to the - to the to the Jews of his day beginning verse 17 but when the time of the promised Jew near which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied to Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph this man dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers making them expose their babies so they might not live at this time Moses was born and was well pleasing to God and he was brought up in his father's house for three months but when he was set out Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son and Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds now when he was 40 years old it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel and seeing one of them suffer wrong he defended and avenged him who was oppressed and struck down the Egyptian for he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand but they didn't understand and the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them saying men you are brethren why do you wrong one another but he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away saying who made you a ruler and a judge over us do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday then at this same Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian where he had two sons and when forty years had passed the names of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush in the wilderness of Mount Sinai when Moses saw it he marveled at the sight and as he drew near to observe the voice of the Lord came to him saying I am the God of your father's the God of Abraham the guide of the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob and Moses trembled and dare not look then the Lord said to him take your sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them and now come I will send you to Egypt this Moses whom they rejected saying who made you a ruler and a judge is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush he brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness forty years this is what this is that Moses who said to the film of Israel the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren he him you shall hear this is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with with the angel who spoke to him on mount sinai and with our fathers the one who received the living Oracle's to give to us whom our fathers would not obey but rejected and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt saying to Aaron make us God make us gods to go before us as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt we know what is because what has become of him and they made a calf in those days offered sacrifices to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands then God turned and gave them up to worship the hosts of heaven as it is written in the book of the prophets did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during 40 years in the wilderness o house of Israel you also took up the tabernacle of moloch and the star of your god remphan images which you made to worship and I will carry you away beyond Babylon amen well it spread our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father just as Moses stood before this burying bush recognizing that he stood before a holy God we pray Lord that she would be pleased to give to us that same that same worshipful attitude that we would be mindful of fact that we stand before a holy God here in this place this day and as we reverence ourselves to to seek to seek you for and what you would have for us from your word this day we pray lo that you would be well pleased to bless your word as it's preached here in this place we know Lord you to be to have a word for your people and so we pray that that that that word is it's preached in a few moments that you would bless that word and cause it to find its mark in each one of our hearts for sanctification or for salvation we pray though that you would just show yourself merciful to us and we we know you to be a merciful God and we pray your blessing upon the preached word and it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to last him before the preaching and that would be to 138 B 138 B Alaska stand please [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 10 as we continue to go through the Acts of the Apostles looking at the conversion of Cornelius and his household acts chapter 10 I want to begin reading in verse 34 we'll read the chapter 11 verse 18 so beginning in chapter 10 at verse 34 then Peter opened his mouth and said in truth I perceived that God shows no partiality but in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him the word which God sent to the children of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ he is Lord of all that word you know which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached a God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with them and we are witnesses of all the all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem whom they killed by hanging on a tree him God raised up on the third day and showed him openly not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before by God even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained by God to be judge of the living in the dead to him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins while Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also for they heard hymns or heard them speak with tongues and magnify God then Peter answered can anyone forbid water that the should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord than they asked him to stay a few days now the Apostles and brethren who are in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God and when Peter came up to Jerusalem those of the circumcision contended with him saying you went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them but Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning saying I was in the city of Joppa praying and in a trance I saw a vision an object descending like a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners and it came to me when I observed it intently and considered I saw four-footed animals of the earth wild beasts creeping things and birds of the air and I heard a voice saying to me rise Peter kill and eat but I said not so Lord for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth but the voice answered me again from heaven what God has cleansed you must not call comment excuse me now this was done three times and all were drawn up again into heaven at that very moment three men stood before the house where I was having been sent to me from Caesarea then the spirit told me to go with them doubting nothing moreover these six brethren accompanied me and we entered the man's house and he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house who said to him send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved and as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell upon them as upon us at the beginning then I remembered the word of the Lord how he said John indeed baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit if therefore God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ who was I that I can withstand God when they heard these things they became silent and they glorified God saying that God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life amen will let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word of the Living God we thank you that you've not left us alone in the world you've not only given us the word but you've given us your Holy Spirit one just like our Lord Jesus Christ another comforter how we pray now for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit as we work our way through this section of Scripture how we pray that for your people you would encourage our hearts that you would strengthen us with might and the inner man so that Christ may dwell richly in our hearts through faith and God for any and all who have come here this morning that are strangers to your Grace and to your mercy we pray that today would be the day of salvation that you'd open eyes and hearts to receive the truth that the Spirit would give the graces of faith and repentance and that today would be the day of salvation and father we ask that you would look with favor upon Roger and Barney we ask that you would bless this couple that you would sustain them in the midst of sorrow and agony and distress and God we pray that they would know that peace that comes from on high and that their families would be well calculated well well able to promote help and encouragement at this time and God how we thank you that in the midst of trial in the midst of calamity in the midst of all hardship suffering and affliction in this world you remain stable you remain settled upon the throne your government is in the heavens you do whatever you please and though God at times these things do confuse us and confound us they nevertheless draw us and I for we know that you are good and you do good and we just praise you we bless you and we thank you for this time that we can gather together for worship may the spirit be at work in our hearts and may you again forgive us for all of our sins and all of our transgression and we pray in Jesus name Amen well we've been working our way through the book of Acts and specifically are in chapter 10 we see Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God Almighty the Lord had purposed to save a great multitude that no man could number from every tribe tongue people in Asia all the way back in Genesis 3:15 he gave a promise concerning his son that would be the skull-crushing seed of the woman who would deal the deathblow to the devil we see that promise unfold throughout Scripture and come to its full realization in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and at this particular juncture acts 10 we see the formal inclusion of Gentiles in the purposes of God Almighty it's a really encouraging passage last week we saw Peters sermon in verses 34 to 43 so this morning we're going to take up in the first place the conversion of Cornelius and his household in verses 44 to 48 and then secondly the controversy over Cornelius and his household in chapter 11 verses 1 to 18 it's a bigger section than we normally take but much of what we see in chapter 11 is a repetition of what we'd seen in chapter 10 in terms of the two visions the two men meeting together and then Peter declaring to the household of Cornelius the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and God's saving sinners according to his power and mercy let's look first at the conversion of Cornelius and his household in verses 40 to 48 the first place note the power of the holy spirit verse 44 says while Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word that is what we pray for and that is what we hope for remember when these two men meet Cornelius says specifically to Peter in verse 33 he says so I went down to you immediately and you have done well to come now therefore we are all present before God to hear all the things commanded you by God in other words Peter we want to hear the word of the Lord so Peter does that very thing in verses 43 or rather 34 to 43 he emphasizes the person and the work of the Lord Christ the reality is is that man is desperately wicked the reality is is that all of us have sinned the reality is is that all of us have gone astray like sheep and if we do not repent and believe we will end up in hell God in his provision God and His grace sent the son of his love into this world Christ obeyed the law of the Father perfectly Christ went to the cross on behalf of his people in a substitutionary way Christ was raised the 3rd day and Paul summarizes this gospel in Romans 4:25 he says that Jesus was delivered up because of our offences and he was raised for our justification and so Peter preaches that reality to the household of Cornelius and now the Holy Spirit comes you see we not only need the accurate the true preaching of God's gospel but we need the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit the logic is obvious if sinners are dead in their trespasses and sins it is not men that can make them alive it's not parents it's not sons or daughters it's not friends or acquaintances it's certainly not ministers of the gospel we simply preach the word in dependence upon the Spirit trusting that he comes when and how he will and in this instance he does Peter is preaching in the Holy Spirit falls upon all those who heard the word the Spirit works in the hearts of the hearers of God's Word enabling them to believe that truth unto the saving of their soul and as well the Holy Spirit in verse 44 indicates something in terms of divine initiative Peter wasn't the renegade apostle leaving as it were Jerusalem just going on his own to try to find Gentiles that might want to interest themselves in the gospel of Christ the Lord no this was of God God gave this vision to Peter God gave a vision to Cornelius God had Cornelius send these men to fetch Peter he brings them together and now Peter preaches to this household and God saves that then the initiative is divine it is not a renegade apostle leaving the Jews for the Gentiles but this is the promise and the plan of God Almighty now as the spirit falls notice in verses 45 and 46 the astonishment of the believing Jews there were six men according to chapter 11 verse 12 that accompanied Peter when Peter was in Joppa he went with the messengers of Cornelius to Caesarea to meet Cornelius it was about a 30 mile journey so Simon Peter took six men along with him they would serve and function as witnesses they would confirm the goings on they would be able to say that is precisely what happened as Peter rehearsed it remember this is a controversial section and we're going to see that in chapter 11 Gentile inclusion in covenant promises of God while it was always promised by God wasn't always embraced by the Jews and that is what's happening in this passage so these six men with Peter described here as those of the circumcision who believed in other words they were believing Jews they were astonished because the Holy Spirit now came upon Gentiles think I've told you before Jews and this context would wake up in the morning and thank God that they were not made women they would thank God that they were not made Gentiles and they would thank God that they were not made slaves there was an animosity that had obtained from the Jews toward the Gentiles and now that the Spirit comes upon Cornelius and his household it isn't surprising that these guys are surprised they are astonished they are amazed they are seeing things that they had not previously seen in this kind of a manner and then what happens is absolutely consistent with the sorts of things we've come to expect in the book of Acts notice in verse 45 those of the circumcision who believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also and then notice in verse 46 for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God so the Gentiles now speak in tongues this was a visible demonstration that the Holy Spirit had in fact fallen upon them that they are now speaking in other tongues not gibberish but the content of the tongues is described in verse 46 they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God those tongues that they were utilizing were to the magnification of God wasn't gibberish it wasn't mindless babble it wasn't just the repetition of a of a certain few phrases to sort of affect the worshiper it's similar to what we see in Acts chapter 2 you can go back there for just a moment in Acts chapter 2 we see the purpose of the tongues that are given to these worshipers and in chapter 2 verse 11 it says we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God so if you've ever been exposed to tongue speaking oftentimes it is unintelligible oftentimes it is just babble oftentimes it is just the rehearsal of or the repetition of a few phrases that really is mindless in its essence that's not tongues according to Scripture there were other languages and here in Pentecost in Chapter two and here in what I'm going to argue in just a moment is a Gentile Pentecost in Chapter ten the tongue speaking was a manner or means by which they praised Almighty God wasn't a secret prayer language it wasn't anything like what we are told it was by the charismatic sand Pentecostals and if we look at this particular passage we need to understand and appreciate something I have said very many times as we've worked our way through the book of Acts not all of Acts is prescriptive but rather it is descriptive it describes for us what took place this is not prescribing for us what what must now take place in other words those who receive the spirit now are not going to speak in tongues the tongues that came on that day in Acts chapter 2 in the city of Jerusalem the tongues that come here with the Spirit of God Almighty in Acts chapter 10 are similar to what we see in Acts chapter 8 in Samaria when the gospel goes there and the Holy Spirit comes this is a demonstration that Christ is at the right hand of the Father that he has absolute lordship and power and that he is giving the spirit to the Church of the Lord Christ this is not a prescription for how persons who receive the Holy Spirit must now respond we have to speak in tongues that's not the emphasis of the text when you look at Acts to Jerusalem you look at acts 8 Samaria and you look at acts 10 you see the pattern of the book of Acts Jesus in acts 1:8 says you will be my witnesses first in Jerusalem and then to Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth it's not an accident and it shouldn't surprise us that the Spirit comes in each of these instances I believe that this is the Gentile Pentecost just like chapter it was the Samaritan Pentecost that is very similar to what we see in Acts chapter 2 with reference to Pentecost it is a signification that in the Messianic age Christ at the right hand of the Father is the giver of the Holy Spirit at unique junctures in the unfolding of his redemptive plan to highlight his glory his majesty in his power again this is not this is a not descriptive or prescriptive of how Christians ought to live in the here and now to be quite candid we are what's called cessationists when God finished the Canon he finished giving revelation tongs and prophecy were means of revelation necessary for the early church when there was no New Testament but now that we have the New Testament we don't need dreams we don't need visions we don't need prophesying in the sense of God revealing himself and we don't need tongues we have the written word of the Living God some say well that denigrates the power and the supremacy and the agency of the Spirit it absolutely positively doesn't it acknowledges his handiwork in the finished scripture it acknowledges his wisdom and giving us the Word of God and when we see sinners get saved by grace we see the power of the Holy Spirit displayed in in a wonderful in a majestic way tongue speaking is not for the church today what is for the church today is sound doctrine it is biblical preaching it is the exposition of the Word of God it's not persons peeling off and babbling or going through some phrases to try to impress others that yes the Spirit has come upon me know the way of the church today is to preach the word be ready in season and out of season convince rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching that's Paul's point in 2nd Timothy 4 search Timothy first him in the second Timothy and Titus and see what Paul's emphasis is in those letters it's not on prophesying it's not on tongue speaking it's not on the Charis man gifts it is rather on sound doctrine now I know that's not as attractive and sort of romantic and sort of sensational as we might like but that's what God uses for the saving of sinners and for the building up of his people you don't need ecstatic experience you need faithful commitment to the truth of God's Word that's the emphasis in the passage with reference to the preaching the Spirit comes to confirm that this is of God the inclusion of Gentiles in the covenant promises of God so what we have here is not an emphasis on the individual but rather corporate experience of the Church of Jesus Christ the fact that in Chapter two and here in chapter 10 the spirit produces the tongs that result in the magnification of God and then look at Peters report in Chapter 11 at verse 15 he says and as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell upon them as upon us notice at the beginning Peter links this experience to Acts chapter 2 he links this to the day of Pentecost to offset it from the normal and the ordinary what we have in acts 10 is a Pentecostal experience such that they had in Jerusalem in chapter 2 and such that the Samaritans had in chapter 8 at particular junctures within the context of the church the Lord God pours out the spirit and at least in two of the instances tongue speaking is a result of that it confirms that they are complying with Christ's mission mandate to be his witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth Thompson says Luke's focus in these tax acts 2 8 10 and 11 is on the fulfillment of prophecy salvation history in the beginning of the last days rather than paradigms or or patterns for individual experiences in each of these chapters Luke emphasizes corporate experience the corporate experience of Jews of those in Judea Samaria and then those to the ends of the earth even Gentiles now you might wonder why I'm taking to explain all this because it is a misuse of the book of Acts for a charismatic or a Pentecostal to insist as a sign of your having been converted that you speak in tongues that is to do great disservice to the professing people of God it is to do great disservice to the very text of Scripture and to any same principles of hermeneutics what is described is not necessarily prescribed and we need to get our minds wrapped around that in the book of Acts it's always amazed me that those who want to take the book of Acts as prescriptive completely that were discipline supposed to speak in tongues we're supposed to have a present apostolic ministry we're supposed to see these signs and wonders typically disregard one of the passages that is to be taken in a prescriptive manner after the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost after sinner says sinners say sirs what must we do Peter says repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins we get a glimpse of the early church you know what there come they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine breaking bread fellowship and prayers oh no no we've got to have signs and wonders no we got to raise people from the dead no we've got to speak in tongues we've got a prophesy no we need to continued steadfastly in sound doctrine we need to continued steadfastly in fellowship and breaking bread and prayers that's what the church continues steadfastly in so the argument isn't that none of the book of Acts is prescriptive the argument is is that not all of the book of Acts is prescriptive so this is a Gentile Pentecost signifying Christ on the throne is giving the spirit in accordance with his promise in Joel Joel chapter 2 and then as well according to Jesus plan in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 so that's the power of the Spirit I noticed the baptism of Cornelius and his household verse 47 then Peter answered can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have the form of the question expects a no answer sometimes you do this you say you don't really like broccoli do you well you expect the answer to be no it really shouldn't because broccoli delightful and packed full of good nutrients but you get the point you really don't want to go on this journey with me do you we ask the question in such a way to elicit a no response well when Peter does this in verse 47 it's a no-brainer obviously they've heard the word the Spirit has come upon them they are saved sinners they are entitled to baptism it is a beautiful thing as John Gill says since they had the greater baptism the baptism of the Spirit the lesser baptism of water could not be denied that that's the logic involved and Peter understands that so Peter asked the question but he moves from asking this question which again expects a no response to actually issuing a command in verse 48 notice it says he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord then they asked him to stay a few days now I want you to appreciate something in the book of Acts they don't have altar calls they don't tell everybody okay bow your head close your eye raise your hand if you want to come to Jesus there was no altar calls there were no invitations to come forward for prayer there was baptism after persons got saved after people believe the gospel they were baptized I think Peter underscores for us a faulty practice of the modern age altar calls manipulation you know warm anxious seats to the development of a whole host of things that we don't find in the book of Acts but it also argues against what is practiced in many Baptist churches not just general sort of Baptist but reformed Baptists these sort of six-month new members classes now I'm not against instructing the people of God in the Word of God that's why we have a Wednesday night Bible study we have a confession study we have a morning study we have an evening study we have a Saturday morning study we really like to study here so I'm not arguing against educating people but there ought not to be this great chasm between belief and water we have taken away from Christ something of the immediacy of water baptism it doesn't save it doesn't convert there's no magic in the tank I am NOT suggesting that I am NOT arguing that way I'm not a Campbell light I do not believe in the regenerative powers of water but at the same token we have minimized the emphasis that the New Testament places when Jesus says go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit he's not kidding he's not joking and if you look at Peters language he doesn't suggest that they become baptized he doesn't say it's one option among many he commands them to be baptized it's a beautiful expression of faith in Christ when a person goes into that water he or she is signifying in a public manner their identification with the true and living God the one God Father Son and Holy Spirit it is significant and these long class times trying to educate people on every jot and tittle before we admit them to the waters of baptism is contrary to the practice that we find in the book of Acts this is another area that I think is prescriptive this is the way the church is supposed to function no altar calls no long sessions but rather dunk them immerse them put them in the water why because the Lord Christ commanded this and it's not up to us to de incentivize people we need to be about obedience I think at times persons make a profession of faith they may actually believe what the Bible teaches about baptism but for whatever reason they're a bit hesitant to come don't hesitate you know in other countries people die when they come forward in other timeframes people die when they come forward we actually have the opportunity in our particular situation to Terry in to wait we may have that practically but we don't have it biblically the pattern is belief and then be baptized and one other thing we ought to appreciate in this particular section notice what the tax tells us in verse 48 he commanded them to be baptized who is the then it's Cornelius and his household look at verse 24 in chapter 10 the very the second part now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends there are relatives there are close friends there are servants there are probably soldiers remember that that's his job Cornelius commands a hundred men that's what a Centurion did he was a man of battle he was a man of war he was a man who would have carried weapons and he would have been surrounded by such so these persons receive not only the power of the Spirit they speak in these tongues to magnify God Almighty and then they enter into the waters of baptism make no mistake about it the bible does teach household baptism at least here in Acts chapter 10 and every Baptist affirms household baptism at least here in Acts well everywhere it's taught and I would argue this way everybody in a household who hears the Word of God everybody in a household upon whom the Spirit falls every person in a household upon whom God has set his saving grace should be baptized that's what's taught here were their infants that's the big question not according to the grid work that we see here they heard the word they received the word according to chapter 11 they believe the word and the Spirit came upon them likely as a Centurion Cornelius would have been an older fellow as I often say to the Brethren in our Saturday morning studies with reference to household baptisms the argument can go one of two ways well there were certainly infants in that household and they must have been baptized and the argument can go just as easily the other way well there were certainly not infants in that household and so they were not baptized there are a lot of households here represented that don't necessarily contain infants it's an argument from silence and one that I don't think is very good for either paedos or for Baptists but in this we do affirm household baptism body here heard the word they received the word they believed the word the spirit fell upon them so of course they would be baptized because that is an expression of their faith in the Living God it really is a beautiful scene where the Holy Spirit comes upon this this gathering to show Gentile inclusion in the covenant of grace now let's look at the controversy well let's at the very end of verse 48 notice it says then they asked him to stay a few days well why would they do that because he's Peter the Apostle and they're new believers and they want to ask him questions that that's why they did that but as well it connects us with with 11:1 the fact that he stayed there a few days gave time and opportunity for this report to get back to Judea remember that Peters in Caesarea it's probably about 70 miles 50 ma I think around 50 miles from Caesarea to Jerusalem it took some time they nevi male they weren't persons and in Cornelius household you know texting others in Judea saying yeah you really got to appreciate the spirit just fell there they're speaking that they didn't have that it would take some time for this knowledge to get back to Judea and this is a consistent connection between the two chapters and as I said we're not going to go jot and tiddle through chapter 11 because much of it is repetitious to what we've already seen in chapter 10 but with reference to chapter 11 the controversy over Cornelius and his household it breaks down this way first the reaction in Judea in verses 1 to 3 second the defense by Peter in verses 4 to 17 and then finally the response of the church in verse 18 now I don't think we can truly appreciate what's happening here to some degree because as we've been raised as we've been reared as we've been taught the Word of God we expect Gentile inclusion and the Covenant promises of God most of us are Gentiles far as I know we're all Gentiles and we have been blessed by God and included in those promises given to Old Covenant Israel again these things were not unique to the New Testament we might ask the question why in the world did the Jews struggle so much with Gentile inclusion in the Covenant promises if Noah prophesied that Japheth would find refuge in the tents of Shem if God tells Abraham on several occasions that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed if that pass our promise has passed on to Isaac and the Jacob and then it's celebrated in the Psalter it's developed in the prophets it's it's shown to be the the work of Israel's Messiah the Lord Christ the servant of of Isaiah 42 and 49 he'd be a light under the Gentiles why did they struggle so much well Calvin suggests this the Jews thought that Gentile inclusion would be this way they would come through circumcision to Israel's God see that's the big emphasis here in chapter 11 and then it will be picked up a got picked up on again in chapter 15 the Jews perhaps expected Gentile inclusion but not without having become Jews in other words to be a proselyte to have subscribed to the ceremonies of Moses to have been circumcised this is so much of what lies behind Paul's teaching in the book of Galatians in Galatians you had these people called Judaizers they would come to the churches they would say it's good for you to believe the gospel it's good for you to believe that Jesus is Messiah but you must also be circumcised and once you're circumcised then you'll be welcomed in to the family of God Almighty see it's a faith plus wart sort of an approach it is a faith in Jesus plus something that you do and that will ultimately commend you to God that's why Galatians is in the Bible that's why Romans is in the Bible and that's why these persons were having some difficulty with Gentile inclusion what do you mean they didn't have to be circumcised what do you mean Peter you commanded them to be baptized but not circumcised what do you mean Peter they don't have to submit to the law of Moses that generated some issues both here in chapter 11 and then it will again in chapter 15 where it's dealt with and treated decisively at the Jerusalem Council so this is a transition period where Gentiles and mass start coming into the church and the Jews are going wait a minute wait a minute this is not what we expected we did expect Gentile inclusion but they had to come the way that he did as well that's the context if you miss that you you're gonna have trouble if you get it then I hope you'll have happy miss or joy all right let's look at their statement this is a great passage by the way I don't want to be so polemic that we miss what glorious things are going on here Cornelius a Centurion a battle-hardened warrior troops with him hear the gospel of salvation the last hour talking about the doctrine of repentance unto life and salvation we're talking about the reality that God in His grace offers forgiveness to sinners and when we look at the scripture they're not just general sort of generic or or vague sinners what kind of trouble do you think of Centurion in the first century got into what kind of trouble did did Peter himself get into what kind of trouble did sinners get into the same sorts of things I think at times we read our Bibles and we say well you know that's just them and you know they don't have the same sorts of sins that we do get it in your head that we are great sinners no matter when we live but Christ is a great Savior that's the emphasis from Genesis to Revelation and these sinners are forgiven these sinners receive the the Holy Spirit and these centers are now magnifying and praising the God of Israel it really is beautiful now notice in verse 1 of chapter 11 the report circulates in Judea and then in verses two and three we see the problem we see the controversy we see the reaction again of Jewish believers verse two and when Peter came up to Jerusalem those of the circumcision contended with them now that's interesting because probably in Jerusalem at this time every believer was circumcised right they didn't have sort of the the Gentile wing of the Jerusalem church at this moment so when it describes those of the circumcision it probably underscores a subset within the Church of Jewish believers of those who are fastidious those who are sticklers those who are were bent on making sure that if anybody comes to our God they come not only through Jesus that they come through the circumcision 'el knife you see that was their emphasis but as we look at this passage they're not mean-spirited they're not party driven they may be a bit fired up they may be a bit shocked at what's happening but once Peter makes his defense what do they do they submit their silent they glorify God they appreciate what Peter has said see like I said it a couple of weeks ago in the early church they were able to debate in the early church they were able to have some dissension in the early church they were able to to deal with their issues they were able to come together and talk like men and not worry about offending everybody I think the church has co-opted the secular cultures mindset were so afraid to ever offend anybody we'll never lift up our voice will never cry out will never spare not will never tell anybody anything they don't want to hear Oh brethren that's simply not the way real men do theology they may disagree they may ask each other questions in some instances they may even get a little upset with one another but they still love each other there's still brothers and sisters they don't part company they don't say you're dead to me I want no truck with you ever again I think we can learn a lot not only from these men but from our forebears in the theological realm persons that could discuss persons that could even disagree persons that could get fired up but persons that were not snowflakes who needed their little safe spaces because he's saying things that I don't want to hear we see it in the world it happens in the church I don't get it are we I've always thought theologies for big boys we got a deal rightly righteously there's no one who has it all figured out there's nobody that has every right answer there's nobody that that that can pontificate to the rest of us you know knaves and tell us how to set things straight and also intriguing is that when Peter is rebuked and challenged notice what he doesn't do I'm Simon Peter I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ do you know who you're talking to do you dare question me the Papists tell us he was the first pope the papers tell us that he was the one that they patterned the papacy after boy how UNPO plike of him to actually be challenged by the rabble and then to give a defense see it wasn't the way the Papists tell us but it wasn't the way that Protestants often function oh we can't disagree with one another brethren I thank the Lord God Most High that in the context of our church there are legitimate disagreements here not on Trinity not on soteriology not on who Jesus is but on some periphery that's ok that's healthy that means anti-cult if we all think the same way if we all dot the i's the same way if we all cross the t's the same way that would really scare me thankfully I know better because I hear from people and we don't always dades and cross T's the same way but we do when it comes as I said the theology proper who God is trinitarianism who Jesus is hypostatic Union one person two natures and how man is saved we're justified freely by grace see if 10:43 means anything it means that the just doctrine of justification by faith alone is biblical it wasn't a Lutheranism a Luther imposition upon the text it wasn't a Calvinistic imposition upon the text scripture from Genesis to Revelation affirms grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for salvation and in this particular juncture that excludes circumcision as a means by which we are accepted with God so this party this group this subset in the Jerusalem church rebukes Peter in verse 3 you went into uncircumcised men and ate with that well he doesn't say anything about them being saved or baptized I think it's a lesser to the greater if you ate with them don't think for a moment we're down with you suggesting that the Spirit came upon them and that you baptize them we are offended at the thought that you would have gone in and eating with those Gentile dogs we are offended at the thought that you would have defiled yourself with those filthy animals we are offended at the thought that you would have degraded yourself and still said you're an apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ that's kind of the the the impetus behind it and again before you say well I just don't see it Peter rehearses that in 1028 notice what Peter says in verse 28 and chapter 10 when he goes to Cornelius house since then he said to them you know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or God go to one of another nation but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean fake Jonah I've often said Jonah's the only preacher in the history of the world who got mad that God blessed his preaching I don't get it that's not me on a Monday morning God I can't believe you actually bless the preaching and you know hoards of people got saved I can't ever tell you I've made that complaint the other might be the case and hopefully it's not a wicked sort of complaint but Lord God I'd love to see the spirit fall upon those who are dead in their trespasses and sins such that they would confess the glory of God that they would confess saving faith in Jesus but this was precisely Jonah's problem he didn't want to go to Nineveh why because he didn't like the the sunshine he didn't like the climate he didn't like the people he was a nationalist he was one that didn't want the grace of God to sort of spill over into the pagan countries that he didn't approve of that's the point in Jonah 4 God says to him you're upset about this plant that you didn't plant you're upset about this plant that that you didn't give life to and what does God say at the very end of the prophet Jonah should I not pity Nineveh that great city that has a hundred and twenty thousand that doesn't that they don't know their right hands from the left or the twenty thousand I can't to think of the exact number right now that don't know their right hand from the left you see brethren that was incipient in the heart of Jews as the chosen people of God Almighty they began to get proud they began to think that it was because of them their scriptures notwithstanding in the book of Deuteronomy I think it's in chapter 9 God tells them I didn't choose you because you were more numerous I didn't choose you because you were more righteous God said his affection upon Israel based on his good pleasure based on his sovereignty but you see they took it as well we're really special we're better than the rest those Gentiles are dogs those pagans are dirt those people around us are not to be trusted we need to stay away from them there's an ancient Jewish writing Jubilees 22:16 tells us have no truck whatsoever with anybody from the nations but then as well with reference to this book you see how it's still gonna flesh itself out in chapter 15 but look at Ephesians 2 just to get a sort of an idea on how Gentiles were looked upon Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians 2 verse 11 therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands that at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world see that's how they were positionally that's how they were religiously that's how they were and that's how they were treated they were Outsiders they were strangers to the covenants of promise they were aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel they were not brought nigh they were not brought in they didn't have any interaction together so going back to Jerusalem in Acts chapter 11 verses 2 & 3 this is somewhat expected when these sorts of things transpire one commentator made this observation he says by choosing and blessing one family God intended to bless all the families of the earth what a beautiful thing that we've seen in our studies in Genesis on Wednesday night every time God speaks the seed and promise he always connects blessing of the nation's in you Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed in you Isaac all the nations of the earth will be blessed in you Jacob all the nations of the earth will be blessed not by virtue of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but by virtue of their seed the Lord Christ Galatians 3:16 tells us that Jesus is the seed and it's Jesus in whom and through whom the nations of the earth are blessed that's why Jesus says go therefore and make disciples of all the nations this is why in in Psalm 2 the the Lord Christ says or the father rather says to Christ ask of me and I will give you the nation's for your inheritance the ends of the earth as your possession there's always the purpose and the plan but again Israel got proud the Jews got puffed up so this fella said so psalmist's and prophets foretold the day when God's Messiah would inherit the nation's the Lord's servant would be their light all nations would flow to the Lord's house and God would pour his spirit on all mankind the tragedy was that Israel twisted the doctrine of election into one of favoritism that's why when Peter says in verses 34 and 35 he says I perceived that God shows no partiality that vision was revolutionary for Peter when God tells Peter arise kill and eat Peter says no Lord I've never ingested an unclean animal God says go I've cleansed it no longer call it comment do what I'm commanding you he goes on to say the tragedy was that Israel despised our twist of the doctrine of election into one of favoritism became filled with racial pride and hatred despised Gentiles as dogs and developed traditions which kept them apart again I don't think you'll find a particular text in the Old Testament that says don't have any interaction whatsoever with a Gentile well the idea was if we eat with them we'll ingest their unco store food and then we will contract to file men we will be unclean so what do they do don't eat with that don't go near that it's like the Sabbath don't work on the Sabbath okay we're going to outline how many steps you can take on a Sabbath day to make sure that you never break it the motivation behind it is good but it's also artificial and it's contrary and it heaps up things that ought not to be heeded heaped up but back to this quote he says no Orthodox Jew would ever enter the home of a Gentile even a god fear or invite them or invite him into his house so so that's the nature of their complaint and again that brings us to the defense by Peter Gill says he did not insist upon his authority as an apostle and much less pretended to a primacy to the rest of the Apostles but submitted to have his case heard examined and judged of by the body of the Brethren beautiful thing so now he reviews basically what we've already seen in Acts chapter 10 he speaks of his vision here in chapter 11 verses 4 to 10 we know what the vision was the sheet comes down there's filled filled with animals both clean and unclean God says rise kill and eat Peters objection isn't well IIIi can't see any clean animals they become unclean by being mixed with the unclean and so he wants nothing to do with that and there he imitates very similar to the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapter 4 so he rehearses this vision that he had seen he then highlights the instruction by the Holy Spirit in verses 11 and 12 he says the Spirit came confirmed the vision and told me that were men there were men coming and that I needed to go with that so it's again divine initiative that the hand of God is all over this account all over this situation he then highlights the meeting with Cornelius that he has in verses 13 and 14 and notice what he says verse 14 who will tell you okay back back to verse 13 for a moment he told us how he had seen an angel this is Cornelius standing in his house who said to him send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved that indicates that up to this point though Cornelius was a God fear though he was interested with Yahweh of Israel though there was some degree of piety that he exercised he wasn't saved he needed to hear the gospel and I think verse 14 is conspicuous this way as well there's no salvation apart from the gospel if men don't hear and by that I mean women and boys and girls I mean creatures if they don't hear the gospel they're not going to go to heaven there's not enough in general revelation to save them there is enough in general revelation to dam them but not to save them sinners are rendered without excuse when they look at the created order and they deny the existence of God but they cannot look at the created order and learn a blood atonement they can't look at the created order and learn of Christ crucified and resurrected that's where we come in it's about declaration it's about proclamation it's about telling sinners the good news that's why Christian pulpits must be gospel pulpits they must be about this message such that sinners can hear these things and believe and be saved if we just amuse men Sunday in and Sunday out if we just entertain them Sunday in Sunday out if we give them a handful of principles to have a happier life they're going to end up in hell we preach Christ crucified Paul sent to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness but to those who are being saved Christ the wisdom and power of God verse 14 is an emphasis on how absolutely crucial the gospel is and then notice he speaks of the conversion of conversion and baptism of Cornelius in verses 15 and 16 and then he gives us the rationale behind his baptism of Cornelius and his household here in verse 16 he says then I remembered the word of the Lord how he said John indeed baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit John makes that declaration and Luke's Gospel but Christ affirms it in Acts chapter 1 verse 5 so you see the nature of Peters argument I preached to them the gospel the the person's heard the gospel the persons believe the gospel according to verse 17 the Holy Spirit comes upon them of course I'm going to baptize them see Peter is giving a defense of his actions with these Gentile and Peter is making his case and Peter is confirming that this is in fact of God and this is the way that we're going to receive these brothers and sisters into the life of the church see that's where the rubber meets the road brethren there's a transition period there is this this Gentile now sitting with Jew worshipping the same true and living God shared with you before that account of John Jasper that black slave who is dealing with tobacco and he had not dealing with it he worked in a as a slave in a tobacco factory and as he's standing there as he's working as tobacco he he's thinking about texts he's thinking about gospel and the Lord God saves him he starts talking to everybody working around him about the Lord God saving him and then the manager hears it of the master here is this and calls him into his office because it's creating a bit of a ruckus there on the factory floor and so jasper goes up to the master the master says tell me what you're doing he says well the Lord God saved my soul and the master extends his hand to him and he says welcome to the faith brother he'll preach this word and Jasper's dying testimony was I didn't stop I won't stop until I take my last breath it's a fascinating glorious wonderful story and incidentally he was most known for John Jasper being a geocentric he taught that the earth was the center of the universe and he was most famous for that he was called a philosopher his biographer said I never believed in Geo centricity I still don't believe in Geo centricity but hearing Jasper preach on Geo centricity convinced me of Geo centricity so he had great persuasive powers as a preacher so what he learned on that factory floor what the master gave him leave to do that's what he did till he died the point is a master shook of slaves and black people shake white people's hands Dutch people American people Canadian P I know that's not ethnicity you get the point every tribe tongue people in Asia see this is what the church is working with at this point this is why the Jerusalem Council how do we deal with these Gentiles entering in how do we make this transition smooth that's why in acts 15 it's not comprehensive code of ethics for new Gentile believers it's a way for them not to give offense to the Jews it's a way for the Jews not to give an offense to the Gentiles see in the gospel we have solidarity in the gospel we have unity in the gospel whether you're younger you're old whether you're black or you're white wherever you're from your brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ that's what Peter is saying who was I to forbid what God is obviously doing in bringing Hort by Cornelius and his household into the fold course I'm gonna baptize him of course I'm going to engage in this and that's the concluding statement he makes in verse 17 if therefore God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ who is I that I could withstand God let me just amplify that if God gave them Gentiles the same gift the Holy Spirit as he gave us Jews when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ who was I that I could withstand God that's impeccable logic and it certainly holds sway with these persons that objected and who contended with them Matthew Paul says to deny baptism unto any unto whom it doth belong is to withstand God and to keep back the token of God's love from such unto whom it is sent now having made that statement that summary that review notice their response in verse 18 when they heard these things they became silent that's good to when you've gotten beaten in an argument it's best to stop that's another lesson this generation could desperately stand to learn you've been beat like a drum just own it okay don't come back with another sort of rejoinder you look foolish everybody sees it you need to embrace that okay that that's a message I think needs to be preached you know church church Lee and and politically there's there's no shame in saying oh yeah I was wrong you know that's actually expected of us as God's people this hyper defensive I'm never wrong I'm always right everybody just sort of you know sit at my feet and learn that's contrary to the spirit of our Lord and Savior brethren these and we're silent they got beat they were bested they knew it they said okay Peter's right not just because he's Peter but because he is giving given us a compelling reason as to why he's right but doesn't stop there when they heard these things they became silent and they glorified God see it's so beautiful isn't it we talked in the last hour about certain persons that that you know we don't always we don't always appreciate the grace of God but let's say some notoriously bad human being on death row get saved today there's that sort of in us somewhere in thinking it's not really fair he's a horrible specimen of a human being well it's not fair it's not fair that you and I go to heaven that's what grace is it's we don't sing amazing fairness how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me we sing Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that any guilty vile helpless sinner ever stands in the presence of God is a testimony not to the guilty vile helpless sinner but to the Christ of that guilty helpless vile sinner remember when Zacchaeus is told by our Lord to make haste and come down that tree he does it immediately by the way oh you know I'm gonna sit up perched on this tree for another couple of years Lord just to consider my options gotta want to make sure I really know my city comes down from the tree as the best general rule you'll ever hear when God tells you something do it if Christ is standing at the sycamore tree knee tells you to hurry down hurry down so zakia shimmies his way down Zacchaeus affirms his faith calls him Lord affirms his repentance by saying I'll gladly give back and then the crowd grumbles the crowd murmurs the crowd is is disgusted by this show on the part of our Lord the crowd function that way or at least the the religious of the crowd in Luke 15 Luke 15 1 & 2 we see all the tax collectors in the Centers draw near to Jesus to hear him what's first 3 tell us then the scribes and the this man receives sinners and eats with that little did they know they were preaching the glorious gospel of free and sovereign grace I love those instances where they complain and the nature of their complaint is gospel truth isn't that what we hang our souls on this man receives sinners and eats with them isn't that exactly why we're here this morning is because that man receives sinners and eats with them and of course Christ affirms that by telling the story of the shepherd by telling the story of the woman and by telling the story of the father with the prodigal he affirms it thrice three times that yes I do in fact receive sinners and eaten with eats what to eat with them so in this instance they see the grace of God and what do they do they praise they worship they glorify they're happy this is what the salvation of God does to the people of God it causes celebration they don't open their hymn books and just kind of meander out the words brethren we should be singing praises to God he saved us from our sins after the service instead of running out of here as soon as we can let's talk about the grace of God that has saved us from our sins when somebody is baptized and identifies publicly with our triune God stick around for a few moments give them a hug welcome them to the family of God be the master to John Jasper extend your hand and welcome him in to the family of God Almighty salvation makes the people of God happy it fills their hearts with joy that's why that instance with Jonah sitting under that tree all upset and all discouraged is just it really is mind-blowing Jonah you're the only man that's ever complained that God blessed his preaching everybody else has been contrary to that and then notice what they do they see they attribute they ascribe says then God are they glorified God saying then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life they recognized grace see if it comes to the Jews we recognize it now it's coming to the Gentiles we recognize it we see that God granted the the Gentiles repentance to life which underscores that repentance is a gift given by God faith is a gift given by God he gives these to the elect so that they can close with Christ and may know the joy of being found in him so these Jews these believers in Jerusalem they're silenced by Peters report and then they end up praising and glorifying God because they recognize the graciousness of God in including the Gentiles in the Covenant promises of God so the controversy is dealt with by our beloved brother Peter these brothers these sisters the Saints in Jerusalem are now praising God for Gentile inclusion again completely foreign and completely contrary to prior to their salvation imagine being the sort of person that would wake up in the morning and thank God that you're not a Gentile to go into the point where you're having the supper of the Lord with the Gentile so to be sitting next to a Gentile to call a Gentile brother see that's what's happening in the church that's what happens in in Jesus Christ that's the emphasis in the book of Revelation every tribe every tongue every people every nation I think our churches on earth should image that they should mirror that it shouldn't just be one demographic it shouldn't just be one sort of people group if in heaven it's going to be every tribe tongue people in Asia it ought to be that way on earth if we're gonna have to deal with each other for world without end we better learn how to now on this side of heaven there ought to be love in our hearts affection in our hearts for persons from all those backgrounds from all those places that were united together in Jesus Christ doesn't that make you happy in this context have you ever had sort of interaction with somebody in this church or outside our church some other Christian brother or sister and you've mused to yourself you know we have nothing in common absolutely positively nothing in common and yet together in Christ we have everything in common everything in Christ so that's our exposition I want to close with just a couple of thoughts really really quick first we see the unity of the people of God there is a system of thought out there that wants to eventually divide the people of God we don't want to divide the people we want the people of God to remain a unity as God has purpose for them to be a unity in Jesus Christ according to Ephesians chapter 2 he is making one new man from Jew and Gentile he brings them together and he makes one new man what God has joined together let no man rent asunder let us not split that in some future age so that the one group can get special privileges living on earth that is not biblical that is not good and it introduces amongst the people of God a division that Christ in his cross work has overcome why would we do that first Corinthians 12:13 for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks whether slaves are free and have all been made to drink into one spirit I mentioned Ephesians 2 you can read that for yourself 14 to 22 and then in Ephesians 4 4 to 6 there is one body and one spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all brethren the unity of God's people is cause for celebration among God's people we ought to love each other we ought to care for each other we ought to be friendly toward one another and instead of saying well you know that person comes from this background brethren enjoy the union in Christ that you share so I Paul is upset with the church at Corinth when they're celebrating the Supper it's because they've introduced division they've introduced division by way of the haves and the have-nots some in the context of the church are eating and drinking to the point of gluttony and drunkenness others are neglected Paul is not happy with that it betrays the oneness of God's people if you have give it to them who have not foster unity foster that fellowship foster that friendship and then the final observation from our text in terms of a practical note the salvation of sinners by God we need to appreciate the impartiality of God doesn't matter what nation you come from you're a sinner you're fit to come to Christ do you know that's the that that's what you contribute is Luther said the only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin you need saving from we all have that whether you're you know wherever tribe tongue people nation that's it there's no impartiality he's not just looking at the Jews he's not just looking at this group of Gentiles he's not just saying oh you people in this particular ethnic situation no come on that is absolutely offensive to what scripture tells us every tribe tongue people and nation secondly the necessity of the word for salvation and when we ask what's the characteristics in the preaching of that word ten thirty four to forty three tells us it's about Jesus so the gospel isn't your good feelings the gospel isn't your experience the gospel isn't the warmth that comes when you consider Jesus the gospel is the truth that Christ lived Christ died Christ was raised the third day as well the grace of God that enables the elect to believe the word and to repent of their sin this is not what they recognized according to 1118 then God also or has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life that underscores the grace necessary the Spirit doesn't come apart from the grace of God so I always encourage us as a church on Sunday morning Sunday Eva Sunday afternoon before we come to church if the Spirit doesn't come here brethren then we exercise in vain he could preach the word Spurgeon could you know fall out of heaven occupy this pulpit and preach one of his glorious sermons but if the spirit II hear you're not getting saved the spirit ain't hear you're not getting edified see for some reason the reformed two backed off emphasizing the spirit because we don't want to be charismatic sand Pentecostals that is absolutely nonsensical in terms of argument do you know that John Calvin has been called the theologian of the Holy Spirit I don't think any of us would fill in that blank John Calvin the predestined Arian John Calvin the guy who had Servetus killed John Calvin the monster of Geneva that's how we would answer that but men who know men who have stirred men who have read the institute's men who have read calvin have called him the theologian of the holy spirit why is it that the reformed aren't emphasizing the spirit of living God you have to be John Wimber and power religion in order to emphasize the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God he is ours he is with us and without him in terms of the public preaching of his word there's not going to be people getting saved you want to see people saved pray for this group that the Spirit comes under the preaching of God's Word I mean really don't we all want people saved you may not go to China you may not go to Timbuktu you may not stand on the streets of the the steps of Ottawa you know and shake your finger in the Prime Minister's face and telling him you know like John the Baptist does with Herod it is unlawful for you to have your your brother's wife you know you may not ever do that but boy you can certainly pray before church to the Holy Spirit to come what's the Prophet say in Isaiah 64 rend the heavens and come down you got to get that in its context Isaiah 63 and 64 the Prophet knows that God is not with them in the way that they want God to be with them and he rehearses the sinfulness it's in Chapter 64 that famous passage all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags in your sight he knows the problem with Israel he knows the ethical violations he knows the transgression of God's law and he knows the fundamental fix ran the heavens and come down we can't fix this ourselves we can't make ourselves better we can't make ourselves commendable rather God we need you we saw it in the Book of Lamentations at the very end restore us caused us to return unto you brethren if we do not have the spirit as we gather here on Sundays our precious kids our grandkids they're going to hear sermons they may be theologically Orthodox they may be able to dot some i's and cross some T's but without the spirit they're not saved that is absolutely crucial as we gather together morning evening Wednesday whatever and then finally the emphasis on justification by faith look at 10:43 to him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins notice in 11:17 if therefore God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ you and I are not saved by combination of faith and works we're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone belief in the truth concerning Jesus that is the one thing needful Paul will later write in the book of Galatians knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified Galatians 6:15 the Apostle says for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but a new creation see now Galatians doesn't come long after acts 15 in fact when we get to acts 15 you got to kind of piece it together when does Galatians 2 happen relative to act 15 and it's not like you know 25 years later Galatians is Paul's commentary on what's happened at the Jerusalem Council note you no Gentile ever goes to heaven based on faith plus works all Jew Gentile that go to heaven goes based on faith in Jesus Christ and that's why Paul in Galatians 6:16 can say and as many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God he is not suggesting a distinction between Jew and Gentile he is saying that Jew and Gentile is the Israel of God better he is saying Jesus is the Israel of God and that Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus are the Israel of God by virtue of his work on their behalf and then that final tax that we always ought to pay attention to is Galatians 2:20 1 Paul says I do not set aside the grace of God for if justice comes through the law then Christ died in vain that underscores the necessity of faith in Christ alone as the means by which God receives us unto heaven so our faith plus works it's not faith plus circumcision it's not faith plus your law keeping it's not faith plus your sanctification the way Catholicism and federal vision new perspective on Paul I don't know why we want to twist this or distort it it's such a wonderful message God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself let's just rejoice and be happy and pray that the Spirit comes and that a multitude more will believe on him and be saved let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for its clarity in terms of setting forth Christ and him crucified and our hearts desire and earnest plea is that sinners today here and elsewhere would hear this and the Spirit would come and they would by grace believe on that truth and know the joy of being found in our Lord Jesus Christ I pray God that you would encourage and strengthen us as a local body cause us to reflect upon the covenant of grace and the reality that persons from every tribe tongue people and nation are being included because of the the work of Jesus Christ for sinners God what a glorious age we live in what a glorious thing to see that Christ at the right hand is over all things for the good of his church go with us now we pray and his most blessed name amen we'll close by singing number 563 563 - a familiar tune [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace God may this be true for each of us now may you fill our hearts flood our hearts with that peace of Christ that does surpass all understanding bless our fellowship together bless our church help us God to bring glory and honor and praise unto you and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation