 Okay All right, good morning everyone Morning good to see you A week has gone by quite fast Isn't it? Feels like I finished my class yesterday Right, okay, let's do a quick recap of chapter three it was all about government and structures What do you remember from last class? Okay, let's just pass on the mics. Okay, can someone be in the middle and just pass the mic on So the audience online also benefits from your answers First they started the church. Yeah After the church there is an emergency for deacons for there to help Okay And right so there's an emergence of deacons, okay, what's the Greek word for deacons? Yeah, are you saying or asking? You know Diaconos, what do you think? Diaconos, okay. Yes All right So we saw we see the emergence of deacons. So what is the meaning of that word diaconos? To help assist serve. Okay, so that's the emergence of deacons. We see that happening in which chapter of the axe Chapter six, okay Right, then what else do we see happening? What else did we learn in the last class? Deacons can also we're also encouraged In this in the spiritual ministry as well, okay, not just the administrative part, but also the spiritual ministry what sorry After we after that we see the elders also being added. Okay, the emergence of elders, but so Deacons going and building new churches, right and planting churches Going out in mission trips. Okay, but what were the Some of the criterias that that were required of the deacons They have to be filled with the spirit of God there should have faith Yeah in page 17 in your PDF or page 25 in your textbook, so it says on its report. That means their reputation Yeah, like in other words on and off the stage has has to be consistent with who they are I'm full of the Holy Spirit full of wisdom took responsibility for daily distribution of the food Okay, that means they were responsible accountable What not okay, so they were encouraged in spiritual ministry as well not just administrative part. Okay, I knew churches were raised Because of them and we see the emergence of elders Later on in next chapter 14 onwards So I give a very basic definition of what an elder is, right? There can be a new Christian, but and but elder at age, right an old advanced in age, so hence The word elder or the title elder Okay, and then later on we see that churches in different places moved from multiple leaders But eventually being a head by one leader, right? That hence the word we get the presbyter or presbyter, you know, we get it simply means presbyteros It simply means bishop or to shepherd or to pastor, okay? So that means a church can have multiple leaders. That means they can have many deacon board members They can even have elders Who give counsel and advice and whatnot, but eventually the decision would lay on the bishop Right one leader who would oversee so those were all and we saw different systems that Yeah, the clerical system and all this different clergy system How a church can function basically right the different network of churches they function very differently your church back home will function very differently Etc. Etc. Okay, so that's what we looked at chapter three is the structures and the systems, okay? Francis all right So let's move on to chapter four What is the stages of growth and development? Okay stages of growth and development, which Okay in your hard copy page 41 page 28 in your PDF So in this chapter to give a very quick overview We look at one of the different stages that Church needs to function or to progress in order to grow and we look at a couple of case studies as well Okay, but very quickly amongst us Please use the mic if you have to response again, it's for the benefit of everybody online and also the e-learning students So when you think of the word growth Right growth. Yeah growth. What comes to your mind? What is Mike Mike Mike Mike to be developed in certain things to be developed Okay Okay, Nina says growing to maturity growing to maturity. Okay going to maturity. Okay Changing like how before Like we can say Everything is changing like how before before and now it's like it's different. So there's a change with growth. Okay Stages of a judgement says stages of development in a person stages of development So develop that means there's some sort of a progress develop, okay, when I was in school They used to teach that India is a developing country. That means it's a present continuous and I'm not saying anything after that Okay, okay, so that's what it's a progress progressing like present continuous developing or it's not developed So it's so that means there's a sense of progress, right? It gives you a sense of progress So Justin says stages of development. Okay, that means the stages of growth or progress. Okay, what else? Before I have done a study in India. Now I'm thinking Okay So You're learning it. Let's say, okay, that's that comes under a different skill set So you're learning a different skill for example, right? So, yeah, okay Again, I'm not sure if this happens nowadays, but then during my time in summer holidays Two months of summer vacation you had to go and learn a new skill like you go for typewriting classes shorthand classes Used to happen in my days. Okay Along with playing and whatnot. So yeah, developing a new skill set shows growth, isn't it? So in this day and age you have to kind of grow every day or every, you know Your skill set has to keep improving. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble. AI is going to take all your jobs Yeah, okay, what else guys Rather sorry see rather Growth growth, yeah, I don't throw everything in Sorry Prince Increasing, okay, roughly nothing. Okay, progressing. Okay Yeah, so I think I Mean I do this you haven't say Nina you sure okay Right, so it's such a simple word, isn't it and with so many different definitions with all You know accurate examples or explanation of what that simple word growth is isn't it but In the Christian circle It's very easy for us to overlook certain words Very very easy in the context of the church, for example, let's say even growth for that matter We use that word so much if we need to grow we need to grow this ministry We need to grow so but when you take time to put a definition or give a definition of what your understanding of that is Of that word is slowly the perspective changes Isn't it okay, so this is what growth means to him So this is what growth means to her. Okay, so what can we do to work otherwise? Okay, let's grow the church Where how why? You know But and so our God is a God of growth He starts small you started small and you know from human beings even isn't it And something about him he likes to start ball and then and then yes, I'm you know There is a lot of answers for us in life itself. So Yeah, at least I teach my music students. I used to teach is it's very important You learn to walk before you learn to run like, you know, because everybody wants to take the guitar start playing You know Anything piano or drums, whatever they it's like we're fascinated by the speed and pace, isn't it? My son looks at me and he says like Dara, I want to become big I won't become big just like you but he doesn't understand the responsibilities and All that that comes with it because something about growing fast or playing anything fast. It looks really cool but It's so important to go through that stage. Isn't it like Are you with me right so going through that process or that? The progression of growth is so important than just skipping So that's why the chapter is called the stages of growth Is that you take one by one step at a time if you skip anything like jump from one stage to another stage? There's a problem Right So that's what this chapter is all about but before we could do that. I want us Anand has shared a file with you on whatsapp. I think so but Where is I want to just let me just share something Oh, there it is. Okay, I just wanted to because we are going to go through the book of acts and you know A huge majority of the time. I wanted us to give a timeline Like and I'm doing this because it It helps me in understanding the Bible, okay for me, I need to understand Okay, what happened when you know that and so and once I understand what happened when things like that I'll never forget it That's how I learned So I'm trying to share the way I learn and understand the Bible with us. So you can all see the screen, isn't it? You know, okay Francis the screen is over there What is period I have to look at what screen you're talking about I am in the early church All right All right. So this is the timeline of the book of acts Let's just go through that the blue thing it says the purpose of the study is to illustrate how the young church advanced Amidst seasons of struggle and growth Seasons of struggle and growth during the first century. Okay, this is the first century church We all know that we'll set our scope on the period between Jesus's ascension and John the Apostles death Acts provides an outline for the first 30 years will lean on the early church and Roman historians Fill in the next 40. Okay. Let's move on So act chapter one Starts off at 30 AD. So what do you see the column to your left? We have different season So the first season will it's titled as a season of gathering Okay, act chapter one is that the year 30 AD Jesus's death and resurrection ascension. Okay acts chapter two happens around the same period where we have the What is it? Pentecost Apple room and counter the day of the Pentecost Pentecost is what? It's a feast of the Pentecost as they call it one of the festivals Okay, and the Pentecost is in Greek is the 50th That's what it's the 50th. That's what it is. So the 50th day of the feast Okay, is And I mean we can go deep into all those details about the feast and what not the feast of the tabernacles the feast of the Pentecost We can study separately or you must have you would have already learned about it in the New Testament survey or the Old Testament survey But yeah So we're still they're actually up to 120 people are baptized 3000 people are added on the first day and then God adds Members to the church every day. Okay, and the map just have a quick glance at the map. I love looking at maps So you see Jerusalem and then you look at Mesopotamia Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Libya Egypt Judea Arabia, so now, you know which direction What is Rome is the farthest Maps are important is the ancient maps. Yeah So during this time the Tiberias is the emperor of Rome in your third column a Roman Empire Okay, so let's move on one year later 31 80 act we go to act chapter 3 Peter heals a crippled man in the temple draws a crowd Peter and John arrested by Sanhedrin released the warning the number of men who believed grew up to 5,000 All right, you guys are with me, right? Okay. I hope you're not getting bored because of all these Okay. Yeah, so back then when the early churches formed that 3000 and 5000 believers are added to the church. Yeah, so is was it like a Sunday meeting or every day they used to come and break the bread and Fellowship they had fellowship very regularly so see one of the things what we need to remember is that What we think of these people Who believed in Jesus later? We see that or they were known as the people of the way Right people of the way. They were not known as Christians until much later. I will get into that But we need to remember that the people who were saved were still Jews That means they still practice going to the temple Or they would meet in smaller places because of smaller houses small groups And there was all big and that happened very regularly, but and also I think their big day was the Saturday, yeah, you know, it's like before the day before the Sabbath was kind of big for them. So Yeah, it was pretty much same. So I think Sunday came in much later as their So Friday and Saturday they took their Sabbath very seriously because they will not do anything on the Sabbath day, you know Yes, so I mean they got they sat and spoke about one day that before Sabbath Yeah, and they just decided one day after that they used to meet weekly ones like that Yeah, that's how this everything came out, right? Yeah, and They they believe very they believed a lot in the power of community I think it was I'm not sure that they even knew of what community was, but they enjoyed that, you know, coming together See this idea of Discipleship Discipling and all this small synagogues and all comes from the place of Galilee Right this Methods of discipleship or this idea of discipleship was pioneered from Galilee And that's why Jesus is kind of headquarters away from Jerusalem was a cappernum, which is one of the towns in Galilee But he would go there because he saw and he knew that this thing of discipleship was very famous there like a rabbi taking Under, you know disciples I mean, there's a lot of lot we can talk about just that but when we will speak about it when we speak about discipleship later Okay All right in 80 32 and 33 and we are in Acts chapter 4 now Barnabas Joseph who's his original name, you know the meaning of Barnabas That name Barnabas was given to him by his friends. It means son of encouragement Yeah, so can you imagine your friends giving you a nickname? Yeah, I mean, have you had friends call you by your nickname or whatever they want? Like what's that Francis? Yeah, I mean most of the time it's not great It's it's either funny or something to insult you with kind of a thing right, isn't it but But imagine Barnabas which is his nickname his original name is the name that was given to him by his parents as Joseph means He was an individual that was so full of encouragement that he would always encourage Anybody who come across his way and says like hey, dude, you are always encouraging So let me just let us just call you by you know by that date title and so that's hence Barnabas Ananias and Sapphira light of the Holy Spirit into the day Jerusalem church meets regularly in Solomon's colonnade apostles perform many miracles More and more believed. Okay. So the church is growing now. Okay, and we are in Acts chapter 4 third year. Okay, that's 33 AD. So and then now 33 and 34 number of disciples was Increasing so in that title, I'm sorry in the document. What am I saying? Let's go back to the act chapter 1 and 2. Okay the first year it says baptized, isn't it now baptized baptism is Simply means bring them into Bring them in Okay, or immersing baptism of the Holy Spirit of water baptism is what being immersed in the water and other the root meaning of that is to bring Them in okay, so that is also So as they're bringing in what is happening, it's they're growing Isn't it 3,000 people are being added. They've been baptized, isn't it and then God adds daily It says there. So you see all the red Name words is all pointing towards one word called growth Okay 31 it says they believe it grew so growth also points to the expansion and number Right, that's obvious, isn't it and and In act chapter 4 and always says they were added to their number and here in act chapter 6 the number of disciples was Increasing there's a growth happening. Okay The disciples was increasing because someone was being discipled and someone was discipling they were not sitting idle Okay, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased a large number of Jewish priests believed Okay, so One very important thing is the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased now I remember Jesus telling as soon as you receive the Holy Spirit go out, but until you receive weight in Jerusalem So something tells me these guys Didn't go out yet and That now this is what almost four years later For us it is two three chapters Okay But now so okay, let's move on to the next season the season of scattering Okay So the first season is called a season of gathering that is from acts chapter 1 to acts chapter 6 We can look at it that way. Okay season of gathering and the second season is a season of scattering Oh, good Lord. Okay time is running out. Okay From acts chapter 6 and acts chapter 2 acts chapter 8 suddenly they were supposed to go out But then persecution comes Main man hero and villain at the same time is coming in Saul arrives. Okay, it's an arrival major fool Okay, Saul arrives in Jerusalem Killer music in the background. Okay Stephen debates the Jews tried by the Sanhedrin and he's stoned Saul is there witnessing the stoning of Stephen one of the deacons Isn't it full of the Holy Spirit? He was thrown to death so unleashes persecution All except the Apostles scatter so the Apostles the 12 original Apostles remained in Jerusalem So then it says they all accept the Apostles scatter Okay, so forced to scatter by persecution the church Scatters seeds of the gospel everywhere they go. So what should have happened? Organically after the baptism of the Holy Spirit in chapter 2 what should have happened organically That means once they received the power from on high They were supposed to go into Judea Samaria and to the ends of the world should have happened organically But then now it's happening because of the persecution Are you with me? But God uses, you know, anything that comes our way to his glory. So So because of the persecution people are going Apostles deacons elders Whatever they're planting churches. Gospel is being spread Philip of Acts chapter 6 not the disciple evangelizes in Samaria Peter and John go to Samaria to check out the converts So they Peter and John they hear about the new believers in Samaria They go and baptize them in the Holy Spirit. So you read the chapter. It's great. Okay, so now we are in Acts chapter 9 So I converted he encounters on the road to Damascus Couple of years ago, I think 2020 we had a youth conference. We called on the road to Damascus So Thanks It's like a 30 seconds later. It's like, oh, yeah D masca's the D masking Yeah, so I converted on the road to Damascus. Sorry Damascus So it's filled with the Holy Spirit. That's act chapter 9. So goes to Arabia for three years So if you again go back to the map, you know where Arabia is so, you know, which direction Sol went in. Okay, all of that is crucial guys Like for us to know which direction you went, you know, event north or south or east or west All of that is you'll never know when will when that information will come in handy. Okay Those online, I hope you all are with me as well, Nina Prabhu, Shiv Kumar, Josh and Anthony. Okay All right, let's move on. So now So act chapter 9 is eight years later, right? That's 38 to the left. You see that's 38 AD. So we started at 30 AD Right. Okay. So we're still in act chapter 9 in 39 AD All breaches Sol gets into action right now. So 40 AD. We are in act chapter 10 Peter's vision and Just gonna go a little bit faster now. Okay. All right So let's move on to the next season the period of organized mission From act chapter 12 So I've shared this PDF with you those online. I will share this PDF with you guys, but let's just come down all the way I'm gonna just calm down To the last season season 6 the season of John and the last Apostle Wait, hold on a second one second So there are 28 chapters in the book of acts Right 28 chapters in the book of acts and now we are here. It's in AD 62. So Approximately 32 years of Ministry and life is covered in the 28 chapters. Okay, and then and then a little bit more It's great when you have like, you know something like a reference point like this Do you know what happened when and for how after how many years? I mean, this is this is applicable for Any book in the Bible that you want to study because for us We only have chapters and we don't really think in terms of okay This happened one month later or two months later. We don't really know that but So it's very crucial any book you want to take any chapter You want to take the gap between chapter one and chapter two. It's kind of important, isn't it? It starts it starts from the very first chapter and the very first verse in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and Then the earth was you know without form and void and then verse three suddenly something else is there And even in verse two. So what happened between verse one and verse two? God only knows that okay, so I don't want to add anything to God's book. So let's leave it at that Okay, are you guys with me? Yes. So it's very crucial For us to just understand the timeline the maps who was the ruler everything I just add one side note and we move on to the notes Why is it important to know who the ruler is again in the Old Testament if you go? depending on who the king was and the region he set for example Say five thousand cubits Could mean different in under different king's era rain because he said when you convert it later for example Let's just take a present day for us to understand better. Let's just take one dollar one US dollar at the moment It's about 83 rupees or something 78 okay, thanks. Nikhil. So Nikhil is the king now So just like that a king will come and tell it was 83 now It's 78 just by him saying with the authority of that power of his word it. That's what it would be and So like it's very important us to understand Okay, during Noah's time if it is one qubit What was the one qubit and his time because it can change in another period? Are you with me? Okay, so It's the same thing and there's a lot of things. Let's just move on. Okay Okay, so now let's do a quick We've gone through the book of acts we kind of understand the timeline a little bit Let's do a case study of the early charges Okay, this is where I want us to use the mic as well because we'll go point by point and Towards the end of it. I'd like you to share what is there a couple of points that kind of stood out to you? As we do this case study. Okay, so we'll take the mic and Each of us will go through at least three points. We'll read three points and pass the mic on Is that okay? Yeah, we start with Prince Because the mic is there next to you. You're only reading what you're giving looks Yes, please start Started by believers who are scattered out of Jerusalem due to persecution Established through supernatural Demonstration which one are you reading? The Jerusalem church Thanks to our Prince Is the the Jerusalem church Born during the Feast of Pentecost Started in a powerful way grew very quickly through science and wonders focus was on small groups meeting In houses and also met together in the temple. Okay, awesome. Thank you Everything in the church was initially handled by the Apostles even though there were thousands in the local church Deacons were appointed later to handle food administration. These deacons also was strong in the spirit and were involved in the ministry Multiplication came about because of persecution Initially the Apostles remained in Jerusalem Although other believers and the deacons dispersed some of the expansion was directly orchestrated by the Holy Spirit after some years the Jerusalem church heard elders were part of the leadership Perfectly ministry teams were sent from the Jerusalem such a minister to other locations seemed to couple with Rapid growth initially use a small group Meetings effectively during the rapid growth Mended a good balance between might mighty manifestation and strong teaching to establish the diverse Establish a strong sense of community and sharing of things result internal conflicts well Apostles from and in Jerusalem to keep the primary base strong Apostle and elders resolved doctrinal issues well Okay Seemed a little slow to raise up second and third lines of leadership perhaps to focused on key leadership Apostles did not seem to get too involved with new churches directly Awesome. Okay. Yeah, thank you. So we So Apostles did not the last point was Apostles did not seem to get too involved with new churches directly. Okay All right, some of the key points that stands out stood out to you What is the mic please pass on the mic? Let's be quick to pass the mic on please One of the thing is There is a rapid growth initially it's because of this prophetic ministries and all and The second point Apostles and elders resolve this doctrinal issues actually Apostles and elders resolve Okay, last third point The last third point. Okay. So prophetic ministry teams were sent from Jerusalem. Is that what you're saying? Okay There's a to minister at the locations. Okay. So what about it kind of stood out? Why does that point stand out? So it's it's a continuation of the second point of the seem to cope well with rapid growth initially I think after this prophetic ministry and all Maybe there is a growth in this church Like due to this prophetic ministry like healings may be It not just that no, there's also science and wonders everything so prophetic ministry was not just evangelism that happened but Everything being One of the points that's a recurring points we see that is God added to the church every day is Is a point that says there was evangelism happening So it's water and in that there was also prophetic ministry So it seemed like almost everyone was moving in the prophetic back then because of they were filled with the Holy Spirit There is a lot of like in this Jews and well, there is a lot of doctrinal differences and after these apostles came there is actually so many got resolved I've heard in another class also After this of course is there is a I mean the result is resolved. Yeah, yeah, so one of the other key points. I think That we need to pay attention is It says resolved internal conflicts Right, so it doesn't just say it result they resolved internal conflicts. It says they resolved internal conflicts well It's the key word there as well. Okay, so that means they resolved it with wisdom and understanding and with maturity So they will as they were, you know, they were as they were growing in number They were also growing spiritual in spiritual maturity. So they had the wisdom to resolve conflicts, right? Resolving internal conflicts guys. Let me tell you Yeah, it's not an easy thing Okay, you can resolve it But maybe not well, you know Okay, anything any of the points that kind of store for anyone in case study Speak speak speak or yeah Yeah, sorry, go ahead. Yeah, this point Where it says seem to cope well with rapid growth initially use small group meetings effectively doing rapid growth I mean they continue to Still meet up still and I mean it shows that they They came together pray together Continued in that, you know to strengthen and grow even though they were Increasing or they were growing but still like internally Spiritually they strengthen each other and yeah Yeah, the small groups it just seemed very powerful and they believed in that a lot and I think I mentioned this in the previous sessions that When they were in the exile with Babylon in exile for 70 years because they did not have a common place to meet for worship And because the temple was destroyed, they did not know what to do But they wanted but they had to keep this fellowship kind of thing going this worship going and so they would in during the period of Exile they started this meeting in small people that's what the historians and scholars say and and most of the evidence kind of point to that fact and so the Synagogues and all these small groups Hundreds and hundreds of years later is the final form of it. Okay, so yeah anything else Okay, Jachan says sorry lovely she says points towards maintained a good balance between mighty manifestations and strong teaching to establish believers I mean Yeah Nation came about Because of persecution. Yeah, so that is very interesting. Yeah, I don't know how it really happened because Yeah, because people are opposing it so much It may be generated a curiosity in the people as well And also they're seeing a lot of science and wonders and miracles being happening day in and day out Through this group of like 3000 and 5000 years gathering and stuff. Yeah So I think this might be related Practically when we said this area. I mean this era what's happening. Yeah, even the persecution is there, but there is a chance of growth Yeah, absolutely. I think Sorry Yeah, so It's not just in this period historically, but then you go through the church history Does this take for example the Bible? Right the Bible There are so many people emperors leaders who wanted to destroy the Bible like one of the Roman Leaders Diocletian or something you wanted to Burn every Bible and on that ashes build a pillar or something That's what it's another form of persecution. It's it's an own way, right? But then here we are Today right with different versions and languages one of it's the only book that's translated the most the most selling Etc. Etc. Right is the Bible. So I think any time Something about persecution is about when you press you get the oil out of it, isn't it? So there's more pressing more the oil comes out. Isn't it so yeah Yeah, anything else and Nina, okay, just pass the mic to Nina, please Establish a strong sense of community and sharing of things like there'll be even though the people are different from different places, but still they have that Community love for each other. Yeah, maintain. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah Okay, so This community in the Jewish culture was big I please forgive me for sounding very redundant to keep going back saying okay community was important community was important but But it was really big like they're in amongst them like their community was huge like they believed in in the sense of community being one Being within themselves all of that, right? And so because of that there were two things that was that would happen one is they would not like the other communities Samaritans the Jews did not like them necessarily It's because of the other community of people a group of people We are this we believe in who we are we know who we were shipping we know who our fathers worshipped we believe in that You with me, but what happened within that is they would be helpful to each other. Isn't it? Yeah, and one of the things I studied What discipleship and the culture of the period is You know the parables that Jesus used right so during the period there were a huge number of parables like at least a 3000 stories odd and so what? Jesus did is he would take the one of the parables that existed back in the time and then he would change one key Point in the parable, so let's take in the parable of the what says a prodigal son Is in the in its original story The father does not go and receive his son Why because his greatest sin of the prodigal son the greatest sin according to the original text it says is That not that he took his father's thing, but the fact that he left his people his leg He left his community and went so that was considered to be so anyone who left their community Was considered to be a big sin and they were not accepted back And so when the or when the son comes back In the original story he says the father would be weeping But he would not go to receive a son and everybody around him would say you did the right thing to the father But didn't would take that key element and would change it and irritate every other Jewish people right and so and And that's the beauty of it is they took community seriously It was very big and it's no accident We see that you know in the case study that community was important the small groups was all important and what not Okay, so all right time we'll stop here and we'll continue in the next session from where we left off, okay Great, we're still in page one. Okay All right, we'll stop and we'll come back after the break. Thanks guys