God rewards those who seek him

The Letter to the Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6. If there is a theme, an "anchor" statement in this Congregation and perhaps a common motivation that perhaps inspired us to get here, something that we all perhaps have in common on one level or another and this is what we are going to explore is that here we believe that God above all exists, He is, and that He is a rewarder, He rewards those who seek Him.

It is a text that many of us know from memory of the Reina Valera "But without faith it is impossible to please God, because it is necessary for those who approach God to believe that he exists, and he is a rewarder of those who seek him." In another version, the new international version reads like this, I use it for grammar and perhaps it will clarify certain issues in that verse: "Actually" says the international version, "without faith it is impossible to please God, since anyone who approaches to God” anyone, anyone without exception, “he who approaches God has to believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

The purpose of this message my brothers today is not to establish whether God exists or not, not because I am afraid of that and not because I have forty, forty minutes left to develop that, but there are and have been great apologetic writers and preachers who They have very effectively addressed the issue of the existence of God that I recommend. Sean Lewis wrote a famous book “Mere Christianity” Mere Christianity I recommend it to everyone, also Josh McDowell in the 1970s and 1980s, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” Robby Zacharias, read it, look it up, Lee Strobel and his book “The Case de Cristo", what's more, it became a movie that is now on Amazon, okay? if you are going to see a movie on Amazon Prime go to that one, invite your friends because this movie is worth watching.

The purpose of today then is not to determine if God exists but to consider why it matters if we believe if God exists or not, why it matters if we look for God or stop looking for him. I confess to you, the truth and this comes from someone trained in arguments and logic, and I am convinced that really not even by intellectual and logical arguments if God exists, there is not even, by pure intellectual and logical arguments we can verify if God exists or has ceased to exist, for those determined to deny His existence, let me clear that up.

If someone is, from my experience and you perhaps saw him among his relatives, you saw them in the streets, it is a rock of doubt and resistance to the Word of God, penetrating that wall I believe requires more powerful weapons than merely logical arguments , and this is translogical what we are talking about now, this is transintellectual, it goes far beyond the human mind.

In other words, see for example Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 that we also know a lot about: "It is then," says this text, "faith is the certainty of what is hoped for, the conviction of what is not seen." Now, the one who knows, the one who believes that God exists and who has dedicated himself to looking for him reads that and says: amen! understands it best, I Wanna kids understand that verse perfectly well, but read it with a mind completely darkened in faith, a purely logical mind and reading Hebrews 11:1 only using the lens of logic makes no sense, Logically speaking nothing else, this is what he sees, he who limits himself to logic sees this, okay.

If something is only expected, it is assumed that there is no certainty of receiving it, logically, if it is expected, there is no certainty. Pastor: if something is not seen and the Word here invites, that is, it is something imperceptible, it cannot be measured or weighed, or counted, then there is no conviction, that is, there is no evidence, what evidence do you have? you cannot count it, you cannot measure it, it is not logical. What's more, that verse is a package of inherent contradictions and that's where the thinker stayed, the one who is limited to logic.

It will not be logical but, despite the lack of logic, listen to me, lots of us continue to say that God exists in the United States. For those determined to deny His existence, they do not conceive how it is that there are still people sure that God exists and that even more rewards those who dedicate themselves to looking for him.

What's more, in its September volume the respected Atlantic Monthly magazine published an article titled: How America Lost Her Mind and I Picked It Up at the Airport in Nashville because I was interested in knowing how America lost its mind, it's very curious, and part of the author's argument is: well Samuel, America I forgive your mind partly because of you and these crazy people from León de Judá who continue to believe in a God and who is a rewarder of those who seek him.

Translating that portion of the article he writes: "two thirds of Americans still believe that angels and demons are still active in the world" wow, they know us, they know us, "and more than half are convinced that heaven exists" and That same number, it seems the people who arrived today, "and that same number say they are sure of the existence of a personal God, not a force, an immaterial spirit, a power, but some guy, a guy with whom we can talk." I love it, guilty, guilty. There is nothing new in that the creation denies the existence of its Creator.

Says the writer of Psalms 14, I think David, "says the fool in his heart:" what does he say? "there is no God." The apostle Paul, being someone very effective in arguments, a man with an overdeveloped mind tells the Corinthians: we will never explain to you the Power of God or the Gospel with arguments. He writes to them and tells them: "because the Word of God is madness to those who are lost, but to those who are saved, this is us, this is the Power of God." At the most basic this Word of God can be reduced to these two truths found in Hebrews 11:6, these two truths are the DNA of faith. God lives, one, He exists, and two, He rewards those who seek Him. God exists and rewards those who seek him.

If you arrived today or if you tuned in to our website already, I have good news for you, even if you arrived for the first time, if you woke up this morning and said: geez, I'm not doing so well, I'm going to church, I'm going to see how I'm doing, by saying that you are saying: God exists because why did you come? a joke from our family, why did you come then?

God exists and rewards those who seek him. And you would say: but Pastor Samuel that would never occur to me, I have never said those words, but perhaps you have declared these words in a moment of despair, in a moment of crisis and if you find yourself at that moment, this day will not feel bad, you'll see, that's precisely perhaps the best thing that could have happened in your life.

And the reason why God is dealing with you. Perhaps you have not said: God exists, perhaps you have not said: He rewards those who seek him, but perhaps at a given moment you have said: God help me, my God, perhaps help me, and by saying You already declared this, when you said that you said: He exists, God, Elohim, God, He rewards those who seek Him, help me. There in that: God, “He exists” is enclosed. By saying "help me" he closes himself off: "He may reward those who seek him, perhaps even me."

And here you are, perhaps shedding tears in the Presence of an invisible God, embracing and being embraced by a God that you neither see nor are you supposed to feel but you felt something, you dialogued with someone, someone you are looking for today.

And our purpose on this day, our purpose as a Church, the goal of this message is for you to recognize the little seed of faith that is already within you, recognize it, develop it in a consistent, conscious and intentional way.

As the apostle has declared in one of his key verses: "Fan the fire of God's gift that is already in you" that little flame, fan it, He exists. What does this mean? He rewards those who seek him, what does that mean?

It means at least that God is a being, He is a Person and His existence, He exists right? if so, His existence does not depend on our opinion of Him or even on whether we know Him or not know Him.

You can explain to the guard that you were stopped for eating the red light "I don't believe in your existence, what's more, I doubt that any of this is real" and the guard writes the ticket anyway, goes on his way, you can then explain to the judge that he doesn't exist either (laughs). What exists does not need your opinion of it for it to exist, it already exists. In other words: God is not an idea. God is not an idea that you can mold to your liking or convenience, or interchange with other ideas, with your own ideas by adding this here, leaving this there.

It's important that you do it with ideas, that's how we grow, that's how we develop our minds, but that's not done with a person. If He is a person you don't do that. In other words, God is not an idea. One develops and exchanges ideas but understanding a person requires that we know him, that we communicate with him, that we enter into a relationship with him, that we seek his friendship.

What do you do to meet a person? right, isn't it logical? Knows? like any person God has His own personality, He has a divine personality, and God made sure that we can discover His personality through the Word, through the Bible, and if you want to know God the key questions are these: who is he? how is he? As with any other person, these are the questions that are needed to know His divine personality, because there are things that God loves and there are things that God hates. There are things that drive him away which He considers abominable, and there are others.

Did you hear the first twenty minutes of this message? okay (laughs). There are things that he loves, glory to God, there are things that God hates, there are things that drive him away which He considers abominable, and there are things that are irresistible to Him, a contrite and humiliated heart He will never reject it, He is addicted to that .

If God exists know Him, know Him, study His Word, what God has said of Himself, learn of Him from Him, enroll in a discipleship class. Surround yourself with others who, like you, are seeking to know God better.

Knows? in the Reina Valera version it translates Hebrews 11:6 literally from the original and I love it, "it is necessary" it says there "what is it" do you see that? Now a little weird because we don't use that modern grammar. In itself what he is saying is that it is necessary for one to believe that He is, translated, that He exists; translated makes much more sense than modern grammar, but to the Hebrew ear, and it was for the Hebrews that this letter was written, to the Hebrew ear it would recognize: "He is" as an objective reflection of the statement: "I am, I am." .

The lips of God say: "I am", the Word of God says: "He is" and you say: God, how are you? Ask him and he will tell you: I am a jealous God, you will not adore another god but Me, "I am the good shepherd, I give my life for my sheep", "I am", said Jesus, "the bread of life, the whoever comes to Me will never be hungry and whoever believes in Me”, God exists and rewards those who seek him, “whoever believes in Me will never thirst”.

Jesus declares to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life" "I am", "he who believes in Me" you insist, your reward is what you are looking for, "he who believes in Me even if he is dead will live, and everyone who who believes in Me" you insist, your reward is what you are looking for, "he will not die forever" and ends with this question to Marta and this question to you: "do you believe this?" Glory to God.

And as worshipers, God loves us to declare him the second person like we did today. The Word says: "He is", His lips say: "I am" and the worshiper says: You are, You are without equal! You are worthy, You are powerful, You are my answer, You are God without rival! He loves to hear that from you! He's a person, who doesn't love hearing that? That is adoration, that is praise, and with that you are already taking the first steps to become a seeker of God, one who seeks God. What does that mean?

It means that it is worth investing our time, our energy, our everything getting closer to God, seeking His side, opening ourselves to Him, falling in love with Him, it is worth it. "We believe" is to believe that in some way our lives will be blessed by the fact of seeking God and getting closer to Him, this is seeking God in his essentials.

Let's say, let's separate those two ideas if possible, He exists, He rewards the seeker, separate them for just a moment and just stay with the God exists, what do you have? you don't have much. A faith capable of transforming us requires more than passively believing in God or passively believing that God exists.

In the streets there were many hearts receptive to the Gospel but also many who have their answer, they see someone with the Bible and they already have their automatic response: I believe in God, I believe that God exists.

I love how Santiago, it would have been difficult for Santiago to bring him on personal work for fear of what he would say to these people on the street. Santiago would be able to tell them: oh! Do you believe that God exists? oh how beautiful, how beautiful, yes! even the demons believe and tremble! great, great deal! knows?

What the demons are not capable of doing is seeking God, what they are not capable of doing is yearning for God. The Word that the author of Hebrews uses here does not refer to any passive, soft search, those words, but a serious, diligent, whole-hearted search. Moreover, it is the same word that they use to translate Amos 5:4 into Greek, you know that verse: "The Lord says: Seek me and you will live." It is seeking God as if your life depended on finding him. And how is that, Pastor, how is it to look for it like that?

For this we have to see the biblical trajectory and learn from those who have learned to seek God in this way. That is the purpose of Hebrews chapter 11, a catalog of lost and imperfect people, sinners who have an encounter with a sovereign and holy God, and have enough faith for God to turn that person into an Enoch, a Noah, a a Raab, in a Moses, that is, let us learn from these saints.

Looking for him is the woman with a certain reputation in her city who interfered with the party at the house of Simon the Pharisee who in fact received Jesus with a lukewarm, appropriate greeting: welcome rabbi, we have a place, do you prefer white or red wine? maybe a little cheese, thanks, may I say hello to the other guests? stay at home.

In contrast, this woman enters the house: where is Jesus? where is? Show me your invitation, get out of my way, where is Jesus? where is Jesus? where do they have it? This woman sees Jesus with all her, and before they throw her out of there she throws herself long at the feet of Jesus, grabs His feet, begins to wash the muddy feet of Jesus with her tears, dries them with her hair shedding there her heart melting her chains and receiving grace from Jesus, and instead of rebuking her, Jesus tells Simon more or less in these words: Simon, that's how you look for God, that's how you greet him, that's the way thing, do you understand?

Looking for it is the woman with an issue of blood who lost everything looking for healing and with no other options, no other choice, no more desperate answers, she gets into the crowd and also! what is this with this woman throwing herself at his feet? smoke! he throws himself at the feet of Jesus, struggling to touch just the thalid, his cloak, knowing that this was enough.

Looking for him is the blind Bartimaeus who, upon hearing that Jesus was passing near him, shouted at the top of his lungs: Jesus, son of Levi, over here, have mercy on me! Boy, you're making a scandal, why do they tell you that? Jesus, Jesus! he had a personal audience with Jesus and was healed, healed! because he knew.

Perhaps for you, perhaps for many here, seeking God like this is not something that comes naturally to us, right? What do these people have in common? the woman at Simon's party, the woman with the issue of blood, Bartimaeus, they were desperate, they were desperate. Sometimes this God who loves us, who loves us, allows circumstances that inspire us to seek him, that drives us to seek him, an invisible God who loves us out of love imposes His existence on us, and if you are here living this I embrace you, I welcome you, I even congratulate you.

In those moments God is shaking our world and showing how fragile we really are, what we feel when we see buildings shake in Mexico and be reduced to dust, what we feel when we see wind and water destroy entire islands leaving thousands and millions without light, homeless, nothing, in those moments we no longer care if God exists or ceases to exist. In those moments, a negative diagnosis in the clinic, a note that your wife left you informing you that she left and took the children, a job that you are about to lose, at that moment we are urged that God exists, at that moment we need to look for it.

That search often begins with that simple exclamation: God, my God, help me, my God, help me. Know, at the moment that exclamation left your lips, God inclined His ear to you, the Lord and to you, indeed, the Lord has been waiting for you, and already the spiritual rules; Satan loses authority. Already the machinery of heaven is engaged: look for me, bring me that Bartimaeus, bring me the woman who has just kissed my feet, I want an audience with her. Instead of rejecting you, God is bringing you closer and I do know that, and I do know that. I invite the musicians to join me as I end here with a testimony that perhaps will put all this theology into context.

One night in February 1989, Pastor Samuel learned what it was like to seek God in these circumstances. Just so you know, I'm from a good family. Sure, I grew up in a Christian home knowing the fear of God, certainly believing in God, still serving God, but still treating God as an idea, I admit, using it, molding it to my tastes and conveniences and suddenly, to When I was 25 years old, I found what my life was at that time in pieces, taking refuge in my grandmother's apartment in the neighborhood in New York who left with the Lord only about six months after this moment, who received me only with the little bag that was left of my goods.

Psalm 139 declares: “If I made my footstool in the sun, behold, there you are.” The Lord brought that verse to my mind, here I am Lord, I am in Sheol, He was there with me when I no longer had anyone else, He was there looking for me, waiting for me. That night I knelt next to the little bed that my aunt and cousin had prepared for me. That night Samuel Acevedo learned to look for him.

My prayer went something like this: God, you win, You win, I'm nothing special, but if you want this life, what's left of it, I give it to you. At least what's left of her. You are my only option, my only hope. My life depends on you existing and rewarding those who seek you, not because I deserve you God, but because you are who you are.

At that moment it is as if scales fell from my eyes instantly. At that moment I began to see my life clearly. It was as if I was in a dark tunnel and suddenly someone turned on the light, and suddenly for the first time I could contemplate my life with sanity.

It was the light of Christ that had visited me, it was the Hand of God upon me. I was not able to see the value of my life or what was going to happen ahead after that night, never, brother, you can never conceive what God has in mind for you, you have no idea, trust me. When the Word says: reward, we are talking about winning the lottery. We're not talking about a little fix, we're talking about a life you can't imagine.

That night, I had never visited Boston in my life, that night God already saw Boston, that night God already saw the Lion of Judah who was not even called the Lion of Judah, and God saw Marina, and God saw the race, God already saw the ministry, and that night began a trajectory of: My God, help me that brought me to September 24, 2017, today, but it began in that moment of despair where I learned to look for it.

Knows? I've loved it ever since and maybe now you know why Samuel is the way he is. I love it, look, when the enemy tells me: can your God deliver you from this, can your God Samuel? are you kidding me? you have no clue who my God is, you have no idea (applause).

He rewards, believe him, believe him, believe him, He rewards those who seek Him, He rewards those who cry out to Him. In that I already do, I give my neck and I promise you that it is so. Let's close our eyes for a moment.

This entire message, I admit, can be considered one long altar call. It is not a call to convert to a religion, it is a call to live for the first time in your life, to live as one should live, to live as a human being who knows his Creator, to live knowing the God who opens the doors of prisons. , living knowing the God who raises the dead and resurrects them, living knowing the God who takes the madmen, the madmen, recomposes our minds and makes us kings, priests.