Sunday Morning Service

Acts 9:32-Acts 10:16 (Click title for audio access)

"In Motion Or In Position!"  •  8.14.11  •  Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship

Intro.

- I have found that much of the greater parts of our life revolve around several seminal moments. For example, I decided to remain in Junior High Ministry, which led me to meeting my wife.

- You might point to a specific season, conversation or circumstance that literally changed the course of your life. As Christians, we understand that this is not chance, but providence!

- God is always working! That's what we witness today. Luke has given the spotlight to Saul over these last several chapters, but now brings Peter back into focus.

- Peter, the leader of the Apostolic group that God gave the keys of the Kingdom too, is a very important figure in God's program and this chapter details how God put Peter in the perfect position.

Text

•  Acts 9:32  :  "Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda."  :  Peter has been busy, going out on tour, doing what Jesus commanded him to do.

- Much time, perhaps even a decade has elapsed and the scene is really beginning to change. Peter, as the untitled leader of the Apostles is the one that should be in front of it.

- You'll recall that Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:32 that after Peter had failed and returned to the Lord, that he should strengthen the brethren. At the time, Peter didn't get it, but now he does.

- Peter was traveling all through the country, but made a stop to minister to the saints in Lydda.

- Lydda is a town that about 10 miles from the Med coast and is known today as "Lod."

•  Acts 9:33-35  :  "There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.' Then he arose immediately. So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord."  : Aeneas is a Greek name which means "laudable," worthy of commendation.

- The Bible does not speak to his allegiance to Christ. In fact, it's a glaring omission, letting us know that Aeneas was not a disciple.

- From his name that he was a nice, well thought of man, whose condition left him bedridden after 8 years of degeneration. Now the man was paralyzed.

- Peter's words to Aeneas rightly identify the agent of healing. Aeneas, Jesus, the Messiah heals you. It's not Peter that does this.

- Peter has not decided that he was going to heal this man. Rather, Peter cooperated with Jesus who decided that He was going to heal this man!

- Jesus was healing him, literally, making him whole! That is what Jesus wants to do today: He wants to make us whole!

- Such things really cause us consternation though: Why does Jesus not heal everyone? It seems less fair here, as the evidence points to the fact that this man was likely not a Christian.

- We must understand that God will heal every person that has ever trusted in Him inevitably. Heaven will be a place where no disease will exist.

- If you have a physical affliction and you trust in Christ, your healing is inevitable. Because Jesus lives and has a desire to work in people today, your healing today is possible!

- God may choose to heal you today just as He chose that day to heal Aeneas. But it will be His choice and for His purpose.

- Peter, speaking on God's behalf, told Aeneas to roll up his sleeping mat. Then he rose up and God's purpose began to show itself: Those that lived there turned to the Lord.

- The Lord of this miracle was now to be the Lord of their life. They, the people from the city of Lydda and the region of Sharon, saw Aeneas, healed and whole and they turned to the Lord.

- That is the essence of conversion, namely that one is turned from something and toward another thing, in this case Jesus. One cannot follow unless they turn!

- God fulfilled His purpose in bringing healing in that hour. He was glorified and sinners were turned to Him.

•  Acts 9:36-39  :  "At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them."  : "Meanwhile, in Joppa..."  Joppa was about 10 miles from Lydda, on the Mediteranean coast.

- Joppa was an old city, being mentioned as far back in the Bible as Joshua, but is the famous port where Jonah the Prophet sought to run away from God's call to minister to the Ninevites.

- In this city, there was a godly woman, a disciple named Tabitha. Tabitha is the Hebrew and Dorcas is the Greek, both meaning "Gazelle." We'll call her by her Hebrew name.

- Tabitha was a woman that was full of "good works" meaning that her disposition was one that sought always to do good, to bear the fruit of a Christian life.

- Jesus saved her to do good works and has saved you for the same reason, that you might express good works that will act as bread crumbs leading others to Himself!

- For Tabitha, this found expression in the giving of charity or alms to the poor, the language indicating that this was her usual activity. She looked for and repeatedly gave.

- During Peter's stay in Lydda, she quickly lost her strength and died. Normally, it was Jewish custom to bury the dead on the day of their decease.

- In this case, they, probably the widows, washed her and laid her in that upper room! The language seems to indicate that they did this because of their proximity to Peter in Lydda.

- I think that they were expecting Peter to come and perform a miracle, which also points to their haste in having him come. They begged him to come without delay.

- When Peter showed up, he had an immediate crowd of widows who had brought Dorcas originals that she had made.

- They mourned over her not because of what she made, but because she had made such an impression upon them. Tabitha had touched their lives in a profound way. By making clothes!

- We should never think that our impact on others is meaningless or unappreciated. I wonder if Tabitha ever wondered what impact she was making. Here were these women to testify to that!

•  Acts 9:40-43  :  "But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, 'Tabitha, arise.' And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner."  :  Peter asked all of the widows to leave. I mean, wouldn't you!? "Please ladies, enough with the fashion show! Let me work!"

- Peter knelt and prayed. What else would one do? He did what His Master did!

- He had to see that his previous education was meant for this powerful moment.

- Peter had witnessed a little girl, Jairus' daughter, raised from death when Jesus said "Talitha, cumi." When in doubt, do it like Jesus did! Peter in this moment understands his dependance.

- He is an Apostle, filled with the Spirit, given authority, keys to the Kingdom, but he is still simply a servant of the Lord, fully dependant upon Him to do what only God can do.

- At this time, God deemed that healing would be what He wanted to do. Poor Tabitha had to come back to Earth! When Peter opened the door again, the people saw their dear one.

- The news spread and once again, God never wasting a miracle, sees many coming to believe upon Him.

- Have you ever considered that God needs to let you face dark moments so that his light can shine in the greatest ways?

- Think of what Tabitha would say. "I was dead...literally, dead and Jesus raised me to life again!" I was and you can fill in the blank. How dark was it? How deep was it? How great a Savior!

- Peter stays in this Joppa for a few years. When the words "many days" occur, it's the same expression that we saw earlier when Saul stayed many days, by his definition, three years.

- It's not how long Peter stayed, but where he stayed that is really interesting. He stayed at a Tanner's home. The sea would provide the perfect place for a taxidermist to reside.

- The Tanner would take the skins of dead animals and ready them as pelts and hides. For a Jewish person such as Peter, this was a major deal.

- This man had a job that was so unclean, the Jews declared a woman's right to divorce him. For a woman to have such a right shows just how great an offense this was to their sensibilities!

- And what an amazing testimony to what God was doing in Peter's life! He is slowly coming around, slowly seeing Christianity as bigger than his prejudice. He will need it very soon!

•  Acts 10:1,2  :  "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always."  :  Caesarea was the main port on the Mediteranean sea. It was a hub for Rome. Cornelius is a Roman soldier belonging to a specific group of soldiers.

- These men were not just citizens. They were home grown. These were Italian men, born and bred in Rome. Cornelius was one of a hundred, he stood out to God, being a devout or pious man.

- The word "pious" means "having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations."

- Cornelius was a man who was sincerely hoping to please the true God and it wasn't just him. He led his entire household in this way.

- It was not enough for him to act this way toward the Lord. He brought his family along with him. His reverence for God spread throughout his family and those who worked in his home.

- His devotion was not merely found within his own family. His devotion was marked by what he did, giving charitably and making a habit of praying to the Lord.

- It's very difficult to believe and is still difficult today, that so much good can be said about this man but the fact remains that he is not saved!

- He is a moral man. A man who acts justly in the world. He's noble. He's religious. He is bound for hell! That is what is really difficult to understand.

- Outwardly, we might prefer him to some Christians that we know. We wish that some Christians would act in the way that Cornelius did.

- Christianity is not about behavior or a code of conduct. It's about an invitation that God gives to Man to settle His hostilities at the Cross of Christ.

•  Acts 10:3-8  :  "About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, 'Cornelius!' And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, 'What is it, lord?' So he said to him, 'Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.' And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa."  :  During his afternoon prayer, around 2PM, Cornelius has this vision. God was answering his prayer.

- Did God come to him out of duty? I imagine that Cornelius had come to the end of Himself. Religion was just not doing it!

- I wonder if it was a desire to be completely God's. I wonder if it had to do with a desire on his part to be completely joined to the Lord, and to have a greater fellowship with Him.

- He had been giving things to the Lord and his heart was following his treasure.

- The instructions were simple: Go get Peter, which he sent men to do immediately.

•  Acts 10:9-16  :  "The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' But Peter said, 'Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.' And a voice spoke to him again the second time, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again."  :  This just goes to show you that even the most spiritual men will fantasize about food while praying!

- The housetop at around lunch time was a perfect time to pray. Think coastal town, cool breeze and lots of food being prepared.

- I think that Peter had been wanting to test out some of the Gentile food that would be abundant in a Tanner's house. He might have even been fighting it that very morning!

- As he prayed, he was given a vision of a great banquet of animals that would have been edible but forbidden by Jewish law to eat. Peter was hungry and God invited him to eat.

- "This has to be a test! God can't be asking me to do something that His word prohibits!?"

- Peter immediately went to his defaul position of arguing with the Lord. "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

- In the Jewish mind, not eating of these animals, a list of which can be found in Leviticus 11, separated them from the Gentile world. God was doing away with the dietary laws, the barrier.

- Jesus' response was that these things were no longer common. They had been cleansed and therefore, had been made useful. Peter, you need to change your mind!

- Peter thought that this was a dialogue, but it ended up being a parable.

- Jesus was showing Peter that the limits that once kept him from having a relationship with these foods, was done away with, for God had cleansed them.

- Ultimately, God is saying that His work had made Gentiles clean and any barrier that existed between Jew and Gentile was erased in Him.

- Peter, being as dense as any of us would be, needed this vision to repeat three times. We'll learn what Peter learned next week.

Conclusion

- God is either using you presently or putting you into a position to be used. At every step, Peter cooperated with the Lord, letting God touch people through him.

- Never underestimate the little things and never think that our obedience along the way is not leading us to something far greater than we could have imagined.

- Your greatest moment might just come this week! Are you ready?

- Next week, we'll see that with movement comes the greatest opportunity that would ever come upon Peter.