I love the Book of Acts! It has everything—miracles, dramatic conversions, intense persecution, and the unstoppable power of God. Just look at what has already happened in the first nine chapters:
- Over 8,000 people have come to faith in Jesus Christ and been baptized.
- Miraculous healings have taken place.
- Prayer meetings have literally shaken buildings.
- Prison breaks orchestrated by angels.
- The early believers are united in mission.
- More healings.
- People drop dead for lying to the Holy Spirit.
- The first deacons are appointed.
- Stephen is stoned for his faith.
- An Ethiopian eunuch is converted and baptized.
- Saul (Paul), once a fierce persecutor, is personally converted by Jesus and called as an apostle to the Gentiles.
- And that’s just the first nine chapters!
Acts is the incredible story of how Christianity, which started with a small, seemingly insignificant group of people, became a movement that changed the world. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, these believers did extraordinary things that continue to shape history today.
The Power of Small Beginnings
Small movements, when fueled by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, lead to huge transformations.
Think about the Mississippi River. It begins as a small trickle, seemingly unimportant. But as it flows, it gathers strength, growing into a mighty force that empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit is responsible for the transformational work in people’s lives—both then and now.
So far in Acts, we’ve seen the Holy Spirit:
- Teach patience
- Demonstrate convicting power
- Heal the sick
- Guide and anoint people for ministry
- All for the glory of God.
That’s why Acts is more than just “The Acts of the Apostles.” It’s really the Acts of the Holy Spirit—or the Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus working through His people.
Peter and Cornelius: A Divine Encounter
Our story today brings us to Peter as he encounters a Gentile named Cornelius.
Cornelius was a centurion in the Italian regiment—meaning he commanded 100 soldiers in a unit of 600 men. He was an important figure. More significantly, he was not Jewish.
Acts 10 describes Cornelius as “God-fearing.” This suggests that he had turned away from Roman gods and was seeking the one true God—perhaps because he had witnessed God’s work among the Jewish people and the early followers of Jesus.
Whenever people seek God, they seek truth. And in seeking truth, they are searching for meaning.
Cornelius found that meaning in the God of Israel—the God who came to us in Jesus Christ.
Luke’s Message: Breaking Barriers
Luke, the author of both the Gospel of Luke and Acts, repeatedly calls attention to people society would normally overlook or exclude.
But it’s not just the poor, the sick, or the outcasts Luke wants us to notice. He also highlights those whose lives need transformation through the Holy Spirit’s grace—including people of status and power.
This means that as followers of Jesus, we are called to pay attention to all people, including those we might naturally dislike or disregard.
A perfect example of this is found in the angel’s conversation with Cornelius:
“One day at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’”
(Acts 10:3-6, NIV)
Here, the Holy Spirit is preparing the way for the Gospel to expand beyond the Jewish community. But to do this, He must first transform another person—Peter.
Peter’s Transformation: Overcoming Prejudice
Peter was a pillar of the early Church. A strong leader. A man others looked up to.
But Peter still had internal prejudices to overcome.
He needed his eyes opened to see the world—and people—the way God sees them.
So the Spirit gave Peter a vision…
While waiting for a meal, Peter went up to the flat rooftop of the house to pray.
Here, he had a vision:
A sheet came down from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals. A voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
Peter, being a devout Jew, refused. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
But the voice responded: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
This vision happened three times—reinforcing that God was changing the way Peter saw the world.
As Peter tried to process what it all meant, there was a knock at the door.
Cornelius’ men had arrived.
And because of that vision, Peter did something no self-respecting Jew would normally do—he invited the Gentile men into the house as his guests.
How God Speaks to Us
Has God ever given you a vision or an experience that changed your life?
God speaks to us in ways we will understand.
Peter needed a vision to prepare him for what was coming next: taking the message of Jesus to the Gentiles.
This moment in Acts 10 is a turning point.
The Gospel is now reaching the ends of the earth—just as Jesus said in Acts 1:8.
This is only possible because Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, breaks down barriers that divide us.
The Power of the Gospel to Unite
A missionary once told the story of officiating a communion service in Africa.
Seated beside him was an old Ngoni chief who could still remember the days when his warriors left behind a trail of burned villages, their spears red with blood, their enemies’ women taken as captives.
Who were the tribes they had once ravaged?
The Senga and Tumbuka people.
And yet, at this communion service, Ngoni, Senga, and Tumbuka all sat side by side, their past conflicts erased in the love of Jesus Christ.
Christianity has always had the power to break barriers.
And it still does—if we let it.
What Barriers Need to Be Broken?
What barriers does God need to tear down in your life so that His mission can continue through you?
What vision is God giving you to move forward in faith?
Just think—God is using you to be an influencer for His kingdom’s glory!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (You can also ask your own questions or begin a discussion starter)
- What stands out to you in this scripture? In other words, what is the Holy Spirit impressing on you to notice?
- What did the early church/apostles do in this scripture? How do you see Jesus working in this picture? How can you translate this for today?
- How is our church mission and culture the same from the early church mission and culture? How is it different?
- What challenges you in this scripture? Why? How might the Spirit be leading you?
- Take time to pray about what the Spirit is leading you to do. Are you being led to do something within or through this church because of the Spirit’s word in this scripture? What would that look like? How could you begin?
- What can you do, today, to be more in tune with the Spirit’s leading in this passage?
HOMEWORK: CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE “TRANSFORMATION 1:8” BOOK CHALLENGE
R Y A N S T R A T T O N 