The Further Adventures of Peter
Acts 9:36 – 10:8
Jeff Hughes – July 13, 2003
Calvary Chapel Aggieland
I. Introduction
a. People that are sold out servants of Jesus are fun to be around. These are the kinds of people that really reach down and sacrifice for the good of others. Last week, we saw how Barnabas really stepped out to bring Saul into the fold of the church at Jerusalem.
b. Remember Philip from back in chapter 8? Well, the scriptures told us that Philip worked his way up to Caesarea, where he lived; spreading the gospel all along the way, and Joppa was along that way.
c. Apparently, some people in Joppa accepted the good news from Philip in Joppa and decided to make decisions for Christ. This band of believers formed a church there at Joppa, just like the group of believers at Lydda did.
d. Last week, we saw Peter journey down to Lydda to check on the believers there and do some evangelism. Peter spread the gospel in the region around Lydda and Sharon, the area west of Lydda.
e. Joppa was just a bit further west from Sharon, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The believers there had a problem, so they sent for Peter to help them out.
f. We will look at this as we continue our study through the book of Acts today, but first, let’s take a moment to pray and ask the Lord’s blessing on our study this morning.
II. PRAYER
III. Illustration
a. A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.
b. Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some seminary students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.
c. When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never know by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret.
d. People notice others in the body that serve with a right heart. The church at Joppa had a lady that served the body with everything that she had. People like that are important and valuable to the body.
e. Many people don’t serve like that though. They just don’t get it. They make excuses. They wind up missing out on being a blessing to others, and that is one of the greatest blessings that you can get yourself.
f. Today, we are going to look at two people that were intent on following God, even though they were from the other side of the tracks so to speak.
g. Our study comes from Acts, chapter 9 verse 36, through chapter 10 verse 8, as we continue our study this morning. Let’s read along -
IV. Study
a. Intro
i. 36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, 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 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
ii. 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
iii. This week, we continue to look at Peter’s Missionary journey to the surrounding areas out from Jerusalem. His travels bring him to Joppa.
iv. Joppa means beautiful in Hebrew. It is called in the Bible by several different names - Japho, Jaffe, or Yafo. Today, the ancient city of Joppa is annexed to the modern city of Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city.
v. According to Jewish tradition Joppa was first established after the Flood by Japheth one of Noah’s sons from whom the town took its name.
vi. The prophet Jonah went there to board a Phoenician ship to escape to Tarshish. He was then swallowed by a whale, and you know the rest of the story…
vii. This ancient city is said to be the oldest city in Israel. It is the backdrop for our study today. We will look at how God uses His people to impact the body for others. In our message today, we will look at six points – the servant’s heart, the sickness, the sadness of the church, the surprise, the seeking centurion, and last, the search for Peter.
viii. Our first point comes from verse 36. We see a great example of Christian servanthood.
b. The Servant’s Heart (Acts 9:36)
i. 36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.
ii. The first thing that we notice is that there is a certain disciple there at Joppa named Tabitha, or her Greek name which was Dorcas.
iii. Notice the contrast here between Tabitha, who is called a certain disciple, and Aeneas, whom we saw Peter heal at Lydda last week. Tabitha was a follower of Jesus, and Aeneas was not.
iv. Her Aramaic name, Tabitha, meant gazelle, just like her Greek name, Dorcas. This was a special lady in the body there at Joppa, as we will see in the next few verses.
v. She was a very helpful lady; her spiritual gifting was helps, or helping others. Verse 36 tells us here that she was full of good works and charitable deeds.
vi. Now, we should all, as Christians do good works and charitable deeds towards others. James chapter 2 tells us that works are a byproduct of our faith in Jesus, something that should come out of the faith that you have, are these works – charity, helping others.
vii. But this lady was exceptional in these attributes. She was a helping machine. Her ministry to others was a very real and tangible one.
viii. God raises up people in the body like this, and I praise Him for them. When your car is broken down, you don’t need a teacher, or a prophet, you need a mechanic! When your pipes are leaking, you need a plumber, not a worship leader! When you get locked out of your house, you need a locksmith, not an evangelist!
ix. Some people kind of mope around, thinking that they can’t serve because they think that just because God hasn’t gifted them in teaching, or evangelism, or some other more traditional gift, that they can’t be used.
x. Nothing could be further from the truth. God wants to use all of our talents and giftings to help others in the body of Christ. We are all part of a big body, and if everybody had the same gifts, not only would it be boring, but a lot of needs would go unmet.
xi. The church at Joppa was blessed by this woman Tabitha, and she would soon fall ill, and die, we see this in verses 37 and 38.
c. The Sickness (Acts 9:37-38)
i. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.
ii. Tabitha got sick and died about the time that Peter was in Lydda. Her friends do something a little unusual here. It was customary to wash a dead person, anoint them with oil and spices, and bury them that day, like they did with Jesus.
iii. Her friends though, wash her body, and put it in the upper room of the house. It appears that her friends expected her to be raised from the dead.
iv. We are reminded of a story in First Kings chapter 17, where a widow woman’s son became sick and died, but was raised by God using Elijah. We find the story in 1st Kings chapter 17, starting in verse 17 -
v. 17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him." 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth."
vi. So, the question comes, why did Tabitha’s friends expect her to be raised? We don’t really have a good answer, except that they acted by faith.
vii. God was using Peter to spread the gospel throughout the region, and Tabitha was a faithful servant of God. It was God’s sovereign will to raise Tabitha.
viii. So, by faith, the friends of Tabitha sent for Peter at Lydda, they didn’t know whether or not Peter would come to Joppa, to Tabitha’s house, and be used by Him, but by faith they sent for Peter.
ix. We are all sick with a disease called sin, and eventually, it will kill us. There is a one in one chance that all of us will die at some point. We can’t escape it; it has been called the great equalizer.
x. That’s just physical death, though. What comes after that for a non-believer is eternal death. Eternal separation from God, and eternal torment.
xi. Some people say, “Well, how can a loving God send people to Hell?” The answer is HE doesn’t. We send ourselves there because of our sin.
xii. The only way we can escape eternal death is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. That one choice will make an eternity of difference for you.
xiii. You see, Tabitha had made that choice. He friends knew where she was going. But they were still sad, the church still had need of her talents, and we see them mourning in verse 39.
d. The Sadness of the Church (Acts 9:39)
i. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
ii. Peter gets up and takes off for Joppa with these guys. He made himself available. Peter was an apostle, one of the guys that had been with Jesus. He didn’t think it was beneath him to come a minister to one woman.
iii. When he gets there, everyone is sad. They are sad because their friend Tabitha has passed away. They remembered all the good things that she had done for them.
iv. The widows show Peter all of the garments that she had sewed for them while she was alive. Widows were the poorest of the poor of that time, they had no one to care for them, but Tabitha did. She made clothes for people who could not afford to buy them otherwise. This was part of her ministry to the body there at Joppa.
v. Now, with her gone, who would clothe the less fortunate people of Joppa? Peter no doubt looked at how the women there loved Tabitha, and had compassion on them.
vi. No doubt that Peter was recalling another time, when Jesus came to the house of the synagogue ruler in Capernaum. His little girl had died.
vii. There was much sadness in the house, not unlike the scene we see here in Joppa. Jesus came in and told the mourners that the little girl hadn’t died, but that she was just sleeping.
viii. The people there mourning laughed and mocked Jesus, but that didn’t bother Him, He came there to wake this little girl up, to bring her back to life.
ix. So, Jesus cleared the room at Capernaum, and Peter is about to do just that. We see this and what happened next in verses 40 through 43.
e. The Surprise (Acts 9:40 - 43)
i. 40 But Peter put them all out, 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 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
ii. Peter cleared the room just like Jesus did that day in Capernaum. Once he had all of them out of the room, he could concentrate. He knelt down, and turned prayerfully to the Lord, seeking, asking the Lord to reveal His will concerning this situation.
iii. Peter spent some time with the Lord, and I think we can learn a lot from this situation. When we find ourselves in a high-pressure situation, when people are looking to us for answers, we need to stop and call upon the Lord.
iv. This shows what a humble man Peter was. Gone was the brash fisherman, replaced by this man of prayer and devotion. Prayer is an essential part of any ministry.
v. As we have covered in previous weeks, prayer is our power source, from which ministry flows. Peter knew whom he got his power from, and he called out to Jesus for the miracle that was about to take place.
vi. After finishing prayer, Peter turns to the body of Tabitha, and says – “Tabitha, arise.” In Aramaic, he would have said, “Tabitha, cumi” This is only slightly different from the phrase that Jesus used when in Jairus’ house in Capernaum, where Jesus said, “Talitha cumi.” Which meant, “Little girl, arise.”
vii. At this point, Tabitha opens her eyes, sits up and sees Peter there, probably knelt down, still in a prayerful position. No doubt that she was surprised. She was in heaven, face to face with Jesus.
viii. We know this because 2nd Corinthians 5:8 tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Personally, I think I’d be a little upset at that point, “Don’t bring me back, I’m having a wonderful time!”
ix. Peter gives Tabitha a helping hand and assists her up. When she was standing there with him, he calls for the widows and the rest of the church that had gathered there.
x. Notice that the Christians are called saints here, because that’s what we are. We are perfect people in and of ourselves, but we are perfected through our relationship with Jesus Christ. So that when God looks at us, He sees what we have become, not what we were.
xi. This occurrence was a major event to the town of Joppa. A major miracle had happened there. Word traveled fast to all those around, and they wanted to find out what had happened and how it came about.
xii. Peter uses this miracle as an opportunity to share the gospel once again, as we have seen him do many other times in the book of Acts, and the people respond the same way here. They come to the saving knowledge of Jesus.
xiii. People want the power of God working in their lives. People want to know that there is some higher authority that is looking out for them, leading them and guiding them.
xiv. Some people ask, “Do miracles like this still happen today?” I usually answer, “I don’t see why not.” I can’t see where in scripture that God decided to stop doing things like this.
xv. But, notice one thing here. Peter didn’t go and put the word out about this occurrence. Peter didn’t go down to the local cemetery, and start calling people out. He didn’t make a big deal out of it. Peter was humble and obedient.
xvi. If things like this were to happen today, I would imagine that the people involved would acts much the same way. They wouldn’t call a lot of attention to themselves, and have big crusades in stadiums, where people dance around. I am very skeptical of the so-called miracles that you see on television, simply because they don’t fit the scriptural models we see in the New Testament.
xvii. Like I said, Peter didn’t start up his world tour at that point. This humble man takes a very different direction at that point. He takes up residence with another man named Simon, like him.
xviii. But this Simon wasn’t a fisherman; this man was a person who made leather, a tanner. Now, Jewish people weren’t lining up to be tanners at this point in history. This was one of the most undesirable jobs around.
xix. Tanners were despised because they handled dead animals all day. They were ceremonially unclean people all of the time.
xx. Because of this, they had to live at least 75 feet out of town. In the Jewish Mishna (their laws), the wife of a tanner actually had the right to divorce her husband, whereas, other women did not have that right.
xxi. This tells us that Peter was flexible. He was open to wherever God led him, even to the house of a tanner. God was busy at work tearing down the walls that Peter had ingrained in him as a Jew, and likely it started right here, living with this tanner.
xxii. I want to point out one more thing, before we move on to our next point. Peter’s ministry in Joppa was successful by any stretch of the imagination.
xxiii. That’s because Peter was three things – first, Peter was available. He was ready to go to Joppa when the Lord required. Second, Peter was prayerful. He knew who his power source was, and did not hesitate to call upon Him.
xxiv. Last, Peter was flexible. He didn’t shrink back or hesitate when God moved him in with a tanner. You see, tanners needed Jesus too.
xxv. In the next six verses though, we find another man who needed Jesus. A man that was seeking God with all his heart and the Bible tells us, that whenever we seek the Lord, He will be found. Let’s read starting in verse 1 of chapter 10.
f. The Seeking Centurion (Acts 10:1 - 6)
i. 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do."
ii. We are introduced here to a man named Cornelius. We are going to learn a little bit about him here today, and we are going to learn more about him next week.
iii. Cornelius lived in Caesarea. Caesarea was a city was a city about 30 some odd miles up the coast, north from Joppa, where Peter was staying with Simon the tanner.
iv. Caesarea was built around 20 B.C. by Herod the Great, as a present to Caesar Augustus, the same Caesar who is famous for his census that caused Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem.
v. Caesarea was the major Roman city politically in ancient Israel. It was the capital of the Roman province of Judea, and it was where the majority of troops were stationed, and the governor of the land lived.
vi. Cornelius was stationed here. He was a member of the Roman army, a centurion. Centurions were men who commanded a unit of 100 other men. The two other times Centurions are mentioned in the scripture, they are spoken of in a favorable sense. This man would be no different.
vii. Cornelius was a man of some authority. He was Italian, unlike many of the other Roman troops, and being such, he was considered one of the most loyal troops to the Empire.
viii. It was customary to have at least 32 such men stationed in each province to keep the army loyal to the Empire which it defended.
ix. As we see here though, Cornelius was a devout man, he feared God. He tried to raise his family to fear God. He was a generous man who prayed to God.
x. But, Cornelius was not saved. He didn’t have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. But, He was seeking God with his heart, and it was God’s will to reveal Himself to Cornelius.
xi. This fact is comforting to me as a Christian. I know from reading this scripture that it doesn’t matter where you live, what language you speak, or what your background is. If you are seeking God with your heart, He will find a way to reveal Himself to you, just like He is doing here with Cornelius.
xii. So, at about three o’clock in the afternoon one day, Cornelius had a vision from God. He had a vision that was so real; he knew it was truly from God.
xiii. An angel appeared to Cornelius in his vision. Angels are God’s messengers to us here on earth. God’s message to Cornelius was this –
xiv. Cornelius, your kind acts and prayers have not gone unnoticed, but you’re only halfway there, you need something else, and I am going to supply that something else.
xv. You need to send to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter, who is staying with Simon the tanner by the sea.
xvi. Notice one thing. God doesn’t tell Cornelius what would happen when he did send for Peter, but God commands Cornelius to simply do it.
xvii. Cornelius’ reaction to God’s message tells me this. Cornelius was seeking a relationship with God. Cornelius was ready for what Peter had to say.
xviii. That was faith on Cornelius’ part. He’s praying, seeking God the best he knew how, and an angel appears. Some of you might ask, “Why didn’t the angel just share the gospel with Cornelius?”
xix. That’s a good question. The answer is, it’s not their job, that’s ours. God has chosen to use men rather than angels to spread His gospel. Angels can point people to the man who is going to deliver the gospel, but not deliver it themselves.
xx. Another question that could come up here is, “Why didn’t God just use Philip in this situation?” We are told the Philip lived in Caesarea, and presumably he had made it up to his home by now, because we see these churches the he probably helped start all along the way up from Azotus.
xxi. The answer to that one is. I don’t know. We aren’t told. But, I will tell you that God had been preparing Peter to share the gospel with Cornelius, and he was the man that God chose to deliver it, not Philip.
xxii. So, we see Cornelius sending men to look for Peter in the next two verses and we are going to stop there today.
g. The Search for Peter (Acts 10:7-8)
i. 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
ii. Cornelius takes immediate action after the Lord spoke to him. That is faith. Cornelius likely had never heard of Peter, and that he was an apostle, he just obeyed God.
iii. He was wise in choosing men who shared his same fear of God to send on the mission. He chose two of his household servants, and one of his loyal men to go forth at once to find Peter.
iv. Some scholars believe that these men most likely left on horseback, and took an animal along for Peter to ride as well, but we aren’t told here.
v. These three men listened to what their master or commander had to say, and set out for Joppa immediately. I like that. That is zeal, that is faith, that guys, is seeking God with your whole heart.
vi. The faith displayed by this Centurion was about to be rewarded, and we will look at that in depth next week as we continue through Acts.
vii. Are you here this morning, and are seeking God? Maybe you’ve wanted a relationship with Him, but don’t know how to go about it. Maybe you have a relationship with Him and you feel like it is a little strained right now.
viii. In a few minutes, we are going to pray, and we’re going to give you the opportunity to meet God here this morning, and get it all straightened out. Make that decision today before you leave here.
ix. Point Summary – The big idea today is this. Four things that I want us to take away from this message. If you don’t take away anything else, take this:
1. God uses people that make themselves available.
2. God uses people that are prayerful.
3. God uses people that are flexible.
4. If we seek God, He will find a way for us to find Him.
x. I‘d like to close with a short story.
h. Conclusion
i. A Soap maker, who was not saved, walked along the road with a preacher one day. He said to the preacher, “The gospel you preach has not done much good. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and wicked people, too.”
ii. Quietly they walked on. The preacher did not reply to his friend’s comment until they passed a dirty little child making mud pies in the gutter. With this before them, the preacher spoke, “Soap has not done much good in the world, I see; for there is still much dirt in the world, and many dirty people about.”
iii. “O, well, you know,” said the Soap maker, “soap is only useful when it is applied.” “Exactly,” said the preacher, “so it is with the gospel we proclaim.”
iv. Cornelius was dirty, and he knew it. He had seen the decadence of mighty Rome, yet chose to live his life in the backwater town of Caesarea, seeking the God of the Universe.
v. Soon, the power of the gospel would take hold of Cornelius’s life, but right now, he was still seeking. Seeking what he didn’t know from a God that he couldn’t understand.
vi. I sympathize with Cornelius in many ways. Before I met Jesus, I just kind of wandered through life, but now, I have a purpose, a reason for living, and that is to server him, just like Tabitha was doing in Joppa at the beginning of our study.
vii. Guys, we have seen the cycle of the Christian life today in two different people. Seeking God, coming to the knowledge of the truth, and having your life changed, and then living a life of service to Him.
viii. Where are you at on that cycle this morning? Are you saved and not serving? Come down for prayer. Are you seeking? Come for prayer, and you will find Him.
ix. Let’s go before Him now and seek Him.
i. Let’s Pray.
V. Closing Prayer
