The Kingdom of God and Kingdom Building | Lecture 6 : BC215-KOG&KB-20260828

Okay, welcome back. So, we'll quickly move to the next few points. Um, praying in the spirit prepares my understanding to the purposes of God. The Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit who reveals to us the things that God has prepared for us. 1 Corinthians very powerful verse here says what no eye has seen nor ear has heard what nor has entered into the heart of man that which God has prepared for those who love him. So remember it is the Holy Spirit who reveals your plans the purposes the mysteries that he has for you in your life. There are things that he has for you. Your eye can't see it. Your ear can't hear it. Your mind cannot conceive it. You may not understand it. Your vision is always bigger than who you are. But here's the thing. The Holy Spirit reveals those mysteries. And those mysteries, he may give you in nuggets, small, you know, okay, this this 6 months, I want you to do this. You may feel, God, it's not aligned to what what you want me to do. No, but do it. He's giving you certain mysteries. He's and all of these things are going to align going to be useful for you in your ministry. I remember this uh I think in 2016 uh a string and uh somewhere I felt in my heart to to you know there was this course during those time public speaking. Oh man. So I thought okay man public speaking. Oh somewhere I felt I should join that course online course of tha said I didn't like it but then I joined but I can't tell you how much I learned from it I learned so many practical things on public speaking now there was nothing so spiritual about it but I thank God that in each area he can reveal in our lives small things small nuggets of information we have to be obedient to it. Praying in the spirit aligns my will to God's will. Very important. Yeah. Praying in the spirit aligns my will to God's will. Now when we pray in the spirit, Paul writes and he says we don't understand what we pray. There's no understanding. There's no discern. We don't understand. But when we pray in the spirit, we are we're learning to be obedient to the work of the Holy Spirit. So, how many of you pray in the spirit? All of us. Right now, is it something that we do every day? Yes. Now, I want I want each one of us to de develop this continuously. If you're doing it 15 minutes, make it half an hour. You doing it 45 minutes, make it an hour. I want all of you to be able to pray in the spirit for at least an hour, 1 hour straight. Right now, you may feel, you know, I I'm not understanding what I'm praying, but listen, it's the Holy Spirit praying inside you and he's aligning your will, your purposes to his purposes. And when you look at things around you, your whole perception about it changes cuz the Holy Spirit has changed things inside you. Something's changed. You don't know what you prayed for. So personally, I very rarely pray bless my father, bless my mother, you know, my family. Very rarely. Most of the Now there nothing wrong in that, right? Most of the time I pray in the spirit. 95% of prayer is in the spirit because I can become very weary just praying for people you know things that are happening but when you pray in the spirit it's a different story altogether you're entering a spiritual realm right and the holy spirit is praying on your behalf and he begins to show you things he begins to reveal things in your life right so all of us I want to encourage all of us have that time of prayer one hour of just praying in the spirit. Walk around, move around, it's okay, no problem. [clears throat] But your your mind is focused on God. Okay. What does it do? Prayer changes us. Prayer helps us align our will to the father's will. God works on our hearts bringing our will, our dreams, our desires in alignment to his. You know, we all have dreams. We all have plans. We all want to achieve a lot in life, right? Uh it's good. But when we pray in the spirit, the Holy Spirit in a way what he does so beautifully, he he removes things maybe he'll say, you know, Paul, you don't need this in your life. Take it off. You don't or you need this in your life. And he's praying in the spirit. He's aligning my will to the will of the father. It's beautiful. The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that you and I have as believers. The problem is we don't understand it. We don't understand who he is. He is so powerful, right? And he, you know, he aligns things in our life. Thank God for the Holy Spirit. If not for him, life would have been very difficult. Right? Look at the example of Daniel. Elijah, these are men who prayer prayerful men. Elijah and uh I think it's first kings first kings 16-19 we see that whole story where um he's in Bethl sorry Elijah goes and 800 prophets he stands against 800 prophets and he says um and he proves that the God of Israel is the true and the living God when fire came down. Next chapter, he's running away from Jezebel, right? And he's afraid. He's weary. He doesn't know what to do. His life is in danger. But all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit directs him and that fear turns into courage. And he gets back to his, you know, so even the greatest men and women of God can have seasons of weaknesses, seasons of failure, yet it is prayer that makes them arise again. Right? So while we pray in our own language, God has given even the Holy Spirit. And I really want to encourage you young people that are young, you know, by now this age, I want you to at least pray one or one and a half hours just praying in the spirit. Right? Do it. Do it because it's going to really help you in your ministry. I can't tell you. Listen, the anointing is presence before its words, right? People will know there's something different about you. Just do it for 30 days. People will recognize the difference in you. They will see something is different in this guy. He's not the same. You may be doing the same, going to the same place, cleaning the same thing, the same people, but they will recognize something different in you. When they looked at Daniel, they said, "This guy is different." The Persian king said, "You only be the administrator." When they look at Joseph, they something different about him. They looked at Neahhemiah, something different about him. What was it? Prayer was the anointing of God that makes the difference. Don't be in a rat race saying, "I want my ministry to be better than that ministry or I want my anointing to be greater than that anointing." No, no, no, no, no. Just spend time in his presence. Your presence will speak louder than words. Sometimes in you know leadership is not about words. It's just about your presence. Jesus hardly spoke. Sometimes wherever he went thousands of people followed him. Why? His presence made the difference. He hardly spoke. They followed him. Imagine 4,000 people following him on the mountain. 4,000 people. Another place 8,000 people. for what? Something was different about this man. The anointing will draw people to you. Amen. Right? So, don't have to put up a show. Don't have to, you know, try to please people. Just the anointing is enough. Okay. Now, very important, giving birth to the work of the spirit. We're going to look at uh some lessons from the Mary miracle. Right? This is really exciting. I want you all to understand this, right? uh we see some lessons from the Mary miracle and how God the father sent his only begotten son the most important work that the father had to do. look at the way God did it and let's learn some lessons from this right and uh maybe even as we start ask the Holy Spirit Lord speak to me and speak to me so that I may uh if there are some questions in your heart or something that you desire to do in your life in your ministry tell them Lord speak to me write it down make a note of it don't despise those small words that God gives you he may say go to the chariot you write it No, right? That's enough for now. That's enough. He may say, "Go with the people I send you." That's enough. He may tell you, "Do this." Right? Pray for 20 minutes. Read the Bible for 20 minutes. Read this chapter. Something the Holy Spirit will speak to you. Right? So, be very sensitive. Even as you're sitting in class, is the Holy Spirit here? Yes. Right? He will minister to you. It's not just some lecture and then we go home. No, should be something that the Holy Spirit is speaking. Okay, ready? First one. The work of the spirit is released on earth at an appointed time. Galatians 3:15. Read. >> And I will put my enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. >> Now, this is Genesis after Adam and Eve sinned, right? What does God say? I will put enmity between you and the woman, your son and the seed. Right? Then go to Galatians 4:4. >> But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born to a woman born under the law. [clears throat] >> Now, Genesis 3:15, Galatians 4:4 was 4,000 years of waiting. Now think of this. You know, if if I was there, I would have said, "Okay, here's what we'll do." Adam and Eve sinned. Genesis 3:15. Okay, wait for another maybe 50 years, 100 years. Send Jesus, finish the work. Why all this prophecy, Old Testament, and then, you know, prophet after prophet. These Israelites are not listening. They're doing whatever they feel like doing, and I'm busy sending prophets. Waste of time. No need. Old Testament. But God didn't do it that way. At the appointed time. Everyone say appointed time. You ask yourself, God, when is my appointed time? At the appointed time. God released his work. God speaks to us about the work he's going to do ahead of time. Often many years ahead of time, but he releases the work at the appointed time. He may speak to you and say, "I want you to start a business or I want you to start a ministry." He may speak to you now. You may be 22, 23 years old. But he may I'm just giving you an example. He may say till you're 33 you're not studying. Now don't say God why appointed time. God has it that way. Think of Jesus. Imagine if Jesus started his ministry when he's 20 years old. Brilliant idea. No. 20 years old young man could have done so much. 20 to 30 13 years of great ministry. No. No. 3 years is enough. Look at God. He doesn't think like us. His thinking is different. Now for us, I would say, "Hey man, 20 years old. Imagine Jesus. Why are he sitting cutting wood doing carpentry?" you know, waste of time. He's come as a son of God into this world after 4,000 years. Was God in a hurry? Did the father say, "Okay, now you're 18. You can get your driving license and now 20 you begin your ministry." No, waited till 30. A very important lesson for us. There's an appointed time. Your appointed time is different to somebody else's appointed time. Right? You ask God, God, I know I know you have a call of on my life, but I know there's an appointed time, but let me even as I wait for that appointed time, let me be faithful, right? God speaks to us way before, right? But he also reveals it. Sometimes it may be one or two years. Sometimes it even maybe immediately. That's wonderful. But there's an appointed time, right? Look at Moses. He sinned and he he you know he killed the Egyptian. He ran away 40 years later. Look at Joseph 17 14 years later. The Apostle Paul 17 years later appointed time. Why didn't Apostle Paul start off? He saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. Why didn't he start immediately? He did. But why was there a hindrance? Why was that 14 years in Tarsus needed? God said I want it that way for you Paul 10 years is enough in 10 15 years all that we read about in about 15 years he did everything 15 years that's it 10 years of missionary journey to 2 years what 12 to 15 that's it we're still talking about what he's done everyone with me there's an appointed time two the work of this sorry second point the work of the spirit is released through ordinary people. Are we ordinary people? Great. Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emanuel." Now, think of this. God is sending his son. The most important work he has to do. He didn't choose an experienced woman. He chose a virgin. He chose somebody who was a simple woman. Not even a princess. Not somebody who was, you know, a very wealthy family. Simple ordinary woman gave birth to the purpose of God. Right? Not qualified in any way. Right? From our viewpoint, it's a big risk. What if the baby dies? What if Mary dies? She's too young to handle, you know, a child birth. What what if any of those things? Listen, if God is doing it, nothing will happen. Nothing will happen. It is God who's releasing the work through ordinary people like you and me. So very important lesson. God is not afraid of entrusting ordinary people like you and me with the work of his building his eternal kingdom. You may think I'm just a simple person stay in a small town may not be able to do much. God is saying I entrust you [snorts] with something maybe you know a whole children's ministry or team's ministry right or a worship ministry something he's saying you look ordinary that's what I need and I'm going to release my work through you right next point the work of the spirit must be unadulterated that means purely born of the spirit If I give you a glass of clean drinking water and I put one drop of drainage water in it, will you drink it? Why? It's contaminated. The entire water, it may be the best cleanest water, but just one drop of, you know, maybe poison or drainage water, the whole water is contaminated. The work of the spirit is the same. We see in Luke 1, the the you know the angel said, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power power of the most high will overshadow you and the Holy One of and and the Messiah will be born will be born. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you. It's not a work of the flesh. It was a work of the spirit. There was no sexual intimacy between John and Joseph and Mary. It was a work of the spirit. Jesus was born of a virgin. One of the greatest miracles. We must make the deliberate choice to say no to what is of the flesh and say yes to what is of the spirit. Right? No is one of the most difficult words that we can say. We got to learn to say no. Say no to the flesh. For the work of the spirit might be a cause of for embarrassment. Now think of this. Matthew 1:19. Then Joseph her husband being just a man not wanting to make a public example was minded to put her away. Put her away secretly. Think of this. They were getting ready to be married. All of a sudden, Mary is saying, "I'm pregnant." And Mary's saying, "Okay, hey, you're not married yet." No, I saw an angel and the angel of the Lord came and the power of the Most High overshadowed me and I became pregnant. Now, who's going to believe that story? Nowadays, you have people saying that gone. The power of the most high overshadowed me and now I'm in trouble. No, no, no, no, no. This was a cause of embarrassment. Imagine Mary how embarrassed she would have felt. Of course, she would have felt embarrassed, right? But she knew she's carrying the purpose of God. She knew that this can be an embarrassing situation. People are going to talk about it. People are going to mock it. People are going to say all kinds of uh you know ugly things about it and it's going to hurt me as a person. But I know one thing. The angel of the Lord came. The Holy Spirit overshadowed me and I and I'm carrying the greatest gift that God has given me. The gift of his son Jesus Christ. She knew it. But was it embarrassing? Yes. Very important lesson. God may give you a vision. God may give you something but can also be a cause of embarrassment. People may make fun of you. You may say, "God wants me to start a church and build a church to 500,000 people and start churches all across and the Holy Spirit may reveal that to you all across India." right now. That's why I said be very careful who you share your vision to. Don't share it with every person you see. Right? God did. But here's the thing. God spoke to those who mattered. God spoke to Joseph and said, "Joseph, listen. Don't you dare push her away. Here's what it is. You take her. You go to Egypt. Sorry. You go to Bethlehem. get start getting things done. She was carrying my purposes. God spoke to people who mattered. There will be people in your life that matter. Speak to them. Right? Min be ministered to them and ministered to them. Right? The Holy Spirit testified through Elizabeth who was Mary's relative. Sometimes uh when we're carrying the genuine work of God, it can be an embarrassment. People may not understand us. This does not mean we're not we we are carrying this does not mean we're not carrying the work of God. The work of the spirit is genuine but people around us don't understand. Listen, stop worrying about what people think. Stop thinking what will he think? What will she think if I do this? Now of course you know in church there is leadership. There are things that we do um uh there should be order, discipline, uh planning, strategies, all that is there. But if the work of the hol if if you know it's the work of the Holy Spirit, do not be concerned about what people think. Really, I'm telling you, you know, when I left the corporate, everyone in my family were upset. Everyone said why is he leaving a job and going to Bible college doesn't make sense right and the mistake I made was I told everyone my job in the Bible college is to clean this and do these small things and it became embarrassing I became they started mocking they started making fun and they said why not making fun but they said you you're wasting your life you just wasting your life. [snorts] And I remember telling them, it's okay. I'll get a job. I can go and get a job. No problem. But those same people said, you're wasting your life. Now they come and say, can you pray for me? Remember, God places honor on his people. There may be times of embarrassment, but the same people will come and honor you. Imagine after that season, Jesus was born. Jesus growing up. Now imagine, you know, 30 years old, uh Jesus is 30 and Mary is there and Mary's looking at Jesus. How proud she would have been. Wow, that's my son. Look at the crowds following him. Look at the people. Look at the miracles that he's doing. Wow. It would have been such a joy for her. And she would have thought of those probably thought of those embarrassing seasons and said, "Thank God I didn't do anything foolish. It's okay. You may be in a season you're carrying God's purposes and it's still not birth out. It may be embarrassing but listen there'll come a time. People will honor it. People will recognize it. Right? So stay around people who can help you, encourage you, press you further with the work that God is uh releasing through you. Very important. Stay around people who can help you and encourage you. If there are people who are only complaining and if there are people who are you know just bringing you down for no reason stay away from them tell them tell them directly I don't talk to you I'm telling you know let them feel whatever they want you say listen I understand you are brothers and sisters in Christ all of that stay away from me because I don't want you to keep telling me, "You're not doing this, not doing that. Stay away from me." And they're talking about your vision. They're talking, "Don't share the vision with them. Choose the right people." Half the time we are in trouble because we choose the wrong people and choose the right people. Elijah had one person with him, Elisha. Moses had one person, Jo Joshua. Have that have that people who can encourage you. If there are people who are going on causing trouble, making you weary, stay away from them. It's okay. Listen, leadership is a place it's a lonely place. You want to be a leader, be willing to be I'm not saying, oh, it's lonely, so don't I don't want to. No, because if you are a leader, you will be in a place of, you know, you won't have friends all around sitting talking to you most of the time. It's not going to happen, right? Because you're in leadership. You deal with it. Don't say, "Oh, no. I I need all friends around me, 100 friends, ne 10 friends next to me." No, you don't need it. You just need that one person, two people to be with you. That's all you need. people who can encourage you, who can build you up. Next one, the work of the spirit is released through the normal natural process. Isn't that beautiful? Mary now is carrying the Holy Spirit overshadowed her as a baby in the womb. Why didn't God do you see the conception was supernatural? Why didn't God say, "Okay, don't need 9 months. How long is a baby in the womb?" 9 months, right? In 9 months, many things happen, right? You know what's the most amazing thing that happens in the womb? I I was amazed by it. And I can't understand how God people don't understand you. They say that we were come out of fish. at about 3 months you read I read it I was I got goosebumps what we are beautifully and wonderfully made none of us can say that you know at about 3 months something like a blade in the mother's womb comes makes two cuts and goes that's the isles Are you saying we are we who can say we were not fearfully and wonderfully made? We were. Look at this. Mary was carrying. >> No, it was not like okay conception one month the baby was formed, second month baby's born. No, conception was supernatural but the process was natural. 9 months Did Mary have to struggle to give birth to the child? Yes. Right. She went through the natural process. Very important lesson. Hey, God puts something in our spirit. It's a supernatural vision or a purpose he's put in us. But it is a natural process that we have to go through. He's not going to send angels to come and uh, you know, teach you and write for you. No, we have to do it. We co- labor with him. The vision is bigger than us. But we have to right go through the natural process. We cannot say, "Okay, God, I know you called me to plant a church. I'm going to pray and pray and pray and I'm going to spend next." No, no. God is saying, "Okay, you prayed. Good. Keep praying. Do the natural." No. Go do research. Do a survey. Where do you want to start the church? Look at the place. Look at where you want to look. Get an understanding. See the natural dynamics, spiritual dynamics. Do a survey, do a preparation phase. Okay? How you're going to launch out, you know, you have a soft launch, you have a grand launch of the church, whatever. Right? And how all of this you have to do. The vision is big. 5,000 people in the church that 5,000 will remain 5,000 a year if we don't do anything in the natural. Everyone with me? Right. We the the conception was supernatural. The baby was in the womb 9 months natural. Your vision is supernatural. The work that you have to do, you have to do it in the natural. It will be the most foolish thing if we say God you've given me a big vision and we pray pray pray pray and don't do anything about it and be the most fool. God will say, "Listen, I really appreciate you praying so much, but I didn't see any works. I wanted you to just step out. I was ready to do it. You didn't step out. I reminded you to step out. I gave gave you prompings. I gave you dreams. I gave you visions. I gave you things in your spirit, but you just negated that and you say, you just kept praying. You're doing the right thing, but you're doing it the wrong way." Everyone with me, right? So always balance the spiritual and the natural. Next one. We might encounter closed doors while we reach for God's appointed places. Ah this is what we don't like. Lord you have closed the door. Where do I go now? Push that door open sometimes. Read the verse. Luke 2:7. [snorts] And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in a in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. [clears throat] >> Now again, God is sending his son. The most important work. God knows exactly which day, what time and where Jesus must be born. But look at this. Joseph and Mary are sitting here saying, "Ah, this is the son of God." So maybe I will go and there will be a nice three-bedroom house with AC and I can go there relax the baby will be born. There'll be few servants who will come help me out, look after the baby, look after me. Everything will be fine. And then I'll leave out, leave from here, go back to my hometown. Everything is perfect. Doesn't it look nice? Because most important work. No. But what happened? They're knocking on the doors. There's no place. Is there some place? Now imagine Mary. And he's stopping and thinking okay father in case you forgot this is your son right and there's no place there's not even a room for me to what are you doing how many of you have asked that question to god what are you doing right you you know everything you have everything why are you making me go through this situation Mary would have thought that this is the most important 4,000 years you waited most important didn't work and now there's no room. I thought you you are the creator of the heavens and the earth. You can do anything. What is happening here? And they would have been so discouraged. Finally, one person says there's a small stable behind if you want you can use that said okay whatever come they went there fulfilling prophecy. Isaiah wrote of it. Maybe that time they would have not been thinking of prophecy and all that time they're thinking man this baby should come out and pain and there's no place no prophecy is coming to their mind at that time but here's the thing when you and I are carrying the purposes of God there will be times we will face closed doors people will shut the door on your face don't cry and moan and weep and don't do all of that move on, right? Move on. Sometimes God will say, "You push that door. I'm with you. Push it." And don't be cry babies. Oh Lord, this door is closed. What do I do? They move on. It's simple. The door is shut. Move on. I'll open another door. They went to many ins. No place. Okay. Move on. Another in. Move on. God, it's becoming difficult. I have the right place. Just keep moving. This is your child. Father, this is your child. I know. Keep moving. And then we remind God, God, you're building your kingdom, your church. No. Say, yeah, wait. Move on. I'll tell you when. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. Right? So when you face closed doors either you move on or you ask the Lord Lord should I push it down? Should I press in? Example in North India if you want to do ministry there will be closed doors. Can we say move on? Can we say move on? Example you go to you know North India Vonasi they say those are closing for ministry. Can we say move on or should we push those doors? Push those doors. Why? Because the ministry has to go in. We have to reach up. So there are some doors God will tell you, you push it. Some doors he'll say, "Move on. Keep going. I have another door. I'll send you through that door." Okay. So a closed door could simply mean that God is directing us to a place where he wants to release his purposes in us. So don't be discouraged at closed doors. At the drop of a hat, sometimes we just let go of all the visions and the dreams and the purposes that God has for us. Lord, this door has closed. Maybe this is not my calling. I'll go back to what I'm doing. Or become so discouraged. We don't want to pray anymore. We don't want to read the word anymore. Lord, the door is closed. It's gone. Everything's gone. No, no, nothing's gone. There will be ups and downs. There will be difficult times. Maybe the Lord is saying, "I don't want you here at this season. I want you to move on." Right? Seventh one, the work of the spirit often has simple and humble beginnings. Yeah. I want to say this, there is beauty in simplicity. Just being simple. One of the things we do in APC is and I love it. We are very simple. We don't we don't put up a show. We don't impress people. No, no. It's never been in our hearts as a leadership team. We never want to impress people. We want to build a people. Our beginnings were very simple. I remember Bible college when I joined it was a simple small space. Simple beginnings. Small beginnings right? But those small beginnings are beautiful, right? The the when imagine born in a manger. But what happened? God sent angels and said, "Go tell the shepherds." God sent wise men coming from a different country all together. Different countries are coming. They bowed down at Jesus. Did Mary feel what do you think Mary is feeling? What's happening here? We are in not even a good hotel. where in some stable with all animals around and people are coming and bowing down at this little baby, people from the east are coming and bowing down. Things are coming and giving gold, frankincense and myrr. And Mary is looking at this and wondering what's happening here. We are here in a simple place but still God hasn't forgotten us. Your beginnings may be small, right? But these small beginnings can make an impact to the entire world. Zechariah 4:6, one of my favorite verses. And then 4:10 as well, 46, it's not by might, it's not by power, but by the Holy Spirit. Then he goes on saying, "Do not despise the day of small beginnings." Sorry. And the Lord and the Lord is joyful to see the work begin. Do not [snorts] despise the day of mega beginnings. Small beginnings. What you see now in APC central was not always that way. You see the LED screen, the lights and beautiful stage and wasn't like that. Yes or no? It wasn't like that always. It took time. simple beginnings right so you may be here saying hey I'm just a Bible college student yes now the key is be a serious Bible college student and then with those humble beginnings God is going to launch you to something bigger last point the work of the Holy Spirit has to be protected and nurtured Luke 2:40 read is >> and the child grew and became strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God upon was upon him. >> Now just think of this. Do you think Jesus went to school? Who says no? Tell me that somebody said no. Did Jesus go study? Did he learn languages? Did he learn how to respect his parents? Did he learn how to do the work at home, the chores at home? Right? Did he learn how to play games? Right? He learned. Now imagine Mary had said, "Okay, finally baby is born." He said, "Now the baby is a son of God. He will look after himself." What? What? What would have happened? Did she do that? I said no. The baby's born. She would have been extra careful. This is the son of God. This is the Messiah, the one who is going to take away the sins of the world. I believe there would have been extra love for him among the other brothers and sisters. He's the Messiah because only Mary knew this is born of a virgin. This is not me. This is the son of God. So she protected. She imagine a a loving mother. Okay? A baby's crying and crying and crying. And the mother looks at the baby and says, "Child, I love you. I really care for you." And doing nothing about it. Is there any use? The baby's crying, but you're saying, "Oh, baby, don't worry. Don't worry." That's foolishness. The moment the mother the baby nestles in the mother's arms and the mother feeds that baby, that's love in action. That's care in action. The work of the spirit that God has put inside you, you need to protect it. You need to nurture it. How are you going to do that? How can you protect and nurture, right? Is to be good stewards of it. Right? That's why I tell you, I think I told you this in first year itself. Write down what you want to do. Write down your vision. Review it, read it, refine it. See, and keep speaking about it to yourself and make sure that your vision is protected in the right way. You're nurturing. The moment you write your vision and you keep speaking and praying on it, you're nurturing that vision. You're feeding your vision, right? You're feeding it. It's like how a mother feeds the child. You're feeding your vision. And the vision is just going to get stronger and stronger and stronger. If not the vision will only be here and it'll never come forth. How many of you have written what you want to be what you want to do in this year 2026 27 207 28 okay today go back write down what you want to do till 2030. Two assignments you have. First assignment Rohit will help me. The first assignment, buy two kg cardboards. Those who are online, you're welcome to do these assignments. Don't say it's not kingdom builders. Still do it. Buy two charts. Apostle Paul's first, second, third missionary journey. You can put do the fourth one as well. where he went, what are the churches planted? I don't need the year, right? Uh and what was the impact that was made there? Second chart, Old Testament, Northern Kingdom, Southern Kingdom, who prophesied to the northern kingdom, who prophesied to the southern kingdom. And you can also give some, you know, some interesting facts that happened to those prophets. None of you are writing it down. You understood the thing. Sure. Don't come to me tomorrow and say, "Pastor, we forgot the assignment." That's one assignment. Second assignment, write down what you feel God has called you to do by 2030. Two things, your personal life and your spiritual life. Write down what you're doing now and what you are going to do in the coming years till 2030. Now as you write it you may feel oh this doesn't make sense or it no no no don't worry prayerfully you write it down write down whatever God puts in your heart okay it may be going to another city getting married that comes in personal life spiritual life okay I want to be doing this I want to be maybe teaching teaching here you know teaching children or whatever right 2030 not one year and after you do that bring it to class I want to see it and then You go and stick it in your cupboard and every day you put your hand on it, pray over it. And you have to do that every single day. I take oil in my hand and anoint my kids. Every day I do it. No matter how tired I am, I do it. I anoint them and say, "God, they are for your purpose." See whatever whatever call you have for them you use it every day I do it what oil coconut oil it's not that oil we read about in the old testament [snorts] regular oil but I do it so that my my vision for them doesn't dilute or it doesn't just go away sometimes you look at them say God what you're calling them for such big purposes why are they fighting Right? But I I do it so that I I I I protect I want to protect the call of God upon their lives. I speak over their lives every single day. The oil on their head, right? You nurture and protect your vision. That's what he did. Yeah. That's what that's what we learn here. >> Can you see the second one >> second assignment? Yes sir. Yes sir. >> Yeah. The second assignment is uh the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. Uh so just write down who are the prophets that prophesied to the northern kingdom who prophesied to the southern kingdom and maybe some things that some key events that happened during those times. Right? So take your time and do it right. Thank you sir. Uh yeah just let it be a time of learning. Don't do it because it's an assignment. Learn from it. Now don't go to chat GPT and say give me the thing and then uh put the same thing. You put the same thing I'll tear it. I'm not going to listen. Read it. I'll not tear it. I'll give it back to you and say keep it. Don't like learn from it. Right? Don't don't just just copy everything. Hey, of course use the internet uh write down. But I want you to learn from it. So that you know when I ask you okay what's happening in the old testament it should be like I should know right so every work of god that we release on earth has to be nurtured and protected just because it's the work of the spirit does not mean we are not responsible to steward it well the work of starting a church is the work of the spirit but we have to nurture it well even now as the pastor of a church, one of my main responsibilities is to protect my church. I don't want people coming in and saying things and doing things that are not in line with God. I have to as a leader protect the church. There'll be times when people say things or you know try to start gossip and I have to confront them and I have done it. It's hard. But my main my goal as a leader is I need to make sure this church is protected. My people are protected. Right? So it's a work of the spirit. But God has placed us, you and me, all of us in leadership and we have to protect it. And knowing it's of internal uh eternal importance, we need to be extremely good stewards of what God has released to us. Amen. Okay, we will stop. Uh next class we'll get into chapter 4, the nature of a God-given vision. Uh very exciting, lots to learn. Uh but I want you to do what I said, right? Spend some time on it. Take your time. Don't be in a hurry. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. And uh I'm sure we will God will minister to you during that time as well. Right. All right. God bless you all. Have a wonderful week ahead and I'll see you next week. Yeah. God bless. Thank you.