Explain the challenges Peter had in adapting to changed circumstances and abandoning long-held, unwholesome thinking.
We love Peter / relate to him in many ways
2 examples of how we can learn from him
1) Adapted to changed circumstances
Jesus death > Law was fulfilled
No prohibitions regarding food = no animal was unclean
Same as Noah - eat anything without blood.
Peter change? Needed help...
Acts 10:9,10 - hungry, prepared a meal.
v11 - saw a trance with many unclean animals
v13 - told him to eat!
v14 - “Not at all, Lord, because I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.”+ 15 And the voice spoke again to him, the second time: “Stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed
Big change! Peter react?
v34 finally got the point. God is not partial. It was bigger than food.
LESSON? ⁉
Things change in Jeh's organisation fast!
Do we keep up or linger behind?
Do we obey only when we get the point or do we obey and THEN get the point?
Difficult change - Peter's change was big. Like us eating blood - repulsive.
However we feel, we MUST change.
New congregations - different from our preference.
Unless it's unscriptural, get over it.
We do not have a monopoly on wisdom
We must adapt to changed cirumstances.
2) Abandon long-held, unwholesome thinking
What happened? Peter decided to stop associating with Gentile Christians
He feared the reaction from Jewish Christians
Even after the vision from the heaven we read earlier, he actually went against the GB decision 13 years earlier that they did not need to follow Mosaic Law any longer.
Gal 2:11 - I resisted him face-to-face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Strong counsel.
Peter was clearly in the wrong. How did he react to such counsel?
2 Peter 3:15 - "beloved brother Paul"
What an example of taking needed counsel.
Counselled? Remember it is a gift.
Change or you're changed.
Counsel - gift. We all need it.
Learn from Peter?
Loyal servant
Sometimes learnt the hard way.
But he learnt in the end.
Adapt quickly to changes.
Abandon any unwholesome thinking.
Take counsel graciously.
Like Peter, we can become a beloved servant of Jehovah.
Don't insist on our own way
Whether you want a gift or not, it’s still a gift.