Sermon Central
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Cornelius Receives The Holy Spirit
Contributed by J. Yeargin on Sep 2, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: We are fortunate that the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us. There are many people that want to know more about God, but don’t know where to begin.
We are fortunate that the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us. There are many people that want to know more about God, but don’t know where to begin.
The Holy Spirit should be impacting our lives so dramatically that those who know us will want what we have. Regretfully, that may or may not be the case.
Nevertheless, the Lord will miraculously send people our way that truly want more from God. We must be ready (at all times) to share with them what the Lord has done for us. There is a story in Acts that depicts this for us.
Verses 1 thru 6
Cornelius was a Roman Centurion who sensed an awareness of God, but knew there had to be more to this Christianity thing. There are a lot of folks you know who are like this. They are asking themselves, and God, “What does being a Christian mean for me?”
(What, how, why, where and when)
I believe the Lord wants them to answer them. Amen?
Occasionally, these people will be determined enough to find out for themselves. Or better yet, find out from
The people they know who they consider to be godly.
Who knows? Perhaps these people will be fortunate enough to receive a vision about you.
Maybe they will be shown the spirit filled life that you are living. Maybe they will ask you to come to their home and speak to them the Word of the Lord.
In our story, Cornelius sends for Peter.
While all of this is going on in Cornelius’ life, the Holy Spirit is doing something in Peter’s life. The Lord will often do things almost like a jig-saw puzzle.
The timing in your life will often be synchronized with the timing in someone else’s life for you to have the opportunity for ministry.
This is not unusual. You see while you think God needs to be doing something in the lives of the people you are concerned for, in fact the Lord may be waiting for the opportunity to finish what it is He is trying to do in your life. Now that shouldn’t be too hard for us to believe or understand.
It always amazes me how super spiritual Christians can sometimes appear when crying out for someone’s life to be miraculously changed. And the whole time
God is on stand by for change in our lives.
In our story, the Holy Spirit was impacting two lives:
1. The life of one of the most spiritually minded leaders in all of Christianity.
2. The life of a potential new convert.
Before Peter would be able to minister in the home of Cornelius, he would first have to experience a supernatural change (himself).
Isn’t the Holy Spirit marvelous?
Isn’t the Holy Spirit patient on us?
Question: What is it the Holy Spirit needs to change about you before you are able to minister the gospel of Christ to your friends and relatives?
Verses 19 & 20
I have to believe that we will often know when it is that the Holy Spirit wants to use us in ministry. There will be two basic things the Lord will deal with us on:
1. He will prompt us to know the who, what, where, when and how this all is to happen.
2. We must be careful not to get too spiritually geeked-up on ourselves that we are not able to hear the prompting and prodding of the Holy Spirit.
When we are called out by God to serve Him, there will be no denying what is happening. It will be very persuasive to you and to the people you will meet with.
Cornelius sent 3 men, not just one, to convince that Peter must come now.
"In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
The timing of the Lord won’t be tomorrow. It will often be in an instance.
Are you ready for what the Holy Spirit may ask of you in a moments notice?
Peter immediately left with the 3 men for the house of Cornelius. And upon his arrival, this is what he found.
Verses 24 thru 26
There may be others that need your ministry.
Perhaps, strangers that also want what you have.
You never know. There will be the friends and relatives of the people who have asked for your help that need help also.
Some of them may be just curious of what is going on. While others will be just as interested as Cornelius was. You can’t judge them. You can only minister to them.
Some may be scoffers, while others will be looking at you for the answer and not the Lord.
