"A Simple Presentation into The Book of ACTS" - Chapter #10, Part 2 - Bro. John "Ernie" Perez

Class is in session as we continue our study with Bro. Ernie into The Book of ACTS, Chapter 10, Part 2.  Get your notebooks, your pens and let's open the Word!

An angel tells a Roman centurion that his prayers are remembered in heaven, yet he still needs to hear what he “ought” to do. That tension drives one of the most important moments in the Book of Acts, and we slow down in Acts 10 to see why God chooses to send Peter, not the angel, with the life-changing message Cornelius is missing.

We trace the story from Peter’s stay in Joppa at Simon the tanner’s house to the knock at the gate that turns a private vision into a public turning point. Peter obeys the Spirit’s command to go “doubting nothing” even while he’s still sorting out what the vision means, and that becomes a practical lesson on Christian discipleship, prophetic guidance, and walking by faith without demanding every detail up front. Along the way we talk about how God can speak in specifics, how people can do good things while still needing the right response, and why a house full of listeners matters when the gospel is about to expand.

When Peter finally enters Cornelius’ home in Caesarea, the moment gets even more personal: Cornelius falls at Peter’s feet, and Peter immediately refuses worship. That one scene opens a needed conversation about humility in ministry, healthy respect versus unhealthy pedestal-building, and why spiritual gifts and titles never replace a believer’s direct relationship with the Holy Spirit. We also connect Acts 10 to real-world evangelism, influence, and relationship building, because most people don’t move from hearing to listening until they’ve seen love, consistency, and Jesus on display in everyday life.

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Transcript

Welcome And Acts 10 Recap

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Good morning, so we are continuing our study into the Book of Acts, and we're in chapter 10, part two. Very excited to get into this, but I do want to recognize we've got the class here today. We've got Sister Anne, Sister Audience, and then we've got Sister Patty back there, Sister, Sister Joyce, Sister Tammy, Sister Sandy, and Sister Helen today. All right, so we're all here, we're all in class and we're ready to go. So, brother, can you just kind of go give us our recap this week and then we will continue the lesson?

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Okay, what we had done so far, reading through Acts chapter 10, we've we've come to the place where the Apostle Peter has been staying in the coastal city of Joppa. He's been ministering there for how long we're not certain. But he had been called there by the saints to pray for a lady named Tabitha, or Dorcas is her, I believe Tabitha is her Aramaic name or Hebrew name, Dorcas is Greek name. She had died of an illness, and she had been an integral part of the church in Joppa. And Peter had been called to come and pray for her, and when he did, God raised her from the dead. And this miracle became well known and impacted many souls and brought many souls to Christ. So they were having a period of real ingathering. We like to call that revival, but revival means that someone was alive and you brought them back. So that's just become cultural for us. We have a revival. We're saying, oh, new souls are coming to Christ. But that's really an evangelistic service. But culturally, we call it a revival. Now, Peter remained in Joppa there, and he was staying. He got an Airbnb by the sea with a man named Simon, who was by trade a tanner. Now, I don't know if that means he was a taxidermist in that day or if he just tanned hides of animals to make them suitable for human use, for clothing, for covering windows, making tents, whatever. But he he was a tanner. So he was a tradesman, self-employed businessman. And

Cornelius And The Angel's Message

SPEAKER_00 3:27

while Peter is staying there, further up the coast in Caesarea, there is a Gentile named Cornelius. He is an Italian and a Roman centurion. That means he is a military officer of high rank. He's a Roman centurion who has been seeking God. So in my mind, he's either a proselyte or becoming a proselyte. And I actually think as we go through the scripture, we'll see he must be on the way to becoming a proselyte because of how he's being referred to. This man has an angelic visitation. Angel appears before him and informs Cornelius that his prayers have been memorialized in heaven. And when I read that, I never thought of this before, but recently my wife and I went to visit our son in DC. And I went to the Washington Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial, and I read this scripture and see that Cornelius' prayers and offerings have been memorialized in heaven. So does that mean it's taken up space like the Washington Monument? Like the Lincoln Monument? Like the Vietnam Memorial? His prayers and his offerings have so moved the Lord that they have become memorialized in heaven. So take note of these words. If you got your Bible open, go to Acts chapter 10, verse 6. And take note of these words that the angel informs Cornelius that this guy, Peter, you're gonna send for him, and he's gonna tell you what thou oughtst to do. That's an important phrase. That means even though there was a memorial in heaven for the prayers and offerings that he sent up, there was still something he needed to do that he lacked. And God wanted him to have his every need met. But notice the angel didn't tell him what he ought to do. That assignment was given to man, was given to the apostle Peter. Now, this statement by the angel reveals that for all the prayers and offerings stacked up in heaven, Cornelius still has not done what he ought to do in order for his desire to know God to be fulfilled. Everything we can do is a good thing. But just because we're doing a good thing doesn't always mean we've done the right thing. There was nothing wrong with prayers and offerings, but there was something Cornelius didn't know he needed to do, and the angel didn't get the opportunity to tell him that's our opportunity. So, per the instructions of the angel, Cornelius sends three of his most trusted servants, one of them a soldier, to Japa to find Peter. Now the angel gave Cornelius the street address where Peter can be found. He even provided the name of the owner of the house. You can expect God sometimes to speak in specifics. Sometimes he just gives the command. Other times he speaks in specifics. What we want to do is be sensitive to his voice. So when the servants get near the house, they get to Joppa, they get near the house of Simon the Tatter.

Peter's Vision And Unexpected Guests

SPEAKER_00 7:47

Peter is up on top of the house, he's getting hungry, but he hasn't eaten yet. He's up there praying. He has a vision. A vision that prepares him, he doesn't know it yet, to meet these Gentiles. God is preparing him, getting him ready to begin a new chapter in his life and in the history of the church. Now the vision he received from God was to make him understand that the Gentiles were also to receive the gift of salvation. He didn't get it yet. But Peter was learning, he was beginning to learn the meaning for God so loved the world. Because so far the only people evangelized have been Jews, right? Samaritans, mixed race Jews, and one Gentile, Ethiopian eunuch. So let's read now in the book of Acts, beginning at Acts chapter 10, and we're gonna read verse 17 through 32. Now, while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him for Cornelius, from Cornelius, excuse me, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek. What is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man and one that feareth God, and of a good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee to his house and to hear words of thee. And he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up! I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gate saying, as soon as I was sent for. I ask therefore, for what intent ye have sent for me? And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon a Tanner by the seaside, who, when he cometh, shall speak to thee. All

Obedience And Faith Without Details

SPEAKER_00 12:18

right, let's go back and we'll go through what we've read bit by bit and we'll talk about them. Okay? So, rereading now, I'm gonna read verses 17 through 20. Now, while Peter doubted in himself, what this vision, which he had seen, should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the goat, goat, before the gate, and called and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee, arise therefore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. Sorry, let me give you my little commentary now. So Peter really isn't yet making sense of the vision. He's not there yet. But per the instructions of the angel, the people from the home of Cornelius, the two servants and the soldier, are down at the door. They're at the gate, as it were, of the house. Now, we know that Peter had seen this vision three times, and all he knew for sure is that God was trying to teach him something. And each time Peter saw this vision, he saw it three times, he gives impetuous responses to God. God said to him, Rise, slay, and eat. In other words, son, sit down and have some supper. Peter said, I ain't gonna do it. For nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth. I am way too holy for this. I eat kosher. I don't know if he thought God was testing him, but he knew he wasn't gonna eat that unclean food. Now, while this is going on in the mind of Peter, Cornelius' service are at the gate of the house. So I see homes like I've seen maybe in India and some places in Myanmar. Around the whole compound, there is a wall, there's a courtyard, there's a yard, and there are other buildings where they do things, you know. Then there's the house. So I see these guys at the gate and the servants at the gate coming and let Peter know. Well, this is going on in the mind of Peter Cornelis's servants have made it to the gate. This is where the man Simon Peter is supposed to be staying. They're asking for him. Is this the home of Simon the Tanner? Is this the B and B where the uh man Simon Peter is? So of course it is. So Peter is still deep in thought about his vision when he is informed about the men who are looking for him. And the spirit speaks to him to go with these men because God has sent them. Notice he didn't tell Peter exactly what was going to happen when you get there. Let me say this at this point. You can say that the Spirit was making prophetic utterance to the apostle Peter. He didn't give him all the details of what was going to happen next. He required of him obedience. Prophecy does not come forth to make us experts on the future, but to encourage us, to give us wisdom, to give us strength for the battle, courage, to keep us informed in our journey that we are doing the right thing. If God sent us a prophet every day to tell us what to buy, where to go, what to do, why would we need to be led by faith? So the ministry of prophets and apostles, as powerful and as wonderful as it is, is not to take the place of walking by faith. It's not to remove that. All right, so we're gonna read verses 22. Well, let me let me finish. Peter gets verses 21. I am sorry, I'm not quite with it this morning. Here we go, verse 21. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek. What is the cause wherefore ye are come? So Peter goes downstairs from the roof, says to them, I'm the one you're looking for. Why did you come here looking for me? That's my own translation. So understand this. God has already spoken to the apostle, told him, I sent these men, do not doubt why they are why they are here. You're gonna go with him. Yet the first thing Peter says to them is, Why did you come here? Because he's a human being like you and me. And he's filled with curiosity, and he's just had this vision and he doesn't understand it yet. Here we plainly see God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. If you look in the mirror, if you're like me, sometimes I look in the mirror, I don't have to remind myself I'm just a man. Sometimes I look in the mirror, and the first thing I say is, Lord, I don't know that old Gotcher. But the fact is, I am the one who God called. And he is the difference maker, he gets it done. Now, verse 22. And they said, Cornelius the centurion, you know when they dropped that name? Cornelius the centurion. It's like saying Cash Patel, the head of the FBI, has sent me to talk to you. This is my badge. These are my credentials. When you open the door to see them, the first thing you want to know is why? Why you come from and you he gets respect. So it was, they literally name-drop the name Cornelius, and they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a just man, one that feareth God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned, getting used to my new glasses, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear words of thee. Then he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow, Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. Remember, I said he name-dropped, they name-dropped. Cornelius is a Roman centurion. That gives him how much power to act as a military agent, as a policeman, as an emissary of Rome itself. Cornelius sent us here. So everyone at Cornelius' house is waiting for this. They're waiting for him to come. They're on the other end waiting for Peter to come. All right. Bear with me. So these loyal servants explain about their master and his angelic visitation. Therefore, they need Peter to return with them to Caesarea. Everyone at Cornelius' house is waiting to hear from Peter the words of life.

Hosting Gentiles And Taking Witnesses

SPEAKER_00 21:02

So Cornelius' servants are invited in to stay the night in the home of Simon the Tanner. Really? This itself is another sign God is working with these Gentile servants. They are invited to spend the night in the home of a Jew. Let me give you some perspective now. Remember when Jesus told the parable about the good Samaritan? Do you know why that would enrage all the Jews listening? And any Levites or priests standing by? Because Samaritans were considered vile and unclean and unholy. And when the man asked Jesus, who is my neighbor? He said, The Samaritan's your neighbor. You you I I just I just hear fingernails like chalk on the wall. The Samaritan is my neighbor.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:08

You know, and here, these kind of people, they're inviting these Gentiles in to spend the night in the home of a Jew. So when Peter leaves with them, he takes certain brethren, that is, Jewish men. Why? Because hanging out with Gentiles without a valid reason will damage his relationship with Jewish people, the Jewish believers, Jewish people in general. So he took certain brethren with him as his witnesses that they can testify to all that happens. He's

Caesarea Meeting And No Human Worship

SPEAKER_00 22:53

thinking ahead. Gonna read verse 24 through 26. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and their friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man. Okay. On the day they get to Caesarea and enter into the home of Cornelius, a crowd is found waiting for them. Cornelius has called his family and his close friends to his home. And as Peter is entering the house, Cornelius falls down at his feet and starts to worship. Remember, Cornelius has been seeking God. I think he was becoming a proselyte because it doesn't call him a proselyte. I think he's making that journey. And he's getting closer, but he's not there yet. Now, he just had an angel a couple days before appear to him and giving this news. So when he sees Peter, Peter is somebody special, and he falls on the floor. Wow. And worships him. Verse 25, as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, fell down on his feet, and worshiped him. Verse 26, but Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man. Peter lays out the obvious before he explains why he's come. Right? See, you can't worship me. I'm a man just like you. Stand up. For the angels' orders and instructions, this man is come, and so he's come to worship. But he says, Stand up, I'm a man just like you. I don't receive worship. True

Humility In Ministry And Fear Of God

SPEAKER_00 25:09

apostleship.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Is marked by humility. A person tells you, I'm an apostle. I'm a prophet. I'm a pastor. I'm an evangelist. I'm a preacher. I'm the teacher. And has no humility. And their life is spent telling everybody else what to do. Why does God give you the Holy Ghost and the Bible if He doesn't want you to hear His voice? No ministry is a substitute for the Spirit of God and the relationship you build with God, but that ministry is there to help you build it, to help you recognize when God is speaking, to help you find that place of submission and obedience and understanding. But personally, I don't come in here and try to tell you how to live your lives. I depend on you to seek God. Why did God baptize you with the Holy Ghost? So that you can hear His voice. So that His Word can come alive in your heart. That doesn't mean that studying is a bad idea. It's a great idea. You got to get familiar with the Word of God to use it to judge what's going on in your life. I'm starting to preach. I have to get back here. Remember, Cornelius sent for Peter for the angels' instructions. And this greatly impacted Cornelius' attitudes towards Peter. And you know, I think Peter, if it he probably, if he was alive today, would have said, hold on, hold on, hold on, don't do that. Shake my hand. Shake my hand. See, I'm just like you, flesh and blood. We worship the living God, we don't worship people. And if you have a calling to ministry and you anticipate being worshiped, give it up.

unknown 27:42

I don't want that.

SPEAKER_00 27:44

Forget it. I make a poor deity. Okay, I'm a poor excuse for the living God. Worse than a poor excuse. True apostleship is marked by genuine humility. A true servant of God understands God is in charge, and these are his people. If you think you're called to be a shepherd, I had a young man ask me many years ago, stop me at a camp meeting, and said, Brother Ernie, how do you determine who you're going to come and preach for you if you're looking for a guest speaker or for an evangelist? And I said, Brother, I look to see how they treat their wife. He said, You do? I said, Yeah, because the church is the bride of Christ. And if you get froggy with my wife, my bride, we're gonna talk about it.

unknown 28:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

If the church is the bride of Christ, and you are given charge of his bride, how much do you respect her? The law of Moses said to the young man, never uncover your mother's nakedness because that's your father's nakedness. You're shaming your father if you do you, you're doing more than embarrassing her because they too are one flesh. You are embarrassing your father. You are shaming him. The church is the bride of Christ. Who are we? If we're called to service, to serve the bride of Christ, to help her find the place of holiness and righteousness and spiritual success, spiritual prosperity, she's to be known. You know, it's like a man telling his best friend, look, this is my fiance, and I gotta be gone for about six months. I uh I know that you're a single man, but I want her to live with you. And when I get back, I want everyone that knows you and knows her to understand that you have protected her reputation and that she is still known as a godly woman. If you are shepherding the bride of Christ until he returns, this is our responsibility not to abuse the bride, not to lord it over the bride, not to humiliate the bride. Just the bride of Christ. Do you fear God? I I've sat under some ministries and sat and listened to some people talk about ministry, and I stopped one time, I stopped a very wise man of God, many years older than me, and I asked him, Do you think this type of person who does these things, who's brutal to the saints and humiliating them and castigating them continually, you think that person's really got a calling? And he said to me, Yes. And he's a lot wiser than me. So to me in my mind, he saw something in them I couldn't see because I I looked up, I said, Elder, I can't believe it. I can't believe someone who doesn't fear God is shepherding a flock, yeah, because that's the bride of Christ. Do you really want Christ to pick you up and hold you up against the wall and say that's my woman? Yeah, and who do you think you are? Do you really want to go eye to eye and nose to nose with the Lord? Ask Job what it's like. Job said, I I heard about it, but now that I've seen it, I I got nothing I can say. I shut my mouth. You feel the call to leadership? If you're dealing with the bride of Christ, you got to walk with the fear of God. So Peter now, he's not accepting any worship. Verse 27 through 32. But Peter took him up saying, Stand up. I must I went back to 26. I'm sorry. I got new bifocals. You're just gonna have to put up with me. But but Peter took him up saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man. 27. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, You know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God hath shown me that I should not call any man con or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gain, saying, as soon as I was sent for, I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me. And Cornelius said, He starts to rehearse it. Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon, a tanner by the seaside, who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. What kind of responsibility did the angel put on the apostle? Paul told the Corinthian church this ministry is a treasure in earthen vessels. God has given us this ministry of reconciliation. It's a treasure. You have a calling. Don't stoop to be president, don't stoop to be a king. What is greater than being called to be in the bride of Christ? Okay, this had to be a large house, and Cornelius filled it with a large group of people. They had all come to hear the apostle Peter because of the testimony of Cornelius. They came ready to listen. Ready to listen. Let me say that again. Ready to listen. How great is the difference between hearing and listening. If I'm listening to you, I'm trying to understand what you're telling me. But hearing you, I could be mulling the grass and your voice is out there, but I don't. I mean, I hear voice, but I don't know it. They came ready to listen. This had to be a large house with a lot of people ready to listen. Peter lays out the obvious before he begins explaining why he has come. You know, Jews and Gentiles don't normally socialize together. Okay, so it's limited to a business relationship. We're socializing, though. Jews and Gentiles don't socialize. Oh, we do business. I'll treat you fair. I'll sell you something. I'll buy something from you. But uh we don't socialize. We don't normally socialize together, but just recently God has educated me regarding how He's used humanity, and I can no longer shun you folks and please God at the same time. Do you realize this was progressive revelation for Peter? He didn't get it when he got the vision on the roof three times. He didn't get it. The men knocked on the door, he went down, the Gentiles looking for it. I really what are you here for? He still doesn't get it, but he's obedient, even though he doesn't understand. And they come in, they spend the night, hit the road jack, they make it down to Caesarea where he's at. And it's unfolding as he's speaking. I cannot, I cannot shun you people. This is a huge change of heart for Peter, for Jewish believers in Jesus. Listen, Jews, many of them were still worshiping at the temple. Christian believers went to the temple. They didn't go to offer blood sacrifice, they weren't supposed to, but they were growing in their knowledge of the covenant that they were walking in. They were still walking in the law of Moses. What happened in Acts chapter 3? Where were they going to at the hour of prayer? They were going to the temple. Now, huge change of heart for Peter. Jewish believers also in Jesus. This is the beginning of something that's about to shake up the church. And Peter knew it. Which is the reason why when he left Joppa to go to Caesarea, he took with him certain brethren. That's important. He didn't go by himself. These were Jewish believers of good report. And Peter was making sure there were credible witnesses to this new thing that God was about to do. So let's look. I'm going to get dangerous here with these new bifocals.

Witnesses, Gentiles, And Gospel Expansion

SPEAKER_00 38:45

We're going to look in the book of Deuteronomy. Give me just a moment and I'll get there. Deuteronomy, and we're going to go to chapter 19. And then we're going to get to verse 15. One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin. In any sin that he sinneth. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established. It was a sin for a Gentile to go and have socialization with the Jews. The Jew would be sinning. Not to do business with the stranger, not to treat the stranger with kindness, but just to have fellowship with the stranger and say, Come in, Gentile, you that worship Kemosh, Dagon, Molech, Baal, offer up your children in the fire. We're gonna hang out together. No, no. So he took with him more than any two or three witnesses. Let's look at 2 Corinthians. We're going to go to 2 Corinthians chapter 13. And verse 1. This third time, I'm coming to you. So he's been there twice already. Okay, so there's a letter from Corinthians, maybe that we don't have. Maybe we're reading Third Corinthians. Yeah, there's something that went on between 1st and 2nd Corinthians because Paul says, This is the third time I'm coming to you. Maybe it wasn't a letter, maybe it was just a visit. This is the third time I'm coming to you. Then he says, In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Now he's saying, because this is the third time I've taught it to you, it's equivalent to Moses' teaching in the mouth of two or three witnesses. In other words, I didn't sit here and say it to you three times, but I talked to you. I went away. God dealt with me. I come back a second time. And I bring you the second witness. Then I go away and God deals with me a third time. I come back, I bring you the third witness. Paul says, Don't you know that truth is established in the mouth of two or three witnesses? Peter took six men with him. Six Jews. This is monumental in the revelation of the gospel. Now, this is where you need to go back and read how Moses said you should treat the stranger. How that Isaiah prophesied that when Jesus came, he would be a light unto the Gentiles. How about when Solomon was praying over the temple that he built in 2 Chronicles? And he says, Lord, if a stranger, a foreigner from another land, comes to this building seeking you, receive it. Solomon didn't realize what he was praying for. He should have known something with all those Gentile wives he had. All those porcupines, I mean concubines. So as we unfold the book of Acts before us, we're watching the church from Acts chapter 1, where Jesus gives the command. He doesn't make suggestions. Tarry in Jerusalem till ye be endued with power from on high. Then ye shall be my witnesses. In Jerusalem, in Judea, and Samaria to the uttermost parts of the world. We're on our way to the uttermost now. We don't know what's going on in Ethiopia since the eunuch has gotten there. But we know as we read through Acts chapter 10, this gospel is about to explode in the hearts of Gentiles, in the home of Cornelius. And you know, God loves everybody the same, but listen, he is strategic. Cornelius is a man of great influence. Influence sometimes is more important than authority. If you don't think so, remember when you were teenagers and your friends influenced? You and your parents gave you instructions. Your parents had authority, but your friends had influence, and your parents weren't around, so you ran off with your friends. But now it's Holy Ghost influence. How you impact other people through my life. This is why you build relationships with people who don't know Jesus. It's why you build a friendship with him. It's why you take your time. Play dominoes. Share a bologna sandwich and a glass of iced tea. Why you meet him at dates? In pops. Gotta meet people at pops. If you must. If you must. It's great to hand somebody a track, and they they might get a track and read it and come to Christ. But most of the time they throw the track down. They throw it away. And how do you get them to listen? You build a relationship. You let the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Build that relationship with you. You say, Yeah, but we've been friends for three years and and they didn't come in yet. What is the value of one soul? The angels in heaven rejoice over a single soul that repents. If God says to you, hey, it's time to move on, you don't have to kill the friendship. Little by little you just scale it back some. And you keep looking to build relationships where you can introduce Christ and they can see Christ in your life. Because I'm telling you, when we witness somebody and they come to the place of belief and of repentance, that's a miracle. Because I'm so filled with flaws and weaknesses, they have to see past all that and see the grace of God. And that's Jesus putting salvation on display in our lives. Well, that's that's all I have for the lesson today. So we'll wrap it up right there. All right, Sister Diane.

Prophecy, Privacy, And Servant Leadership

SPEAKER_00 46:37

So happy for everyone that's here that could be a part. Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 46:42

All right. So so good. So good to have everybody here in the classroom today. And I I love where you stressed about we're just human. We're all human. No matter what we're called to do, what God has called us to do, we're still gonna be human. And you know, when you're talking about apostles and things like that, I think sometimes we put them on such a pedestal. I mean, we do it, you know, and and I know some apostles that they're scary. I mean, when you get around them, it's like you're so intimidated, you don't even want to to speak because you're gonna say the wrong thing. Or and I've never felt that with you. So I'm not talking about you, but and I've always seen you as an apostle, whether you say that or not. But my point being is there's always been just an openness with you to say you're being used by God, but you don't carry your title before your name and who you are.

SPEAKER_00 47:40

If you look at Romans chapter one, yeah, Paul calls himself first a servant of God. Yeah, apostleship is secondary, yeah, but belonging to Christ is primary.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 47:57

But we have been unfair sometimes to ministers, apostles, prophets, and because of the way we treat them and talk to them. Right. We can make them think this is who you are. It's inadvertent, it happens. So that we who are being schooled into ministry must recognize that. Okay? I walk into the room, I'm not the president. You don't have to stand and clap for me. Now, it's great to give honor to whom honor is due. And as a shepherd, many times I've been honored, and I appreciate that. And that's great. Though Paul told Timothy, those that labor in the Word are worthy of a double honor.

SPEAKER_01 48:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 48:45

Respect. He didn't say, be sure you worship him. Cornelius got down on his faith. The apostle Peter said, That's not it. You can show me respect without doing that. Right. Okay. Right. You can treat me with kindness and courtesy without doing that. And it's important that we know the difference. When someone speaks to us, that it's more than a human. It's the Spirit of the living God speaking through them.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

But you know, when somebody gives you a word or talks over you or gives you something that they say it, you know, does say it the Lord, I always tell everybody that you're gonna know that it's from the Lord. I never think, I never see that prophetic words are, oh my gosh, I never thought that before. I always think prophetic words as a confirmation of what God has shown you already.

SPEAKER_00 49:36

Many times, many times that can be that. Remember what Jesus told him, and I think it's I hope my memory's good. It's either John 14 or 15 when Jesus is winding up everything, and he says, Behold, concerning his death, I have told you before, I prophesied to you.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:54

That when it has come to pass, you might believe. That you might believe. He didn't tell them how many hours and minutes it would be.

SPEAKER_02 50:00

I think it was John 15.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

Yeah. You think it was John 15? I think so. Well, Sister Anna is correcting me. I stand correct. I'm good shape. I can take it. But my point is, he said, I told you before, so that when it has come to pass, you'll believe, you'll be encouraged. Yeah. You know, sometimes prophecy is a word of wisdom, like when Jesus looked at the woman at the Samaritan well and said, Yeah, and the guy you're with right now is not your husband. You've had five before. Was a word of knowledge. Yeah. Dropped it on her.

SPEAKER_01 50:35

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

And I've had I've had God do that to me when I'm talking to people. And it's always. I always find my blurt outright, but I always find myself a little hesitant and sometimes battling with my flesh. Do I really want to say this? Do you want to say this out? Do I really want to put this foot in my mouth?

SPEAKER_01 50:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:57

You know, but how do you learn to follow the Lord? Yeah if you don't just go ahead and say it.

unknown 51:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:06

And if you Jesus will let you know.

SPEAKER_01 51:09

There's that line though, sometimes that the Lord will give you a word for someone that needs to be private.

SPEAKER_00 51:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 51:15

I don't think everybody should carry a microphone and tell everybody's business. I mean, I'm I don't like that.

SPEAKER_00 51:20

But I'm I'm not real keen on that either.

SPEAKER_01 51:23

Yeah, I don't like that. But but I do think that there's a time where the Lord will give you a word about someone that's not necessarily for them right now, but for you to pray for them about. So when you're stepping into these roles and these offices and these gifts, whatever God's given you, if you're not hearing from the Lord first, you're gonna be stupid. You're gonna say things that you shouldn't have said that's gonna impact a person's life.

SPEAKER_00 51:51

We went to church with a lady for years who was a prophetess. People come to church didn't know that's what she was. Because if she had something to give prophetically, she generally gave it to you individually. She had prophetic words for the pastor. She didn't stand up in the church and say, Pastor. She went and saw it. And I remember him talking to us about how she hit the mark and got him ready for what was to come. And as it unfolded, he was like, Thank you, Jesus. Yeah. I I see your hand in it. No matter what everybody else thinks, I know you're at work. So I I tell I tell people that a prophet is not a celebrity. A prophet is a servant.

SPEAKER_01 52:47

Right. Right. Agree. Agree. All right, good, good, good, good stuff today. Good stuff today. All right. So thank

Closing And How To Connect

SPEAKER_01 52:58

y'all for joining us for the class for Acts chapter 10, part two. We're going to be continuing on our next episode. I mean, if you've missed anything, go back. You can always go and watch it on YouTube, on our Simple Discipleship Unfiltered YouTube channel that will show you the video of Brother Ernie actually doing this class, or you can listen to all the other podcasts on all your platforms. So we're so grateful for y'all to join us today. We're going to leave you with our slogan to go show some love. Show some compassion. Give mercy and go be Jesus today. Hey STU family. If you've enjoyed this podcast today, would you please like, follow, and share our podcast link? And we would love to hear your feedback and your podcast topic suggestions. To do that, simply go to our website at www.m3mi.org. Scroll to the board s link.