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Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths.

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Welcome to Come On Up, the radio ministry of the Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina.

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Even us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Yes, this dead man ate and drank with us. He came and fellowshipped with us. He empowered us with his Holy Spirit. And yes, he is worth believing in. Yes, he brought me here to speak with you today, Cornelius, and everybody else who came.

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There are plenty of things in our lives that surround us, and we don't even see them. The most common thing is air. We don't see it, yet we know that it's there. But for some reason, when it comes to God, we feel like we need to see him to believe. Today, Pastor Carl says, God is present even if you don't stand. All God's asking for is faith in him. He wants to have a relationship with you, but it's hard when he's the only one putting in the effort. Put your trust in him and watch as he reveals himself to you. And now, here's Pastor Carl.

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Therefore, verse 29, I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. And I asked then, for what reason have you sent me? Yeah, I was just having this dream, and I had no idea what it's about. And then the Holy Spirit sent these men, and it began to click. This is what God is telling me to go into fellowship with those who are not under the law. But they're they're sinners nonetheless, and they're in need of a savior nonetheless. So I don't understand exactly why you called me. I'm understanding that the Lord is calling me to come, and He's told me not to consider common or unclean anyone else, because God is doing a work in cleaning us all up. So why did you call me? What's going on in you? In verse 30, Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour. He was serious. He was seeking God. And he didn't fully know God, but that should tell us something too. Even as we've come to faith in Jesus Christ, do we fully know God? There's still room for us to be serious about seeking after the Lord, fasting and asking God, reveal yourself more to me. So he said, I was fasting up until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. God recognized his heart. His heart is wanting to glorify God, wanting to know God and acting accordingly, and he's being commended for that. 32, send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon a tanner by the sea, and when he comes he will speak to you. Which is consistent with what the soldier and the servants said to Peter when they found him in Joppa. So, verse 31, 33, I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God to hear the things commanded you by God. Cornelius is not saying, I order you to tell me what it is about this God that has you doing what you're doing and why, you know, people like Saul have been coming after you to persecute you and to shut you down. He's saying, I've been seeking God, and he brought you here, and we are submitted before God. We are here seeking God, and we want to hear the things that He's told you. What He's told you to do, what He's told you about life, what He has revealed to you. Do we come with that sort of attitude to church? Do we come saying, Lord, I am here because of you. I am here to seek you, to find you. I am here to learn from you, to be changed from you. Not because I want some blessing, not because I want these prayers answered and you ignored, but Lord, I it's it's really all about you. I want to meet with you. I am here because you have changed me. I am here because you have brought me. I am here to learn from you. May we have that heart. Because when we have that heart, then the Lord can come and He can move and He can change us and He can use us for His glory. Verse 34. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Well, in truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality. This is a big revelation to him. God shows no partiality. And isn't that true? We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all, like sheep, have gone astray. No one seeks after the Lord. No, not one. Ever since the fall, ever since Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God, things have been turned upside down, and we've been separated, and we're born into sin. We're born separated from God. And so there's nobody better than anybody else because we're all separated, right? And it's beginning to click with Peter. In verse 35, but in every nation, whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. If you fear God and you work the works of righteousness, which I'll talk about in just a second here, then you're accepted by God no matter what nation you're part of. You don't have to be part of Israel in order to gain God's blessing. You can be a Roman soldier, you can be a Roman centurion. But if you fear God and work righteousness, then you'll be accepted by Him. Do you remember when Jesus was with his disciples and somebody asked, How do we work the works of God that we would be accepted by him? And Jesus said something along the lines of the works of God are to believe in the one in whom he sent. In other words, the works that God accepts are comprised by faith in the one who he sent. Do we believe in Jesus? Do we trust in Jesus? Have we surrendered our lives to Jesus? Have we accepted the gift of eternal life that He's offered to us? These are the works of God that God accepts and counts as righteousness in our lives. So if you fear God and accept the gospel, basically, this is what Peter is saying, then you'll be accepted by the Lord. Verse 36, the word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, the word, the prophecies, the Old Testament, everything that was pointing to the coming Messiah. The word was preached to Israel. This peace with God was preached to Israel throughout the Old Testament. And that Messiah, his name is Jesus Christ. This is the one we've been waiting for. And many have come to that knowledge. Many have come to that faith by this point. The church was birthed out of the nation of Israel. Jewish followers of God who came to faith in Jesus Christ, recognizing that he indeed is the Messiah and He is Lord of all. He is the creator, in fact. And he came into his creation so that he could win the salvation of the world and set up a kingdom which is still coming, where a time of peace and prosperity would reign. In verse 37, that word you know, you heard about these things that happened with Jesus. I mean, that's probably one reason that you've asked me to come. You want to know more about this Jesus and how he fits into the picture and how he relates to God, because indeed he is God and He's changed me, and He can change you too. That word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism in which John preached. John was basically the last prophet. His words were repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He preached a repentance, a turning, a preparing for the Lord, because the Lord would soon be there. The Lord that would change everything, that would bring salvation, that would bring hope, that would bring forgiveness. You knew about it, you've heard about it. You were on patrol because of a lot of uproar throughout the area because of this man. In verse 38, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Indeed, Jesus Christ was the one that was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. He did all these things that the Old Testament said that the Messiah would do, and he did them, and he is exactly who he said that he was. And verse 39. And we are witnesses of these things, which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. We were with him. I was one of 12 guys intimately involved with him. We had a group of other people, about 150, that followed him around. And I could tell you from my own experience, Peter is saying, he's the real deal. And he's changed me. And he loves me. He loves me. John thinks that he loves him, but he loves me too. If you read the Gospel of John, you know what I talk about. John refers to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved. Not that he was the only disciple that Jesus loved, but if you recognize the love of the Lord, if you really recognize the love of the Lord, you too will say, I'm the one that Jesus loves. Because it feels like he loves me so much. He loves me more than anybody else, but the thing is, he loves everyone the same way. Anyway, verse 39, last part, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. The Jews. They killed Jesus. The one that came to save them. They killed him. And yet, as we know, by his death, he secured our salvation. What the enemy thought was the end of the work of Jesus was actually the fulfillment of what he was called to do. Verse 40. Him God raised on the third day and showed him openly. He defeated death, and it was proved on the third day when he rose again. And not only did he rise again, but he appeared to people over about 40 days. He appeared to a couple here, and he appeared to the disciples in the room a couple of times. And he at one time he appeared to 500 people at once. I mean, there are witnesses to this. This really happened. He showed himself openly, 41, but not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before God. If you remember, Jesus was asked why he spoke in parables. And the main reason was it's because it's not for everybody to understand. Not everybody had a heart to seek after God. Not everybody had a willingness to listen to what Jesus had to say. And the same sort of thing, he only appeared to specific people, people that were seeking God, people that believed, people that needed that encouragement and boldness to go on and declare the kingdom of heaven to the rest of the world. He didn't appear to doubters, well, uh scorners, scoffers, people who weren't interested, people who would explain away his miracles. He appeared to those that had been changed by him. He appeared to those that believed. He appeared to those that were willing to do anything that God told them to do. May we have that heart. And may the Lord appear to us more and more. Even us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Yes, this dead man ate and drank with us. He came and fellowshipped with us. He empowered us with his Holy Spirit. And yes, he is worth believing in. Yes, he brought me here to speak with you today, Cornelius, and everybody else who came. He is in fact the one who he said he was, and he is alive today, sitting on the right hand of the Father. 42. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is, that it is He who was ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Not only is Jesus Christ the Savior of mankind, but he's also the judge of mankind. Which side do you want to be a part? Which one, which side do you want to be on? I want to be on the side where he saves me instead of judges me. Amen. Because he's already taken my judgment upon himself. Do we realize that? Sin, his blood covered the sin of the whole world. And then some. Then why does he judge people when he comes back? It's because they've rejected the gift of eternal life that he offered. So he is the judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets witness that through his name, whoever believes on him will receive remission of sins. As simple as that. Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe on Jesus? Do you believe Jesus? Do you understand the finished work of the cross? Do you understand that He is the one that came to set you free? Do you believe it? Are you willing to renounce your whole past and give it to the Lord? Since my whole past was just, it didn't. Without Jesus, you can do nothing, the Lord says. But in Jesus you can do all things. And maybe we need to specify a little bit that you can do nothing that glorifies God. You can do nothing that gets you into heaven. You can do nothing to take care of your sin problem by yourself. But in Jesus, when we take in all of our best works that are as filthy as rags, and we we present them to him, which he's taken and bore the brunt of the wrath of God the Father on Himself because of our sin, then we receive the righteousness of God. So basically, Peter is saying, Do you believe? The Bible says, if you believe, you will be saved. So do you believe? And that's a good question for all of us to ask, ask again this morning. Do you believe? Or have you believed and you've kind of drifted away? Well, come on back. The Lord is still there, the Lord is still forgiving. Your sin has still been paid for, you're still set free in Him. Come and receive it. Allow Him to change you. Allow Him to work in you. Stop resisting the Holy Spirit, but let Him work in and through your life. So what happens? He's not even done talking. Verse 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word, confirming what he was speaking was true. God worked in the midst of these Gentiles. And he brought them into the kingdom of God. Verse 45, and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished. The Jewish folks that were there that came to faith in Jesus Christ, but still didn't make this connection about Jesus came for the sin of the whole world, they were sitting there going, Wow, this yes, this God is at work here. I don't understand it, but God did it. God is working, He's changed these people. It's obvious. They were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnified God. This is the same sort of thing that happened the couple times, you know, since the Pentecost had happened, and at another time it happened, the Holy Spirit was poured out. People started speaking in other tongues that people in their own languages would hear the wonderful works of God, the praises of God. When the Lord comes and he moves on us, when he anoints us, when he fills us, whatever you want to call it, it causes our hearts to praise him. All of a sudden, it's not about me anymore, but it's about the Lord. And he opens my eyes to his goodness, he opens my eyes to what he's done on my behalf. He opens my eyes to a hurting world all around me. And suddenly my concerns grow less and less important. May the Lord continue to fill us, fall on us, and give us hearts that are filled with praise for him. Then Peter asked, Can anyone forgive uh forbid water? Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? Now I don't think he's asking for permission. I think he's asking people that are there in the midst, that are uh you know in the church, that are believers in Jesus Christ, but that are Jewish believers. He's asking them, are you coming to the same conclusion that I'm coming to? If God has done this work, what's preventing us from allowing them to be baptized? Which baptism is basically this declaration that I have been crucified with Christ, and it's no longer I who live, but he who lives in me. If you believe in your heart and you confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord, you will be saved. Baptism is a time of confession, a public confession of your faith. And yet, if you let people come in and get baptized that are not changed by God, that that are not accepted by God, then you're doing something blasphemous. But Peter's saying, look, guys, God has worked in this situation. These guys have been changed. I think we need to baptize them because God has really changed them. They really are part of the church now. And though I might understand it, I don't understand it. In verse 48, he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. If you've really been changed by the Lord, then it's now time to declare it publicly. So let's have a baptism service, and they did. Cornelius and his whole household there. This is the beginning of the church going into other nations. This is the beginning of the fulfillment of God's. God's plan to bring salvation to the whole world, to anyone who would believe, Jew or Gentile, male or female, even if you're brought up in another religion, even if you were brought up in another lifestyle, the gospel is still for you. And he desires to change hearts. And they asked him to stay a few days. Can you please stay and teach us more and pray with us and help us through this? It was an exciting time. The time of the Lord moving. And today the Lord continues to move. He's working in our hearts. I don't think we see things as powerfully as we used to see in the Old Testament. And part of that is because of our lack of faith. We're in a place in this country that not only has kind of lessened their belief in the gospel, but we've wholeheartedly rejected it in so many different ways. I've asked and I've called for us to pray for repentance for our nation. And we really need it. We need a humbling of our nation so that the Lord can come and pour out his Holy Spirit and change us and be glorified in and through us. May that continue to be our prayer today because we need salt and light in our world today more than we've ever needed it before. May the Lord have his way with us, with you and me. May we in our sphere of influence be influenced by the Holy Spirit, not by our flesh, not by the world, not by the enemy, but by God's Holy Spirit. So that at least people around us would come to know the truth of the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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You've been listening to Come On Up, featuring the teaching of Pastor Carl of the Mountain Cross. We're currently in the book of Acts, which chronicles the miracles and ministries of believers after Jesus had died and was resurrected. It documents the growth of the early church and how the apostles shared the gospel far and wide. There was significant persecution, and ten of the twelve disciples, other than John and Judas, were martyred. Would you be willing to die for your faith? That's a tough question. But many believers through the centuries have laid down their lives for Christ. What does Jesus mean to you? Has he changed your life? That's our prayer for you, and we hope our simple teaching through the Word of God encourages you to grow strong in the Lord and His grace. If this radio ministry has blessed you, would you consider helping us reach others? Your gift of any size helps keep this radio ministry on the air. Simply visit themountaincross.com slash donate and give what you can. That's themountaincross.comslash donate and thanks in advance. Come on up comes to you from the Mountain Cross, a group of believers in Jesus who seek to grow in faith by simply teaching the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter. We meet Sundays at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville beginning at 10. If you're in the area, we'd love to have you worship with us. Hope to see you soon. Thanks for listening and join us again next time as we seek to learn more from the Lord through His Word. Come On Up is sponsored by The Mountain Cross, a Calvary Chapel fellowship.