Restoring The World

So great to be here, my dear family in Broward. Really, really, this Church has a special place in my heart, in our heart as a family. Because here, here. Sorry, I don’t know if this is okay. I hope sorry, I’m not good with technology, so feel free to let me know when I’m doing something that’s not correct. This Church is where my wife Jessica was baptized right here. Jessica was over there. So for me and for my family, it has a special place in my heart. In our heart. Thank you so much, Tommy. So just for you to see my family. We live now here in Miami. We’re living almost for a year now in Miami. We moved. So you can see the pictures now. There’s a picture if you can help me to see it. There you go. That’s my family. There’s Jessica, my Queen, and my two princesses, Rebecca and Alison. So I’m so grateful. We have around a year in June, and it’s been a privilege. We never thought in a million years that we will live in the United States. It’s a dream come true. We’ve never thought about it. But God already had a plan, right?

He already had a plan. And during Bolivia, in our stay there, we had a time when we reflected a lot about people, about the mission, about what God wants to do. We were eight years, as Tony said, thank you, Tony, for this opportunity. Thank you for the leadership in the Church, for this opportunity. Thank you all for your faithfulness for so many years. And we never thought we were going to be there serving for eight years and trying to bring the gospel to many people. As a matter of fact, before we went to the mission, I worked for Caterpillar for more than five years. Jessica worked for Dell Computers in Panama. We lived in Panama. She’s Panamanian. I am Honduran. And she’s Panamanian, Rebecca. And we have our Bolivian now, Allison. So we go to the immigration office. It’s like, how many passports do you have here? It’s like we have to give all the narrative about us as a family. But it’s a blessing to be there and serving and giving. Many things happened, many incredible things happened. But I wanted to share to you today about something very important, that for eight years God has been teaching me in the mission field, and he’s still teaching me today.

I mean, we haven’t finished about that topic. So I’m still learning. I’m still on that learning curve. And as you know, we’re now in Miami and we had an activity with Bay-nanza. This was around a month ago, and we went to clean the Bay. So it was clean, a cool activity. We’re cleaning, going with our families. This was done in the south of Miami. This part was in the south of Miami. We were in the central here with some Yo Pros there, helping, serving. And this is my little girl, Rebecca. And you can see the little cap that’s Allison, it says Princess, so you can know it’s her. She doesn’t get lost. So as we were going through the activity, I was sharing with them the importance of taking care of the world, of the Earth that God has given us. Like in Genesis, he gave us and trusted us, the world. So we were walking around picking up some toothpicks plastics here, and I told them Tikkun Olam. And they were like, okay, Tikkun olam, they got it. They put it on in the garbage bag and they were walking here tikkun olam, okay.

They came here and grabbed the plastic and they put it in the bag. So you may be wondering what’s tikkun olam, right? Well, it’s a Hebrew word that means restoring the world, to restore the world. It was used very much in the early first century by the rabbis. And this concept has been around the Jewish for ages. The idea is to bring all things created by God to its initial state as he intended it from the beginning. And this is not something new. We see it from Genesis all the way back to Revelations. He’s wanting to restore. He’s wanting to help. He’s wanting to bring everybody to him. Why? Because he loves us so much that he brought his only son to give us eternal life and to live an abundant life, to, a life of abundancy. So I believe this is the heart of the mission of God in this world. And the good news is that you’ve been part of it for many years. You still are. To restore the heart of humanity. This is something that I, like I told you, has taken me eight years. I’m still learning. But this is the heart of God, to restore the relationship with him.

What he wanted from the beginning, that was plan A. There wasn’t a plan B and C. It was plan A. But thank God that he always, like Tony said, works for the good in spite of our sin and our challenges and our trials. So tikkun olam is that. Today, I want to share about tikkun olam and our important place, the important place that the Broward Church has in this mission of God for humanity, to restore it. So the title for this sermon is restoring the world, tikkun olam. So I want to start with a question. I want you to reflect on this. What do you think moves God’s heart? Think about what makes him get up from his throne and descend to help us see the world. God can see the universe, the world, everything. And he can be very close to us in our hearts at the same time. But imagine this is the world. What makes God to get up of his throne of power and glory and Grace and come down to us? What motivates him? So we’re going to learn about it. Exodus three, seven through eight in the first part. And then we’re going to read nine, verse nine and ten, it says, the Lord says, I have indeed seen the measure of my people in Egypt.

I have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers. And I’m concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them and know the cry. And now the cry of the Israelites have reached me and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now go, I am sending you to the Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites out of Egypt. Says that God first and foremost wants to restore people. He says that what really touched him was all this misery, the crying, the suffering, the oppression, the need. So difficult to see what happened in Texas. Well, I think of my girls. Probably you do too, or think of so many things that could even happen to us. But when you see the crying, the pain of them, it touches my heart. And this is what God says. God wants first and foremost to restore people, to bring them back to him. And this is the primary goal, to restore the world, is to restore physical, but also spiritual needs. I remember a brother in Panama when we used to live in Panama. We lived there ten years with my wife and Rebecca was there at that time.

I remember we were in a Church event in a park similar to a park, and there was someone studying the Bible. And I told him, so you’re studying the Bible? Yes. And how’s it going? So it seems like everything was going well. I see that you’re a professional because it was businessman. He had a business. So it seems like work is going well. Yeah. So family is going well? Yeah. Kids are going well? Yeah. Everything was going well. And, you know, that’s good. I’m glad God is blessing you. How’s your spiritual life? Because as humanity, we are spiritual beings too. And we need to dedicate time for our spirits to restore our spirit. And he got it. And then later he got baptized. The whole world’s suffering, said Paul, Romans 822. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And it’s still suffering today, isn’t it, church? The statistics. I was running a statistics from 2020 and more than 770,000,000 people, 11% of the worst population, live in extreme poverty. That means they live with less than $1.90 per day. In 2020, the US here my new country that I love and I’m starting to even know more. 38. 3 million had suffered food insecurity here in the States, according to the United Nations, says that Covid hit so bad Latin America that they went back 30 years. Imagine that. With all the Covid crisis now, with the economical crisis, they went 30 years back. You know, when I was seeing all these statistics, I felt overwhelmed as a missionary, as a Christian, as a disciple of Jesus. I felt overwhelmed. Why? Because I said, God, what can we do with all this huge need? It’s too much. I was praying to God. I remember in my little Batman cave there praying to God. And I remember, God, what can I do? I’m just one. And I just felt how God started to give me faith. I was praying and said, you know, don’t worry, I got it. I got it. David, I’m God, I can do it. I know you can’t, but I can. And you will be part of that if you join me. God can do it. Yes, we can’t do all this, but God can do it. And he wants to do it.

He just wants his people he wants his sons and daughters to join his father in amazing mission to restore the world. And I believe he’s ready to come down again and rescue us. Once more, he must be asking the same questions I’m thinking he asked to Isaiah in six, eight, who shall I send? Do you remember that passage? And who will go for us? Who will want to be my hands and feet in this world? Who will want to go to the community in Broward, who would like to still help all those millions of people in Latin America and South America that need to hear my gospel, they need to hear good news that I can with all that. So it’s clear in the scripture that God has chosen his people. His Church, the Church of Broward is part of that amazing trip, that amazing road. He has chosen you and I to be his instruments to bring tikkun olam.

Let’s see all the scripture in Israel 49, five in the first part of six says, and now the Lord says, it is too small a thing for you to be my servant. To restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that my Salvation may reach to the ends of the Earth. God communicates to his people their divine destiny in the world. I love it. I love Isaiah, and he wants his people to be part of the restoration. He says, I want you to restore. I want you to go and help. Oh, man, I did, I needed it so bad. I remember what I was in a Christian. I remember 2002 when I was baptized on August 11. Oh, my life was crazy, so dark. And you know what? Thank God my family gave me and provided everything they could. I have a home, I have a car. I had education. I have many things that many people don’t have. So I wasn’t kind of suffering. But when I was in my room, in those four walls, I just felt so empty. I felt something was missing in my life. And that’s how many people feel now. That’s how many people feel now. And you know your mission’s contribution, because I know we’re celebrating that. And thank you so much for your generous donations. Wow. You know, your mission’s contribution supported that I could now know Jesus and be saved.

I was baptized in 2002. Before that, when we all came here. And I’m learning the story again, the history, all with California, together with Florida, got together and gave missions contribution and went to Latin America. And your missions contribution helped me to know Jesus, to change my life and to be saved, to be baptized for the forgiveness of my sins, to receive the Holy Spirit. That’s amazing. Thank you. I’m in debt eternally with you. Eternally. I’m in debt with you. I will see you in heaven because we want to get to heaven, right? Amen. I will see you in heaven. I’m just going to be so grateful with you because I’m there, because you gave, because you never even thought even know about me. And I didn’t even consider that I was going to preach the word never, ever. And now I’m here giving you testimony of what your donations have done and can even do more than what we can ask or imagine. I would like my dear Jessica to share some words, if she can come up, please. There you go. This is the best part of the Pinedas.

Hello, family. Good morning. It is so good to see all of you. As David was saying. And many of you know me for many years. I came to this Church when I was 16 years old, in Plantation high. And I was invited to Church by Claudine Gale, actually Michelle, Decambra’s sister, and studied the Bible. Very empty life, all the craziness that we all have before knowing Christ. And 32 years ago, I was baptized right there. I am forever grateful to this Church. When David told me he was coming today, I wasn’t supposed to come, but I just felt like I needed to come home. Sadly, my dad had a stroke this week. And when your heart just kind of sinks and I said, David, I need to go to my spiritual home. I need to see the people. I need to hug them. I need to see their faces. And thank you because you are encouraging my heart so much today. And I just want to say thank you. We were in Bolivia for eight years. We were supposed to go for three. And God had it that we stayed eight. It was the most amazing time of our lives and also the most difficult time of our lives.

The hurt that you see in people, it’s so much to bear and understand, and it can be whelming. But I just want you to know that to them, you are heroes. To them, you are a mother Church, a mentor Church. You supported us through those eight years there, you supported our kids. You helped us to be there, to be able to leave our jobs and our family and our home in Panama and move there. You have supported mission plantings maybe names of cities that maybe you’ll never hear or never know. And it’s been so many years that some of you may even feel a little fatigued and wonder, well, what’s happened with all my money? What’s happened with all the contributions, with the offerings? And I want to tell you Church, that God has multiplied what you have given. Not only are those churches now planting other churches, those little churches are now planting community groups and Bible talks in remote cities. When we got to La Pas eight years ago, there were two churches. Now there’s four established churches and two new missions. Amen. Glory to God. And the amazing thing is that locals are now being raised up.

There’s no longer foreigners needing to go down there. The La Paz Church, the Church we left almost a year ago, is now being led by local young couples. And they are learning their way. Believe me, every week we’re on the phone with them. But the Holy Spirit is moving, and those new missions are also being led by locals. The younger generation is raising up. In Argentina, a brand new Hispanic evangelist was named. In Bolivia, there’s Bolivian elders. I mean, everywhere you look, everything that you’ve given, every minute of your time, because when you give money, you give your time. That’s the time that you worked. Well, every minute you’ve given has saved lives. And I just really want to encourage you, don’t let Satan make you feel tired, because there’s a whole world out there that’s being evangelized. Thanks to you. So thank you very much. We love you and will forever be grateful to you.

Amen. Thank you, baby. Despite the crisis, it’s incredible that the Holy Spirit is being moving powerfully. As Jessica was sharing. These are some pictures of many of the things that God is doing in South America. During the pandemic, 100 plus souls were saved, added to the Kingdom. That’s amazing. Praise God. And thanks to your help, we partnered with Hope Worldwide and the churches in South America to build partnerships to restore spiritually, but also physically. We need to bring the whole Ministry of Jesus to the community. And in the past 2021, it’s amazing to see more than 370 volunteers, pretty much the majority of the volunteers in Hope. It’s a Church, right? It’s disciples. So they were giving and they gave more than 16,000 hours. And what that did is that for every dollar that was given, it multiplied to $6 because of all the work, all the hours, all the effort, the human effort that was given there. So your support helps all that you give to the poor, through the churches, through many ways, through the community, to be multiplied six times. So that’s amazing. God is good. God is always good. So our family in South America is fighting the good fight of the faith.

And thanks to your prayers and financial support, tikkun olam, restoration is happening. That’s the power of working together as a family. It’s a spiritual family. It’s a Kingdom. And they’re praying for us. I asked the leaders in South America, some of the leaders and representatives, to please pray for the churches in Florida, for South Florida to pray for us, that we can be a better life, even a better life. God can bless us to help better, to help more. And I know, I’m sure God is hearing their cries as he heard in Exodus. He heard the cry of the people. And I’m sure we’re going to see even more amazing things happening in the Church in Broward. Just to summarize, to get into the end of what we want to share today, let’s go to John 3:16. It says for God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. You know, there’s a dear brother that I love in the Spanish Ministry, that’s the Ministry that we serve together with Jessica in Miami, with the Spanish Ministry, Ramiro Figueroa. And he preached a sermon one of this past Sunday services, and he said something that it was so true. He said we can give without loving, but we cannot love and not give. We can give without loving, but we can’t love and not give. It is true. We can just give and not necessarily you’re loving someone, but to love someone and see them in need and don’t give. It’s almost impossible. And I see the scripture, they said that for God so love the world that he gave, so loved world that he gave. We are part of God’s restoration when we give. In other words, when we love to give just comes naturally when we strive to understand the needs of people like God does, to give us just natural. That is what God did. He loved you and I so much that he gave. Oh, wow. He gave something amazing. His one and only son, Jesus. Wow. So I want to encourage you because God shows that he loves us all when he gives. He gave his son and he continues to give us in many ways. I want to encourage us to continue to give, to not get weary, tired.

And if you do, because we all do at some point, I mean, we’re humans, right? You’re from this Earth, right? This world. Okay, good. We get tired, it’s normal. But as disciples, we need to go back to God and restore our hearts. You know, that’s not right, God, restore my heart, give me faith again, and he will do it because he wants to. That’s what his word says he loves those prayers that are very attached with his word. So we give in many ways Church, family, in Broward. We give when we pray, we give when we serve others. That is tikkun olam. Yes, we give when we do a lasagna maybe for someone who’s sick. Yeah, that’s restoring. That’s tikkun olam as well. Yes. When we offer support to those in need and we’re making tikkun olam, of course. We give and we share what God has given us monetarily. Yes. To those that don’t have enough. That also is tikkun olam. That is a story. Wow. So as we give our mission contribution, I want to invite you to reflect on what God gave us, His only an amazing son, Jesus. Let’s reflect on that. God continues to keep my dear family.

God wants first and foremost remember to restore people. He wants us to participate in the restoration of the world and he wants us to imitate his love as we give to others like he gave and he continues to give. We’re going to see a video, I’m going to pray for the Communion and after that we’re going to see a video from the South American Mission society so we can have some visuals about the amazing things that God is doing. And thank you for being part of the change. Again, thank you for making tikkun olam. Thank you for your giving because it saved my life. And thank you in advance for all the amazing things that God is going to do because as you embrace tikkun olam, we embrace restoration. God is going to continue to amaze us with amazing things happening not only around the world but in our own lives and our hearts. Thank you for your patience. Let’s pray for the Communion. Thank you Lord, for this time that we get together to honor your name. To honor the name of Jesus. Thank you so much, Father. Because you are our provider, you give and you gave and you continue to give as a father does with his sons and daughters in his creation.

Please bless the bread and the juice as we get together to remember Jesus’s crucification but also Father, we remember his resurrection. Thank you so much, Father. Because of him we have amazing promises of eternal life. Thank you so much Father, for multiplying all the giving that the Church in Broward has been doing for many years and given for many years. Thank you so much Father. I pray that you bless them even more that you can give them the eyes of your son so they can see even more and longer. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done in our lives for Jesus and it’s in His name that we pray. Amen.