Acts chapter 11 verses 1 through 18 I think is pivotal when we consider where we are as far as Gentile believers. As far as I know, there may be some Jewish background for some of you, but to my knowledge we are all non-Jews. I know when we had our DNA tests done a year ago, I wondered with my background in Europe, I wondered if we would have a little bit of Jewishness in us, but there's actually not one little trace of Jew in me. So anyways, all of that to say as a Gentile believer, what we're looking at in Acts chapter 10 through Acts chapter 11 verse 18 is very encouraging. to see how God integrated Gentiles into the gospel. And this passage of scripture, as well as the one that we've been looking at, chapter 10, for the last several weeks on Sunday evenings is very encouraging. In chapter 10, there is the preparation of Peter for the gospel to go to the Gentiles. And we should, by the way, be pretty patient with Peter and the others. You remember what Jesus had said to the disciples when he first commissioned them as he sent out the 70 and so forth, they were supposed to go to the lost house of the sheep or the lost sheep of the house of Israel, okay? And so that all changed. And they had some adjustments that had to be made in their minds. They were thinking it's for the Jews. And by the way, that wasn't just what Jesus had told them all the way back in the Old Testament, the Messiah had been promised or the promised seed of Israel. And so that was just the way they thought. And sometimes we read our 21st century thinking back onto people of history and we don't necessarily understand their process of thought and so forth. But Acts chapter 10, of course, was the preparation of Peter for the gospel to go to the Gentiles. That was the sheet let down from heaven. And we'll look at that again this morning. Peter, it's interesting, I was thinking, Peter has recounted this story a couple of times. Not only did it happen in Acts chapter 10, But a couple of times in Acts chapter 10, he referred to it when he went and talked to Cornelius, and then he's doing it now to the church in Jerusalem. So he keeps telling them, God revealed something to me, God revealed something to me. And in that, he continually has to bring up his own stubbornness. This happened three times before I would listen to the Lord. And so Peter was prepared to take the gospel to the Gentiles in chapter 10. In the first part of chapter 11 we see that there is a preparation of the other apostles as well as the church in Jerusalem to recognize that the gospel was going to the Gentiles. By the way, the end of chapter 11 is Barnabas going back to Antioch which became the home church of the apostle Paul. And they had to be prepared as well for that particular truth that the gospel goes to not just the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well. And so this whole section is dealing with that. They were, I would say, of these believers, hesitant to intermingle with the Gentiles. The Jews, believers and unbelievers in Christ, viewed themselves as the people chosen of God. And they were, the scripture has made that very clear. They viewed the Messiah as God's gift to them and it was difficult for them to see that the Messiah was God's gracious gift to the entire world. Now there were places in the Old Testament and a part of the promise of God where the isles would come to him or where the nations would be glad when they heard his truth or even all the way back to the Abrahamic covenant. that it was through his seed that all the nations of the earth would be blessed, but it was easy for them to kind of set those things on a side shelf and not necessarily pay attention to them. We might say they were like the Jews, those two men walking on the road to Emmaus, that they were slow of heart to process these truths. And that's what we find in the Jewish church with the Jewish believers after Pentecost and growing for a couple of years here. Gentile evangelism is the primary context of this passage of Scripture, for which we should be grateful. And that's the last, when we get to application at the end of the message, that's the first thing I'll say is that we should be grateful for this. Can you imagine? And God overrules even human disobedience, but can you imagine if Peter would have continued to have resisted the Lord? He said, no, no, they're unclean, they're unclean, they're unclean. But because of Peter's receptivity, because of his obedience, and because of the vision that the Lord gave him, we see very clearly revealed in scripture the fact that Gentiles are a part of the gospel or can have part in the gospel. This passage manifests the historical reality of how Jewish believers were convinced that Gentiles, which would be us, could be adopted into the family of God through Christ. it took care of that doubt and it helped them to understand this. That's the primary context and that's what we're going to talk about as we go through that. However, I just want to put in your mind, that particular interpretation really doesn't have anything to do with us other than the gratitude. the reality that as Gentiles we've been brought into the gospel. But this matter was settled almost 2,000 years ago, 1950 some years ago this was settled, that the Gentiles have been made partakers in the gospel. And so this is not something that is new, however there are some things I want to point out or some thoughts that I want to put in your mind as we go through this. Just by way of application you notice that I titled this a changing church or a growing church. that the church in Jerusalem, they were at this time feeling rather closed. Okay, this is just us. We're Jews and the gospel is for us. Peter had to work through that. This church had to be worked through that. And I just want to put in your mind that for application that there are changes that are not bad, of which a church should be receptive. Now, don't think I'm getting ready to start giving you things that we should do. Okay, I'm not saying that. I'm not saying here's changes we're going to make in the church. That's not my thought at all. What I am saying is that there are times that everything, all the time, everything that we do needs to be evaluated in the scriptures. Okay, and we need to look at where we are and make sure that our practices, make sure that our traditions, make sure that our habits are biblical. And sometimes there are adjustments that are going to have to be made. For example, after centuries of persecution there were many separatist churches, and by the way I prefer that phrase over Protestant or Reformed, but separatist churches which finally were granted freedom. They had gone so long without singing because of the need for quietness and secrecy to remain unmolested by their persecutors. that they were hesitant after centuries of church without music to reintroduce congregational singing. I've read some Baptist history. One article was titled, To Sing or Not to Sing by David Cummins. And it was because of this. There were quite a few churches which had long internal debates as to whether it was right or wrong to even sing in a church. Which when we look at it now, we've been doing this for several hundred years. LifeGate is 48 years old and it's had music for as long as it's been in existence. And probably any of the churches that we have participated in life, that's been the way it is. I do know of some churches in central Illinois. that do not use instruments. Their particular denomination, they will not use instruments. I corresponded or conversed with a pastor of one of those churches, and they had a piano in the fellowship hall, but they would not use one in congregational music. In fact, whenever they had a choir, they would not have a choir up in front of everyone. They had the choir or the group stand behind the congregation and sing to their backs. And I think the purpose of that was because they were in essence saying, we don't want to detract from the focus on God or the words. And so they had traditions which none of us have ever recognized or which we haven't thought of before. And once these churches, several hundred years ago, four or five hundred years ago, were coming out of persecution, they had to reconsider these things, and they had to think through, is it appropriate? Is it right for us to use music in a church? By the way, I'm going through, and again, I've told you this, I'm studying music throughout the scripture, and in First Chronicles I was reading this week, it's interesting, that there are some things when David began to set up the worship for the tabernacle, which was then carried over into the temple. Whenever he began to do that, I came across a phrase this week, which was just fascinating to me, and I did some searching on it. It was the idea that he prophesied with harp. And so the word prophesied is essentially this was proclaiming truth, okay? and the harp would have been the accompaniment, okay? And so there was truth that was being sang, and by the way, that would have been the Psalms, and it was accompanied by harp. That phrase is not used in relationship to a horn or a trumpet. Because you can't prophesy or forth tell truth from a trumpet. Now, if people know the words, such as when we're putting them up on the wall during the the offertory or whatever, they can see the words. But really, even in Israel's Old Testament worship, as they were doing that, they were proclaiming truth, OK? Or they were asserting truth with musical instruments. And then there were men singers that were a part of this and so forth, the different choirs, the families of the Levites, Kohath, Merari, Asaph, and so forth, so forth. All of that to say, In moving just outside of this particular context, I want you to keep in mind that here is a church that was changed outside of what their original thinking was because they were wrong in their thinking. And it was based on revelation. It was based on truth. And there was a church that was willing to grow and to change. That's the primary context, but understand there could be multiple applications as we consider this this morning. Some churches used to have segregated seating between men and women. Glad we don't anymore, I am. Not that it matters to me, I'm usually up here. But some churches would not permit unbelievers into attendance. Okay. They just thought, no, this is only a place for believers to meet. You can understand as well that they were concerned that perhaps we're going to have some people who come in here and they're spies. They want to bring persecution on us. But when you think of what 1 Corinthians chapter 14 states, whenever Paul was talking about different gifts being exercised in the church, but he said, if unbelievers or if those who are ignorant or unlearned come into your midst, they see you speaking in tongues, they're going to think you're mad. Okay. But the situation was, Paul said, if there are unbelievers or unlearned who come in, he was acknowledging there are unbelievers who are going to come into our midst. Some churches have what is called closed communion, meaning that the only person who can partake of the Lord's table as we do it would be those that have given a testimony of salvation and have been baptized in our church. Some churches actually, and it still happens, I know of some Baptist pastors who are like this. They're not quite like we are. Some churches re-baptize anyone who wants to join their church because they want to be assured that it had been done properly. All kinds of practices which have been developed by a particular interpretation and then maintained by tradition. And here's the challenge. We must make sure that everything is always evaluated and filtered through the Word of God. Always. That's what it has to be. Now coming back to the context which is before us, you can let the Holy Spirit or your own thinking make application to other traditions or other things that are a part of our regular service. But we're back in the context now and this is Gentile evangelism, whether Gentiles have been invited into or a part of the gospel now. And so after Cornelius had his vision in Acts chapter 10, the beginning of it, after Peter had his vision of the sheet let down from heaven with all of the unclean animals, and then he went from Joppa to Caesarea to preach to Cornelius and his family, and they had received Christ. That's what we've looked at the last several weeks. After all of that had happened and the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the people, Cornelius's house in Caesarea. After that's all happened, eventually word then gets back to Jerusalem, which was where Peter was usually based, but word got back there before he did. Don't you hate it when that happens? You can imagine what was going on. So word gets back to Jerusalem before Peter did. that these Gentiles had received Christ, but it wasn't just that they had received Christ, it's that Peter had communed with them. And we'll look at that here in just a moment. And so three different basic parts of your outline in the bulletin this morning. The first one in verses one through three is the challenge against Gentile evangelism. And this is where the church stood, okay? The church in Jerusalem, this is where they stood. This was essentially their position or what they were thinking. There were some of the circumcision, referring to just their ethnicity as Jews, and then there were also the apostles and prophets, that are apostles and people that are mentioned here. But in essence, the whole picture was there was a challenge against Gentile evangelism. It was stated in the fact that you've intermingled with these Gentiles, but the underlying thought was, are they now a part of the gospel? Because that's what Peter answered. Peter wasn't just making a reason for why he had eaten with the Gentiles, but Peter basically shared the whole picture that they are now partakers of Christ, they are now partakers of the Holy Ghost as we are. And so even though they challenged him about eating with Gentiles, that's not the question that Peter answered. So we recognize the underlying thought here. The challenge against Gentile evangelism, first of all in verse 1, was public. Notice this, "...and the apostles and brethren that were in Judea," and by the way, that infers larger than just Jerusalem, "...heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God." Okay, so we might say this is rumor that has come back, but they have heard this. Peter's not back yet, he arrives in a little bit. But Peter comes back, they heard that the word of God had been received by the Gentiles. And so it's a public issue. It's not something Peter in Galatians chapter two, he refers to the fact that he spoke to them which were of reputation privately, as far as in the gospel that he preached to the Gentiles. But here we see that this is a public issue, okay? That this is something that is known by the apostles referring to the 11, of course, Peter would have been a part of them. and the brethren that were in Judea, indicating more than just Jerusalem. And so this is a rumor that has made its way around. Notice as well, not only was it public, it was personal. Okay, there's an accusation that is brought against Peter here. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him. They have brought this specifically before him. Now, it seems like that over time, James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. How that all happened likely has to do with the fact that Herod was trying to kill Peter. Remember in Acts chapter 12, James, the apostle, was put to death. And then Peter was arrested and was scheduled to be executed, but he was delivered. And then from then on, his movements were stifled, if you could say it that way, at least by the Jews that were there. They were not happy with the fact that he had been released. All of that coming back to, somehow or another, James, the half-brother of the Lord, became the leader of the church by Acts chapter 15. But here we still see that Peter was the one who was primarily the spokesman of the church. I think in Acts chapter six, we see it as well in Acts chapter two, when he was preaching at Pentecost, Peter was the primary one. But here now, these believers are contending with Peter. They're willing to stand up against the man who was one of the primary apostles, one of the inner circle, the one that the Lord Jesus had spoken specifically and said that once you have been brought back to truth, Once you have received or accepted all of the resurrection and who Christ is and so forth, I'm going to use you to strengthen and to encourage your brothers. Peter was named as the leader of the church, or pardon me, of the apostles by the Lord Jesus. But now these who are of the circumcision, ethnic, if not believing Jews, they're contending with Peter. They're arguing with him to face or they are speaking to him against his face. And so this challenge against Gentile evangelism was public, it was personal, but then also notice, and I'm using alliteration, verse three, it was pious, saying, Thou wentest into men uncircumcised and didst eat with them. That's kind of the holier than thou demeanor that was there. And by the way, I'm not anti-Semitic in any way. But that was the nature of the Jews that they recognize that we are different from everybody else and we're not going to intermingle, we are not going to allow ourselves to mix with them, with Gentiles. And so this was really a self-righteous accusation against Peter, meaning that they're Gentiles or they're not Jews and you ate with them or did eat with them. And so all of this is what Peter recognizes as he goes through as the challenge against Gentile evangelism. the fact that they now have been brought into the gospel. That brings us to number two beginning in verse four and this is the certainty of Gentile evangelism and that is the assertion that Peter is saying they're now a part of the gospel. They are, to use our terminology, they're a part of the family of God. They've been given the Holy Ghost just like we have. They're a part of Christ's kingdom. Whatever terminology we would use, they are now a part of it. And so the certainty or the assertion of Gentile evangelism. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning. and expounded it by order unto them, saying," and we'll get to a couple of thoughts there, but essentially what this is is that as this accusation has been brought against Peter individually, as there has been a challenge, a public question about all of this being brought before the church in Jerusalem as well as the believers in Judea, this general knowledge, then Peter stands up and he's willing to stand on truth, which is interesting because in Galatians, Paul makes it clear that Peter did not always have that strength. When certain from James came, he had before time eaten with the Gentiles, but then fearing them, which were of the circumcision, he withdrew and would not eat with them. Paul said in Galatians, that's when Paul withstood Peter to the face because he was to be blank. So Peter has not always stood firm, and may have even vacillated back and forth based on chronology. But at this point, he is standing firm on truth. Against the other apostles, if they're a part of this, or against the church in Jerusalem, the brethren that were there, he's standing on this. He gives them four arguments as to the certainty of Gentile evangelism. The first one is rather long, but I'll go through it quickly. The argument of revelation. And that should really be the foundation of all of it. Okay. And that Peter, though he doesn't have the written word of God at this particular point, since the scriptures had not been completed, God was still speaking directly to mankind. Peter had this vision and he knew this is the revelation of God. Okay. God was speaking to him specifically. The comparison that we make, God doesn't speak to us from the heavens verbally and audibly anymore. Okay, that is finished with the completion of the scriptures. But we have revelation. Okay, this is the revelation of God. And whenever we're considering anything, this is of primary importance. This is our sole authority and faith and practice, as our Baptist distinctive would state, and as we believe. So the first argument is of revelation, and that's what God has revealed to him. Verse five, Peter says, I was in the city of Joppa praying. He's rehearsing the history, the narrative of which we're familiar. And in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet and let down from heaven by four corners. And it came even to me, upon the which, when I had fastened my eyes, I considered and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air." And the understanding Peter had, though it's not specifically quoting Deuteronomy, the understanding is that these are unclean animals. Verse seven, and I heard a voice saying unto me, and this is a quotation from the Lord, arise, Peter, slay and eat. And again, we talked about this recently. It wasn't just that this food was prepared. It's not as though it was bacon or ham that was ready for him. He was supposed to slay. and eat, okay, you're supposed to kill it and then eat it. Verse eight, but I said, not so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. In a sense, there's a little bit of identification that Peter has with the other apostles and with the brethren and with the circumcision in saying, look, guys, I understand your background, okay, this has been my background, this is how it was, and the Lord really had to work on me to change my thinking in this process. Three times this happened, going on in verse eight, not so Lord, for nothing in common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. I think I told you this, the mayor of Paxton, who was our neighbor for 13 of the 15 years that we lived in Paxton, told me, he said, in my life, I have never tasted coffee. And I said, never? And he said, never. And I don't know how he knew what happened before the age of four, but he was convinced from as long back as he could remember that he had never tasted a drop of coffee. That's what Peter is saying about unclean animals. There has never been anything unclean or anything common that has come into my body. I've never done this. In other words, I have been a strict Orthodox Jew according to the Old Testament law. I've obeyed what the Old Testament has said. Verse nine, but the voice answered me again from heaven, what God hath cleansed that call not thou common. And this was done three times. Peter's personality demonstrated here, and then all were drawn up again into heaven. I mentioned a few weeks ago when we looked through this the first time, it never even says that Peter actually had to do this. It was a vision, but he never did kill and eat. He didn't have to at this particular point. But verse nine, especially the voice answered me again from heaven, much application we consider in this that the Lord is patient but he's also persistent, he had to keep working through Peter's argument, he had to wait for Peter to finally accept the truth, but then God said, what God hath cleansed that call not thou common. And so that first argument, 5 through 10, would be the argument of revelation, okay? Fellas, people, church, Jerusalem, and Judea, I know what you're thinking. I came from the same background you did. I have not eaten anything unclean in my life. I have been a strict and an orthodox Jew, but God spoke. God revealed. God demonstrated truth. And I can't argue with that. And so when a church changes, it should always be built on truth, what God has revealed. This church in Jerusalem, they were closed, thinking the gospel is only for Jews. But Peter said, look, by revelation, God has made it clear that the gospel goes to Gentiles as well. And so his first argument was one of revelation. The second argument, in this by the way would be subordinate was one of God's rule and that is the way that God is directing, the way that God is guiding, the way that he uses circumstances to make his will known. There's a couple of thoughts that follow with this, the argument of God's rule or the fact that he is guiding circumstances first and behold immediately there were three men already come into the house where I was sent from Caesarea unto me. And so he's saying, and this is the chronological order here, we're looking at God's circumstances, the way that he rules, the way that he governs and guides the actions of men to use Benjamin Franklin's phraseology that he governs in the affairs of men. That here what has happened that Peter says, look, as soon as this sheet was drawn up back into the heavens, as soon as I had had this revelation that what I have called clean, you don't call common. As soon as that happened, he says that these men came into the house where I was sent from Caesarea unto me. Look, as soon as God revealed to me the truth, Immediately, these men were knocking at the door. And so the circumstance is under God's control. Then there is the command that comes again. And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. So he knew, the Holy Spirit has made it clear that I am supposed to go with them. Here's the circumstance that not only has God revealed to me what this principle is and what this truth is, that the Gentiles can now be partakers of salvation. They're not common. They're not unclean in that sense anymore. As soon as that's been done, the circumstances is that these men show up, the Holy Spirit prompts me or bade me to go with them. Nothing doubting. There's a phrase that I use often in discerning the will of God and that is, is there peace? And that's this idea here, nothing doubting. Look, Peter, I've made it clear to you what my direction is, what my will is. Don't doubt it. Just do it. And so there is the command here, nothing doubting. And then there's the companions that are a part of this as well. Also in verse 12, Moreover, these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house. And he, by the way, speaking of Cornelius, was a Gentile, showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And with all of this, the direction of the Lord, okay, or the working of God behind the scenes, or maybe not even behind the scenes, but just overtly, he's directing all of the circumstances. And so Peter is using, first of all, the argument of revelation, and then he's using the argument of God's control, God's rule, God overruling in circumstances to make sure that this is all coming to pass. And he's relaying all of this to the church and to the brethren, to the apostles in Jerusalem and Judea. so that they recognize the gospel now goes to the Gentiles. Also a part of God's working here is verse 15, the Holy Spirit of the Comforter. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. So Peter's relaying everything that he's seen, everything that he's observed, everything that is taking place and saying, I can't help but acknowledge what God has done. As the Holy Spirit was poured out on us, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. All of these things are indicating that we have to, the church in Jerusalem, they have to, Jews, acknowledge that the gospel has gone to the Gentiles, that they can now be saved. And so the second argument was the argument of God's rule or the fact that he is controlling circumstances. And then the argument of realization or the fact that something had been realized, verse 16. Then I remembered, or then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he had said, John, indeed baptized with water, but ye should be baptized with the Holy Ghost. And so the reality is he's remembering what he had heard Jesus say when he was baptized. And then speaking, they're baptized with water, but he would baptize them. with the Holy Ghost, Peter makes the connection. I remembered that Jesus had said that people would be baptized with the Holy Ghost. And so when he sees these Gentiles, Cornelius and those who are a part of his house that have received Christ by faith and the Holy Spirit is poured out on them, which if you remember at the end of chapter 10 was manifested by the speaking in tongues, fulfillment of Isaiah 28, Peter acknowledged, look, I saw the reality of the Holy Ghost poured out on these Gentile people. I have seen it. There's the reality and it is all made sense to him. I remembered what the Lord said that he would baptize them with the Holy Ghost. And so he was saying these people were baptized with the Holy Ghost. I've seen it. It's a reality. And then his final argument, verse 17, was the argument of reason. You know what he's saying? It wasn't reasonable for me to have any other conclusion. That's the only conclusion that I could have. I've had the revelation of God that has made it clear to me with this sheet let down from heaven and the voice that spoke to me and said, after rise, kill and eat, don't you call common what I have cleansed. The revelation of God himself. God ruled in the circumstances that caused these men to come that 32 miles from Caesarea down to Joppa to be knocking on my door as soon as this vision was over. Okay, that all God has been working in there. And then as I see them receive Christ and the Holy Spirit comes in and dwells them, and I remember what Jesus had said, that he's going to baptize them with the Holy Ghost. When I look at all of this and put it together, how could I resist God? It only makes sense. It's reasonable to accept this truth that Christ is available to the Gentiles. And so he presents these pictures to them, these arguments. as to why they should realize or recognize this truth, the certainty of Gentile evangelism, that Gentiles, the gospel is available for them. And so that brings us to verse 18 and that is the consent to Gentile evangelization and that is by the church in Jerusalem or the believers that were there in Judea, those that were here when Peter is speaking. First of all verse 18 in your outline, opposition was silenced. The opposition was silenced. When they heard these things, they held their peace." I just want to point out to you that I think that this is a good mark for these men. Whenever they have had revelation that is presented to them, speaking of the truth of God, and whenever they have seen the practical outworking of how God is working in all of the circumstances and in the midst of these people, and as Peter puts this all together for them, as they realize it, we have nothing else to say. We have to acknowledge what that is. I remember one message particularly in my life, and it was not something that was a disagreement that I had, but it was the explanation of a passage of scripture that I had never heard before, or that I, pardon me, a passage of scripture I had never fully understood before. As I heard the man preaching this particular passage of scripture, I didn't need an invitation. I didn't need an altar call to let the Lord change my heart and change my mind. As I heard that truth presented, I remember where I was, where I was sitting, and who was preaching. I remember that. I was just sitting there and thinking, that's truth. That's truth. There's nothing that I need to say about it. I fully accept it. I want it to be integrated in me. And that's what the Word of God is teaching. And that's what these men had been brought to. They had come to the point that they have nothing else to say. They held their peace. The arguments that Peter had presented to them, the truth that Peter had presented to them, could not be refuted. And so the opposition here was silenced. And then notice as well, it was swayed, let her be there, and they glorified God saying, okay, now they're on the other side. When I first read this years and years ago when I first started studying through it I thought that there was maybe a little bit of a grudging demeanor, okay Peter well we can't really argue with you so that's just the way it is. But I don't think that that's what Luke is indicating here, I think that when he is saying this that they have switched sides. There's a funny story in one of David McCullough's books about Wilbur and Orville Wright, by the way if you want a recommendation for one of the best secular books you can read is The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, it's a really good book. But there's an interesting story that one of the men who worked for them in their bike shop, when they were first developing their theories of aviation and so forth, he said it was interesting to see Wilbur and Orville start to argue a particular point or principle about flying. So they would argue, and they would argue, and they would argue, and before the argument was over, they had convinced each other and they had flipped sides. They were then arguing the other position. Now, Peter didn't switch sides on this. He stayed where he was. But these men had been swayed. Because of the truth of God's word, though it was revelation here spoken, it's now written word, we have it from Luke's pen. But because of the truth revealed from God, they recognized and then they came to the point of glorifying God, giving weight to God or exalting who he was, making him big in their minds. They glorified God saying, and here's the third part that now their opposition who had previously been opposition or those who were doubting, they were now supportive. And their statement was saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. You notice that after verse two, the first accusation of the fact that you ate with Gentiles, it hasn't revolved around that anymore. They acknowledge this is about the evangelization of the Gentiles. This is about the gospel going further than just Jews. And so now they're on the same side. Then they acknowledge, okay, we realize the conclusion is, God hath also to the Gentiles granted or given repentance to life or unto life. They've acknowledged now, they're recognizing, okay, Peter, we see, we understand. And by the way, they became supportive. And we see various places in the scripture where the Jewish church was involved in things, especially through the life of Peter. Galatians chapter 2, as Paul is speaking, that when the apostles, those who seem to be pillars, Cephas and so forth, whenever they acknowledged or they saw that the gospel was committed, the gospel was committed to us to preach to the uncircumcision as to Peter, the circumcision. then they gave them the right hands of fellowship. They supported them going forth to minister to the Gentiles. Only they would that we should remember the poor, which Paul said the same which I forward was to do or was going to do. And so they're now supporting this. And you look at this picture and there's three things that I'll give you by way of conclusion. First of all, recognizing the whole context here, be grateful. that Peter believed the vision, be grateful that Peter obeyed the Lord, be grateful that Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius, be grateful that Peter went back to Jerusalem and convinced those Jews that the gospel had gone to the Gentiles. This whole passage here starting in Acts chapter 10 and going through Acts chapter 11 verse 18 is the picture, the reality where really the truth is set forth that the gospel is broader than just the Jews. I'm grateful for that. As I told you at the very beginning, my DNA has not one little bit of Jewishness in it. And apart from the truth that is revealed here in these passages of scripture, I would be apart from the gospel, as probably most of us would be. And so be grateful. that the Lord made it clear that the gospel went to Gentiles as well. Number two, secondly, evangelize. There is no ethnicity, social or economic status, no political party or philosophy or lifestyle that is beyond the reach of the gospel. The church in Jerusalem was closed. They were resistant to the idea of anybody other than us that can have the gospel. we have to understand that this was a change that needed to be made for them. They had to be willing to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. That was the commission of the Lord Jesus. And so number two, in light of this passage of scripture, we need to understand that the gospel goes to everyone. And then number three, And this is just application outside of this passage of scripture, let's be a church that is willing to grow and change when convinced by the word of God. I am a very traditional person. There are things that as I consider them I'm thinking this is just the way I am, this is the way I'm set, this is the way I think, this is the way I do. But there are times when we have to reevaluate specifically tradition and make sure that we're doing things according to the word of God. And so let the Bible always be our guide and let's be a church that is willing to grow and change when convinced by the word of God and only by the word of God. Father I thank you for this passage of scripture for the things which are contained here as we consider these verses that have been given to us. This morning, Lord, I pray that you would help us first of all to have a grateful heart that the gospel has gone to the Gentiles. And so I pray first and foremost this morning that our hearts would be joyful as we think of the fact that we who were represented in those unclean animals that were let down in that sheet to Peter. that he was willing, finally, though stubbornly at first, that he was willing to recognize that the gospel could go to Gentiles. And so, Father, I pray that you would help us to have a grateful heart for the fact that you have adopted us into your family, as Paul said in Romans, that you have grafted us in. I pray that we would have a grateful spirit for that and then I pray father that you would help us to realize that we should not be like the church in Jerusalem was. I pray that you would help us not to think that there are people to whom we don't need to witness, help us not to be tempted to think that there are some who are in perhaps a social or an economic status that we don't need to give the gospel to them or perhaps different lifestyles and political philosophies. Lord I pray that you would help us to realize that we have the obligation to take the gospel to all people. And Father as a church I pray that you would help us to make sure that everything we do is governed by your word in every way. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.