Clearly Seeing The Will Of God Series

CLEARLY SEEING THE WILL OF GOD

ACTS 11:1-18 THE APOSTLES AND THE BROTHERS 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 PETER BEGAN AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO THEM PRECISELY AS IT HAD HAPPENED: 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 OF THE AIR. 7 THEN I HEARD A VOICE TELLING ME, 'GET UP, PETER. KILL AND EAT.' 8 "I REPLIED, 'SURELY NOT, LORD! NOTHING IMPURE OR UNCLEAN HAS EVER ENTERED MY MOUTH.' 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 AS HE GAVE US, WHO BELIEVED IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WAS I TO THINK THAT I COULD OPPOSE GOD?" 18 WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, THEY HAD NO FURTHER OBJECTIONS AND PRAISED GOD, SAYING, "SO THEN, GOD HAS GRANTED EVEN THE GENTILES REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE."

PROPOSITION: THE CHRISTIAN WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO DISCERN AND INTERACT WITH GOD’S WILL IS A CHRISTIAN WHO IS MISSING THE BLESSING OF OBEDIENCE.

INTRODUCTION: THE TEXT BEFORE US TODAY DEALS WITH THE RECOUNTING OF THE ACTIVITIES OF PETER WHILE HE WAS IN THE HOUSE OF CORNELIUS. WORD OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED HAD MADE IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM, AND HAD CAUSED A STIR AMONGST THE MEMBERS. PETER NOW TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAS HAPPENED, AND USES THE CONTEXT OF GOD’S WILL AS HIS FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH.

TRANSITION: WHAT I TRUST WE WILL SEE IS THAT THIS PASSAGE IN GENERAL, AND THE ACTIVITY OF PETER SPECIFICALLY REVEAL TO US VALUABLE PRINCIPLES IN DISCERNING GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES, AND GOD’S DIRECTION IN OUR LIVES.

I. THE BIGGEST HINDRANCES TO GOD’S WILL

a. HINDRANCE NUMBER ONE – UNBENDING LEADERSHIP

i. BY THIS I MEAN THOSE WHO ARE IN LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH.

ii. ONCE IN LEADERSHIP, THERE HAS BEEN A SETTLING OF THEIR WAYS TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS AN UNWILLINGNESS AND EVEN A FEAR OF CHANGE.

1. NOTICE THAT IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE EARLY CHURCH TO BECOME ENTRENCHED IN THEIR THINKING,, AND THUS THEIR PERCEPTION OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING

iii. JESUS HAD TAUGHT THAT THE GOSPEL WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE JEWS.

1. THE GREAT COMMISSION WAS AL ABOUT THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL BEYOND THE CONFINES OF JERUSALEM

2. JOHN 10:16 I HAVE OTHER SHEEP THAT ARE NOT OF THIS SHEEP PEN. I MUST BRING THEM ALSO. THEY TOO WILL LISTEN TO MY VOICE, AND THERE SHALL BE ONE FLOCK AND ONE SHEPHERD.

iv. THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH – OR AT LEAST A FACTION OF IT WAS FIXATED ON THE “JEWISHNESS” OF THE CHURCH

1. NOTICE THE TERM CIRCUMCISED BELIEVERS.

2. PROBABLY A REFERENCE TO BELIEVERS WHO CONTINUED TO HOLD ONTO THE LAW OF MOSES

3. THEIR THOUGHT WAS THAT YOU HAD TO BE A JEW BEFORE YOU COULD BE A CHRISTIAN!

THE RESULT OF AN UNBENDING LEADERSHIP WAS A HINDRANCE OF THE GOSPEL. JAMES BOICE HAS SAID THAT IF THIS THINKING WERE TO HAVE CONTINUED THEN THE CHURCH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE BEYOND THE REGION OF JERUSALEM.

THIS IS WHY SALVATION BY GRACE IS SO ESSENTIAL!

b. HINDRANCE NUMBER TWO IS A MISDIRECTED FOCUS.

i. THE REAL ISSUE IS THE SALVATION OF GENTILES

ii. THE FOCUSED ISSUE IS THAT PETER “ATE WITH THEM”

iii. THE ISSUE IS NOT THE GOSPEL, THE ISSUE IS BREAKING KOSHER!