All posts by Virjil Selvan

THE NEXT GENERATION

This is part of the series we are doing on the Values that we as a church believe in. As a church having people of multiple generations it will be amazing to look at this topic – the next generation.

A mum texts, “Hi! Son, what do IDK, LY and TTYL mean?”

He texts back, “I don’t know, love you and talk to you later.”

The mother replies, “It’s OK, don’t worry about it. I’ll ask your sister. Love you too.”

This kind of sums up the perception we have when we hear or think about generations. But what we believe is as follows:

“We value, invest into, and support at every level the children’s ministry, youth ministry, college and young professional ministry, as well as any and all related ministries and strategies that develop the next generation of our church”

It’s important to understand the Heart of God for every generation. We can see that in first section of Matthew 1. Although this is one of those passages people skip easily, these passages hold so much of God’s graciousness. We need to understand that this was written in a period when there was no paper like we have. They wrote on leather and papyrus which was not a usual commodity but a luxury. So they wouldn’t write anything that is not needed. This means that these passages (any passage in the Scriptures for that) is not to be skipped. And in this passage we see a crisp summary of God’s goodness and amazing hand over people of multiple generations – across various backgrounds and circumstances. We could very well conclude that God has intentionally been invested in the lives of people in various generations and he has raised Godly people in each of it.

It is also to be noted that there is no favoritism with God. We usually hear phrases like ‘kids these days…’ Some have been negligent about raising the next generation owing to the difference between generations like the taste of fashion, music, etc. But there’s no such thing with God

Genesis 17:7 AMP

“I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”

It’s amazing the way God looks at things. For Him, each person is precious – no matter what background or what the story of their life has been. And He loves to be our God and the God of our generation!

Looking at the following passage, we will see the transition between two generations – one who entered into Canaan from the wilderness and their immediate successors.

Judges 2:10 NIV

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

It’s paramount to know how God had revealed Himself to the Israelites (categorised into 3 major titles given below) because their entire lives were a typology for us to learn from

– Source of life

Deut 30:15-20

“15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Here we see that God lays before them life and death, blessing and curse, prosperity and destruction – and expects them to choose life. And this life interestingly was not something we get from God as a give and take but something we find in Him. So it’s not some religious barter but a personal and intimate affair. God is our life.

– Source of direction

           Joshua 24:14-15

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Secondly we see Joshua the leader of the Israelite camp saying to them something crucial. Here stands a man who is known for his leadership in taking such a tough people into the promise land – if there’s someone who understood leadership best in that camp it was him. And he chooses to follow and be led by God even if lakhs and lakhs of Israelites refuse to do so because a leader that he is knows who is the ultimate leader – And that is God.

It’s not just running to God for direction in some specific life events, but He demands to be the God who we constantly look up to for direction and groundedness.

– One worthy of all of one’s adoration, admiration and attention.

Deut 4:32-37

“32 Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God[a] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other. 36 From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. 37 Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength

Thirdly we see that these verses put so beautifully who God is and His glorious magnificence. If there’s anyone at all worthy of our attention and admiration it could only be God. And He is the same God who unconditionally loved us with an Everlasting Love.

But we see in the following verses that there’s a tragic twist to this plot:

Judges 2:10 and 15

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

These people to whom God had revealed Himself to be their source failed to pass on to the next generation how great and good He was

How could one not come to seek Him?

“We are products of our circumstances”

Generation to generation the preferences of life decisions are based on:

– Culture & Value

Localised customs and beliefs

“What they wear, what they listen to, what they got”

– Socio-political factors

Situation and circumstance bound

“Youths and adolescents are one of the major perpetrators of antisocial and deviant behaviors, which have deleterious consequences for both the perpetrators and society”

– Influences & trend

That which is much sought after

We have influences from all sorts of media where there is a continual indoctrination of what the influential believes or are forced to portray as true and long lasting.

‘These are tough currents in a fallen world tossing a ‘young’ mind between waves of rights and wrongs of legitimate needs of a human soul that tries to grabble on to what it thinks is right and eternal.’

These have the potential to bring to question about what is primary in life. And what is primary is spiritual in nature. But through it all, man tries to find spiritual satisfaction (meaning, purpose, groundedness, fulfillment, love) from all of the above materialistic things

General hindrances

• The focus is on the outward stuff when actual problem is elsewhere
• Most often we try to satisfy what is spiritual with what is carnal and temporal

But we have hope in Christ who is the

• Source of our life
• Source of our direction and
• One worthy of all of our love

In John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

Jesus is our life and by believing in Him who won for us life and was raised to life by the Father, we have access into this abundany life.

In like terms we have vibrant ministries at RHC:

Kid’s ministry, youth (boys & girls) ministry which function for the upbringing of young minds to find in Christ the true meaning and purpose for their existence and to grow in Him who is our hope and life for the Bible tells us to

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

in Proverbs 22:6

Finally in the words of Mordecai who invested in the life of his neice

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14 NIV

As elders let us invest in the lives of the next generation for the ‘times’ they were created. And in general as children of God let us find our source in God and press on to excel for the ‘time’ we are present!

Samuel Melbon works as a civil engineer and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Turn to someone whom you have not met and don’t know them really well and find out about their 1. Hometown 2. When did they come to Panvel if they are not from Panvel? 3. Where do they live currently? 4. How did they know about this church?

Our church is full of people from different cultures, socio economic background and also multilingual. That’s why we have a common language that we follow in the church, that is, OE, only English because, there could be someone sitting next to you who doesn’t understand the language that you speak. We also accommodate people from various backgrounds and appreciate, adapt their style of working or expressing. We help each one of us to find a common ground to communicate, work and fellowship.

One definition of Diversity is the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization.

So if we want to get the church right, we have to learn to see it as a salad in a bowl, made the Right Way of course. For a good salad is a fellowship of different tastes, all mixed together with the olive oil accentuating the taste of each. The earliest Christian churches were made up of folks from all over the social map, but they formed a fellowship of “different tastes,” a mixed salad of the best kind.

The solution to gender, race and social divisions is not to eradicate our differences but to see them in light of Jesus.

Even in the bible God used diverse people in the span of history. He used Amos who was a shepherd, Gideon who was a farmer, Lydia who was a business woman, Timothy who’s father was Greek and mother a Jew. God did not have a particular inclination towards a certain personality also. He never said, this person is brilliant let’s use him or this person is soft spoken so let’s not use him. God has a purpose for each one.

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.

21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.                                                                                                                        2 Timothy 2: 20 – 21

The other verse which helps us to understand God’s heart for diversity yet one purpose, goal and vision. This we had also heard from uncle Steven last Sunday.

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.               1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 18

We’ll look at a classic example from the bible on diversity but yet of togetherness.

The disciples. Jesus chose His disciples from varied backgrounds, economic status, family orientation.

The names of the twelve disciples of Jesus are Simon Peter, Andrew, James (the son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. (See Matthew 10:1-4 and Luke 6:12-16.)

How many disciples were there? 12

Where did they come from?

What did they do?

Family orientation

How did Jesus meet each one of them?

Let’s look at their temperaments and their style of working

Peter:

By trade, Peter was a fisherman. He was a married man (1 Corinthians 9:5) and his home was Capernaum. Jesus probably made His headquarters there when He visited Capernaum. Peter was also a Galilean as was typical of many of the other disciples.

Peter was a typical Galilean. Among the twelve, Peter was the leader. He stands out as a spokesman for all the twelve Apostles. It is he who asked the meaning of the difficult saying in Matthew 15:15. It is he who asked how often he must forgive. It is he who inquired about the reward for all of those who follow Jesus. It is he who first confessed Jesus and declared Him as the Son of the Living God. It is he who was at the Mount of Transfiguration. It is he who saw Jairus’ daughter raised to life. Yet, it is he who denied Christ before a maiden. He was an Apostle and a missionary who laid down his life for his Lord. It is true, Peter had many faults, but he had always the saving grace of the loving heart. No matter how many times he had fallen and failed, he always recovered his courage and integrity.

Peter was martyred on a cross. Peter requested that he might be crucified head downward for he was not worthy to die as his Lord had died. His apostolic symbol is a cross upside down with crossed keys.

James:

James, the Elder, Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of John the Apostle; a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. He preached in Jerusalem and Judea and was beheaded by Herod, AD 44 (Acts 12:1,2). He was a member of the Inner Circle, so called because they were accorded special privileges. The New Testament tells us very little about James. His name never appears apart from that of his brother, John. They were an inseparable pair (Mark 1:19-20; Matthew 4:21; Luke 5:1-11).

He was a man of courage and forgiveness, a man without jealousy, living in the shadow of John, a man of extraordinary faith. He was the first of the twelve to become a martyr. His symbol is three shells, the sign of his pilgrimage by the sea.

John:

John Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James, the Apostle. He was known as the Beloved Disciple. A fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem, he was a member of the Inner Circle. He wrote the Gospel of John, I John, II John, III John and Revelation. He preached among the churches of Asia Minor. Banished to the Isle of Patmos, he was later freed and died a natural death. John was one of the prominent Apostles. He is mentioned in many places in the New Testament. He was a man of action; he was very ambitious; and a man with an explosive temper and an intolerant heart. His second name was Boanerges, which means son of Thunder. He and his brother, James, came from a more well-to-do family than the rest of the 12 Apostles. Since his father had hired servants in his fishing business (Mark 1:20) he may have felt himself above the rest. He was close to Peter. They were acting together in the ministry. Peter, however, was always the spokesman for the band.

John mellowed with time. At the latter part of his life, he had forgotten everything, including his ambition and explosive temper, except his Lord’s command of love.

It is said that an attempt was made on his life by giving him a chalice of poison from which God spared him. He died of natural causes. A chalice with a snake in it is his symbol.

Andrew:

Andrew was the brother of Peter, and a son of Jonas. He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was a fisherman before Jesus called him. Originally he was a disciple of John the Baptist (Mark 1:16-18). Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus (John 1:40). He is the first to have the title of Home and Foreign Missionary. He is claimed by three countries as their Patron Saint-Russia, Scotland and Greece. Many scholars say that he preached in Scythia, Greece and Asia Minor.

Andrew introduced others to Jesus. Although circumstances placed him in a position where it would have been easy for him to become jealous and resentful, he was optimistic and well content in second place. His main purpose in life was to bring others to the master.

According to tradition, it was in Achaia, Greece, in the town of Patra that Andrew died a martyr. When Governor Aepeas’ wife was healed and converted to the Christian faith, and shortly after that the Governor’s brother became a Christian. Aepeas was enraged. He arrested Andrew and condemned him to die on the cross. Andrew, feeling unworthy to be crucified on the same-shaped cross as his Master, begged that his be different. So, he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, which is still called Saint Andrew’s cross and which is one of his apostolic symbols. A symbol of two crossed fish has also been applied to Andrew, because he was formerly a fisherman.

Bartholomew

A number of scholars believe that he was the only one of the 12 disciples who came from royal blood, or noble birth. His name means Son of Tolmai or Talmai(2 Samuel 3:3). Talmai was king of Geshur whose daughter, Maacah, was the wife of David, mother of Absolom.

Bartholomew’s name appears with every list of the disciples (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). This was not a first name, however; it was his second name. His first name probably was Nathanael, whom Jesus called “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47).

The New Testament gives us very little information about him.

James the son of Alphaeus

Some of the disciples’ callings receive special attention in the gospels. Jesus calls Andrew, Peter, James, and John while they’re tending to their fishing boats. And he calls Matthew the tax collector from his tax booth.

James son of Alphaeus doesn’t get this kind of attention.

But he is one of the Twelve.

James, the Lesser or Younger, son of Alpheus, or Cleophas and Mary, lived in Galilee. He was the brother of the Apostle Jude.

According to tradition he wrote the Epistle of James, preached in Palestine and Egypt and was crucified in Egypt. James was one of the little-known disciples. Some scholars believe he was the brother of Matthew, the tax collector. James was a man of strong character and one of the fieriest types. Still another tradition says that he died as a martyr and his body was sawed in pieces.

Judas Iscariot

The Gospels don’t describe the scene where he met Jesus like it does for Peter or Philip.

Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the son of Simon who lived in Kerioth of Judah. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and afterwards hanged himself (Matthew 26:14,16).

Judas, the man who became the traitor, is the supreme enigma of the New Testament because it is so hard to see how anyone who was so close to Jesus, who saw so many miracles and heard so much of the Master’s teaching could ever betray him into the hands of his enemies.

His name appears in three lists of the 12 Apostles (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:19). It is said that Judas came from Judah near Jericho. He was a Judean and the rest of the disciples were Galileans. He was the treasurer of the band and among the outspoken leaders.

It is said that Judas was a violent Jewish Nationalist who had followed Jesus in hope that through Him his nationalistic flame and dreams might be realized. No one can deny that Judas was a covetous man and at times he used his position as treasurer of the band to pilfer from the common purse. There is no certain reason as to why Judas betrayed his master; but it is not his betrayal that put Jesus on the cross-it was our sins. His apostolic symbol is a hangman’s noose, or a money purse with pieces of silver falling from it.

Jude or Thaddeus:

Jude, Thaddeus, or Lebbeus, son of Alpheus or Cleophas and Mary. He was a brother of James the Younger. He was one of the very little-known Apostles and lived in Galilee. In Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 he is called Judas the brother of James. Judas Thaddeus also was called Judas the Zealot.

By character he was an intense and violent Nationalist with the dream of world power and domination by the Chosen People. In the New Testament records (John 14:22 NIV) he asked Jesus at the Last Supper, “But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Matthew:

The call of Matthew to the apostolic band is mentioned in Mark 2:14, Matthew 9:9 and Luke 5:27-28. From these passages, we learn that Matthew also was called Levi. Although we know little about Matthew personally, the outstanding fact about him is that he was a tax collector. The King James Version calls him a publican, which in Latin is Publicanus, meaning engaged in public service, a man who handled public money, or a tax gatherer.

Matthew 18:17; Matthew 21:31, 33; Matthew 9;10; Mark 2:15,16; Luke 5:30). Tax collectors had been known to assess duty payable at impossible sums and then offer to lend the money to travelers at a high rate of interest. Such was Matthew. Yet, Jesus chose a man all men hated and made him one of His men. It took Jesus Christ to see the potential in the tax collector of Capernaum.

Philip

The Gospel of John shows Philip as one of the first to whom Jesus addressed the words, “Follow Me.” When Philip met Christ, he immediately found Nathanael and told him that “we have found him, of whom Moses … and the prophets, did write.” Nathanael was skeptical. But Philip did not argue with him; he simply answered, “Come and see.” This story tells us two important things about Philip. First, it shows his right approach to the skeptic and his simple faith in Christ. Second, it shows that he had a missionary instinct. He led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8:26). He also stayed with Paul in Caesarea (Acts 21:8)

Simon the Zealot

Simon, the Zealot, one of the little-known followers called the Canaanite or Zelotes, lived in Galilee. The New Testament gives us practically nothing on him personally except that it says he was a Zealot. Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13

Thomas

Thomas was his Hebrew name and Didymus was his Greek name. At times he was called Judas. Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us nothing about Thomas except his name. However, John defines him more clearly in his Gospel. Thomas appeared in the raising of Lazarus (John 11:2-16), in the Upper Room (John 14:1-6) where he wanted to know how to know the way where Jesus was going. In John 20:25, we see him saying unless he sees the nail prints in Jesus’ hand and the gash of the spear in His side he will not believe. That’s why Thomas became known as Doubting Thomas.

How did the 12 disciples die?

Andrew = Crucified on an X-shaped cross

Bartholomew or Nathanael = Flayed alive with knives

James the elder = First apostle martyred

James the lesser = Sawn in pieces

John = Died of natural causes on the isle of Patmos

Judas Iscariot = Hung himself

Jude or Thaddeus = Killed with arrows

Matthew or Levi = Martyred in Ethiopia

Peter = Crucified upside-down on a cross

Philip = Died by hanging

Simon the Zealot = Died a martyrs death

Thomas = Killed with a spear

So who is a Peter amongst us, who is a Thomas? We all are part of the great plan of God, that is what the value says

We value diversity in relationships. We welcome people from all strata, nationalities, languages, personalities, and backgrounds into our community. We cherish differences and diversities as it brings a unique flavour in togetherness.

The flavour is about being diverse. Inclusion of each other no matter who they are. We enjoy each other’s uniqueness and it’s like a picture of the puzzle.

Each one fits in. Each one fits into RHC and each one fits in the bigger picture of God, provided we continue with his plan. We can fit in because of the cross. No matter who we are, whether our name is mentioned or not, we are one through the cross. No matter how diverse we are, we are one through the cross.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We value unity and team spirit. We work together for the expansion of the Kingdom of God because we are the body of Christ and Christ is the head of this body. We believe in accepting individuals with their uniqueness, so that we give glory to God through our diversity in being united.

Unity is not uniformity.  Instead, unity can be defined as any group of people who are characterized by a shared purpose, vision or direction. It’s not about being the exact same, but about advancing towards the same goal. Think about a football team. There are different positions on the field. Each position has different skill sets, roles and responsibilities. But all players on the team march towards the same end zone because their goal is the same. Our common goal is advancing Gods kingdom through sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. When believers from different background come together and operate in biblical unity, we will no longer be divided or conquered. We will be victorious.

1.ONE BODY MANY PARTS

 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

APOSTLE PAUL PRAYS

Romans 15:5-7 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

LORD JESUS  CHRIST PRAYS FOR ONENESS

John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Enemy comes to Steal Kill and Destroy. Steal the Unity of the Family of God, to kill the power of unity and destroy the credibility of unity.

1.UNITY: Because we NEED Each Other

Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Genesis 2: ¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

1 Corinthians 12:²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

²⁷ All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. (NLT)

Romans 12:5a The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. (MSG)

1 Corinthians 12:²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

1 Corinthians 12:21 b “Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? (MSG)

Romans 12:¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourself

2.UNITY:Because we GROW better  Together

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

1 Thessalonians 5¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Colossians 3: ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

3.UNITY:Because we can SERVE together

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Mark 8: ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

³⁵ If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live. (LB)

1 Corinthians 13: ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

3 “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” (MSG)

John 13:¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

4.UNITY: Because we can PRAY together

Acts 1: ¹⁴ They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. (NLT)

Colossians 4: ² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Hebrews 4: ¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (NLT)

5.UNITY:  Because we can CELEBRATE together

Ephesians 5: ¹⁹ When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. ( CEV)

2 Samuel 6: ⁵ David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,^[a] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

2 Samuel 6: ¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 149:1 Sing to God a brand-new song,
praise him in the company of all who love him.

Revelation 5:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”

¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

Stiven Monteiro is a retired professional from BSNL and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

As we are going through the series of values we believe in as a church, this week we are going to look into another one – Integrity.

Before we begin, I would like to tell u all this one thing that came to my mind when I began preparing for this sermon. I was just going through the values listed on our website. So when I saw all the values that has been looked into so far, they are not some random or an individual values, rather they are interconnected with each other. Let me tell you this.

Church Planting –> Leadership  –> Discipleship  –> Equipping  –> Character  –> Evangelism  –> Gospel Centered  –> Church  –> Stewardship  –> Generosity  –> Open Home  –> Integrity

When we talk about church planting, we would have been part of Leadership, for that we have gone through the process of discipleship that equips us with our character and helps us to do evangelism i.e., Gospel Centered and bring people to the church. And now when we are here in church we know that we are stewards and that enables us to become Generous in serving/Giving/Helping by even making our home open which will surely show our trueness and so we need to walk in Integrity.

Integrity – We value integrity, and genuineness. Transparency enables God to work with individuals and deliver them from all bondages and strongholds, setting them free to live a fruitful life.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. A proud father named Bobby, was taking his two little boys to play miniature golf. He walked up to the fellow at the ticket counter and asked, “How much is it to get in?”

The young man at counter replied, “$3.00 for you and $3.00 for any kid who is older than six. We let them in free if they are six or younger. How old are they?”

Bobby replied, “The younger is three and the older is seven, so I guess I owe you $6.00.”

The young man at the ticket counter said, “Hey, Mister, you could have saved yourself three bucks. You could have told me that the older one was six; I wouldn’t have known the difference.”

Bobby replied, “Yes, that may be true, but the kids would have known the difference.”

When I came across this story, I also remembered an incident happened a year ago when we were booking tickets for a movie last Christmas. It was a rule in PVR that children above 5 are also considered for tickets. Abisha just turned 5, we could have easily took her in as we were large in numbers and there are also other kids who were less than 5. But we were purposely went to the rules page to check the age criteria and booked a ticket also for her. Because we as a church not just believe but also wanted to live a life of Integrity. Indeed, our behavior teaches our kids more than our words.

This morning let’s look into this aspect of living a life of Integrity. Let’s quickly read from scriptures who were able to walk in Integrity and also the one who missed and what the consequence was and what it means to us today.

II Kings 5:20-27 Elisha & Gehazi

20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent[a] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.

The story might be familiar to most of us, let’s look up another incident which talks about the Integrity

2 Samuel 9: 1-13 – David and Mephibosheth

 [1] And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” [2] Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” [3] And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” [4] The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

[5] Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. [6] And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” [7] And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” [8] And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

[9] Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. [10] And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. [11] Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. [12] And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. [13] So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

David’s relationship with Mephibosheth is a great illustration of the kind of integrity that is crucial to the development of authentic relationships. Let us break down these stories and see what does Integrity means today to us So, Let’ see that Integrity means to be even when

No one else will know

As far as we can tell, no one except David and Jonathan knew about the promise that David had made. And now that Jonathan was dead, it was likely that no one else would ever know about that promise. But David knew. So when God brought that promise to mind, David immediately sought to be true to his word.

Gehazi thought that Elisha will not come to know about it, so let me go and get something and keep it for me, nobody will know so what is wrong in it. Even Naaman is not going to meet Elisha again or even if he meets he will not be talking about this. This made him to go for it and ended in carrying the leprosy with him and also his descendants.

Perhaps the area where this is most relevant to our lives is in our work place and for students I can say our college/school. How transparent am I when it comes to status updates or assignment submission. We know that the deadline has not come yet, but when we are asked of the progress, we say something which is not been true mostly. Because it is in progress, we may say that it is 60% or 70% or whatever. Whereas in reality we may have not really started yet or just began. We tend to do many such things in our day to day life where we think no one is watching or no one else will come to know. Another thing I can say is crossing a signal when there is no cops or no camera. Whether anyone watches me or anyone else knows or not, we should be able to walk in Integrity. Because, our God watches us from everywhere and anytime. Psalm 139:7-12

It is of no benefit to me

            King David didn’t need anything from a lame, crippled man like Mephibosheth. There was no tangible benefit for David in keeping his promise to Jonathan. Ziba certainly expressed that idea in his reply to David in verse 3. There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet. Ziba is essentially saying to David, “What do you want with this guy? He’s a cripple who has nothing to offer you.” And that was certainly true. But for David, it is being genuine, not a matter of what he was going to get out of it.

Whereas in the life of Gehazi we see, he wanted something out of Naaman. He thought that would be benefiting him in future. He asked “Please give them a talent^[a] of silver and two sets of clothing.” He thought that by getting this from him, I will have something for my future. I don’t know what I will be getting from my master. Insecure of the future.

Today In our home, in our relationship with our parents, spouse, children, grandchildren, in our job and even in the church, are we able to walk in Integrity, even when we are not going to receive anything in return? When we know that this is not going to give me anything in return, are we still willing, in those relationships, to take the kindness/love that God has shown to us? Am I being loyal or being transparent because that will help me in my promotion, gives me a better hike and not being transparent at home because I don’t see any materialistic benefit out here. Or is it other way round, even after being so loyal and being transparent, I’m not going to get anything, so I will not be so.

You are wrong admit it

Gehazi was wrong, what he did was not correct. He thought that no one else will know and it will be a benefit to him. But when he returned, Elisha asks him, where have you been? He replied I didn’t go anywhere.

In other instance which we all know where David committed a sin and confronted by the prophet Nathan, we see that he admits immediately and ask for repentance. Psalm 51

Even in our lives, we may fall short of Integrity and did something which is not ethical. Who likes to admit they have been wrong? It isn’t fun, but it can be a humbling experience. A person with true integrity has no problem admitting when they’re wrong, or when they made a mistake. They will be always the first to stop, admit their mistakes, and apologize if needed

I would like to share another story with you all.

Four high school boys were late to their morning classes one day. They entered the classroom and solemnly told their teacher they were late due to a flat tire. The sympathetic teacher smiled and told them it was too bad they were late because they had missed a test that morning. But she was willing to let them make it up. She gave them each a piece of paper and a pencil and sent them to four corners of the room. Then she told them they would pass if they could answer just one question:

Which tire was flat???

Just imagine what the world would be like if everyone followed these guidelines. Church, it is not that I’ve overcome and I’m fully the man of integrity speaking to you from my success. We all are work in Progress. People may not watch us, it may not be benefiting me in anyways, but God is talking to each of us this morning and asking this question, will you be my child who walks in Integrity. Am I being a person who can be reliable, trustworthy at my workplace? In church/my ministry? Even at home? Do I maintain the transparency that enables God and people placed by God to work in my life to make it fruitful?

I would like to remind all of us this morning that it is Christ who has exemplified the wholeness of integrity throughout His life. After 40 days of fasting, Jesus was weak from hunger. Satan tempted Him to abuse His power and turn stones to bread to instantly satisfy His hunger. When Jesus withstood that temptation, Satan tempted Jesus with instant fame and acceptance, suggesting that angels would catch Jesus if He threw Himself from a pinnacle of the temple. Jesus again refused. Finally, Satan promised Jesus kingdoms of power if Jesus would only bow down to him. Jesus rejected Satan and commanded him to depart.

Even in His most vulnerable moments, Jesus kept His integrity before His Father. From the Savior’s example, we learn that the strength of our integrity is often tested when we are at our weakest. But, following His example, we can gain the courage to be strong in difficult times.

Changing colors may benefit a cuttlefish. But changing behaviors to please others—for wealth, fame, promotions, appraisals or any other reason does not really benefit us. Remember! We all are work in Progress.

Following Christ’s example of integrity will lead us back to our Father in Heaven. If we listen to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, we can develop true integrity. Our beliefs, thoughts, and actions will be in harmony with our Savior, who will be able to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness”

Paul Anand works as a software engineer and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Leadership:

We seek to equip the congregation to take leadership, ownership and be involved within their Church and their community.  We believe that leadership is both a gift and a skill. We define and equip leaders to serve those around us.

Let’s Rise Up !!!! – Leadership

We all being called as God’s workers . Whether we like it or not. Whether we feel that calling or not , whether we feel equipped or not   . We all have a role in play in the Life of others. At RHC we do train or equip each other . We do allow each one to explore their gift and develop their skills.

First and foremost we are not talking about title or position. When you will hear this word Leadership, you may say to yourself that it’s not me but I would say that it is a wrong assumption.

‘We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ (Ephesians 2: 10)

God can use people with or without the natural ability and proper background.

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1: 26 – 27) The disciples, who went on to be founding leaders of the church, were fishermen and tax-collectors by trade. They were not highly educated or from influential families. Some had strong, driven personalities but others did not.

From the beginning, Jesus told the disciples that He would make them into something different: “Come, follow me,…and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Their occupation of catching fish changed into a mission of fishing for people. Each step along the way, Jesus taught them to share with others, connect people to God, and minister to those who were in need.

This morning God is challenging you, come follow me and it will make you something new.

When we mature into a spiritual adult, the Holy Spirit brings in us a heart change:

• We move from self-centered to others-centered
• We become God-centered in motivation
• We desire to serve and lead

For this we don’t need anyone to call us or use that word Leader. It is God’s desire for all of us to Serve and Lead.

Let us Read from the book of John 6:1-13

6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

From this Miracles we can say that :

Jesus Creates an opportunity for others to serve

Here Jesus asks a simple question “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. ⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

So the questions is like this, from where can we buy food or like which hotel will give us so many breads. Practical questions, one looks at the Crowd and their Accounts balance and gives a response “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

The other disciple hears the question and goes to search among the crowd to check if anyone carrying . Jesus did not say him or asked him to do right? But he goes by himself .

He finds the boy and brings him and we all know there was plentiful left and Jesus asks them to GATHER as well.

During this miracle, the disciples were learning about ministry as well as learning about who Jesus was. Jesus modelled intentional actions in His relationships with people. He gave the disciples hands-on experience in learning to care for others. He didn’t just have them sit back and watch Him meet peoples needs – he got them actively involved in ministering to the people around them.

So in what places , you see yourself an opportunity to serve and make a difference.

If we personally serve in a ministry, one of the best things we can do is have others serve alongside us. It might not turn out to be a long-term fit as far as skill or ability goes, but serving alongside someone they know and are comfortable with will help set them up for initial success. As they become comfortable getting involved and realize the value of serving, they will be better able to look at different areas they might be equipped for.

If we are unable to find a spot for others to serve in our church, consider inviting them along when you are serving outside of weekend services.

As we talked initially , we all are workmanship of God. Where is Jesus Pointing You Today.

1. Jesus brought them to a place/situation where there were others who were in need.

Is someone calling / Showing to you serve in Church / Community where there is a need? (You may think about street kids ministry , no that is one of our ministry not all of needs, God has birthed different ministries in our Church so that each one can fit in wherever they want. Wherever God is calling you. Today can we take a decision that You are calling me here , I will follow it. Can we above our heads for a minute and reflect back.

Always remember God uses people in our lives to sharpen us. As we saw, Jesus may have easily done things alone or by his own . He showed the need to serve others. He showed how to serve others.

2. Jesus had given them real teaching

Jesus taught them , not only practical hands on experience . He taught them as well.

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

Jesus disciples also came and sat down. A willingness to learn. The church has created so many opportunities to learn . Friday , we are learning form the book of 1 Thessalonians , Women’s have completed the book of Matthew, Men have started with the book of Mark, Girls and Boys doing some series , the children Sunday school are learning the different stories.

This opportunities are created for You by God. Are you willing to take it. God wants each one of us . I understand other commitments which we have but God’s desire for us is to grow from Milk to Meat.

Can we close our eyes, bow down in surrender and reflect back.

3. Jesus connected them to God and to each other.

Jesus told his disciples to trust God to provide for them.

Matthew 6:25-26

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

In the Process of training , our relationship with God and people need to Grow.

Jesus also told his disciples to love one another.

¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.

We have a model of discipleship, help people to grow in God. How many of us are aware where Joyce is currently and how is she doing.

Are we getting trained in Knowing God and knowing each other.

Can we close our eyes, bow down in surrender and reflect back.

4. Jesus had equipped them and released them to do ministry

Luke 9:1-6

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. ⁵ If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Are we preparing ourselves for ministries, leading ministries, leading people., The church has different categories , taking each one of us from one stage to another. Are we keen to move on the next stage. God is keen for you to move.

Can we close our eyes, bow down in surrender and reflect back.

5. Jesus shared truth that was new to them.

Luke 8:9 : The parable of the sower

• His disciples asked him what this story meant.

They were not understanding but willing to learn and ask. Rise up, let you be willing to learn . And we all know from being a student they became teachers.

Can we close our eyes, bow down in surrender and reflect back.

6. Jesus modelled discipleship to them as they were all together

John 13: 3

³ The Father had put everything in Jesus’ control. Jesus knew that. He also knew that he had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴ So he got up from the table, removed his outer clothes, took a towel, and tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that he had tied around his waist.

Jesus modelled what he said. Everything was under his control but he served.

We may have position , knowledge , wealth, education . Are we willing to serve.

Can we close our eyes, bow down in surrender and reflect back.

All this can only be possible only through Christ who strengthens us. We may desire to do all this and may fail but Christ gives the power to do it.

Rise up RHC !!! It’s time to take your place.

• We move from self-centered to others-centered
• We become God-centered in motivation
• We desire to serve and lead

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We believe that Godly character above natural gifts, talents, and abilities is the key to success in life and ministry. Our goal is to help build godly character into the lives of all members of The Church as they pursue their destiny in God.

What is Godly Character?

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. Colossians 2:5

It is about how we build it through discipline, perseverance, hard work and faith. Lot of character issues don’t go easily, we need to persevere at it. We need to work on it consistently, without getting discouraged.

Story

Henry Heinz, born in 1844, to German immigrants in Pittsburgh, PA, helped support his family as a teenager by growing and selling vegetables in the family garden. After graduating from college and getting married, he started a business selling horse radish. In 1875, a national financial collapse drove the young company into bankruptcy. Despite the legal freedom bankruptcy gave him, Heinz regarded each of the company’s outstanding debts as a moral obligation and personally paid back every penny.

Heinz went on to found the H.J. Heinz Company with its 57 varieties and became a leading American businessman. A devout Christian, he was known for the generous treatment of his employees and his generosity to Christian causes. Throughout his life Heinz conducted his business and personal dealings with the same integrity that led him to pay back hundreds of thousands of thousands of dollars he technically did not owe. He began his will with these words: “I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will as the most important item in it a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour.”

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” Proverbs 22:1

How did we derive this?

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-4

What does the bible state about this?

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Be an example
1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

How does God build this Character
Is it inborn?
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.

1 John 3:16
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Seek His Presence
1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

If we consider all the above verses, we understand that Character needs to be worked upon. We need to work on the fruit of the Spirit.
We have the root of sin in us through Adam, we are sanctified by the cross. However, our character building is a process in which God teaches us through his word and discipleship.

Character and Charisma

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Saul and David
There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else. 1 Samuel 9:1,2

Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. 2 Here is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed Israel along the way when Israel came up from Egypt. 3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything they have. Don’t spare them. Put them to death—man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’” 4 So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5 Saul proceeded to the city of Amalek, where he set an ambush in the wadi. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them. After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites. 7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is next to Egypt. 8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people with the sword. 9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised and worthless. 10 Then the Lord’s message came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 1 Sam 15: 1 – 11

1 Sam 16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.” 2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They said, “Do you come in peace?” 5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel noticed Eliab and said to himself, “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.” 12 So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

Jesus

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Isaiah 53: 2 – 3

We can’t hide anything from God.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We value Church planting as one of our core principles. We believe in expanding God’s Kingdom, biblical beliefs, values, and teachings to people in and around the city, state, nationally and internationally.

Why we have taken the series of values is to make us aware of what this church is all about what we believe and why we believe as a church.

What is Church planting?

Church planting is the establishing of an organized body of believers in a new location.

For example , Renewed hope community is birthed by our Mother Church which is located in Colaba ,Mumbai. They planted in this new location of Panvel years back.

As a Church we have set a target to plant a church. Our ultimate Goal or God’s ultimate goal is that we spread out in and around the city , outside the state , outside our country through church plants.

And yesterday , I witnessed a church plant which took place in Australia.

The normal response to discussions about church planting is something like this.

A.“We already have plenty of churches that have lots and lots of room for all the new people who have come to the area. Let’s get them filled before we start building any new ones.”

B.“Every church in this community used to be more full than it is now. A new church here will just take people from churches that are already hurting and will weaken everyone.”

C.“Help the churches that are struggling first. A new church doesn’t help the existing ones that are just. . We need better churches, not more churches.”

These statements appear to be common sense to many people, but they rest on several wrong assumptions. The error of this thinking will become clear if we ask, “Why is church planting so crucially important?”

The church-planting focus is biblical. As the apostle Paul travelled through an area, he always tried to spend enough time in each city to establish a local body of believers and train the leadership (Acts 14:21-23). Later, he would try to revisit those churches to confirm and encourage them in the faith (Acts 15:41; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). The churches he established would then begin to send out missionaries themselves, and so the work of church planting continued (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

Why we Plant Churches?

1. Church Planting is Biblical.

Mathew 28:19,20 includes – Great commission involves Making disciples AND Baptizing them.

It calls to plant churches, not simply to share the faith. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20) is a call not just to “make disciples” but to baptize. In Acts and elsewhere, it is clear that baptism means incorporation into a worshiping community with accountability and boundaries (cf. Acts 2:41–47). The only way to be truly sure you are increasing the number of Christians in a town is to increase the number of churches.

Why would this be? Much traditional evangelism aims to get a “decision” for Christ. Experience, however, shows us that many of these decisions disappear and never result in changed lives. Many decisions are not really conversions but are only the beginning of a journey of seeking God. (Other decisions (Other decisions are very definitely the moment of a “new birth,” but this differs from person to person.) Only a person who is being evangelized in the context of an ongoing worshiping and shepherding community can be sure of finally coming home into vital, saving faith

Acts 2: 41-47 After 3000 people were baptized they “joined” themselves to the original 12 or 120 disciples. So church was instantly formed.

N.T. way of expanding the gospel – Trace the expansion of church through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria at the uttermost part of the earth and the church planters led the way.

The cities where the churches planted are Jerusalem, Samaria, Damascus, Antioch, Cilicia, Ephesus, Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Thessalonica, Colossae, Philippi, Cenchreae, Island of Crete, Cyprus, Athens, Achaia, Berea, Phrygia, Iconium, Lystra & Derbe, etc.

2. PAUL’S WHOLE STRATEGY WAS TO PLANT URBAN CHURCHES

The greatest missionary in history, Saint Paul, had a rather simple twofold strategy. First, he went into the largest city of a region (cf. Acts 16:9, 12), and second, he planted churches in each city (cf. Titus 1:5—”appoint elders in every town”). Once Paul had done that, he could say that he had “fully preached” the gospel in a region and that he had “no more place . . . to work in these regions” (cf. Rom. 15:19,23). This means Paul had two controlling assumptions: (a) that the way to most permanently influence a country was through its chief cities, and (b) the way to most permanently influence a city was to plant churches in it. Once he had accomplished this in a city, he moved on. He knew that the rest that needed to happen would follow.

Consider these facts of New Church Plan:

1. NEW CHURCHES BEST REACH NEW GENERATIONS, NEW RESIDENTS, AND NEW PEOPLE GROUPS

First, younger adults have always been disproportionately found in newer congregations. Long-established congregations develop traditions (such as time of worship, length of service, level of emotional responsiveness, sermon topics, leadership style, emotional atmosphere, and thousands of other tiny customs and mores)

Second, new residents are almost always reached better by new congregations. Older congregations

may require a tenure of ten years before someone is allowed into places of leadership and influence,

but in a new church, new residents tend to have equal power with long time area residents.

Third, new sociocultural groups in a community are always reached better by new congregations. For example, if new white-collar commuters move into an area where the older residents were farmers, it is likely that a new church will be more receptive to the myriad needs of the new residents, while the older churches will continue to be oriented to the original social group. Also, new racial groups in a community are best reached by a new church that is intentionally multiethnic from the start.

Many people do ask us . why we don’t have Hindi translations. I believe God is calling us for something else. There are many Hindi churches in Panvel but hardly any English churches. Churches have translators, but I believe translation has its only advantages and disadvantages. God has called us for something.

2. NEW CHURCHES BEST REACH THE UNCHURCHED

Dozens of denominational studies have confirmed that the average new church gains most of its new members (60–80%) from the ranks of people who are not attending any worshiping body, while churches over ten to fifteen years of age gain 80–90 percent of new members by transfer from other congregations.2

This means the average new congregation will bring six to eight times more new people into the life of the body of Christ than an older congregation of the same size.

Although established congregations provide many things that newer churches often cannot, older churches in general will never be able to match the effectiveness of new bodies in reaching people for the kingdom. Why would this be? As a congregation ages, powerful internal institutional pressures lead it to allocate most of its resources and energy toward the concerns of its members and constituents, rather than toward those outside its walls. This is natural and to a great degree desirable. Older congregations have a stability and steadiness that many people thrive on and need. This does not mean that established churches cannot win new people. In fact, many non-Christians will be reached only by churches with long roots in the community and the marks of stability and respectability.

THE NEW CHURCHES BRING NEW IDEAS TO THE WHOLE BODY

There is plenty of resistance to the idea that we need to plant new churches to reach the constant stream of new groups and generations and residents. Many congregations insist that all available resources should be used to find ways of helping existing churches reach them. There is, however, no better way to teach older congregations about new skills and methods for reaching new people groups than by planting new churches. It is the new churches that have freedom to be innovative, so they become the Research and Development Department for the whole body in the city. Often the older congregations have been too timid to try a particular approach or absolutely sure it would “not work here,” but when the new church in town succeeds wildly with that new method, the other churches eventually take notice and gain the courage to try it themselves.

NEW CHURCHES ARE ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO IDENTIFY CREATIVE, STRONG LEADERS FOR THE WHOLE BODY

In older congregations, leaders emphasize tradition, tenure, routine, and kinship ties. New congregations, on the other hand, attract a higher percentage of venturesome people who value creativity, risk, innovation, and future orientation. Many of these men and women would never be attracted or compelled into significant ministry apart from the appearance of these new bodies. Often older churches “box out” people who have strong leadership skills but who cannot work in more traditional settings. New churches in a city thus attract and harness people whose gifts would otherwise not be utilized in the work of the body. These new leaders eventually benefit the whole body in the city

THE NEW CHURCHES CHALLENGE OTHER CHURCHES TO SELF-EXAMINATION

In general, the success of new churches often challenges older congregations to evaluate themselves in substantial ways.

What is my part in the entire church planting process?

Each one plays a role, we all have a role to play , some will be pioneers, some will support and stand with them , some will pray, some will open their homes etc

Prepare: When we say church planting , it usually does not start with big hall, It starts from home. If we open our homes , get trained, beginning with a small community (Cell group) etc. It gives a massive opportunity in that place , society. Sometimes we just open a home and give access to prospect leaders in our home.

Support: Support those who are doing it , how to do it ? is by attending. Massive opportunities , All our ministries end product is to raise people in leadership and send them out to plant churches. Do join , we have something for you from Monday to Sunday.

Pray:  Pray to God to give us new places , territory. Pray for Pioneers, God will raise them.

Our Journey…. (PANVEL CHURCH)

When we moved to Panvel 8 years back, it was a hard sowing ground. There were no proper infrastructure , we as a family struggled but we were faithful, it began in our home, then we moved to a school and then we moved to a restaurant . God has amazed us in many ways.

What if our church was not planted, what about you , what about X,Y,Z, our street children. I look at their eyes and I cry in my heart.

We trained so many people over the period of years, in music, teaching, serving etc.

There will be many more churches in Panvel in the coming years because that is the only way his kingdom will expand. Does our church be relevant.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

The Value:We value training and equipping. We equip through modelling and providing opportunities to develop and build individuals in all that God has purposed for them that is evidently seen and that which is concealed.

Equipping

Are you equipped to fight a war?

Are you equipped to Cure / Treat a brain Tumor?

Are you equipped to Cook?

From all the above questions we understand that the word ‘Equip’ is especially used / means training, rigorous study, to supply somebody/something with what is needed for a particular purpose, provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose.

Joshua was equipped by Moses for leading the Israelites into the promised land.

Timothy was equipped by Paul for pastoring the church

Why Equip & Why Disciple?

What’s the difference?

Disciple literally means “pupil” or “learner”

First, a disciple is called to walk with Christ; they profess and live out their faith in Jesus Christ.

Second, a disciple is equipped to live like Christ; they are engaged in a process of spiritual growth and transformation.

Third, a disciple is sent to work for Christ; they are serving the Lord.

Discipleship is a bigger umbrella and Equipping is part of discipleship. A person is equipped while discipling but not discipled while equipping.

What if I don’t want to be equipped?

When we don’t disciple (train and equip) someone who surrenders their life to Christ, they will almost always become lukewarm in their faith, worldly in their behavior, and hypocritical in their witness.

All of us as Christians want to give our life to a cause.  We want to make a difference and do something with our life, don’t we?  When we become a disciple of Christ we will eventually want to “bear much fruit” and do “good works that will last” (John 15:8, 16).  Once we have surrendered our life to Christ, experienced the joy of His grace, the warmth of His love, the cleansing of His forgiveness, and the indwelling of His Spirit, we will inevitably come to a point when we can no longer be happy unless we are serving the Lord.

Who Equips?

The Church equips. Explain the core, committed, congregation, crowd, community category. Also, we need to carry that desire to be equipped.

Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent” (Exodus 33:11).

Not only did Joshua stay in the Tent, but scripture says he “would not depart” from it…in other words, he refused to leave. Was this time in the presence of God preparation and on the job training for Joshua’s soon to be leadership position, even though he didn’t really know all that God had in mind at the time?

Numbers 27:18-20 the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hands on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.” It would be Joshua who would now lead the people into the Promised Land.

Paul equips Timothy to care for the church with the following Instructions:

14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit,[a]

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

4 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,[b] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 3:14-4:16

How do we apply the above scriptures in today’s reality?

As mentioned earlier, all of us are called to make disciples and send them out into the world.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19 -20

Each of us need to be taught to obey, to be equipped to go out into the world to make disciples.

Who needs to be equipped?

All of us.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.                                                                                           Ephesians 4:11-16

Whenever God calls us to a task, He will equip us and enable us to complete that task.”

– Michael Youssef

How does God equip us?

1. An opportunity– We have numerous opportunities as individuals and as a church to make all know God/hear the voice of God. God presents us with opportunities to make exploits for him.
2. Through Afflictions – God uses our suffering to help others and complete tasks for Him. How so? It is God “who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).
3. Through Gifts – If you are a Christian, you must have a gift; otherwise, you contradict Scripture because Paul writes that everyone has “gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith” (Romans 12:6). He’s given them to us, so we should use them. By Paul saying that God’s given them to us, he means all of us in the Body of Christ–the church. There is no doubt that “each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another” (1 Corinthians 7:7).
4. Through the Church – God has equipped us by giving us the church; the church in its ministries also equips believers for service. God knows that you can’t do it alone and you can’t live in isolation and so he has prepared you a community of people called out of the world. You need a community so that you can know him more and make him known.

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality – Romans 12: 10 – 13

5. Through the Holy Spirit – The Spirit of God lives in us, and is with us always. In the work that God has called us to do, remember he is your partner, For we are God’s fellow workers 1 Cor 3:9. Holy Spirit empowers believes in witnessing, Acts 1:8.

Jesus also equips us through His cross, to take up His yolk which is light and walk. He equips us to fight greater battles of life.

To end with here’s a short afterthought

Have you ever watched a pit crew in action at an auto race? I had the opportunity to be in the pit area during a race, and I was impressed.

In less time than it takes for most of us to put our seatbelt on and adjust the mirror, the crew had changed four tires, filled the gas tank, washed the windshield, given the driver a drink, and made vital adjustments to the car. It happens so quickly and efficiently because each crew member knows his job and does it right.

Speaking at a chapel service before the race, chaplain Max Helton said to the drivers and their crews, “Imagine all the people it takes to put on a race. What if they all wanted to drive? It would be chaos.” It’s the same with the crew. If everyone wanted to change tires and no one wanted to fill the gas tank, the car wouldn’t have a very long ride.

Likewise, in the body of Christ we all have been equipped with different skills to do certain tasks (Eph. 4:7-16). We can’t all be pastors or teachers. Some of us have to “change the tires” and “wash the windshield.” And each job is as important as the other.

For the body of Christ to fulfill its purpose, we each need to concentrate on our part and do it the best we can. –J D Branon

God builds His church and makes it strong

By using you and me;

And if we all will do our part,

The world Christ’s love will see.

Teamwork divides the effort

and multiplies the effect.

Let’s pray.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We all know that the Bible presents the gospel in four different accounts as per Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Most often people mistake it to be four gospels, which is not the case. The gospel, in essence means ‘the good news’ –  and it is the coming of the Messiah according to John 3:16. I’d like to present this gospel as a gift you received – a practical gift. Let us turn to Romans 1:1-4

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There are three things that draws one’s attention here in this verse.

1. The gospel of God – this shows that this gift is of God; which means that it was God who thought it was necessary for man, and it was God who took the effort of getting and giving it to man whose only role was to be in need of it and to receive it freely
2. Promised beforehand through his prophets – This starts right from the time of Adam where the coming of the Messiah was foretold and throughout the old testament scripture, we see Christ being pointed at. We see that there is a suspense built and developed by God himself for this gift of gospel
3. Also this passage leads us to the dual nature of Christ who came to this world as fully man and fully God – the right way to deal with the ‘sin problem’ to which the gospel is the ‘good news’.

To talk about this ‘sin problem’ is to understand how man was created and crowned with glory and honour which he lost as a consequence of falling in sin

Psalms 8:5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor

Romans 3:23 …for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

So, the gospel comes as the gift of restoration and redemption to man, offering freedom from the bondage of sin. And, in the unpacking of this gift one lives a life of continual freedom – a life centered on the truth of the gospel, a gospel centered life

To better understand how we live this kind of life, let us see the two natures of man from Galatians 5:16-21 and how the Bible teaches us to live based on both

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Three things we learn from here are that

1. We are familiar with verses encouraging believers to restrain from giving in to the corrupting desires of the flesh. But the way to do it is given in verse 16 – it is by living a life led by the Spirit that we do not live by the flesh.
2. The KJV better depicts the affinity of these opposing powers working in man by the usage of a strong word ‘lust’ which in ordinary terms denotes a strong burning desire. The very fact that the Spirit also inspires a burning desire in a person to do good things (which is largely neglected/overlooked) should give so much confidence in a believer who for so many years have found himself powerless against the flesh until he came to Christ
3. Verse 18 is interesting as it brings a third player ‘law’ into the existing ‘Spirit vs flesh’ picture.

As a short background law is the written code of do’s and don’ts given by God to man. It was given so that man might know what sin is as it is written in Romans 3:20

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin

As said in the above verse, the problem arises when the law is tried to be fulfilled by man to gain right standing (righteousness) before God which empowers the Flesh in a way (read Romans 7). This state is generally called ‘being under the law’. It is highly important to note here that law is good and God-given for a noble purpose. Man through his wrong approach empowers his flesh to seize the opportunity to fall in sin by trying to be righteous by following the law, violating its God intended purpose.

But as one had come to believe in Christ, their flesh is defeated and crucified and the believer is called to rest each moment in the crucified as this beautiful hymn ‘are you washed…’ goes.

Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11  And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit

And lastly as we read in the above chapter, the ministry where the law was given was so glorious that Moses who received the law from God had to cover his face. All of this was only pointing to and was fulfilled in the coming of Christ in whom as believers we are found. The former fore-shadow had so much glory but much more glorious is the ministry of Christ in us. It is in realizing the freedom from gratifying the flesh by ‘being under the law’ (wrongful approach to the law which was intended for good) – the freedom found in Christ we live a life reflecting the Lord’s glory into whose likeness we are being transformed.

The glory which was lost through sin is now into which we are being transformed by the work of Christ. Let us therefore walk by the Spirit towards the purpose and greater calling God has for us.

1. Definition and Description of Evangelism:

It comes from the Greek word for gospel(evangelion) and means, literally, gospeling. When we evangelize, we are gospelling – we are spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Evangelism is Good News, Glad tidings of Saviour Jesus Christ.

1.The Great Commission (Mathew 28:18-20)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2. Witnessing for Jesus (Mark 5:1-20)

Mark 5:18  As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

3. Winning Souls for Jesus (Jude 1:23)

²³ save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

4. Witnessing for Jesus (John 1:37-42) ³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

It’s a great commission given to Evangelise /to tell the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ and be witness at our home, to our relatives, friends and community so that they are not lost by making them disciples (teacher student relationship) baptizing them and to obey the commandments of Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching.

1. B) Why every Christian should Practice and Pursue Evangelism:
2. It is the Command of Jesus (Mathew 28:18-20).

Therefore go, Its Great Commission

2. To all Nations and end of the Earth (Acts 1:7-8)

  Acts 1:⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

It is not just for the original Apostles, but for every Christian because all the world that is all nations and end of the Earth has not been reached with the Gospel. The command flows to every Christian Generation, to every Christian alive.

3. Because the World is Broken and is in the Darkness.

Isaiah 60: “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
² See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
³ Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

4.We are the Light of the World :

Matthew 5: ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  

Psalm 119: ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

2 Peter 1: ¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns.

5. Faith comes by Hearing, for the Salvation of the Lost:

Romans 10: ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”^[a]

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”^[b]

6. We are called as Ambassadors of Reconciliation:

2 Corinthians 5:¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

7. GODS HEART.

2 Peter 3:⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

This should be our heart beat that none should perish and all be saved. The story is told by the Savior Jesus Christ as an Illustrative answer to the money loving and self-justifying pharisees.

Luke 16:¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

The Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16: ¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ ²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Let us Evangelise with humbleness and prayerful heart to others so that they may be saved from eternal condemnation and have eternal life.                                            

Stiven Monteiro is a retired professional from BSNL and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.