May 6, 2007 pm     Is Silence Golden to God?       Acts 11:1-18

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

Peter was in a trance.  Be still and know what the will of the Lord is.  Sometimes it is harder for the Lord to convert the ministers than it is to convert the lost.  He has to get them to shut up and listen.  He had to convince Jonah with the whale.  He had to give Moses his brother Aaron to help and then we was convinced that he could go to Egypt to deliver the people.  He struck Saul with a blinding light on the road to Damascus .  He used a donkey on Balaam.  He spoke through the rooster to Peter.  Today in this scripture He gave Peter a vision three times to make sure that he got it.  This is the Lord at work continually in the life of the world, the preachers, and the unbelievers.   

Scripture Text:  Acts 11:1 Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God.11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem , the circumcised believers criticized him,11:3 saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" 11:4 Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying,11:5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me.11:6 As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air.11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.'11:8 But I replied, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'11:9 But a second time the voice answered from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.'11:10 This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven.11:11 At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were.11:12 The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.11:13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter;11:14 he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.'11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'11:17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?"11:18 When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."

1.      Be still and know God.

Psalm 46:10  " Be   still , and know that I am God;  I will  be  exalted among the nations,  I will  be  exalted in the earth."

2.      Be Still and know, but don’t forget to listen.  This is how you know.Be Still and know that God is at work in ways we can’t understand.  Be still and know that God does something new every now and then. 

3.      Be Still and know that God will cross all boundaries to reach out to the lost.  Will we?  How far would we go?

4.      Be Still and Pray for a vision.  Vision is so crucial.  What is yours and what is ours?  Would we pray for a vision.  Are we too busy to listen?  God may have to speak to us when we are sleeping.  Could this be our vision to send us out to those who aren’t in church yet?  Be Still and know God’s vision for you and for the people.  How do you fit in?  What is the vision that we have from the Lord?  Do we need one?  How do you get one? 

5.      Be Still and know that God is at work in other places and people. 

Zech. 4:6  So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: `Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.  7  "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of `God bless it! God bless it!'"  Be Still and know that God is at work in other people just as he is in you.  The Spirit spoke through the others the same as he had done through Peter. 

6.      Be Still and know that we could hinder the work of the Lord.  God gives his life to who ever will listen.  Could we be hindering the work of the Lord? 

7.      Be Still and know that God wants to use you as he did Peter and the others to spread the word.  Three times Peter denied the Lord, Three times Jesus said to Peter Feed my sheep, and three times the Lord gave this same vision to Peter.  Three men came to Peter to take to Caesarea . 

8.      Be Still and know that some things we call profane may be good to the Lord.

Be Still and know that some of the things that we may think are bad may actually be good. 

9.      Be Still and know that if you have a desire to be saved the Lord will provide all that you need to come into his presence forever.  He will make sure you get the message and then you will believe.  God will use whoever will listen.  Are you listening? 

10. Be still and know that God can save anyone and everyone. Be still and know that God wants to speak to you.  Be Still and know that God wants to speak through you.    

11. Be still and know that God wants to show you something new. Be still and see a new vision from the Lord.  Be still and listen for the door to open with six strong men to come in.  They want you to come with them and show them how to be saved.  Are you ready?  Could you do it?  Will you? 

Would we pray for a vision?  Would we pray that God would use us to bring him the glory?