Acts 9:31-42
I'm finding myself really wrestling with this week's passage. This is a transitional passage between two major stories. Last week we looked at Saul's conversion, next week we will be looking at Peter and Cornelius. The stories here about Peter performing miracles with Aeneas and Dorcas are acting as a bridge between those two major events. Because of that at first glance there does not seem to be much here. The temptation is to go over this section briefly and then jump right into Acts 10.
But as I was reading through this I noticed something. It seems like Peter is the focus here but in reality it is the Holy Spirit. Verse 31 tells us that the church was "encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in fear of the Lord." The remaining verses of the chapter then show us how the Holy Spirit did it - in the lives of Aeneas and Dorcas - and then how those around them responded.
I think we are looking at a picture of what a Spirit Filled church looks like and what is interesting here is how the Holy Spirit is at work. We don't see a large event. We don't see miracles preformed before crowds or even in the church (Peter put everyone out of the room when Dorcas was raised from the dead). Instead we see the Holy Spirit working in the lives of two people by transforming them. Word spread, people got saved. No big event. No show. Just two people getting affected.
So what is here for us, today? That is what I'm wrestling with....
But as I was reading through this I noticed something. It seems like Peter is the focus here but in reality it is the Holy Spirit. Verse 31 tells us that the church was "encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in fear of the Lord." The remaining verses of the chapter then show us how the Holy Spirit did it - in the lives of Aeneas and Dorcas - and then how those around them responded.
I think we are looking at a picture of what a Spirit Filled church looks like and what is interesting here is how the Holy Spirit is at work. We don't see a large event. We don't see miracles preformed before crowds or even in the church (Peter put everyone out of the room when Dorcas was raised from the dead). Instead we see the Holy Spirit working in the lives of two people by transforming them. Word spread, people got saved. No big event. No show. Just two people getting affected.
So what is here for us, today? That is what I'm wrestling with....
Labels: Sermon Prep
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