A CHILD REQUIRES BOTH A FATHER AND A MOTHER

MF Blume
May 28, 2000 am

TEXT:  Acts 10:1-18, 24, 28, 34, 44-48

A gentile named Cornelius, an Italian, was a man whom most would consider was to surely go to Heaven due to his goodness.

The shocking thing that many people will realize one day is that God is not looking for our good deeds so that He might take us into Heaven. So we see that Cornelius was to do something.
Acts 10:5-6  And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
The next day, Peter was at Simon's house and went to pray in the housetop. We read that Peter wondered what the vision meant.
Acts 10:17  Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean,
This tells us something about visions. A knock came on the door below. Eventually Peter came to the house of Cornelius and said these words:
Acts 10:28  And he said unto them, Ye 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 shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Peter then understood the first part of the vision. Now, this is a very important point. God had cleansed the gentiles so that a Hebrew could enter their houses and keep company with them. The cross destroyed the dividing force of the Law.
Colossians 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
The law was nailed to the cross. But CLEANSING WAS NOT ENOUGH. KILL AND EAT. So Peter knew they were cleansed. Then Cornelius explained what the angel said.
Acts 10:32  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 sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
So Peter knew he was to preach to Cornelius. So Peter begins to preach and speaks of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

Suddenly...

Acts 10:44  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Up until this point, Peter said NOTHING about what Cornelius ought to do. This is precisely what happened to the Hebrews in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In fact, afterwards, Peter reported on two occasions how the gentiles received the Spirit in the same manner the Jews did.
Acts 11:15-17  And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

Acts 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Peter insisted that the speaking in tongues was the evidence that the Gentiles received the Holy Ghost. What settled the council was the fact that the Gentiles spoke in tongues. Still, nothing was said to Cornelius as to what to do.

But finally, for the first time, Peter directly tells Cornelius what to do.

A command is not an option, like some people would try to make you think. God said, "Kill and eat." Peter's act of baptizing the gentiles was in effect the "killing" that God referred to. For someone to be born again they must first die to the old life. Someone said this does not refer to WATER baptism. So the KILLING refers to baptism.

What about the EATING?

Eating puts something INTO THE BODY. So baptism is both KILLING AND EATING the gentile nations. I entitled this message "A Child Requires Both a Father and a Mother." Among the many titles of the CHURCH is the "Heavenly Jerusalem." JERUSALEM ABOVE is our mother. There cannot be a child of God without a MOTHER, the CHURCH. The MOTHER'S role is to receive the SEED of the FATHER and BIRTH the children into the world.. There are two camps in this world that are both false doctrine.
  1. BIRTH OF A CHILD NEEDS ONLY THE FATHER.
  2. BIRTH OF A CHILD NEEDS ONLY THE MOTHER.
The first group actually believes that no Mother is necessary for a birth. Then you have those who teach there is no FATHER necessary for child birth. THE MAN HAD TO BELIEVE WITH ALL HIS HEART. Faith is the aspect that proves the FATHER is necessary for New Birth to occur. HE THAT BELIEVETH -- This brings the FATHER into the picture.
AND IS BAPTIZED - This brings the Mother into the picture.
SHALL BE SAVED.

Someone said that Jesus' death on the cross saves all by default.

KILL AND EAT. And I like the last phrase of Acts 10.
"Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. "
Peter said, "Sure!" A child's birth requires both a Father and a Mother.