Chapter Ten — Part Three: The Book of Acts
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 11/14/2021
Foundation Scriptures:Acts 10:34-38
1. All Are Welcome.
a. Acts 10:34 AMPC — And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons,
b. God is not a respecter of persons—and shows no favor in judgement (Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; 1 Peter 1:17)
c. The Lord will render to each one according to his deeds (Romans 2:6).
d. Romans 2:7-11 NKJV — eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
e. Acts 10:35 AMPC — But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him].
f. ALL are welcome to come to God, regardless of pedigree.
g. The two conditions of acceptance are: to have a reverential fear of God and to live uprightly.
2. The Message of Reconciliation.
a. Acts 10:36 AMPC — You know the contents of the message which He sent to Israel, announcing the good news (Gospel) of peace by Jesus Christ, Who is Lord of all—
b. Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL (Acts 2:36).
c. The Father sent Him to Israel (John 1:11, 3:16-20; Matthew 10:6, 15:24).
d. He came preaching peace; which is reconciliation (Acts 3:15; Luke 2:14; John 14:27).
e. Man being reconciled to God—and Jews and Gentiles being reconciled together into one Body and one Church (1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21).
f. Ephesians 2:14-18 NKJV — For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
g. Acts 10:37 AMPC — The [same] message which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John—
h. The same message—there is only one message—and this message is to be preached by each generation, without additions, deletions, or alterations.
i. The Gospel dispensation began with John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11; Acts 1:21-22; Galatians 3:19-29).
j. Luke 16:16 NKJV — The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
3. Two-Fold Gospel.
a. Acts 10:38a AMPC — How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power…
b. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Ghost and power (Isaiah 11:2, 42:1-5, 61:1, Matthew 3:16).
c. Isaiah 11:2 AMPC — And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.
d. Isaiah 61:1-2a AMPC — The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God…
e. Jesus was anointed with the fullness (a full measure) of the Holy Spirit.
f. John 3:34 NKJV — For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
g. The power of God comes by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Luke 10:19, 24:49; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12).
h. Acts 10:38b AMPC — …how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.
i. The Gospel is two-fold—preaching and demonstration—confirmation (Matthew 4:23-25; Hebrews 2:3-4).
j. John 14:11 NKJV — Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
k. Jesus was approved of God—attested by God—by miracles, signs, and wonders (John 3:2; Matthew 4:23-24, 8:17; John 14:11).
l. Acts 2:22 NKJV — Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know
m. The cause of all sickness and disease is the devil—not God (Luke 10:19, 13:16; John 10:10; Matthew 4:23-24, 10:1-8).
n. God’s will for all is healing and wholeness (1 Peter 2:24; John 10:10, 14:12; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 10:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; James 5:14-16; 3 John 1:2).
o. Matthew 8:17 NKJV — that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
p. ALL may be healed if His conditions are met (Matthew 13:58, 7:7-11, 17:20, 21:22; Mark 9:23, 11:22-24, Luke 10:19; John 10:10, 14:12-15, 15:7,16, 16:23-26, James 5:14).
q. Mark 9:23 NKJV — Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”