Welcome to The Journey, Season 2. This is The Journey with Jesus. It answers the question, now that I found Jesus as my Savior, now what? A man that's become a good friend of mine, his name is Earl, was saved just before attending our church in Michigan, in the United States. And Earl, when he came to Christ, He came as an unchurched young man that had just heard about Jesus as a little child in Sunday school. But in his late teen years, he was living on his own. He read a series that is a fictional series called the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye. And it's about the last days, days in which we're living right now, when God's judgment is going to come in the tribulation. And as he read about that tribulation judgment, he got out his Bible and began to read in the book of Revelation and saw that it was just like, it was presented in the story, it was just like the word of God said, and he wanted to be ready. And so he bowed his head, he prayed, he knew enough to do that, accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. And then through some circumstances, God brought him to our church. But it was my joy to disciple Earl and get to share with him some of the truths that we're even talking about in these lessons. And as we got to the idea of Earl joining our church, which somebody joins a Baptist church, through baptism and testimony of salvation before that local church congregation and then they vote and receive them into the membership. But as I spoke with him about that and the importance of doing that, Earl had a great question. He said, after I join the church, what do I do? Do I mow the lawn? And there was just this anticipation in his heart that if I'm a part of something, then I do something. And so when he asked that question, I thought that is great. Yes, because after somebody is saved and added to a church, they ought to serve God. And our text is Acts chapter 9 and verse 36. And it's a testimony of not a great preacher or somebody that did great things for God like the Apostle Paul or Peter, but it's a testimony of a woman that as a saved believer she wanted to do something for God. And it says in Acts chapter 9 verse 36, A certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas, this woman was full of good works in Almsteads, which she did. And so she was an industrious lady that had a testimony of serving God. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died. whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And for as much as Lydda was night to Joppa, and his disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men desiring him that they would not delay to come to them, that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him, weeping and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made." And so they're showing what work this woman had done and how she had clothed them. and while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed, and turned him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes. And when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. And when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. This was a remarkable woman. And when she died, the church felt it. and they were burdened about their loss because she was so energetic in serving God that they called for Peter to come and by God's grace, God restored Tabitha to life. I wanna ask the question, why was Tabitha such a great servant for God? Well, there's three things that I want us to think about as we consider this. First of all, she was aware, she was aware. She looked around and she knew that there was a need that her community had. And it was a need for clothing that these widows didn't have clothes. And Tabitha thought somebody needs to take care of this need. Isaiah 58 verse seven says, when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him. And so it's good for us to, as we think about serving God, to be able to look around in our community, look around in our church and say, you know what, I see a need that is there, a need that I can meet. D.O. Moody got burdened about Sunday school and teaching Sunday school. And so he asked at a church if he could teach Sunday school. And the man said, we've got as many teachers as students right now. If you'll bring your own students, then you can teach. Dia Moody went out that week and recruited 18 ruffians to come in and be his Sunday school class. That's how he started but he saw a need and was aware. Secondly, we see about her that she was able. She wasn't a preacher, but she had gifts and abilities that God had given to her. I've heard recently about a man up in Aberdeen, Scotland, that is a part of a local church there, that has the ability to fix small engines and do little repairs like that, and he's kind of a Mr. Fix-It. And so people bring him things, he works on it, he enjoys doing that, and he enjoys speaking to them about his church and about the Lord. But then he'll say to them, rather than giving me money, just give a donation to our church. He's just able to do that, and he uses that for the Lord. And then the third thing we see about this young lady is that she was aware, she was able, and she was available. And she gave of her time, her energy, her effort was in the Lord's work, that she was available to do that for God. There's a man by the name of Paul Patz that only had a P4 or third grade education. But Paul Patz got burdened about ministry, but he didn't have great abilities except for the fact that God had gifted him in inventing. And with his invention, he had a successful business and through that finances that God had entrusted to him, Paul Patz got burdened about starting a Christian camp And through that started a Christian university, Northland Baptist Bible College up in Northern Wisconsin. And Paul Patz was available to serve God. Matthew 5, 16 says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which was in heaven. There's great things that God can do with somebody that's available and ready to serve him. You know, Dorcas did a great work, or Tabitha, as she's also called. You know, God has a great work for you to do as well. Are you aware? Do you look around and say, you know what, there's a need. And are you able, do you look at it and think, you know what, I can meet that need, I can do something about that. And are you available to say to God, okay God, use me. If that's the case then, serve God.