When Heaven Opens

In our text Heaven opened to show Peter a vision from God of our world,both Jews, Gentiles and Samaritans.

God also showed Peter that he would have to work among the unbelief, prejudices, and despair of this world.

Heaven opened to give Peter a promise of continual divine assistance.

(1) Heaven May Open For Anyone

(A) To Jacob (Gen. 28:12)

We find Jacob running from Esau,not sure of his fate.

(a) When Heaven Opened: God made Jacob a promise:

(1) I Will Give You The Land

(2) Thy Seed Shall Be As The Dust

(3) In Thy Seed Thee And Thy Seed Shall Be Blessed

(4) I Am With Thee

(5) I Will Keep Thee

(6) I Will Not Leave Thee

(B) In Jacob’s Darkest Hour: Heaven Opened

(a) God Connected Earth To Heaven For Jacob- for mediation

(b) (John 1:51) "Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

(2) Heaven Opened For Stephen: (Acts 7:56).

(A) Stephen full of the Holy Ghost saw Heaven opened, and the Glory of God, as Jesus stood on the right hand of the Father.

(B) Sometimes we become weary and think we’re forgotten, we cry out as the disciples upon the troubled seas, "carest not that we perish"?

It is at these moments that Heaven opens.

(C) Throughout the history of the early church death had been as a warning. Judas had gone his own way,commiting suicide,Annanias and Saphiras had met also sudden death.

(D) But Heaven Opened For Stephen:

(1) For the Glory Of God To Shine Through

(2) For The Grace Of God To Come Through

(3) For The Spirit Of Man to Pass Through

(3) Heaven Opened On The Day Of Pentecost

(a) "There came a sound from Heaven as a mighty rushing wind".

(2) Heaven opened to Peter on a roof top!

(a) Heaven can open to you any place, a hillside, river bank, a public highway, even in your church.

(b) Heaven opens to those who pray and prepare for it.

(c) Heaven may open for you tonight