This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for a Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage.

We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. But look what he says down here in verse 41, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people. Did you know that command that came from the book of Matthew chapter 28?

And he says, and teaching them, all things whatsoever I have commanded you. So the command that Christ gave to His disciples was to be passed on to those that they reached, and on to those that they reached. Did you know that you, you, you are commanded by God to witness? Now you may not, but you’re commanded. Like it or not, I didn’t write the book. I’m just telling you what it says. You and I are under a command. We have been entrusted with the gospel.

Now, let me make sure you understand this. We have Peter who works for us here in the ministry. We got James that works for us here in the ministry. Did you know that all those people that James leads to the Lord, he don’t get all the credit for that? You see why? Because we pay him. All those that gets on Friday night, so winning, he don’t get credit for all of those. We pay him. But you see why we want to pay these guys?

Because they have fruit that abounds to our account. That’s why we do it for missionaries. We want soul winners because it puts fruit to your account. You, when you get to heaven, if you support this church, you’re supporting those soul winning efforts. Because simply, if James didn’t win people the Lord, I’d probably fire him. But he is a soul winner. Well, that was kind of strong. You’re a place where you say, Martin, I’m a preacher. I’ll get on the ball.

But I want him to do what he’s doing because I know that when he leads people to the Lord, he’s doing it because he’s got the time to do it. And we make it possible. And because he does such a wonderful job, we know that there’s going to be fruit that to the people who support this ministry. And whenever they go out on Friday night, so went in. You know, they wouldn’t be doing that if Peter didn’t have and got that thing started.

And you think about all those people. Or we have all those people who trust the Lord because of the radio. And just like this morning we had this guy come in here who trusts the Lord from listening to Hank on the radio. Years ago back in the 80s, I think he said, how many of those guys are out there? How many are out there? Did you know all those people who gave and supported the ready of ministry? There’s fruit that abounds to their account.

So that’s why when you give, you’re given to a soul winning ministry because we’ve got soul winners here. And that’s what makes it so important. And you’re not wasting your time, you’re not wasting your money. And even though you may give sacrificially and you have a lot of time, you don’t have a lot to give, but you do it and you’re faithful in doing it. And yet there’ll be people that will be in heaven because of what you did.

You made it possible. And I think it’s worthy to note that and to give you credit for that. But Lewity says they’re in verse 43, to him give all the prophets witness. That through his name, whosoever believe it in him shall receive remission of sins. Isn’t that a wonderful verse? That is a power hovers. This is what the Old Testament prophets talked about. About the one that was going to come. You see the word Christ meant the one that was going to make the payment for sin.

He was to be the sacrifice, the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And so when he came and he died on the cross, paid for the sins of the world, you and I can have eternal life. And it says in verse 44, while Peter yet spaked these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them, which heard the word. That means those who heard, he that have ears to hear, let him hear. And so this is to those who did hear.

They heard it, they believed. Because you’ll see over there in the following verse, that those that believed it in verse 17 of chapter 11, he says, for as much than is God gave them the light gift as He did unto us, who did what? Who believed? So then we know that over there it’s because they believed the word that they heard. And it says, and they were indwelled and they spoke in languages. They spoke in tongues. And the word unknown is not mentioned here.

In verse 45 it says, and they of the circumcision, that’s those Jewish guys who came along with Peter to the household of Cornelius. And so the circumcision is to the Jews. And so here’s the six Jews that went along and they heard them speak. They understood. And it says there, they are the circumcision which believed, so these were believers, were astonished as many as came with Peter, those were the Jewish one. Because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

See, this is the same thing that happened on the day of Pentecost. And it was to convince the unbelieving Jews. Here was some Jews who were already saved but didn’t believe. The Gentiles could have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or that they were supposed to reach them. There’s so much God had to teach them. And when they heard, they believed that they had also been granted the gift of eternal life. And it says that in chapter 11. verse forty-six and they heard them speak with tongues languages and magnify God.

So they not only heard they knew what they were saying and they knew that they were magnifying the Lord about whatever was saying. But it was the evidence or the proof that these Jews needed to know and hear. And remember tongues was always for a sign. It was not a sign to the person that did the speaking. It was the one that was a sign to the one that was doing the hearing of what they were saying. So he says here in verse 47, can any man forbid water that they should not be baptized?

So evidently somewhere along the line they had to cover that issue. True, it doesn’t say that, but evidently it did. But if you look there in chapter 10 and you’ll notice where it talks about John the Baptist in verse 37, that word I say you know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached. And so if they listen and they heard the message to John preached, he baptized with water. Now take your Bible, hold it right here.

But turn over there to the book of John in chapter 7, John and chapter 7. And you notice there’s a verse there, verse 39, where it makes a statement that on the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come in the me and drink. And as the scripture hath saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him, should receive.

So look up there in verse 39, but this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him, should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. So whenever they did believe it, now it says that they were in dwelt, received the Holy Spirit. And then they were water baptized. Now this is with the Apostle Peter. Now when you talk about the Apostle Paul, it’s even still in the book of Acts in chapter 19, where the Apostle Paul is still doing it the other way.

And there’s a reason, but we don’t have time for that now. We’ll get into chapter 19 a little bit later, but go back there now to the book of Acts in chapter 10. He says. What does hinder us from baptizing them? In verse 47, can any man forbid water that they should not be baptized, which, and here’s these two words you need to underline it in your Bible. This past tense, have received the Holy Ghost as well as we.

Just like us Jews, these Gentiles have received the Holy Ghost. So you see, John the Baptist would baptize in water, saying, you need to believe on him who comes after me. Who sure that’s just, I’m not worthy to even bow down in Tyseus. He’s coming after me, but he is going to baptize you as the holy ghost. But I’m baptizing you with water. But I’m doing this because you believe the message that I preach about believing on him whom God hath sent.

So when they believed that message, they were baptized in water. But being baptized in water is a picture of your death, burial and resurrection. So when you believe that Christ, the Messiah is going to do this for you. You believe that and you are baptized in water. But it was a picture of the Holy Spirit baptism that they were going to receive later. So now after the cross here we are we trust Christ as our Savior. We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.

The very moment you trust the Lord. And wheneverSHIP that happens then God says we should be baptized in water. So this is the sequence that’s used here. They heard the word and they believed it. And they were baptized by the Holy Spirit and then baptized in water. So he says here in verse 48, and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Being baptized in the name of the Lord, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, it had been baptized name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I always used the three names when I baptized somebody. But anyway, the issue was not over. There was still a problem. When they got back to Jerusalem, there were some people there that had a problem with Peter going to a household of Cornelius, a Gentile. So in verse 1, and the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that that the Gentiles had also received the Word389 of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they, that were of the circumcision, the Jews, contended with him.

In the words, who do you think you are? What do you think you’re doing? In other words, they faced him with this issue. Don’t you know that Jews don’t do this? So now he has to tell what happened again. he says in verse three saying, thou wenteth in two men, uncircumcised, though gentile, and did eat with them. See those two things. But Peter in verse four rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order unto them and said, so now he’s starting at the beginning again and he got to go through everything all over again.

Now whether or not he says more and explains more than what we do in the other places. We don’t know, but we’re told enough to get the understanding. Don’t always try to understand everything and try to make something out of everything in the scriptures that’ll blow your mind. If you can even just skim the surface, it’s more than you can handle. I assure you. But he makes a statement here in verse five, I was in the city of Japa praying, minding my own business on my house top in my own house.

And in a train, I say I had a dog that wasn’t in there. That’s not in the original. And in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descend as it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. And it came even to me. Upon the witch when I had fastened my eyes, I considered and saw four-footed beast of the earth, wild beast, and creeping things and foul of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me a rise, Peter, slay and eat.

But I said, not so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven. What God hath cleansed, that call thou not common. And this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.” You see, this illustration is where those Jews that he was trying to explain this to, this is where they were. Not so Lord. And he says, God had to teach me by this example.

How do you think they were ever going to fulfill the Great Commission if somewhere along the line they didn’t believe that those outside the realm of Judaism was acceptable? you into all the world and preach to the gospel only to the Jews. Somewhere along the line, something hadn’t connected yet, but Lord we’re working with him. And so he says in verse 11, Behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

And the Spirit bade me, go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover, these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house. And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, send men to Japa and call for Simon, who, sir, name is Peter. Do you see why in this transition period between the dispensation of law and the dispensation of grace, God had to intervene in a special way and perform miracles and angels had to come and people had to go into the transfer because nobody had ever done what God wanted done.

God was having to work on these individuals. God had to establish some things so that they would believe that what He said was true. Otherwise, you probably never would have left. Do you realize what God had to do to Jonah just to get him to go to Nineveh? So He says here, verse 14, who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. It’s by the words. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

You see, you say, well I just want to live my life in front of people. Well that’s called lifestyle evangelism. The only thing is wrong with it is it doesn’t work. It doesn’t tell a man how to go to heaven. I don’t care how holy you live. How much money you give. How much you pray. Nobody can get saved by watching how you live. They They still don’t know about Christ. They won’t know about His death on the cross.

They won’t know about His resurrection. They don’t know about the power of forgiveness that can have eternal life. How can they know all about by watching a man how he lives? Faith cometh by hearing. He that heareth my Word and believe it on him that sin has everlasting life. So He said, we preach the Word in verse 15, and as I begin to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us, as on us, the Jews at the beginning.

The first time this ever happened was on the day of Pentecost. So that’s why it’s the baptism of the Jews and also the Gentiles. When we talk about, and it makes a statement in the book of Romans in chapter 1 and verse 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believed to the Jew first and also to the Greek. I believe that my goal in life is not to the Jew first.

I believe that what God is saying that he’s already went to the Jew first. He came onto his own and his own received him not. He went to them again in the book of Acts and Stephen was stoned. They still rejected. So yes, they did go to the Jew first in Jerusalem and and in Judea, and even in Samaria. And even when the Apostle Paul became the preacher to the Gentiles, everywhere he went he would always go to the synagogue and then afterwards he went to the Gentiles.

You see, you and I, I don’t believe that I have a command from God. It’s to the black man first, and then the Hispanic, and then the Indians, and then the white man. No. It’s not to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. No, it was to the Jew first, but now it’s also to the Gentiles. So I believe that I am not a respected person. I don’t give the man as a Jew, an Arab, an Indian, Spanish.

I don’t care what he is. If I get an opportunity to talk to him, I just I didn’t want to talk to them about the Lord. Nothing else matters. Cause I don’t think we are supposed to be a respecter of persons. We should love the world just like God does. Be willing to reach anybody and everybody any way we can. Sorry, he made this statement here. In verse 16, then remember I have the word of the Lord. How that he said, John indeed baptize with water, He shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

This is because He heard him say this in Acts 1, right before the day of Pentecost. And so this is a fulfillment of not only what happened on the day of Pentecost, but also now with the Gentiles. Hold your place right here and look there in the 1 Corinthians in chapter 12. 1 Corinthians and chapter 12. 1 Corinthians and chapter 12 and look there in verse 13.

Verse 13 says, 4 by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit. So we have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. So God is taking believing Jews and believing Gentiles and put them together and forms the church. So wonderful thing. Now go back there to these last two verses in Acts chapter 11.

For as much then as God gave them the light gift, as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I should withstand God? This is a statement to these ones that wanted to contend with Him. Because, see, God had to do a work in these Jewish people’s minds because of how they were thinking and their tradition. And then he says in verse 18, when they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God.

Say, and then half God, also to the Gentiles, granted repentance on the life. Granted is past tense. And up there who believed is past tense. So they had already believed it and received it and had been given eternal life. Just take very quickly before we close. Look in the book of Acts chapter 15, chapter 15, because the question came down about the Jews and the Gentiles. And they were saying that we need to put those Gentiles underneath the Jewish law and make them keep the law and to be circumcised.

So in says in verse 7, and when there had been much disputing, Peter, Peter, rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel. So we know that when Peter went, he preached to them the gospel. And what else? And believe in verse 8, and God, which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us Jews.

And get this verse down, put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts and you ought to underline these two words by faith. And then get this in verse 10. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke of works upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. They had the law for 1500 years and never kept the law. Why would you want to put that upon the necks of the disciples and try to get the Gentiles to live as do the Jews when the Jews couldn’t live good enough for it?

So in Zest in verse 11, verse 11 you ought to land in your Bible, but we believe that through the grace of our our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, as Jews, we shall be saved even as they, just like the Gentiles. I love the way that’s turned around. But anyway, I believe the book is clear, it’s simple. And I don’t think it’s that hard and complicated to understand. But as you go through this, doesn’t it seem like this whole thing is about the gospel?

It’s about witnessing? People trusting the Lord? It’s like that’s all it’s about. But you know, unless you’re strong in the Lord, you’re not going to stay about this because it’s natural for man. You ever heard of the Second Law of Thermodynamics? Everything has a tendency of running down toward disorder and chaos. Did you know without a special effort and a strength from the Lord your life will easily go downhill? And after a while, you won’t even know who you are, what you are, what you’re supposed to be doing, and you’d be surprised how your whole life can be totally changed from the dedication that you have at this moment.

The devil can work on you. And buddy, he does he ever work. This hand represents you and me. The Bible says that God loves us and there’s no difference. We’re all the same, he’s not a respecter of persons. The Lord says that God loves us. He’s not a respecter of persons. The Lord says that we’ve all sinned. We’ve all done things wrong. We cannot save ourselves by our works. We need a Savior. To go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God.

I’d have to be forgiven of all of my sins because to pay for it, if I pay for them I go to hell. So if God can forgive me and not hold me accountable, well then I’d get to go to heaven. So God says you cannot earn your way to heaven. You need a Savior. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in the flesh. He came into the world and He didn’t have any sin, so He didn’t have to die.

But because He was the lamb, sent into the world without spot, without blemish, He took all of the sins of all the world upon Himself. And God allowed His Son to die for our sins. He came back again from the dead and says, all that we have to do is if we’ll believe that He did it for us. He would put that payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

Let’s pray, shall we? Every head bowed and every act closed, no one looking around. If you’re here tonight, maybe you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. I want you to know God does love you. He doesn’t love you anymore or any less, but he does love you. But why not right now if you’ve never done so, or if you’re listening by internet tonight? Would you trust the Lord? Believe that He died and paid for your sins, will you trust Him to take you to heaven when you die?

God said if you would believe that, it would give you the free gift of eternal life. Never cast you out and never lose you. And if you’re making that decision, I’d like to have prayer for you. I can’t save you. in your hand won’t save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you. And you say in preacher that made sense to me and I believe it. I believe Christ died from me. And I’m going to trust Him to take me to heaven.

If you’ve never done it and you’ll do it right now, would you just slip your hand very quickly and put a right back down? Is there anyone at all? You and I that have trusted Christ as our Savior, you see the joy that we can have. That’s why whenever they tell us a report about the Friday night, so when you ought to be so happy, you just made another deposit into your account. When James leads somebody to the Lord or anybody else in this ministry, when you lead people to Christ because in this ministry, by our encouraging one another, we pass on our tracks, we buy books, we sell CDs, we try to get the gospel into the hands of anybody we can, there’s fruit being placed into your account as though you did it.

So you didn’t have to always do it, but you make it possible. Father, thank you so much for this church and these people who see and understand this. Bless each one. We thank you for all you’ve done for us in Christ’s name. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free.

1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, Just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.