Changing Hazardous Thinking
Richard Tull, Pastor
The Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 37:22
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Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Have you ever heard that someone came to know Christ and wondered how did they receive Christ?
Thieves, Tattooed people, Murders, Prostitutes
Republicans, Democrats
Peter was the leader of the Disciples - Jewish men
A Rule of Three
A three fold testimony was crucial in Israel to establishing the truth of a matter. - John Phillips - p. 213
Deuteronomy 17:6
6 “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
Three repeats all through
Main Point - Our self-righteous thinking is hazardous to the work of God. We need to allow God to change our thinking from what we think we know the truth. What God calls Holy let us not think other wise. God wants all to be saved.
Read Acts 11:1-18
1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, 6 and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. 7 “I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 “But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 “But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ 10 “This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. 11 “And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 “The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. 13 “And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
Message
The Whining - 11:1-3
The Whining - 11:1-3
Gossip
The word of Gentiles receiving the word of God traveled fast. Even before Peter returned to Judea. Acts 11:1-2
1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him,
Telling of a story not for the purpose of Glorifying God.
The circumcised - works related
The circumcised thought they were better than others.
The fellowship Acts 11:3
3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
The circumcised had a problem with Peter having fellowship and eating with uncircumcised people.
How are we going to ever reach unbelievers unless with associate with them.
The Witnesses - 11:4-15
The Witnesses - 11:4-15
Peter received a vision - 11:4-12
Sheet coming down and returning from heaven
Signaled to them that this was from God.
it came from God and returned to God.
unclean animals and birds
Acts 11:9 - What God Says is Good enough
9 “But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’
Not only talking about food but was opening door for what Jews considered unholy “gentiles” where now going to be cleansed.
Three times this happened - and went back into SKY
Law of witness
not only did this happen once so might be considered a thought but happened three times
The Acts 11:11 Three men
11 “And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit lead
Go with out hesitation Acts 11:12
12 “The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house.
NASB “without misgiving” - KJV “nothing doubting” -
“to conclude that there is a difference, without distinguishing to whom he should give” - BDAG
Peter took six men with him twice the number required.
Cornelius received a vision - 11:13-14
The angel telling Cornelius to send for Peter
The angel telling Cornelius that Peter would speak the Gospel to them so that they may be saved.
Holy Spirit vision through the baptism - 11:15-16
The Holy Spirit witnessed through falling upon them.
Acts 11:15 - “as I began to speak”
15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.
It was not the work of Peter for the Holy Spirit fell upon them “AS he BEGAN to speak”
“Just as He did upon us at the beginning. This phrase would make me go back to when the disciples recieved the permanent indwelling of Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
The Winning - 11:16-18
The Winning - 11:16-18
God doing the work not Peter - Acts 11:16
16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
The Gentiles “the unclean / unkosher people” Are now declared clean and Holy by God through their faith and believe in Jesus Christ.
Peter made a good statement - Acts 11:17
17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
“Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?
The apostles and brethren stop whining and glorified God Acts 11:18
18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
They also acknowledged God work in granting the Gentiles into His eternal kingdom.
Conclusion
We see not only that the gentiles were brought into the family of God
but also that the apostles and brethren had a change on mind - their Hazardous Thinking, only Jews could be saved, was changed as well.
From this passage we can see that anyone regardless of their color, political party, life style, or anything else, other than unbelief, can keep them from God’s salvation.
We can learn from this passage that we must associate with unbelievers but it is good also to take someone with you.