27th Mar 26 | 16:08
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03 Acts 09 32-43 THE MINISTRY OF PETER 24 Acts 09 43 God’s ministry through us
📖 Acts 09:32-43
24 – Fri21Jun2024 – *God’s ministry through us* - _Acts 09:32-43_ – THE MINISTRY OF PETER – _Acts 26:17-18_
_Acts 9:43 *So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.*_
Peter stayed for many days in the home of Simon the Tanner.
As he stayed there, the Lord was ministering to him and was preparing him for the next task that the Lord for him to do. _Acts 10:32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. *When he comes, he will speak to you*.'_
*The Lord was preparing Peter with His words that he would have to speak in the home of Cornelius.* Peter had no idea of God’s next move in his life but as he stayed in Simon’s house, he was seeking and preparing himself with God’s word.
The place where we are, right now, is to seek the Lord to prepare us for His next move. *At this moment, we must be soaking ourselves in His word and allowing His word to cleanse us.*
_Ephesians 5:26-27 that *He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word*, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish._
We must give ourselves to God ministering to us through His word. This is where we are cleansed. As we are cleansed, we are being prepared for the Lord to use us for His ministry in another situation for another person or people.
God’s word is to present us to Himself as His bride. God’s word is always correcting us and conforming us to the character of God. _II Peter 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be *partakers of the divine nature*, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust._
As God speaks to us through His word, He sanctifies us. _John 17:17-19 *Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.* (18) As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (19) And *for their sakes I sanctify Myself*, that they also may be sanctified by the truth._
The Lord Himself was sanctified. This is difficult for our minds to grasp. The Lord is God. How is it that He needs to be sanctified?
Jesus came in the flesh. The same flesh that Adam had before his fall into sin. Adam sinned when he was tempted. Adam did not remain sanctified or set apart. Jesus was tempted at all points, yet He was without sin. Jesus was set apart. He was sanctified. _Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but *was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin*._
Jesus is not keeping His sanctification to Himself but He shares Himself with us so that we too can be sanctified. _Hebrews 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, *He is able to aid those who are tempted*._
Through His Spirit the Lord Jesus makes His victory over sin to be experienced by us so that we too would meet His righteousness in our mortal bodies. _Romans 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit._ / _Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you._
*These are the learnings that we need to internalise for we are being prepared by God for His next ministry through us.* Peter had no idea about God’s next move through him but his task was to be prepared by His word and allow the word to cleanse him.
God is reaching people and bringing them to Himself as those who are sanctified. Our preparation is to achieve this objective of God. He is taking us to the target audience, but we need to be ready and prepared for the Lord to use us to accomplish His purpose. _Acts 26:17-18 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, (18) to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and *an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me*.'_
People need to be sanctified. As the instruments whom God uses for His purposes, our sanctification by His word, by His Spirit, by faith, is mandatory. *How could we be ministers of God for the sanctification of people, if we have not allowed God to sanctify us?*
Thus, where we are is a place where we spend time with His word for the Lord to sanctify us. The ministry of God will soon take place. God will lead us and open the doors of ministry for us. We need not know the details. All that we need to know is that the ministry of God is definite and will soon happen. *Our focus is our preparation for being sanctified by His word.*
Peter was being prepared with the word of God. ```The Lord was preparing him to minister God’s word to Cornelius of whom Peter did not know.```