Iliff and Saltillo UM Churches
September 4, 2005
Dr. Marilyn S. Murphree
Making an Impact Through Work
Acts 9:32-43
INTRODUCTION:
“What do you do for Christ each day?”
a faithful Christian said.
And I replied, “I drive a
truck and fill the stores with bread.”
He said, “I know of your bread route
But that is not the thing.
I mean what do you do each day
For Jesus Christ the King?”
I said, “But I believe a man can
work in such a way
That selling bread is work for Christ
A sacrament each day.”
Once more the man inquired, “But sir,
If this is not unfair
What do you do for Christ each day,
Like witnessing and prayer?”
I said, “Work is my best witness
and selling bread to them
is like a prayer in Jesus’ name.
I drive the truck for Him!” (author unknown)
I agree that this truck driver was making a positive impact for the Lord each day. We can live our lives in such a way that we make an impact on others around us not only through our worship, but through our ordinary work each day. The Bible says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and...he went around doing good...because God was with him” (Acts 10:38. Sometimes it seems difficult to connect our faith with our daily life. Today’s message is entitled, “Making an Impact Through Work.” What does the word impact mean to you? (Comments).
Making an impression on
Making a statement
Making a difference
Can you think of other words to describe making an impact? The truck driver felt he was “making an impact” in people’s lives by filling the store shelves with bread to feed hungry people. He was making a difference. You might think of many ways that you have made an impact on the lives of others and ways they have made an impact on you.
In today’s scripture a woman at Joppa made an enormous impact on her community by “always doing good and helping the poor” by making robes and other clothing. When this story took place, there were few people in the culture who were more destitute than widows. They were usually considered the neediest people in society. They couldn’t get much of a job to buy food let alone buy other things they needed. Dorcas stepped in to help fill that great need in society.
Let’s see how this scripture can speak to us today many centuries later.
1. A Place in History: Dorcas was a disciple of Jesus Christ. A little while before this time the Christians were being persecuted in Jerusalem; and as a result, believers were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Scripture tells us that these believers--”those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4).
Maybe Dorcas was one of the ones who heard the Word as a result of these scattered believers. At any rate she became a believer and a devoted follower of Jesus--a disciple. She displayed her love for Christ in very practical ways. Scripture tells us that she was “full of good works and charitable deeds.” “Good works” is a phrase that speaks of general acts of kindness to people but “charitable deeds” is more specific and has to do with acts of mercy that relieve the burdens of the poor and needy. These specific acts of mercy to make life better for these destitute widows was making clothes for them. Dorcas was continually at work meeting the pressing needs of those around her. She didn’t just do these things in a half-hearted manner, but she was filled with such deeds. Apparently she loved to sew and was good at it. She probably saw a piece of beautiful cloth and had ideas about what she could make out of it and who she could make it for. It didn’t just stay at the idea stage, but she made it a reality. She didn’t just do these charitable deeds once in a great while but was always working on some project. It was her lifestyle.
Living at the town of Joppa, an important seaport town located on the Mediterranean coast 30 miles east of Jerusalem, she was in the mainstream where Peter came and preached the good news to Gentiles. This account is sandwiched right in the middle of Saul of Tarsus’ conversion and the account of Cornelius calling for Peter to come and speak to his family. Later this was followed up by Paul’s ministry to the Gentile world.
Dorcas was a disciple who was strategically placed in the right place at the right time to minister to needs that she had been gifted to handle.
In this scripture, you will notice that she is called by two different names--The Hebrew name was Tabitha and her Greek name was Dorcas. Both names meant “gazelle.”
The gazelle is used symbolically in the Bible in three specific ways. Gazelles were symbols of grace, beauty, and swiftness and speed.
I think Dorcas’ name was appropriate because she was a person who showed the grace of God in action toward needy people. She was a beautiful person in spirit toward others and she was swift to meet the needs when she saw them.
You, too, have been strategically placed here at this time in history to in very practical ways carry the good news to needy people in both word and deed.
2. Too Overwhelming to Make an Impact: You might say, “There are so many needs surrounding me in the 21st century that I don’t even know where to begin. Whatever I do is just a drop in the bucket let alone making an impact.” Sometimes we are tempted to feel this way; and as a result of overwhelming needs, do nothing.
Story: A mighty warrior riding a magnificant horse was coming down the road and everyone made sure they got out of his way.
He noticed, however, directly in his path in the middle of the road was a sparrow. The bird was lying on its back with its feet sticking straight up in the air.
The horsman stopped and got off his horse and went over to the sparrow and asked, “Are you dead? And if not, what are you doing in the middle of the road with your feet in the air.”
“No,” answered the bird, “I’m not dead, but I heard the sky might fall down and I’m helping to hold it up.”
The warrior shook with laughter. He rolled on the ground and at last he wiped the tears from his eyes and said, “You silly bird. Even if the sky did fall down, what difference could you possibly make with those puny, spindly legs?”
“Well,” explained the sparrow. “You do what you CAN DO.”
Dorcas probably did not solve the financial problems of these destitute widows in her community, but she made life a whole lot better for them. She did what she could do. She helped them to feel better about themselves as they wore their new clothes, it helped to raise their self esteem, it helped them to know that someone cared enough for them to do something practical rather than just a casual remark. James 2:14 says, “what good is it, my brothers, if a [person] claims to have faith but has no deeds? If we say, “God, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”
Dorcas went beyond just saying, “Good luck to you.” or “I love you with the love of the Lord.” She showed in a very practical way that she could make these women’s lives better for at least a day.
Dorcas followed Jesus’ example when he fed the 5000. He did “good” through his ministry of mercy. Mercy is God’s attitude toward those in distress. It’s just making someone’s life better, if only for today. He said, “I have compassion on these people...I do not want to send them away hungry” (Matthew 15:32). He did not solve the world’s hunger problems, Dorcas did not solve the destitute widows’ financial problems, but they did make these people’s lives better for that day.
Sometimes we are paralyzed by inaction. We often think, “what good will this little act of kindness do?” Jesus said, “be merciful, just as your Father in heaven is merciful” (Luke 6:36).
The example set by the truck driver delivering bread to stores, Dorcas making clothes for people who needed them, Jesus feeding hungry people, or a little sparrow trying to hold up the sky speaks of various types of practical ministry. Today people need friendship and words of encouragement from the many stresses and worries they are under more than anything else. Giving of our time in some way is a way to make an impact on people’s lives as well. We guard our time maybe more than we do our money today. Dorcas gave of her time as well as her money.
At her death, the tearful widows came into the room and showed Peter the clothes they were wearing that Dorcas had made for them while she was “with them.” It wasn’t just the clothes--it was her friendship and interaction in their lives. Her life had been woven into their lives. She lived among these people on a daily basis. She knew when they needed a word of encouragement as well as a new coat. She didn’t just make the clothes and send them somewhere. She was “with them.” She was willing to get involved in their life struggles as well. They were considered the least of these probably by many--and were overlooked and ignored.
Story: Martem Tenens (later to be named Saint Martin) was born in what is now Hungary and was drafted into Constantine’s army at age 15. As a tribune at the age of 18, on a bitterly cold day in Gaul, Martem came across a beggar, naked and shivering. Martem, a follower of Christ, slashed his heavy military cloak in two with his sword and gave half of it to the beggar. That night, sleeping under his half cloak, Jesus appeared to him in a dream wearing the other half and commended Martem for his mercy. “When you did it to the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.”
If we really believed that our actions toward the “least of these” were actions toward or against Jesus, would these little acts of mercy have greater meaning for us? I think they would.
It doesn’t mean that we have to meet “all of the needs” before us. Just the ones that the Lord directs us to. We don’t want to be running here and there to the point of being overcome with “COMPASSION FATIGUE.” The Lord will show us what WE are to meet and he will show others what they are to meet.
3. Empowering People Through our Impact of Word and Deed:
Because there is such a complexity of needs in our society today, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us insight as to WHAT we can do and HOW we can do it effectively. We can be the 21st century Martem Tenens or the Dorcas in our community or the truck driver--all working together to help people not only to know Christ and become his faithful disciples, or to make people’s lives better for a day, but also to empower them to rise above their current lifestyles. People are empowered in many ways. Maybe your ministry is not to make clothes or drive a truck or feed the hungry. Maybe it is something entirely different. That is what each of us needs to find out. Where exactly are we to fit into the scheme of things? We can find out by asking the Lord what He wants us specifically to do. I would like to close with this story:
Magic Mustard Seeds
There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her grief, she went to the holy man and said, “What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?”
Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, “Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life.” The woman went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.
She came first to a beautiful mansion, knocked at the door, and said, “I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is very important to me.”
They told her, “You’ve certainly come to the wrong place,” and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.
The woman said to herself, “Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people than I, who have had misfortune of my own?” She stayed to comfort them, then went on in search of a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hovels and in other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so involved in ministering to other people’s grief that ultimately she forgot about her quest for the magical mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in fact, driven the sorrow out of her life. (Brian Cavanaugh).
She, too, made an impact through her work. Are you?
Let us pray:
