When God’s Power Does the Heavy Lifting: Reflections on Peter’s Healing Ministry

Have you ever walked away from a conversation about faith feeling like a failure? You stumbled over your words. You couldn’t remember that perfect response you’d rehearsed. The person walked away unconvinced, and you were left wondering if you’d done more harm than good.

If that’s ever been you, this past Sunday’s message was exactly what you needed to hear.

Evangelist Eric Love continued our journey through the book of Acts, bringing us to chapter 9, verses 32-43. What unfolded wasn’t just a lesson in biblical history—it was a recalibration of how we think about our role in sharing the gospel.

The Church Was Born for Mission

Eric opened by reminding us of the big picture. The book of Acts records the explosive growth of the early church in the thirty years following Christ’s resurrection. And Acts 1:8 serves as the thesis statement for everything that follows: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Here’s what struck me: those words were spoken directly to the apostles, yet they were fulfilled by the entire church. When persecution scattered believers throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, it wasn’t just the apostles preaching. Ordinary Christians carried the gospel wherever they went, planting churches and seeing thousands come to faith.

The Great Commission wasn’t meant for a select few. It belongs to all of us.

No Magic Tricks Here

In Lydda, Peter encountered a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Eric made an important observation: the miracles recorded in Scripture weren’t cheap illusions performed for gullible crowds. These were verifiable, severe conditions healed instantly and publicly.

You can’t fake blindness from birth. You can’t pretend to be lame for a lifetime.

Jesus healed a man born blind in John 9. Peter had previously healed a man lame from his mother’s womb in Acts 3. And now, Aeneas—eight years paralyzed—rises immediately at Peter’s word. These weren’t pulled rabbits or guessed cards. These were undeniable acts of God performed in plain sight, leaving witnesses with only one conclusion: this power comes from somewhere beyond human ability.

“Jesus Christ Heals You”

What happened next challenges a popular notion about faith and healing. Peter didn’t pray extensively. He didn’t work himself into an emotional fervor. He simply declared: “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.”

And immediately, Aeneas got up.

Some might take this as proof that we can simply declare healing over anyone if we have enough faith. Eric offered a different perspective—one I found both sobering and freeing. Peter wasn’t operating on his own initiative. Throughout Acts, we see the apostles acting when filled with the Holy Spirit, prompted by God for specific moments and purposes.

This wasn’t Peter exercising personal authority. This was Peter responding to divine prompting with obedient confidence. And crucially, he refused to take credit. “Jesus Christ heals you”—not “I heal you.” Peter pointed immediately and entirely to Christ.

Eric put it plainly: the idea that we can force God’s hand through sufficient faith essentially takes sovereignty away from God and places it in our hands. But God remains sovereign. He chooses when and how to act. Our role is availability and obedience, not control.

Why Miracles? Follow the Fruit

After Aeneas was healed, Acts 9:35 tells us: “All who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.”

This is the key that unlocks the purpose of apostolic miracles. They weren’t primarily about physical healing—though God certainly cares about suffering. They were about testimony. Signs and wonders served to validate the gospel message and bring people to saving faith.

Eric pointed us to Acts 14:3, where Paul and Barnabas spent extensive time in a city, and the Lord was “testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.” The miracles authenticated the message. They opened doors for the gospel to take root in hearts.

This doesn’t mean God is indifferent to physical pain. But it reorients our understanding: the ultimate healing—the one that matters for eternity—is salvation. And that was the driving purpose behind these extraordinary signs.

A Life Worth Mourning

The passage then shifts to Joppa and introduces us to Tabitha (also called Dorcas)—a woman described as “abounding with deeds of kindness and charity.” She made clothing for widows. She continually blessed those around her. And when she died, the church felt it.

Some deaths send shockwaves through a community because of the life that preceded them. Eric mentioned Billy Graham as an example—a man whose impact was so profound that his passing was mourned worldwide. Tabitha was that kind of person for the believers in Joppa.

When word reached them that Peter was nearby, they sent for him urgently. This time, Peter prayed. Then, turning to her body, he spoke: “Tabitha, arise.” She opened her eyes, sat up, and was presented alive to the grieving church.

And once again, the result? “It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”

The pattern holds. Miracle leads to testimony. Testimony leads to faith.

Relinquishing Confidence in Ourselves

Here’s where Eric’s message moved from observation to confrontation. He shared honestly about his own evolution in evangelism. He used to approach witnessing armed with perfectly crafted responses to every objection—ready to debate anyone into the kingdom.

But something shifted. “I trust way more in the power of the Holy Spirit than I do in the brilliance of my own responses,” he admitted.

This isn’t anti-intellectualism. Knowing what we believe and why still matters. But the weight has shifted. We’re not responsible for converting anyone. We’re responsible for proclaiming. Jesus is responsible for results.

Eric took us to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, where Paul described his own ministry in shocking terms: “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling… so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

Imagine putting that on a pastoral résumé: “Not a great speaker. Frequently afraid. No persuasive eloquence.” And yet, through Paul, countless people came to faith. The only explanation? God’s power working through human weakness.

Questions for Reflection

Are you trusting your techniques more than the Holy Spirit?

There’s nothing wrong with being prepared. But when our confidence rests in our arguments rather than God’s power, we’ve misplaced our trust. How might your witness change if you truly believed the outcome was in God’s hands?

Do you believe Jesus is actively pursuing the people you’re talking to?

Eric reminded us that Christ died for the whole world. He wants people saved. When you share the gospel with someone, Jesus doesn’t abandon them when the conversation ends. He keeps pursuing. How does that change the pressure you feel?

What would it look like to pray mid-conversation?

Eric mentioned praying “Nehemiah prayers” even while speaking—quick, silent pleas for the Spirit to open hearts and minds. Could you cultivate that habit in your own conversations?

The Power That Makes the Difference

The early church didn’t grow because of superior strategies or eloquent speakers. It grew because God’s power was at work through available, obedient people. Two thousand years later, that same power is available to us.

We’re just instruments. Vessels. The pressure to perform is off. The invitation to participate is wide open.

So go. Speak. Trust. And watch what God does through weakness surrendered to His strength.

Listen to the full sermon here: Peter’s Healing Ministry – Acts 9:32-43

Preached November 30, 2025 at Howell Bible Church by Evangelist Eric Love