Lesson 38: Gentiles Receive the Gospel

Text: Acts 10:1–48

The almighty God is the creator of all human beings. He loves all His creatures. He does not want anyone to perish but to repent from their sins and be saved.

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commanderh all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained …”
(Acts 17:30,31)

This passage of the Bible reveals that the gospel is for every nation, every tribe, every tongue, every race and every human being in the world. There is no discrimination with God. The Gentiles are non-Jews who also did not believe on the Lord Jesus because of their ignorance. God is not a respecter of persons, in every nation, anyone that fears Him and lives righteously is acceptable before Him.

Jesus commanded all His friends to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature including the Gentiles. The door of the Gentile nations was opened when Christ specifically directed Peter, through a vision to go to Cornelius. Peter obeyed after a little argument, the result was the conversion of Cornelius and his entire family. You must also preach the gospel to everyone that you come in contact with.

1. Gentiles Receive the Gospel:

Acts 8:26–38; 10:1–43; Romans 3:9–29; 10:14–17

After the death of Stephen, the believers that were scattered went everywhere preaching the gospel.

The gospel is the good news about the love of God in giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ as sacrifice for our sins. It has to do with the birth, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. That whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them. The Samaritans listened, heard and saw the miracles which followed his preaching. The same Philip was directed by an angel to join the Ethiopian Eunuch in his chariot, who was reading the book of Isaiah which he did not understand. Philip explained it to him and preached unto him about Jesus and he was saved.

Our Bible passage is the story of how the gospel spread to the Gentile nations with Cornelius as the point of contact and foundation. Cornelius was a Gentile and a centurion of a guard of soldiers in his country. He and his family members feared and respected God. He prayed to God always but he did not have the knowledge of salvation through Jesus.

God sent Peter to tell Cornelius about Jesus Christ. Cornelius called all his family members and neighbours together to listen to Peter and hear God’s word of salvation through Christ. God has called all friends of Jesus to preach to every creature – the religious, pagans, and all sinners. You are to be obedient to this command and preach the gospel as the disciples did.

2. The Gentiles Believe the Gospel:

Acts 8:36–38; 10:44–48; 1:8; Romans 10:9–13

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

God has no favourite nation or ethnic group, nor does He favour any individual because of nationality, birth or position in life. God favours and accepts those from every nation who turn from sin, believe in Christ, fear God and live righteously.

The Gentle family of Cornelius listened and received the gospel message with faith. Then they all showed that they believed by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour.

While Peter was still speaking and preaching about Jesus to the family of Cornelius, the Holy Ghost fell on all of them that heard the word. Many sinful boys and girls are around us who do not know the way of salvation. All friends of Jesus should arise and preach Jesus to them like Philip, Peter, Paul and other apostles did.

3. Great Benefits for Accepting the Gospel

Acts 8:7–8; 10:44; Romans 10:10–13

When Philip preached in Samaria, many miracles and wonders happened. At Lystra, a cripple from his mother’s womb stood upright and leaped for joy. Other blessings include:

(I) Salvation – many souls got converted and were added to the church.
(ii) Deliverance – demon-possessed people were delivered from satanic bondage.
(iii) Empowerment for outreach – the Gentiles became vessels of honour in the hand of God while many became missionaries and spread the gospel to the uttermost part of the earth.
(iv) As a result of preaching to the Gentiles, we in our present generation had opportunity to hear the gospel and are saved.

There are still many sinful boys and girls around us that have not received the good news about Jesus. You need to rise up now as friends of Jesus and preach the love of Jesus to them. If you are not yet born again, repent now and give your life to Jesus and join the army of disciples commissioned to preach the gospel.

Thought:

I will tell sinful boys and girls about the love of Jesus.

Lesson:

Jesus wants all His friends to preach the gospel.

Activity:

The teacher should demonstrate how to use the wordless book to preach to sinners.

Homework:

Each child should go out during the week and preach the gospel to at least one child.

Congregational Song:

GHS 158 – Come Believing

Choruses:

1. Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life.
2. Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus.
3. No, you can’t get to heaven without Salvation.

Questions:

1. Who are the Gentiles?
2. Complete this sentence: God is not ______ person.
3. What is the gospel?
4. Mention the names of two apostles who preached the gospel to the Gentiles.
5. Name two Gentiles who were among the first people to receive the gospel.

Memory Verse:

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34,35).

Bible Word Search

Find the meaning of these words. You can use your dictionary:

1. Gentiles
2. Chariot
3. Gospel
4. Scattered
5. Neighbours