06/05/16 Whoever Believes in HIM!
Acting Like Jesus Series - Acts 10:34-43
Intro:
Growing up I
remember the anxiety I experiencing when there we certain games or events that
required dividing into teams. These teams were selected through a team captain,
and they would chose who they thought would best win or fit the team. I realize
I am not alone with this past struggle. What a frustration when your one of the
last people to be picked because you are not that good at something, you’re not
fast enough, or smart enough or big enough, or good looking enough. The list is
endless with worldly partialities. God wasn’t like that; the gospel is
universal. God does not show favoritism. He invites earnest seekers from every
nation to trust in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation. In Acts Chapter 10 This
is the message that opened the door to all who would believe.
“Then the
churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.
And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they
were multiplied.” Acts 9:31
Text: Acts 10:34-43 (NKJV)
“Then Peter opened his
mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But
in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through
Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--37 that word you know, which was proclaimed
throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John
preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with
power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did
both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a
tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to
all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and
drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach
to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge
of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through
His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
Application: “For there is no partiality with God.” Romans 2:11
1. No Partiality
but a fear for Him: vs. 34-35
“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In
truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever
fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
God is no respecter of
persons. He shows no favoritism, no prejudice against anyone. He don’t care if
you’re rich or poor. It doesn’t matter the circumstance. God does not favor a
person because of who he is, what he does or what he has. Person or appearance,
possessions or position, abilities or works, health or stature—these things do
not make a person acceptable to God. "God is no respecter of
persons." If the masses in the local church would get that out of their
mind it would be amazing how many lost people in our communities would see
Christ! Like in Peter’s time there are still many who want to continue to
ignore the truth.
“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same
Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.” Romans 10:12 (NIV)
Two things make a person acceptable to God. Peter covered them both. First
there was FEARING GOD: “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and
Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in
the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” Acts 9:31
Secondly
WORKING RIGHTEOUSNESS: It means to be right and to do right. There are those
who stress being righteous and neglect doing righteousness. This neglect leads
to a false security. It causes a person to stress that they are saved and
acceptable to God because they believed in Jesus Christ. But they neglect doing
good and living as they should. They neglect obeying God and serving man. This
also allows loose living; it allows one to go out and do pretty much as they
desire. They feel secure and comfortable in their faith in Christ. They know
that what they do may affect their fellowship with God and other believers, but
they think theirs behavior will not affect there salvation. They think that no
matter what they do their still acceptable to God. The problem with this stress
is that it is a false righteousness. Righteousness in the Bible means being
righteous and doing righteousness. The Bible knows nothing about being
righteous without living righteously. Whoever believes in Him must live
righteously.
2. We are Witnesses: vs. 36-41
“The word which God sent to the
children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--37
that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from
Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we
are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in
Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the
third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses
chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from
the dead.
God sent His Word to Israel; He sent Jesus Christ preaching peace.
Israel was the first nation to receive God's Word. Salvation is of the Jews. It
was Jesus Christ who brought the message of God; however, God's Word was not
meant for Israel alone. Jesus Christ did not come just for Israel's salvation.
God is no respecter of persons. God accepts people from every nation, all those
who fear Him and work righteousness. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus
is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will
be saved.”
No one had an excuse for rejecting the gospel of God's kingdom.
Jesus Christ had travelled and preached the gospel everywhere, and He was the
topic of conversation upon everyone's lips. They were without excuse. So it is
today with those who have heard the gospel. They are without excuse.
Jesus was
anointed with miraculous power. Power is the presence and outworking of the
Holy Spirit within a person. Jesus declared this. He was very clear in
declaring He Himself was anointed with the Holy Spirit so that He could be
anointed with the power to minister.
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to
heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of
sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim
the acceptable year of the LORD." Luke 4:18-19
The believer receives the
Holy Spirit so that he can have the power to be a witness to the world. “But
you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall
be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end
of the earth." Acts 1:8
Jesus Christ is still working in lives today,
delivering from the oppression of the devil. The proof is clearly seen in the
lives and witness of genuine believers. Jesus was crucified, slain, and hung on
a tree and was raised up by God. Jesus appeared to some people who were chosen
and appointed to be witnesses. God set Jesus before people so that He could be visibly,
openly, and publicly seen. God manifested, showed, and set Him forth as the
Risen Lord. Before Christ ever arose, God chose some people to be witnesses of
His Son's resurrection. They were chosen for the very purpose of proclaiming
the resurrection to a world of dying men. The witnesses did "eat and drink
with Him after He rose from the dead." They had close and intimate
fellowship with Him. Wouldn’t that just put the icing on the cake if we could
have close and intimate fellowship with Him.
“That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--2 the
life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you
that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--3 that
which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be
full.” 1 John 1:1-4
3. Whoever Believes is forgiven: vs. 42-43
“And He commanded
us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by
God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness
that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of
sins."
Let me make something very clear; Jesus shall judge the living and
the dead of all nations. He shall judge Jew and Gentile, both rich and poor,
strong and weak, white and black, healthy and sick, pretty and ugly He is no
respecter of persons; we will all be judged! Jesus Christ alone is ordained to
be the Judge. He alone, as the risen Lord, has the right to determine judgment.
He determines the conditions of salvation: what a person has to do to be saved;
how a person is saved; who is and is not saved. He determines the conditions of
eternity: what eternal life shall be like; what eternal death shall be like;
the state, the environment, the reward and the punishment of both heaven and
hell.
Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, believing in Him brings forgiveness of
sins: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him
who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into life.” John 5:24
Conclusion: "I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live" John 11:25
THIS IS THE REASON FOR YOUR HOPE! BUT YOU MUST
BELIEVE!
Self-sacrifice: A little girl’s first-grade class held its “track and
field” day. She won quite a few ribbons, among them one blue ribbon for a first
place. Later that day, when she came home, the blue ribbon was missing, and her
mother asked what had happened to it. “Oh,” she said, “Bruce was crying because
he didn’t win a first place ribbon, so I gave it to him.” Her mother hugged her
and told her she thought it was very generous to give Bruce the ribbon. “Why
not?” she asked. “After all, I know that I won it.”
If only all of us, adults
included, had such a clear idea of what things are really important in life,
and what things are just decorations! DO YOU BELIEVE?
In : Sermon
Tags: "acting like jesus series" "book of acts"
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