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Following Jesus Changes Everything (Acts 10:34-48)
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Following Jesus Changes Everything (Acts 10:34-48)
Today the devotion will be taken from Acts 10:34-48 and is entitled, “Following Jesus Changes Everything”. Since VBS is next week, I will give a brief summary of the five lessons that will be covered during the week. It is amazing really how I had decided on doing this devotion and later discovered that it corresponded beautifully with the upcoming lessons that I am working on for VBS. So, I just decided to roll with it! Ha!
Peter learned five important lessons as he adjusted his life to the Lordship of Christ. Following Jesus changed many things in his life - his career, his cultural norms & practices, his conduct, his convictions, his companions (don’t think he would have preferred hanging out with a tax collector like Matthew before he met Christ), etc.
1. Acceptance across the Globe, 10:34-35
2. Announcement of the Gospel, 10:36-42 (a)
3. Accountability to God, 10:42 (b)
4. Access to Grace, 10:43
5. Amazement or Astonishment at His Greatness, 10:44-48
Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church 1700 Milam Street Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/
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Transcript
Introduction & Blessings
00:00:08
Speaker
Welcome to Growing in Grace with Pastor Victor Morrison. This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas. We are praying that God will bless you as you listen to this message.
Invitation to Connect with Community
00:00:22
Speaker
If you would like additional information on worship times and ministries at FBC Columbus, you can find out more at our website, FBCColumbusTX.org. And now take your copy of God's timeless word as Pastor Victor gives today's message.
Life's Most Important Question
00:00:43
Speaker
Welcome to Growing Grace. My name is Victor Morrison. I have the joy of serving as the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Columbus, Texas. Got a question to ask you. What is the most important question in life? What would you say it is? You know what I think it is? How can I be saved?
00:01:02
Speaker
How can I be saved? But then also, how can I be changed? Is there a way that our lives can genuinely, from the inside out, be totally transformed? I believe the answer to that question is yes, and the answer to that question is through Christ, in Christ, by His grace.
00:01:23
Speaker
You know, the title that I want to give this message today is Following Jesus Changes Everything.
Cornelius' Quest for Christ
00:01:31
Speaker
Following Jesus changes everything. There was a man named Cornelius, and he didn't even know how to become a Christian. He didn't know how to follow Jesus. He didn't even know about Jesus. But in Acts chapter 10, verses 34 to 48,
00:01:47
Speaker
That man Cornelius, even just being a seeker, he packed out his house. He got his relatives over. He called over his friends, and he knew there's a man named Peter, and Peter knows Jesus.
00:02:02
Speaker
And Jesus has changed Peter's life. And so he sent some men to go and invite Peter to come over to his house.
Peter's Transformation
00:02:10
Speaker
The only problem was, Peter is a Jew. And Cornelius, well, he was a Roman centurion. He was not a Jew. So how is this going to work? Because most Jews are not going to go to the home of a Roman.
00:02:25
Speaker
Well, that's where Jesus came in. He totally changed Peter's life, his way of thinking, his conduct, his convictions. He even changed his career. I mean, at one point, he's fishing for fish. But at another point, Jesus says, follow me.
00:02:44
Speaker
I'll make you fishers of men." So his whole life is about to change and it did change. And so there were people around him that saw it and they thought, you know what? I'm looking for something that can change my life. Maybe that's you. Listen closely to this passage and then I want to share just a few observations about it.
God's Impartial Acceptance
00:03:06
Speaker
It says, so Peter opened his mouth
00:03:09
Speaker
and said. Truly, I understand that God shows no partiality. But in every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. As for the word that He sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all.
00:03:30
Speaker
You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
00:04:00
Speaker
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses.
00:04:15
Speaker
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead, and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
Holy Spirit's Universal Grace
00:04:30
Speaker
To him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins
00:04:37
Speaker
through his name. While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word, and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles, for they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.
00:05:03
Speaker
And then Peter declared, can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And then they asked him to remain for some days.
00:05:23
Speaker
I want us to look at this passage and think about how Jesus changes everything.
Theme of Transformation & VBS
00:05:29
Speaker
I mean, we've already discussed how Peter's life completely changed it, but I want us to look at this passage and consider how that happens. Do we have to do anything? Those of us who know Christ, Peter certainly had to do something. Cornelius, his family, his friends, they didn't even know how. And so if Peter hadn't gone, they would have never known.
00:05:52
Speaker
And so I want us to look at that. I want you to pray with us here in Columbus because this coming week is Vacation Bible School. It's a great time for us to just love on children that are from our community and lead them in the direction of experiencing on a personal basis the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ. So this year, guess what the theme is? The same as the devotion. Following Jesus changes everything.
00:06:20
Speaker
all five days of Vacation Bible School. It'll meet every morning, Monday through Friday, from 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock. Anybody, everybody's welcome.
00:06:30
Speaker
But every day we're going to follow Peter and we're going to see how did Jesus change his life. And we're going to be praying that Jesus will change the lives of all those children who attend. Well, let me give you the first thing. The first thing we have to recognize if Jesus is going to change lives is the acceptance across the
God's Acceptance & Humility
00:06:51
Speaker
globe. The acceptance across the globe.
00:06:54
Speaker
The reason I love VBS is it's a great mixer of kids from various backgrounds, ethnicities, economic levels. I love it because it matches what I see right here in the Word of God. Peter says to them, I understand that God shows no partiality. You know, just a few hours earlier prior to this, Peter showed some partiality, but what he's saying is,
00:07:20
Speaker
Now I've changed, I'm growing, because now I realize God loves people all around the world. He loves every tribe and tongue, people and nation. He loves people no matter how much money they have or how much money they don't have. You know, that's day five's theme in Vacation Bible School. On Friday of this coming week, the children are gonna learn this about Jesus, that Jesus is for everyone, including me.
00:07:50
Speaker
Notice how the door to Christ is open. He says there's no partiality with God, but then you see that the door of humility is partly of what is necessary in order for that door to open, because it talks about those who fear Him, those who are willing to do what He says is right. So that brings us to the second thing. The first one, acceptance across the globe, but the second truth is the announcement of the gospel.
Courage to Share the Gospel
00:08:20
Speaker
You see, Peter spoke boldly to Cornelius and to all those Gentile relatives and friends about Jesus. What he did, he basically presented the gospel. But that wasn't the only time that Peter spoke boldly. If you were to go to Acts 3 and 4, you would discover that, you know, the Lord used Peter in a powerful way. A man was healed who had been lame. But you know what happened?
00:08:46
Speaker
They got to share in about Jesus after that man and after that miracle, and they told him, you know what? You guys have got to stop that.
00:08:54
Speaker
But you know what they decided? They came to the conclusion of what Thursday's theme will be in Vacation Bible School, and that is this, that Jesus is worth following. Can you imagine those men who are threatened with imprisonment? They're threatened with their very lives, and yet they say, you know what? We can't stop talking about Jesus.
00:09:18
Speaker
Well, I'm sure Peter didn't know what this centurion, I'm sure he was a man of authority, probably had some bodyguards, probably had some soldiers hanging out around his house. He didn't know what they were going to do to him. What if he set them off? What if they didn't like what he said?
00:09:34
Speaker
But you know what he did? He shared. He said, I'm a witness. He said, I've got something I'm called to testify to. What was that? What is the gospel anyway?
Sacrifice & Resurrection
00:09:45
Speaker
I'll tell you what the gospel is, that God loves us so much.
00:09:49
Speaker
He gave His Son to come down to this earth. It's a broken place. We all know that. I'm broken. You're broken, all of us. We've all got our sins and our problems. We've all disobeyed the Lord in some regard. But He gave His Son to come and die on the cross because someone has to pay the price for disobedience.
00:10:11
Speaker
Either each of us will pay the price, or we will believe what God calls us to believe, that Jesus died on the cross as a substitute to die in our place. It should be me on the cross, not Jesus. What's happening?
00:10:28
Speaker
I'm sure Peter felt the same way. But you see, the message is a wonderful message, not only of sacrifice, but of God's acceptance of the sacrifice. Because after Jesus died on the cross, he was placed in a tomb.
00:10:43
Speaker
But several people were eyewitnesses that saw he's alive. You see, the father looked at the perfect sacrifice of Jesus' life. He never sinned. And the father said, I accept that sacrifice on behalf of all the world's sins. And so he raised Jesus from the dead. That's exactly the wonderful message that
00:11:06
Speaker
Peter is sharing with Cornelius right in this passage in verses 39 and 40. He says, they put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God
Accountability to God
00:11:24
Speaker
as witnesses. And here he is bearing witness.
00:11:28
Speaker
You see, really? Here's the thing. Why should you and I tell other people about Jesus? Well, number one, the gospel is only about Jesus. No matter what church we go to, no matter what denomination we're a part of, the gospel is only about Jesus. But then the other thing is, some people like Cornelius, they still don't know about him. They don't know that simple message that we know, and that's why we need to tell them.
00:11:56
Speaker
But there's a third reason that I want to bring up as the third truth. Let's review the truths. The first truth was the acceptance across the globe. The fact is, God makes a way for everybody to come through the perfect Atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. We know that everybody's not going to choose to do that, but the way is there. He wants them to do this.
00:12:20
Speaker
And so we've got to go and tell people, we've got to announce to them, present the gospel, let them know about the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ. But here's the third thing.
00:12:32
Speaker
We are all accountable to God, no matter who we are, no matter where we live. You see, day one of Vacation Bible School, where we remind the children that Jesus is holy, that God is holy.
Peter's Realization of Grace
00:12:46
Speaker
You know, there was a time when Jesus taught from Peter's boat, and it's just amazing how
00:12:57
Speaker
Once he finished, Jesus said, you know what, Peter, I want you to go ahead and go back out to the sea and put your nets down there and you're going to get a catch of fish. And Peter says, Master, hey, we've already been out here all night and we didn't catch anything.
00:13:14
Speaker
But nevertheless, if you say it, I'll do it. It's a good thing he did. He obeyed because when he obeyed, they brought in a catch that was so large. The nets began to break. They've called over a second boat. So then out of both boats, you know, they're starting to sink. But I just thought it's incredible. But it's what Peter said next that really I can identify with. Perhaps you can as well.
00:13:41
Speaker
Whenever you see Jesus for who he is, you see how perfect he is, you see his goodness, you see his grace, you see his holiness, you see his perfection, you see his wisdom, all of these things. You know what it makes you realize?
00:13:56
Speaker
It makes you realize how imperfect you are. We realize that we're sinners. And that's exactly what Peter said. He says to Jesus after catching all those fish, go away from me because I'm a sinful man, Lord. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt the weight of your sin? He did, and I certainly did the day I became a Christian. But I think that it's very important that we realize that the cross is the intersection
00:14:26
Speaker
of the holiness of God.
00:14:29
Speaker
and the sinfulness of man. We have to realize that because God is holy, he cannot stand sin. He will not ignore sin. His just, his fairness, his justice requires that he do something. And so that's what I saw in verse 42, where it says, and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he, this is Jesus, is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
00:14:59
Speaker
Wow, can you think of any broader dimension of accountability than to say everybody, whether they're alive or whether they're dead? I don't know about you, but in my limited way of thinking, that covers everybody. So I'm thinking, wow, every single person, whether they're alive or whether they're dead, they're going to stand before God.
00:15:22
Speaker
And I just think this is very significant to know who is the one that will decide. Well, it's not us. I don't get to decide my own punishment for my own sin. It's the perfect Lamb of God, the perfect Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He perfectly kept the Father's will and done everything the Father wanted. And so I just think it's so significant
00:15:50
Speaker
that part of our sharing of the gospel should be that we also warn people. We caution people. Don't forget, if you ignore Jesus, if you reject Jesus, if you walk away from that perfect atonement on the cross, if you ignore the gospel,
00:16:10
Speaker
then ahead for you is nothing more than accountability before a holy God who sees it all and knows it all. So I just wanted to put that out there that Peter shared it with these Gentiles who were just seeking, just trying to know the truth. And he says, the truth is all of us deserve judgment from God. All of us will stand and be accountable to God. So I just wanted you to know that. And we'll be reminding the VBS kids on day one,
00:16:39
Speaker
When Peter brings in that catch of fish, he realizes, you know what? Jesus is holy and I'm not holy. And so the children may begin to wonder, how have I sinned against God? And so that's a part of becoming Christian is when we realize I'm not good enough to get into heaven by myself.
00:17:01
Speaker
So that leads me to the fourth truth that we see in this passage, just, I mean, spoken so eloquently by this fisherman named Peter, who became a disciple
Faith as Foundation for Inclusion
00:17:12
Speaker
of Jesus. I'm telling you, everything changed about him. Verse 43 says, to him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
00:17:27
Speaker
You know what our access into God's family, you know what our access into heaven really is? It's grace, friend, it's grace. That's why this whole ministry is called growing in grace because you know what? I've been living for the Lord, I've been serving the Lord for many years, but I'll never outgrow my need for God's grace.
00:17:54
Speaker
You know, I love that because it just reminds me that it's faith in His grace. It's not my good works. It's not my merit. It's His mercy.
00:18:06
Speaker
That's why on day three in Vacation Bible School, the children are going to read where even this disciple named Peter, he was like a leader among the disciples. Of course, Jesus was the main leader, but among the disciples, Peter was like the leader. But the Bible tells us he denied Jesus three times.
00:18:29
Speaker
But guess what? The children will discover that Jesus is forgiving. Can you still forgive somebody who denied you three times, who maybe hurt you three times? Well, Jesus forgave Peter, and I think Peter remembered it for the rest of his life.
00:18:46
Speaker
And he began to see how really that message of grace, it's a biblical message. He said, you know what, all the prophets bear witness to this. It's a personal message. He said it's all about having a personal relationship with his son, Jesus Christ. But you know, it's also pivotal because that's where all of the changes, that's where they all begin.
00:19:10
Speaker
It says, he who believes, everyone who believes in him. That's pretty pivotal when it's also effectual and says that everyone who will just simply believe in him, you know what they receive? Forgiveness of their sins. Wouldn't you like to know that it's like a whiteboard that's been completely clean and is completely white?
00:19:34
Speaker
That's how God sees our lives once we have the blood of Christ. Wash away our sins. Man, I love that.
00:19:43
Speaker
So I want to give you a fifth and final truth, but I want to review one more time. From the beginning, we saw that the acceptance is across the globe. God doesn't just love Americans. God doesn't just love Texans. God doesn't just love me. He loves you, and He loves everybody besides me and you. So there's acceptance across the globe for any who will repent.
00:20:07
Speaker
and put their faith and trust in Christ. That's why we need to announce the gospel. People need to hear this, and that's why Peter was called to go over to Cornelius and tell him and his friends how they could also become a Christian.
00:20:22
Speaker
He also thought, you know what, I need to remind them that everyone is accountable to God. Everyone is accountable to God. Everybody that you know today, everybody in your family, everybody at your work, everybody in your school, everybody in your community, everybody all around the world, everyone will stand before God and give account for our sins.
00:20:44
Speaker
unless we have been covered by the blood of Christ. And you may say, why would it make a difference? Well, that's where grace comes in. That's why it's all about the access to God's grace that's found only through Christ. Man, it just all fits together so perfectly, doesn't it?
00:21:05
Speaker
So then I noticed in verses 44 to 48, this last truth, you know what I think happened to Peter? You know what happened to his friends that even went with him when they went over there to Cornelius's house together?
Amazement at God's Inclusion
00:21:21
Speaker
Well, verse 45 tells us, and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed.
00:21:30
Speaker
I think there was astonishment. There was amazement over the greatness of God. He's so great. He's bigger than you. He's bigger than me. He's bigger than our church. He's bigger than our community. He's bigger than our country. Let me tell you, He is so trustworthy.
00:21:50
Speaker
that even if he tells you, I want you to come out of that boat and walk on the water. Peter discovered that and that's what the kids will learn that story. How you know Jesus was so trustworthy that when he told Peter,
00:22:04
Speaker
You want to get out of the boat and come to me? You come on. And as long as Peter was focused on Jesus, man, he was doing fine. But if you know the story, he had a little trouble. Because when the wind and the rain and the water, they distracted him, well, he began to sink. And so will we. But will we keep our mind and our focus in life on the Lord? We'll find, you know what? He's amazing. He's amazing. And we'll learn that we can put our faith
00:22:34
Speaker
and our trust in him, even if it stretches us. Okay, let's go back now and remember, how would Peter have been amazed?
00:22:44
Speaker
Peter would have been amazed. Those who knew Peter, who were his Jewish buddies, they would have been amazed because what they saw was God is among the Gentiles too. God's among the Gentiles as well. I remember when I went to Japan, some told me that they did not want the American religion of Christianity. They said, we know that Christianity began in America, and so we're not interested.
00:23:11
Speaker
And I had to tell some of my Japanese friends politely and courteously and gently. I reminded them, wait, wait, hold it. Christianity didn't begin in America. Christianity is not an American invention. No, it began in Israel. Christianity began in the Middle East. So don't assume that Christianity is an American religion, American faith.
00:23:39
Speaker
No, this is what is so incredible is that because Peter and others like him took the good news of the gospel, told other peoples around the world about the grace of God that's found in Christ, that's how, as an American, I came to know Christ. My forefathers came to know Christ.
00:24:02
Speaker
Man, I just think this is amazing. You see, God's greatness, it'll stretch your boundaries. God's greatness, it may stretch your beliefs. God's greatness, well, it could also even stretch your definition of God's best.
00:24:20
Speaker
You see, because what did they say to him at the end? The very last part of this passage says this. Then they ask Peter to remain for some days. Don't you know that probably they were saying, you know what? I believe there's more that we can learn here from this man.
00:24:37
Speaker
And so I believe there's always more that we can learn from God's
Impact of Following Jesus
00:24:41
Speaker
Word. So that's why I just encourage you, stay in the Word. Hang around Jesus. Follow Jesus because you know what? Following Jesus Christ, it will change your life. It'll not only change your life, friend, it'll change everything. Because your life would be limited to just now, right? To just, well, what we're experiencing these days.
00:25:05
Speaker
But the thing about Jesus and following him, it'll change eternity. That's why I'm saying, following Jesus changes everything. Let me pray for you as you go through the rest of your day and the rest of your week. Lord, thank you so much for just coming to us. When we could not go to where you were, you came to us. I'm so thankful for that. I'm so thankful, Father, that you sent your son
00:25:33
Speaker
I'm so thankful, Lord Jesus, that you obey the Father, you came here. I'm so thankful, Lord, that by the conviction of your Holy Spirit, that you convicted me that I was not ready for my day of accountability out there in the future in eternity.
00:25:50
Speaker
that I needed what Jesus did for me on the cross, that my life was not perfect, that I had sinned. Lord, I pray for my friends that may be listening. Some of them may not have known these basic truths of the gospel. They may not have realized why Jesus even died on the cross. And so would you open their spiritual eyes and give them understanding?
00:26:13
Speaker
Help them to trust you. And then Lord, I pray for those that already know you. I pray for those who are Christians, but maybe they put some boundaries up. And you may want to stretch those boundaries. You may want them to trust you. You may want to say, hey, go beyond those boundaries that you have to follow me into a world of obedience to the revealed and written word of God.
00:26:38
Speaker
Help us, O Lord, to just be the witnesses that you want us to be. There are people all around us that still don't know. And so, Lord, may our lives validate and verify that the message that we have of Christ is true, is real, because they're going to see that our lives
00:26:59
Speaker
have been transformed by the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Word of God. So bless my friends. Give them a great day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Well, I'm so glad that you were with us. I hope that you'll come back to Growing in Grace again. And if you've not put your kids in vacation bubble school, you know, I think we've got about 90 that are pre
Invitation to VBS for Kids
00:27:22
Speaker
-registered.
00:27:22
Speaker
but there's always room for more. So if you're here in the Columbus area, Columbus, Texas area, just know we'd be glad for your kids to come. There's no charge. All we do is we just want to love on them. We just want to let them know about the gospel, want to teach them the word of God. They'll get to play some games, they'll get to make some crafts, and they'll enjoy some delicious snacks. They'll have a great time. Just consider it. Listen, you have a great day. God bless you. Bye-bye.
00:27:58
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.