The Gospel > Moralism & Racism - Sermon Recap

I am often asked two questions by those peering in or hanging out around our faith community. They are:

1. "Do people who are sincere and do good go to heaven?" 
2. "Why does The Bridge invest resources and send people to take the gospel to the nations?"

This past Sunday I sought to answer both of these questions straight from our text in Acts 10. Below is an overview of the teaching. To listen to it in its entirety visit http://www.bridgelife360.com and grab the podcast  or video on Tuesday. 

Question 1: Do sincere people who do good go to heaven?

I contend that the default religion being taught by our society today is that good people who are sincere in their efforts are those who go to heaven. We are taught this at funerals, on television, on radio, in sports culture, and via social media.What does the Bible say in regards to this teaching? It is important for us to see what Cornelius was as well as what he was not to answer this question.

Text: Acts 10:1-23a
And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” - Acts 10:22 (ESV)

Cornelius was:

• A military man
• A virtuous man
• A generous man
• A spiritual man
• A respected man

Note: He was a god-fearer. He was sympathetic to the Jewish faith but not a proselyte. He had a positive experience with the Jewish faith and respected what he knew. All the Jewish people in turn loved him even though he wasn't a convert. But...

Cornelius was not:

• A saved man

While he had all these admirable qualities, he was still a lost man in need of being found.

Four Passages That Bring Clarity
A. Acts 11:14 - Cornelius needed the Gospel message to be saved.
B. Acts 10:43 - Forgiveness of sins comes via belief in Jesus
C. Acts 2:5,37-38 - Peter didn't tell these devout men to just keep doing what they were doing, but to repent.
D. Acts 11:18 - It takes repentance to have life (salvation)

Answer to #1 = No, our good and sincere work alone does not save us.
Implication = If Cornelius needs salvation via the Gospel, so do you.

However, there will be non-Christians that are very like-able, who do virtuous things, that we should show love and gratitude for. This is due to God's common grace. I prefer to call it God's restraining grace. While humanity is totally affected by sin, we are not as bad as we could be because of God's restraining or common grace. If we do not see this as a possibility, we can become hyper-conservative and very unloving people. We can become very unlike Jesus.

Two types of non-Christians in need of Jesus:

1. There are bad and nasty people who need Jesus. 
2. There are honest, spiritual, and compassionate people who are not Christians and need Jesus.

While we need to see what Cornelius was to guard against hyper-conservatism. We also need to see what Cornelius was not to guard against liberalism. He was not a saved man. And while the default religion in America says if you are sincere and do your best you get in. The Gospel proclaims you must repent and have faith in Jesus to receive salvation. To leave this out is to miss the gospel. We must not miss the GOSPEL.

Question 2: Why do we invest resources & send people to take the gospel to the nations?

Text: Acts 10:23b-29
And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. – Acts 10:28 (ESV)

• Peter’s vision in the text is about food, but his interpretation is about people
• There is no one on the basis of their skin color, ethnic heritage, language, or nationality that is untouchable by God
• Therefore, they must not be untouchable by us.

Answer to #2 = There are people being prepared by God in every ethnic people group to
hear the Gospel message
Implication #1 = Christians must have no part in renewed racism
Implication #2 = Christians must never think any race or ethnic group are unfit to hear the
gospel message from them

May we never think that someone is too unclean for us to go into their house and share the gospel with. May we never think to ourselves, or mumble to others, that "they" are not worth evangelizing. And may we never declare because "they" have offensive habits we will never go near them.

Truth: God has always planned for the nations.

Also see Genesis 22:18 and Psalm 67. 

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. – Malachi 1:11

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” - Revelation 5:9-10

God declared persons clean. There is no room for racism in heaven.

Our non-white,  middle eastern looking, Jewish Jesus went to the cross and purchased a people from every race, nation, tribe, and language.

God is saving people from all over the world via the gospel. Maybe it is you today? Maybe you have been like Cornelius and open to God and sympathetic to the faith, but today it makes sense. It makes sense that it wasn't good enough for Cornelius to be decent, compassionate, and generous because you can see the dark places of your own heart that others cannot.   And although you can still pull off "good" work,  you know your sin. You know you cannot merit God's salvation. You know that sin must be cleansed. Repent and turn to Jesus in faith.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7, ESV)

Listen to past sermons at http://www.bridgepodcast.com

Watch past sermons at http://www.bridgechurchonline.tv