Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY
Real Life Community Church, is a church located in Richmond, Kentucky. Our fellowship is comprised of authentic followers of Jesus Christ who aim to glorify God in all that we do. We have a desire to reach our community, meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of those who are hurting.What to Expect in a Service Our Sunday Morning services include a time of dynamic, blended worship. We have a full praise band, consisting of real Christ-followers who are committed to worshiping God, not just through song, but in every area of their lives. Each service will include a relevant, Bible-based message, that will inspire and challenge those who hear it. Come casually or formally dressed… however you are most comfortable. We hope to see you soon!
Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY
Acts | Part 16 | Making Christ Known Among the Nations (Part 1)
What does it take to reach a world that desperately needs Jesus? In this illuminating exploration of Acts 10, we witness the moment when the gospel first crosses the Jewish-Gentile divide, setting the pattern for how God's message spreads to all nations.
The story centers around a divine encounter between Peter, a Jewish apostle with deeply ingrained cultural biases, and Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion seeking God but missing the key to salvation. Through their divinely orchestrated meeting, we discover the essential truth that effective evangelism begins not with human effort but with God's sovereign initiative.
This passage liberates us from the pressure of "converting" others. Our responsibility isn't producing results—it's faithfully sharing Jesus. God does the heavy lifting: going before us, accompanying us, and completing the work after we've spoken. Rather than relying on clever marketing, perfect presentation, or emotional manipulation, we simply need to present Christ through Scripture and let the Spirit do His work.
Ready to make an eternal difference? Identify someone who needs Jesus, commit to praying consistently for them, then courageously share the gospel with them. Remember, you're not responsible for their response—only for your faithfulness in sharing. And the first time you lead someone to Christ, your life will never be the same.
Acts, chapter 10, starting in verse 1. It says About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God. Come in and say to him, cornelius. And he stared at him in terror and said what is it, lord? And he said to him your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one, simon, a tanner whose house is by the sea. When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him and, having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa the next day.
Speaker 1:As they were on their journey and approaching the city, peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. Journey and approaching the city, peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray and he became hungry and wanted something to eat. But while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens open and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air, and there came a voice to him Rise, peter, kill and eat. But Peter said by no means, lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice came to him again a second time what God has made clean, do not call common. This happened three times and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
Speaker 1:Now, while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them. And Peter went down to the men and said I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming? And they said Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man who was well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say. So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Speaker 1:And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, cornelius met, expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying Stand up, I too am a man.
Speaker 1:And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered and he said to them you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone from another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I asked them why you sent for me, and Cornelius said four days ago about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send, therefore, to Joppa and ask for Simon, who was called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner by the sea. So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come Now. Therefore, we are all here, in the presence of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. So Peter opened his mouth 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.
Speaker 1:As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. 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. 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 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. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Speaker 1: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. 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. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Speaker 2:Amen, ben, that was great man. That's a lot of reading. You may be seated. The word of God for the people of God, amen.
Speaker 2:It is a mistake, I believe, for a church to care only about numbers we see that a lot. But I think it's equally erroneous for a church to not care about numbers at all. Because numbers represent people and how many people matter to God? Because numbers represent people and how many people matter to God. Christ's primary mission for the church, as Brother Nye just told us, was in the beginning and will always be, to make his name known amongst the nations. Now, when we think about that, it can seem like an insurmountable task. I mean, when you just think of reaching those in your sphere of influence friends, family, whatnot, whomever or you think about, hey, our church reaching Richmond or the state of Kentucky that's overwhelming enough, let alone thinking about the three and a half billion people who have virtually no access to the gospel around the world. Like that's overwhelming. How in the world do we accomplish such a task? Well, here's the great news we're not the first generation to have to grapple with this.
Speaker 2:So we're on a journey through the book of Acts and the verse that serves in the book. That serves as a theme verse and an outline for the entire book is found in chapter 1 and verse 8. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and you know this well and he says you will receive power when the this mission to apostles who were living in the midst of Roman tyranny, a place where Caesar is Lord, a place that involves imperial worship. In addition to that, the apostles' own people don't like them. They just crucified their Messiah and the Jewish leaders want these men wiped from the face of the earth. Now, these are simple men, common men, galilean men, uneducated men. How in the world are they going to turn the world upside down for Christ? Well, we're going to look at that, but what I want you to know from the start is that they do it. They do it. Remember their mission.
Speaker 2:Take the gospel from Jerusalem first to Jerusalem, then to Judea, samaria, uttermost parts of the earth, and they do it. We've seen it. Acts 2 through 7, beginning at Pentecost, the gospel begins to change lives throughout Jerusalem. The gospel begins to change lives throughout Jerusalem by chapter 6, it's likely that about 20,000 people are saved in Jerusalem by that time Pretty phenomenal. In chapter 8, after the martyr of Stephen. In chapter 7, the believers are persecuted to the extent where they have to flee Jerusalem. The apostles stay, they have to flee and guess where. They go Throughout Judea and then on to Samaria, and all the believers are involved in spreading the gospel, and Philip is the first one to take the gospel actually to Samaria. Well, now we arrive at chapter 10, a pivotal chapter, where Peter takes the gospel to a Roman Gentile family from Caesarea, the Roman capital of Judea, and it's from here, in this Roman culture, that the gospel will spread to the ends of the then known earth. These common men fulfill this insane mission.
Speaker 2:Now, I think we can learn something from this. If we're going to reach the world, if we're going to take Christ to the nations, there are three requisites that I see in this text. Number one God must orchestrate. Number two Christians must participate. And number three, the lost must abdicate, in other words, get off the throne and repent. Those are all requisites that are absolutely necessary if nations are going to be changed for the glory of Christ, if we're going, if nations are going to be changed for the glory of Christ. So I plan on tackling all three points today, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to focus today just on point one and, god willing, we'll tackle the second two next week.
Speaker 2:So I want you to listen today and here's why I assume that if you're a real follower of Jesus in this place, that you want your friends, your lost friends, your lost family members, co-workers, classmates, etc. You want them to know Jesus. Yes, shake your head at me. All right, I would imagine that there's someone on your heart at this moment that you know you're supposed to share the gospel with. You have somebody that you'd love personally to share the gospel with. You have somebody that you'd love personally to share the gospel with this week? Well, I would presume, if that is the case, that you're probably like the majority of Christians who are extremely hesitant about following through with that desire.
Speaker 2:You may ask yourself questions like this, like what if I say something wrong? What if they mock me? What if they ask a question that I'm not prepared to answer? What if they reject the gospel? What if it impacts our relationship? They get mad at me? Maybe you're called to be a vocational missionary. You might be filled with concerns and hesitant to take that call because you think how am I going to raise that support? Am I going to lose everything I have? How will I assimilate into another culture? How will I be received? I feel underqualified. Well, you are, so am I? What if no one responds to the gospel after I've given everything? These are, to be sure, are all fair concerns, but if you take heart to what I say today, I believe it's going to change your life and I believe that you will make an eternal difference in somebody's life, at least one person. But I believe that you'll make you know there could be a ripple effect and thousands of lives could be changed for all of eternity.
Speaker 2:So can't unpack every verse that Ben read You're welcome, but let me just give you a summary of the text. So in verses one and two it says that, 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 of his household, gave alms generously to the people and prayed continually. So Cornelius is a Roman commander, over 100 soldiers, they're in the Roman Empire and he's a God-fearer. In other words, he is interested and he is participating at some level in Judaism, though he is not a full convert or proselyte. There's no doubt that he has become disenchanted with the pagan myths and empty religion that were part of the Greco-Roman world. At this point, cornelius is hungry for the true and living God. He wants to know the God of Israel, but he's not yet converted. Though he prays, does all these things, he's not yet converted. But gloriously, by the end of chapter 10, cornelius, his household and many of his close friends are converted by the Holy Spirit and are moved from death to life, from darkness to life, from the kingdom of the world into the kingdom of God, to the glory of God, and here's what I want you to see today. This transformation comes first and foremost by the hand of God.
Speaker 2:Acts, chapter 10 is rife with the work of the triune God. So let's move through this Number one. Let's consider the work of the father in this story, verses three through five. About the ninth hour of the day, cornelius saw clearly in a vision an angel of God. This is a messenger of God. The father Come in and say to him, cornelius and he stared at him in terror, this Roman centurion who's afraid of nothing. An angel shows up and he's pretty terrified. What is it, lord? He asked, and he said to him I love this. Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God, somebody who's not even saying how amazing is our God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one, Simon, who is called Peter.
Speaker 2:Cornelius has clearly again been seeking God. He's tried to know Him through his own piety, prays continually. He even gives alms. He's involved in godly service to the poor, as God calls us to do. There's a problem. Cornelius does not know Christ, and in John 14, 6, jesus said I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father. What? But by me? And interestingly so, we can't get to the Father except through Jesus. But do you know that we can't get to Jesus unless the Father draws us? John 6, 44,. No one, jesus says, can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. Cornelius cannot get to God. So you know what happens God comes to him.
Speaker 2:I want to tell you something today, and I hear people talk about the place where they found God. Beloved, you may have been searching for God, but you did not find God. God found you, amen. We love him because he first loved us. And what God is doing here, I believe is, he begins cultivating and preparing Cornelius' heart that he might see when Peter preaches the glory and the beauty and the infinite wonder and supremacy of the Lord, jesus Christ. God's cultivating the heart and so, just as a reminder for us to reach the nations, god must go before us.
Speaker 2:When a missionary goes on the field, how many know? If we will pray, god will go to before us and he'll till the ground so that it's fertile and that it can receive the seed of the gospel. I have to remind myself of this truth every week. It doesn't matter what my education is, it doesn't matter how eloquent I may or may not be, it doesn't matter how much theology I know and understand, how much doctrine I can articulate. Oh, if God doesn't cultivate your hearts, my hearts will not be moved, because my words can't transform you unless God does something in your heart.
Speaker 2:That's the work of the father. Secondly, the work of the son. First, I want you to see that Peter hears Jesus. So Peter is going to be the one who goes to Cornelius's house and he's just minding his own business. And he has this vision and in the vision he hears Jesus. And the reason, by the way, we think this is Jesus is because Peter knows the voice of his Lord and in verse 14, peter refers to him as Lord. So if you have a red letter Bible, jesus' words or the words here in this passage are probably in red. Let's just read quickly verses 9 through 16. In red, let's just read quickly verses 9 through 16.
Speaker 2:The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, peter went up to the housetop about the sixth hour to pray and he became hungry and wanted something to eat. Can anybody relate? But while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and he saw the heavens opened up, something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth, and in it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came to him a voice rise, peter, kill and eat. Punctuation is really important there. But Peter said by no means, lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice came to him again a second time what God has made clean, do not call common. Now this happened three times. Anybody else stubborn. It takes a few times for the Lord to get your attention. And the thing at once was taken up to heaven.
Speaker 2:Now here's the thing Jesus with the other apostles. He was with Jesus for three and a half years during his earthly ministry. People say I think pastors, when possible, should get formal education through Bible college seminary. And people argue with me. Well, the disciples didn't have formal education. They were in the Jesus School of Ministry. They got a PhD. Come on somebody, there you go.
Speaker 2:But even after being with Jesus so long, after graduating from the Jesus School of Ministry, they still, these apostles, especially Peter, just couldn't understand some of the truths. They couldn't comprehend some of the things Jesus had said time and time again. And it was simply because of their preconceived notions and their upbringing. Sometimes our traditions can get in the way of truth. Amen. But here's what I love. Peter is a work in progress, but God is so patient with him. I mean, some of you aren't this patient with your kids. You'll say don't make me repeat myself. Jesus repeats it three times. And so here's what he does.
Speaker 2:Jesus uses this vision to prepare Peter for ministry. So, as Peter is praying, he gets hungry and while the people in the house in which he's staying start preparing a meal, he falls into this trance and he begins to dream about food. How many of you go to bed hungry and you dream, like, about bacon falling from the sky or something. In this vision, peter sees something like this, very odd, this giant sheep descending from heaven, and on it are all kinds of animals, both clean and unclean. And as Peter watches, kind of scratching his head in bewilderment, he hears the voice of Jesus commanding him to rise up in the dream to kill the animals and to eat them. Now, if you went to bed hungry, you might think, man, this is a really good dream, like you don't want to wake up.
Speaker 2:But for Peter this is a nightmare and he refuses, even in the dream, even though the Lord commands it, to do what the Lord has asked why? Because the sheep contain what is called both clean and unclean animals, which these unclean animals would go against the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament. So let me just read you quickly Leviticus 20, 25 and 26. You shall therefore these are commands to Israel. You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean and the unclean bird from the clean, and you shall not make yourself detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground calls, which I've set apart for you to hold unclean, and here's why you shall be holy to me, the Lord says, for I am the Lord and holy and have separated you from the peoples that you should be mine. Now God gave these dietary laws to Israel that they may live distinctly from other people. This would prohibit them from going to many social gatherings because they couldn't even get near the food that they would have been serving. And Jesus' command here for Peter to eat the meats that were previously considered in the Old Testament.
Speaker 2:Unclean serves two purposes. Okay, number one the vision signifies the abolishing of the dietary laws under the old covenant in Christ, and here's why, under the new covenant, there need be no distinction between Jew and Gentile, because we are all one in Christ, and so if we had different rules than Jews who are in Christ, it would be counterproductive than Jews who are in Christ, it would be counterproductive. But also the vision reveals that in Jesus, god has broken down massive racial and ethical barriers. There is no longer slave nor free Jew, greek, male nor female. We are all one in Christ, amen. This is not an American gospel. Now I heard they made a Bible with the Constitution in it. I love the Constitution and I'm a patriot, but that shouldn't be in your Bible, because your Bible is not an American Bible, it's a Bible. It's a gospel for the whole world, amen. I'm not sure how you'd respond to that, so I'm glad you clapped. I'm not sure how you'd respond to that, so I'm glad you clapped.
Speaker 2:The Jews had great disdain for the Gentiles and you know Peter's about to be called to go to Cornelius' house. They would never Jews would never do that, and so Jesus is preparing him to obey the voice of the Spirit. So Peter hears Jesus. Secondly, peter preaches Jesus. So God sends Peter to Cornelius' house to proclaim one thing the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the sermon's recorded in 34 through 43. I won't read it, but I want you to know this.
Speaker 2:Peter doesn't get to Cornelius' house and say you know, cornelius, here's why I've come. I want you to know God loves you and has a purpose for your life. That's not the gospel. He doesn't invite him to church. Hey, I came here to say I got a really happening church. You're going to love the music preaching that. But the music is great. Got a great kids program. Come on, your family's going to love it. We're going to have a barbecue after church. You can stay.
Speaker 2:Doesn't say that. Nor does he hand him a list of rules. Hey, cornelius, here's what I want you to know. You can get in the kingdom, but here's what you got to do Don't drink, don't smoke, don't chew or hang with people who do. No, he doesn't say that. Come on, what's he giving? He gives him Jesus, the only name by which man can be saved. And so I mean it's all, this whole message. It's saturated with the work and person of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:Let me just give you a quick summary. Verse 36, he talks about peace through the gospel of Jesus that's available. 36, also the lordship of Jesus. 37 and 38, peter declares the messianic anointing and power of Jesus. 38 and 39, the compassion and miraculous works of Jesus. 39, the sacrificial death of Jesus. 40 and 41, the resurrection of Jesus. 42, the command of Jesus to preach the gospel not just to the Jews but to the Gentiles. 42, just as God's. He talks about Jesus as God's appointed judge for the living and the dead. 43, he talks about Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. And finally, in the second part of 43, he declares that in Christ there is forgiveness available for all men and women.
Speaker 2:Now here's what's interesting Cornelius, at this point in his life, is a devout man, god-fearing man, a praying, generous, moral, upstanding citizen, and yet he's not saved. And Peter doesn't tell him. You know what? You know, cornelius, you're almost there. Just do a few more things or just keep at it, buddy, you're going to get there.
Speaker 2:No, no, you see, many of the people in our culture and really in the world, they think, if there is a heaven, if there is eternal life, if there is a God, that they get to him by their own moral good, their own good deeds, their own character, and so they're trying always to climb their way to God. And that's a precarious philosophy, because how do you ever know if you're good enough, by what standard it's? Like? In the end, does the good outweigh the bad and do motives matter? Like, if you serve the poor, if you do it out of selfishness and for self-glory, does that count? Like nobody could have the assurance of salvation. The truth is that if you want to get to God by your own works, you can do that. If you're perfect Anybody in here perfect? No, it's not our works, it's not about what we can do. It's about what Christ has done. Amen, paul says I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. I'm hesitant to share this story because Pastor Jack wrote his dissertation on John Wesley, but I'm going to try it anyways.
Speaker 2:John Wesley, the great 18th century evangelist and circuit riding preacher, was raised in a Christian home. In 1975, while attending Christ Church College, oxford University, he began to consider his faith more seriously than ever and he really began striving to live, like Cornelius, that Christian life. So after graduating from Oxford, john, along with his brother, the great hymn writer Charles Wesley, traveled to Georgia for missionary work, like he's doing the work of the Lord. But he returned after the missionary work to England disheartened, feeling like their work had failed. How am I doing, jack? All right, though Wesley strived to live a Christian life, here's the thing he had absolutely no assurance of salvation, and he saw that in people here in America. He so longed for that. And here's what he wrote of his experience in Georgia. He said I went to America to convert the Indians, but oh, who shall convert me?
Speaker 2:On May 24, 1738, in a meeting house on Aldersgate Street in London, wesley's life would forever be changed. It was there that he heard the reading of Luther's preface to the book of Romans. And for the first time he heard the reading of luther's preface to the book of romans and for the first time he understood the gospel of grace, that we are saved not by works, we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in christ alone. And he wrote of his experience. After hearing those words, he says, quote about a quarter before nine, while this man was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, he says, I felt my heart strangely warmed. Wesley finally had the assurance of faith, realizing that it's not by his works but it's by Christ's work that he is saved. That's the work of the Son in the story.
Speaker 2:Finally, let's look at the work of the Spirit. The Spirit's very active in this text. Number one the Spirit directs. He directs or he guides. You might say Acts 10, 19 and 20,.
Speaker 2:While Peter was pondering the vision, peter's wondering what all this food means, the spirit said to him behold, three men are looking for you. These are the men from Cornelius' house. Rise and go and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them. So he directs Peter. I want you to go so think of this how the triune God works together, peter. I want you to go so think of this how the triune God works together. God sovereignly orchestrates this whole thing. Jesus prepares Peter for his mission. Now the Holy Spirit guides Peter in the mission. Did you know that the Holy Spirit still directs us today?
Speaker 2:In Galatians 5.18, believers are told to walk by the Spirit. Ephesians 6.18, we are told to walk by the Spirit. Ephesians 6.18, we're told to pray in the Spirit. In Ephesians 5.18, it's something about verse 18, I don't know but be continually filled with the Spirit. In Romans 8.14, be led by the Spirit. Our lives are to be completely guided by the spirit.
Speaker 2:Well, how does that happen? You know you could have a vision. I believe those things still happen. You could have a prophetic word, but generally you need to be in the word of God and you need to be in prayer. You know, throughout your life, if you're doing that, feel a particular burden to like. You know you think, man, I've got this particular country on my heart and the feeling won't lead you that I should go there. It's likely like, if you're seeking God, that that might be God's will for your life, and you can have that confirmed by pastors and other missionaries. How many of you ever been awakened in the middle of the night with somebody on your heart that you knew you had to pray for? That's part of what it means to pray in the Spirit, according to the will of God and listening to the Spirit.
Speaker 2:As we pray there's a Assembly of God, missionary Jay Reisner, and he told he was at one of my churches years ago when he told a story. I'll try to get the details right. It was a long time ago that I heard this, but Jay Reisner was on a missions trip and while there he was hiking a mountain I believe it was Everest actually, but anyways, he's going up this mountain with his Sherpa and all of a sudden he gets extremely ill, and it's so bad, in fact, that he's at death's door and there's no hope. They can't do anything for him. But then, miraculously, just all of a sudden, all of a sudden, he gets better, completely made whole, no sign of sickness in his body.
Speaker 2:Well, fast forward a few months or some time later I don't know how long it was and he's preaching in his church. He's on furlough, he's back in the States and an elderly woman who knew him came up to him after the service and she said, jay, where were you on such and such time at such and such day? And he said well, why do you ask? And she said well, god woke me up in the middle of the night and just told me to labor a prayer for you. She said I got out of my bed and I got on my knees and I began to cry out for you. Didn't know what was wrong, but I just obeyed the spirit. Get a cry out for you. Didn't know what was wrong, but I just obeyed the spirit.
Speaker 2:And you want to guess what was happening at that moment. He said, ma'am, that's the exact time that I was fighting for my life on that mountain. Unbelievable. I had a I have another pastor friend that he felt this burden to call a person, a man that he'd not talked to in many, many years, and the burden wouldn't go away. And so he thought maybe this is the Lord Random, but okay, so he calls this man.
Speaker 2:At that very moment, the man happened to be sitting in his bathtub ready to take his own life, when he cried out God, if you want me to live, give me a sign, beloved when you feel something in your heart and you're a man or woman of God and that burden won't go away, whether it's to pray, whether it's to go, whether it's to share the gospel with someone, do it, don't hesitate. The Spirit directs. Secondly, the Spirit empowers. Remember Acts 1, 4, and 5. Jesus tells His disciples who are raring to go after Jesus is resurrected. They want to get the message out. He goes wait, wait, wait. Peter, you don't have a good track record, you can't do it alone. He says wait for what? The promise of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. And then, in 1A again, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, then you'll be my witnesses.
Speaker 2:Did you ever think about the difference before Peter received the Spirit and after, like remember when Jesus was arrested, like Peter was like, petrified of a preteen girl. But now, after the Holy Spirit comes, I mean Peter, throughout Acts, he's standing before people who are ready to take his life, persecuting him. He's thrown in prison and he just keeps preaching Jesus. Well, what's the difference? Did he go to the gym, you know, seven days a week and get a little more? No, no, no, no, no. Peter's full of the Holy Spirit. Peter's full of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us and finally, the Spirit convicts. Acts 10.44.
Speaker 2:While Peter was still saying these things, he's sharing the gospel with Cornelius and his family. It says you know, our preaching, the gospel will fall on deaf ears unless God does something to the heart. Remember in Acts 2, as Peter preaches, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, right before these, 3,000 men, plus women and children, are saved, what happens? The Bible says that they were cut to the heart. That's the work of the Spirit. And then they cry out to Peter there didn't have to be an altar call song, the Holy Spirit did the work. And they cry out Peter. There didn't have to be an altar call song. The Holy Spirit did the work. And they cry out Peter. What do we do with this? Acts 2.38,.
Speaker 2:Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We call this prevenient grace, the grace that goes before a person's decision to follow Jesus, the Lord. When we share the gospel, if we will pray I believe this he will uncallous. He will soften the heart of the people we're going to so that they are more receptive. So don't ever share the gospel without first praying that God would cultivate the hearts so that they can see the beauty and the truth of the gospel and hopefully respond to that in faith. Gospel, and hopefully respond to that in faith. The Spirit convicts. Finally, the Spirit converts.
Speaker 2:Acts 10, 46 and 47, they were hearing them speaking in tongues I'll deal with that next week and extolling God and Peter declared can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit? It's the Spirit here that converts. Let me take some pressure off you. You are not called to save anybody in your family. You're not called to save your children, your parents, your uncles. You're not called to save your co-workers. Missionaries are not called to save the world. You know what we're called to do all of us to preach the gospel. You're not going to give accounts someday before the Lord for how many people we're called to do, all of us to preach the gospel. You're not going to give accounts someday before the Lord for how many people you saved. You're going to give an account for how many people you shared the gospel with or failed to share the gospel with. It's the spirit who converts, you know.
Speaker 2:In closing, the contemporary church uses marketing entertainment, often clever speeches, to try to reach people for christ, and we're not immune to it in the symbols of god. You know, I've been in this fellowship a long time and I was a music leader for a long time and it's like now. Now, pastor, you know, if you want people to come to Jesus, you got to set the mood, you got to set the lights just right and you got to pray that song that just really touches people's heart. There's no song here. I don't have to sing anybody happy if the holy spirit's at work. We always sing an altar song. Nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2:Lest we think that we have to do something to reach people's heart. All we do is give them Jesus, but give them the word, and the rest is up to God. And that's the same for every ministry God calls us to. It's up to God. So it's quite overwhelming to think about the task God's set before us. But you're not alone in it. He's with you and he does the heavy lifting. He goes before you, he goes with you and he does the work afterward. Isn't that great news? So here's what I want you to do with this Number one before you leave today, you can think about this right now.
Speaker 2:I want you to think of somebody in your life that needs Jesus and I want you this week to commit to pray for them. I want you to write their name down and I want you to pray for them and pray for them and pray for them. And then I want to ask you to do something. I want you to call them or go see them and share the gospel with them. I want you to call them or go see them and share the gospel with them. Tell them about Jesus and give them a chance to respond. If they reject you, they reject you. That's not on you.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you, the first time you lead somebody to Christ, you'll never be the same. You'll never be the same. Maybe you're here and you feel that, leading of the Holy Spirit to be a missionary, maybe the Lord's told you three times, you know. I would just tell you today. I know it's frightening to quit your job and have to depend on raising money, especially in this economy, but you just got to remember it's God that sees it through and, as Brother Ed said, this is not a call how do you say it to comfort, but it's a call to sacrifice. It's what the Christian life is sacrifice. And I would say one final thing If you're here today, maybe you're like Cornelius. You would think you're a Christian because you're trying to do really good, be really good, but maybe you've never truly been converted because you've never trusted in Jesus, repented of your sin, been baptized. And we want to invite you to do that today.