Greetings members and friends and welcome to another commentary and preview to this Sunday’s study of the Word. This Sunday’s study text is entitled “Good News For All” and it is based on Acts 10:34-47.
The Acts of the Apostles is an account given by Luke of some of the things that happened in the immediate days, months and years after the death and resurrection of Jesus in the church. While most of it records the missionary journeys of Apostle Paul and His interaction with the church at Jerusalem, it also records some significant events in the early life of the church that didn’t involve Paul.
One such event was the sign God gave that the good news of the gospel was to be for all people and not the Jews only. While Jesus was with the disciples, now apostles, He directed them not to go to the Gentiles, but to focus on the Jews in the house of Israel. He once told a gentile woman seeking help for her daughter that it was not fit to get the children’s meat to the dogs.
But His mission was to focus on those who already had God’s law and a context in which to receive His message. Those outside the Jewish nation would have no idea what He was talking about and couldn’t place Him or His message in any context that would make any sense. But after His mission was complete, He directed the Apostles to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations everywhere.
This was a transition and departure from what He had demonstrated and told them before. So there was still reluctance and hesitancy to preach the gospel outside the Jewish nation for the same reasons while Jesus was with them and because there is no clear bridge between the Jews and Gentiles on which to bring the gospel.
The first big breakthrough occurred when some gentiles who sought God were preached to by some Jews who knew God and had the gospel. God arranged for Peter, the Jew with the gospel, to meet Cornelius, a gentile who feared and wanted to serve God. God had Cornelius to find Peter and invite him to come to him and prepared Peter for Cornelius arrival and invitation to come.
When Peter arrived at the home of Cornelius, a small crowd of people were waiting for him to hear what He had to say. Peter perceived that his task was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who were gathered. While he was in still preaching, the Holy Spirit filled those who were listening with the outward sign of speaking in tongues so that there could be not mistake as to what was happening.
This was a clear sign and left no doubt that God has granted salvation to believing gentiles just as He had to the Jews. Peter did not come alone but others Jews had accompanied him. When they saw what happened, he asked those who came with him how could they now not baptize those who have received the Holy Spirit just as they had because God has accepted them. So, Peter commanded that they be baptized.
From this point on, the question of whether the gospel should be preached and given to the gentiles was settled. The only thing that remained is how to reach and teach and preach to a heathenistic people and culture about a holy God who offers salvation to those who believe and obey His voice.
That same task remains today and, in many ways, remain just as challenging as it was for Peter and the first Jewish disciples to reach the gentiles of their day as it is for the people of our day. There were significant barriers those first disciples had to overcome. Yet somehow, they found a way to get through to all those in their generation God had ordained for eternal life.
We today face significant barriers and challenges to reaching those who are ordained for eternal life in our generation. We must look for ways and methods for God to bring us together with God fearing people in our generation in every place in the world.
There are those today who would choose salvation if they are able to overcome their doubt and fear that salvation is real and available to them. Our task is and remains to help them overcome their doubt and fear.
Well, again be sure to look over the study again and come prepared to offer your comments, questions and perspective on the meaning of the study. If you can’t attend your own Sunday School class this Sunday, you can join us live and online at 9:00 am at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link.
You can also join us live by dialing 508 924-2890. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section or you can share them on Sunday. So, let’s all have a great lesson and discussion this Sunday and remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
