Si es Real... Se Nota

Hallelujah! How many of you are ready to worship the King of Kings? Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at the house of the Lord. Amen! We say this... Where does my help come from? We say, my help! My help comes from you. Amen! Thank you, Lord! We say to heaven... Heaven counts your hours, because they are written for you. It is in the mercy that they all turn to you. And if I am in danger, I know that I can find you. All together we say... I will rise my eyes to the mountains, radiant as the sun, and I will follow the light of your grace, because I know that you are still God. You are still God. If you take care of everything, you know. If you take care of everything, you know. I know. I know that you take care of me. This is true, we believe it. Nothing can separate me because I depend on you. And if I am lost, I know where I can find you. All together we say... I will rise my eyes to the mountains, radiant as the sun,

and I will follow the light of your grace, because I know that you are still God. You are still God. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. If you believe, let's sing this together. Where do you come from? Where do you come from, my help? What does the church say? We say... My help comes from you. Amen. Who heals hearts broken? We say... My help comes from you. Where do you come from, my help? Where do you come from, my help? My help comes... My help comes from you. Who heals hearts broken? Who heals hearts broken? My help comes from you. Where do you come from? Where do you come from, my hope? My help comes from you. Who heals hearts broken? My help comes from you. We say... My help comes from you.

Who heals hearts broken? Who heals hearts broken? My help comes from you. And I will continue to be taken in your hand. Because I know that you are still God. You are still God. Yes, you are still God. And if I find myself lost, I can find you. Let's give a round of applause to the King of Kings. To the gentlemen, gentlemen. Thank you, Lord Jesus. How can I not be grateful to you? If the beat of our heart shouts your name. Thank you, Lord. Here are our lives. Our hands to adore you. Our heart. Come on. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ No hay nadie, no hay nadie sólo tu Cristo ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ No hay nadie, no hay nadie sólo tu Cristo ♪♪ -♪♪ Dios infinito, eres eterno ♪♪ -♪♪ Mas escogiste habitar en mi interior ♪♪ -♪♪ Sanaste mi olor, tu gloria y mi sol ♪♪ -♪♪ Con gratitud yo cantaré en adoración ♪♪

-♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ No hay nadie, no hay nadie sólo tu Cristo ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ No hay nadie, no hay nadie sólo tu Cristo ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... no hay nadie sólo tu Cristo ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... ♪♪ -♪♪ Y quién mas asignó... no hay nadie sólo tu Cristo ♪♪ -♪♪ Correrá, un giro reinará, ¿Quién fue, quién es y quién vendrá? ♪♪ Sentado en el trono está, Santo, Santo ♪♪ ♪♪ Y si en lo justo se entregó, cuán grande amor nos demostró ♪♪ ♪♪ Exaltado en la Jesa, Santo, Santo ♪♪ -♪♪ Correrá, un giro reinará, ¿Quién fue, quién es y quién vendrá? ♪♪ Sentado en el trono está, Santo, Santo ♪♪ ♪♪ Y si en lo justo se entregó, cuán grande amor nos demostró ♪♪ ♪♪ Exaltado en la Jesa, Santo, Santo ♪♪ -♪♪ Correrá, un giro reinará, ¿Quién fue, quién es y quién vendrá? ♪♪ ♪♪ Sentado en el trono está, Santo, Santo ♪♪ ♪♪ Y si en lo justo se entregó, cuán grande amor nos demostró ♪♪ ♪♪ Exaltado en la Jesa, Santo, Santo ♪♪ ♪♪ ¿Y quién más ensignó? ¿Quién más ensignó? ♪♪ ♪♪ No hay nadie, solo propiso, ¿Y quién más ensignó? ¿Quién más ensignó? ♪♪ ♪♪ No hay nadie, solo propiso, No hay nadie, solo propiso, No hay nadie, solo propiso, ¿Y quién más ensignó? ¿Quién más ensignó? ♪♪ ♪♪ No hay nadie, solo propiso, ¿Y quién más ensignó? ¿Quién más ensignó? ♪♪ ♪♪ No hay nadie, solo propiso. No hay nadie más. No hay nadie más. Vamos, abre tus labios y dile, no hay nadie más. Come and take your place, Lord Come and take your place, Lord Cordero y Gilo reinarán ¿Quién fue? ¿Quién es? ¿Y quién vendrá? Sentado en el trono está Santo, Santo

Se lo justo se creó Un gran amor nos demostró Exaltado en majestad Santo, Santo Cordero y Gilo reinarán ¿Quién fue? ¿Quién es? ¿Y quién vendrá? Sentado en el trono está Santo, Santo Se lo justo se creó Un gran amor nos demostró Exaltado en majestad ¿Y quién lo asesinó? ¿Quién lo asesinó? No hay nadie, solo tu Cristo ¿Y quién lo asesinó? ¿Quién lo asesinó? No hay nadie, solo tu Cristo No hay nadie, solo tu Cristo El Salmo 100, versículo 4, dice Entren por sus puertas con acción de gracias Vayan a sus atrios con alabanza Denle gracias y alaben su nombre Esta próxima canción que vamos a cantar es una canción nueva pero tiene una declaración que cuando la hicimos como iglesia puede ser tan poderosa ¿Cuántos aquí tienen algo por lo que están agradecidos con el Señor? Eso fueron muy poquitos ¿Cuántos aquí tienen algo por lo que están agradecidos con el Señor? La palabra es clara Entra por sus atrios por sus puertas con acción de gracias Vayan a sus atrios con alabanza Hemos llegado a la casa del Señor con acción de gracias y para darle toda gloria Así que lo único que nos resta hacer es estar agradecidos frente al Señor Adoremos al Rey Empecemos Y un camino abriste en el mar Te di gracias, aleluya

Pues aunque no lo merecía, lo hiciste Y aunque no lo merecía, lo diste ¿Y quién soy yo que escuchas mi clamor? Agradecido estoy y agradecido estoy Y siempre Dios has estado a mi favor Agradecido estoy y agradecido estoy Agradecido estoy y santo, santo No hay nadie más Toda gloria, toda gloria Te voy a dar, aunque no Y aunque no lo merecía, lo hiciste Y aunque no lo merecía, lo diste ¿Y quién soy yo que escuchas mi clamor? Agradecido estoy a Me Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios Siempre Dios Has estado a mi favor Agradecido estoy Y quien soy yo Que escuchas mi clamor Agradecido estoy a Me Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios Siempre Dios Has estado a mi favor Agradecido estoy Por tu sangre derramada Porque hoy yo tengo aliento Por eso te voy a adorar Decimos así, decimos yo Y yo Y mis manos levantaré Pues me das aliento otra vez, otra vez Y yo Y todo mi ser te daré Pues me das aliento otra vez, otra vez Y yo Y mis manos levantaré Pues me das aliento otra vez, otra vez Y yo Y todo mi ser te daré Pues me das aliento otra vez, otra vez

Y quien soy yo Que escuchas mi clamor Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios Siempre Dios Has estado a mi favor Agradecido estoy Y quien soy yo Que escuchas mi clamor Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios Siempre Dios Has estado a mi favor Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios De tu bondad Yo voy a testificar Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios Me da igual lo que opinen los demás Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy Agradecido Puedes declarar que eres un agradecido Y agradecido estoy Agradecido Y agradecido estoy Agradecido estoy Y quien soy yo Que escuchas mi clamor Agradecido estoy Siempre Dios Siempre Dios Has estado a mi favor Agradecido Quien soy yo Que escuchas mi clamor Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy siempre Dios Siempre Dios Has estado a mi favor Agradecido estoy Y agradecido estoy Pues tu fidelidad es grande Y tu fidelidad No hay nadie como tú Nadie como tú Bendito Dios Your faith is great. That is why we are thankful to declare

that your faith is great. Your faith is incomparable. There is no one like you. Blessed God, great, great is your faith. One more time, declare it, your faith. Your faith is great. Your faith is incomparable. There is no one like you. Blessed God, great, great is your faith. Say great, great is your faith. And great is your faith. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, because you never change. And that is what we sing this afternoon, that regardless of the circumstances in which we may be, regardless of what our situation may say, you are still faithful. And that is why we are grateful. So we give you this time. Laugh for yourself, Lord. You deserve all the glory, all the honor, and all the honor. The only one worthy is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Thank you for your faithfulness. As if you are grateful, give the Lord 30 seconds. Thank the King for being here. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your grace, for your favor. Amen. Amen. Thank you for praying with us.

Welcome to your 121 Church. You may be seated. Who lives? Christ. And his name? Gloria. And who listens to this for the first time, may say, what do you eat here? Well, we eat good food. The food of heaven. How many say amen to that? How good it is to be in the house of the Lord, and one day like today, to be able to come. And the children in the back were worshiping with us. How about, while they leave for their classes, we give them a big round of applause. That is a great blessing. To have our childhood worshiping together with us, and then go out and receive their teachings, and also a little bit of everything. I want to highlight an important detail. These last week and a half, for those who have been aware of these details, we have prayed for two groups. One went to Honduras, and the other went to Colombia. And they have already returned, glory to God for that. They are already with us at home. But the things they tell, what God did, what God is still doing,

I find it very impactful. At a given moment, we will be able to share a little more details about it. But I want to emphasize that, for example, in Colombia, a group arrived that was distributed with people from Peru, people from Bolivia, and people from Colombia. And different parts of Colombia, for example. From Cucuta, and different areas there. And they all got together an hour and a half, two hours from Bogotá, to be able to share with them a time of retreat. And the nice thing is that they come to receive, they also come to make community, people who are new to the organization. The organization is called International Justice Mission, where they work with different countries around the world to be able to help children and women, people who have been abused, trafficked. And believe me, today there is what they call a slavery at a global level, perhaps even much greater than what we can sometimes read in books. And there is a lot of silence about it. And the reality is that they work on the front line,

doing the work of helping to make the world a better place. There are lawyers, people who are trying to bring justice, those who come with abuse and something very deep, deep pain, and say, well, the system is broken. We want this system to help us bring justice and take that person who did the damage to take a penalty. And well, in that process, what we discovered is that there are many of them who say, we need a church. And they have shared that need. And of course, I say this and I want to bring it because maybe they are listening, or maybe they will listen to us. And I want to let them know that if they listen to us on the internet, here is a church that will be praying for you. Amen? Here is a church that values you, there in Bolivia, there in Peru, there in Colombia. Those three countries in which we were able to be part of. And well, obviously, there is a group of young children who were in Honduras. And if they see us sooner or later, there we are with you. And the need also came up to look for a church. They want to see us as their church, there from those countries. And they also want to see if we can connect with them in small groups.

Yes, we will have more dialogues about it. Because there are needs in other nations that, thanks to the internet, we can connect with them. How many say amen to that? Now, the word that can be shared today, the adoration that is brought in this place, the beautiful time is also transferred to every corner of the earth. Do you know why? Because we serve an omni-god that is present. When I say the word omni, it is that it is present, it can be present everywhere. You can be present everywhere. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to eat later, but I can't be eating now. I'm here, but maybe I'm already thinking about being able to sleep a little later, because last night it was a little difficult for me because of the storm. I'm here, but well, we're here and we can't be anywhere else. But we do know that there is a God who is there and who can touch hearts. So we value those who look at us on the internet. We value those who look at us from the prisons this week. We are with you. And one day I'm going to bring it to you to read you a letter that I received, or several that I have received from the prisons of what God has been doing in different people that sometimes you can't even imagine. Now, I want you to tell the person who is next to you, I am ready to receive the word of God.

Tell someone there. And if you feel uncomfortable, don't say it, but say something. Are you ready? We are ready. I saw you worshiping the Lord there and it reached my heart. Otto, nice to see you. We are ready here to receive the word of God. Tell the Lord, I receive your word. Speak to me today. Amen, amen, amen. Last week we started in Acts 17 to move as a foundation to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Now, I was thinking this week, and I say, well, I have an audience, not only here, but also on the internet, that comes from many different backgrounds, and maybe one takes a day to follow Jesus. So I can't pretend that everyone knows here where Thessalonians is. Some may think, what is that? Thessalonians. And I always want to bring a teaching where I can appeal to those who already have biblical knowledge, or at least know where the books are, and those who may say, I have no idea where Thessalonians is, or Habakkuk, or maybe Apocalypse 30. There is no Apocalypse 30, just in case. I'm trying to see if anyone says no. But I want you to see up front a quick image where you can see the books of the New Testament. And I want to be quick, because we are not going to give a deep

biblical class now. But the Bible is divided between the Old and what? And the New Testament. There are two big areas in the Bible. And in each of the areas, there are many important books that tell the story of whom? Of God. And from the beginning, it takes us sooner or later to the story of Jesus, because that is the point where we can receive our salvation. The Gospels, which is the first section, is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and what? John. It's called the Gospels because they are the stories of Jesus that give us the good news. Gospels comes from the original Greek evangelos, which means good news. Period. I'm taking it a little deeper today. Then comes the story of the facts, which are the The story of how the church was born and the surprising thing about all this is that when we get to those stories of the facts, all those stories connect to what you see below, which are letters. And those letters are written by different people, but there is a person, a character, who wrote many letters. What was the name of the character? Pablo, what good students are here today. Pablo. How many letters did Pablo write? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, there are several. But he wrote them for different churches that were in different cities. There are some letters that say 1st and 2nd of Corinth, for example, because it is the same city, but twice. When you receive a letter of love and it stays there, sometimes you wonder, where is the 2nd one? Well, obviously he wrote the 2nd one and sent another letter. And all those letters that he sent are registered in the Bible because they are different cities that he came to and planted churches. When someone looks at me on the internet from Bolivia, from Peru, from Colombia, when I do this and that, I say, God is planting churches where? There, in his own way, as he wants, either from the living room of a house. God did that in history without the internet, without what we have today. And within those letters he wrote two letters to a city called Thessalonica. That is why we have 1st and 2nd from Thessalonians, and there is 1st and 2nd from Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and there are general letters that are below. If I explain them to you today, you will fall asleep. But here it is. And at the end it is how the times end.

Prophecy, apocalypse, everyone likes that. The apocalypses. Now, we enter these letters, and what are we focusing on? It is a church planting that he did many years ago when he came to a city called Thessalonica, where there was a lot of opposition. When he arrived at the place, he started as if nothing, he entered a synagogue, he began to talk about a Jesus who lived, died, and resurrected. Some believed, and some did not, and that cost them a lot of persecution. Like many missionaries who arrive in some parts of the world, and you say, where? Why do you go to that place so far away in Africa? And he arrives and receives a lot of opposition. There are things that we do not experience in the United States, that in China they experience. Are you with me? That to make a church like today, at two in the afternoon, in a place in China, they have to go through closed streets, knock on the door, enter, close the windows, and be able to make a church. What a privilege we have to make a church like this. But in the midst of the persecution, God is building a strong church. And God continues to do it today. And that was the context of Thessalonians. He writes a letter after he planted it, time passed, and look at what the first five verses say, which is what we are going to highlight today. There are only five verses that I want to decipher with you today, and I think God can speak to the heart. Number one, the verse where one says, Pablo, Silvano, and Timothy, are the three people who were there. To the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks to you, and what? And peace. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, being present without ceasing in front of our God, and Father, your work of faith, your work of love, and the firmness of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the word of God. It says, We know, beloved brethren of God, of your choice, because our gospel came not only to you in words, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction. As you know, what kind of people we have shown to be among you, for the love that we have for you. And verse 6, and I finish this verse. And you came to be imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in the midst of much what?

With the joy of the Spirit, in such a way that you came to be an example for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. This is the word of what? Of God. And today we say the word of God, but it was written as a letter of fist and letter, and sent, or taken to a group of people with need. When I read these verses this week, I began to have an introspection. What is that big word? It is simply to look within. And also to look at the church that God wants to speak to today. Look at it where? Inside. It's like, I like that image, perhaps a little strong, that one or the other has experienced here, and it is an open-hearted operation. I know that no one would like to go through that, but the one who goes through that always says, God, you have given me a new life. There is no other. One does not play with the heart. If a finger breaks, how good, it heals quickly. Perhaps I do not need it as much as the heart. Now I want to talk to you about the heart. There are people who have been close to the church for years and still do not know if it has really changed. Are you with me? Because one thing is to be in the religious environment, right? And another thing is that God transforms you, that you are working with your heart, with my heart, and that it is clearly seen that God is doing something. One thing is to know the Christian language, and another thing is that Christ touches the deepest of our lives, the center of your being, of your heart, of your life, of your soul. It is possible to know how much to say Amen, and from memory I can say a few words now, and you say Amen,

to know when to raise your hands, because someone tells you in the adoration, raise your hand, and some may say, why? Others, let's raise it, the other half of the way, right? And even so, doing everything we can do, perhaps sometimes like robots, following instructions, still being far from God inside, in the heart. And I want to tell you honestly, because I grew up in the church, some of you may already know, I am very jealous, if not all of you, to be a little humble. Many tricks on how to make me look Christian. I know, I know many tricks. And I call them tricks, because I know how to look religious, evangelical. I know how to sound spiritual when I am empty. I know how to say, God is good, while my heart is full of bitterness. For a while, I can tell you that my relationship with God was quite distant. I did not have a close relationship with God. I had an action with God. Because we can be experts acting. Hollywood. They would hire me as a good actor, to make me see that I am what I really may not be. And the most exhausting thing in the world, is to make a fruit that the spirit has not yet planted. Because growing up in the church does not replace being broken by Jesus. Are you with me? That is why today's question is, or let's say it is not, because that is not. How long have you been in the church?

It is not how many sermons you have heard. It is not how well I look from the outside, my external appearance to see what I am. The question would be, my relationship with God, is it real or not real? Period. Is what I am real? Or does it look like what it should be? Because I am imitating things that make me see what I am. Because many times, let's be clear, we cannot let ourselves be carried away, why? By appearance. By what I see. Look around and the appearance. You look good, you look good Christianito. And of course, the appearance often says the beautiful, right? Let's be clear, there is appearance, the exterior often expresses the interior. But there are times when we can wear masks, and we can pretend that we are not. Because many of us have tried to behave better so that it is noticeable that we are what we are not. But sometimes that is only the spiritual makeup. On the outside we get ready, but on the inside we are still the same. Like when you say, God bless you. God bless you, in public. But in the car you are even fighting with the GPS. It happens to me, recalculating. Why recalculate now? But the reality is that the problem is the heart.

And of course, that is why I say that today we talk about an operation of God, of the heart, for us. It is not what you do on the outside that is to whom, or what is governing within you and within me. Because let's be honest, sometimes that only lasts Sunday afternoon, what we receive, or sometimes it comes until Tuesday, if that sounds good. Today I don't come to tell you, make more effort to look like a follower of Christ or a Christian. Today I don't come to tell you that. I come to tell you something much deeper that God has put in my heart this year, and it is that human effort can produce religion, but only surrender produces transformation. And this morning while I was talking to a group at 9.15, a special biblical time, I was saying that the key word for us is to surrender. And I was very honest with them, and I'm going to be very honest with you today, and maybe this can bring certain questions, and that's fine, but maybe it's my personal path, and I hope you respect my personal path, okay? Everyone is looking at me seriously like, what is he going to say now? I don't even like to use the word Christian to refer to ourselves, because the word Christian has been used in so many ways in history, that when you see a Christian, sometimes the one who is very far from this reality says, I don't want to be like those people because he is not the model of what Jesus is. Are you with me? And I said, I think it's better, I would call him a better follower of Jesus. Are you with me? And to use these two phrases, follower of Jesus, surrendered to Jesus, surrender. Because to surrender is really to deny yourself, your desires, you are no longer the king of your own life, of your own heart. You surrender to the Lord, and I give you everything. I don't have personal rights to ask you to do what you need in my life. I just want to surrender to you. I know you answer my prayers, I know I can pray, and I have a father who loves me, but Lord, I really want to surrender to the Lord. And maybe we can call ourselves Christians, or little Christians, historically speaking in that way as followers, people who smell Jesus, but it's because we are surrendered to him, and that produces a transformation in your heart and in my heart. And that connects us to Thessalonica, because the week we speak in Acts 17, we see that this church was born in discomfort, it was born in pressure, it was born in opposition, in a city full of commerce, of ideas, of idols, power, Roman, tension, what they were experiencing. And if you had been there, perhaps you would have said, this is not going to last, this is going to end. 1-21 began in 2019, and COVID fell. And Lord, how are you going to maintain a church during COVID? When many closed. But God has brought us here. Do you know why? Because who planted this church?

Christ. And in highs and lows, and in struggles, God remains faithful. And this church, in Thessalonica, experienced that. And the question that they could ask, that Paul highlights here, and that you can ask yourself today is, how? It's not how I see myself. The question is, what is happening inside of me? If it is real, what is happening inside of you, will be seen. If it is real, it will be seen. Paul begins this letter in a beautiful way. He does not begin by scolding, he does not begin by correcting, he does not begin by saying, you are missing a lot. Because perhaps today, you can hear me speak and say, wow, I did not come to be patted. No, no, this is not that, this is love. It's not that you miss, it's not that you feel now that you have not reached where you have to reach. It is a process in life. Paul begins by saying, you are missing a lot. He begins by giving thanks. He says, I can also say it today. I give thanks to God for each one of those who are here. Every lunch, every dinner, every conversation, every coffee, is to give thanks to the Lord. Last Friday, I was talking here with a sister who has been here for more than two or three years in the parking lot. You know who she is, I'm going to mention the name. It was not planned, but it was for an hour. Out of nowhere. She told me so many things that I did not know about her. Of the things that God had done to her and her children. In fact, I don't guess I did he said you're ready. Yes, I'm a poster. That's where they come to a poker He said she knows gracias Por una iglesia en el que tú estás trabajando Tu historia es el diseño de dios Y dios está trabajando en ti de tal manera que hay razones para le gracias ante la transformación que yo veo ante mis ojos

está conmigo Y cuando da gracias Pablo no es porque sean perfecto No es porque hayan llegado a donde todavía tienen que llegar si no porque había visto la fe Visto personas llegar cansadas y aún así adorar al señor Y he visto a dios haciendo eso entre nosotros y eso es exactamente lo que se vente salón y que mira lo que dice vamos al texto de nuevo siempre damos gracias a dios por todos ustedes teniendo presente su obra de fe Su trabajo de amor y la firmeza de su esperanza en nuestro señor que Jesucristo cuando yo digo que a veces para ver si están leyendo conmigo Pablo no está describiendo una reunión bonita está describiendo una evidencia El mires iglesia y dice yo veo algo No son perfectos era nuevecitos tenían presión y oposición pero dice cuando la gracia de dios es real se vuelve visible y hay maneras y razones por la cual tenemos que decir gracias señor por lo que estás haciendo Pablo menciona tres huellas menciona la fe el amor y esperanza Fe amor y esperanza primero dice su obra de fe No dice ustedes tienen fe aunque suena bonito dice su obra de que de fe Porque la fe real no se queda sentada la fe se mueve La fe se mueve da pasos obedece cambia decisiones hay gente Que dice yo creo en dios Pero su vida nunca se mueve hacia dios está conmigo La fe bíblica no es sólo lo que dices creer Es lo que empiezas a vivir Lo que tú y yo vivimos entonces pregúntate Mi fe está moviendo a obedecer algo concreto o voy a la deriva Tal vez pediste perdón tal vez Tal vez ordenar una decisión tal vez dejar algo que sabes que te está enfriando Tal vez volver a buscar a dios en secreto en tu tiempo íntimo Y luego Pablo dice su trabajo de amor

No dice su sentimiento de amor aunque suena bonito no Dice su trabajo porque amar cuesta Amar cansa amar requiere morir a algo Amar es servir cuando estás cansado perdonar cuando te hirieron Escuchar cuando quieres responder permanecer cuando sería más fácil Irte huir entonces pregúntate Mi amor me está costando algo en mi vida Porque si mi amor sólo parece cuando conviene Si sólo viene cuando me aplauden quizás no es amor bíblico Y después Pablo dice la firmeza de la esperanza de su esperanza No una esperanza de frase bonita no un optimismo barato Una esperanza firme en el Señor Y pregúntate mi esperanza sigue firme Cuando no controlo el resultado en mi vida Porque la esperanza cristiana no nace de todo lo que salga bien Hoy si sale bien ahora si nace de que Cristo sigue siendo el Señor Sigue siendo Dios Y qué lindo ver toda esta transformación Porque era una transformación real que se vio en esta iglesia Había un hombre llamado John Newton que lo he mencionado antes Y él entendió estas palabras fue traficante de esclavos Y cuando yo escucho eso traficantes de esclavos Y claro eso se ve en la historia una historia triste Perdido en pecado pero Cristo lo alcanzó No cambió por maquillaje religioso cambió porque la gracia lo alcanzó Navegando con muchos de sus esclavos Quieres imaginar dentro de un barco for days, for months, and coming and mistreating all those slaves until one day grace took him and with time he left that life that he had and became a pastor

and now he fought in that moment so that there would be no more slavery and those slaves that were with him were completely free and this person wrote this song that you have heard, Amazing Grace Amazing Grace I will keep singing because I don't think you will enjoy it Grace sublime, or sublime grace and this man is already old, he has come after many years of life although he is old, he says some words that came I remember two things, he says that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great savior that must be our attitude that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great savior here Paul does not describe a factory here he describes a garden when he talks about a church plantation or people like you maybe in other countries that can see us that say I am hungry for God it is like a garden it is not a factory with a hammer trying to create new products it is a garden like you and me in which maybe one day it was just a seed someone planted a seed in your heart if you are here today, pay attention to this if you are here today, it is because someone in a given moment either in a bus station or in a taxi, in an Uber arriving late at 3 in the morning because he was doing evil someone did something, planted a seed or put something in a given moment

or you turned on the TV in a given moment where someone planted a seed and that seed began to germinate and the germination of that seed began to grow because you began to add a little water a little soil, a little food, vitamins and one day you said, yes, I believe in Jesus and believing in Jesus, basically in your process of believing in Jesus the seed began to germinate and it became a beautiful plant today I see many beautiful plants I can even say beautiful trees in this place but trees in themselves do not carry anything or do not produce anything if they do not have fruits there comes a point when God is in our life, in our heart you and I begin to have maybe apples mangoes, bananas all the fruits that you may like or not like are born and come out of a heart, a Creator who put you in the person you want to be and that the fruit you have, you have it by grace of Him and there are reasons to give thanks to the Lord when Paul speaks here to this church he says, I give thanks to God precisely because that effort of having come to this city and having planted, which seemed that there would be no results he put a seed and that seed gave fruit and that fruit, today we can say thanks to that

you can see what God is doing if it is real, it is also confirmed in 1 Thessalonians 4 it says there is a question that many carry inside is it that what I have with God is real? not because I do not come to the church not because you do not know Christian words, you know but you look at your life and say, I still struggle I still fall there are still things in me that do not seem of God and there comes the doubt has anyone ever doubted here? but if you listen to the word that Paul says we know brothers of God beloved brothers of God of the election of you Paul says we know he does not say hopefully he does not say it seems he says we know and how can Paul be so sure? because they were not perfect are you? No, I am not Era una iglesia joven, tenía presión, tenía oposición, pero Pablo veía algo, veía huellas, huellas de Cristo. Porque cuando Dios hace una obra invisible, deja huellas visibles. La elección de Dios no se ve como una etiqueta en la frente, se ve como gracia trabajando en el corazón. Y nota cómo empieza Pablo, hermanos, amados de Dios. Antes de hablar de elección, habla de amor.

Tú estás aquí porque Dios te ama. Porque Dios tocó la puerta de tu corazón. Él siempre ha buscado alcanzarte por amor a ti. Tú no cambias para que Dios te ame. Cambias porque Él ya te amó primero. Ya Dios te amó. Por lo tanto, hoy nos rendimos porque un Dios misericordioso me amó. O sea, yo no me merecía ese amor para yo estar aquí hoy con ustedes, pero Él me amó primero. Y entonces, ¿yo respondo a qué? A ese amor. Ese es el amor de Dios. Y cuando ese amor toca una vida, algo empieza a moverse, algo empieza a tambalearse. No perfecto, pero real. Comienza a trabajar. Antes pecaba tranquilo, ahora te incomoda pecar. ¿No? Al menos espero. Antes justificaba todo, ahora el Espíritu te confronta. Antes el orgullo hablaba primero, ahora aunque te cuestes, dices perdón, perdón. O del corazón también. ¿Sabes qué? Eso no es debilidad. Eso es evidencia de una huella superior. La marca de Cristo. En tu corazón y en mi corazón. A veces la evidencia de Dios no se siente como una victoria gigante. A veces se siente como una santa incomodidad. ¿Sabes la cuna santa incomodidad?

Todos aquí tienen zapatos. ¿Sabes alguien que ha experimentado una piedrita en el zapato? Ay, ay, ay. Hay gente que son como piedrita en el zapato, vamos a ser sinceros. Señor, sácalo. Sácala. Pero la tienes y si estás haciendo hiking o algo, qué incomodidad hasta que sientes la marca o te sale la sangre. Eso es una realidad. Muchas veces que nosotros experimentamos como una piedrita en el zapato. Puedes caminar, pero ya no caminas igual. Porque hay una conciencia clara o algo está tocando el corazón. El Espíritu Santo podría ser como una piedrita en el zapato. Yo quisiera esa piedrita siempre. ¿No sé usted? Pero esa piedrita, aunque incomode, ayuda. Ayuda en caminarnos exactamente en la dirección que quieres. Porque el problema es que muchas veces queremos ser cristianos, seguir a Cristo, vamos a decir a Jesús, pero un camino cómodo. ¿Pero qué es comodidad? Si usted conoce bien en su caminar, cuando usted está cómodo, se relaja demasiado y pierde perspectiva. ¿O soy yo el único? ¿Soy yo el único que a veces Dios tiene que poner piedritas en mi camino para yo poder abrirlos hoy y decir, Señor, dependo y necesito de Ti más? Porque cuando no las tengo, pienso que yo tengo todo bajo control. Y Dios siempre ha sido un experto enseñándote el camino, a veces poniendo cosas para que tu mirada se vaya hacia Él. Porque estás mirando mucho por otros lados hasta que la piedrita llega y dices, ¡Ay, ay, ay, la necesito, Señor!

La piedrita te ayuda a mirar a donde tienes que mirar. La mayor evidencia no es que seas perfecto o perfecta, es que ya no puedes estar en paz lejos de Dios. Ya no puedes. Yo diría que el que conoce a Dios de verdad, alejarse de Él le tiene que costar. Alejarse de Dios cuando lo conoces de verdad y ha experimentado su presencia no es fácil. Y dice, ¿Cómo va a ser? Sí, no es fácil. No todo confirma transformación, hay que tener cuidado. Tener un cargo no confirma. Saber Biblia no confirma. Llorar en una canción no confirma. Servir mucho no confirma. Todo eso puede ser bueno, pero también puede hacerte o hacerse desde la apariencia como yo lo hacía o lo he hecho en momentos de mi vida. Hoy vengo vulnerable, ¿no? Lo que confirma es esto, que Cristo está tomando el centro, punto. Eso confirma lo que tú tienes realmente dentro de ti. Que aunque luchas, vuelves. Que aunque caes, te duele, pero te levantas, ¿no? Que aunque te escondes su voz, todavía te llama y te dice, aquí estoy contigo y tú puedes escuchar y decir, Señor, tú estás. Tú estás. Así que si te puedes preguntar esta semana esto, miren. ¿Qué me incomoda ahora que antes no me incomodaba? ¿Dónde estoy volviendo a Cristo en vez de esconderme? ¿Qué área necesita rendición real, no sólo apariencia? Porque Dios no te eligió porque eras diferente, Dios te eligió para hacerte diferente. Desde antes de la fundación del mundo ya Dios te vio, dice la palabra. Y con brazos de amor. Tu seguridad está en Él. Por eso Pablo dice, sabemos, entendemos. No porque eran perfectos, sino porque había huellas. Y por último, si es real, se transforma. Hay algo peligroso que puede pasar en la iglesia.

Uno puede aprender las palabras, pero no rendir el corazón. Puedes decir amén, pero seguir igual. Puedes estar cerca de la iglesia y lejos de Jesús. Y Pablo mira a los tesalonicenses y dice, con ustedes no pasó eso. Dice, porque nuestro evangelio no vino a ustedes solamente en palabras. Sino también en poder, en el Espíritu Santo y con plena convicción. Qué lindas cosas dice. Pablo dice, no vino solamente en palabras. Si hubo palabras, el evangelio se predica, se explica. Eso es lo que estamos tratando de hacer. Pero Pablo dice, no se quedó ahí. Porque una cosa es que el mensaje entre en el oído, porque puede entrar. Y otra cosa es que llegue al centro, a tu alma, a tu ser. Una cosa es saber una verdad. Y otra cosa es ser atravesado por ella. Una verdad que no te cambia, todavía no te atravesó. Por eso Pablo dice, vino en poder. Porque poder no es emoción, no es solo emoción. No es solo música. Poder es cuando Dios toca lo que tú no podías cambiar. Y es tu orgullo, tu carácter, tu doble vida, tu frialdad, esa herida que te gobierna. Y de repente dice, yo no sé explicarlo todo, pero hay algo que está pasando dentro de mí. Y de repente estás ahí, lo que antes justificaba, ahora me duele. Lo que antes escondía, ahora lo quiero rendir. Y eso es poder. El poder de Dios no solo te informa, te interrumpe. Tienes un plan de vida y dice, aquí aparezco y trastorno, como hablamos la semana pasada. Todo tu ser, interrumpo tu agenda. ¿A quién le gusta ser interrumpido en la agenda? Te interrumpo la agenda y yo tomo control de tus decisiones en el proceso

porque te voy guiando el camino que ya yo tengo trazado para ti, que siempre es el mejor. Y aquí déjame dejarte lo práctico. Rendir el corazón no es sentir bonito, es entregar el control. A veces creemos que es eso de experiencias, de rendir. Y aquí va a haber una imagen al frente que quiero que veas. Porque un evangelio real deja huellas y yo creo que aquí te voy a resumir lo que te quiero decir esta tarde. Verdad sin presencia es lo que yo le llamo museo o momia. ¿Alguna vez ha estado un museo alguno aquí? Es lindo estar con ustedes. a museum because it tells you a story. There's a lot to learn and a lot to read. Those who like to stop in each of the explanations, read it, look for it, play those videos, and you can enter a museum that has some interesting details. And I think that Verdad sin Presencia would be a museum or a mummy. Presencia sin Verdad es un club de fans. Y creo que Dios quiere, al menos a 121, considerar ambas cosas. Y sé que tú quieres decir hoy, Ana, lo que aquí está lleno de momias, nada que ver. Bueno, algunos están diciendo, no sé, estoy pensándolo. Yo creo que Dios quiere hacer una transformación o buscamos una transformación real en nuestro medio, que es lo que Pablo, en cierta manera, está diciendo ya mismo ahí. Es verdad con poder. Es reconocer que Dios es el Dios de la historia, pero que nosotros no estamos alineados a una religión

específica, ni estamos tampoco en un club de fans social, donde venimos a tener unas emociones sin ninguna raíz. ¿Estás entendiendo lo que te quiero decir? O te lo explico de otra manera. La imagen ahí. Verdad sin Presencia es un museo. Tiene forma, tiene estructura, pero no respira. Parece fe, pero no tiene vida. Es cosas del pasado. Es bueno aprenderlas, pero de eso no depende necesariamente tu futuro. Presencia sin Verdad se vuelve show. Mucha emoción, mucho ruido, pero sin cruz. Sin arrepentimiento. Sin transformación. El Evangelio real trae las dos cosas. Verdad y Presencia. Palabra y Presencia. Y a veces hacemos esto con la fe. Es como una vacuna. Pequeña dosis de Biblia. Pequeña dosis de iglesia. Pequeñas dosis de adoración. Lo suficiente para sentirnos cerca, pero no lo suficiente para rendirnos. Puedes escuchar un mensaje fuerte y pensar en otra persona. Hey, si hubiese estado aquí mi primo hoy, eso le caería muy bien. Y Dios diciéndote, es a ti.

Menso yo, menso. Quiero hablar a tu corazón. Y sin darnos cuenta, es como una vacuna que el corazón aprende a resistir. Puedes escuchar un mensaje, puedes decir amén y todavía seguir igual. Iglesia, estar expuesto al Evangelio no es lo mismo que ser transformado por el Evangelio. El Evangelio no es autoayuda. Es una invasión divina a tu corazón. Jesús no vino a decorar tu vida. Él vino a tomar el centro. Por eso la pregunta no es, ¿lo he escuchado? La pregunta es, ¿me ha trastornado? ¿Me ha tomado? Porque cuando es real no se queda en palabras, no se queda en emoción, no se queda en domingo. Cuando es real, transforma el corazón. Y la fuente de todo es esto. Esto es lo que aterriza. Si sales pensando, tengo que esforzarme más para que se note, perdiste el hilo de hoy. Porque eso lo puedo hacer yo sin relación con Dios. ¿Viste con lo que te dije al principio? A ellos no les tocaba o notaba porque eran perfectos. Si no, no era porque tenía una lista de cosas de hacer, eran porque realmente se rindieron delante del Señor. Él vivió lo que nosotros no pudimos vivir. Murió para lo que nosotros no podíamos pagar. Por nuestro pecado, por nuestras máscaras,

por nuestra doble vida, murió por nuestra propia muerte para darnos vida y que nosotros, aunque nos mereciamos morir, no llegáramos a donde teníamos que ir. Eso lo hizo por amor a ti. Eso lo hizo por amor a Madre. No tienes que fingir más. Ven cómo estás, cansado, roto, en lucha. Jesús no vino a mejorar tu actuación. No somos actores de Hollywood, vino a darte una nueva vida, y cuando su vida entra, se nota, se nota, se nota, se nota. Los que estamos a veces un poquito orgullosos, porque decimos, ¿Cuánto sabes de Biblia? Eso no es lo importante. Yo estudié años en el seminario, para tratar de entender tantas cosas, y yo lo he dicho antes, no aquí también. Quizás uno que otro seminarista, quizás, yo pensé después, se sentirá raro, porque pensará, ¿Es pérdida de tiempo? ¿No es pérdida de tiempo? O sea, yo invertí dinero para estudiar, porque quería aprender más, diferente de leer muchos otros libros, conocer otros estudiantes. Pero esta es mi experiencia personal. Yo hice cinco años de seminario y una maestría en Divinidades, que era 144 unidades, y era la maestría más larga del mundo. Idiomas griegos, hebreos, tres trimestres de esto, aquello, aquello, muchas, muchas clases, Teología Sistemática I, Teología Sistemática II, Teología Sistemática III, todas las historias, historia de la iglesia primitiva, historia antigua, historia de la iglesia moderna, historia de la iglesia de África, historia de... treinta y seis clases, tres clases por semestre, cinco años. Pero en mi graduación, por alguna razón, en un momento dado, por estar tratando de estudiar tanto y aprender de Dios, perdí el centro de mi corazón. Mi relación con Dios fue afectada por tratar de conocer a Dios a través de tantos estudios. Y lo digo con mucho cuidado porque es mi experiencia personal, ¿no? No estoy diciendo que es malo estudiar y buscar del Señor. Estoy diciendo que tú puedes hacer todo lo que haces en la vida y todavía perder el norte, si pones esas cosas como los ídolos de tu corazón. Ninguno de los discípulos que dieron su vida por Cristo fueron cinco años a un seminario y todos murieron por la causa de Cristo y todavía estamos leyendo sus cartas. Fueron experiencias vividas, no un museo, aunque ahora lo vemos. Era la realidad de entender a Jesús, de abrazar su corazón y de decir, yo estoy capaz, soy capaz de dar mi vida para que le conozcan. Y todo esto para decirte que hay que examinar nuestros corazones y dejar de actuar, pretender ser algo que no somos y realmente preguntarle al Señor, Señor realmente yo soy la persona que digo ser, soy tu hijo o tu hija, quiero reafirmar mi fe contigo y quiero realmente caminar en una relación personal contigo. Y ese caminar no va a intimidarte porque muchas veces nos intimida el que puede hablar al frente, el que sabe más, nada de eso te lleva a la presencia de Dios, lo que te lleva a la presencia de Dios es rendirte delante de Él donde quiera que tú estás en tu caminar. Y termino con esto y si esto no te convence no se que más, porque Jesús estuvo en la cruz, a la derecha había un malo y a la izquierda había un malo. Y en esa cruz donde estaban los tres, donde parecía que los tres eran culpables y sabemos que el del centro no lo era, en esa cruz uno de ellos se rindió de último minuto, sin conocimiento pleno de quien era Él. En el sentido de haber leído quizás las escrituras, en el sentido de haber estudiado toda la teología sistemática que puede existir en este mundo, en el sentido de tanto no, en ese momento que es lo que hizo fue rendir su corazón.

Y eso fue suficiente para que un minuto, diez minutos, los tiempos que se tomó no perder su vida en la eternidad lejos de Él. of the teacher and at that moment he says, today you will be with me, where? In paradise. What did he do? He surrendered. Without a show, without lights, without any day of opportunity to worship like you and I are doing today. He did not even have a chance to experience what you and I are experiencing. Sometimes I would say, maybe even better, because we deviate so much. But no, God designed you to have a relationship with Him. And what a great opportunity to say, here I am, Lord, I want to surrender to Him. And in the long run, brothers and sisters, the core of the whole matter is, if you are a son or daughter of God, if it is real, it is seen. If it is real, it is noticed. If it is real, it is confirmed. And if it is real, it is transformed. If it is real, He is here with you and today He wants to embrace you. If it is real, He will be noticed. If it is real, He will touch you. If it is real, He will do something special with you today. If it is real, He will heal you. If it is real, He will conquer your heart. If it is real, He will help you in your crisis. If it is real, your depression has to go. If it is real, your sadness will go. If it is real, it will turn your lament into a dance. If it is real, God has to do something in your heart today. If it is real, we are not wasting our time here today. If it is real, God will transform your family. If it is real, that prayer you have been doing for your children will be answered. If it is real, what God has done, the miracle you have asked for will be given. If it is real, because I do not come here to minimize a great God. I am small, He is great. He is capable of doing anything in your life and in my life. We limit God many times. Amen. But He is capable and He can do it as He wants, when He wants. And sometimes it requires faith. It requires, Lord, I believe in You. I believe in You. And He does it in His time because He could have done it when they called Him, come quickly because Lazarus is dying. And finally He said, no, no, no, no, no, I will go when I want. Because I am going to do something special. It took three days, it stank and He did it anyway. But for the world to see that He does things in His time, but He does it well and perfectly. What He is going to do with you, He is going to do in His time. And if it is real, it will be seen. Say yes to the Lord today. Stand up with me. Close your eyes there. Say, Lord, if it is real, I want to see it today. I want to experience it today. I want to see it in my family, with my people, with my opportunities that I have present, Lord. If it is real, I want to see it today. I want to see my heart. In what age do we respond to you in worship? Lord, thank you for this time.

Thank you for my brother who is here in the wheelchair. I don't know him, Lord, but he is here. And I know, Lord, that you are working in his heart today, Lord. Lord, thank you for everyone who has entered these doors today and has lent their ears, because it is to lend them, Lord. It is an honor to be able to share that imperfectly, because Lord, there is really a lot of imperfection in me to communicate your message. But in this imperfect way, I ask you, Holy Spirit, that you do what you know how to do, which I don't know how to do. That you touch the hearts of restore, free, lift, heal, Lord. Do what you have to do, which I have no idea of, because the power does not come from you, but from me, it comes from you, Lord. There you touch hearts, heal marriages, lift, Lord, those who need to forgive, do it in the mighty name of Jesus. You are a great God, a faithful God, a true God. How about we respond in worship to the King of Kings?