24-1208p Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(1:21) It’s time for that reading. (1:24) I’m going to be in Acts 10. (1:29) It’s time that I have a period to listen to my lessons.

(1:36) About the third time, I’m going to stay with what Cornelius said is the question of my (1:46) lesson: When was Cornelius Saved? (1:47) This is the question asked by the teacher of an online Bible class. (1:55) There may be more than one answer given to this question.

(2:00) Some may say Cornelius was saved when the Holy Spirit fell upon him and his household. (2:09) But it is the teacher’s answer I want to examine. (2:15) This teacher is on the program, What Does the Bible Say? (2:26) And they have what is called, What Does the Bible Say School, and it’s online.

(2:37) This teacher is the son of a preacher who began work in Martinsville, Virginia, and (2:52) the local congregations in Martinsville, Virginia. (2:57) And he has the program, What Does the Bible Say? (3:03) His son, Caleb, is doing the teaching, conducting the school. (3:11) And I’m going to say that Caleb’s been doing a fine job, but I think he messed up when (3:20) he is discussing.

(3:22) He’s going through Acts, and on his board, like a chalkboard, that he has the question, (3:34) When was Cornelius saved? (3:36) Which I know many would ask, and many would insist, as I said, that Cornelius was saved (3:48) when the Holy Spirit fell upon him and his household. (3:53) But Caleb said, Cornelius was saved before and after Peter’s visit. (4:05) Now, he said, Now, I don’t believe I’m contradicting myself.

(4:11) Now, I’m going to say this for Caleb. (4:15) He’s trying to get people in the area to stop him. (4:24) Our stance on condemning and showing that God shows mercy when he wants no mercy.

(4:43) And God is for people. (4:46) And he answers people’s condemnation, Gentiles, under the Old Testament. (4:56) For instance, Isaiah 16, verse 11, says, (5:14 My heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir Hareseth. (5:47) I have seen that outside of the nation there is a prophecy against Moab and the things that are going to happen (6:02) So, in Jeremiah, in the wrong place, it was 31-36, that is, talking about Moab, talking (7:00) about heart toward Moab, what is going to happen to Moab, God is showing that He is not (7:21) especially happy with what is going to happen to Moab.

(7:34) If people would read Gentile, the actions of some would seemingly say that they would be telling Caleb why they are going to go to hell, (8:08) has been teaching in the Old Testament, where he is in the (8:23) And the others, Babylon and Assyria, when they captured the northern kingdom, the southern kingdom, (8:58) Babylon, the captivity, you know, God used for the purpose of the Israelites, the party, (9:28) they seemed to have the idea that they were going to hell, but he said, (9:42) people were not there forever, they had come back to Jerusalem, they didn’t stay in Babylon, (9:57) so he used Gentile people for his purposes, other idols which he didn’t like, at the same time he said.

(10:21) there is a letter of Romans that Paul says that the Gentiles that didn’t have the law of Moses, (10:54) they would be alright, he is trying to get these people to ease up, God wants to be merciful, (11:24) God has shown to Judah, the people of Israel, how they served, that they were not going to put up with it, (11:48) God in his mercy brought his people back to the Gentiles, such as Moab, Moab was going to face for the gods that they served and the things that they were doing, (12:27) this was said before Peter’s visit, below that video, for making the comments, he responded to these comments,

(13:10) I don’t know why he brought Zechariah, Zechariah was not a Gentile, (13:35) Luke 1, there was in the days of Herod, a certain priest named Zechariah, the vision of Abijah, (13:51) the wife was of the daughters of Aaron, her name was Elizabeth, she was a priest after the order of Aaron, the vision of Abijah, (14:12) I want to have a reference in the Old Testament, (14:20) this is 1, in 1st Chronicles, (15:01) 1st Chronicles, these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron, (15:10) the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, and Ithamar, Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, (15:26) therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests,

(15:37) and then 10, according to the heads of the fathers, (15:48) the sons of Levi’s, one father’s house taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar, and verse 10, it says, (16:03) to Abijah, to Levi, a Gentile, (16:28) there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, (16:49) a man of what was called the Italian regiment, a man of God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, to God always, (17:09) the father of the day, clearly an angel of God coming in and saying to him, Cornelius, when he observed him, (17:36) what is it Lord, your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God, I send men to Joppa for Simon, whose surname is Peter, (18:00) Simon a canner, by the sea, what you must do.

(18:08) That’s what Jesus told Saul of Tarsus, (18:16) when Tarsus was on the road to Damascus, he built himself, so that’s what will you have me do, (18:51) into the sea of Damascus, and there it will be told you what you, so here it is again, what Caleb was trying to do through the prophets, (19:24) and talking about the Gentiles, he was bringing the Gentiles in too, this was his aim.

(19:42) We should not be in God’s stead to judge mankind, (19:59) this is the one answer that Cornelius gave before Peter came, and for Peter, verse 10 gives us that answer, (20:29) and the reading that was read to you, this 10th chapter would give a lot of questions for people if they just quit just one verse here, (21:00) how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in him they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher, (21:16) and how shall they preach unless they are sent, threatened, or are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, (21:31) who bring glad tidings of good things, who have not all obeyed the gospel, who has believed the report, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

(21:54) To preach the gospel, for people to hear of God’s word, and then we need to teach the sense to what is said, (22:40) Peter had the message for us in Acts 11, verse 14, (23:05) and he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, send men to Japheth Simon, whose surname is Peter, (23:20) who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved, Peter would tell him what he must do. (23:49) In Acts 10, verses 44-48, while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. (24:06) Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with fear, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, (24:24) for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

(24:36) Then Peter answered, Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have? (24:49) And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. Now, when was Cornelius saved? (25:10) When he obeyed the command to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

(25:34) For we know that Mark 16, 15, and 16 says, he tells his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (25:38) He that believes and is baptized will be saved. In Acts 2, 38, Peter tells the people on that day, when they asked, What shall we do? (25:58) He replied, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(26:15) And in Acts 22, 16, Paul is told, Now why tarryest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (26:41) That is when Cornelius was saved. That was the reason that Peter was sent for.

Peter had the message that Jesus had come and he had died. (27:06) And that he was killed by hanging on a tree. And God raised up on the third day and showed him openly, not to all people, but to witnesses chosen before by God.

(27:28) Even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people, to testify that it is he who was ordained by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. (27:51) To him, all the prophets witnessed that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins.

(28:05) Well, when Cornelius and his household obeyed the command to be baptized in the name of the Lord is when he was saved. (28:20) When he had remission of sins. It is a contradiction to say that somebody is saved before and after somebody’s visit.

(28:39) Well, the visit may not do anything, but it is a message that they have. And if it’s a message of the gospel, then it is that which will save one. (29:03) So, when we look out here, we just got people who believe.

But I just wanted to talk about this because this young man just needs to really study this. (29:23) I know that he wants people to ease up on the condemnation, as it were, of the Gentiles and the works that some of the Gentiles do. (29:44) You know, God brought judgment upon them according to the deeds then.

And whether these people will, when they face God, as all of us will face God, that’s God’s business. (30:08) But I think, in another way, is getting Cornelius living under the old law. Now Cornelius is living under the new covenant, just like we all are.

(30:31) And we need to hear the gospel. And we need to have the blood of Christ. We need the blood of Christ to cleanse us from all sin.

(30:47) And to say that is really not condemning Cornelius. God isn’t condemning Cornelius. He just needed the saving message brought to him.

(31:05) And so, for those, if there is anyone that is subject to the gospel invitation in any way, we would urge you to do so. To come while we stand and while we sing.