A Healthy Church Part 2
The Early Church Modeled How To Live In Unity In The Body Of Christ
Arnaldo Soto
Dec 19, 2021 46m
Acts chapter 2 gives us a beautiful picture of the early church modeling how to live in unity in the body of Christ. They were like the original life groups, meeting from home to home, sharing meals, and having fellowship with each other. Video recorded at Grapevine, Texas.
Tags
early church fellowship god's will generosity unity living a christian life life groups body of christTranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
121 Community - A Healthy Church Part 2
Arnaldo Soto: [00:00:08] Hello, 121, how are you this morning? Doing good, doing great? It is good to be here, especially when we see baptism, it is just great to celebrate how God transforms a life, and they just rendered their life to Jesus, and it is public. Everyone knows here what's going on in this particular life, and that's beautiful, it's special.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:00:31] My name is Arnaldo Sodo, for those who are visiting this morning. I am from Puerto Ric, a small Island right there, a very, very small island. It is beautiful, there are three million people there. And I moved here in 2007 with my wife, first, I was in California for 11 years and then I moved to the Holy Land, Texas. Wow, impressive. But it's good to be here this morning, and I have the honor, the privilege, to share the word. I have been learning English for the last, I don't know how many years now, and now you with me here and I don't have, you know, the accent and everything, but the beauty of sharing the word in this language, my now language, to you and see what God does with this, this is special. I'm the global minister here for 121, so we are excited, I'm excited about this time.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:01:31] Let's pray and see what God has for us. God, thank you for four this morning, we love you, we honor you, we praise you, we need you more than ever. And I pray that, Holy Spirit, as I speak this word, that you put in my heart, that you just transform people's heart, that you just move around here, that this season can become a season of just continued glorifying you more and more with who we are in our lives as a church. Speak to us this morning. In your name, I pray, Jesus. Amen, amen, amen.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:02:14] In the last hours that Jesus spent with the disciples, Jesus promised that he will not leave them alone. The day of his ascension, going to heaven, that day, Jesus, renewed the promise. He said, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in not many days. Imagine they are like, what's going on here? And then he said that, and he goes beyond, he says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you. The power of the Holy Spirit will be put out to allow the disciples to be witnessed in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the Earth. So I imagine the disciples when they heard that it was like, Oh, the end of the Earth, Grapevine. Grapevine is in that list right there, 121.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:03:10] We have been on the first two chapters for the last several weeks in the Book of Acts. And in Acts chapter 2, the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on the date of Pentecost, and they received power to preach the gospel with boldness. Peter proclaimed that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, is Savior, and invited people to repent, to get baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit. And that day, believe it or not, three thousand souls believe in Christ and got baptized. Three thousand is a lot of people, Jermaine was like, this is cold, imagine three thousand in that cold water, next, next, next, next. but the beauty of seeing God moving. And today, 2,000 years later, we still see God moving in a special way.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:04:10] And last week, the special way, last week, Pastor Ross shared the idea of what it means to be a healthy church. And a healthy church is a community of believers that deeply understand what Christ has done for them and what is their mission. Christ established the church by giving you, his people, me, giving me and you together, the church, an assignment to complete. And live in such a way that we see the darkness going back, the darkness retreat in our jobs, the darkness retreat in our family, the darkness retreat with our people, with our friends, the darkness retreat because we have the Holy Spirit in us living in us, the power of God living in us, so it means that darkness has to go away.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:05:07] Jesus is the head and builder of the church, let me tell you, he didn't make a mistake. We are not a perfect church; we are the church of God. We are a healthy church, let me tell you, I have been here for four years, and I see the beauty of 121. And those who are visiting today, welcome, this is the place to be.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:05:35] So today, I want to share that in the midst of all the unhealthiness of our cultural moment, we strongly believe that there is real health available in God's design for you, and for me, and for the church. At the core of the Actss 2 processes is having, this book in chapter 2, is having the Spirit empower disciples who are encountering Jesus. You have the Spirit of God in you and experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit anchored in the Scripture right here, engaging with God's people. We are not here to be alone; we need one another. In Acts, the primary objective of the entire Actss chapter 2 process is to see unbelievers transformed into fully developed followers of Christ who are able to reproduce believers. So we can multiply what we have, the people around us have to know, they have to know, that we have something different, that God is living in us and with us.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:06:53] So I would like to invite you to our passage in Acts chapter 2 verses 43-47. But let's do an exercise together. What if Acts 2 reads like this? Verse 42, The believers are devoted to their careers, their kids, and daily Bible verses. They bought mugs and hangings with scriptures. Hopefully, this is the Sunday the Lord's Supper takes place. And a deep sense of distraction took over during the Sunday sermon, consequently, missing the miracles in front of them, the pastors felt unsupported. The believers were too busy to fellowship and found themselves more and more isolated, they did not have time to notice those in need, but they knew where their neighbors had traveled by keeping up with social media. They made sure they have plenty of money in the bank and worked hard to have more stuff and go to more places. They bought the next new trend to feel better about themselves. Verse 46, They had a quick prayer before the evening meal, where most members were seldom there or on their phones. Most of the time dinner was a drive-thru event. They never took the time to see if others were in need. They did not enjoy others as they were too exhausted. They could not sleep without aide because their minds were so busy and worried about the days ahead. They wondered why they were angry with their family and seldom enjoy their company. And Verse 48, They had little time to enjoy the beauty of creation and share the goodness of Jesus. The habit of going to church was quickly fading. They were left alone and desperate for a life of true abundance.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:09:10] Don't worry, this is the Ross and Arnaldo bible version. But this is what I call comfortable Christianity here. And that was not the motto of the early church, and I see myself sometimes in this circle, in this reality. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable, he calls us to trust him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in a situation where we will be in trouble if he doesn't come through. I believe that the safest place on Earth is living in the center of God's will, even when it could be in the most dangerous places in human eyes. And this is where I understand our global workers, our missionaries, when we ask them, how are you doing? How can you live in this country? And they say, it's great. And for us, it's like, oh, it's God's will for them, and they understand that, that is exactly the safest place for them because God is with them over there. And the same for us when we are in God's will, when people think we are crazy doing some stuff, we know that we are in the center of God's will, we feel safe in his hands because we know he is with us.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:10:39] And here in the scripture, we see that with the early church, and everyone was filled with awe, right here. And let's go to the real verse 43 in Acts chapter 2 verse 43, "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles." It was a jaw-dropping awe What we see here is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise in Mark Chapter 16 to his disciples before he ascended to heaven, he says, “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Jesus promised to support our testimony with signs that will bear witness to his people, to his power, to move unbelievers to have faith in him, to trust in God, God's power was visible right here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:12:06] And that said, today we see God's power moving in our lives here at 121. Last Tuesday, I got a text from someone here, 121, and it was a group text, and he said this. This person said this, Praise Report! Do you want to know what's going on here? Seven people gave their lives to Christ yesterday during a 121 neighborhood home visit. God moving, seven people in our neighborhood trusted Jesus. I call him right away, tell me more about this, I want to know more about what's going on here. And he shared more about what happened, and it's just like this idea of jaw-dropping awe like, whoa, like going back to the early church when we see God moving in people's heart transformations. I call him and we have this conversation, do you know why? We must never forget that the supernatural power of God was the defining element in the first-century church. It ushered in revival at various points in history, and we see God transforming lives today here in 121. God is working, God is in the midst of us, and there is an impressive unity here and community among believers in chapter 2, and we see that through the scripture.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:13:50] Verse 44 says, "And all the believers were together and had all things in common." That passage always moves me, the church looks so beautiful, so attractive, it's that kind of love that makes our message believable. Scripture is clear right here, there is a real connection between unity and credibility. Unity and credibility of our message of who we are. We read all who believed were together, and if we are serious about winning the lives, we must be serious about pursuing unity and being together.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:14:39] Someone said that the definition of fellowship was two fellows in a ship, rowing together. If you have ever tried to be side by side with someone and row right there, and sometimes I have the opportunity to do that with my wife, and she's an expert now. But I remember the first time, the second time going with her back and forth, or next to each other and trying, and then if you are not doing that well, then you're going to circle. And then we tell her no, we want to go straight, and then the other side. But as you go and practice, you will see that you can go in the same direction with the same energy and you will not go left or right, you're going to go to your goal. And sometimes that place is beautiful, you know, when you are in the river, when you are in a lake, you want to get to that specific spot right there. But you have to do it together, you have to learn how to do it together, coordinate having an effort together to make this work, that's fellowship here. Unity, all things in common, this coming together in one mind for the purpose bringing honor to Jesus Christ and serving one another.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:16:13] Like in John chapter 7 and verse 21, when Jesus prays for his disciple, he prays for you, he prays for me. He said, "`That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." There was something special about this early church here. They certainly were not perfect, but there was a spiritual life, there was courage, and a true sense of community here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:16:52] Let's go to verse 45, "And they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need." Among the Jewish people here gathered at Pentecost, some three thousand new believers, three thousand people responded to Peter's preaching. Most of those three thousand people new believers came from far away to Jerusalem for Pentecost, so there were pilgrims, there were strangers, people coming from different cultures, probably. They were visitors who repented, believed, and were baptized right there. And in that process, they got to know Jesus, and those who believe, they stayed together. They did not just share their lives, they also shared their material possessions right here. No one forced them, it was natural, it was the Holy Spirit mummy moving among them, so it was a radical generosity. And generosity is a sign of a mature faith in that when you give without fear of lacking later, it's like God is putting something in your heart and you have that generosity to other people. It is a spontaneous act of giving that brings joy, gladness, you're grateful. A loving heart that experienced life through the lens of God's abundance, so you have God in your life, you have the Spirit of God, and you just give to others.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:18:35] Remember something, they came for this party, Pentecost. All over the place, they heard Peter appreciate the power of God. A couple of months before that, Jesus was killed, we see the resurrection. He spent 40 days with these people, the disciples. And then you are with them, and when you see that the persecution is not over, people saw the transformation in this life, so they thought these people are crazy, probably, they thought about that. So that means that their Visa and MasterCard was canceled, they had to rely on other believers who had resources to meet their needs right there, sacrificing to meet their needs, the power of God was evident among them because Jesus became much more important for them than their possessions.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:19:44] Like in Galatians chapter 6 verse 10 that says, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Supporting one another is so important here, and in verse 46, follow me in this, says, "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart." The Bible says house to house, home to home, small groups, life groups we call it here, worshipping together, breaking bread in their home, that is love right there. That's the way the Christian life ought to be, related to one another, life groups.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:20:40] We have a wonderful lady in our church, her husband was part of our body here, and not even two years ago he had a car accident. He woke up in the morning like a regular day and he was going to work, a beautiful family, and he got in this accident, and he was in the hospital for around two days, and he passed away, tragic. And I just imagine this season is full of grief for this family, it doesn't change, it doesn't go away that easy. And she shared, this lady, she shares to Pastor Ross, it was a text in the midst of all this, life groups set up to help this lady. One life group, this leader text me asking for the kid's Christmas Santa list, and I mentioned that the swing set needs to be looked at for safety reasons. They came out three times to work on it and shore it up to make sure the kids are safe playing on it, and I believe they got gifts for the kids for Christmas, they're even going to bring over the basketball hoop for Luka after he's in bed on Christmas Eve and set it up, so he doesn't see it. They also knew that we were going to Disney World, our happy place, and they dropped off an envelope with way too much cash to use on our trip, it covered all of our meals and was so generous. Another life group texted, and they asked for a list of things that needed to be done around the house and came over and did it all, she text. She's actually here right now, she was texting, and that lady was there, yard clean up, big time, I'm talking three removals, vines on the fence, and removal of tree and bushes, putting up Christmas lights, gardening. And honestly, she finished like this, this Christmas has been harder in ways because it's a strong reminder that we won't ever have Christmas with Craig in this life again. The first one was hard, but this one has been harder because I'm seeing that it's permanent. But the life groups, the home-to-home thing right here, getting hands on and being in my home, meeting needs I didn't even know I had, has made me and the kids feel so loved, seen. and, mostly, not forgotten. I don't know about you, but this got me.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:23:57] And it brings the idea of John Chapter 13 that says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This idea of worshipping God in community more than once a week in life groups, this offers an opportunity to worship together and serve one another. Things that probably people don't know, but you share, you're real with other people, that makes the difference right here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:24:40] Jordan Hill, he's one of our ministers, he put together a picture of the early church. And you can see in front, where did the church meet, and you see a lot of houses here. Houses to houses in that chapter Acts chapter 2 verse 46. Another Acts verse right here, House to house, house after house, Mary's house, and Lydia's house, and then house, house, house, they were moving house to house, getting to know each other, sharing the gospel, supporting one another, that is the motto of the early church. They don't care about the mess in the house right there, the dogs that we have, you know, sometimes when we have some people coming to our house, we put everything in our closet. You can still do that but going back to the roots of what it means to be a church is important, it's right here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:25:44] The Bible says that this home-to-home thing, life groups, gave to anyone who had need, and that allowed us to have practical opportunities to serve one another, to support one another. We don't need to be isolated; we don't need to be away from people, we are made to have relationships with each other. It's like the gracious hospitality we can have at 121, this weekend, several of you are hosting an international student, and you have opened your homes, taking them to places, feeding them, and serving them in all kinds of ways right here. And as we open our homes for this kind of fellowship, we are turning these spaces into places of worship, your home is a place of worship. And I'm sure we have a few of those kids right here with us this morning.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:26:47] The idea of a life-giving heart, like giving to others like we saw in verse 46, "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart." Gladness right there, happiness, the beauty of God moving in their lives, one mind refers to a unity of purpose. Again, these people were clear in their mission, they knew what was next, there was no hidden agenda right here for celebrity status or entertainment. The next sentence gives us a clue into why they were so united, the attitude of the heart right here, the gladness, the joy. And I will argue that it was the Holy Spirit helping them to see a new reality, the reality that is the promised kingdom of God, it was finally here. And the natural response, right there was gladness, joy, let's do together, let's have food together, let's enjoy life together. This is the place where you need to get involved, that's 121, to find somebody who will know you well and walk with you.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:28:18] I live out of town because last month, I got a nine days’ notice to go into a deployment, so I got here yesterday and I'm leaving tonight. Being away from home has been a challenge, but I have seen God moving in my life and my family in this season, and we will be like that for a few more months, many months ahead. Tuesday, I fell down, because as a chaplain in the Air Force, you give everything to people, right, you support people, people away from family like you, you do your best. Last Tuesday, I felt like I need some of this God thing, and right away I got a text from someone, he didn't know what I was experiencing. And he said this, someone from 121, can you just put the video right there. Arnaldo, my brother. Hey, dude, just wanted to send you a smile and some encouragement? Hey, I hope that you're doing well, we're missing you at our Wednesday morning group, I always love your insight, and just to hear of what the Holy Spirit speaks to you. That's basically it, man, I just wanted to get some encouragement, give you some uplifting words, but you know that we're missing you and I'm proud of you for doing the Lord's work and taking action, being a man of action. So I hope that you'll be there tomorrow, and let me know if you ever need anything, man. All right, God bless, take care. That thing made my day, I felt much better that day, and I knew that I have a family up here that can give me support and I can give support back. That's the early church model right there.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:30:43] Verse 47, "Praising God and having favor with all the people." Jesus is the head of the body, he is the one in charge, all of us are separate parts of the body. Some of you are the elbow, you don't like it, I get it. Some of you are the big toe, some of you, the knees, or the eyes, or the nose, the nose, everybody's got a part in the body of Christ. And we need every one of you to embrace this truth, you are part of the body of Christ, you have a gift, something to offer to other people.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:31:22] One day I closed the house door on my finger, and that finger let me know the rest of the day that finger exists in my body, that my body is here, but that finger is very needed. And when I got my coffee that day, I knew that I had a finger, and I needed to transfer that coffee to the other hand so that I can drink it and feel good. I think it's the same for us here at 121, you're part of this family, and when you suffer, we suffer. When you are in need, we are here for you, when I'm in need, you're here for me. I got this deployment last minute, I'm gone, family here. But I have seen God moving in special ways, especially in my family now, because it's hard to be away, especially when you know that your wife last year lost, my father-in-law, her father. So this season is hard enough for her, and especially now with me being away. But I have seen people in our church calling, asking if they can support one another, my wife is making new friends in our church because God can use anything to make us move forward as a church and understand that we are not alone.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:33:09] I'm on staff at 121, last Friday, there was a Christmas party for the staff, and she went to the Christmas party without me, and she had a lot of fun and I was so jealous. But the beauty to see a family, because 121 became my family, you know, I'm away from Puerto Rico, and you become my family, and I am your family, and this is what the early church looks like. Three thousand people coming from other countries, and they become a family together, supporting one another in the midst of persecution there.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:33:57] And I'm so excited for the theme as a church for next year, the outdoor theme. Ross had this idea, God put this in his heart, that we're going to go out of the four walls right here to serve our community, to serve our neighborhood, to serve our city, opportunities for you to create teams of 8, 10, 12 people and go out hiking, out and do the boat thing later, go out and serve together, but the opportunity to see God outside and see what he does. Guys, I know that God is a creative God, that probably you are together with eight people, believers, and then two or three more people, they are not Jesus followers, they go with you to hiking and those four to six hours together will transform their lives because they will see something different, and that's the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And they will see something that they will be, I want what you have, what can I do? And they will probably say, go to our life group, let me share something that is important and a key for you, and that is Jesus Christ. So we have opportunities coming up for us as a church to have this bold, faith-sharing opportunity like verse 47, "Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." Day by day, day by day, and they were home to home, family sharing with one another.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:35:40] Let me conclude with this story. In September, most of you know what happened in Afghanistan, right, August and September. A lot of emotions, twenty years of giving support, working together, so we can have a lot of conversation about that. And here at 121, we had a few people come and say, we want to pray, let's have a night of prayer for this, all together. And we did it one Wednesday night for one hour, with the prayer together, it was English and Spanish, it was in Spanish for sure right there. And it was beautiful, we prayed for the church, the persecuted church over there, we prayed for families over there, we prayed for people who were leaving the country, a lot of airplanes coming and going.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:36:43] We prayed for a whole hour, and I prayed something in my heart, you have to be careful what you pray. I said this to the Lord, I said, Lord, bring Afghanistan to my home, so that we can know at least one family in which we can invest time to love them. So a few weeks later, I had this in my mind a few weeks later, we went to Orlando, Florida, me, and my wife, and my two little boys for a wedding for four days. We used one day to go to Disney, it was awesome. On our way back, I was supposed to take an airplane at 7:15 p.m., but when I went to the front desk, I was supposed to be there two hours before, right? They said now the airplane is leaving now at 5:00 p.m. And it was like, what? Yes, we sent an email two months ago. Two months ago? And then I never found the email, and they said, well, we're going to find another trip for you, another airplane, so we found one at 7:15, you just have to get one connection in Miami. One connection, I was frustrated because it was supposed to be a direct flight and be here in DFW at eight p.m. so my kids can go to bed, and the next day go to school, and everything was set up for us, like, this is a good plan for us. We went to Miami, spent two hours in Miami with two little boys jumping on the airplane. And then, we changed our attitude, let's go home, and what's going to be around midnight.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:38:29] And when we got here to DFW, we had plans for transportation that changed, let's take Uber. We call Uber, get on the Uber app, this person come we went into the vehicle, from the airport to my home is 10 -1 minutes. The driver right there, he started talking and talking, and it ended up that he was from Afghanistan, and he opened his heart to us. He shared about his family here, only two weeks in Texas, driving Uber, he shared about his family in Afghanistan. When we got home, close to home, very close right there, so my wife and I, we were looking at each other, should we ask for his phone number. Let's get the phone number, let's try something here. We get got out of the vehicle, I went to him, can I have your phone number? I just want to keep this conversation, it was only ten minutes, I want to keep this conversation later. They said yes, for sure, here's my phone number, you can call me any time or text me and I got it right, it was a special right there.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:39:52] We went home, spent a few days, my wife was like every single day God is putting it in my heart to call this family, God is putting it in my heart to cause the family. I was like, call him, call him, you can call him. No, call him. No, you do it. And then I called, and he opened his heart more and more, he shared his needs, and he said, what if we go to dinner? And we found an Indian restaurant in the area, and he shared a lot about India because he lived there for a while and then Afghanistan, we got to know each other more and more and they share about their needs. Wife, husband, kids, my kids, together, sharing with one another. We left that dinner, I text people from our church and share about their needs, and we start started getting some items, clothing, food, food for the kids, we have been sharing with them. And not only that, my wife has a vehicle now full of items for them for this week.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:41:08] But they text one more time saying, we want to invite you to our home so we can cook for you. And that is this home-to-home thing right here, the Holy Spirit moving. I don't know how it looks like in the future for them, but what I know is that God is working and he's doing something for this family, and he answered my prayer to bring Afghanistan to us. Someone from 121, here, is going to teach this lady, the wife, how to drive in the next few weeks. I see a church moving, and I see miracles happening. God is in the midst of our church, and when you pray for things, he will answer. Sometimes it could be out of your comfort zone because I'm from Puerto Rico, it took me a while to get into the culture here, learn the language, and it takes time. But you have to be, and I have to be, intentional to open my home to other cultures to understand. And I invite you to do the same thing, maybe in your street, in your neighborhood, you have the United Nations, people from other places. Don't be scared about it, you may be stressful, I have been stressful when I have to get into a new setting, I get some stress. But if you go beyond that, you will see God moving in a special way because it's about the Holy Spirit working in you and through you, it's not with your power, but His power. It's just opening your heart to do what he's calling you to do, and we can do that together.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:43:05] So in the midst of all the unhealthiness in our cultural moment, there is a real health available in God's design for the church. For you, especially now, it's Christmas time, you probably are struggling with some things, you have people here, you have family. One thing will never change, this is all about people, the church is not a building, you and your people are the church. But you are more than the church and the hope of the [inaudible], you are the Spirit-empowered church, and you have exactly what the lost and hurting world needs, it's Jesus Christ, he’s our Savior. We are not here alone; he is with you. Now it's our time to just go out and say, God, use me as you want, I want to be used by you, I'm part of your body, I want to be used. Maybe you are not going to be in front like some of us here, but God will use you in your job, in your community, with your neighbor, people around you, and you will see God moving in a special way.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:44:26] Seven people came to Christ last Tuesday, I just cannot imagine, hundreds of people coming to Christ next year. We just need to do something, just say, God, use me. And sometimes that means getting out of the comfort zone like the early church did, home to home. Home to home.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:44:47] Let's pray. God, thank you for the opportunity this morning to share your word. Thank you for the beauty and blessing of having life together here at 121, and see my family being taken care of, and see the beauty of friendship here, see the beauty of our global work is doing life together in all the countries, house to house, and celebrating who you are. I pray that you seal this word this morning. Someone needed to hear this, that they are not alone, that we are not made to be isolated. That your Holy Spirit lives in us and among us, and he can use us in a special way for a family, bringing healing and transformations to our hearts. That this Christmas season is not one more in the life, like, the twenty-fifth one more year has gone, that this Christmas season can be an opportunity to show Christ like never before. We love you, and we honor you. In your name, I pray, Jesus. Amen.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:46:01] Let's take a minute right there, if you want to just close your eyes for one minute and let God, let the Spirit of God, seal this word in you. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:00:08] Hello, 121, how are you this morning? Doing good, doing great? It is good to be here, especially when we see baptism, it is just great to celebrate how God transforms a life, and they just rendered their life to Jesus, and it is public. Everyone knows here what's going on in this particular life, and that's beautiful, it's special.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:00:31] My name is Arnaldo Sodo, for those who are visiting this morning. I am from Puerto Ric, a small Island right there, a very, very small island. It is beautiful, there are three million people there. And I moved here in 2007 with my wife, first, I was in California for 11 years and then I moved to the Holy Land, Texas. Wow, impressive. But it's good to be here this morning, and I have the honor, the privilege, to share the word. I have been learning English for the last, I don't know how many years now, and now you with me here and I don't have, you know, the accent and everything, but the beauty of sharing the word in this language, my now language, to you and see what God does with this, this is special. I'm the global minister here for 121, so we are excited, I'm excited about this time.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:01:31] Let's pray and see what God has for us. God, thank you for four this morning, we love you, we honor you, we praise you, we need you more than ever. And I pray that, Holy Spirit, as I speak this word, that you put in my heart, that you just transform people's heart, that you just move around here, that this season can become a season of just continued glorifying you more and more with who we are in our lives as a church. Speak to us this morning. In your name, I pray, Jesus. Amen, amen, amen.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:02:14] In the last hours that Jesus spent with the disciples, Jesus promised that he will not leave them alone. The day of his ascension, going to heaven, that day, Jesus, renewed the promise. He said, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in not many days. Imagine they are like, what's going on here? And then he said that, and he goes beyond, he says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you. The power of the Holy Spirit will be put out to allow the disciples to be witnessed in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the Earth. So I imagine the disciples when they heard that it was like, Oh, the end of the Earth, Grapevine. Grapevine is in that list right there, 121.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:03:10] We have been on the first two chapters for the last several weeks in the Book of Acts. And in Acts chapter 2, the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on the date of Pentecost, and they received power to preach the gospel with boldness. Peter proclaimed that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, is Savior, and invited people to repent, to get baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit. And that day, believe it or not, three thousand souls believe in Christ and got baptized. Three thousand is a lot of people, Jermaine was like, this is cold, imagine three thousand in that cold water, next, next, next, next. but the beauty of seeing God moving. And today, 2,000 years later, we still see God moving in a special way.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:04:10] And last week, the special way, last week, Pastor Ross shared the idea of what it means to be a healthy church. And a healthy church is a community of believers that deeply understand what Christ has done for them and what is their mission. Christ established the church by giving you, his people, me, giving me and you together, the church, an assignment to complete. And live in such a way that we see the darkness going back, the darkness retreat in our jobs, the darkness retreat in our family, the darkness retreat with our people, with our friends, the darkness retreat because we have the Holy Spirit in us living in us, the power of God living in us, so it means that darkness has to go away.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:05:07] Jesus is the head and builder of the church, let me tell you, he didn't make a mistake. We are not a perfect church; we are the church of God. We are a healthy church, let me tell you, I have been here for four years, and I see the beauty of 121. And those who are visiting today, welcome, this is the place to be.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:05:35] So today, I want to share that in the midst of all the unhealthiness of our cultural moment, we strongly believe that there is real health available in God's design for you, and for me, and for the church. At the core of the Actss 2 processes is having, this book in chapter 2, is having the Spirit empower disciples who are encountering Jesus. You have the Spirit of God in you and experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit anchored in the Scripture right here, engaging with God's people. We are not here to be alone; we need one another. In Acts, the primary objective of the entire Actss chapter 2 process is to see unbelievers transformed into fully developed followers of Christ who are able to reproduce believers. So we can multiply what we have, the people around us have to know, they have to know, that we have something different, that God is living in us and with us.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:06:53] So I would like to invite you to our passage in Acts chapter 2 verses 43-47. But let's do an exercise together. What if Acts 2 reads like this? Verse 42, The believers are devoted to their careers, their kids, and daily Bible verses. They bought mugs and hangings with scriptures. Hopefully, this is the Sunday the Lord's Supper takes place. And a deep sense of distraction took over during the Sunday sermon, consequently, missing the miracles in front of them, the pastors felt unsupported. The believers were too busy to fellowship and found themselves more and more isolated, they did not have time to notice those in need, but they knew where their neighbors had traveled by keeping up with social media. They made sure they have plenty of money in the bank and worked hard to have more stuff and go to more places. They bought the next new trend to feel better about themselves. Verse 46, They had a quick prayer before the evening meal, where most members were seldom there or on their phones. Most of the time dinner was a drive-thru event. They never took the time to see if others were in need. They did not enjoy others as they were too exhausted. They could not sleep without aide because their minds were so busy and worried about the days ahead. They wondered why they were angry with their family and seldom enjoy their company. And Verse 48, They had little time to enjoy the beauty of creation and share the goodness of Jesus. The habit of going to church was quickly fading. They were left alone and desperate for a life of true abundance.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:09:10] Don't worry, this is the Ross and Arnaldo bible version. But this is what I call comfortable Christianity here. And that was not the motto of the early church, and I see myself sometimes in this circle, in this reality. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable, he calls us to trust him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in a situation where we will be in trouble if he doesn't come through. I believe that the safest place on Earth is living in the center of God's will, even when it could be in the most dangerous places in human eyes. And this is where I understand our global workers, our missionaries, when we ask them, how are you doing? How can you live in this country? And they say, it's great. And for us, it's like, oh, it's God's will for them, and they understand that, that is exactly the safest place for them because God is with them over there. And the same for us when we are in God's will, when people think we are crazy doing some stuff, we know that we are in the center of God's will, we feel safe in his hands because we know he is with us.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:10:39] And here in the scripture, we see that with the early church, and everyone was filled with awe, right here. And let's go to the real verse 43 in Acts chapter 2 verse 43, "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles." It was a jaw-dropping awe What we see here is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise in Mark Chapter 16 to his disciples before he ascended to heaven, he says, “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Jesus promised to support our testimony with signs that will bear witness to his people, to his power, to move unbelievers to have faith in him, to trust in God, God's power was visible right here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:12:06] And that said, today we see God's power moving in our lives here at 121. Last Tuesday, I got a text from someone here, 121, and it was a group text, and he said this. This person said this, Praise Report! Do you want to know what's going on here? Seven people gave their lives to Christ yesterday during a 121 neighborhood home visit. God moving, seven people in our neighborhood trusted Jesus. I call him right away, tell me more about this, I want to know more about what's going on here. And he shared more about what happened, and it's just like this idea of jaw-dropping awe like, whoa, like going back to the early church when we see God moving in people's heart transformations. I call him and we have this conversation, do you know why? We must never forget that the supernatural power of God was the defining element in the first-century church. It ushered in revival at various points in history, and we see God transforming lives today here in 121. God is working, God is in the midst of us, and there is an impressive unity here and community among believers in chapter 2, and we see that through the scripture.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:13:50] Verse 44 says, "And all the believers were together and had all things in common." That passage always moves me, the church looks so beautiful, so attractive, it's that kind of love that makes our message believable. Scripture is clear right here, there is a real connection between unity and credibility. Unity and credibility of our message of who we are. We read all who believed were together, and if we are serious about winning the lives, we must be serious about pursuing unity and being together.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:14:39] Someone said that the definition of fellowship was two fellows in a ship, rowing together. If you have ever tried to be side by side with someone and row right there, and sometimes I have the opportunity to do that with my wife, and she's an expert now. But I remember the first time, the second time going with her back and forth, or next to each other and trying, and then if you are not doing that well, then you're going to circle. And then we tell her no, we want to go straight, and then the other side. But as you go and practice, you will see that you can go in the same direction with the same energy and you will not go left or right, you're going to go to your goal. And sometimes that place is beautiful, you know, when you are in the river, when you are in a lake, you want to get to that specific spot right there. But you have to do it together, you have to learn how to do it together, coordinate having an effort together to make this work, that's fellowship here. Unity, all things in common, this coming together in one mind for the purpose bringing honor to Jesus Christ and serving one another.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:16:13] Like in John chapter 7 and verse 21, when Jesus prays for his disciple, he prays for you, he prays for me. He said, "`That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." There was something special about this early church here. They certainly were not perfect, but there was a spiritual life, there was courage, and a true sense of community here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:16:52] Let's go to verse 45, "And they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need." Among the Jewish people here gathered at Pentecost, some three thousand new believers, three thousand people responded to Peter's preaching. Most of those three thousand people new believers came from far away to Jerusalem for Pentecost, so there were pilgrims, there were strangers, people coming from different cultures, probably. They were visitors who repented, believed, and were baptized right there. And in that process, they got to know Jesus, and those who believe, they stayed together. They did not just share their lives, they also shared their material possessions right here. No one forced them, it was natural, it was the Holy Spirit mummy moving among them, so it was a radical generosity. And generosity is a sign of a mature faith in that when you give without fear of lacking later, it's like God is putting something in your heart and you have that generosity to other people. It is a spontaneous act of giving that brings joy, gladness, you're grateful. A loving heart that experienced life through the lens of God's abundance, so you have God in your life, you have the Spirit of God, and you just give to others.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:18:35] Remember something, they came for this party, Pentecost. All over the place, they heard Peter appreciate the power of God. A couple of months before that, Jesus was killed, we see the resurrection. He spent 40 days with these people, the disciples. And then you are with them, and when you see that the persecution is not over, people saw the transformation in this life, so they thought these people are crazy, probably, they thought about that. So that means that their Visa and MasterCard was canceled, they had to rely on other believers who had resources to meet their needs right there, sacrificing to meet their needs, the power of God was evident among them because Jesus became much more important for them than their possessions.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:19:44] Like in Galatians chapter 6 verse 10 that says, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Supporting one another is so important here, and in verse 46, follow me in this, says, "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart." The Bible says house to house, home to home, small groups, life groups we call it here, worshipping together, breaking bread in their home, that is love right there. That's the way the Christian life ought to be, related to one another, life groups.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:20:40] We have a wonderful lady in our church, her husband was part of our body here, and not even two years ago he had a car accident. He woke up in the morning like a regular day and he was going to work, a beautiful family, and he got in this accident, and he was in the hospital for around two days, and he passed away, tragic. And I just imagine this season is full of grief for this family, it doesn't change, it doesn't go away that easy. And she shared, this lady, she shares to Pastor Ross, it was a text in the midst of all this, life groups set up to help this lady. One life group, this leader text me asking for the kid's Christmas Santa list, and I mentioned that the swing set needs to be looked at for safety reasons. They came out three times to work on it and shore it up to make sure the kids are safe playing on it, and I believe they got gifts for the kids for Christmas, they're even going to bring over the basketball hoop for Luka after he's in bed on Christmas Eve and set it up, so he doesn't see it. They also knew that we were going to Disney World, our happy place, and they dropped off an envelope with way too much cash to use on our trip, it covered all of our meals and was so generous. Another life group texted, and they asked for a list of things that needed to be done around the house and came over and did it all, she text. She's actually here right now, she was texting, and that lady was there, yard clean up, big time, I'm talking three removals, vines on the fence, and removal of tree and bushes, putting up Christmas lights, gardening. And honestly, she finished like this, this Christmas has been harder in ways because it's a strong reminder that we won't ever have Christmas with Craig in this life again. The first one was hard, but this one has been harder because I'm seeing that it's permanent. But the life groups, the home-to-home thing right here, getting hands on and being in my home, meeting needs I didn't even know I had, has made me and the kids feel so loved, seen. and, mostly, not forgotten. I don't know about you, but this got me.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:23:57] And it brings the idea of John Chapter 13 that says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This idea of worshipping God in community more than once a week in life groups, this offers an opportunity to worship together and serve one another. Things that probably people don't know, but you share, you're real with other people, that makes the difference right here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:24:40] Jordan Hill, he's one of our ministers, he put together a picture of the early church. And you can see in front, where did the church meet, and you see a lot of houses here. Houses to houses in that chapter Acts chapter 2 verse 46. Another Acts verse right here, House to house, house after house, Mary's house, and Lydia's house, and then house, house, house, they were moving house to house, getting to know each other, sharing the gospel, supporting one another, that is the motto of the early church. They don't care about the mess in the house right there, the dogs that we have, you know, sometimes when we have some people coming to our house, we put everything in our closet. You can still do that but going back to the roots of what it means to be a church is important, it's right here.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:25:44] The Bible says that this home-to-home thing, life groups, gave to anyone who had need, and that allowed us to have practical opportunities to serve one another, to support one another. We don't need to be isolated; we don't need to be away from people, we are made to have relationships with each other. It's like the gracious hospitality we can have at 121, this weekend, several of you are hosting an international student, and you have opened your homes, taking them to places, feeding them, and serving them in all kinds of ways right here. And as we open our homes for this kind of fellowship, we are turning these spaces into places of worship, your home is a place of worship. And I'm sure we have a few of those kids right here with us this morning.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:26:47] The idea of a life-giving heart, like giving to others like we saw in verse 46, "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart." Gladness right there, happiness, the beauty of God moving in their lives, one mind refers to a unity of purpose. Again, these people were clear in their mission, they knew what was next, there was no hidden agenda right here for celebrity status or entertainment. The next sentence gives us a clue into why they were so united, the attitude of the heart right here, the gladness, the joy. And I will argue that it was the Holy Spirit helping them to see a new reality, the reality that is the promised kingdom of God, it was finally here. And the natural response, right there was gladness, joy, let's do together, let's have food together, let's enjoy life together. This is the place where you need to get involved, that's 121, to find somebody who will know you well and walk with you.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:28:18] I live out of town because last month, I got a nine days’ notice to go into a deployment, so I got here yesterday and I'm leaving tonight. Being away from home has been a challenge, but I have seen God moving in my life and my family in this season, and we will be like that for a few more months, many months ahead. Tuesday, I fell down, because as a chaplain in the Air Force, you give everything to people, right, you support people, people away from family like you, you do your best. Last Tuesday, I felt like I need some of this God thing, and right away I got a text from someone, he didn't know what I was experiencing. And he said this, someone from 121, can you just put the video right there. Arnaldo, my brother. Hey, dude, just wanted to send you a smile and some encouragement? Hey, I hope that you're doing well, we're missing you at our Wednesday morning group, I always love your insight, and just to hear of what the Holy Spirit speaks to you. That's basically it, man, I just wanted to get some encouragement, give you some uplifting words, but you know that we're missing you and I'm proud of you for doing the Lord's work and taking action, being a man of action. So I hope that you'll be there tomorrow, and let me know if you ever need anything, man. All right, God bless, take care. That thing made my day, I felt much better that day, and I knew that I have a family up here that can give me support and I can give support back. That's the early church model right there.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:30:43] Verse 47, "Praising God and having favor with all the people." Jesus is the head of the body, he is the one in charge, all of us are separate parts of the body. Some of you are the elbow, you don't like it, I get it. Some of you are the big toe, some of you, the knees, or the eyes, or the nose, the nose, everybody's got a part in the body of Christ. And we need every one of you to embrace this truth, you are part of the body of Christ, you have a gift, something to offer to other people.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:31:22] One day I closed the house door on my finger, and that finger let me know the rest of the day that finger exists in my body, that my body is here, but that finger is very needed. And when I got my coffee that day, I knew that I had a finger, and I needed to transfer that coffee to the other hand so that I can drink it and feel good. I think it's the same for us here at 121, you're part of this family, and when you suffer, we suffer. When you are in need, we are here for you, when I'm in need, you're here for me. I got this deployment last minute, I'm gone, family here. But I have seen God moving in special ways, especially in my family now, because it's hard to be away, especially when you know that your wife last year lost, my father-in-law, her father. So this season is hard enough for her, and especially now with me being away. But I have seen people in our church calling, asking if they can support one another, my wife is making new friends in our church because God can use anything to make us move forward as a church and understand that we are not alone.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:33:09] I'm on staff at 121, last Friday, there was a Christmas party for the staff, and she went to the Christmas party without me, and she had a lot of fun and I was so jealous. But the beauty to see a family, because 121 became my family, you know, I'm away from Puerto Rico, and you become my family, and I am your family, and this is what the early church looks like. Three thousand people coming from other countries, and they become a family together, supporting one another in the midst of persecution there.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:33:57] And I'm so excited for the theme as a church for next year, the outdoor theme. Ross had this idea, God put this in his heart, that we're going to go out of the four walls right here to serve our community, to serve our neighborhood, to serve our city, opportunities for you to create teams of 8, 10, 12 people and go out hiking, out and do the boat thing later, go out and serve together, but the opportunity to see God outside and see what he does. Guys, I know that God is a creative God, that probably you are together with eight people, believers, and then two or three more people, they are not Jesus followers, they go with you to hiking and those four to six hours together will transform their lives because they will see something different, and that's the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And they will see something that they will be, I want what you have, what can I do? And they will probably say, go to our life group, let me share something that is important and a key for you, and that is Jesus Christ. So we have opportunities coming up for us as a church to have this bold, faith-sharing opportunity like verse 47, "Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." Day by day, day by day, and they were home to home, family sharing with one another.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:35:40] Let me conclude with this story. In September, most of you know what happened in Afghanistan, right, August and September. A lot of emotions, twenty years of giving support, working together, so we can have a lot of conversation about that. And here at 121, we had a few people come and say, we want to pray, let's have a night of prayer for this, all together. And we did it one Wednesday night for one hour, with the prayer together, it was English and Spanish, it was in Spanish for sure right there. And it was beautiful, we prayed for the church, the persecuted church over there, we prayed for families over there, we prayed for people who were leaving the country, a lot of airplanes coming and going.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:36:43] We prayed for a whole hour, and I prayed something in my heart, you have to be careful what you pray. I said this to the Lord, I said, Lord, bring Afghanistan to my home, so that we can know at least one family in which we can invest time to love them. So a few weeks later, I had this in my mind a few weeks later, we went to Orlando, Florida, me, and my wife, and my two little boys for a wedding for four days. We used one day to go to Disney, it was awesome. On our way back, I was supposed to take an airplane at 7:15 p.m., but when I went to the front desk, I was supposed to be there two hours before, right? They said now the airplane is leaving now at 5:00 p.m. And it was like, what? Yes, we sent an email two months ago. Two months ago? And then I never found the email, and they said, well, we're going to find another trip for you, another airplane, so we found one at 7:15, you just have to get one connection in Miami. One connection, I was frustrated because it was supposed to be a direct flight and be here in DFW at eight p.m. so my kids can go to bed, and the next day go to school, and everything was set up for us, like, this is a good plan for us. We went to Miami, spent two hours in Miami with two little boys jumping on the airplane. And then, we changed our attitude, let's go home, and what's going to be around midnight.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:38:29] And when we got here to DFW, we had plans for transportation that changed, let's take Uber. We call Uber, get on the Uber app, this person come we went into the vehicle, from the airport to my home is 10 -1 minutes. The driver right there, he started talking and talking, and it ended up that he was from Afghanistan, and he opened his heart to us. He shared about his family here, only two weeks in Texas, driving Uber, he shared about his family in Afghanistan. When we got home, close to home, very close right there, so my wife and I, we were looking at each other, should we ask for his phone number. Let's get the phone number, let's try something here. We get got out of the vehicle, I went to him, can I have your phone number? I just want to keep this conversation, it was only ten minutes, I want to keep this conversation later. They said yes, for sure, here's my phone number, you can call me any time or text me and I got it right, it was a special right there.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:39:52] We went home, spent a few days, my wife was like every single day God is putting it in my heart to call this family, God is putting it in my heart to cause the family. I was like, call him, call him, you can call him. No, call him. No, you do it. And then I called, and he opened his heart more and more, he shared his needs, and he said, what if we go to dinner? And we found an Indian restaurant in the area, and he shared a lot about India because he lived there for a while and then Afghanistan, we got to know each other more and more and they share about their needs. Wife, husband, kids, my kids, together, sharing with one another. We left that dinner, I text people from our church and share about their needs, and we start started getting some items, clothing, food, food for the kids, we have been sharing with them. And not only that, my wife has a vehicle now full of items for them for this week.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:41:08] But they text one more time saying, we want to invite you to our home so we can cook for you. And that is this home-to-home thing right here, the Holy Spirit moving. I don't know how it looks like in the future for them, but what I know is that God is working and he's doing something for this family, and he answered my prayer to bring Afghanistan to us. Someone from 121, here, is going to teach this lady, the wife, how to drive in the next few weeks. I see a church moving, and I see miracles happening. God is in the midst of our church, and when you pray for things, he will answer. Sometimes it could be out of your comfort zone because I'm from Puerto Rico, it took me a while to get into the culture here, learn the language, and it takes time. But you have to be, and I have to be, intentional to open my home to other cultures to understand. And I invite you to do the same thing, maybe in your street, in your neighborhood, you have the United Nations, people from other places. Don't be scared about it, you may be stressful, I have been stressful when I have to get into a new setting, I get some stress. But if you go beyond that, you will see God moving in a special way because it's about the Holy Spirit working in you and through you, it's not with your power, but His power. It's just opening your heart to do what he's calling you to do, and we can do that together.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:43:05] So in the midst of all the unhealthiness in our cultural moment, there is a real health available in God's design for the church. For you, especially now, it's Christmas time, you probably are struggling with some things, you have people here, you have family. One thing will never change, this is all about people, the church is not a building, you and your people are the church. But you are more than the church and the hope of the [inaudible], you are the Spirit-empowered church, and you have exactly what the lost and hurting world needs, it's Jesus Christ, he’s our Savior. We are not here alone; he is with you. Now it's our time to just go out and say, God, use me as you want, I want to be used by you, I'm part of your body, I want to be used. Maybe you are not going to be in front like some of us here, but God will use you in your job, in your community, with your neighbor, people around you, and you will see God moving in a special way.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:44:26] Seven people came to Christ last Tuesday, I just cannot imagine, hundreds of people coming to Christ next year. We just need to do something, just say, God, use me. And sometimes that means getting out of the comfort zone like the early church did, home to home. Home to home.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:44:47] Let's pray. God, thank you for the opportunity this morning to share your word. Thank you for the beauty and blessing of having life together here at 121, and see my family being taken care of, and see the beauty of friendship here, see the beauty of our global work is doing life together in all the countries, house to house, and celebrating who you are. I pray that you seal this word this morning. Someone needed to hear this, that they are not alone, that we are not made to be isolated. That your Holy Spirit lives in us and among us, and he can use us in a special way for a family, bringing healing and transformations to our hearts. That this Christmas season is not one more in the life, like, the twenty-fifth one more year has gone, that this Christmas season can be an opportunity to show Christ like never before. We love you, and we honor you. In your name, I pray, Jesus. Amen.
Arnaldo Soto: [00:46:01] Let's take a minute right there, if you want to just close your eyes for one minute and let God, let the Spirit of God, seal this word in you. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
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