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The Advance of The Gospel: Acts 10:1-48 — 11/25/2024 10:00 AM
Today's speaker is Dr. Jon Wood, Vice President for Student Life & Christian Ministries at Cedarville University. Dr. Woods points us to the overwhelming grace of God in providing salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. His text is Acts 10:1-48.
Notes
This morning, Dr. Wood spoke powerfully in chapel from Acts 10, drawing us into a moment where God’s plan collides with human surprise. In Acts 10, we meet Cornelius — a Roman centurion and a Gentile, yet a man who fears God. His conversion happens through a divine appointment demonstrating that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34).
Cornelius responds in faith when he receives a command from God. He doesn’t hesitate; he obeys. In a world where obedience often waits for comfort, his humility is convicting. Verse 25 tells us that when Peter arrives, Cornelius falls at his feet in reverence. Though Peter corrects him, this moment reveals a man who, though inwardly perplexed, is arriving at outward clarity. God is moving, and Cornelius is ready to receive His Word.
Peter proclaims the Gospel in Acts 10:38, reminding us that the message of Jesus — His life, death, and resurrection — is not just for a chosen few, but for “all who believe in him” (Acts 10:43, ESV). It’s through Jesus that God is unifying humanity, not under a nation or ethnicity, but as one people, His worshippers. This echoes the prayer of Christ in John 17:20–23, where Jesus longs for His followers to be one, just as He and the Father are one.
Ephesians 2 reinforces this glorious truth. We were once far off and dead in our trespasses, but now, by the blood of Christ, we’ve been brought near (Ephesians 2:13). The dividing wall of hostility is broken down. We are no longer strangers, but fellow citizens, members of the household of God.
So, how will we receive the Word of God? With pride or with the humility of Cornelius? When God speaks, whether through His Word, through another messenger, or through His Spirit, the only faithful response is worship. True worship is not merely emotional; it is the overflow of a heart transformed by grace, by the resurrection power that brings the dead to life.
As you go into this break, remember this: Although you may stumble, turn in repentance to Jesus. He lived the perfect life you could not, died the death you deserved, and rose so you might have life. Let us fall silent and worship, not just in song but in surrendered lives.
This is the hope for all people, and it is our hope, too.