Lord of All 2021 06 1
Acts 10:34 – 43
Race is a human invention, based on the flawed philosophical concept that all living creatures evolved from some fortuitous accident that happened billions of years ago in a pool of slime. Such a word applied to people to describe their differences in appearance almost as if they were different species is horribly and tragically flawed. It can and has led to all manner of horrific events in human history, including the holocaust in Europe. But while that one is easy to remember for many because of its constant publicity over the years, it is only one of many.
Right here in Canada, in the past couple of weeks, Canadians and indeed, people paying attention to the news around the world, have been horrified by the reports of the remains of 215 First Nations children being B.C. They were “disposable” because they were a “lesser race,” according to the Theory of Evolution.
In fact, the Roman Catholic Church, who ran many of the residential schools, told the children, some of whom are now my age and have given me their personal accounts, that they were a lesser race, not worth as much as the white “race.” How awful to think that an organization that claims to be Christian would thus imply that our Saviour, a Jew, was part of a lesser race because he wasn’t white! But this only proves that simply saying you are a Christian doesn’t make you one, for the Bible says, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:8. It is terribly unloving to see one person as better than another!
The Bible does not even use the term, “race,” as applied to people. There is only one race, and that is the human race. There are nations, and people groups and ethnic groups, and people of many different colours, shapes, sizes and features, but one human race, created by God in the beginning, in the image of God, and one God, who is Lord of all.
Acts 10:34 – 43
Peter had just learned a very important lesson from God, that no man should be called common or unclean. While under the law, the Jews were to remain separate from the Gentiles – in other words, set apart by God, or holy. This was not because they were better than anyone else. God has always said He is no respecter of persons. But he separated the Hebrew people to show that there is to be a difference between those who belong to God and those who do not. Those who belong to God are supposed to live a life that shows great respect and reverence to God. In the days before Jesus Christ came to Earth, God worked exclusively through the Hebrew people. This did not exclude others from becoming believers, but they were proselytes of the Jews, embracing the Jewish faith as their own. Even still, they had to worship in the Court of the Gentiles at the temple, separated from the Jews by a wall.
In Christ, the middle wall of partition, the wall between the Court of Israel and the Court of the Gentiles has been taken down. There is no difference in the sight of God between any human being and another. Christ is lord of all.
I God Has No Favourites
- Peter, who had been taught his entire life that his “race” was better than all other “races” learned that God doesn’t see any difference. “Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”
- God does not care what nation a person comes from; He has no favourites. “For there is no respect of persons with God.” Romans 2:11
- Everyone who has repented toward God and put his or her faith in Jesus Christ is accepted by Him. Our Creator loves us all with a perfect and everlasting love. The Bible says that God is love.
II God is Lord of All
- God is Lord of all. His redeeming word, which was first sent to Israel by the preaching of Jesus Christ, is His Word for all people. “For God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
III God’s Word is Peace
- God is Lord of all. His word is peace for all who will accept it. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Creator, they announced that He was bringing peace on earth, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.” Luke 2:14
- Jesus came preaching peace – not peace as the world understands it, but peace between God and man. All who put their faith in Jesus Christ are born again, becoming children of God.
- It doesn’t matter what your skin colour is, it doesn’t matter where in the world you come from, it doesn’t matter where your ancestors come from, nor does it matter what religion your family practiced.
- Jesus Christ is Lord of all. All who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour are forgiven for all their sins and have everlasting life. That’s what we mean by “saved.” You are saved from the penalty due for not meeting God’s standard and you are given eternal life.
- Jesus came preaching peace – not peace as the world understands it, but peace between God and man. All who put their faith in Jesus Christ are born again, becoming children of God.
- As Christians, we call one another “brother” and “sister” because we are all part of the family of God and equal.
- This word began to be preached after John the Baptist preached in the wilderness, and was preached everywhere from Galilee to Judaea, accompanied by great signs and miracles.
IV God’s Word to All
- God wants people everywhere to know who Jesus Christ is, what He did, and why He came.
- Cornelius would have heard all about the miracles of Jesus, as Caesarea was very close to Galilee.
- He would have heard how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, because God was with Him.
- Peter and the apostles were eyewitnesses of all the things that Jesus did, and also of those who crucified Him.
- They were eyewitnesses of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
- Those who were chosen by God to be witnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ (there were more than 500), ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
- Jesus commanded the apostles to tell everyone everywhere about Him and to testify that Jesus Christ was ordained by God to be the judge of both the living and the dead (verse 42).
- All the prophets of the Old Testament also give witness that through the name of Jesus, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sin (verse 43).
Conclusion
Jesus Christ is God our Creator, according to John 1:1 – 4, and according to John 1:10 – 13, He is our Saviour, too! God doesn’t do criminal background checks! Jesus is Lord of whosoever will receive Him as his or her Saviour. Citizenship doesn’t matter. Religious background doesn’t matter. Origin doesn’t matter. Skin colour doesn’t matter. Jesus Christ is Lord of all! Amen!