 All right. Good morning everyone. Hope everyone can hear me. Okay. All right Wishing you all blessed and fruitful 2024 Trust you had a good time Christmas and New Year. So it's good to be back this year and This year we will be going through Discipleship and small groups right and we're going to be talking about Low aspects where it comes to discipleship and small groups in context with the church and Also outside of the church, right? So Sorry for the delay. There's some technical problems. I'm just using a different laptop But I should be back on my laptop the next class onwards. Okay. Shall we pray and just submit this entire Semester to God's hands you say Let's pray that God will minister to us speak to us throughout the course of this semester Even as we learn that we will open our hearts. We will receive Direction leading from the Holy Spirit and I know this is the last semester for all of us Wonderful to just be able to spend time together studying and reading. So I just request maybe any one of us to Please lead in prayer and just surrender this entire semester Anyone can J heavenly Father we come to under the name of Jesus. We thank you for this day We thank you for the new semester that you have given us Lord. We thank you for your faithfulness Throughout the moment we chose this Bible college. We are here in the final semester. She says we thank you God For leading us all through this way. It's your amazing grace and we thank you for that. We thank you for past fall We thank you for all the subject that he has taught us and Even a subject that he's about to teach us We bless him in the name of Jesus and I give all my fast names My dear friends in your hands. I bless them all in the name of Jesus But I just pray and I believe that the semester will be a semester of blessing to us where we Will get the clarity of the calling. We will be acute To just serve you Lord to just humble ourselves to just lift your name of ours to reflect your glory wherever we Jesus as we are listening to the lecture God you be with us Help us open our mind and heart and just listen to an accepted and do it so that we can live this life for your glory Help us to have a good Wi-Fi connection throughout the session and we just give you all the glory and honor and Jesus name I pray Amen, thank you Japhina. All right, so I have posted the notes on the stream So I'm guessing that you have downloaded the same and feel free to just go ahead and Track along even as we begin the course Okay, so just a few general information If you look at your notes, we we're gonna be in this course. We're talking about three sections right section one is general information and guidelines meaning when you when you talk about a church or when you talk about discipleship and Anything in terms to do with the church guidelines are important. I otherwise We'll go all over the place. We may end up doing something. We don't want to do and we may end up Wanting to do something which looks right, but you know the outcome may be negative so general information and guidelines and the second session the second step is Preparing to become a cell leader right now I know that many of us have our already leading cell groups are probably you're already leading your own ministries and your own churches And that's wonderful. So you can you've got your foundations So it's it's a good time to just refresh ourselves and build on the foundation that we have already That you've already built but for some of us it may be you know something that you're looking forward to maybe to start your own church Your own cell group or ministry. So how can we prepare to become a cell group leader? The requirements the hard preparation Developing the skills that is required to be a disciple and a leader The third step is raising up disciples and we talked a lot about a few of these points In the last semester and urban church planting We're gonna go a little deeper in this course. We are how to become a spiritual father how to raise up leaders Reproduce leaders and release them to do what you know, whatever a goddess called them to do right, so this is what we're going to do throughout the the course of this semester and Feel free to stop me at any time You know if you have any questions any thoughts feel free to just you know post a question on the chat or you can just raise your hand and We'll do our best to answer those questions Right, so let's go to Page five which is Understanding the vision for a cell church Sorry, I need to keep looking at the other side because I've got my notes open in my laptop, so Apologize friend is you know, my my view is going on both the sides, right? Understanding the vision of a cell church now When I say cell church, there are two things that we must remember right now One is you can have a church with a lot of cell groups You know in in a PC. We call it live You can have a church with a lot of cell groups or you can have a church, which is a cell group And there's a big difference between these two and we look at Few of those differences, right? many churches choose to transition from a Program based event based church to becoming a cell church. So for example, you've got a church and They do a lot of events do a lot of you know men's conference women's conference a lot of events within the church But at one point of time, baby decide, okay From this from what we are doing. We're gonna transition We're gonna move from just doing events programs and You know Sunday services all of that, but we will move and transition to become a cell church Now it can even work vice versa. You can have a cell church Remember we studied in urban church planting. We start With maybe five or you got your church planting team and and then you develop that and Build a church. So you can have a cell church which can later on transition to becoming a Proper full-fledged church with all different kinds of ministries Right a church that has a cell that has cell groups will have cell groups plus a lot of events but a cell group a cell church is basically focusing on, you know Studying of God's word. It's the focus is only on that area discipleship raising up leaders and And so let's look at What is a cell? What is a cell group? What is a cell church and When we when I translated to here, I know many places in many countries as well It's often referred to as cell church But nowadays people call it life groups, prayer groups. So it doesn't matter what we call it But the essence will show what the group is. So what is a cell group? Cell group is a small group of people. We have it on the notes there a Small group of people not more than one leader with 12 members or a married couple With about six to seven other married couples Meeting together for what? Yes, here's the important part Meeting together for building relationships Edifying each other and the things of God and ministering together So that is the foundation of the basis of a cell church right To it is a microcosm Of the kingdom of God now We talk about how it is a biblical pattern, but when you look at the kingdom of God You know the Lord Jesus he when he thought he said the kingdom of God is Like a like a mustard seed or he says the kingdom of God is Like a man plowing the fields. He talks about it in a small With small examples But there was a bigger picture what Jesus was talking about Now in a cell church When people look at a cell church Or a cell group They may see just five or six people Or ten people in the group What's the bigger picture? That's what you're doing You're building Relationships you are edifying each other which means you are edifying the church fulfilling Ephesians and You are ministering the things of God to each other But it's a microcosm of the kingdom of God It is a small unit of the local church That's what a cell group is Look at the next point It is not just a Bible study or not just a prayer meeting not just another service It is a process of disciple making Now one of the things that we intentionally do in our life groups here in Bangalore is We always leave it we have a certain pattern and we look at the pattern later on in this Course, but we have certain pattern that is a set pattern on how the cell group would work Right First, you know, you may have worship Then you have probably if it's a youth group, you have an icebreaker. You have a small game Then we normally discuss what is happening. What is preached on a Sunday's up? And we leave it open now. I always say this No on a Sunday morning After church We cannot go to the pastor and say pastor I have two questions regarding yourself Pastor I'll say please come back next week Because it's difficult We can't do that right people are standing for prayer now a cell group is the perfect place of You know opening up to questions and thoughts and it's a place where we build relationships So here in ABC what we do is we have about 30 minutes of discussions So it's not like you know, it's not like Somebody the people come sit in the cell group and then one person keeps talking so one of the Guidelines that we give our life group leaders is talk less Speak only when you're spoken to it was very easy because that's leaders. We're so used to talking sometimes You know, it's good to even listen And so we this light group is a place where it's not just Bible study. It's not just a prayer meeting But it is a process of disciple making so for example Right last Sunday. We talked about take God at his word in ABC Church So what will happen in life group is or a cell group is people will come sit and Introduce you probably have the no worship and all of that Begin with it and then we open it up for discussion. So take God at his word How can we take God at it? Probably there are three questions. We have that material also meaning we have those questions Which the life of leaders can use So the questions are left open now. Why is this important? Because we can have people in a cell group Who are in different levels of maturity? There are some who can pray for one out. There are some who can pray for five minutes max But here is a place where They can ask questions. They can share their thoughts. They can reason Right and and so it is a process of disciple making now when you look at Jesus When you look at Jesus When he chose his 12 What did Jesus do? He Spent time with them very importantly. He spent time With those 12 with the disciples. He took them alone. He showed them He made them see his life and So when we talk about discipleship will later on in the course we talk about attributes and characteristics of disciple making But when we talk about disciple making It is it is the most one of the most important aspects The Lord Jesus said go and make disciples the last thing he said was that so it is critical it is very important and the whole cell group or the life group model is a beautiful way of raising up disciples in every cell group People can be evangelized. They can receive prayer. There's healing. There's deliverance. There's fellowship There's Bible teaching this edification visitation follow up discipleship There's unity. There's oneness right now one of the important aspects that we must understand is Never look at a cell group And say hey, this is only the den people because you know, we may think oh church is church Church is always church And I can get healed only when I'm in church or God can speak to me only when I'm in church or You know, God can only Minister to me through the word only when I'm in church and I'm sure that all of us have passed through those Seasons and now we have come out of it. We know that God can minister to us at through anyone at any time But a cell group in a cell group. We must be open for healing for deliverance for the working of the Holy Spirit for Science wonders and miracles. We must be open to all of that if we open for the, you know, when we are praying Got to answer prayers for everything that we expect When we go to a Sunday service We must have the same expectancy and we come to a cell and How is this expectancy created as leaders? We'll have to you know Build that expectancy. We'll have to pray. We'll have to be able to communicate things correctly and We will learn about that as well, right? Anything needed in the body of Christ or to be found in a cell group So we look at it. We don't separate We don't separate church. Okay. This is church. This is cell group Now in a sense, you can have a self church. It is only meeting different places Studying God's word reading God's word Discipleship that's the main focus You can have a church that is that is doing maybe 10 events every month and They have life groups or cell groups Both are important and both are In both the cell groups God will work So our responsibility is to never differentiate them in a sense. They may be different but God can God works to the end and both Aspects are involved this hype you make and I hope you're understanding what I'm trying to Explain here, right? So you can have small cell group. You can have a church with thousand people in both places be expected It's God can work through that Okay, let's look at the next one The cell group or the small groups and disciple small groups discipleship is later on but The small groups and we look at it We see that it is not something that you know, we made up or the church made up in the early first century You know, it is a biblical pattern which started all the way even from the time of Jesus Now, let's look at this in the New Testament. We see a lot of small groups happening in house meetings Jesus did a substantial amount of his teaching in medicals in people's homes and group settings Right. So if you remember If you read the book of Acts The book of Acts the possible first missionary journey we see that Most eight out of ten places that a possible when Were in small group home settings Interestingly the church in the Roman church Romans he's towards the end. He says, you know, greet those who meet in the household In the house the Apostle Paul was also an under house arrest, but he had people coming in and Visiting them for over the last over those three and three years on so The early believers conducted the Lord of their ministry in small group settings Now, why is this important to know or why must we understand this because What they did in the New Testament church? We see the ripple effect over the years that even now What five or six people Or ten people were doing in a small room Thousands of years back now even now we talk about it and Even now we are following that model So, what does it teach us? But this model is tried has been tried and it's successful We will also talk about a few limitations. Some some of you may ask me But that is, you know two thousand more years before now we are busy We have hundreds of things to do nobody has time to come and sit for like that's true We all are busy. We live in a busy world But Busyness doesn't change the fact that a prayer group or a cell group is Is something that God really desires and God can really work through that. Let's look at a few verses in the book of Acts, right? Acts 2 46 this is after the church after the Apostle Peter has preached out his heart and Thousands of people have come to believe in Jesus and look at this. What happens? Acts 2 46 and they continuing daily in one accord in the temple and Breaking bread from house to house Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart? Breaking bread from house to house a Perfect representation of cell groups Look at Acts 542 and daily in the temple and in every house They seized not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Right acts 8 acts 20 Acts 20 Paul is I think Paul is in Ephesus if I'm not wrong He's in Ephesus and and when they were they were coming to him. He said after that. Yes He know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you at all seasons serving the Lord with all humility of Mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me was 20 and how I kept back nothing That was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly And from house to house the word apostle Paul is saying now I think I'm a hundred percent sure he's in Ephesus who acts 20 years around there He's talking to the believers and he's saying I have not kept anything for me. I've not done anything for my own regard, but I have But I've showed you and I've taught you publicly and from house to house So we see the apostle Paul he did both those public preaching and ministry That's also the house to house right acts 28 30 and 31 would anyone like to read this acts 28 except 28 30 and 31 Go ahead anyone can please read Acts 28 was 30 and 31. Sorry. I can't You know present the notes here, but I think next class I'll be able to do that You don't mind you just Open up your notes and you can read it. It's on page 6 acts 28 30 and 31 Acts chapter 28 was 30 and 31 and Paul dwells Two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence No man forbidding him. Thank you. So we see that and Paul dwelt two years in his own hired house What was he doing there? Preaching and teaching People came to him and he was able to you know minister to them Act 16 and verse 5. Yes, anyone would like to read that please and We can just read all those verses just for us to get a context. Let's go ahead Roman 16 5 it's in your notes Romans chapter 16 Which five likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved if it if Anita's who is the first roots of a clear until Christ Thank you. So you see likewise greet the church That is in their house First Corinthians 16 15. I beseech you brethren That you know the house of Family of Stefanus that is the first fruits of a kayak and that they have Addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints first Corinthians 16 19 The churches of Asia salute you aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church That is in their house Let's go to filaments one and verse two Says and to our beloved a fire and archivist our fellow soldier and to the church in Thy house So so we see that all through The the New Testament all through during the early church This was something that is common and and when we continue to read Especially after the Roman persecution and again the Jews themselves began to persecute Christians and the Roman persecution is very very intense So there came a time when there was no public churches Right? There came a time that it's only small groups Remember Nero, right? He made a decision. He said I'm gonna wipe out this religion of Christianity We read of the atrocities that he committed when He was emperor is just hard-wrenching Christians were burned as torches Christians were thrown to the lions They were tortured they were martyred Yet people met in small groups What you know what these emperors and people tried to wipe out the religion of Christianity It's some you know God sustained it through cell groups That's a powerful If you think of it There was no big churches There was no way that people could You know thousands of people could come and sit and one man is preaching and everyone are listening Look at the early century first and the second century church was the most because the bloodiest century second and the third century for Christians Yet God in his wisdom was able to use the cell group model or the life group model people said meeting in houses and sustained The ministry sustained what he wanted to do and so we see that Through all of this what we have read that it is a biblical model Cell groups cell churches are biblical It's not something wrong Nor is it so no, you know, maybe some of us are planning to start a church in your home There is nothing wrong. You may not have an LED screen and a big band. That's okay It's nothing wrong to start small Right, we can start nobody since it's you are following The word of God, right the cell church movement emphasizes that the cell is not just as important as a Sunday Celebration and that both of them are equally emphasized The early church if you look at it, you know, they met in larger gatherings But they also made sure that they met in smaller settings and from house to house right, so Why sell groups? Why sell us? Why not just have Sunday church services Why do we need to have this cell? Why not just have cell church or sorry Why not have this church services and all these other events conferences? What we do every year, why not? So let's look at a few Important pointers on why Cell groups are important Everyone with me Okay, why sell groups or sell churches or whatever it may be Why is it important? Why is it that what happened in the early church the meeting of house to house? Why do we have it now? Let me let me just share this you know at APC. I joined APC as a life group coordinator Right and one of the things that I noticed It's very prominent. We can we can just see it is that when life people who meet in life groups After a couple of months or maybe a year You will see them. They are so it doesn't matter They're so attached to each other There's this feeling of oneness. There's a feeling of family They meet they're able to spend time together. They're able to This is feeling of They're willing to Be there for each other. I know of a couple of life groups here They travel 15 kilometers to go to the life. I thought to myself 15 kilometer one side of Bangalore to the other side Why because we used to live there and be a part of that life group and I and they've built community They've built relationships and they just you know, they just know each other So you see cell groups does all of this Right. Okay. So let's look at the first one Why cell groups it provides the most efficient means of pasts of him and evangelism Here I like the word pastoring here The pastor means to shepherd Right. The cell church is the most efficient means of reaching unbelievers And pastoring believers that means you shepherd the believers It's an opportunity to provide personal ministry to all believers Now picture this right, uh, say you you are Um, you are you have a church which about with about 200 people and you have maybe five life groups or cell groups and You have a young man who's joined the church and he says, you know what? I want to be part of a smaller group just to get to know people This young boy, maybe in his early 20s. I'm just giving you an example Early 20s. He comes into this life group And in the life group They're teaching maybe, you know the book of Daniel for example And there's something that grips his heart Says wow, I want to be like Daniel And so here in this life group You as a leader You can pastor or Or you know minister to this young boy And he is able to ask questions. He's able to speak. He's able to You know share his thoughts Everything he's able to do because there is personal ministry happening now We do understand that we're all in a busy world and we may not have time continually But remember, you know the point that we read it's a microcosm of the kingdom of god meaning that one person Can be the next Daniel for the kingdom of god It's a it's a very efficient means of pastoring And evangelism Again, you can invite people say, hey, why don't you come? Usually when you invite people to You know a smaller setting a smaller home They agree Not that Even church they do agree when you say hey, we're having a small Get together, why don't you come? Normally they do agree and it becomes a means of evangelism right so Most importantly It's like pastoring one on one You're building this person up one person or maybe two people It's one on one So you look at this person and he says his 20s. He has no clue about the Bible. He doesn't know anything But you're sowing into this person Yes, you're sacrificing your Pastoring him and then when he's 30 or 32 years old 10 years later Look at this He's become a man He's no more a young boy Not knowing anything or just weak, but now he's strong in the world What have you done? You have Pastor this person. You have raised up a disciple For the kingdom of God. That's what you've done Now people may not appreciate it People may not clap for you and say, okay, wonderful job you have done Nobody will do all of that But in God's eyes You are you have done discipleship You have raised up a leader you have raised up a disciple for God And it's big It's a big thing in God's eyes right second point recapturing families When again, as I said, you know when when you meet in cell groups families get together Or even if it's youth groups get together Right, they move out from this receiving mode and get into the giving mode Become a sit in church and we listen And then he's wish everyone and go back. That's called receiving mode But in a cell group you get into the Giving mode So you can have two three or maybe three families. You're there Say, hey, you know what God spoke to me this way And I I just feel that God is doing this in my life And I'm afraid that God can do it in your life as well. What is happening? You're going into the giving mode Like the families are getting United Right they when they begin to use their homes to host the cell groups They bring ministry activity Right into the heart of their lives And are actually touching lives around them and you You know, you you when you are going into homes you're You're inviting the presence of God. You're inviting the power of God to touch their lives right and and It says here. There's a quote here We used to go to church to get God And bring him home Now we get God at home and bring him to the church. What a wonderful quote And we used to go to church To get more of God and bring him home But now with the cell group model we get more of God here at home as well and then bring him to church That's a wonderful way of you know Going into this from this receiving mode to the giving mode I'm not saying that receiving mode is not important very important. We all must Be able to receive even, you know 10 20 30 years down the line As ministers we must be able to receive but We can't only be receiving We also need to step out and give and minister to others and here In the cell group, there's no titles. There's no You know certificates that are required There's no class. There's no You know status nothing All of them are one building each other up so So we what we do is we'll Stop here with these two points We'll get into point three from on friday next class Get to point three and We'll continue to learn from this and Right shall we just close in prayer Father we thank you for today lord. We thank you for Enabling us to just touch on the topic of cell groups We pray that even as you continue to learn that you will teach us you will minister The hearts will be ready to receive from you Thank you. God be we just submit this entire week Into your hands Give you all the praise who give you all the glory and honor Which is this name we pray Amen. God bless you all. I'll see you on friday. Have a good weekend Thank you so much God bless you