Heroes: Cornelius

Speaker: Colin Boyd

Notes

Demonstration of the Listening Game - the front row produced a marvellous distortion of the message!

God does speak to non-Christians

Was the God-plan at that time the penetration of the Gentile world by the Good News?

Depiction of Cornelius as a very special character, who honoured God even if society rejected him as a gentile. So God chose him.

Simple obedience following precise listening - just send for Simon Peter. Argument made that we need only to hear and obey, even if we can't see the whole of God's plan.

Peter's obedience after his vision of the "unclean" food. Peter invited gentiles into the house.

Peter went back to Cornelius' house and entered it knowing it was against Jewish religious laws.

Peter preached a sermon, accepting that Cornelius knew about the work and words of Jesus already. It was when he preached on the crucified and risen Christ that the Holy Spirit was poured out on them (i.e. gentiles as well). God was showing that the Good News in its entirety was for all.

Application

What are the different ways we can hear from God? Give examples from your own life.

If you think that you have heard from God, what safeguards would you use to check it out?

Look at Acts 8:26-40. What can we learn about listening and obedience from this story?

Posted: 18 Oct 2009