 Good morning and welcome to BC 110 course on identity, where we look into how we have been identified and Christ week after week. Even before we could start a session, request one of us to please lead us in prayer. Anyone from online or from on campus, request you all to lead us in prayer. Prince, would you like to pray? Jesus, Jesus, we thank you, Lord, for this day, Lord. Thank you for this time, Lord. And thank you for giving this time, Lord, to come together and to listen to your word and to listen to your teachings, Lord Father. And as we go through the class, Lord Father, we ask you Lord to reveal more about you and to reveal more of our identity, who we are in you and Lord Father. And help us to walk in the true identity that you have called us and that you have given us, Lord Father. Open our minds and open our hearts a lot to understand and walk in the truth that you have set for us, Lord Father. To you we submit everything. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you Prince. So last class, what did we look into? What did we learn from our last class? We are the ministers and we are the ambassadors in Christ Jesus. This is what he says that you are the representative, you are the governor, you are the diplomat, you are representing Christ. So each of us, when we are in Christ, we are the ambassadors in Christ. At APC, this is what we believe that every believer is a minister of Christ. Every believer is a minister. We are called to be the leader. We are called to carry the gospel. We are called to be the ambassadors of Christ in, ambassadors of Christ. So here we are to know and understand and identify ourselves as that minister, as that leader, as that ambassador in Christ Jesus. So this is what it says in the Greek word. In Greek, ambassador literally translates as a senior representative. A senior representative, a governor, a general. It also means a diplomat, a higher official. So you and I are the representative of the most high God. We need to remember this. We need to identify ourselves that we are just not an ordinary leader but a minister of God. So when we identify ourselves as a minister of God, everything changes, our thought process changes, the way we lead ourselves changes. We don't focus on ourselves. We shift the focus from ourselves to Christ. Though we may be nothing, in physical we may be weak, unskilled, untalented. But here the Lord is saying, when you identify yourself in me, you see yourself grow in much skilled position. You see the talent, the skill that flows in and through you. So what is in Christ has now become in us. Why? Because we are in Him. We are abiding in Him and He in us. This is what in John 15 we studied, saying that when we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, we bear much fruit. Why we bear much fruit? Because we are not setting the focus on ourselves. We are setting the focus on the most high God. We are getting ourselves rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus. The tree that grows near the rivers of water bears much fruit. The leaves will not wither, but then it is green throughout the season. Similar manner, you and I, when we are rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus, you see ourselves grow more in Him. In all the area, in every area we grow more in Christ's likeness. So we represent Christ faithfully. We represent Christ faithfully. We identify ourselves in Him because we are in Christ Jesus. So when it comes, when we identify ourselves in Christ Jesus, we should also be ready to take part in Christ in every area. Yes, we are abiding in Him. We are going to bear much fruit, but at the same time, there is another side that is the suffering side of Christ. What does the scripture says? The scripture says, until and unless a wheat has been dead to itself, it cannot bear much fruit. For us to be more fruitful, we need to die in Christ. We need to suffer because Christ suffered. So as an ambassador, if and when we suffer or make certain sacrifice unto the call of God, we see ourselves that we are in Christ. So how do we endure this suffering? How do we endure this sacrifice? Because when we abide in Christ, we have been strengthened in Him. That's what the scripture says. When you're weak, then you're strong. You draw, we draw a strength from Christ Himself. From Christ Himself. So this is what happens when we abide, when we get ourselves connected in Christ, we draw the grace that is required for us to endure the hardship that comes our pathway. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but then intentionally when we look up to Him, when we set a focus on Christ, it becomes easy. Why? Because God gives us grace. This is what God promised to all His disciples in their path, in their walk, in their journey with Christ. Was it easy for all the apostles and the disciples? Did they face the hardship? Did they receive grace that God promised? They did. In a similar manner, God says that I am with you. My grace is sufficient for you to handle every situation in your life, every situation. So as we also looked into the wisdom of God, we have the wisdom of God in Christ Jesus. So as God gives us, as God enriches us with His wisdom, the similar way God pours out His grace upon us that we may endure every suffering that we come across in our journey with Christ Jesus. This is what He says in Philippians chapter 1 verse 13. Can I request you all to turn to Philippians chapter 1 verse 13? Can I request one of you all to please read? As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole place, God and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. So Philippians chapter 1 verse 13 says so that it has become evident to the whole palace, God and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ Jesus. So what is Paul trying to say in the letter to Philippians? He is saying right now Apostle Paul is in the prison, Apostle Paul is in the prison and it has become evident to everyone. The officials, the people around him and to the palace guards and to all that Apostle Paul is in the prison. But then what he says that my chains are in Christ that I am not in the prison, I am not in the chains of the government official, but I am in the chains of Christ Jesus. So Apostle Paul is making it very clear despite the situation that he is in the prison, nothing can stop the work of God, nothing can stop the work of God. So this is what he very clearly says that for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So whatever I do, I do it unto Christ. If I have the freedom to walk, I go share the gospel to everyone, I preach the gospel from one place to the other. Now because I am bound in prison, it does not mean that the sharing of the gospel ends there. So what he does, he starts to write, he starts to write, he writes letters to all the churches that he planted during the three missionary journey. And then people come to visit him and here he is talking to them, he is still ministering to the people who come to visit him. It didn't stop there, you know, everywhere. Can you put the light inside the table and say, don't shut out, I don't give light. If on a torch, the torch is on and if you keep it underneath the table, will the light stop shining? Will the light stop shining? It will still shine. If you put it inside the box and lock it, will the light stop shining? You may see the light outside, but inside the box it is still shining. Yes, the same way, wherever you keep the light, it will shine. The same way, wherever Apostle Paul was, he continued to be the light of Christ. Even though he was in prison, he was writing letters, he was sharing gospel to the people who visited him. He was sharing gospel, the love of Christ to all the gods who were there. So everywhere God placed Apostle Paul, he was the light, he was the salt of Christ Jesus. He was a true witness of Christ Jesus. So what happened? He lived a life and he set an example. Nothing could stop Apostle Paul from doing what God has called him. So in this way, he ministered to people with great boldness and strength. So people outside were watching Apostle Paul, the believers, the leaders were stirred up within them. Hey, we should be like Apostle Paul. Nothing stopping from him, proclaiming or sharing the gospel, doing the work of Christ Jesus. So they had, they got this attitude with them. It's like Apostle Paul right saying that, you know, as I imitate Christ, so he was. You also imitate me as I imitate Christ. He's encouraging everyone with action by leaving it as an example in his life. So the people around him are strengthened. They are like been encouraged by what Apostle Paul is doing. And so they are, they are growing greater confidence and boldness because they saw Apostle Paul at great shock, even in mid stride. People witness that God would take care of Apostle Paul, even in hardship and certain such circumstances. They also saw the hand of God upon him. They also saw the favor of God, that God was still using Apostle Paul, even when he was in prison. You see, God was faithful. This is what the scripture says, the God who called you is faithful. He will accomplish the purpose that he has called you for. So we should carry the attitude of what God has the attitude about us. God has the attitude of not giving up on each of us. How do we carry the same attitude? Because this is what Apostle Paul is carrying and reflecting. God, no matter where I am, no matter, you know, with situation or circumstances, I have been placed in. I will not give up on doing what you have called me to do. So class, today, are we carrying the same attitude in our life? Can we reflect on our life and check, do I have the same attitude what Apostle Paul had? Am I ready? Will any kind of suffering or any kind of persecution stop me from what God wants me to do? We need to ask ourselves. We need to reflect on our own self. The purpose of God, we all have identified the call of God and the purpose of God, without which we may not be here. So as we have identified the call and purpose of God, check out our heart attitude. Are we carrying the attitude of not giving up? Because God is faithful and he will never give up. He is a God who keeps his promise. He has never failed before and he will never fail even now. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So we serve God who is same, but we need to check ourselves. Am I ready, Lord, to endure the hardship, to endure the suffering? Can I have the same attitude that I have when everything is present and nice? I serve you. Can I have the same attitude when I endure the persecution and suffering? The anointing cause sacrifice. There are certain sacrifices that our call would ask us to cost. That we may have to endure it in our ministry, in our walk, but in our journey. So let's look at, if you're on page 112, 127, co-workers in Christ Jesus. Co-workers in Christ Jesus. So Paul recognized others who were serving, ministering and working in the Lord. We need to know something here. How many times he mentions in the Lord and in the Christ Jesus in these verses. So I'll just read it for each of us. We'll turn to Romans chapter 16, Romans chapter 16, verse 2 to 3, verse 7 to 13 and verse 22. So what is very important here? Apostle Paul, as he went on in this three missionary journeys, he planted different churches in the places where he visited. And there he raised certain leaders. Now, Apostle Paul being the leader, we see that how he respected and honored the co-workers in Christ Jesus in the way that God looks at them. In the way God would honor them. So this is the attitude that each of us as a leader, that we need to carry it within ourselves to respect and honor each of us. Because we should not look at each of us as an individual, but we need to look at each of us as co-workers in Christ Jesus. Because we serve the most I God. Here in Romans chapter 16, verse 2 to 3, we see how he addressed saints. We see that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints. In the manner worthy of the saints. An assister in whatever business she has need of you for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. See when you are serving God, when each of us are serving God, we need to respect each of us. That we are the saints of Christ. We are the saints of God. Apostle Paul being a great leader and apostle of Jesus Christ. Here is writing and greeting and asking people to respect and honor each other. Because honoring for the leadership that God has called each one of them. Verse 3 says, greet Priscilla and Akhila, my fellow worker in Christ Jesus. See there is no hierarchy. Everyone are in the same level ground. He is saying, greet Priscilla and Akhila. Because they are the fellow workers in Christ Jesus. Greet and draw knickers and junior, my country men. And my fellow prisoners who are of Lord among the apostles who also were in Christ before me. So you see that Apostle Paul is addressing each one in Christ. You see he is honoring them. He is paying the due respect to each leader saying that in Christ I honor them. In Christ they are my fellow worker. Greet Urbanus verse 9. A fellow worker in Christ and statues my beloved. Verse 10, greet Apples approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodian, my country man. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Trifina and Trifosa who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved purses who labored much in the Lord. Verse 13, greet Rufus chosen in the Lord and his mother and mine. I, 30 years who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. So Apostle used some help to transcribe whatever he is dictating to that person. So he is greeting even to that person who is writing. And in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 21. He says, but that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing. Titicus, a beloved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord will make all things known to you. See how he is honoring the leader. He is saying faithful minister in the Lord. So he is not making a note here that every leader are reporting to the Lord. So he is not making a note here that every leader are reporting to me. He is giving the focus to God. You see, every leader is making sure that every leader are also aware that you are not accountable to me. But you are accountable to God. You are accountable to God. So when he puts the focus to all the leaders that you are accountable to God. Now each of us are realizing, hey listen, I am accountable to God. I need to lead my life, lead the ministry. Why? Because I am accountable to God. Can I hide from God? No. So I am accountable to God. I am accountable to the most high God. And because I am accountable to the God, I get to do the things the way it pleases God. At the same time, the leader who raised all these other leaders, respecting and greeting each one of them, though they may be new in the Lord, maybe a month or a year, no matter how many years or months or weeks that they are in the Lord serving in the ministry, Apostle Paul is giving them the equal honor and saying that we are in the same level crowd. We all are fellow workers in Christ Jesus. We are co-workers in Christ Jesus. This is what the scripture says. We receive the same honor from God. The reward from God is equal to the man who sows the seed, who waters it and who harvests it. So what does it mean to say that when we serve the Lord, we are on the same level ground. We need to respect each other as we are in Christ Jesus. So there are other scriptures that we could look into. Even in book 5, chapter 1 verse 23, we see that how Apostle Paul addresses. He says, Ifapherus, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus greets you. With that, we will move on to the next section, page 113, living the in Christ life or living the life in Christ Jesus. It says, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 to 18. Can I request one of y'all to please read? Before ifapherus is in Christ, he is in new creation. All things have passed away. We hold all things have become new. Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Thank you. Thank you, Nikhil. So we see here because of the simple faith in Christ Jesus, God has done these wonderful things for us where our life has been transformed, where we have become new creation in Christ Jesus. So what happened when we became new creation in Christ Jesus? We have become union. We have become one in Christ Jesus. So that Christ has accomplished and completed everything once and for all on the cross. You and I don't have to do anything, but in faith we have to receive Him as a Lord and Saviour. So what happened when we received Jesus as a Lord and Saviour? We have been born again. We have been born from above. This is what in John chapter 3 verse 1 to 13 talks about. Verse 3 says, born again, which means we have been born new. We have been born from above. And verse 12 states that the things that are of the natural world, then they are the things about the spiritual, heavenly world and the world from above. So Jesus had come down from heaven into this earthly body and yet at the same time He carried, He walked in heavenly. He had intimate relationship with the Father because we see that Jesus say that whatever you see me do on this earth, I do not do anything without what I see the Father do. Whatever the Father said or done is what I am doing it on this earth. So John 823 says that He said to them, you are from beneath, but I am from above. You are of this world. I am of this. I am not of this world. So Jesus, when He lived in this earthly life as we study in Christology, that He was 100% man and at the same time He was 100% God. So when we are in Christ Jesus, we have the access of His wisdom, His grace that we abide in Him. What is in Him becomes of us. So we get this grace to overcome the earthly things. So no situation on this earth that where God cannot handle it and we abide in Him and He abides in us. He gives us the grace. He gives us the ability to overcome that situation. Why? Because we are born from above through Christ Jesus. So we need to live our life spiritual even when we are in natural. How? Intentionally. We need to do the thing that pleases God. So intentionally you put it in practice so that we walk on earth with a heavenly anointing upon us. So we go and we learn to live our life that pleases God from above. This does not happen automatically if it is intentionally that we need to lead our life that pleases God. The spirit and natural life of a believer. We see we are on page 114 which gives the truth, a contrast, a paradox about these truths that both are true at the same time. How we can walk naturally being kindly minded. So here we see the first one that we need to know is we are complete in Christ Jesus. Are we made righteous in Christ Jesus? The same way we are complete in Christ Jesus. But at the same time we are work in progress when it comes to a fleshly desire. Do we sin? Do we repent? Do we set things right with God? So we are work in progress. We are a new creation. We are complete in Christ Jesus. At the same time there are certain areas we see that it needs to be changed. Isn't it? We are growing. We are growing from strength to strength, glory to glory. Isn't it? Now next we see, yes we are perfected in Christ. At the same time we are yet to be perfect in our nature. Isn't it? In our human nature. The same way we are sanctified in Christ Jesus. At in our human nature we are yet to be satisfied. What does it mean? That means every minute we are dependent on Christ. When we see ourselves in Christ, then we see ourselves, yes we can work on this. We are cleansed by God. We are sanctified in Him. Because we see the free work of Christ Jesus on the cross. We look at that. When we look at ourselves in nature we see, yes Lord thank You that You have died on the cross. I can look at myself in You, that I am in You. We set focus not over ourselves. We set focus in Christ Jesus. And when we say that we are hidden in Christ, yet in natural we are visible, isn't it? You all can see me. We are visible, but we know in spiritual. At the same time, though I am visible in natural, but at the same time I know in spiritual I am hidden in Christ Jesus. The enemy has no axes over me. I am Christ. That's the truth. I identify myself in Christ Jesus. That's the truth. You may not look at Jesus in me right now. You will look at myself, Dinah here. But I know spiritually the enemy cannot look at me. The enemy is Jesus in me. Because I am hidden in Christ Jesus. Because the scripture says, I will not spare because we are the apple of His eyes. And He will not spare if anyone tries to touch this apple. And He keeps us promise. When God says that you are hidden in Christ, no enemy can touch you. Because you are hidden in Him. We are new creation. When we call ourselves new creation, anything changed? Color, hair, height, weight. No, we are the same. But in spirit, we are new. Our mind is renewed. Our spirit person is renewed. But in natural, we are renewing, isn't it? Every time we fall, we renew our mind. But then the truth is, I am a new born. I am a new creation. So we set our mind on that and we get ourselves work and progress to reach that new creation. We are righteous, yet we repent, isn't it? Why? Because we are in Christ Jesus. To the enemy we sing, we have been made righteous because the righteousness of God is in us. But at the same time, when we do wrong, the spirit of the Lord who lives in us, does He want us? Hey, Diana, you made a mistake. Apologize, apologize to God. Say sorry, repent. And also fix a problem with the person around you. And we, being in Christ, we are obedient to His voice. We act upon what has been instructed to us by the spirit person within us. Why? Because we are righteousness in Christ Jesus. Next point is, raised with new life, yet to be crucified. We need to believe in this. We are a new being. We have been raised in new life. So every time you face a persecution, you face a suffering, you have to sacrifice certain things. Be ready to dwell because this says, when you die in Christ, you have been resurrected in Christ Jesus. Now it may not denote the physical death actually, but dying to usself, dying to usself. Because Jesus died on the cross. He's been raised high. He's been seated in the most high position, the right hand of God. And you and I can handle any situation because Christ is in us. He has conquered every situation. So we can handle this situation with a renewed mindset. So possessing it, we press on. We are blessed with all spiritual blessing that is given to each of us freely. That we can overcome every situation because we are pressing on towards the most high goal. We set our goal on God and we press towards it. When we press towards it, when we lead our life, keeping our goal, our vision and mind, we do that because we have the spirit of the Lord who is pressing within us, saying that I am with you. You are not alone. I am the strength within you and you can do it. That not giving up attitude is from God, that each of us have it within us. So the scripture also says we are resting. But at the same time we are laboring. We call it be the labor, isn't it? Last class we studied how the labor in the Lord is not in vain. Though we are laboring, we are laboring from the point of resting. We don't get tired in doing what God is called to do because that's become our passion. That's become our life, our new lifestyle, our interest, everything. That's what we see in Apostle Paul, isn't it? Even though he was stoned to death and dragged out of the city, next day he got up from that and he walked to a different place, to Derby, to minister and share the gospel. And he is a man who lived in the flesh. So he would have had every pain that would have caused out of stoning to death. There may be bruises that was bleeding. We don't know how he limped or dragged himself to walk and stand up on his feet. But here he marched to another city. It says the scripture clearly says that he walked to another city. So from where did this passion come from? From where this attitude to labor come from? From the place of rest. Don't you think the ministers, the apostles, who were with Apostle Paul would not have said, Apostle Paul, you rest for some time. You were just stoned to death, you're bruised, you're bleeding. Why don't you rest and continue your journey once you're better? I'm sure as they prayed for him, they would have also advised him. But what would have Apostle Paul would have replied for that? Apostle Paul would have said, though it's not there in the scripture, I'm just saying with the attitude, with the nature of Apostle Paul, I'm sure you would have said, I have the eternity for resting. But when I'm here, let me do what God has asked me to do. So what is making him, what is driving him to labor beyond his ability is the love for Christ. Love for Christ. This time is short on this earth, isn't it? Just like a possible, even our time is limited. It's short on this earth. So God is asking with the timeframe that I have given to each of you, how are we laboring in Christ Jesus? How are we laboring in Christ Jesus? So as I put forth this question, I'm also asking myself, how am I laboring in Christ Jesus? Because the work of God is so much. When we have this mind of Christ, can we ask ourselves, can we question ourselves? Can God's work wait? Did Apostle Paul said, okay, fine, I'm hurt. I'm not well. I've been bruised, bleeding. Let me wait. Let me tarry in this place. Later, I can go to Derby and share the word God. Did he do it? We have never read anything like that in the Gospels or in the Book of Acts, that any of the Apostle who waited, only says that they waited for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They never said that they waited for them to be healed, they waited for them, or they waited for them to be released from the prison. They never said anything like that. The Scripture in Acts says that they praised God in the prison, rejoiced in prison. They rejoiced in their persecution. It only shows that nothing stopped the work of God. So what does it mean? Why is it recorded in the Scripture? For you and I to carry the same attitude within us. We should come to a position that we don't blame anything, anyone, any circumstances from us serving God. From doing what God is called to do. We should not be in a position of telling God, like God, you gave me only one talent. I kept it safe here, I'm returning it back to you. God is saying that I've given you enough. See what you can do with what you have received. So we are responsible, we are accountable to what we have in hand. So this is what it is. And the power of living from above. That's what we need to renew our mind. When our thought process is renewed, when we have this heavenly call in us. So in an earthly, in a natural man, we can walk in Christ Jesus. We can walk with that heavenly call keeping in mind how? By renewing our mind. Efficiency happened for verse 22 to 24 days that you put off your former contact, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. So we need to focus on this renewed man because the renewed man carries the righteousness and holiness of Christ Jesus. And also in Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 and reading verse 2 talks about and do not be conformed to this world but be transformed. How do we live a transformed life? How did Apostle Paul do what he did? Yes, by renewing our mind. Physically he was weak. Physically he was dragging himself but because he was strong in his mind he renewed his mind he could do what he did. So today God is asking us, calling us, can we renew our mind that we can go beyond our ability, that we can go beyond our strength to serve him? So this shows that we need to have a strong attitude within us. We cannot say that, oh, I'm very tired. I served last night. I was awake till 12 o'clock that I cannot come. I cannot come to the minister. I cannot come and serve. I cannot preach. No. If we are the minister of God, our attitude should change. For now as students, we all are serving. We see ourselves serve on Saturday doing the setup, studying, working, assignment. Still, next day morning, 6 o'clock, we are ready to serve in the church. Aren't we? So are you guys seeing that something that has been trained and implemented in the college? This is the training ground and it is a hard ground that we train you all on so that you're prepared when you go on the ministry field. There's nothing that can hold you back. Nothing that can hold you back. The learning that you started now is for lifelong. The attitude that you carry here in the college is trained, is built up in a very hard way for us to carry it lifelong. I never allow anyone, if you're not ready, okay, take medicine. See to it that you're back to class. Why? We are training ourselves hard. I know we need rest, but we are training yourself to rely on the Most High God. We are training you to depend on Him, on the strength in Him that we can draw. If I give the liberty, say, okay, fine, rest, get well, take rest for two days, three days. Who's losing? Am I training you to be a warrior? Am I training you to be a warrior? Can you relax like that when you are out on the field? No. No. God is asking us to be diligent, to be vigilant, to be watchful, to be strong. He is calling us to be a warrior. For that we are preparing here. We should not compromise on the call that God has called each of us. We should set a focus on the call that God has called us. Distraction may be high, but then you make a mind. You choose no. I decide to sacrifice everything because the price that I have to pay for the call that God has called me is much higher. It's much higher. And I will not compromise that. I don't decide or I don't will to compromise on that because I want to be where God wants me to be. So we are partnering with the Most High God. That's why we are the ambassadors of Christ Jesus. That's why we are the sisters of the Most High God. We have a reward. We have a life eternal to rest, to enjoy, to do what we wanted. But right now we are laboring in Christ Jesus where we don't give rest to ourselves, but we do what he has called us to do. With that I end the session and let's pray. Let's pray. I pray that I need this attitude to be in me. I want this renewed mind that I have to be renewed in every area that the call of God becomes the major main focus and I'm ready to sacrifice every other thing. Lord, I thank you for renewing this warrior spirit within me that I labour in Christ Jesus. That I do not give heed to any of the physical weakness or the physical fleshly wanting, but then I set my mind on Christ Jesus. Father God, Spirit of the Lord, I pray that you move among us. You minister to each of us and you strengthen each of us in our weakness, that we may strengthen, that we may be strengthened. We may set our focus on the call that you have called us because the work of God should not tarry. Lord, as you said that you will raise the leaders to be the imitators of Christ. I pray that you will raise each of us, your Lord, to be the imitators of Christ Jesus so that we may labour well in the call, in the journey that you have called for. Thank you, Lord, that you have strengthened us with the Spirit of God, that each of us will strengthen, will go beyond the ability, beyond the strength of God, being heavenly minded as we live on this earth. Thank you, Father. In Jesus' name we break. Thank you each one for joining in today's session. I hope it was a blessing. Thank you.