Book of Acts

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Book of Acts

• November 18, 2007
• Week 10

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Book of Acts

• Chapter 932 1048

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• When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of
  the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the
  eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way
  rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus
  and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all
  the towns until he reached Caesarea. Acts 839-40

Recall In Acts 8 Philip preached the gospel
until he reached Caesarea
More about this later
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• As Peter traveled about the country, he went to
  visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man
  named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden
  for eight years. Aeneas, Peter said to him,
  Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of
  your mat. Immediately Aeneas got up. Acts 932-34

• First use of the term in Acts. These are Jews who
  converted either
• at Pentecost, or
• fled persecution from Jerusalem, or
• by Philip passing on his way to Caesarea.

.
Same command given by Jesus to the paralytic in
Mark 211
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• All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him
  and turned to the Lord. Acts 935

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• In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
  (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was
  always doing good and helping the poor. About
  that time she became sick and died, and her body
  was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda
  was near Joppa so when the disciples heard that
  Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and
  urged him, Please come at once! Acts 936-38

This tells us she was already a follower of
Christ.
Evidence of her faith. Compare with the centurion
in next chapter
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• Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was
  taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood
  around him, crying and showing him the robes and
  other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was
  still with them. Peter sent them all out of the
  room then he got down on his knees and prayed.
  Acts 939-40a

The widows were beneficiaries of Tabithas
generosity to the poor. They are also witnesses
to the fact that she was really dead.
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• Turning toward the dead woman, he said, Tabitha,
  get up. She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter
  she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped
  her to her feet. Then he called the believers and
  the widows and presented her to them alive. Acts
  940b-41

Same command Jesus gave in Mark 541 in raising
the daughter of Jairus.
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• And it became known throughout all Joppa, and
  many believed in the Lord. And he stayed in Joppa
  for many days with one Simon, a tanner. Acts
  942-43

A tanner was considered an unclean profession
by Jews, because they handled dead animals.
House of Simon The Tanner
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• At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a
  centurion of what was known as the Italian
  Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his
  household, gave alms generously to the people,
  and prayed continually to God. Acts 101-2

The point is this is a Roman, from Italy. A
cohort was 600 men, or 1/10 of a legion.
Roman, but not a pagan. Still, he was not a
Jewish convert and still considered a Gentile.
Like Dorcas, he was generous toward the poor
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33 miles
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One day at about three in the afternoon he had a
vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who
came to him and said, Cornelius! Cornelius
stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord? he
asked. The angel answered, Your prayers and
gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial
offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to
bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
Acts 103-5
This is a 4 day process and all the visions are
during daylight hours.
Compare Called by name, one time. Saul had to be
called twice and asked a question.
Compare Saul asked who are you, Lord?
Cornelius asks what is it, Lord?
Could it be that Saul was a zealot on a murderous
rampage, and Cornelius was a skilled military man?
Jacob Backer (Dutch, 16081651)
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• He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house
  is by the sea. When the angel who spoke to him
  had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants
  and a devout soldier who was one of his
  attendants. He told them everything that had
  happened and sent them to Joppa. Acts 106-8

• The angel could have told Cornelius to go find
  Peter in Joppa. Why not?
• Caesarea was a Roman city and not a likely place
  for Peter to visit, which is what God wanted
• Cornelius may not have been free to leave his
  post
• This was about more than just Cornelius
• This text became a model for missionary work for
  the church
• Cornelius had to change his mind about Jews in
  houses of Gentile.

Recall the centurion and Jesus in Luke 7
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• Capernaum.
• There a centurions servant, , was sick and
  about to die.
• The centurion heard of Jesus
• Asked Jesus to come and heal his servant
• He was not far from the house centurion sent
  friends
• Lord, dont trouble yourself, for I do not
  deserve to have you come under my roof.
• For I myself am a man under authority, with
  soldiers under me. I tell this one, Go, and he
  goes and that one, Come, and he comes. I say
  to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When
  Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and
  turning to the crowd following him, he said, I
  tell you, I have not found such great faith even
  in Israel. Luke 71-9

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About noon the following day as they were on
their journey and approaching the city, Peter
went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and
wanted something to eat,
Second day
Representing the four corners of earth
This is about another type of hunger. God used
food to test Peters real hunger.
This is to assure Peter. This is a certificate of
authority not just a dream. Compare the vision
given to Cornelius, which brought fear.
and while the meal was being prepared, he fell
into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something
like a large sheet being let down to earth by its
four corners. Acts 109-11
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It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as
well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the
air. Then a voice told him, Get up, Peter. Kill
and eat.
Peter believes he is resisting temptation to eat
forbidden fruit. He believes he is standing on
the Word, which is law.
Surely not, Lord! Peter replied. I have never
eaten anything impure or unclean. The voice
spoke to him a second time, Do not call anything
impure that God has made clean. Acts 1012-15
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We are not told if Peter three times said surely
not, Lord.

• This happened three times, and immediately the
  sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was
  wondering about the meaning of the vision, the
  men sent by Cornelius found out where Simons
  house was and stopped at the gate. Acts 1016-17

The answer to Peters question was already at the
gate waiting for him.
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• They called out, asking if Simon who was known
  as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still
  thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to
  him, Simon, three men are looking for you. So
  get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go
  with them, for I have sent them. Acts 1018-20

• Notice Peter moves from an allegorical vision to
  very direct and specific instructions from the
  Spirit about what to do next.
• Why didnt the Spirit just tell him directly to
  evangelize the Gentiles?

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Peter went down and said to the men, Im the one
youre looking for. Why have you come? The men
replied, We have come from Cornelius the
centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,
who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy
angel told him to have you come to his house so
that he could hear what you have to say. Then
Peter invited the men into the house to be his
guests. The next day Peter started out with them,
and some of the brothers from Joppa went along.
Acts 1021-23
Peter himself is a guest. Why is he inviting
Gentiles into Simons house?
Do you think they were going along just for the
exercise? Later we are told there were 6
witnesses with Peter.
Third day
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Fourth day

• The following day he arrived in Caesarea.
  Cornelius was expecting them and had called
  together his relatives and close friends. As
  Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and
  fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him
  get up. Stand up, he said, I am only a man
  myself. Talking with him, Peter went inside and
  found a large gathering of people. Acts 1024-27

Why? (It was exactly 4 days to the hour.)
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He said to them You are well aware that it is
against our law for a Jew to associate with a
Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I
should not call any man impure or unclean. So
when I was sent for, I came without raising any
objection. May I ask why you sent for me?
Cornelius answered Four days ago I was in my
house praying at this hour, at three in the
afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes
stood before me Acts 1028-30
Peter is feeling the need to explain to this
mixed group why he would come into the house of a
Gentile. Notice he uses the term our law not
Gods law.
Cornelius had some reason to believe Peter would
arrive when it did.
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• and said, Cornelius, God has heard your prayer
  and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to
  Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a
  guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives
  by the sea. So I sent for you immediately, and
  it was good of you to come. Now we are all here
  in the presence of God to listen to everything
  the Lord has commanded you to tell us. Acts
  1031-33

• Recall that so far as we know Philip lived in
  Caesarea (Acts 840). Why didnt God have Philip
  preach the gospel to the Gentiles like he did to
  the Samaritans?
• The KEYS were given to Peter, not Philip (Matt
  1619) I will give you the keys of the kingdom
  of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall
  be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
  earth shall be loosed in heaven.
• Peter the apostle could deal with the later
  criticism better than Philip the deacon.

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Then Peter began to speak I now realize how
true it is that God does not show favoritism but
accepts men from every nation who fear him and do
what is right. You know the message God sent to
the people of Israel, telling the good news of
peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Acts 1034-36
This is not a brotherhood of man or universal
salvation gospel.
Notice how Peter quickly gets to the point.
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Peters Unfinished Sermon

• You know what has happened throughout Judea,
  beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
  preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
  the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around
  doing good and healing all who were under the
  power of the devil, because God was with him.
  Acts 1037-38

Jesus did not heal only Jews
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• We are witnesses of everything he did in the
  country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed
  him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him
  from the dead on the third day and caused him to
  be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but
  by witnesses whom God had already chosenby us
  who ate and drank with him after he rose from the
  dead. He commanded us to preach to the people
  and to testify that he is the one whom God
  appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
  All the prophets testify about him that everyone
  who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins
  through his name. Acts 1039-43

Peter is for the first time giving the gospel
message to non-Jews rejecting the pride and
prejudice of the Jewish traditions. He is saying
that the gospel is universal and God accepts
people universally, but it is only through the
resurrection of Jesus that salvation is for all
people who believe.
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While Peter was still speaking these words, the
Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
The circumcised believers who had come with Peter
were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit
had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For
they heard them speaking in tongues and praising
God.

• Notice The reverse process here. The Holy Spirit
  came first and baptism second. This is the first
  time this has happened. Why and does it make any
  difference?

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• Then Peter said, Can anyone keep these people
  from being baptized with water? They have
  received the Holy Spirit just as we have. So he
  ordered that they be baptized in the name of
  Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with
  them for a few days. Acts 1044-48

The question is directed to circumcised believers
from Joppa who came with him.
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Major Points Minor Points

• It is God who prepares and changes peoples
  hearts
• Prayer is a two-way conversation
• Peter acted and talked like Jesus in healing the
  paralytic and raising the dead but he had to
  learn to think like Jesus to become an evangelist
  to Gentiles
• Gods timing is perfect
• The ground is level at the foot of the cross

• There are no minor points

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Bibliography

• The College Press NIV commentary Acts. Joplin,
  Mo. College Press.
• Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible.
• The IVP New Testament commentary series Acts.
  Downers, Ill., USA InterVarsity Press.