 What we want to do, I want to do a couple of things. I want to exhort you. I want to call to your remembrance the work that the Lord is doing and will do there in Guatemala City by his grace through the mudges, through the russies there. And I want to give you opportunity to praise the Lord for this tremendous blessing that we have. With that, as you are, as we work through text of Scripture together this morning, we have cards available. And I'd like you to be able to fill those cards out. If you'd like to write a word of encouragement. We want to be able to collect a bunch of cards from you tonight for the mudges, the russies, to be able to look at not any earlier than when they get on the plane to give them something to do on the plane. But we want to encourage them. And so if the folks will pass out some of those cards as we talk, that'll be helpful. And write some encouraging notes to them. That'll bless them as they make their way to Guatemala City. All right, turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16. This is a tremendous blessing that we have. The Lord is so gracious, so good. And we've seen the Lord faithful to his promises, faithful to press the gospel into the world. And we've seen the gospel bearing fruit. And we are very, very grateful to pay a part in that. But that promise is based in the Lord's faithfulness. That promise made by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And we get one indication of that in Matthew chapter 16. And look down with me at verse 13. And we want to praise and thank the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord for what he's doing. In Matthew chapter 16, in verse 13, Matthew writes, When Jesus came into the region of Cesarai Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And so they said, Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah are one of the prophets. He said to them, verse 15, But who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Well, today, we have the blessing, the blessed privilege of rejoicing in the Lord for his unwavering faithfulness to this promise. He has said, I will build my church. He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. Amen. And we want to acknowledge him in this tremendous blessing that he's given us to be a part of what he is doing in the world to build his church. Now, notice first what he says in verse 18. He says, I, I will build my church. The I there refers to the Lord Jesus Christ with Peter in verse 16. We confess also with him that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. One has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He became Son of man that we might become sons of God. He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity and only once crossed the boundary of the land in which he was born, and that in his childhood. He had no wealth or influence, had neither training nor education in the world schools. His relatives were inconspicuous and uninfluential. In infancy, he startled a king. In boyhood, he puzzled the learned doctors. In manhood, he ruled the course of nature. He walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for his services. He never wrote a book and yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the books about him. He never wrote a song yet he has furnished the theme for more songs than all songwriters together. He never founded a college yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as he has. He never practiced medicine and yet he has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors have healed broken bodies. This Jesus Christ is the star of astronomy, the rock of geology, the lion and the lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discords, the healer of all diseases. Throughout history, great men have come and gone yet he lives on. Herod could not kill him. Satan could not seduce him. Death could not destroy him and the grave could not hold him. In Revelation chapter 5, he is the only one worthy to open the scroll, to open its seals. For he was slain and he has redeemed us to God by his blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Worthy is the lamb, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. That's who the eye is. He is the one that we worship. He is the one that we trust in whom we trust. Now notice next in verse 18 that he says he promises to build it. He says I will build my church and praise God. He is faithful to his promise. These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts and he shuts and no one opens. The amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. He who calls you is faithful who also will do it. He's not building here in Matthew chapter 16 with brick and mortar. He's not building a school, not building a hospital, not building a paratroop ministry, not simply building a ministry. He's building a church. Peter says that his elect come to him as living stones rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious. You also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. He's building his church. Amen. We see that now, this opportunity, this blessed privilege, this blessing from God to have a part in him building his church in Guatemala city. We are grateful to God for that blessed opportunity, that blessed privilege. Thirdly, in verse 18, the church belongs to him. He says I will build my church. In Acts chapter 20 verse 28, it is the church which he has purchased with his own blood. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 20, those in the church are not their own. They were bought with a price. In Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25, Christ loves the church and he gave himself for her. God has put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. He's not building a homeless shelter. He's not building a hospital. He's building his body. He's building his hands, his feet, redeemed sinners, blood bought out of bondage, conveying them and us into the kingdom of the son of his love. And he is the head of his body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he may have the preeminence. The one who's been given all authority has said I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Amen. For Mark and Ashley, Lee and Gabby, for those of us who hold the rope here at Cornerstone, this is a promise that the Lord is fulfilling now. Amen. This is a promise that the Lord is fulfilling and this is a promise that we can stand on. He says I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. And we want to pray first and thank the Lord for his faithfulness to his word, his faithfulness to his promise, the fact that his promise, that promise, his evident faithfulness being worked out among us as we prepare now to send Mark and Ashley, Lee and Gabby, their families to Guatemala City. And so I'd like to ask my brother, Ben, Ben, would you mind just praying and thanking the Lord for his faithfulness, thanking the Lord for his is covenant with us, his promise to press the gospel into the world specifically now, Guatemala. Thanks brother. Let's pray. Let's pray. Holy Father, we exalt you today. We glorify you today. Your people see you as enthroned. We see you as our king and the creator of all things by whom and through whom all things were made. And Lord, we depend upon you right now in this sending. We know that this is according to your will and we greatly desire your blessing. First and foremost, Lord, we pray that you would bring glory to yourself and doing this, that you would, that you would be exalted in the sight of not just your church, but all peoples one day that they would see that the building of your church was your doing and it will be marvelous in their eyes. How in spite of so many obstacles, in spite of so many impossibilities, the church has overcome not just the last 2000 years, but really from the very beginning from the garden and how you have prevailed and how we can look back 2000 years and see the victory that Christ accomplished on the cross and then how we can see how he sent his apostles out and how they started a thing that was new to the Jews and yet beloved by those who were saved. So Lord, we pray that you would continue to dispense your mercy and your grace through the preaching of the gospel, through the building of your church, that you would do as you have told us in the book of Romans in chapters 9, 10, 11 that you would call forth your elect, your chosen people, those who you have set your mercy on from eternity past, those who you've predestined. As we often say here that the pond is stocked, there's no question that people will be saved, there's no question that not everyone will reject the gospel, but rather that those to whom the gospel is preached, to whom God has set aside for mercy will respond. And so we're not, as Pastor Rick was teaching this morning, it may be seven years before we see a convert, although we know we've got converts there now, but we would not be laboring in vain even if we had to persevere that long. And many of us here in Orlando know that we've had to persevere quite a long time through many dry spells and not seeing people being genuinely and soundly saved. And yet we do not lose hope and we continue because of your promise. And so we reflect on the facts of the promises of the Word of God and setting people aside to be saved. We look to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise that you would give Abraham just many seed that would not even be more than the stars, that more than could be counted. And so we know that those things are certain and sure and it's only a matter of being a part of that and actively seeking to work that out practically here on earth prayerfully and with planning and with diligence and like today with just action. And so Lord we pray that when you build your church in Guatemala that you would use our brothers and sisters mightily out there that you would by the gospel regenerate many souls, justify many people through Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel. You would radically change the nature of people that you would, they would not require a 12-step program but rather just an overnight conversion and that they would see all things new even from the very next day as they begin to realize a new life in following Christ. And Lord we pray that for those people that you will save, that you will sanctify them, that you will deliver them from the power and the presence of sin and and and of course the penalty of sin and that you would form out there another part of your overall universal church of living stones being put together by the Lord himself to one day be just a testament of your great power and your great mercy on sinful and wicked people such as ourselves. And so we're we're grateful that we have Christ and He has changed us, He has delivered us from so such a great penalty, such a great debt but also delivered us from the love of sin, the love for those passions and has transcended us into a place of the love of Christ, love of the gospel and the love to see sinners saved. So we pray that you would do all these things that you said you would do Lord and that you would allow us to have a part in that in Guatemala in Christ's name I pray amen. Next now I want to encourage you from scripture with an example of just how the Lord does that right turn with me to Acts chapter 11 Acts chapter 11 we're part of a legacy that began with the Lord's promise to build his church he does that clearly in scripture he's done that throughout out history and now it's our turn to bear that same torch for him as we print Iglesia Biblica and torcha they feel like an Italian when I say the name but we look forward to that as we carry that torch in our generation as in our piece of history but I want to encourage you with this from scripture this legacy look at Acts chapter 11 and drop down to verse 19 19 you have the church at Jerusalem and after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given and the church was founded 3000 were added and then more were added look at verse 19 now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to no one but to Jews only immediately after the church was founded there came persecution that often is the case and in verse 20 but some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene who when they had come to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord and there the church at Antioch was planted verse 22 the news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch when he came he'd seen the grace of God he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord for he was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and the faith and the great many people were added to the Lord then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul when he found him he brought him to Antioch and so it was that for a year a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch they have the church in Jerusalem gets planted the church immediately begins to share the gospel immediately preaching Christ persecution had scattered them and through that means God planted the church in Antioch turn the page with me and look at Acts chapter 13 Acts chapter 13 the Lord promises to build his church and we see him doing that here throughout the book of Acts but specifically with one example beginning in Acts 11 we see the church in Antioch planted in Acts chapter 13 look at verse 1 now in that church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers Barnabas Simeon who is called Niger Lucius of Cyrene Minean who had been brought up with hair the tetrarch and Saul and as they ministered to the Lord and fasted the Holy Spirit said now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them then having fasted and prayed they laid hands on them and they sent them away their purpose here was to send them on Paul's first missionary journey to plant churches they were planting churches flip the page and look at Acts chapter 16 let's look at the example of one of those churches that was planted Acts chapter 16 and again this is the Lord Jesus Christ faithful to his promise to build his church we see it taking place here in the book of Acts throughout history and then now through us Acts chapter 16 drop down to verse 11 therefore verse 11 sailing from Troas we ran straight a straight course to Salmon Thrace and the next day came to Neapolis and from there to Philippi Philippi which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia a colony and we were staying in that city for some days and on the Sabbath we went out of the city to the riverside where prayer was customarily made we sat down at a prayer meeting as if you will with a group of women who met there in Philippi verse 14 now a certain woman named Lydia heard us she was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul and when she and her household were baptized she begged us saying if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come to my house and stay and so she persuaded us and thus the church in Antioch then begins to plant through Barnabas and Paul the church at Philippi and notice how the Lord works right you send a man down there to preach the gospel a gospel is preached and through the gospel being preached the Lord opens the hearts of those hears and here in the case of Lydia Lydia becomes the the first convert if you will of the church plant of Philippi but how did this church develop and grow look at verse 16 now as it happened verse 16 as we went to prayer that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us who brought her master's much profit by fortune telling says fortune telling slave girl becomes the next member of the church at Philippi this girl followed Paul and us cried out saying these men are the servants of the most high god who proclaimed to us the way of salvation and this she did for many days Paul greatly annoyed turned and said to the spirit I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her it came out that very hour when her master saw that their hope of profit was gone they seized Paul and Silas dragged him into the marketplace to the authorities more persecution right they brought them to the magistrate and said these men being Jews exceedingly trouble our city they teach customs which are not lawful for us being Romans to receive or to observe multitudes rose up together against them so we see persecution again breaking out you have now Lydia in Philippi now you have a little slave girl former fortune teller who now has been genuinely saved and now as part of the church at Philippi but the Lord's not done and of course was it done look at verse 25 they put Paul and Silas in jail and at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God in verse 25 and the prisoners were listening to them suddenly there was a great earthquake so the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed and the keeper of the prison awaking from sleep seeing the prison doors open supposing the prisoners had fled drew his sword and was about to kill himself but Paul called with a loud voice saying do yourself no harm for we are all here and he called for a light ran in fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and he brought them out and said sirs what must I do to be saved it's an awesome question right right so they said verse 31 believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you and your household then they spoke the word of the Lord to him all who were in his house and he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and immediately he and all his family were baptized and when he had brought them into his house he set food before them and he rejoiced having believed in God with all his household Lydia and her household slave girl came to church at Philippi and now the Philippian jailer and his household so what became of this little church this church plant at Philippi look with me at second Corinthians second Corinthians and look at chapter eight this is what the Lord does right the Lord builds his church and he is faithful to that our responsibility as a people our responsibility is the body of Christ is to put our faith and trust in him and press forward into the work and what if Paul and Barnabas had never gone right what if Paul and Silas had never made it to Philippi no but the Lord said I will build my church their faithfulness to go was the means by which God planted that church and then in second Corinthians chapter eight look at verse one what became of this church plant in Philippi moreover brethren verse one we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia not Macedonia the churches that are being referred to you there is the church of the Thessalonians and Thessalonica the church at Berea that we know about from Acts chapter 17 and then the church at Philippi the church plant at Philippi look at verse two what characterized that church that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality for I bear witness that according to their ability yes and beyond their ability they were freely willing in pouring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints and not only as we had hoped but they first gave of themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God so we urged Titus that as he begun so we would also complete this grace in you as well but as you abound in everything in faith and speech and knowledge and all in all diligence and in your love for us see that you abound in this grace also that little church in Philippi being under a severe trial of poverty being under severe affliction became examples here specifically to the church at Corinth in their giving in their ministering to the saints it's a beautiful picture isn't it that through here beginning the beginning of the church age the Lord Jesus Christ promises to build his church we see that played out in the book of acts here specifically with the church at Antioch and the church at Antioch faithful to obey the Lord separating to them Barnabas and Paul to go on the missionary journey part of that journey was to plant the church at Philippi we see the Lord grow that church at Philippi it's through God's work that he does it and then we see the fruit of that work in 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 just one example among many countless examples of the Lord being faithful to build his church and faithful to produce fruit that glorifies him through that work now we get to be a part of that right the journey that we begin today is a part of that legacy of God's faithfulness of God's redemptive purposes on the planet we get to be a part of carrying bearing that same torch the torch that brothers and sisters 2000 years ago began to carry and now churches throughout history have done we now in our generation get to do that that's something to rejoice about amen don't we have cause for celebrating what the Lord has done with this church plant amen so we can't look at that short brothers and sisters that's a glorious glorious blessing and we want to pray now and thank the Lord that we've been given this blessing that we've been given this opportunity and I would like to ask Dale brother where are you thank you brother Dale would you mind praying just thanking the Lord that we get to take part in that heritage of the Lord and him building his church and specifically with reference to Guatemala city thank you brother father in heaven we are so grateful for how you have worked among us these many years just here in this church we have seen how you have guided us and protected us and blessed us and we are just amazed when we think about even our own salvation how you've peeled away scales from our eyes and caused us to see ourselves the way that you see us and then at the same time given us the gift of repentance and faith and called us into your kingdom and praise for you for this kindness is just endless we worship you and thank you and Lord we are so grateful too for the privilege of being the stewards of your gospel here in this community and throughout the city even the state and now two other countries Lord over the years and many visits that people in this church have made to Guatemala already dozens even hundreds have heard the gospel preached and Lord we know that your word does not return void and we think of people that that we've already spoken to um Oscar a young man in a park central in Guatemala city and uh El Angelio a guard that we spoke to um at a neighborhood in Guatemala city and Angel in Carlos um a shopkeeper and his employee Maria a lady who wanted to kill her father for the abuse that he had inflicted on her uh Manuel a drunkard trying as if to be aware of the chains that he was bound by um Rolando a cab driver and Carlos a vendor the names just go on and on Lord and in that city of millions there are so many who have not yet heard they've been exposed to all kinds of false messages that are preached by wicked men who are building fortunes for themselves and rather than glorifying you and um so there's a a war there Lord for the souls of people and we just counted a privilege that you've enlisted us to uh send uh Mark and Ashley and Lee and Gabby um Lord help us to be faithful to remember them daily and prayer um to to give faithfully to their work um and to just be um thankful for um the privilege of of being part of this work uh Lord we don't know how the history will be written in Guatemala um in decades and centuries uh from now but what we pray for Lord it's um that uh you would be glorified that um your truth your gospel would be proclaimed far and wide and all of Guatemala and that um other uh true churches would be planted as a result of uh this work that that we're embarking on today so we just thank you for um how how you're at work among us and for uh the privilege of of planting this church and it's um just an amazing kindness that you've shown us and so we thank you and praise you in Jesus name amen amen thank you brother the next one i want to do is part of that legacy is part of that heritage we have responsibility we have responsibility so i want to exhort you from the from scripture uh look at second Thessalonians chapter three second Thessalonians chapter three the first to cornerstone Orlando and then to cornerstone Guatemala uh second Thessalonians chapter three for those of us who will remain here look at verse one finally brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified just as it is with you that's interesting there we need to pray just as Dale was praying uh we need to continue to pray uh for the russis for the mudges we need to pray for people in Guatemala we need to pray that the gospel um runs swiftly and will be glorified and then he adds that phrase just as it is with you and we need to maintain faithfulness to spread the gospel here maintain faithfulness to preach the word of God here we have unreached people in our own backyard amen you have unreached neighbors we have unreached co-workers we have to be faithful to the gospel here and that's one of the reasons with a clear conscience before God that as we're faithful here we can then send Mark and Ashley Lee and Gabby their families to Guatemala City it wasn't that Paul and Barnabas were sent from Antioch and then all of a sudden Antioch ceased their work of evangelism you know Paul and Barnabas are going to take care of that we'll just deal with our house business here no those faithful brothers faithful sisters kept preaching the gospel and we need to do the same and honor the Lord in that verse two also pray for them they may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for not all have faith verse three but the Lord is faithful who will establish you and guard you from the evil one and we have confidence in the Lord concerning you both that you do and will do the things that we command you we need to pray we need to as our brother prayed we need to continue giving give we need to give ties to this church offerings above and beyond the tithe to the work in Guatemala praise the Lord he has provided for them financially we're very grateful for that there's more to be done keep giving and a year from now keep giving keeping faithful to your word to support them in that this is not going to be a sprint this is a marathon so keep giving encourage the families in the work encourage them text them regularly I don't know how text works to Guatemala but keep doing it and until we figure out if it doesn't work we'll do something else send up smoke signals carrier pigeons but we need to encourage them in the work it can be very lonely very difficult work and it's going to be difficult and it's going to be daily evangelism hard hardship difficulty there's already been difficulty by the Lord's grace he's allowed that to happen so that we don't depend upon ourselves or our own strength but we learn to depend upon him and we've already seen a tremendous amount of difficulty even getting the church started down there so please continue to encourage those families and then you can plan at some point in the future to go down and visit and encourage them by your presence and working and laboring down there with them so we'll talk about that more as the the months pass and we're able to do that after they get settled all right to cornerstone Guatemala turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and I want to exhort Pastor Mark Lee and their families from 2nd Timothy chapter 4 with a work that has to be done and Paul says to Timothy and Paul says to you to us he says in verse 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season convince rebuke exhort with all long suffering and teaching for the time will come when they will when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables but you you be watchful in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist and fulfill your ministry it's a high calling right and praise the Lord for Mark Lee their families that he has raised up what we see as faithful men to do just that and so we rejoice in the Lord for that grace but we want to pray and ask the Lord's help now in our keeping our charge and then also that Mark Lee their families would keep their charge as well as Pastor Rick down here okay I'm sorry if somebody pointing okay Robinson would you mind brother praying for praying for us that we would keep our charge for Lee and Gabby for Mark and Ashley they would keep theirs as well the Lord's help thank you brother Father in heaven we come before you once more to thank you for this opportunity Lord to be able to send off the mudges and the russies to Guatemala to preach your word we pray Lord God that us as a church that we would ourselves be faithful in the ministry that we would care for the dying care for the lost souls that are here amongst us in our neighborhoods and I pray Lord God that even as we reach out to those who are lost in Guatemala that you would charge the russies and the mudges by your spirit Lord that they would preach your word with efficacy that they would be diligent Lord to reach out all of those Lord who are unsaved and who need to hear about Christ all of this Lord is for your glory so help us to be faithful to be faithful at home to be faithful at work as we preach your word here in Orlando and Florida in the United States and throughout the rest of the world may your name be glorified and exalted through this ministry in Christ name you pray amen amen thank you brother now as they did in Acts 13 we want to do a proper sending and so I want to do is I want to ask Mark Ashley if you'll come up Lee Gabby if you'll come up maybe just come and stand down front if you will deacons if you're deacon here deacons coming up to let's call our leaders up and let's pray for the mudges and the russies I'm doing officials commissioning an eventual sending come on brothers pastor rick if you want to come up brother thank you man I just tell you that um you know over the years being able to serve I know pastor Rick would echo these comments that the joy that we've had in being able to serve with pastor mark it's pastor mark been a blessing in our church amen amen and so it's a joy to be able to send him in this work he's been a joy to us I've learned from this brother very grateful for you brother and grateful it's been a tremendous blessing to serve you to love this church I know he loves the Lord and loves you and that's a joy and so like for those in Antioch at the time I'm sure it was a bittersweet time sending off knowing you're doing the Lord's work but at the same time sending off a beloved brother and so it's time to do that for our beloved brother pastor mark and his family we love you Ashley so many years playing the flute here working with the kids ministering to the ladies I just countless conversations that I've come to know about where Ashley has been an influence in somebody's life Gabby the same thing many times Gabby pursuing sisters faithfully serving up here working at the church a lot of you don't know that Gabby's up here working at the church every week it's been for for a long time and just her faithfulness with the sisters and just highly commendable sister and we're grateful to the Lord for that my brother Lee man I remember when you came and just Lee was so serious about the word of God wanting to honor the Lord wanting to love the people very sober minded and the Lord just took him through that process of bringing him out of of what wasn't a good church context and now to being a beloved brother here serving the Lord's people honoring the Lord leading our worship team for a long time just very grateful for what the Lord has done through Lee and so we're going to miss you guys very much we love you I want to be praying the Lord will bless your work in Guatemala so let's pray together for them father in heaven Lord I'm very grateful to you for these brothers these sisters their families grateful that they have served so well here by your grace to them that they have become to us precious and we love them we thank you for them and we praise you and we worship you Lord in your goodness and your grace and raising them up for this work now in Guatemala City what a joy it is Lord that we are able to participate in that work and we see it Lord as a gift from your hand that we can participate in this that they are willing to go not only willing to go but you've prepared them to go Lord your providence in this has been astounding your provision for this has been astounding and we rejoice in the work that you have done we praise you and thank you for it I pray Lord that you would encourage them as they go that we would encourage them administer to them as they go that you would cause them to see by your grace God that their labor in the Lord is not in vain cause them to abound in fruitfulness we pray that the gospel would run swiftly and be glorified now we pray Lord that you would bless the labor their hands and that sinners would be converted to Christ we pray that those that are there are waiting for a biblical church to be planted in Guatemala City would be edified we pray that you would protect them Lord from unreasonable and wicked men and we know Lord that you are faithful and that you will establish them and guard them from the evil one and Lord we pray that you would do that work for their good and for your glory encourage them in the work give them fruit for their labors and may we who hear hold the rope Lord do our part to pray to depend upon you and to remember this good work that you've allowed us to participate in Lord and to remember you in that you Lord give every good and perfect gift so we acknowledge you supremely in that when we pray for the people of Guatemala City it is a dark a dark place where there is so much heresy and rampant godlessness and we pray God that the gospel would triumph in that city that it would press forward conquering hearts conquering dead souls for your glory that Christ would receive the full reward of his suffering that your elect there would be gathered in or that you would be glorified in all things in the church and we pray for those people there God that you would convert many Lord we pray for the church there already a small group of people that you would edify them you would build them up that you would give Mark Lee their families Lord fruit among those people already Lord and their maturity that they would grow up into the stature of the fullness of Christ being given knowledge of his will in all things God that you would strengthen them you would cause them Lord by your grace by your spirit to be fiercely evangelistic faithful to the work faithful in your word and you would cause them to have fervent love for one another and that Lord you would protect that group of people that you would grow them build them up add more to their number you would add labors in your harvest field there and that in all things you would be glorified we love you God and we praise you and thank you for this glorious blessing and now Lord we send them um we commend them to you Lord you are the one who cares for your body the church far more than we ever could and you have purchased her with your own blood and we commend them to you Lord and pray that you would protect them and keep them and guard them help them empower them enable them strengthen them encourage them exhort them from your word God and then you would be honored we thank you Lord for our time together and we know this is just a transition but they now go and they're just not going to be here in the daily ministry of this church and so we will miss them when I pray that you would encourage the people here with the work that you're doing there and I pray God as you've shown yourself to be so faithful to do I pray God that you would raise up other men among us for this work that you would raise up others in our church to to be deacons to be elders to be just faithful serving brothers I pray that you'd raise up other church planters among us that this could be replicated all because we want to see you magnified and exalted and your name made famous that we love you Lord and just can't thank you enough God thank you in Jesus name we pray all these things amen amen well in this time while we do this don't see now if you will I just want everybody to stand up and we're going to take a churchy so selfie if you will want you to turn around I want you to to look back and if maybe uh mark ashley lee gabby a pastor rick if you'll come up brother if you guys deacons you can just stay right here but if you guys will come up here and um we want to take a picture we're not giving pastor marcos a lot of time here on his sermon so if you will bear with him as he uh is about to preach for the next couple hours um and brother maybe if you will if you'll take uh you know I don't know if we can get everybody in the same frame so you may want to take it like three maybe three pictures and we can get edgar to edit and put together if you will just make sure you can see the guys in the back taking taking the pictures