EASTER
6
May
4-6, 2024
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Acts 9:36-42
“AND MANY BELIEVED
IN THE LORD!”
1.
Because
of Christ’s love in action.
2.
Because
of our love in action.
“I don’t have to, but I have to!” That
well turned phrase has been running through my head recently. I heard it first
from Pastor David Scharf who teaches religion at MLC. He was the emcee at a
gathering to raise money for financial aid at LPS. He was speaking broadly
about why we live our lives for Christ and specifically why we would want to
give of our wealth to encourage students considering being pastors and
teachers. “I don’t have to, but I have to!” You all know what he was talking
about because you have done it yourselves in small ways and are doing it
constantly in big ways. In a small way you present a thank you gift to someone
who has helped you. They say, “That is so nice. You didn’t have to do that.”
You say, “I know but…” In other words, I don’t have to, but I have to! And that
really sums up our lives as followers of Christ. All the things we do from
worshipping to volunteering to giving to what we are going to talk about today.
I don’t have to! Jesus paid it all. Jesus lived perfectly. Jesus takes me to
heaven. There is nothing I have to do. I don’t have to. But I have to. I have
to thank Him. I have to live my life for Him. I have to reflect His love. My
living faith in the living Lord Jesus will allow nothing less. Neither will
yours.
And as we do that, many will believe
in our Lord as we do. We see a great example of that in the reading from Acts.
Acts describes the life of the early Christian church and we can learn a lot
from our fellow believers. Today we learn from a woman named Tabitha. “In
Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was
always doing good deeds and acts of charity.” In that passage one word
jumps out. Always. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity. And the
inquisitive mind wants to know why. Why was she that way? That’s explained by a
second word. Disciple. Follower of Jesus. One who has learned from Him. What
had she learned? Love. What it means to be loved. She became a believer in the
Lord because of Christ’s love in action.
A word on love because there are all
kinds of definitions and understandings for what love is. For many Americans
love is a feeling. Being loving is letting the collective opinion of your
society determine what is right and wrong. Love is accepting people for who
they are. Love is being kind. Some of those understandings have elements of
truth. Some are far afield. Christ’s love is not a feeling. It is a commitment.
A commitment to do what it takes for people to be cleansed of their sins so
that the relationship with God is restored for now and forever. Christ’s love
does not let the shifting opinions of society determine what is right and wrong
but only God Himself because only He knows what is really best and right and
wrong for the people He created. Christ’s love moves Him to accept sinners
where they are at, but not leaving them there pursuing a happiness by pursuing
sin. No instead the Lord Jesus would consistently tell the tax collectors and
sinners, “Go and sin no more!” That’s love. And Christ’s love
moved Him to acts of kindness, providing for people’s needs. And so He came and
lived a perfect life of love that followed the commands of God. And since there
was no other way, He let Himself be covered with the sins of all people and
received the punishment for them in full. And He commissioned every one of His
followers, His disciples, to be living Bibles, who, wherever they go and
whatever they do, proclaim His truths and His love. And the result of Christ’s
love in action is that many believe in the Lord. Tabitha was one. You and I are
many more.
And when followers of Christ who know
His love in action show their love in actions many more believe in the Lord.
Look at our sister Tabitha! “At that time she became sick and died. After
they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. 38Since
Lydda is near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent
two men to him, who urged him, “Come to us without delay!”39Peter
got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs.
All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothing
that Dorcas made while she was still with them. 40After Peter sent
them all outside, he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward
the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw
Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her stand
up. After he called the saints and the widows, he presented her to them alive. 42This
became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”
We are not told a lot about Tabitha
but it is very obvious that she made a huge impression on the people around
her. How? She put her love into action. She made robes and clothes for people
in need. I doubt she was featured in a news story by Joppa 7 news now. I
seriously doubt the movers and shakers of Joppa considered her special. But she
was. She put her love into action. She didn’t have to, but she had to. Had to
let her love show. I think she knew what many of us overlook that it is the
little things that count and the unnoticed acts of service that catch Jesus’
attention. And the attention of other people. Look at how God used her love in
action. A crowd gathered because of her death. Through Peter God demonstrated
His power over death. And…And…? And many believed in the Lord.
And the same thing happens when you
and I put our love in action. We are all different, with different gifts and
the Lord provides us with different ways and opportunities to serve others at
different ages in life. When kids are little many of our acts of love will be
directed to them. But when nests are empty, other opportunities arise. Maybe
it’s taking care of an elderly neighbor’s lawn or grocery shopping or rides to
appointments. Maybe it’s visiting with someone who is lonely. Maybe it’s
volunteering in a school. Christ is risen! And He lives in each one of us. We
hear the voice of Jesus. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Sacrificial
love. We hear His apostle John. We can’t say I love God and hate one another
without being a liar. Our sinful natures need to hear again that being self-centered,
self-serving and selfish is not OK. It is sin. Where there is no love in
action, there is no love and Jesus is not in us. But Jesus is in you. So let it
show. Look for the little ways to serve God. It will not get your name
mentioned in the Bible like it did with Tabitha. The Bible is complete. But
since your names are written in the Lamb’s book of life it will get you
mentioned by Jesus on the Last Day when He says,” I was lonely and you visited
me. I need a ride and you gave it to me.” Love in action. It’s the little
things that count. We don’t have to. But we have to! And honestly, because of
Jesus, we want to.
Now, I think you all realize that this
Tabitha that was raised by to life died again later. That provided another
opportunity for people to gather and if her pastors did their job the people
gathered again heard about what made the difference in Tabitha’s life, her Lord
Jesus. As you and I show put our love in action there is a part of us that is
hoping we will get that opportunity to tell them about Jesus. That might not
happen while we live. But what about when we die? One of my favorite Bible
stories growing up was Sampson and his great strength. Remember how his life
ended? He pulled down the pillars to the temple of the idol Dagon which was
filled with God’s enemies, the Philistines. Sampson’s story ends with this
phrase, “Thus he killed many more when he died then when he lived.” When you
and I put our love in action people notice. They will come to your funeral. If
your pastors do their job all these people will hear about Jesus, the only one
who turns death into life. Then it may be said about you, “And so she witnessed
to many more people in her death than in her life.” And…And…” And many believed in the Lord. God
grant this for Jesus’ sake! Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment