Fashion show of the Christian Life

Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, 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. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

Acts 9:

Introduction

A story is told of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s drive for excellence:

[Kissinger] once asked his assistant to prepare a report form The assistant worked on it day and night. Finally he completed the task and gave it to his boss. An hour later, Kissinger sent it back with a note attached saying, “Do it again.”

The assistant stayed up all night redoing the report and in the morning turned it in to Kissinger.

One hour later, Kissinger again returned the report, and again his note read, “Do it again.”

After rewriting the report a third time, the assistant delivered it to Kissinger personally and said, “Sir, I’ve done the very best I can do.”

Kissinger replied, “In that case, I’ll read it now.”

APPLICATION :

Most of us, don’t need to look for more things to do for God. We just need to do our best with what God has already assigned to us. That is the fashion of Christian living.

In the world a “fashion show” is an event where cloths are modeled for all to see. The fashion focus is on the clothing. In the Christian fashion show the focus is on the living or how a person lived.

We see in our scripture that the gospel of Jesus Christ has continued to spread Westward and in Joppa there was

Our focus scripture begins in the city of Joppa. Joppa is a city about 45 miles northwest of Jerusalem and it is the city the prophet Jonah went when he was trying to escape his God given mission to bring the word of God to the city of Nineveh.

from our focus scripture that Dorcas was a leader in the Christian

In our focus scripture we see the fashion of the life a disciple of Jesus Christ named Dorcas (Greek) or Tabitha (Aramaic). This is the only place in the New Testament where the feminine form of the Greek word for “disciple” is used. and I believe it speaks directly to the example that Dorcas set for living a life of faith.

Connection to the Word

There was one clerk in the large candy store who always had people waiting in line, even when the other clerks were standing around with nothing to do. The manager finally asked her why she was so popular with customers.“It’s easy,” she responded. “The other clerks always scoop more than a pound of candy and then start taking away. I always scoop less than a pound and then add to it.” Brothers and sisters, so often we get so intimidated with the book of Revelation because of all the controversy, competing views, and imagery, that we can tend to just avoid it altogether. I have been guilty of it, to intimidated to preach on it that I may not communicate some part of the prophecy or imagery correctly. Then I read the beginning of the book over and over and listened to some lessons on its beginning and realized that God gave this revelation or unveiling to John through Jesus and his messengers to bless its readers and hearers.

ESVBlessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

The people standing in that one clerks line were waiting expectantly for the blessing of receiving more candy. We should be running to the book of Revelation and expectantly reading line after line because we cannot wait to receive the promised blessing of the revelation or unveiling of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his coming return. When we read the book of revelation there is an expectancy that one feels and remains throughout the whole reading of the book. It is this expectancy that I want you and I to grasp because I believe it translates to our daily walking in faith and our expectantly looking to our Lords return. There are three primary ways that the book of Revelation has been interpreted over the ages; the preterist, the futurist, and historicist views of the end times. Perhaps we can look at these in more detail in future sermons or on Sunday nights. For right now I would like us to focus on the blessing of the Book of Revelation and what it means for us walking in Faith.

Connection to the Word

From the emphasis of both her Greek and Aramaic names we can get a real sense that Dorcas was well respected and loved by many near and far, by Christian, Jew, and Gentile.

We are told that she was full of good works and deeds. and we can really get a sense of the impact her fashionable living had on the entire community by the way they cared for her both in living and in death.

Acts 9:

Acts 9:36–38 ESV

We know that women were looked down upon in her culture if they were were not married or had no children. I believe we can conclude that Dorcas because of her relationship with the widows was a widow herself and that she was most likely a mother with children of her own.

We really get a sense that Dorcas was not only a disciple of Jesus Christ but a leader in the Church whose ministry was one of good works, deeds, and especially advocacy for the widows in the community.

Acts 9:39 ESV

So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

There is more at stake in Dorcas restoration because she has a great reputation for all her good works and charity. Dorcas absence would leave a big hole. The widows of her congregation cry out to Peter when he arrives showing him the clothes she had made for them. It’s hard for faith communities to lose key leaders, in Dorcas case, one who helped the church fulfill its responsibility to care for its needy widows.

This is the fashion show of Dorcas the disciple. In the showing of tunics and other garments that Dorcas made the widows were celebrating the life of Dorcas. A life of self-sacrifice, a life of service, a life of good deeds and acts of mercy. Can you just see a runway full of the fashions of Dorcas? How beautiful those fashions are, the colors the beauty, the simplicity and practicality of it all.

Orientation: Living the Word

ESVNow Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Haven’t you felt that way? There are many that have a craving for the kind of certainty Thomas demanded. However, when we come to the book of Revelation it seems only to make things worse. In the first few verses we are introduced to the kind of symbolism that continues throughout the entire book; where the author writes about Christ’s second coming.

Orientation: Living the Word

I do not believe it is the miracle of the resurrection of Dorcas that Luke wants emphasized in our focus scripture. I believe that he wants you and I to see what fashionable living is for the Christian. How the christian community bands together, sticks together, and responds in faith. The Christians in Joppa believed in the promises of God especially the promise that the same Spirit that raised Jesus is living inside the Christian.

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

We see this in the way that Dorcas lived her life, the way she loved, and I am sure it was clearly seen in the way she loved her family.

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

I believe that Dorcas truly believed that the spirit empowered the Christian to turn the world upside down. Isn’t that the impact that Dorcas had on her community, the faith that she displayed in the way she cared for those around her, the way she loved those on the fringes of society. The way she stood up for the widows and orphans. The faith of the community to call for Peter and to trust that God would do something amazing.

Yes, if we were to compare the fashionable living of Dorcas an her fellow Christians to the world the world would say it was upside down. But Dorcas trusted in the promises of God and she did the best she could with what God assigned her to do.

Acts 17:6 ESV

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

Acts 17:6

Brothers and sisters, fashionable living for the Christian is trusting in God, having the faith not to accept death but in faith trust God to defeat death, and isn’t that exactly what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did for all of us.

Think about it, Dorcas stepped out in faith in the way she trusted in God’s promises and lived her life of service to others. Here we also see Peter stepping out in faith — I believe this was the first time that Peter was asked to pray for someone who has died and to be resuscitated to life. I am sure we all have many people and situations we are praying for and I think we would all agree that what Peter is asked to do is a tall order with lots of expectations. How do you pray for something that seems so overwhelming and impossible?

Acts 9:40 ESV

But Peter put them all outside, 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.

Acts 9:

What is the biggest most daunting problem or situation you are facing right now? Are you like Peter lifting that problem or situation to God in prayer?

Think about it and get it in your mind. Are you like Peter lifting that biggest challenge to God in prayer? It can be hard for us because many of us have been praying for people and situations and they don’t resolve immediately, Our loved one doesn’t rise up healed and restored. Yet, we’re called to step out in faith when we’re faced with situations that seem too big for us and we’re to seek God’s help.

Think about it, Peter had to step out in faith –as far as I can recall, this is the first time he has been asked to pray for someone who has died to be resuscitated to life. I’m sure we all have lots of people and situations we may be praying for, but this is a tall order with lots of high expectations. how do you pray for something that seems so difficult, unlikely, and overwhelming? think about the biggest challenge or problem or the most stressful situation in your life right now. Think about it and get it in your mind. Are you like Peter lifting that biggest challenge to God in prayer? It can be hard for us because many of us have been praying for people and situations and they don’t resolve immediately, Our loved one doesn’t rise up healed and restored. Yet, we’re called to step out in faith when we’re faced with situations that seem too big for us and we’re to seek God’s help.

IT can be difficult, many of us have been lifting loved ones up in prayer for different situations and circumstances and we do not see an answer come right away. Yet we are called to step out in faith, trust in the promises of God and Him to answer our prayers.

I’m sure we all have lots of people and situations we may be praying for, but this is a tall order with lots of high expectations. On the one hand, she’s already dead so how much worse can it get? On the other hand, how do you pray for something that seems so difficult, unlikely, and overwhelming? Take a moment and think about the biggest challenge or problem or the most stressful situation in your life right now. Think about it and get it in your mind. Are like Peter lifting that biggest challenge to God in prayer? It can be hard for us because many of us have been praying for people and situations and they don’t resolve immediately, Our loved one doesn’t rise up healed and restored. Yet, we’re called to step out in faith when we’re faced with situations that seem too big for us and we’re to seek God’s help.

I think it’s significant that we’re told Peter “knelt down and prayed.” Kneeling is an act of humility. We kneel before situations that seem too tough for us to handle ourselves. Yet in kneeling we tap into the power of God. After he has prayed then Peter looks at the body and says “Tabitha, get up” which reminds us of Jesus raising the little girl as well as Lazarus in and of the resurrection of Jesus himself. Peter’s power to heal is not to be seen as magic but a function of his close relationship with Christ who is risen in power and glory. Peter returns Tabitha to the saints and widows and presenting her to them alive people come to believe in the Lord as almost always happens in Acts when God’s power is displayed.

Acts 9:41

ESVThe God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

The Apostles are challenging the priests to accept that the God of Israel is the God that raised Jesus from the dead. They are challenging them to accept the claims about God’s redeeming action in and through Jesus Christ based more on faith than on certainty and they did not like it. What does the testimony of the apostles mean for us today? The apostles gave their lives to ensure that the gospel message of Jesus Christ was spread throughout the world. Jesus was killed; but God did not allow death to have the final word.

Acts 9:41–42 ESV

And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

ESVand from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

As we, people of faith, seek to live in the power of the resurrection seek to understand what this means. We hear in Acts the command to trust the testimonies of those ancestors in the faith; to embrace the resurrection reality as God’s gift to us. To always seek a deeper understanding but until then to trust the testimony of those that came before us, the witness of the Holy Spirit with our spirit that we are children of God, and that we are God’s from beginning to end.

ESVThe revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

Closing

We see here that this revelation comes from God the Father to Jesus Christ and from Jesus to his servant John through an angel.

ESVJohn to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Closing

I believe that Dorcas took seriously her responsibility as a follower of Jesus Christ to live a life that exhibited faith, endurance and obedience as she waited for the Lord to return.

Faith — you must hold on to your confident conviction that God will do what he’s promised and that nothing is impossible with God. All of your senses, all of your circumstances and understanding may appear to contradict what He’s said — but you trust Him anyway.

ESVand made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

In the last verse of our focus scripture we have the encouragement to sustain us and fuel the expectancy of our faith. The expectancy to live our life of faith as if we are on a journey always seeking to increase our understanding but trusting the testimony of those Christians that came before us.

Luke 1:37 ESV

For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Endurance — Like Dorcas, you choose to do your very best in what God has already assigned to you. you must not stray from the course that Jesus has set for you, regardless of the obstacles that are in your way. Make the choice to stay in the center of God’s will no matter how long it takes Him to act or answer your prayers.

ESV“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

UMH 369 Blessed AssuranceBlessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His bloodChorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. Let us Pray!

Colossians 1:11 ESV

being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Obedience — you must submit to Him, allowing God to guide you every step of the way. You may not understand His direction, but you continue to trust that He knows the best path for you to take. Trust in the Lord to do things in His time and in His way knowing that he will provide for you faithfully.

2 John 6 ESV

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

2 J

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