Wednesday: Dorcas in Joppa
Read Acts 9:36-42. What did Dorcas do in Joppa when she discovered the needs around her? In Acts 9:41 what does the phrase “the believers, especially the widows” (NIV) imply?
Image © Kim Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Dorcas was a disciple of action. “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha” (Acts 9:36, NIV). Can it be said, “In [the name of your city] there are disciples named [name of your congregation]” who are “full of good works and charitable deeds” (Acts 9:36, NKJV)?
The “believers” are Christian church members; “the widows” may include church members as well as those who were not members. Dorcas likely served both. Your “Joppa” should be outside and inside your church. Consistent caring for those inside your church is also a powerful evangelistic strategy (see Acts 2:42-47). People outside can then say, “See how those Seventh-day Adventists love and care for one another!”
Read John 13:34-35 and John 15:12. What is the same message in all three texts, and why is that so important for us as a church to follow? Why, though, can it sometimes be so hard to follow?
When planning to serve people outside your church, you should consider what style, or approach, you will use.
Amy Sherman describes three styles a church can use in serving its community: (1) Settler style focuses on meeting the needs of the community around your church. The woman with the HIV/AIDS ministry chose her nearby community as her “Joppa.” (2) The gardenerstyle means developing ministry ties with neighborhoods outside your church’s immediate area, as gardeners view their gardens as an extension of their homes. Sometimes several churches partner to operate a community service center outside of each of their communities. In one city, several churches ran a health food store-out of which a new church started. (3) The shepherd style is serving one targeted population rather than a specific geographic neighborhood.-Adapted from Ronald J. Sider et al., Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2002), p. 146.
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Is it possible that loving one another may be so hard to do because loving someone else takes 'too much time and effort' and also keeps us from spending the time on loving ourselves? Just wondering.
I truly understand what your saying Tyrone. I think the main reason we run into difficulties in loving others is sin, both ours and that of those we try to love. Humans are fallen creatures. Apart from God and His power, we are selfish, and loving ourselves comes much more naturally than loving others. But love is not selfish; it seeks the best for others (1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:3). Battling both our own selfishness and sin tendencies and dealing with the selfishness and sin tendencies of others can make love a chore.
Really appreciating the "three styles a church can use in serving its community". May God help us implement such strategies in practical ways!
The theme of "Love one another as I have loved you" runs throughout the Bible. The church must come together with one purpose in mind, how can we show love by meeting the needs of the people around us. The phrase " One Lord, One Faith, and one Baptism" takes on a new meaning in this lesson:
One Lord: Jesus is God and He died to save us. John 3:16 NKJV
One Faith: If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NKJV
One Baptism: The old man of sin is buried and the new man rises to serve the needs of God's people. Roman 6: 3-10 NKJV
You may not be able to sew like Dorcas, raise the dead like Paul, but we as individuals and as a church can do something to be relevant in these last days. God is telling us that if we want to live eternally we must go tell somebody that they have a God who cares and they can be free. Free from sin, free from guilt, forgiven, restored and have peace within.
I would like to thank you Mattie for those three steps you outlined for us to ponder upon. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12 Brothers and sisters, when we love the world (people) as He has loved the people, then His mission is accomplished in us. Then we are fitted for heaven, for we have heaven in our hearts and wants our next door neighbor to go with us to heaven.
The statement "Consistent caring for those inside your church is also a powerful evangelistic strategy" to me was most important. All to often we neglect those inside while seeking to serve the outside community. When people in the community respond to our "caring," they ought to find the same caring and nurturing inside. Like Dorcas we need balance.
Dorcas met the peoples' needs through social and welfare ministries which included feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and visiting the sick and people in prison.
I think the phrase 'the believers, especially the widows' meant that these people were special to Dorcas. She made sure they were taken care of just as she did with the community. I believe that the Bible made a special mention for us to take care of the saints and the widows.
The message in the texts speaks about Love for each other.
Love is the theme that runs throughout the Bible. If we walk in obedience to God's command to love one another and open our eyes to the numerous opportunities to do so we will experience God's blessings in their fullest.
Disobedience - Life's challenges today have set us on a path of competition and desire for independent existence
The complete story begins in Act9:36, and the message continues through Acts 10:48. The saints: Tabitha called Dorcas; Peter, Simon the tanner; Cornelius; and several others, all have one important factor. They all trusted and prayed to God often during the day. The visions given to Cornelius and Peter, were meant to give the message to the Gentiles rather than only the Jews. I think there is still a message. God is not a respecter of certain individuals. He is willing that all will be saved. It isn't what "We" can accomplish that is meritorious. It "Is" what God will accomplish as He sees fit. The role of Dorcas was exemplary. To find Peter: where and when and how; and he was able to raise her from the dead, is a source of wonderment. The relationship they had with God has to be a coveted experience.
From many years ago, the Dorcas society was a regular functioning activity connected to the individual churches. This sadly enough is no longer a personal activity that was patterned after the story of Dorcas. I remember many quilts and blankets as well as other needed clothing for mending. Food was a need that we kept in limited supply also. I question now the loss of personal contact and help. Is love of others a factor also? Yes I have heard of ADRA.
Love is a theme we like to contemplate. Humanity is looking for true love. Our world desperately yearns for love. Love is a word written all over the Bible. Its like electricity running through an electric cable. It's used some 500 times in the entire Bible; 12 times in John 1 - 12; 45 times in John 13 - 21. God is the source of true love. Our Lord used the word repeatedly as He journeyed towards the cross. He showed true and abiding love when He died for us at Calvary.
Christ lived it out to the full by giving His precious life for all sinners. He explained that when believers love one another, our fractured, loveless world will be positively impacted (John 13:31 - 48). When people look at us and see love exemplified in our lives as believers, the gospel (good news) we bear will make sense to them. Therefore we should relish the opportunity to give true love to the world. The love with which God loves us is to be extended to one another and the world. In this way we will know the Source of love.
our education systems encourages us to be competitive,and so right from basic school we are taught to compete with one another,we grow into adults and still competing with one another hoping that we are better off than our fellows in all aspects.Again we are only comfortable when we are bosses because of our "competitiveness" and have subordinates taking instructions from us
how can we learn to love despite our upbringing and the desire to be better than our fellows?