Cornerstone Christian Center
Cornerstone Christian Center
What Really Matters | Kingdom Builders
What truly matters when this life is over and we stand before God? Pastor Larry Henderson, who oversees all European missionaries for Assemblies of God World Missions, delivers a soul-stirring message about living with eternal perspective.
Having planted churches in the Canary Islands and led a dynamic 3,000-person multicultural congregation in Vienna, Pastor Larry shares powerful stories of lives transformed by the gospel. From a brain-injured man who prioritized his wife's salvation over his own healing to a Syrian refugee who found the supernatural ability to forgive ISIS for killing his entire family, these testimonies reveal how encountering Jesus fundamentally changes what we value.
The heart of this message centers on three profound truths. First, people matter immensely to God—Jesus didn't die for buildings or political causes but for human souls. Second, how we live matters—our authentic Christ-like behavior speaks more powerfully than our words in a world skeptical of religion but desperate for genuine spirituality. Finally, eternity matters—what we do today echoes forever in light of Jesus' certain return.
Pastor Larry takes us to war-torn Ukrainian villages where mayors testify, "The government forgot us, NGOs left, but the church comes every week," revealing how Kingdom Builders giving translates into tangible hope. He challenges us with the urgent words of missiologist Carl Henry: "The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time."
As Cornerstone prepares for Kingdom Builders commitments, this message reminds us why giving beyond our tithes to support missionaries matters eternally. The question isn't whether we'll leave a legacy, but what kind of legacy we'll leave. Will you embrace the opportunity to live for what really matters—bringing others with you to heaven?
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Amen, let's build this kingdom together. You know you saw a lot of images there of things that we've done collectively as the body here at Cornerstone We've given to things in Paraguay, we've given to things in Botswana, we've given to places like Sudan and we've in El Salvador, throughout Asia and Bangkok and Laos and even Nepal recently. And the Lord has been able to do this through us because we're obedient to give what he's given us to take hold of. And so we say, lord, take this and use it for what you want to do. And so that's what Kingdom Builders is about. And over these next few weeks, as we focus on Kingdom Builders and we have this focus, let me challenge you in this that you would ask the Lord on how you can be more someone who says yes to him, that you would be someone who gives in abundance, because we know that he's a God of abundance and that you can't out give him and friends. I can tell you, as someone who said yes to God and left behind corporate America to go towards what I saw as the poverty of going into ministry, that the riches that God has given me and experience of seeing people come to Jesus is worth more than anything I could have got myself. And so, friends, let me say and challenge you that you would say yes to God and that you would be someone who's generous, above your tithes and giving to missions, to kingdom builders.
Speaker 1:Today we have such a great opportunity as we have a guest speaker that's with us, Pastors Larry and Melinda. They are a powerful couple. They are leaders of leaders and they are someone today who actually oversees all of Europe and all of the missionaries in Europe for Assemblies of God, world Missions. They're friends of ours that I met when we were pastoring in Paris, france, and they were pastoring. They had planted a church in the Canary Islands in Spain, and then God called them to lead a dynamic church in Vienna, austria. Vcc is a church over 3,000 people made up of countries of the world, and they have many different congregations that speak different languages. They've planted churches not just across Europe but across the world as a church, and so he's come, so he led that church for many years. They together doing amazing ministry as God enabled them. Today they lead teams of people across Europe and even the world in reaching others with the love of Christ. Please welcome today Pastor Larry as he comes to share with you Love you, man.
Speaker 2:Amen, praise the Lord. Happy birthday, pastor Jay. Come on, everybody. Tell your neighbor I love my church. Come on, just tell them. Yes, come on, come on, say it like you mean it. Tell them, say I really love my church. I hope you do. I hope you're happy here.
Speaker 2:Friends, it's not like this everywhere. I just love the culture, I love what I sense and feel today in this house and just how the Lord is moving among you. We enjoyed first service, but second service to be with you, and this afternoon everybody's going to hang out and have lunch and a great time together. You know there's something about being a part of a local church. It's important to remember. We're not a club. We're not here just playing chess and checkers. We're the church, we're the body of Christ in this location and today there are millions and millions of Spirit-filled believers just like us who are worshiping God today, many in the places where Pastor Jay just mentioned around the world, some in open air with no building, some underground, hiding for the sake of persecution. But we're part of that body of Christ and friends. I'm telling you, if I lived right here, this is where I would go to church, so I hope you feel that way. What a great, great day together.
Speaker 2:Pastor Jay, pastor Celeste, we love you guys, just so thankful for you. They have served as pastors. Of course, pastor Jay grew up right here in this church and it's just fun to always come back to a place where you have so many memories of your own spiritual formation and to talk about people like Tiamika, who have poured into your lives and now you get to serve together and just it's really amazing. But these guys have left a footprint in Europe and Eurasia. They have impacted lives, many lives, because of the churches they've helped to plant and, of course, pastoring those people, loving those people, and when they came back here to serve you, it was a win for you but it was a loss for us and we miss them. We miss them serving there, but we're so thankful God's called them to be here and so we celebrate with you what God's doing here in this season and I was encouraging Pastor Jay between the services.
Speaker 2:This is your moment, everybody. This really is your moment. I just I feel like this church has the infrastructure to just reach farther, to continue to grow and reach people right here in this community, in the city, but also around the world, the things that you're doing. So thank you so much. And just in a couple of weeks you're going to be a part of making Kingdom Builders commitments. Much, and just in a couple weeks you're going to be a part of making kingdom builders commitments.
Speaker 2:And I just want to emphasize we see a lot of giving that takes place. There's a lot of good organizations out there and they're doing okay. Many of them are doing good, but we're the church and when you give through the church, you know that the church is going to steward those funds and that it's going to go to where it's designated to go. And you know there's boots on the ground, there are missionaries there who help steward those project funds, who really help to plant the church, to establish the church, to do outreach ministries, and I'm just so grateful again for the reach of this church. You know there's a room back here that used to be the youth room, I think at some point, but it has a timeline on the wall that shows of all the giving, of how the church has grown, the outreach of this church and collectively over the years this church has given somewhere close to $4 million to world missions and it's incredible. Praise the Lord, that's you. That's you. So thank you for just your faithfulness and helping us to make a difference where God's called the missionaries around the world. Upstairs is a prayer room and in that prayer room you see real faces of missionaries you support. They're not fictitious, those are real families, real people, and I can tell you they're grateful for you today. They really are, so thank you. I want to share a message with you today entitled what Really Matters. What really matters? There's a lot of things in life that matter and a lot of things that are important to all of us, but if we really take a moment to think about it today, what really matters in light of eternity? What matters when this life is over and we stand before God one day?
Speaker 2:There's a man in our church in Vienna. His name is Fossil and Fossil's from a sensitive country I can't mention today. But Fossil. He came to Vienna to get a job and because the contract did really well there, he learned German, which was the language of our country. He of course, spoke his mother tongue and then he spoke English. But during the course of his job and his work he was in an automobile accident and because of that he had a brain bleed and he was in a coma for a number of weeks and even many of the doctors didn't think he would live, let alone he would ever have any quality of life. Finally he came out of that coma. We'd been praying for him. He comes out of the coma and he has memory loss. He can't speak his mother tongue, he can't speak German, he can only speak English. Well, the problem was his wife did not speak English. So you can imagine at home how challenging that was for us to navigate, you know, between the two of them and try to help them with their family needs.
Speaker 2:I remember when, again, he, after a time of rehabilitation, physical therapy, he came back to church for the first time on his crutches and he came forward during a prayer time and of course we knew what his needs were. So immediately I started to pray for him. And, lord, would you, would you bring healing to Fossil's body, would you restore his memory, would you help him to recover physically and immediately. He just stops me and he says, pastor, don't pray for me, pray for my wife who doesn't know Jesus. Well, of course we knew his wife was still searching and didn't know Jesus. But I said we'll pray for her, but let me pray for you. And he stops me again. He says no, pastor, if you're going to pray, pray for her, I'll be okay, but pray for her because she doesn't know Jesus.
Speaker 2:And in that moment it really struck me. You know, there's things in life that matter. And then there's things in life that really matter. You know, the older you get, there's things that maybe you took for granted before, and now they just they're so important. There's gravity to it. There's just something about things that maybe we didn't think about before but we think about it now. And maybe, too, there's things we held on to before, things that we thought, well, this is important, and we realized, ah, it's not that important. It begins to change your perspective changes.
Speaker 2:You know, in the Bible, in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2, there's a verse that helps us to frame what we want to talk about today. It's found in verse 19 and verse 20. Paul's writing to the Thessalonian church, to believers that he has ministered to, that he's pastored, that he's helped, and he says these words. He says what is our hope? Verse 19, what is our hope? Our joy or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes. And then he answers the question. He says is it not you? You are our glory and our joy. He's talking to these people that he has ministered to and he's saying when Jesus comes back, what's really going to matter? What's our hope, what's the crown, what's the joy that we'll hold on to when Jesus comes?
Speaker 2:How many of you believe Jesus is coming back? Praise the Lord. It's more than a song, it's more than a story, friends, it's a reality. He says that when he comes back, there's going to be a reward, there's going to be something that matters, you know. I want to remind you today that heaven is just as real as your salvation.
Speaker 2:If you believe that you have come to know Jesus and been saved, it's important to also believe that heaven is a home that God has prepared for us. In fact, it's important for us to remember that you may have a passport here, you may have an identity card here, but you're not just a citizen on this earth. You are citizens of heaven as a follower of Jesus. That's our home. We're not just passing through one day and we hope to go to heaven. No, heaven is where we belong and we're just passing through this earth.
Speaker 2:The reality is that's where God has prepared a place for us. In fact, jesus, he said in John, chapter 14, he said don't let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions or many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you, but I'm going to prepare a place for you. And Jesus said if I go, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you can be where I am. Isn't that wonderful, friends? It's not a trick question today, how many of you want to go to heaven, praise the Lord, how many of you want to go to heaven today? A few people over here, not many people over here, want to go to heaven today. No, the reality is we all want to go to heaven, but we have our plans. We have our. You know, we have our to-do list. I mean, we've got a lot of things going on. It's like yep, larry, one day I want to go to heaven.
Speaker 2:Friends, arizona is a great place to live. It really is, but heaven is better than Arizona. I can promise you that it's important to remember that. This is life here. But, friends, we live this day so that that day when we stand before the Lord, he'll say well done, good and faithful servant.
Speaker 2:In Acts, chapter 1, we read about Jesus ascending to heaven after he had given them the great commission and told them I'm going to send the Holy Spirit and when he comes upon you, you'll receive power to be witnesses for me. But then, after that, he begins to ascend and the disciples are watching him and an angel appears and says men of Galilee, why do you stand here gazing into the sky? And then he says this words this same Jesus, not a different Jesus, not some angel with a broken wing, but the same Jesus who died for you, the same Jesus who rose again, who forgives your sins, who sends the Holy Spirit. This same Jesus will come back in the same way that you've seen him go Hallelujah, hallelujah. So, friends, it's important to remind ourselves that, yeah, this earth is not our home and what we do here, it matters for that day when we stand before him. So, really, what really matters?
Speaker 2:If we were to make a list today, you probably have a lot of things that would be important to you. I have things I think would be important to me. I'm a granddad. How many of you are grandparents. In fact, we just had our third grandchild, a granddaughter, and I'm telling you everything people say about being a grandparent it's true, it's just true. It's true, it's just true, it's true.
Speaker 2:I had to apologize to my son recently and he said Dad, what are you sorry for? I said, well, there's just things I feel towards my grandkids. I didn't feel towards you, you know. So my grandkids matter, right. I mean, there's a lot of things that matter and we could yeah, I see some of your grandparents you agree with that, is that true? It's true, it's just true. There's a lot of things that matter, right.
Speaker 2:But what really matters? Well, let me just share a couple of things. First of all, I think people matter. Come on, say that with me, everybody. People matter. Come on, say it like you, mean it. People matter, they matter to God and they should matter to us. Did you know? Jesus didn't die for a building. He didn't die for a political cause. He didn't die for the things that we think about. Jesus died for people. That's what he died for. And the reality is, when Jesus comes back and we stand before him, what's going to really matter is how did we live our life, how do we live for him and how do we bring people with us that Jesus died for? Not about our bank account or the followers we have on social media, but the reality is have we lived life to make a difference in people?
Speaker 2:Tia Mika and I were talking between the services and learning. I was learning a lot about the Mika House and she says you know, it's not about the crowds, it's never been about the numbers, it's about the one person, the one life that we can touch. And that's the testimony of Mercy House, the mercy place. That's the testimony. It's because it's making a difference in the lives of people. You know, everything you do here at Cornerstone Christian Center, ccc. I love that. It's just easy to say right, ccc, everything you do here flows out of a love for God and a love for people.
Speaker 2:I watched, looked on your website this week week and I watched a video from Pastor Jay. Here's what he says in the video. He says here at Cornerstone, we're all about connect, grow and serve, connect, grow and serve. We want to connect with each other and we want to grow in our relationship with God and we want to serve with our gifts and abilities. We're also people who are on a mission. We want to love God, we want to make disciples, we want to reach the world. I love that. It's just simple. Wherever you look around this church, you see it Love God, make disciples, reach the world Over here in the back banner be more like Jesus. I love that Because we, jesus, I love that because we just we. We were committed to people. We're committed to God and we're committed to the people that he loves.
Speaker 2:You know, I remember in 2015, 16, we started seeing refugees come into our church and, um, one of the first ones, his name, was Jamal, and everybody was telling us be careful. Uh, you know, these, these Muslims are coming in and Islam's going to take over Europe. And you know, we found out that really, the people who were afraid were the refugees coming in because, you know, they were moving into a new culture. They didn't understand the language, but the more we loved on them like first, john says, perfect love cast out fear we started loving on them and their hearts just opened towards us. They wanted to talk about spiritual things. We didn't try to force anything on anybody, but they asked us conversations like how do you know that you're going to heaven? They wanted to know about the supernatural, about miracles and how do miracles happen? And they wanted to talk about dreams and visions that many of them had had I'll never forget.
Speaker 2:Jamal came to our church and he said I'm just searching for truth and I've never read a Bible. Can I read one of your Bibles? So we gave him a Bible, he took it home, he started reading it. He kept coming back to church and every week you could just see he was searching. And I remember one week he was in the altar and I started to pray with him and I said Jamal, what can I pray with you about? He said well, pastor, I feel like I'm a 50% follower of Jesus, 50% follower of Islam. And I said well, you know, you just keep searching and I pray that the God of that Bible will reveal himself to you. And that's what he kept doing. He kept coming to church, he kept praying, he kept seeking God and and kept reading the Bible.
Speaker 2:And so a few months later I saw him in the altar again, but he was on the other side and I couldn't reach him. So I asked one of the men. I said hey, would you go over and pray with Jamal, but be careful, because he said he's a 50% follower of Jesus, 50% follower of Islam. Well, after service, that leader came to me, that men's leader, and he said hey, pastor, he says that guy, jamal, he's a 75% follower of Jesus, 25% follower of Islam. Well, of course you can imagine. The Holy Spirit just kept working in his heart.
Speaker 2:And one day we had a baptism service and there was Jamal, and he comes forward to be baptized and he had been through the class and he'd shared his testimony and I said Jamal, when I first met you, you told me you were 50-50. And then I heard you were 75-25. And he lifted both of his hands and he said pastor, I want everybody to know that I am a 100% follower of Jesus. Hallelujah, all the fear is gone. All the fear is gone. God's changed my life. Friends, I tell you that story because people matter and sometimes we think, well, they're from this religion or they don't believe in God. God can reach anybody. God can save anybody. God can change any life. He died for people. I'll never forget.
Speaker 2:We were at church on a Saturday. We were talking about John Maxwell and just a lot of the resources he has blessed the church with over the years. And I was at church on a Saturday we were doing a leadership training and we were using some of his materials and we had pastors from our church, from other churches, and right as we were beginning, I looked out in the foyer and I could see two young people out there and I thought well, I know they're not here for the training, so let me just go see if I can help them. When I walked out there, there were two students and they were from China and they were studying on a semester abroad at the University of Vienna in Austria, and so they had this tourist book. You know, you've seen these tourist books where they have museums, best restaurants, you know all the places that you should visit when you go tour somewhere. And right in the middle of that book was an advertisement for our church, Vienna Christian Center.
Speaker 2:And I thought how did we get an ad in a Chinese tourist book, you know? And so the guys? I said can I help you? And they showed me this ad and they said yeah, we're looking for a Christian church. And I said well, we're a Christian church. I said are you guys Christians? And they said no, but we're looking for a Christian church.
Speaker 2:Well, now I'm kind of puzzled. And they said we're students from China, we're studying here and in China the internet is restricted. There's things you just can't see on the internet. It's closed. And they said but since we've been here in Europe, the internet is open and we've seen everything on the internet. And I'm thinking, yeah, probably more than you should you know. And then finally, one of the guys he says to me, he says do you know Hollywood? And I said yeah, I know what Hollywood is. He says we've been watching movies from Hollywood and in these movies we hear the sayings of Jesus. And when we hear the sayings of Jesus we feel something. And so we're trying to find a Christian church that will tell us more of the sayings of Jesus. Isn't that incredible? First of all, I don't know what movies they were watching, but probably not the same movies that Pastor Jay watches. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I'm just joking that Pastor Jay watches. I'm just kidding, I don't know, I'm just joking. No, the reality is I don't know what they were watching, but somehow they heard the words of Jesus in some movie and it touched their heart and they said we have to find a church, we have to find more of the sayings of Jesus. Now, thank God, you know, we had a Chinese congregation, so we invited them congregation. So we invited them. They came to church, they gave their hearts to Jesus and I'll never forget when they left they said we're going to go back and we're going to take the sayings of Jesus to all of our friends in China. Hallelujah, hallelujah, friends. I tell you that again because we can't sit around saying how do we reach two Chinese students? How do we find an ad here or there? All we do is we just make sure we value people, we love people because Jesus died for people.
Speaker 2:In 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 8 and 9, it says God's not willing that any should perish, but that all people should come to repentance, all of them, not any, one single person would perish, but that every one would come to Jesus. That's his will, that's God's will, and I know we love people, but God loves them so much more than you and I do. And sometimes I have to ask myself if Jesus really is coming back, why hasn't he come back yet? And the reality is that's a good question. In fact, in that same chapter, in the beginning of those verses of 2 Peter, chapter 3, there was the question the scoffers were saying why hasn't he come? And the reality is as much as we believe he's coming back, we know he's coming back. The answer to that question is in those verses that God is patient with us. Aren't you thankful that God's patient, that he's not willing that any one should perish, but that every one would come to repentance? Friends, if God judged us for what we deserve, none of us would be here today, and if God treated us as we deserve, he took his hand off of our life. We couldn't even find our way home. It's only because of God's love and because of God's mercy that you and I are sitting here today, and I believe that the reason he hasn't returned is because there are people that you love, people that I love, and God's patient with them, that if he came back today, they'd be lost forever. And we know that and therefore, we believe that God is giving us a little more time. We're not just here doing what we want to do today. We're here realizing that we're the church and we're part of what God desires to do. What is his mission? How can we help people in this community to come to know Jesus? How can we help people around the world to come to know Jesus? Friends, there are people within driving distance of this church, people in Maricopa County who need the Lord. They need to be a part of this family, they need him and the reality is he loves them so much that he's given you and I a little bit more time to reach them.
Speaker 2:So this morning, pastor Rich was in the first service and he was talking about eating Mexican food in heaven. How many of you think there's going to be Mexican food in heaven? I don't know, but I have a lot of Spanish-speaking friends and they tell me you know, everybody needs to learn Spanish because you know, in heaven we're going to speak Spanish. It will be the heavenly language. I don't know about that, but I do think it's good to learn another language. But the reality is, what would the language of hell be? Will it be the 1.2 billion Mandarin speakers who don't know Jesus. Will it be the 362 million Arabic speakers? Or the 602 Hindi speakers, the millions of Bengali speakers? I don't know.
Speaker 2:But I do know that Jesus is coming back and I know that Jesus died for people and we should do everything we can. We should do everything we can not only to make it to heaven ourselves, but to take people with us. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I was at a church in Iowa a few months ago and I loved it. When you go out, there was a sign that says our mission is to make it to heaven and take as many people with us as we can. And I know that's your heart, and so I pray that God would help us to live for what matters? That we take people with us when we go. The way we live our life matters too. Friends, I don't think there's ever been a day in the history of Christianity when it matters more than it matters now.
Speaker 2:In fact, people can equate religion, and many people have never come towards faith in Jesus because they say, well, it's just religion. In fact, if you came to our part of the world, pastor Jay and Pastor Celeste can tell you people would say this I don't need God and I don't need the church. And the reason they say that is because all they see is an empty building. All they see is some historic building that's empty and there's nothing that it does to ever change the society and the culture in which they live. In fact, we had a young lady who was one of our university students and one of our missionaries was sharing faith with her and she said you know? She said I'm an atheist, I don't believe in God, but I need him. I need him. What she's saying is I don't believe in the historic picture of God, but if what you're saying is true, I don't believe in religion. But if what you're saying about having a relationship with God is true, I need a God like that, I need a relationship with him.
Speaker 2:And it's important to remember Christianity is more than a creed to believe. It's a life that we live. In fact, god is not concerned about what you believe. The devils believe, demons believe, but it's important how we live out what we believe. And friends, people don't care If they don't see how you live. They don't care what you say, because words are empty. We know that.
Speaker 2:But it's important to make sure that we say we're believers, then we follow Be more like Jesus. You can't see it because it's behind you over there, but I keep looking back those massive words on the back corner there that says be more like Jesus. Can't see it because it's behind you over there, but I keep looking back those massive words on the back corner there that says be more like Jesus. I pray when you leave here that you see that. Love God, make disciples reach the world. Be more like Jesus. And as we leave here we say Lord, the good thing is, wherever I go, you go because the Holy Spirit lives inside of me and I can take Jesus with me and I can live him out in my everyday life and in the marketplace and in the school Friends. It's important that we make sure that we live like Jesus. The way we live it matters. In fact, in 2 Peter 3, the verses that we read, god's not willing any perish, but all come to repentance Immediately, immediately after that, the next verse says if you understand these things, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live. You should live holy and godly lives, as you look forward to and you speed the day of his coming. Friends, it's about how we live.
Speaker 2:Since we've been back in the States. We see more commercials that new things, new products, and it's always fun to see what changes in the States from the time you're here, the time you leave, the time you come back. But all this medication that's new and helping in so many different ways. And you know, I was watching some commercial the other day about some blood pressure medication and it sounded pretty good. Until they get to the point where at the end of the commercial they say but there could be side effects. Right, you know. And then they start listing all those side effects Skin rash, dizziness, headaches, memory loss, you know, blurred vision, you could have blood clots, you could have hallucinations and I'm thinking I'll just keep my high blood pressure. You know, right, but as followers of Jesus, there should be side effects.
Speaker 2:You shouldn't have to tell people that you're a believer, that you're a disciple. People should know it by the way that you live, know it by the way that you speak, know it by the attitude and how you treat them speak. Know it by the attitude and how you treat them. Jesus said they will know that you're my disciples how, by the love you have for one another, by the way you treat one another, friends. That's important for us more than it ever has been before. And I know I'm not saying something new. What I'm saying really is I think it's an overflow of your heart, but I'm just reminding you today that if we're going to reach people for Jesus, then we have to live for Jesus. If we're going to be a testimony and reflection of him, we've got to make sure that in our behaviors and what we say and what we do, it makes a difference. St Francis de Assisi said preach the gospel and, if it's necessary, use words. I love that. Preach the gospel, but it doesn't always have to be on Sunday morning with a microphone from the stage. It can be how we live, how we live without even saying words, hallelujah.
Speaker 2:I want you to watch this video of a story of a man named Ibrahim. He was from Syria, he worked in the secret police and because of that, isis tried to target him, tried to kill him and put a car bomb under his car. But when the bomb exploded he was not in the car yet, but his wife was in the car, his children were in the car and his parents were in the car and in one moment he lost everything. You're from? Can I tell everybody where you're from? You're from Syria, and we've seen a lot of refugees that have come over these last few years from Iran, iraq, afghanistan, syria, of course, many places in Africa. But you're one of the stories that really inspire us, because you were a person who lost everything, but can you describe what happened in 2013? What? What did you lose?
Speaker 3:um, it's the. The war is beginning 2011 and I was working as a special place. In november 2013, the isis attacked my whole family with a car bomb and he killed all of my family.
Speaker 2:So ISIS when they attacked your family in this car bomb. But you lost everybody your wife, your children, everybody.
Speaker 3:And after that I decided to get out from this country because I don't believe in war.
Speaker 2:Well, I can imagine, because I actually read what you wrote and you and I have had conversations before. But how did that make you feel towards God, you know? Did you feel angry, sad? How did you feel when you lost everything?
Speaker 3:Actually, I was very angry and very sad and I was always saying, because we were young, our parents they say they are angels, they will protect us. They were God. And I say, okay, this is a big liar, Because if they were angels, they would protect not my parents but my children at least my kids and I decided to get out from Syria. It took me two months to get to Europe. Because two months? Because you know, I lost everything. And that person thanked him. He told me give your heart to Jesus. And first time I was so I'm not sure to give my heart to Jesus, but the day I decided to give my heart to Jesus, that anger and that's a ticket for my heart. And I have one message for this people who kill my family today, I will forgive you.
Speaker 2:Did you hear that? These people who killed my family? Today I have a message for you. I forgive you. Only God, only God can take away anger. Only God can take away loss and give us the ability to do that. Friends, that's not human, that's supernatural, it's not from our heart, it's because of what God's done in your life. Abraham, and you've been through a lot. It hasn't been easy. Since you've been here, we've talked a lot about things you've been through, but you know what. You're on a good path right now.
Speaker 3:And.
Speaker 2:God has great things in front of you. Praise the Lord, hallelujah, hallelujah. Friends, I just saw Abraham a few weeks ago and he said Pastor, I'm still serving Jesus, he's still serving in the local church, he's still making a difference, he's still sharing his faith. I went with him one time to his workplace and when I walked in he said this is my pastor. Everybody I've been inviting you to church, but I want you to meet my pastor. And immediately I started talking to everybody and they're like yeah, he's always so happy, so joyful. He tells us it's Jesus, but we think he's on drugs. There's no way it could just be Jesus. I said, no, it really is, it's just Jesus. There's something about the way that you live and it matters.
Speaker 2:I was in Ukraine just a few weeks ago and we were down near the borders where many of these villages and small towns had been destroyed, and you see some of the pictures here no electricity, no running water, it was cold, it was in the single digits in Fahrenheit temperatures and it was incredible just to see people surviving and being so resilient. And wherever we went, mothers were coming up to us and asking us to pray for them and pray for my son who has been taken captive as a prisoner and I don't know where he's at, I don't even know if he's alive. Others were bringing their teenage children to us, saying please pray for them, because pray the war would end, because if it doesn't end, my children have to go fight next year. And just so many stories that would rip your heart out. And we would go from these towns to towns with the local church leaders who were there and they were in there, investing and just loving on people, taking food and praying for people. And you would see the mayors in these community centers, that holes in the building, but they'd still meet in them. No heat, extremely cold, and yet every single one of those places we would give them food, we would give them something to eat, we would pray with them. And single one of those places we would give them food, we would give them something to eat, we would pray with them. And every one of the mayors would say to us they said the government has forgot about us, the NGOs have left, but the church, the church comes every week to feed us and to pray with us. And these are people that live out what they believe. And they said to us we've never had a church in our town, we've never had any church here, but we pray that when the war ends they will come and start a church in our city and I'm happy to show you a picture of one of those new churches that have been started recently.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah Hallelujah, because people like you and me said we're going to live out our faith. We're going to live it out. It matters. The last thing I want to share with you is really that eternity matters, and if our keyboard player would come back and I just want to pray with you Pastor Jay is going to come in a few moments, but I want to leave this with you today. Friends, this life, it's going to come and go. My dad went to heaven 86 years old, just about two months ago, and you know as much as I miss dad. I feel this overwhelming, just peace and gratefulness, because he lived out his faith. He just lived it out and I think when you lose someone that you love, it reminds you how fragile life is. It reminds you that really, this is not eternity, this is temporal. But there comes a moment when this life will be over and you and I will live for eternity and everything we've done. Everything that our life represents will go through the fire. First Corinthians 3 talks about that, and only what survives the fire will remain. You know it's a picture of the temporal things will pass, and only what's eternal, then, will receive our reward. In 2 Peter 3, verse 8, he says don't forget this, friends with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. We don't even understand what that means, but we know that one day we'll stand before Jesus and on that day, I think the same question that Paul asked what's our hope, what's our joy, what's the crown that we'll receive? What really matters, I think, beyond the shadow of a doubt, it'll be the people that we've reached for him, and it'd be the kind of life that we lived here on earth. Because, friends, eternity will come and I can tell you that this day, even today, even though this is a Sunday, and this is a day when we celebrate together, we worship together and then we go out and we're gonna have a great time this afternoon but today matters, for that day when we stand before the Lord, when you give your giving matters. For that moment when you stand before the Lord, when you share your faith. It matters in that moment, for the day when you stand before the Lord, and I pray that when that day happens, that with all of our hearts, we'll say Lord, I live for eternity. I heard you say well done, good and faithful servant, I would love to just lead you in prayer this morning. Would you stand? And I would love to just lead you in prayer this morning. Would you stand? And I would. I'd love to ask you to do something that we would do so often in our church in Vienna I'd love to ask everybody to move towards the front today and let's just have a prayer time around this altar together. Worship team, you can come, come on, would you just move from where you are? Everybody, come, come here for just a moment, and for just a moment we're going to lead you in prayer together. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, jesus.
Speaker 2:Faso came back to our office and he's asking for prayer. I didn't know why, but he brought his wife with him and I figured something must not. You know problems in their marriage One's a believer, one's an unbeliever. But he says, larry, will you pray for us, because we're going to take a trip to the country where his wife is from. He said we just received the news that my father-in-law only has a few, just a few days to live. The doctors say he's not going to make it. And we got to go tell him about Jesus before he dies. And I said Fossil. I said we'll pray for him, but you can't go. You're a Christian and as a follower of Jesus, if you go to that country you'll be arrested, you'll be put in prison, you'll probably even lose your life. And he said no, pastor, you don't understand. I have to go. I have to go. I'm not worried about myself because I'm okay, he said, but my father-in-law will die and he doesn't know Jesus. And he says you have to pray for us. Just all I'm asking you to do is pray.
Speaker 2:And we began to just go back and forth and finally I said Faso, we know people who know people. We'll find somebody who can go and be there and share Jesus with him. But you can't go. And he got so frustrated with me he pulled, he recently took his Bible and he pulled out an offering envelope and he held it up and he pointed to the word missions on that offering envelope and he said Pastor, you say it all the time. All the time you tell us we have to do this. And he pointed to the word missions. And then he said these words. He says we're all going to die somewhere. So what difference does it make if I die here in Austria, or if I die and he named the name of the country his wife's from, or if I die and he named the country he's from? He says if I die, I'm ready to go to heaven, but if my father-in-law dies, he'll be lost forever without Jesus. You know, it kind of sums it all up.
Speaker 2:Today, friends, the reality is this One day, this life will be over. What's our hope, what's our crown? What's the joy that we'll receive when Jesus comes, when you and I stand before him one day, in light of eternity? What really matters? People, people matter. So let's live our life for Jesus.
Speaker 2:I'm so thankful for this church, I'm thankful for your leadership, I'm thankful for Pastor Jay and Pastor Celeste. God has given you gifted pastors, high capacity pastors, and I believe he's done it and then given you the team and he's called you here because this is your moment. This is your moment, friends. All of us are going to get old and one day, if Jesus doesn't come back, we'll all die and go to heaven, but he could come back today, and so the question is what are we going to do for him? May, every day, may we seize this moment and just say it's not just a Sunday, it's not just this is where I live for 2025, maybe 2002. No, god called you. He determined the times, exact places where we should live, because this was his purpose for you, his purpose for this church, because this was his purpose for you, his purpose for this church.
Speaker 2:Carl Henry said these words. He says the gospel is only good news if it gets there in time. It's good news, friends. It works. It's worked for you and it works for everybody who doesn't know the Lord. It will change their life, but it's only good if it gets there in time.
Speaker 2:Come on, would you lift your hands with me right now, as a church? Would you just begin to pray Lord, increase my capacity to love people. Come on, would you just tell him Lord, increase my capacity to love people. Sometimes people are easy to love, sometimes they're not. But, god, I pray that you would give me a love, like you have a love for people who hurt me, a love for people who have tried to say things about me to to destroy my life. Lord, I pray today that in this building, you would increase our capacity to love. Love comes from God, so may we receive love from you and may we reciprocate that love to others. May we respond to your love, lord, by loving people the way that you love them, by valuing them and giving them dignity, and no matter what we see on the outside, can we believe that God would do something on the inside, that they could become a new creation in Christ and all things would pass away and all things would become new?
Speaker 2:Can we believe that today, come on, begin to pray for somebody in your family right now, begin to pray for someone that you love who doesn't know Jesus right now. Maybe it's a cousin, maybe it's a parent, maybe it's a child, maybe it's a brother, maybe it's a neighbor, but would you begin to say, lord, I believe that they're not too far away from you. I pray today, lord, I believe that they're not too far away from you. I pray today, god, that you would reach out to them. I pray that the goodness of God would lead them to you, to repentance, lord, that they wouldn't feel condemned but they would feel your love. They would feel, lord, the compassion of Christ that reaches out to them. Just as the gospel has changed our life, lord, we pray that it would change your life, lord, we pray that it would change your life. Lord, we pray that it would change their life. We pray over them today. We pray over them today.
Speaker 2:Come on, right now, in your own words, would you just begin to say, lord, help me to live a life that matters, help me to live by the way that, lord, through my behaviors, through the way that I treat people, help people to see Jesus in me.
Speaker 2:Help me to really be more like Jesus, not just in a prayer, not just in a saying, but, lord, help me to live out my faith, to be more like Jesus, to show compassion, to show love, to care, to go the extra mile. Help me to live out the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Lord, I pray that we would be a church that seizes this moment, that seizes this opportunity. I pray that we would, lord, realize that this life is temporary but Jesus is coming back, and that everything that we do, lord, as a church, as we do individually and as we do collectively, that it would matter for that day when we stand before you, lord, keep your hand upon us. Come on, ask him right now. Lord, keep your hand upon us in this moment. Keep your hand upon us in this moment. I pray, lord, guide us, direct us as a church, use us for your honor, for your glory.
Speaker 1:Lord, as we come to this altar this time, lord, as we sing this song to you, we do so with a heart that's after you. Lord, that you pour yourself out upon us. Lord, that you would use us in our sphere of influence. Lord, you would guide us and direct us. Lord, to be your hands extended. Lord, we come to you in this moment asking all these things. We pray them in Jesus' name, amen. Let's worship the Lord church.
Speaker 1:We are in these next couple weeks of Kingdom Builders. We have some special guests that will be with us. It's a powerful thing and we have this opportunity for us to be those who make a commitment to Kingdom Builders. And it's just that it's a faith promise and nobody's going to come looking for that promise or anything like that, but it's one between you and God about what you want to do, what you want to do in participating in giving to kingdom builders and giving to missions so other people can know the love of God. And so let me encourage you that you would prayerfully consider being those that make a faith promise to give to missions.
Speaker 1:Celeste and I I'll tell you as individuals before we even got married, both of us had already sorted that out with God. We gave God his 10% first, and we were very thankful to return that back to the Lord. And then we also were those that gave to missions and we supported missionaries and gave to the church missions things wherever we were. And then that was before we headed out as missionaries. And when we went as missionaries we didn't stop giving. We actually kept giving and actually increased our giving because we believed in it that much. So, even though we were missionaries and we were supported by people giving in missions, we too supported other missionaries in missions giving. That's how much we believe in it. And so even this year, as we come to this time of Kingdom Builders Conference and this idea of getting to make that faith promise, we're talking amongst ourselves. How can we increase what God can do through us? How can we be good stewards of what God wants to do? Because we want to participate more.
Speaker 1:And I'll tell you that was modeled to me through my parents, rich and Cindy, the founding pastors of this church. You know, as a teenager I happened to find out how much they gave to missions and I won't give you a number. What I'll tell you is this is that they put their money where their mouth was. They were giving a car payment worth of money, a nice car, a very nice four-wheel drive truck version of money to missions every single month. And they did that because they believed in the eternal principle, which is this that if we are those who are diligent to give to God and to be generous with him, he will be generous with us, and you cannot out give a loving God. And so, friends, I've seen it modeled, I've seen what they've reaped in their life and I can tell you in my own experience, even as I left behind corporate America to go and be in a ministry, I thought I was yard selling everything like I was like, oh, woe is me, I'm gonna be poor forever. What I found is that I'm rich in experience and rich in the love of God, because I have more than I ever could have got if I tried to buy my way in. But instead the love of God and the experience of what he's done in obedience to him is greater than anything that we can do in our own plan. So invest eternally in what God wants to do.
Speaker 1:Let me give you this opportunity as well If you wanna respond to the ministry today. You see it's good soil in Pastor Larry and Melinda and their team. If you'd like to give towards that, you can do so on the app, you can do so on the QR code. You can do so in the back the black boxes in the back and just put missions, you can put Europe, on there. We're going to be giving to them today. In doing so, we're excited because God is on the move. Amen, lord, we thank you for your generosity to us and, lord, as we're generous back to you, we do so with hearts of gratitude. We pray that you would use it for your glory. We pray in Jesus name, amen.
Speaker 4:Oh, it's been a good day. How many of you would say it has been a good day? Yeah, Thank you, Pastor Larry. An honor to have you.
Speaker 4:It is now going to be time for our spring family day and I'm going to tell you there's already people outside lined up at the tables to register. It's going to be a good day. We have a petting zoo outside and I have to tell you, the chickens are laying eggs, yes, and the goats that are out there, they have babies and they're just prancing around and they are the cutest thing. So after I line up, then you can line up behind me and we're all going to get some time at the petting zoo.
Speaker 4:But I just want to give you one little piece of advice, for today we're going to do things a little different. We're going to have everybody exit the building. So as soon as church is over, if you could just head out, grab your children, and then we're going to just turn around and we're going to re-come in. After we sign up, give the kids a bracelet. We're going to come through this way to get the food and it's going to be a fantastic day. So I pray that you have time to stick around with family today.
Speaker 1:Before we go, pray this blessing over us. Pray this blessing over us. The Lord bless you and keep you. Lord, make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Lord, lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Lord, I pray a blessing upon your church, your people. Lord, you empower us by your spirit to live your love out to those around us. We pray all this in the powerful name that is Jesus Christ. Amen, lord, bless the food and know this. We love you very much here at Cornerstone. Have a great week.