God At Work Is Life At Best

[0:00] Thank you for tuning into this message by David Entry. Every true revival is a product of the strong preaching of God's word. May you receive a word from this message that will spark a revival in you.

[0:14] ! Acts chapter 9, reading, I want to take it from the verse 26, reading through to 43.

[0:26] 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.

[0:40] But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord on his way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

[0:57] 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 with the Christians.

[1:11] But they went about to slay him, which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus.

[1:23] Then had the church rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified, working in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit were multiplied.

[1:36] And it came to pass, as Peter passed through all quarters. He came down also to the saints which dwelt in Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years and was sick of palsy.

[1:56] And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes thee whole. Arise and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt in Lydda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord.

[2:12] Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Ducas. This woman was full of good works and outsteads, which she did.

[2:27] And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died. Whom when they had washed, they laid her up in the upper chamber.

[2:38] And for as much as Lydda was nigh to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

[2:53] Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber. And all the widows stood by him, weeping and shewing the coats and garments which Ducas made while she was with them.

[3:10] But Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed. And telling him to their body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes.

[3:22] And when she saw Peter, she sat up and gave her his hand and lifted her up. And when he had called, the saints and widows presented her alive.

[3:33] And it was known throughout all Joppa. And many believed in the Lord. And it came to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with Simon the Tanner.

[3:48] Here ends the reading of God's word. Father, we thank you for gathering us together. We pray as we hear your word, reveal Jesus to us. Help us, give us listening ears.

[4:00] Circumcise our hearts. And help us not to develop stiff necks as we hear your word. To the glory of your name, we thank you.

[4:11] In Jesus' name. Amen. Please be seated. So we saw how Saul of Tarsus was going around causing havoc to the church in our previous session.

[4:28] And he was saved. And when he was saved, he met Jesus. Jesus sent a disciple to go and talk to him and pray for him. That he will receive his sight.

[4:38] and he, after he received his sight, he preached, the Bible says that immediately, instantly, in Acts chapter 9 from verse 19, and received meat and was strengthened.

[4:51] Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And then verse 20 says straight away, he preached Christ in a synagogue that he is the son of God.

[5:02] So his message was clear. His message was that Christ is the son of God. But I didn't delay. Anyway, genuine conversion makes you want to talk about Jesus. Anyone who is genuinely born again, who has genuinely met Jesus, cannot be secretive about it.

[5:18] Even when you want to be secretive about it, it will show. So Saul of Tarsus, straight away, the Bible used the word straight away. He didn't delay at all.

[5:29] Straight away, he started, he preached. Preached, this tells you preaching is not for preachers. Every believer is supposed to be a preacher. So preaching is for every believer.

[5:41] And you don't have to preach theology. You have to preach Christ, that he is the son of God. That is the message. You don't have to dispute and prove it.

[5:52] Your life is enough to make a statement. And your proof is your life, that you have met him. He has changed your life. And that's your proof.

[6:04] But the truth is that he preached Jesus straight away. And what we saw is that when those in the synagogues, the Christians, the opposers, realized they couldn't argue with him, or they attempted to argue with him, but when they realized they couldn't withstand the wisdom and the truth by which he was speaking, they attempted to kill him.

[6:30] All right. So we saw in the verse, now after many days were passed, the Jews plotted to kill him. They wanted to kill him. But we saw in last week's teaching that, but their laying weight was made known to Saul.

[6:44] And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Wow. That's a serious one. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket.

[6:55] And I spoke to you how he came in, he was coming with power, and he ran out of town in a basket. But the Bible says the disciples, they let him down. It reminds me of Joshua chapter two, verse 15.

[7:09] Rahab. Rahab, she let the spies down. Then she let them down. Did you see that? By a rope through the window. Sometimes you need some people who will be helpful enough to help you to escape.

[7:23] So you can live to still continue to do God's work. You know, when God is with people, let's help them to escape from the attacks of the enemy. And God will always help you to know when he's with some people, when he wants to bless you.

[7:39] When God wants to bless you, he will help you to know those he is with. So that your decisions, yesterday I was having a conversation with Pastor Ho, and I made a statement.

[7:50] As we spoke, I realized that, you see, failure and success has a lot to do with the decisions we make. And the decisions you make are the values we place on certain things.

[8:04] Because you can go, you are going for a major interview, which will, let's say, give you big opportunities. But I didn't, you didn't value that, oh, this is just a common job. But I didn't realize that you can buy a house out of that and pay your children's university fee with that, so they don't go out to uni with those, out of that.

[8:22] But, you know, it's just a job. Rahab, these spies, they are bad people. Why are you siding with spies? It's bad. But she said, we know God is with you.

[8:37] We know God is with you. Michal, in 1 Samuel chapter 19, verse 12. Michal, Saul's daughter, she knew God was with David, so she also said, Michal let David down through, this thing didn't start with Saul.

[8:54] Saul, Saul. People have been escaping through windows. Yes. When is time, when there's time for persecution, find how you can, let's help someone to escape through the window.

[9:09] Instead of joining the opponents and the persecutors online in persecuting, yeah, I get the point, I get the, no, you shouldn't have that. That's not the time. You just help the person to escape through the window.

[9:21] Oh. Life. The quality of the shining of your life has a lot to do with decisions. And your decisions are at the mercy of your judgment.

[9:34] How you judge. The decisions you are making, judgments you are making. Don't fight somebody who can help you. And my mother used to have this proverb or adage or saying that if your fingers are in somebody's mouth, don't knock him on the head.

[9:57] He'll chop off your finger. He'll bite your finger. So you have to. So anyway, they let Paul out through a window. I don't know. God was on the guy's side.

[10:08] And he wasn't dying then. And Bible says that. So he escaped. Verse 25. They let him down through the window.

[10:18] And then, this is very important. Between verse 25 and 26. And when Saul came to Jerusalem, as though when they let him through the window, he went straight to Jerusalem.

[10:31] See, that's how, when you read it, it sounds, look at verse 25. 25 says that. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket.

[10:43] 26. 26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem. So this seems that when he left Damascus, where did he go? Jerusalem. It's just straight.

[10:53] You can tell. But that's why sometimes people interpret scripture and they don't read in between the lines. How do you know where he went to? You can find it somewhere else.

[11:04] So when you go to Galatians chapter 1, verse 15. Galatians chapter 1, verse 15. The Bible says that, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son in me.

[11:22] Remember when he went to Jerusalem, Damascus, what did he preach? Jesus, the son of God. He said, that was his assignment. God called him to reveal his son in him.

[11:34] To reveal his son in me that I might preach him amongst the Gentiles. I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood. But look at what he did. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me.

[11:48] But I went. He went to Arabia. Three years. He went to, he said, I went to, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.

[12:03] And he was in Arabia for three. Look at the next verse. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem. So he didn't go to Jerusalem right after he was let down through the window or through the basket.

[12:20] He went to Arabia and then he came back to Jerusalem. It took three years before he went to Jerusalem. Jerusalem. What was he doing in Arabia?

[12:34] It's believed that that's where, because the Bible didn't say he went to believers in Arabia. But the gospel had not spread there. So what was he doing in Arabia? It's believed that when he went there, he spent, look at verse 12.

[12:49] First, Galatians 1, Galatians 1. So you have to look at the context in his discourse. He said, for I neither received it from man, nor was taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus.

[13:06] Let's look at the verse before so it can make sense. Verse 11. Verse 11. But I make known unto you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

[13:18] Then the verse 12 said, I did not receive it from man, but I received it by the revelation of Jesus. Then he went to the verse 13. So the case he was making was about his gospel. Are you getting it?

[13:29] About his gospel. Then he says that, for you have heard about my previous conduct, how I persecuted the church and destroyed it. Let's go on. Destroyed it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

[13:47] But, when he pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb to reveal his son with me, I did not confer flesh and blood and neither did I go up to Jerusalem, but I went to Arabia.

[14:01] So he's making a case that what he's teaching was not taught him by the apostles first. Did you understand that? Ananias went to disciple and prayed for him to open, have an opening.

[14:12] But when his eyes were closed, he started receiving depth about Jesus. And so when he tried, that's why he was able to preach that Jesus was the son of God in the synagogues.

[14:24] But when they attempted to kill him, he left Damascus, threw a basket, straight to Arabia. He went and spent time there and I believe that he had, he would definitely attempt to be preaching there.

[14:36] And he, in fact, look at 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 31, 32. I want to show you something there. 2 Corinthians chapter 11 said, The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

[14:54] In Damascus, the governor, under Aritas, the king, was guarding the city at Damascus with a garrison desiring to arrest me.

[15:05] Now, it is believed that king, because at that time, the city in Damascus, they didn't have a king. Who is this king, Aritas? Some theologians believe there is a king from Arabia.

[15:19] When he went, he went to preach. Now they are looking for him. So he came back to Damascus and there were other saints. Let's look for this. You know, Paul, from the beginning, he started having some challenges in his life.

[15:31] But it is believed that the king wanted. But you know, that's not me. This one is, Bible didn't say it. So sometimes, just leave it. But just to sometimes get a fuller picture.

[15:43] So, the point I want to make is that in the verse 26, it said he came to Jerusalem. From verse 25, he didn't come straight to Jerusalem. He went to Arabia and then came to Damascus.

[15:55] Then he made his journey to Jerusalem. And then when he got to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. But the disciples were afraid of him because they've now just, what was this guy coming to do here?

[16:06] They were afraid of him and they would not allow him to join them. Then, the verse 27 says that, but Barnabas, let's all say but Barnabas. You remember Barnabas? His original name is Joseph.

[16:17] Or Joseph. A good man. Acts chapter 4, 36 down 1. Joseph, a good man. Barnabas was a good man. When you meet Barnabas, you'll be encouraged to do God's work.

[16:29] There are some people when you meet them, you just feel like pressing on. Others, when you meet them, it doesn't matter how much you are pushing. You feel like, you know what, I think I'm doing too much. Take it easy.

[16:41] You have to think about yourself. Think about your money. Think about your children. Think about your money. You can't do this thing too much, too much. There are some people like that. May God help us all to meet Barnabas. And may God make us Barnabases who become the conduit through which people do more for God.

[16:59] Barnabas, Bible says that Barnabas, Apostles, he named him, Barnabas is the meaning of son of consolation. But his original name is Jews.

[17:09] He had land in his hometown, Cyprus. And he sold the land, brought it, he started this whole revival of people selling things and he has them trying to, Barnabas is a very unique person in scripture.

[17:23] We'll learn more about him later. And so, Barnabas brought, when the people said, no, we don't want him. You remember that's why he brought, I taught a message, Mark in the hands of Barnabas.

[17:36] He was the same person. When Paul didn't want Mark, he brought him, he said, no, Mark can do well. Barnabas doesn't give up on people. Hallelujah. So Bible says that, verse 27, but 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.

[18:05] Now, in Galatians chapter one again, let's look at verse 17 again. Verse 17 says, I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.

[18:21] Look at the next verse, verse 18. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to Peter, to see Peter and remain with him 15 days.

[18:35] So after three years, he went to particularly to go and show himself to Peter because Peter seemed to be one of the most prominent leaders in the church because when you look at something, in Acts chapter one, chapter one was very different, spoke about the departing of the Lord.

[18:57] Chapter two spoke about the Holy Spirit coming, the coming of the Holy Spirit. So chapter one was kind of different. Chapter two was kind of different. Then chapter three and chapter four was when Peter worked the first miracle, Peter and John.

[19:12] So, and then they preached in the temple and persecution started within the temple. So then, the church was growing. So chapter three, chapter four and chapter five were kind of bundled together, preaching and the church was growing.

[19:29] And then here, Sophia infiltrated, but God eliminated them and the church was growing. So Acts chapter five, verse 14, talks about the church multiplied. From Acts chapter five, they stopped mentioning numbers.

[19:42] In Acts chapter three, they mentioned 3,000. Chapter four, 5,000. Chapter five, multiplied. So Acts chapter five, verse 14 said, and the believers were increasingly added to the church.

[19:56] Multitudes, both, they stopped numbering them. Then, chapter six brings something new. Acts chapter six says, when they were multiplied, there was a problem he brought in church government.

[20:07] And then there was introduction made of Stephen towards the end of chapter six. Stephen was a teacher. So chapter seven focuses on the teaching ministry of Stephen. Then chapter eight brings the evangelistic ministry of Philip.

[20:22] And so, it looks like right after chapter five, chapter six, you don't hear about Peter. Chapter seven, you didn't hear about Peter. Then chapter eight, when the evangelist did his work, Peter and John, in the middle of chapter eight, Peter and John went there, to go and establish the believers.

[20:41] And Peter was preaching. And then Peter vanishes again. Then focus comes on Philip, who went to Gaza to go and meet the Ethiopian eunuch. Then from there, he went to Azotus.

[20:53] Azotus, and then moved from Azotus, went to Caesarea, verse 40, and lived there. So now, that ends the chapter eight. Then chapter nine, Saul makes an appearance on the scene.

[21:06] And when Saul makes an appearance, chapter nine, from all the beginning, chapter nine, you can see, it's all about Saul, all about Saul, all throughout today, verse 30. So, God was doing something.

[21:18] It almost looked like it was predominantly Peter. Then gradually, he wasn't being faded out, but gradually, others were emerging. Stephen emerges and goes.

[21:30] Philip emerges and vanishes into the shadows. Saul of Tarsus emerges, and much of the New Testament is about Saul of Tarsus. But even when he emerged, watch this, this is something beautiful, that God was doing some confirmation work.

[21:46] So, causing them to work together, to conform, to cooperate. God was helping, he was cooperating them.

[21:57] he didn't focus only, it's like, he didn't focus only on Peter, then Stephen, then Philip, then Saul, and the rest of that Acts was mainly about Saul.

[22:11] But when Saul came in, he vanishes again into the shadows. He vanishes in, the same chapter nine, Peter makes an emergence again. And Peter was the first from scripture to take the gospel into, from the scriptures, what we saw, take the gospel in chapter 10, Colelio's house.

[22:34] So, Peter, even though he wasn't an apostle sent to the Gentiles, he was the first, Jesus said, into Judea, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Peter was still there, Samaria, and then to the uttermost part of the world, it was Peter.

[22:50] Even though Damascus work was going on, preaching was going on, Peter was the one who won the first Gentile, okay, or he went to the Gentile.

[23:02] Cornelius, all the others were Hellenist Jews. Hellenist Jews was Greek-speaking Jews, right? So, all of them, most of them were Hellenist Jews.

[23:12] But this time, Peter was the first person to go to a Roman, complete Roman. He wasn't Jewish. Cornelius, Acts chapter 10, we'll come to that.

[23:24] But I just want you to see how God was working, you know, behind the scenes. And so, as they conformed, cooperated with God, God was coordinating it behind the scenes.

[23:37] And all they had to do was to cooperate with God and not just focus on what I am doing. But let's cooperate with God to see what the bigger picture is, what God is doing. And so, looking back at the text, Paul, he went to Peter, Saul, he went to Peter after three years.

[23:54] He went particularly to go and see Peter. That's why he went to Jerusalem. He actually went to go and see Peter. But when he went, the rest of the disciples would not receive him. So, Barnabas, look at verse 27 again, and Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared, I like this, and declared to them how Saul had seen the Lord, he actually saw Jesus, had seen the Lord on the road and that he had spoken, the Lord had spoken to him and how he had preached, how did he preach?

[24:30] I like that. I don't want you to miss that. So, Barnabas said, he held him, took him by the hand. He said, let's go. Then they got to the apostles and he said, I want to introduce this guy to you, even though it doesn't look like we should accept him.

[24:46] And he said, one, the reason I want to introduce him to him is that he has seen the Lord on the road to Damascus, how he has seen the Lord and then the Lord has spoken to him. and the third criteria Barnabas gave to Saul is that he preached boldly.

[25:05] His preaching style tells us that this guy has seen Jesus. The reason why you are so timid in your presentation of Jesus is it's possibly because you have actually not met him. One of the things, now watch this, in Acts chapter 3, sorry, 4, verse 13, Bible says, when, let's not read from the screen, is he on the screen?

[25:26] Let's go. Let's go. One more time. Let's read it again. And perceived that and realized that they had been, what did they see?

[25:47] their boldness and there was something they knew about. Their pre-existing condition that these were unlearned, unschooled, untrained, but they saw a certain boldness that you can exhibit or you can't exhibit unless you have been with this Jesus guy in a certain way.

[26:06] So, Barnabas told them that this guy, this Saul guy, he has seen the Lord on his way. The Lord has spoken to him and not just that, he has been preaching boldly.

[26:19] You remember in Acts chapter 4, when they threatened them and told them not to preach and they went and prayed, verse 24, they went to their company, told them and they prayed and then in their prayer topic was that God, you have done all this and you know how they told him, in their prayer, they rehearsed history first to God, how the hidden has raged against your son and all that.

[26:40] Now, their prayer topic was actually in the verse 29, Acts 4 29. Acts 4 29 says that, Now, Lord, look upon their threads and grant it to your servant that, that, that, with all boldness they may speak.

[26:58] He said, we can talk, but there's a certain boldness that is required. There's a certain, so that's what, Pastor, I suspect, when Barnabas said, Saul has been preaching boldly in the name of Jesus, they knew what he meant.

[27:16] They knew what he meant. They knew that, ah, because this kind of preaching Jesus boldly, it takes meeting Jesus. If you meet Jesus truly, you will preach him boldly. If you meet Jesus truly, you will preach him boldly.

[27:30] So, Barnabas took him by the hand and said, this guy has seen Jesus on his way coming. Number two, Jesus has spoken to him. Number three, he has preached boldly.

[27:41] qualifications of a true man of God, true believer. You see Jesus, not physically. You realize, you recognize who he is.

[27:54] The revelation of Jesus is made known to you. Why? He's the son of God. He's real. He's real. He died, but he's real. He died for my sins. He's real. One of the things that fill your heart is gratitude when you meet Jesus because you know you don't deserve it.

[28:09] None of us deserve to be saved. Salvation is not merit. It's a matter of mercy. So, he has seen Jesus. Jesus has spoken to him and he preached Jesus boldly.

[28:25] Okay. So, he said, he preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Then the verse 28 says that, and he was with them. Hmm, that's nice.

[28:35] So, now they have accepted he was with them coming in and going out. It reminds me of how Jesus was also with them coming in and going out. In Acts chapter 1 verse 21 tells us that, therefore, all these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out.

[28:55] In and out. Barnabas said that he has seen Jesus and then when they received him, the Bible says that he was with them also going in and out. Just the same way.

[29:05] That means that he has actually been accepted as one of them. He is blended in and he's settled in. Hallelujah. And, it says that, verse 29.

[29:17] Did you see the boldly again? And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians. But, they went about to kill him.

[29:27] Slay him there to kill him. He spoke boldly and disputed against the Grecians. The Grecians were, as I said earlier on, he was one of them. It's the same group of people who killed Stephen.

[29:40] The Hellenists, another way to Hellenists. So, these were Greek-speaking Jews. Acts, chapter 6, verse 1. Remember, there was a memory against in those days when the number of the church was multiplying, there were complaints against the Hebrews by the Hellenists.

[30:00] There's the same, the Greek-speaking Jews, Hellenists, Grecians. And so, in the synagogue, we call Paul was Greek by training or by his education and by his approach.

[30:13] He used to go to the Greek synagogues. And so, that's the same synagogue he was in when he killed Stephen. And, the Grecians in Jerusalem started contending with him, arguing with him.

[30:27] And, when they realized that they couldn't overpower or argue against him or win the argument, they decided, no, let's wait. Let's find a way of killing him.

[30:39] He ran out from Damascus. They wanted to kill him. He came to Jerusalem. They wanted to kill him. The killing attempt starts. Verse 29 again, and he spake boldly in the name of the Lord and disputed against the Grecians, but they went about to slay him.

[30:55] Which, when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him to Thessus. Why Caesarea? Caesarea was a very important city.

[31:07] In Matthew chapter 16, verse 13, there's another Caesarea, but that Caesarea is Caesarea Philippi. It's not the same Caesarea. This is actually Caesarea Augustus.

[31:21] So, the Romans, when they conquer a place or when they named the emperor's cities were named after them. So, this Caesarea was actually Herod the Great who built that city and named it after because Herod was in bed with Rome.

[31:37] So, named it after Caesar Augustus. But, why am I talking about Caesarea? It's such an important place. You remember Acts chapter 8, verse 40? Philip.

[31:50] Acts 8, verse 40 says that, and then Philip was found in Azotus and passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to. That's where he settled.

[32:01] So, in Acts chapter 21, verse 8, even Paul went to visit Philip and stayed there. Philip had three daughters. Acts 21, sorry, four daughters, I'm sorry. The next day, we, who were Paul's companion departed and came to Caesarea and entered into the house of Philip the Evangelist who had one of the seven and we stayed with him and he had four daughters who prophesied.

[32:26] So, Caesarea was such a prominent place. Why? Because it was a coastal city. It was a coastal city and watch this, not just a coastal city.

[32:37] If you are leaving Jerusalem or Judean area into the other parts of the Roman Empire, usually you go through Caesarea. So, it was a major port city and a major hub and it was a confluence of Greek culture, Roman culture and Jewish culture.

[32:56] So, it's a confluence of different cultures. Caesarea was a very important place and so, when they wanted to take Saul to Tarsus, they had to fly him, oh, I said fly, obviously.

[33:07] they had to whisk him out of the place to send him to Caesarea but he was on his way to Tarsus but he had to go through Caesarea.

[33:18] Caesarea was Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 verse 1. Acts chapter 10 verse 1, Bible tells us there was a certain man in Caesarea. The first gentle conversion in Acts chapter 10 by Peter happened in Caesarea.

[33:34] So, Caesarea was such an important hub for the spread of the gospel. So, they sent him to Caesarea and then from Caesarea he came to so that they can take him to Tarsus.

[33:49] I like the verse 31. Shall we already out from the screen, please? Verse 31. Let's go. Then, ha. Ah.

[34:04] They were multiplied. Did you see the multiplication again has appeared here? Then, the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, Samaria, had peace.

[34:18] Had peace. Church don't multiply without peace. It didn't say persecution has stopped. Inside it, they had peace inside.

[34:30] the church had peace inside and multiplied. The Bible said the church had peace and were built up, edified and watched, this is very important, walking not in the fear of the persecutors.

[34:46] Because they feared the Lord, they didn't fear the persecutors. They feared the Lord not to do the work of the Lord because if they don't do the work of the Lord, they actually risk offending the Lord and if they offend the Lord, they will never have peace.

[35:02] But because they feared the Lord, let's walk in the fear of God. Let's not walk in the fear of men. When we walk in the fear of God, we will see the blessings of God on our lives.

[35:13] If we can rise up in the fear of God, do what we know brings pleasure to God. Do what we know in our obedience to God. As we do that, my brother, my sister, you will see the blessing of the Lord.

[35:28] See, he says that, and they were enjoying their comfort. Even though there was turmoil, there was persecution out there, they had peace because they walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.

[35:43] They were comforted by the Holy Spirit. So, they had peace and the church had peace and was comforted. May the Holy Spirit comfort you. God will comfort you. God will comfort you.

[35:55] It's always good to stay on the side of God. And when you, Bishop Oedipo puts it this way, don't commit sin, commit God. Commit God to your case by obeying him.

[36:10] When you obey God, you commit him. He's committed to you. I see from today, God is going to be committed to somebody because of the person's steps they are taking. So shall he be in Jesus' name.

[36:22] Well, quickly, this is nice history lessons, isn't it? It's part of the Bible. We love it. It's good for the Bible to speak, right? So, it says that they had peace and the church, the whole comfort, the church multiplied.

[36:38] Now, look at verse 32. And it came to pass. Now, Peter services again. It's like they move on to another chapter of Peter. And it came to pass. As Peter passed throughout all the quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt in Lydda.

[36:59] Lydda was another important city in those days. It used to be called L-O-D, Lod. In the Old Testament, you see Lod. And it's very, very important. And currently is still somewhere in Judea.

[37:13] But then Peter came to the saints. Say the saints. I told you, was it last week I told you about the saints? The saints are not dead people. The saints are the believers, those who are walking with God.

[37:24] That's the saints. So if they're dead people, Peter wouldn't have come to them. So don't use this to say it's okay to go to the cemetery and call on people. It's not a cemetery you went to.

[37:34] Okay, he came to the saints. And Peter came to the saints, which dwelt at Leda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years and was sick of palsy.

[37:55] Let's look at a different translation. Let's look at the New International Version. NIV says that they found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic, who had been bed ridden for eight years.

[38:07] That's a bad situation. Do you know who is writing this book? A doctor. And he didn't tell us about what kind of sickness he's with, the details, how he got the sickness, and all he said, the guy has been sick for eight years, bed ridden.

[38:22] There, Peter found a man named, and when Peter found a man named, he said to him, Aeneas, my body didn't tell whether he was a believer or not. We don't know whether he was one of the believers, he wasn't one of the believers.

[38:33] Peter found him, and Peter said, Aeneas, the Lord, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise, make your bed. Even the one that was being healed was asked to make his bed.

[38:46] Why don't you like making your bed? But it's interesting that Peter told her that Aeneas, Peter said, arise and make your bed.

[39:01] Hey! Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.

[39:13] Then he arose immediately. Did he make it? I'm sure he did. Verse 35. Verse 35 says, this is very beautiful.

[39:24] The Bible says that, and all that dwelt in Lida, not only in Lida, Sarum, some translation will use Sharon. It's the same. Okay, Sharon, all those who dwelt in Sharon.

[39:36] It's the name of a place. I don't want to, I will show you so many scriptures in the Old Testament talking about Sharon, but it's called time. that, Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

[39:47] Now, you see the bigger miracle. The lesser miracle led to the greater miracle. The lesser miracle was his healing, but the greatest miracle is salvation. Bible said the people who lived there, they turned to the Lord.

[40:01] So God used Aeneas story to help people to turn to him. Oh, yes. That's a greater miracle. That's the greater blessing. The greatest blessing is when someone tends to the Lord.

[40:14] The greatest blessing is when somebody tells to the Lord. So a lot of they turned to the Lord. And at Joppa, there was now a Finnish Aeneas. At Joppa, there was a certain disciple named Thabita.

[40:27] Thabita is the Aramaic version, which is translated docus. It means gazelle. It means gazelle. Very swift and wonderful animal.

[40:41] Gazelle, so it's translated, the Greek version is docus. This woman was full of, oh, this is beautiful. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.

[40:53] Good works. May that be said about you. May that be said about us, that we are full of good works. Sometimes when you are not around, may your works, good works speak for you.

[41:07] Sometimes it's nice to do good things to people, they forget. It's not nice for them. It's so painful when you help people and they forget. But somewhere along the line, when you do good things to people, somewhere along the line, they'll remember.

[41:21] Because crisis will rise in their life, because life comes with different pockets of crisis. And then they'll remember, when I went to this, this is the person who helped me. So, she was full of good works.

[41:32] And what happened to this woman full of good works? But it happened that in those days, she became sick and died. People who are full of good works, they die? Yes. It's part of life.

[41:45] She died. And when she was washed, they were just getting ready to go and bury her. They laid her in the upper room, washed, getting ready to go and bury her. Normally, they prepare the body.

[41:57] It doesn't mean she's not in bath. It's just they prepare the body for burial. So, just when they're ready to bury, they say, oh, you know what? Peter is in Lida.

[42:08] And Joppa is not far from Lida, about, I think, 10 miles or so, a few miles. Let's send for Peter. Because, just in case he comes and is able to pray, God uses him in a unique way.

[42:22] So, what we can do, we believe the anointing on his life, the grace of his life, might be able to do it. Because, we can't afford to let this lady go. And so, let's look at the text again. Okay, since Lida 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.

[42:45] And then Peter also versed the next verse, then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room, and all the widows stood by, what? Widows?

[42:57] Widows? Stood by, what? Widows? And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunic and garments which docker had made while she was with them.

[43:13] Your works will always speak for you. Your works will speak for you. Bible says that the widows, why the widows? Because widows were the less privileged. Those days, women depended on their husbands.

[43:25] So when your husband dies, it's kind of, you are very handicapped. Now the church or society has to take care of you through a welfare system. So docker's being so good was taking care of widows.

[43:37] She was sewing things for them, sewing clothes for them, covering them. So when she died, it was the widows, we are in trouble. Dockers, even though her goodness didn't limit itself to widows, Bible says she's full of good works, her good works was impacting widows so much that when she was absent, people felt it.

[43:57] The widows were crying because their daily bread was gone. They were crying, they were weeping, Peter came, Peter, Peter, no! Peter said, no, I don't need this now. What I need is faith.

[44:09] I know Dockers belong to you so much. Can you get out please? Guys, can you help them? Ladies, let's go and cry outside. Let's go. So he walked them to their door and then he said, shut the door.

[44:24] He said, I'm coming, excuse me. So Peter put them all out, not even one was left. Sometimes he needs some people to excuse you. God, this worry, worry, worry, tantal now, what are we going to get that person out?

[44:38] You have to tell some people. Some things when you tell them, they will sink your faith. You have to tell them. Tell them to go and make their bed and just. Oh, yes, there are things you don't have to tell some people.

[44:55] Yeah. So, for a miracle from God to happen, certain conditions need to be met. And one of the conditions that must be met is faith.

[45:06] And anything that stifles or drains faith out of environment, we have to find a way of marginalizing that thing away from the place we won't go to work. It's very important.

[45:18] And so, Peter said, guys, this thing has hit you too much. You can't stay in this room. I know you are the immediate beneficiaries of her living, but I need you to be out.

[45:32] Peter got them out, and when he has put them all out, he knelt down and prayed. Like Elijah did. 2 Kings 7 14 also, Elisha.

[45:45] Knelt down and prayed. So Peter knelt down and prayed. He says that, and Peter knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, the dead body, didn't say turn into the woman, turn to the body, said, Tabitha.

[45:58] It's interesting, you know something, when the rabbi hits the road, the name they used to call you. Yeah. He didn't say Dorcas. Said Tabitha, that's the original Aramaic Hebrew name.

[46:14] Tabitha. You know sometimes you hear somebody call you, no, no, this one must be my father's brother or my uncle or something, yeah. There are some names. Some names, it's only your mom who calls you dad.

[46:26] When you hear that name, you say, mom is, there's trouble coming. Or mom is in there. And there are times when somebody calls you a certain name, it takes you back into something.

[46:37] Now, you know me, he called her, he called her by her original Hebrew name. Tabitha, just like Jesus said, Talitha. Talitha, kumi. Young lady, arise.

[46:49] Peter said, Tabitha, kumi. Gazelle, rise up. Raise up. Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

[47:02] She sat up. She saw it. The one who was dead saw Peter and sat up. Don't underestimate what God can use a vessel to do in your life. It depends on who you have met.

[47:14] Sometimes when you meet a vessel God's hand is on, it can radically change your story for good. This woman sat up and watched this, and it went down. Then Peter gave her his hand and lifted her up.

[47:27] And when he had called the saints and the widows, he opened the door and said, now guys, come, and presented her alive and gave her to them.

[47:38] That's what anointing can do for your life. I pray that the anointing that will change your story will not escape in your life. That you will not make decisions that will abolish the anointed that God has sent to help you.

[47:52] You will not make decisions and have a wrong estimation of what situation God can use to change your situation or your story. I pray that God will help us all. Shall we please pray? Father, thank you so much that there are times you call different people for different assignments and help us to be able to identify those you have called for what you have called them for and those you have assigned them into our lives for.

[48:17] Help us, oh Lord, to protect and take side with those you are using. Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. We pray you have been revived towards God.

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