Being Prepared to Move (Part 3)
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction |
Are we letting status quo keep us from furthering the gospel? Are we letting tradition keep us from furthering the gospel? Are we willing to accept God’s truth and break away from religion and get into a relationship with the Father and truly become part of the Family of God. Are we willing to allow God to move in our lives?
Background Text | Acts 10
Focus Passage | Acts 10:17-23
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging. Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Outline |
Mind Blown | (vv. 17-18)
Peter stood in a state of confusion - ‘…Peter was greatly perplexed...’
The Greek word for perplexed within our text is διαπορέω, diaporeō (dee-ap-or-eh), meaning, “to be thoroughly in doubt”, “very perplexed”, “to not know what to do”, “to be very confused”.
Why would he not be in this state? He had just seen a picnic blanket come down with all kinds of animals on it and told to eat it. He, being a Jew, was like, “Thank you, but no thank you Lord.” I am not doing that. I realize you are God, but that is contradictory to everything I ever been taught or told how to live (Acts 10: 14).
God’s response to him was more mind blowing than the vision itself, Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (Acts 10:15).
As discussed last week, this is where we find ourselves at time. We are told to go and serve in a way that is contrary to our religious background or minister to those that we would be most uncomfortable with and we stand there torn between two worlds. The world in which God has called us out of our comfort zone to go and the world where this can’t be because it’s not how I was raised or how I have been taught.
Brothers and sisters, God is calling the church into a new world, a world that is worried about religion, but is concerned with relationship, a world that is not worried about getting dirty to help others get clean.
Hear me clearly, GOD WILL NEVER call you to a place or call you to do something contrary to His Word, but He WILL call you to do something out side of the practices of organized religion. As we have learned from the beginning of our study within Acts, Lessons from the 1st Century Church, Jesus Christ was trail blazer and turned the religious world upside down. His disciples will be noted as turning the world upside down.
6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;
The church today should still be trail blazing for the Lord and not content in the status quo or staggered with indifference. Or standing at crossroads in confusion about where to go in worry offending others. We are to be about our father’s business.
God had already placed His sovereign plan in motion - ‘…the men who had been sent by Cornelius…appeared at the gate...’
God is so awesome and so faithful to us, His Word, and His calling on one’s life. While Peter stood in confusion, with His mind blown, not knowing what this vision meant, God was at work.
God was working His plan before Peter even knew what was going on. Remember, As Cornelius was praying two days prior to this, God sent an angel to Cornelius and let him know his prayers had been heard (Acts 10:3-4). As Cornelius dispatches men to Joppa, a two-days journey (30 miles from Cesarea), Peter is unaware.
Peter goes up to his roof top to pray, his gets hungry, falls into a trance, and sees a picnic blanket with food fall down, and wakes up wondering what was that. He hears a voice to eat and rebuttals, “No, Lord, not so.” Then God tells Peter eat again with the instruction of do not call this unclean, because I have called it clean.
He stands there perplexed and mind blown, wondering what this means and where to go from here. God sends the men at the right time to the right place to show Peter what it meant and where he was about to go. He doesn’t give him the full story yet, but does show him a partial revelation of the path to come.
This is how God works. God knows the plan. God knows the full story. God knows the end from the beginning, even when we do not.
God had a sure plan even when Peter had a blown mind
Inspired to Move | (vv. 19-20)
19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”
As we look our text, we see God inspires his children to move in different ways. There are...
Three ways God uses to inspire the move
God used an angel to inspire Cornelius (v. 3)
3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!”
God inspired Peter to move through His voice (v. 13)
13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
God inspires Peter a second time through the Holy Spirit - ‘…the Spirit said to Him...’
As Peter stood perplexed, the Spirit of God moves on him and reminds Peter of the Great Commission. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to follow the Great Commission. The Great Commission statement of Acts is found in Acts 1:8.
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
One is called and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to share the gospel. God had a plan from the beginning which is being fleshed out within our text. As I noted in a previous text, Acts is a transitional book and Acts 10 is a transitional chapter. As we have worked through these first ten chapters of the book of Acts we have seen God’s sovereign plan for His church and her mission being fleshed out.
Chapters 1-6, 11-12 | We see a move of the gospel in Jerusalem
Chapter 7 | We see a move of the gospel in Judea
Chapters 8-9 | We see a move of the gospel in Samaria
Chapter 10, 13-28 | We see a move of the gospel into remotest part of the earth
Through all of this we are reminded that it is not man who convicts, man who saves and redeems, man who changes the heart of a lost and degenerate person. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that does all of this.
We are simply to be willing and available without reservation - ‘…get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings...’
7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
Opportunity to Practice | (vv. 21-23)
21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging. Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Are you being obedient to God’s call - ‘…Peter went down to the men...’
Are you practicing God’s command - ‘…what is the reason of which you have come...’
Are you searching for God’s message - ‘…hear a message from you...’
Are you releasing your religion and embracing God’s relationship - ‘…he invited them in and gave them lodging…went away with them...’
Conclusion |
Far too often the church has been about status quo and religious dogma. Jesus Christ did not follow the status quo or religious dogma of His day. Hear me. He did not shun the law or break the law. He did not go against the law. As He testifies of Himself...
17 “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
He did, however, fight against and call out the religious traditions of His day. Let this be an example to us all. We are called to fulfill the Word of God. We are called to obey the Word of God. We are called to honor God in all ways. We are not called to practice or live shackled by the traditions of man. We must be obedient to the Word of God and the furtherance of the gospel above all.
There are men and women, boys and girls, dying and going to hell, while the church fights over hymns or praise songs. There are men and women, boys and girls, dying and going to hell, while the church fights over KJV or CSB. There are men and women, boys and girls, dying and going to hell, while the church fights over how long a man’s hair should be, whether women should wear dresses and makeup or not, whether tats are acceptable or not, whether we should have a choir, band, or praise team. While this may all be an important preference to you, they have nothing to do with the eternal condition of that man, woman, boy, and girl’s soul.
We need to break down the walls, let go of religious dogma, and embrace the good of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be about His business.
Where do you stand today? Do you know the Lord or do you know religion? Do you know the bridegroom, Jesus Christ or do you just know His bride, the church? You can know the church all day long and still never know the bridegroom, Jesus Christ. I am not up hear preaching and sharing the good news of Jesus for you to know the church. I want you to know Christ and in turn find salvation for your soul.