Peter’s Revelation
The Enjoyment of Ministry Accountability
The Holy Spirit reveals the importance of God’s work through Peter by moving Luke to refer to the events of the ministry in Cornelius’s household three different times in the Book of Acts.
Acts 11:1-4 and verse 18, “The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.’ Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened… When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God.” (Acts 11:1-4, 18)
Whenever, God starts a new work, a work done differently than what was usually done, the cancer of traditionalism births forth the death of criticism. A ministry matured in the Holy Spirit defeats that criticism.
I would propose to you if the work of the Lord was important enough to have the Holy Spirit move Luke to write down the events of Peter’s ministry, it should be important enough for the Body of Christ to take note of the truths proclaimed in this message.
It is important to note that those who criticized Peter’s ministry to the Gentiles were Jewish Christians, “circumcised believers” who needed a fuller understanding of the whole counsel of the Word of God. (Matthew Henry Commentary; The Bible Knowledge Commentary; The Bible Exposition Commentary; The New American Commentary; Barnes Notes, The Expository Bible Commentary)
How does a mature ministry receive revelation and how is God’s revelation presented to the Body of Christ? How should spiritual leaders respond to the work the Lord is doing?
Hearts Seeking After God
The first step toward enjoying Peter’s revelation from the Lord is to have hearts that are seeking after God. Acts 10:1-2 says, “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” (Acts 10:1-2)
The first key word to grasp is “devout” (eusebes) meaning to be a person who is respectful to God and things regarding worship unto Him. Devout people are dutiful in their efforts to seek God and know His will for them. (Complete Word Study of the Bible; Vines Amplified Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words; Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon; Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) The second key word is “God-fearing” (phobeo) meaning to have reverential obedience toward God. (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon)
In the New Testament the term “God-fearing” had become what we would call a technical term for Gentiles who became frustrated with their gods and the result of the immorality of mankind. These particular people attached themselves to the Jewish religion. They were not circumcised and did not have a tremendous knowledge of the Word of God. They did however, attend some kind of meetings or had some kind of influence that enabled them to seek God. In Cornelius’s case, he had enough revelation to become a man of prayer and have a heart for the needy. (Daily Study Bible Series)
God gave Cornelius a supernatural revelation, an angel spoke to Cornelius saying, “…your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” Clearly, Cornelius’ gifts were not for gaining favor from God, but works that came from a reverent worship unto the God of heaven and earth.
Effective ministry duties and other works must be done out of a desire to please Him and from supernatural revelation that what they are doing is good for them and their family. Spiritual revelation comes to those are seeking to know more of the Lord, desire His ways of truth and heavenly wisdom. (The Pulpit Commentary)
The Lord will give devout, God-fearing Christians that which they seek. He will use whatever instruments He pleases to guide true seekers to the place and person who is able to give divine revelation which satisfies the spiritual heart and soul. When God-fearing people faithfully use the light they do have, the Lord will open the door to revelation.
Listen to what the Lord revealed to Cornelius who was a God-fearing man, “One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.” (Acts 10:3-8)
It is imperative that Christians understand. Devoted, God-fearing people who seek the Lord today, do so through the whole counsel of God’s Word. Just as the Lord called Peter to take a Word to Cornelius’ home, (Acts 10:22b) the Lord has given the Holy Spirit gift of “prophesying” (Romans 12:6) to the church, so that people may be informed of the will of God through the expounding of Scripture for making known the will of God. (The Expositors Bible Commentary; Ephesians 4:11; Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon; Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon; The Pulpit Commentary; Barnes Notes)
The Pittsburg Christian Advocate covered the story of Dr. Alexander Maclaren, a devout, God-fearing man who was recognized as being one of the clearest expositors of the Word of God in his day. They wrote, “How Dr. Maclaren became such a Bible scholar is worthy of note. …[he] had one ministry habit that was never broken, ‘one hour alone with God every day.’ Dr. Maclaren would sit in his well-warn armchair with his Bible on his knees. He would not read to get a teaching text, nor read as a student, but as child would read a letter from [his] Father; [with] a loving heart drinking in every Word.”
The Pharisees were experts in interrupting the Tora, the law. They consider that to be acts of righteousness hoping to move God. Cornelius was respectful to the God of heaven, he lived an obedient walk with the Lord because he was like the Psalmist, “I have hidden your Word in my heart, so I might not send against you.” (Psalm 118)
In this first portion of this message, we see it is a devout heart towards God, living in true reverence to the Lord which opens the door of God’s revelation of what to do. Holy Spirit illumination of being hungry enough to seek God gives revelation from God’s Word enabling us to be devout in our relationship and service to God the Father, loving Jeus Christ. Being moved through God’s guidance to more and clearer revelation.
True Worship and Heart Felt Prayer
A true God-fearing devoted heart gives true worship to God and prays to Him through honest seeking prayer, enabling us to receive more of Gods guiding revelations.
After the angle of the Lord had spoken to Cornelius, two servants were sent to seek out the man of God in Jappa.
Acts 10:9 says, “About noon the following day [Cornelius’s servants] were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.” Cornelius was a man who had revelation from God and he was illuminated with God’s will for him and his household. The Bible says, “[Cornelius] prayed to God regularly.” (Acts 10:2b) Peter was a mere man. He is known among Bible studiers as being very spiritually mature, a spiritual leader, but he still needed to be a man of prayer. (The Preacher’s Outline Sermon Bible; The Expositors Bible Commentary)
Peter was like the psalmist who wrote, “Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:17)
While Peter was praying Cornelius’ servants were heading to get him. During prayer Peter received a vision, in short told him to go with the servants of Cornelius. The purpose of this division of this message is to focus on getting revelation from God, a benefit of walking close to the Lord. Our focus is to understand why Peter got the revelation.
God’s timing is always perfect and when devout, God-fearing men pray they enjoy the full benefits. The Bibles says “While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision” the one he received after time spent in prayer, “…the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s [Peter’s] house was and stopped at the gate.”
Let the Holy Spirit place this truth into our spiritual heart. When devout, God-fearing men pray with a surrendered heart to God, they enjoy divine appointments and are sent to do ministry that introduces kingdom seekers to Christ. (Acts 10:34-48)
The great prayer warrior George Muller said, “the most important part of prayer was the first fifteen minutes after I said, ‘Amen.’” (Knights Treasury of 2,000 Illustrations) Walter B. Knight wrote, “Prayer is not a monologue, it is dialogue – our talking to God and God talking to us.” (Knights Treasury of 2,000 Illustrations) Christians illuminated with this truth grasp the truth of Psalm 85:8a, “I will listen to what the Lord will say…” Christians who desire to enjoy the revelation and illumination that Peter enjoyed, discipline their spiritual ears to listen.
A scientist said to a student, “Let me show you something.” They both walked to the middle of the side walk and the scientist took a quarter and tossed up into the air. When the quarter hit the sidewalk, it made almost inaudible noise compared to the sound of the traffic. Nevertheless, people stopped and started looking for the quarter that landed on the sidewalk. The scientist said, “People will train their ears to hear what they want to hear and they will use their eyes to see what they want to see.” (Knight’s Book of 2,000 Illustrations)
Sensitivity Toward the Holy Spirit
Christians who desire Holy Spirit illumination must go beyond obedience to seasons of prayer and seize daily leisure, grasping strong feelings to be in prayer developing a listening heart. (Barnes Notes) Prayer warriors enjoy Peter’s Revelation through sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:19-20 says, “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So, get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’"
Peter was not spoken to by an angel nor was it in a vision, but the speaking of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew Henry Commentaries; A Commentary Critical and Explanatory; The Bible Exposition Commentary) Peter was enjoying what was taught by Jesus about the Holy Spirit. In John 16, our Lord said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” (John 16:13-14)
In the Book of Acts we read of the Apostle Paul and his companions were sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading. (Acts 16:6-7)
Accountability Which Can Be Substantiated
The last division of this teaching is that, ministries which have Peter revelations substantiate their work for the Lord. Acts chapter 11 tells us Peters ministry at Cornelius home faced criticism. The cancers of legalism and traditionalism close eyes to the Lord’s work. The Bible says, “So when Peter went to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him.”
Peter must have known this work of the Lord was going to be met with problems. For the Bible says he took six brothers with him to Cornelius’ home and also them with him when he had to give an accounting in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:12b) Peter was confident in His work with the Lord,
Acts 11:4 says, “Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened” I love the way the New American Standard puts it, “But Peter… proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence…” Peter gave a full and fair accountability without argument or apology. (Matthew Henry Commentary)
A Peter revelation ministry is birthed from God’s Word, envisioned through God’s Word and sustained by God’s Word. Holy Spirit illuminated Christians have such a conviction and understanding of their revelation from God that they have no problem presenting and substantiating their ministry to those who may criticize their work. They have such an illumination of their calling they are able to pray through to completion that which God calls them to do. They are able to test their work by the Word of God, they are able to share how God used them and they are able to substantiate their ministry.
In Closing: Christians who have Peter’s revelation on how to oversee a work with the Lord, enables the Body of Christ to find peace in ministry and praise God for what He is doing. Acts 11:18 says, “When they heard [Peter’s full accounting], they had no further objections, and praised God saying, ‘So then, God has granted even the gentile’s repentance unto life.”
