Hearing the Call

Acts 10:1-23

Cornelius Sends a Delegation

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?"

So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter's Vision

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Summoned to Caesarea

17 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 Simon's house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."  21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?"

22 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." 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them.  On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Here we find two examples of hearing God’s call.  The first was to the Caesarean centurion Cornelius who heard God’s call to go and find Peter in Joppa and bring him back as an answer to his faithful devotion in prayer with the fear of God and giving to meet the needs of the poor.  He was devout but without the assurance of hope found only in Jesus Christ, so the Lord called him in a vision with an angelic messenger to go have this man brought to his home in Caesarea to hear the word of the Lord through Peter the apostle and spokesman of God.   Cornelius listened to God’s call just like Peter heard and listened when God told him men were coming to take him away to Caesarea to speak to this non-Jewish man about Jesus Christ.  Cornelius Was willing to obey right away but Peter hesitated because Jews did not associate with the other nations and he still imagined that the gospel was only for the people of God contained within the nation of Israel alone.  God gave the apostle a waking dream and observed God showing him unclean animals according to Jewish law (Leviticus 11:4, 20:25) based on the ceremonial laws of the scriptures given to him as a Jew.  He was hungry before this trancelike state and wanted to eat the unclean animals but refused because of the law he lived by.  But God told him to take and eat of them.  The Lord said, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” as the call to accept and enjoy what God cleanses (Romans 14:14, 1 Timothy 4:4) and provides to partake of.  This was a visual lesson to teach Peter not to call the gentiles unclean as Jewish tradition had made the call through Abraham to all nations (Genesis 26:4, Galatians 3:8).  God cleanses us all by the same blood of Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself for all His children from ever nation, people, and language group (Revelation 5:9) as acceptable in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:5-6)!  The message to Peter and to all the Jewish believers was, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”  This was the vision given Peter which moved him to go, doubting nothing, to answer God’s call that he might answer God’s call to Cornelius through his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ in obedience to God’s election and calling on himself.  Therefore,when the men came from Cornelius Peter willingly went the following morning after a good night’s rest for the journey and even brought along other brothers in the Lord that they might see God’s call in action beginning among the nations, just as their Master had done in Samaria with the woman at the well (John 4:9, 25-26, 42) who also told others.  Do we listen and heed God’s call to the nations without judging who may hear or who from which nation or religion or social background is worthy to hear the gospel?  We are allied and commissioned (Matthew 28:19-20) to go tell everyone.