The Book of Acts: Message Thirty
Seven
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
As a ship
leaves a wake in the deep, so you leave a trail of
blessing or cursing behind you. Every life that you
touch you leave them better or worse, courageous or
more craven, lifted or fallen, nobler or baser,
stronger or weaker. What kind of trail have you left?
Let's turn to Acts 9 and follow Peter as he goes to
Lydda.
Meet the
people. It's written in Acts 9:32, "As Peter
passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to
the saints which dwelt at Lydda." I was named
after two saints...St. Michael and St. Anthony. But
that didn't make me a saint. However, I am a saint
according to the Bible...and so are you, if you're
saved. The word "saint" is sometimes
translated holy, but its root meaning is different.
It describes something which is different from the
ordinary run of things. Therefore, a saint is one who
is saved...he's different from the people who are
merely people of the world. He has life in Christ,
the Bible says, "He that hath the Son hath
life." He has liberty by Christ, the Bible says,
"The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free." He has light from Christ, our Lord says,
"He that followeth Me, shall have the light of
life." He has likeness to Christ, the Bible
says, "Changed into the same image." He has
the love of Christ, our Lord says, "Ye love one
another, as I have loved you." He learns of
Christ, our Lord says, "Take My yoke upon you,
and learn of Me." He's under the Lordship of
Christ, he says, "My Lord and my God." An
old rascal said to a convert, "I heard you
changed your religion." "No," he
answered, "but my religion has changed me. I
used to be a sot, now I'm a sober man. I used to
swear, now I love Jesus and the name of Jesus."
When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes a new
person altogether. The past is finished and gone.
Everything has become fresh and new, and he's
delightfully different.
Meet the
paralytic. It's written in Acts 9:33, Peter
"found a certain man named E-ne-as, who for
eight years had been lying prostrate on his bed,
being completely paralyzed." Did you get that
expression? Peter "found" E-ne-as. There he
was alone and in agony...helpless and
hopeless...prostrate and powerless. But Peter found
him. Oh, there may be some man or woman, some boy or
girl in your city who's paralyzed because of
passion...withered because of wickedness...lame
because of lust...disabled because of disobedience.
They can't come to church to find Christ. Find them,
and take Christ to them. They'll never be saved
unless you find them.
Mark the
power. It's written in Acts 9:34, "Peter said to
him, 'E-ne-as.'" Christianity is a personal
thing, so Peter called him by name. Sin degrades men
and women into numbers. My heart bleeds for
prisoners. One day I went to visit one. But it was a
number I went to see...a number I spoke with...a
number I prayed with...that's what sin does...it
degrades humans into numbers. But Jesus calls His own
sheep by name, not number. So Peter continues,
"Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." It was
Christ, and not the Christian who made him whole. And
Christ our Lord is limitless. He's able to save you
to the uttermost, when you come to God by Him. He's
able to save you from all conditions and
circumstances...from all sin and shame...from all
fetters and fears...and He's able to save you
completely, perfectly and eternally. Won't you let
Him?
Hear the
precept. Peter commanded, "Arise, and make thy
bed," and he arose immediately. Faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God. When he
heard the word of God, faith sprang up in his heart
and he at once got to his feet. God's precepts carry
His power. Whatever He enjoins you to do, He enables
you to do. "Oh," but you ask, "what
did he mean by saying, 'Make thy bed'?" It was
during the Revolutionary War that our army crossed
the bridge at Brandywine. After crossing it,
Washington asked his officers, "Shall we burn
the bridge?" "No, never," they
answered. "We may want the bridge to retreat
over." "In that case," said the
general, "burn the bridge." That's the way.
Leave no means for retreat...make no provision for a
relapse...show that you're saved! Go on with God.
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
Click here to go
to the next message in this Sower Scripture Study on
the book of Acts.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
