God Setting up a meeting: Part 1
Sept. 20 – Acts 10 :1-8
10 In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. 2 He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. 3 One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius.’ 4 He stared at him in terror and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ He answered, ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; 6 he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.’ 7 When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, 8 and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.
If we were in the first century reading this we would be completely surprised by what we read. Cornelius is not only an outsider – a Gentile, he is part of the Roman army – an enemy of the people of Judah/Israel. But this member of the enemy army “feared God” (vs. 2). To fear God, that is to honour or revere God, to place God’s will above our own will, is one of the central marks of being a follower of Jesus Christ (see Acts 9:31).
Cornelius was a person of prayer, again a sign of his honouring and revering God.
God sent an angel to give Cornelius a message – not only was Cornelius surprised that God’s angel would speak a message of hope to him, someone considered outside the grace of God, so would the first readers of the Book of Acts been surprised. How could God speak such a message of hope to a person who was not only a Gentile outsider, but also an enemy of God’s people?
God had reached out to Cornelius with a message of hope, but it was a message that required an intentional response by Cornelius. First, Cornelius had to believe that the message was from God and that it was worth following up on. That is he had to trust God. Second, he had to send messengers Joppa, they would be walking about 30 miles – that meant a day to walk there and a day back returning with the response to the message. This would mean a commitment of people and resources along with patience.
Joining in on what God is doing in the world will take risk and the commitment of our time, energy, and resources (money and otherwise). Participation with God is about our pooling resources so that God is glorified and God’s purposes realized.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we thank you that you invite us to join with you in what you are doing in the world, give us hearts and wills that are ready to join in the things you are doing, so that we might participate in glorifying and praising your name, and might see your purposes fulfilled. In Jesus’ name. Amen.