32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
—Acts 9:32–43 (NKJV)
Be Available. Believe Christ Is Able. Give Christ the Praise.
I have often wondered how many opportunities God has placed before me that I simply failed to recognize. Perhaps I was too busy. Perhaps I was preoccupied with something I considered more important. Or perhaps I was so focused on what I had planned to do for the Lord that I overlooked what He wanted to do through me.
If you have served in worship ministry for very long, you probably understand what I mean. We spend hours preparing worship services, selecting music, organizing rehearsals, encouraging volunteers, and caring for the people God has entrusted to us. These are important responsibilities. But in the middle of all that activity, we must never forget that worship ministry is first and foremost about Jesus Christ and His continuing work among His people.
Recently, while studying Acts 9:32–43, I was reminded of something wonderfully encouraging: The risen Jesus is still at work through ordinary people who make themselves available to Him.
Luke closes Acts 9 with two extraordinary miracles. In Lydda, a paralyzed man named Aeneas is healed. In nearby Joppa, a beloved disciple named Dorcas is restored to life. But as I read these familiar stories again, I was struck by something beyond the miracles themselves.
Peter was available. He believed Christ was able. And when God worked, people were drawn to Jesus. What a wonderful picture of worshipful ministry!
I. Be Available for God
Acts 9:32 tells us that Peter was traveling throughout the region, visiting believers and strengthening the Church. Remember what Jesus had told Peter following His resurrection? “Feed My sheep” (John 21:17, NKJV). And that is exactly what Peter was doing.
He wasn't waiting for some extraordinary assignment. He was simply being faithful to the responsibility Christ had already given him. While visiting the believers in Lydda, Peter encountered Aeneas, a man who had been paralyzed and confined to his bed for eight years.
Imagine what those eight years must have been like.
Then Peter spoke these remarkable words: “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed” (Acts 9:34, NKJV). And immediately, Aeneas arose. Notice something important. Peter did not claim the power to heal. He didn't draw attention to himself or his ministry. He pointed directly to Jesus. The same Jesus who healed the sick during His earthly ministry was still at work through His Church.
Worship pastor, I wonder if we sometimes make ministry more complicated than it needs to be. We want to accomplish something significant for God. We want our worship services to be meaningful, our ministries to grow, and our people to experience the presence and power of Christ.
Those are worthy desires. But perhaps the place to begin is much simpler. Lord, I am available. Use me however You choose.
Sometimes God's greatest opportunities come through what appears to be ordinary faithfulness. A conversation after rehearsal. A visit with someone who is hurting. A word of encouragement to a discouraged musician. A few minutes spent praying with a choir member. A quiet act of kindness that nobody else notices.
We may never know how God will use those moments. But we can make ourselves available. And isn't that part of worship? Offering ourselves to God, trusting Him to accomplish His purposes through our lives?
II. Believe Christ Is Able
The story doesn't end in Lydda. In nearby Joppa lived a remarkable woman named Tabitha, also known as Dorcas. Luke describes her as a disciple who was “full of good works and charitable deeds” (Acts 9:36, NKJV).
Personally, I love that description. Dorcas wasn't an apostle. She wasn't a preacher. Scripture doesn't tell us that she occupied some prominent position in the Church. But She loved people. And she demonstrated that love through practical acts of compassion.
When Dorcas became sick and died, the believers were devastated. The widows gathered around Peter, weeping and showing him the clothing she had made for them – tunics and scarves. Her ministry had touched their lives.
Worship leader, never underestimate the significance of serving people. Some of the most meaningful worship ministry happens away from the platform, when we care for the people Christ has entrusted to us.
When the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was nearby, they sent for him.
Why?
Perhaps they remembered what Jesus had done during His earthly ministry. Perhaps they had heard about Aeneas. Whatever their expectations, they knew something about the power of the risen Christ. They didn't know what Jesus would do. But they knew Jesus was able. And they knew Peter could reach Jesus.
When Peter arrives, he enters the upper room, sends everyone outside, and does something that I believe every worship pastor should remember. He knelt down and prayed.
Before Peter spoke to Dorcas, he spoke to God. He understood where the power came from. Peter's confidence wasn't in his experience, his reputation, or his ability to accomplish something extraordinary. His confidence was in Jesus Christ.
After praying, Peter turned toward her and said, “Tabitha, arise.” She opened her eyes, sat up, and Peter presented her alive to the believers.
What a remarkable moment! Now, I realize that most of us will never experience anything like this in our ministries. And Scripture does not promise that every illness will be healed or every tragedy reversed when we pray. But these accounts remind us that the risen Christ is powerful, present, and worthy of our complete dependence.
There will be circumstances in ministry that exceed our abilities. Relationships we cannot repair. Hearts we cannot change. Problems we cannot solve. People we cannot reach through our own efforts. And perhaps those are the very moments when we need to remember what Peter understood.
Before we attempt to do the work of Christ, we must learn to depend upon Christ Himself. We prepare faithfully. We lead carefully. We serve lovingly. But we pray because we know that only Jesus can accomplish what matters most.
III. Give Christ the Acclaim … all the Praise and Glory
Now we come to what I believe is the most important part of these two miracle stories.
Notice what happened after Aeneas was healed. Luke tells us that the people of Lydda and Sharon “turned to the Lord” (Acts 9:35, NKJV). And after Dorcas was restored to life?
“Many believed on the Lord” (Acts 9:42, NKJV).
Do you see it?
The miracles were remarkable. But the greatest result was not that Aeneas could walk or that Dorcas was alive. People were turning to Jesus Christ. That was the purpose of Peter's ministry. And that must remain the purpose of ours.
Worship pastor, our calling is not to impress people with our musical abilities, our creativity, our programs, or even the excellence of our worship services.
Our calling is to help people see Jesus. When people gather to worship, they should leave with a greater awareness of who Christ is, what He has done, and what He continues to do in the lives of His people. And when God works through our ministries, we must be careful to give Him the praise.
Not the worship leader. Not the choir. Not the musicians. Not the production team. Jesus Christ deserves the glory.
There is one final detail in Acts 9 that I don't want us to miss. Luke tells us that Peter remained in Joppa, staying in the home of Simon, a tanner. It seems like such an ordinary ending to two extraordinary stories. But God was preparing Peter for what would happen next.
In Acts 10, Peter would be called to carry the Gospel across a barrier he had never imagined crossing. Peter didn't yet know what God was preparing him to do. But God did. And perhaps that is where this passage speaks most personally to me.
I don't know everything God has planned for the remaining days of my life and ministry. But I do know that I want to remain available, dependent upon Christ, and determined to give Him the glory. I hope you do too.
So, fellow worship pastor, continue to prepare faithfully. Love your people. Encourage your musicians. Shepherd those entrusted to your care. And never lose sight of the One who has called you. Be available for God. Believe Christ is able. And give Christ the praise and worship that belong to Him alone.
After all, the greatest testimony of our ministry will never be what people remember about us. It will be what they discover about Jesus. And that is reason enough to keep serving, keep trusting, and keep worshiping.
