Good afternoon.
We are going to do something a little bit different this afternoon uh because we're going to have a little bit of an extended evangelism training after the closing prayer.
And so as a result of that, we're going to have a short lesson.
Now, if my wife were here, she'd be laughing already.
ah But take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to the book of Acts.
And we're going to notice the end of Acts chapter 9 and the life as we have record of it in scripture of Dorcas.
Dorcas who was also known as Tabitha.
We're going to glean some lessons on a good life from Dorcas.
So as we go through this passage, we will notice these lessons, though we will be brief with them.
to give us some extended time at the end.
First thing that we notice in Acts chapter 9 verse 36 is that a good life creates fullness and purpose.
We're introduced to Tabitha in Acts chapter 9 verse 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.
Three things that you learn about Tabitha here in this passage about Dorcas is number one, she was a disciple.
This is someone who had heard the gospel, was one who believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.
She was one who had repented of her sins and confessed the name of Christ and was immersed in water for the remission of her sins.
You can say, Aaron, how do you know that she did all that?
Because she was a disciple.
Because you can't be a disciple unless you've done all of that.
So the text tells us she was a disciple.
She was one who had been obedient to the gospel call of Jesus Christ.
But also notice that this woman was one who was full of good works.
We're going to notice this idea of a good life.
Dorcas was one who lived a good life.
Number one, she was obedient to God.
Number two, she lived a life that created fullness and purpose, for she was continually involved in good works and charitable deeds throughout her life.
But, verse 37, we also learn from Dorcas that a good life ends in death.
You know, sometimes people imagine if they live a certain life, if they live good enough, if they're obedient to God, if they're a child of God, then all the negative things of
life will just poof, suddenly disappear and they'll never have to deal with them.
But that's not the way the world actually works.
Nor is it what God promised us.
We read verse 37, but it happened in those days that she became sick and died.
You know, good people also suffer.
Good people who are active in good works suffer.
Good people who are Christians, who are active in good works, who are busy in those works suffer.
And in her case, she got sick and died.
When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
Verse 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." So verse 38, you'll notice as we learn an additional lesson here, and that is that a good life builds
good will and willingness among others to act.
Here's a woman who's died, and yet in the fact that she has already died, there are still people willing to act on her behalf, even though she's dead.
because of the life that she lived.
Notice verse 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 the garments which Dorcas had made while she was with
them.
Not only did the life of Dorcas, the good life that she lived, move these others who are disciples most likely to go to Lydda to find
or sorry, go to, yeah, to go to Lydda to find Peter and to bring him so that he might be able to aid them in some way with this situation.
But when Peter arrives, here are the widows that Dorcas had spent her time and her energy and her effort striving to help.
And they're there waiting to show this apostle.
all the things that she had done for them, all the garments that she had made on their behalf.
A good life builds good will and a willingness among others to act.
You know, there's some principles in life that come from Scripture that we need to challenge ourselves to live out, and one of them is that those who do not give do not
receive.
Those who do not plant do not reap a harvest.
And we need to be conscious of the fact that as we go through our daily lives, we are building our future.
We are building the opportunity in our future for others to do good to us if we have done good to them.
Now we should never, absolutely never do good to others for the exclusive purpose of having good done to us.
But we always ought to remember that when we act, we are planting seeds for the future.
And there is a harvest that will come.
So if all we plant is wrath, frustration, difficulty, anger, annoyance, and bad attitudes, you can imagine the harvest.
It's going to produce what was planted.
But then consider verse 39, a good life bears fruit.
These widows were waiting to show Peter the fruit of the life of Dorcas because of the impact that Dorcas had made in their lives.
You look at someone who is a Christian, who is living out what God teaches from the scriptures as to how we are to live, and you will never find
someone who doesn't produce fruit.
Because the word of God produces fruit.
And the word of God lived out in the lives of those who are obedient to God produces fruit.
A good life bears fruit.
But then consider verses 40 and 41.
A good life demonstrates that it is God who makes the difference.
Verse 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.
Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive."
Peter arrives there in the house where she's been laid.
Peter's immediately shown by these widows all the good things that Tabitha had done.
And Peter says, go away.
Get out.
Everybody out.
And it wasn't because Peter had some strange potion in his pocket.
It wasn't because Peter had some power up his sleeve.
Peter simply relied on God.
Peter sat down or knelt down and prayed.
Peter by himself could not have affected the situation.
Peter, as a matter of fact,
didn't even per se do anything to affect the situation except pray.
But we're reminded that Jesus told the apostles that after he departed, whatever they asked for in his name, God would do.
Peter prayed that Dorcas be brought back to life and she was.
A good life demonstrates that it is God who makes the difference.
A note here, just worthy of consideration, just how certain words are used.
is not necessarily part of the lesson, but this one's free.
The word saint has already been used twice.
Don't ever be confused.
Saints aren't people who have been dead for 400 years who got voted on by a church to be saints.
are Christians who are alive, because Christians who were alive ran to Peter to go get Peter.
And Christians who were alive were standing outside waiting to be let in to talk to Dorcas.
That's who saints are, they're Christians.
But then notice as well, verse 42, a good life combined with God's demonstration of authority can convert souls.
You notice verse 42, and it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.
Now, we know from other passages, for instance, the rich man in Lazarus, where the rich man says to Abraham, if you'll just send Lazarus back, and if Lazarus is raised from the
dead, then my brothers will believe and they won't come to this place of torment where I am.
And Abraham said, they have the prophets.
Let them hear them.
But if one was raised from the dead, they wouldn't hear.
Abraham realized that it's not the miracle that makes the difference.
It is the demonstration of God's authority and someone who is willing to bow to that authority.
And that authority is equally demonstrated right here.
We don't need to witness a miracle to know whether or not we should obey God.
We don't need to witness a miracle in order to be saved.
We simply need to recognize, open our minds and our hearts to the demonstration of God's authority and allow that to convert our heart, our mind, our soul, and our life to Him.
individuals when they witnessed and when they heard about what had happened with Dorcas, about the power of God and the glory of God, were converted.
We need to learn that a good life combined with God's demonstration of authority can convert souls.
We're also taught over in Peter that there are times where the life of a woman
lived out in the godly manner that she lives can convert a husband without ever saying a word.
There is great power in the life lived out in faithfulness to God.
So as you're thinking about a good life, I encourage you to think about the lessons of a good life that Dorcas teaches us.
That a good life creates fullness and purpose.
So many people in life that you will meet, they are striving every day to achieve something that is meaningless and empty.
And they have no idea what a good life really is.
They have no idea what purpose and meaning really are.
But a good life creates that.
A good life gets people prepared for death.
Because death's coming, no matter how you live.
A good life will build good will.
A good life will bear fruit.
A good life will understand at all points and times that it is God that makes the difference.
And a good life will find ways to convert souls.
If you're here this evening and you have need of the invitation of Jesus Christ to put Christ on in baptism to become a part of the disciples of Christ, those who are obedient
to His will and faithful to Him.
until the end of this life.
You have that opportunity this afternoon.
If you lived a life that perhaps at one time could be described as good and now perhaps it's not, there's an opportunity to change.
And if you need to repent, that opportunity is now.
If you have need of the invitation, why not come as we stand?
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