Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 38 – October 1991

 

Gentiles Receive God’s Spirit

 

Sermon by Rev. G. Vanderkolk on Acts 11:15-18

Introduction

 

Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Imagine that the whole world were dry, all except for one country.  That country is Israel.  This is the only country in the world that has an abundant water supply.  We all know that Israel in fact is a very dry country, but just for a moment imagine that there is enough water there to irrigate the whole earth.  That the Sea of Galilee has sufficient water to irrigate the whole world.

Imagine coming from the deserts of Australia and visiting this one country with an abundant water supply.  The grass is green, the crops are growing well, there is a lot of vegetation, plant and tree life.  What would be needed for Australia to experience this same abundance of water?  What would be needed is a pipeline that runs from Israel to Australia.  A pipeline that would bring precious water to the dry continent of Australia.  Imagine the joy of seeing the first explosion of pure water from the fountain connected to the end of the pipeline.

Wouldn’t there be a big celebration?  The Queen would come out and dedicate the pipeline; the Prime Minister would read a speech; there would be entertainment, and a free rock concert.

Well, two thousand years ago, a momentous event occurred.  A pipeline was opened bringing living water to a new people.  I call it living water because once you have drunk of it you will never die.  It is the water of life.  This new people were the Gentiles.  People that did not belong to the nation of Israel.  This living water is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The nation of Israel had experienced the gift of the Holy Spirit during Old Testament times.  Prophets, judges, craftsmen and kings had all experienced the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit operated almost exclusively among the people of Israel.  Yet Israel was also a dry land.  Moses once bewailed the fact that not all the people of Israel had the Spirit on them (Numbers 11:29).

At Pentecost the Spirit was poured out, and the apostles and those listening received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.  This Spirit would empower the apostles so that they would be Jesus’ witness throughout Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).  As we read the book of Acts we see that the disciples did witness, firstly, to the Jews (Acts 2:14-40, secondly, to the Samaritans (Acts 4:25), and thirdly, to the Gentiles (Acts 10ff).  The living water had first been poured on the Jews, then the Samaritans had been given a connection, and now the pipeline had been opened to the Gentiles, starting with Cornelius and his household.

The coming of the Spirit upon Cornelius and his household was something that the Jewish believers had not been expecting.  When they had heard that Peter had fellowship with Gentiles they criticised Peter (Acts 11:2).  However, Peter explained his actions to them, and they come to realise that the coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles was not so much Peter’s work but God’s work.

Peter described events that had occurred that convinced him that it was indeed God’s plan that the Gentiles be brought into fellowship.  The first reason that Peter gave is that he had received a vision from God.  The second reason is that he had witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles.  The third reason is that he recalled the words of Jesus.

First of all then, Peter explained to them that he had a vision from God.  In this vision God explained to Peter that what he thought was unclean was in fact clean.  God said to Peter, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ Peter and the Jewish believers had always thought that the Gentiles were unclean, and therefore had nothing to do with them.  Now however, God explained to Peter that this is not so.  God has acted and called the Gentiles clean.  In Acts 17:28, the Gentiles are described as offspring of God.

The next reason that Peter gave to his Jewish criticisers is that the Holy Spirit had come upon the Gentiles.  The tap had been opened and Cornelius and his household had received the word of God (Acts 11:1).  Peter had preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, how Jesus had been baptised with the Holy Spirit, how Jesus had healed all those who were under the power of the devil, how Jesus had been killed and on the third day been raised to life.  Jesus was now Lord over all.  He was the one to judge the living and the dead.  Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

It was this gospel that the Gentiles believed and while Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down upon the Gentiles and the Gentiles spoke in tongues and praised God.  This act of speaking in tongues and praising God testified to Peter and his six companions that the Holy Spirit had come in power upon the Gentiles who had heard the message of Jesus Christ.  Their speaking in tongues was an outward sign and evidence that the Gentiles also had received the Holy Spirit and that the coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles was as genuine as their own.

With the coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles Peter recalled the words of Jesus.  ‘John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’  The baptism of John was an outward sign of inner repentance.  It signified the washing away of sins by the washing of water.  It was preparatory, to cleanse people from their sins so that they could be ready for the coming kingdom.  The baptism with the Spirit is a baptism with power, and it is a permanent blessing to the people of God.  The Spirit dwells in the believer, renewing him after the image of Christ, and empowering him for service in His kingdom.

Peter recalled Jesus’ words because he was a witness of the renewing work he himself had experienced and which had now been experienced by the Gentiles.

He had witnessed the pouring out of the Spirit upon the Gentiles and he was convinced that the coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles was an experience as genuine as his own.

I wonder if any of us here is a member of the Jewish nation?  Is there anyone here who belongs to the tribe of Judah or Benjamin?  I don’t suppose that anyone of us belong to any of the Israelite tribes.  That means that we are Gentiles.  However, God in his grace, 2,000 years ago, in His plan, decided that Gentiles were also to be incorporated into His church.

A momentous event occurred 2,000 years ago.  Gentiles who were not members of the nation of Israel, now together with them, are included among the people of God.  Paul, writing to the church in Rome described the Gentiles as engrafted branches.  They have become the new Israel, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.

We who live today have become engrafted branches along with Cornelius and his household.  Shouldn’t we praise God that He in his grace has included us?  Shouldn’t we praise God that He in his grace has included Gentiles in his plan?  That we who deserved no mercy, but judgement, have now received mercy, because the Spirit of God has also been given to the Gentiles?  The pipeline has been connected and the Spirit of God has been poured forth upon the Gentiles.  A land that was barren is now blooming because the grace of God has been extended to all nations of the earth.

Peter, who was a Jew, at first did not want to go to Cornelius’ house and have contact with a Gentile.  He wanted nothing to do with things that were unclean.  His background and Jewish ancestry told him that he should have nothing to do with Gentiles.  However, this was never a part of God’s plan.  God had always intended that the Jewish people were to be a blessing to the nations.  God had said to Abraham, that all the peoples of the earth would be blessed through him.  God had told the Israelites in the desert that they were to be a kingdom of priests.  Now, at last, the people of Israel were to be a blessing to the nations.

Peter, having been prepared by God, brought the good news to the Gentiles.  Peter witnessed the coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles and he no-longer had any objections to the plan of God.  In fact he recognised that to oppose the plan of God was to oppose God Himself.

In verses 19 onward we see that the foundations had been laid, and that the gospel was being preached in different countries, to Greeks as well as Jews.

The church of God must not be inhibited today by any man-made barriers to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The church of God must continue with the missionary task that Jesus has set his disciples: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.’  The church today should not be opposed to the plan of God.  Who are we to oppose God?

How do we sometimes oppose the plan of God?  We can oppose God in a number of ways.  Sometimes we act like those who criticised Peter.  We tend to believe that we are an exclusive bunch, and that the Spirit of God only acts in our own circles.  We, along with the Jewish believers in this passage, must also rejoice and praise God when the unconverted become converted through the active work of the Spirit of God.

Secondly, we must encourage outreach into our local communities.  We must strive to make bridges, to bring people the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We have a responsibility for this task, because the Spirit of God has equipped his church with power and truth to fulfil its missionary task.  To do little about this task as a church or as individuals, for whatever reason, is to oppose the Lord’s work.  Let us continue to pray for those in our church who promote the work of evangelism.  Let us also strive for opportunities to expand our horizons, so that we can bring the good news to our present day Gentiles, who as yet have not been incorporated into the church of God.

The Gentiles received the same gift of power as the Jewish believers.  The Spirit is a gift of God to those who believe.  The gift cannot be received by those who do not believe.  Remember the story of Simon the sorcerer who wanted to buy the gift from the disciples.  This gift of God cannot be bought.  The only way to obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit is through faith, expressed in repentance with trust and hope in Jesus Christ.

The Jewish believers who listened to Peter, upon hearing all the evidence put aside their objections.  They let the matter drop; they had nothing more to say, but instead praised God saying, ‘So then, God has granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.’

The evidence of their repentance was there for all the people to see.  They now recognised the plan of God, and saw that the Gentiles were also a part of the great plan of God.  They recognised that believing in Jesus Christ also meant repentance for past sins, and a humble trust in God.  Repentance is a matter of the heart which must be shown in inner renewal, a turning your back on those things that belonged to our former way of life.  It means a new direction, a direction that follows the paths of Jesus Christ.

Often people say that they feel they have not as yet received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Well, these questions can well be asked, “Do you believe in the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour?”  Have you repented from your former way of life and are you now following the paths of the Lord Jesus Christ?’  If you can say yes to these questions you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Peter said in Acts 2:38, ‘Repent and be baptised and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’  This is a gift that is received by all those who believe in Jesus Christ: together with their descendants.  ‘The gift is for you and your children and all who are far off.’

We should never become conceited or proud of our own repentance.  Repentance leading to eternal life is not something that finds it source in the heart of man.  It is a gift from God.  God grants it and he grants it to whom He wills.  Once again we see, that God is sovereign, and from that we can derive comfort.  God has given us faith; God has given us repentance unto eternal life, and God has empowered us through His Spirit.

Today many people look into their own history, and they like to check out the family tree.  Maybe they have a bit of royalty in their family history, maybe their ancestors were famous in their time.  Maybe they were great explorers or great fighting men.  It is something that we can feel proud of even today.  Somehow we relate to important events that occur in our own history, or that of our families.  Well today, the Christian church can look back to a most important event that occurred in history.  The beginnings of Gentile Christianity; the time when the Gentiles also were incorporated into the church of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

When we look into the plan of God and recognise his greatness and love in that He sent his own Son to die on the cross for us, (not only us but all men to whom he has granted repentance and faith), then we, along with the apostle Paul, should say, ‘Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counsellor?  Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!

AMEN