Peter's Vision

HOOK

DO NOT FORGET TO UNMUTE

It’s the 10th day of November — Tuesday — exactly one week after the US elections— give updates!

Thank Pastor Pete & Ate Arca for filling in for me last week— thank those who joined and supported them

Yesterday right here at “The Message”— we started with chapter 10— the chapter began with the recorded events related to the appearance of angel to Cornelius— he was instructed to send for Peter, who was at that time was in Joppa living with a tanner also named Simon— what resonated to us yesterday was the words of the angel saying that Cornelius prayers and generosity to the poor became a memorial offering before God— and from that we learned:

WHATEVER I DO, I DO IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR THE LORD

GOD WILL NOT FORGET THE LOVE AND WORK I HAVE SHOWN TO HELP OTHERS

Now, let’s take a look at what happened afterwards— open your Bible to ACTS 10:9-23— once you get there, type “Amen!”

When reading in advance, whenever you’re studying God’s Word— look for words that defines that CHARACTER of God, COMMANDS to obey, PROMISES to claim, good EXAMPLES to follow and bad examples to avoid, ENCOURAGEMENTS & CHALLENGES to keep you going, reasons to be THANK GOD for, PRAYERS to pray

READ ACTS 10:9-23

BOOK

Acts 10:9–23 NIV

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.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 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.” 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 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. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.

WHAT: Peter’s Vision

WHERE: Joppa- at the house of Simon the tanner

WHEN: The day after Cornelius also received a vision

WHO: Peter and the 3 people sent by Cornelius

WHY: To instruct Peter to not hesitate to come to Cornelius [a Gentile]

HOOK

HE FELL INTO A TRANCE

Trance is a dream-like state of mind while awake— he saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet that contained 4-footed animals, reptiles and birds [animals that are treated as unclean based on their Jewish tradition]

THEN A VOICE TOLD HIM, “GET UP, PETER. KILL AND EAT.”

Peter resisted saying he had never eaten anything impure or unclean— keep in mind that as a Jew, Peter was brought up to treat certain food as unclean— the Jewish law forbids him to eat certain animals

This is not just about food that they can and cannot eat— as a Jew, he must not mix with gentiles for they too are treated as unclean — he must not enter their homes or share their food [take note that Cornelius is a Gentile, though God-fearing but he was not yet converted to Christianity at that time]— through vision and visitors, Peter was invited to change his mind

Jesus said something about food— MATTHEW 15:11 — while Paul said something about the Gentiles— GALATIANS 3:28

But the voice spoke a second time...

DO NOT CALL ANYTHING IMPURE THAT GOD HAS MADE CLEAN

It is God that cleanse and purifies

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of his vision— the Spirit told him that there are three people [Gentiles] downstairs looking for him— he was told not to be afraid of them for it was the Spirit that sent them

So Peter went down and basically said to them, I am the one you’re looking for, what can I do for you?— The men replied telling Peter that they were sent by Cornelius to invite him to come to his house so that he [Cornelius] could hear what Peter has to say

So this is not just all about food— if you just read it plainly, you would think that Peter’s vision was purely about food because literally at that moment when he fell into a trance, he was hungry— actually a meal was being prepared for him at that moment

But, the vision comes with another meaning, it was about also about not associating himself with the Gentiles [remember Jewish was brought up not to associated themselves with the Gentiles]— the vision came exactly at the moment when the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s [the tanner} house— if Peter was not told by the Spirit through this vision— he might hesitate to come with them back to Caesarea

There are a couple to timely lessons to learn from this:

It is God that cleanse and purifies— not just the food we eat, but also the people we hang out with

Specially during this season of division— we must not hesitate to associate ourselves with the unbelievers— we have to get our of our Christian bubble— we have to break through those walls that divides

Let me rephrase these into two easily understandable and memorizable sentences

TOOK

IT IS WHAT COMES OUT OF MY MOUTH THAT MAKES ME UNCLEAN

IT IS GOD THAT CLEANSE AND PURIFIES

SING

Pastor Manny— Way Maker