Acts 10:34-38: HE WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK.
Have you ever believed something, only to find out that it wasn’t true? That has happened to me more than once. When I lived in Milwaukee, I would listen to different people on the radio. Every summer, at a huge music festival called Summerfest, these radio personalities would do their shows live from the festival. It was always interesting to me to go there and see what the radio people looked like. And almost always, I was surprised. Based on what I had heard on the radio, I thought they would look a certain way. But in real life, they looked totally different –some of them were tall, even though they sounded short on the radio! Some of them were fat, even though I had pictured them as thin. Some of them were bald, but the way they talked- they sounded like they had hair!
Have you ever believed something, pictured something one way, only to find out that it was completely different? I think that’s how it is, quite often, when people start to learn more about God. “I always thought God was this way. I always pictured him this way.” But then, after spending some time in the Bible, reading God’s Word, you find out these he’s different, not the way you had pictured him. Is it possible, that you have always believed something about God, even though it’s not really true?
That happened to a couple people in our Scripture lesson for today – a member of the Roman army, and the Apostle Peter. Both of them had pictured God one way, only to find out that he was very different from how they had pictured him in their minds. As we focus on God’s Word for today, you also might be surprised at. You might find out some things about God today that you had never known before, things that contradict the way you had always thought. God will change the way you think, as you study his Word – that always happens, and it’s always for the better. May God bless you these next few moments as we take some time to focus on the lives of two people you will someday see in heaven.
The first person we meet is a man named Cornelius. Cornelius was a centurion in the Italian regiment of the Roman army. These centurions were in change of 100 men, and they were always men of very noble character. The Bible describes Cornelius and his family as God-fearing and devout. He was always donating money to the poor, and he prayed to God regularly. Cornelius was a great guy, but something was wrong – he wasn’t going to heaven. Why? He seemed good. He followed the religion of the Jews. He prayed, he donated to the poor, he tried to live a good, clean life. In his mind, that’s what God wanted – that’s the way to heaven.
But something was wrong. Something was missing in his heart, something big, and so God sent an angel to Cornelius, and told Cornelius to find the Apostle Peter. And so he does – Peter comes to his house, and shares with Cornelius the true way of salvation. Something was missing in the heart of Cornelius, and that something was more important than all the good works in the world. And without that something, no matter how hard he tried, Cornelius wouldn’t be going to heaven. That something was faith in Jesus Christ. Cornelius had heard of Jesus before, how he died. He knew that people were saying good things about him. But he didn’t understand that Jesus was his Savior. Here, in our text, the Apostle Peter puts it all together: “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.” If you’re looking for peace, Cornelius – it comes through Jesus Christ, and nowhere else. “You know what has happened… how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…” That’s what our Gospel lesson talks about - at Jesus’ baptism, God the Father put his stamp of approval on Jesus, gave him a special measure of the Holy Spirit, gave him power. And he used that power – “he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him…” All those miracles that Jesus performed served one major purpose – to show people that he was the Messiah – the only real way to heaven.
Peter later goes on to describe how Jesus took away the sins of the world by dying on the cross and then rising from the dead. I’m sure this blew Cornelius away. He had always thought that being a good person, helping the poor, praying – that’s how you please God, that’s how you go to heaven. But now, Cornelius finds out something different. He finds out that no matter how good you are, you can never be good enough. He finds out that Jesus Christ, someone he had heard about before, was his Savior. He finds out that Jesus has taken all of his sins away, that God loves him and forgives him because of what Jesus had done for him. He finds out that prayer and good works are not the way to heaven, but instead, ways of thanking Jesus for saving him. God had changed the way he thought.
Can you relate to this Roman soldier? “I always thought that I could get to heaven by being a good person. I pray once in awhile. I help out the needy. I try to live a good, clean life. Sure, I’ve heard of Jesus Christ. Just be a good person, like him, right?” And then, you find out, no, that’s not how it works. Through his Word, God changes the way you think. You find out that no matter how good you are, you’ll never be good enough, you’ll never do enough to earn God’s favor. Through his Word, you find out that even the nicest person in the world still has his faults, still has his shortcomings, and because of those short comings, you can never be nice enough to earn your way to heaven. That’s what God tells us in his Word.
But then you find out who Jesus Christ really is. You find out that he’s more than just an example of how to be a good person. You find out that he has done something for you, something that you really need. You find out that he has taken all your faults, all your shortcomings, all your sins, and has washed them away, by dying on a cross. You find out that Jesus has risen from the dead, to prove to you that God really does love you and forgive you for all the mistakes you have made in life. You can stop trying to earn your way to heaven, and you can start trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior. You hear these things and say in your heart, “I know that I am a sinner. But I also know that because of you, Jesus, I am going to heaven.”
I remember hearing of a young man who went to a minister in great distress about his spiritual state. He was like Cornelius – a good guy, but didn’t know that Jesus was his Savior. He said to the minister, “Sir, can you tell me what I must do to find peace?” The minister replied, “Young man, you are too late.” “Oh!” said the young man, “You don’t mean to say I am too late to be saved, do you?” “No, no,” was the reply. “But you are too late to do anything. Jesus did everything that needed to be done twenty centuries ago. Learn about and believe in what Jesus has done for you, and you will find peace.”
This good news turned that Roman soldier’s life upside down, for the better. And it turns peoples’ lives upside down today as well, for the better. To spend your whole life believing that being a good person is the way to heaven. But then to find out that it’s not the way, that it’s through Jesus Christ, his life and death and resurrection – that’s the way to heaven. What wonderful news that is!
This whole situation turned the Apostle Peter’s life upside down too. In verse 34, Peter says, “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.” Peter couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was in the house of a Gentile, and God was converting Gentiles and blessing Gentiles just like God had done for he Jews. This goes against everything Peter had been brought up to believe. Peter had always thought that God was an exclusive God, for the Jews only, that Gentiles were the outsiders, the second-class citizens of the world who didn’t deserve God’s attention like the Jews did.
But now, Peter sees that God loves the Gentiles just like the Jews. Now Peter sees with his own eyes that God loves all people, regardless of what nationality they are. He wants all people to believe and be saved. Now Peter sees that God is a God for every person on the face of the earth, and not just for a select few. This blew Peter away – changed the way he had thought.
Can you relate to Peter? Sometimes we forget that no matter what a person’s nationality, no matter what a person’s social or economic situation, God wants every person on the face of this earth to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. Sometimes it’s hard to fully accept, that God loves me, but he also loves the dark-skinned child in Afghanistan just as much. God loves me, but he loves that homeless person who’s mumbling and begging on the street – God loves him just as much. God loves me, but he loves that person who has made too many mistakes in life and is now sitting in jail – God loves that person just as much. God is a God who loves all people, and wants all people no matter who they are, to believe in Jesus and be saved. He does not show favoritism, as the Apostle Peter reminds us today. What an amazing and loving God we have!
God changes the way we think – that’s what happens when you spend time in his Word. And really, that’s the purpose of our church. The purpose of our church is to get people in touch with this wonderful message, so that God can change people for the better. There are so many people out there just like Cornelius, nice people who don’t know the way of salvation. There are so many people out there like Peter, people who don’t know just how loving our God really is. As a church, we are here to share with people these wonderful truths from God’s Word, so that God can change people for the better.
There’s the story that when Jesus ascended into heaven after his mission on earth, the angels asked him, “Did you accomplish your task?”
“Yes, all is finished,” the Lord replied.
“We have a second question,” said the angels. “Has the whole world heard of you?”
“No,” said Jesus.
The angels next asked, “Then what is your plan?”
Jesus said, “I have left 12 men and some other followers to carry the message to the whole world.”
“The angels looked at each other, and then at him and said, “What is your Plan B?”
Friends, there is no plan B. God sent Peter to help that Gentile, that Roman soldier learn the true way to heaven. Today, he is sending us to every person on the face of this earth, no matter who they are, so that they also might find the peace that they are looking for in their lives. May God bless you, as you become a tool in the hands of God, a tool through which he blesses and changes the hearts of others. Amen.
