Acts 10:23b-33 

^23bThe next day Peter started out with them and some of the believers from Joppa went along. ²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” ²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” ³⁰ Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Wildfire

“It was like a movie. A fire truck roll up with sirens blaring,” bridegroom said.

There was a wildfire; the wedding guests and participants were told to evacuate.

The bridegroom was waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle on Saturday afternoon; everything had gone as planned.

With tears in his eyes, the bride’s father told the guests that they have to relocate.

During the confusion that followed, the firefighters had a change of heart and allowed the wedding ceremony to go on. The minister conducted an abbreviated wedding ceremony.

The wildfire that disrupted a couple’s wedding gave them the photograph of a lifetime; everyone cheered and evacuated the place.

Wildfire is not a strange problem during hot summer days in North America. Firefighters would do their best and try to control but it’s near to impossible to stop it.

The Holy Spirit showed Himself like tongues of fire during the Pentecost. The disciples saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that came to rest on each of them when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Like wildfire, when the Holy Spirit is actively working in the believer’s life it will be impossible to stop Him.

In Acts 1:8 we are reminded… ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…

Even with eagerness to save the lost and excitement to see results, we should not forget that we need power from the Holy Spirit for us to be effective in witnessing.

The “Book of Acts” is commonly called the “Acts of the Apostles.” Does it mean that it was because of the Apostles’ efforts that witnessing endeavour in the first century became successful?

Witnessing or evangelism in the book of Acts is recounted to be more of the Acts of the Holy Spirit rather than the Acts of the Apostles. “No sweat” in evangelism if we seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s learn how the meeting of Peter and Cornelius made possible by the Lord.

1.  Learn

^23bThe next day Peter started out with them and some of the believers from Joppa went along. ²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” ²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

Peter had no idea but his willingness to learn, he discovered what God has prepared for. He did not give much effort at all; no planning; no sweat! He did not have any problem making an appointment with Cornelius the Centurion.

If you were to visit the chief of police in Winnipeg, even if you know him as a believer, would you find it easy to make an appointment?

Peter did not need any appointment with Cornelius; he did not worry about travelling. He was not anxious who would go with him; he was not concerned if Cornelius would listen to him.

Everything that happened in Cornelius’ conversion and his household, God has prepared. All that Peter did was to respond, get involved, and willing to learn and discover. He did not mind what other believers might say of his actions, especially, Jewish believers. All he wanted to experience was to discover and learn about God’s work in Cornelius’ life.

Congregational Potluck

TMEC is rightly called The Maples Eating Church because we love eating. While eating could be the conclusion of all the preparations during potluck, each person would bring his or her favorite menu or cuisine. The joy in sharing one’s expertise in cooking was displayed in the delicious food. Most of those delicious foods brought during church potlucks were not commonly served in fancy restaurants.

It is good to be a member of this church because you can savour and enjoy them.

Most of us have expertise or special talents–may it be in cooking or anything. Those expertise and talents were not maximized to generate added income because of the lack or no idea about marketing, or just plain no interest in marketing them at all.

Many are trained and experts in evangelism but still find it hard to maximize evangelism. Why?

Many have tried to market or promote evangelism using human perspectives but fail.

The simplicity of depending upon the Holy Spirit is very simple that many believers have ignored or do not know how to listen to the Spirit’s leading.

2. Listen

³⁰ Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Cornelius has been spiritually prepared and very much eager to listen to the good news. His acknowledgement, that they were in God’s presence, showed his spiritual awareness. When Peter accepted his invitation, Cornelius knew it was God’s work because it’s unusual. Cornelius was very much aware that Jewish people don’t associate with Gentiles. Cornelius did not argue with God or clarified about the cultural differences. He sent men to bring back Peter from Joppa as the Lord commanded him.

Peter did not hesitate to pay a visit to Cornelius because God explained to him in a vision. Peter accepted that he should not call unclean what God has made clean.

With all probable hindrances to the meeting of Peter and Cornelius, God made it possible. Cornelius and his household were waiting to hear what Peter would say. God Himself prepared both Peter and Cornelius. No Sweat! It was God at work in the lives of both Peter and Cornelius. Peter was prepared to tell about the Christ and Cornelius and his household were prepared to listen to whatever Peter would tell them. Cornelius acknowledged that God has given Peter the message that he and his needed to listen to.

Crying Father

When I received the conviction to share the gospel with my parents, there was excitement in my heart. I arrived in our hometown at night and told my parents, “I want to share the goodnews.”

My father said that he was very sleepy but he would listen to it early in the morning.

That evening, I shared the gospel to my mother, sister, brother, uncle and a friend. They gladly received the good news but my longing was to hear my father’s response.

Truly early in the morning while we were sipping our coffee, my father ask, “You want to tell me something last night; what was it?”

My father cried and said, “I’ve been trying to find out how to have eternal life.”

Sharing the gospel with my father is one of the more memorable moments of witnessing that I would cherish and remember.

Sharing the gospel with Cornelius would have been cherished by Peter. For sure, Peter has remembered how God prepared everything, the vision he saw in a trance, and the eagerness of Cornelius and his household to listen to him.

It is not very simple to share the gospel to dignitaries and powerful people. In the case of Cornelius, Peter found it “No Sweat!” at all.

Keep praying and ask God to reveal to you the person whom He has prepared for you to share the gospel with. Pray that you will be given a chance to share the gospel to a powerful person.

You know that it is God who prepared everything for you if you have that experience sharing the gospel to a very influential person like Cornelius because it’s not simple.

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