Excerpts from study on Ezekiel 37

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REXc0J27B6I

Part 2 of March 11, 2011 Bible Study in Ooty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flbi12Zchn4

Part 1 of March 11, 2011 Bible Study in Ooty

Continuation of the study on our position in the throne room of God.

A look at our position in Christ, our mission here, and the benefits of being present in the throne room of God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxYwUiwckPA

A study on our position in Christ and our attendance in the throne room of God.

Bible study on Thursday February 10, 2011.

The sermon I preached on Sunday January 23, 2011

Philippians 4:5
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
How do we let our gentleness be known to all men?
An excerpt from Jan 07, 2011 cell group meeting in Ooty.

Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people.

The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return.

The church is not a building or a denomination. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ — all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

Early Church

Lifestyle

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42 NASB)

Participatory meetings

“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” (1 Cor. 14:26 NASB; see also Colossians 3:16, Heb. 10:24-25)

Meeting in homes

“Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.” 1 Cor. 16:19

Romans 16:5 –  Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

Acts 20:20 – how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house

Colossians 4:15 – Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his[a] house.

Philemon 1:2- to the beloved[a] Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Networking through Apostles

“After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” (Acts 15:36)

Occasional Large Group Meetings

“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20 [NASB])

Jesus model – Christ Our Cornerstone

Ephesians 2:19-22   Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. ” For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20 [NIV])

Jesus – the author and perfecter of our faith – our role model

Churches need to develop elders and deacons who serve the members as overseers, not a ruling hierarchy by being examples (patterns and models of Christian living) to the flock (the congregation). And then when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, we will win the conqueror’s crown of glory

Churches need to become “an assembly” of “called-out ones” one that is not that of a building, but of people. Church buildings today tend to lock Christians away from meaningful contact with their communities. Far from promoting the faith by being “visible” they mark the places for unbelievers to avoid! (Try inviting one in!)

Jesus’ ministry seems to be about 40% in homes, 40% in informal gatherings in the open country or city courtyards, and maybe 20% in synagogues.

Going through Mark’s Gospel we find Jesus:

• Healing Peter’s mother-in-law at the family residence (Mark 1:29).
• Healing a paralytic via a hole in some poor soul’s roof (Mark 2:10)
• Saving a bunch of crooked tax collectors at Levi’s place (Mark 2:15)
• Getting mobbed and nearly “certified” over a meal (Mark 3:20)
• Healing a 12-year-old girl in her bedroom (Mark 5:42)
• Telling the disciples to do home—based evangelism (Mark 6:10)
• Having his lunch interrupted by accusing Pharisees (Mark 7:2)
• Delivering a Greek girl from demons in a home in Tyre (Mark 7:24).
• Teaching the disciples humility in a Capernaum house (Mark 9:32).
• Giving revolutionary teaching on marriage in a home (Mark 10:10)
• Preparing for his last week at Lazarus’ villa in Bethany (Mark 11:1)
• Being anointed by a sinful woman at Simons dwelling (Mark 14:3)
• Instituting breaking of bread in a Jerusalem home (Mark 14:14).
• Enjoying a post resurrection meal at a disciple’s place (Mark 16:12).
• Reuniting with the eleven in their locked-up home (Mark 16:14).
• Returning at last to his Father’s House (Mark 16:19).

The synagogue should not be seen as the forerunner of church life. Rather than being a model for the early church, synagogues were the hub of corrupt practice where Jesus confronted the religious establishment with true spiritual vitality. In the Gospel according to Mark we find Jesus:

• Upsetting the service expelling demons from a member (Mark 1:26).
• Chasing more demons from the Galilean synagogues (Mark 1:39).
• Having a contract put out on him for a Sabbath healing (Mark 3:1).
• Surviving a death attempt in Nazareth (Mark 6:2, see also Luke).
• Condemning the pride inherent in synagogue worship (Mark 12:39).
• Warning disciples they would be flogged in synagogues (Mark 13:9).

These facts should at least bring into question our love of special buildings, formal seating, organized meetings and even the sacrosanct regular Sunday meetings.

Summary

In Cochin and Ooty, I am making efforts to have a good mixture of both the large group meetings as well as the home meetings. The group meetings consists of disciples.  The disciples  hold weekly meetings at home, asking them to invite those in their circles, to have a meal and to share the Gospel. The home meetings are often people who barely know Jesus, with the majority being those who do not come, or would not come, to the weekly gathering of disciples.

This is not the same as “cell groups”. Cell groups mainly involve re-gathering of those who gather in the Sunday worship.

I initiated this in January 2010. We have at least two families coming to home meetings who do not feel that they are ready to come to the gathering of disciples. Though I am not present in these meetings, I answer questions that they could not find answers to, I help out in the word of God when needed, and pray. If there are issues that need personal prayer, then I go to their homes and pray, and when the Lord follows through with the miracles, those families then come for the weekly meetings of the disciples. They in turn start home meetings of their own to reach out to their circle of influence when they are ready.

I am learning as I go along. I am hoping to develop and exemplify

1. Sincerity – What you see is what you get, no hype.
2. Friendship – True friendship and brotherly bonds are developed.
3. Discipleship – Paul said “imitate me” 1 Corinthians 4:16 & 1 Corinthians 11:1 He could say this because people really knew him – not by attending his seminars, but because he lived and exercised his ministry in and around people’s homes. Loving attitudes are observed and copied, problems are visible and can be gently taught into. It helps explain why hospitality is a non-negotiable qualification for church leadership in Scriptures.
4. Mission – Gospel is unfettered, Brother Yun, in his astounding account of the Chinese Underground Church contends: “God has not only refined us in the fire of affliction for the past thirty years, He has also refined our methods. For example, we’re totally committed to planting groups of local believers who meet in homes. We have no desire to build a church building anywhere! This allows the gospel to spread rapidly, is harder for the authorities to detect, and allow us to channel resources directly into gospel ministry.”
5. Stewardship – In a related point, we need to question how much of kingdom money is eaten up by church building and maintenance. The physical needs of the worldwide church are immense, as is the need to fund mission to unreached people groups. Yet the scandalous fact is 90 percent of Christian money is spent on the world’s richest 10 percent (USA, Western Europe and Australasia). This money is split between buildings and staff. Many new churches have tired of the inconvenience of setting up in hired halls and spending vast amounts on edifices.
6. Locality - Imagine if we could seek out people in our neighborhoods. Imagine those groups meeting regularly and committing to serve and reach the people they live among. Imagine groups like these meeting with others for a monthly celebration, for envisioning, teaching and encouragement. It is a trend worth encouraging surely, and more reminiscent of New Testament method than the remote central church model we’re stuck with now.
7. An atmosphere where newcomers are welcome: There is a perceived problem here. Some people feel that newcomers would be loath to visit a meeting a house. Our experience has shown that, as long as a person has been befriended beforehand, he will quickly feel relaxed in a home meeting.

Solomon wrote, “The heavens, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built.”8 Yet for a time, God chose to set his presence in a physical place. But when Jesus died the temple curtain was violently ripped into two.

The temple is now replaced by groups of believers being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. The Bible could not be clearer, “The Lord of heaven and earth. . . does not live in temples built by hands.  Instead as Peter explains you, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house. One of the most dominant New Testament pictures used to describe the church is that of a “household,” God’s household.

Scriptural language is replete with the language of family, “brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, devotion, love, help, care..eating… .” It figures that the most natural setting for this “household” is—you’ve guessed it—a house! And it was easy to see how the sense of family, and sharing of life and discipleship by example happened naturally in this most informal of environments.

After all, we all meet at  “The Father’s House”.

“Where is your faith?” Jesus asked his disciples!!!

He had just calmed the storm after being woken up from his sleep by men who thought they were going to perish. For there was a “storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish.

Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith?” Luke 8:22-25

Did they loose this faith? Did they leave it behind? Did they throw it overboard to lighten the ship?

The best answer that I have heard to this question is this: Their faith had just calmed the storm after being woken up from his sleep and was now standing in front of them asking “Where is your faith?”.

Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Faith has always been the mark of a disciple of Jesus. The early disciples were known as BELIEVERS. Jesus said: ‘…Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

Faith means total dependence on God. When Adam sinned, he stepped out of God-dependence into in-dependence (which is unbelief). This is the reason God has placed such a high priority on faith. Faith is the way we come back into relationship with God (God-dependence).

This dependence on God is called faith. Faith advances you beyond your five senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching. Faith releases you from your limited capacities. By faith you move from in-ability to His-ability.

This is the walk of faith to which all of us are called – where “nothing is impossible” (Matt 17:20).

A. WHAT IS FAITH?

Faith means having trust, assurance or confidence in another person or that person’s words. Having faith in God involves an exchange of self-trust for God-trust. We stop trusting in ourself and trust Him. We abandon reliance on our limited source of knowledge and start receiving from His unlimited source.

True faith is expressed in 1) Obedience and 2) Action, in response to 3) Hearing God’s word (voice), i.e., obedient action in response to what God has said.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb 11:1).

B. TWO KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on MEN’S WISDOM, but on God’s power.

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

“No, we speak of God’s SECRET WISDOM, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time bean” (1 Cor 2:4-7). See also verses 8-16.

1. Sense Knowledge
All knowledge that comes to natural man comes to him through the five senses – seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching. This is limited knowledge, described as ‘man’s wisdom’

2. Revelation Knowledge
This knowledge is not based on the five senses, nor on natural reasoning but on an alternative source – the TRUTH of the Word of God. It is received through man’s spirit, and is described as ‘God’s wisdom’ – “We live by FAITH, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7).

C. THE BASIS OF FAITH

The basis of having faith in God is in three important realities:

1. The Nature of God
“When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself (Heb 6:13).

1. He Cannot Change. “I the Lord do not change…”(Mal 3:6). See also James 1:17)
2. He Cannot Fail. “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). See also 1 Chronicles 28:20).
3. He Cannot Lie. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? “ (Num 23:19). See also Titus 1:2.

2. The Redemptive Work Of The Son Of God
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2).

Christ has become the source of our faith in God. The fact of His death and resurrection provides ground for our believing.

“..Christ Jesus .. has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30). See also Romans 5:1,2.

3. The Word Of God
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt 24:35). See also Isaiah 40:8.

“The Lord said to me, ‘…I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled” (Jer 1:12).

His Word stands true forever. Faith comes when God brings a specific word – out of all He has ever said – directly to us in our circumstances. Spoken in this way, the Word of God comes alive to us releasing our faith.

D. HOW FAITH WORKS

The principle of faith (Rom 3:27) is to operate in our lives continually, no matter what the circumstances (see 2 Corinthians 5:7 James 1:5,6). It works in the following way:

1. God Gives Us Faith
“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written:

”’The righteous will live by [HIS] faith”’ (compare Romans 1:17 and Habakkuk 2:4 NIV).

The righteous live by HIS faith, that is the faith HE gives us as a gift.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith, it [the faith] is the gift of God…” (Eph 2:8,9).

“…according as God has dealt to every man…faith” (Rom 12:3).

2. Faith Comes By A Word From God
Firstly, God encourages us by speaking a “word” relevant to our circumstances.
This may come as you read the Bible or by hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit inside your spirit.

“…faith comes from hearing the word, and is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). See also Genesis 15:3-5; 17:15-21; Joshua 1:8.

3. Obedience To The Word
For faith to operate in our situation, we must obey that word. Faith is ACTIVE, not passive.
“…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (Jas 2:17). See 1:22-25; Genesis 15:6, Mathew 7:24-27.

4. The Crisis, Or “Trial Of Our Faith”
This is a period of testing. Everything happening around us appears contrary to what has said, and there seems to be no natural evidence for our believing. At this point, our faith rests completely on God’s word (what He has spoken to us).

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

“These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet 1:6,7). See also Romans 4:16-21; Psalms 105:17-19.

In faith we cast ourselves on HIS FAITHFULNESS. In our times of doubt and struggle, God is faithful and does not abandon us.

“If we believe not, he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself” (2 Tim 2:13).

He was faithful to Thomas and Peter when their faith was tested. Jesus didn’t abandon them.

“He will never leave us nor forsake us” (Heb 13:5).

5. The Result

The end result is always victory on the part of the believer, bringing glory to God (see also James 1:2-4), 12; Genesis 21:1-3; Psalms 105:19-22; Acts 3:16; Hebrews 6:13-15).

“… for everyone born of God has overcome the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 Jn 5:4).

MY COMMITMENT

Today I decide to live by faith and trust God in all areas of my life. I acknowledge my need to be totally dependent on God – which is faith in action. In problems, challenges and difficulties I will rely on His faithfulness. God’s response will be His grace – His enabling power. I will teach others also to rely on God’s faithfulness and walk with faith in God.