Acts 9:32-43

Peter In Samaria

Jesus' final words to the disciples.

A three fold campaign plan. First Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and then finally the ends of the earth.

In the preceding weeks you would have heard of the work in Jerusalem and the beginnings of the ministry in Judea and Samaria. Actually encouraged by the persecution that Saul and others had unleashed on the Christians.

Well that work had been going on for a while and believers were being made in different towns in the area. Peter and John went on a tour though the area to confirm and to encourage the work that was going on there. This journey would have been quite dangerous especially with Saul setting out for Damascus. Of course on that trip he had encountered God and become a follower as well.

God was setting the scene.

Saul was now ministering in Judea and Samaria.

This passage is a linking passage. It is setting us up for the amazing revelation that God was going to make to Peter and the commencement of the final phase of the campaign "to the ends of the earth" which concludes this book of Acts with Paul in Rome awaiting trial and death - the gospel having reached the ends of the earth.

But anyway that's in the future lets look at todays passage and see what God has to say to us.
[32] As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda {only mentioned here}. [23] There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. [34] "Aeneas", Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat."Immediately Aeneas got up. [35] All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The first thing to note is that it is Christ that heals the man, not Peter, he is merely the vessel, secondly Peter was quite authorative in what he said and the healing was immediate. To suggest that this is anything other than a miraculous cure is to ignore the text completely. Note the result of the miracle, which was the point of the miracle. Not just the physical restoration but also the spiritual restoration of the people in the area.

Jesus also healed people in his ministry and so Peter is being reassured of Christ's on going ministry using His people. This work outside Jerusalem is also being sanctioned by God through these miracles.

[36] In Joppa {the same town used by Jonah to try and escape God} there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas){both mean Gazelle}, who was always doing good and helping the poor. [37]About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.[38] Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"

These people had a faith that expected a miracle! How different from the faith we so often have today where we hesitantly ask for a miracle without expecting one.

[39] Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. [40] Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed

Once again Peter is turning to God, acknowledging that God is the one in control in this situation, the only one who can make a difference in this situation.

Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. [41]He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. [42] This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. [43] Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

The point of this gift of life was not just the physical life but the eternal life that God can give. The similarities to the miracle Jesus preformed are striking and should be getting us wondering what is coming next. Again we can see Jesus' power and authority active in Peter just as was promised.

Tanners work with unclean dead animal hides, one commentary suggested that this might mean that Peter was already beginning to get the idea that the clean/unclean ideas of Judaism may have to be dropped. I guess it is interesting that Peter would stay with a tanner if indeed there were suggestions of Uncleanliness, although Paul later accuses Peter of picking and choosing when to be bound by the law in such a way as to burden others in a legalistic way of life. But why, if Peter was beginning to loosen up did he resist the food dream so strongly? For whatever reason that is where he stayed. And perhaps God was using this location as part of his preparation of Peter for the startling revelation that was to come but more about that next week.

There are four main ideas that come out of this passage.

1. God is the one with the power we are just his agents.
"Jesus Christ heals you" - "then he got down on his knees and prayed". Peter was very clear as to the source of his power. Whenever he performed any miracle he acknowledged God both before it and in the execution of it. We need to ensure that we do the same in our ministry, to acknowledge Gods power in the way that we go about our ministry and to seek him in prayer beforehand.

If we fail to do this then we are in danger - sure Gods purposes will still be brought about but it is all the better for us and the people we are ministering to if we do it in a right way, with a heart that is seeking to glorify God and to serve others - not ourselves.

2. God uses physical miracles to bring people to a point of trusting in the message of Jesus.
This was always the reason for the miracles Jesus performed. Miracles are all about helping us see the power, majesty, love and graciousness of the God who does them.

What point is there to heal, to feed, clothe and comfort if we never do anything about the persons soul. Yes the body is important, but that will eventually decay and perish but if we don't make use of these opportunities to bring people closer to God then we are failing them and God in a much more important area.

The miracles were also to give credence to the messenger as being from God.

At this point also the echoes of Jesus' own ministry is to show us that this was fulfillment of Jesus' promise to be with them and that they [the apostles / disciples] would do even greater things than he had. [John 14:12 - I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.].

this bring us to point three

3. Gods promises come true
"I will be you until the end of the age" [Matt 28:20]"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." [Matthew 10:8]; "Jerusalem, Jude, Samaria and to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:8b. are promises given to the disciples. Here in a very striking way we see the faithfulness of God as he fulfills his promises to his faithful people.

And fourthly

4. God is preparing the way for the next part of his campaign as Peter begins the mission to the Gentiles and ultimately to the ends of the earth.

Something special is going on here - Peter is healing the sick and raising the dead, the echoes of Jesus are very strong and we should get the feeling that something special is about to happen that is going to be spectacular. Combined with the conversion of one of the faiths greatest enemies the feeling of expectation should be growing - something special is about to happen.

And of course it does in the salvation of a gentile family!!!!! The amazing nature of what Peter sees and experiences next is huge. For the first time Peter will see God directly send him to a Gentile family and see God save those people, pouring out the same spirit that the Jewish Christians had received at Pentecost. An amazing and world shattering idea - the kingdom of God includes all people not just those physically of the Jewish nation! A turning point in the advancement of Christ's kingdom and the fulfillment of many 1000s of years of promises.
But you hear about that next week.

Four points then come from the passage:
1. God is the one with the power we are just his agents.
2. God uses physical miracles to bring people to a point of trusting in the message of Jesus.
3. Gods promises come true
4. God is preparing the way for the next part of his campaign as Peter begins the mission to the Gentiles and ultimately to the ends of the earth.

These four points obviously effect our lives, but I would like to focus on how they effect our efforts in evangelism in particular.

1. God is the one with the power we are just his agents.
This has huge ramifications for out witnessing. If the power resides in God then we can not fail. Our task is to go into all the world telling people about God. If we aren't telling people about God then we have failed. But if people don't respond to the message that has nothing to do with us.

And so we are free from performance based stresses.

Let's face it we are not eloquent enough or brave enough to bring about a change of someone's mind - but we aren't doing this alone, the God of the universe is with us and in his power we can be brave enough. And our words will be powerful words. In Romans 1:16 the apostle Paul writes "I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." The words of the gospel that we speak, this is the power of God which he uses to bring about the salvation of those who believe.

But it also means that the methods we use when evangelising are important, they do not involve pressure, or hype or a play upon emotion - yes emotion may be produced - but we don't have to generate it to try and win the person over. God is the one in control and he is the one who saves people. Our slick ways make no difference at all.

There is nothing wrong with doing a professional presentation and I am not saying that we can use this as an excuse for laziness but when the show becomes the driving force behind organised witnessing then we are trusting ourselves and not God.

And what about one to one witnessing. Again we don't have to pressure people, or answer all their questions or have arguments that demolish all their beliefs. The gospel pure and simple will do that, for that is where God works his power. This also means that we need to now the gospel and be telling it to the people we know. It is not enough to hope that our good deeds coming from a healthy relationship with Christ alone will win a person over - no - because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

2. God uses physical miracles to bring people to a point of trusting in the message of Jesus.
We should be praying that this will occur in the lives of the people we are witnessing to, that God would graciously grant us a miracle, that he would show his power in some way. But be careful that you don't miss Gods quiet miracles - the life that turned around so markedly upon being saved, the beauty of his creation, the fact that God is waiting patiently and not dealing with us we deserve.

3. Gods promises come true
I will read some of his promises for you - ones that are guaranteed to come true.
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matt 28:20b
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." - John 14:12-14
"Remain in me and I will remain in you." - John 15:4
"'If you can?'said Jesus 'Everything is possible for him who believes'"; - Mark 9:23
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome he world." - John 16:33

4. God is preparing the way for the next part of his campaign as Peter begins the mission to the Gentiles and ultimately to the ends of the earth.
It is still going on today and we have a part to play in this. This command is basically what we are all about as a Christian - to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus. If this is not the central driving force in our life then we are not being serious about our Christian lives. If this is our mind then it will flow into everything we do and say, and effect how we relate to the people around us.

This command calls us to be involved in the lives of non-christians at some point. We can not allow ourselves to be so busy with Christians and Christian things that we never associate with non-christians. To remove ourselves from the world is a great temptation and very easy to do. But we can not be fulfilling the great commission if we are never rubbing shoulders with non-christians so that we can tell them the good news about Jesus.

Let's finish with some questions to ask ourselves...
Prayer - is it of prime importance in our lives? One of the things prayer does is remind us, and get us to acknowledge to God, our dependence on Him, that what we are doing is for Him and with his power. Peter prayed right on the spot. Is that your relationship with God, that in the most challenging things He sends you, you turn immediately to him, or is God your last place when your strength fails? And what about in the good times? Do you thank and acknowledge the source of the blessing.

Is our talk peppered with Christian talk, thanking God, speaking of our trust in him? We need to make God-Talk more a part of our daily language. Not holding back because it might sound weird. This will mean that people will think about what God is doing - because we will be bringing the reality of God into the day to day.

Do we give thanks to God for a great weekend. When we make decisions do we tell our non-christians friends of our prayers and the seeking of Gods will that is the central part of it. When we go well do we publicly thank our father in heaven for his gift and provision. When times are tough do we share the comfort of the knowledge that God is working out all things for the good of those who love him.

By doing that we make people think twice, we give God another point to work on, we remind ourselves too of the nature of our God. Hopefully God will use those things to bring people to himself.

And when we help other people physically the point is to meet their physical needs but to do so in a way that will show them the God that compels us to it. "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." [2 Corinthians 5:14] We must ultimately be concerned with bringing that person to meet Christ so that God may save them. If that is not our goal then whatever we are doing, no matter how good, is a waste of Gods time and is selling short the people we are helping by only meeting their [very real] physical needs but ignoring their [very more important] spiritual needs of hearing the gospel and being right with God.

So what about you - when you do something, when a chance comes to do something for God whose strength is it done in and how is that made clear? When you are helping people why are you doing it? And how are you bringing that person to know Jesus better that God may save them?