The Local Church | Lecture 8 : BC203-TLC-20260903

Okay. Okay. Let's start the next lecture. So, um, we're in the family of God. The second picture. Yes. Question. Yes. Can you take the mic, please? Pastor if some leader or pastor he has like well-known knowledge about the Bible but he's using his uh wisdom not wisely. >> So what should we do about that? He's doing in the wrong way. >> Wrong way. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So the question is >> if some uh leader or pastor has a good knowledge about the Bible, he knows everything about like what to do, what not to do, >> but he's using his u >> he's using his knowledge in the wrong >> wrong way. >> So what should we can do >> to tackle it? >> Yeah. So that's a tough question. So basically uh you know it may be a well-known leader, well-known pastor who has lot of knowledge who you know preaching but maybe some of his you know some of his behavior some of his words uh not from the pullpit but maybe from from other ways are hurting people. Yeah. So I think see um the problem is because there are a lot of independent churches and you know they are the ultimate authority. So it's sometimes tough to you know go against them right. So if the church has say elders so you can bring it bring it to them and tell them or if another way is if that pastor has another friend who's another pastor in the city uh because see they'll not listen to you right and so maybe you can tell that pastor saying can you talk to this pastor because if possible bring it up they may not because they are the leader, they are the pastor. So if there are elders, bring it up to them. But ultimately the sad reality is sometimes in these independent churches in these because they are the only pastor, they're the only leader. You can say how much you can but I'll if they don't listen the best thing you can do is to leave because you are getting hurt because the people are getting hurt. So um do what you can do what you can do how muchever you can to bring up the issue. If they are willing to listen, good. If they are not, you know, go to the elders, go to maybe people in the church that he listens. Maybe it's their secretary, maybe it's someone. Otherwise, go to another pastor if they're a friend. But in most cases, they may not even listen. And if that's the case, the best thing you can do is to protect yourself. uh you know if you feel like this is not going anywhere you can just protect yourself leave leave from that but inform the pastor tell him this is wrong this is why we are leaving and so that he should know right so the sad reality is sometimes you know this this happens and um you know we talk about accountability all that written in the Bible but when it comes to reality the Well, the real picture is they are just doing what they want to, right? And they use See, they all start out well, but sometimes when money comes, when position comes, their heart becomes very hard, right? So, yeah, this is a sad reality, but point is it should not happen to us, right? That's why we we're learning learning all these blueprints, the pictures, right? Yeah. Was that was that okay? Any any followup? Yeah, you can take the mic. Yeah. >> See, like my point of view is like if he has a good knowledge and all the stuff he has and again he's doing like the wrong things which is hurting the people and I want to ask is like still God is using them or they Oh, good question. >> The things by their own. >> Yeah. Yeah. Good question. Okay. Good question. So the question is, oh, how is God still using them? Yeah, good question. So see, God will use people even in spite of their flaws. But end of the day when it when we are looking at the eternal things, what does God look at? He looks at our a heart. So see, he is flowing under the anointing, the gift and the grace. God will use that and people will be blessed you know people will be you know do you know they will but maybe he's doing some other things right end of the day God in his nature he's the righteous judge so what we what should we pray Lord we pray for this person this pastor Lord that we have seen something change their heart only he only god can change their heart but what am I trying to say end of the day God is the righteous judge. So maybe we can't do anything about it but God sees. End of the day God sees. He's the righteous judge. So don't you know we all think oh it's unfair. It's it's unjust. So you do whatever you can to you know try and sort this issue. But sometimes out of out of our control. But what we can do is pray for them. Pray for their heart. Only God can change their heart. God can soften their heart. And so fight that way. Fight with prayer, you know. And um see the most the most beautiful thing is it can go either way. You can be like a Peter or you can be like a Judas. Peter, he denied Christ. In fact, Jesus said, you know, Satan has asked for you. But Jesus said, I have prayed for you that you may not be sifted like wheat. Sifted basically shaken. I have prayed for you. So see, Jesus himself intercedes. So what what should be our posture? We should pray. Pray Lord change your heart. Ultimately, it's their personal choice. Right? So, we need to pray. God will use the anointing. God will use the grace regardless. People will be blessed. But ultimately, God looks at our heart. What should be our posture? We should pray. We should do whatever we can. But if it's out of our hands, just keep praying. And if it is affecting you, if it's hurting you more and more, withdraw. Withdraw from that influence. withdraw from that leadership if it's completely against like God's values. Right? So yeah, these are some perspectives to have very tough and we also have to look at the individual cases sometimes but yeah. Yeah. Amen. Okay. So let's talk about more about family. Um so three practices that we can um that we can inculcate that we can put in the local church. Three practices. Number one, walk in brotherly love. Walk in brotherly love. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 and 10. I'll read it. But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. Wow, what a testimony of this church. So this church in Thessalonica, Paul is writing and in verse 9, he says, "Regarding brotherly love, you have no need." Meaning like they are they really flowing in this. They really love each other. And how did they learn? How did they learn this? You yourselves are taught by God. Meaning nobody taught them. They just learned to love one another. And Paul is observing that. Look at the next verse. But we urge you brethren uh sorry the ending of verse 10. But we urge you brethren that you increase more and more. So see brotherly love or caring for one another one one another is not a starting point and end somewhere needs to keep increasing more and more. You see when it comes to the aspect of love there is no ceiling you can keep loving keep caring you can never say I have loved you enough you can Paul is saying first of all he's giving a good report this church this this church in Thessalonica um they are growing in this but he's saying increase more and more don't stop keep increasing keep growing in your love, in your care for one another. So in a healthy local church, care and love needs to keep growing. Amen. So what does this look practically? What does this look like? It means being kind to one another. being kind, being generous to one another, supporting the weak, supporting the members that need strength, right? So, in a healthy local church, in the family of God, we need to love and care for for one another. And if you feel like you've reached a certain level, increase more and more. Never be satisfied. Love is not a transaction. Love is not just one level and stop. You can keep loving. Can keep caring. Think about this. The love of God is unconditional. It is you can't put it in a box. In the same way, we need to love each other. I will love you only if you speak like this. No, that's not how that's not what love is. Love is I love you regardless because you're part of this body. Amen. Second, keep the unity of the spirit. Again, we are coming back to unity. Ephesians 4:3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Greek word for endeavoring. So in Ephesians chapter 4:3, there is a word they use in English called endeavoring. In the Greek root word, it simply means to be eager, be diligent. So I I'll tell you one thing. To keep the bond of peace, be a peacemaker. Be a peacemaker. See, when Abraham had Lot, Abraham was a peacemaker. Why? Because Abraham's servants and Lot's servants were fighting. He said, Abraham said, "Let's stop this fighting. You go your own way. I'll go my own way." And you know what Abraham did? Although he was elder, his nephew, Lot is a nephew. Although he was elder, he said, "Lot, you choose. You choose. I'll give you the choice. Go where you want." You know, Lot young man looks at the surrounding and he looks at Sodom and Gomorrah. It was pleasing to his eyes and he went there. We all know what happened. But because Abraham was a peacemaker, God blessed him. That's why Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5, blessed are the peace makers. So in a local church, we need to be peacemakers. If you see a fight, if you see a quarrel, if you see disagreement, do do as much as you can to bring peace. Address the situation. Be a peacemaker, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Be a peacemaker. Be like Abraham. Go out of your way to stop fights. Go out of your way to stop quarrels. Go out of your way to stop disagreements. Amen. Be a peacemaker. Number three, everyone works. Everyone works. Galatians chapter 6. Very interesting. Galatians chapter 6 verse 2 and 5. Galatians 6 verse 2 and 5. Someone want to read that? Galatians chapter 6 verse 2 and 5. Yeah. >> And so fulfill the law of Christ for anyone to be something but let each one examine and then >> Amen. So yeah, Galatians chapter 6:2, bear one another's burden. And then verse 5, it says, "For each one shall bear his own load." So it's talking about two pictures. In a local church, we need to a healthy local church, everyone should bear one another's burden. But individually you bear your own load. So what is this talking about? Burden simply means these are when times are very tough. That's a burden. What's a burden? A burden in the olden days is when you put a load on a camel because you can't take the load. You put that load on a camel or a donkey. That's where the root word for burden comes because it's too heavy. It's too tough. It's very hard to carry this load. So I will put it on an animal, a donkey, a camel. That's what burden means. So what is it saying? in a healthy local church when someone's life they're going through a very tough time. This is not every time but when they are going through a tough time when they grow going through a time where it's heavy. These are when there is a financial crisis or they have lost a loved one or there's a illness or there is some relational breakdown between parents or spouse or between siblings. We need to be there to help bear each other's burdens. But then verse five it says but you also bear your own load. Load simply means what you can handle. Don't give what you can handle to someone else. You see, it's so beautiful how Paul writes, "God has given you a call. God has given you an assignment. You do that. Don't give that to your neighbor. But when there is a burden, you come to support." Load means what you can bear. Are you understanding? It's your calling. It's your assignment. It's your mountain. It's your purpose that you do yourself do faithfully with the grace and gift that is upon your life. But there are times where there is a burden. It could be like I'll give an example like say for example a a family has lost suddenly their loved one maybe they they've lost someone who's young. Tough time it becomes a burden. The grief is very heavy. They're not able to process. What should we what should we do? Just be there. Support them. Help them. Take care of some stuff. The funeral maybe take care of I mean it's so tough to process, right? Imagine doing a funeral in such a time, right? So that's why the church can come. You're bearing each other's burden. But verse five, for each one shall bear his own load. Don't give your load to someone else. Don't outsource your calling. Don't tell pastor can you do this? Pastor will say you should do it yourself. This is on. So we need to understand that our daily responsibility lies with us. But when we face heavy circumstances, tough situations, we need to come together to bear each other's burden. That's what that's what a healthy church looks like. Amen. The last thing in this section about family of God is that a healthy local church should have sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. Okay? A healthy local church should have what? Sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. Okay? Let's go to 1 John chapter 2. 1 John, this is before Revelation. 1 John chapter 2 verse 12-4. 1 John chapter 2 verse 12 to 14. I I'll read it. I'll read it. So look at this. Okay, look at how he starts each verse. I write to you. What does it say? Fathers. Sorry, verse 12. Sorry, that's 13. I write to you little children. Verse 12. Now go to 13. I write to you fathers. And then end of that verse, I write to you young men. So he's writing to the church. And there are three kinds of people. I write to you little children. I write to you fathers. I write to you young men. Every local church should have these kind of people. young people, little children, fathers. That's what a a good healthy church, a good family should look like. Little children simply means new believers who are who have just started their walk with Jesus. Young men, they are growing. They they are getting stronger. They are winning life's battles. They're going after the purposes of God. Fathers, fathers are mature, mature believers who have a deep knowledge of the word of God. God has walked with them for many years. So you see like in one church, John, the apostle John is writing, I write to you different people, write to you little children, young men, fathers. So a healthy church should have these these kind of people. If you only have little children, that's not good. You have to mature them, make them grow. It may start like that, but we need to have fathers. We we need to have young men. We need to keep maturing. If you only have mature, where are the young men? New believers means you're very comfortable. Are we understanding? So every local church, every family of God should have these kind of people. Fathers pouring their lives into young men, young men pouring their lives into little children. I'll I'll tell you I'll give you an example uh of how important this is. Do you know the importance importance of a mother and a grandmother? We see this in Timothy's life, right? Paul says, "I see the faith that is in you that was first in your grandmother Lois, then your mother Ununice." Which means Timothy Timothy's journey of faith where he was is because of his grandmother and then his mother. Question are grandmothers important? Yes, grandmothers and grandfathers very important. Mothers and fathers very important. They play a very very important role in in your journey of faith. And so every spiritual home, every spiritual family should have this where there are spiritual fathers and mothers pouring their life into young men. And this is not talking about age. This is talk talking about your maturity in Christ. There is no age in this. Now think about this in Timothy is a very young pastor but he's Paul is saying hey in his letters you teach what I have taught you. He is very young but he must be teaching some some grown-up men. So maturity is not talking about age. It is talking about your spiritual age. Your spiritual maturity. Don't look at physical age. You can be an old man but still be just just you know starting your walk with Jesus. Right? So what am I trying to say? Practically every local church should have this to not be filled with babies only. That's why when Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, he says, "I could not feed you solid food, only milk." Because they were not mature. Babies cannot eat solid food. That was the spiritual condition of the Corinthian church. 7 years, 7 years later, he's writing first Corinthians. Meaning in seven years, they have not grown. They are babies. Think about that. So when you're leading a fellowship, when you're lead leading a local church or you should see growth happening. You should see maturing happening. How does maturing happen? By the word of God. Keep teaching. Keep preaching. How does faith grow? When you hear. Faith comes when you hear. The word of God. Faith comes by hearing. So keep keep teaching, keep preaching God's word, faith gets faith gets increased. So you know whenever you look at a whenever you want to assess what you're doing in ministry, you need to ask yourself how much effort, how much time do I give to God's word. Amen. should not always be only worship, only prayer, only having fun, only eating. No, there should be a lot of time spent in God's word. That's why when we come to church, usually sermon is 40 45 minutes or 1 hour. Some countries it's more, some country less. But the preaching of God's word is very very important in a church. That's how the church grows. That's how believers grow when we hear the word of God. Amen. So, don't stay spiritually mature. Keep growing. Keep growing people's faith by God's word. Amen. And so we need to recognize, we need to look at the church and see where are they, where are we? Are we really growing? Are we just having fun? What are we doing? Yeah. We need to we need to as a shepherd, we need to understand what is happening. Amen. Shall we go to the next picture? Okay. So what is the first one? Body of Christ. Second one, family. So we talked about family, growing in brotherly love. talking about fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, young men. Right? Now, let's go to the third picture. The third picture is that local church is the pillar of truth. And we'll close with this. The third picture, the local church is the pillar of truth. So, 1 Timothy 3:15, we just read it in the previous section. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. So Paul says to Timothy, you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. So what is the local church? It should be the pillar and the ground of truth. That's a blueprint. That's a picture. The local church should be the pillar, the ground. Two words, two words. Pillar. Pillar simply means it holds something up. A pillar is something that holds something up, right? For example, my hand to this phone. It's a pillar. It's holding this up, right? Think of columns. So, you see that beam, there's a beam there. So, that is a pillar. There's a pillar there. There's a pillar here. It is holding this building up. That's what a pillar is. So the church is called to be the pillar of truth. It should hold the truth of God. Are we understanding? Then there's the other word ground. Ground simply means foundation. Ground simply means the support structure. Ground simply means the base. So think about this. The church is the pillar. It holds the truth. It supports the truth. It's the foundation of truth. Why is this important? Why is this important? Because we are living in a world where there are all kinds of noises. You just need to open your phone, go through the news and see all kinds of lies, all kinds of filth. The role of the church in culture that when people want to look at truth, they want to hear truth, they should see the church. They should come to the church. That's why the church treat your pulpit time for truth. Treat your time for sharing the word only the word. Don't give place for any other voice. You know a lot of times people will will use the pulpit for so many reasons like they'll talk about some story, they'll talk about some gossip, they'll talk about yeah they'll waste time. you focus on preaching the truth because the church has to be the pillar ground of truth. See, it is very very important. I'll I'll give you an example. Okay? And I think I gave this example in the first two lectures but I'll do it again. So if I have a big speaker, big speaker, and then I have my phone speaker, which speaker can you hear more? >> Big speaker. So yes, every day they're listening to their phone speaker. Yeah. Okay. They're looking at things. The church should be like that big speaker. Keep preaching the truth. Keep let people keep hearing the truth. When the world says marriage is there's so much divorce. When the world says uh you know find your own way, you keep preaching the truth. What does the truth say? Marriage is a covenant. You can find your calling in Christ. Not your own way. In Christ. Believe in him. Follow his ways. Receive his promises. Keep preaching the truth like a big speaker. You need to be the pillar and the ground of truth. Amen. So commit to the word without compromise. Commit. As a pastor, you need to just commit. Have a deep desire to preach the truth. John chapter 17:1 17. This is the words of Jesus. John chapter 17:17. John chapter 17 is called the high priestly prayer. This is where Jesus prays for all believers. And in John 17:17, he says he's praying to the father. Lord, sanctify them by your truth. And what is the truth? Your word is truth. What is the truth? God's word. God's word is a truth. So Jesus is praying. This is God's desire. Lord, sanctify them by the truth. What is the truth? Your word. Your word is truth. So the word of God is the truth. Not one truth among truths. It is the only truth. Jesus is the only truth. So the local church, the body of Christ needs to be the pillar, the ground. Commit to it. Amen. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. We'll end with this. We'll we'll close early today. Ephesians 4 verse 14- 15. Ephesians 4 verse 14- 15. Anyone wants to read that? Ephesians chapter 4 14-15 >> children and carried about every Yeah. Ephes Ephesians chapter 4, Paul is writing that we should no longer be children. You know children when they are young they can go anyway. Only when you grow up only when you when you're an adult you you know it is tough to mend your ways. Right? So he's saying, "No longer be like children tossed to and fro. Don't keep going left and right by every wind of doctrine." Meaning by everything that comes, by any news, any voice, any noise. The local church should be a place where believers are firmly planted in his truth. Where you're not going to and fro. How does a plant go and fro when it is not planted? The roots are not deep enough. So you know in in during COVID no I I like to use this example during COVID lot of people used to do a lot of trends. You remember trends there was this bottle flip challenge. Yeah. What else was there? There was slime. People would make videos of slime. That was one trend. Then fidget spinner was one trend. Yeah. So trend after trend. It comes and it goes. That's what it's talking about. Don't be tossed to and fro with every trend of the world, with every new philosophy, with every new opinion. Some influencer will come and say something. Ah, everyone's believing that some some new movie will portray something. Everyone wants to dress like that. Right? So that's what Paul is saying. Only children do that. children good toss to and fro. But the local church should be a place where people are firmly planted planted in the truth. But how do we do this? By speaking the truth in love. So we don't put down people although we have that urge, that tendency to make fun. Don't do that. Speak the truth in love. speak God's word in love. Uh truth in love may grow up in all things into him. How do we grow? Be like Christ in everything. He is the perfect man. Grow up in all things. Not some things. All things. Your marriage, family, ministry, whatever it is, grow up to be like Christ. Amen. Who is the head? So the body should be more and more like Christ. Think like him, act like him, speak like him, do things like him, serve like him. And lastly, the last point in the section is the local church should when when it comes to being a ground and pillar should give an answer should give an answer to current issues. So 1 Corinthians chapter 14:8 it says, "For if a trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?" Very funny. So sometimes if you if you don't equip people for battle, every person faces battles. If the local church does not prepare people for battle, you are like a trumpet. That makes no sound very shallow. So the local church should be a place where you equip people for battle. Answer questions. So for example, young people they have, you know, they having issues with identity. Now obviously you can't I'm I'm not saying only talk about that but they should they should know what God's word is about that or you know marriage how to live a godly marriage or generosity how to tithe how to be generous or any anything you know you can talk about anything but there are a lot of questions people have young people have lot of questions about identity addiction if the Local church should be a place where they learn for battle. Otherwise, you're just like one trumpet making some sound. You're just clapping for no reason. Your preaching is very shallow. It's not equipping people for battle. So the local church as a pillar and ground of truth must be a place where you can answer questions on current issues. Don't be scared about what the world is throwing at people. God's word can handle anything. Whether it's dating, whether it's relationships, whether it's forgiveness, whether it's parenting, God's word talks about all that. So keep preaching the truth. Amen. Any questions? Any questions, thoughts? So we looked at three pictures. Body of Christ, family of God, pillar, and ground of truth. The next lecture we'll next two lectures we'll we'll try and finish the next three. Any any questions? Any thoughts? Any questions? No. All good. Shall we close? Yeah. Any questions online? Others we can close early. Okay. No questions. Okay. Shall we pray? Yeah, we'll pray and close. Yeah. Father, we just thank you for this time. We thank you Lord for this lecture. We thank you Lord for helping us see the blueprint of the church. We thank you Lord for giving us these pictures to be the body of Christ. Lord to be the family of God and Lord to be the pillar and ground of truth. I pray Lord that each one of us will embrace these pictures for our own lives, for our ministries, for our calling, for our purpose. I pray Lord that these pictures will be ingrained in our mind and in our hearts and lead us Lord and help us to walk in this. We just pray for your grace, your blessing over every single person both online, in person, e-learn. And we just ask Lord that your presence will be upon us. We thank you once again for this time. In Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. All right. God bless you. We'll see you next week. Thank you.