The Openness of Peter

Elder Stephen Choi, 06 Jul 2008

In Acts 2, we read about the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the people. Peter preached and 3,000 Jews accepted Jesus. In Acts 8, salvation also came upon the Samaritans.

Someone calculated and estimated the time of Pentecost to the time the Gospel reached the Gentile to be 10 years.

In Acts 11, Peter is back to Jerusalem. But news travelled fast that the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles even before he went back to Jerusalem. Prophet Joel prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit on His people. Young men would see visions while old men would dream dreams. We need to be close to God to see visions and have dreams. Otherwise, we would be having dreams about our finances, family, etc.

If you want to dream dreams, we cannot be sleeping all the time. We need to be active and alert to see what God wants to reveal to us.

1. Listen to God

Act 11:1-10 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. (2) So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, (3) "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." (4) But Peter began and explained it to them in order: (5) "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. (6) Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. (7) And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'(8) But I said, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' (9) But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.' (10) This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

The Jews still remembered the martyrdom of Stephen was seen as going against the Law of Moses. Apparently, if a Jew mixed with a Gentile, he is unclean / defiled for 7 days.

The leaders took Peter aside to criticize him. Peter, an orthodox Jew explained that it was God who initiated it. He had a vision of unclean food and a voice asking him to kill and eat. He refused three times.

Lev 11:45-47 For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." (46) This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, (47) to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.

The original law was given to distinguish the Jews from the gentiles.

Peter was brought up as a Jew and not to eat unclean animals. Now, God showed him the way and led him to Cornelius house to bless him. Peter's was reluctant initially. God wants to show us new things. Are we open to new things from God?

How is your prayer life? We bring our petitions to God which is all good. But prayer is not just looking at the hand of God who gives us. Prayer is ultimately an intimate relationship with God. Prayer is not just one way to God to ask God to bless us. It is also to hear what God want to tell us. When was the last time we hear something from God. When we have an intimate relationship with God, there is a two-way communication.

Act 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

God spoke to them during worship. God used someone who was open to God to pass the message.

How's your Bible study? Are you studying the Word of God? However many of us feel sleepy when we read the Bible. The Word of God is active and alive. It must do something for us. Does the Word of God come alive to speak to us?

Are you willing to follow when God speaks to us? Are we willing to let go of our traditions and pre-conditioned concepts. 20 years ago, the church was at a cross road to move from traditional worship to a free flow worship to listen to God. While there is nothing wrong with hymns, God wanted us to move on. Discard our own thinking. Receive from the LORD what he intended for us.

2. Look for Confirmation

Act 11:11-14 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. (12) And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. (13) And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; (14) he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

God always give confirmation to what He is going to provide. Right after Peter finished praying, three men came. The Spirit told him to follow them. Jewish laws require 2 or 3 witnesses. He took another 3 to make 7 including him. 7 symbolizes completion / perfection.

As much as we want to be open to what God is doing, He always gives confirmation. Do not believe in our presumptions. Get someone to pray together to get confirmation. We must ALL be open to hear from God. If one is hearing and another is not, then the will be problems.

If we hear a word, speak it. If it is not correct, our brethren will correct in love. There are always three voices in play, God's voice, our own voice and Satan's voice. When we move in the area of hearing God's voice, we must learn to recognize the voice of God.

3. Live up the Vision of God

Act 11:15-18 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. (16) And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' (17) If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (18) When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

Because Peter was willing to go, salvation came upon the Gentiles. Be obedient. God wants to use in special tasks. Why did God call Peter to go to Cornelius and not Philip who was nearby? Each one is given a special gift. We should seek the Lord and find out what gifts we have and how to use them.