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AGAPE LESSON 30
ACCURATE POSTURE
(Will attract God’s favour)
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
Psalm125
[Isaiah26v3—4] You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed in You, because he trusts in
You. (4) Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
Acts 10v1—8] There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called
the Italian Regiment, (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. (3) About the nineth hour of the day he
saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying, “Cornelius!” (4) And when he observed
him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?” So, he said to him, “Your alms and your prayers have
come up for a memorial before God. (5) Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose name is
Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must
do.” (7) And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius sent two of his household
servants, and a devout soldier among those who waited on him continually. So, when he had
explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
• Cornelius
• Centurion – captain over a hundred
• Devout – pious = rectitude
• What is it Lord? = an expression of honour. A proud person does not know how to honour.
This shows humility in this Cornelius. [James4v6, 10] God resists the proud, but gives grace to
the humble. (10) Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. God lifted
up Cornelius by intervening in His life and those around him.
• Feared God with all his household = this is reverential fear. Cornelius had created a culture
that influenced his household to fear God. [Deuteronomy6v5—9] You shall love the Lord your
God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (6) And these words
which I command you today shall be in your heart. (7) You shall teach them diligently to your
children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when
you lie down and when you rise up. (8) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, they shall
be as frontlets between you eyes. (9) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house
and on your gates. [Proverbs14v26—27] In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.
(27) The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one from the snares of life.
[Proverbs9v10] The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the
Holy One is understanding.
• Local house – church.
• Gave alms generously to the people – Caesarea was a Jewish colony under Roman law. This
Gentile, Cornelius loved the people of God and gave generously to the poor of Israel.
[Matthew27v58—60] This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
commanded the body to be given to him. (59) When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped
it on a clean linen cloth, (60) and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock;
and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed. This Joseph wrapped
the body of Jesus. Now see the body as the church. Now you and I – what do we do to
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wrap/cover/protect/encourage/beautify the Body of Christ, (the Church)? Clean linen clothes
speak of the righteous acts of the Saints.
• Prayed to God always – Cornelius never missed prayer time. The angel of God apprehended
him at the nineth hour, which is the third watch during the day. [1Thessalonians5v17] pray
without ceasing.
• The nineth hour of the day – third watch of the day. [Mark15v33—34] Now when the sixth
hour had come, there was thick darkness over the whole land until the nineth hour. (34) And
at the nineth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”
Which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Here, Jesus was feeling
the absence of the presence of the Father who had turned His back against our sin.
The thick darkness speaks of God’s judgement and the absence of the presence of the Lord – gross
darkness. The nineth hour marks the time of judgement and the finishing line of Jesus’ assignment.
He cried, “It is finished.” (TEDELASTI) = the debt is fully paid/the sentence is fully served/the battle
has been fully won against the enemy of our souls/against sickness and disease.
Your prayers and your alms come up for a memorial – his prayers and alms had blocked God’s view of
any other thing.
• Send men to Joppa – this church is apostolic. It has been given a sending mandate.
• Simon – intelligent hearer.
• Peter — rock
• When the angel had departed, he called two of his servants – his response was prompt.
[Luke1v39—40] Now Mary arose in those days and went into a hill country with haste, to the
city of Judah, (40) and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. How many of us
will respond promptly whenever God speaks?
• Two of his household servants – two. Sending two is most accurate sending. John sent two of
his disciples (Luke7v19). Jesus sent out His disciples two by two (Luke10v1). The church in
Antioch sent Saul (Paul) and Barnabas (Acts13v2–3)
• A devout soldier – pious like him. This soldier must have been the second man in the ministry
(his close associate). I imagine he was his prayer partner.
• Among those who waited on him continually – second man
• Explained all these things to them – gave them a mandate
[Matthew8v5—13] Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading
with Him, (6) saying, “Lord, my servant is lying home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” (7) And Jesus
said to him, “I will come and heal him.” (8) The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy
that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. (9) For I
also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (10) When Jesus
heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found
such great faith, not even in Israel! (11) And I say to you many will come from the east and west, and
sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (12) But the sons of the kingdom
will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (13) Then Jesus
said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his
servant was healed that same hour.
• Capernaum – village of comfort
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• Came to Him, pleading with Him. [Luke7v3–5] And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him
the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant. (4) And
when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the for who He should do
this, was deserving, (5) “for he loves our nation, and has build us a Synagogue.” This
centurion loved the people of God. He sacrificially built a Synagogue for them even. This was
a risk, in the part of this centurion. What he did could have caused him lose his position.
Roman law could see him as a traitor. Possibly, he used funds given from his government.
• Paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.
• “I will come and heal him.”
• I am not worthy that you should come under my roof – the centurion perceives Jesus’ grace
to be far greater than his and feels it will be great dishonour to have Jesus come under his
roof. The centurion perceived accurately his unworthiness. He says, “Therefore I did not even
think myself worthy to come to You. But You say the word and my servant will be healed.”
(Luke7v7).
• “Such great faith.”
• “Go your way, as you have believed, let it be done for you.” Jesus’ declaration shows
dominion and authority. As King of kings, He is God’s chief battle-Axe. What He has declared
will sure come to pass. This is the position that we, the church, should assume as Divine sons.
We are to rule in the midst of our enemies. And we rule by decreeing things according to the
word of God. [Isaiah51v16] And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with
the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth, and
say to Zion, “You are My people.”
• Outer darkness – gross ignorance without the presence of God.
• There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – starving in the midst of plenty.
AGAPE LESSON 30