 Okay, good morning everyone and welcome to class. Thank you Kung, Tarun, Seyi, Asha, Kennedy and Abinas for and Srikumar for joining class. This is morning. How are all of you doing? All of you doing well? Yes? Yes. Thank you. Thank you Seyi. Okay, so let's begin. Can one of you please lead us in prayer, please? Anyone? Anyone can lead us in prayer? Srikumar, can you Srikumar, can you please lead us in prayer? Yes, Master. Yes. Thank you, Master. Precious Father, we thank you and praise you for this wonderful morning of God, Master. We pray that Father God fill us with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, to Lord Master, to know the mysteries of your scripture of Father God. Yes, Father God, we are blessed, O Lord Master, for this platform. We thank you, Father God, you are strengthening your servant of Father God and we ask you, prepare our heart of God to receive every word of revelation which is coming out from our mouth and Father God, let you identify your faith so that we can able to transform and renew our mind through that revelation of God. We surrender everything into your mighty hand and we ask you, Father God, prepare each one of our heart and let me take every word seriously and let me be able to Lord implement the word in our life for God, Master, so that we can able to run this race of faith of Father God and we can able to accomplish of Father God what we have planned for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Thank you, Master. Thank you, Srikumar. Let's begin our class. So we are looking at Romans chapter 15. Okay. Can you please turn to Romans chapter 15, all of you, in your Bibles. You can have the Bibles open to Romans chapter 15. We just have Romans chapter 15 and one more chapter and then it's the end of Romans. Okay. I hope you enjoyed this journey learning the profound theological truths, the doctrines that Paul so beautifully presents to us in this book in his in his episode to the church at Rome. Today we look at Romans chapter 15. So in Romans chapter 15, Paul is continuing to teach the first half basically is teaching us on how to bear with the week. And then he, the second latter half that is the first half is Romans chapter one versus one to 13. And then in the latter half, you know, he goes on to talk about this ministry, his plans, and then he begins wrapping up his letter. Okay. So let's read Romans chapter 15 versus one to 13. So somebody who's never read so far can, can that person read please? Someone who's beautiful voice, nice voice we haven't heard in a long time can read Romans chapter 15 versus one to 13. Anyone? Can I read faster? Sure, Abhishek. Thank you so much. Romans chapter 15 verse one. We who are strong ought to bear with the failing of the week and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good to build them up for even Christ did not please himself. But as it is written, the insult of those who insult you have fallen on me for everything that has written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scripture and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. May the God who give endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had so that with one mind and one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then just as Christ accept you in order to bring praise to God or I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth so that the promises made to the Patriarch might be confirmed and moreover that the Gentile might glorify God for his mercy as it is written. Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing the praises of your name. Again it says rejoice your Gentile with his people and again praise the Lord all your Gentiles let all the people extol him and again Isaiah says the root of Jesus will spring up one who will arise to rule over the nation in him the Gentile will hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Thank you Abishak. Okay so in Romans chapter 15 Paul continues to remind us of being mindful of being thoughtful sensitive and respectful towards other believers and he talks about this in the first 15 verses in this chapter, chapter 15. So he begins says we then who are strong ought to bear with the struggles or the weaknesses of the weak and not to please ourselves. So he's saying those who are strong in their faith need to bear with the weaknesses of the weak. Now like in chapter 14 I mentioned you know he talks about no we need to bear with the weak people so there I said the weak are those who are new in their faith and in chapter 14 we see Paul is saying that you know let's not be a hindrance because of the kind of food that we eat some of the things that we drink and you're observing certain days you know we all have our own preferences and that is between you and God but don't let that to become a hindrance or a stumbling block to those who are weak in their faith. So basically he's talking about weak in the faith as those who are new in the faith or also those who have been in the faith and they are still growing okay they're still growing in the Lord they're still growing in their understanding of the things of God. So we who are mature or strong in the faith we need to be patient we need to bear with the weaknesses of the weak and he says here in verse one he says you know we then who are strong ought to bear which means don't just do things to you know to please your own faith you know you're keeping certain days observing certain days observing certain you know ways of fasting or praying or you know of eating certain kind of meat or whether eating you know non-vegetarian or vegetarian okay you can do all those things that is between you and God and that is okay to please your own faith just don't do he's saying just don't do things to please your own faith but you also need to do things to build up those who are weak in their faith okay so it's important to do things that you know that build up your own faith but he's saying just don't keep you know just don't be like one track minded just say okay this is my faith this is what I'm going to do I don't bother about what other people are saying or thinking you know I will just do what you know or please is my faith or what makes me be you know strong in the Lord but he says don't just do that but also while you are trying to do things to please your own faith also do things to build up the faith of the weaker brothers and sisters in Christ so the idea here really isn't bearing with but it's bearing up with the weaker brother or weaker brother or sister so it's basically supporting a weaker brother or sister who is weak in their work in their in their faith in their journey with the Lord supporting them you know with your strength with your faith that is mature so called mature so called strong in the Lord so we need to keep this in mind even though Paul is writing he's written this to the church at Rome it's many many many many years back you know but we need to keep this in mind even as we relate to people today that you know we bear with people who are new and growing in their faith we just don't you know keep arguing about things that are not very relevant that are not very important about what kind of food to eat what kind of clothes to wear but they should wear jewelry or not whether you should wear your foot foot you know footwear inside church whether men should sit one side women should sit the other side or you know when you go up to the pulpit you know whether you should wear your shoes or not whether you cover your head you know or those who partake in the Lord's supper there should be water baptized now we need to be mindful that yes there are denominations who follow this when we are with them we respect them we respect their so called belief systems the patterns of worshiping God because that is what they are comfortable with and in their comfort zone with all of these they are able to worship God so we don't you know we don't hold on to these elementary things this trivial things and make it a big issue or making it a big discussion because eventually it will end up in in in strife in division as it is you know we as Christians were you know divided on the non-national basis that is a big barrier in itself and people don't want to come together to build God's kingdom but you know as far as we are on the same core beliefs what are the same core beliefs that you know that God has a plan and purpose for salvation he sent his son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins he resurrected is now sees the right hand of God interceding for us just believing in the finished work of the cross believing in what God has done to span his salvation to his only son believing the father son and the holy spirit taking on the kingdom mandate of you know preaching teaching of baptizing people in the name of the father son and the holy spirit these are the core things that we need to hold on to and if we are on the same note or the same page the same level on all of these we need to just partner co-work with each other so that we can to gather you know extend the kingdom of God so he says you know we need to keep this in mind even as you're relating to people so let's also even as we are you know relating to people from different denominations let us bear with people who are new or growing in their faith you know gently and lovingly show them from the word if they are wrong what needs to be done how they need to live how they need to pray how God wants us to live our lives okay so all of these things you know are important and we need to show them gently in a loving manner in a way that will not hinder them be a hindrance for their faith and their walk with God verse three he says well even Christ did not please himself but has written the reproaches of those who reproach you fell on me so in verse three he's pointing to Christ and he says this is how Christ lived you know when he came here on this earth to his very own people and he lived among his very own people who he he came to die for them and these are the very own people who belittled him who brought him shame and what did Jesus do he took it right he did not fight against them he did not resist them even if they wanted to you know catch him or hurt him he quietly slipped away in the crowd but there are times when he used parables when he taught them things of the kingdom of God corrected them corrected their heart heart attitudes but we see that he's doing it very gently very lovingly and but you know we see that in spite of that these people belittled him and brought him shame and you know he didn't take that very personally you know so it does not matter even if we are temporarily you know for a certain time take on things you know to help or to help bring benefit to others we can just do things you know just so that the other brother or sister can be you know enriched in their faith in their journey in their walk with God so for example you know when as a team from apc when we go to north india to share the gospel we basically of course in north india people nowadays you know where girls ladies wear jeans and tops and all of those things but you know we we wear the the salvat kamesh we we put take a dupatta stone and in some churches where we have women cover their head we also cover our head so that you know we don't have to do that but we're just doing it so that you know our our dressing sense not doing certain things will not be a hindrance from them to receive the gospel so if if i'm not going to cover my head they're going to think that i'm worldly i you know i'm not somebody who is uh you know who is holy enough uh uh uh uh you know liya's first of all being a woman doesn't give me the privilege in some of these places in north india to preach and teach the gospel but they're listening to listen to me and you know not wearing my footwear you know just sit all of them musting on the ground sitting along with them uh you know just doing some things that as part of their culture the way they worship god so that i'm not a hindrance and for them to receive the truth to receive the word that god has given put in my heart to share with them so he says so even christ did not please himself now jesus himself is the ultimate example who did not please himself and you know we read this in philippines chapter two versus five to 11 uh when it says you know um uh you know being the very form of god was six he did not consider it robbery to be equal with god but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of uh men okay so we see that even jesus himself uh laid aside things not please himself uh just to fulfill uh uh you know the call or the responsibility or the role that god the father has given to him and it says as it is written so as jesus took abuse he suffered wrong for god's glory he fulfilled what was written in god's word and you know jesus is setting as an example he's showing by example that for most part you know we are uh you know sometimes too quick to vindicate ourselves uh to justify ourselves but we see jesus not doing that uh instead he let god vindicate him and you know jesus set us as an example uh so we also need to follow his example you know jesus showed us how the father is well able to vindicate us the same way you know he took the abuse he suffered the wrong um and you know he just left it to god the father to vindicate him in the same way uh you know we need to live our lives just as christ has set as an example and it says the report reproaches of those uh who reproached you fell on me um you know it's basically jesus talking about uh or mentioning this uh and saying that jesus fulfilled uh the commandment of what was written in psalm chapter 69 verse 7 uh this versus this verse is taken from or this phrase is taken from there psalm 69 verse 7 uh and we see when jesus came and lived on the earth he fulfilled this you know the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me so it applies to us as well and uh you know all of this is written for our learning uh as it says here you know all of these what we read in the old testament he's writing to the jews so you know the jews are well versed with the old testament he says everything that is written for us is written uh you know for our learning that we might have hope and so he's saying you know uh i know it's a difficult thing of all of this what i'm writing to you it's difficult for you to do it you know to uh to respect authority to submit to government authorities uh uh to listen to them to do what they're asking you to do you know to um to lay aside your own um freedom uh so that you know the weaker brothers and sisters can be built up in their faith says all this i know is um is difficult but he says look at the old testament characters look at uh jesus himself you know uh they too live like this and so you know all of this is written for our learning uh wise that we can have hope in the situation that we are presently going through so verse four he says for whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope so whatever is written in the past in the old testament was written for our learning uh so we can learn from scripture and then he goes to you know goes on to point out that in a few verses um and he says we receive comfort and patience through the scriptures and you know there is ability to have endurance to have patience comfort strength consolation and encouragement uh it can be brought into our lives through the word of god through scriptures even as we read scriptures and look at you know how different people have journeyed in their walk with god and what god has done even as we read that it gives us comfort strength consolation uh and encouragement in our very own lives so when we look at these different old testament characters and how they journeyed with god um you know we through their lives can receive uh we can learn perseverance the ability to endure we can receive comfort and strength and paul says we too can have hope for the ability to look forward with expectation uh through what we are going through so he's basically saying hey all that you're reading in the Torah and the old testament don't just don't do this as a ritual but it is all there you know uh to strengthen you to to help you walk uh in your um even as you're part of the new government uh you know to walk and to do things that sometimes you don't want to do you don't feel like doing but just do it because uh what from what we see and learn uh from the old testament characters that we read in scripture verse five he says now may the god of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded toward one another according to christ jesus verse six that you may with one mind in one mouth glorify the god and father of our lord jesus christ the seven therefore receive one another just as christ also received us the glory of god therefore receive one another so in verses five to seven uh the apostle paul wants the believers to be like minded and of one mouth that means of one voice so he says be like minded and of one voice and this is so important uh because says believers um you know all of us together we need to be like minded what does it to be means to be like minded it means to be kingdom minded you know everything that we do we are being kingdom minded and like paul says in colossians chapter two whatever you do in word or deed uh do it all for the glory of god so you know whether we're living our lives what we eat trained the way we live think our actions our reactions all to be for the glory of god whatever god has called us to fulfill in his kingdom uh to build you know to fulfill his calling our vision that god is place in our lives it is again uh you know to it is to build god's kingdom to enhance his kingdom and he says when we are like minded we're of one mind in unity and one voice uh what happens is it brings glory to god we can glorify god and we know in today's world it's so difficult for god's people to be of one mind one voice but you know we all need to do this we need to maintain the unity of the spirit paul talks about this you know he's spoken to us again in chapter 14 he says don't let the non-essential things divide us don't judge another brother regarding food what he eats the certain days that he observes but be patient and build each other up and paul also writing uh two in the other episodes he says you know whatever you can do by all means you know whatever you can do keep the unity of the spirit he knows it's difficult to keep the unity of the spirit but he says you know whatever it takes do whatever it takes to keep the unity of the spirit so we need to be of one mind unity in one in oneness and in one voice we need to be kingdom builders we need to build the kingdom of god so when we are working towards being of one mind like mind one voice you know we can glorify god together but sadly in our church today you know some of the non-essential things become so big that you know people end up arguing and fighting and we don't want to you know uh uh collaborate or co-work uh co-partner with other ministries with other men and women of god because of denominational differences some petty small denominational differences but you know we need to lay aside all of these things and instead let's do things that please and edify the body of Christ so that we can be of one mind and one voice and glorify god and in one verse 70 says receive one another just as Christ has also received us so when we meet as believers you know even though we are different believers who are different from us who follow certain patterns certain lifestyles of things they have to do things they shouldn't be doing you know let not those differences divide us but Paul is saying you know telling the church at believers at Rome he's also it's the Holy Spirit is telling us today even as Paul has written it through the leading the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he's telling us to receive other brothers and welcome them be kind to them receiving them and embracing them just like Christ you know receives us embraces us and just like Christ has done okay so let's try and do this you know even as we're learning this even as the Holy Spirit is reminding us and speaking to us let's do this with other believers who may not believe everything we do or who are from different denominations but let's agree on the more important things the core aspects like I just mentioned sometime back okay so verses 8 to verses 13 Paul is pointing out to a few Old Testament scriptures in verse 9 he's quoting from Psalm 18 verse 49 where he's saying for this reason I will confess to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name and in verse 10 he's quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 3 where he says rejoice or Gentiles with his people and in verse 11 he's quoting from Psalm 117 verse 1 where Paul is saying he's quoting this saying praise the Lord all the Gentiles Lord him all you peoples and in verse 12 Paul is also Paul is quoting from Isaiah chapter 11 verses 1 and 10 says there shall be a root of Jesse and he who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles in him the Gentiles shall hold so what basically Paul is pointing out to these Old Testament scripture passages that he is quoting here is even though God was working through the Jewish people but through the Jews through the Jewish people there was so much that he spoke about the Gentiles as well there's so much he revealed about the Gentiles itself so much so many promises that he gave concerning the Gentiles that the Gentiles too will be blessed so here he says he's quoting those passages like I said from Psalm 18 49 Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 43 and Psalm 117 verse 1 and Isaiah 11 verse 1 and 10 so he's saying you know rejoice or Gentiles with his people the Gentiles will also confess you know the gospel will be preached to them they will also confess you know God over the sea salvation all the Gentiles will praise the Lord and you know the Gentiles also shall have hope so all these scripture passages that he's quoting are saying that the Gentiles will praise God they will give glory to God so here we learned that while God was working with the Jews and giving you know giving them promises you know promising them about their future he was also you know giving promises regarding the Gentiles that they will also be blessed that they also have the promises they will also glorify God they will also receive salvation the work of salvation will be amongst the Gentiles as well so this is what God has been working towards so you know Apostle Paul is reminding the church at room once again that you know that God is a God of both the Jews and the Gentiles and his promise towards the Jews was to ultimately bless the Gentiles as well okay so the promises was not just for the Jews but also the promises was for the Gentiles as well and in verse 13 you know he he it's almost like a benediction where he says in verse 13 he says just a minute let me verse 13 says now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit okay so it's like a benediction be read in verse 5 the Apostle Paul says you know he mentions God as a God of patience and comfort and here he says God of hope so you know Apostle Paul is saying may the God of patience fill us with endurance may the God of comfort fill us with consolation with comfort and strength and then here he says may the God of comfort you know also fill us with all hope okay you know he may he fill us with all joy and peace in believing and by believing that he says that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit so in verse 5 he's talking about God of comfort and patience and in in verse 13 he says he's a God of hope he says now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit okay so so far you know Paul has been instructing the believers and how they should live their life their christian walk their christian life how they need to live their lives now in verses 4 onwards he begins to speak of his plans so from verses 14 to sorry verses 14 to 21 you know verses 14 onwards he talks about his personal plans in verses 14 to 21 Paul is shifting from just talking about christian living to sharing some of his own personal thoughts okay any questions so far anyone has any questions no questions all of you are able to follow okay so we'll move on to verses 14 to 21 so can somebody read that please 14 to 21 anyone who's not read so far can I read first sure Shilu Kumar thank you welcome my friends I'm sure that you are very good and that you have all the knowledge you need to teach each other but I have spoken to you plainly and have tried to remind you of something God treated me with the undeserved grace he chose me to be a servant of Christ Jesus for the Gentiles and do the work of a priest in the service office good news God did this so that the Holy Spirit could meet the Gentiles into a holy offering pleasing to him because of Christ Jesus I can take pride in my service for God in fact I will talk about it talk about his how Christ let me speak and work so that the Gentiles would obey him indeed I will tell how Christ work miracles and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit I have preached the good news about him all the way from Jerusalem to Elyricum but I have always tried to preach where the people have never heard about Christ I am like a builder who doesn't build on someone else's foundation it is just as the scripture says all who haven't been told about him will see him and those who haven't heard about him will understand 21 thank you see one okay in verse 14 you know in verse 14 apostle Paul is you know expressing his confidence that the believers at Rome are you know full of goodness full of knowledge and are able to admonish one another and hence he's asking them to encourage motivate inspire each other to do all the things that he has spoken so far in in this letter that he has written to them so he's just expressing that you know he knows that the believers are full of goodness they are knowledgeable they're full of knowledge they understand what he's writing about what he's telling them what he's admonishing them to do and hence you know he's he's asking them to encourage motivate and inspire each other you know to do all the things that he has written to them so far which you know this letter is basically will be read to the whole church congregation so whatever they have heard so far but he has spoken you know to do likewise in verse 15 he says like nevertheless brethren I have written more boldly to you on some points as reminding you because of the grace given to me by God so the things that he has already stated you know or he has spoken about what you know you know challenge some of their thinking you know especially on how to relate to each other how to treat each other how to serve each other in the context of of you know the civil government and things like that you know they will be challenged in their thinking and because we know that you know since they'll be challenged in their thinking Paul is we've seen him in this episode asking a lot of rhetorical questions he's actually getting in the mind of the readers what questions they will ask and he asked those questions and tried and he answers it himself so Paul says you know I've been he's been very bold in telling them you know what to do how to live what kind of lifestyle they need to the son and he says you know even though why is he saying it is because he's not established a church there he's never been to Rome he's never preached to the believers he has no right over them in the sense of even being a spiritual father or a mentor but he's saying you know I've been bold in telling you because I know the grace of God that is on my life he says because of the grace of God that is in my life I have been bold in writing all the things that I've written to you and all the things that I have said to you you know and so Paul is saying it's because the grace of God I've been bold because of the grace of God in my life now you know when we know the grace of God in our life we too can move boldly in that grace okay when you know what is the grace of God over your life you know you too will move boldly in that grace you can operate in that grace in your life it does not mean that you know you have to be arrogant or proud or think that you are better than others know it's in humility but knowing what you're called to do who you are called to be what God has called you to be what God has asked you to do and when you know that grace that calling to fulfill that specific function that God has called you in the body of Christ you know you will be bold to do what God has called you you will be bold to serve people you will be bold to move in that grace whether it's the ministry of the word or praying or ministering to people whatever you will be bold in that grace so what is the grace of God that you know that Paul has or what is what's the grace of God that was being given to Apostle Paul he highlights that in verses 16 onwards Paul says the grace of God has made him a minister to the Gentiles and because he has received the grace of God to be a minister to the Gentiles he can minister the gospel of God to the Gentiles and the Gentiles can be brought in by the power of the Holy Spirit into the kingdom of God they can become children of God sons and daughters of God co-heirs with Christ, heirs of God himself and therefore he says you know because I have this grace to minister among the Gentiles I can speak boldly about the things that God has worked in and through me he can speak about what God has worked in and through him and also he can boldly speak about what God has spoken through him so he's saying that you know I'm boldly speaking about what God has done in and through me what he's doing in and through me and also the things that he's revealed me to me the revelations is given to me but he has taught me that I am speaking to you I am teaching to I'm teaching that to you then he begins to talk about you know how God has brought the Gentiles to faith in Christ and through faith indeed not only through through you know through faith but also indeed through mighty science miracles and wonders and so he says through this you know he was successful in preaching the gospel because of the grace of God that is in his life that through faith and deeds you know to preach the gospel from Jerusalem to Ilicrim you know Ilicrim is modern day Albania and he says he has proclaimed the gospel from Jerusalem to Ilicrim through the power of the Holy Spirit and he says he's able he was able to do this because he knew the grace of God upon his life so he knows the grace of God that is upon his life so the grace of God on Paul's life was not only to you know preach the gospel to the Gentiles but it was also to preach the gospel in places where the gospel not been preached so he says I don't go and build on someone else's foundation or I don't go and establish my work on somebody else's work or foundation but he says I have gone to places where the gospel has not been preached so I can establish to work there so that you know he does not build on someone else's foundation so Paul is basically describing the grace of God in his life and he says whatever he's doing he's doing it boldly because the grace of God in his life and how does he know that because you know he has proved that okay he has proved it how has he proved it by you know by he living his life exercising it practicing it living out his own life his own life what he's been preaching and teaching the revelation that he's received he's living it out by him himself his life is a testimony and that's why he says you know imitate me as I imitate Christ he writes that you know and you know so he's he's saying I can do that boldly because firstly I am you know living that very life and secondly I'm also doing what God has called me to do what does God call him to do to be a apostle to the Gentiles in word and deed he's doing that though we see the Gentiles have been reached out it's evident people can see it you know lives have been changed transformed Gentiles have been brought into the kingdom of God they brought into the church he's teaching them ministering to them and so he's saying that you know he's able to say things very boldly because he has proved that okay it's a proof people can see it a test or to what he is saying and doing because he's living it out and he's fulfilling the grace of God the function that God has given to him another thing we can learn from here is that you know as we move in the grace of God in our life you know we are each one of us are exercising or practicing the grace of God even as we are living it out in our life in our ministry you know we are proving the grace of God in our life so even as you're exercising it you're practicing it you're living it out in your life and in your ministry you're proving the grace of God on your life and so when you prove the grace of God in your life you know you can move boldly in that grace that God has given to you so in Paul's case the grace of God was to minister the gospel to Gentiles from Jerusalem to Elichrim boldly unashamed unashamedly with science miracles and wonders and he was able to he's able to bring the Gentiles obedient to Jesus Christ he's able to establish the work where there was no there's no work of the gospel that was initiated or established is able to go to that places and establish the work there and he's a prisoner you know now and he's in chains and he's you know you know he's working alongside with others to still enhance the kingdom of God and he says he's speaking of things that Christ has established in his life or done in and through his life and because he's speaking and sharing of things that Christ has done in and through his life he says because of that you know I have the boldness to speak to tell you how to live your life because I'm living it myself and also you're able to see the grace of God that has been established in and through my own life so two things to know about the grace of God in our own life is the first thing you know we can know the grace of God in our life by proving it secondly when you know the grace you can move in it boldly so Paul was able to move in the grace of God boldly because you know he was able to prove it through his very life the way he lived and also you know fulfilling the function that God has called him to do to call him for that is to preach the gospel to the Gentiles to be an apostle to Gentiles and also to take the gospel where no man or new person has taken the gospel before okay so in verses 16 to 21 we see Paul is shifting to some of his personal talks here and you know that's what I just shared about he's talking about the grace of God that was given to him and in verses 22 to 33 you know he talks about other things that he he has he continues to talk about his work and what God is doing in and through him and we look at that in the next class okay we look at verses 25 to verses 32 33 the next class anyone has any questions so far verses 1 to verse 21 any questions were you able to understand about what Paul was talking about the grace of God and you know he's speaking very boldly because the grace of God in his life were able to understand that okay any questions anyone has in chapter 15 so maybe on Friday we can or we'll do the rest of chapter 15 and you know if we have the time we can also finish chapter 16 and so Friday will be our last class anyone has any other questions so just as Paul has known the grace of God in his life it's important for us to also know the grace of God in our life so how do we know the grace of God in our life the grace of you know each one of us are called a specific function the function in the body of Christ and we are given gifts to fulfill that function and the grace of God to fulfill that function so here in Paul's case what was his function his function was to be an apostle to the Gentiles and he you know received the grace of God that enabled him to fulfill that function another grace that he another function that Paul was given by God was to preach the gospel to be a apostle to be a pioneer to go where no one else has gone and to establish the work of God and that was his function and we see that God giving him the grace which enabled him to fulfill that function so if you know your gifts your talents you will be able to identify your function in the body of Christ once you know your function your gifts will enable you your talents your skills will enable you to fulfill that special specific function in the body of Christ and also you will receive the grace of God which will enable you to run and fulfill the function that God has laid upon your heart yes mangy thank you to ask maybe just your your your idea on this Paul said if he preached from Jerusalem to Armenia or Armenia that is that recorded in the book of acts where he went is it recorded in the book of acts that he went to to that nation or is the book of acts did not record all the missionary genies that Paul did just want to hear your your take on this ma thank you personally thank you mangy yes Jerusalem he goes to Jerusalem for the Jewish council then he's also mentioning here like if you in Rome he says you know before he comes to Rome he plans to go to Jerusalem to you know basically I think there is a famine there to just provide the saints and then he plans to come to Rome and then go to Spain so yes it's mentioned in acts Ilykram is also mentioned in acts but I really don't know the references the Paul's missionary journey of course is mentioned in the book of acts but right now I can't there are places where he you know he says that he goes to Jerusalem there's a council that meets in Jerusalem he goes there and yeah but so ask you for references I don't have the references right away but you know maybe I could look up and and tell you so here we see in acts chapter 11 you know Barnabas comes and takes Saul you know and they go after that you know they go to Antioch they bring him to Antioch and that's where the disciples are first called Christians and then we see that in these days the prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch but also we read that yes he goes to to Jerusalem for the council there but if you look at was chapter 12 we see the end of chapter 12 was 25 and Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem where they had fulfilled their ministry and and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark so we see that they were in Jerusalem they fulfilled their ministry there and then that is you know that is during the first missionary journey they take John Mark second missionary journey we know that you know Paul and Barnabas had this agreement whether to take John Mark or not and so Paul takes Silas and goes in second missionary journey Barnabas takes John Mark and goes on his but Electrum is also mentioned here in the book of Acts I really don't know where but I can look at look it up and maybe share it through the next class is that okay yes pass any specific reason you ask that Maggie no I just see there's a thought that came to my mind okay okay anyone has any other questions okay there are no questions then we'll end class okay thank you all for joining class I'll see you on Friday and most hopefully we can finish Romans chapter 16 and that will be our last class okay thank you everyone have a good day God bless you I'll see you on Friday thank you