WITNESSING TO THE SEEKER (2 OF 4)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Acts 10:1-48
This content is part of a series.
Witnessing to the Seeker (2 of 4)
Series: Opportunity Knocks
Jeff Strite
Acts 10:1-48
OPEN: Someone once said:
"I'm just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about Somebody, who can save anybody"
(REPEAT)
This morning's text is a story about the first Gentiles who became Christians. Up until this time the entire Church was made up of Jews who'd accepted Jesus. There were NO Gentiles. But God intended to change that, and so he sent an angel to visit to Cornelius that change the course of the church's history.
Now, there were several significant differences between the Jews and Gentiles, but one of the major differences was that the Jews were circumcised… and the Gentiles were not.
(Do I need to go into what circumcision was? No? Good… because I really didn't want to.)
Part of this story has to do with the fact that Peter and 6 of his "circumcised" friends were on their way to preach to these Gentiles, circumcise them… then baptize them. They were not going to baptize these Gentiles UNTIL they were circumcised.
But God didn't want that to happen, so He interceded in this story in such a powerful way that Peter asks his friends: "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water?…" Acts 10:47
Why ask the question?
Because that's precisely what Peter's friends intended. Until these folks were circumcised, the Jewish believers with Peter had no intention of letting them get wet.
That's the background for the story we've just read.
But, what I want to focus on this morning is this question:
What can we learn from this story that will help us share our faith in Jesus with others?
Now, the 1st thing I want us to notice here is:
Cornelius was a seeker
He was looking for Jesus.
He sends a delegation of 3 men to seek for Peter and ask him to come preach to his friends and family. So they came looking for Peter to learn about Jesus.
Cornelius was looking for Jesus.
ILLUS: According to some recent research it is estimated that less ...
Series: Opportunity Knocks
Jeff Strite
Acts 10:1-48
OPEN: Someone once said:
"I'm just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about Somebody, who can save anybody"
(REPEAT)
This morning's text is a story about the first Gentiles who became Christians. Up until this time the entire Church was made up of Jews who'd accepted Jesus. There were NO Gentiles. But God intended to change that, and so he sent an angel to visit to Cornelius that change the course of the church's history.
Now, there were several significant differences between the Jews and Gentiles, but one of the major differences was that the Jews were circumcised… and the Gentiles were not.
(Do I need to go into what circumcision was? No? Good… because I really didn't want to.)
Part of this story has to do with the fact that Peter and 6 of his "circumcised" friends were on their way to preach to these Gentiles, circumcise them… then baptize them. They were not going to baptize these Gentiles UNTIL they were circumcised.
But God didn't want that to happen, so He interceded in this story in such a powerful way that Peter asks his friends: "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water?…" Acts 10:47
Why ask the question?
Because that's precisely what Peter's friends intended. Until these folks were circumcised, the Jewish believers with Peter had no intention of letting them get wet.
That's the background for the story we've just read.
But, what I want to focus on this morning is this question:
What can we learn from this story that will help us share our faith in Jesus with others?
Now, the 1st thing I want us to notice here is:
Cornelius was a seeker
He was looking for Jesus.
He sends a delegation of 3 men to seek for Peter and ask him to come preach to his friends and family. So they came looking for Peter to learn about Jesus.
Cornelius was looking for Jesus.
ILLUS: According to some recent research it is estimated that less ...
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