May The Work I’ve Done Speak For Me

MAY THE WORK I’VE DONE SPEAK FOR ME

ACTS 9:36-41

ASHA, AMAYA, FAMILY/FRIENDS . . . EARTH HAS NO SORROW . . .

DIFFICULT – I/WE DID NOT THINK IT WOULD END THIS WAY

LEARNING – LIFE: . . . CURVE BALLS, FAST BALLS, SLIDERS OUR WAY. AT THESE TIMES WE MUST HOLD FIRM IN OUR FAITH OF GOD NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE/SITUATION AND TRUST THAT GOD WILL SEE US THROUGH . . .

PHILETRIA : 15 YEARS, 12 YEARS – PASTOR

1. PASTOR/TREASURER STORY

2. TAXES

3. 60TH BIRTHDAY – SCRABBLE (JUST FOR YOU)

PHILETRIA: MISSED

STORY : TWO WOMEN – NEIGHBORS

1ST – WE ARE GOING TO BE LIVING IN A BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD

2ND – WE ARE TOO

1ST – OH, YOU’RE MOVING ALSO

2ND – NO, YOUR MOVING IS ENOUGH . . .

SONG THAT CAPTURES THE LIFE OF PHILETRIA:

MAY THE WORK I’VE DONE SPEAK FOR ME

IF I CAN HELP ONE SOMEBODY . . .

PHILETRIA REMINDS ME OF THE OWMAN WE FIND IN OUR TEXT NAMED DORCAS.

DORCAS:

A GOOD NAME

FULL OF GOOD WORKS

A GOOD EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

A GOOD NAME:

DORCAS NAME WAS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY OF JOPPA AND THE SURROUNDING CITIES. THE MENTION OF HER NAME BROUGHT A SMILE TO MANY FACES. IT WAS HARD TO SOLICIT AN ILL REMARK CONCERNING DORCAS (DOESN’T MEAN SHE PLEASED EVERYBODY . . .). LIKE DORCAS PHILETRIA POSSESSED A GOOD NAME: CHURCH (NURSERY, TREASURER, CHARTER MEMBER . . .), COMMUNITY: FAITHFUL CENTRAL CHILDCARE CENTER (LOVE: CHILDREN/FAMILIES), POLITICAL ARENA: PROJECT, FUNDING TO BETTER EDUCATE THOSE SHE SURROUNDED HERSELF WITH) PHILETRIA HAD AND HAS A GOOD NAME. PHILETRIA UNDERSTOOD PROVERBS 22:1 “A GOOD NAME IS RATHER TO BE CHOSEN THAN GREAT RICHES.” KENNEDY, KING, DORCAS, PHILETRIA . . .

FULL OF GOOD WORKS:

NOT ONLY DID DORCAS POSSESS A GOOD NAME, SHE WAS FULL OF GOOD DEEDS. THE WORD FULL SUGGEST: TOTALLY DEVOTED AND COMMITTED. V.36 STATES THAT DORCAS WAS ALWAYS DOING KIND THINGS FOR OTHERS AND HELPING THE POOR. V.39 TELLS OF THE CLOTHES AND GARMENTS DORCAS MADE FOR THOSE WHO WERE UNABLE TO SHOP AT WALMART, TARGET, NEIMAN MARCUS, NORDSTROM, OR EVEN ONLINE. DORCAS UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE HAD BEEN SAVED TO SERVE. IN THIS ERA WHERE EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE SERVED . . . PHILETRIA LOVED SERVING FAMILIES, SHE LOVED SERVING CHILDREN, SHE LOVED SERVING THE LESS FORTUNATE, SHE LOVED SERVING HER FAMILY/FRIENDS, SHE LOVED SERVING HER CHURCH, SHE LOVED SERVING HER PASTOR, BUT MOST OF ALL SHE LOVED SERVING HER GOD. PHILETRIA LIKE DORCAS WAS FULL OF GOOD DEEDS.

A GOOD EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

BUT ONLY DID DORCAS POSSESSED A GOOD NAME OR A LIFE OF GOOD DEEDS, SHE WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW. V.38 TELLS OF THE BELEIVERS AND CROWDS THAT GATHERED AT DORCAS PLACE. SURE TO BE ENCOURAGED, SURE TO GAIN INSIGHT AS TO HOW THEY MIGHT PATTERN THEIR LIFE. V.39 MENTIONS OF THE WOMEN WHO WERE AT DORCAS PLACE THAT PERHAPS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SAT AT HER FEET AND WITNESSED HOW DORCAS SEWED ARTICLES OF CLOTHING NOT ONLY WITH A NEEDLE AND THREAD, BUT LOVE AND COMPASSION. PEOPLE JUST WANTED TO BE IN DORCAS PRESENCE. THE SAME COULD BE SAID OF PHILETRIA: . . . POSSE’ (CAME TO CHURCH AND SAT TOGETHER, WORKED IN THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER, MODELING TRUE FRIENDSHIP).

BUT SADLY, THE TEXT SAYS THAT DESPITE HER GOOD NAME, GOOD WORKS, AND HOW EXCELLENT OF A GOOD EXAMPKE SHE WAS, DORCAS DIED.

TEXT STATES THAT RATHER THAN PANIC, THEY SENT FOR PETER WHO SERVES AS A TY-PO-LO-GY OF CHRIST. THAT IS TO SAY THAT WHEN TRIALS BREAK OUT YOU DON’T HAVE PANIC JUST GET IN TOUCH WITH GOD.

TEXT: SENT FOR PETER WHO WAS NEARBY . . . JESUS IS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY . . . IF ANYBODY SHOULD KNOW THAT, IT WAS PETER (PETER SINKING) . . . MAYBE SOMEONE TODAY FEEL LIKE THEY SINKING, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW GOD IS AN EVER PRESENT HELP . . .

TEXT: PETER WENT TO SEE ABOUT DORCAS . . .

TEXT: WHEN HE SHOWED UP (GOD WILL SHOW UP)

TEXT: WHEN HE SHOWED UP, HE PUT THE CROWD OUTSIDE THE ROOM: REMINDER – THAT GOD IS AT WORK EVEN IF WE DO NOT SEE HIM AT HIM. NEIGHBOR: HE’S WORKING IT OUT FOR ME RIGHT NOW. . .

TEXT: THAT PETER TURNED AND BEGAN TO PRAY TO GOD . . . I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE SAID, BUT I BELIEVE HE SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, LORD, IT’S IN YOUR HANDS NOW . . .

TEXT: TURNED TO DORCAS AND WITH AUTHORITY SAID: TABITHA (ARAMAIC NAME) GET UP!

TEXT SAID: UPON HEARING, SHE RESPONDED, SHE OPENED HER EYES, AND WHEN SHE SAW HIM, SHE GOT UP . . .

CONCLUSION: IF YOU MISS ME DOWN THERE AND YOU CAN’T FIND NO WHERE . . . NURSERY . . . .