In truth, Acts is very repetitive. A deciple preaches Jesus’s kingdom and heals people. Then he is hated by those who are jealous of him and tortured. Then he goes and preaches Jesus again.
What do we learn from this common string that we see throughout Act? Keep fighting.
Keep telling of Jesus, keep letting them hate you. Do not give up!
Yesterday a friend of ours said, “I keep telling people about Jesus no matter what. I figure they’re going to hell without Him anyway, I can’t make things worse.” And she’s totally right. They are already headed for the worst thing that can happen to them, so you aren’t going to hurt them by telling them about Jesus. The bad thing that can happen is that they might hurt you. Or block you on Social Media, it’s Canada, there’s not a lot people are going to do.
So then why not? Why not tell them? Unless we are afraid for ourselves. Which most of us are. I do not enjoy sharing Jesus. Its the most terrifying thing you will do. Why? Because the devil makes us afraid. He lies to us and tells us to hide our faith our we will lose things. Our friends. Our jobs. Our Twitter following.
In the end what does any of that matter? As long as another soul is in Heaven.
[36] In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. [37] About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. [38] Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” [39] Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. [40] Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. [41] He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. [42] This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. [43] Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
I want us to take two things from this verse.
1. Nothing can stop God’s work in your life. Not even death.
2. Your work may look different than Peter’s work.
Tabitha did good work. The women showed Peter the clothes she had made for the poor. She probably became sick by being with the sick. She was a minister. Not a pastor. Not an evangelist. She made clothes. This was what she had been gifted by God to do. This makes me think of Linus. There is a group in town that makes blankets for the firetrucks. They make them in bold and beautiful designs. When something tragic happens and the firemen have to wrap someone up in a blanket they wrap them in one of these quilts and then send them home with the quilt.
This is a talent these ladies use to care for these people.
Peter then goes and stays with a tanner. A man who tanned hides for use.
He was able to serve God by letting Peter stay in his home.
We all have something we can do. It might be knitting booties to give to crises pregnancy center. Or making a hot meal for a neighbor. Or teaching someone how to do something they need to be able to do.
God told us to wear boots of readiness not slippers of “meh, maybe later.” Be ready to do God’s work. Who knows what that will look like or what day that will happen. Perhaps you are the smile someone needs. Perhaps you are the home made cookies that helped someone keep going.
We all face battles and darkness. Everyone here has a monster who paces the corners of their mind from time to time. But one way to fight the beast that we don’t alway remember, is to help people.
Tabitha fought the monster of illness, and God sent Peter to help her back on her feet. How many people had she helped back on their feet over the years?
Don’t let the darkness win. Shine light. Be the light. And be willing to let others be the light to you.
Carried in the cross 