Reverend Samuel Rodriguez spoke at Gateway Church. I feel blessed to go to a church where such incredible leaders come to speak. He was inspirational!! This man is not just on fire for the Lord, but his enthusiasm for the Lord is contagious. You don’t want to be a lukewarm Christian after hearing him speak.
Before he spoke, Pastor Robert Morris gave a brief resume summary of Reverand Rodriguez. It was such an impressive list of accomplishments that it made me nervous to listen to the sermon, because I was afraid he would not live up to his reputation and what he has done for the “church” worldwide. He is leader of almost 500,000 Latino churches worldwide. A great article online about his leadership can be found here: http://www.christianpost.com/news/samuel-rodriguez-on-mega-merger-of-over-500000-churches-were-not-drinking-the-kool-aid-christianity-is-not-in-decline-122252/
The Wall Street Journal named him one of the top 7 most influential Latino leaders in America. He was the only one on the list who was a religious leader. Here is an article on this subject: Http://www.theoakinitiative.org/samuel-rodriguez#.VhPrVdQ8KrUe.
He surpassed my expectations. His ability to speak to a crowd goes far beyond his abilities as a world leader. His presentation had me mesmerized and on my feet clapping for Jesus! It was so good because he used scripture all throughout his sermon. It didn’t feel like a traditional sermon though! He talked directly about Jesus. He is also very passionate about the word of God and Jesus being the savior of the world. I could listen to him speak everyday. This man is a true friend of Jesus and not afraid to show it or speak it! I want to be like that too.
We live our daily lives. We live in the world, but we need to put Jesus first in all that we do. That way we can be the light of the world, as Jesus calls us to be. If we are a light to the world, we are to do good deeds, and these works glorify our Heavenly Father. It was Jesus who called us to be the light for others. That means loving, caring, and being kind to others. Acting as Jesus would to all of mankind. Here is the scripture that should be emblazoned on the heart and mind of every Christian:
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
You can watch the sermon from Reverand Samuel Rodriguez here:
http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/life/events/bless-weekend/session/2015/10/03/blessed-to-be-light
