SPEAKER_00 0:00

Uh my family and I just got back from some vacation time away. It was really good. We went north and got away from some of the heat, which was awesome. Not so fun coming back to it, but really fun being away from it for a couple weeks. Uh but this morning we have a unique opportunity in that we have uh a guest speaker. Um and some of you guys are aware that every single week here at Point uh we provide translation for those who speak pran uh primarily speak Spanish. Uh we provide uh a translator. That's why you if you sit at the back of the room, you may hear somebody and you're going, what is that sound? Well, we have a couple of men who translate each week my sermons, and we have people who pick up little packs and they have an earpiece and they listen to the sermon in Spanish. So that helps them understand what we're teaching. Uh well, this morning we're gonna flip things on their head because our communicator, our speaker, our preacher is gonna actually preach in Spanish, and we're gonna have it translated to us in English. And so I'm excited about that personally. I'm gonna go ahead and invite Diego and Andreas up to the stage, and I'm gonna introduce uh you to him as he comes. Uh yeah, this is uh so uh this is uh Diego here uh in the lead, and Andreas behind him, uh, who's gonna be translating. And we're grateful for them being here this morning. Uh we have a heart for the nations. We believe that God has called us to make disciples of all nations. That's what we've been talking about through this series. Matthew 28, 19 through 20 is a verse that Jesus uh is recorded about Jesus' final instructions to his disciples. And uh over the course of this series called Road Trip, we've been looking at the Apostle Paul, and we've been looking at how he traveled to different cities in the ancient world, and he would go there, he would share the gospel, and out of that, believers would emerge and he would plant new churches. Well, we have a unique opportunity this morning because, as I said, uh we have Diego here, and he three and his family three months ago moved to the Austin area to plant a church in the Austin area, primarily for Hispanic, uh uh Latinos, Spanish speakers. And uh we are going to be participating as part of supporting them uh over the coming years, because it will take uh a season of time for them as they establish themselves. Uh they are actually a part currently of the church that sent my family and some other families to South Austin to plant a church back in 2012. And so we are super thankful for him, and he is living out what the Apostle Paul did in the ancient world uh in in 2,000 years ago. And so, as we've talked about Paul, uh this has been been Diego's firsthand experience coming to a new place, uh to Texas, to Austin, uh learning the culture, being pretty overwhelmed by that, I'm sure, at times, uh, learning English, and uh and then trying to say, God, how can you use me to help others know Jesus? And so I love that they are here this morning. He actually brought a few of his team members with him as well, and we're thankful that they got to be uh here, and their guests, and his his wife, and his uh two daughters are here. Uh so I just want to stop and pray for Diego as he shares and pray that we would be ready to receive the message that they have for us this morning. Can we do that together? Father, I thank you so much for Diego. I thank you for my brother and for what you're gonna speak to us through him this morning. Uh, we just thank you for his heart, uh, to be willing to uproot his family from Peru and to follow obediently, uh, follow your call to come to the United States, to come to Austin, and to help uh people in Austin who speak Spanish as well as others, God, that they would come to know Jesus because of his obedience and his faithfulness. I pray that you would bless them. And we pray that we would receive the word you have for us this morning as a church family. We pray it's all in your name, Jesus. Amen. Thank you, guys.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Good morning. Hola, hola, hola.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Hello, hello, hello?

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Okay. My English is very limited, but I try to talk every day because I don't know how I do it. Yeah, it's amazing because sometimes I wait and try to think what is the reason because I'm here, you know. I have a missionary heart sometimes I have this situation in my mind in my mind. So this is part of the adventure, you know. Two years ago I live in the Andes in Peru. Yeah, and work to different persons. The first language in Peru is the Quechua is done in the Spanish. So the people in the Andes speak quechua, so it's another culture. And another many people speak Quechua, so it's another language.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

And in the time for you know, uh uh go to como se fui salir, cuando me fui, I left and then I left the place.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah, I try to tutorial English. And in the time for this, um God opened the doors for people to come here, so it's amazing because it's another culture, another language. So I go every day to the library in Run Rock for learning English, basic words, so my mind works into things because I try to order first English and prepare the, you know, the conversation and to talk with you. So in the finish for talk with you, maybe I feel very tired. Yeah. So thank you, thank you very much for the invitation. This is my family, Patricia, this is my wife, Luana, my daughter, Tamara, and Julisa, David, Hilda, Luis, and Rafael. This is part of the Spanish ministry, and my good friend Andres. Thank you for translating. You got it.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

We lived at a church there. And there was a moment when the church began to just take care of itself. The Lord had raised up a group of leaders. And so we believed that it was time for my family to depart, leave. It was a struggle. We had lived there for eight years. We were established as a family in Cajamarca. So we were praying a lot to just know what to do.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

I remember one day, I was telling the Lord, God, if you truly want me to move, you're gonna have to help me with a couple of things.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

The house I was living in had a two-year contract that I was still in. I had several belongings to me, possessions that would have been hard to get rid of. There's the material part, and then the the church itself. I uh we were going to leave the church as well, another struggle. God, if you truly want me to leave, help me sell my car. They had let go, the company had let go of 3,000 workers from the ore companies. So people are trying to sell their things, not buy his things. God, please help me because I need to just leave these things. And the man who was gonna buy this car said, I'll just pick up that contract for you. I was just in shock. Diego answered, I don't know, some things I'm gonna sell, some things I should keep.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

I don't know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

And that man answered, Don't move a single thing, I'll buy it all. I even had two dogs, a uh a German shepherd and a lab. And I was praying for these two dogs. Because we wanted to leave our dogs with a family that would take care of them well. And so Diego asked, Well, how about my dogs? That man answered, My kids have been praying for dogs for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

So we were within an hour.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

And so I said, God, I guess this is the answer of you helping me out. We packed our four four suitcases and we left. Two years we've been uh doing mission work. There's a city named Guachu, which is four hours away from Lima. They were serving there as well. City of Cusco serving. Sometimes I think and I confess to my wife, I just think I need another body to be able to do all this. I know that this will happen when our new bodies are given to us in glory. It is not easy. The body does take a toll. Once in a mission trip, I contracted a bacterial infection in my stomach, which until today I'm struggling with. Yeah, these medieval churches, big, great, majestic churches. Large monuments and that allow you to remember the past.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Reliquias sin vida without life.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

That don't really talk about a faith that is alive, that is real. It's interesting to think that the devotion that these churches once housed is no longer there, but dead. They were left behind in the past. And if we analyze the big church today is not super far away from maybe reaching that point as well.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Big churches, mega iglesias, megachurch.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

We're very proud to say that, right? The megachurch. Full of people, full of activities, and don't where often we can find that the true vitality and purpose is fading away day by day slowly. So let's begin with the reading of Zechariah 4.6. So he said to me, This is the word of the Lord of Zerubbabel, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty. And in this book, we can truly see that the book reveals the power of the church. We read these stories and we truly are amazed at the stories and the evidence, and just wow, the Holy Spirit moves. So one of my friends there told me, All right, Diego, we're gonna go and share the gospel in an area that I had a lot of trouble once. Well, I almost died there. I wasn't just thinking about my own life, but I was thinking about my family, my daughters. My friend told me that the place we were going to go to is called the Boulevard Menchuda, Menchuda Boulevard. And he went to spread the gospel there. And a group of orthodox Jews very radical came and confronted him. And they beat him up so bad that he almost lost his life. And he was just almost dead. And that same group told the man that was being beat up, we're not going to give you the pleasure or the honor for you to become a martyr. And so they let him live. And they told us many things just trying to get us to go away from that place. Just awesome stories. Because of the lack of human rights and heavy persecution. So I ask you a question to you. The answer is very simple. And it's amazing to know that something that happened over 1900 years ago is still a reality and it's still at work today in our lives. The story continues.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

But where?

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Where are those who are willing to take the gospel with passion, with determination, with might? Where are the disciples of Jesus? Where are the people with the character of Paul? Where are they? Is that not us? Who are supposed to take that place, fill those shoes?

SPEAKER_01 31:21

But what do we do?

SPEAKER_02 31:52

In what ways are you light? Because the word of God says that we need to be light to others. I remember where the church I came from, there were these big, heavy floodlights to my left and to my right. So every time that they turned on these lights, they were just overwhelming, overwhelming. And I couldn't turn to the left or to the right because so blinding. Why? It's the testimony that we bring that testimony. Use your testimony, and when needed, use your words. But the reality is totally different. Why is that? The answer comes in the form that throughout many years the weakness of the church has been, through the tradition of our men. Trying to accomplish the will of God in our own strength. Without direction. Tired. Trying to push something that won't move. We have to let God do the work. Very important illustration. There was a man. And this man told by God, go and move this big boulder, go move it. And in obedience to God, this man started to push. So then God told him, Now take a look at your arms. And he did, and he realized, my gosh, you know. And he touched his legs. Bigger and stronger. And so at that moment he understood. And God told him at that moment, I wanted to work on you first. So let me move the rock instead. Unfortunately, many of us think that we need to do it in our own style, in our own way. But we have to remember that much intentions have led many to bankruptcy for no ten.

SPEAKER_01 42:30

And we also have to understand that the intention of Dios nunca fue dejarnos una carga.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

We have to understand that the purpose of God was never to leave us with this burden or with this. We need to rest in him. Leave our frustrations to our side. And when this happens, God reminds us that the work is his and for him to accomplish through the Holy Spirit in us.

SPEAKER_01 43:31

God reminds us that reminds us that He is perfectly capable of reaching the objectives that we can't reach with our frustration. Need to understand that siempre la intention of cumplir la obra el mismo.

SPEAKER_02 43:55

That the purpose of God was for him to accomplish the good. With his strength, but not with ours. All God is what from us is our disposition.

SPEAKER_01 44:15

A humbled heart.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

Like it's mentioned in Psalm 51.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

Another thing that we can observe from the book of Acts is the quality that tenos para impact that the Church of Acts had the capacity to impact the people that listened to them. They taught the truth with conviction.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

And they preached that truth without fear.

SPEAKER_01 45:06

And not with our own strength.

SPEAKER_02 45:10

But with the strength that comes from the most high. Something that we can only reach if we maintain loyal. And full of his spirit. Even enemies of the church could not resist the passion that the church had. The Holy Spirit was able to take control of it all. Giving energy sufficient energy. Guiding them. Filling them up with a lot of power. So that they could transmit life to the ones around them. We need to remember that He does it all.

SPEAKER_01 47:29

Not us.

SPEAKER_02 47:47

Because you have the pressure of the world. And you are tired. And the relationship we have with Christ is on a downhill. Maybe you come to church with a big smile on your face. But your heart is dry. Empty. The word of the Lord is very clear here. God uses me to touch the lives of the people around me. And somebody just comes in your room and just turns on the lights.

SPEAKER_01 49:47

Hey man, turn off that light.

SPEAKER_02 49:53

That's how people should react when they see us.

SPEAKER_01 49:56

Somos luz.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

We are light. The Holy Spirit takes place in me. And we begin to touch the lives of those around us. When we surrender our lives in an absolute way. And I surrender it to you. And I please ask you that you take full charge and control over my life. Please renew me, Father God. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit in order to continue the work and press forward. And that gives me peace and rest. And we leave this time to honor your name.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:21

In tu Nobre.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:22

In your holy name. Amen.