United in Christ

I thank God that God has given me one more chance to deliver the word of God before you all. I thank pastor Manu and also all the elders of the church that they have given me this opportunity to serve to give this message to you today. Uh the things which I want to speak before you, it includes me also. And while we are listening, we should all ponder on the things which we are hearing because it is very important for us. In Luke chapter, there is particularly one uh incident in which Jesus was asked a question. about the coming of the kingdom. I am speaking from referring uh Luke 17 verse 21. So it is said that the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. When Jesus spoke this particular statement and this statement is not a hypothetical statement. It is a very factual statement. So the question was when will the kingdom of Messiah come? Pharisees never believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Only considered him as just a prophet. ordinary prophet. So when the Pharisees asked him when the Messiah will come or when the kingdom of God will come at that time Jesus said that it is not futuristic. It is among you. If we recollect all the parables which Jesus said to the people to make them understand the purpose of his coming. Everywhere he says that kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God is rooted is in the earth itself. Later on we can find from the acts then the epistles it is not the kingdom of heaven recurringly coming but the concept of church is coming. They [Music] were if you read Colossians in that it It is written that you have been redeemed from the dominion of darkness and brought to the kingdom of sun. It is not that kingdom of God. The word the word church is not only or sorry for the word church is not only given for the kingdom of heaven but even very much more deeper word that is called the body of Christ. I used to think why this particular metaphor body is given to church. Church is the bride of Christ or church is the body of Christ. Why this particular thing Paul uses? While if you read the other epistle for example epistle of John or uh Peter we don’t find the body of Christ as the church Paul was in very deeper relationship with Christ. Paul understood the mystery of Christ. the power of the sorry the power of church. Now how he want how he can communicate to the believers to take the seriousness of being the member of church because church was moving like a club system coming gathering eating and going. But since Paul was in very deep relationship with Jesus Christ, he was struggling to make understand the believers the importance of the church. Paul is asking to Jesus. I’m just putting imaginary situation and I think that if I want to explain this to explain the love of God, I am right. Everything which stands on the principle of love, it is correct. So I can my imagination is correct. So when Paul was sitting in the presence of God as usual praying before the Lord at that time Paul asked my Lord I know the seriousness of being the member of the church but the believers who have brought out who I gave the water baptism who are filled with the Holy Spirit who are prophesying and speaking in tongues they don’t know the real power of the church. They don’t know what you have stored for them. They don’t know what is the concern for the church. Jesus said just I want to brighten up your memory and then you will give me a word which can explain the depth of the church. Then Jesus opened the mind of power brought before him the brilliant incident of the church history the conversion of Saul. Hallelujah. When Paul was when Saul was traveling on the horse to arrest the people who call upon the name of Jesus Christ, at that time Jesus appeared before him and said and asked one question very humble, very polite, very politely. S why you pers? He was baffled where I did this. I have never encountered Christ. I have just encountered his people. Then how it is possible that I have I have persecuted him? Then what came in? What was the matter? The matter was he was the leading person to persecute Stephen. Hallelujah. So when he was harassing, when he was torturing the people who were the followers of Christ, Christ told that you are not persecuting them, you are actually persecuting me. Hallelujah. So actually when you are touching the body or when you are torturing the when you’re attacking when you’re hurting the body of Stephen that means you are actually hurting me only. Stephen’s body is not Stephen’s body. It is the body of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. There came the revelation of church to Paul and he began to write that consider yourself as the member of the body. Hallelujah. And that’s why Paul prayed a excellent prayer. I don’t know whether that answer was given or not. That was the prayer which we can find in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 8 verse 16. You can read till 20. Okay. Paul is praying to God that the eyes of the believers should be opened. In Corinthians epistle we can find the god of the age the god of the age has blinded the eyes of the people so that they cannot understand or see Jesus right now what type of this is eye opening is there so how many times our eyes should be open once upon a time we all our eyes were open so that’s why we believed in the gospel but that that is a part A Christianity that is part A. Many of the believers are living in part A. But Bible always says there is a second mile. There is not only first mile, there is a second mile. It is not that somebody ask you to come accompany you. You are not accompanying with them in one mile. You have to accompany with them the second mile. In the same way God calls you, your first mile is maybe your water baptism or maybe your filling of the Holy Spirit. But there is a second mile. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I think you are in serious thinking. Good. Hallelujah. So when if you are if you enter into the second mile then your eyes should be open. Unless your eyes are open, you will not know who you are. In Sanskrit adita, there is a saying that Brahasmi that means there is truth. There is only one truth. All what you see is not the truth. There is only one truth that has to be realized and that is in you. Hallelujah. So your eyes should be open to know that who you are. Unless you know who you are, you are under the bondage. You are under the bondage of darkness. To illustrate that I want to share a small story which I used to teach to the students in the school from a subject called moral science. One day accidentally the egg of an eagle separated from the mother seagull somehow and went to the joined the eggs of the hen. The eggs were hatched and finally the baby chicken came out. Along with that the baby eagle also came out. Now the eagle began to walk like the head chicks in body physically it’s very strong big wings everything but it cannot fly. It cannot fly. It also used to walk with the chicks. Whatever the mother feeds the baby chicks get. Okay. One day the eagle saw the baby eagle saw a big eagle flying over the sky. Then she that that baby eagle also the eagle wished that I also if it would be possible that I could also fly like that eagle in the sky so that I can enjoy the environment. I can see the world but it was not able to do that. Wish was there but it was not able to do that. One day what happened while walking along with the chicks it came near a pond and when when when it went to the pond at that time it saw its reflection then it realized that I am not like the chicks. I am not like the chicks. I am like the eagle which flies on the sky. A realization came and then started a takeoff for that baby eagle, that eagle that it began to fly high in the sky. Hallelujah. That is the power of enlightenment. That is the power of enlightenment. If you are able to know the depth of the church, the power of the church, our life will not be same like this. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Now how to see when we come to the church there is a prayer session. We sit very prayerfully with the reverence. We we visit there when there is worship we also take that very seriously more seriously when there is Lord’s supper at that time also that we are very much serious and the pastor says that this is a bread which shows the body of Christ we become very serious and we pray to God to wash our sins so that we can be eligible to participate in the Lord’s supper that’s how serious we are about the Lord’s supper because it is the body of Christ. Why there is discrimination then when considering the church as the body of the Christ? Why this reverence and the devotion is missing among the believers in today’s context for the church. Hallelujah. Just as we realize our salvation experience, just as we realize the the different sessions of the worship service, in the same way we also have to realize the power of church. Otherwise, you’ll be just attending a prayer service and going back to home and we’ll pass all the years in this way. That’s why Paul says that I pray that your eyes will be opened and lightened and you can see what God has stored for you. Here Paul is not using the word here that in the power of resurrection in you. Paul is not using that. What Paul is saying the power of resurrection is directed towards you. Just like the sun rays are directed towards us. At the same way the power of resurrection the power which made Jesus alive from the death that power is directed towards you but that is a question mark whether we are receiving that power or not. Hallelujah. And for that what we required what we require the enlightenment of our hallelujah. Now how this happens. Hallelujah. All when that’s why the Paul is saying that to make understand the seriousness of being a member of church. That’s why he used the word called the body of Christ. That means the person who are sitting near near you whether child or grown-up or in that context it was the bond servants each other everyone should consider each other as a body of Christ as a part of Christ. So when I’m looking at a believer okay what how I should look or you should look how I should look that that that brother is the it’s like me only in India I’m talking about Gujarat wherever you go in the government offices not I’m telling about the private office the private company’s office wherever you go to the government office it is written That means don’t spit here. But you can find so many spitting of tobacos there. You can see here one smart guy what he did know he understand the psychology of the people. He wrote that he didn’t write he just put the photos of Hindu goddess and goddesses. Then what happened? the same wall, that same mouth, the same tobacco, but nothing came out. Why? Because the way the way of seeing that particular place was changed. Now what happened? Now what is thinking? If I I spit on that, I’m spitting on whom? God and hallelujah. It’s a real thing what I’m telling. So why can’t we consider the fellow brothers and sisters who have so many weaknesses, so many incompatibles and are we still able to see that person as the part of Christ? Hallelujah. My s my sincere concern while standing here and giving the message is not to get the approach but we all should understand and we should all enter into the deeper understanding of the church. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So that’s why Paul used the word called word body. Now how we can now I told you that how we can understand the power of the church. There is no power without your we connecting with the Christ and in Bible there is no hierarchy. Hierarchy is just given for administration. But if you see read the Bible and I it is said that all are saints of God. The blood which was given by Christ on the cross the same amount of blood is given to you me and everyone. So we have all an accountability towards the Lord. Hallelujah. Understand what I’m telling? So that’s why we are all considered as the saints and for the administration of the church there is pastors there are prophets there are teachers but commonly speaking we all are saints before the god we are have same accountability towards god whether it is 50 years of age whether it is 40 years of age whether it is 70 years of age whether it is 14 years and the Best model is Paul in the Lord’s supper. Whenever there is a Lord’s supper, we read a particular verse. What I received from the Lord. So it is not only power should receive from the from the Lord. It is we all have to receive from the Lord. Sometimes people think that is only the pastors who receive from the Lord. It is not like that. Everyone should receive from the Lord because everyone is married to Christ. Let’s read Ephesians 5 31 and 32. I mean each and every member is connected should be connected. Jesus want to be Jesus want the believers to be connected. How every believer who have taken water baptism attending the church should have a relationship with Christ just like a husband and wife. I don’t think that Paul would have feel the shame of writing this particular verse. He’s not bothered about what the people will think when I write all these things. Somehow in some way people should understand what is Christ for the believers and what what is what are the believers for the Christ. Just as a husband takes care of the wife in the same way Jesus Christ is taking care of each and every believers. Hallelujah. It is in this relationship only in this relationship we can truly experience the concept of church. One more verse I want you all to read that is the same chapter 521. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ whether you like or not that person that is not a question mark for that is not a question for God whether you like or not like that person but one thing is there it’s a mandatory that you have to submit to one another for whom for Christ now who are the people to submit pastors submit submit to believers or believers submit to pastor. No, not like that. You can if you see the entire list be below that it includes everyone. See first 22 wives submit 25 husband love your wives just as Christ loved the church. Then there is a big explanation about that. Then comes in chapter 6 verse 1. Children obey your parents. Then come when you come to 6 chapter verse 5. There also we can find the bond servant the slaves. No one is excluded. Means I am talking about a church genuine church according to the Christ. I’m not talking about according the framework which we have decided. Okay. So first wives that means where it will submit. For example wife is coming from the door husband will tell come sit here. Submission is over. that submission. This particular uh this particular verses has to be practiced at home. Hallelujah. This particular all the verses have to practiced at home. So our church service doesn’t start at 11:00 and ends at 12:55. The church service is there 24 into 7 365. Hallelujah. That means at whom also you have to see your wife as the part of Christ. Wives should see husband as the part of Christ. Children should see the parents as the part of Christ. Parents should treat the children as the part of Christ. When this happens in the family, automatically it will reflect in the church. You don’t have to struggle to come in spirit and worship here. Hallelujah. If you are actually practicing that in home, there is no problem in worshiping here. Hallelujah. This church this what church means. Hallelujah. You have to reflect Christ in every matter of your life. Hallelujah. Paul had a conversion and suddenly he didn’t come for ministry. There was some gap. There was a gap. Where did Paul experience church? That’s an amazing story. That amazing. I like church antio very much. Then Jerusalem. Why? You know that in my God’s eyes there is no favoritism. Everyone is very equal. Very equal. Every very good God. You know if I ask you one question who founded the church of Antio? There is no answer. There is no answer. If Jerusalem church then we can say the preaching of it. Ephesus church then we can say Paul. But who founded the church of Antio? Then you don’t find any answer from the Bible. Who you know who has founded it? Some of Hallelujah. Excellent Holy Spirit. Didn’t mention the name of the person there. My God. Hallelujah. See the great church. Today also the churches in Kerala are trying to connect themselves with the Angukan church. But who founded this church? There is no mention. But how was the church? in this church which was founded by no mention of the person. How was the church in that church that we read from Acts 13 13 verse1 now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers Bernabas Simon who was called Niger Lucius ofSirene Man long friend of Herod the tetra and Saul While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying, they laid out their hands on them and sent them. The first laying of hands we can find that happened in Jerusalem church. That was for food distribution. Jerusalem church. The members of the elders of the Jerusalem church laid their hands on the people who has to distribute the food. But here we can find that the church at the antio they laid their hands on Saul and Bernabas. That means what I what I can find here is that Saul and Barnabas was in the submission of the church. You can see the name of the Paul written last. Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem. But in that church there were prophets and teachers but all were in equal position and Paul and Barnabas was in submission. Church sent them as the missionaries. So here Paul found the meaning of church from antuke that church should be responsible for sending the missions. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So that is what the Paul understanding of the church. Now we read a verse regarding the prayer of Paul to open the eyes of the believers right so that they can understand the power of the church. Now before that Paul said something about that church. I’m reading Ephesians chapter 1 verse 15. For this reason because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints. EphesS church was commended by Paul for having the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and second thing the love for all saints that was EphesS known for very strong unity among the believers excellent church where like not like the Corinthian church where there were so many divisions at that time Paul had to use the word body there to connect everyone this church spent a long time in faith and love. But when we after a after some time you can understand what happened to the church at Ephesus. I will read that from re revelation chapter 2 verse four. But I have this against you that you that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Paul commended remember Paul commended about the church of Ephesus for the two qualities which is very important. What is that? the faith in Lord Jesus Christ and the love for all saints. Now when we come to revelation chapter at that time Christ says that I don’t want so many good things are there in the church endurance patience testing the apostles whether they are right or wrong everything they have good qualities are there my lord is a very very super way of dealing with the people first highlighting all the positive things at last put the negative things good good things told about Ephesis when we are reading very happy. Wow. God has Jesus has spoken about us. Very good. But when they came to this particular portion, they were scared. What what was the threatening language Jesus used? I will take your place. Now next time when I will walk when we start when we read chapter one we can find Jesus walking among the seven lampstand which shows the se the seven churches. Now imagine if the again next time if Christ will walk then how many churches will be there? Jesus says that I don’t want a club here. I have so many angels over there who can play accent musical instruments and know me honestly, truthfully and spiritually. I already people there. But I want a person who is always devoted to me. Just like a wife waits for a husband in the same way. If all the believers are like that, I want that church. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So what I want to say is that unless we experience the power of the church, the depth of the church, the meaning of the church, we can never experience the power of God which is for us. Hallelujah. If you look at the history of our Pentecostal churches, all the great things happened when there were few members in the church and very united. One example I will give, if you get a chance, read this book, God speaks Tibet. God speaks Tibetan written by Alan Me. Read that book. Some people who take a mission to translate the Bible into Tibetan language. They went to Tibet and learned the language began to translate. While translating they faced some difficulty and they were sitting in Lahour and and printing the manuscript. At that time there was one problem happening and at that time they require a person from Tibet named Kappell to come in Lahour and help them in translation. The main person was Rey. This man was brought to from Tibet to Delhi and Delhi is known as a Tarai region or the valley region. While Tibet is a very located in a very highest elevation where there is around the year it is a minus°. So this man came to Delhi. As he came to Delhi it’s very hot place. So he began to have illness and he was about to die very seriously. And this man if he doesn’t reaches from Delhi to Lahour then there will be a problem in translation of the Bible in Tibetan the believers there prayed some something should be done here they began to pray for they began to pray and what happened no suddenly the monsoon used to monsoon has to come after one week this happened in 1946 not Now 1946 the the climate change the weather change and suddenly there starts rain and Delhi’s temperature level came down and slowly gappel got healed everything changed because of the prayers of that believers unitedly praying for him and then he went to Lahour and the Bible translation was completed and Tibet God Bible in their language. There are so many such incidents happen in the believers. What I mean is that if a church exists as the true church, as the body of Christ, then I say that whatever you pray, what Jesus said in John 15, whatever you ask in my name, my father will give you. But there is a condition unless you live in me and I believe in you, you cannot produce fruit. Hallelujah. The the second part Christians just cross the baptism. The second part Christians they are in strong relationship with Christ. Christ lives in them and they live in Christ and there the power of research and works. Otherwise we’ll all live as a relation. So next time when you come to the church see everyone as a part of the body of Christ. So your way of looking at your believers changes looking at the church changes service will be different everything will be different. Hallelujah. And that will deliver us. all the problems of our life. May God bless you