People Need the Lord

Gtcotr/ss072725 

Recently I was asked a question about our child sponsorship program. The man, we’ll call him Mr. Jones, was wondering how long they needed to commit to helping the child they had chosen to sponsor. That’s a very reasonable and often asked question. Before telling you what I told him, allow me to share what I hope and what I pray happens to each sponsor.  

It is my prayer that one day, years from now, a knock will be heard at this man’s door. When he opens the door it’s the 22/23 year old version of the little girl he chose to sponsor years ago standing there with a smile and he will hear her say something like this:  

“Mr. Jones! … it’s Lyla. You look just like the pictures you sent.

It has been my life-long dream to meet you in person to say thank you. Because of you, I have always known Jesus loves me. I was hungry, and you fed me; I was thirsty, and you gave me water; I was poor and had no clothes, you sent me a dress and shoes; I was sick, you paid for a doctor to make me well; I was alone and lonely,and you wrote me that everything would be ok. I just want to say thank you for caring, thank you for giving, thank you for loving me.”

This is going to happen to many of you. How do I know, because it has already happened to me. And I pray it happens to each and every one of you, and I know it will … if not here on this earth, then it will happen when you meet the Lord face to face in heaven.  

So, when the man asked me how long, I answered – for as long as it takes. Over the past 45 years, my experience has been that when we help people, they in turn grow up to help others. Your investment in a young life through our sponsorship program, whether you choose a 6-yr old, or a 16-yr old, is making a difference for generations to come.  

This is the reason I have been an active sponsor since 1980. And why I’ve maintained an ongoing relationship with the children I have chosen through the years, and with their growing families. This past week I have 

talked with 5 of the children I helped raise around the world just so we can keep up with what’s going on in each other’s lives. Of course they’re no longer children. And I’m still choosing children to sponsor. I have another fine young man who has no father or mother, Able is his name, he’s 6 years old and lives in a boys home in Ingabor. Man can he dance. I just visited him two weeks ago as I have done each year since I chose him.  

I’d like to say a personal thanks to each one of you for making it possible to leave people and places better than we found them in the name of Jesus. Together we are changing the world, one child at a time. Now, let’s turn our attention to our text for this morning which we will be reading from the Book of Acts, chapter 10. 

One of the things Jesus teaches us through the accounts recorded in the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is the fact that God is not afraid of sinners. Every person God chose to work with in the Bible and indeed for the past 2000 years were at one time dreadful sinners. Every one of us was a sinner until we heard about Jesus and decided to follow Him.  

The religious people of Jesus’ day were quite upset and often complained that Jesus spent time with notorious sinners. Jesus loves sinners. Men and women like Jairus, Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Saul of Tarsus, the young rich ruler, and the woman caught in adultery … Jesus knew them for who they were and loved them anyway. He saw something in them others could not see. 

Still today Jesus loves every sinner. He knows them for who they have been, who they presently are, and who they will one day become after they decide to follow Him. Both good people and bad people need Jesus. We all must be born again. This was God’s hope for a good Gentile man named Cornelius whom we read about in Acts 10.  

Acts 10 NKJV 
1 ¶  There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 

• · This man was an enemy of Israel. The commander of 100 Roman soldiers who had conquered the land and was occupying Israel. 
  In just a few short years this enemy army would destroy Jerusalem, kill thousands of Jews, and enslave the remaining Israelites. 

• · Yet … Corneilus was: 
  

2  a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 

• · Most often a man would volunteer for the Roman army, be posted to his duty station, rise in rank through service and after 20 years retire back to his home country and be granted Roman citizenship as a reward. 
  
• · Seeing Cornelius was a commander of 100 men, it is reasonable to assume he is near the end of his military career and soon to return to Italy. 
  
• · Perhaps this meant he had been exposed to the Jews and their love for God and their lawful habits of giving to the poor. Something had happened to this Gentile soldier during his time in Israel … seeing: 
  
• o He feared Jehovah with all his household 
  
• o He gave generously to the poor 
  
• o And the fact that he was also a praying man. 
  
• · All of these are things he must have seen others doing and was influenced by their compassion and commitment.  
  

3  About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 

4  And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 

• · Wait Luke! Are you telling me God took notice of this Gentile enemy soldier of Rome? 
  
• · Yes! 
  
• · If God didn’t take notice of Gentile sinners, where would we all be? 
  

5  “Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 

6  “He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 

The continuing account … 

34 ¶  Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 

35  “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 

• · What a revelation … first to Peter, then to his companions, then to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem, and perhaps even now to you! 
  
• · God is not afraid of sinners! 
  
• · Jesus loves sinners! 
  
• · Sinners are the only people who have a chance of getting saved. 
  
• · People need the Lord. 
  

There are good people all around us who just need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a person who cares and is not afraid to share Jesus with them. Don’t say no to Jesus for anyone. Good people need to hear the Gospel every bit as much as bad people. 

44 ¶  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 

Two thoughts in conclusion: 

• 1. Who in the world needs to hear the Gospel? 
  
• 2. You may be influencing your enemies more than you realize.