SERIES: The Book of Acts

TEXT: Acts 16:11-15

MESSAGE: “More In Life”

————————————–

“The résumé virtues are the ones you put on your résumé, which are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that get mentioned in the eulogy, which are deeper: who are you, in your depth, what is the nature of your relationships, are you bold, loving, dependable, consistency? And most of us…would say that the eulogy virtues are the more important of the virtues. But…are they the ones that I think about the most? And the answer is no.” — David Brooks

Is there more to life than résumé virtues?

TEXT: Acts 16:11-15

“Lydia was most certainly wealthy, for purple goods were expensive, often associated with royalty, and the business was profitable…she was an entrepreneur setting up business in Philippi. But despite her professional success, she was still searching for more.” — Tony Merida

Q: How does God transform Lydia’s life? It’s through experiencing…(1. A Deeper Need 2. A Divine Moment 3. A Distinct Purpose)

        1. A Deeper Need (v. 13-14a)

“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God.”

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy…The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty — it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.” ― Mother Teresa

         2. A Divine Moment (v. 14b)

“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” — Philippians 4:19

“The gospel is preached in the ears of all; it only comes with power to some. The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher; otherwise men would be converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning; otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach till our tongues rotted, till we should exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless there were mysterious power going with it – the Holy Ghost changing the will of man…We might as well preach to stone walls as to preach to humanity unless the Holy Ghost be with the Word, to give it power to convert the soul.” – C.H. Spurgeon

           3. A Distinct Purpose (v. 15)

“And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.”

“Convinced of the truth of the Christian gospel and believing that it was for everyone, she bore witness to her entire household and with her, they were all baptized. The apostles stayed on with her for several weeks, instructing her and her household in what she needed as a new follower of Jesus. There in her large house she began the first Christian church on Greek soil, welcoming other new believers into the fellowship of faith.”  — Theology of Work Project

TAKEAWAYS: What does living for more in life look like?

• Asking God for a new heart

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” — Ezekiel 36:26

• Seeking God’s definition of me

“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto.” – A.W. Tozer

• Surrendering everything to God

“The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become – the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. The tenor of our lives becomes one of humble and joyful thanksgiving. Awareness of our poverty and ineptitude causes us to rejoice in the gift of being called out of darkness into wondrous light and translated into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.” ― Brennan Manning

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” — 2 Corinthians 8:9