Sunday May 27, 2018

Speaker: Ben Sheppard
Message Title: Who is Your Super Hero?
Scriptures: John 2:1-11; 11:40-44; 20:19-20;
Matt.8:23-27; 14:22-23; Luke 24:6-7.
 John 2:1 ¶ And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
 9  When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

 John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

 John 20:19 ¶ Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

 Mt 8:23 ¶ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

 Mt 14:22 ¶ And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 Lu 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Music Worship Leaders:
  JW & Sharon Peck
Songs:

 

May 06, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: To The Very Least
Scripture: Matt.25:31-46

I was reading the other day Matt 25: 31-46.

I have read this particular passage countless times, but this time the question that is asked to Jesus really struck me.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy^[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

If we were to go out and feed the homeless, bring a stranger, into our house, and go visit someone at the hospital or jail we would remember. They didn’t ask which one were you when I did all these things.

They asked, “When did I…”

In other words they were unaware they were doing it while they were doing it.

Jesus is not talking about the physical part of feeding or clothing of someone he’s speaking, spiritually.

Are we being the church outside of the church?

Feeding those who are hungry for something more out life that what they currently have and offering Jesus to them. Are we telling people who struggle with fear, anxiety, or any other emotional prison we can find ourselves in about the freedom they can have in Jesus.

The stranger in this passage means you may not even know the person. It’s the person who you run into at the park. It’s the mail person who you said, “Hi” to for years and never invited to church.

It’s the single parent at the store, who could have really used someone to say to them, “Good job, I know it’s hard, but you’re doing great.”

The ones that asked, “When?” were being the church outside of Church. They are ones who got the reward. They looked at even the least one and said let me share Jesus with you. They did not have a big crusade, start a mega ministry. They simply lived out their faith with all the people around them. And by that they fed, gave drink, and visited the sick. They even visited people in prison without knowing it. It’s time for us not to just be the church in church on a Sunday morning or whatever day you go to church. We need to be the church everywhere, every day and to everyone.

The world is running out of time and so are you.

The end of the scripture is for those that didn’t do it, they are told to depart from God into everlasting fire.

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer Him,^[d] saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Start today. Someone needs to hear about the Christ in you.

Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs:

 

Sunday May 20, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: King or Soldier
Scripture: Luke 14:31-33

I was having a conversation once about how the ministry should be working. There was some controversy in the direction I felt God leading me in and how things were going to get paid for. The other ministers involved wanted to know all the details and have a finished product before even to having further conversation about the new direction I was trying to lead us in. One of the persons involved mentioned this scripture trying to win his argument.

Luke 14:31-33 (NKJV)

³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.  

My response was this. When I was in the Army. I was told where to be and when to be there. I was also told what I was to have when I got there. I wasn’t always told why. Depending on your rank, and your particular duty also determine how much information was given to you. Long story short the General never came and asked my opinion of what should be done or how we should do it. In all my years I never had the President call me into his office and discuss anything. I was simply told to put into my ruck shack a list of supplies and be ready to move at a given time. If I didn’t have a particular item, I was told to head to the supply sergeant and get what was needed.

            We must know who we are in this scripture. Are we the King or all we the soldiers that are sent out? Sometimes God asked us to do something and we want to know the complete outcome of it all before doing it. This my friend is not faith.

Now by no means I am saying don’t plan anything ever again in your life or count the cost of your next decision. What I am trying to say if it is truly of God (Our King) it’s his bill. It’s his responsibility to provide for it all. Simply be where he tells you to be and do what he is telling you do.

You also need not concern yourself of the outcome. For with example, if God tells you to go out and feed homeless people and with all that is provided you, you only feed 20 people and there is still more in need. If you have done all that God has told you to do the ones that are left are his problem. I used to be so grieved when I saw someone going without to the point I started over extending to where it was effecting my family. Until I learned I was (you) are only responsible for what God tells you to do. Yes, I still feel bad but, I also know I am not God and cannot and not expected to help everyone.

As for the new direction I spoke of earlier. We went form feeding 20-30 homeless a month to feeding a 100 homeless a week. And since we did what God wanted it our church budget for the outreach never changed. He just provide more resources.

Our best planning is to wait on the Lord and do what he says to do.  

Music Worship Leaders:
JW & Sharon Peck
Songs:
some old Hymns  
  

Sunday May 13, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: Are You A Fan or A Player
Scripture: 1Corinthians 9:24-27

Have you ever see a fan of any particular sport go nuts when his or her team scores of wins a game? They scream and shout high five perfect strangers. Some even cry. Have you ever seen a fan who just saw their particular team loss? They scream and yell at the coach about a certain play call. They demand that they get rid of players. We have all heard about all the crazy aftermath of a championship game on both by the winning and the losing team fan base. What amazes me is that in every championship ever played only the team member, or player if it’s a single player sport, receives the reward. Never a fan.

           The big difference between a player and a fan is that, no matter the outcome he or she is in practice the next week getting ready for the next event. They disciple themselves with what they eat, what they do. When no one is watching or praising them they are working out. They are not fans they are players, when they win, they are the only one who receives the reward and rightly so. 

Did you know God is the same way? In which he does not reward fans. He rewards those who can discipline themselves into doing his will. Being a fan of God is going to church and picking and choosing what sermon you like and don’t like. What scriptures obtain to you and which’s one do not. When you pray and works out the way you wanted. Then you worship him and testify on how good God is. When you pray and it does not work out on your behalf. Then you become angry with God. Ask, “Why me?” Stop going to church all together. You are a fan of God. Therefore, you should not expect a reward.

1 Cor.9:24-27

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Do not be fooled in order to obtain this imperishable prize we need to more than fans of God. Submit unto God, become more than a fan, and I’ll see you and hopefully you see me receiving the reward of everlasting life with our Father in heaven.

 Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs:

April 29, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: The Effect of Grace
Scripture: 1Cor.6:9-11; Gal.5:19-21; Eph.2:8; Matt.7:21-23.

I was asked the question the other day. “Why do some of my family who, live in sin believe they are saved, and other family members who try not to live in sin and go to church etc struggle that they are not saved?

The answer is this: neither party understands the grace of God. The grace of God does not allow us to sin. The Grace of God allows us to recover from sin. Meaning that when we sin the consequence may not be felt completely due to God’s Grace. For example you have sex with someone outside of marriage. You repent but, a little too late and the women becomes pregnant. God won’t take away the pregnancy instead he walks that out with you helping you along way.

If you continue to sin, His Grace will stop and you will feel the full wrath of God.

1 Cor. 6:9-11

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioner will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Gal 5:19-21

 ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders,^[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

 Eph 2:8

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Grace is a gift. Like all gifts it can be rejected. Living your life the as before you knew about his Grace is rejecting this gift. And he will turn you away on judgment day. 

Matt 7:21-23

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Be in Peace about this, God is not so much judging you, on if you sinned or not. How bad your sin was but on your acceptance or your rejection of his son Jesus Christ. His gift to all of us. Remember Grace does not allow us to sin, it allows us to recover from sin.

Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs: