Title:
“How to explain the death of a Gazelle?”
Text:
Introduction:
The meaning of the name of Dorcas is "Gazelle." It seems clear in scripture that Dorcas died a premature death. She died because of "sickness," not old age. Everyone seemed startled that God would allow the death of this saintly "Gazelle." How do you explain the death of young godly person? We we cannot, people may come to the wrong conclusions about God...
God doesn’t care...
God is not paying attention or he would not have let Dorcas die? Or if he does know, he doesn’t care?
God is not very smart
Why would an inteligent God do such a thing?
God is not very strong
Just maybe God has lost control of the universe? Or maybe he never had control?
Therefore:
It is this kind of thinking that caused...
Eve to eat the apple (Thought she was smarter than God)
Cain to kill Able (Took it in his own hands)
The unjust steward to bury his talent (God had a flaw in his character)
Let us consider three things...
It would have been wonderful to have been Peter, the apostle, and simply take the hand of Dorcas and bring her back from the grave. That seems to have been a sign gift exclusively for Peter during the Apostolic Age and Dispensation. If you want to disagree with me on that point, I would challenge you to go down to your nearest funeral home and prove me wrong!
But if I had an opportunity to preach the funeral of Doras, and I have had been asked to on many such occasions. Here are the three things that I would ask those in attendance to consider.
1. The Grace of God
It is by the grace of God that any of us or anything exist at all! God, in his holiness, could have plunged the whole human race into hell and would have been justified in doing so!
2. The Goodness of God
Instead of becoming bitter over the Death of Dorcas, let us celebrate the goodness of God in and through her life. The widows all had garments to display of her great goodness. That goodness was God working through her.
3. The Glory of God
Consider these verses:
(Luke 3:4) As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every Valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
God is too good to do wrong, to wise to make a mistake and too strong to let anything interfere.
This story in Acts pictures for us a little of what Heaven will be like. We will see our loved ones once again. Today we see through a glass darkly. One day, God will make the crooked paths straight. What God does, God does for his glory!
Conclusion:
Serve Him!
Praise Him!
