Sermon Summary: 10-8

God is like Zep. When I was in college we had to do a thorough cleaning of our rooms at the end of each school year. I kept my room pretty clean but the shower would be thoroughly stained by the end of the semester. Each year I'd scrub it with Ajax, and after failing to remove the stains ask the dean for Zep, an industrial solvent that would melt the stains clean off my shower. God is like Zep.

In Acts 10 we find the story of Cornelius, a centurion in the Roman army who worshiped the God of Israel. One day while he was praying an angel appeared to Cornelius and told him to send for the apostle Peter, so Cornelius did as he was told. But Peter was a Jew, and the Jews thought that contact with Romans would make them unclean and thus unholy.

But on the same day the messengers arrived Peter had a vision as well. He saw a sheet coming out of the sky with all kinds of animals on it, and a voice told him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" (Acts 10:13). Peter, not wanting to become unholy by eating unclean meat, refused three times. As soon as the vision ended Cornelius' men were knocking at the door.

Peter realized the vision wasn't about his diet but about Cornelius, so Peter decided to get dirty. He let the men stay in his house, accompanied them back to Cornelius, entered his house, and preached the gospel. When he did this the Holy Spirit fell on those Romans and they began doing the same things the disciples had done at Pentecost. The Jews were amazed that the Holy Spirit would enter these unclean people.

The Holy Spirit is an industrial strength cleanser for your soul, and He can take out the deepest stains. We human beings find out ways to get dirty early on, but when God enters your life He doesn't get contaminated, He cleans you up. God is like Zep.