Tabatha
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Text: Acts 9:36
Intro: When we think of the miracles of Peter, we often think of Acts 2 when he preached the Gospel of Christ to those that had crucified His Lord. Then that miracle in Acts 4 when he and John were going to the temple when he says “silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk! These two miracles were public, and many witnessed them. We also have some miracles that were much more private and you could say more personal. When we read the name of the city that Peter is going down into to it should draw our attention back to the book of Jonah.
Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Now God called Jonah to go and preach to the Gentile city of Nineveh. We know the story, but Jonah rises to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. When he rose up to flee he did so by going down to Joppa and it is there that he finds his ship to Tarshish. What is neat about this is that Jonah went to Joppa to avoid going to the Gentiles, and we find Peter here in that same city, and it is there that the Lord will bring Peter that great vision from the Lord of the Gospel of Christ going to the Gentiles! What contrast there is as well… Jonah is met with a storm because of his disobedience to God’s word. Peter goes and recieved word to go unto the Gentiles and there is joy and peace found in the obedience of Peter!
In Acts 9:36 we meet a wonderful lady named Tabitha. We find her serving the Lord faithfully here in the church of Joppa. Ladies, and men for that matter, with the Lords help today we be studying the women Tabitha and how her life personifies what our Christian life should be! The Bible calls her a disciple which what is interesting about that is that she is the only women that I can find in the Scriptures that in the early church is directly called a disciple of Christ.
Her name is Tabitha but the Bible also gives us her name in Greek. Which again, here in the word of God, Dorcas is the first Greek female name mentioned in the New Testament. Why is all of that significant, well because the word of God describes the church as the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that church is predominantly made up on Gentile believers. So in the city of Joppa, the city that Jonah fled from, that Peter comes down to, and is given word to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, we find this women who is a disciple, and the Bible goes through the effort of not only telling us her Hebrew name but also giving us her name in Greek!
The Bible tells us some things specifically about this women Dorcas, which I believe here are the things in which allow her to have a lasting effect in this world for Christ.
Her walk (36) Why both names? I think very easily through her two names we get the understanding that this is a women who is actively serving God in her local church and that she is serving both the Jews and the Greeks. It is also interesting that over in Acts 6 the first division in the church is over the Greek widows not getting the same treatment as the Jewish widows. Tabatha’s / Dorcas’ walk was that which met the needs of both.
The name Tabitha and Dorcas means the exact same thing… It means gazelle or deer, both of which are a slender and beautiful animal which moves methodically, and gracefully through God’s creation. The Hebrews recognized this name as an image of female loveliness and was actually a name that saw much use.
Today, in the English language we use this same term when we call someone dear. It’s a term of endearment when you call someone dear! Pretty neat…
She is called a Disciple and a disciples purpose is to be conformed and transformed to be more like Jesus!
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
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.
In the book of Romans we are told to be conformed to the image of his Son, and we are told not to conform to the world! A disciple of Christ is one that is being conformed into the image of Christ.
D- Denies self
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Being a disciple of Christ isn’t easy… It is a daily dying our flesh for the purpose of following after Christ. What if I don’t do this every day? Well the Bible says...
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I - Immediately forsakes - (anything that stands in the way of hindering them being a disciple.)
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
So does this verse give me license to hate my wife? You know that I believe the Bible should interpret the Bible… So what does the commentary say about this?
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
No relationship in your life should ever come between you and what the Lord has called you to do!
S - surrender wordly pleasure...
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
They do not cherish worldly pleasure and gain. Does that mean I can’t have stuff, no it means enjoy the blessings of God but don’t let them come between you and you fulfilling your role as a disciple of Christ!
Did you know that the Romans required the one being crucified to carry his own cross because it represented guilt and shame. Isn’t it amazing that Jesus’s cross was carried by another...
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
By Christ not carrying it spoke of His innocence and by Simon carrying it spoke of his worthlessness and absolute need for Christ!
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
I- Increases their fruit! Growing, being perfected, bearing the fruit of the Spirit!
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
It’s not my fruit it is His! We simply are the fruit bearers!
P- Pursues a deeper knowledge of God’s word!
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
L- loves other believers…
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Have you ever done a verse by verse through the gospels? Jesus is constantly reproving, rebuking, and correcting His disciples… For me it’s frustrating sometimes but Jesus showed them continually how we are to love one another! After he rose from the dead they went fishing, and Jesus pursued them and came to the shore to see them…
A disciple of God loves other believers whether they are shown love or not...
E- evangelizes… Telling others about Christ!
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
I love that word alway… Because there are times in my life that I don’t always see the Lord Jesus but I know He is with me alway… I don’t always see ways in which we can rejoice but we know to rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say rejoice!
Tabatha is called a certain disciple of the Lord!
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Desire - if any man
Decision - come after me
Denial - deny himself
Dedication - take up his cross - daily
Determination - and follow me...
We can’t just fall into discipleship! It takes work...
When the Bible calls Tabitha a disciple we know what that means Biblically!
As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after thee, O God.
That is a description of Tabitha...
2. Works - Full of good works! Acts 9:36 allmsdeeds - The Bible defines that for us in...
But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
Full of good works!
And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
This is a women that was filled to make an effect of this world for the cause of Christ, and it wasn’t the result of what she could do or accomplish, but it was the result of what God was doing on the inside of her and it was pouring out of her!
Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;
Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Give her of the fruit of her hands;
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
She knew she wasn’t saved by her works but she was saved for good works!
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Her life was a living example of how a believing lady was to follow Christ and have an heavenly effect of those around her!
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Immodesty is anything that draws attention to you instead of pointing people to Christ… Men can do that too...
Her life was a living example of what it meant to follow Christ with her life and then show it with outward actions...
And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
Remember what happened when Ananias and Sophia died? They buried them… Not Dorcas! How do I know she had a positive effect on the world around her for the cause of Christ, because of the coats, because of the works, because of the almsdeeds, because they took her dead body washed it and put it in the upper chamber!
Vs. 38-39 Look at the scene that Peter walks into… They loved this women...
There is no record of any apostles raising anyone from the dead yet…
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
vs. 40—43 The whole city heard!!!!
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
The stories are nearly identical! Do you know what he could touch her without being defiled by touching a dead body? Because she was alive!
I makes me think of the bridechamber! Jesus will one day call us all up to heaven and there will one day be a marriage between Christ and His church! And in the moment Jesus says arise!
