April 21, 2024
Unstoppable Kingdom
With Diversity: Room at the Table
Acts 10:1-16

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”Acts 1:8

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.”Acts 10:1-16

Main Idea: The Unstoppable Kingdom of God invites people from every nation to a seat at the King’s table.

We see 3 Truths About the King's Table in Acts 10:1-16

I. You can’t earn your seat at the table (v1-3)

We tend to think, if I do what is right, I’ll deserve a seat at the King’s table! But…

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:20-23

We must come to God His Way! It’s not about our work. It is the work that Jesus has already done that has earned the seat at the table!

“…he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”Titus 3:5a

II. God is always at work preparing the table (v3-8)

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”Jeremiah 29:13

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

What will you do with the light given to you? What’s your next step in seeking God?

1) Receive the invitation for yourself

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…”Acts 16:31

2) Grow in what He’s teaching you to do

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

3) Let go of what He’s teaching you to give up

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”2 Corinthians 5:17

4) Share the light - Deliver the invitation to others

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

III. There’s room for everyone at the table (v10-16)

“We too write off whole churches simply by what we have heard about them. We too shut out whole ethnic groups because of a bad experience with one person or family. We too mentally excommunicate those who do not agree with us on one secondary issue or another. Our sheets easily fill with educational, racial, cultural, and spiritual rejects, and we cry, “By no means, Lord—they are not my type!” The result, of course, is a Christianity that grows solely on homogeneous lines. We then only seek to win our own kind, and thousands never come to grace who, humanly speaking, would have if they were given the chance.”R. K. Hughes

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”Revelation 7:9-10

“...So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons.”
2 Samuel 9:11b

An invitation is only good if it is received.
Listen to this invitation from God to you:

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”John 1:12


Sources and Further Reading Opportunities
The Bible Exposition Commentary – Warren Wiersbe (1996)
ESV Study Bible – Crossway (2008)
New American Commentary - Acts – John Polhill (1992)
Acts: The Church Afire - R.K. Hughes (1996)
The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church, & the World - John Stott (1994)
Acts - K.O. Gangel (1998)
The Acts of the Apostles - William Barclay (1976)
Acts: Bible Study Commentary - F.F. Bruce (2017)
Acts for Everyone Pt 1 - Chapters 1-12 - N.T. Wright (2008)