The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – Final Message

 The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – Final Message

Subject – Pastor Juan and Kacie Rodriguez

by Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

1. Obedience comes first, understanding comes later.

2 Corinthians 9:12-13 (NIV)
¹²  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
¹³  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

--Pastor Juan and Kacie have shown us what this obedience looks like…how it is walked out. He offered their resignation, we announced it to the church. He did this in obedience to what God spoke to him. 

--They did this not really knowing what their future looked like even though they knew God was their source. Now he is in the process of becoming youth pastor at Nation’s Church in Orlando.

--The obedience came first and the understanding followed. I hope we all get this. A beautiful step of faith.

2. An Amazing Opportunity Today – Pastor Juan and Kacie.

--Today we get to actually put into practice everything we have been teaching. We get the awesome opportunity to bless two faithful servants of God in whom we know and love.

--Every week we give away money and food to people we barely know and we are always willing to bless those who need our help. It is a beautiful thing. 

--How much more should we be willing to bless a spiritual son and daughter who are not leaving us, but are being sent out from among us. 

1 Timothy 5:17 (TLB) ¹⁷  Pastors who do their work well should be paid well and should be highly appreciated, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

1 Timothy 5:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷  Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

--I take that literally…we are giving twice as much as we normally give to opportunities like this. I challenge you to do the same. Maybe more, if God speaks to your heart. 

--Pastor Juan and Kacie have exemplified what I have taught for years here at Life Church, Servant Leadership. It is one thing to teach it but even better when we live it.

Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
¹²  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

--These guys have served God, served Life Church, me, our other pastors, La Vida, our youth, our young adults, our community, our mission’s endeavors, and even other churches. They are the greatest among us.

--You know someone has done a great ministry for you when you are working hard to find several people to replace them. They have blessed us and we want to bless them.

--They will receive a generous severance package even though he has requested not to receive one and we had a reception for them even though he said that was not necessary. It is necessary and it is right.

--We have been blessed as a church because we have been generous and this situation will be no different. Generosity is not just what we do, it is who we are. God has been faithful and He has been generous to us.

--Hopefully Pastor Juan has learned a lot about people and ministry being on our team here. I pray he will always hunger for Holy Spirit, missions, and reaching the lost everywhere. 

Philippians 4:9 (NIV) ⁹  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

3. Obedient Faith Can Bring Breakthrough. 

--When we put God first (bringing the firstfruits – tithes and missions first), we invite the blessings of God to help us with our own finances and debts we owe. Invest in great people like Pastor Juan and Kacie. Blessed.

--How much of our harvest (our money) is blown away because we don’t make giving to God, to missions, and to others a priority? No wonder we don’t have enough. It’s a vicious cycle, it takes obedient faith to break out.

--When we realize God’s ownership of everything especially in the light of missions, you realize you are giving away God’s money to do God’s work. 

--Blessing Pastor Juan and Kacie is doing God’s work. It is definitely laying up treasures in heaven instead of here on earth. 

--Pastor Juan, come and share please.