 Good morning everyone. Can you hear me? Yes, okay. Everyone's able to hear me clearly. Other than the university students, your online students. Yes, okay. Thank you Kennedy. Okay, thank you. Sorry we began two minutes late. Can one of you please lead us in prayer please? Anyone? Abhishek, you like to lead us in prayer? Thank you. Holy Father, we come before Holy Prince is right in the name of Jesus. Thank you for this class Lord. Give us an understanding, heart and listening here. Whatever we learn from today's class Lord that we may understand it and bless pastor give her spirit of wisdom, understanding and revelation by your Holy Spirit that she may taught us Lord Jesus. Bless her Lord and bless each one of us Lord. Let me receive and grasp the truth of the word of God Lord Jesus. Thank you Father for hearing our prayer and Jesus can be prayed in man. Thank you Abhishek. So we were on Wednesday looking at Romans chapter 13. In Romans chapter 13 Paul is basically writing a chapter at Rome and he's telling them to, you know, he's talking about the strict authorities government. He's asking the believers, he's instructing them to submit to governing authorities. And he's also telling them to not resist the governing authorities. And he says because they are people who are appointed by God, they are an institution of God, it's God's institution that God has ordained. And he also calls them as ministers of God. So he's saying that even as they appointed by God, they're an institution of God, they're ministers of God. So as believers, what we must do, we must be subject to them, we must submit to them, not resist them, not oppose or fight against them, do what is good, pay our taxes and also respect and honor them. And we looked at a few questions, you know, should we, you know, submit to authorities who are unjust, corrupt and wicked leaders, we looked at a few points from what scripture tells us, what we understand from scripture. And we see that, you know, God has permitted them to be in leadership to come to that position, but not, you know, what they're doing is not what God has permitted them, it's their own choice, but, you know, they would be judged for their own actions, but irrespective of their own choices. Let me look at some examples in the Bible, God still goes ahead, sovereignly fulfills his plan and his purposes. Okay. And we look at the people of the land, you know, how the people, the actions, the choices that the people of the land make influences those who come into authority. And we look at the importance of how we need to teach the upcoming generations good moral, godly values and standards and how important that is. Okay. And we also look at what extent we need to submit to governing authorities. And then we read verses eight to 14. And it was eight fault gives us the key, you know, what is a key to submit to authorities reminding himself of the Roman government and the wickedness and the cruelty of how the emperor was ruling and persecuting the Christians. So Paul is telling the believers, so what is the key? How do we submit? How, how we don't resist them? How we need to disobey them? How we need to honor them? The key is love. Okay. Love must be our standard. And then it was 11 to 14. Paul goes to talk about the personal life of the believer, the way a believer needs to live. So we read verses 14. So Paul is basically saying in these verses in verses 11 to 14, he says, we need to live as one who is awake, not one who is in deep sleep or slumber. That means we need to be alert. Why do we need to be alert? Because we need to be always constantly alert to put away the things or the deeds of darkness and to put on the armor of light. We know that Paul uses this phrase put on very frequently. We looked at it in one of the chapters that we had studied. He also writes put on in the book of Colossians, Ephesians, put on the armor of God. So he uses this phrase quite often and we see that put on is something that you wear. You put on something, you wear something. And when you wear something, everybody can see it. It's very obvious to everyone. So in the same way he says, get rid of the deeds of darkness, put on righteousness as an armor. And then he goes on to say in verses 14, he says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Before we look at that, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 13, he says, let us walk properly as in the day, not in rivalry, drunkenness, not in looneness, not in strife. And so he's basically talking about walk recently, means walk honestly. And he says avoid reverie, avoid wild parties, drunkenness, looneness, indecency, sexual immorality, lust, sensuality, you know, don't give into strife, quarrels, arguments, fighting, envy and jealousy. And how can we walk properly? How can we get rid of the deeds of darkness? It's not that easy, right? Because there are some weaknesses, some temptations that we have. And so Paul goes to give the answer to how we can walk properly. He says all of these things, don't do all of these things. But how do we walk properly? We walk properly when we put on the Lord Jesus Christ. So what does it mean put on? It just doesn't mean like, you know, you put on a garment, but here it's basically saying be cloded with Jesus Christ. That means be completely covered, fully attired with Jesus Christ. That means assimilate everything that is about Jesus, okay? The way he acts, his mannerism, his thinking, his lifestyle, his way of life, you know, put on that, sorry, assimilate that, imitate that. Why do we do that? When we do that, you know, when you put on Christ, then there will be no place for the flesh. There will be no place for anything that is indecent, then we will be able to walk properly. And also when we put on Christ, people can see us, just like when you put on something, you put on a garment, you put on something, people, it's obvious to everyone, people can notice it, people can see it, okay? So the same way he says, you know, put on Jesus Christ, so that people can see you. And when you put on Jesus Christ, you will not give room for the flesh, okay? Don't give room for the flesh to exercise itself, okay? He says, make no provision for the flesh. Very interesting here. He says, make no provision. What does it mean for vision? That means don't prepare, you know, prepare beforehand, even before you face a temptation, even when you, you know, before you face something, you know, prepare beforehand that you are not going to be doing that, okay? So don't make any, don't make any preparation beforehand to meet the sinful desires, but make preparation beforehand that you are not going to be indulging in certain things. So prepare beforehand ahead of time to deny the flesh and its sinful desires. So sometimes we think only when we face temptation that, you know, we need to make a choice, whether we need to do that or not do it. But actually here Paul is saying, you know, you prepare beforehand, prepare beforehand, make decisions beforehand that what are the things of the flesh that you are going to deny? What are the things you are not going to be part of? So don't give, but you prepare beforehand, you don't give the flesh any opportunity, okay? You are already nailing, crucifying the things of the flesh. You're already depriving the flesh of any chance it has to make its way. And you say no, even before the flesh make its request. So the flesh is not crying out, okay? But when the flesh knows that you have not made any preparations, you have not made any stand, then your flesh will cry out. And sometimes, you know, the urge, the desire is so strong that, you know, our will also, you know, we can easily get sucked in. But we need preparations beforehand. You think ahead of time, you know, what are the things of the flesh that you are not going to give an opportunity, you are not going to give a home for? Okay, let's, you know, let's look at a couple of examples. Not for example, you're traveling alone, okay? You're traveling alone and you have to stay in a hotel room and you have access to TV, you know, and you have a lot of time to pass. So you can just flip over the channels, but you know, you can make your choice beforehand. I'm going to just put on the TV to watch news or to watch a cricket match or a football match. But if there is a movie that comes in, which is not a godly movie, which is not a right kind of movie that you should be watching, you've already made your choice beforehand that you are not going to watch that movie. So you're just going to flip and see, you know, whether the news that you got the news, you put on the TV or, you know, you, you just, you know, sweeping, going through the channels to see whether there's a football match, a cricket match. And if it's not there, you just switch it up and you do something else, you read a book or something like that. So if you're not somebody who's watching TV, then this does not become a problem for you. Because you go to a hotel room, you're not somebody who's interested in TV at all, because you don't have any interest. You already know what you're supposed to be doing. You're reading a book or you have some work to complete. You are doing that. Now, for example, you know ahead of time that all of your colleagues at office, you know, are going out on a Friday and they've all decided to go to the pub. Okay. It's a happy hour. They're all going out to the pub. And they are saying, okay, why don't you come with us? Okay. But you plan to go with them. But you've already made up in your mind that you are not going to drink any alcohol or beer. You're just going to order for Sprite or Coca-Cola or Thumbs Up or whatever. And you know, all of them are going to be smoking, but you are not. And you're just going there so that you can also set a godly example. Just be with your friends. Sometimes as a male colleague, you're going out with a female colleague just to protect them because you know, most of the female colleagues get drunk. You just want to be there to protect them, safeguard them, or just going out with your female colleagues so that they all are getting drunk and you are not getting drunk. So you are planning to drive them all back home, you know, in your car safely. Okay. So, you know, you are just going there for that party, not because you're interested, but you know, you have other agendas, but you've already thought in your mind, this is things that I'm not going to do. Okay. You've already planned things. You already have seen how things work in the corporate. So when you're going for a outing with your friends in the corporate, all of your team is going for an outing. You know what you're not going to be doing with the female folks or if you're female, what you're not going to be doing with the male folks and all of those things, how you're going to stand back, you know, live a godly lifestyle. So you don't make a decision when you are, flesh is crying out, but before that, you already have made no provisions to, you know, feed your flesh, the carnal nature, the designs of your flesh. So every day we need to put on Jesus and every day we make no provisions for the flesh. So it's not just when you're faced with temptation, like Joseph faced temptation, as well as big as that, it can be even in small things. So every, every day, you know, we put on Jesus. That means in every little situation, we are making a choice whether to give to our flesh or to give into the spirit of nature. Okay. So that's how Paul ends this. He talks about love. And then he goes back to what he was talking about, Christian living, godly living. And he tells them certain things not to do how to be awake, how to be, to discern the times, the seasons, what they're going through, what they need to do. And then he says, you know, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, but also make no provision for the flesh. Okay. So chapter 13, anyone has any questions, any comments you want to make? Anything that you want me to explain again? Okay. There's no questions. I don't see any questions. There are no questions that we move on chapter 14, if that's okay. So fine. Okay. Okay. Dr. Putin, Paul is talking about how to relate to one another. He's talking again about Christian living. He's continuing to talk about Christian living that two key points he highlights in Romans chapter 14. The first one is don't judge another believer. Basically, the believer here, he's talking about this one who's expressing his faith differently from you. And the second thing he says don't become a stumbling block. He says live in such a way that your expression of your faith shouldn't cause someone else to stumble in their faith. So basically he's talking about two things. The first thing is don't judge another brother or another believer, how they are expressing their faith. Each one can express their faith differently. And then secondly, he says don't become a stumbling block. That's not your faith. Your expression of faith, how you live your life, your faith work with God, things that you do should not cause us stumbling block to somebody else's faith. And then he puts things in the context of certain things that were relevant for them in their time. So he's basically talking about expressing their faith in the kind of food they eat or what kind of drink they should be drinking. And also he's talking about observing certain days as sacred. So in that context, he's talking. So he's talking in the context of food, of drinking, and also the context of observing certain days as sacred and as holy. Now, today in our context, observing certain days as holy and food may not be a major issue like it was when Paul was writing to Church at Rome. But the principle or the truth that he's trying to bring out here can still apply to our day in our situations, the things that we face. And we can apply these truths, these things, the principles that he's bringing about in our own context. So with this brief background, let's look at Romans chapter 14. Then somebody read verses 1 to 13, please. Romans chapter 14 verses 1 to 13. Can I read faster? Ask for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person delights he may eat anything while the weak person eats any vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains and let not the one who abstains past judgment on the past. One who abstains past judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his honor, own master, that he stands or falls, and he will be upheld for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person assumes one day as better than another, while another assumes all day a life each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God while the one who abstains abstains in honor of the Lord. And give thanks to God. For none of us live to himself, none of us die to himself. For if we live, we will live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord. For to this end Christ died and live again, that he might be in the Lord, both of the death and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or you? Why do you despise your brother? So we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, as our late says the Lord, having me shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of the brother. Thank you, Asha. So in this first section of this chapter, or Roman chapter 15, you know Paul is concerned about people who are weak in faith. So who are these people? We can basically those who are new to the faith, new believers who have come newly joined the church. So he's talking about them. He says, welcome them, but don't go about arguing and disputing with them about which days to observe and what kind of food to eat. Now, it was becoming very difficult in all of the churches and Paul is writing most of his episodes. He's writing to the churches. You know, he's very concerned because many of these Jewish believers who come into the church, you know, they are telling the Gentiles that they have to follow all of the Jewish rituals to certain days. And also, you know, they have to, you know, observe the the circumcision ritual, the kind of meats to eat, the kosher meat and all of those things. And also they were trying to talk about, you know, telling people they have to follow Jewish mythologies and fables and all of these things, stories which, you know, so all of their forefathers. And it was becoming like a burden for the Gentiles. And it was not necessary for them to grow in their faith. And there was a lot of arguing and disputing and discussion around all of these things. So Paul is addressing this to the church at home as well. Okay. So he says, when when a new believer comes to welcome them, make them feel welcome to church, don't go about disputing, arguing with them, which days to observe what food to eat and all of those things. And in today's context, you know, all of these about food and certain days and circumcision rituals and all of that may not be relevant in our context. But what do you think will be relevant in our context? Might be, you know, about the kind of clothes. I know people have, you know, spoken about this in churches, the kind of clothes people wear, whether you should wear jewellery or not, whether in our context, in your context, whether women cover their head or not, whether, you know, women should sit on one side and men should sit on one side and all of those things. Okay. Whether you should go to movies, you know, or you shouldn't be watching movies. So, you know, Paul says, these are all things that you should not be disputing about, arguing about. And he calls these as doubtful things. What are these doubtful things? The kind of food that you're going to eat, you know, observing certain days. So, says these things should not be argued about. Okay. Don't argue about these doubtful things. So, that is doubtful things, basic, what you eat and the ways you observe. So, in essence, what Paul is basically saying in these verses that have been read to us, as he says, you know, let each one be fully convinced in his own mind, was fight. So, you make up your mind, you know, what you want to eat, whether you want to eat meat, or you want to just eat vegetables, you know, if you want to eat meat, you just keep, you eat meat. Now, you want to eat vegetables, you just eat vegetables. But if you're eating vegetables, and you see another believer eating meat, you don't judge them, you know, you don't criticize them, you don't argue with them. If you are eating meat and another believer is eating vegetables, you don't judge them, you don't condemn them, you don't argue with them. And also about the days that you keep sacred, you know. So, he says, one person can keep one day sacred, another person can keep all days sacred. Okay. So, he's saying that it is in the New Testament, or for New Testament believers, there's no such thing as, you know, which is the right food to eat, which is not the right food to eat, which is a sacred day, which is not sacred day. But he says, you make up your mind. And once you make up your mind, then there are two things that you need to do. The first thing is you need to do is don't judge somebody else what they are doing, and what they are following, or what they are not doing, and what they are not following. You want to follow this, you just follow it for yourself. Because you're doing, this is unto the Lord, it's between you and the Lord. Others are not doing it. Don't go judging that they are not spiritual, that you are super spiritual. They're not doing what is right and all of those things. Okay. And then that is what he says in verse 10. He says, but why do you judge your brother? But why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So he says, why are you judging or showing contempt as though you are more spiritual, because you eat certain kind of food, you observe certain kind of days? He says, whatever we are doing, whatever food we are eating, whatever we are drinking, whatever days we are observing, ultimately, whatever we do, we do it for God. Okay. And God is going to be the judge. What is going to God? God judges about our motives. Why we are doing what we are doing. Okay. For God, motive is more important than what we really do. So each one, he says, we'll have to give an account of their own life. So you don't judge because there is a judge. He will judge. He is the rightful judge who can judge. The second thing he says, once you make up your mind what you want to do, the second thing he says, don't become a stumbling block to others. Okay. How you express your faith should not become a stumbling block to others. Okay. So he says in verse 14, I know and I'm convinced by the law of Jesus, this is nothing unclean of itself. But to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Okay. So then he goes on to explain what's going on words, you know, how we were ideas, we shouldn't be a stumbling block. So and how we need to express our faith in the what ways we need to express our faith, how we need to be careful to express our faith so that we don't become a stumbling block for others. Okay. So we look at the verses 14, verses 23. Before we go ahead, anyone has any doubts? Verses 14, 2 verses 23. And before that, if you have any doubts about verses 1 to 10, just very briefly I've explained because there's nothing much in detail. Okay. Any questions from verses 1 to 10? No? Okay. Then can somebody read verses 14 to the end of the chapter, verse 23, slowly and someone else can read please. Anyone? All right. Yes, please go ahead, Manki. Verse 14. I know and I'm convinced that by the law of Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself. But to him who consider anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who saves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may eat five another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure but it is evil for the men who eat with offense. It is good neither to eat, meet nor drink while nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or he's made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what is he approves but he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith but whatever is not from faith is sinned. Thank you Maengi. So Paul is basically talking about the second part where he's saying you know you make up your decisions what you want to eat, drink, what days you want to observe but he says even as you do that you know don't become a stumbling block to others. How you express your faith should not become a stumbling block to others. So here Paul is basically specifically talking about eating meat and drinking wine and in essence what Paul is saying is when you are in Christ you are free to eat what you want. You have freedom to eat whatever you want. So just paraphrasing what Paul is saying Paul is basically saying I want to be careful that I don't greet my brother because of food. If what I'm doing is an offense to another means an offense to a weaker brother or someone who's weakened of faith basically someone who does not understand the freedom we have in Christ then I will be careful not to greet my brother. So basically paraphrasing what Paul says Paul is saying so we have the freedom you know what we want to eat what we want to drink what certain days we want to observe it's between you and the Lord we have the freedom in Christ but you know when we exercise our freedom in front of other brothers and sisters we need to be also careful because they don't understand the freedom we have in Christ they just use their faith they don't understand this so what we do can become a hindrance to their faith because they look at us as somebody who's mature in the Lord somebody who's you know spiritual and so you know he's saying you know then be careful because why should you be careful because they don't understand your freedom and whatever you do can become a stumbling block to their faith and we don't want that to happen so what is the offense he's saying here you know we can become an offense basically he's saying the weaker brother does not understand the freedom we have in Christ so for him this is not the right thing to do this is not the right way to do this is not the right lifestyle it's not like the way of living it's not the right food to eat this should not be happening to our believer so if what I do is going to weaken his faith in Christ then Paul says I will not eat or drink so that I don't want to become a stumbling block to his faith okay so Paul is saying don't do it in public and open you know where we have all of these weaker brothers new believers who come maybe you want to do it at home it's okay you know because your family understands you know you know you know what you're doing as far as you what is right in God's side but it comes in the public you know sometimes it's okay for us not to do certain things not just to hold on to say this is my freedom they have to learn they have to understand when will they grow up no you know as we as mature believers we need to be careful we need to conduct our lives in such a way so that you know we don't become stumbling block to to our weaker brothers those who are new in the faith so Paul says you know we have this freedom in Christ because he says the kingdom of God is not about what is the kingdom of God not about it's not about eating and drinking okay the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking or was everything okay but what is the kingdom of God about righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit so he said there are bigger things that are more important than food than what you eat and drink what are the bigger things righteousness peace and joy okay when so he's basically saying when you are in a right relationship with God right just this means what in your right standing with God in the right relationship with God you know basically what you eat will also be right so what you watch will also be right how you live will also be right and he's already told us in in in chapter 13 no put on Christ that you will not make provisions for the flesh so all of that will come when you put on Christ that means when you put on this righteousness you know the righteousness of Christ has been imputed upon us the righteousness of God is put into our account okay we are not that much but it's Christ which says we impute upon us means which has been put into our account so when we put on Christ it's natural that you know we will be a like Christ we will follow his righteousness his way of life the way he does things and that is going to be God that's going to bring about righteousness and that righteousness right standing with God is going to lead to peace that means whatever we do is going to become be pleased to with with all of them around us and it's going to edify believers going to bring about joy and happiness in the fellowship and it's not going to bring about strife and division okay so the key here is about pursuing what is the bigger things so Paul is saying don't get on get don't get caught up with all of these rituals basically you know he's telling the the Jewish people they're so ritualistic right you have to do this you have to do this you have to follow these days you have to you know wear these tassels you have to wear these bands on your head which which is talking about the commandments you have to stand on the street and pray like this you have to stand in the assembly and in the temple and pray like this so all is becoming such a ritual okay circumcision food to eat and all of those things but he says there are more important things than justice because he's already discussed in depth that it's not the law you know that's going to give us the right standing it's the grace of God by grace through faith okay so so he says there are bigger things and one of the bigger things pursue righteousness peace and joy so says you know if my exercise of my freedom can cause a new believer either to be offended or who is weakened in their faith in Christ then he says in that context I will not eat what I'm supposed to eat and I will not drink what I am supposed to drink okay so he says you know it's it's good neither to eat meat or drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak don't do it in there or when they are watching you they see you it was 21 because it can destroy the work of God for the sake of food don't destroy the work of God for the sake of food was 20 okay he says all things indeed are pure but it is evil for the man who eats with offense when does it become a sin it's okay as New Testament okay for us to eat anything okay but when does it become an offense it's when does it become evil when that what we are doing is becoming offense a stumbling block to somebody else's thing then it becomes evil and does it become evil because it's causing a fellow brother to stumble in their faith to go away in their work with God or also to give them a license to sin so they can say hey look at that brother you know he's the look at that sister she's matured a bit and she eats such food she drinks wine you know she doesn't follow all of these things then you know I'm just doing this sin and you're holding me accountable for for that why don't you hold him or her accountable so it just gives people license for sin so he says you know if what I'm doing eating drinking is going to cause an offense and I won't do it because I don't want to give it as a license for other people to for themselves also to indulge in sin okay so he says whatever you do it do it happily do it in connection with God you know as long as for your actions don't condemn you okay the action should not continue if an actions condemns you that means what you're doing is not honorable is not holy is not righteous because you know he's already explained to us that you know our conscience also bears witness our conscience also testifies also makes known the mind of God the things of God to us if your conscience is not approving of something your conscience is condemning you that means you know what you're doing is not right in God's sight better not do it because it's not something that he will approve of okay and also whatever you do don't doubt you know if you for he says he would doubt is condemned if he eats but because he does not eat from faith for whatever is not from faith is sin so don't doubt you know sometimes when you know in our context you know Paul is saying should they eat food or for two idols now this this question has been raised a couple of times now we just had a Hindu festival Diwali okay and in Diwali you know our neighbors bring sweets they bring some things that they have made at home but Paul is saying you know for your conscience sake and for the person's conscience sake don't raise up questions and now don't ask them did you offer the sweet to your idol did you do pooja did you do all of these things you know you've not seen them doing it you've not seen it for your conscience sake and their conscience sake just bless it and eat it you know just be happy don't doubt if you doubt then you know you might as well don't eat it don't doubt it you know he says you just eat it oh wow it's tasty it's very nice some nice good eat some nice good snacks just enjoy it but if you somebody who is very doubtful better not to eat okay and don't even ask questions but if you pause as if you see that being offered to idols then for your conscience sake and the other person's conscience sake just refuse it very very nicely say you don't want it because you've already seen and then if you eat it still then your conscience picks you then it is you know sin because whatever is not in faith isn't sin but then you bring it and leave it to you you've not seen it you're very excited to eat you're very happy to eat some snacks just go ahead and eat it when faith is blessed thank them and just enjoy the snack okay so in this context he's talking about food and wine in certain days but even in our present day now there are various challenges that we face as believers there are certain ways people dress up and come to church you know because they have some of them have long hair men have long hair put pony tails some people wear shorts and come to church you know some people wear you know heels or they put up makeup and jewelry but we don't judge them right we don't judge them but the way we dress you know should not become a stumbling block to somebody else's faith right like if a believer comes from some other christian from a non-christian background and he sees this person dressed up in shorts coming to church or you know in you know with you know our bodies just showing very skinny clothes that we are wearing what is the person going to think you know there's no godliness in this church the person may not want to come back to this church so you know in every way we need to see if you know the way we dress the way we eat the way we what we wear everything is it godly it's god-honoring or it's and it's not going to be a stumbling block to anyone else okay so that is what he's basically talking about in chapter 15 so it's a good time to you know in retrospect just look at our own lives see areas where what we are doing you know because people are always watching us I remember you know as we went to recently for the wedding and it was one of our members in our team and in that wedding they had you know they had dance and all that and of course they played some they had just before the wedding day they had something called sambit you know it's a music time it's very famous in north India I come from a Gujarati culture so I know that it happens in our Gujarati culture where everybody's invited and then there's music playing and everybody's dancing you know you don't have to invite people to dance they will dance the entire whole night you just have to ask them to stop because you know they as Gujaratis we just love to dance but the songs that are played are all Christian songs and all Christian dance tunes so there's no movie songs played and then I went to this movie it I mean when I went to this wedding which is one of our team members you know it clicked with me very excitingly because it was my culture but I realized that they were all these were movie songs and also realized that you know they were some church members who had come and there was a family especially who had come to this very strict orthodox church where they were not doing all of not in the sense of orthodox but the pastor was very strict and you know they came from a different faith and they were saying you know did you approve of this just dancing and all of that and then I realized thank God I didn't go and dance I should be so careful because I was just so mindful okay the people are watching you and suddenly you are so excited about this wedding and you're just thinking about your own culture where you know I've danced and all of my cousins and cousin brothers weddings and all and I was just so eager to jump up and dance but I didn't I just sat down there and I was so glad because this family was actually noticing and you know having this title of pastor I thank God that I didn't do it because but then I had to tell them see in our culture it also happens but we also we don't have movie songs they were totally disappointed because this was the first Christian marriage they were what they had come to witness and they had all of these things but I told them this is kind of the culture that is in North India but they were not too happy about it and we also had they served as a toast you know a champagne and they said it was non-alcoholic and the waiter just left it at my table and then this family was just sitting right behind and the eyes were popping out because the champagne glass was on my table and you know so you know people are constantly watching you do not know and it was said that this was just you know champagne but it was non-alcoholic but for this couple it was you know whatever it was not to be served it was not something that is God honoring so we have different people in different mindsets we need to be sensitive we can't say okay they have to understand they have to learn they have to grow they have to adjust but we learn to be sensitive and you know so that we do not become a stumbling block to others okay so just like to stop there anyone has any thoughts anything you'd like to say anything you'd like to share very quiet today class no thoughts no questions or Romans chapter 13 and 14 uh one thing I can say I can say your length from from this is that uh yeah culture is big it's big things that everywhere we go we we try to translate the vibe according to the culture like here um there are more wine than water so like lunch time people drink wine uh supper people drink wine um that's gathering uh like for example like men gathering just men gathering to be uh at the bride where they're barbecuing to be uh a bottle of wine or so it's wine doesn't seem as a as a sin so darkness is is is seen is by this condemn however like drinking a glass of wine it's it's is normal it is the way of life so yeah it is yeah I know from from from from what you just spoke now yes thank you or Manki for sharing uh so many people even point out to Jesus turning the water into wine but many of them to say God the Christians they say it's not the uh you know fermented wine it's just grape juice so so Jesus was actually talking about grape juice we need to be very careful yes I remember you know um in Children's Church we we are giving out communion elements and so we say you know this way for that sometimes we say wine now I'd be very careful I never say wine because one of our Children's Church you know our child the Christmas party in school all of his other friends says hey you know in your church they all drink wine so for the party why don't you bring a bottle of wine so he's gone and bought a bottle of wine and he thinks it was okay because we serve grape you know we serve bread and wine uh part of the communion and uh it became a problem the the the boys were caught and who brought the wine so this child was caught and then he goes and tells the principal you know he do this the parents were called like the parents come in uh you know share this with me and then I was just so shocked you know then I stopped saying wine I say grape juice from that time onwards so our children know it is a wafer and grape juice which symbolizes the broad body and blood of Jesus Christ but otherwise children think it's okay to drink wine but yes the Bible tells us in various places I'll kind of post it because I don't want to take your time you know how we should not be drinking wine because you know how it can get into drunkenness we don't want to get into that stage where it can get addicted but I know many cultures they do drink wine many of them just drink but they're in control but many of them do get addicted so you know just better than not to venture into it and I know in many cultures yesterday they do drink wine yes thank you mangi for sharing but I can just post that on the on the stream page or you can take a good read at it because we don't have the time and I don't want to keep you all waiting okay okay thank you all for joining class I'll see you on Wednesday I hope you're all okay with the assessment dates next assessment is November 17th and the other one is on November 14th okay Charles says it is win faster okay yeah okay thank you everyone for joining class anyone has any questions yes say with the the assessment I don't know if the yeah the assessment that you gave us initially I think there are some questions are you still going to go through to see because there's some questions that I got but yeah it was marked wrong I don't know if you're good still go through them yes you mean the fill in the blank yes the fill in the blanks yes the fill in the blanks I'm going to go through everything and then manually you know I'll give you the marks okay all right okay all right okay thank you Boster okay thank you everyone bye then have a good weekend God bless you all