Today's Word Radio

Brett Meador: They brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost and were multiplied.

Saul is picking up where Stephen left off. This is Saul talking to Gentiles. When he was doing that, he was doing what God wanted him to do.

Intro Announcer: Pastor Brett Meador noting their growing faith resulted in a growing church. Saul is picking up where Stephen left off. This is Saul talking to Gentiles. When he was doing that, he was doing what God wanted him to do.

Things took a significant turn for the early church in Acts chapter nine as Saul, once their primary persecutor, converted to Christianity and began preparing for his future ministry. Meanwhile, Peter continued to follow Jesus' example while boldly sharing the gospel throughout the region. Pastor Brett Meador picks up a verse-by-verse look into Acts chapter nine in today's word.

Brett Meador: Well, verse 21, it says, "But all that heard him were amazed and said, 'Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?'" But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Remember, the word Christ is the Messiah. He's proven that Jesus is the Messiah, the foretold Messiah of the Jews. In this case, he's not Paul the Apostle, you might say Paul the Apologist. If you know what apologists do, that's a practice of defending a religious faith through reasoned argumentation and discourse. That's what he's doing. He's arguing with these guys that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jewish Hebrew Bible.

By the way, we're going to see a theme here. Paul's going to spend a lot of time trying to convince the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, but that really wouldn't be his calling. What would be Paul's primary calling? He's going to be the missionary to the Gentile people, even though you're going to see it his whole life, "But I want to minister to the Jews." Every time he does that, he almost gets killed. Maybe you know the Lord's not in that if every time you go do your ministry, they're stoning you to death over and over again. We're going to see that.

How do the religious leaders respond to Paul? Well, we pick that up in verse 23. It says, "And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him." I'd say that's a tough response to Paul's sermons. "Kill him!" I've had a few people say that to me on my sermons, but not like this.

Verse 24: "But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket." I've always chuckled at this because I tend to wonder what do you do if you're Paul the Apostle and you're all excited? "I'm saved, man! I'm going to go preach the gospel!" You preach the gospel and you're just hoping that everybody's going to get saved. You're going to have a Holy Ghost happening. You're going to be the next Billy Graham. It's going to be awesome.

But that night, what is he doing? I wonder what's going through Saul's mind when he's in the basket being lowered. Like, what's he thinking? "I'm such a loser. I was going to do great things for the kingdom. I was going to launch new ministries."

The phrase here is interesting: "let down." Have you ever been let down in ministry where you're just like, "Bummer, I had such high hopes that I was going to do great things"? All the great people that are used by God in the Bible have let down moments. You should know that. Sometimes you get deflated or bummed out.

For every time the Lord inspires you, you go away from a retreat or a service or a time where you're fellowshiping with other believers and you feel encouraged and pumped, don't be surprised when the enemy tries to take the wind out of your sails. You shouldn't be shocked when you feel a resistance.

In fact, sometimes I've realized when things are going smooth and smooth sailing, I wonder, "Am I even being effective spiritually?" Because when things are smooth, I wonder, "Am I doing anything of value?" It's when you're serving the Lord and when you're actually making a difference in the things of the kingdom, don't be surprised when you get that resistance and feel let down or bummed out or blue or hurt or wounded.

Paul would say later, and this is true in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17, Paul would say, "For our light affliction is but for a moment, but it works for us a far more exceeding eternal weight in glory." That's what you have to remember when you're going through those times. Let down in a basket. It's just a light affliction just for a moment, and then hang on because the Lord's going to continue to use you, as he will Paul here.

But we pick it up there in verse 26. It says, "And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples. But they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple." So he's sort of rejected right up until verse 27.

"But Barnabas," now we're meeting a new guy, "Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians, but they went about to slay him, which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost and were multiplied."

So, now there's a time of peace and multiplication in the church, no longer Paul going around trying to kill everybody, and they're at rest. In verse 29, we saw that he was disputing against the Grecians. Who else disputed against the Grecians? If you recall, that was Stephen earlier in Acts chapter six and seven. Now Saul is picking up where Stephen left off. This is Saul talking to Gentiles. When he was doing that, he was doing what God wanted him to do. I love how God replaces Stephen, who is ministering to the Grecians, now the Lord says, "Stephen's in heaven now, so we'll get Paul to do it."

The church has rest. In verse 29, they have rest throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Was that only because Saul was no longer persecuting the church? One thing you have to remember, there's still the high priest in Jerusalem that still hates Christians.

But there's something that many scholars talk about, especially if you know history, that happened during this moment in history. We know exactly something that took place in this time that is probably why the church had a respite or a break from the persecution that Paul was starting. It's not just because Paul was no longer persecuting, but there was something else that was happening. It was a little dude named Caligula.

Did any of you study Caligula in school? Really wicked guy, to say the least. By this time, these emperors of Rome thought of themselves as deity. So Caligula said, "Okay, down there in Judea in Jerusalem, I want my image set up in the temple in Jerusalem." Now, if you can imagine, what do you think the Jews thought of that? Having an image of a Roman emperor. In this season, the Jews focused all their attention on what was happening with Caligula.

Most scholars believe this is one of the main reasons why the church had room to flourish and persecution was sort of put on hold. The priests, the high priest, and the Sanhedrin, they had their hands full with Rome and Caligula, so they weren't persecuting the church.

Question: during a time of rest, what should the church be doing? This is something that I think you and I should talk about because I wonder if persecution's coming someday again in the world, in America. We see Christians around the world being persecuted, and we forget that. But could persecution be coming our way? We've had 250 years of religious liberty here in the United States, and we've kind of forgotten what persecution's like.

I could see handwriting on the wall. Even our neighbors to the north in Canada, Christians are feeling even a little more persecution than we are, and we could be following pretty shortly thereafter. So what should we be doing in our 250 years of peace and prosperity as Christians? I think that we might want to think about that.

What did the church do during their time of peace mentioned here in Acts 9? Building up, edifying each other. They were learning and searching the scriptures and talking about the scriptures. They were praying and fasting. They were doing what they were called to do as a church.

I think it was during this time they were being prepared for the ten waves of Roman persecution that would come historically right after this, and they'd be horrible. That's where Foxe's Book of Martyrs, you start reading what happened to the church in the end of first century into the third and fourth century. It was horrifying persecution. But I think that's what readied them for what was about to come. I wonder if we should be thinking a little more that way to be ready.

That's really encouraging. Verse 32: "And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda." Now, I just want to say, and this is kind of fun here because this place Lydda, it's also in modern day it's called Lod, L-O-D. That's how they say it in Israel, Lod. If you've ever been to Israel, you landed in Lod. It's where the Ben Gurion Airport is in Israel. It's outside of Tel Aviv, out in the country area of Lod.

It's kind of fun. Whenever I bring tour groups, as we're walking in the airport tarmac, I say, "Do you guys know what happened here in the Bible?" We're already on a biblical tour of Israel. You're already at a really cool biblical site as soon as your plane hits the ground. You're like, "You know what happened here? Acts chapter 9." Right here, this little town of Lod. It's still there. This little town is still there, right at the Ben Gurion Airport just outside of Tel Aviv.

Another thing that we're going to start seeing here too is we're going to start seeing a little bit of a change here. For example, we're starting to talk about Peter, and we're going to put Paul, Saul of Tarsus, we're going to put him on hold for several chapters. We're going to talk mostly about Peter shifting from chapter 9 from Saul's conversion now to Peter's ministry, and from here through chapter 12 will be talking about Peter, and then we'll pick up Paul's story again in chapter 13. So we haven't forgotten Paul, just something to realize what's happening.

Now we have Peter in Lod or Lydda. In verse 33, "And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. Arise and make thy bed.' And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord." So Saron and all of Mordor were saved. Even Sauron and the orcs were saved there. No, I'm just kidding for you Lord of the Rings fans. No, this is a different Saron.

But what a cool thing. Now, one thing I'd like to draw, this is Peter just doing miracles, and I want to point out how very much Jesus-esque Peter is rolling here. He's doing Jesus stuff. Would you agree? Like, here's a guy sick of the palsy. He said, "Jesus Christ has made you whole, and take up your bed or make up your bed and walk." Same kind of language of Jesus. I want to point that out because we're going to see more of that as we go.

But this is where Peter becomes part of this. By the way, Lod is right there by the Mediterranean Sea. So we're going to change from where we were at the road to Damascus and that whole area up in the Damascus region. Now we're more by the Mediterranean Sea, Lod and Jaffa and even Caesarea. These are the places we're going to be as we're going through these next chapters.

Now we go from Aeneas being healed and Peter being a part of that healing to verse 36. "Now there was at Jaffa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas." For you expectant mothers, you might want to think of that as a Bible name for your daughters, Dorcas. Dorcas, this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds, which means charitable deeds, which she did.

You just got to love this. This woman named Tabitha, by the way, is Aramaic. Dorcas is the Greek form. But both mean gazelle or roe or like a deer or doe. That was just her name. If you could kind of picture this woman, she's gracious. She's loved by the church. She's doing nice things for people. You just got to love that.

But in verse 37, it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died, whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was near to Jaffa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent to him two men desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the coats and the garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed, and turning him to the body said, "Tabitha, arise."

And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and the widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Jaffa, and many believed in the Lord. And it came to pass that he tarried many days in Jaffa with one Simon the tanner.

Now, here we have Jaffa, this modern day they call it Jaffa or Yafa in modern day. It's a port city. It's a beautiful little port city on the Mediterranean Sea. It's where Jonah in the Old Testament was running from God. He left in Jaffa. But this is New Testament time, and he's staying at Simon the tanner's house. We're going to have more about that at chapter 10.

But you got to love that Tabitha was loved by the church. We see for some reason the Lord says, "I'm going to bring her back." It is interesting to me that she didn't, you know, we didn't see Stephen brought back. Maybe the Lord just says, "I want him in heaven." But it's like the church was like, "Oh, we're going to miss Tabitha." Like, she was such a blessing to the church. When the Lord moves someone away, sometimes it's hard to fill that place, and I'm sure the church was feeling this. "Look at all the garments she made." They were like just marveling at what a blessing she was.

But there's some things to note in this story that I don't want to miss. Remember how we already saw Peter acting like Jesus when he told the man sick of the palsy, Aeneas, and said, "Take up your bed and walk"? Just like Jesus.

But we also see Peter doing the same thing here that Jesus did in Mark chapter 5 verses 38 through 43. Remember when they were all laughing when Jesus said, "She only sleeps"? And he's going to go in and raise her from the dead, Jesus was in Mark. So what did Jesus do to all the people laughing? He put them out. He said, "Get out of here, shoo." He got all the professional mourners out and then healed them. Peter's doing the same thing right here in verse 40. Peter put them all forth.

I guess I love that Peter's very practically just acting like Jesus, doing the same things Jesus did. That's something that I think is noteworthy. And the Lord raises her up. Now, one thing I'd like to say too is that she, we're not going to say she was resurrected as much. You could say that, I suppose. Like we could say of Lazarus, that we call Lazarus being resurrected.

But you might say that's more like a resuscitation. I'll tell the difference. Jesus is called the first fruit of the resurrection and people say, "Well, what about Lazarus? Because he was raised before Jesus." But he was resuscitated, and then he died again. He died. There's a difference. Jesus rose and lived forevermore. That's the truest form of resurrection. I just want to make that point. Same with Tabitha, she is raised from the dead if you would, but to eventually die like everybody else, but she would have eternal life through Christ.

So that's one of the things here. Peter's acting like Jesus. We see that already. We love this beautiful gal in the church who's just a blessing. And then also this is the first time Christians are called saints in the church or the New Testament church. It's noteworthy.

In verse 32, it says, "It came to pass as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down to the saints which dwelt at Lydda." And then also verse 41: "He gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive." The reason I point that out is this is the Bible. Who's right? The Bible or the Catholic Church? The Bible's right. Let's just go with the Bible as much as we can figure out what the Bible says. That's our goal in life.

But it's funny how traditions of the Catholic Church has created this thing called the saints. I believe biblically, you're either a saint or you're an ain't. That is, if you're a Christ believer, a follower of Jesus, you are called, you're referenced as a saint.

If you're in the Catholic Church, you have to do something saintly to become a saint. There's got to be proof and hearings, and once you become a saint, you become the patron saint of this or patron saint of that. Those are just inventions of people that made stuff up. I hate to say it that way. Could those saints of the Catholic Church have been amazing people who did awesome things? Very possibly.

But there was never to be this division of what a saint was and you had to do something really amazing to be declared a saint. You're either a saint or you're ain't. If you're a Christian who accepted Christ and you're going to heaven, you're one of the saints. That's what's going on here. That's why I wanted to point that out.

This woman was a beloved member of the Christian community in Jaffa because she was full of good works and charitable deeds. What I would suggest is she's being a blessing to the church because guess what? She's fulfilling what I would call her motivational gifts that are listed. Remember we talked about the motivational gifts of Romans 12 verses 4 through 8? Those are the lists of the things that people have, that people do in the church. It's part of the body of Christ, and it's a blessing.

Can I just give you a quick reminder of what those are? We've talked about this previously. I'm going to go through this really fast. Romans 12 motivational gifts. First of all, you have prophecy. Not like Old Testament foretelling the future, but remember prophecy was 1 Corinthians 14, edification, exhortation, and comfort.

Some people in the church have a gift of edifying and comfort. That's Barnabas. We saw Barnabas already. He's got this gift of prophecy in that sense or he's edifying and comforting. That's what we can see. And then also you can see ministry. Romans 12:7 talks about ministry. The word ministry, we've kind of lost the meaning. "I'm in the ministry," which sounds like, "Oh wow, you're amazing." No. The word ministry means service, servant. That's what it's supposed to mean.

Some people have a heart of a servant, a humble servant. Jesus modeled for us this when he washed the disciples' feet, stripped himself of his robes, girded himself with a towel, washed the disciples' feet. This is to have a servant's heart. I think Tabitha must have had somewhat of that.

There's also the gift of teaching in Romans 12, which is edifying to the church. There's a difference, by the way, between preaching and teaching. And then there's one that even beyond prophecy, exhortation, which is sort of a gift of correction and emphatically urging someone to do something. Some people have a gift of that. They can speak those things out. I think my dad has a gift of that in the church, in the context of the church. I've seen that many times.

Here's an example. Some guy will come up to my dad. I've seen this a thousand times. "Todd, I need help. You got to help me, man. My marriage is really bad, and I'm really struggling with this addiction and that, and I just really need your help." You got to know my dad. He somehow was able to pull this off. I try it and everybody would think I'm a jerk. My dad does this and they all felt like he was Santa Claus or something.

But my dad would just say, "Okay, answer me one question. When was the last time you were in church?" The guy's like, "Well, I'm busy." My dad would say, "Listen, I don't want to hear you again. Don't talk to me again until you go to church. Go to church this Sunday, go to church, bring your Bible, bring a notebook, take notes. I'll talk to you after that." And the guy's like, "But I got my marriage and my, I'm an addict and no." "Go to church." The guy's like, "Okay."

I saw it a thousand times. Somehow they would just receive it from my dad. He was almost like brutal. But because of my dad's nature, I think they knew he was being actually really loving and just speaking the truth. He never spent more than three minutes talking to a guy. Forget counseling and therapy. My dad just did it in a way that kind of was a gift. It was exhortation.

Boy, we could talk about giving. This woman was giving her talents. Maybe you're a multi-threat motivational gift person like Tabitha. She was ministering, serving, but also giving of her talents. We see there money giving, talents giving, time giving. There's also the ruling in Romans 12, that's more administrative, and then also showing mercy. That's another one.

Each one of you probably has a major in these sort of motivational gifts. We see Tabitha using her motivational gifts, and suddenly she's a huge blessing. One thing she be careful about your motivational gifts, make sure don't try to superimpose them on someone else. I've noticed people do that. I feel like my gift is teaching. I love teaching the Bible. When I was a younger guy, I'd say, "Man, you all need to be Bible teachers! It's the best thing in the whole wide world! You all have to be teachers!"

And then I realized, oh, not everybody's really called to that. And they don't even like it. The Bible even warns not many of you should desire to be teachers because there's a greater condemnation of those who are teaching the word. So you got to go with what God's called you and it's worthwhile figuring that out. We're going to see in the Book of Acts people moving in their motivational gifts. We've already seen that in Barnabas, in even Ananias, in Judas, and here with Tabitha. We'll see that as we continue to study. Let's pray together.

Lord, we are thankful for your word. It is living, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. There's so much for us to learn and to grow by reading your word. I pray that you'd just bless my brothers and sisters. Lord, I pray that you just warm our hearts as we have spent time in your wonderful and amazing word. May it bring forth good fruit in our lives. Help us to be not just hearers only, but doers of your word. So bless, we just give our lives to you in Jesus' name. Amen.

Intro Announcer: Amen. Pastor Brett Meador closing our time here on today's word. And that's all the time we have. Next time, Pastor Brett examines Peter's vision from the Lord that would have an important impact on the early church and Christianity to this day.

Today's Word with Pastor Brett Meador is an outreach of Athey Creek Church in West Linn, Oregon.