27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
03 Acts 09 32-43 THE MINISTRY OF PETER 18 Acts 09 39 True disciples of Christ
📖 Acts 09:32-43
18 – Sat15Jun2024 – *True disciples of Christ* - _Acts 09:32-43_ – THE MINISTRY OF PETER – _I John 03:16-19_
_Acts 9:39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And *all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them*._
We must take a deeper look at serving people and meeting their needs, which we said is fruit-bearing.
We read about how the final judgement will take place. There are two parables of the kingdom of God in _Matthew 25_, followed by the teaching on the judgement. This passage of _Matthew 25:31-46_ is not a parable. This is how the final judgment will be. This is why we cannot spiritualise this teaching of our Lord. This is precisely how it will be on that day.
_Matthew 25:36-41 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' (37) “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? (38) When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? (39) Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' (40) And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' (41) “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:_
Some have taken the above teaching and have made it into the fundamental doctrine of their particular church group. We must be careful to learn and apply this teaching but also see the entire teaching of the Scriptures.
_Matthew 26:6-12 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, (7) a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. (8) But *when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? (9) For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor."* (10) But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. (11) For *you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. (12) For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.*_
The Gospel message is about the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. _I Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, *I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you*, which also you received and in which you stand, (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that *Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures*,_
This Gospel must be received and it is this gospel on which we stand. The evidence of this Gospel in us is our transformed lives. It is because of the Gospel that we are able to obey the Great Commandment.
_Mark 12:29-31 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. (30) AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' This is the first commandment. (31) And the second, like it, is this: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' *There is no other commandment greater than these*."_
*The great commandment of God is singular but its application is plural.* There has to be the love of God in our hearts, soul, mind and by our strength. There has also got to be love for our neighbour, which is demonstrated by serving our neighbour. *Both are simultaneous and continuous.*
We cannot hold one over the other. There is no option for us to say that we will only cater to the soul needs of people and leave their physical needs to be addressed by others. There is also no option for anyone to say, “we are busy with meeting the physical needs of people, and we will leave the responsibility of meeting their need to become disciples of Christ, to others.”
*How is your ministry? Does it have both of these components? If not, will you set it right this very moment?*
_I John 3:16-19 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (17) But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (18) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (19) And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him._
```Praise the Lord, Dorcas was a true disciple of Christ. Will we also have the same assurance?```