EUREKA!

“Then Peter began to speak: ‘Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him.’” (Acts 10:34-35 HCSB)

“Eureka!” 

It is a Greek word meaning, “I found it!”

Although perhaps legendary, it is said that the ancient Greek genius, Archimedes, who was born nearly three centuries before Christ, stepped into his bath and saw how the level of the water rose accordingly, and came to understand that the volume of water displaced was equal to what was submerged in it.  This solved a mathematical dilemma of being able to measure volume and determine an object’s density.  He reportedly was so excited that he took off running naked through the streets of Syracuse crying, “Eureka!  Eureka!”

The word then has come to speak of a breakthrough—of a pivotal point in time when a new discovery brings dramatic results.  Acts 9-11 provide such a “eureka” moment in the economy of God.  There is a spiritual breakthrough of immense importance.   It would be hard to overstate the significance of these events.  Like hinges on a door, the Gospel witness will swing wide open to the world because of what happens here.

We must have that eureka moment when we encounter Jesus personally—and we experience salvation.  The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Him, and He calls us to come to Him, and He births us into the Kingdom of God by the Word.

There can also be a “eureka” moment in the life of a local church—in fact there can be several—events that yield a spiritual breakthrough and take the church to another level in her devotion to Christ and impact on the community.  Such was the case here, and it happens the same way today.  The church gets a vision of God’s activity and joins Him in His work.  The people respond to God’s voice in faith and obedience.  The Lord gives confirmation through the fruit that is produced.

Eureka!   Let’s observe how it happens.

LOOK FOR GOD’S WORK: A VISION THAT PROVIDES A CATALYST.

“‘Get up and go to the street called Straight,’ the Lord said to him, ‘to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there.  In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.’

‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.  And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.’

But the Lord said to him, ‘Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites.’” (Acts 9:11-15)

The ninth chapter of Acts presents a Divine intervention in the life of a man named Saul.  This fellow, who will come to known as Paul the Apostle, will be the catalyst—the change agent—whom God will use as no other to bring the message of salvation to all humanity.

Saul, the Pharisee, had his “eureka” moment in the most startling fashion.  He was not looking for Christ, but in sovereign grace, Christ came looking for him. 

The man was a religious extremist.  He was a terrorist willing to use violence to coerce others to follow his beliefs and sought to eradicate the fledgling Christian movement that he considered heresy.  The religious leaders had given him authority to go on his search-and-destroy mission, and Saul had embraced it eagerly, perversely persuaded that he was serving God.

Then he met Jesus—and everything changed.  Eureka!  The light of glory streaming from the Risen Christ was so intense that he was blinded by it.  But he never saw anything more clearly—with eyes of faith, that is.  The Lord Jesus spoke to Saul as he fell to the ground in terror.  Others around heard a noise, but only that—words were indistinguishable.  But, not for Saul—he had never heard a voice so compelling.

God had identified a chosen instrument He would use—a catalyst for spiritual breakthrough.  His name would later be changed from Saul to Paul, but much more than that would be changed—he would have a new name written down in glory!  He would never be the same and neither would the world—what happened was revolutionary!

The Lord dispatched a man named Ananias—who had some hesitation because of Saul’s reputation—to help launch Paul’s ministry.  He would pray for his physical sight to return and baptize him into the band of believers, thus setting him on his lifetime of missionary activity.  Eureka!

LISTEN FOR GOD’S WILL: A VOICE THAT PRODUCES A CLEANSING.

The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop about noon.  Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he went into a visionary state.  He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth.  In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky.  Then a voice said to him, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat!’

‘No, Lord!’ Peter said. ‘For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!’

Again, a second time, a voice said to him, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call common.’  This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven.’” (Acts 10:9-16)

“Then Peter began to speak: ‘Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him.’” (Acts 10:34-35)

Peter’s “eureka” experience happened because he positioned himself to hear from God.  If we don’t spend time in prayer—getting quiet before the Lord and seeking to know His will—how can we expect to find it?

It was then that the breakthrough came.  Peter was hungry and God showed him a banquet let down from heaven.  He heard the voice of God telling him to dine on the meat provided.  An argument ensues—the animals weren’t kosher!  They were forbidden to eat under the Mosaic dietary code, and Peter gags at the thought.

But what made the animals unclean?  God had forbidden them to be eaten and so it was not so much a matter of what Jews might ingest into their body but that their obedience would be an indicator of the submission of their hearts.  Thus, if God decreed it was permissible to now eat a ham biscuit it would be fine!  Personally, I am glad!  I like sausage biscuits too!

Yet, it wasn’t really about a change in menu; it was about a change in men.  Peter—and other Jews of his day—looked upon Gentiles as unclean.  They were pagans more suited to fuel the fires of Hell than to stroll the streets of Heaven.  But God brought his bombastic disciple into a “eureka” moment.  A spiritual breakthrough was to happen to the Gentiles as Cornelius would hear the voice of God spoken through His messenger Simon Peter.

Jesus died for all humanity—Jews and Gentiles.  His resurrection assures Him of being Lord of all.  The good news of forgiveness is to be taken to the ends of the earth, so that people of every color, culture, climate and country can cry, “Eureka!”

Since I am a Gentile, and likely most—if not all—who read these words are Gentiles, we should be exceedingly grateful for the tenth chapter of Acts!  It is the breakthrough that takes us out of the darkness of heathenism and into the daylight of holiness.  The will of God is clear.  He has spoken.  The church is assigned the task to take the whole Word to the whole world, so that all may say, “Eureka!”

LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD: A VALIDATION THAT PROVES A CONVERSION.

“‘As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning.  Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”  Therefore, if God gave them the same gift that He also gave to us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?’

When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, ‘So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!’”  (Acts 11:15-18)

Not everyone will be happy with a “eureka” event in a church.  I rather doubt that many of the citizens of Syracuse were pleased with the naked Archimedes running like a madman through their streets screaming, “Eureka! Eureka!”  That’s a disturbing thing!  It is easy for us to get comfortable in the church, and so when change comes our default setting is to be upset that we are confronted with such a disquieting occurrence.

Someone has said that the only people in the world who like changes are babies with dirty diapers—and even they cry about it!  But growth never happens without change.  Spiritual breakthroughs never materialize without the disturbing yell, “Eureka!”

Peter met opposition.  How could he—a respectable follower of Christ, and a good Jew—go into the home of “those” people?  Such narrow-mindedness seeks to close doors of witness, while God intends for us to open them wide to the world—that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (see Rom.10:13).

This is an occasion when the determined nature of the old fisherman worked for good.  Peter dug in his heels and wouldn’t budge.  He validates the conversion of the Gentiles by declaring they believed in the same Jesus and received the same Spirit as the Jews had.  It was a teachable moment.  The outcome: “Eureka!”

The spiritual breakthrough takes us from Jerusalem to Antioch before the chapter ends.  The focus will shift from the mother church to this missionary church—and a membership of Jews will metamorphose into one predominately Gentile.  The Gospel will, of course, continue to be offered to the Jews—and a few will believe—a remnant that follow Jesus the Messiah, as they do today.  But, throngs of the heathen will be forgiven and fitted for Heaven by faith in Jesus Christ. 

I am a living testimony to that gracious work of God. 

Eureka!