Cornelius
Epiphany I. ----I usually study the texts that are provided each week, and think on them. All Scripture is inspired of God, God-breathed, but I wait until the bells go off in my head for what hits me as good for us to think about. Phillips Brooks , the Bishop of Boston, and author of " O Little Town of Bethlehem" used to say that preaching is truth through personality.This week as I was traveling back and forth to the Rehab, doing other various things through the week, teaching on WED, Tues preparing for that, and being at the CC...etc....it hit me that this was not what I would have said about how God acts. It would have been more dramatic and the calling of God to someone who had not known Him at all, but this is not what I see here. I see drama with the dreams and the angel of God coming to Cornelius, a centurion of all people, but let's take a look at him before we judge what God did . ...while remembering that Epiphanytide is the season of outreach and the appearing of the Star to the Wise Men who came from non Jewish nations, such as possibly Egypt , India & Greece.
I. THE CHARACTER OF CORNELIUS. Acts 10 ( below from biblehub.com commentary)
1. He was a devout man, and one who feared God. His morality was not of that mean character, or dwarfish stature, or unhallowed allowance, which satisfied the scanty requirements of paganism and idolatry. He had reverence for the demands, he had zeal for the glory, he had impulse from the love of God.
2. He was a charitable man. To heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, was his delightful employment.
3. He was a man of prayer. Here lay the great excellence of his character; here the grace which sanctified every other, implanted by the Holy Spirit in his heart; and here the secret of that mercy of which he was made a partaker. His supplication was no transient, hasty homage of the lip or knee, but the settled habit of his mind, the unwearied uninterrupted practice of his life.
4. He was a man of family religion.
Here is my question then....if this is how God called Cornelius. He obviously heard of the one God from the Jews so they had an influence despite their closed nature of outreach. Is there a preparation for unbelievers to become believers? It may be a lightning bolt as I used to think but that is not actually my experience either in my believing...many years ago. God took His time in sowing the seeds of eternal life. This should be very encouraging to us as we have seen many draw back after acting that they were committed...in some way at least here. But God is using us to sow seeds of eternal life in the families, the community etc..and at our places of work. It is not usually an over nite issue.
Erdman summarizes it ," It should be added at once...that to men of this character, who are living according to the light the have, more light is sure to be given; and then, too, when the new light comes, it is sure to be accepted. When Christ is presented to men like these, they turn to Him at once in penitence and faith. Thus sincerity is tested. Christ is ever the touchstone of character."
II. THE COURSE OF DIVINE DEALING TOWARDS CORNELIUS. Lessons:
1. God is no respecter of persons. Word Origin
from prosópon and lambanó
Definition
an accepter of a face, i.e. a respecter of persons
NASB Translation
one to show partiality , show partiality from biblehubcommentaries
Of course Peter was teaching that only through Christ can people be saved, but today we are asking, How do they get there? You and I should treat all with love and see them as needy persons outside of Christ . In Christ there is no east or west as the hymn, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.
We should take the ex. of Cornelius , the Centurion, and encourage habits of holy behavior by our own example in the lives of others. Too often we go with the flow instead of with the Christ of the Scriptures, and our own sinful desires. May God direct us to know Him better in prayer, love and service so that we would draw others by His Spirit to know Him.
I. THE CHARACTER OF CORNELIUS. Acts 10 ( below from biblehub.com commentary)
1. He was a devout man, and one who feared God. His morality was not of that mean character, or dwarfish stature, or unhallowed allowance, which satisfied the scanty requirements of paganism and idolatry. He had reverence for the demands, he had zeal for the glory, he had impulse from the love of God.
2. He was a charitable man. To heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, was his delightful employment.
3. He was a man of prayer. Here lay the great excellence of his character; here the grace which sanctified every other, implanted by the Holy Spirit in his heart; and here the secret of that mercy of which he was made a partaker. His supplication was no transient, hasty homage of the lip or knee, but the settled habit of his mind, the unwearied uninterrupted practice of his life.
4. He was a man of family religion.
Here is my question then....if this is how God called Cornelius. He obviously heard of the one God from the Jews so they had an influence despite their closed nature of outreach. Is there a preparation for unbelievers to become believers? It may be a lightning bolt as I used to think but that is not actually my experience either in my believing...many years ago. God took His time in sowing the seeds of eternal life. This should be very encouraging to us as we have seen many draw back after acting that they were committed...in some way at least here. But God is using us to sow seeds of eternal life in the families, the community etc..and at our places of work. It is not usually an over nite issue.
Erdman summarizes it ," It should be added at once...that to men of this character, who are living according to the light the have, more light is sure to be given; and then, too, when the new light comes, it is sure to be accepted. When Christ is presented to men like these, they turn to Him at once in penitence and faith. Thus sincerity is tested. Christ is ever the touchstone of character."
II. THE COURSE OF DIVINE DEALING TOWARDS CORNELIUS. Lessons:
1. God is no respecter of persons. Word Origin
from prosópon and lambanó
Definition
an accepter of a face, i.e. a respecter of persons
NASB Translation
one to show partiality , show partiality from biblehubcommentaries
Of course Peter was teaching that only through Christ can people be saved, but today we are asking, How do they get there? You and I should treat all with love and see them as needy persons outside of Christ . In Christ there is no east or west as the hymn, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.
We should take the ex. of Cornelius , the Centurion, and encourage habits of holy behavior by our own example in the lives of others. Too often we go with the flow instead of with the Christ of the Scriptures, and our own sinful desires. May God direct us to know Him better in prayer, love and service so that we would draw others by His Spirit to know Him.
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