House of Hope Online

March 10, 2024

Here is the audio file:

Or, if you prefer Spotify:

In our last session, we discussed hearing in the Spirit, and we addressed questions like: “How do we discern the voice of God?”  And “What does His voice sound like?”  We saw in the scriptures how He sometimes speaks in an audible voice, and sometimes in a “still small voice,” which is silent like a thought.  And if it is like a thought, we must be able to discern between God’s thoughts and the devil’s thoughts, or our own fleshly thoughts.  We saw that James 3:17 provides the litmus test for discerning God’s voice:

James 3:

 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

Pure, Peaceable, and Gentle

What God says is first pure, meaning it is without sin.  It has no ulterior motive except to be a blessing in guiding us into all truth and righteousness.  The word of God is peaceable and gentle.  Contrast that to the other voices we hear today from politicians or other leaders, whose words are often disrespectful and filled with contention, strife, malice, and vitriol. 

Reasonable

God’s word is reasonable, meaning He will reason with us if we ask in faith.  We saw last time in Acts 9, when God spoke to Ananias and instructed him to go and lay hands on Saul, that Ananias was apprehensive because Saul had a reputation as a murderer of Christians.  But God reasoned with Ananias and assured him that Saul would become the Apostle Paul, a chosen instrument of the Lord.  God speaks to our doubts, reasons with us, and builds our faith.

Full of Mercy and Good Fruits

God’s voice speaks mercy and is full of good fruits.  When He speaks into our spirit, even if it is a word of correction, He does so with mercy and compassion.  His mercy rescues us and forgives us as an act of divine favor.  When He spoke into Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9, He said: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”   His words compassionately pleaded with Saul and ultimately saved him from eternal damnation.  The voice of God produced Paul’s fruitful ministry. 

His word is full of good fruits and produces good things.  Jesus has appointed us to be fruitful and productive in this life (John 15:16).  His voice uplifts us to be fruitful in every circumstance.  His word is good for edification, that is, for the building up of the saints.

Unwavering and Without Hypocrisy

God’s word is unwavering because it is based in truth.  It never changes because He who speaks to us is Faithful and True.  God’s word is true for all the ages.  It is unwavering.  His word is never blown back and forth by the winds of change.  His words are eternally true, they are not based in trial and error.  They are inflexible when it comes to righteousness.  God’s wisdom will never compromise the God-inspired, God-breathed written word.  And there is no hypocrisy in the word of God.  His words are based in righteousness. He is not a man that he should lie.

More on Visions

In our last session, we said another way God speaks to us in the Spirit is through visions.  The instructions He gave to Ananias in Acts 9 came in a vision.  And so, today, I want to spend more time on visions.  In Acts 10, God used visions to direct a faithful Italian centurion named Cornelius and the Apostle Peter in a way that opened the door for you and me to receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:

 1 ¶ Now [there was] a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort,

 2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the [Jewish] people, and prayed to God continually.

 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had [just] come in to him, and said to him, “Cornelius!”

 4 And fixing his gaze upon him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

 5 “And now dispatch [some] men to Joppa, and send for a man [named] Simon, who is also called Peter;

 6 he is staying with a certain tanner [named] Simon, whose house is by the sea.”

 7 And when the angel who was speaking to him had departed, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were in constant attendance upon him,

 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

 9 ¶ And on the next day, as they were on their way, and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

 10 And he became hungry, and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance;

 11 and he *beheld the sky opened up, and a certain object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,

 12 and there were in it all [kinds of] four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

 13 And a voice came to him, “Arise, Peter, kill and eat!”

 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.”

 15 And again a voice [came] to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no [longer] consider unholy.”

16 And this happened three times; and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

And so, we see that God used simultaneous visions to speak into Cornelius and Simon Peter.  The vision for Cornelius was straightforward and contained explicit instructions to seek out Peter.  But the vision for Peter was a little more complex, and as we will see next, Peter struggled with its meaning until God reasoned with him.

Acts 10:

  17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate;

 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

 19 ¶ And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

 20 “But arise, go downstairs, and accompany them without misgivings; for I have sent them Myself.”

The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and reasonable.  As Peter struggled to understand the vision, the Spirit of God began to reason with him by explaining that the Lord had sent these three men from Caesarea to Joppa to meet with him.  Without a heads up like that, Peter might have refused to meet with them.  God’s word is fruitful and productive.  When we hear from Him, our lives become efficient and fruitful, and our decisions reflect His wisdom.

Acts 10:

21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was [divinely] directed by a holy angel to send for you [to come] to his house and hear a message from you.”

 23 And so he invited them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he arose and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

 24 And on the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

 25 And when it came about that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped [him.]

 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am [just] a man.”

Key point in verse 26: our pastors, teachers, prophets, etc. should be humble and not accept praise.  In 2^nd Corinthians 9:10-12, the apostle Paul defines ministry as “all thanksgiving to God.”

Keep in mind that Peter at this point still did not have full revelation of the vision of the great sheet.  But we see next how God revealed it him.

Vision of the Sheet Revealed

Acts 10:

 27 And as he talked with him, he entered, and found many people assembled.

 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and [yet] God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.

 29 “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. And so I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

 30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments,

 31 and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.

 32 ‘Send therefore to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon [the] tanner by the sea.’

 33 “And so I sent to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

It is interesting to me that revelation came after Peter humbled himself before Cornelius in the presence of God.  James 4:10 tells us: “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”  Peter also humbled himself in front of the assembly by explaining God’s correcting word that he should not consider unholy what God has cleansed.  When we humble ourselves, we open the door to speak the Gospel of the One who humbled Himself on a cross and in a grave.

Gospel Is Preached to the Gentiles

Acts 10:

 34 ¶ And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand [now] that God is not one to show partiality,

 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.

 36 “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)–

 37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.

 38 “[You know of] Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and [how] He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.

 39 “And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.

 40 “God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible,

 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, [that is,] to us, who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

 42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

 43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

After the Gospel is preached, the door is open for the Holy Spirit to minister, and that is what happens next.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit Available to All

 44 ¶ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

 45 And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also.

 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,

 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we [did,] can he?”

 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (NASB)

Closing

God used visions to speak to Cornelius and Simon Peter to bring about His perfect will: the salvation of many souls and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The lesson from the vision of the white sheet is: “What God has cleansed, no [longer] consider unholy.”  Because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we Gentiles are now eligible to receive the Gospel and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  We are therefore eligible to hear in the Spirit, and to receive guidance for our lives and specific instructions for walking in God’s perfect will.

And as we look about today at modern day, unsaved Gentiles, let us intercede for salvations and let us not consider unholy what God has cleansed.  All glory to God.

Let us pray.

Father God, we praise You for sending Jesus, so that we can be cleansed and no longer be considered unholy.  Quicken us, Lord, to hear Your voice, however You choose to speak to us.  Help us to hear your audible voice, Your still small voice, and Your voice in a vision.  We covet Your wisdom from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.