“GOD REIGNS” - AUTHORITY Knowing WHAT GOD WANTS! Understanding HOW GOD COMMUNICATES HIS WILL! 1 Cor 2:13 ~ These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. COMMUNICATION

WHAT GOD WANTS! Telling – Showing – Implying God or man? (knowing God’s will) Telling – Showing – Implying God or man? When we talk about understanding God’s authority we are simply reminding people of the fundamental logic that underlies all communication, including God’s.

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius Acts 10:28 ~ “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. …” Acts 11:2-3 ~ And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!" Ezra 9:8-12

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius SHOWING Vision – object like a great sheet – animals, wild beasts, creeping things, birds “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” v. 13 “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” v. 14 “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” v. 15 Three times

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius SHOWING Acts 10:28 ~ “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” NKJV

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius DIRECTLY TOLD Acts 10:19-20 ~ While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius PETER INFERRED Acts 10:28-29 ~ “… But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. …”

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius PETER INFERRED Peter drew a required conclusion based on what he had been shown and told. Yet there is nowhere in the text where God says, “The Gentiles are now clean and you may preach to them.” Nowhere in the vision is there anything about men.

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius Peter put all the pieces together. The vision showed him something about clean and unclean. The Spirit told him to go with them and that this was all from God. He trusted the Spirit and the context. When he arrived, he realized the implications of what he was told and shown. He was not to call any man common or unclean.

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius God values the communication process! He could have told Peter explicitly not to call any man unclean, without giving him a vision. He could have spelled it out completely for Peter. Instead, God chose to show him something, tell him something, and imply something that he expected Peter to understand by putting all the information together.

ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius God values the process that includes implication and inference. He values the ability He has given us to reason things out and draw warranted conclusions. He wants His people to think through the implications of what is told and shown in the expression of His will.

“GOD REIGNS” - AUTHORITY ACTS 10:1-33 Peter & Cornelius This is “tell, show, and imply” in action! If God valued that process, so should we! This is not some special method of interpretation, but rather a process by which we as the receivers, recognize the information given to us by God. Communication will always entail some form of telling, showing, and implying! “GOD REIGNS” - AUTHORITY