Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19971207.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XXI: God's Way Of Preparing Church Leaders For NEW Church Thrusts
(Acts 9:32-43; 10:9-20, 28-29)
  1. Introduction
    1. We have much emphasis today in Evangelical circles on the need to "launch out" into so-called "new ministries", to "be creative" in order to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20.
    2. However, God's workings in launching the Early Church into unchartered territories never demanded such human ingenuity or creativity, and Acts 9:32-43; 10:9-20, 28-29 show us how:
  2. God's Way Of Preparing Church Leaders For NEW Church Thrusts, Acts 9:32-43; 10:9-20, 28-29.
    1. Peter, along with Paul, knew that he was an Apostle to the Jews, Galatians 2:9.
    2. However, a grand EXCEPTION to such ministry focus came about when Peter was the Apostle God used to open the door of the Church's official ministry to pureblooded GENTILES:
      1. In Acts 10:44-48, while Peter was bringing the Gospel to pureblooded Gentiles, the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentiles while he was still preaching to the shock of the Jews present, Acts 10:44-45.
      2. This was a huge "new adjustment" for Jewish believers, for until then Peter openly stated that he would never have entered the home of a pureblooded Gentile in adherence to Jewish practice, Acts 10:28a.
    3. However, this EXCEPTION was necessary to certify the union of Jew and Gentile in Christ:
      1. When Peter was questioned about his ministry among Gentiles when he later returned to Jerusalem, his credibility was on the line by objecting parties, Acts 11:2-3.
      2. Thus, God had to use a credible Palestinian JEW in Peter to give certification of God's opening the door to include pureblooded Gentiles in the fold of faith, Acts 11:15-17, 18.
        1. Peter told how he had taught the Gospel to these Gentiles and how the Holy Spirit came on them as He had upon just Jewish believers at Pentecost, Acts 11:15.
        2. He noted how Jesus had promised this outpouring of the Spirit as a work of God, Acts 11:16; 1:4-5.
        3. Thus, reporting how the Spirit had come on these Gentiles while he preached, Peter asserted that God was thereby sanctifying the Gentile by faith as well as the Jew, uniting them in Christ, 11:17.
        4. This argument persuaded the concerned believing Jews to accept Peter's conclusion, Acts 11:18.
    4. Now, to get PETER as a Palestinian Jew ready for this "stretching" new thrust, we note several gradual but definitive steps God brought him through in his ministry as recorded in Acts 9:32-43 as follows:
      1. Step One - God blessed Peter's ministry leading up to his encounter with pureblooded Gentiles, and this signaled God's authenticating Peter's credentials, Acts 9:32-42.
        1. Peter was used of God to heal a man at Lydda which led to the conversions of multitudes, 9:32-35.
        2. At Joppa near the area, a group having heard of Peter's miracle at Lydda asked Peter to come and raise Dorcas from the dead, something that had not yet happened in the Early Church, Acts 9:36-38. Peter's coming and raising her from the dead indicated a significant degree of divine confirmation on his ministry efforts, Acts 9:39-42a. As a result, many in Joppa came to Christ!
      2. Step Two - In the process of God's certifying Peter's ministry by blessing his efforts, He led Peter ever so gradually into connection with the ceremonially "unclean" Simon who was a tanner, Acts 9:43.
      3. Step Three - God allowed Peter to be with Simon many days without signaling that he was doing anything wrong so that he would get the idea that it was all right to violate ceremonial taboos, 9:43.
      4. Step Four - Using the conviction that violating Jewish ceremonial restrictions was not sin, God gave Peter a divine revelation to CERTIFY that the Law's restrictions were now inapplicable, 10:9-16.
      5. Step Five - God brought Peter into connection with the Gentiles following this divine revelation so that he would comfortably minister in unchartered territory, Acts 10:19-22.
Lesson: When God wants a NEW thrust to occur in His Church, He (1) signals it by spearheading the thrust via a CERTIFIED, CREDIBLE, ministry-BLESSED leader. He PREPARES that leader for this new thrust (2) by GRADUALLY bringing him into connection with the new thrust, and (3) then keeping him close to it over TIME to ratify in his CONSCIENCE that the direction is upright. (4) Next, God supplies divine revelation (today, via SCRIPTURE verification, cf. Rom. 12:6b) to certify this new th rust and (5) then introduces him to the actual ministry in CONNECTION to that insight!