The One Who Sees Me

Introduction

Good morning church! It is good to be in St. Louis again. The city I love and called home for a few years. And the home this wonderful church that is passionate about missions! Thank you, Pastor Edwin for giving me the opportunity to share about the ministry God has called my family to. Thank you Pastor for your heart and shepherding this congregation well. Can we take a moment to thank your pastor and Miss Toni for all they do in service to this church?

The Scripture

I can’t wait to tell you about where we serve as missionaries…but first, I’d like to open up this morning with Scripture. Will you turn with me to Genesis chapter 16. Hermano, will you read for us?

Saray, la esposa de Abram, no le había dado hijos. Pero como tenía una esclava egipcia llamada Agar, 2 Saray dijo a Abram:

—El Señor me ha hecho estéril. Por lo tanto, ve y acuéstate con mi esclava Agar. Tal vez por medio de ella podré formar una familia.

Abram aceptó la propuesta que hizo Saray. 3 Entonces ella tomó a Agar, la esclava egipcia, y se la entregó a Abram como mujer. Esto ocurrió cuando ya hacía diez años que Abram vivía en Canaán.

4 Abram tuvo relaciones sexuales con Agar y ella concibió un hijo. Al darse cuenta Agar de que estaba embarazada, comenzó a mirar con desprecio a su dueña. 5 Entonces Saray dijo a Abram:

—¡Tú tienes la culpa de esta injusticia! Yo puse a mi esclava en tus brazos y ahora que se ve embarazada me mira con desprecio. ¡Que el Señor determine quién tiene la culpa, si tú o yo!

6 —Tu esclava está en tus manos —contestó Abram—, haz con ella lo que bien te parezca.

Y de tal manera comenzó Saray a maltratar a Agar que esta huyó de su presencia.

7 Pero el ángel del Señor la encontró junto a un manantial en el desierto, el cual está en el camino a la región de Sur, 8 y le preguntó:

—Agar, esclava de Saray, ¿de dónde vienes y a dónde vas?

—Estoy huyendo de mi dueña Saray —respondió ella.

9 —Vuelve junto a ella y sométete a su autoridad —le dijo el ángel del Señor—. 10 De tal manera multiplicaré tu descendencia que no se podrá contar.

11 Estás embarazada, darás a luz un hijo y le pondrás por nombre Ismael porque el Señor ha escuchado tu aflicción. 12 Será un hombre indómito como asno salvaje. Luchará contra todos y todos lucharán contra él; y habitará frente a todos sus hermanos.

13 Como el Señor le había hablado, Agar le puso por nombre “El Dios que me ve”, pues se decía: “Ahora he visto al que me ve.” 14 Por eso también el pozo que está entre Cades y Béred se conoce con el nombre de Pozo del Viviente que me ve.

15 Agar dio a Abram un hijo, a quien Abram llamó Ismael. 16 Abram tenía ochenta y seis años cuando nació Ismael.

To fully understand this passage we also need to understand where Hagar came from? How did Abram and Sarai acquire Hagar as a female servant? In Genesis chapter 12, we see Abram lying to the Egyptians about his wife. He told them that Sarai was his sister. He thought they would kill him if they knew that she was his wife. Abram lied and Pharaoh took Sarai has his concubine. Pharaoh gave Abram many things in exchange for her. Genesis 12:16 “Gracias a ella trataron muy bien a Abram. Le dieron ovejas, vacas, esclavos y esclavas, asnos y asnas, y también camellos.” “And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.”

Pharaoh owned Hagar as his property. He gave her to Abram. Later on, Abram gave her to Sarai. None of these people truly knew Hagar. They didn’t even say her name. We all know that names are important. Have you ever walked into a room and someone you didn’t think knew you, called you by name? It works the other way around too. It hurts when someone who should know you, doesn’t know your name. About 20 years, there was a missionary to Latin America that I was introduced to. We met and talked for a while. I saw him a few weeks later and went up to him to say Hi. He did not remember me. He did not know my name. No problem, I introduced myself again. But, I saw him about 5 times over the next 1-2 years; and, every time I saw him, he did not know my name. At first it was annoying. Then I started to find the humor in it. But after the 4th and 5th time, it hurt. In verse 2, Sarai told Abram to take “my servant.” In verse 5, Sarai said “I gave my servant to your embrace.” In verse 6, Abram said “your servant is in your power. Do to her as you please.” And then Sarai dealt harshly with her. This whole story builds to show us a special moment. A girl who has been abused, a girl who has been ignored, seen as property, treated harshly and unfairly, she is a girl who has a name, and is known and cherished by the Creator of the universe.

The Egyptians worshipped many gods. Those gods didn’t see Hagar. Pharaoh didn’t see Hagar. Abram and Sarai didn’t see her either. But God. Our God saw her. Our God pursued her and when He found her, the first thing He did was call her by name! God sees you. He knows your innermost thoughts, desires, and struggles. He knows what you have been through and how to comfort you. Something very unique happens in verse 13. The only time this happens in the entire Bible! Someone gives God a name. This Egyptian woman whose name means “to flee, to run away from,” is found by God. Is seen by God. And she calls Him the God of seeing. The Lord gives us a wonderful picture of missions. To find someone by a spring of water in the wilderness, see them, truly see them, call them by name, and show them what they’re missing: a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

He came to seek and save the lost.

Called to Ministry

I took to trip to west Africa in 2008. I visited the main castle that was used for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. God began to break my heart for the victims of human trafficking. On my way back home, I visited the Netherlands and went to Amsterdam during a lay-over. While there, I saw women for sale in the windows of the red light district. And again, God broke my heart for their suffering. The next week, I was back here in St. Louis. I worked at a restaurant on The Loop, over on Delmar. It was about 1 or 2 am and I was on my way home from work. I made a stop at a stop sign a couple blocks away from my apartment; and was cut off in the middle of the intersection by a man driving a van. He leaned over to the passenger door and rolled down the window to talk to me. I rolled my window down to see what he has to say. And then I notice a little girl begin to show her face in the front seat. The man told me that she was 8 years old. I then noticed the pink bows she had at the end of her pigtails. The man continued talking and he asked if I wanted to buy the girl. He wanted to permanently sell me this girl and have me keep her as my own. Again, God continued to break my heart for all these people who are abused and missing. Years later the verse we read earlier came back to haunt my thoughts: “Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your servant is in your power, do to you her as you please.”

Our Past Ministry

Fast forward a few years, and I met my wife! Now, if you were here in December and heard the missionary from El Salvador speak, that is my wife’s father. She comes from a wonderful family. She had the great experience of growing up as a missionary kid in El Salvador. We got married 12 years ago and God has blessed us with these three amazing kids: Blake, Hunter, and Ruth. Shortly after getting married, we became missionaries and went to Las Vegas. We worked in a shelter for survivors of human trafficking. We also helped search for missing kids. Each side of our ministry had its own difficulties and victories. Each time we had a search for missing kids, we found at least one. Often we found 10 or more. We worked in Las Vegas for two years and then we came back to Missouri to open a shelter for 10-20 year old girls. Girl who were also survivors of sex trafficking.

When a parent or police officer would call us about a new girl they wanted to bring to the shelter, I would learn everything I could about that girl as fast as I could. Our staff would find a quilt with her favorite colors then put it on her bed. We would have their favorite book, or show, or music ready. I called her grandparents and got a hand-written recipe to the girl’s favorite meal. Then, our staff would prepare that meal and have it ready to eat as soon as the girl walked in the front door. A therapy dog would greet her at the door and we made her feel at home. I would look her in the eye, call her by name, feed her her favorite food, and make sure that she knew, I see you. Everyone here sees you and you are important. This is missions.

Called to the Netherlands

Last year, we felt God leading us into a season of change. As we were seeking Him and His direction we narrowed the many options we had down to three. There were missions opportunities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Netherlands that we felt compelled to investigate. We made the brave decision to give our oldest son, Blake, a third of the family vote. For this decision…not forever, for every decision we have lol. We wanted to use this special moment in our lives to help teach Blake how to pray and fast…how to seek God…how to listen to Him…and how to obey when you hear the answer. All three of us went together to the three countries last summer. We met with the missionaries and pastors that we would be working worth and prayed with them as well. It was a wonderful experience and all three of us, felt God calling us to the Netherlands.

If you remember, God starting calling me when I was in the Netherlands 16 years ago. Shayla also had God speak to her and call her to be a missionary when she was in Amsterdam 14 years ago. It feels really cool to have God bring us all the way back to where both of our journeys started.

Europe Video

Europe Stats

A major focus of missions has been to unreached people groups. It makes sense and should be a focus. As secularism has taken over Europe, very few people claim to have a relationship with Jesus. As you can see from these statistics, the church in Europe has declined to match those of unreached people groups throughout the world.

Utrecht Slide

The missionary family that we are going to go help has been there for about 10 years. In the past 10 years, no one has reached out to them or the Assemblies of God missions office to inquire about being a missionary to the Netherlands. But God has been moving in the country and The Church is growing. Since we committed to going to the Netherlands, two more families have also committed to going! God is bringing people together and we believe that revival is coming to the Netherlands and throughout Europe!

The Assemblies of God church in the Netherlands, has the goal to plant 100 churches over the next 10 years. We are going to help them reach that goal with church planting. We are also going to help minister to the college students at the university. And we are going to share Jesus with the thousands of people that are trafficked there.

Partnership

I learned something a few months ago. Western Europe is more expensive that Springfield, Missouri! The budget that we had for Missouri with U.S. Missions was low. When we made the switch in October to go to the Netherlands, our missions budget doubled! We need your support. I will be in the back after service. Please take one of our prayer cards. Pray for us. We need it. Our kids will need it. If you would like to support our ministry financially, there is a link on our card to do that as well.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share with you today. Let’s spread the love of Jesus throughout St. Louis and the whole world today. Pastor…