Download... November 8, 2009. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: Acts 10:1-16
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
This scripture is about a man who was already saved and sanctified, needing to be "changed or reformed" to still be used for God. Peter was also persecuted for God, and although already Saved and Sanctified,..still so very human.
We serve a Mighty God!! We have great confidence in Him,... not self, human reasoning's, and must remember to "cast not away your confidence".. in Him. These first 16 verses illustrates the difficulty people often have with their confidence. A potter's class illustrates how one can be molded, or shaped over,.. when making a mistake.
As a teacher. preacher, elder, or "younger." Humanity is of course, what the Church is made up of. God has a way of taking our vessel, changing us,.. as He sees fit. God sees many times, different ways to remold us,. IF we are willing to let Him. Peter was shown in this Vision (verse13)...and What to eat (verse 11& 12). Where did the sheet come from? Down from Heaven,..not man's ideas. The Vision came Down from Heaven,..from God. But..it was difficult for Peter to imagine. He was told, "Rise, Kill,..Eat. Not only the clean,..but the UN-clean animals. We might be perplexed that the old law of Moses is now being changed?? Peter was confused-God's law...changed? Unusual, unfathomable,..hard to understand. He stalled, hesitated, until,.. God Intervened.
Leviticus 11:1-12, Deuteronomy 14:21, and Deuteronomy 12:23. here we find the various rules of old law eating commandments, such as one about not mixing meat with milk. Not to eat a already dead animal, but to kill,..then eat. These laws are what separated Peter as a Jew from other "non compliant" souls. Until....he met Jesus,.. who cleansed and saved him. Yet later Peter still had difficulty, but was instructed not to cast away his confidence. Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your CONFIDENCE, which hath great recompence of reward", even after his denial 3 times of Jesus. We are encouraged by God to endure,..through storms, though travesties will shake you,.. yet be encouraged not to cast your confidence away from God, ..who Will keep you as part of His body.
Has your boat been rocked? By getting your eyes on a person, and getting to a place where you can no longer work with that one? That is not of God's will. No matter the deformity of humanity, God wants us to work together that are doing our best to serve God. There shall be no divisions of God's body, when we are serving, loving submitting to God. Peter was a faithful Jew, always. Yet Jesus as a Jew, was not in bondage to the Jewish traditions and laws. Jesus authored the law of God. Peter having been a faithful Jew, was given a Vision that the gentiles were to be God's children Also. According to the scriptures Peter's beginning service to God was of trials and struggles,..yet now God was revealing His Will, which did not equal the Jewish traditions. In Isaiah, He said He would gather All nations. Isaiah 66:8 "For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory." despite the Jewish traditions, or divisions.
Conversely no fault is found in Peter's Jewish "vessel," he just needed to expand his perceptions of God's children, to All gentiles, who came submissive to God. Peter did not at first understand. There needed to be a working out of Peter's faith to encompass each soul desiring God's way, ..a need to be re-shaped. Peter, saved, sanctified, needed "his" vessel to be reshaped Also,.. even later on in life. Likewise, our "rock" or vessel needs to be submissive to the Potter's wheel, for God to continually reshape us according to the needs in our life, and His will. Men and women of themselves do not have the wisdom to change. Only God can reshape us without breaking the vessel. He knows we must Allow Him,..or we won't be used for God's purpose. You want compromise? No, Peter was saved and sanctified when God gave him the vision of his need to be willing to eat what he would not,...taught not,..to partake of before. He was instructed to go against "men's " laws, and embrace God's new covenant to enlarge His Church, not for sin, but for Salvation! He needed to put "Peter" back on the wheel and "remake" him.
This..after his already saved and sanctified experience. Now he had to be told that unclean meat was made to be clean also,"call not that unclean that God has made clean." The allegory was,.. were we to evangelize Jews,...or All the world?? There needed to be a change, so All could be evangelized. God had to reveal for God's children to reach all walks, race, cultures of life,..to reach All. Even though saved and sanctified, God might ask you to do something, you might not have ever done before. To be asked to do what you have never done,...change after all these years,..needing to be changed? After all,...you're set,..in your saved ways. God has a purpose. There might be a doubt. Peter doubted. God commanded to not call unclean, that which He had cleansed. You potentially could wonder why,..or how,..could That be? This biblical church congregation were considered "heretics" amongst the other Jews, because of letting God "change" them. They were rejected for reaching out to others, not amongst their kind. Saved, sanctified, yet called to change their previous convictions within God's church.
Acts 15:1-31 council dealing with circumcision of gentiles. New ways, troubles,.. brought to the old Jewish ways,..a huge debate ensued,..knowing they needed to be "settled." God's plan to face this controversy? "Cast not away therefore your confidence."
Acts 10:28 All Peter's life long, he had been taught to keep as a Jew not to keep company with any of other nations. Yet he was able to share that God had given him this vision to reveal that Per:God,..He wanted no longer for any to call any man uncommon or unclean, whom He had cleansed and made His own. We all need that same cleansing, scrubbing of God's Word and Power! ..growing in Grace! Enlarging our borders. Growing spiritually and numerically larger in the Church! What is God asking you to do to reach out to any and all souls? God;s plan is bigger than my "human brain," what I comprehend, or what I understand of His plan. God's plan can and will be revealed in a different way than our mind can understand. We Can make the choice for God's change,...possibilities you co not yet understand. "Rise,..kill,..eat. God ask us to partake of what is on His given "sheet," as is pointed out in the text scriptures.
Galatians 2:11-15
God showed Peter to teach, (in Acts 10) the Gentiles,..not to treat them differently than the Jews. (verse15) the traditions were hard to unlearn, because they were deeply ingrained. It takes time, so do not doubt, and relearn, be willing to examine and relearn God's Will. Change. Think differently. Hard as it is( even for Peter) but Paul did not cast aside Peter. Peter did not cast aside Paul. God did not cast aside Peter. So much change in these biblical times, going on. God wants us to stay in this "earthquake." Stay,..and God will help to reshape you, enlarge your borders to encompass the change God needs to make in your life. Who,..instructed Peter? Pastor, teacher, friend,...NO,..God did!! The Holy Ghost instructed Peter! Who moved the eunuch to be saved? Acts 8:26-40 the Holy Ghost dealt with the eunuch. Who.moved him (martyr, Steven) to testify and surrender to death? Acts 6th and 7th chapters: The Holy Ghost....moved Steven.
So who do I trust,.. The pastor? Confused? All these examples were guided by the Holy Ghost,..in their direction. We need to be on a "first name basis" with the Holy Ghost,.. just as these Biblical examples provided.
Bro Goble told how just prior to the Harvest Festival Saturday evening, his heart was quite heavy, and he felt impressed to come into the main sanctuary of the church to pray,..to get God's leading. His spirit was tender to the Spirit of God, a place where we all need to be, as the little child Jesus took and likened to those who will be greatest in His Kingdom. Matthew 18:1-5 Those who do not seek importance, but recognize their fragility and lack before God,..to get His real guidance and leading. There are just some things you can get from No where else, but directly from the Spirit of God! You must though,..first have that Intercessory prayer with God. Then God can through to your understanding.
Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."
When we sing "Take My Life and Let It Be,"....When does it have the most meaning to me? When God confronts us with His Change,..To Accept! This message is for The Church of God! There is often a need to Change, ..the "Barriers," the carelessness, or lackadaisical tendencies. Where do you stand? You are not there yet! There is a need to wake up and embrace God's challenges! Peter's dilemma in this text,... applies to us Today!
