A Heart that Moves Heaven (Acts Pt. 22)
Recap
The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give us the incredible eye-witness testimony of Jesus’ life, teaching, and miracles. What a gift that God has preserved for us this window into history that reveals His Son! One of the things it shows us is how Jesus spent the majority of His ministry years engaged in hands-on discipleship with 12 men. It’s humbling to remember that at the height of His public ministry, Jesus simply invested His life fully in a small group of men that would change the world. At the culmination of His earthly ministry, Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leaders and crucified as a blasphemer. The Messiah came to His own people, and His own people did not receive Him. But the cross would not be the end of His story! After the longest Saturday in history, God the Father resurrects Jesus from the dead and overthrows the Kingdom of darkness. For the next 40 days, Jesus walks the earth as a resurrected man and reveals himself to over 500 people!
The Book of Acts opens on the final day of Jesus’ life on the earth. He reminds them of the promise of the coming Holy Spirit, and He is taken up to the right hand of the Father. It’s called the “Acts of the Apostles” because Jesus steps out of the spotlight and these men find themselves in the middle of History’s greatest story. A short 10 days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Lord fulfilled the promise of the prophets and poured out His Spirit upon the followers of Jesus.
The Book of Acts shows us what can happen when normal people walk with a supernatural God.
To venerate the apostles as superhuman saints is to miss the invitation. God calls the weak, the broken, the foolish, the dejected and the rejected… He makes them new, He fills them with His spirit, and He sends them into the world as witnesses of grace. As believers, this is our history. This is our legacy. And this is our on-going invitation… to join Jesus in the work of salvation.
Acts 10:1-23
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 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. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 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, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 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. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.
What do we know about Cornelius?
Devout
From 2 Greek words… 1) “well done” and 2) adoration, reverence, worship
Acts 2:42 // “And they devoted themselves to the apostles…”
Devotion = to continue steadfastly
Devout speaks of a consistent and faithful commitment to the Lord
Feared God = phobeō; to live with an awe that produces reverence & obedience
Gave alms generously
Alms is from the root word “mercy” or “compassion”
This man lived with a heart of compassion for the broken.
Prayed continually
The word for prayer here means “to want or desire”, “to ask or beg for”
He was in tune with his need and presented his requests regularly
This is the type of heart that attracts Heaven on earth!
Acts 10 shows us how much the Kingdom of heaven is looking for partnership so that it can invade the earth. We have angels, visions and the Spirit of God speaking directly to people, giving them revelation and direction.
Promises of the Scripture for those who SEEK GOD:
Seeking the Lord First - Matthew 6:31-34 // Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Seeking the Lord’s Help - Matthew 7:7-11 // “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Seeking the Things Above - Colossians 3:1-2 // If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Seeking the Reward - Hebrews 11:6 // 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.
Seeking with Humility - James 4:4-8 // You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
We are called to seek the things of heaven, because God is looking to partner with us in His purposes on the earth.
2 Chronicles 16:8-9 // Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.
Response Questions
How can I develop a heart that moves heaven?
What can I do to prioritize seeking God in my life?
Ask God: Is there something new you want to do in my life this fall? How can I partner with you in your purpose for my life?