The Local Church | Lecture 9 : BC203-TLC-20260917

Yeah. All right. Welcome to the next lecture. Uh before we get into the next set of pictures, if there are any questions from what we discussed in the last lecture, like church is the army of God. We are the bride of Christ. Um what's the third one? We >> Yeah. The house of prayer and worship. Any questions on that? If there are >> Hello, sir. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Uh I would like to ask you a question. Uh a friend of mine uh once had her sailing fall on her and she immediately blame it on the devil attack. But I think the real reason was just the sailing was just old and weak. This makes me uh wonder how can we make a differentiation between truly wearing the armor of God uh to face the enemy and simply falling uh into superistation which means believing something happens because of m of magic or uh evil. Thank you sir. Uh sorry uh Reinat could you just uh repeat what was she uh I didn't understand the yeah the condition uh yeah my friend uh had her sailing uh fail fall on her and then she immediately blame it uh on the dayfield attack but I think uh the reason is >> the sailing was just old and uh too weak uh so how can we make a differenti ation between uh truly wearing uh the armor of God uh to face the enemy and simply falling into super stationation uh which means uh believing something happens because of >> Did you say sailing? >> Sailing. >> Sailing fall on her. >> Ceiling. >> Sailing. Yeah. >> Ah ceiling. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. I was just trying to understand. Yeah. Yeah. So uh good question uh Renati sorry just give me a minute. >> Yeah. So um to answer your question yeah uh you know like one of the ways we can know uh that we are in spiritual conflict is you know this conflict will it it keeps getting worse and worse. um you know when it's I'm not saying that what the enemy attacks sometimes he will use it once and go that's also there but usually in spiritual warfare the one way we can recognize that you are truly in spiritual conflict is when it gets prolonged it gets deeper and deeper right so uh you know this is especially when uh you know you know that this attack or this this situation or this circumstance it's it just doesn't come and go. It keeps happening and that's when you recognize okay something supernatural is happening. there is some serious opposition and that's one of the indicators and usually this is this will happen in the area of the call of God on your life or uh you know the assignment of God on your life you know when you are really obeying God obeying the path of God for your life when you're taking those steps that's when you will face some serious opposition and that's when we you will know that okay this is where the enemy is at work and that's where you will have to really um engage in prayer in spiritual warfare and all of that right and so you know sometimes naturally we will face problems like you know some random things will happen not everything you can account to the devil like for example if you don't eat breakfast and suddenly you are weak does not mean devil is attacking you that means you're not a good steward of what you are eating, right? So, you really need to understand the root the root cause and sometimes it may be unclear. You may not know. In those cases, best thing to do is to pray. Lord, why is this happening? Why are these random things happening in my life? Right? Sometimes it's very obvious. Sometimes it's just your own fault. You need to make changes. You need to make changes in your own lifestyle. You need to make changes in your own choices. Uh sometimes it's on you. But sometimes it might be the work of the enemy and sometimes it's not very clear. You won't know. That's when you need to just pray and ask God, Lord, give me discernment. Give me understanding. Give me wisdom. Give me insight. Right? And so there is no like clear-cut answer I can give. But what you can do is uh not everything is from the de devil. That much I can tell. Sometimes it's just our own actions, our own choices, our lifestyle uh that causes things h to happen in us. But sometimes there is a real attack. And one of the ways we can recognize there's a real attack, it becomes prolonged. And sometimes it is, you know, it's just out of your control. And you know that the enemy is at work. That's when you need to engage. But when you are unclear, the best thing to ask is God give me wisdom to understand the situation. Give me wisdom to understand the circumstance that is happening. So uh I think the best thing you can encourage someone is to just ask God for wisdom and understanding. Ask God uh for giving insight and clarity. Right? So then you will know for sure what is behind all these things. So it is not a clear-cut answer reinate. U but >> you you ask God for for wisdom. Yeah. >> Any other questions on what we discussed so far? Good question. Thank you. Thank you for that question. Any other questions or thoughts? Anyone? No. Yeah. All good. Okay. Shall we go to the next lecture? Yeah. So, the next picture, picture number seven. Picture number seven is the local church is the temple of God. The local church is the temple of God. Okay. So, 1 Corinthians chapter 3 16-17. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16-17. Can someone read that? Just unmute and read it. >> Okay. First. >> Yeah. >> Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defines the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy. Which temple you are? >> Yeah. So usually we quote this scripture and uh we tell each one of us we are the temple which is correct. We all are the temple. Each one of us individually are the temple. But Paul the apostle Paul here is writing to a local church in Corinth. And he's saying you you all your you all as the local church in Corinth you are the temple of God. Meaning each one of us are as individuals are the temple of God which is correct. But when we come together as a community, as a local church, we are the temple of God. So every church in the city, in town, village, wherever they are, every church when they come together, they are the temple of God. Right? Do you not know that you're the temple of God? And this what makes it the temple of God? Second half of the verse, the spirit of God dwells in you. What makes us the temple of God? The Holy Spirit. The spirit of God dwells in you. So what does this mean? The local church is the dwelling place of God. The local church is where the spirit of God dwells. So we need to understand this. We need to get this picture rooted in our hearts that when we gather together as a church, we are the temple of God where the spirit of God dwells, right? And so, um, we see this right across the Bible. God wants to dwell with his people. In Genesis chapter 3, when Adam and Eve sinned, what was God's first response? Where are you? God wants to dwell in the midst of sin, in the midst of obedience. What was God's first response? What is God's first desire? Dwell. Dwelling place. Where are you, Adam? Where are you? Right? And uh in Exodus 25:E8, God instructs Moses to build a sanctuary. Why? So that that sanctuary will become a dwelling place. So Exodus chapter 25:8, let them make me a sanctuary that I might dwell among them. Exodus 25:8. So we see this as God's heart for him to make his dwelling among people. And one of the ways God does that, yes, he does that individually. The Holy Spirit is inside of us. He is our we are the temple. Yes. But also for us as a church, for the local church, right? And so the house of God should be the dwelling place of God. The question to ask is does the church or are we making the church the dwelling place of God where the glory of God is revealed? You know when we use the word glory you know we we like oh what is this word something very complicated. Glory of God simply means very simple glory of God is who God is and what he does. It is revealed. He is the healer Jehovah Rafa. He heals. When it is revealed we are healed. We experience the glory of God. God is Jehovah Gyra. He provides. We experience provision. the glory of God. That's what it means. So the local church should be the dwelling place of God where the glory of God is revealed, is manifested, where the glory of God is released to the people. Are we understanding right? Who is Jesus? He's our savior. So we we must experience his saving grace. Where sinners are turned, they redeemed. They are bought with his precious blood. Right? The church should be that place where the glory of God is being revealed. But here's the sad reality. The sad real reality from the Old Testament to the New Testament is that if we are not careful, the glory of God can depart. We'll show I'll show this with you. uh in um uh in let me see where is that in 1st Samuel chapter 4 21st Samuel 4:21 Eli's the the priest Eli his two sons they were killed why because the Bible says the glory of God was departed Right. 1st Samuel 4:21. Then in Ezekiel Ezekiel chapters 8 to 10, the glory of God departed. Why? Because the priests filled the temple with idolatry. So idolatry entered the temple of God and the glory of God departed slowly. first not at once slowly the glory of God first departeth through the door so meaning the glory of God doesn't depart immediately sometimes it departs slowly there's a slow drift so Ezekiel chapters 8 to10 it show it talks about that from the center it becomes it goes to the door and then it departs completely and so we need to be careful about how we conduct ourselves in the house of God. If there is sin, if there is pride, and like it says here, if there is idolatry, if there are things that are not part of God's kingdom, when it enters the temple of God, the glory departs, power of God departs. Are we understanding? So as pastors, as leaders, we have a great responsibility to steward to steward the house of God, to make the house of God the temple of God where the glory of God is revealed. Okay, I'll I'll give another example or two more examples. in Joshua chapter 7. Okay. God has told Joshua to inherit Jericho. But uh sorry to inherit a not Jericho. A a I a the first time they go to battle they lose. Why? Because there was sin in the camp of Israel. Joshua had to deal with the sin first. Then when they went to battle the next time they were victorious. What is the reason? Because of sin. If the church needs to be a place where God's power is manifested, if the church needs to be a place where God's glory is manifested, we must deal with our camp. We must be very careful about what our heart posture is. Are we understanding in Acts the early church what happened when um when in Acts chapter 5 I think or 4 when um what are their names? Ah, forgetting their names. Give me a minute. An Yeah. Ananas and Safara. What happened when they brought their offering? Because they withheld it. Because they told each other, "Let's withhold this. Let's keep this for ourselves. Pride had entered. God struck them down." Right? Very serious. When there is a trace of sin, when there is a trace of pride, we must be very careful. We have to deal with it instantly. What is the posture of our heart? That's where the glory of God cannot dwell. God's presence cannot dwell with sin. So practically pastors, ministers, leaders of the church should be very careful how we steward the house of God because God has put you as the shepherd. Put us as the shepherd over the church. So if we see something where things are not aligned to the kingdom of God, we have to deal with it severely. like Joshua, deal with the sin, deal with the environment, deal with the culture. Amen. When Moses came back with the 10 ten commandments, what happened? People are making their own cough. He threw the ten commandments. Sometimes you have to do some things like that. If you see things that are against the principles, the values of God's kingdom, deal with it immediately. do not have any space for for culture for other things to creep in. Right? If the church needs to be the place where the power of God is being displayed, we need to check our hearts first. Then we become the temple of God. Because Jesus says when two or three are gathered in my name, I am there. Even when two or three are gathered in my name, if they believe in me, I am there. But for his glory to dwell, for his glory to be revealed, we need to check the posture of our hearts. We need to check what is going on. Right? Amen. So we must carry his glory. And God has promised to reveal greater glory to the New Testament church. Right? Jesus says to his disciples, "These signs will follow those who believe and greater signs." Meaning the church will do greater works. If Jesus has done some great works, the church should do greater works. Right? And then Hagai chapter 2 verse 7-9, he says, "The glory of this latter temple shall be greater." Meaning the Old Testament temple had the glory of God. But us, the New Testament church will carry greater glory. Are we understanding? We carry greater glory. So if you have seen all the works of God in the Old Testament, that's good. We praise God for it. But God says in the New Testament church, this latter temple will carry greater glory. Jesus says you will do greater works. So the house of God should always be expectant. We as the we as believers, we as church should always be expectant for God to do greater things. Amen. We should never be satisfied. We should a church should never be satisfied with ah once upon a time God was working. Should never come to that place. Very dangerous. We should never make statements like that. Ah in those days 1920s God did some great. What about now? What about today? Jesus is the same yesterday, today, even right now. So the God of yesterday is the God of today and greater glory to glory. So the church should never come to a place where we become like a statue. How many of you have seen uh in MG Road Mahatma Gandhi statue? Yeah. In his statue, his stick is like this. How muchever you shout at Gandhi, move, he can't move. Why? Because he's a statue. Church should never become like that, right? How muchever you shout, move. You won't move. Church should always be moving greater glory. We should never say, "Oh, in the olden times, my grandfather, my father, they they saw some great things." What is the testimony of a church today? Church today should be a place where we experience healing, where we continue to experience freedom, where we continue to experience God's presence. Amen. So the church should be the dwelling place where the glory of God rests and abides. Amen. So this should be uh the focus and uh there is no there is no limit to God's glory. You can't put God in a box only this much he can heal only this much he can provide. No, God is bigger. God is greater. Think about the biggest thing in this world. God is infinitely bigger. So as pastors and leaders, we must envision this for the local church where we become the temple of God where go where people experience his presence where people experience the glory of God. Amen. So this is very important. Shall we go to the next picture? Yeah. Temple of God. Next picture. Picture number eight. The pe the local church is called God's chosen people. Zion. God's chosen people. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9. Can Can we just read that please? 1 Peter chapter 2:9. Can you just take the mic, please? Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. >> But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who call you out of darkness into marvelous light. >> Yeah. 1 Peter chapter 2:9, it starts with, "You are a chosen generation." So God has chosen us for such a time as this. Every time period God chooses a generation. He's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Three generations, right? And so the question to ask is what is God doing in our generation? You are the future. All of you are young people. We're all we are part of this generation. And God has said he has chosen us for this generation. So the church, the local church, God says I will choose you as my people. And what will they do? a holy uh a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So every generation has an assignment. Are we understanding? Yeah. Every time period God will do something and we are his chosen people. Right. So in 2026, will God choose his people? Does God have a plan? Does God have a purpose? Yes. And we are his people. He will choose us. Those who put their faith in him today, our generation. Every generation has a testimony. Abraham had a testimony. Isaac had a testimony. Jacob had a testimony. What will be our testimony? What will we tell the next generation? Right? What will we tell? What will we tell of God's mighty works in our generation? We, you know, see, we should not go to the end of our life and be like, "Ah, I wish I experienced God more." No, we should proudly declare what God did in our generation. Amen. And the local church should know that they are God's chosen people. Amen. So um here's the question. When you are God's chosen people, you will act very differently. Correct? When you belong to someone, when you are chosen, when you are handpicked by God, you will act very differently. Right? For example, when the king comes to a town and he picks two, three individuals and he says, "I have chosen you." Your entire identity changes. The king has chosen me. Which means when God chooses his people, we need to live according to what his kingdom is. We need to be very different from the world. Why? Because God has chosen us. Just like the king chooses someone, identity is completely changed. I no longer act like a normal citizen. I act like the heir of the king. He has put me in his palace. So in the same way, we need to live very very differently as God's chosen people. We need to live by kingdom values. We need to walk in holiness. We need to actively display his glory. Actively be his ambassadors. We need to talk differently. We need to act differently. The church should be that place. If the church looks like the world, then some problem is there. Church should live like God's kingdom where there is truth where you know we where all of us are becoming like Jesus. Church should be that kind of place. God's chosen people. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. That should be the posture of the church where we seek God's kingdom first because we are chosen. Amen. So the second what is the eighth picture? The local church is God's chosen people. God's chosen people, right? And so as pastors, as leaders, we need to envision this. Tell people this. You are chosen. You are called. You have a purpose. In our generation, in our time, we have a purpose. Amen. Ninth picture. Very quickly, we'll go through the next two pictures quickly and then if there are if there's time for questions, we'll take it. Picture number nine. The church is the wine and the branches. We are the branch. We're always connected to the wine. Okay. Let's turn our Bibles to John chapter 15 verse 1 to5. John 15 verse 1 to 5. John 15 verse 1-5. I'll read it. But I want all of us to read with me. Okay? Are you all there? Yeah. John 15 verse 1-5. All right? Let's read it. I'm the true wine and my father is a wine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away and every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Verse four, abide in me and I in you. As a branch cannot bear much fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. So the church all of us as believers we are branches and every branch needs to be connected to the wine. Verse five, I am the wine, you are the branches. So as a local church, each one of us need to be connected to a to the wine. And then it says very interesting in this passage, every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes so that it may bear more fruit. Okay, question. How do we bear fruit? When we are connected to the vine, right? When the apple seed is nurtured, what comes? Apple. How do we bear fruit? When we are connected to the wine, Jesus. How do we bear more fruit? Read the passage. How do we bear How do we bear more fruit? Can someone tell me? No. No. What does the passage say? How do we bear more fruit? So, we bear fruit, but how do we how do we bear more fruit? remain in Christ. But there's a word there in the passage. I'm looking for the word abide, sir. When we abide in him. >> When we abide. Okay. But there is a word I'm looking for. Okay. Read verse two, please. Ah, he prunes. >> He prunes. Okay. So, every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bear fruit, he prunes so that it bear more fruit. So what's the context here? A gardener, you know what is pruning? Pruning means he cuts. So God will actually take some things away. He will prune. He will cut some things so that we may bear more fruit. So embrace God's pruning. As a church, we must embrace embrace God's pruning. Underline that word. He prunes. Nobody likes pruning. Why? Because it's sometimes painful. He will he will cut some things. He will take away some things so that our focus is on him so that we can bear more fruit. So the prayer is you know all of us make that prayer know Lord help us to be more fruitful. What should we pray? Lord prune me. The prayer should be Lord prune me. Lord take take away things from my life that you think that I don't need so that I may bear more fruit. All of us desire that right? Do you want to bear more fruit? Yeah. What should be the prayer? Lord prune me. Bring pruning like a gardener. Cut the branches, cut the stems that are not required so that I may bear more fruit. Amen. So that word abide simply means to stay connected. It's a Greek. The root word simply means to be connected. Everything that the church does should come from a place of abiding. Starting with the leader. Any change we make in church, any decision we make in church should come from a place where we are connected. Church should not be a place. It should be a place where things are happening that are birthed from Christ. things should come out from a place where it is connected to the source to the wine. Don't follow some trend some other church is doing. Don't follow some random thing just because someone told you it should come from a place because you're connected to God. That's where the fruit comes. Right? See, we are living in a world where we have so much access to so many things. Right? But does not mean that that that thing is for you. God should reveal that to you. Just because everyone is doing it does not mean we have to do it. Needs to come from a place of intimacy with Christ. Come from a place of abiding. Amen. Sometimes for more fruit to be to for more fruit to be produced, you know, sometimes we have to experience some cutting, some pruning, right? And sometimes that is painful. Are we understanding? Yeah. We But we must embrace it. God is saying remove this. We should remove it. Although it worked for a long time. Yeah. But if God is saying remove it now so that you can go to the next level, remove it. Be obedient. Are we understanding? Right. So this is very important. And as a local church, we must always ask ourselves, are we bearing fruit? God's fruit. Are we bearing more fruit? Are people experiencing fruit in their life? Amen. So the wine and the branches um I just uh I forgot to say this. So the word abide in the Greek it simply means to remain to stay. To dwell how do we so when Jesus is saying abide with me it simply means to remain to stay. To dwell don't move very quickly in our programs or in what we do. Remain dwell stay. hear from God. That's what that Greek word abide simply means. Amen. Okay. The last picture, last picture. Picture number 10. The lampstand. The lampstand. The local church should be the lampstand of God. Revelation 1 verse 12-13. Revelations 1:12-13 and verse 20. So I'll read that verse 12. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke to me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven golden seven lampstands, one like the son of man. Then verse then verse 20. The seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Verse 20. So John is seeing this vision. He's seeing seven lampstands. And in the seven amongst the seven lampstand is the son of man Jesus. Then in verse 20 he says the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Meaning every church had a lampstand. What is a lampstand? Lambstand was in the holy place in the tabernacle. Lambstand had seven prongs and each prong carried light. What did the lampstand do? It enable when the when the priest came into the holy place, it was the source of light for them to do the priestly work. So the church is the light of God where it brings the light of God. Right? So the golden lampstand in the in the Old Testament tabernacle was the only source of light in the holy place enabling the priests to do the work. And so the local church should be like that lampstand where the light of God is being displayed. Okay, let's go to the New Testament. Matthew chapter 5 verse4-16. Matthew 5:14-16. Very interesting. Look at this passage. It says Jesus is saying these are words in red. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Skipping to verse 15. Let your light, verse 16, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. God is saying, Jesus is saying inside you there is light and that light needs to be shining before men so that they may see your good works and glorify the father in heaven. Every believer, every church carries the light of God. And this light, what does light signify? Impact, visibility. When light is switched on, all of us can see. The church should be that place where people see the light of God. The good works. No church should be like some dark place. Nobody can see anything. Light of God should shine. Verse verse 16 very interesting. Let your light so shine before men. This is God's desire that his light will be shining before men. Every church carries the light of God and it needs to shine that light in that vicinity. It can be through different means whether it's social media, whether it's through outreach work, whether it's through evangelism, whether it's through their service, whatever way. But the church should be where the light of God is displayed. Right? If the church is the place where only few people experience, we should actually question because Jesus is saying your light should shine before men, visibility, increase, influence, growth. That's what light signify signifies. Right now in Revelation 2 verse 5, there is a church in Ephesus. Because they did not repent, Jesus took away the lampstand from them. So this is Revelation 2 verse 5. He removed the lampstand. Why? because they did not repent and return to their first love. Which means if we are not careful, if our heart is not pure, our light can actually be taken away. Meaning we can do a lot of work. We can do a lot of energy. We can do a lot of work. We can do a lot of our own energy or our own ministry. But if our heart, if we are not careful, Jesus can take away the light, the lampstand. Are we understanding? Meaning the church in Ephesus, they were doing a lot of things, but the light was not shining. Are we understanding? So we need to be very very careful about our posture about you know this light should be shining for God not for ourselves right that's what verse 16 Matthew 5:1 16 so that you may glorify my father in heaven we always forget that sometimes ah light is shining yes and sometimes we forget to glorify God. So we must be very very careful in how um in the posture of our heart. Are we pure? Are we are we always being connected to God? Are we always giving him the glory? If we are not careful, Jesus says Revelation chapter 2, John is seeing in the vision that Jesus took away the lampstand. Meaning there was no real influence. there was no real light being shine being shown through that church right and uh so we need to be very very careful because if God takes away the lampstand no matter how much we do there'll be no impact can keep doing traditions keep doing ministry we can keep doing works but that's a sad reality where God can take away our influence. God can take away the light. Amen. Because of the posture of our heart. Are we understanding? Yeah. So that's the last picture. So we looked at 10 pictures and we ended with the lampstand. So what we'll do is next week until this section, the blueprint of the church, uh we will have our first assignment. Okay. So next week it'll be until the blueprint. So all that we have covered until blueprint right don't worry it'll be simple simple assignment multiple choice and so I will release that next week is that okay yeah and I will give I'll give you around mostly four to five days okay so I will publish that online so those of us who are online next week um there will be around 25 qu so there are three assignments in this course uh assignment one will have 25 questions. Assignment two will have 25. Assignment three will have 50. So total 100. So the first assignment will have 25 questions. Each question will have four options. Multiple choice. You have to just correct. Select the correct option. It'll all be according to the notes. So don't worry, it's just to bring to our remembrance what we studied. Yeah. Is that okay? Yeah. Any any questions on this lecture? So we discussed the lampstand, wine and branches, God's chosen people and the temple of God. Yes. Any questions, thoughts? Otherwise, we'll close and pray. Any questions? Anyone online? Any questions or any clarifications? No questions. All good. Yeah. Was this helpful? Yeah. So, just keep these pictures in mind. Whenever you go to church, see how the church is displaying these pictures. And if you see that one of the pictures are not being fulfilled, we need to work towards that as leaders. Right? All right. Shall we pray and then we'll close. Father, we just thank you for these two lectures. We thank you Lord for the blueprint. We thank you Lord for these different pictures that you are revealing to us for the local church. I pray Lord truly as a generation truly as the church. Lord that we will walk in these. Lord I pray Lord for our hearts. I pray Lord for our minds. I pray for our bodies that truly Lord we will wholly be committed to display these different pictures the blueprint that you have given us Lord we lay aside every earthly agenda we lay aside every form of pride every form of deception every form of lies and Lord we fully commit ourselves to your word we fully commit ourselves to your blueprint Lord Pray Lord that truly we will seek after the kingdom of God and your righteousness Lord. And so Lord, I just pray for a blessing over each one of us. I pray for your anointing to rest and dwell over each one of us. I pray for your wisdom, your understanding to fall on us, Lord, to fulfill your mandate, to fulfill your plan, to fulfill your purpose over each one of us. We thank you once again for you have a plan. You have a purpose for each one of us. And I pray Lord every step of our journey we will experience you. We thank you and we praise you in Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen. All right. So assignment one next week mostly Thursday or Friday and then till Sunday end of day you will have to complete 25 questions multiplechoice questions. All right. All right. God bless you. We'll see you next week.