Mas Semana 5: La Que Nadie Quería | Pastor John Cruz | Northplace Church Español

Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Me siento honrado, privilegiado y realmente es un regalo de Dios poder llegar hasta ti, poder llegar hasta ustedes, ahí donde estás, con el mensaje de esperanza, un mensaje del evangelio, un mensaje transformador, dejándote saber que Dios es un Dios que te ama, el Dios en el que yo confío tiene planes para ti de transformarte y demostrarte un propósito que tiene para tu vida. Quiero que sepas que eres parte de nuestra familia espiritual y que estamos orgullosos de que hoy te hayas conectado a nosotros. Regreso al final de la programación para darte información importante. Gracias por conectarte con nosotros hoy. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Saludos, mi nombre es John Cruz y soy el pastor de North Place en Español aquí en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth y durante los últimos 25 años he tenido la oportunidad de pastorear un grupo de personas increíbles en distintos campuses, distintas localizaciones y hoy ustedes son una de esas localizaciones. Thank you Lord, you are good and you are faithful. How many have come to the Lord's house with a grateful heart? I am grateful that we are here once again as a family and that we have the opportunity to unite our voices and to exalt the name of Jesus, to unite our voice to heaven and to say, Lord, you are worthy and you are holy. So we invite you to exalt the name of the Lord with us. Lord, you are worthy. Lord, you are worthy. We want to give you all our worship. May the song of our heart be pleasing to you, Lord. You are worthy, worthy. Be exalted in this place, Lord. All glory and majesty. You reign with authority. In justice and in power. Be exalted. Los ancianos y ángeles Se inclinan ante tus pies

Se postrará a orar Sus coronas rendirán Puedes levantar tu voz conmigo y decir, digno eres, Señor. Digno eres, digno eres Con todo lo que soy A ti me rindo Dios Santo eres, santo eres Unidos con el cielo Canta la creación Los ancianos y ángeles Se inclinan ante tus pies Se postrará a orar Sus coronas rendirán Cantamos y no Digno eres, digno eres Con todo lo que soy A ti me rindo Dios Santo eres, santo eres Unidos con el cielo Canta la creación Digno eres, digno eres Con todo lo que soy A ti me rindo Dios Santo eres, santo eres Unidos con el cielo Canta la creación Canta la creación Unimos nuestros al cielo Cantamos santo, santo eres tú, Señor Tú eres digno

Que el canto que doy Te agrade, Señor Que cada respirar Te dé gloria y honor Digno eres, Señor De mi adoración Por siempre y siempre, Amén Que el canto que doy Te agrade, Señor Que cada respirar Te dé gloria y honor ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Y crecerá en su presencia estaré ♪ ♪ Y cara a cara le veré ♪ Hallelujah! Vamos, declarando con fe. Esa es nuestra esperanza. Que un día estaremos con él y vamos a adorarle por toda la eternidad. ¿Y cómo dice? ♪ Y cara a cara le veré ♪ Hallelujah! ♪ Adoraré al Señor mi Dios ♪ ♪ Mi Dios, tu nombre yo proclamaré ♪ ♪ Eternamente te cantaré, Señor, Señor mi Dios ♪ ♪ Alabaré al Señor mi Dios, tu nombre yo proclamaré ♪ ♪ Señor, tu nombre yo proclamaré ♪ ♪ Eternamente te cantaré, Señor, Señor mi Dios ♪ ♪ Señor, Señor mi Dios ♪ Presencia, 250 años de libertad.

Libertad, no hay ninguna nación perfecta, ni la suya, ni la mía, ni esta. Pero hay naciones grandes y hay naciones generosas y hay naciones que han hecho posible que el Evangelio se transmita a otras partes del mundo conocido. Y eso es Estados Unidos, es un gran país. 52 millones de emigrantes son residentes de este país. No a la perfección como quisiéramos, pero 52 millones. De hecho, es el país que acepta la mayor cantidad de emigrantes en todo el mundo, aún con políticas corrientes y todas las cosas que escuchamos. Así que yo vivo agradecido de las libertades, he tenido amistades que han crecido en países donde no disfrutaron de esas libertades. Libertad de culto, libertad de expresión, libertad de ir y venir. Aunque todavía sé que hay muchos que no disfrutan de esa libertad plena. Pero quiero orar por este país, por lo que Dios ha hecho. Fue un país basado en la palabra de Dios, centrado en el deseo de llevar el Evangelio. Y mi deseo es que continúe creciendo en esa área. Y como iglesia, quiero que nos unamos hoy a orar por este país. Y era una de las cosas que quería hacer, es una de las cosas que más me gusta hacer con ustedes los domingos cuando nos reunimos,

y es orar. Orar, la semana pasada estuvimos orando por Venezuela, seguimos orando por Venezuela, y que Dios siga haciendo milagros. Todavía esperamos con expectativa, noticias de muchas, muchas personas que todavía no hemos escuchado de ella, y oramos por esas familias que han perdido seres queridos. Pero hoy, hoy por hoy, quiero que nos pongamos de pie y oremos por Estados Unidos. Dentro de su imperfección, dentro de sus retos, formamos parte de este país tú y yo. Y Dios nos dice en Isaías, que oremos por el bienestar del país donde estamos, que oremos por el florecimiento de la ciudad donde estamos, porque si la ciudad florece, nosotros florecemos, si el estado florece, nosotros florecemos. Y oremos para que venga un avivamiento a este país que impacte el mundo completo, que impacte Latinoamérica. Habemos una gran cantidad de latinoamericanos aquí, pero no solamente aquí, hay muchos más que no van a ninguna iglesia, no creen en nada. Pero si Dios toca y transforma sus corazones, imagínate lo que puede pasar en Latinoamérica. Así que es importante que oremos por el bienestar de este país. Señor, unimos nuestra voz, nuestra oración como iglesia, y venimos delante de Ti, oh Dios, dándote gracias por las libertades

que disfrutamos en este país. Dentro de la grandeza de este país, dentro de los logros, los alcances y las libertades que disfrutamos, sabemos que hay retos políticos, económicos, sociales, de políticas que afectan sobre todo nuestra gente, los emigrantes. Te pido que tú toques el corazón de los líderes, que tú los dirijas con sabiduría, que tú llenes este país de tu paz. Presencia, lo declaramos como una nación cristiana, como una nación creyente, como una nación que fue basada y en la cual las cimientos todavía pueden producir resultados. Sabemos que muchos han tornado su rostro fuera del tuyo y no hacia ti. Pero hoy oramos por un avivamiento. Hoy oramos por ciudades transformadas. Hoy oramos por líderes que se levantan proclamando el Evangelio y el poder de ese Evangelio en vidas transformadas. Bendice a los Estados Unidos de América, dirige el futuro y el destino de este país y toma las riendas de este país, de sus líderes y de los que están en posición de autoridad. Bendice la economía, bendice esta gente, bendice su pueblo. En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amen y amen. Talia con nosotros hoy.

Aquí en este servicio bautizamos tres, pero está Talia con nosotros hoy. Y Talia es parte, es interesante porque Talia es parte de nuestra familia en línea. Y quería celebrar eso porque esas cámaras que tú ves ahí no son simplemente cámaras, son misioneros. No solamente llegan a México, llegan a Colombia, llegan a Puerto Rico, Venezuela, llegan a Costa Rica. Estos son algunos de los países que sabemos que gente está conectada con nosotros en Argentina, en El Salvador, en Guatemala. Hay una gran cantidad de personas que se conectan con nosotros en línea y eso lo hace posible la generosidad de la gente de North Place. No solamente en el mundo libre, sino también en las prisiones. A través de Pando se graban los servicios y van a cientos y cientos y cientos de hispanoparlantes que están en prisión hoy aquí en Estados Unidos. Así que quería celebrar la vida de Talia. Quería celebrar y darle las gracias a nuestros voluntarios por su tiempo, a nuestro equipo de trabajo que domingo tras domingo ni sabemos que están ahí, pero son los que hacen posible que cientos de personas se puedan conectar con nosotros en línea. Así que quiero celebrar eso. Y todo, todo eso es posible por tu generosidad. Así que gracias North Place por la forma en que das.

Las formas de dar están en pantalla, lo puedes hacer en persona. Los receptáculos están entre las puertas o los puedes hacer a través de nuestras plataformas digitales. Si deseas enviar una contribución a Venezuela, lo estamos haciendo a través de Caravana de Esperanza y simplemente le anotas Venezuela en el sobre y lo depositas y eso va 100% dedicado a la causa de Venezuela y se une a nuestros fondos. Así que gracias por la forma en que dan, gracias por la forma en que sirven, gracias por la forma en que oran y gracias por ser parte de esta familia espiritual. Talía estuvo viendo en línea por más de un año, ¿verdad? Y venía de vacaciones acá y supo que había bautismo y se bautizó aquí el domingo, el Día de los Padres. Así que Dios es bueno. Dios tiene un plan para tu vida y es uno de bendición y es uno de prosperidad. Otra cosa que quería celebrar contigo fue enviaron un correo esta semana relacionado a la serie que hemos estado manejando durante las últimas seis semanas y era la serie de Mas. Idmar García Vázquez me envió este correo y me dijo quería agradecerle por haber ustedes sido dirigidos por el Espíritu Santo en esta serie de Mas. Siento que fue una que era necesaria y para el tiempo correcto. Personalmente, sé que es una serie que marcó mi vida

y el primer mensaje me tocó de tal manera que nunca lo olvidaré. Cuando llegué a mi casa ese primer domingo que empezó la serie, el Señor me dio una imagen que quería dibujar para enseñarme lo que estaba pasando en mí internamente. Quería compartirlo contigo. Esta es mi rendición de entregando las vasijas de nuestras vidas. Si miras bien, cada una está titulada con los diferentes tipos de vasija que mencionó en su mensaje y la que estoy sosteniendo, la que sostiene la muchacha en la imagen es la vasija de la vida que está siendo llenada de él. Espero que esto le ministre como me ministró a mí. Un abrazo, Itmar García Vázquez. Itmar García es una joven. that grew up here as part of the Ministry of Youth, of the Ministry of Adolescents, the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Adult Youth. And today she is a pastor of Alabanza in the city of Houston. She had had an accident, she was here for a few days, but she says, that time, although it was complicated and difficult, God used it to bring health to my heart, to my life, and the series marked me. And I wanted to share it with you because technically we finished the series last Sunday,

but one of the things that motivated me to give her one more week, this is going to be like the bonus, this is going to be like the extra, right? The appendix. Because one of the vases that she puts here was the vase of emotions. It was the vase of health, it was the vase of relationships, and it is how to give and deliver those vases to God so that we can empty them of what we have already filled through our pain and our experience, and He fills it, transforms it, and brings health to our lives. So today we are going to have an extended conversation of the series, so this is the bonus. And I have titled today's talk, The One No One Wanted. The One No One Wanted, or Dancing with the Ugliest. I don't know, it had like three titles, and I think that Dancing with the Ugliest is more culturally fitting. This weekend, especially as a nation, we just prayed for the United States, we celebrated 250 years of the foundation of this country, and it is right to give thanks to God for the freedoms we enjoy. Many of us know what it means to live in countries and in contexts, or to come from families or from stories

where freedom has not always been given by sitting. The interesting thing is that the Bible always takes us to something deeper, because a person can live in a free country like this and still be a slave inside. A slave to approval, a slave to fear, a slave to comparison, or a slave to the question, am I worth it? Do others see me? Am I enough? And what Genesis 29 teaches us is precisely taking us to that place. It is a story that is not very sentimental, although it talks about marriage. In fact, when the Bible talks about marriage, it never talks about something sentimental. This story is brutally honest, and it shows us that by being single, life can be difficult, but also by being married, life can also be difficult. It shows us that the family can be a place of blessing, but the family can also be a place where deep wounds open up that mark us for the rest of our lives. This story shows us that human love can be beautiful, but it was never designed to carry the weight of our salvation. And in this story, four people appear, or four important characters,

Jacob, Laban, Raquel, and Leah. Four people in this story. Jacob, the first, comes from a family chosen by grace, but profoundly marked by dysfunction. A family with a profound call for transformation in the world, but a family marked by favoritism, deception, and wounds. Jacob's grandfather was called Abraham, and he received a promise, a great promise. He said, God, through your descendants, I will bless all the families of the earth. And that family was going to have a line, a seed, a promise that eventually the Messiah would come. But you know that having a promise doesn't mean not having wounds. I'll leave it there. Jacob's father favored Esau, who were twin brothers. One was born a few minutes before the other. The mother favored the other brother, so the father had a favorite, and the mother had a favorite, and Jacob was the favorite of his mother. Jacob deceives his father, steals the blessing from his brother, and now walks the life of a vagabond, fleeing without land, without security, and without knowing the direction or the future that life had in store for him. So he arrives at the house of an uncle he had, who didn't do very well either,

but in Genesis 29, verses 14 and 15, we find the story of that story. Jacob stayed with Laban for about a month, and then Laban said to him, you shouldn't work for me without getting paid just because we're relatives, just because you're my nephew. Tell me how much your salary should be. In other words, Jacob works for his uncle for four weeks, for a full month, and the uncle looks him in the eye and says, this is a good administrator. This is a good manager. He knows how to work with sheep, with goats, with people, and he can help me expand my business. What do I do to retain him? Laban was a businessman, he was a businessman, he was a farmer, and he wanted to expand his business. How do I retain him? So, he said, what is your salary? Give me your price. And he said, Raquel. Verse 16, 17, it says, Laban had two daughters, and the oldest was called Leah, and the youngest was called Raquel. There was no shine in Leah's eyes. That's what I mean, she was ugly with desire. There was no shine in Leah's eyes, but Raquel had a beautiful figure and a pretty face. You can read from Raquel's description how ugly Leah was.

Raquel was the desired one, and Leah was the one they tolerated. Raquel was the daughter that opened doors because she was attracted to a general manager and a CEO for the company, and a new farmer, and Leah was the daughter that the father didn't even know who he was going to marry, how ugly she was. Jacob, obviously, falls in love, who do you think? Of Raquel, of course, can you imagine? And he says to Laban, in verse 18, Jacob was in love with her, and he says to her, I will work for you for seven years if you give me as a wife to Raquel, your youngest daughter. Imagine, seven years, but the interesting thing is what he says after. Jacob worked for seven years to get Raquel, period and coma, but his love for her was so strong that it seemed like a few days. The wives are saying how romantic, right? And the husbands don't say how much you would work, right? That sounds romantic, but it reveals something tragic and dangerous. Jacob not only wanted Raquel, Jacob needed Raquel, and that's where the initial key of this conversation is. In his mind, Raquel was more than his wife. For him, Raquel was the holy remedy. After a complicated, difficult life, chased by vagabonds, he said, this is my solution. No one else has done that in their life, right? Raquel was the sign that after so much pain, something was finally going to work out for him.

So Raquel was more than a wife, but this is the thing, we all have a Raquel. We all have a Raquel. When I get married, I'll be fine. For others, it's success. For others, it's a job. For others, it's the papers. When I get to the position, when I get to the seat, then I'm going to rest. For others, it's having children. For others, it's the family, or the reputation, or even the ministry. Raquel is everything that you promise to your soul, if you have me, you'll finally be happy. If you have me, you'll finally feel fulfilled and complete. So Jacob works for seven years. He gets to the wedding night, and there's a party, there's a celebration, there's wine, there's music, there's joy. They gave him all of that. The van threw the doors out the window. Then the bride comes in, covered in darkness, with a veil. Jacob believes that finally he has what his heart had been yearning for and wishing for for seven years. But verse 21 says, finally the time has come to marry her. I have fulfilled my part of the agreement, said Jacob to the van. Now give me my wife to sleep with her.

But here the story takes an unexpected turn. If you don't know the story, it takes an unusual turn. Here's one of the most devastating phrases in all of history. The next morning, in parentheses after the drunkenness, the next morning when he woke up, he opened his eyes, he took off his clothes, he saw that it was Leah. Are you seeing the story with me? That story is incredible, that phrase, the next morning, when Jacob woke up, he saw that it was Leah. In the morning it wasn't Raquel, it was Leah. I titled that part, The Great Disappointment. But that phrase, not only in the story. Jacob, esa frase es una representación en miniatura de tu vida y de mi vida. A la mañana siguiente, abrió los ojos y se dio cuenta que era Lea. Es la vida y la realidad de todos nosotros en un mundo caído siempre y cuando ponemos nuestra expectativa en la educación, en los hijos, en la pareja, en la carrera, en el partido. Hoy van a ganar, pero mañana no se sabe lo que pase. Todos en algún momento despertamos y descubrimos que aquellos que nosotros pensábamos que sería Raquel, terminó siendo Lea. Pensaste que ese trabajo te iba a llenar, pero no fue suficiente. Pensaste que esa relación te iba a sanar y por hermosa que fue, por un tiempo no pudo cargar con el peso de tu alma. Pensaste que esa casa, que ese logro, que esa etapa, que ese cambio, que esa mudanza era la oportunidad que finalmente te iba a dar descanso. Pero una mañana despertaste y dijiste esto no es lo que yo pensé que sería. Esto no es lo que yo pensé. Todos hemos despertado alguna mañana diciendo esto no era lo que pensé, pero la historia no termina ahí. Y este pasaje es bien interesante porque te da tres malas noticias y tres buenas noticias. Tres malas noticias y tres buenas noticias. Te las voy a dar rápido y de aquí a que empiece el partido vamos a estar en la casa. La primera mala noticia, el

pecado no es sólo algo que tú haces, el pecado es algo que te hace a ti. Jacob había sido que un engañador, un usurpador y ahora que le ocurre a él. Jacob engañó y ahora es engañado. Esto no es karma, esto es formación, lo que el pecado hace en ti. Jacob había usado la oscuridad, la ropa, la ceguera de su padre para hacerse pasar por su hermano Esaú. Ahora la vanusa, la oscuridad, el velo, la ropa y la fiesta para darle a Lea el lugar de Raquel. De nuevo esto no es karma, esto es formación, diga formación, formación. El pecado te forma, el pecado no es algo que tú haces nada más, el pecado te hace a ti. ¿Están conmigo? El pecado siempre regresa, no necesariamente de la misma manera pero sí con la misma semilla. Ya te la dejo ahí para que se asiente. Proverbios 22 8 El que siembra maldad cosecha desgracias. Santiago 1 15 Cuando el deseo ha concebido engendra el pecado y el pecado una vez ha sido consumado da luz la muerte. El pecado siempre produce fruto. La mentira produce mentira. ¿Usted me está escuchando? La manipulación produce manipulación. El favoritismo produce favoritismo. La herida no sanada se convierte en herida repetida. A veces pensamos yo solo dije una mentira por hoy, una. La mentira empieza a formar una persona mentirosa, una persona falsa. No, yo solo manipulé una situación. No, la manipulación empieza a formar un corazón controlador. Tú nunca simplemente cometes pecado, el pecado también te comete a ti. Te moldea, te reduce y te esclaviza. Pero Jesús vino no simplemente para perdonar eventos aislados, Él vino para romper poderes, para libertar cautivos y para hacer nuevas criaturas. Por eso Él no dice yo vine solo a perdonarte, Él vino a restaurarte y a transformarte. Esta es la primera mala noticia. Tengo tres, tengo tres. La segunda que aprendemos de esta historia es toda vida en este mundo está marcada por una decepción profunda. Toda vida está marcada por una decepción profunda. No porque todo sea malo, hay cosas buenas, el matrimonio es bueno, los hijos son buenos, la familia es bueno, el trabajo es bueno, el ministerio es bueno, la amistad es buena, la libertad de una nación es buena, pero nada creado puede ocupar el lugar del creador. El problema no es amar las cosas buenas, el problema es pedirle a las cosas buenas que sean Dios. El problema es cuando las cosas buenas se convierten en mi satisfacción, en lo que me llena. Jacob mira a Raquel y que piensa. Si la tengo, mi vida va a tener sentido. Si la tengo, puedo ver esta película de mi futuro, de mi familia, de mis hijos, de mi herencia, de mi descendencia, de mi empresa, de la agricultura. Él empieza a hacerse una película y a poner su fe

en su matrimonio, en una mujer. Lea por otro lado, ella mira a sus hijos y piensa, si tengo hijos, mi esposo me va a amar. Si le doy hijos, me va a amar porque le va a ayudar a crecer a la empresa, a crecer el negocio. Una sociedad agraria, mientras más hijos, más grande era tu empresa, más fuerte era el clan, más fuerte era la familia. Entonces, sigamos con la historia porque esto está a punto de ponerse como novela del mediodía. Escucha esto. Lea tiene su primer hijo y lo llama Rubén. Rubén tiene que ver con vista y con ver. Ella dice, el Señor se ha dado cuenta de mi sufrimiento. Hay otras traducciones al castellano que dicen, el Señor ha visto mi sufrimiento y ahora mi esposo me va a amar. Se va viendo por donde va la cosa aquí. Al poco tiempo tiene un segundo hijo y a este le llama Simeón. Simeón tiene que ver con la palabra y el significado oír y escuchar. Y mira lo que dice el verso 33. El Señor oyó que yo no era amada y me ha dado otro hijo. En otras palabras, ahora sí me va a escuchar. Y tiene un tercer hijo, tiene un tercer hijo y este se llama Levi, que significa unir o apegar. Y en el verso 34 dice, esta vez, ya vamos por el tercero, esta vez sí,

mi esposo sentirá amor, cariño por mí, ya que le he dado tres hijos. Verso 34. En otras palabras, ahora sí se va a quedar conmigo. Tú puedes escuchar el dolor de Lea en su corazón. Tú puedes escuchar el dolor de Lea. Ahora sí me verá. Ahora sí me va a escuchar. Ahora sí se va a quedar conmigo. Ahora sí me va a amar. Verso por verso, por verso, por verso. Ella había puesto su fe en sus hijos. Lea no solo quiere hijos, Lea quiere amor. Lea no solo quiere hijos, ella quiere ser amada. Ella quiere ser escogida. Ella quiere sentirse perseguida. Ella quiere sentirse suficiente. Ella quiere sentir que quiere dejar de vivir debajo de la sombra de Raquel. Pero ¿sabes qué? Nada de eso ocurre. Nada. Ni el primer hijo, ni el segundo hijo, ni el tercer hijo, ni el tercero. Ninguno de sus hijos, y ya va por el tercero, cumple con la promesa de sentirse deseada, vista, amada, escuchada y unida. Y aquí está la tercera mala noticia. Te dije que ya tenía tres. No se me depriman, ya después vamos a la buena noticia.

Los ídolos más peligrosos no siempre son cosas malas. Los hijos no son cosas malas hasta que los ponemos en el lugar de Dios. Y te van a decepcionar y por eso nos volvemos locos, se nos cae el mundo, nos sentimos decepcionados por nuestros hijos porque de alguna manera ocuparon el lugar de salvación de Dios. Los ídolos más peligrosos no siempre son cosas malas, muchas veces son cosas buenas convertidas en lo absoluto. Hay ídolos buenos, pero hay ídolos de placer, de dinero, de poder, de sexualidad, pero también hay ídolos de la familia perfecta, de los hijos perfectos, del matrimonio perfecto, de la reputación perfecta. Hay gente que todo le afecta si usted le dice cualquier cosa, su reputación es su ídolo. El ministerio perfecto. ¿Y saben lo triste de eso? Que esos son los ídolos más difíciles de identificar porque en sí mismos son cosas buenas. Son los más difíciles de detectar porque se miran respetables, se miran honorables. Qué buen padre, qué buen esposo, qué buen líder. Pero una persona puede destruir su alma no sólo con vicios escandalosos, sino con deseos aparentemente nobles que tomaron el lugar de Dios. Tú puedes idolatrar hasta el matrimonio antes de tenerlo y después de tenerlo.

Tú puedes idolatrar a tus hijos y a tus hijos. While you tell them that you love them, but you idolize them, you control them, you manipulate them, you direct them, and they hurt you in such an intense and profound way that you don't understand why. You can idolize the ministry while you say that you serve God. You can idolize the approval of your family while you say that you just want to honor them. The idol is anything that you say to your soul, without me, you can't be happy. Anything that you think you can't be happy without, becomes our idol. And God, in his mercy, often allows us, doesn't allow our Raquel to save us. Not because he's cruel, but because he wants to form and transform us. Those are the three bad news. Sin does this to you. We all come with a profound disappointment and even good things can take God's place. Those are three things we learn from this story. Do you want to learn the three good things now? Okay. The first one. God works with weak people. Say weak.

This culture tells you, you have to be strong. This culture tells you, give it your all. This culture tells you, pretend until you explode, or until, I don't know what happens to you, but be strong, be strong, be strong. Even our culture tells us, be strong, be strong. But what I'm seeing in this story is that God works with weak people. And one of the most surprising things in the whole Bible is that he doesn't present us with perfect heroes. In fact, when you look at the four characters that I just introduced you to, none of them are heroes. And when you say, what's the hero of the story? None, because the hero is called Jesus Christ. What the Bible teaches you are not heroes, they are weak people. They are scandalous people. They are people who made and committed mistakes. They are not people who conquer giants. When you focus on the fact that David overthrew the giant, you lose focus on Christ, who is the one who truly freed and gave the victory. So the story is not a book of heroes. It's not a narrative of heroes with a moral character that the Bible teaches us. It's a story full of people with weakness, with great weaknesses, which God had to send his son Jesus Christ

to descend to earth and be saved, transformed, and rescued because in his own effort, they couldn't achieve it. When you read the Bible thinking that every person is a hero, you are missing the main hero who is called Jesus Christ, the one who died, the one who was crucified, the one who died, the one who resurrected, and the only one who is in the right hand of God the Father. We've come this far. Okay, that was extra because it wasn't in the sermon. God works with weak people. Abraham doubts, Isaac favors, Jacob deceives, Laban manipulates. Do you want me to tell you more? David falls, Peter denies. It's not a manual. The Bible is not a manual of good conduct or of illustrious men and women. Religion tells you to go up, to improve, to behave, to reach, to reach the heights. The Gospel tells you that you couldn't go up and God descended to where you were. Jesus didn't come because we were strong. He came because we were what? Weak. He didn't come because we were desirable and exquisite. He came because we were lost. He didn't come because we had beauty. He came to dress us in his beauty. That's the Gospel.

God works with weak people. That's point one. Second, he doesn't just work with weak people. He works through, say through. Through weak people. Laban, we saw in the story, he wasn't a good man. He was a manipulator. He used his daughters, deceived Jacob, hurt Leah, but even through Laban, God began to confront Jacob. Jacob, what happened to him when he saw Laban? He saw himself. Laban was a deceiver. Laban was a manipulator and he tried his own medicine. He saw his own manipulation in the mirror of another manipulator. He saw what he had done when someone did it to him. When we do it, we don't realize it, but when someone does it to us, it's hard to accept. You see, sin is sin, but God is so sovereign that he redeems everything, even what others did to hurt you, listen to me well, he can use it to form you. Are you with me?

Even what others did to break you, he can use it to wake you up, to form you, to heal you. Has anyone had a lavan in their life? No? I think we all have. If it's next to you, don't raise your hand. You're going to get in trouble. When I say a lavan, what does a lavan mean? Someone who used you? Someone who manipulated you? Someone who deceived you? Someone who promised one thing and gave you another? Someone who made you feel like an instrument and not like a person? Now, don't just ask yourself, why did they do that to me? Don't just say, why was I so stupid or so stupid? The question of the gospel is also, Lord, what do you want to heal in me so that this doesn't define me? What does God want to heal in you so that this doesn't define you? God works with weak people. God works through weak people. And third, this is the last point, God comes especially to the weakest. God comes especially to the weakest. Verse 31 of chapter 29 says, When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, He granted her children.

God saw Leah before Leah realized that God was looking at her. Her father didn't see her. Jacob didn't love her. His culture didn't value her. His sister overshadowed her, but God did see her. And that changes everything. That changes everything. There are people who live with a silent wound. No one chose me. No one preferred me. No one defended me. No one saw me. No one stayed. But Genesis 29, do you know what it says? That God, the God of the Bible, approaches what others overlook. God saw Leah. And little by little, in the midst of her pain, something begins to change. In the midst of her pain, something begins to change. The first three children, who did Leah look to as her salvation? Her children and her husband. These children are my answer. If I give her children, I will find what I have been looking for all my life.

She will hear me. She will love me. And she will join me. But the fourth child arrives. None of that happened. But the fourth child arrives. And this time something different happens. Leah no longer says, now my husband. She no longer says, now Jacob. She no longer says, now you will see me. In verse 35, it says, Leah was pregnant again. And she gave birth to a fourth child, whom she called Judah. Because he said, this time I will praise the Lord. This time I will praise the Lord. That was the moment of freedom for Leah. She called his name Judah, not because her circumstances had changed, not because her husband had seen her, not because Jacob had joined her, not because Laban asked for forgiveness as a father, not because Rachel disappeared from her life, not because everything was settled in her life. She was free because she stopped asking Jacob what only God could give her. There is a different frame of reference in Leah in that verse 35.

This time I will praise the Lord. That phrase breaks chains. It broke and transformed, it broke chains in Leah's life. She said, this time I'm not going to live to be approved. This time I'm not going to live to build my identity on what someone chooses for me or doesn't choose for me. I'm not going to live my identity on what someone thinks or stops thinking. This time I'm not going to ask my children to give me value. This time I'm not going to ask the ministry that gives me identity. This time, I will not live as a slave to comparison. This time, I will praise the Lord. You are with me up to this point. That phrase is liberating. That phrase is transformative. And this is where the greatest surprise comes from that passage for me when I discovered it. How did I tell you the fourth child was called? Judah. Like you three, you remembered what I said two minutes ago. Of Judah, do you know who would come? The lineage of the Messiah. Of Judah, would come David. Of Judah, would come Jesus. Do you know who is the lion of the tribe of Judah?

Do you know who he is? His name is Jesus Christ. God did not choose Raquel for that line. God chose Leah, the woman no one wanted. She became the mother of the messianic lineage. The rejected entered the line of the story of redemption of the Messiah. The one who was not seen by men was seen by God. And here comes the gospel, right? Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus is the true son of Judah. Jesus is the descendant who comes from a story full of deception, of lies, of rejection, of comparison, of sin, and also of grace. Jesus was also rejected. He came to his people and his people did not receive him. He was despised and discarded among men. He was betrayed, denied, abandoned, condemned, and crucified. On the cross, Jesus became like Leah, rejected, despised, and not desired. Why? So that all of us who feel like Leah today can be received as loved ones. He lost his beauty to dress us with his. Jesus was rejected so that we could be accepted. Jesus was treated as unworthy

so that you and I could be called sons and daughters of God. And when you put your faith in Christ, all of that is available to you. It was not only for Leah. In fact, when you look at the original in Hebrew, she called every firstborn Elohim, a generic name of God. When you get to verse 35, she called him Yahweh. Yahweh means my God and my Savior. From a generic God to a personal God, to a Savior God, to a Transformer God. What happened to Leah was to realize, I have to take my faith away from everything else. All of that is good, all of that is good, but I have to look more for the one who blesses and who has the blessing. Maybe you look like Leah. Maybe you look like Leah, you feel like Leah, but in Christ, God sees you with the beauty of his Son, and that is what sets you free. It's not that you want to get married, it's not that you have a family, it's not that you work with excellence, it's not that you stop dreaming. No, all of that is good. It's not that you stop thanking the freedoms of this country. The difference is that as Christians, as believers, you no longer ask any of these things to be your Savior.

Do you understand the difference? This weekend, we are celebrating 250 years of independence. But the most important question is not just this. I live in a free nation. The most important question is, am I free inside? Am I free inside? Am I free from comparison? Am I free from the opinion of others? Am I free from what others say? Am I free from what my family did or didn't do? Am I free from having to continuously prove that I'm worth it? Am I free from adding something to Jesus as a requirement to be happy? Leah found freedom, and only freedom, when she said, this time, I will praise the Lord. This time, I will praise the Lord. And that must be your prayer today. She didn't say, when I have Raquel, I will praise Him. When I have Jacob and I love myself, I will praise Him. When my sister loves me, I will praise Him. When she asks me for forgiveness, I will praise Him. When I have and everything is settled, I will praise Him. No, she said, here, now, in my present, today, I will praise Him. He is the Lord my God. He is my Savior. None of these things will be my Savior. In the midst of the story, in the midst of the wound, in the midst of the betrayal, in the midst of the disappointment, in the midst of the wait, she said, Leah, this time I will praise the Lord. She had learned something. She was saying, Christ is enough. Until you and I learn that, we will continue to stumble with the same stone. We will think, no, that did not fill me, but this will fill me. Until the day we say, this time I will praise the Lord.

Because in Him you are seen. In Him you are loved. In Him you are heard. In Him you have been united to God. All those things are already in Him. And if Christ has seen me, if Christ has seen you, invisibility no longer defines you. This is the reality. If Christ has loved you, rejection no longer names you. If Christ has received you, has embraced you, comparison no longer governs you. If Christ is yours and you are His, you can love without demanding that others save you. You can serve without needing the ministry to give you identity. You can form a family without asking the family to be your God. You can celebrate freedom outside because Christ has made you free inside. So today, North Place family, North Place Wiley, listen to the invitation of the Gospel. Let go of Raquel as your Savior. Let go of Laban as your Savior. Let go of Jacob as your Savior. Let go of comparison. Let go of approval. Let go of comparison with your sister, your brother, your neighbor, your partner, your past. And take Christ. Take Christ. Because if you don't, you will continue to be hurt. Everyone will hurt you because you are still with the same filter. Because when God saw that Leah was not loved, what did He do? He came to her. And when God saw our condition, what did He do? He came to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. That is why, with all confidence, we can say, this time I will praise the Lord. This time I will praise the Lord. I invite you to stand up so that you may accompany me while I pray for you. I told you we were going to leave before the game. But tell me that it was not worth coming today. You leave with your head a little bruised, the mind and heart a little bruised. But God wants to shape us. God wants to shape us. We did not come to drink milk. No, we came to eat meat. Because there is freedom to celebrate in Christ Jesus.

The freedom that we have enjoyed in this nation, in some way or another, do you know where it came from? From the word of God. From the belief in Him. From having put Him first. And when we do not put Him first, we see the results we are seeing today. That is why we pray and we can say, this time I will praise the Lord. This time I will praise the Lord. Lord, we come before you today, thanking you. We thank you for your fidelity, for your love, for your greatness. Forgive us for all the times we have sought. In achievements, in families, in ministries, in people, in our own children, in approval. What only you can give us. Forgive us for our mistakes. For our false hopes. For our ways of manipulating, controlling or demanding love. Today we ask you to make us free. Not only free on the outside, but free on the inside. Free to love without idolizing. Free to serve without pretending. Free to forgive without denying the pain. Free to live from grace and not from comparison. Thank you, Lord. Because you see what no one else sees. Those who are here today who feel not seen, not loved, not included. Que sientan tu amor, tu gracia, tu fidelidad, tu generosidad, tu abrazo profundo y la paz de tu Espíritu Santo. Porque tú amas a los no amados. Tú amas los que no se sienten no amados. Gracias porque en Cristo no somos rechazados

sino recibidos. Gracias porque no somos invisibles sino somos conocidos por ti y cubiertos por la belleza de Jesús. Como lea, como iglesia hoy queremos decir, esta vez alabaré al Señor en el nombre de Jesús. Amén y amén. Dios te bendiga. Gracias por haber estado con nosotros hoy y por haberte mantenido durante toda la programación. Espero que el servicio de hoy haya sido de bendición para ti. Tanto la alabanza como la adoración. Espero que hayan traído esperanza, transformación y sobre todo propósito en tu vida. Nos encantaría escuchar de ti. Aquí en pantalla hay información acerca de cómo escribirnos, cómo enviarnos tus peticiones de oración y cómo dejarnos saber lo que Dios está haciendo en tu vida. Que Dios te guarde y espero verte de nuevo muy pronto.