Sermon Tone Analysis

Proclaiming the Gospel

Winning the lost at any cost pt.

3

, “So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.

He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.

He went about doing good and healing all

who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Let us pray…

Do you remember the last time you really hear so good news?

In a world filled with drama, chaos, murder, envy, exploitation, and exasperation.

In a world where children must be raised and protected, bills and taxes must be paid, a living must be earned, and your health must be maintained.

Really, when is the last time you hear some good news.

Well here is some good news; Jesus Christ is the source—the only source—of meaning in life.

Jesus provides the only satisfactory explanation for why we’re here and where we’re going.

Because of this good news, our final heartbeat as a Christian will not be the mysterious conclusion to a meaningless existence.

Rather, it will be the grand beginning to a life that will never end.

The same Lord is waiting to embrace and forgive anyone who comes to Him in humility and repentance.

Jesus is calling your name, just as He called the names of all our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

His promise of eternal life offers the only hope for humanity.

If you have never met this Jesus, I suggest that you seek listen to the proclamation of the Gospel, listen so you might learn to fear God met Jesus.

Listen that you me come to know who Jesus is, and listen that you might realize what Jesus has done.

These are the elements that we find in Peter’s Gospel driven sermon to the Gentiles gathered in Cornelius’ home.

In contrast to his indicting sermons on the Day of Pentecost or at Solomon’s portico, or his bold defenses before the Sanhedrin.

We see Peter here being led by the Spirit of God to give a simple gospel presentation.

Some situations called for a more detailed apologetic, some situations called for a more historic presentation, and some situations called for the pure signs and wonders of God’s healing power before the hearers could understand the message of the gospel of Christ Jesus.

But in a situation where you are dealing with divinely plowed hearts, hearts which the fallow ground of disbelief has been dug up, and hearts where a fresh planting of faith has recently, been seeded, water, and nurtured, now through the simple truths of the gospel; God brings the increase.

In hearts like these is where the fear of God has been planted, , teaches us that “The fear of God is he beginning of wisdom, all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever!

, “My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.”

, Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; ‘let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

First, we must proclaim the Gospel…

To those who fear God and need Jesus

, “So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

This phrase “So Peter opened his mouth… is a colloquial Greek expression, a way of saying the words which follow are very important.

Looking around at Peter’s improbable audience, it is surely an understatement; there were Gentiles and God-fearers, and Jews all waiting to hear what was being proclaimed.

Peter starts by shattering what was remaining of a racial and social man-made barrier that had separated both Jews and Gentiles.

He offers a historic and spiritual understood truth, to a human and secular and sudo-spiritual audience as a new and fresh insight.

Look at what Peter shares with them, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

With this statement Peter, cuts to the very heart of the issue and grabs everyone’s attention.

What is Peter trying to convey here?

(1) When Peter says, I now understand, here we have an admission, without an apology, that proves to be a new understanding for him.

This was the true moment of enlighten for him, in this moment he really understood that from the beginning, that the church was to include everyone whom Jesus called without partiality.

, “You shall not be partial in judgment.

You shall hear the small and the great alike.

You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s.

And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”

Here we see that Israel’s heart needs correction because God is the awesome God.

Our God is not partial, what He as done for others, He will surely do for us!

The election of Israel, the election of the Gentiles does not mean God will cut moral corners in showing special favors He is a just God.

Our God is Holy and we must be Holy, we shall not be partial in our judgments.

Impartiality is a prerequisite for good judgment as well as a characteristic of God himself.

(2) But in every nation anyone who fears him, here we see the words of , come alive, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.

I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

The meaning of the vision God gave to Peter was clear, actually because it was not entirely a new truth Peter and his Jewish companions, but one thay should have already known that God is not one to show partiality.

, “ Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant?

Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches!

What by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled!

This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.”

Isaiah defines the only two responses to the servant of the Lord has: (A) Fear the Lord by obeying the voice of his servant, trusting him even in the darkness of this life.

Or (2) Kindle the false light of one’s own wisdom, (which means to place your trust in the light of your own understanding, if you make this unfortunate choice you will ) but then lie down in torment forever.

Then look at

Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever.

We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one who calls upon your name,

, “You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways.Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever.

Behold, please look, we are all your people.”