Welcome the arrival of our new associate pastor, David Glavin, as we launch into a spirited dissection of Acts 10:9-16. Ever wondered how Peter's response to God's vision contrasts from Cornelius'? We'll unearth the fascinating triad of Peter's denial, Jesus' affirmation, and Peter's endorsement of Jesus. Get ready to be enlightened as we interpret the text and share our reflections.
We'll grapple with how these verse reflects on the transition of gospel and encapsulates the whole book of Acts. Discover how Peter's vision, filled with clean and unclean animals, disrupts his previous understanding and how this can resonate within our own lives. We'll also touch upon Cornelius' prayerful attitude and how we can all strive to deepen our connection with God.
Finally, we'll traverse the narrative of Peter and Cornelius, focusing on God's pursuit of them even in the midst of Peter's reluctance. Join us as we reflect on how the Holy Spirit guides and directs us in discussions about Jesus and the importance of the gospel. Get ready, this discussion is one you won't want to miss!
Welcome the arrival of our new associate pastor, David Glavin, as we launch into a spirited dissection of Acts 10:9-16. Ever wondered how Peter's response to God's vision contrasts from Cornelius'? We'll unearth the fascinating triad of Peter's denial, Jesus' affirmation, and Peter's endorsement of Jesus. Get ready to be enlightened as we interpret the text and share our reflections.
We'll grapple with how these verse reflects on the transition of gospel and encapsulates the whole book of Acts. Discover how Peter's vision, filled with clean and unclean animals, disrupts his previous understanding and how this can resonate within our own lives. We'll also touch upon Cornelius' prayerful attitude and how we can all strive to deepen our connection with God.
Finally, we'll traverse the narrative of Peter and Cornelius, focusing on God's pursuit of them even in the midst of Peter's reluctance. Join us as we reflect on how the Holy Spirit guides and directs us in discussions about Jesus and the importance of the gospel. Get ready, this discussion is one you won't want to miss!
Welcome to the Be Disciples podcast, your hosts Carl Morris and Dakota Smith. This is episode number 89, where we're going to continue our study in the book of Acts. But today we have a special treat, something awesome that's kind of been brewing here at Ottawa Bible Church. We have David Glavin with us on the podcast. He is our new associate pastor of youth and worship. How's it going, david? Hello, thanks, david. It's going well, david, you're amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 1:This is his first day at work. I mean, I guess technically it was Saturday, but this is his first like in the office with Dakota and I just having discussion. We've had lots of laughs this morning.
Speaker 2:And David's funny. We knew that, coming in, david drops a lot of a lot of jokes. We love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we knew we were going to laugh a lot, which is good. That's what's been happening, so we're just glad to have him with us.
Speaker 2:Just a couple of things. Yesterday, david, we anointed you as another pastor here on staff, another pastor and elder here at Ottawa Bible Church, so that was really awesome. And then now you know, when we open every episode here on the podcast, you're not going to be able to say this is Cal Morris and Dakota Smith. Now you're going to have to say this is Cal Morris, dakota Smith and David Glavin. So we're excited.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're excited to add to the podcast and to keep things going and to to make changes and to grow. So that's been a lot of fun just to grow as a staff, as a church, as an elder team, and so we're excited for what the Lord has for Ottawa Bible Church and the way that we communicate out to the community, the way that we educate through God's word, and so we're going to begin in prayer this morning. It could be morning for you, it's definitely morning for us, but we're going to pray and we're going to dive into God's word. Let's pray, father, thank you so much for this opportunity to read your word together, to be in fellowship with one another, to glorify your name. Lord, we do this for you and no other reason. So just bless those who are listening. I hope that they grow in their understanding of your word and that they disciple people, that they meet with people and open your word together and read it and discuss it, just as we're doing today. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 2:Amen. So we're going to get started this morning in this episode. We're in Acts, chapter 10. We're going to be starting in verse nine, but just a little bit of context. As we've seen all the way up till chapter nine, we know that Saul has been born again. He's been preaching the gospel but God sent him to Tarsus for five years and now he's been put on hold. Now the first eight verses in Acts, chapter 10, what we're seeing is that Peter's ministry is going from just ministering to Jews to now ministering to Gentiles.
Speaker 2:We hear of this man called Cornelius, a centurion from the Italian cohort, a devout man who feared God and all his household. He really cared about the Jewish community. He received a vision from the Lord and he was told in verse four, to go and pursue Peter. And his first response to the Lord was what is it, lord? I mean it was just like very obediently, very quickly, he discerned the voice of the Lord and he wanted to go. He was notified that he should dispatch some men all the way to Joppa, where Peter was staying at the house of a Tanner named Simon. So now we pick it up in verse nine and we continue in the text, and maybe I'll just read verses nine through 16 to start, and then we'll jump in.
Speaker 2:On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, peter went up on the house top about the sixth hour to pray. That's about noon. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. But while they were making preparations he fell into a trance and he saw the sky opened up and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, when there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him Get up, peter, kill and eat. But Peter said By no means, lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean. Again a voice came to him a second time what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy. This happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. So, pastor Kyle, pastor David, let's just have a natural, organic conversation surrounding verses nine through 16. What are some of the first things that you observe and that you see in the text of God's word?
Speaker 1:Well, we see Peter receive a vision just as Cornelius did Not the same one, but their responses are different, like you mentioned in our pretext that Cornelius immediately was like What is it, lord, i'll do whatever Kind of very attentive, very ready to listen and to do Where Peter, in his Peter way, that isn't any different than what we've seen kind of throughout his time in the Gospels and now in Acts. It takes him more than one time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, peter's known to have denied Jesus three times. Jesus reaffirmed his love for him three times and Peter's love for Jesus three times. I mean you definitely see that triad taking place. David, as we read the text, what are some things that just initially stick out to you? You know we're all coming with our observations, and what's happening in nine through 16? What are you coming away with?
Speaker 3:Well, more to add on the similar circumstance of the approach of the Lord to each of them. You know, there's an exclamation, there's an urgency, cornelius, and with Peter it was get up. But you know, and Cornelius' immediate response was positive and obedience and Peter's was not, But they were both praying, right. Well, at least Peter was in a trance. So that was what stuck out to me, The fact that they were both urgent. it was similar circumstances, maybe not the same vision, but they were both.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i mean I would have to agree with you that they were both praying, right? It says in verse nine he went up on the sixth hour at the top of the house to pray. And then you see it again in verse three with Cornelius. Prior to that, about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw a vision and angel of the Lord. And it says he was a person who prayed to God continually. So I'm just assuming that's what he was doing when the angel of the Lord came to him. So yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:One of the funny things about our youth group is we do live in a rural Kansas area and they, like we, like to hunt out. Here A lot of hunting goes on, a lot of killing animals, harvesting them for meat to provide for families. And we have a gentleman in our youth group. His name's Eric. He's a big hunter, taxidermist as well.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Eric Zagan.
Speaker 1:Growing in that area. But there's the verse in Genesis that says to kill and eat, and same here it acts to kill and eat. And those are his favorite verses. He's like God told me that I can go hunt and I can go kill and eat. So he knows that his hunting is justified in scripture through God's commands to go kill and eat. He always points that out all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i think, as we continue just in working with this, this passage, something else we have to understand is that it seems to me that God has been transitioning through His Spirit to reach the Gentiles. You know, i mean, up until this point it kind of seems like the early church is still hanging around Jerusalem or its outskirting areas. But God is making moves, one through Saul, two now through Peter, where the gospel is being advanced. And again, the theme verse of the entire book is to go into Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And that's going to happen because you will be my witnesses and the Holy Spirit will come upon you. So we start to see this Holy Spirit inspired transition.
Speaker 2:I don't think the principle of the text is for you and I to say you know what? let's grab a ladder, you know, climb up and sit on the roof of our house and seek the Lord for a vision. Now, you know, can God intervene and give stuff like that? I think you know. Yeah, i think so, but the point is to not go manipulating those circumstances. The point is, what is God doing to prepare the advancement of the gospel? And that's what we see in this passage.
Speaker 2:One thing that I find unique, though, is the exact thing that Peter saw. You know you've got this talet, or I think the term is literally talit in the Hebrew. It could be wrong on the exact pronunciation of that, but you've got this white sheet coming down and you have animals and birds all throughout the earth. Some are clean, some are unclean, and Peter immediately knows when he's told you know, peter, get up, kill, and he's like no, i've never eaten anything unclean in my entire life. Everything I've had has been kosher right. So for him, this is really challenging Peter's understanding of everything he's known from the past, and I think there's some principle for us in that, and that we may have been accustomed or traditioned towards something in the past, but Jesus is like no, that actually hinders the gospel, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we also. I think. One thing to point out you're saying stuff about not seeking visions. Both of these men were just praying. That's right. They were in prayer And that doesn't mean we should like I'm going to pray a lot so I get a vision. That's not the point. But the point is we should be in prayer. I mean, cornelius was praying fervently.
Speaker 1:This was a man who was not a Jew who wanted to know God and feared him and wanted to know him, and so I always challenged people in that aspect. If you want to know God, even if you're like I don't know, if I believe, i don't really know where I'm at Why don't you just pray to him, just talk to him like we're talking here, ask him questions, tell him reveal yourself to me. I want to know who you are. I think that's what Cornelius was doing. He was seeking God and God revealed himself to him.
Speaker 1:Peter, on the other hand, walked with Jesus, yeah, even denied Jesus three times. I think Peter's relationship with God there's no necessarily doubt. I think Peter believes in God. There's no doubt there's a God, all that stuff. But I think Peter at times goes that seems contradictory to what we're supposed to be doing. Peter does that a lot, yeah, and so he's doing that again here, and I don't always think it's out of this heart of I want to be right and, god, you're wrong. I think it's just out of, like you said, a change thing. God, this is what you established. Why would it be different now? Yeah, like questioning the significance of it. Why can I eat these things now when before it was unclean, and I think that's a good question to ask.
Speaker 2:And it was unclean because that was scriptural, that was biblical. You know, don't eat these foods, just go back and, you know, read the dietary laws in Leviticus. He had been told that, which means God has done something amongst those laws and that's changing now And we can talk about that in a minute. But, david, you look like you have a thought.
Speaker 3:Well, it's always amazed me the disciples' capacity for being totally dense and oblivious to what Jesus is doing, because this isn't I mean throughout Jesus's ministry and their time with him. Food related issues have come up, interaction with other peoples have come up. They know Jesus's heart. Jesus has challenged them all along And but still, peter, even here, you know Jesus ascended, you know the Holy Spirit ministering, the still is like. His immediate response is the law. Yeah, where Jesus exemplified the fulfillment of the law and his ministry and continued. You know that that phrase, you know I kind of think like Jesus often had to tell him have you not been with me all along?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like I feel like this is one of those moments where you have Cornelius, who's not a Jew, who didn't walk with Jesus, whose immediate response is obedience, yet still sees and disciples or you know have trouble.
Speaker 2:I think Jesus will never say you know, i have come to abolish this law or that law, right, and that's what we have to keep in mind. And because some people can take this passage out of context and be like, see, no, now this you know, culturally accepted idea of this or that, you know can be changed, and yada, yada, yada. No, jesus never came to abolish the law, but he came to fulfill it, which means the ceremonial law itself from Leviticus you know what it means to be clean and unclean is fulfilled in Christ. Christ came and as the perfect sacrificial lamb to set our lives apart. So are there still moral principles to live by? Yes, but as far as how God sanctifies the human person, he does so now by the Spirit of God, not necessarily by dietary laws.
Speaker 1:Right, we still follow the Ten Commandments. Right, we still don't murder hopefully that you're not out there murdering, even in the heart. As Jesus talks about right, i mean Jesus uses the Ten Commandments not just outwardly but also inwardly in the Sermon on the Mount, and so I mean those still. Those are still really important. Jesus points to those. They don't go away because Jesus died for our sins, but he reestablishes them into what that looks like, into the heart of the believer. And so it's really important that we don't dismiss the Old Testament, we don't dismiss the law that we don't know it. We do need to know it because it does play a role in our day-to-day lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's moved from the external to the internal now that we're in the New Testament, which I think God is after the heart all along. So let's continue. In the text Again. Peter hears this three times. He struggles with what to do, verse 17,.
Speaker 2:Now, while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate And calling out. They were asking whether Simon, who is also called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him behold, three men are looking for you, but get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them myself. Peter went down to the men and said behold, i am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for what you have come? They said Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you. So he invited them in and gave them lodging, and on the next day he got up and went away, with him and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
Speaker 2:Alright, guys, as we continue on verses 17, all the way to 23, the narrative progresses. The men have arrived at Peter's house. Peter has an initial response. He heads their way. Any details, anything specific within that passage?
Speaker 1:Well, the first thing that stands out to me is because we're in Acts. We see the work of the Spirit here. We had visions, but now we have the Spirit speaking to Peter here when it comes to these men that have come. And so it says well, peter was pondering the vision that he did see three times. The Spirit said to him Behold, three men are looking for you. So we see the Holy Spirit at work, intervening in the lives, ensuring that Peter and these men come together and they meet. So we see God's work at hand in day-to-day life, in history, another example of the Acts of the Holy Spirit working to make God's plan happen. So I think that's important, that we just point those little moments out in Acts as we go through about how God is working in day-to-day life. And this is what he's doing with Peter to ensure that they meet.
Speaker 2:On that note of practicality, David, you've had the Lord move in your life in a number of ways, especially as of late, bringing you from what you were doing to where you are here with us today, bringing you on staff. Is there anything you want to add along the lines of that practicality of God intervenes in the affairs of everyday life?
Speaker 3:Well, i think for most, well, for all Christians, discerning what the Spirit is doing and what is just sort of normal life, normal decision-making, like I think is. Well, it's a common occurrence for us. Is the Spirit leading me to do something? What is the Spirit leading me to do? I mean, being called to this new position in the church was a discussion between my wife and I, you know, with the Elder Board, had to discuss and discern who the Lord was calling to this position And I think, as I'm reading this passage, one of the couple of the things that immediately stood out to me was, well, kind of in a funny way, the. It stood out to me where it said when the men approached the house, it said, having asked for directions. It's like, why did it add that? right, because if it wasn't in there, you'd be like did they just divinely know where to go?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Follow the star by not giving.
Speaker 3:But no, they asked for directions.
Speaker 2:Don't think too much into it, you know sort of feel There's still a practical element of life to what's taking place And then it specifically refers to what the Spirit is doing.
Speaker 3:That's not. It's not always clear for us, though, in a practical way in life, and I think at large as Christians, we don't spend enough time in prayer, and earlier you had mentioned not fabricating, not fabricating direction from the Lord right, but I think when we're don't try to make it happen, don't go spend time in prayer with specifics, but I think it's naturally, as we spend time with prayer, as we spend time in the Word, as we meditate on the Word and what the Lord is doing, the Spirit moves through that naturally, and I think that's what we have here, because they're obviously both men of God who are spending time in the Word, and this is just one instance where it happens, where it's highlighted in Scripture for our edification and part of the storyline.
Speaker 1:Isn't it funny, though, how much we're like Peter, like when we pray, and even when God, like, puts something right in our face, we're like God, i can't hear you. What is that? Huh, i think there's so many times where we do that, when God's like I'm telling you, and then well, i'm going to wait, i'm going to wait longer. And then God tells you the same thing, i'm going to wait even longer.
Speaker 2:And you're just like Don't need to tell you three times, don't need.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so I think sometimes we talk almost negative about Peter. But isn't that just what we all do at times, where we almost question what God's doing? It almost comes off as either too simple or ridiculous And we're just kind of like, maybe not, maybe that's not what God wants, but he just keeps repeating it in your life.
Speaker 2:Isn't it amazing how, yeah, we love to beat up on Peter, but if Peter's life, if Peter's story was not placed in the scriptures, i'd be hard pressed to say there'd be a whole swath of people that would not identify with those who follow Jesus, specifically Peter himself. Because I think the Lord places the weaknesses of his life in the scripture to show that God can conquer the weaknesses of his life. And like, imagine how many people have Grown in their walk with Jesus because they came to realize, oh, this one of these first disciples, peter, he's just like me and If God can use his life and do great things with his life, then God can also. It grow and mature me spiritually and advance the gospel through me.
Speaker 2:So I'm I'm grateful for maybe what might seem like a a few mundane set of verses, like, okay, you got some guys traveling. They go and get Peter, but if you were real time in this place, in this situation, you'd be like man, the Lord is doing something. They came and sought us out. You know, this guy had a dream and a vision they want to hear from me, like what would you do if somebody just walked into Ottawa Bible and said, hey, you know, we've had a vision from the Lord. We want you to come preach.
Speaker 1:It's like, okay, i'm just gonna go if somebody tells me that So yeah, i mean it, as long as whatever they're saying is in either against God's word.
Speaker 1:Yes, of course, yeah and if it's the opportunity and if it's the opportunity to go tell people God's word, whether they had a vision or not, yeah, get up and go. Yeah, and do it. But yeah, i think we learn a lot from Peter from a practical standpoint. Like you said, prayer, kind of questioning at times, not being too sure. I mean, yeah, a lot has happened in Peter's life. Peter's seen a miraculous things And he still hesitates. And even here The Spirit even tells him don't hesitate, that's true.
Speaker 2:That's like a maybe you could count that as another warning. Yeah we're picking up on a theme here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't hesitate. And he so he doesn't. I mean It. The Holy Spirit knows you and he knows Peter. Peter, i know you, you're gonna need it three times, so don't hesitate this time. Just accept them in and let them in. It's almost like a very personal Response to Peter from the Lord and I like that part of it.
Speaker 2:Maybe one last thought to add. We've all gone through experiences in life where It seems like God has to speak multiple times for us to get it. So, while we can all understand that, let's turn the the table around or look at the other side of the coin. You know, aren't we grateful to have such a God who's so faithful, where, even when we don't get it the first time, he says no, i'm gonna keep speaking to you, i'm gonna be faithful, i'm gonna keep speaking. I'm gonna keep speaking so that, so that you get it, i'm gonna accomplish my plan. I'm gonna be patient with you. I know you're human, i love you. I'm gonna be faithful, i'm gonna be patient. I mean that that's awesome. So you're saying a loving God, pursue a Gentile man, and he's doing so with you, know, halfway committed and hesitant disciple.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, should give us all a little hope, yeah.
Speaker 1:Talking through God's word, that We hesitate and sometimes we're unsure. But God is sure. Yeah, it is his plan and we can trust in his confidence because He is perfect and he is holy and he's righteous. So it's a, it's an amazing thing to be in a relationship with the Lord, who is so merciful and gracious, who waits on us, in a sense, to get things. What a, what a great relationship to be in somebody, the, the God of the universe, to be there, walking beside us, leading us with the Holy Spirit and just being gentle. And I think there are times where the Lord isn't gentle, but the majority of the time he's very, oh man?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. Well, we start to close up our last passage, at least for today, versus 24 to 33, and it goes the following on the following day He entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter raised him up saying stand up, stand up. I to him, just a man. As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled and he said to them You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him, and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
Speaker 2:That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I asked for what reason you have sent for me? Cornelius said four days ago to this hour, i was praying in my house during the ninth hour and behold, a man stood before me and shining garments And he said Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Therefore, send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you. He is staying at the house of Simon the Tanner by the sea. So I sent for you immediately and you have been kind enough to come now. Then We are all here, present before God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. And that's that where we stop in the text today. But as as we dive in what are some initial things that we can see on this lasso leg, Well, we see a moment of Cornelius Worshiping Peter, or bowing down, at least knowing one.
Speaker 1:God told him to go get Peter To bring him, and this whole vision has now come to fruition. We, everything has happened that God said is gonna happen. And we kind of have Cornelius, i think, out of his maybe naivete, just bow down and Worship Peter and Peter's like hold on, hold up, stand up, no, no, no, no, no, no, i'm just a man, i'm just a man, i'm not the Lord. And so I think here we see a zealous Cornelius Who I don't think is is meant necessarily in a way where he's it says he's worshiped, trying to worship Peter. I think he was just misguided, misdirected. This is a man who who may know a lot of Jewish tradition, but he may not be discipled in knowing Jesus very well.
Speaker 2:It's almost like he was trying to treat him as the Pope. Yeah, oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 3:Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa uh off topic.
Speaker 1:But yeah, i mean, it's interesting that even Peter himself, who is important, he's an apostle, the one who has been given this command by God to go and establish the church. But Peter's like, i'm just a guy, i'm a regular old man, i mess up, i sin, and so it's just kind of that, the he is humble in this moment. I think that's important again for Peter, for the apostles, the humility that comes from this. And so I love Peter's, at least his attitude, his presence, kind of what you get in this passage from him. He isn't arrogant, he isn't Taking, he isn't like super flattered. I think he's more just trying to respect the Lord. He knows these visions have happened. Everything's kind of connected at this point. All the details have been fleshed out, the things that Cornelius heard, the things that Peter heard, and now it's come to this place where, okay, we're here, this is where God wants us. Now what? yeah?
Speaker 2:David, any thoughts?
Speaker 3:yeah, it doesn't specifically say how it happened that Peter was clear on what the Lord was telling him in the vision, because it says afterwards he contemplated, then the men showed up and then they went. But by the time he gets there and he speaks he says the Lord has told me that and he's talking about men, but the vision was animals. So at some point it was clear to him that it wasn't necessarily just about animals but it was about people who I have made clean.
Speaker 2:But people are unholy, but they're not just merely unholy because of what they eat. They're unholy because of sin, which even a Jew can be unholy because of sin. So just contextually, yeah, you're right on point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, where was Peter staying?
Speaker 2:The house of a tanner.
Speaker 1:I don't think that's a very clean place. No, not at all.
Speaker 2:Not at all.
Speaker 1:So there's this, and it's mentioned multiple times where he's staying. This plays a role in this cleanliness versus uncleanliness stuff that's going on. So he stays at the house of a tanner. The vision is to go to this house of a tanner to find Peter, and he's been staying at this place that would be considered unclean. He gets this vision. Now he's going to men. He's already been in a place that's technically unclean And there's this realization of what God is telling him about cleanliness versus unclean or holy versus unclean.
Speaker 1:And so now he goes to Gentiles, to a house of somebody who is claiming to know God but isn't Jewish, and it doesn't necessarily follow the laws, but he's now following the heart of Jesus, what Jesus has been teaching him the whole time while he was here on earth, because Jesus interacted with Gentiles all the time.
Speaker 1:So you could say, as we mentioned in our pre-conversation about preparing Peter for some of his missions and interactions with Gentiles and how important Gentiles are to God, that, yes, israel, they're the chosen people, but Jesus died not just for Israel, but he died for all people, and that heart change in Peter that a lot of the Jewish people struggle with. I mean we have multiple letters in the New Testament about Jews struggling to become followers of Jesus, and so this is the same thing. Peter's going through the same process as everybody else and he's learning that no, jesus loves these people, all people, and he died for all of them. And now I am to go get them. I am to be a fisher of men, as he is called to be. And so Peter's learning and he's growing and God's stretching him and using him, and I think this is an opportunity for us to see Peter in another place, where he's growing. He's a human. He even mentions he's a human don't worship me.
Speaker 2:And we can relate to him in something like this Yeah, well, man, i've got a lot of thoughts on this, but even John the Apostle bowed down and worshiped an angel and an angel said you must not do that. So it seems like, while Cornelius might be naive or new to all of this, anytime there's angelic interaction in the scripture, you see this temptation to bow and worship them. Another thought that I had here was you know, this might be where we stop seeing Peter's ministry right about here in the Book of Acts, but is there any evidence that Peter actually did go on and minister to Gentile people? Well, i think so. I think the first epistle of Peter he's actually writing to a scattered people, aliens you know throughout the Roman Empire, who are Gentiles, and he's speaking to them, which goes to show, if you just keep reading the New Testament, that he had an ongoing influence. And then, last, i just want to say this I kind of noticed something in the text a moment ago that I didn't catch until just right now.
Speaker 2:It's weird to read verse four. The text says, when the angel met with Cornelius, that his prayers have ascended as a memorial before God. You know, what did you have in the holy place in the Tabernacle? Well, not the holy of holies, but the holy place, you know. You had the bread, you had the candle, you had the altar of incense, and that place of incense was a place where your prayers, in memorial-like fashion, were to arise up before the Lord. So Cornelius has been doing holy things, you know, following the God of the Scriptures, and now he's telling Peter verse 31, recounting the experience.
Speaker 2:Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered, remembered before God. So God has counted these prayers of Cornelius as a memorial and as a remembrance, and God is ready to act this is the point I'm trying to make to act for any person, for any person who begins seeking him out. Everybody always asks the question well, what about the people who don't know the gospel in there in the Amazon? If they just start seeking the God of truth, god will send you missionaries, god will send you another Peter, and he will absolutely do that. But if you're so stubborn and lost in your sin that, although you know of his existence, you don't want to worship him, love him, the Creator himself, then well, you're without an excuse, and we read that yesterday in church. So I know I'm going long-winded on this part, but there's a lot more taking place here in the area of soteriology than I think we realize it first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i mean there's an interaction here that I don't think is as uncommon as we kind of make out. Yeah, there's visions happening and God's moving people throughout these visions and interacting. But we have a lot of these type of interactions just within I would say within Gentiles, if you want to say so just the unbeliever and the believer Somebody who has made, maybe heard something about God, or God has spoken to them, or God is drawing them or whatever that may be, and we have these interactions with people all the time. And so we have this Cornelius, who clearly has been seeking the Lord, and I love these type of conversations, when people come and say you know, i thought I knew who God was, but I want to know who this Jesus is, and I've been praying about this because I'm not sure what that looks like. And they're open and honest about that searching.
Speaker 1:Those are the most fun interactions that I have because they are seeking out the one true God, because they're like I want to know Jesus, and so I see Cornelius here searching out the one true God, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit sending Peter to go address Cornelius, and we're going to talk more about that in the next podcast about what Peter teaches. But I just think it's so cool that these interactions are ordained by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads and directs people to have these conversations about Jesus, and I get excited when they happen because I know the Holy Spirit's working in that situation.
Speaker 2:Maybe just to close on some other thoughts and David, i'll open up to you as well. But you know, this passage just makes me think of John, chapter 6, verses 43 to 45. Jesus answered and said to them Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. So it seems to me that this is an example of Cornelius hearing, receiving, being learned and taught and drawn by the Father. And then here comes Peter proclaiming the Son. And then what's going to happen next? So there's the Trinity. He's going to receive the Holy Spirit, david. Any final thoughts as we start to close?
Speaker 3:Yeah, this speaks to the importance of the gospel. I mean, cornelius wasn't just seeking God, he was serving God. He God fearing, he wanted his household and all of his people to know God and to serve God and to follow God. So he was trying, he was seeking God's righteousness, but he also needed to hear the gospel, and that's what God knew And that's what Peter came to bring. And, when it boils down, the gospel is what is important.
Speaker 3:And I think, as Christians, often when it comes to our hesitation to evangelize well, what about people in the Amazon? Well, this person's a good person. You know what do I need to give him? You know, we try to control what the Lord has given us, but it's not ours to control. We have the gospel, we have the spirit in us and we're called to simply communicate it and to give it. And so, in those circumstances, it takes away that hesitation if we just know okay, this is a person, no matter what their circumstance, i need to share the gospel. God has given it to me, i share it and I give it freely.
Speaker 1:Amen. So, David, what do you think First morning in the office with us? we put you on record on a recording to talk about the Bible. But what so far, just what has your experience been just from, you know, from the process of that offer letter to today, Just kind of the transition, what. Where have you kind of been spiritually and just kind of tell our listeners a little bit about you and just, and what's going on right now?
Speaker 3:Well, back to that discerning the spirit. You know, from an early age my dad always used to say, just do what God wants you to do. You know, just do the will of the Lord. And I'm like, well, how do you know that? And he's like, well, sometimes you just have to like, even in choosing a college. He's like you just pick something and then the Lord will direct you. If the Lord hasn't told you where to go, just go. And what if I don't know where I want to go? One with this position. You know, i was in youth ministry for well, professionally, for seven years before that in a traveling college ministry to youth, and then in salt pastoral ministry, and then we weren't in ministry anymore. We left that church and I've been in kind of the working world for a while And the not really knowing you know when or if the Lord was going to call me back into ministry, or even if I wanted that, especially youth ministry, because I'm 40 now and I'm tired and keep up with these youth.
Speaker 3:Now you know so so that whole discussion, but in my mind and I shared a little bit of this with you Dakota is just trying to determine you know what's the difference between in this position that came up in our church, which we're here, we love This is my first time ever Loving your nuns- Loving my church, yeah, especially my pastor.
Speaker 2:Some people were just a little hard to love, but within the church we're already at, you know and so all of these things.
Speaker 3:But as Audrey and I were praying together and I was seeking the Lord, my heart, just the Lord, it was a little bit of a process because I was trying to decide if it was me, convincing myself that this was right, or if it was the Lord. But the Lord just really kind of gave me a desire for our youth specifically you know what are, because I started thinking about what are the needs of our youth group. If I was here, lord, what would you have me do? How would my gifts, you know, benefit here And so? but there's a lightness of heart, you know there's. The Lord just kind of really made me excited for it.
Speaker 3:Where there was before doubt, there was really no doubt, and so I think that's and that's how I, that's been my experience, that's how the Lord works. Sometimes we make decisions that maybe weren't right, things aren't going right, and the Lord is causing us to think about how we discern the spirit. You know, whatever, but when the Lord has you where you're supposed to be, i think you know you're supposed to be there, and that's how I feel. Now. I feel a little more pressure when you guys are looking at me, but maybe a little less, i'm sure. Now, specifically to the recording thing. You know I've only done this one time with you before and I'm very aware of the fact that I'm a heavy breather.
Speaker 2:So if you've noticed my weird behaviors, I'm trying to point my head, I'm trying to when I'm not talking, I'm trying to point my head away from the microphone
Speaker 3:so that that doesn't come up.
Speaker 1:So the whole experience is There's this editing thing called noise reduction in the background, so I'll take care of it. Oh yeah, you do all that okay.
Speaker 3:But I'll just breathe away.
Speaker 1:See, you guys didn't tell me all that, you didn't give me the instructions. We don't do that, we just throw people in the fire. Yeah, you're throwing in the fire today.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, i mean you certainly you've got the backing of the Lord, and you also have to get used to a new rhythm, and rhythms require testing, and when your rhythms are tested, then it starts to become more refined and you start figuring out what, essentially, is the best rhythm and pace to live by for your upcoming job. So now you fit the ground running and welcome to the team. We're grateful to have you, brother. We love you, and the Holy Spirit's gonna do great work through you here. I'm confident of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, welcome, David. We're glad to have you on staff and on our podcast as we continue forward. Thank you all for listening to the Be Disciples podcast. Please check us out on social media. You can go to Ottawa Bible Church social media and we're on there. You can see what our church is doing. We also post podcasts on there All the major platforms you can find us. Just invite friends to sit down and read the Bible. That's what we want you to do with this podcast. So we hope that we're helping in that endeavor and we pray for you that you are going and being disciples of Jesus Christ. Have a great week. WWE 15違�maybe maneuvers. Thank you.