Power Walk Ministries

Guest (Male): You've tuned in to the Power Walk Ministries broadcast. We're so glad that you've joined us today. Reverend Paul Cannings is the founder and president of Power Walk Ministries and senior pastor of Living Word Fellowship Church in Houston. Each weekday on this broadcast, he provides foundational biblical teaching with relevant and practical application for our lives. In this series, he takes us to Acts chapter 16 to share about the passion and devotion that Lydia had for Christ and Paul's ministry. Pastor Cannings titles this series Intentional. Let's listen as he brings the first message in this series, The Heart Matters.

Dr. Paul Cannings: We live in a world that is really hurting. A lot of people are going through a lot of pain, a lot of difficulties. And many times when we serve God, we serve God for our needs. We go to God and most of the time we are constantly praying that God will supply our needs. I mean, we we have them. And many times in the process of doing that, because there's so many issues taking place that we forget that we are there for not a purpose. And the church actually is there to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

The Bible will talk about that in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 23 through verse 26. You know, you look at Ephesians chapter 4 and it will talk about how we build up one another to the nature and the stature which belongs to Christ. We become like Paul would say, I no longer live. It is Christ that lives in me. We come to that structure because of the church. The Bible would say the same thing in verse 16 that as the church is fitted together fitly, so that the body is built up into love, so that we find love in service.

Why? Because spiritual gifts are earlier part of chapter 4 verse 7. Spiritual gifts. What are spiritual gifts? Encouragement, wisdom helps a person to make their way through a very dark time. Mercy, to be able to experience compassion during a very difficult time that they're going through. What are spiritual gifts? Service. People need service. So when people all the parts are functioning verse 16, we end up building the body up in love because it's people using their spiritual gifts. So many times we come to church or we pray and do our devotions or cry out to God, we're looking for what we need.

And the Bible is always saying that God, if you seek him first, he'll provide for your needs according to his riches and glory. So seeking God has to do with what he is saying seeking means. Not I just attached to my needs cuz right before he says that verse, he's talking about stop worrying about what you shall eat and what you shall wear and all these things. So if he's talking about the day-to-day needs, it couldn't be that he's talking about that because he tells us that the world seeks those kinds of things as if they don't have a heavenly Father who will take care of them.

So when he's talking about seeking needs, he couldn't be talking about what I wear, what God, I need food, I need these things. No, he's saying seeking him, meaning seeking to serve in the local church, seeking to be a good husband, a good wife, a single parent doing a great job raising the kids, going to the job and being salt and light and trying to figure out how do I do that, trying to grow spiritually and how I mature so that I end up experiencing Christ. That's why I'm seeking him. I'm not seeking the things he's saying he'll provide.

He says, if you seek me, I'll provide for your needs according to his riches in glory. He's talking about reaching him so that I become like him and grow to bless other people as a result of that and as a result of experiencing my spiritual gift. Many times when we are engaged, we find that we're not getting anything sometimes and I I go and I'm not getting anything because people many times seek out for what they need. And so if everybody's seeking out for what they need, we end up not experiencing because we're not using our spiritual gifts, what we need.

And that's why it is best to be intentional about how we function relevant to our relationship with God. So this week, as we continue through this process of legacy and relationship building and growing in God so that we matter to one another and find strength from one another and be developed because we are productive for the glory of God. Yes, we want to look at this one thing here that says be intentional. Be intentional. So let's take a look at this in Acts chapter 16 verse 14. Acts chapter 16 verse 14 will tell us this.

There's a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple in the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God. Heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended upon the things which were spoken of by Paul. Now let's just take that verse. We don't have time to go to verse 15. So let's take that verse. And the first thing we find about this woman is that she was purposeful. That what makes this so distinctive is the fact that she's not a woman who is sitting around begging at the temple and have all day just sticking her hands out begging.

That's not what we talking about. We talking about a very busy business woman, a woman that owned the business of selling purple garments. And she would travel from places like Thyatira into Philippi. And she would be a person that is so well off. Some people would say, well, she's well off cuz her husband maybe passed and left her an inheritance. We have no record of that and people say things like that, but I'm just looking at the text and saying that this woman is a woman that is self-made. She manages her home to the point where her servants have a lot of respect for her and look up to her so that when she goes to them and start to share the gospel, they would want to listen to what she has to say.

Thyatira is a small city. So for her to be able to make the kind of wealth that she made to have servants and all those kind of things and to be able to produce this product that was very important in their day because purple was looked at as royalty so that people would look up to that can afford such a garment. And apparently she would go among the Jews and she would work with the Jews and sell things to the Jews. So she became more and more cognizant of the God that the Jews served. And she would most likely travel into Philippi.

We know this from just the fact of her influence in the development of the church in Philippi. So this woman, single woman, God in his sovereign wisdom decided who was a Gentile, decided to put into the Bible because she was intentional. As we go through book of Acts, what are we talking about? Acts chapter 1 verse 8. Go ye into Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. And so you're finding people like Lydia are strategic in going to the uttermost parts of the world. Matter of fact, she has this notable thing that she is the first European to accept Christ.

She's the first European. This is where we find the gospel is now being spread into the Roman colonies. So by the end of Acts, we are in Rome talking about Phoebe. So this lady is pivotal. You have a woman that is a prosperous business woman, self-made, built up a business so strong that she could have her own house with servants in it and probably more than likely a traveling crew, a slew of people going with her back and forth as she traveled, which means she had to pay these employees not just to make the product, but to also carry her along her way.

This woman, folks, became very very committed to hear about the God of the Jews. So she's very intentional about learning from it enough. The word worship here means that she spent her time habitually making it her focus when she would go and do her work to come to a reverence for God, to create an understanding for God to the point where she got to the point where she reverenced God. Oh folks, that's the huge issue in this text. God doesn't need the great credentials of anybody. God is God. He can work with anyone. He can work with anybody.

Jesus Christ met her and she was intentional about how she functioned made a difference. It's the heart that he comes for first, but the heart is exposed by the interest that people show to learn and to grow and to walk in the word of God. And that's what you see this woman having a reverence for God. And that's why he would talk about the seed that fell on good soil verse 15 here. But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.

Watch this carefully. They are honest people. She had to be an honest business woman to gain the credibility that she had with the Jews. She has a good heart. You see this when she goes back and don't just say thank you Jesus, hallelujah. She changes the people in her home and she starts a church that makes a difference for the glory of God. She heard the word. The word here means I just don't listen. I listen with a heart to go do it. That's who this woman Lydia is. And because the seed fell on good soil, because she was intentional, she made a difference.

What kind of heart do you and I have that would cause God to be able to make a massive difference because we're not just coming to him for what we can get from him. We're coming to him because he's already given us the eternal life. He's blessed us and saved us. See, nobody seeks God. The Bible says in Romans chapter 3 verse 9 to 11, no not one. It is his grace. It is a fact that he allows us to be able to hear his word cuz faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

And it's because of his work on Calvary's cross that we are saved. He pours the Holy Spirit into us. Isn't that enough to cause us to become passionate about what God wants from us to do or does he have to keep doing more or get all our prayers answered or he just because he is our Lord, our savior, our redeemer, our king, that we willing to be like Paul count everything lost for the sake of the cross. I pray that your life in God will be reflective of how intentionally you are about getting to know him.

Stay focused.

Guest (Male): What an amazing life, Pastor Cannings. God opened up Lydia's heart. He saw how earnestly she sought to know him and allowed her life to impact her household and many for God's kingdom. Now if this message has been a blessing to you and you'd like to obtain a copy, please call us at 281 260 7402. That's 281 260 7402 or visit us online at powerwalkministries.org. And while you're online, look for making your vision a reality. A recent book by Pastor Cannings showing how pastors, church leaders, and members can be involved in implementing the mission of your church.

And now we pause briefly to hear from Pastor Cannings once again.

Dr. Paul Cannings: Years ago, I was blessed to be raised in Guyana, South America until I was 16 years of age. Going home is a special thing and it's a blessing that God has blessed us to be able to be there from November the 13th through the 17th. And we would appreciate if you would support this effort is for this particular trip is $7,500. And we would appreciate if you would join us by going to the website powerwalkministries.org. Powerwalkministries.org. We will be serving people generally and also the leaders of the assembly there in Guyana. Join us by being involved in this ministry effort as we serve.

We don't want to be a burden to anyone. We just want to serve and be effective in our service and then return back here to the state. So look forward to you supporting us by going to powerwalkministries.org. Powerwalkministries.org. You may not be physically there, but you could be spiritually there in the impact that God will bless us to make in Guyana, South America November the 13th through the 17th. Look forward to hearing from you. Would appreciate your prayers. Thank you so much.

Guest (Male): We appreciate your prayers and financial support. To make a contribution today, please log on to powerwalkministries.org or call us at 281 260 7402. That 's 281 260 7402. Or you can write us at PO Box 920517 Houston, Texas 77092. And if you live in the Houston area and you don't have a church home, you're welcome to visit Reverend Cannings and his congregation at Living Word Fellowship Church. It's located at 7350 TC Jester Boulevard in Houston. And now as we leave you, remember just like Lydia, we too can consider our time, talents, and resources to be intentional for the kingdom of God.