NOTES: Visions & Dreams, Part 7
Sermon: Visions & Dreams 7: Peter’s Picnic from the Sky
Text: Acts 10:9-20
Date: Sunday July 24, 2023
Text: Acts 10:9-20
“9 The next day, as they (the messengers from Cornelius) were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”
Let’s Connect:
The Church’s “muddy” doctrine of neighbor engagement.
Explain:
Story context:
Acts 2:17 (ESV)
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
Deuteronomy 7:6 (ESV)
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (ESV) 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Ephesians 1:13 (ESV)
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Across all ages, God’s love has gathered and treasured a people to Himself.
The vision and message from Jesus (vs. 10-16):
The message from the Spirit (vs. 17-19)
In this moment, the vision becomes clear:
the “unclean” animals represent all those outside Judaism
whom God is welcoming to Himself.
Now it’s clear
No one is outside the reach of God’s amazing grace and
it is the blood of Christ that makes us clean!
Let’s Relate:
2 Corinthians 5:16–20 (ESV)
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
We need a clear doctrine of neighbor engagement.
1. Embrace a new vision that sees people as God sees.
2. Warning! The way that we naturally see people is shaped by our nature, nurture, and culture.
3. Let Jesus graciously confront your “seeing”
4. And obey the Spirit moving you to take action.
Our Challenge:
Who’s on your picnic blanket?