The Beauty of Simple, Faithful Service: A Lesson from Acts 9

Music. Welcome to the Thankful Homemaker podcast, a podcast to be an encouragement and blessing to each other in the role God has called us to as women.

I'm so thankful you've stopped by, so grab yourself a coffee or tea and sit with me a bit as we talk about how God's Word impacts every area of our lives as Christian women. Hello, friend. I'm Marci Farrell from Thankful Homemaker, and I'm so glad to be with you today.

We are heading into the holiday season as I record this, and I know it's a busy time for us all, just filled with lots of opportunities to serve, and I know for me that I can find it easy to serve, but I'm not always doing it with a right heart. And I have this dear friend who stated it as a prayer request so beautifully. She said, it can be easy to serve because I know I should, but I want it to be an outpouring of service motivated by love for God.

I so love that, and I too pray that my service would be an outpouring of my love for the Lord. So we are on episode 166 today, and I titled this one The Beauty of Simple Faithful Service, and it's a lesson from Acts 9. And I know it's been a little bit since I've been with you, but I'm so glad to be back here. So thank you for listening in and waiting patiently for me, friend. So we're going to kind of take a look at Tabitha's example of faithful service from Acts 9 today.

And my time in the Word, now it's been a while back, but it had me in the book of Acts. And as I was reading Acts 9, verses 36 to 42, the story of Tabitha, or she's also known as Dorcas, it really stood out to me. First off, because I have to share the story because every time I hear the name Dorcas, I'm reminded of this very beloved character from the BBC show, Lark Rise to Candleford. My husband and I both enjoyed it so much, and it might even be time for a rewatch.

But in the show, Dorcas was just this very warm and wise and generous character. And she had this saying that I've kind of incorporated. She would say, whatever it was, it's my one weakness. And she would say that whenever she indulged in something, and I... Just admit that I've picked that up myself, and it's kind of fun. So whether it's chocolate or cookies or something else I enjoy, I just love to just do that little saying and go, it's my one weakness.

Because the reality is, I have many weaknesses. And one of them that we're going to talk about today is not always having the heart to serve as I should. And I'm always good to serve, but my issue is I'm not doing it with the right heart. So, but then the other aspect of this is Tabitha's example of serving others so faithfully in Acts, it really challenges me.

And again, especially during this busy season where we're coming into Christmas, to be more intentional in how I love and care for those around me. So I'm gonna read this whole passage from Acts, just, well, I say the whole passage. I'm gonna read Acts 9, 36 to 42. And then we're going to kind of work through it together today. So it's kind of sweet.

If you're sitting somewhere and you're listening to me and you can open your Bible or pop it up on your phone, it might be nice to follow along, but it's not necessary.

So I'm going to start in Acts 9, verse 36, the section in my Bible titled, This Dorcas Restored to Life. Now, there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days, she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since little was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, Please come to us without delay.

So Peter rose and went with them, and when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes. And when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling all the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. So Tabitha's story, it is such a beautiful example of what it looks like to live out our faith in simple, meaningful ways. She wasn't just known for doing good works here and there. She was full of them, as it states in Acts 9.36. I love that wording, full of them. It paints a picture of a life overflowing with love and service to others.

Tabitha's acts of kindness, they weren't about drawing attention to herself or doing the bare minimum. Instead, her care was genuine. It was thoughtful, and it was constant, especially toward the widows in her community who had no one else to care for them. Tabitha was a disciple in Joppa, and it just kind of noted that she's the only female in the New Testament identified as a disciple. And the word used there in the Greek for disciple, it was in the feminine form.

And her life, though, it wasn't just mere words. It was action, and it was lived out in the community. She was living out what in Galatians 6, 10 states, So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. In the NASB, verse 36 reads, Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha. This woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity, which she continually did.

So the wording there, continually did, it's in what's called the imperfect tense, And it just pictures Tabitha doing them over and over and over again. So she had such a heart for service. And one commentator, it's a pretty long quote I'm going to read to you here, but one comment, and this is all over at the blog in the main show notes. There's a pretty complete post there for this podcast if you want to read it.

And all the quotes and other things that I talk about will be there too that I mentioned. So just so you can find it there over at the blog at thankfulhomemaker.com. But one commentator stated about Dorcas or Tabitha, and I'm probably going to use her name there a little bit interchangeably, but he stated, he said, Dorcas was a Christian woman who displayed much grace and charm.

She was not only a beautiful person on the inside, but she was a woman constantly doing good deeds of kindness and charity. She displayed a life of ministry and selfless love, for she was always thinking about others and not herself. Apparently, her main gift was helping the poor and needy. Dorcas was involved in a social service to her fellow Christians and her community. She made garments for the needy. Her natural talent was sewing,

and I love how he stated this. He said, and her spiritual gift was... Helps. I really, that was kind of unique. Her gift in comparison seems so insignificant when compared to the gifts of Peter. He could preach, teach, lead, heal, and raise the dead. But Dorcas was given 10 deft fingers with which to make garments for the poor. Yet her gift was as important to the body of Christ as was Peter's gifts.

Dorcas probably never spoke at a missionary meeting or taught a home Bible class, but she did a lot of wonderful things for people. Dorcas was a true disciple of Christ, and she proved it by her good works. I really love how beautifully that description captures the heart of who Dorcas was, because again, she may not have had the impressive gifts of Peter. She wasn't this preacher or miracle worker, but she made a huge impact through her simple acts of service.

It can be really easy. I know for us, especially as homemakers and wives and moms, to feel like our gifts aren't as significant when we compare ourselves to others, which is a bad idea, right? We know that. But this story, it reminds us that every act of love, it matters in God's kingdom. Dorcas was a true disciple of Christ. She used her gifts for God's glory, right? She proved that she was a true disciple by using what she had, her sewing skills, to care for others.

Her life was a testimony that good works flow naturally from a heart that's been transformed by Jesus. It's really a reminder to us, friend, that our gifts, no matter how simple that they may seem to us, they are God-given and they can be used to bless others. James 2.26 reminds us that faith apart from works is dead, and Ephesians 2.10 tells us that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that he prepared for us to do.

God has uniquely equipped each of us to serve in ways that matter. We don't have to be well-known or we don't have to have a public platform to make a difference, right? It's the everyday, ordinary ways that we love and serve that have the most lasting impact. We don't want to underestimate the power of simple, faithful service. So just like Dorcas, we show that we're true disciples of Christ by loving others well and using our gifts, no matter how small they may seem.

And we're doing it all for God's glory.

So I just threw this list together. And I was just kind of thinking through, like, what are some ways that we use our gifts in our daily lives? Because it doesn't have to be complicated or impressive. And these were just some things that came to my mind. The everyday things that we do that we don't always think about and we take for granted, but simple things like cooking a meal for your family or maybe bringing one to someone who's sick or just had a baby.

Food is such a comforting way to show love and care. writing a note or sending a quick text to encourage a friend who's maybe having a hard time because I think of how often just those few heartfelt words I get from someone, they make such a big difference. Inviting a friend over for coffee to catch up and share God's love through meaningful conversation and genuine friendship.

Or taking time to ask your husband about his day and truly listening, showing him love and respect through your attentiveness and support. Another thing, a simple, thoughtful gesture like making his favorite meal or writing him a note of appreciation can mean so much to him. Simple things that take you all of two minutes, right? Praying for your children or your spouse or a friend, making your home a warm and welcoming and loving place for your family, and just really creating that

environment where they do feel safe and loved. That's a gift in itself. Helping out at church, whether it's in the nursery or setting up for an event or staying to clean afterward or washing dishes, taking the time to listen to someone who just needs to talk without feeling rushed, right? Sometimes I think about that so often just being present and truly listening is the greatest gift or helping a friend who's feeling overwhelmed.

Maybe there's things you could do for her, like her laundry or watching her kids so she can have some time to rest or feel like she can just take a moment to catch her breath. That is just a small sampling. There are There's zillions of others that could have went on that list, but these small everyday actions, to us, sometimes they may seem insignificant, but they can have such a lasting impact when done with a heart full of love for Jesus.

They're all ways that these are all really ways that we can all live out our faith in ordinary moments of life. So I'm going to continue on here. I'm going to work through, I'm going to read Acts 9 verses 37 and 38 here. So 37 starts, In those days, she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men urging him, please come to us without delay.

So in the culture of that time...

It was customary, this was an interesting read for me because I didn't really know this. It was customary to wash the body of the deceased as a sign of respect and care. And then typically after washing, the body would be buried fairly quickly, often on the same day because of the climate, right? But in that text there in verse 37, it said, they laid Tabitha's body in an upper room. And that wasn't the usual practice.

And Chuck Swindoll, he commented on this. He said, Tabitha's friends did not do the things people normally do in anticipation of a funeral. Instead, they seem to be preparing the woman for resurrection. And he just continues. He says, that's remarkable because Luke's narrative gives no indication that anyone had been raised from the dead since Jesus. That was an interesting thing to go back and read again in Acts and see that.

But I appreciate him pointing that out, that nobody in Luke's narrative up to this time had been raised from the dead since Jesus. So the fact that they placed Tabitha's body in an upper room rather than preparing for a typical burial, that showed an incredible sense of expectation and faith. They believed in God's power, even in the face of death.

And Chuck Swindle's observation, it's really thought-provoking to me because the believers, They weren't preparing for a funeral, but they seemed to be preparing for a miracle, even though, again, as he noted, that no one had been raised from the dead since Jesus. So these believers, they had a faith that held on even in the darkest moments. Now, you have to hear this, please. I am not saying that God is going to raise someone from the dead in our situations.

But what really stood out to me that I want us to grasp here is their deep trust in God, even when hopes seem lost. We all have hard things we're dealing with, and this challenges me to think about how I respond when things feel hopeless. Do I hold on to a faith that trusts that God can still work even when everything in me says the situation is beyond hope? So there was this urgent call for help then, right?

Because with that in mind, I want to look here now at how the believers in Joppa responded in their time of need. So I'm going to read verse 38 again, just to bring our minds back to it. So Acts 9, 38 says, since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples hearing that Peter was there sent two men to him, urging him, please come to us without delay. So Joppa and Lydda were only about 10 miles apart. It was a journey that would have taken a few hours on foot.

The disciples in Joppa knew Peter was close by, and they didn't waste any time. They urgently set two men to get him, showing how deeply they valued his presence, and they believed that he could do something to help. That is a beautiful picture of the early church's faith and trust in God's power working through his people. Think about the urgency here. They didn't just send a polite message.

They urged Peter to come quickly. It really shows the deep love and concern they had for Tabitha and the belief that God could work through Peter in a mighty way.

The early church leaned on each other and trusted God to show up in their moments of need. And then I want to take a look here now how Peter responds to this heartfelt call and the deep grief surrounding Tabitha's passing. I love working verse through verse. It so helps me in putting these episodes together and it just expositing the text to me helps me to get a deeper understanding. So I just really encourage you to, when you're reading your Bible to work through a verse at a time.

And so often you have to remember, Scripture interprets Scripture. You can just go through and ask the text questions like who, what, why, when, how, and work through it. But let's look at verse 39 now. So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other garments

that Dorcas made while she was with them. So when Peter arrives there, right, it says he's brought to the upper room where Tabitha's body lies. And the scene has got to be heart-wrenching. These widows are weeping. And it's stated in a commentary that they would not have just been weeping, but they were wailing. And they were holding up, picture this, the garments that Tabitha had made for them.

These weren't just clothes. They were tangible reminders of her love and her service and really the way she poured her life into caring for those who had very little. Because widows in that society, they were especially vulnerable. And Tabitha had clearly made a lasting impact on their lives. And the fact that these widows were gathered grieving and sharing stories about Tabitha's kindness, it really speaks volumes about the kind of woman she was.

Her acts of service weren't just about meeting practical needs. They carried so much more meaning and love. Her life was a beautiful example of compassion and generosity, and really a heart fully devoted to serving others. This quote came to my mind when I thought about that. It's only one life till soon pass.

Only what's done for Christ will last. And when that came to mind and I did a little searching, one commentator pointed out, he He said it might even be more accurate to say only what's done in Christ will last into eternity. So not everything we do as Christians has lasting value. What truly endures are the things we do by abiding in Jesus, right? By staying close to him and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, to empower us.

It's really a reminder that we're called to live intentionally, making the most of the opportunities God gives us to love and serve others.

As Ecclesiastes 9.10 states, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. So we want to give our all when we're serving the Lord, knowing that what we do in Christ out of a heart of love and dependence on him is what is going to make an eternal difference. So as we continue down in the text in Acts 9.40, it reads, But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed. and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

Peter's actions are such a beautiful reminder that he didn't have the power to raise the dead himself. Only God could do that. By kneeling down and praying, Peter was acknowledging his complete dependence on the Lord. So we know this, but prayer is an act of faith. It's a way of saying, God, I'm utterly dependent upon you for all things because apart from you, I can do nothing. And this echoes the truth in John 15, 5, where Jesus says, I am the vine,

you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. So that's just a reminder that we trust God to do what we cannot, and we lean fully on his power and grace. Grace, I'm sorry. And what happened next? It's really a powerful picture of what Christ does for us spiritually.

I really love that picture. So just as Tabitha, she was brought back to physical life, but we're brought from spiritual death to life when we place our trust in Jesus. Ephesians 2.1 tells us we were dead in our trespasses and sins. And Ephesians 2.4 reminds us that God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with Christ. Salvation is truly a miracle, a sinner made alive in Christ.

It's like a spiritual resurrection, right, brought about by God's grace and power. And then again, notice how Peter went about this miracle. He didn't do it for show or to draw attention to himself. He sent everyone out of the room. He prayed and he focused on bringing glory to God, not himself. David Guzik, he comments on this. He said, We should remind ourselves that Dorcas was not resurrected. She was resuscitated to her old life where she would die again.

The fact that the Lord raised Dorcas And then we have yet Stephen, think about that, remain dead, right? And that reflects on God's unknowable ways. I'm trying to see. Let me read that again, that quote, because I messed that up. I'm going to start that quote over. So he just said, we should remind ourselves that Dorcas was not resurrected. She was resuscitated to her old life, where she would die again.

And the fact that the Lord raised Dorcas, yet Stephen remained dead, reflects on God's unknowable ways. That's really key. I wanted us to grasp that. And he continues. He says, after all, it certainly seemed that Stephen and James, because also James, he wasn't raised from the dead, were more important to the church than Dorcas. It would have seen that, right, from a standpoint from us seeing that. But yet he states, we must always trust God's greater wisdom and knowledge in such things.

Dorcas wasn't raised for her own sake. She would have enjoyed heaven better, right? We wouldn't want to come back once we were with the Lord. She was raised for the sake of her ministry to others, which is the same reason we have passed from death into life. And this insight for me, it's just a beautiful reminder of God's wisdom and purposes beyond our understanding.

Because while miraculous signs like raising the dead were part of the apostolic era, what stands out today is the miracle we witness when someone is saved. God breeds spiritual life into hearts that were once dead in sin, and that's the most incredible transformation of all. So I just love that. We need to trust God's greater wisdom and knowledge in all such things. I love that quote from David Guzik there. So we're going to continue on here in Acts 9, 41 to 42.

And he gave her his hand, speaking of Peter there, and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And I love this last verse there. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. So Peter's prayer was answered in such a miraculous way.

Tabitha opened her eyes and came back to life. Just picture the joy and awe in that room when Peter took her hand, helped her up, and then presented her alive to all the believers and widows who had been grieving. What an incredible moment that had to be. But even more amazing is what happened afterward. Because of this miracle, many people in Joppa came to believe in the Lord. It's really important to remember that miracles in the New Testament, they weren't just about showing off God's power.

They always pointed people to Jesus, and they confirmed the truth of the gospel. And God used these extraordinary events like bringing Tabitha back to life to draw people to himself and to validate the apostles' message. The focus was never on the apostles themselves, but it was always, always on glorifying Christ and calling people to faith in him. Now, we may not see miracles like that in our day. God is still at work in both extraordinary and ordinary ways to bring people to Him.

And sometimes it's through how we respond to challenges, how we show love to those around us, or even in the simple act of sharing the hope we have in Christ. Our lives can be a testimony that points others to Jesus, because we have so many opportunities every day to live in a way that shows the love of Christ.

How we handle difficulties, how we extend grace, how we love others, how we faithfully live out our faith can make a real difference, and God can use even the smallest acts of love and faithfulness to bring glory to himself and draw people closer to him. So as we reflect here on Tabitha's story and Peter's faith, let's be encouraged to live out in a way that points others to Jesus, trusting that God can use our ordinary lives for his extraordinary purposes.

And as we wrap up today's episode, I want to share some encouraging thoughts from Stephen Cole on this passage. He beautifully reminds us that when a sinner is raised from spiritual death to spiritual life, it's going to be evident to everyone who knew the person before and after, because just as the miracles in Acts 9 led to many others coming to faith because they saw the undeniable evidence, our changed life should also point people to Jesus.

Think about that for a moment. Our transformation in Christ, it can be a testimony that draws others to the Savior. Stephen Cole's words got to me reflecting on how God can use even the most unlikely situations to show his power. There may be people in our lives who seem too far gone, and we might think there's no way they're ever going to come to Christ. But here's the incredible truth, right? With God, nothing is impossible.

He's mighty to save, and he can breathe new life into anyone, no matter how hopeless the situation seems. And again, it's not about our power or the other person's strength of will. It's all about God's mighty power working through the gospel. When God raises the spiritually dead to life, it's his work, and he gets the glory. Just as Peter relied completely on the Lord to raise Tabitha, we too can trust God to work through us as we share the good news of Jesus.

And I think of how many of you are gifted at serving just like Tabitha was. You notice the needs around you that others might overlook, and you quietly meet them with joy. Those seemingly simple acts of service and kindness can be a powerful way to reach people for Christ. Serving others has a way of softening even the hardest hearts.

So whether it's offering a listening ear, preparing a meal, giving a warm hug, or meeting someone's tangible needs, the Lord can use those acts to point people to Him. I love how Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 2, 14-16. It reads. Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. It's a beautiful reminder that our lives are meant to be a fragrance of Christ, whether others are drawn to him or even if some are turned off by the new life they see in us. And let's be honest, none of us are adequate for this on our own. Only Christ can work through us, and all the glory belongs to Him.

Remember, no one can do everything too, right? But everyone can do something.

God has uniquely equipped each of us, and He can use even our simplest acts of service to make a difference. So as we go about our week, let's be bold in sharing the gospel. This season of Christmas makes it really easy. It gives many open doors and opportunities to share the gospel. Let's trust that God is the one who imparts new life, and he's mighty to save. We just need to be faithful to share.

Even when things seem hopeless or people seem far from God, remember, he can do what we could never do. It's not up to us to change hearts. That's God's work. But we can be faithful in living out and speaking the truth of his love, knowing that he has the power to raise the spiritually dead to life. Because what do I always say? Jesus truly is enough always. I'm so grateful for your time today, my friend. It's so good to be back with you.

Again, the full show notes are over at the blog at my little home on the web, thankfulhomemaker.com. But before you go, I do wanna, I really would love you, if you've not yet, to check out my free library of resources at the blog. It is filled with tools and guides and encouragement to help you in your homemaking and your walk with the Lord. You can just head over to the blog over my little thankful homemaker,

and you can also find it in the tab in the menu at the very top. It'll say free library. You can find the tab or I think the direct link is literally just thankful home. Let me try that again. Thankfulhomemaker.com backslash free dash library. And you can get started there. And I'd love for you to join our little community there. I'm so, so grateful for you, my friend. And I do pray that you have a very blessed week. Music.