Reach Out and Touch Someone

Reach Out Beyond Limits

Act 10 Peter and Cornelius
10 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[a] 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.


Cornelius was a good man and a great man.  Cornelius was an officer of the army a part of the Italian band which protected the governor.  Cornelius was an officer of high rank as he was a centurion.  We see this same type of ranking officer approach Jesus for his dying servant. He was a centurion, a gentile in Matthew 8:10.


It’s worth pointing out, when the gospel came to the gentiles, it did not come to philosophers or a gentile priest but soldiers who were men of free thought. Men who would stand up and defend what they believed in.

Cornelius was a devout man who feared God.  We are told that his prayers and alms has ascended as a memorial before God. However God was calling him to a higher calling. He was asking him to be obedient in calling for Peter, who would then tell him about the gospel of Jesus.

It was a command not a suggestion. But little did he know, this command would lead to the full understanding of the gospel and to the first gentile being inaugurated in the Christian faith.
He believed the promise of the messiah, it was time for him to believe the fulfillment of that promise.

Also notice it was not the job of the angel to declare the gospel to Cornelius only to tell him to “send for peter”  The gospel is to be spread through Jesus followers not by angels.

Peter's Vision
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour[b] 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.”

You can tell Peter was not from the south. If a sheet came down from heaven to a Southerner with all kinds of animals you would not have to tell him/her to rise kill and eat. That would be a natural instinct for us.

It is interesting to me that Jesus would speak to Peter using food analogies.  Remember what Jesus tells Peter (John 21:15)  Jesus ask Peter 3 times if he loved Jesus. This was immediately following Peter’s denial of Jesus. Each time Jesus answered with the phrase “feed my sheep”
In other words Jesus was asking Peter to prove his love by spreading the good news of the gospel. Jesus was also preparing Peter. Without loving Jesus one can never be entrusted to care for His people.

Peter’s love would be put to the ultimate test. He was not only called upon to feed the house of Israel God’s chosen people now he would also be asked to go to the gentiles. And not just any gentile but a roman soldier gentile.  At the end of verse 14 we have a true perspective on how Jews viewed Gentiles, common and unclean. 

In the book of Leviticus God gives the children of Israel a guide line of clean and unclean animals.  Clean animals such as cattle, sheep, goat, reindeer Antelope, Bison, Caribou, Elk, Giraffe, Moose, Chicken, Dove, Duck, Goose, Quail, Turkey, Freshwater and salt water fish with fins and scales.  Unclean animals camels, rabbits and pigs, mice and lizards cats, dogs, lions, tigers, bears, Coyote, Fox, Hyena, Jackal, Wolf Cat, Cheetah, Leopard, Panther, catfish, lobsters, crabs, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, squid, octopus

In the same way certain animal were considered unclean, Gentiles according to the Jews were considered unclean.  The Jews would not dine together with the Gentiles because they would risk being presented a meal that would make them unclean.

Now we understand why Peter was so adamant in his response in “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”  However, God’s heart is that none should perish. He looks at the condition of the heart. He had seen a Roman soldier named Cornelius who loved God, was a devout man and prayed often.

Perhaps he was praying for his family or maybe he was praying for the Messiah to come. It does not say, what is said is that he prayed daily. He had a thriving prayer life.

Let’s look how God responds to Peter.
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.
This goes along with what Jesus had said

Matthew 15:11
11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

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,[c] 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.

Peter would have an opportunity of a lifetime. Here was his chance to really show how much he loved Jesus by feeding his sheep. In my opinion this is one of the greatest outreach opportunities there ever was.  Outreach-the extending of services or assistance beyond current or usual limits
His usual limits were among his Jewish brothers in Christ. His usual limits did not include preaching to Gentiles.  Peter would have to overcome a major hurdle in his life. Peter would have to reach out past the usual in order to see the supernatural.


28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Peter then begins to tell them about Jesus, all that he did. He walked the earth demonstrating the works of God, He was betrayed, beaten, crucified, buried, and that he rose again. He begins to tell them that we have forgiveness of sins through believing in Jesus.

The result of Peter reaching out beyond his limits

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

In Conclusion:
Peter did four things
Peter Prayed-How is your prayer life? Are you seeking His face? Do you care enough to pray?
Peter Listened-Is God asking you to reach out beyond your usual?
Peter Obeyed- Are you willing to love people who do not look like you? Are you willing to remove the limits that keep you from reaching out?
Peter Told about Jesus- When was the last time you told someone about Jesus?

We see souls when we look into people's eyes. We see hurting people. We see people who are lost and dying without the Savior. We see people without “hope and without God in the world.” We no longer see people from a human point of view. We see people from a divine perspective “Where will that soul spend eternity?” Because of this, we persuade and convince people.

We reach out beyond limits!We Reach out and Touch Someone.