Jesus Still Turns Things Around Series

Introduction

Edmund P. Clowney was the first president of Westminster Theological Seminary from 1966 until he retired in 1984.

Many years ago, Dr. Clowney wrote:

“Never before has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions, and never before has the world been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible.”

Those words are even more true today than when he first wrote them.

Christians believe that answers are possible.

Christians hold that God has given us his truth in his word, the Bible.

No matter how desperate or hopeless the situation may seem, I want to tell you today that Jesus still turns things around.

I want you to be optimistic about the world, society, work, family, and life because Jesus still turns things around.

Believing in the living, free, sovereign, loving Lord of the Book of Acts means living with the possibility that bad situations can turn around, perhaps when you least expect it.

Today, we will read about how Jesus turned things around through the ministry of the apostle Peter.

Scripture

Let’s read Acts 9:31-43:

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 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.” 39 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. 40 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. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

Lesson

Acts 9:31-43 shows us how Jesus still turns things around.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. Jesus Turned Things Around in Acts

2. Jesus Turns Things Around Today

I. Jesus Turned Things Around in Acts

First, let us notice that Jesus turned things around in Acts.

The persecution of the church began in Acts 8:1 after Stephen’s death: “And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Then, in Acts 8:3, we read that “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”

That is how it was for some time.

Imagine yourself in that first-century church without legal protection, and all the power structures are indifferent or hostile to you.

Would you not be tempted to murmur and feel fatalistic?

You would say, as the other Christians at the time likely said:

“The Romans are against us.

“The Sanhedrin is against us.

“The priests are against us, and they even provide authorized letters to have us imprisoned and killed.

“This is how it will be for a long time. Nothing is going to change this. Nothing is going to turn this around. The momentum is too great. The powers of evil are too entrenched.

“There won’t be any peace in the church for a long time, if ever.”

That’s how we tend to be, except for a few faith-filled people.

But that is emphatically not how we should be.

Why?

Because Jesus is alive and turns things around.

He is full of surprises.

He is not locked into any fatalistic way of thinking.

He is infinitely creative and resourceful.

And he very much dislikes coming across as boringly predictable.

So suddenly, out of the blue, he takes the key player in the persecution of his people and turns him entirely around on the Damascus road.