Acts Chapter 10:7-15

I mean I mean huge step of faith, but they are steps of faith, stepping out step out in faith. When you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sound from your next step is to be baptized and if you get baptized. The next step would be to begin serving and these are things that we need to be doing because that's who God uses the people who are willing. God doesn't look for ability.

He looks for availability and we need understand the world is filled with geniuses who never knew anything welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina life with Christ should be simply standing still. Our life should be filled with steps of faith today after David explains what it looks like to be walking with Jesus as he continues teaching the book of acts chapter 10. Now here's David McGee with the teaching a way to live. Turn with me to the book of acts chapter 10 and what's going on now is Peter is dwelling with this guy Simon Tanner in Joppa which is a very real city and we got Cornelius trues up in this area meriting necessary and he is evidently from Scripture devout man wanted fear God gave all generously played God always been looking into the next chapter we discover he is not saying his religious is what you would call a good person but is not been forgiven of because he's not yet met Jesus.

And last week we talked about this so money can be incredibly religious and look really good from the outside but still not know Jesus and therefore not save not forgiven of their sins, but we see God begin to speak to Cornelius, and he's also got a setting Peter up to us to get up. Acts chapter 10 verse seven is when the angel who spoke to him.

Cornelius had departed. Cornelius called two of his household servant and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. Verse eight. So when he and explained all these things to them. He sent them to Joppa. Think this is interesting because here's what happens.

Cornelius gets the vision and Cornelius doesn't just sit there and do nothing. Cornelius does something in fulfillment of the vision he sends these guys to go to talk to Peter about what God has laid on his heart and understand that's a very important aspect of Christianity to begin to walk out the things that we believe a lot of people would even define Christianity as a system of beliefs or that's all it is wrong trouble is to be a way to live. That's what Jesus told us when he talks about a I came to give you life and that more abundantly didn't say I came to give you something think about income for you to just believe what that belief should impact the way we live and we see Cornelius is believed this vision began to impact his actions and he sends these guys and and that's important what because our actions are tied to our beliefs as they should be.

As we follow Jesus know when you feel like the Lord is speaking to you about something we use that phrase a lot for me. It's that still small voice. I've never heard the audible voice of God, but he speaks in that still small voice when the Lord speaks to us. It's important we follow through.

We encourage people to take notes around here and perhaps you know is your in the Bible and you read along and in the workplace on your heart jotted down.

The Lord wants me to do this, you want me to pray for these missionaries or wants me to give me a service or something jotted down and began to take those out of action because again, persistence and diligence is an important part of the Christian faith life lesson off about your life should be filled with steps of faith, your life should be filled with steps of faith, I may not be huge steps of faith, but they are steps of faith, stepping out step out in faith.

When you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and probably the next step is to be baptized, and after you get baptized. The next step would be to begin serving and these are things that we need to be doing because that's who God uses the people who are willing. God doesn't look for ability. He looks for availability and we need understand the world is filled with geniuses will never do anything the world is filled with very talented men who will never accomplish anything, but it's those people who are diligent and persistent in their walk with the Lord who can accomplish incredible things for God's is a part of our wall may explain chapter 10 the book of acts is a little chapter Obama because to this point every body who has become a Christian is Jewish. Everyone they there was a brave Jews or ever Hebrew speaking Jews and there were Hellenistic Jews are Greek speaking Jews, but everybody was Jewish and up to this point if you wanted to convert to Christianity.

You first converted to Judaism everything to try to change is Peter is a man that's following the Lord. Verse nine the next day as they went on their journey and drew near the city. Peter went up on the house top to play about the sixth hour that we talked last week that in verse 43 of the preceding chapter. Chapter numbers 43 tells us Peter were staying with her, Tanner in the Tanner you would process animal hides. It was a very smelly place. It's thank since interesting that I think about the brink of the house smelled a lot of times God works in the natural arena see this in this passage that God will work in the natural and when we see that Peter is in the habit of praying see what happens. Verse 10 then he became very hungry and wanted to eat while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and went down to the earth and it will all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth wild beast, creeping things and birds of the air, and a voice came to him last Peter Killen eight.

Look how the Lord is working in the natural were told not by accident, told Peter hungry.

He goes up to pray Wiley's hungry rooftop of some of the Tanner and it begins I have this vision about animals to eat. You see how the Lord is working in the natural we need understand that God is at work all around us. And a lot of times were looking for something really super supernatural and we miss what the Lord is doing a member. One time was on California and was minister needs to travel and minister in prisons and jails in churches and in all sorts of stuff and Security Pl. in Fresno, CA and we set up in this yard and probably about 2025 guys there in the prison yard and I started to share.

Start a new song, and when I got into the portion where I started talking about you and my testimony in an those sorts of things. It was interesting to guys came up and was looking this way. So what really watching what they were doing but they were just making a bunch of noise metal noise is okay just can keep talking.

I thought you know really how to tell you to be quiet but I just kept talking and you can imagine that and so I'm clinging on, and I'm really talking about Jesus time at the cross and these guys are going and I was in this place is a boron California supplemental desert. So I continue to speak and as I continue to speak now in prison yard begins to fill these guys were set up a snow cone machine and we were in the middle of the desert because the guys knew the snow cone machine was getting set up the prison yard filled with about 100 M and when I got to the gospel presentation and asked if people they want to receive the Lord a couple of dozen men suggest someone asked Jesus to forgive memo sent because of the snow condition. With the snow cone machine that I was going to rebuke the low convicting but think that's what the Lord dies many times and and a lot of time right now, she know I and he's trying to do something in our midst. Now it talks about a vision and hearing.

Chapter 10 we see two places Cornelius as a vision. Peter has a vision will go back to the book of Matthew that started in New Testament for two chapters like five dreams that God speaks to people through God still speaks to people through dreams and visions that were told this. Joel 228 and it says when he came up and it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, young men shall see visions, visions and dreams. God still does have to be able to discern what dreams and visions are from God, I mean you have, you know you have dreams where the Lord speaking to you and then you have what we call pizza visions around. Maybe he thought that unsettles your stomach and you're just awake and that that this minister from the Lord.

But God does speak to us in this way and it's interesting because you know when the reason the new agers have picked up the whole dream and vision thing is because so many churches then talk about it then teach the Bible didn't realize it was a very real saying that we notice again, God is speaking to these people and maybe when assured about God speaking to us may be set there and you thought God. God never speaks to me by God is never spoken to me. You think that's because he has never desired to because you've never sat still long enough for him to speak to is important in prayer and in reading the Bible that you spend time just stopping and thinking and again the Bible talks about meditating again. It's a biblical concept of the new agers ripped off from last about meditating on the Lord thinking about this important thing is you're here and in using the link just spoken to me lately or at all, or recently immediately one really good spiritual tip and improve your spiritual life. A promising pick up your remote and hit the off button on one of these kill your TV guys.

Okay I watched TV openly confessed. I like old movies and but you need to make sure that you're not just wasting a lot of time sitting in front of your television, because in it really easy, and we must be on any really easy just to turn it on and then like hours later O were you gave it to that box and imaginative people in 2000 years ago could walk into the room and watch what you're doing, what was going on while they doing that well registered nurse there that box and understand just be careful here's here's the thing. The life lesson. It is often in times of prayer or reading the Bible of the Lord speaks to is often in times of prayer or reading the Bible of the Lord speak. He can also speak to you through the message he can speak to you. Personal devotions are sorts of things, but God does desire to speak to.

We just have to sit still long enough to hear you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them.

You need someone to present God's word to him every day were present in God's work from here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love, that need to know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones.

What an awesome way to bring love once to Jesus, here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want to take just a minute to pray for some cities in our listening audience.

Specifically, York, Pennsylvania and Bluffton, Charleston, Columbia, Conway, Florence, in Greenville, South Carolina, Lord, thank you for the people living in the cities or thank you for what you're doing there. We prayed that your Holy Spirit will pour out and draw many people until personal, intimate relationship with Jesus father that people would put their trust in you receive your forgiveness and get plugged into local Bible teaching church give the pastor's discernment and wisdom on how to bless and leave these people father or we pray that we walk in unity we pray for the city leaders that you would bless and give them wisdom. The mayor, the fire chiefs.

The police chief father Lord, that we would being admirable servants of you, so that people might see our unity and want a relationship with you.

Also, only love. We thank you for these people and us in Jesus name we pray. Amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse 14 but Peter said not so bored. I have never written anything common or unclean. Not so, Lord, that there is an interesting phrase in you can say no you can say Lord but you can't say no Lord we can see if you're saying no, he's not Lord and wisely put that he's either Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. And God wants to speak to every issue in our life and all the parts of our lives. And so when he does when he challenges us to do something we can't look at them as they will no Lord you say no that's early in your free will to do. People that you may be led serving may be led to give the main be led to asked Jesus to forgive you of your scent but you have a free will.

You have a choice.

You can say no but you can't say no Lord. Peter says I've never even anything common or unclean.

Now that verse needs a little explanation.

There in the Hebrew Scriptures.

What we refer to as Old Testament we call the Hebrew Scriptures here for obvious reasons. It talks about the fact that the Jewish people were to eat certain foods and they were not to eat certain foods now understand a couple of terms here that we will use what we use them often here physically and manically the wrong words with the receipt understand Levitical law is the laws of God in the Bible, specifically in the book of Leviticus. That's Levitical law.

Now there's what's called rabbinical wall which is been added to the Bible and those of the laws of man. The man added to the laws of God are generally found in the Talmud, the mission and other writings rabbinical wall. They had a lot of stuff God said members out of the even holy. They came with rabbinical law and said what you can, you know you can carry a kerchief in your pocket because that's like were give you actually pin it to your shirt. Then the party your clothing and that's okay. And to this day when you visit Israel you you have Shabbat elevator and that is the seat you you the open doors and you go in. You don't push any buttons. It just stopped at every floor so you don't have the work to push the button, you be careful what you elevator you into Shabbat because it'll stop at every floor, but in regards to the food there were certain foods that were medically prohibited for a lot of them. It's easy to understand the reasons and and you go back to the bubonic plague.

There was a lot of Jewish people that didn't get sick because they were keep in sanitary and dietary restrictions that help spread the plague and led to the rumors that the Jewish people call the play. Some of the things that speaks of her. One would be someone would be shellfish, oysters, shrimp, crab, lobster with sorts of things and let me go ahead and disclose for the most part 95, 98% of time, i.e. which would be politically pure.I don't do that under the mandate of the law. I do it because there is some logic and follow me these things I just mentioned advice like all I love those things well there, tasty but here's the reality bottom feeders.

They hang out at the bottom of the ocean and they eat whatever's at the bottom of the ocean so they may carry diseases and bacteria, and they also spoil quickly.

That's what occasionally pick up the paper and somebody from eating oysters. That's an indicator is perhaps not good for you that this bacteria would build up in that you have to be careful of the things does that mean we can eat whatever we want.

Yes, in the freedom of Christ. But I think a lot. I try to eat healthy and I'll tell you why it's not just so you know I get the hang around longer. I just and go see Jesus today but the reason I do that is because I've noticed that when I eat health.

The I have more stamina and I have a lot to do in the days are long and that sort of thing.

I have more stamina to do what I do and so the Bible talks about the temple of the Lord. And so I try to eat try to eat well. Another one is pork that it discusses that we shouldn't eat pork. Now, I occasionally eat pork. I don't need a lot of it and again, not necessarily just politically but you need and don't just take my word for this, you can go out and you can explore these things.

You can research the things, but there was a reason for these things and and for some of them.

There is a very sound sanitary reason and I do think that a believer yet he has the freedom to eat whatever he wants to, but you know what 70% is a scary statistic 70% of all the health cost in this country are from lifestyle choices, 70% from high cholesterol foods, drugs, alcohol, smoking, all these things are preventable and he put another way, we are limiting our abilities to minister by 70%. So more convicting. So can you eat whatever sure you should use them some wisdom, I got the gender some heavy yoke of his unit would deal with food and start my food department was look at verse 15 and the voice spoke to him again the second time what God is cleansed, you must not call, I was studying and reading and I read this verse several times, a smile, came over my face because those of us here this morning you've asked Jesus to forgive us of her sin.

We been cleansed were no longer unclean. I know that sometimes I refer to us as sinners, but because while in fact, after we asked Jesus to forgive us ever since we were still messed up. But God sees us the same.

Once you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, God sees you as clean as pure as forgive any see some of the people that are seated around you right now is clean as pure. So what God has called clean. Be careful that you don't called unclean or impure. Chapter 10 again is this pivotal political point and I don't think we can even appreciate the significance of that. Imagine imagine if you were in Jerusalem overlooking the Temple man. I would like to go into that holy of holies to worship God is understand that's where the presence of the Lord said in your shirt with a friend or fingers on how lame it is going there got a Jewish okay. I wish I was Jewish, so I could go in there to the holy, holy, limit what he said about his Jewish yet but it's more than the other Jewish bill the tribe of Levi. Okay so I wish I was Jewish, and I wish I was a probably box that I could go in there I met why we gotta be Jewish to be of the tribe of Levi W family of Aaron to go in there okay so I wish I was Jewish, which is probably about our chosen family parents arguing on claimant is increasing going there waiting only high priest going there okay so wish I was Jewish, which is probably not chosen family of Aaron shows how pre-sucking on it what what what what you're going to want to hear Yom Kippur Davidson okay so I wish I was Jewish, which was probably not chosen family man wish I was high priest and I wish it was that one day you're going. We might not get any of us think of any of these things. As we walked in the door this place probably not.

But this is what's been provided to us.

We been grafted in, and I don't think we really stop and ponder the significance of that often enough. We owe a debt to the Jewish people.

Some of you may be sickening.

I've never heard this and you know it's bizarre. There's people in here right now they're very uncomfortable because this whole thing is new to the and you know it. Sometimes when I start talking about the Jewish roots of Christianity will get up, walk out. I hated but that's not going change what I say we need to understand this because you know as I discover these things.

I felt like I'd been ripped off as the Bible really came alive to me and I discovered anything I was like why didn't anybody ever tell me friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations friend you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you visit, cross the bridge.com and click on God's plan for new life to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God wants to bless you and encourage your relationships today. Whether you are married, considering marriage or engaged to be married. We have a resource for you pastor David wants to send you his four part video series allies stay friends. Allow God to minister to your marriage through his word today. This was an unforgettable weekend that encouraged many marriages and you and your spouse can be encouraged to allies stay friends is our thanks for your generous gift today to help more people hear God's truth on this station and beyond, so they can cross the bridge from death to life.

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Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse through the book of acts