From
Acts to Revelation
Part
28 – Peter's Vision
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Last week we spoke about Cornelius, a
God-fearing Centurion who was a Gentile, seeking God with all his heart, mind
and soul.
God seeing this, gave Cornelius a vision,
speaking to him about a man named Peter living in Joppa. The Lord told Cornelius to seek him out and
speak with him.
Cornelius, seeking a relationship with God,
was being led to the Gospel message of Salvation.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 10:9-23
Peter's Vision
9 About
noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city,
Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted
something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a
trance. 11 He
saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth
by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as
reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning
of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s
house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if
Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the
vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking
for you. 20 So
get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent
them.”
22 The men replied, “We have come from
Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is
respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to
his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then
Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
a. He
prayed alone at noon on a rooftop
i.
Jesus often went off to pray alone as well
a.
Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was
still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary
place, where he prayed.”
b.
Luke 5:16 “But Jesus often withdrew to
lonely places and prayed.”
b. He fell
into a trance
i.
This was not of his own doing, but the Holy
Spirit opening Peter's eyes
ii.
vs 11 “...and Heaven opened up...”
a.
Heaven is now “open” because of Christ and
the Cross
iii. This
meditative state of mind is a connection between our world, and the dimension
in which God and His Kingdom resides.
c. The
vision came
i.
Peter sees a table cloth with all sorts of
forbidden animals come down from heaven. The list of these can be found in Leviticus
11.
ii.
How do we know they are the forbidden
animals of Leviticus?
a.
Because Peter tells us so in verse 14 when
he specifically says, “Lord, I have never
eaten anything that is unclean.”
iii. Three
times the Lord shows this table cloth full of “unclean” animals, and tells
Peter, “Kill and eat. Do not call
anything impure that God has made clean.”
II.
TIMES HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE CROSS
a. “Surely
not Lord!”
i.
Peter had observed the Jewish laws, and had
never eaten anything impure.
b. “Do not
call anything impure...”
i.
This list of impure foods includes;
a.
vs 4 “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only
have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews
the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for
you. 5 The
hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for
you. 6 The
rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean
for you. 7 And
the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is
unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they
are unclean for you.
b. 10 But all creatures in the seas or streams
that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among
all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean. 11 And
since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must
regard their carcasses as unclean. 12 Anything living in the water
that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.
c. 13 “‘These are the birds you are to regard as
unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,[a] the vulture,
the black vulture, 14 the red kite, any kind of black kite, 15 any
kind of raven, 16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of
hawk, 17 the
little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl, the desert
owl, the osprey, 19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the
bat.
d.
20 “‘All flying
insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you. 21 There
are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat:
those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. 22 Of
these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or
grasshopper. 23 But
all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean. 24 “‘You
will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses
will be unclean till evening. 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their
clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.
c. Dietary
laws and the Cross
i.
These laws were given to the Levites, they
were the priesthood. These laws were not only a test of obedience, and a loving
provision for the health and happiness of the people, but they give a humbling
picture of the weakness and corruption of the fallen human nature.
ii.
These laws were given, as were all the
laws, to show our need for a savior, and just as the holidays, commandments and
all other things given to us by God, they all point to the need and purpose for
Christ, as well as what His atoning sacrifice has accomplished.
iii. To say
we “must” still obey the Kosher laws of foods, is to say we “must” still
sacrifice animals for the covering of our sins, or to say Christ has not
accomplished what He set out to do.
iv.
The Lord is telling Peter in this vision,
“Do not call impure or unclean what God has MADE clean.”
a.
How has God made these things clean? Christ
and the Cross.
b.
What does the impure food made clean by God
represent? The Gentiles.
III. OBEDIENCE
BEFORE UNDERSTANDING
a. Peter
did not know what the vision meant
i.
We see from scripture Peter was not sure
exactly what the vision meant.
ii.
But God was preparing Peter for his work
with the Gentiles.
iii.
Peter's mind needed to be opened, and his
understanding of God's plan expanded if he was to understand that what was once
impure (the Gentiles), was now “Made clean” by Christ and the Cross!
b. God
speaks again
i.
The Lord reveals to Peter that there are
men wanting to speak with him.
ii.
So he comes down from the roof to speak
with them.
c. Peter
obeys, although he does not fully understand
i.
They are the men that Cornelius the
Centurion sent
ii.
Cornelius had a vision, and the Lord
revealed to him that he needed to speak with Peter, who could be found in
Joppa, staying with Simon.
iii.
Cornelius sent men to fetch Peter.
CONCLUSION
So what was the purpose of the
vision?
To open Peter's mind, so that
he would understand that what God has made clean, no man can call impure.
Christ's atoning sacrifice on
the Cross was not just for the Jew, but also the gentile.
Peter begins to understand when
the Centurion's men show up and request Peter to speak with Cornelius. These
men, although God-fearing, were Gentiles.
And although they were
God-fearing, they were NOT saved, because they had not yet heard the message of
the Cross.
Cornelius, being a faithful
man, was truly seeking the Lord, and God made a way for him to receive the
message that would put him in a right relationship with God.
Seek, and ye shall find...
