I was in the city of Joppa praying

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 30 JANUARY 2022

ACTS 11 VERSES 1 - 14

"I was in the city of Joppa praying".  This rough fisherman Peter has made the Lord his own and personal Saviour.  He had the assurance in his heart that God was his Saviour.  "Blessed assurance Jesus is mine" could easily have come from his lips.  He was called to be a man who preached but also to be a man of prayer  The apostles in Jerusalem had heard how the gospel had come to the Gentiles.  The gospel had entered the house of a non-Jew Cornelius.  They wanted to hear what Peter had to say about the whole incident.  Peter shared the gospel and the Gentiles were brought into the church of Christ.  Peter opened the door whereby the Gentiles could enter into the church of Christ.  He was the instrument, he made that very clear, no more separation.  Peter puts in his own question of it all in verse 17 "what was I? that I could withstand God."  Then in verse 18 we read "when they heard these things they praised and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."  They all agreed that this was God's work  In verse 4 "Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order unto them."  He answered their questions, took it step by step.

The communion he has with God,  He points to the prayer time, the idea that he received the vision.  He received it from the Lord.  Peter is in communion with God.  This is not just praying but a communion.  Every time we get before God we need to be in communion with God.  Yes we bring our petitions before God but we need to hear his voice too.  When we pray is it important to us?  John Wesley said "God does nothing but in answer to prayer."  Peter was in Joppa and praying.  He was seeking God.  The origin of the opening of the church to the Gentiles was through prayer, just as the origin of the church was in prayer.  An important step for the church was opening up. We will never see the significance of our times of prayer until we are in glory.  Peter was on the rooftop and praying, seeking God's blessing.  Something is being laid on his heart for the Gentile people.  What an important prayer Hannah prayed - as she looked back on that day in prayer in the temple when she prayed for a man child and told the Lord that if her prayer was answered she would give him back to the Lord.  She didn't see the significance of that prayer - that the child would grow up to be the leader of Israel in a dark and difficult time.  The church of Christ was born in prayer.  When Jesus ascended up into heaven 2 angels came down and asked the disciples "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."  In Acts 2 we see the people were all in one place and the church was born that day.  New doors were opening up to Peter.  Peter points it all back to one time of prayer.  Have we asked "what service would the Lord have me to do?"  Saul's first prayer was "what would you have me to do?"  Will there be those who will question my work, will they look back and see something that we have done, will my actions result in men coming into he kingdom of God?  Peter is explaining to the elders the great door, the mission he set out on.  Came about as I communicated with God in prayer.  How important is the place of prayer in the Christian life, in the work of the fellowship.  Saul of Tarsus was saved on the Damascus road and Ananias was told to go and meet him.  The description given was "behold he prayeth".  Not just bringing our petitions to the Lord but coming in and communing with the Lord.  Quietly listening to the Lord.  Bringing thanksgiving and praise to him, allowing the Lord to speak to us.

The challenge Peter receives.  God gave him this great vision while in prayer on the rooftop.  He was hungry and fell into a trance, he sees a great sheet coming down from heaven.  On this sheet were all manner of unclean beasts a Jew was not allowed to eat of.  Leviticus sets out the various animals they were not allowed to eat of, they were unclean to them.  Peter had the key to open the door to the Gentiles, to all who believed.  Paul said "I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe."  Peter's challenge when he saw the sheet was to rise and eat.  Peter replied "not so for I have not eaten anything unclean."  God told him "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."  Peter is being taken out of his comfort zone.  God wanted to challenge Peter.  Think of Moses, at one time in Egypt he felt the call of God on his life to go down to his people and lead them out.  However, he fought with one man and killed him.  For 40 years he ran away from God into the desert.  It is easy to get comfortable in the master's service.  We need to be careful because God asks us to do something we maybe feel incapable of doing.  Moses was comfortable taking out his sheep every day, taking them to fresh pasture morning after morning.  He had a family too and was well settled in Midian.  One day God spoke to him, brought him to the burning bush and told him "I have a task for you."  He wanted him to go down to Egypt and bring the children of Israel out.  Immediately Moses said he couldn't do it., "I wouldn't have the right words to say."  Moses, the most educated man in all of Egypt.  God told him "I want you to leave the wilderness and go down to Egypt, go into Pharaoh's palace and tell him the people are leaving.  Peter was shown in a vision to kill all the unclean beasts but he couldn't do it.  God was showing him that he had to go into the house of a Gentile man  The believers questioned Peter "thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them."    Remember when the leaders of the Jews came and said to Jesus' own disciples that he ate and talked with sinners.

The concerns of Peter.  "And behold immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesara unto me."  If Peter didn't have a concern for them he wouldn't have went with them.  Peter had a great concern for others.  He knew what God was asking of him.  He knew it would be frowned on by certain people.  The place of prayer shows our concern for others.  Peter had already settled the issue in his heart some time before and did exactly what God wanted him to do.  Remember in Acts 5 when they were put in prison and threatened, told not to preach in this name again.  Peter settled it in his heart that particular day.  He answered "we ought to obey God rather than men."  Peter's heart was open to what the Lord desired of him.  He had a concern for the souls of men and women.  It is a great thing to have a concern for the souls of men.  Peter's concern took him into the home of a Gentile.  God had opened up the way for Peter.  He used him to further the work of the church.  God sent an angel right into Cornelius' home and told him "send for Peter who is in Joppa."  God was speaking already.  God is still speaking today.  He is asking for you to come alongside someone.  Are we in that freedom of mind to hear from God?  Maybe one day in heaven God will remind us of that concern and what we did in response.  Wouldn't it be awful to realise it was directly from God and we ignored it?  Peter had a concern for others and for the work of God - have we?