Legacies are important to us, like back in 1928 John Flynn established the Flying Doctor Service in Cloncurry[1]. An area surrounded by scattered pastoralists, who were poorly served by any kind of medical services. From Cloncurry, Flynn could reach north to Cape York Peninsula,
west to the Northern Territory, and south almost into South Australia,
a total area of about quarter of a million square miles. Securing state and federal funding Flynn was able to expand the service to become the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, we know today. Flynn's vision is neatly summed up on the Flynn Memorial that stands at the Three Ways near Tennant Creek. This memorial plaque reads:
'Flynn saw that only radio and fast efficient transport would really overcome the inland's vast distances. At a time when his ideas seemed wild and revolutionary, he developed a scheme which combined aircraft, radios and medicine to provide a mantle of safety for inland people. The establishment of the Royal Flying Doctor Service was mainly due to his vision and energy. The first Flying Doctor base was established in 1928 at Cloncurry. Today there are 20 such bases serving some 2200 radio and outstations scattered over some 70 per cent of Australia's land area.'
Like today we start seeing the continuing expansion of the Good News about Jesus being shared. As we read in Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. A peace descends following the persecutions that follow the death of Stephen, as many of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem fleeing for their lives. We see many respond to the Good News that is also a work in a man like Peter (the man we know who was prone to “foot in mouth” disease), who on the night of Jesus arrest denied him 3 times. Peter is now a restored man who knows the power of God to save and forgive. A man who Gods uses to share the hope we find in Jesus. This common fisherman from the shores of Galilee reminds us Jesus can make blind eyes see and deaf ears hear, and how joy and thanks comes by looking to Jesus. As we read in verse 32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. We last met Peter being hauled up before the Jewish High Council as he asked to give an account for his faith in Jesus along with the rest of the apostles. We read of how they are busted out of the jail by an angel of God, and how on release they go straight to the temple steps to proclaim the Good News about Jesus. Here now in Acts 9 Peter goes out from Jerusalem on a journey to Lydda, a town some 40km from Jerusalem towards the coast of Palestine. Peter goes to strengthen the saints (as we know redemptive people show mercy because we know first-hand the mercy of God’s love ourselves). In Lydda he’s confronted by a paralytic called Aeneas who has ben unable to move for 8 years. Aeneas was someone who required all of his personal needs to be met by others and seeing his need Peter immediately says 34 "Aeneas," … "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. Aeneas is healed and the result is a town wide response to seeing the power of Jesus to heal this broken man. As grace demonstrates Jesus is with you. The question is are we persuaded that He is on scene with powerful, necessary help? It is where we step into the struggle many of us face with suffering. Like maybe you have suffered long and you yearn to be healed; or maybe you’ve called for the elders to pray over you, and anoint your head with oil to ask for healing as we read of in James 4; or maybe you prayed and God chose to answer that prayer, as miracles do happen. What we know is that with suffering
Is that nowhere does Jesus promise healing to everyone who asks; whereas everywhere Jesus promises to be shaping us for his glory and our eternal security. Jesus is the chief of all sufferers. God who did not spare his own Son from death, so that we might know the forgiveness of his love. So with our prayers: sometimes God says YES, sometimes God says NO, sometimes God says NOT YET. Still yet we are called on to hope in the Lord as humility comes by carrying our sins in our hands before the Lord, asking for his mercy and loving kindness to be shown to us. As we see what happens next as news of what happened spread through to Joppa. The believers send for Peter to come to Joppa (modern day Jaffa – a suburb of Tel Aviv) as a dear saint had passed away here name is Tabia or Dorcas as her Greek friends knew her as had died. Dorcas was a woman who was always doing good and helping the poor verse 36. A woman so revered and respected for her love for Christ that when she dies all the widows all those she’d helped out came to mourn her loss bringing with them the clothes and cloaks Dorcas had made for them. This was the legacy of Dorcas. The question is do you know a faithful practical follower like her? Dorcas had a heart for the needy. I imagine she was a woman who you found always sewing. That she always had a bowl of soup ready to give to a hungry mouth, or who cared for the lonely and isolated for many widows of the town. On arrival at the house
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. Verses 40-41
“Get up!” is all Peter has to say and Dorcas gets up. This is just like he had when Aeneas was healed back in Lydda. The same words we are meant to recall that Jesus said to Lazarus as well. It is as if we are drawn to see that as Jesus got up from death, now Jesus has the same power to continue to heal the sick and raise the dead to new life. It is here that we step into a much bigger view of Jesus where we start seeing that Jesus view of change is much different than ours. This is where Peter is pointing us to in the miracle of Aeneas and the resurrection of Dorcas, it is to get us looking at how God shapes us in His own image. Jesus is Lord over death. We start seeing here in Acts that right In the middle of our struggles, how radically Jesus transforms our hearts by His grace. How with looking to Jesus we can think, desire, act, and speak in ways now that are consistent with who He is and what He is doing on earth. I wonder how in our ordinary day we are looking to Jesus and how are we starting to see our desire for change begins to line up with God’s purposes for change? We learn to reach for Christ desiring to be more like Him every day. The thing is as we do this, we become more and more prepared for our ultimate destination of eternity with Him. What happened following Dorcas resurrection is the same that followed Aeneas healing. Verse 42-43
When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.
God’s ultimate plan and goal for us is worked out in the details of every day life. The question is are you known for your generosity? How are you finding the love of Jesus shining in your life today? As we continue to look at Acts the challenge is: Who are you praying for that opportunity to share your hope in Jesus with? What step will you take towards that person this week to show them Jesus alive and on the move in your life?
Let’s pray…
David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 19/3/17