Power Walk Ministries

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Power Walk Ministries broadcast. We're so glad you've tuned in to join us today as Reverend Paul Cannings continues teaching on the series, A Sincere Passion for Christ, based on John Chapter 12. One glance at the news and you'll see various kinds of protests have become much more common. People are willing to take a bold stand for what they believe in.

But when it comes to your faith in Christ, are you able to take a bold stand for Jesus? Today, Pastor Cannings talks about Mary's focus in expressing her love for Jesus, irrespective of anybody else who was present at the time. Here he is now with today's message, "Love So Amazing!"

Dr. Paul Cannings: Years ago, I used to look at my mom when she was worship. She quietly worshipped. I mean, just sat there and she sang and she quietly worshipped. I'm looking around the church and there are people with their hands raised and really having a great old worship service time. When I was a boy, you couldn't raise your hands in the church I grew up in. That was just sinful. You better not move your feet too much. That's the type of environment I grew up in.

But I didn't think about it that much when we moved to America and we were in a different church environment. I didn't think of the contrast between what my mom grew up with and was expected of her. Now in a new environment, she looks as if she was not sincerely worshipping God.

Then I started to reflect on how she would sing in the kitchen and how she would sing her songs as she washed the dishes, or her passion for her kids where she would come in and she would do devotions with all eight kids every morning. This is a person who, when I got saved, sat me on her lap and developed with one of her best friends a discipleship program that would nurture her son.

So when I started looking back at all the stuff she would do, she would get that pump organ that I used to look at and laugh as a little boy. Get that pump organ, put it in the back of the family car, and drive out to the country because the widows out there and the women out there did not have anybody to play for them. She would go out there, pump that organ, train them to sing, and then come back and still take care of her eight kids before she goes to bed to get up early in the morning to help her husband get out for work.

I watched that and I went, "Oh my goodness. This woman may not be raising her hand, she may not be doing the shuffle or all this other stuff, but this woman loves God." You see, it is easy for us to put all of the big fancy stuff when we worship God—the screaming, the hollering, the lifting of hands, the running around the sanctuary, whatever people choose to do. But where does love show up after that? After all of that, where does it show up?

You see, Jesus Christ is at a time in John Chapter 12 where there's a Passover taking place. There were thousands of people coming in for the Passover. So this is the big time of worship. People are bringing animals in with them, so you've got a lot of noisy animals there. You've got all of this taking place and Jesus Christ is on His way there. Martha has worked in the kitchen. All of this is happening in Chapter 12 after Jesus Christ had a meal to eat.

Jesus Christ has just traveled for two days. His feet are all cut up because she's anointing His feet with nard. All of this is taking place. Judas is going to talk about the money. But this woman is not jumping up and down. She's not singing. She's not rushing down for the Passover right now because the Passover Lamb is at her house.

Mary shows us what it's like to be focused. I'm not saying don't go to church and lift your hands. That's not the point of the conversation. The point of this message is the contrast. A person could passionately love God, raise their hands, and sincerely love Him as they worship Him, very expressive in how they worship Him. Get that. That's not the issue. The issue is when all of that is done, where does Christ find you? Where does Christ find us, as a matter of fact?

We've got to come back to verse three. We talked about it yesterday, but we've got to talk about it again. In verse three, this is what we find. For those of you who may not have listened all week, I'm going to read from verse one. It says, "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was and had been dead, whom He raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him." As I said, that's a struggle for me. Why are you sitting there? You should be on the ground with Mary.

Verse three, "Then Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment." Let's just take a look at this bottom part here. She anointed the feet—this is where we were yesterday. She anointed the feet of Jesus. She's trying to heal it. She's trying to make sure He could finish up this journey. We dealt with that yesterday.

But look at what takes place past that: "and wiped His feet with her hair." Now, you don't take your hair out when a group of men are around. You just don't do that. That's not something that is expected of a decent woman in their day. Mary took her hair loose and she wiped His feet, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Watch this carefully. She wiped His feet with her hair. I don't know a woman that's going to take her hair and wipe anybody's feet. The priority that normally a woman would place on her hair is huge.

So why is John taking time to put all of these details in here? Taking her hair and wiping His feet with it, John is trying to express to us that Mary is so grateful that she is providing to Christ adoration. In other words, I want to show that I am His servant. I'm going to take this down to the level where I'm not just a servant; I am a bondservant. There's nothing that is beneath me. I'm willing to do whatever it takes for You to be what You need to be because when You are who You need to be, I am better.

I am going to see You go down to Jerusalem and die because I've listened to You and I hear what You're trying to say. I hear what Your focus is. So I'm anointing Your feet so You stay on this agenda because I need You to die for my sins. And I am going to show You that I am so available to You that there is nothing You could ever ask for me to do that I'm not willing to do. I see You as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I see You as the one who's the Messiah. I see You as the sacrificial lamb that's going to die on Calvary's cross. I see You as the person who is the resurrection. You're going to get up from the grave.

You're so wonderful, King of Kings in my eyes, that to serve You, there is no bottom for me. I'm willing to do whatever You ask me. I want You to know what they think about me is irrelevant. What I care about is that You see my heart by my actions.

Years ago, I went to visit my mom in Dallas. My mom says, "Son, take me to the church." I said, "Okay." I said, "Mom, you've got a lot of cleaning agents. You've got a vacuum cleaner. What are you doing?" She says, "I'm tired of going to this church building and it's dirty. But I asked the elder to meet me there, open up the door, and I'm going to clean the church." She just did it. Nobody asked her. But serving her Lord was something she was excited to do.

Folks, what is beneath you when it comes to doing something for Christ? Have you ever thought of being able to just say, "God, I don't need somebody to tell me to serve You. I have a spiritual gift. You gave me this spiritual gift. You made a decision how I will serve You." No one has to tell us when the spiritual gift is there.

You see, folks, when there's a love and a passion for God and we hold Him high, we see Him as King of Kings, Lord of Lords. We see Him as the one who sustains and keeps and all things are through Him, for Him, and by Him. We see Him as the one who died on an old nasty cross, took the spitting, the beating, the mocking, and still would say, "I must be about my Father's business. This is His will for me. I've got to get it done."

Yes, Jesus Christ, that man would go to any length for me. Who am I? Romans Chapter 3, I don't seek Him. John Chapter 6:44, He drew me to Him. So salvation is a gift from God because I never chased Him. This person who is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, that lives in the heavens, sits at the right hand of the Father, so loves me that He knows my numbers of hairs on my head. He put angels around me if I choose to live righteous.

I can not just live on earth, He says, I live in heavenly places because I have the Holy Spirit inside of me. I've got angels around me. I live inside of Jesus who lives in God. Colossians Chapter 3, Hebrews Chapter 1:14. This person who saved me, He wants me to become just like Him so that I no longer live, it's Christ that lives in me. So I can become a better husband, a better person. I can become a better father. He can make me have a character that is so strong and powerful I can make it through trials and difficulties. Even when I go through hard times, He's the one that rescues me.

This person, how low would I go? Would He have to tell me to serve when He gave me a spiritual gift, or do I just be like Mary and just do it because I so see You for who You are? I adore You. You didn't just talk about the resurrection; You are the resurrection. You could raise me from the dead. You could save me. You could heal me. You could bless me.

So what else is there to do in this life but serve You? That's love. That's passion. That is a person who so loved God they have lost themselves. Like Paul would say, "I no longer live. It is Christ that lives in me. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Do you love God like that? Stay focused.

Guest (Male): Thank you, Pastor Cannings. I hope you'll take a few minutes to learn more about our vision and goals by logging onto powerwalkministries.org and browse through our resources. One resource I'd like to recommend to you is Pastor Cannings' book titled, *Disciples in the Making: Discipling Believers from Spiritual Infancy to Spiritual Maturity*. It will help you grow in your faith and develop a deeper love for God.

Also, would you prayerfully consider becoming a Power Walk partner today? That's someone that will support Power Walk Ministries through prayer, as well as a generous one-time or monthly financial contribution. It will help us in our mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and equip the body of believers through these daily broadcasts. To contribute, log onto powerwalkministries.org. That's powerwalkministries.org. Or write us at Power Walk Ministries, P.O. Box 920517, Houston, Texas 77092.

Dr. Paul Cannings: Well, you should come because we never stop learning. So a conference such as this one would just impact you so much that you will grow. I am so excited about the conference coming up April the 23rd to the 25th. I really am ecstatic about it. Pastors have come together on a committee and helped with the process moving forward. We were excited about our first conference last year, but this conference this year is going to be greater.

There's like about 40 classes here. Let me give you a taste: the pastor and deacon's functioning under the leadership of Christ, a biblical approach to resolving conflict in the church, traits of successful biblical leaders, cultivating a healthy and productive team environment, overcoming the stagnation in the church, discipling leaders, dealing with how do we grow people and do evangelism at the same time. Despite all the difficulties churches are facing, we can find a powerful, effective way forward. A lot of teachers are coming to teach. They're well-trained, well-educated, practicing these principles within their church. Come be a part of April the 23rd through the 25th. Go to powerwalkministries.org so that we can move forward together for God's glory. Look forward to seeing you. You will not be in any way disappointed at this conference.

Guest (Male): That's powerwalkministries.org. We appreciate your prayers and support. And as we close, let's remember how succinctly Pastor Cannings conveyed that we ought not to be selfish, but selfless in our passion for God in worshipping Him and also as we serve others.