"Apartheid". What does that word mean? It is Afrikan for "apartness". It was the policy of strict racial segregation and discrimination against the native Negroes and other colored people as practiced in South Africa.

The walls can come down.

But on the same continent, as many as 200,000 people were being murdered, mutilated and dumped like garbage in the streets of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The campaign of "genocide" continued.

In Bosnia, Serbs continued their campaign of death and destruction. In Iraq, Sadam is willing to kill his own people to get at the United States.

Where does it all end?

What does all of this have to do with us? All of this seems so far removed from us. What is the point?

Just as the bricks of hate, prejudice, ignorance and misunderstanding have destroyed the lives of millions in foreign lands, these same bricks can destroy our personal lives and relationships right here and now.

We are mostly concerned about the wall of separation between God and man. Hate, prejudice, ignorance and misunderstanding are the result of SIN. (OH - Overlay)

Yes, we would like for all men to get along well with one another but... it is of paramount importance that man learn how to get along with God. If man learns and practices a right relationship with God Almighty, his inability to cope with mankind will diminish. His hate, his prejudice, his ignorance and his misunderstandings will tumble down.

The church you've always longed for WELCOMES ALL PEOPLE!!

This is our 50 Day Spiritual Adventure theme for this week. Our text today is:

Throughout the new testament we find strange people receiving Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord: a Gerasene demonic who ran naked among the tombs, a synagogue official's daughter raised from the dead, a Gentile woman's daughter being freed from demonic control, an adulteress at a well receiving living water, a prostitute pouring a perfume of love on her Savior, and a religious zealot falling down blind before the light of the gospel.

Jesus sure didn't care who He associated with, did He? I mean afterall, should He have been so close to these terrible sinners? Did Jesus have no prejudice at all? Not just a little bit of bigotry? How could He accept these people? How could He welcome people like this into heaven? He even had the audacity to tell the story of the Good Samitan which clearly condemns all racial and ethnic prejudice.

1. It is very important that we lead our families Biblically.

2. As men, as husbands, as fathers, we must command our household in the ways of God.

3. In reaching families, it is best to win the man, the father, the husband first and then normally the family will follow.

4. Dad, husband, are you leading your family in the things of the Lord today?

c. His fervor.

1) He "gave much alms to the people and prayed to God continually".

2) He lived what he believed.

3) Js. 2:26 - "faith without works is dead".

Dad, are you living what you say you believe or do your children see blatant inconsistencies in your life?

a. God had recognized this man's searching for the truth.

b. God proceeded to give him more light.

1. Use the light you have!! Are you obeying all the truth you know?

2. If you are not obeying all the truth you know, why do you expect God to give you more light?

3. The advice to Cornelius from God - 10:5-8.

Send for Peter. God knew where Peter was.

3. Are you comforted or disturbed by that thought?

Peter was staying in Joppa with a tanner.
1. A man occupied all day with the skins of dead animals.

2. A tanner was socially despised. The fact that Peter was willing to stay with him shows his prejudices were weakening.

3. The more scrupulous Jews regarded such an occupation as unclean, and avoided those who pursued it.

4. Peter would stay with the tanner but would have a discussion with the Lord on the tanner's housetop about eating food considered unclean.

5. Peter would stay with the tanner, a Jew, but would have second thoughts about sharing the gospel with Cornelius the Gentile in Acts 10.

6. The lodging with the tanner was a step on the road to eating with a Gentile. (God was tarring down the wall!!)

7. Cornelius sent for Peter immediately.

How many helped the orphanage in Haiti this last Christmas by buying clothes for the children? (Raise Hands)

I have here letters from the orphanage in Haiti. Each one of those children wrote a personal note and Cathy and Alice sent a picture of each child. After the service you can find your child by stopping at the desk in the foyer. If you know the child's name, you can take his/her letter and picture home today.

This project is an example of CBC reaching out to all people. But not only do we want to reach out to all people, we want to welcome all people to our church.

Just as we loved these little orphans without prejudice, we must love all who enter these church doors without prejudice. We must welcome all people to Calvary Baptist Church.

B. The heavenly vision that astonished Peter - 10:9-23.

1. How Peter was prepared by God - 10:9-16.

(READ)

a. The Command - 10:11-13.

1) "Arise, Peter, kill and eat!"

2) This went against all his Jewish prejudices and rabbinical training.

3) Peter had to learn that the ritual law of the O.T. was no longer binding and that some of his attitudes would have to change.

b. The Conflict - 10:14-15.

"By no means, not so, Lord"

Have you ever said that to God?

A young believer, facing the choice of obeying the call of God to the mission field or of continuing in a rewarding and comfortable business position, once consulted a veteran missionary.

He explained how clearly God had called and yet how hard it was to make the choice to go. The missionary opened his Bible at this passage and pointed out to the young person Peter's words, "No so, Lord." "You cannot say that," the wise older man explained. "It is either "not so" or it is "Lord". The two words put together are a contradiction in terms.

Now then," he continued, "take my Bible and take this pencil. Sit down here and pray about it. Then cross out one of the expressions. Cross out the words "not so" and leave the word "Lord", or cross out the word "Lord" and leave the words "not so". You cannot have it both ways." (PAUSE)

c. The Confirmation - 10:16 (READ).

1) The Lord showed it to him three times.

2) Three times God said, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy."

1. Has God shown you His will for your life various times and you have said, "Not so, Lord"?

2. What prejudice is God trying to tare down in you life today?

3. What does He want to teach you?

4. Will you cross out "not so" or "Lord" in your Bible?

5. Is God knocking on your door this morning? Is He ringing your number? (God knocked on my door when I was 18 and called me to preach the gospel. He rang my number again some eight years latter to go to a foreign land to preach and teach. He then took us to New Jersey and then He called me here. I have learned to call Him... Lord.)

2. How Peter was prompted by God - 10:17-23.

a. His doubts - 10:17-20.

1) Peter was perplexed.

2) He did not understand the vision.

*But then: Read 10:17-20.

b. His decision - 10:21-23.

1) Upon hearing from these men, he decided that God must be in this whole situation.

2) He decided to hear them out and allow God to reveal His will to him.

3) How much of the symbolism of the sheet with the clean and unclean animal in it Peter understood at this point, we do not know.

4) We do know that later he would understand that the sheet represented the church and that the animals were the Jews and the Gentiles, people of every tribe and tongue, every color, every race, saved by the grace of God and all taken to heaven together.

2. Paul explained this extensively in the Book of Ephesians. He also commented in others of his books: I Cor. 12:13, Gal. 3:27-28.

3. What is the teaching for you and me?

4. How do we apply this truth to our lives?

3. How much more should we who know the gospel gather together to hear the message of God!

2. The greeting - 10:25-27.

a. Peter was worshipped and welcomed.

b. He redirected the worship and accepted the welcome.

1. We must be careful in all we do to give glory to God - I Cor. 10:31.

Die to compliments / Die to criticism

2. We must remember who we are serving - Col. 3:23-24.

We are to please Christ, not men.

3. The guidance - 10:28-33.

a. Peter's educated intolerance - 10:28-29.

1)"God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy (profane, common) or unclean."

2) He had now learned not to be intolerant.

b. Cornelius's illumined ignorance - 10:30-33.

1) "We are here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord." 2) He would now learn of the salvation of the Lord.

3) He may have been ignorant, but he was willing to be illumined.

B. The message that was conveyed by Peter to Cornelius - 10:34-43.

1. What Peter perceived - 10:34-35.

"God is not one to show partiality"

1. Have we learned that lesson?

2. Are we careful not to show partiality?

(Js. 2:1-4)

3. Are you prejudice in your relationships?

4. Will you honestly evaluate you life right now?

2. What Peter proclaimed - 10:36-43.

a. He talked about the Living Word - 10:36-38.

1) Who He was - "Lord of all" - God in the flesh -

Jn. 1:1-3, 14.

2) The gospel of peace He preached -

Peace with God - Rom. 5:1

Peace of God - Phil. 4:7

3) The good Jesus did - healing.

b. He talked about the Living Witness - 10:39-42.

1) Jesus was crucified.

2) God raised Him from the dead.

3) Peter and others saw Him and were with Him after His resurrection - I Cor. 15:1-4.

4) Christ told him and others to be His witnesses. To tell that He is the judge of both the living and the dead.

c. He talked about the Living Way - 10:43.

1) The prophets predicted His coming.

2) Those who believe on Him have forgiveness of sins. READ - 10:43

PLAN OF SALVATION

"BELIEVE" - Rom. 10:9-10, Jn. 3:16

C. The mystery that was consummated in Peter and Cornelius -

10:44-48.

1. The Spirit - 10:44.

a. They were baptized (I Cor. 12:13) into the body of Christ.

b. Saved - Born Again - Converted - Believed.

2. The Sign - 10:45-47.

They began to speak in other languages and to praise God.

3. The Stand - 10:48.

They followed the Lord's example in water baptism.

Will you allow the wall to fall?

Will you allow God to deal with your hate, prejudice,

ignorance and misunderstanding?

Will you remove a few bricks today?

One of the saddest results of the wall of prejudice is that all who come after it has been erected must be limited by it.

Will you tare down the wall so your children will not have to be limited by it? Will you break the chain and be set free today?

Will you recognize your sin today and repent of it?

What sin is God speaking with you about right now?

Will you repent and follow God?

1. The actions of Cornelius toward God.

a. His faith.

b. His f__________________.

c. His f__________________.

2. The acceptance of Cornelius by God.

3. The advice to Cornelius from God.

B. The heavenly vision that astonished Peter - 10:9-23.

1. How Peter was prepared by God.

a. The command.

b. The c_________________.

c. The c_________________.

2. How Peter was prompted by God.

a. His doubts.

b. His d_________________.

B. The message that was conveyed by Peter to Cornelius - 10:34-43.

1. What Peter perceived.

2. What Peter proclaimed.

a. Living W__________________.

b. Living W__________________.

c. Living W__________________.

C. The mystery that was consummated in Peter and Cornelius - 10:44-48.

1. The Spirit.

2. The sign.

3. The stand.