Power Walk Ministries

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us for today's Power Walk Ministries broadcast as Pastor Paul Cannings brings us the final message in this series, "It Takes a Village." We give success, clout, riches, and other criteria such importance, and yet as we've seen all week in this series, God is using a fisherman to start the New Testament church and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Cannings has us recognize that it's not about us. It's all about Him. Let's listen.

Dr. Paul Cannings: Sometimes it seems as if our hard work is accomplishing nothing. We are serving God, we faithfully go to the church, we faithfully do what God has called us to do, and we faithfully serve our families, but it seems like all that we're doing is just a repetitive process that produces no results. But that's not the case. When we are serving on our spiritual gift, it's not insignificant and it's still achieving a lot that we may not see today.

It's like planting an oak tree. It may seem like it's not growing much because the oak tree focuses more on growing down than before it grows up. It knows storms will come, difficult times will take place, and the leaves may fall off, but the oak tree will last. So it doesn't really matter how insignificant what we're doing may seem; it matters that what we're doing is significant to the Kingdom of God's plan. That's what matters the most. God could turn that not only just to bless us in heaven as we discussed yesterday, he could turn that years from now and make it a productive process that blesses His kingdom work.

I would like for you to look at this right here in Acts with me today as we conclude this week's study. Right here in Acts chapter 12, verse 11 through 17, as we look, continue through Rhoda. I'm impressed with Rhoda. I'm from a country that you may call a third-world country. Guyana, South America. Guyana, South America is between Brazil and Venezuela. You may look at that from a place in terms of these massive countries like America, Canada, Russia, China, or India. These countries that have massive land space, you may say this is just a small little country that is insignificant.

But if I thought that way, I may come out, go to school, just get a job, and raise a family. But God did something different in my life. You may be from Baltimore, Maryland. Who would have thought that this person born to a person who took care of loads coming off a ship, a shipyard man, who would fish to feed his family because he didn't have a load to unload that day, that would develop a Tony Evans? So you never know what God can do with this situation that is insignificant that God can use.

Who would think this Peter, that people looked at him and said, "You're just unlearned man teaching. Who do you think you are to be a person who writes three books in the Bible?" Who would say that this person would lead at Pentecost and get the New Testament church started? Who would think that? He was a fisherman, a cursing one at that. He found these people that in their structure are insignificant and used them to bring us the gospel. And that's what you see taking place here. Look at this in verse 14.

And when she knew Peter's voice, when she understood it's him, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran. The word gladness here means she's possessed with it. It means she just lost her mind and she ran in and she told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, "Thou art mad. You've lost your mind." In other words, you are so out of your mind right now sitting at that gate. You've seen something. You are literally wishing for this to happen so bad that you're actually believing you're seeing Peter when you're not seeing Peter. You've lost yourself.

Now, these are people that are praying for Peter and this little girl, Rhoda, she's at this gate and she's coming in. She's bringing a message that is just not supposed to be taken seriously because, number one, she's a slave girl and she may have just been out there too long. Now, look at this carefully. But she constantly affirmed. She's not backing down. They're repeatedly telling her, "You're out of your mind," and she's repeatedly responding to what they're saying. It is a constant going back and forth and she is insisting, meaning she is relentlessly saying that this is taking place.

She's relentless while she's possessed with gladness. So you could imagine the pitch of her voice compared to this significant woman named Mary who's telling her she lost her mind. "You don't know what you're saying." And she's telling her "No." And she's a slave girl; she doesn't have much rights to this woman, Mary. And she doesn't care. She is going to report something here that is significant to the development of the church and she's excited about it. Look at what takes place. And when she constantly confirmed that it was even so, then they said, "It's got to be his angel."

Why? Because they believed that the angel would represent a person when they died. So they literally at this point thinking Peter is dead because Herod is brutal. He's just evil. So he just killed people. In the midst of this, they're looking at her and they're thinking Peter is dead. That's what they mean by "It's an angel." So they're not praying necessarily with a whole lot of hope and expectation that God is going to bring Peter out, even though this is what they're supposed to do and they're faithfully doing what God asked them to do, but there's no expectation it's going to happen.

It's like people who do their devotions because it's time to do their devotions. Not necessarily planning to learn what God is teaching them in that text and go about doing it that day. It's just, "This is what I do to keep the devil away." Go to church because God told me to. I'm the leader of the choir, so I lead the choir. I'm supposed to preach, so this is what I do. It's not with a heart, a compelling heart, that you see the contrast between Rhoda who's possessed with gladness because she believed what she saw and she's excited because she's expecting God to do what they're praying about.

I don't even know if Rhoda was at that gate praying and just believing God while they were inside praying. But this is how beautiful this is taking place in this text with this young lady, Rhoda, while they are thinking he's dead. Watch the contrast. Keep that contrast in your mind because that is the contrast that should put us on the side of Rhoda today, not the contrast that put us on the side of those who are praying out of commitment to God but with no expectation. Let me put it to you this way.

I don't go to God in devotions just doing devotions. I go to God about the issues that are facing me or the issues I'm going through. Why? Because that is what He's telling me is my classroom. In James chapter 1, verse 2 through verse 4, he is teaching me that my trials I must count them joy. Why? Because in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 7 through verse 12, he's going to tell me that He only disciplines those whom He loves. So the fact that God is putting me through trials is because He's saying, "I love you and I want the best out of you."

It's like my son came home complaining about his football practice and saying, "Why is the coach always picking on me?" I said, "Because the coach expects a lot out of you and he sees a lot of ability and talent in you." And sure enough, the coach walks up to him and says, "I believe you could be a great player. You just have to pay attention and get these things done." So he puts him through a lot because he expected much out of him and expected him to be great.

God sees the potential. Why? He lives inside of us. Our body is His temple. He brought us spiritual gifts. He sees the rewards He has for us in heaven. He knows He's set them aside just for us. He wants us to achieve that. And when we achieve that, His kingdom purpose is going to continue to move forward because we are doing it based on what He has placed in us to get done. So when we are going through these trials, that is the classroom.

In other words, the test that I face, He's giving me the information to pass the test and He's expecting me to pass it because He lives inside of me. The Holy Spirit illuminates, He guides me into truth, He reminds me of the Word of God, He intercedes for me when my heart is at the point of groaning. This is the Holy Spirit, so why in the world would I flunk the test? So I just need to learn the race to run, the road to take, and move forward productively for the glory of God. How do I do that?

So my devotions, my time with God, is attached to that. What issues am I facing? What situations do I need to work through? What is God trying to guide me to? Okay, now that becomes my prayer life, that becomes my study time. So when we come to this, please remember that that is the contrast that should cause us to be on the side of Rhoda, not on the side of those who prayed with little expectations. Now, watch what takes place here. Peter continues knocking because he's left at the gate. And when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Why are you going to be astonished? You've been praying all night. They were astonished because they were saying that's an angel, he's dead. So that's why many times our life becomes more stressful, more difficult, not because God is not working, not because God is not going to get what He plans to do through us accomplished, it's that we are not expecting it. We're not looking for it. So therefore, we don't provide that kind of energy, that kind of resourcefulness, when we come to what God is saying we need to do.

They're astonished, but Peter goes on to beckon them. So Peter is beckoning them. He doesn't want to make too much noise and wake up anybody. He's beckoning them because here it is: the village. The village is making this happen. And Peter knows that that village is important to this process for God's kingdom purposes to be achieved. Why do we need this story in the book of Acts? Peter went to jail, he got out of jail, he's now going on to serve God in other places. So what is the big deal in the book of Acts to put something like this?

He's telling the story because this is the progression of the gospel. He talked about it in chapter 1, verse 8. Go through Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. He went to Judea; now it's time to go to Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world. What he said in chapter 1, verse 8 is now working itself out in chapter 12. And now the gospel is going to continue to spread and it's going to pick up with Paul by the time you get to chapter 15, because he's already touched Paul in chapter 9.

He's already told Paul to go to the rest of the world. So Peter now becomes a forerunner for where Paul is going to go. When the time comes in Acts chapter 15 and the big discussion is going to take place with Paul going to the Gentiles and they now have to sit down there with the apostles and the elders and James, the pastor of the church of Jerusalem, to figure out how this is going to happen, it shows us the progression of the gospel of God through the scriptures.

So we could sit here today as a result of the difficulties they went through to get it done, we can read so that we can now become committed that no matter what we are facing, God can take the worst scenarios and make them great if we stay faithful in doing what He says. Peter says, "Tell James," who is the pastor, "what's going on." So that when they start spreading all this misinformation about me, they will know what took place. And I've got to go on.

Peter left. The people in the church now are encouraged. Peter is not dead by this horrible person, Herod. So God lets him die. That's how powerful the movement of God is when we just stay faithful. It doesn't matter how insignificant we may feel we are a part of a process. It may be just a simple situation where a person is doing this or that that you may never know about. But when you get to heaven, you will know them. So it doesn't matter how insignificant it may seem. It matters that you stay faithful and let God use you the way He designed you based on the spiritual gift He's provided you. Stay focused.

Guest (Male): Being a slave girl, Rhoda may have felt insignificant, but we find her listed in scripture as one who is overcome with gladness to see the power of God in answers to their prayers. Pastor Cannings reminds us that it's truly all about God.

Dr. Paul Cannings: I am so excited about April 23rd through the 25th because it is a conference with lots of notes, great teachers, well-educated, well-prepared. Do what they're teaching in their churches. You cannot miss this conference. Come April 23rd through the 25th at Living Word Fellowship Church. Come and be blessed. The conference is the way forward. How could we be productive despite the challenges ministries can experience? You go to powerwalkministries.org and you will get all the information you need. Powerwalkministries.org. Look forward to seeing you.

Guest (Male): That's powerwalkministries.org. Or call us at 281-260-7402. We appreciate your prayer support and financial contributions. You can write Power Walk Ministries at PO Box 920517, Houston, Texas 77092.

We'd love to hear from you. And if you live in the Houston area or you're planning a visit, please join Reverend Cannings at Living Word Fellowship Church this Sunday. For church location and service times, visit lwfellowshipchurch.org. And as we leave you, remember, Paul wrote the epistles from prison facing dangers and difficulties. Irrespective of the trials we face, we too can keep our focus on fulfilling God's purposes for our lives.