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Todays Sermon Starter


      B.      The Apostle Paul recognizes three categories of people. “Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32).
         1.      The Jews constitute a separate definitive group of people whom God has chosen, who rejected His Messiah, who will suffer for it, and who will one day recognize Him whom they rejected (Matt. 23:37–39).
           a)      The Bible will be totally confusing to its student if there is no distinction made between the Jews and the other two groups, the Gentiles, and the church of God.
           b)      No matter how hard nations have tried to destroy the Jewish people and the Jewish nation, they have survived.
           c)      Today they have their own nation, though in unbelief toward the Messiah; but the day is coming when the Israel that will be at that time shall all be saved (Rom. 11:26). Israel is the only nation of the world that is indestructible, and it is distinguished from any other nation.
         2.      The Gentiles include all other races and nations besides the Jews.
           a)      They are sometimes called the Greeks in distinction from the Jews (Rom. 1:16; 2:9, 10; 3:9; 10:12).
           b)      Their history and ultimate destination is outlined in the Scriptures in distinction from the Jews.
         3.      The church of God is made up of all who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior. In Jesus Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek or Gentile (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11; 1 Cor. 12:13).
           a)      No Jew can claim that when saved he constitutes a special church, making himself part of the Messianic church. There is only one church—the church of God.
           b)      The Gentiles do not have to conform to the Jewish rites when they become members of the church of God in and through Christ (Acts 15:7–9; ch. 10 and 11, and particularly 11:15, 16).

          II.      God Is Not a Respecter of Persons
      A.      The Greek word for respecter of persons is prosōpolḗptēs. It is the only place in the New Testament that this word is used.
         1.      Prosōpolḗptēs and the noun prosōpolēmpsía, partiality, (used in Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; James 2:1) are derived in part from the word prósōpon, face, what is easily seen through the eye, countenance.
           a)      God does not look at you as you appear on the outside, but as you are inside.
           b)      Your skin may be a different color, your customs may be different, your way of life may be contrary to the way of life of others, but He looks inside of you and He sees that you have human blood and you can only be saved through the blood of the Lord Jesus.
         2.      The second word from which these nouns are derived is the verb lambánō, which means to take, to welcome.
           a)      This means that God is not going to welcome you because of your outward appearance, giving preference to you because you are white, or black, or because you are Jew or Gentile, or because you are free or a slave (1 Cor. 12:13).
           b)      He looks at the heart and the hearts of men are all sinful (Rom. 3:23).
      B.      The Jews cannot claim any preference insofar as God is concerned, about their salvation.
         1.      “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as father, for I tell you that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham” (Matt. 3:9).
         2.      After his resurrection, the Lord Jesus gave the great commission to carry the Gospel unto all nations (Matt. 28:19). Also, in Acts 1:8, “Unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
      C.      Peter, who stood for the Jewish traditions to be held by the Gentile believers, for a time had failed to see that the middle wall or partition between Jew and Gentile was broken down in Christ as Paul came to see (Eph. 1:13–18).
         1.      God had to speak directly to Peter to persuade him of the breaking down of the wall of partition when he was in Joppa (Acts 10:19; 10:23, 45; 11:12).
         2.      “But unto me (Peter speaking) God showed that I should not call any man common or unclean” (Acts 10:28). Here Peter was speaking concerning the Gentiles.
         3.      Peter finally accepts the new truth of Gentile freedom.
           a)      The Apostles and the brethren in all Judea heard the wonderful news “that even the Gentiles received the word of God” (Acts 11:1).
           b)      No effort was made to make them Jews.
           c)      There was rejoicing over this new step.
         4.      On Peter’s return to Jerusalem, the party of the circumcision, a Pharisaic group in the church there (15:5), were greatly displeased and challenged Peter, not about his preaching or the conversion of the Gentiles, but over his breach of Jewish custom in going into the house of Gentiles and eating with them (Acts 11:3).
           a)      Peter saw the gravity of the situation and told them the story of God’s dealing with him at Joppa and in Caesarea, and called the six Jewish brethren from Joppa to witness to the accuracy of his report (Acts 11:12), how the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles while he was preaching. He showed that it was God’s doing and not his.
           b)      Acts 11:18 makes it final, “Well, then, even to the Gentiles did God give repentance unto life.”
         5.      In Jerusalem Peter bodily takes his stand for liberty for the Gentiles (Acts 15:7–11).
           a)      At Antioch the wavering of Peter received a sharp rebuke from Paul (Gal. 2:11–13).
           b)      It does not seem, however, that this indicated Peter’s change of convictions, but rather his cowardice.


Spiros Zodhiates, Sermon Starters : Volumes 1-4 (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1998).

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