I. The Restoration Of A Cripple (32-35)
A. A Paralyzed Man
B. A Powerful Miracle
The Raising Of A Corpse
Acts 9:36-43
Tabitha, whose Greek name is Dorcas lived in Joppa, which was about fifty miles northwest of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean Sea.
Joppa is the city where Jonah fled to catch a ship to Tarshish when God called him to the city of Nineveh to preach.
Tabitha had a reputation among the believers as being "full of good works." She helped people by using the talents she had to encourage others. Her death stunned the community, where she was adored for her sweet , giving spirit.
I. The Legacy of Tabitha (vs.36)
Though Tabitha neither preached nor led in the early church, she was mightily used of God. She had a good name. Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”
In the early morning hours of April 15, 1865, the well-known actor John Wilkes Booth and a companion stopped at the Maryland home of Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd. He asked the doctor to treat his broken leg. Ever since there has been controversy as to whether or not Dr. Mudd knew that Booth had assassinated President Lincoln and failed to surrender him to military authorities. Recently a U.S. Congressman from Maryland introduced the "Samuel Mudd Relief Act" designed to exonerate the doctor. Guilty or not, even today, when we speak of someone with a bad name we say, "His name is mud."
What kind of name do you have? Is your name mud, or do you have a good name?
A. Full of good labor -works
Anyone can talk the talk; however, Tabitha walked the walk.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them,” - Ephesians 2:10.
Tabitha was a wonderful, wonderful woman. It says she was full of good works. The concept of fullness means totally devoted to, totally controlled by. This woman was totally devoted to good works. She was the one who did things for the poor and did things for the needy. She was, in effect, a woman who was the personification of what a Christian should be.
Her life was a spiritual example to everybody, and this is the introduction that we have to this woman. If we knew nothing else about her, we knew enough to know what a wonderful person she was.
A woman was once chatting over the fence with her neighbor, “We are going to be living in abetter community next month.”
“So are we,” answered the neighbor.
“What? Are you moving too?”
“No,” she answered. “We are staying.” Some help a community when they come, others when they leave. Some lift a community, others lower a community; some enrich while others empty.
May we with the Lord’s help make our community a little better. Dorcas did.
B. Full of gracious love - charity
She was filled with love and compassion for others. Her compassion took on a practical character (39).
She spent her life in acts of kindness and charity. Her soul was full of love to God and man; and her whole time was filled up with works of piety and mercy.
She was known for the activities and generosities of the Christian character.
II. The Loss of Tabitha (37-39)
Tabitha died. This caused much sorrow for her services were irreplaceable. Her body was tenderly washed and laid out in an upper chamber pending burial.
The disciples knew that Peter’s nearby, so they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
A. The presence of Peter
"Then Peter arose and went." You know, that is amazing to me. Peter is a busy man, and yet he goes.
They ran to him and they said, "Look, Peter, there’s a bunch of widows up there that are all broken up, ’cause Dorcas died. A bunch of little old ladies, and we just need ya." Peter takes the time for people who are hurting and in need of encouragement.
It is really strange what Peter does when he gets the message of her death. Peter doesn’t say, "Praise the Lord. She’s with the Lord. You widows just pick up the slack.” He just got up and went to Joppa. He dropped everything. You know, it’s a wonderful thing about being so involved with people that they know you’re committed to them and so uninvolved that God knows He can move you whenever He’s ready to. We need to be involved with the people to whom God has us and ready to go when He calls us.
Peter was available. There’s such a blessedness in just being available. In the work of God, you are only as valuable to God as you are available to God.
In the service of God, there is an ability which is the greatest ability of all. It is not sociability, compatibility, accountability, adaptability, or reliability? The greatest ability is availability. If we don’t step out in faith and make ourselves available to God, no matter what other kind of ability we have, it is of no value. Ability without availability is a liability to God.
What does availability mean? It means to place one’s self totally, absolutely, completely at God’s disposal for Him to do anything and everything He wants to do in us, through us, with us, for us, when He chooses.
Years ago there was a young doctor who got a telephone call from the elderly doctor in this country town. The old doctor needed a vacation and asked this young intern to take over for him while he was gone.
Late one night the young doctor got a call from a farmer. "Come quickly, my wife is seriously ill." Grabbing his little black bag, he hurried out to the farm. The farmer with his children met him on the steps and took him into the bedroom where the wife lay suffering. The doctor took a look, put the family out and shut the door. The family stood in the hallway.
In just a minute the doctor came back and opened the door and said, "Quick, get me a screwdriver." The father ran downstairs and got a screwdriver and handed through the door.
The doctor shut the door as the family continued to stand in the hallway wringing their hands. They heard the moans and groans of their mother continuing on the inside. In a minute the doctor was back at the door. "Quick, get me a pair of pliers." The father ran downstair and got a pair of pliers and handed them to the doctor through the door way. The doctor shut the door while the family continued to stand in the hallway wringing their hands. They heard the moans and groans of their mother continuing on the inside.
In a minute the doctor was back at the door. "Quick, get me a hammer and a chisel." By this time the farmer had enough of it. "Just a minute, doctor. What is wrong with my wife?"
The doctor replied, "I don’t know. I can get my little black bag open." Some folks are just like that. They have the ability but are just not available at the moment.
Well, when he got there, it’s interesting what happened. See verse 39. You know what their moaning about? They’re moaning about their wardrobes. "Ohhhhh, what am I gonna do for next winter? I’m not gonna have anything to wear. Look what Dorcas made me. Oh, dear." They loved her. Sure, they did. She made the coats. So had been giving her life, spending her life on them, and they loved her. They really loved her. They loved her for her love, and they loved her for her gifts to them, and they were moaning because who was gonna care for them, and, oh, they loved her and they missed her in her. It was a sad thing.
They were moaning, groaning, and crying, and, when you have got a lot of ladies doing that it can be kind of a messy deal.
First thing he did in verse 40 was send them all out. He said, "All right, all you ladies now, you just get out of here and let me alone."
B. The power of prayer
Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed. Nothing can be done without prayer, not even by an apostle. He put them all forth, that he might with the more freedom pour out his soul before God in prayer upon this occasion and not be disturbed with their noisy lamentations.
I heard about a church that had bought a new organ, and they invited a talented musician to play that organ during the dedication recital for that organ. The organist came and sat down at the organ to begin playing. And as soon as he touched one of the keys there was silence - nothing. A custodian there at the church knew what the problem was; the organ was not turned on. So a minister stood and called on someone to pray, and as the person prayed the custodian went to work and then jotted down a note and slipped it into the hands of the organist. The note simply read: “After the prayer, the power will be on.”
After Peter had prayed, he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up."
Now, that’s a miracle, friends. God performed a miracle, and the miracle came about because Peter was available and because he was prayerful. He acknowledged where the source of power was in his praying.
All we have to offer Him is availability. Whatever’s done, He did it. As long as you’re resting in your own strength, you’re impotent. As long as you rest in His, you’re powerful.
It’s His power. It’s just our availability.
III. The Lord of Tabitha (40-42)
GOD IS AT WORK EVEN IF WE DO NOT SEE HIM!
A. The platform that was arranged
Tabitha died; the platform is set. Death had come, but death would not have the last word.
B. The purpose that was achieved
Now it certainly wasn’t for Dorcas’ benefit that she was restored back to life. She must have considered it a joy from the standpoint of the joy of her friends, and they must have considered it a joy because their loved one was in their presence.
But God had a whole different thing in mind. He didn’t do it for Dorcas’ benefit. He didn’t do it for their benefit. He did it for another reason.
Verse 42, "And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord." This miracle, as well as that at Lydda, was not only the means of strengthening the faith of the disciples and gaining credit to the cause of Christianity, but also of bringing many sincere converts to the Lord, so that the Church was thereby both built up and multiplied.
God had evangelism in mind.
When we lead one person to Christ, we never know what widespread blessing may result from the salvation of one person.
Conclusion
From Tabitha’s story we learn that death can come at any time, and we should not take each other for granted. Those who are helpful and gracious to us deserve to hear our words of gratitude before they die.
We also see the importance of living in such a way as to leave a godly testimony. What kind of a testimony do you have?
May we never forget that prayer is the nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence.
