Acts 11:1

2 Timothy 3, verse 1 states, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; and from such turn away."

Let's pray. Father, as we look now into Your Word and consider this passage here, as well as what we'll look at in the book of Acts this morning, I pray, Father, that You would continue to instruct us. Lord, as we just sang, You are holy. Three times we said, "Holy, holy, holy, God." I think of that great vision that Isaiah had in Isaiah chapter 6, where he saw You high and lifted up, seated upon the throne, and the train of Your robe filled the temple. He heard the angels, the seraphim, the burning ones, crying one to another, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord; the whole earth is full of His glory."

Lord, we thank You that You are holy. You are awesome in power. You are a great and wonderful God. Yet, Lord, we know that You are gracious and merciful. If You were not gracious, if You were not merciful today, because of Your holiness, there would be no possible way for us to stand in Your presence. Thank You for making the way open by Your death, Your burial, and Your resurrection. As we have remembered this morning in partaking of communion, now, Lord, we pray that You, by Your Spirit, would quicken our hearts and our minds, transforming us by the renewing of our minds, for we ask it in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, "Amen."

You can be seated. I had the opportunity in the last three weeks to attend two different conferences.

Not my normal schedule, but a real blessing. Three weeks ago, I went to a conference in Washington, D.C. It was the first time I had ever been to Washington, and it's quite a city, with its different historical sites and many museums.

At that conference, called the Watchman on the Wall Conference, the exhortation and challenge given to about 500 pastors from all across our nation was to preach the Word and be faithful in sharing the Word of God. I am thankful that I was raised, taught, and discipled in a church where the teaching and preaching of God's Word is the cornerstone of the Calvary Chapel movement. I met a number of different pastors there who come from different traditions, and while it was a little outside of what they are typically used to, they received the challenge nonetheless.

Last week, I had the opportunity to fellowship with over 800 pastors from Calvary Chapel who are planting churches all across our nation, as well as some from other parts of the world. At one point during lunch, I sat with a pastor named Francis, who leads a church in Uganda. It was another exhortation and challenge to hold fast to the Word of God.

We went through the book of 2 Timothy, where Paul says that in the last days, perilous times would come—difficult days and hard times. We see the characteristics of those times reflected in our current world. When we read verses 2, 3, and 4 in 2 Timothy chapter 3, we find descriptions that could easily be the headlines of shows that people watch for entertainment in our nation today.

We are living in changing times. The President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, ran on a platform of change last year, calling it "change that we can believe in." If you have been paying attention to the news, even just this last week, you can see that many things are changing in our world, particularly in our nation.

The rhetoric used by our president just last week in the Middle East marks a departure from the norm. Speaking in Saudi Arabia, I believe on Wednesday, President Obama stated that if you look at the number of Muslims, Muslim Americans would be one of the largest Muslim populations in the world. At a press conference in Turkey back in April, President Obama said that we Americans do not consider ourselves to be a Christian nation.

He also said in that speech right after that we do not consider ourselves to be a Muslim nation either. However, there is a change. There has been a divergent change even from April until just this last Wednesday, where he stated that if you look at the number of Muslim Americans, we would be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.

I know that one can get tied up in semantics, and it's dangerous, but it's interesting to consider the progression. In June of 2007, two years ago, President Obama, when he was running for president, told CBS News that whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation, at least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of non-believers. This is an interesting progression to see that he says we're not just a nation. We are no longer a Christian nation, and we wouldn't consider ourselves to be a Christian nation.

On Thursday morning, I received an email from David Axelrod. To some of you, that name may not seem very familiar, but he was the campaign manager for President Obama and one of his chief advisors at the White House. I have no idea how I got on this mailing list, but when I opened my email and saw David Axelrod's name, I was surprised. The subject line was "A New Beginning."

That piqued my interest because Pastor Greg Laurie's radio show is also called "A New Beginning." I opened the email, and it contained a link to the transcript of President Obama's speech given at Cairo University in Egypt on Thursday, which the White House called a monumental step in a new direction, a new beginning. It also included a link to a video to watch the whole thing. Without listening to any of the commentaries or watching any of the news shows, I began to listen to the speech. I didn't have time to listen to all 52 minutes of it, but something caught my attention just a few minutes in when President Obama said, "So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is and not what it isn't. I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear."

Now, I want you to understand.

This is not a slam against our president. It's only to illustrate my point that we are witnessing the divergent change taking place in our nation and in the world. The rhetoric coming out of the Obama administration, from President Obama, and from the media shows that this change is already many steps forward.

One clear change revealed in what he said, in the last quote I read to you, is that the Obama administration is dealing with Islam as a nation and not a religion. I want you to notice that. He is addressing Islam as if it were a nation and not a religion. This is a major change for a president of the United States of America. Most of those who consider themselves Muslim do not view themselves as just religious; they see it as a way of life. To them, it is a national existence to be Muslim.

We typically would not have a problem with that as Christians because we recognize that Christianity is not just a religion. Amen? We also have a totally different worldview and believe ourselves to be walking a different way of life. Therefore, we view ourselves apart from just a religious aspect. However, for the president of the United States to address a religion in a national sense is very interesting.

The other part that jumped out at me was when President Obama said, "I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam." First, I never really realized that was one of the responsibilities of the president. The second thing that came to my mind when I heard him say that was: what would happen if the president or any other political entity, any other public figure, were to say the same thing about Christianity?

If any politician in our nation, at the state or local government or at the federal level, were to say, "I consider it part of my public responsibility as a politician to fight against negative stereotypes of Christianity wherever they appear," what would happen? That person would be on every news show that night. The media would tear them apart, obliterate them, and likely their political career would be over. The world clearly is changing.

I don't think it's a progressive change or an advancement. I believe that what we're seeing in our day and in our world is actually a reverting to a first-century mindset. What we're seeing here in America and throughout the world is a return to the world in which the early church functioned, the world in which the early church saw God move in a powerful way.

Even with all the technological advancements, the medical advancements, and the increase of knowledge that we have today, we still see that the worldview and mindset are shifting. It's shifting to a very polytheistic worldview, where there are many gods, or even a mixture of Eastern philosophies, a pantheistic view that God is in everything. As you look at America today, there are truly many different gods and many different faiths represented.

I agree with President Barack Obama when he says America is no longer a Christian nation. It's not. We've been saying that here at this church and in many other churches for a very long time. America is no longer a Christian nation. However, the interesting thing I think about when I hear that, or when I saw President Obama say that, is that by stating we are no longer a Christian nation, he is admitting that we once were. We once were a nation that had Judeo-Christian values. So, he has admitted that when he said we are no longer a Christian nation.

The secularists in our nation hate that. Those with a very secular mindset and view do not like even admitting that we have a Judeo-Christian background. But we should recognize that we are a very polytheistic society today. There are many gods represented in our nation, just as there were during the time that Peter traveled and preached and Paul went around the known world preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As the church was 20 centuries ago, we are moving in that direction again today. We should recognize that what we have experienced as a nation for the last 233 years is abnormal. It's not how things normally are in cultures and civilizations. It's abnormal because of the Judeo-Christian values that were inherent. The way things are here is not the way things are in other parts of the world throughout history. We are seeing a change and a move in a different direction.

As the body of Christ, we, as the church, have a great opportunity in these days—a great evangelical opportunity. The view that we have, the understanding that we have, the gospel of Jesus Christ, stands in contrast to every other worldview around. It is truth. In the midst of so many divergent worldviews where people are looking for truth, we have the truth.

I know some people say, "Well, that's very narrow." Yes, it is. There is one truth. There cannot be multiple truths; else it would not be truth. There are those who say, "Hey, listen, every religion is basically the same." If you really think that, study world religions, and you'll find very quickly that they are not basically the same. Some are saying that in these days, there is more that unites us than divides us. Yes, maybe, but those dividing points are problematic. They exist for a reason.

There are some who would say, "Listen, Jesus was a prophet, Confucius was a prophet, Buddha was a prophet." They might even say that Muhammad was a prophet, Joseph Smith was a prophet—claiming that all these different figures are prophets and that they are all basically saying the same thing. They are just new prophets coming on the scene. No, that is not what the Scriptures reveal.

Some people think that Jesus is just a prophet, just a good teacher, just a good man, maybe a healer. However, the Scriptures reveal that if you do not believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, then you are of the spirit of Antichrist. That sounds like a pretty distinct truth—kind of narrow. I didn't make it up. The Lord, speaking by His Spirit to the Apostle John, conveyed that in 1 John. Anyone who denies that he is the Christ is of the spirit of Antichrist.

Let me tell you, that is the best place to start when interacting with people of other worldviews. When someone comes to your door and says, "Listen, I'm a Christian; I just go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," just ask them one question to start the conversation: "Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Tell me who he is." The Bible reveals that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Every other religion will disagree with that. You can bring it down to the foundation right at the very beginning. Stop hours of debate and just bring it right there: "Who is Jesus of Nazareth?" Some will say he's a nice guy.

Some will say he's a prophet. Others will say he's the spirit brother of Lucifer. The scriptures say he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He died on a cross 2,000 years ago, was buried, and three days later, he rose again. He lives, reigns, and rules from heaven and will come again. That's what the scriptures reveal. No other religion believes that.

We have this great opportunity in these days to declare the truth among people from every tribe and nation under heaven. Many of them come to our nation to be trained, to be educated, or for whatever reason it may be. They come to what has been called the land of opportunity, and we have a great opportunity to share the gospel with them. It is much like the first-century Roman world. People came into the Roman Empire a little bit differently than they come into America. Most people have immigrated here for opportunity, while most people ended up in the Roman Empire because they were conquered and taken as prisoners of war and slaves. It is a little bit different now, but we still have an opportunity to share the gospel.

However, the church in our day is mixed up with the same problem that was presented in Acts chapter 11, which happens to be the text that we're going to focus on. If you turn to Acts chapter 11, as you're turning there, you'll remember that as we've been going through the last ten chapters of the book of Acts, the enemy has sought to destroy the work that God is doing in the early church. Jesus, in Matthew chapter 16, said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail." In Acts chapter 2, God began by a move of His Spirit to build His church. When He began to build His church, immediately the enemy sought to destroy it.

In Acts chapter 4, we read that Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer. They came to the gate that was called Beautiful and saw a man there who had been lame for many years. He was begging for alms, asking for something as he was a poor man. Peter looked at him and said, "Look at us." The man fixed his eyes upon Peter and John. Peter continued, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk." He took him by the hand, and the man jumped up, leaping and praising God. They entered the temple, and this man was praising God, causing everyone to wonder, "Isn't that the guy who has been sitting by the gate for all those years? He's lame!" A great multitude surrounded Peter and John, and Peter began to preach the gospel to them, preaching in the name of Jesus.

Says, "Hey, don't think that it is by my power or my strength that we have made this man whole. It's by the name of Jesus Christ." Then the elders, the chief priests, laid hands on them and brought them before the Sanhedrin. In Acts chapter 4, we see that Peter and John, along with the lame man, are standing before the ruling council in Jerusalem, being told, "You're not to preach in the name of Jesus any longer." They were sent on their way, commanding them no longer to teach.

Despite this, they went rejoicing in God that they had been allowed to suffer shame for His name. They returned to the church, where they prayed, "God, give us boldness to preach." God answered and gave them boldness. In the next chapter, Peter again preached in the name of Jesus, and the whole group of the apostles was brought before the Sanhedrin for trial. As they stood there, the Sanhedrin wondered, "What should we do to these guys? Imprison them? Maybe we should kill one of their leaders? Get rid of these guys?" Ultimately, counsel from Gamaliel led them to decide, "Listen, don't do anything bad to these guys."

So again, they forbade them to speak in the name of Jesus, beat them, and sent them on their way. They went rejoicing in God, praying that He would give them strength and boldness to preach the gospel. In Acts chapters 4 and 5, we see the enemy seeking to destroy from the outside, coming with external battles. However, in Acts chapter 5, we also see the enemy working from the inside with Ananias and Sapphira, introducing internal sin and corruption. The enemy was hard at work trying to destroy.

The Lord dealt with that problem swiftly. Peter asked Ananias, "Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?" Ananias fell over dead. When his wife was brought in, Peter asked her, "Did you and your husband sell this piece of land for this property?" She replied, "Yep." Peter then asked, "Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?" She also fell over dead. The Lord dealt with Ananias and Sapphira quickly.

In Acts chapter 6, there were still some internal problems within the church. A group within the body of Christ complained, "Hey, foul! We're not getting ministered to. That's not right." The Lord directed Peter and the rest of the apostles on how to address the issue. They raised up seven men full of the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom, and of good report, who became the ministers over this area. However, in the next chapter, we see that one of them was beaten and killed, becoming the first martyr.

Stephen. The external challenge against the church is evident in just about every chapter of this book, as the enemy seeks to come against and destroy it. As we come to Acts chapter 11, we encounter another issue. In Acts chapter 10, a few weeks back, we saw that Peter went to the house of a Roman centurion named Cornelius in Caesarea by the sea and preached the gospel. A group of Gentiles came to faith in Jesus Christ.

After Peter left that area, he traveled through Samaria preaching and made his way back to Jerusalem. When he arrived in Jerusalem, we read in Acts chapter 11, verse 1, that the apostles and brethren in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. I’m sure that brought great rejoicing, as God was moving in a powerful way, and many in the church were likely celebrating this news.

However, in verse 2, when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, "You went unto men uncircumcised and did eat with them?" It is important to notice that those who contended with Peter were all Christians in Jerusalem; they were Jews who had converted to Christianity. However, it seems that some of them held more tightly to their Jewish heritage, their background, and the laws they had observed. They viewed these aspects as significant and worthy of being upheld.

This led to internal debate and strife within the body of Christ, as a group questioned how Peter could possibly have gone to uncircumcised men and eaten with them. In Acts chapters 4 and 5, we see the trial of the apostles before the Sanhedrin, but here in Acts chapter 11, Peter stands on trial before the body of Christ. It is one thing to stand trial before those outside the faith, before unbelievers, but it is another to be challenged and stand trial by fellow believers.

Within the body of Christ is a whole other story, and it's something akin to friendly fire. Friendly fire is a nice term, but there is really nothing friendly about it. Friendly fire accounts for many deaths in war, as people are killed by accident by those on their own side. Sometimes, it kills more effectively than war out in the trenches because it happens when someone's defenses are down.

The enemy has done a very good job and seeks to cause internal strife and debate within the body of Christ, causing the church to war against itself. Especially in the last 500 years since the Reformation, we have seen great internal debate within the church. Here in 2009, there are people arguing within the body of Christ about lighting schemes, worship songs, spiritual gifts, God's sovereignty, and man's free will.

We see debates over the King James Version versus the English Standard Version, Elder Run versus Congregational Run or Pastoral Led, Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, Post-Trib, Premillennial, Amillennial, Post-Millennial, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, Emergent, and so many other issues that we are wasting time and strength fighting about.

Now, ten days before the Feast of Pentecost in the early 30s A.D., Jesus stood with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Just before He ascended into heaven, He told them, in Matthew 28, verse 19, a verse that many of you know well: "Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

You see, the Lord, before He ascended into heaven, left us with very clear orders as to what we, within the body of Christ, are to be busying ourselves with. In another place, in Luke chapter 6, Jesus said in verse 46, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I command?"

We are in the midst of what I would consider a great evangelical opportunity here in the year 2009, surrounded by competing challenges.

Worldviews present a great opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We've been given the words of eternal life, the message of reconciliation, and the gospel of grace. There are plenty of battles to be waged outside the walls of the church, and yet, some of the biggest battles have been waged inside the walls of the church.

I attended a conference in Washington, and the last speaker focused on a verse in Isaiah chapter 62. If you'd like to turn there, you can. Isaiah 62, verse 6, states, "I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish, till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

You see, a watchman is given for protection against outside evils. He is there to sound the alarm and call the people to action. He continually keeps watch, not for what is happening inside the city, but for what is coming against them from the outside. The final speaker at the conference said something that has stuck in my mind ever since. He stated that God does not ask for volunteers; He appoints watchmen. This is clearly illustrated in Isaiah 62, verse 6, where God says, "I have set watchmen upon your walls."

Every year, I have the opportunity to teach through the book of Isaiah twice. I teach at the Calvary Chapel Bible College, and every semester, I go through all 66 books with the students. There is a passage in Isaiah chapter 21 that has stood out to me for the last several years. In Isaiah chapters 13 through 23, God speaks judgment against all the nations that surrounded the children of Israel. In Isaiah 21, verse 11, He speaks to the nation of Edom and says to them there...

Isaiah 21:11 speaks of the burden of Duma, or the woe against Duma, Edom. The text describes a call from Seir, one of the cities of Edom, where someone asks the watchman, "What of the night? What of the night?" The watchman responds, "The morning comes and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; return and come."

For those who have studied the prophetic passages of the Bible, particularly in Isaiah, you may find that some of these verses are cryptic and poetic, leaving you to ponder their meaning. The repeated question, "Watchmen, what of the night?" suggests a sense of urgency and concern about the time until morning. The watchman’s reply indicates that while morning is approaching, the night will soon follow.

The general interpretation of this passage relates to the first invasion by the Assyrians in the 700s BC, during which they conquered much of the world under King Sennacherib. Edom, along with many other regions, was under the oppression of Assyria. The people were essentially asking the watchman how much longer they would endure this darkness. The watchman reassures them that morning is coming, but warns that night will return with the Babylonian conquest that follows.

Every week, I encounter people who stop me after a Wednesday night service or a Sunday service, or they reach out via email or phone calls. They ask me questions like, "Miles, what do you think about what's happening in the world? Are we in the last days?" Some have even asked, "Is Obama the Antichrist?" To that, I respond, "I don't think so." Others inquire, "Is the rapture about to happen? Should I be storing food?" These are all interesting questions, and often, my answer is simply, "I don't know." Sometimes, the Lord provides me with a passage of Scripture to share.

Let me tell you what I do know. Since the time that Jesus ascended into heaven 2,000 years ago, we are living in a period of anticipation and expectation.

In the last days, Hebrews chapter 1 says, "God in past times spoke to our fathers by the prophets. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son." We are living in the last days. Yes, we have been for the last 2,000 years. It's a long period of last days.

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave us a commission: "Go into all the world and make disciples." Right after Jesus ascended into heaven, in Acts chapter 1, His disciples were staring up into heaven, standing there dumbfounded. Two angels appeared to them and said, "Why stand ye looking up into heaven? This Jesus who ascended into heaven shall likewise return in the same manner." So we know that someday the Lord is going to return.

When He returns, the Bible makes it very clear that He is going to bring us to account. We will stand before Him, and He will ask us what we have done with what He has given to us. The parable of the talents illustrates this. There will be a judgment for the church, which I believe is a judgment for reward, as found in the Scriptures. But there is a time when I will stand before God.

Let me tell you, when I stand before God, and when you stand before God, He is not going to ask, "Were you a creature or post?" He is not going to ask, "Gifts of the Spirit for today or not?" He is not going to ask, "Were you a Calvinist or not?" Those are not the important issues; they are non-essential. He is going to look at you and me, and if we have believed in Him as Christ, the Son of the living God, and confessed His name, we are saved.

However, as the Scriptures reveal, He is also going to examine our works, the things that we have done in His name. Now, for some of you, this is glorious. For others, you might think, "Whoa, what? You mean He's not going to ask me about the rapture?" No, He is not. In fact, all the little things that we don't understand will be cleared up when we stand before Him. You won't even ask Him, "Hey, pre-trip, mid-trip?" It won't matter at that point. Jesus did not call us to split hairs.

Over non-essential doctrinal issues, the church has become extremely good at splitting hairs. The enemy loves to mix churches and individuals within the church up in these sorts of quarrels—words to no profit. In 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul speaks to Timothy in his last letter, telling him to put them in remembrance of the word of God. He charges them before God not to strive about words to no profit. Paul emphasizes that we should just hold fast to the word of God.

So, what do we do when strife happens? Because strife does happen, just as we see here in Acts chapter 11. We should recognize that the early church was not perfect. Sometimes we look at the early church with glowing eyes and think they had everything worked out, that everything was right on. But remember the whole Ananias and Sapphira affair? That wasn't good. They had problems, just like we do. People quarreled about things and debated issues that caused great division.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about outright ecumenicalism, where we in the church just say, "Yeah, hey, self-realization people, come on in; Mormons, come on in; Jehovah's Witnesses, come on in," and we'll all just be one big happy family. I think they call that Baha'i. We're not that. We recognize that there are essentials of doctrine as revealed in the word of God: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the atonement of our sins, the inerrancy of Scripture. These are the sorts of things we say, "Listen, if you don't hold to this, you're not with us." Yes, it is narrow.

If you believe Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan, we don't believe that. That's not what the Scriptures say. If you believe that He was just an atonement for our sin, no, that's not what the Scriptures say. He is the atonement for our sin. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. These beliefs do divide us from certain people, but what kind of lights we use or whether we use guitars or drums for worship should not divide the body of Christ, and yet they have.

As we see in this passage in Acts chapter 11, and as we have observed while going through the book of Acts over the last several months, God answers many of these questions for us. How do we deal with those of the circumcision who contend? How do we address those within the body of Christ who have separated themselves along doctrinal views? They have a different perspective. Essentially, here was the view that these people had—the ones contending with Peter. They believed...

If you really want to have fellowship within the body of Christ, then you need to become a Jew before you become a Christian. This was the problem that was brought into the church at Galatia, one of the first churches that Paul planted. That's why the letter to the Galatians was written; they had been duped into thinking that the only way to really be a Christian, the only way to truly be a part of the body of Christ, was to be circumcised first, become a Jew, and then become a Christian.

There was a group of believers in Jerusalem that said this was the way to have fellowship with them. There are churches that operate this way, and this has been a significant issue since the Reformation. Many churches have divided themselves since then, stating that if you are going to fellowship with them, you have to believe in certain issues. They might present their 29 points of compatibility, and when you initial all those things, then you can fellowship with them. Oh, and you have to be baptized in their church.

That is not what the Scriptures reveal. That's why I am so blessed by the movement that we are a part of here at Calvary Chapel. We don't really have membership per se. Now, you may consider yourself a member of Calvary Chapel of Escondido. How do you become a member of Calvary Chapel? People have asked me that before. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? If the answer is yes, then welcome. You mean I don't have to take a class? No. I don't have to sign a statement of faith? No. You believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? Yep. Okay, we'll baptize you. Be a part of us. Fellowship with us.

However, there are those lines that sometimes get drawn, and we even do this individually. For example, if you believe in mid-trib, some might say, "I can't hang out with you." Does Pastor Chuck know this? I mean, give me a break. They had divided themselves over these issues.

Notice what their issue was in verse 3. They said to Peter, "You went to men uncircumcised and you ate with them?" I can't believe it. Notice that they do not say, "You preached the gospel to Gentiles?" That wasn't the issue. It was a fellowship issue. They were upset that he had fellowshiped with them. How dare he eat with them? Don't you realize they're unclean? It had nothing to do with the gospel.

With the preaching of the gospel, they did not have a problem with the gospel being taken to these Gentiles. They had a problem with Peter eating with them. Now, I want you to recognize that although Peter is going to defend himself in this, using the Word of God, he himself will have a problem with this at a later date. Saul of Tarsus, who will become the Apostle Paul, tells us in Galatians chapter 1 that at one point he had to withstand Peter to his face because Peter had separated himself and was not eating with Gentiles.

How did Peter answer this whole thing? In verse 4, Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning. He went back to the beginning and gave them clarity on the whole issue, expounding it in order to them. He said, "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. A certain vessel descended, as it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me. Upon which, when I had fastened my eyes, I considered and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air. I heard a voice saying unto me, 'Arise, Peter, kill and eat.' I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth.' But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed, that call not thou common.' This was done three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

Behold, immediately there were three men already come to the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me, and the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover, these six brothers accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house. He showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, 'Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, and he shall tell you words whereby you and your house may be saved.'

So Peter begins to rehearse the words to them of all that had taken place. He says how these men had come to the house where he was—three Gentiles, two of them slaves, one of them a Roman soldier—and they said, 'Hey, come with us. We have someone who wants to talk to you.' The Holy Spirit spoke to him, bidding him in verse 12, saying, 'Go with them, doubting nothing.' Now, I want you in your Bibles in verse 12 to circle the word 'doubting.'

The word "doubting" in the Greek is the same word used in verse 2, where it says, "They that were of the circumcision contended with him." The same Greek word is used here. When you look at its definition, it does mean to contend and to doubt, but it also very specifically means to divide, to discriminate, or to draw a line.

You see, the Jews who had become Christians in Jerusalem had drawn a line and said, "Listen, unless you do these two, three, four, or five things, you cannot have fellowship with us. You cannot come across this line." That was the line. Peter had that same sort of thinking until the Holy Spirit told him, "Go with them and don't draw the line. Go with them. Don't discriminate. Follow with these guys. Go."

Why? There is a man in Caesarea who needs to hear from you. The angel of the Lord had spoken to Cornelius and told him, "Send for Peter because he shall tell you words whereby you and all your house shall be saved." Notice that. He shall tell you words whereby you will be saved.

It is important to note that he did not say, "Send for Peter and he will show you works whereby you shall be saved." He didn't say, "Send for Peter and he will show you prayers whereby you and your family can be saved." He didn't say, "Send for Peter and he will show you sacrifices whereby you and your family will be saved." He said, "Send for Peter and he will tell you words whereby you will be saved."

You see, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Paul, in Romans chapter 1, verse 16, says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." God is not a respecter of persons; although we are, He is not. It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes, Jews and Gentiles alike.

Now, he did say to the Jew first, but that's first in order of rank, not first in importance. The fact that the gospel came to them first does not mean that they are better and we are lesser; it simply means that the gospel was presented to them first. However, it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 18, Paul said, "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us that are saved it is the power of God." The gospel is the power of God that brings salvation. It is not found in a prayer, in some works, or in any sacrifice that you can do. It is the work that Jesus did and our faith in Him.

Peter told the group gathered there in Acts chapter 11, "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on all of them as on us at the beginning." Those who were of the circumcision in Jerusalem may not have approved of what Peter was doing, but God demonstrated His approval by a miraculous sign. God put His seal, His stamp of approval, when He poured out His Spirit upon those Gentiles gathered in Caesarea. Those who were of the circumcision could not argue with that. What could they say? "Well, that's not fair"? There was nothing they could do.

In verse 16, Peter said, "Then I remembered the word of the Lord." Underline that in your neighbor's Bible. Reach over and underline it. You see, when you are being drawn into a debate or some sort of contention or strife with someone else within the body of Christ, I encourage you to remember the word of the Lord—not the word of John Calvin, not the word of Martin Luther, not the word of any great saint like Charles Spurgeon. I don't care who it is; remember the word of the Lord.

I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, "John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." It is interesting that Peter and the other 119 disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in the upper room, but Peter did not recognize that as the baptism of the Holy Spirit at that moment. He recognized it as a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy in Joel chapter 2. However, when he saw the Spirit poured out upon these Gentiles, he recognized that it was in fulfillment of the word of Jesus that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

In verse 17, it says, "For as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God?" God gave them the same gift that He gave to us. Peter said He poured out His Spirit upon those Gentiles there in Caesarea as He did with us on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. He gave this gift to us who believed.

Notice how the gift of the Holy Spirit is received. How is salvation received? In the same way, by belief. It implies here that the Gentiles themselves also believed and were given the gift. Peter says, "What was I that I could withstand God?" He shows that the opposition of the circumcision there in Jerusalem was not against Peter; it was not against the Gentiles; it was against God. How could I withstand what God was doing? This implies, how can you withstand what God is doing?

When they heard these things, verse 18 tells us they held their peace and glorified God. You see, that takes some humility. They held their peace and glorified God; they all worshipped together. Why did they worship and glorify God? They said, "Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."

The enemy was seeking to inflame internal debate. He wanted to get the church so focused on all these little issues, these secondary things, these lines that they themselves had drawn in the sand, when God was saying, "Go with them, nothing doubting." The enemy wanted to get them so focused on this that they would not fulfill the work that God had called them to. When the church is stirred up to such internal strife, they consume their energy on the wrong war, spending all that they have on the wrong battle.

I'll never forget when I was working at the coffee shop while the church was running its place down here on Grand Avenue. A lot of believers would come in there, knowing that it was a Christian coffee shop. They didn't know that I was a pastor; they were just from the community, some of them going to school in this area. Often, as I was making their mocha, they wanted to start a conversation. There were a number of occasions where people would seek to try and get me to agree with...

Their view on something made me think a couple of times, as they were in the midst of this, why are you trying to evangelize me when there's a whole bunch of dead sinners outside these doors? I think you're right; you're battling the wrong battle. You're in the wrong war, man. You need to engage as a good soldier of Jesus Christ and fight the good fight of faith, not against the body of Christ, not against the church. Yes, there are things to divide on, but the rapture of the church is not one of them, and how someone worships is not one of them.

Listen, if you want to see people worship in a different way than you, you should go to a foreign country. You would be blown away by the way that people worship in other places. It's beautiful and glorious, but it's different from what we experience—not wrong, just different.

One last thing before we close this morning: at the end of verse 18, it says they rejoiced because God also had granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life. There have been some who have said that repentance is not really an important characteristic of the gospel presentation. Some have claimed that repentance was not preached to the Gentiles; it was preached to the Jews on the day of Pentecost because Peter said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," or he said, "Repent and be baptized." They argue that Peter did not preach repentance when he was in Caesarea. However, the church rejoiced that repentance had been granted unto them, and so very clearly, Peter did bring up the issue of repentance. Those people appeared to have repented because the church in Jerusalem rejoiced that they had.

But how then do we receive Christ? This is an important topic—the idea of repentance or the concept of it. John the Baptist, in Matthew chapter 3, preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus, in Matthew chapter 4, also preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Peter, on the day of Pentecost, said, "Repent, and be baptized," in Acts chapter 2, verse 38. Yet, there are those who say that repentance is some sort of a work, and so it's not a part of the gospel presentation. I believe that such a view has a wrong understanding of the concept of repentance. You see, the word "repent," the English word, comes from a Latin root.

From which we get our word "pain." When we think of the word "repent" or "penance," we often associate it with tear-filled guilt and afflicting ourselves, thinking, "Oh, I'm so sorry." However, that's not what the Scriptures reveal. The Greek word translated as "repent" in our English Bibles is "metanoeo," which means to change one's mind. Ultimately, this change of mind results in a change of action, but it is first and foremost a change of mind.

When Peter went to Cornelius' house in Acts chapter 10, he preached to a multitude of Gentiles from a Roman background. Many of them had worshipped false gods, bowing down to deities like Diana and Jupiter. That was their worldview and focus—these false gods. Peter said, "That's wrong. This is Christ, the Son of the living God." To put their faith in Him, they had to change their minds. They were used to their old ways, but they needed to change their minds.

This change of mind ultimately resulted in a change of action, but first and foremost, it was a component of faith. It is not different, nor is it a work that you and I manufacture. Changing one's mind results in a change of action.

Over the last 60 years or so in evangelicalism in America, many people have been taught a doctrine void of repentance. They have added Jesus to their paganism, incorporating Him into their pantheism of other gods. They still bow down to lust, greed, gluttony, and every other false god imaginable, but they have thrown Jesus in there too. As a result, they maintain just as much of a polytheistic view as the worst pagan in the world, still living their sinful lives. The sad part is that many of them think they are saved.

In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus said that many will say to Him on the day of judgment, "Lord, we prophesied in Your name, we cast out demons in Your name, we did mighty works in Your name." He will respond, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."

Received the wrong gospel. When you study the gospel presentations of the Bible, you see that repentance is always a key component of it. Those who think of it as a work do not understand what repentance is. Salvation is received by grace through faith. Ephesians 2 tells us that in verse 8. Romans chapter 10, verse 13, makes it very clear: confession is made with the mouth. One believes in their heart that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead; they confess with the mouth that He is Lord, and they are saved.

It's a five-letter word, at least. I caught that. Someone came up afterwards and said, "I'm a little dyslexic, but God's good." We have an opportunity in these days. Yes, the world is changing, and some in our nation are going kicking and screaming. I understand that they do not like to see some of the things that are happening here, but we should recognize that we have been given an opportunity to preach the gospel.

There may come a day when we are given the opportunity to suffer shame for His name, as they did in the early church. What we are seeing happen today, even though people are saying it's a new beginning and a new thing, is nothing new under the sun. It's the same old thing that has been happening for thousands of years. The gospel is just as true now as it was 2,000 years ago, and it still transforms lives. It still changes our final destination. Amen.

God is on the throne, and no one will dethrone Him. They can try, but they too will bow. Let's stand and pray.

Father, thank You for Your gracious gift of salvation that we could not earn or attain. You've given it to us freely. Lord, I pray that You would give us boldness to speak the truth in this secular world, with so many voices speaking things that appear or almost seem to be truth. I pray that You would help us to cut through the lies with the sword of the Spirit and to stand strong in these last days, brightly shining as cities that are set on a hill that cannot be hid. For we ask it in Jesus' name.

In Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying amen. Children, behold, there is a commentary on the Court of Lights.