Mexico Missouri message., 1916-04-13
LESSON FOR APRIL 1e
PETER AND CORNELIUS.
ssON TBXT-Acts 1O:1-23.


all that call upon him.-Rom. 1O:l2.
Thus far Christianity had to do with
Jews and Jewish proselytes only. Now
its circle begins to widen so as to in
clude the Gentiles. The central fig
ure of this lesson, Cornelius, was
captain commanding one hundred men
in the Roman army, The chasm be-
tween blacks and whites, which so
widely exists in America, is nothing
compared to that which divided the
Jew and Gentle. We take the whole
story Of Cornelius in today's lesson
and consider the Easter story next
week.
l. A Prepared Convert Tvs. 1-S). O
| His position. Caesarea was on the
great sea and was the political capital
Of Judea. 1t was about seventy miles
from Jerusalem and thirty from Joppa.
| Cornelius, who was captain of a band
Of men born in Italy was q Roman
citizen, and perhaps had been connect
| ed with the great Roman general
| Scipio. (2) His character. He was a
man of promptness, appreciation and
! obedience, ". 33). He was also a
! God-fearing man, whose piety included
| his whole household. He was a man
OF prayer and generosity Tvs. 81, 32),
! for he gave much aims" to both Jews
! and Gentiles. The result was that he
was honored greatly by all, especially
| by the Jews. 1t does not seem that
| Cornelius was prOselyte to the Jewish
! faith Tvs. 2S-11:3), and he certainly
was not as yet a saved man (11:13,
! Ia. Cornelius was a man of a vision,
not Of dreams or of frances, for this
vision came in the open daylight ".
30), when an angel. looking like man,
| appeared unto him. His fear was
Gained and he was informed that his
| prayer, for he was a seeker after
| Cod" had been heard. The memorial
| ". 4) spoken of was that part of the
meal Offering which the priest burned
| upon the altar and which ascended un-
to the Lord as a sweet SAVIOR (See
also Nal. 3:16). Cornelius is put to
strange test. He is to send for an
unknown man to receive instruction.
The angel was not to enlighten him, as
it is mans province to witness for
God. There is not a recorded Bible
! conversion without some human in
etrumentality. Cornelius, soldier that
no was, at once obeyed instructions
and sent out two devout retainers
after Peter. Man alone could finish
the work of the angels.
II. The Prepared Preacher Tvs. 9-23l.
Tanning was considered an unclean
occupation, but in Simon's house was
the man God wanted to use on this
occasion. No matter how poor a
| preacher, or unlikely the situation, if
! we obey God we can preach better
! than Gabriel. God laid, as it were, his
! light hand on Cornelius, and his left
upon Peter, and drew them together.
Again God uses a dream, linking the
natural and the supernatural. A hun
! gry man dreams of food, a very com
| mon occurrence, and God gave super
natural direction to natural dream.
God knows the right time to do the
right thing. We do not need dreams
for our guidance as we have a full and
sufficient revelation in the Word for
our guidance.
III. The Prepared Ones Meet Tvs.
@3-3S). Cornelius had his whole house
hold ready when Peter arrived ". 24,
perhaps more people than on the day
of the first great PentecOst. He said.
We are all here present in the sight
of God to hear all the things that have
! % he Nya
This is a great statement If we con-
slider it's full content. Peter refused to
accept worship, that alone belongs to
Christ ". 25) and he explained how
God had thrust him outside of the cir
Gle Of Jewish believers. He then re-
hearsed what God had done and as.
serted that He is no respecter Of per
sons" and that in response to those
in every nation who work righteous
ness God had sent forth Jesus for the
salvation of men, (1l That men might
have peace through him ". 36l; (2)
That he might be Lord over all; (3)
That he had been anointed with the
Holy Spirit and power; (4l That he
had been crucified Il Pet, /; 1S, 10;
2:24); 60 That God had raised him
from the dead; (6) That he is to be
the judge, and Cd That because of
what he had done-'through the name
OF Jesus"-an that believe shall have
remission of sins" (This is a good
sermon outline) Following this won
derful sermon, there occurred the Gen.
tile Pentecost Tvs. 44-46).
Practical. Cornelius had q lack.
and he went to God to have It sup
piled ". A.. Peter found his enlight-
eminent in prayer.
God revealed his regard for all man.
kind, and that Jesus Christ can and
will save all who come to him by
faith.
At Caesarea the infant church dis
covered that its field is the world and
that the Pentecostal program was for
all mankind