Sermon Title: DORCAS: A LADY FULL OF GOOD WORKS
Scripture Text: ACTS 9:36-43
Sermon Series: FINE PRINT: HONORING THE LESSER-KNOWN AND CELEBRATING THEIR FAITHFULNESS
By: Ptr Nic Sy

SERMON OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
No one can do everything but everyone can do something.

I. RISE ABOVE YOUR LIMITATIONS
(ACTS 9:36; ZECHARIAH 4:10)

"There were many things she could not do but she did what she could do."

Don’t ever belittle the little things that you can do because in many cases, it is the small things that occupy the biggest part in people’s hearts.

REFLECT / APPLY:
What’s on your hand?

II. VALUE FAITHFULNESS EVEN IN THE LITTLE THINGS
(ACTS 9:36; TITUS 3:8; EPHESIANS 2:10)

Two applications:
1. Don’t wait for the perfect time to start doing good.
2. Follow through what you started

REFLECT / APPLY:
What little thing has God given you that you can be faithful with?

III. LIVE TO LEAVE A LEGACY YOU WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND
(ACTS 9:39-42; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:25-26; REVELATIONS 14:13)

A LEGACY CAN BE:
1. Possessions that we place in the hands of others.
2. Principles we lived that carry on beyond our lives.
3. People we have influenced whose lives are better off as a result of knowing us.

Believers found joy in her resurrection; unbelievers found Jesus.

Good works are not a means for our salvation, but they are an expression of our salvation.

Finishing well is not what we do at the end of our lives; it’s what we do every day of our lives.

"Most of us don’t get to choose when or how we’re going to die; but we can decide how we’re going to live and what we’re going to leave behind."

REFLECT / APPLY:
What kind of bridge are you building to those who follow behind you?

ENDING THOUGHTS
God has placed you where you are for a reason. As you embrace the example of Dorcas, no matter how small it is that you do, it will display the beauty of Jesus Christ in you and through you.


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BIBLE READING SCHEDULE.
September 26. Acts 9:36-43.
September 27. 2 Kings 4:38-44.
September 28. 2 Samuel 22:26-37.
September 29. Ruth 2:1-12.
September 30. Acts 18:18-28.
October 1. Mark 9:33-37.
October 2. 2 Timothy 1:5-14.

About Living Word NRA Church

Our Vision:
Worship God. Advance His Kingdom.

Our Mission:
We are a church that seeks to bring glory to God, to build the local church through discipleship and to fulfill the Great Commission.

For more information, visit our website: https://livingwordnra.com

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

GETTING STARTED
To the facilitator: Use this section to introduce the topic. If possible, give a brief recap of the sermon.

Share a memorable point, a spiritual lesson, a personal application, a question, or something that challenged you from the sermon last Sunday.

If there is one thing you want to still accomplish in your life, what would that one thing be?

GROUP DISCUSSION.
1. Read Acts 9:36-43. Describe Dorcas/Tabitha and list her gifts as well as her circumstances. What stands out to you?

2. The text tells us that Dorcas was “full of good works and acts of charity” (ESV). How do the other translations render this (say NIV, NASB, NLT)? Does this give us any impression of her role in the church in Joppa? Do you know someone like Dorcas?

3. Dorcas is the only person in the Bible to be directly called a disciple. Why is it important that our good works begin with us being disciples? What is the nature of being a disciple of Christ?

4. What little thing, what dream, what false start, have you despised? Do you despise your failures? How does Zechariah 4:6-10 (particularly verse 10) encourage you?

5. Without saying or doing anything, Dorcas was living proof of God’s mighty power and healing love. Can you think of ways in which, even without a startling miracle like this, we might be able to fulfill the words of Jesus to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”? (Matthew 5:16).

6. Peter was in Jerusalem when Stephen was killed and buried (Acts 8:2), but he went to Joppa and brought Dorcas back to life. One believer died while another was brought back to life. How do you explain God working differently in the lives of different people?

7. What is the most precious legacy that someone (dead or alive) has left to you? Do you think that person who left that legacy knew they were doing it? How does this statement impact where you are today: “Finishing well is not what we do at the end of our lives; it’s what we do every day of our lives”?

Next Steps
No one can do everything but everyone can do something.
- By the grace of God, I will rise above my circumstances.
- I will be faithful in the little things.
- I will not despise the small things but will do them with integrity and consistency.
- I will mindful of and endeavor to leave a legacy that will glorify the Lord.

Don’t forget to:
- Go through the devotionals everyday this week.
- Have a regular daily time of prayer and reading of God’s Word.
- Commit 30 minutes a day for God’s intervention in this fight against the COVID virus.

CLOSING THE SESSION
Close the session by taking the time to pray for one another. Consider the following as you pray:
- Pray that you grow to live as a disciple like Dorcas.
- Take the time to pray for our nation, for peace and for the gospel to prosper during this time of the pandemic.
- Pray for those who are hurting, going through fear, worry and anxiety in the group.
- Pray for your unsaved family, friends and loved ones.

BIBLE READING SCHEDULE.
September 26. Acts 9:36-43.
September 27. 2 Kings 4:38-44.
September 28. 2 Samuel 22:26-37.
September 29. Ruth 2:1-12.
September 30. Acts 18:18-28.
October 1. Mark 9:33-37.
October 2. 2 Timothy 1:5-14.