Fly High - Acts Part 8 Series

“Fly High” – Acts part 8

On the lighter side of life: It’s all in how you see yourself (picture)

Thesis: The book of Acts showed that Jesus used ordinary men like Peter who were filled with the Spirit to heal people and even raise people from the dead so that “Power evangelism” would break out and lead multitudes to the Lord.

Illustration:

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember:

Noah was a drunk ...

Abraham was too old ...

Isaac was a daydreamer ...

Jacob was a liar ...

Leah was ugly ...

Joseph was abused ...

Moses had a stuttering problem ...

Gideon was afraid ...

Samson had long hair and was a womanizer ...

Rahab was a prostitute ...

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young ...

David had an affair and was a murderer ...

Elijah was suicidal ...

Isaiah preached naked ...

Jonah ran from God ...

Naomi was a widow ...

Job went bankrupt ...

John the Baptist ate bugs ...

Peter denied Christ ...

The Disciples fell asleep while praying ...

Martha worried about everything ...

The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once ...

Zaccheus was too small ...

Paul was too religious ...

Timothy had an ulcer ...

AND

Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now.

Scripture Text: Acts 9:32-42:

32As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. 33There 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. 35All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38Lydda 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!”

39Peter 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.

40Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41He 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. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Introduction:

As we have been exploring the book of Acts we have discovered how God uses ordinary people to do the extraordinary. He does this by filling them to overflowing and empowering them with the Holy Spirit. Acts is a book which demonstrates what the Holy Spirit is able to do with people who accept Jesus Christ and then allow the Holy Spirit to fill them and use them for the purposes of the kingdom of God. Peter models that the Holy Spirit will work through us to heal paralytics and even sometimes to raise the dead. It’s not by our power or ability that heals people but it is the power of the Holy Spirit that does these healings and miracles.

It connects back to what Jesus said in John 7:37-38:

37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Jesus promised us the living water which would flow from those who believe. He says it will flow from within. This promise is associated with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit which we have looked at in Acts 2. Since the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Chapter 2 we have been walking though Acts and observing how the Holy Spirit is enabling people to do supernatural things for the Kingdom of God. People are being healed, people are being delivered from demonic spirits, people are being saved, baptized, transformed, and miracles (genuine miracles are happening). No show no Hollywood dazzle- just plain Spirit miracles. It’s impacting the Middle East and people are coming to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior both Jew and Gentile. Revival is spreading in this story of the birth and the growth of the New Testament Acts church.