Our sin-sick world that only God can cure.

Introduction

· Good morning greeting. Mention the Holiday weekend.

Scripture

Father God, we thank You for Who You are. A great Big God who sees each and every one of us here and cares deeply about us. We ask this day, as we are continuing in this time of worship to You, reading Your Word and hearing Your Word, that You refine us with it. Mold us, make us, shape us, rearrange us so that we can more like You, and more made into the image of Christ. Help us be a people who love You and love others so much, that we are moved into action by whatever it is You are going to show us about Yourself today and what that means in our lives. Help us do this, because all to often our selfish and sinless flesh war against our will to follow Yours. As we are doing this, and as we are coming into Your Word today, we ask that You take away any distraction that we may have, and make it go as far away as it possible can, because we want to see and we want to know You better. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.

32 As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,”[b] and immediately he got up. 35 So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas). She was always doing good works and acts of charity. 37 About that time she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who urged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” 39 Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. He called the saints and widows and presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed for some time in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.

Context

If you haven’t already, please turn in your Bible’s to Acts 9, Acts 9:32-43. Today we round out Chapter 9 in our walk through the book of acts. Just to give you a heads up, at the end of this month we will have a special sermon on the topic of the Lord’s Supper and will also observe The Lords Supper as well, so please be preparing your heart for that.

We begin to day where we left off, starting in verse 32. Also, if you haven’t had a chance to watch last week’s sermon, please go ahead and do that, if you need the link again, please let me know. This week, we shift our focus from some of the early ministry of Saul/Paul and move back to the Apostle Peter for a little bit, which is a reminder that God was still working in these places (Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria) even though we have now entered a new division in the Book of Acts, where the focus goes on The Gospel Spreading to the Ends of the World. So, know that we have began a new phase of The Gospel going out to the gentiles, but that doesn’t mean God has forgotten about his people; just that the narrative we are reading about shifts it’s focus.

In today’s text, and as we have established several times before, it is important to remember that the main Character in any part of the Bible is God. So we have to ask ourselves, what is God up to? What is He Doing? What is God Changing? We have to take that, in the light that everything in this world is fallen, it is sin-sick, it is broken. In fact, it is so sin-sick that nothing WE can ever do, no matter how great or humble or gifted you are; will never really do much of anything apart from what God is doing in and with you. This is a gut punch for most of us, and whether we realize it or not, we often try to save someone or the world through our own actions and our own wisdom…….. God knows this about us and about our world, and has wonderfully constructed and worked in a way that takes that into account. The world needs to be cured, it longs for it, everything everywhere. However, we can’t cure the world, but boy will we try. Only God can and does cure the world.

So, From the text today, I want you to see these needs that are met in our sin sick world that only God can cure.

The first is, God’s disciples go to others in need.

32 As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,”[b] and immediately he got up. 35 So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Even though we haven’t heard about him in a little while. Peter was going about place to place as the need arose. Here, he finds himself in Lydda, which in modern days is called lod and as a little northwest of Jerusalem. While out on his ministerial mission, Peter finds a paralyzed man, who had been stuck in his own bed for eight years, named Aeneas. Peter (and keep in mind God is the actor here, He is just working through Peter) came to Aenais and said the words to him that we would have never expected. Those are words of healing and rejuvenation; those words’ Aeneas, Jesus Christ Heals you.” Get up, make your bed. And; he did just that. Aeneas, a man who would have been beyond hope got up. This must have given the entire town great joy and hope as well, as the text says that from this miracle, everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon (a rather large plan/field area that we might compare to a state district like East, Middle, or West Kentucky) saw Aneneas and they turned to the Lord. Wow. They repented of their sin, and turned to Jesus, their messiah.

As you will recall, just a few months ago and even a few years ago; our community around us had great need. Our area and cities near us have experienced many damaging storms. These storms have affected a great many people, it has level a town not far from us, Mayfield; it destroyed Barnes and buildings near us; it downed trees that needed attention, to be removed and have repairs done to the house. Because we had this need, our community benefited from a ministry that is put on by the Kentucky Baptist Conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention, one that we have given to in the past. This is the disaster relief fund and teams. You see, even in my own neighbor hood, these teams (and you will see them with yellow shirts and yellow hats on) come out with chaplains (that go and speak to all the people in the community) and whatever the need may be like chainsaw teams, flood recovery teams, cooking teams, again whatever the need may be they go out to meet a need. These people are of course disciples of Jesus, and when a need arises they GO to where the need is. Sometimes it’s local, sometimes it’s in state, sometimes it’s far away like in response to hurricane’s on the coasts or wildfires out west. No matter where it is they are going, they are being obedient disciples of Jesus; because they are taking their skills and abilities and using them somewhere where a need is so that Jesus can be pointed to and glorified wherever that may be. That’s what they do, and that’s what Peter is doing.

We, me, and you are to do the same thing. Now granted, we aren’t all going to go far away or even in state; but we are each called to go wherever their may be a need and we sense the Lord’s calling. Let me be candid here too, there are needs everywhere all around us! There are needs for the believer sitting closest to you and there are needs for the unbeliever that lives on your street; there are needs in the schools; there are needs in the streets; there are needs for the farmers in their fields; there are needs for the banker at his desk. More than anything. More than ANYTHING, what do these people need? THEY NEED JESUS. They need the Gospel shared with them, they need someone to tell them what it’s all about and how to place their faith in Jesus. Believers likewise NEED to learn how to apply the truth of Jesus and the gospel to every part of their lives! The only way we can meet those needs is not by just staying where you are, it’s by going out. Putting your feet to pavement and meeting that need; because God’s disciples go to others in need.

The next need met in our sin-sick world is that: God’s love puts helpers near to us.

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas). She was always doing good works and acts of charity. 37 About that time she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who urged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.”

Here we see a sad scene, but one that showed extraordinary faith as well. Tabitha, a beloved, charitable, and kind believer passed away after becoming very sick. The people that were wit her, as was normal in a time of morning, prepared her and put her upstairs in a room. During this grief-stricken time, the disciples heard of Peter being nearby. So, some of them went out and found Peter. They made an honest and urgent plea to him, don’t delay in coming with us. We know what God can do and has done and can do through you. Don’t take your time, this is urgent, we need you right now! Our sister has perished, won’t you come and do something about it!

We’ve all heard about the story of the good Samaritan right? This is actually a parable that Jesus made. In this parable, it depicts a Jew who was attacked, beaten up and left for dead on the side of the road, in a place that would have been dangerous or as we would call it, the wrong side of town. While the man was there on the side of the road, sore, moaning in agony; hope! A holy man walked by, a priest; surely help had come to the poor man. But no, the priest went on, thinking only of himself, his own safety, and his own needs. Another man came by, AT LAST help that can be depended on,; this man was a Levite, a member of clan that was dedicated to the priesthood as well. Surely this one will come and help our poor man. But no, once again, for the same reasons he went on. Then, the most unexpected person in the most unexpected place showed the most unexpected type of kindness. A Samaritan man came. Now remember, Jews and Samaritans did not like one another. They HATED one another, in fact it would have been more expected that the Samaritan would stop only to laugh and spit in the face of our wounded man. Instead, he showed him great kindness, he picked him up; and took him to an inn, and paid the inn keeper to take care of him; even promising to come back to check on his friend and pay back anything else that the inn keeper needed. This Samaritan was near and helped this man, who no one else would help.

For God’s disciples, help is always closer than we think it is. Continuing off of our previous point, if disciples are going to out to where the needs are, then it follows that if you have a need, help must be nearby. The problem that we have, is that we often don’t take the help. Why do we do this? Pride, it’s because of personal pride. We don’t want to seem as weak, we assume we are more important and higher than others, so we often think HOW DARE THEY TRY TO HELP ME, we don’t want to show who we really are; we want our sins to stay secret and hidden. Let’s just be clear here, you aren’t fooling anyone, and you certainly aren’t fooling God. So, what happens when we are stuck in this pride that refuses the help that God has put near to us. Well, as The old saying goes, pride comes before the fall. You are going to make mistakes and make it harder for yourself. It happened in the Garden of Eden, it has happened through all of history. It happens to you as well. So, believer when God puts help near to you. Don’t refuse it. When you do this, you are refusing God, you are refusing what He has provided. This is rebellion against Him; so don’t make that mistake. Don’t make the lesson God is trying to teach you more difficult on yourself than you have to, in other words; don’t be your own enemy. Because, this world is sin-sick; and you will never be able to overcome on your own, so take what God gives you. Let him meet that need of yours because God’s love puts helpers near us.

God’s power turns a loss into gain.

39 Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. He called the saints and widows and presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed for some time in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.

Peter came with the people, and they led him to Tabitha’s home. He was taken up to the room she was in, all the while the widows (people in this time that relied on the charity and support of others) showed the loving acts and things that Tabitha had provided for them. Peter went into the room, had everyone leave. Then, he turned to God. He stopped, noticed the text doesn’t say that he performed CPR or anything like that, it says that he knelt and prayed. He prayed to God of life that life would be restored to this servant of His that He would be glorified further. Then, Peter said, it, Tabitha, get up. So, she did. Peter helped her up and called everyone back. I could only imagine the joy, confusion, and shock that would have happened in the room. This was defiantly something worth talking about, so they did just that. The people in town heard about it, and many believed in the Lord Jesus, because only God could have brought this woman (who had died and before was very sick) back! From there, Peter stayed in the town awhile, with a man named Simon; and the fact that he was a leather tanner was significant, because by the Jewish law, leather tanners were considered unclean, and it wouldn’t have been right or acceptable in their culture to stay with this man. Yet he did, and we can see once again how Jesus has changed the game, and we will see even more about that in the weeks to come.

Benjamin franklin had this saying. A penny saved is a penny earned. Now for us, we might say something more like $50 saved is $50 earned. I say $50 because it is a big enough amount that for most of us here, it we didn’t have access to $50, it would be a point where we had to make some difficult decisions. But, let’s say in your month’s budget, you decide to start saving $50, putting it aside for a more difficult time or something that you really need but can’t afford right now. Well, for now you might have to make a decision about a few things to buy at the grocery store or deciding to go out a few less times during the month. Now, at the moment, that could seem like a loss. However, when the time comes and an emergency happens, those months of loss pay for themselves in the hundreds of dollars we put aside and make the hurt feel not so bad. That saving turned those little losses into a gain, because we are better able to keep away a disaster that could cause dangerous debt. So, you lose $50 now, but later you will have that $50 when it matters more. Loss turned into gain here.

God is in the business of turning losses into gains. Remember, He is a God that acts thinks and works differently than we like to. We like to see gains turn into bigger gains. God though, who is master and creator of all things, doesn’t work like that. In fact, God once took a great loss that WE might have great gain. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, whom He has enjoyed from all eternity away to earth to be with us and eventually be slaughtered by us. What’s worse, is that the Great Sinless one, Jesus Christ the righteous took on ALL the sin of the world, and this caused the Father to have to turn away from His beloved Son during his execution. God took and takes great losses, and turns them into great victory over the kingdom of Darkness, over Satan, over Sin, over death. Only an almighty God can and does this. Only the power of Our great God does this. This is one of many reasons that we praise Him, Honor Him, Worship Him, Serve Him, devote our lives to Him; because God is Great, so loving, so merciful, that others MUST know Him, we MUST point to Him. No matter how hard Satan will try, God’s power turns a loss into a gain.

Message

Conclusion

So, beloved. Ask yourself about these, are you playing your part. Is your all in on the table for God. Are you one of those disciples, you the one’s that go to others in need? Do you even what others needs might be? If so, why not? You should, if you love them. Find what is in yourself that keeps you from loving others like that. As you do this and as you have probably already discovered, you will see that God’s love put helpers near to us. Are you both a giving and receiving part of God’s love? Remember that God’s power turns a loss into gain, don’t fear what you may lose because of being vulnerable and showing or sharing a need and don’t fear being put back because you helped another person that was in need. God through His Holy Spirit helps us with these battles, battles that we all need His help with because we live in a sin-sick World that only God can cure.

With all of that being said, I would be remised if I didn’t share the Gospel (or the Good News) of Jesus Christ with you today, for the benefit of both believer and non-believer in the room. This begins all the way back at the beginning, God created everything, and he created all things good. He gave His most treasured creation (us, mankind) the ability of free will, the ability to choose Him or rebellion. Man was deceived by Satan and desired to be like God and sinned (or rebelled against God). This brought the curse of sin and death into the world and it remains with us to this day; which separates us from God. God though, loved His creation (mankind) so much that He worked through history to redeem all mankind that would turn to Him from sin so that we can experience a full and perfect relationship with Him again. This was through the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the pay for sins. Accepting this free gift from God, makes you new and forgiven. All you have to do accept this free gift by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus and you will get to experience the good side of God’s justice forever. So, now that you know this, you can no longer plead ignorance. I invite and urge you to respond today non-believer and apply this to every part of your life believers in the audience today.

With that, Let’s conclude. Brothers and Sisters, I love you all. During our last song together, if you need prayer, or want to talk more about Jesus, or have something you want to talk about, I’ll be here, don’t be afraid to come on down. Let’s pray. Father God, we thank You for who You are and what You are doing to us here in this place. May whatever it is that You are doing in each of heart here, continue as we leave go out into the world this week. Change us, mold us, make us, re-arrange us, that we can be both better lovers of You and better showers of You. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.