Classic Sermon: Do not worry about anything

As we have said in the past everyone has some influence. Leadership is influence. At some point in your life you are always leading, even if it is leading a group of cars on a street. And we are always exerting influence, and therefore there are certain rules and certain attitudes that are necessary to understand. There are certain principles of the word that are important. And brothers, I tell you that every day I am more and more convinced that the frontier of the Christian life and of humanity lies in our ability to maintain harmonious relationships with other human beings.

How hard is that! How difficult it is to maintain harmonious relationships with one another, in the church life, in the home, wherever! I am more and more convinced, brothers, that what differentiates us, or what can differentiate us from this Christian religion is the emphasis that Christ places on the character of humility, meekness, love, mercy, patience , tolerance with each other.

Let me tell you that when there is that attitude in people's hearts, it is very difficult if, when you are dealing with two people who have that attitude, there are conflicts, there are problems. What makes the Christian life most ugly is that inability that we have, brothers, to express the soft character of Jesus. And I raise my hand as the first to fail in this many times.

But I know very well that this is where the word of God calls us and difficulties often arise in the Christian life. Every day I feel more sorry for Satan, up to a certain point, even if it sounds scandalous. What I mean by that is that we blame him for a number of things that the poor man is not to blame for. It is our fault, and we are there continually blaming it. He has done bad enough and his sentence is going to fall, don't worry. But there are many excuses that we take that, look, the problem is with us believers. We are not applying the truths of the Kingdom of God.

And that is why for me every day it becomes more and more important, especially when lately I have seen so much supposedly anointed ministry fall into scandals and so many ugly things out there that I am more and more convinced that ultimately, what that saves us is the character of Christ. Assuming the character of Jesus as much as possible in our dealings with one another. Against such a thing there is no law, says the word. The devil cannot deal with a man or a woman who has been treated by the holy spirit and who is expressing the fruit of God's spirit. Kindness, meekness, love, patience, kindness, love, peace, joy of spirit. We have to fight to put on those things, brothers, and ask the Lord to give us wisdom to live life. Wisdom. Of all the things that you can ask of the Lord, ask God for wisdom, because with wisdom you have power, you have anointing, you have everything else. But if you don't have wisdom, the anointing won't do you any good. The devil can deal with the anointing, let me tell you, but he can't deal with a man or a woman treated by the holy spirit. Very difficult. Let's set the goal of acquiring those qualities of the fruit of the spirit. Let's fight for it. I sign up as the first one that I am going to try as much as possible to do this in my life. And that is why we have talked about these qualities, because God's people need prudence, brothers, we need prudence to know how to live life, how to relate to one another. We have to go back to the ABC's of the Christian life. When we can live those qualities, you will see that we can be happy with each other.

I want to talk about this passage because John's attitude captivates me, in this text that we have just read and I am using it as support and as a starting point for this reflection that I have titled "Replaceable Servants."

What I want to say in summary is that when we serve the Lord we must serve without clinging to positions. That's where I want to stay for a while: without clinging to positions. And I'm going to put emphasis on that word cling or strive. The Lord has been keeping me these days, over and over again, which is why I tell you that this does not only have to do with leadership in the basic sense of the word, but with very great principles of human life, it has kept me meditating on the eagerness and the clinging and attachment to things.

In Buddhism, one of the most important rules and I believe that Buddhism, despite the fact that it is a religion that is very flawed in many things, has some very important discoveries, speaks of the root of human pain, the root of Human suffering is in attachment, eagerness, clinging to things. And the antidote is to detach. In Buddhism, the total detachment from the everyday world is pursued. The detachment and acquiring a kind of complete indifference to the things of life. That's what he's after. I don't think we should get to that point. For me it is an extreme question, but there is a very important grain of truth there and that is that many times, brothers, when anything in life to which you become too attached and that you cling too much, is harmful and is not from God. .

We should not chase after this world and stick to it psychologically. The word "grasp" has a good word that is claw, as if we put our claws into something and we don't want to let go. Human beings can suffer a lot when they do that. Sometimes we cling to pain, for example. How many people have we seen out there who cling to the memory of a loved one and do not want to let go. He died years ago and they are still bleeding and visiting that grave in their mind and holding on to that dead body, because they don't want to let it go. They don't want to let go.

That's what I was saying to someone, I don't remember right now a conversation I had, it's not from the church just in case, but she arrived, she was nervous, tense and trembling and I said: What's wrong with you? Why do you feel that way? She tells me: "Today is the anniversary of my mother's death and every year when that day comes I get like this." I told him: Look, my advice is to fire your mother. Release her, let her go.

Because we cling to things, we cling to them and it can be clinging to a love that was not given and that simply did not work out and we can live attached to that memory. It may be holding on to a position we want to achieve in the secular world. I want to become the boss of my office and there are people who are willing to sell their souls to the devil to get to a position of authority. Yes or no, people make that transaction all the time, brothers. They get neurotic, they get divorced, their kids hate them. Oh yes but I got to the position, completely burned and dry, but they arrived.

We have to ask the Lord to give us sound wisdom so that we don't get attached to anything. If God allowed something to be taken from us, brothers, after crying a little, let's say goodbye to it, let's say goodbye. Let's be like this with all things in life, because nothing in this world demands that we become bitter or live drying up inside for something that we cannot solve.

My dad had a saying that I think is found in various countries, it says: If your illness has no cure, why are you in a hurry, and if it has a cure, why are you in a hurry. And I believe that there is something of truth there in how we should behave in life. That is to say, we have to ask the Lord for an intermediate position between being healthy active and dynamic and aggressive in a healthy way, and also at the same time knowing when to say: enough, I am going to rest and now I am going to let things take their course. , and I'm going to mourn what I've lost and then let God give it to me if He wants it later.

There is a poem out there that I wish I had achieved that talks about that, that if you have something and if you love it, let it go and let it go and if it comes back to you, well it was for you, if not, send it away, no It was yours. I believe that there is something of sound wisdom there too, brothers. Let's ask the Lord for that ability not to cling to anything in this world. That is why I believe that the Apostle John says: "... do not love this world or the things that are in the world..." because everything that is in the world, the vanity of the eyes, the desire for things It is not from God, all that is going to waste, all that is going to end one day. As Christians we have to walk this life lightly, gently, letting the Lord give us what He wants and take away what He wants.

Now that's not to say we don't cry things for a while. When I lose something good and kind that I have loved very much, I say I am going to lock myself in my mind for a few days and I process that and I work on it and I process it through words and when it comes out packed I take it and I throw it to the bottom of the sea and say goodbye, and I continue living. That is my spiritual philosophy that I am not going to allow anything in this world to eat me internally. Nothing that is the product of eagerness or agony or compulsion or clinging to things, that is not from God. Christ has called us to peace, he has called us to freedom, brothers, he has called us to live life gently so that we reach the goal with a little juice still in the brain and in the body.

So it is very important and precisely you will say, what could have happened to the pastor because where is the issue? But it is there because I want you to take these lessons with you, brothers, because many times in the service of the Lord, here comes this application, I see many compulsive people, even in serving the Lord and this is the cause of many conflicts in the churches. , not only in this church but in all churches, we cling to positions, we cling to the ideal of a ministry, we cling to something that we have done and that we already believe belongs to me. And then that territoriality that sometimes the people of God manifests in the things of serving the Lord, causes terrible conflicts and distortions, and very great distortions of congregational life and suffering, and also difficulties in the institution itself, that it is not healthy, it is not good, it is not from the Lord.

And God wants, brothers, that we carry out our positions, our positions and our responsibilities with a healthy distance while we give, and give ourselves, and commit ourselves and are excellent in what we do, also that we do it with a bit of detachment so that if that position for some reason or another is missing or disappears or we are replaced or whatever, that we do not fall into a defensive, distorted, resentful attitude, or that sometimes when someone comes and enters our sphere of influence, in a position and it seems like he may pose a threat to our safety we growl at him right away, like puppies when he approaches you and they have a bone in their mouth and we start... and we glue his teeth together, and we show him all kinds of things and that's not good. That is not from the Lord.

We have to carry out our tasks with simplicity, not clinging to anything of this world, because all that is simply a psychological matter, that is of the flesh, that is of the emotions, it is not of the spirit. And in the service of the Lord, brothers, we have to do things differently. The words of Christ always ring in my ear "....more among you it will not be so" The Lord liked to say that, he was continually saying that in one way or another. Things are going to be different between you, and what the Lord was saying, over and over again, was a basic principle of Christian life, that principle of yielding. The greatest power a child of God has is to yield. Learning to give in at the right time before things get atomic and nuclear and conflictual. To yield knowing that the Lord defends our interests when we put Him as our lawyer and our defender. Against such a thing there is no law. Listen to me some principles regarding this of not clinging to anything of the kingdom, to anything of the service.

How we are to serve the Lord in regard to this principle:

1. We must cultivate the awareness that it is the interests of God and the kingdom that need to be advanced, not mine. It is the interests of God and the kingdom that need to be advanced. I am simply a cog, a nut in that machinery that must work for God to be glorified and for the interests of the Kingdom of God to advance in the church or in the world in general. I'm not really important in that matter, except simply as a possible instrument that God can cast aside whenever He wants.

I have thought a lot about Elijah, when the Lord took him to the desert and revealed to him what was going to happen later in Israel and in Syria and all this and told him, I am going to put such a king in Syria, such king in Israel, and at the end he told him “... And Elisha is going to replace you. Go and anoint him to be your replacement.” Elijah simply said, yes Lord, amen, I'm going to do it like this.

Because in the Kingdom of God that's how things are done. Elijah had already reached his end and God realized that Elijah was already spent, in terms of his spiritual and nervous system. Elijah needed to retire and God then got him his replacement, Elisha. And he told him, now you go, anoint Elisha and he will be your substitute. There are no questions there of... Elias, what do you think if...? No, this is how it is and how it will be, period. It is time for that.... Elijah simply greeted and said: Yes, Lord. So it has to be.

What a nice example, brothers, for us too, no! I see this here in John. Juan when they come to gossip that the one he baptized who has not yet shown himself as the great Messiah that he is, says: Juan, do you know what is happening? That the one you baptized is now baptizing more people than you. And what does Juan say? He says: what's the problem? I am not the husband, using an image. I am simply one of the friends of the bridal party and all I do is be a go-between. When I see that the husband and wife get together, well, my role is simply to enjoy myself, celebrate, congratulate them, instead of getting jealous and starting to fight because the husband, well, that is what is supposed to happen, that the wife and husband come together. I am nothing in the matter. I am simply an intermediary. So what's the problem? John had a correct perspective of his position in the Kingdom. His position was simply to baptize the Messiah, to be a herald of the Messiah, to announce him. Said, "I am a voice crying in the wilderness."

Now when the Messiah came and began to exercise his messianic functions, his function then as herald was to stand aside and let Him continue. Juan had a healthy self-esteem. When it has been fulfilled, brothers, God's purpose we must always put ourselves aside. We have to discern that moment.

The problem, however, in churches and in jobs and in other life situations, is that we unconsciously inject our own agenda, our own emotional need to continue in a position. There is a false equivalence in this. We case ourselves as if the interests of the Kingdom of God are our interests and vice versa. We are afraid of giving in many times, for fear of being left without something that we appreciate and that gives us pleasure to perform and we put a spiritual veneer on this and call it zeal for the things of the Lord, but in reality it is zeal for myself and for my own interests.

God calls us to understand, brothers, if I serve to advance the Kingdom of God that is all that matters and I will never be an obstacle for anything. If another person glorifies God better than me by doing that position, glory to God, let him take it and I am going to rejoice in it, because I am simply the husband's friend, I am not the husband. It is very important that we become aware of this matter.

2. We must always be willing and I have already pointed it out, but I am going to emphasize it more now, we must always be willing for someone else to take our position, and we must cultivate in our minds the awareness that that day can and probably will come. . We always have to be willing for someone else to assume our position. And this is very painful sometimes. I used to say that it is like seeing our wife marry another, after years of living together. That position that I held so much, that I attended to so much, is now being held by someone else. It hurts, but that's how it is.

This came to mind because at this stage in the life of the Lion of Juda congregation, where we are making administrative changes and there is continually more complexity in the life of the church, and other ministries springing up and other things springing up, this It is a time of many changes and many adjustments and it is required, brothers, in this type of situation, that each of us have our papers ready, where we sign a letter to the leaders of the congregation that says: when you need this , when it is needed I am willing to give it up so that another person perhaps more capable than me comes and performs that function. I don't hear many amens out there, but I think it's important.

I believe that, brothers, in the life of any congregation, that every mature and spiritual leader is capable of making life easy for his pastors and other leaders by telling them; my brothers, I am willing, if there is something else that can serve better, I am willing to do it. There is the fruit of the holy spirit, you see, it is difficult, I tell you.

Let me give you an illustration about this: I am going to take my brother Omar, without his permission but something happened this week and I was talking to Gregory about this, and I think this exemplifies what I want to tell him. I am going to give you an example of how the fruit of the spirit is so important to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, problems, etc.

It's one of those everyday scenes from service life. I had called my brother Omar during the week, to ask him to preach this morning at 9 in the morning because Gregory had to leave, he was going on a trip to California for the weekend, and then I thought that I could not preach to 9. Well, I called Omar, left him a message on his cell phone, and then when I got here at church a little while later, I was talking to Gregory and the office just happens to be open. I go in to greet him for a moment in the office and I realize that he was going to leave for California much later and that he could have preached at 9 in the morning. Then I, out loud, say to Gregory: “Ah, look what a pity, my gosh, if I had known that I would have asked you to preach at 9 in the morning because you haven't preached for a long time and it's good that from time to time when the congregation listens to you, etc.” And Omar's voice comes out behind me: “Don't worry, pastor. He can do it." I felt a little embarrassed because I thought maybe Omar thinks that he's second to none or that I'm looking down on him, etc. Yes or no, there may be people who, hearing that, would have been offended. A big mess. That's when I have to explain to him, go dry his tears and tell him that I love him and not to worry, etc. But what struck me was his very spontaneous and real way of saying: Pastor, don't worry. And I point this out for your praise and also to give you an example. I felt so good, and I thanked my brother for his gentleness and his maturity. One has to feel very safe to be able to have that attitude.

Now, if he had wanted to make a mess there, and he would have been entitled in a sense. And I see this more and more every day, brothers, that many times the problems of life are solved, it is not because of what you have a right, because of what they should give you, but because there is a higher law that is the law of love is the law of mercy, it is the law of the fruit of the spirit, it is the law of the cross. If we use such a wonderful rule, a number of conflicts are avoided in marriage, in friendship, in the church.

Brother, listen to people's hearts, don't just listen to their words or look only at their actions. There is a deeper, deeper law that is the law of love that allows you to enter the hearts of people, read their spirit and get in tune with their intention and be able to judge them as God judges humanity. That is why there will be many people in heaven that we will be surprised to see when we get up there, because God sees the human being in a much deeper, more paternal, more loving, more generous way than we do. And if we could judge our neighbor in this way, how many conflicts would be avoided in human life.

Let's be generous. Let's be generous and let others, if necessary, take our position. And if they took her unjustly, heaps fiery embers on her head, says the word.

There is no tool more powerful than the cross. There is no hammer heavier than the cross. If you use it as a weapon of power in your life. Give in actively, give in in spirit, and you will see how powerful that action is to release forces on your behalf. It's a big secret.

I thought this week about Mefibosheth, a figure we don't know much about in scripture. Mephibosheth was one of Saul's sons and was crippled in the feet in a fall as a child. And David spared Mefibosheth's life. I believe he was the son of Jonathan and a descendant of Saul. And David out of love for Jonathan put Mephibosheth in a chosen position in his kingdom and gave him lands and a number of things and when David's son Absalom attacked his father and exiled him, Mephibosheth's servant slandered him. Mefibosheth and told David that Mefibosheth had betrayed him. And when David was again installed in the kingdom, Mefiboset came to see him, and David said to him: Mefiboset, what happened to you? why did you betray me like this? etc And Mefiboset said to him: I did not do it, but my servant betrayed me.

At that time David had given Mephibosheth's servant all his lord's land and Mephibosheth gave David the explanation of what had actually happened. And notice that David did not behave... that is why David was not so wise, David was a man with a very genuine heart towards the Lord, but he was not a very wise man, and then David said: well, Look, in reality I don't have much time to deal with this situation, I already made the decision and divide the land between you two. When in reality what he should have said is: well, take all your land back.

Mefiboset told him, look Lord, the important thing is that you are back in the kingdom. Let him keep all the land. What cute conduct is that! That has struck me about this man, Mefibosheth. And so, brothers, we have to do it many times.

Here it is: “... and Mefiboset said to the king “Let him take them all because my Lord, the king has returned to his house in peace”.

And what we have to do is that, brothers, if other people are sawing your stick, don't worry. Defend yourself, if you can, but don't do it with too much passion either, especially in the Kingdom of God because in the Kingdom of God things are resolved differently. Use the cross, yield. Open space and you will see how God then gives you what you need in your moment.

Always tell yourself: This position is not mine. This ministry is not mine, it belongs to the Kingdom of God and my church. I will use it as long as I am allowed and useful. I will deliver it as soon as it becomes necessary. That is the pact that we must have in our mind regarding any charge, any position, anything that has to do with the Kingdom of God. May we never be found fighting or vying for position.

Brothers, I see that and my pastor's eyes suffer when I see that between us here. And be careful with saying amen because maybe the one who says amen is the first. What the Lord wants is to see that generosity, that meekness, that fruit of the spirit among his church.

Juan, when they wanted to get him into controversy and came to agitate him: Hey, look what that guy is doing over there. Go and get his attention. He did not want to get into controversy. Don't worry, that's his. That belongs to him. Never be you found in controversy and in fight for anything that has to do with the Kingdom of God. Very important: be prepared for someone else to take your position if necessary.

A third principle:

3. Seek to find your place of service but without eagerness. Not anxiously. I see brothers who come to the congregation or who have been there for a long time and God is already working in their lives, they are taking discipleship classes; they know that God has given them gifts; They have a sense of calling in the kingdom and I see, sometimes, brothers, that there are many insecure people, compulsively seeking their place in the kingdom. As a girl who is afraid of staying single and is like compulsively always putting herself in positions of trying to get that partner that they are looking for. And then sometimes they become ugly in their behavior and become insecure and so sometimes there are people looking for their situation in the kingdom, but they do it in an inappropriate way.

And look, there are some very negative consequences regarding this type of attitude: i). Many times they put pressure on the church system and on pastors and leaders to get them a position where they serve. And sometimes we pastors are there, with our tongues hanging out, breaking our heads: what can I get for this little brother, this little sister so that they don't leave church? And they distort things, it puts pressure.

ii). Another thing is that many times we see them from one place to another, madly as if trying to fit into something, and they don't fit the more they try, the more they get tangled up and the more difficult it becomes and the more frustrated they get and the more burden they have on themselves and for others. Listen to me, how good it is when there is holiness and there is joy too. And sometimes holy people are the most boring and bitter people I've ever met.

But Paul says: “... a good thing is when the two things come together. Because we have brought nothing into this world and without a doubt, we will not be able to take anything out. So having sustenance and shelter, let's be content with that." You see the attitude of contentment to which I am referring from the beginning of the sermon. Now, look at what it says: "Because those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful greeds that plunge men into destruction and perdition, because the root of all evil is the love of money, which by coveting some strayed from the faith and were pierced with many pains.”

Pablo is saying that people who walk around loving money so much, attached to money, get into tremendous trouble and danger and suffering, and the same is sometimes the case with service, the person who is very attached to the needing to serve God in something, and to find his position in the kingdom, he sometimes falls into so many temptations and so many dangers and sometimes the danger of creating his own ministry when God has not called him to that. And then they are blaming the Lord because the blessed ministry failed. God did not call you to that. He's not going to back you up because he didn't put that burden on you. God supports when he calls, but many times we are creating artificial chimeras and we are waiting for the Lord to bless them, honor them and sanctify them and give them life. It can't be done.

Brothers, seek to serve the Lord but always with that contentment in your heart. Don't let anything take away the peace of the Lord. God has called us to peace, says the word, to enjoy life. On this Labor Day; That name is wrong, a day to rest is called "Labor Day", don't ask me how they came out with that; rest, enjoy, enjoy life, but don't worry about anything, because God often takes time to give things.

Another very important fourth principle:

4. Understand that God's employment department has no limits. God's employment department knows no limits. The Massachusetts Department of Employment does have limits, but not God's. In God's employment department there are always many positions.

Christ said: “...in my Father's house, there are many mansions”. And I believe that if we understand this, this will help us. There will always be something useful that we can do in the Kingdom of God, that's why we don't have to fight for a particular position. Because there are many things in which we can serve the Lord, if something closes, other doors open. We have to understand that if God took a job from us, there are others that we can occupy. God is the one who employs, not man, my brother. And God has infinite possibilities of work. I work for God, not for men. That has always helped me. Always in my work to the Lord, the one who employs me is God. I work for God through this church, but my employer is my Heavenly Father.

And that means, brothers, that he is the one who put me to work here and when he wants something else, he will take me to another place. I don't have to be fighting or striving for a position. And this truth is important to occupy our consciousness with regard to service, because sometimes people are seeking and maneuvering and manipulating in the flesh and the human because they think that people are the ones who have the power to give them the position. In the spirit it is God who puts the servant to work on what He wants. God is always the one who calls. And then what you have to do is make sure that you are in tune with God, that He is the one who calls you.

In the Bible, brothers, most of the great people that God called, none were seeking to serve the Lord. Gideon was surprised by the angel and when he said "Strong and brave man", Gideon said: "Who am I?" He almost has to kill Moses to make him do what he asked. He made all kinds of excuses. They had to go get David out of the flock, tucked in there, because they didn't even think he could and he was playing his harp over there and killing lions, completely carefree.

He called Abraham when he was 75 years old and had to tell him what to do, etc. And take him through a whole zigzagging path so that he would arrive and fit into his calling. Esther had to fight with her almost for her to assume her role. He called Paul when he wanted to kill Christians. That one was far from the service. Because? Brothers for that reason because God is the one who is always looking for people. God is the one who chooses for reasons that only He knows. The important thing is that you say to God: "here I am, send me, I am available". And that you raise your hand and say: "Lord, look here I am."

Pray to the Lord, seek His attention. You are not maneuvering at the earthly, human, Machiavellian level many times, to get a position. Deal with the Father directly, because the Father has thousands and millions of positions that He can give you. And if it takes one away, it gives you another and opens other paths for you, and it will always be moving you and leading you to better things. And sometimes you yourself can lose the opportunity that God has for you by clinging to something that is not what God wants, already at that stage of your life. So let the Lord be the one who employs you. Let the Lord be and you call his attention. Make sure your life is pleasing to Him.

The last principle is that, the important thing is that God is pleased with you and your heart. Why am I saying this? Because if this happens, if God is pleased with you and with the configuration of your spirit, with your person, when God looks inside your soul, if He finds something there that pleases Him, you will never lack for something to do in the kingdom. If God is happy with you, my brother, He is going to use you. He will not allow your life to be idle.

Listen to what Second Chronicles says, Chapter 16, verse 9. It says: “for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show his power on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him.”

I've underlined that verse, I have it there in my Bible and I always look at it: Chronicles, 16:9. Because I always have in my mind that image of God traveling all over the earth poetically speaking. Looking, searching. God lives longing to find men and women who have a heart that He can be pleased with. They're very few.

That's why when David, for example, David had such a tender heart toward God, he loved God. He was like a boy to a certain extent. A dangerous boy who would cut anyone's head off, but a very loving boy of the Lord, very tender towards God, very zealous for the glory of God, very easy to throw himself to the ground when God accused him of something, and he recognized that had sinned. And that's why God forgave David so many things and defended him so much and held him up so high, and loved him dearly and gave him the greatest privilege of all, of a kingdom that would never end through his descendant, Jesus. Because David had such a heart, pure with God, it was not a scheming, calculating heart, but a transparent heart, clean with God. And that is why God called him from the fold, from the depths of the field to be king of his people, because God is not stupid, nor is he clumsy, his gaze penetrates to the depths and that is why many times there are people who want to Serving the Lord, he has gifts, but they are never put in a position, because his heart is not pleasing to God.

Make sure that your heart is pleasing to God, that your motivations are pleasing to the Lord, that you have a clean and pure heart, innocent towards God because God loves people with innocent hearts and forgives many sins. But the scheming and calculating heart God disowns it. Proud. And therefore if your heart is pleasing to God, do not worry about positions, God will find what you need to do, God will be willing that you serve him.

Second Peter, 1 5 to 7. It says: “.... you also putting all diligence for this, add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, patience; to patience, mercy; to piety, brotherly affection and to brotherly affection, love, because if these things are in you, if these things are in you, those virtues that the passage has just mentioned here, if they are in you and abound, they will not let you be idle nor without fruit”

My brother, my sister, if those qualities of the fruit of the holy spirit are in your heart, it is impossible that you will not find something to do in the Kingdom of God. People will come knocking on your door, people will come looking for you and begging you to be king over them, as they did Jesus. What the world needs most is wise people, people treated by the holy spirit, people who can advise, people who can model the character of Christ. These people will always be in demand, they will always have job offers in the Kingdom of God, what happens is that sometimes we are lazy and we ourselves want to go like the disciples who wanted Christ to put them one on his right and one on his left using other means and Christ told him: No, those positions are reached through the cross. You have to reach them legitimately, the more you want to do in the Kingdom of God, make sure that the work of the cross is deeper in your life. The only way to have glory and greatness in the Kingdom of God is through the cross, through being cut and pierced by the knife of God. But the person who is willing to do that will always be happy, they will always have things to do in the Kingdom of God.

Let's lower our heads, I want to confess to the Lord, that the first one who needs to take that medicine is me. Many times we fail the Lord with attitudes that are not appropriate in his kingdom and God wants a church of love, a genuine church, a crucified church, a church that projects the fruit of the holy spirit. Against such things there is no law, against such things the tragedies of life have no power. Ask the Lord to help you right now to strip yourself of all eagerness, of all clinging to artificial things and surrender everything to the Lord, sign a blank letter to the Father that says: Father, I give you everything and you give me back what you you want. If you want to give me something back, give it back to me, otherwise everything is yours.

And give what you love the most, as Abraham gave Isaac and very possibly God will give it back to you and give you much more: Let that be the motto of your life, let that be the way to walk in the Kingdom of God . Get rid of every dream and every desirable thing right now. Let go of your ambitions. Get rid of what you love the most and give it to the Lord and love others, and be generous with others. Get rid of everything and give it, give it to the poor and you will have treasure in the kingdom of heaven, you will be happy then.

You will know what the Lord's approval is, you will know what God's pleasure is in your life and in your service to the Lord, and your service will then be a holocaust with a pleasant smell to the father. Every time the father sees you expending your energies at work, he will say: There is my servant in whom I am pleased. I give him authority. Serve with that heart. Love, serve your children like this, serve your husband or your wife like this. Serve your colleagues at work like this. Serve your fellow students like this.

A detached, generous person, who does not cling to things, who loves as Christ loved, who gives everything because he has everything in his heavenly Father, and you will see that you will never lack anything, you will never stop being happy. The joy of the Lord will invade you and you will be happy all the days of your life. The turbulences of life will come and you will be firm and safe, sleeping in the boat like Jesus because they cannot take anything from you that you have not given anyway. The secret of happiness is that. Don't cling Don't agonize. Don't worry. Don't hold on to things. We are pilgrims, on our way to a heavenly homeland and we are passing through. Meanwhile we celebrate the little that God gives us or the much and we enjoy it and we leave the rest to Him.

Father, that is our desire, that is our confession, that is our request this afternoon, Lord, to be as well as church. Father, we ask that the positions and efforts of the service never be a reason for conflict and bitterness in this place, that the name of Christ is never dishonored by carnal people, Lord. We want the fruit of the spirit to reign in this place and in our lives, in our homes, in our jobs. We want to be messengers of a kingdom of love and light and harmony as is the Kingdom of God. Forgive us because many times we fail in this. Help us find rest in you on this day.

Give us your peace tomorrow, those of us who are not going to work, Lord. Help us to rest in you and thus symbolically and physically find our rest, our eternal inheritance that no one can take away from us. Thank my Lord. Thanks God. Hallelujah. Amen.