Acts 9:32-43

Introduction

In the first part of chapter 9 there is a switch from the ministry of Peter and John to the beginning of the ministry of Paul, but here at the end of chapter 9, there is a switch back to Peter.

Isn’t it amazing how God can use more than one person at a time to reach the world with the Gospel. Here we have Peter, who had denied Christ, could still be used, and Saul, who persecuted the early church, could still be used. God is still using men and women today to spread the Gospel, are you willing to let him use you to spread the gospel?

This morning we are going to look at Peters ministry expanding outside Jerusalem and the opening of the door to the gentiles.

We are going to see Peter heal a man sick with the palsy, Peter raising Dorcas from the dead, and in both miracles we will see the people who came to Christ because of it.

Peter heals a man sick with the palsy vs. 32-35

Peter leaves Jerusalem and goes down to the saints in Lydda vs. 1

Peter had left Jerusalem to go down to Samaria after Phillip had led many people to Christ there, but most of his time up to this point had been in Jerusalem.

Lydda was about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem, so it would’ve taken Peter a few days to get there. Remember when the Bible talks about going down from Jerusalem its normally talking about it like they are walking down a hill.

He was going there to check on the church that had been started there, likely because of the persecution that Saul brought on the church.

When Peter gets there he meets a man named Aenas.

The Bible tells us that he had been bed ridden for 8 years.

We are also told he is sick with a palsy.

Palsy - To paralyze; to deprive of the power of motion; to destroy energy.

He was paralyzed for 8 years because of sickness. I’m sure in those 8 years he had seen numerous doctors and all of them couldn’t do anything for him.

I’m sure he was discouraged, but he was about to be encouraged!

Peter heals him through the power of Jesus Christ.

During that time many false apostles were trying to heal, but they couldn’t. They were missing the only thing that could heal people, and that is the power of God.

Peter didn’t heal this man through his ability or his name, he cried out in the name of Jesus and this man was whole!

Peter cries out to him Aenas, Jesus Christ maketh the whole.

The word whole hear means “Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect”

We could park here all day. Aren’t you thankful for the day you cried out to Jesus and he made you whole. He took away the sickness that sin brought into my life and he made me whole.

If you haven’t cried out to Jesus you are still paralyzed by sin, but I can tell you about the great physician, who can take away all your sin and make you complete.

Peter tells hime to arise, and make his bed.

The bed where he had been laying all day everyday for the past 8 years was no longer needed.

This man had been made whole through Jesus!

Notice this man arose immediately. After laying in bed for 8 years, he didn’t need physical therapy to start walking again. He had been made whole immediately by Jesus Christ.

Because of this miracle the Bible tells us that all that dwelt in Lydda and Saron, saw it and turned to the Lord.

Practically speaking you never know the impact your testimony can have on someones life.

Here a man who had been paralyzed for 8 years, gets healed and two cities turn to Christ because of it.

Remember that the miracle were not the end, but rather a means to another end - the salvation of many. If the primary purpose of the Apostles was to heal the sick, there wouldn’t have been any sick people left in the towns the apostles went to. The primary purpose of the Apostles is also the primary purpose of the church and that is the great commission, which command us to go to all the world, preach the gospel, baptize those who get saved, and make disciples of Jesus.

The primary purpose of the healing was to open a door for the gospel, to lead to the salvation of souls, and to spread abroad the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter raises Dorcas from the dead vs 36-43

In verse 36 and 37 there is a shift away from Peter to give us some details of what’s going on right down the road in Joppa.

In Joppa there is a disciple named Tabitha

Another interpretation of her name is Dorcas meaning, this woman is full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

She was given this name because of the good work and charity she did for the cause of Christ in her community.

As believers this should be what those around us say about us. She followed the two great commandments laid out by Jesus in Matthew 22:37–40 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

John Phillips said this about Dorcas “A truly saved person ought to have compassion for the sick, the poor, the oppressed, and the weak. Dorcas did, and her compassion took on a practical character. Her zeal in doing what she could to alleviate suffering is noted by the Holy Spirit.”

Despite all of her good works, she got sick and died.

I’m sure there were some in the group wondering like we hear so often today “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

First off we know that sin is responsible for all the pain and suffering that happens in the world, but we also know that God allows us to go through things to be molded into the image he has for us.

Romans 8:28–29 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

While they were grieving, Jesus had a bigger plan for the life of Tabitha.

After she died there were some people who washed her body and laid her in the upper chamber to get her body ready for her burial

Verse 38 tells us that the disciples in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda they sent for him to come to Joppa

Joppa was about 10 miles northwest of Lydda, so the news of Aenas being healed by Peter would have made it there. The disciples at Joppa sent two men to get him and bring him back without delay. Maybe they thought it would be nice for Peter to come and preach the funeral and pray for the community in there time of grieving. I’m not sure that anybody thought Peter was going to come and Dorcas would be raised from the dead. Up to this point the Apostles had only healed the sick and cast out devils, none of them had ever raised anyone from the dead.

Peter doesn’t ask any questions but gets up and heads to Joppa with them.

in verse 39 Peter arrives in Joppa just in time for the funeral.

He finds the widows in the upper room weeping.

They had lost someone who cared deeply for them and I’m sure they cared deeply for her as well.

As he’s there with the widows, they show him the coats and clothes that she had made for them.

She was known as a woman full of good works and always giving to others and the widows proved that with the garments she had made for them, when they couldn’t afford anything else.

in verses 40 and 41 we see Peter raise her from the dead

As he walks into the upper chamber and spends some time with the widows and hears stories about Dorcas, he sends everyone one out of the room.

Once they are all out, he kneels and prays.

Once he gets done praying he turns to the body of Tabitha and says to her “Tabitha, Arise”

Wouldn’t you love to know what Peter prayed here? Obviously whatever it was Jesus worked through him to bring Tabitha back from the dead.

When he said this she opened her eyes, saw Peter and sat up.

No apostle had ever done a miracle like this, they had healed many sick people, and cast out many devils, but none had ever raised someone from the dead. What a miracle.

After she was sitting up Peter gave her his hand and stood her up and brought everyone back into the upper chamber and presented her alive.

What rejoicing must’ve happened in that room, when they saw her alive.

Look at what happened in Joppa in verse 42

Because Dorcas was raised from the dead many came to believe in Jesus

The point of the miracle here was never to lift up Peter, but to lift up Christ. It wasn’t to put the pastor on a pedestal, but rather to reach people with the Gospel. As a church we must be careful that the attention of what is happening doesn’t point us, but towards Christ, because its all about Him!

Here the little seaport of Joppa, famous since the days of Jonah, was rocked with the news. What an amazing God we serve!

Chapter 9 ends with Peter finding lodging in Simons house in Joppa.

The amazing thing about Simon is that he was a tanner.

To touch a body of a dead body of any kind rendered a Jew ceremonially unclean. A tanner would have been socially despised, so the fact that Peter was willing to stay with one shows that his prejudices were weakening.

We can’t let prejudices get in the way of sharing the Gospel and the lord was teaching this to Peter.

Conclusion

This morning we saw to lives that were changed by Jesus, who in turned used there testimony to change the lives of others. When is the last time you told someone what Jesus did in your life? Our testimony is a powerful tool we can use in sharing the gospel with others.

If you have never placed your faith in trust in Jesus, today is the only day you have promised, trust him today. Come this morning and we can show you from the Bible how you can be saved.

Christian this morning, when is the last time you shared the Gospel with someone? Purpose in your heart, with the help of the Holy Spirit that you will share the Gospel with someone this week.