The Way of the Master

Peter walks in the Way of the Master, repeating some of the greatest miracles of Jesus. This is not a story about how amazing Peter is but a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that his disciples would do even greater things than he. The fruit is that people believed in the Lord. This is discipleship. It isn’t Bible Study or more church or small groups or spiritual disciplines or prayer. It is looking to and looking like Jesus. Let’s look to Jesus, let’s look like Jesus.

Great Expectations

Started at 18 years old. Worked there for a few months. Offered a full-time position when Peter went crazy.

When John called me in to his office to offer me the full-time position he told me this. Peter, from the padded room, had called him and said “My life is complete because I discovered Dusty Mackintosh.”

Have you ever been “discovered”? This contributed to my early megalomania, but also setup RIDICULOUS levels of expectation as I started. Who is this guy? I hadn’t done anything yet… but they were watching and waiting to see what I was going to do.

Watching and waiting to see what I was going to do.

Have you ever felt that level of expectation placed on you. “Do something amazing, now!” We’ll wait...

As crazy as what Peter said about me was… Jesus said something similar about me. Well… about us.

After saying he was the “Way, the Truth and the Life.”

John 14:12 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Do you believe in Jesus? Yes?

Then let’s sit back and watch you do greater works than Jesus! Go!

There is some crazy expectation there. And even though we have read and studied this verse before, I suspect most of you are skeptical that you will ever do “greater works than Jesus.” Me too.

Because Jesus did some AMAZING things. Not counting the cross and resurrection, we read about incredible miracles.

Remember this one?

Luke 5:18–19 ESV

And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.

And Jesus forgives his sins and the people freak out, and Jesus says “which is easier....

Luke 5:23–24 ESV

Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

Jesus heals the little girl

Jesus was on his way to heal a little girl and he was delayed when someone was healed in the crowd by touching him.

Luke 8:49–55 ESV

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.

WHAT???

And then Jesus goes and says “You will do greater things...”

That is EXPECTATION!!!

Well here comes Peter. Peter was there when Jesus healed the paralyzed man. Peter was there when Jesus healed the paralyzed man. Peter was there when Jesus healed the little girl. He was one of the few allowed in the house.

And now Peter has received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and he is following in the footsteps of the Master. We pick up the book in Acts. We just heard about the radical transformation in the life of Saul and very soon the book of Acts is going to transition from focusing on the Acts of Peter to focusing on the Acts of Saul. But first, Peter is going to initiate the greatest heresy in Christian history… we will see that next week. So before he commits this heresy, Luke has to display Peter’s credentials as a legit follower of Jesus Christ.

So we catch up with Peter-on-tour. Walking the country even as Jesus did, a man of the road. He is going from Jerusalem, swinging over to the West Coast.

Peter heals the paralyzed man.

Acts 9:32–34 ESV

Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.

Short and sweet. The man was paralyzed and Peter heals him… in the name of His Master, Jesus.

“Take up your bed and walk.” “Rise and make your bed.” He couldn’t say “take your mat and go home” because Aeneas was already home.

Peter resurrects Dorcas

Acts 9:36 ESV

Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.

I have some friends named “Tabitha” but it is a real tragedy how few babies are named “Dorcas” these days. They both mean “Gazelle”. (I looked it up, though, over 14,000 babies named Dorcas this year). Dorcas was a beloved women, full of “good works and charity.” The fact that she has an Aramaic name (Tabitha) and also “Dorcas” indicates a Jewish woman living in a largely Greek city.

Acts 9:37–39 ESV

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.

They are well into the grieving process. Showing mementos. There is no expectation of healing here.

Acts 9:40–41 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. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

WHAT???

Peter raised that woman FROM THE DEAD! Amazing, and the crowd goes wild. The town of Joppa goes wild. That is INCREDIBLE. But we see, it is in the footsteps of Jesus.

I have so many questions.

How did Peter know that he was appointed, called, to heal the paralyzed man, to raise Dorcas from the dead? Did he pray for everyone at every funeral or was there special discernment that this was an appointed moment? I don’t know. It doesn’t say.

Was there a special process or systematic approach to these kinds of healings that made them so successful? I don’t know. It doesn’t say.

Fundamentally: how did he do it?

I don’t know. It doesn’t say.

And those things aren’t the point of the story. I don’t think it is any accident that these miracles are such parallels to the miracles of Jesus. Luke, who is writing the book of Acts, has a clear purpose here. He is authenticating Peter as a disciple of Jesus.

This is Peter walking in the footsteps of the Master. Walking in the Way.

It is, first of all, NOT a story of how great Peter is. You can always tell that by the fruit. What happens as a result of these healings?

The results

When Peter healed the paralyzed man, what was the outcome?

Acts 9:35 ESV

And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

When Peter raised Tabitha from the dead, what was the outcome?

Acts 9:42 ESV

And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Luke authenticates Peter as a true disciple of Jesus Christ, walking in the Way… because the next chapter is about to throw all of that in doubt. Peter is going to initiate the greatest heresy in Christian history. So Luke is making it ABSOLUTELY clear that here is Peter.

Looking like Jesus.

Looking to Jesus.

In the name of Jesus he heals like Jesus. In the name of Jesus, he points to Jesus… and others are seeing and coming to faith in Jesus. By word and act and the fruit, Peter is pointing to and looking like Jesus.

Discipleship

Looking to Jesus. Looking like Jesus.

Peter is looking to Jesus. Literally followed him for years! Still a young Christian, he’s only been following Jesus for a few years, and he really just heard the whole gospel story a few months ago! He’s a baby Christian!

But he is all in, looking to Jesus… and placing his feet in the footsteps of the Master. Doing what Jesus did. Filled and empowered by the same Spirit.

This is discipleship. Looking to Jesus. Looking like Jesus.

How are you doing this?

We can easily complicate this. There are many books on discipleship. Discipleship programs and process. And there is nothing wrong with that. We want to get better at this, to have methods and means of accomplishing it. This is why we do Bible Study, why we listen to sermons, why we organize service opportunities like today’s trip to Denver Rescue Mission…

These are all ways of looking to Jesus and looking like Jesus...

But it is VERY easy to get caught up in those ways and means as if they are an end to themselves. Baby Study is NOT the point of what we do together. Sermons are not the purpose. Service opportunities are not the end, not the goal

But Bible Study itself is not discipleship unless it is allowing us, equipping us to look more like Jesus.

Saul was GREAT at bible study… but he needed to meet Jesus out on the road.

Peter, with the other apostles, were DEVOTING themselves to the study of Scripture. It isn’t like they weren’t doing bible study. But when the moment came to hit the road and the opportunity came to heal, there is Peter. Raising the paralyzed and the dead in the name of Jesus and people coming to faith in the Lord.

How are you looking to Jesus?

Are you looking like Jesus?

Are you “doing greater works than He”? Now Jesus is speaking there to all his disciples, I think he is speaking to the church, so it isn’t necessarily that each of us is going to each do individually greater works, but that in His name his disciples, collectively the church will do greater things. And indeed, we are seeing the name of Jesus taken across the world.

But I do things our expectations are WAY too low. We content ourselves with knowing about Jesus.

But am I looking like Jesus? am I loving like him? Am I moving in that direction?

What am I doing to look to Jesus and to look more like him every day?

As individuals I think many of you are doing such an amazing job of this. Mature believers, chasing after Jesus, and grabbing hold of whatever opportunities you can to love like Jesus, to serve him, inside and outside the church.

You are walking in the Way of the Master.

As a church, I am convicted that we need to grow here. Urgently. Desperately.

This is what we mean by “Edification and Holy Living”. Looking more to Jesus. Looking more like Jesus.

Learning about Jesus in such a way that doesn’t simply add to our knowledge but equips us to go out and serve, and love, and with Holy Spirit POWER!

We follow the same Jesus who Peter is following.

We imitate the same Jesus who Peter is imitating.

We are empowered by the same Holy Spirit who empowered both Jesus and Peter.

As individual disciples of Jesus, as his church, let us look to Jesus and look more like Jesus. That the lame may walk and the dead be raised.

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