Pastor Dan Carrillo
Worship Style - Contemporary
Hearing about our pilgrimage, our daughter's friend invited us to visit her church located in Richmond, RI. This is very close to our home in RI. Both our daughter and our niece attended this service with us. We were warmly greeted by two of the pastors and then by our daughter's friend and her family. There was a great deal of activity going on as we entered.
We began the service with praise music, and the sermon was entitled, "Almost". It was based on Acts 26: 19-29 (NKJ). This is the story of Paul witnessing to King Agrippa. " 'Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come - that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.' Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, 'Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!' But he said, 'I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.' Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'You almost persuade me to become a Christian.' And Paul said, 'I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.' "
Pastor Carrillo then spoke passionately about the danger of being an "almost" Christian. First, he identified the realty of the almost, something he called, "double-minded". "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1: 6-8 (NIV) He suggested that "the things" that Paul referred to are the truths about Jesus that are found in the Scriptures, and they have tremendous persuading power. Pastor Carrillo then spoke of the reasons for the "almost": corruption - turning away because of a love of sin; fear - afraid of what people will think; and cost - what it will cost you. Finally, the results of the "almost" are missed joy, bondage and the possibility of hindering others.
So we were asked, "Are you a Christian or an Almost Christian?"
Worship Style - Contemporary
Hearing about our pilgrimage, our daughter's friend invited us to visit her church located in Richmond, RI. This is very close to our home in RI. Both our daughter and our niece attended this service with us. We were warmly greeted by two of the pastors and then by our daughter's friend and her family. There was a great deal of activity going on as we entered.
We began the service with praise music, and the sermon was entitled, "Almost". It was based on Acts 26: 19-29 (NKJ). This is the story of Paul witnessing to King Agrippa. " 'Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come - that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.' Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, 'Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!' But he said, 'I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.' Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'You almost persuade me to become a Christian.' And Paul said, 'I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.' "
Pastor Carrillo then spoke passionately about the danger of being an "almost" Christian. First, he identified the realty of the almost, something he called, "double-minded". "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1: 6-8 (NIV) He suggested that "the things" that Paul referred to are the truths about Jesus that are found in the Scriptures, and they have tremendous persuading power. Pastor Carrillo then spoke of the reasons for the "almost": corruption - turning away because of a love of sin; fear - afraid of what people will think; and cost - what it will cost you. Finally, the results of the "almost" are missed joy, bondage and the possibility of hindering others.
So we were asked, "Are you a Christian or an Almost Christian?"