Series: The Birth of the Church (Acts)
Preacher: Ps. James Tang
Date: 28th September 2025
Passage: Acts 10:1-11:18
Sermon Summary:
In Isaiah 55:8-9, the prophet records God’s declaration that His thoughts and ways are nothing like ours. They are far beyond anything we could imagine! Acts 10 shows us an example of this as God orchestrates an encounter between Cornelius the centurion and the apostle Peter.
Prior to this incident, the Holy Spirit has yet to fall on Gentile believers. Although Cornelius is a devout and God-fearing man, he and his household have yet to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Imagine his surprise when the Spirit falls on him and all those gathered with him as Peter shares with them the gospel! (v.44) They begin to speak in tongues and extol God, and they are baptized in the name of Christ. (v.47-48) What Moses dreamt of and hoped for a few thousand years ago has now become a reality: that the Spirit of the Lord would fall on the people, and they would receive it. (Num. 11:29)
Nobody saw this coming, least of all Peter! In fact, Peter receives a strange vision as he is praying, before he receives the summons from Cornelius. In it, God commands him to eat of animals, reptiles, and birds that the Law had deemed unclean and forbidden. (Acts 10:11-15) Perplexed and confused, Peter has no idea what is in store as he responds to Cornelius’ request to meet him in Caesarea, but he comes to recognize his internal prejudice and bias towards the Gentile believers. (v.34) His understanding that God shows no partiality and favoritism is what launches him into a mini-sermon, and his sharing of the gospel acts as the catalyst for this outpouring of the Spirit. (v.44)
Peter still struggles with the same sin and bias fourteen years later (Gal. 2:11-14), and we continue to see how he is a work in progress. He isn’t perfect, and neither are we. But he and Cornelius show us how God sees and hears, and how His heart is always for those who seek Him. (v.35)