Peter’s Vision           August 26

 

Background:  Last week we heard the story of Cornelius.  He was a Roman Centurion who lived in Caesarea; he was a devout and God-fearing man.  Cornelius gave to the poor and needy and prayed regularly.  One day he had a vision in which he saw an Angel who spoke to him.  The Angel explained to Cornelius that his prayers and giving had come up before God as a memorial offering.  The Angel instructed Cornelius to send men to Joppa to fetch Simon Peter and bring him back to Caesarea.  After the Angel departed Cornelius called three of his men, told them about his vision and the Angel and then sent them to Joppa.

Scripture: Acts 10:9-23

Situation:  About noon the following day, as Cornelius’ men neared Joppa Peter went up on the roof to pray and fell into a trance.  He had a vision in which he saw heaven open; a large sheet containing four footed animals, reptiles, and birds was lowered to earth and a voice said to Peter, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter refused saying, “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”  The voice said to Peter, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  This happened three times and then the sheet was taken up to Heaven.

While Peter was trying to figure out the meaning of the vision the men Cornelius had sent arrived at the house where Peter was staying.  Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit told him about the three men and instructed Peter to go downstairs and not hesitate to go with the three men because the Spirit had sent them. 

Peter went downstairs, identified himself to Cornelius’ men and asked them, “Why have you come?”  The men told Peter about Cornelius and his vision and then Peter invited the three men into the house to be his guests.

Let’s examine the actions, words and results of what people did in this story and discover what God wants us to learn. 

From the background of last week’s story you will remember that Peter had been travelling around the country preaching the Gospel and healing many.

Prayer: Where it all begins

Why do you think Peter went up on the roof to pray? Was he taking time to seek God’s direction and heart for the next steps?  Would you say his Radar was tuned to God? It is critical that as we serve we get our guidance from God through His Spirit.  We don’t pray, “God help us do what we planned but rather God guide us into your plan and will.”

When we seek God, He responds .

The next thing we notice about the situation with Peter is that he fell into a trance and had a vision. When we seek God’s guidance to discover and do His will, He will respond.  Did Peter understand the experience he had? Why do you think God used this type of revelation? Why not just spell it out clearly? Before you answer this question remember that Cornelius was a Gentile (a non-Jew) and there were strict rules forbidding Jews to eat and associate with Gentiles. At first Peter did not understand the vision.  God used this type of revelation because it fit with the next sequence of events.  We like Peter may not understand how God is working but that does not mean God sits by idly and does nothing. What happened next as Peter was still up on the roof trying to figure things out? (See verse 17, 19) The three men (who were Gentiles) Cornelius had sent arrived and the Spirit gave Peter specific instructions.      

Progressive Revelation: 

Look closely at Peter’s experience; he prays and God gives him a vision.  He does not understand the significance of the vision but continues to think and ponder on it.  He doesn’t jump into action because things are not clear to him yet.  Next God reveals another part of the revelation as the Spirit tells Peter about the three men and gives him some specific instructions. God’s revelation to us is often progressive just like in the story. Discovering God’s will can often be like putting together pieces of a puzzle; it is critical for each of us to wait on God’s leading through His Spirit.  This often involves thinking, pondering, seeking advice from trusted friends and lots of prayer.   Do you know of anyone who has experienced God’s progressive revelation; have you ever experienced it?

God uses people:

Earlier I asked the question why God acted as He did.  Take a moment and reflect on how many people there are in this story, from chapter 10:1-23.  We are not told how many are in Cornelius’ family but we can guess 7 or more people involved in this story.  If we were to closely examine the growth and spread of the early Church we would realize another important truth God is teaching us in this story.  God works through people, ordinary people like you and me.  As you reflect on your own personal spiritual journey can you figure out how many people God used to direct you to Himself?  When God works to affect His purposes He is at work in many different lives at the same time.  

Building faith:

What is God doing in the lives of the people in our story as He involves them?  Building faith.  God could have done things quite differently but He chooses to work as He does in order to build the faith of those He interacts with as well as family and friends.  God could have revealed His will directly to Cornelius but in choosing to include the people He did God affected an even wider circle of people.  What is God doing in your life right now; how is He using you and to what end?  What great thing is God doing that He has chosen you to be a part of and that is infinitely bigger than you? How is God using our Church in this community and what great plans does He have for Chestermere? 

Conclusion:      

·     If you are looking to God for guidance, waiting for Him to do big things, then you have to pray.  It all starts with prayer.

·     Remember when we seek God and His guidance we must believe that He will respond to us.

·     God’s revelation to us is most often progressive, so don’t rush into action, wait, think, pray and God will lead you.

·     God uses people so what we say and do and how we interact with others can and often is a part of what God is doing. 

·     God desires to build faith in each of us and will use people, circumstances and several other means to accomplish what He is doing in our lives and the lives of others.