b. i. I am very unbiased, accepting, and loving." But the fact is, even committed Christians, even godly men like Peter, have prejudices. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. This was a unique situation. Being modern-day Christians, kids today may take for granted how radical it once was for non-Jews to get attention or hear the gospel. Acts 10-15. Normally a Jew would have said, Well, it is nice to meet you, but we need to stay out here in the street. Everyone who is truly saved will desire to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. c. Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms are remembered in the sight of God: It is interesting to note that though Cornelius was not a Christian in the sense that he was not yet regenerated or born again, yet in this case God heard his prayers and remembered his generosity to others. God was expanding Peters mind and heart. Children's ministry resources that provide everything you need for a great Sunday school experience in the classroom or at home. When he comes, he will speak to you. So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. So you can see how difficult it would be for any Jew to shift his thinking on this matter. They can dress in their native styles, as long as they are modest. This is not something that we feel experientially, but rather a fact that Gods Word declares. BackgroundThis chapter follows Peter and Cornelius in Caesarea. Heres the lesson to be learned from Cornelius: If you want to know God and have your sins forgiven, youre more likely to succeed through reading the Bible and going to a Bible-preaching church than by going to the local bar. Passwords should have at least 6 characters. Jesus commanded His followers to preach the message of who He is and what He did. ii. d. Not so, Lord! 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. The Concord Baptist Church of Christ 2023. Peter never did anything like this before! That is an important part of todays story. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral for the Jew and consider them dead. Salvation does not come to anyone through his or her efforts to live the Christian life. Weddings, funerals, graduations, babies being born, baptisms. 10:44-48. God speaks to Cornelius about Peter. It sounds like God is partial to those who fear Him and do what is right. v. We should also see that Cornelius was an undoubtedly good man; yet he needed Jesus. 2023 Ministry-To-Children.com | Bible Lessons for Kids, Activities for Sunday School, Free Resources for Children's Ministry Leaders. i. Cornelius directed to send for Peter. This page is the index to our series of lesson plans that follow the Book of Acts. We know the work of the Holy Spirit is full and free to all. Every kids church ministry deserves the very best resources for teaching Gods Word, even when they dont have the financial resources. What is the use of putting a card like that into the hands of a dead sinner and having him sign it and say, I promise faithfully henceforth to lead a religious and Christian life? In Acts 10:44-48 Luke displays his narrative prowess by seamlessly resolving one storyline (begun with the introduction of Cornelius in 10:1) while simultaneously setting the stage for the ethnic and theological drama about to unfold in Jerusalem (11:1 ff.). Your partnership makes all we do possible. They were made up of Italian volunteers and were considered the most loyal Roman troops. (Lenski) Because he was such a loyal servant of the oppressors of Israel, most every patriotic Jewish person of that day would naturally be prejudiced against Cornelius. Jesus is the one foretold by the prophets. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. Pentecost Sunday School Lesson (Acts 2:1-21) God Gives the Holy Spirit, Lesson: The Spirit gives boldness to Peter & John, Lesson: Peter's Miraculous Escape From Prison, Who is the Holy Spirit? Acts 16-21. Believing in the name of Jesus does not refer to a general, vague sort of belief. This insight would change the history of the world. Historical Books He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. Often faith in Christ is combined with good works. Pauline Epistles Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. Third, we have not adequately proclaimed the gospel if we leave out the lordship of Jesus and the solemn fact of the coming judgment. At the same time, it was so vivid that Cornelius would later say, a man stood beside me in bright clothing (Acts 10:30). Major Prophets (Acts 10:27-29) Entering Cornelius house, Peter explains why he came. The Lesson At-A-Glance 1. Please use our childrens ministry curriculum and Sunday School material for any purpose that brings honor to Jesus. Also, as Cornelius related the incident to Peter in Acts 10:30, he specifically said he was praying (at the ninth hour I prayed in my house). How will he respond? c. Then he invited them in and lodged them: We can see the change in Peters heart by the way he invited them in and lodged them. Peter was to regard this as important. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. The animals in Peters vision were not allowed, but the voice was telling him to eat them! 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. We often think God sees color; He only sees the heart. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. This chapter takes place in occupied territory. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. His method is to use His people to tell others. e. Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins: The brief sermon concluded with an understanding of the broadness of Gods promise of salvation. Journal: Are there places in your life where people are being left out, either explicitly or implicitly? God forbid! This is undue and inappropriate reverence towards any man or angel. Also, notice that Peter states plainly that Jesus is Lord of all, meaning, not only Lord of the Jews, but also of Gentiles. But now a radical shift takes place. Jonah ran from Gods call, thinking he could get away from the Lord, and he did not share Gods heart for the lost. How would you refute this biblically. Wisdom Literature Dear God,You are the ever-flowing river of Grace. To baptism, to vaccine appointments, to housing, to health, to happiness. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2001, All Rights Reserved. i. The Birth of the Church on Pentecost Acts 2. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[ a] and praising God. i. These reasons are still active today. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. We need to interpret it in the context of this chapter. The first part of that statement is easy to understand; the second part may cause some trouble. 5. But the Old Testament clearly shows Gods favoritism for the Jews above other nations during the 2,000 years from Abraham to Christ. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. i. Cornelius sent servants to get a man he had never met, so that he could meet this unknown man. General Epistles Easy Print PDF - Download "Peter and Cornelius" Sunday School Lesson from Acts 10:1-22 This lesson is taken from the story of God revealing to Cornelius a Gentile and to Peter a Jew, His plan to remove barriers that separated Jews and Gentiles. In His humanity, Jesus showed us how we as humans should live, in dependence upon God, doing good to others, and overcoming Satans oppression. And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. a. Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier: Apparently, the faith of Cornelius was contagious and there were those of his household and under his command who also honored the God of Israel. But there is salvation for everyone who believes in Him. c. Then he became very hungry: This often happens during prayer; distractions in our body come as we try to direct ourselves to God. Whats happening during this passage?As Peter is speaking to the community, the Holy Spirit descended. They can sing songs that fit with their culture, even if they dont sound like American hymns. Spending time in the community after the baptism likely offered some great moments for spiritual discussion and curiosity. This ties into the end of his sermon, where he states that God has appointed the risen Lord Jesus to be the Judge of the living and the dead. God does not need sound waves to fall on an ear drum to speak to a man. First, the God who raised Jesus from the dead is a big Godand a free God. If Peter had not received this vision, he would have never traveled with these Gentile messengers. Paul knew this principle: I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself (Romans 14:14). Cookie Notice: Gentiles had probably received salvation in the eight years since Pentecost (Acts 2). Poetical Books Most of us enjoy things like peanut butter and jelly, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheesebut what about French fries and chocolate? The only legitimate answer to a request from our Lord is yes.. ii. I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.15The voice spoke to him a second time,Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. A patriotic Jew of that day would naturally dislike or even hate him. They did just as Paul would later write, in honor giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10). Explain how they made the creations, and remind them that God made each of us specially crafted. The moment of a persons salvation isnt necessarily when they raise a hand or come forward at an evangelistic invitation. 53). The Spirit said to him: Previously, in Acts 10:13 and 10:15, it was simply said that a voice spoke to Peter. At the same time, Peter was still Peter. Wisdom Literature Revised Common Lectionary View Bible Text Commentary on Acts 10:44-48 Amy Lindeman Allen Humans have a tendency to think about the world and its resources as limited, but the story of the resurrection is the story of God's limit less power and love. Every kids church ministry deserves the very best resources for teaching Gods Word, even when they dont have the financial resources. I have a classed of mixed ages, the youngest being fivebut when we do the review questionsshe answers them with ease. At Concord, we have a dedicated hotline to supporting people who want vaccine slots! Send a friend or an advocate to support us. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 13 14 15-28 Acts 10 - Cornelius, Peter, and the Conversion of Gentiles Videos for Acts 10: Acts 10:1-23 - The Conversion of Peter Acts 10:24-48 - Whoever Believes in Him A. i. The gospel reaches into Judea and Samaria, 6:1-12:25. xiv] The Holy Spirit came upon them. 37You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached38how God anointedJesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healingall who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Everyone listening to his message suddenly receives the Holy Spirit (10:44). Most people are prone to prejudice. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. Note it carefully: Whoever believes! In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality: This is the foundation for Peters understanding that the gospel should now go forth to Gentiles. Typically, this is how God operates. Then he said to them, You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. We all are prone to prejudice. b. Compare Peters response to God (Not so, Lord!) In fact, in recounting it, he says, As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them (11:15). The very rulers are the same people who conspired against Jesus Christ. Men may come up with various ways to approach or appease God, but they all fall short. Jesus also promised, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself (John 12:32). d. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God: Peter was living a preachers dream. For what reason have you come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you. Then he invited them in and lodged them. The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, Then, the people asked Peter and his crew to stay for a few days. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Then they invited him to stay for several days. But practically speaking, up till now they also believed that to be right with God, a pagan Gentile had to become a Jew in the sense of obeying the Jewish laws regarding circumcision and ceremonial issues. Many think that if a person is sincere, it really doesnt matter what he believes. In your own devotional period, read Acts 10 with this question in mind: What risks are present when you are spreading the good news? So Peter shared this with Cornelius: Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism35but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. This was God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, speaking to Peter. The Old Testament Isnt that a pretty good way of putting it?, Dr. Gaebelein replied, How on earth can a dead man live any kind of a life? Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simons house, and stood before the gate. Peter realized that the vision he had been having was about this. Two men are thirty miles apart. The printable link above includes the complete lesson plan, craft activity suggestions, and bonus book of Acts coloring page. He speaks to several people about a matter, not just one. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. For I have never eaten anything common or unclean. And a voice spoke to him again the second time, What God has cleansed you must not call common. This was done three times. Thank you to everyone involved in this website. But in many churches, you can be excluded based on your marital status, your sexuality, your race, or even your documentation status and offering record. Bible Lesson Summary: This lesson focuses on Peter's revelation that the Gospel was meant for all people, not just the Jews.In this day and age, of course, kids might not encounter "unclean meat" or questions about Jewish tradition. ii. It spreads to others through the faithful proclamation of Gods witnesses. iv. a. Download a free Bible lesson in pdf or view our latest Sunday School curriculum for kids. Copyright Ministry-to-Children. In essence, many Jews of Peters day thought that God loved the Jews while hating the Gentiles. Sunday School Works . And, he adds how all the prophets bear witness of Jesus as the One we must believe in to receive forgiveness of sins (10:43). Yet they stopped short of becoming full Jews in lifestyle and in circumcision. i. Keep bringing the conversation back to who Jesus is and what He did on the cross.
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