Acts: How to Live Like Jesus

If you have your Bible, it's I hope that you do turn with me

the Acts Acts chapter nine, and we'll start verse thirty two to Acts chapter

nine, starting verse thirty two. We was this week? Was that a

retreat? Bible retreat with some a pastor friend of mine we've known, actually

take part of our wedding, and he's something he does every Sunday with his

shirt. I thought it was a great idea. So I'm gonna do it

with you this morning, all right, So we'll put you to test.

If you have your bibles this morning, you raise those up, even if

you got a phone, that's okay, Sure, all right, everybody's got

your Bible. Now, if you hold your bibles up, I want you

to put them back down. Now. I want to ask you a question.

If you have your Bible, have you been in your Bible every day

this week? Because it's not just as much it's not just important that we

have our Bible. It's important that we're in the Bible. Amen. And

so I just encourage you, and I wouldn't encourage you. No phones are

good, but there is something about turning the pages will help us learn the

pages. Can I encourage you with that it's like me. If you've growing

up now, Back when we were younger, we didn't high five phones or

gps is to give us directions. We had to learn look through a map.

You remember those days, and now we so depended upon the GPS.

If you sometimes if you don't have your GPS, you want to know how

to get somewhere right, But if you try to do it without the GPS,

you're learning. It's the same thing. Sometimes the phones teach us how

to get to the Bible, but if we had the Bible and we turned

our pages, we'll actually learn how to get to places ourselves. So I

just encourage you to do that. Encourage you to bring your Bibles here.

It's important for us. You know, have you ever wanted to learn to

do something right, something new? A few years ago, I had always

just wanted to work on cars, and I've shared that with you before,

and so I wanted to learn how to do that have mechanic friend. It

helped me, and so throughout time, I still want to learn different things.

Just last week I was working on a car and working on rear brakes,

and I was trying to learn how to release the park break on the

on the back caliper of a Ford vehicle or a Lincoln vehicle. And so

what did I do? Well? I did what most people do. Actually,

a researchers Pew Research Group surveyed four thousand and five hundred and nine four

of me Americans in twenty eighteen have found out that fifty percent fifty one percent

of people who use YouTube use it to find out how to do something.

Now it is, this is a time that we live in today. If

you want to learn something new, whether it's a how to work on a

car, whether I've learned how to work on computers and take compures apart,

even how to do a marine role? Do you know what that is?

We'll google it, you'll figure it out. Is how to roll up clothes?

When I go on Tanzania trips, we google things or YouTube things and

watch YouTube videos and watch somebody how they did it, and to learn how

we can do it for ourselves. Can I have you ever asked a question,

well, I want to learn how to live like Jesus? Well?

Can I ask you to this title my sermon how to live like Jesus?

If we want to learn how to live like Jesus? You know what we

look to We don't look to YouTube, we look to the Bible. Well,

this morning, as we come to this passage of Scripture and Acts,

the writer of Acts wants you and I to examine the life of Peter the

Bible Acts. As we've been walking through the books too to hear there's a

transition starting in verse thirty two. We've been looking out the life and the

conversion of Saul. In verse thirty two it transitions to Peter and Luke.

In this passage, Scripture wants us to examine Peter and see how Peter lived

his life. You know, if you think about it, just kind of

stepped into Peter's life. You know, Paul said in one Corinthians eleven one

be imitators of me, as I am an invitator of Christ. You know,

as we Paul taught that, really Peter lived it. Peter lived a

life that imitated Jesus. And as a result is people looked at Peter,

they saw Jesus. You know, if you think about it, just kind

of stepped back in time. You say, well, who was Peter pastor

this morning when Peter was one of the twelve disciples, right, Peter was

the one that Jesus looked to and said, Peter, upon this rock,

I'll build my church. It was Peter that was not one of disciples.

He was one of the ones who went with Jesus' transfiguration. He was one

of saw Jesus do mighty miracles. He's also the one who saw Jesus on

the mountain right. He's also the one Jesus says I'll build my church upon.

But he was also one that although he saw great miracles, although he

walked with Jesus, although he heard the power of jesus Is teaching, he

saw the miracles. He did what he denied Jesus three times. But even

though he denied Jesus three times, you know, Jesus still chose to use

Peter in a great way. Have you ever thought about something today as if

you kind of took your if you took this passage today and kind of stepped

back in time and kind of put yourself in the mind of an early believer

he would first read this book, and you imagine the Jews of that culture,

first century. You can imagine if you step back in time and said,

what's going on? You got to think in Acts chapter nine, it's

not been in about a year since Jesus has died, so it's been less

than of years since Jesus was resurrected. Now this new church has come about,

and the Jews and the Gentiles are like, what is this all about?

It's ten thousand. This new church in Jerusalem's about ten thousand people.

And that got this leader. His name's Peter. He's one of the disciples

of Jesus. By this time, if a writer at this time was reading

this right after Jesus died, or seeing this for themselves for the very first

time, or looking at Peter, you imagine they had a lot of questions,

who is this church? Who is this leader? You know, if

you today, if we had a mass movement of a church, if it

was a church in Durham that just started exploding and quickly went from one hundred

and twenty to ten thousand, you know what in the community of Durham,

there would be a lot of people asking questions. What is this real?

Would be one of the questions. And you know what you do if that

happened in Durham, you know what you would ask. You would look at

that leader, wouldn't you, And you'd begin examining that leader and see is

that leader what real or is the a Falts teacher. Well, that's exactly

what's happening in Acts. In Acts chapter nine, the people in Judea and

Jerusalem and Samaria, all throughout the country of Israel was hearing about this new

church. They had heard about Jesus. They had heard that people said that

Jesus died and rose again. They had heard about this church who had been

following this Jesus and believed that he died and rose again and resurrected, and

believe that you were saved through this Jesus. And there's kind of sent back

and they're kind of wondering is this really real or is this a false teaching?

And you know what they did to try to see whether it was real?

They looked to their leader. And in Luke chapter I mean Acts chapter

nine, Luke, the rioter of Acts, wants you and I to see

how did they discern whether it was real where they looked at its leader.

Can I tell you today, listen to me today, people if they hear

that you're a Christian, listen to me. And I hope people know that

you're a Christian. I hope you don't hide it. When you get the

workplace, I hope people know what's your work. I have students, so

I hope people know at your school that they know you're a Christian. Hope

your neighbors know that you're a Christian. And if they know that you're a

Christian, can I tell you? Just as they were examining Peter, they're

examining you, and they're watching how you live your life, and they're looking

to see how you live your life to see whether the Jesus that you proclaimed

that lived and died and rose again and lives in you. They're looking to

see if he's really real, and they're looking at how you lived to base

upon whether they truly believed. So today, as we look at and examine

Peter's life, and Luke wants you to see how Peter lived his life and

how we should live our life, I pray today we'll learn today how to

live for Jesus. And I pray today, where'd I ask am I living

this way in my life that others might believe that Jesus is real. Let's

stand together and let's read God's word together. It's Acts, chapter nine,

and we'll read from thirty two. I'm telling you, I'm excited. You've

got to hold on today, buddy. I act chapter nine thirty two,

and we'll read through the end of the book, all the way to forty

three. And the Bible says, now there was in Joppa disciple name,

Oh, I'm sorry, I went down too far first thirty two. Now

Peter went here and there among them all, and he came down to the

saints who lived at Laida, and there he found a man that named Anias.

Anias was bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. Peter said to

him, Aneas Jesus Christ heals you, rise and make up your bed.

And immediately he rose, and all the residents of Lida and Sharon saw him

and listen to this, and they turned to the Lord. Now there was

a drop of disciple named Tabitha, which trans translated me Dorcas bless her heart,

and she was full of good works and acts of charity in those days.

She became ill and died, and when they washed washed her, they

laid her in the upper rooms. Its light of was near. Jopping Disciple

was hearing that Peter was there, he sent two men to him, urging

him please come to us without delay. So Peter rose and went to them,

and when he arrived, they took him to the upper room, and

all the wood has 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 he knee and prayed, and turning to the body, he says,

Tabitha arise, and she opened up her eyes, and when they saw

Peter, and when she saw Peter, she sat up, and he gave

her his hands and raised her up. Then, calling the saints of widows,

he presented her life, and it became known throughout all Joppa and many

what believed in the Lord. And they stayed job of for many days with

one simon a tanner. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you Lord for

today. We thank you Lord that Lord you've given us today an example.

The Lord You've given us Peter and how he lived for Jesus and live for

you Jesus and God. With his example. Today, Lord, I pray

we would examine how we're living for you Jesus, and how we can better

live for you today. So Lord, I pray today you know what I've

prepared. Lord, I believe with all my heart every word that I've prepared

today has been a word that You've given, Lord is consistent with your word.

And so Lord, we pray Lord, as a body believer, the

God you would speak, that your spirit would speak, and God, as

your spirit speaks today, Lord, I pray that we would have hearts that

would open and we would be response to Lord his spirits leading in us today.

And so Lord lead us today. Lord, we ask God that you'd

move in us. Lord, we thank you for the spirit that's been working

in our church, in our lives. And the Lord, we ask God,

you may you do something new in us today. In your name,

we pray, Amen, you may be see it so that how to live

for Jesus today what you see, as we see how Peter lived for Jesus,

how we are to live for Jesus. Number one, we must love

like Jesus. Number one, We must love like Jesus. If you go

to verse if you come to verse thirty two, it says, and now

as Peter went here and there among them all now just stopped there. Well

he's using pronouns here and there. What does he mean? What is the

areas that Peter that Luke is talking about. Well, I think it's very

easy. You go to ourse thirty one and you kind of see the areas

these referring to. These are the areas, and he references and with the

pronoun of verse thirty one, look at what it says. Now, the

church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and

walking in fear of the Lord and then comfort the Holy Spirit. It multiplied.

So just talking about the church there, Luke is and he says the

church in Galilea, the church in Samaria, the church and Judea was growing,

it was healthy, and it says there was peace there as being built

up. So there's peace and it's growing. And so there in verse thirty

two, it says, now Peter went here and there among them all,

who's the all there? Well, he's talking about all the churches see at

this time, and just kind of give you a little history of acts acts.

First, the church started where it started in Jerusalem. You remember one

hundred and twenty people at Pentecost right fear it came down and three thousand people

gave the heart life to Jesus at Pentecost in Jerusalem were the church started in

Jerusalem. You remember all the apostles there was growing. The Bible says,

after Peter was threatened and persecuted, what he do? He's stuck and spoke,

and five thousand people gave the little Now you do the math. Three

thousand plus five thousand, five thousand just men. It didn't talk about the

women and children. So we know up at this point, at that point

in the early Church, there were ten thousand people who came to know the

Lord. He was in the church in Jerusalem. You remember there was a

man named Stephen. He preached and we looked at a few weeks ago,

and after he preached, the Bible says the hellness Jews were angry. They

thought they saw the new church that was growing as a threat to their Judaism.

And what did they do? They stoned him. As a result,

they stone him, the Bible says, the church scattered, right, they

said, Paul at that time vers saw at that time was going house to

house, pulling Christians out of their homes and dragging them in jail. And

so as a result, to flee from that danger, what did they do?

The church scattered? So the church left Jerusalem. Ten thousand Christians left

Jerusalem and had spread all over Israel. And this passage is showing us that

there were some churches that were in Galilea, there were some churches in Samaria.

There's the churches in Judea, and they've spread all our around. Well,

the Bible says in verse thirty two. Now Peter, now as Peter

went here and there among them all, what did Peter do? Peter left

Jerusalem. Now you imagine, we know through history there was a lot of

Christians who still remained in Jerusalem, but there's a lot who had spread out.

They had been very easy for Peter to say, you know what,

there's still good thousand Christians here too, a good group here. I know

there's there's some in Galilee. I know there's some in Samaria. I know

some in other areas. But I've got enough with the with the thousand that's

here. No, no, no, no, it's not what Peter did.

Did he see? Peter was concerned about the Christians that were in other

areas. Why, because that was the Christians that he had led the Lord,

the Christians that were under his care, and even though they had traveled

out in other parts Peter what still loved the brothers, He still loved the

church even though they were scattered. And Peter left Jerusalem and went to all

areas around Israel to love on people. Can I tell you one of the

ways that Peter resembles shows us how to live like Jesus is that Peter loved

people. He loved church people. I believe he believed he loved unbelievers.

You know, I think sometimes when we think about Christianity and we think about

us being believers, we talked so much as coming to church and loving on

Jesus, and many times we think being a Christian is coming to church and

being loved on. Right, I tell you that was a good service this

morning, and preacher preach right, it was good. The even the worship

leader did us him praise the Lord man. That was a good Sunday choir

saying, whoa, it was good. I'm telling you it was good.

I just felt the love. Right, And then we think church is all

about us being loved, not about us loving others. Can I tell you

in the Bible, I wish if I could do a whole sermon, and

I promise you don't tempt me. I could do a whole sermon just on

scripture references of how many times Jesus told us told believers to love one another.

What's the greatest commandment? Love Lord your God with all your heart,

soul, what body, and straight. Well, it was the second greatest

commandment, love one another. What did Jesus teach over and over we must

love one another? First Corinthians. I mean by the way John thirteen.

He says, I give you a new commandment that you love one another.

Listen to this, just as I loved you. You know what Paul teaches

in first print, heins thirteen four through eight. Love is patient, Love

is kind. Love does not envy or boast. It's not arrogant or rude.

It's not systing on its own way. It's not irritable or resentful.

It does not rejoice at wrongdoing. It rejoices with truth. Love bears all

things, believes, all things, hopes, and all things enduresing all things.

Love never ends. We read that passage and it's used at weddings.

But Paul wrote that to the church, and what he's telling the church there

is that how you should love one another. That's how you should love others.

In the church. That's how you should love other people at the church.

Heard the story of the other day. I was talking to someone and

he was talking about a church. It was a pastor and it was a

counselor, and the counselor. The pastor came to the counselor and says,

past he said, counselor, he said, we got a man in our

church and he struggle with Bob Pohler. He's just weird, says things weird,

does things weird. He said. I just told my staff I didn't

know what to do with him. I told my staff is just leave him

alone, just kind of keep you a distance away from him. Can I

tell you how is that love for God? If people a little different than

us in the church, or maybe say things wrong, to say things a

little different, maybe act a little different. Maybe maybe they like in c

State right, or maybe like Duke right. Oh you know I'm joking there,

But weird to love people no matter our differences were there, the little

differences like Duke or Steak or whether it's there, are a lot different than

us. But those people inside the churchman's outside the church. Can I tell

you I worked at facts as a as a waiter out of college. And

can I tell you that nobody, nobody owned that staff. And I was

the only believer that was a waiter at that restaurant. And there was nobody

on that staff that wanted to work on Sundays. And you know why,

It's because that's when the church people came in after church, and they were

the rudest and the people who did not tea, who didn't tip. Nobody

on staff wanted to work well because the church people didn't love others. Well,

can I tell you if we're going to live like Jesus, Peter lived

like Jesus because he loved like Jesus. If we're going to live like Jesus,

we want to know how to live like Jesus. It starts and how

we love others here in this body and those outside of the body. Secondly,

no, if we're going to live like Jesus, how to live like

Jesus? We must love like Jesus. But second we must care like Jesus.

Scripture says in verse thirty two, it says, now he was there

and come in and out, and he went to this there was a church

there in life, it was a community. It's kind of near the coast.

I believe, not good with geography. And the Bible says, there

he found a man Aneas. We do not know if Aneas is a believer.

We don't know. We know very little. Dorcas or Tabitha, we

know she is a believer, and we'll talk about her and just a little

bit. But the Bible says, there he found a man named Ans bed

ridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. Peter, he says, tell

him, and this Jesus Christ heals you, rise and make your bed.

He finds him. Peter goes to him. You know, imagine he's caring

for church people. He's got enough stuff to do with caring for the church

body there. But there he found the mine crippled. He goes to him

and he says, Aneas. The scripture says, there it's an imagery.

And this Jesus Christ heals you rise and make your bed. I want you.

I think it's very important, just theologically, to understand that Peter doesn't

believe that he has power to heal this man. The only power that's within

Peter to heal this man is the power of Jesus. And so he declares.

He doesn't say I heal you, he says, Jesus Christ heals you.

The Bible says that after that, and we'll look at this in just

a little bit. After that, he the man's healed, and he's rose,

and all the people in the city here. What I tell you,

people in the city are looking right, they're watching. They're hearing about Bethesda

Babist Church, the church members. But the church. They here about the

pastor, and they're watching. They're looking how we live, how we love

one another, how we love others outside this church. And they're also really

looking, do that church really care about people? They see here, man

Peter healed somebody. He cared for this man. This man been crippled eight

years, and the Bible says, he heals him. Won't you show you

the next passage? The Bible says that, and we'll look at this.

The Bible says. Now in Joppa, which is a town is actually on

the coast, was a few several miles I think it was. It didn't

take them long, but it was travel with some miles, maybe a day

or half a day and a half. They traveled from Liida to Joppa.

The news that spread so much about what happened to this man. It is

that word had gotten from Laida to Joppa. There in Japa there was a

woman name and her name was Tabitha, and she died. She was a

strong believer. The Bible says that she records of her charitable care. She

actually would was a seamstress, that she would make clothes, and she would

use those clothes she made to care for those in need in the church.

The Bible says she died and they took her body, and they cleaned her

and they put her up. And then there's people that the scripture describes that

shed. They're weeping. They're standing outside of Tabitha's home and they're wearing they're

literally wearing the clothes that Tapatha made for them, and they're crying. They're

weeping. They hear about what happened that Peter did and light and said they

sent two messengers. Listen, this is very important. Sent two messengers to

Lida to Peter, and says Peter. Come. Peter leaves Lida, he

travels to Joppa, comes into Joppa, and there is the griever. There's

the people who they're crying. They're just weeping over our bodies in there and

they and what does Peter do. Peter goes in, and listen, Peter

drives them all out. This is very important. He drives them all out,

and he goes in, he lays beside her, and let's just pick

up where it reads there in verse thirty two. So Peter rose and went

with them. When he ribbed at took them up the room, and the

widows stood beside, weeping, showing tunics and other garments that door because had

made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside. He

knelt down and prayed and turned it to the body. He said, Tabitha,

arise, and she opened up her eyes, and when she saw Peter,

she sat up, and he gave her her hands, and he raised

her up, and then, calling all the saints of widows, he presented

her a life. You know, the Bible tells us a story, and

John chapter five is actually called the Pool of Bethesda and John chapter five of

the Pool of Bethesa, there was a man that was laying at the pool.

They believed there was healing power in the pool. And as soon as

you see ripples on the water, as the angel had touched the water.

The first one was in the pool would be healed. And there was a

man that was laying by that pool and he'd been crippled for thirty eight years.

Jesus, he's actually about to go to the cross on that same day.

It was like, yeah, preparing for that, he goes outside the

pool. The pool of Bethesa was literally outside the door of the temple.

He goes to the pool Bethesa and there's the pool and there's that man crippled,

and the Bible says, he goes to him and you know what he

says, You're healed. He heals the man. And you know what tells

him? He says, take up your mat and walk. You know,

the Bible says he took up his mat and wrote walk. Do you know

when he went to Peter goes Aneas, what is he say to him,

in the name of Jesus, arise and take up your mat. Do you

see what Luca is doing, Lucas showing that the same way that Jesus healed

the putting the man at the pull up Atesa was the same way that Peter

healed the lame man in Aneas. Can I tell you there was a Bible

tells us that Jesus was doing all these miracles, and there was this man.

He was a servant, and he had a He had a daughter,

had gotten sick and she died. The guy's name was Jerrus. You remember

the story jears and Jerius did what he hears about Jesus. Listen to this

his daughter's dead, And so what does he do? Listen to me,

he says, Messengers to Jesus. Jesus is in another area. He comes

to the messengers, Come to Jesus. He said, come, come,

come, this man's daughter's dead. Sound familiar, He goes, Jesus comes.

What all the people are standing outside, crying and weeping, and Jesus

what puts them all out of the house. He lays beside the girl and

he says. This is what he says, and Mark five thirty nine.

We've read this a few weeks ago, I mean a few years ago,

he says, taking her by the hand. Sound familiar, he says.

And I can't even say what he says to Litha Kuma, which means little

girl, I say to you, arise, can I say? It's almost

the exact same words, in the exact same model. Peter goes into Joppa,

just like Jesus did. Messengers were said, he followed the messengers.

He goes in the house. He puts the people on the outside the house,

and he walks in beside Tabitha. He says, Tabitha, arise and

guess what she did. She took him by the hand as she rose.

You see what Luke is wanting you to see. Just in the same way,

listen to me. Just in the same way that Jesus loved on people,

so did Peter. Peter did. But just as Jesus not only loved

on people, but Jesus cared for the hurting, so did Peter. Can

I tell you today if we want to live like Jesus, it starts when

we love like Jesus, but it also is it also continues and how we

care for at others. I'll want to show you a picture. This is

a lady that I met a few years ago in tens and them, so

if we can get that on. We were out visiting the door to door

work and there was her and she had a little boy, and she had

three little girls. This is Teresa with her. We were sharing the gospel

with her, and I'll tell you a little bit about it. Show us

the next picture. If you see the next picture, you can see the

little boy's crippled, Its hands are all backwards, his need was kind of

bent and deformed. And we asked her about him. She said it was

born that way. And we began talking to her and we shared about Jesus,

told her about Jesus right there. Tell you that mom right there,

except to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That's the picture. That's why

Teresa was there. She shared and Teresa actually shared a letter to the Lord.

Can I tell you that night we go back to the other picture.

That night we had up in the air meeting and we were all looking.

Everybody was there. We traveled seven thousand miles to this country to share the

gospel of Jesus, share the love of Jesus with people in Tanzania. Found

someone hurting, shared a love of Jesus. She found Jesus that day.

You know. That night we were all watching and we had a revival service

or open air meeting where we invited her to come. That night, we

were all every one of us who had went men, Teresa and Carl it

we were all looking for He said that when she's gonna come. She said,

Jesus, she gonna come tonight. We looked and looked, didn't find

her. Actually, we come to find out this little girl just to the

right of the mom. She came and we noticed that she was carrying the

little boy, and you know, we started. We went to our interpreter.

We were saying, what's going on? Why is the mom not come

listening? Said the mom won't come because she's she's afraid that the people in

the church listen to me would jut her because her cripalson. So she didn't

come because she was afraid that the church people wouldn't care for her like they

should, but instead judge her, you know, which is You know one

thing I've learned by going to Tanzania. I want to ask you a question

today. How many in this life you don't have to raise your hand,

but how many in this room in your life you face suffering. How many

in this room has lost a loved one. How many in this room is

battled health issues, cancer, diabetes, heart, disease, you name it.

How men in this room is his face family problems, divorce, fighting

with family members, divisions in the family. How many in this room has

experienced that. How many in this room it's his battle mental health, anxiety,

depression. So probably all of us in some way, every one of

us has struggled with suffering in this life. Everyone in this room is in

some way has battled things. How many in this room is not only battled

suffering, but how many in this life is battled sin? How many in

this rooms ever show with alcohol or drugs? How many of us struggle with

sex before marriage? You know? Seate two percent of the statistics tells us

of men in the church are are looking at porn? How many has ever

struggled with luss, lying, gossip, same sex, attraction, you name

it. We've all faced lying, I mean just we've all faced whether big

or small, we've all faced struggles with sin. Can I tell you something

I've learned about Tanzania. When you travel to Tanzania, you find people who

are suffering just like you. But here's the thing that I found. Most

of them were suffering without Jesus. You know today, if you're here today

and you're watching online, you may have suffered, and you may suffer with

suffering in this life, and you must struggle with sin. But the good

news is the day you have Jesus. But can I tell you listen to

me today? There are people in this room. There are people five miles.

There's one hundred and thirty thousand people that live within a five mile raison

of this church. Can I tell you there are there are eight billion people

who live on this world, and can I tell you they face the same

sufferings that you do. They face the same sin that you do. The

only thing is they don't have Jesus. And the church will be the church

that lives like Jesus is a church that says, you know what, I

want to love like Jesus, but I want to care for the hurting like

me. I want to care for the people who struggling with suffering like me.

I want to care for the people who struggle with sin like me.

And I want to tell them that I found that Jesus who would comfort me

in my struggles, who would comfort me in my suffering, who would comfort

me and care for me through my sin and leave me to restoration. Can

I tell you we live like Jesus. When we love like Jesus, we

live like Jesus. When we care like Jesus, we live like Jesus.

When we share like Jesus. The Bible says that in both instances, I

want you to see this. When he heals Aneas the Bible says the verse

thirty four, and Peter said that Nias Jesus Christ heals you, rise and

make up your bed. Immediately he rose, and all the residents of Laidah

and Sharon saw him. And what what did they do? They turned to

the Lord? What does that mean? I really believe this. Peter went

into that city and he went to cook, care for the church, and

as a result, he cared for people. Because he loved the people,

he cared for people, he cared for the hurting. As a result,

people started singing, I tell you I heard about that church, I heard

about that leader. And can I tell you he sure looks like Jesus.

He sure lives like Jesus, he sure loves like Jesus, he sure cares

like Jesus. And as a result, they say, you know what,

I want some of that Jesus. And I believe with all my heart.

Peter took every opportunity to tell them, listen, it's not it's not the

it's not the power within me, it's Jesus within me, and he led

people to Jesus. No only does that and aneas, but look at Tabatha.

The Bible says that, and he gave her his hand, and he

raised her up, and then calling the saints and widows, he presented her

live. And it became none listening to this throughout all the job and many

what believed in the Lord. And in lighta people turned to the Lord and

Jopo people believed in the Lord. And I believe it was because Peter love

like Jesus, cared like Jesus. But I believe he shared like Jesus.

I believe when people came and they want to know what power was it within

you that did this? I believe Peter pointed them to Jesus. Well,

I ask you today. Scripture says that and acts, for I love this

acts four thirteen. You remember Peter and John were in the temple and they

healed that layman at the door, and they stood up and speak before the

Sanhedrin. And this is what the people and the Jews when they saw what

Peter did by healing the lame man, and how he spoke with the gospel.

This is what he said. Listen to this now. When they saw

the boldhists of Peter and John and perceived that he was uneducated, common men.

They were a stunt. Listen to this and they recognize they have been

with Jesus. Can I tell you they saw Jesus, said Peter, They

see Jesus in you. Now, I'm gonna share something with you. Ever

you ever had someone, you ever met someone that struggled to share you may

share things. You remember a little kid when you went to play at their

house and they don't want to share their toys with you. Ever met someone

like that? Now, I'm not going to point out any names. I'm

not gonna say, but you know, in our house, we sometimes,

you know, we like to go out to eat and sometimes we have some

leftovers. And I'm not gonna call any names, but there's certain family members,

certain family members maybe in my house, and they'll have some leftovers.

And I've gone to the fridge and up and up the fridge and look at

those leftovers, and it has a name on it. This is a person's

name and then a warning label, do not eat right. You know.

Some of y'all laughing because you know somebody like that, you know? And

why is that? Because you know for the individuals, and they've taken their

leftovers and they found something good to eat, and they really like that.

That's really one of their favorite things. And there was a little bit leftovers

and couldn't need it all at the restaurant to decide to take it all home,

right, And but they want it, they want to enjoy it again,

right, And so therefore they're afraid somebody else is gonna open that fridge

and see what has some good stuff right there, and they take a part

of something what they think is rightly theirs, and so therefore they put their

name on it one do not eat because they want it for themselves. Right.

That's what the purpose of the sign and the warning label do not eat?

Right? Could I tell you that because listen, reality is many times,

as believes are listen to me. As believers, we treat Jesus the

same way. Oh Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me,

Jesus, Oh Jesus, thank you for helping me with my sin.

God, thank you for helping me more with my suffering. Oh Jesus,

I just I just want to I just want I just want you to myself.

And we neglect to think. Listen, Jesus did not just save you

for you to keep it to yourself. Jesus saved you that you might know

the goodness of Jesus and how he transformed your life, and how he's helping

you in the suffering in his life, that you might tell someone else.

Jesus did not save you for you to keep it to yourself. Jesus saved

you, and listen. Jesus has kept you on this earth that you might

tell others about him. I ask you today, startling statistic. Ninety five

percent of all Christians listen to this. Ninety five percent of all Christians have

never led one soul to Christ. Ninety five percent not one person they've ever

led to Jesus. Ian. I ask you today, who if you've ever

led to Jesus. That's humbling, isn't it. Jesus didn't save you that

you keep it to yourself and right he is mine. He saved you that

you might share with others. We want to live like Jesus is because we

love like Jesus. We want to live like Jesus because we share, we

care like Jesus. But if we want to live like Jesus, it's because

we share like Jesus. Lastly, if we want to live like Jesus,

we must give like Jesus. Peter can You've got to understand here. Peter

is he's left. He's left Jerusalem and that's where his home is. Right.

He's traveled and he goes out and he's traveling in all these different places

and he decides to make a stop and light there he is and he heals

on this and man, people will change. Man, it's awesome. And

he just went thinking he's just going to love on some church folks. That

man he got see God do some radical things in him. He never thought

he'd do. Right. He went there to care and love, and next

thing you know, he shares and people are turning the Lord. You gotta

imagine it's there, and man, you think, just this is it.

Man, God, I've done what you've wanted me to do. I've been

good. Lord, I've kind of followed your example. I've loved like you,

I've cared like you, I've shared like you. Thank you, Lord.

Let me go home. And then two people come from Joppa, and

I really believe Luke shows you this. It'd been very easy. Peter said,

Somebody send somebody else I'm good man. I've done my part. Have

you not seen what I've done. I've loved on a lot of church with

a law of places. I've been light, I've held idea he was just

for years. This lady, she's already gone. She's a goner. She's

a gone. You've already cleaned her body. I'm good, I'm tired.

Nope, yep, Let someone else take it. Nope, it's not what

Peter does. You see, I believe when for Peter to live like Jesus

means this that I love like Jesus, I care like Jesus, I share

like Jesus, and listen, I give like Jesus. That means I give

my time, I give my talents. It's not my time, it's not

my life, it's Jesus's life. And so when the messengers come, Peter

says, yeah, I'll go. Why because my time, my talents is

the Lord's and I'm gonna give, like Jesus my time and my talents.

I'm gonna give Jesus my life. I want to ask you a question.

When you said Jesus Christ your Lord Savior, did you give him his life?

Did you give I'm sorry, did you give him your life. The

answer is yes, then your time and your talents is not yours anymore,

it's his. How many times the Lord leading us to do something? We

Lord, I just won't have time for that. I know. Church needs

some people to serve in the children's ministry or the youth ministry, or church

needs some people to be in a discipleship group or lead a discipleship group.

The church need some deacons, and church needs some elders, or we need

some help in the school to care for some families. Here are we having

an Easter event in a few weeks. And I know Devin, and we're

gonna see a lot of people come from the community. And I know that

that's a Saturday, But that's my Saturday, Lord, that's my Saturday.

That's Wednesday. It's Wednesday night. Don't you know our work, your prayer

walk. You may go outside and go tell people about Jesus. Lord,

you want me to go on a mission trip and give up a week of

my vacation time to go seven thousand miles to tell somebody about Jesus. That's

my vacation time. That's my money that it might talk take to go to

that mission trip. And we say, Lord, I'll love. I'll love

you like you want me to love. And Lord, I don't care,

and I'll share, but that don't ask me to give. Lord. If

we're going to live like Jesus, it means that we love like Jesus,

we care like Jesus, we share like Jesus. But we give sacrificial hit

like Jesus, or of our time and our talents to the Lord, knowing

that what scripture says, I love this passive scripture one Corinthian six point twenty.

Listen to this. You were what bought with the price, so glorify

God with your money. I'm gonna close with his story. Little boy,

he moved in a little he was shy, moved into a new area,

a new neighborhood. Gow band, you can make your way forward. His

name was Steve, and one day he told his mom, he said,

Mom, his new class and kind of didn't know every I mean he knew

everybody's class. But he decided one day Valentine was coming up, and he

decided he was going to wanted to give a Valentine for it to everybody in

his class. She knows. Mom noticed that every day after school when he

was walking his way home that all the kids coming down from school. As

they would walk away from school, there would be all the kids and they'd

be laughing, cut up, and behind them would be Steve ball by himself.

And she thought, man, this is kind of great for Steve.

But he's new and he's shy. He's nobody's gonna give him any Valentine.

This is good that he does it. But she was afraid he would get

hurt because nobody'd give anything back to him. But she thought, you know,

it was good that he wanted to care and love and give. And

so she went and bought the stuff and bought the candidates needed, and that

night when he came home, he made thirty one Valentine's for everyone in his

class that night. That day, she said, on school and she when

he left, she says, you know what, I don't want to need

to make some cookies today, make some milk, and when he comes home,

I know he's gonna be upset, and I'll have a special trip for

him because I know nobody's gonna give anything to him. She saw him come

down and walk and and sure enough all those little kids were laughing and they

had a little Valentine in their hands and the candy that Steve had getting on,

and there's Steve behind them. She said, here he comes. He

busted in the door and she said, oh, it's okay, son,

it's okay. And she thought he was sad. He said, Mama,

Mama, Mama, guess what. Not one, not one was missing.

Mama, I gave them all one. You see, Steve wasn't so concerned

about what he gives or what he would receive. He was all concerned about

everyone to receive for life. How much would we be Why would that that's

to be like? What would the community of Durham would be like if all

of us as a church would say, you know what, I want to

live like Jesus. I want to love like Jesus. I want to care

like Jesus. I want to care for them all. I want to share

to them all, and I want to give to them all, not one

missing of the one hundred and thirty thousand people living in our community. To

the ends of the earth, there are four billion people today who have no

access to the Gospel, who are hurting just like you, who are suffering

just like you, who has sins just like you. And they've never heard

of Jesus. May we say, May we be a church that says,

well, let's go, let's live like Jesus. Will you pray with me?

Lord? I love you. I thank you Lord for this morning and

Lord your word, Gosh, you're so good Lord to us. Or we

thank you for Peter and his wonderful example of how he Lord live For you,

Lord, Lord, has our neighbors and our friends, and our classmates

and our coworkers today or watching us and looking to see whether our love for

you is real or whether you were real. Or I pray they would see

Jesus and us Lord and how we live. Or I pray today, as

you've spoken today, I pray that you would lead people to respond. Maybe

it's come to this altar and just pray. Maybe it's praying in their seat.

Lord, however you lead them. I pray there's someone today that today

is suffering like ans, suffering and sin for eight years or more, suffering

with the struggles of lost in this life. That I pray today that they

would see that just as you delivered in this by your miraculous power, God,

you can deliver in them from sin and suffering of this life, Lord,

by what you did for them on the cross. And I pray it

to be people today who would put their faith in you today for salvation.

And today I pray the people who give Lord You their life, they commit

to live their life for you, Jesus. So Lord, however you lead

us, now, I pray we would respond. Now, LORDA in your

name, we pray Jesus pain and all to him.