LOOK:

Q: Have you noticed that as each of the apostles go to share the good news that there is no fear being experienced? Stephen wasn’t afraid of the Sanhedrin. He even prayed for them as he was being stoned. Peter was sound asleep the night before his probable execution, and he slept like a baby. Paul and Barnabas continue to share the gospel and deal with the resistances, but they remain bold in their message. If they were fearless in sharing the gospel, shouldn’t we?

Q: To be clear, why should you and I have confidence to be bold with the gospel message? [God has promised to be with us. He will not let “the gates of Hell” prevail. Jesus tells us to “fear not.” If God is for us, who can be against us?!]

Challenge: Go boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit and let God remove the obstacles as you share the good news.

LOOK:

I don’t know what circumstances you are facing that may be causing great anxiety. Perhaps there is something going on that is very serious to you, and if God doesn’t show up, the implications for you are grim. I have no idea what is really going on in each of your lives, but this I know: God knows, and He cares deeply for each of His children. And if the enemy is authoring your scary circumstance, God has a rescue plan already in place. He will NOT let the enemy thwart His purpose in your life. He simply will not give Satan the satisfaction. Just as the Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites whom God delivered by parting the Red Sea, He will do the same for us. The harder they came, the harder they fell.

To help you apply this, I want to take you through a simple verse found in Ex 14:14, and I want us to memorize it by repeating it and emphasizing a different word each time:

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

LOOK:

We represent the NT church in 2014. How are we doing? Is there breaking news that people are being saved in great numbers? For those who have made their decision for Christ, are we teaching them well like Barnabas and Saul? 

Let’s pray that a revival starts within each of our hearts that becomes contagious as we reach others for Christ. Let’s make some breaking news!

LOOK:

Q: Is it possible that God is orchestrating an encounter between you and a person in your circle of influence who is quietly praying to know God through His Son, Jesus? Are you willing to be a “Peter” who no longer made distinctions between Jews and Gentiles and share the good news of Jesus with a “Cornelius” that God already has lined up for you? Are you willing to set aside all prejudices and openly embrace whoever God calls you to reach?

So here are my suggestions to make sure we don’t miss hearing God’s voice:

1. Own that God is always at work to reach His lost creation and that He wants to use YOU.
2. Pray “regularly” (I suggest DAILY) that God will clearly point you to the “Cornelius” He has lined up for you.

Trust God’s timing. Just as Peter was praying “regularly” and communing with God, there was a Cornelius also praying for God to show him the way to salvation. God will orchestrate the encounter in His perfect way and in His perfect time.

LOOK:

These accounts in Scripture are inspirational, but more importantly, we can live the kind of life described in today’s passage!

As we pray over today’s passage, I am going to specifically ask the Lord to re-energize our passion for Jesus. I am going to ask Him to bring to light the genuine encounters we have with Jesus through the Spirit and to give us the courage to share it with others. In fact, I will pray that we don’t need “courage,” but rather a “strong desire” to share the reality of Jesus and the love relationship every person can have with Him.

For those who were drawn by the story of Tabitha/Dorcas:

Q: What is your ministry? What group of people has God called you to serve?

Q: Who is the “Dorcas” in your life for whom you’d like to thank God?