From
Acts to Revelation
Part
30 – Peter Explains His Actions
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Last week we see Peter going to the house
of Cornelius, and giving him the word of God.
They accepted that word, and received the
Holy Spirit before Peter and his parties eyes.
Afterword's, Peter had them all baptized
and returned to Jerusalem.
He met criticism from the Jewish Christians
once they heard that Peter entered a Gentiles house, and the Gentiles received
the word of God.
In today's scripture, we see one man who
obeyed God, despite his personal feelings, thus walking in the Spirit and not
living by his feelings, and others, who were trapped by their paradigms,
enslaved by their feelings, and criticized a faithful and obedient servant of
God for his compliance to the instruction of the Holy Spirit.
Opposition comes where there is
instruction.
Obedience can be difficult, but the ones
who were giving Peter troubles, were fellow believers!
Today's scripture should cause us to look
at our own lives, and ask the questions;
1) Am I struggling
with opposition right now, while trying to obey God?
2) Am I following
God's instruction, although it conflicts with my feelings?
3) Or, am I the one
who is criticizing another believer, just because “I” don't think they are
obeying the way “I” think they should be?
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 11:1-18
Peter Explains His Actions
The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that
the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to
Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and
said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told
them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a
vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by
its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw
four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I
heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second
time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’10 This
happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had
been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was
staying. 12 The
Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six
brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He
told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to
Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a
message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy
Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I
remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized
with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same
gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to
think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard this, they had
no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God
has granted repentance that leads to life.”
a. The
Apostles and believers hear that the Gentiles received the Word of God
i.
They should have rejoiced in hearing this.
ii.
But their actions and response was driven
by their “feelings”
b. In Jerusalem,
the circumcised believers (Jewish Christians) criticized Peter
i.
Upset because Peter entered the house of a
Gentile.
ii.
Gentiles were considered “unclean”
iii. They
were also upset Peter ate with the Gentiles, who did not cook or prepare Kosher
foods, or follow any of the Jewish regulations concerning cooking.
c. When
obeying God, you will be criticized
i.
You may not be criticized for speaking or
eating with Gentiles, but you may still be criticized for taking Gods word to
those whom modern Christians may deem unworthy.
a.
Prostitutes
b.
Porn stars
c.
Drug dealers
d.
Homosexuals
ii.
This phrase should not offend you, “Jesus
loves porn stars”
a.
If it does, then you still do not
understand the Lord's mission.
iii. Jesus
said;
a.
“...go and make disciples of all
nations...” Matthew 28:19
b.
“...teach them to obey everything
I have commanded you...” Matthew 28:20
c.
“...I did not come to judge the
world, but to save the world.” John 12:47
iv.
The Lord was criticized for eating with
Gentiles, talking with Samaritans, being surrounded with sinners,
tax-collectors, thieves. He was criticized for reaching out to prostitutes, but
He shared the word of God and the message that saves with everyone He met. Do
you?
d. Peter
was instructed by God to speak to the lowest of the low, an unclean Gentile.
i.
Like Peter, we will meet opposition when
serving the Lord.
II.
PETER'S VISION AND HIS OBEDIENCE
a. Peter
explains his vision and actions
i.
He repeats his vision and the Lord's
commands
b. Peter
explains the men coming to his house, and God's instruction
i.
He then explains it was no accident when
men showed up to take him to see Cornelius.
c. Peter
explains Cornelius' vision
i.
Then he explained that Cornelius also had a
vision, and responding to the Lord's command, sent his men to retrieve Peter.
ii.
None of this was coincidence.
III. THE
HOLY SPIRIT AND WATER BAPTISM
a.
God told Cornelius, “He (Peter) will
bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.”
i.
As we have seen throughout the Book of
Acts, BEFORE one can receive anything from God;
a.
One must be seeking God
b.
Then God gives a command
c.
One must obey that command
d.
You are now in “obedience”, and can
receive!
ILLUSTRATION
The Apostles (Acts 1)
1)
Followed Jesus to His ascension
2)
Jesus commanded them to wait in Jerusalem
for the Holy Spirit
3)
They obeyed that command and returned to
Jerusalem where they waited for the promise of the Father
4)
In obedience, they received the Holy Spirit
The Crippled Beggar (Acts 3)
1)
Outside the Temple gate every day, begging
for help from followers of God
2)
Peter commanded him, “Get up!”
3)
The man obeyed the command
4)
In obedience, he received a healing from
God
Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts
8:26)
1)
The Ethiopian had gone to Jerusalem to
worship God
2)
Philip explained to the Ethiopian about the
Lord and baptism
3)
The Ethiopian obeyed the teaching, and
submitted to the Lord
4)
In obedience of his submission, outwardly
expressed by his water baptism, he received the Holy Spirit
Saul (Acts 9)
1)
Saul was seeking God with all his heart,
mind, body and soul
2)
Jesus appeared, and commanded Saul go to
the house of Ananias
3)
Saul obeyed what the Lord commanded
4)
In obedience, Saul received the Word of God
from Ananias, as well as a healing from blindness, and was baptized, receiving
the Holy Spirit.
Aeneas, the paralytic (Acts
9:32)
1)
Scripture states, Peter traveled to visit
the saints, meeting Aeneas
2)
Being bedridden for 8 years, Peter
commanded him, “Get up, and take care of your mat.”
3)
Aeneas obeyed and got up.
4)
In obedience, he received a healing.
Cornelius (Acts 10)
1)
Seeking God outwardly with all of his
actions in life
2)
God gave Cornelius a vision to call Peter
3)
Cornelius obeyed the command, and brought
Peter to his house
4)
In obedience, Cornelius received Salvation
for himself, and his entire household!
1. One
must be seeking God
2. Then
God gives a command
3. One
must obey that command
4. You are
now in “obedience”, and can receive!
If you are waiting to receive
something from the Lord, prayer, healing, blessing, salvation, restoration,
etc... remember;
1)
You have not because you ask not.
2)
Have you heard God's command to you?
3)
Are you obeying that command?
4)
Only then will you receive what it is you
are waiting for from God.
b. The
Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles, JUST as it did on the Apostles in the
beginning.
c.
Peter remembered Jesus' words, “John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
d.
Therefore...”If God gave them the same
gift as He gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think I
could stand in God's way?”
CONCLUSION
When they heard this, they had
no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God
has granted repentance that leads to life.”
1) Am I struggling
with opposition right now, while trying to obey God?
2) Am I following
God's instruction, although it conflicts with my feelings?
3)
Or, am I the one who is criticizing another
believer, just because “I” don't think they are obeying the way “I” think they
should be?
And if you are waiting to
receive something from the Lord, prayer, healing, blessing, salvation,
restoration, etc... remember;
1)
You have not because you ask not.
2)
Have you heard God's command to you?
3)
Are you obeying that command?
4) Only
then will you receive what it is you are waiting for from God.
