Calvary Arlington

As we look at the character of Cornelius we are reminded that even a "good" man needs Jesus.

Dan Bushy walks us through God’s preparation for spiritual authority and Godly leadership in the life of Moses.

When we think of the gospel, we must never think that it is a static thing. It’s not something we simply believe, but more like something we have been caught up in. It is in motion, it’s like a train arriving, it’s advancing to a destination. Day by day it is advancing until it will be fully accomplished at the end of the age. Everyone is invited to get on board.

In today's lesson, we see the gospel advancing through miracles in Lydda and Joppa. 

Chapter nine opens with a dark tone, as the church is being ravaged by this zealous Pharisee named Saul. But 31 verses later we see Saul converted and the church at peace and steadily growing. Like winter turning to spring, there are different seasons in life and in the life of the church. God is faithful in every season. And what we see is that He is at work molding and using individuals as He advances His Kingdom. He has now taken hold of this religious terrorist, once used by the enemy, now used for good. 

As we continue in chapter 8, we have the first in a series of three conversions. In chapter 8 we have this story of the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch, in chapter 9 we have the conversion of the Pharisee Saul, and in chapter 10 we have the conversion of Cornelius the Roman centurion. They are three very different individuals and each of them are unique stories that demonstrate how God works in a variety of ways to call people to Himself. 

Last week we ended with what seemed like a tragedy-the first martyr of the young church. But what we see today is that this has not only not stopped the advance of the gospel, it actually propels it.

While the believers had already faced persecution from religious leaders and dealt with some internal struggles, things were about to take a turn for the worse. The opposition they were about to encounter would be much more intense.

This story serves as a timeless template or pattern for how the church should manage the demands of a growing ministry.

The story of Ananias & Sapphira is one of the most alarming stories in the Bible. Their deception is dealt with by God, causing all who hear of it to be afraid as God purifies His church.