As we continue in our series from Acts titled “What Do You See?”—we’re moving into a story where the obstacle to the gospel is not external persecution or doctrinal confusion. It’s something deeper. More personal. Today’s text reminds us that the greatest resistance to God’s work is often inside us, in our own hearts.
We’ve seen Saul’s transformation by seeing Jesus for who He really is. We’ve seen the tension of seeing through faith instead of just logic. But today—we confront the lens through which we see others.
The Biggest Barrier to the Gospel is Not the World, But Our Assumptions
We carry narratives, preloaded stories, about people based on how they look, talk, live, or where they’re from. And we often never stop to ask: “God, is that how You see them?” When you see someone at a stoplight holding a cardboard sign, what story pops into your mind? Drug addict? Lazy? Dangerous? Or: Someone made in the image of God, broken and needing help? When a group of teenagers walks into a store dressed differently than you, what assumptions form in your heart? When someone drives a new car through the pickup line at school, do you assume their life is perfect? That they have no pain? We build invisible walls with the stories we assume.
And sometimes, even our “harmless” questions carry more weight than we realize. I’ve asked this before: “So, where are you from?” Trying to connect in some way. But I’ve learned, because of people’s backgrounds and painful experiences, some hear that as a question about whether they belong. Whether they’re really “from here.” And I had to wrestle with that. My intent wasn’t prejudice, but the impact still mattered.
That’s the tension Peter is about to face in Acts 10. As I was researching and studying for this particular sermon on this particular section of Scripture, I read something I found really interesting. It was a story of Mahatma Gandhi and what he experienced as someone who was searching for truth, but because of how he looked, how he talked, and where he was from, his conclusion of what Christianity was became skewed. You see, the grace of God extends to all people, all nations, all races, for those who cry out and search for salvation- and for some people, for some Christians, this is a difficult concept to understand and accept. But it is biblical truth.
Mahatma Gandhi shares in his autobiography that “in his student days in England, he was deeply touched by reading the Gospels and seriously considered becoming a convert to Christianity, which seemed to offer a real solution to the caste system that divided the people of India. One Sunday, he attended church services and decided to ask the minister for enlightenment on salvation and other doctrines. But when Gandhi entered the sanctuary, the ushers refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go elsewhere to worship with his own people. He left and never came back. “If Christians have caste differences also, “ he said to himself. “I might as well remain a Hindu!”
The sad reality is that discrimination is seen in all shapes, sizes, and forms it speaks to the sinful nature of humanity. That’s the danger Peter faces in Acts 10. Will he let his cultural assumptions keep him from someone God is calling?
God Breaks Our Preconceived Notions
Acts 10:1-8
At first glance, Acts 10:1-8 may seem like another normal moment in the early church—much like what we’ve seen in Jesus’ ministry or the early chapters of Acts. But several details make this passage come alive with deep meaning.
First, scholars suggest that about ten years have passed since Pentecost. That’s right—a full decade between Acts 2 and this moment. The Great Commission was urgent, but it was always based on God’s timing, not the apostles forcing open doors.
Second, under Old Testament Law, Jews and Gentiles did not worship together, eat together, or often even associate with one another. But Jesus, through His death and resurrection, shattered those barriers. The Gospel began in Jerusalem, moved to Samaria—a mixed population with Jewish heritage—and is now reaching fully into Gentile territory.
Third, remember that Philip had settled in Caesarea, the Roman capital of Judea. But it wasn’t Philip who had been given the “keys to the kingdom”—that responsibility fell to Peter. Peter preached at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the Jews (Acts 2). He was present in Samaria when the Spirit came upon the Samaritans (Acts 8). And now, in Acts 10, Peter will witness the Spirit come upon the Gentiles, beginning with a Roman centurion named Cornelius.
Fourth, we see that God had already been preparing Peter—even softening him—without Peter realizing it. Acts 9 ends by telling us Peter was staying with Simon the tanner in Joppa. That’s a huge detail: a tanner dealt with dead animals, which made him ceremonially unclean by Jewish standards. Yet Peter, a devout Jew and apostle, is living in his home.
Uncomfortable Places Prepare Us for Uncomfortable Obedience for the Lord
We Can Be Good and Religious and Still Be Lost
An Angel Delivers a Message, but it is Peter Who Will Deliver the Gospel
Preparing Peter’s Sight
Acts 10:9-23
We’re More Comfortable Running From the Mission Than Running to the Lost
To Share the Gospel, Our Hearts Must Be Open to See People Differently
Prayer Prepares Us to See Something New
Peter Meets Cornelius
Acts 10:24-29 (30-33)
We Often Miss Divine Moments Because We Expect Them to Look Like Our Plans, not God’s Providence
Peter Sees the Reason Why He was Summoned: to Preach
Acts 9:34-35 (36-43)
Now, as Peter preaches, his message is clear, concise, and centered on Jesus. And it gives us a framework—a Gospel outline—to carry with us as we look for opportunities to share hope:
Jesus is the Messiah and Lord of all.
He is the one anointed by God, not just for Israel, but for every nation.
Jesus was empowered by the Spirit.
He healed the sick, cast out demons, and showed us the heart of God in action.
Jesus died under the curse of the Law.
He took the punishment that we deserved, the cross.
Jesus rose from the dead.
He conquered sin and death and now reigns forever.
Jesus is coming again.
He will judge the living and the dead—and every knee will bow.
The Gospel isn’t just good news—it’s the only news that saves
Peter, Being Obedient and Overcoming the Obstacles in His Heart, Sees God’s Spirit Move
Acts 10:44-48
Proximity to Religion is not the Same as Relationship with Jesus, and where there is a Relationship with Jesus there is a Relationship with the Holy Spirit
The Gospel Asks Who is Ready to Believe, Not Who is Good and Deserving
Let’s not miss the depth of what’s happening here. Peter had to overcome the obstacles in his own heart—cultural pride, religious assumptions, and internal resistance—to stand in that room in the first place. But because he did, he got to witness something that would alter the trajectory of the church forever. He saw Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit. This moment tells us something vital: The Holy Spirit is not reserved for the “already qualified.” He’s poured out on the “newly believing.”
There are people all around us—just like Cornelius and his household—who believe in God, attend church, try to do what’s right… but have never truly encountered the saving power of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They’re close—but not yet changed. And here’s the thing: they’re waiting for someone like you to walk into their lives with a message like Peter’s.
Peter’s obedience became the doorway for the Gospel to enter a new world. Not just for Cornelius, but for you and me too. We are the fruit of this moment. Let’s be a church that doesn’t just believe in the Holy Spirit—but expects Him to move.
So now the question becomes personal: How will you respond? What thoughts has the Holy Spirit brought to the surface today—thoughts that maybe you’ve kept buried or hidden? Have you withheld forgiveness? Have you withheld kindness, grace, or even conversation from someone because of your own personal prejudice or discomfort? Have you avoided sharing the Gospel with someone—not because God said no, but because you decided they weren’t ready, worthy, or within your reach?
Today’s Takeaways:
Ask God to help you see people like He sees them.
Be willing to cross barriers.
Be ready to release your assumptions.
Address the walls that have been built in your heart and mind.
Peter, too, faced this tension. After he returned from Cornelius’s house, Jewish believers questioned him—how could he go to Gentiles? How could he baptize them? Let me read Acts 11:15–18. “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning… So if God gave them the same gift he gave us… who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
That last line is a question we must all ask ourselves: If God is the one putting this together, how could I stand in the way? Don’t resist the people God is trying to reach—He might be trying to reach them through you.
