“Get up!”

[Acts 9:32-43]

The third element among the ten suggestions on ‘How to effectively and fundamentally change the church’ emphasizes having a creative sense of crisis. It states, ‘The greatest crisis is the absence of crisis. A healthy sense of urgency is the driving force behind new creation. Reform is not achieved through pleasant conversation, but through desperate action’ (Internet). In an article by Pastor Mark Burogap published in the Christian Today newspaper on October 11, 2006, he refers to extreme situations as opportunities for learning, suggesting that: (1) We should view crises as opportunities for humility. When we choose humility, we begin to see our crises differently. (2) We should view crises as opportunities to confess our own faults. (3) We should view crises as opportunities to seek God's will together. (4) We should view crises as opportunities to share joy in the midst of adventure (Christian Today).

In Acts 9:32-43, we encounter two individuals who were in a state of being laid down. These individuals serve as examples of laid-down spirits, and we seek to glean insights from the Lord's power and grace in raising them up.

First, laid-down spirits:

If we divide today's passage in Acts 9:32-43 into two parts, the first part encompasses verses 32-35, which recounts the healing of the paralytic Aeneas. The second part covers verses 36-43, detailing the healing of Dorcas. In both healing events, there is a common element: the word "lay down" is used to describe the condition of the individuals in verses 33 and 37 (verse 33: "...laid down for eight years," verse 37: "...was laid out").

In the first part (32-35), a man named Aeneas, who lived in Lydda, had been bedridden for eight years due to paralysis. His condition left him unable to get up.

In the second part (36-43), a disciple of the Lord named Tabitha (or Dorcas), who lived in Joppa, fell ill and died. Her body was prepared for burial and laid in an upstairs room. When considering these two individuals, one was bedridden for eight years due to a debilitating illness, rendering him completely incapacitated. The other had passed away, and all hope of her rising again had vanished.

Reflecting on these two individuals, I couldn't help but think about the "spiritual stagnation" experienced by many believers. Pastor Joon-min Kang divided this condition into ten stages when he faced severe spiritual depression just four months after founding the Logos Church on February 5, 1989 (Internet):

I lost faith.

I stopped believing in God. An ironic certainty settled in that no one could help me. Neither God, nor the doctor, nor even the caring touch of my dear mother could assist me. Spiritual faith was abandoned, and even natural faith began to fail.

I lost enthusiasm.

All the enthusiasm within me began to fade away. The desire to accomplish something after studying abroad in the United States vanished. I wanted to throw all the beloved books into a dumpster. Appetite, desire, and ambition disappeared. The desires of the heart vanished. Along with them, hope disappeared as well.

A desire to die emerged.

Although it was a reality that I had to die to truly live, I wanted to die. If suicide wasn't a sin, I wanted to do it. I wanted to step on the accelerator while driving. The thought stemmed from a belief that everything would end that way. Truly dangerous thoughts invaded me.

I felt powerless.

A sense of helplessness settled in, the feeling that I couldn't do anything. I felt my strength wane. I had lost confidence. Confidence comes from capability. However, due to a sense of powerlessness, I lost confidence.

Confusion about identity set in.

For the first time in my life, I seriously began to ask, "Who am I?" I started asking this question seriously after collapsing due to spiritual depression and considering leaving the pioneering church. I had been supported by the title of pastor and the status of a student, but if I let go of all of that, I began to wonder who I was. Letting go of the pioneering church, relinquishing the title of pastor, and surrendering the big dream I held in my heart all led to questioning who I was. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, the most severe trial was the test of identity. The devil used the word "if" three times to inject doubt into Jesus. In two of those instances, he said, "If you are the Son of God," shaking Jesus' sense of identity.

Everything in the world began to look dark.

I lost the positive perspective with which I used to view the world. I lost the positive outlook on ministry. Everything seemed dark, negative, and difficult. A sense of defeat, failure, despair, impossibility, and victimhood began to consume me. Worry and fear came knocking from time to time. I started hearing voices of ridicule and condemnation from people. I began to hear the mocking laughter of those who opposed the founding of the church. The truth was that it wasn't the world that was the problem, but rather the world within me. The window of my soul was clouded, making everything in the world appear dark. At that time, my inner world was dark, and the conversation within me was overly negative.

The focus of my thoughts became blurred.

Stress arises when many thoughts come rushing in at once. Stress occurs when many thoughts come rushing in at once, making the burden feel heavy. If thoughts are clear and focused, stress can be easily overcome. Spiritual depression tends to blur the focus of thoughts. That's why the burden of my ministry felt even heavier.

My body weakened, and rapid changes took place in my physical state.

It was due to the monster of worry that came with passing through spiritual depression. Fear arose along with worry. Faith weakened as worry came in. My heart started pounding, and my hands grew cold, causing cold sweat to break out. I began to feel the body undergo rapid changes according to my thoughts.

I didn't want to meet people.

Passing through spiritual depression led to a sense of victimhood towards people. Specifically, during the process of pioneering a church, I developed a sense of victimhood towards those who opposed the pioneering. I wanted to blame people rather than take responsibility for the spiritual depression I experienced. In fact, at a time when I should have been with people, receiving help from them, I wanted to be alone. However, what was even more painful was that being alone was too agonizing. Before going through spiritual depression, I enjoyed being alone. However, during spiritual depression, being alone was frightening in itself because dark thoughts came to me while I was alone.

The most terrifying trial was losing my sense of calling.

A pastor lives and dies by their calling. When the sense of calling is strong, one can overcome anything. It makes us resolute. It enables us to transcend circumstances and even conquer death. For Paul, if accomplishing his calling required it, he didn't consider his own life dear (Acts 20:24). However, I, in the midst of spiritual depression, prayed to God to take my life in the same way Elijah fell beneath the broom tree, having lost my sense of calling."

Have you ever experienced one or two of these manifestations of spiritual depression? Or perhaps, are you currently in a state of spiritual depression? If so, there is hope in Jesus.

Second, the restoring power of Jesus

As we have already contemplated in Acts 3-4, Peter had experienced the healing of a beggar who had been lame from birth for 40 years, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, the healing of Aeneas, who had been paralyzed for 8 years due to a stroke, was not a particularly significant issue (Yoo). Look at Acts 9:34 - "Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.' Immediately Aeneas got up." Peter had already healed a lame man from birth who used to beg at the temple gate, saying, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’" (3:6), and when he took him by the right hand and helped him up, the man's feet and ankles became strong (v. 7), and he jumped to his feet and began to walk (v. 8). In Acts 9:34, when Peter healed Aeneas, he commanded him to "Get up and roll up your mat, for Jesus Christ has healed you." As a result, Aeneas got up "immediately." As a result, "all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord" (v. 35). The second miraculous event mentioned in today's passage is the resurrection of Tabitha, a female disciple, which the author Luke describes in more detail (vv. 36-43). First of all, the meaning of the Aramaic name "Tabitha" is said to be "gazelle, symbolizing grace and beauty" (Park). The beauty of Tabitha is described in the Bible as follows: "... she was always doing good and helping the poor" (v. 36). As an example, when Peter was sent for and arrived, the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them (v. 39). These robes and clothes were the ones that Dorcas had made in order to do good and help others. From this word, we can see that the Lord's female disciple Tabitha was truly faithful in her faith. Because she was such a person, the believers were deeply grieved by her death (v. 38) and sent for Peter (Park). Peter sent everyone out, got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward the dead woman and said, "Tabitha, get up" (v. 40). Peter's "Tabitha, get up" reminds us of when Jesus called out to Jairus' daughter, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" (Mk. 5:41). Look at John 5:25 - "Truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live." As a result, Tabitha opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up (Acts 9:40). Peter reached out his hand and helped her up. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive (v. 41). As a result, all the people in Joppa and Sharon saw Tabitha and believed in the Lord in great numbers (v. 42).

Here, the lesson we learn is that our Lord is a healing God. Look at Exodus 15:26 - "... I am the Lord, who heals you." Why did God heal the paralyzed man who had been lying in Lydda for eight years through Peter, and why did He also raise Dorcas, a female disciple from Joppa who was already dead? The reason is stated in Acts 4:29-30: "...enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." God healed the paralyzed man of eight years through Peter and raised Dorcas who had already died in order to (widely and effectively) proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and lead people to believe in Jesus. As a result, when the paralyzed man of eight years was healed by the Lord through Peter, the result was that all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord (v. 35). Also, what was the result when the dead Dorcas was raised? All the people in Joppa and Sharon saw Tabitha and believed in the Lord in great numbers (v. 42). As Professor Sang-seop Yoo says, ‘These healings and the resulting widespread preaching were not only limited to the time of the apostles, but are still happening today in mission fields. When we earnestly seek Jesus, the Lord of the harvest, for effective gospel preaching, the Lord will perform such miracles whenever He deems it necessary. The problem is that people seek glory for themselves rather than giving glory to the Lord through healing. As long as we are careful about this point, it is truly desirable for ministers of the gospel to seek amazing healing miracles from God’ (Yoo).

There is a memorable sermon title: ‘Elijah Raised Again.’ There are spiritual souls lying down around us who are exhausted and spiritually depressed. However, we have hope. Our Lord, the one with the power to do so, raises us again. Just as He healed Aeneas, who had been paralyzed for eight years due to a stroke, and raised Dorcas from Joppa, who was already dead and lying in an upstairs room, our Lord has the power to raise us sufficiently. Furthermore, our Lord, who has the power of resurrection, raised Dorcas (Tabitha), the female disciple, who had already died and was laid out in the attic, by giving her life back. Our Lord, with the power of resurrection, is fully capable of raising us. Therefore, let us, in the name of Jesus, rise again and exert our strength in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

‘I will rise in the name of Jesus, I will rise with the power given by the Lord

Even if the enemy comes against me, I will not fall, with the power given by the Lord,

with the power given by the Lord, with the power given by the Lord, I will rise.’

[Gospel song ‘I Will Rise in the Name of Jesus’]

Rising again in the name of Jesus,

James Kim

(Living a life like a roly-poly in the Lord)