30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
03 Acts 09 32-43 THE MINISTRY OF PETER 23 Acts 09 42-43 Faithful in our present ministry
📖 Acts 09:32-43
23 – Thu20Jun2024 – *Faithful in our present ministry* - _Acts 09:32-43_ – THE MINISTRY OF PETER – _Acts 10:10-16_
_Acts 9:42-43 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. (43) *So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.*_
Peter had moved to different places and then he had come to Lydda. _Acts 9:32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda._
It was here at Lydda that the healing of Aeneas took place and the *people of the region of Lydda and Sharon turned to Jesus*. Remember what we said yesterday about repentance?
Repentance is turning from what had been our previous habitat and coming into the habitat of God. The old habitat of the materialistic world must be rejected and we must then give ourselves to the habitat of God. This is conversion. *If we have not rejected our old habitat, there is no conversion.*
The fact that many of us in the church are extremely anxious about the material needs of life, shows that conversion has not taken place. _Matthew 6:32-33 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you._
The ministry that the Lord led Peter to do in Lydda, led him to Joppa. In Joppa, Peter had the wonderful ministry of bringing Dorcas back to life. It was from Joppa that the Lord took Peter to Caesarea, to the home of Cornelius. It was through Peter’s visit to the home of Cornelius that the Lord gave the clear direction for the church in Jerusalem to welcome the Gentiles into the church.
Just as it was with Peter, the Lord is always longing to accomplish His work through us, and we must be in tune with Him. Unfortunately, it is only intermittently that we connect with the ways of God. Most often we are led by the winds of circumstances.
Let us ask the Lord, this very moment, that He will make us be those who are led by His Spirit, at all times. _Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God._
If the Spirit of God is not leading us, then the flesh will take over. There is no middle ground. _Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Peter stayed for many days in Joppa in the home of Simon the Tanner. A tanner is a leather maker. Simon was in the business of treating animal hides to produce leather, *a trade that was considered unclean by the Jews of his day*. His house was “by the sea” _(Acts 10:6)_, probably at some distance from the rest of the community, to allow the offensive smells related to his work to dissipate.
The Lord was preparing Peter to accept the Gentiles, who were to soon connect with him. All of the preconditioning that Peter would have had, as a Jew, had to dissolve for the Lord to use Peter to extend the church to the Gentiles.
It was during his stay in Simon the Tanner’s home that Peter received the revelation from the Lord that salvation was also for the Gentiles _(Acts 10:10–16)_.
Often the Lord places us in uncomfortable situations and circumstances, for He is preparing us for another move forward in His grand design. We question God as to why we must live in such a difficult place. We even take steps to move away to comfortable and suitable surroundings. Yet, it is in that difficult place that the Lord opens the doors for His ministry.
When we look back on our life as a family, there were days when we questioned God, on why He had placed us to live and work in a difficult place. We did our best to get out of that place at that time, but the doors were firmly shut. Today, years later, we are unpacking the blessing of having spent many years in that difficult place. We thank God for the opportunity that He gave us to live in that place.
The gloomy reality is that we are complaining about the difficulties which we are encountering today. We have not learnt from the past. We are such slow learners. The Lord is patiently working on us and slowly we are learning to thank God for the challenges that we meet today.
Peter being in Joppa would have strengthened the church in that region. Many would have been added to the church and those in the church would have grown to become fruit bearers.
We are to be fruit bearers and multipliers of those who bear fruit. This has to be our default setting. It is as we continue in our setting that the Lord will open the doors for us for wider ministry.
Many of us are unhappy with our present opportunities and circumstances. We want God to open a door for ministry for us quickly. *It is as we remain faithful in our present setting that the doors for wider ministry will open before us.*
```Peter continued for many days with Simon the Tanner.```