 Hi everyone, welcome to the session. Let's begin this time with the word of prayer and begin to our teaching. Let's pray together. Father we thank you so much once again for this wonderful time you've given us to learn and study together Lord and even as we consider you free to God I pray that your word will minister to each one of us Lord to bear fruit in our lives. I pray God that you'll give us the wisdom, spirit of knowledge and understanding. Lord to rest upon us Lord and we pray God that you will continue to speak in and through us Lord. We submit this time into your hands in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Okay so last we did up to chapter 21 right so we looked at proclaiming the uncompromised gospel and how chapter 19 proclaiming the uncompromised gospel with power so we looked at a few points there proclaim the full gospel that is preach, teach, follow it up with science wonders and miracles and even as we do that we must be obedient to God, trust God to you know work bringing science wonders and miracles right then Paul reasoned and he demonstrated also so we looked at the examples here at a pathos at Thessalonica, at Berea, at Athens, Corinth, Ephesus what did he do? He went he sat with the people he reasoned with them he tried to understand their belief he tried to understand what they believe in what they are going through their culture everything so he reasoned with them and when he reasoned with them he he understood their mindset and he was able to effectively present the gospel of Jesus Christ right he was relevant he was relevant to the people to the culture to the setting that he was in he was addressing the minds of the people and he also followed that up with supernatural work right then we also looked at how you and I as leaders are called to break controlling powers now we know that the devil has his own kingdom his own authorities he has his own communion and he has his demons that are working in this world and different kinds of controlling powers that he has but remember that we talked about this last class that the cross destroyed the work of the devil he nullified the power of the devil so what the devil is doing now is he's using his power he's using his demons that are these evil spirits to entice us away from God to make us you know we know the scripture says the enemy comes but to kill steal and destroy that's all he wants to do and so we looked at some of the example Philip's preaching of the gospel said those people in Samaria free even Simon the sorcerer Paul and Barnabas preached and demonstrated the gospel and the person who was you know demonstrating or practicing sorcery he was again the power of that sorcery was broken Paul was ministering in Philippi where the slave girl was was there the spirit of python there again he broke the controlling powers there when Paul was in Ephesus again Ephesus was known for its gods and goddesses a place where there was the entire place was gripped with demonic work right immorality sexual morality idol worship but when Paul went there he was able to you know nullify and break these power centers as we could say and eventually flaunted a church right so uh even as we go about farming churches these are certain aspects that we must always remember right that we proclaim the gospel proclaim it with power and authority and we also looked at chapter 20 equipping the saints now there comes a time when as a church you have come to a stage finish your part on your thing stage you've gone up your administrative stage now there are the new finish and then you get into a stage where you're building your equipping people for the ministry so it's no longer just giving but it's also appointing and sending out right the equipping people and when we are equipping people a few pointers to remember teach girls word emphasize the supernatural equip people to be the salt and light whatever they are equip cause people for evangelism lifestyle evangelism equip empower and send them right uh let's go to the next portion the personal life of a church planter now we talked a little bit about it in the initial chapter but this is a very important aspect of ministry and I always remember that ministry is God's call for our life but our priority must first be our relationship with God and out of that relationship with God flows everything else right so our personal life is our personal life our relationship with God is number one priority when it comes to ministry because it can be a time when we are doing ministry and things are set in motion right okay for us these are the things that need to be done and call it these are the things that church sunday services church teams that are all that happens within our life groups everything is happening we believe our emotion and it's very easy for us to you know to put aside that time that relationship with God and look at ministry it's very easy to put ministry first and then go that's not what God wants our call our call is important but our relationship with God is number one so how do I recognize whether I'm called to be a pioneer or whether I'm called to serve under a ministry right now we're going to learn this in this chapter now we must always understand first there's a call of God in our life and when God is called us we must follow the call right so the question is whether it's to be a pioneer or you know to serve in the local church now the answer is we must position ourselves to serve within an existing ministry and if God calls you to plant a church pioneer the church you should go about doing it right but always remember the call of God first so for example you're called to be a pastor you know it right so it'll be good for you to serve under a church and serve there to learn through develop yourself right now I'm not saying this is you must do but it's a good thing to do probably you could take two or three years and then at the right time you can ask God and the God can just release you to start your own ministry pioneer your own entirely right so here is a few pointers that we could consider when it comes to pioneering pioneering a ministry or a church number one a pioneering spirit that is the ability to try something new or to pave a way to try something that may not have been attempted and to be adventurous now if you are now always remember pioneering is is a bold ask it's not something very simple it's it's God expects us to step out onto the waters not knowing what is ahead so this pioneering so now we're looking at church so the ability to try something new to pave a new way right so pioneering can happen also within a local church and we'll talk about that later within a local church you can pioneer different ministries but if you feel that you have this in you okay I'd like to try new things or I'd like to pave a way or to try something that has never been done before meaning I don't just be in the status quo but attempt new things you can always look at that as an indicator that God is calling you to be a pioneer a second indicator of grace or when it comes to a pioneer is the ability to work independently right so for example you're able to you know so for example there's a task that is given to you and this task takes two weeks right now you're able to complete the task before two weeks independently right it's not like you're saying okay this other person is doing the other half and you give another half to another person they both put it together and the task is done you know the ability to work independently a leader a initiator right not just being a good worker or a follower but you know this able to come up with strategies ideas to fulfill a task independently this could be an indicator that you know I many God is calling me for to be a pioneer right ability to build bridges which means reach and engage with people from different backgrounds and cultures remember if you're studying a ministry it's a pastor or as a minister of God we need to be able to develop the ability to speak to people from varied audiences you'll have a corporate coming and talking to you you'll have a housewife coming in talk so we must be able to balance that up right the ability to build bridges between them both what you talk to a corporate person who's a person who's working in the corporate sector for 20 years is not the same thing you'd be good to talk to a housewife who's you know basically looking after the house or you're not going to talk to a housewife what you're going to talk to a housewife it's not what you're going to talk to a youth or a team right so we must be able to build bridges engage with people they must feel that okay as a leader I can go to him I can go to her I'm sure I will get something you know the Lord would speak through him or her and and as a leader you're you're able to differentiate these black girls yet you're able to build those bridges you're able to you know bring all of them together and say hey we are different culturally and we are different in our backgrounds and cultures everything but we are one able to build bridges and this is a powerful gift that God gives to men want to pray but to a pioneer it's a powerful it's not easy to do but it must be done because we know the church remember the apostle Paul he says you know to the church in the corner also to the church in Ephesus there are people who are Jews there are people who are Gentiles as they say he says to the Jew I'll be a Jew you're a Gentile I'll be a Gentile but then he was able to build the bridges together it's not like Paul only spoke to the Gentiles he's also speaking to the Jews in very Ephesus there are Jews so able to build bridges next point is very important to be a visionary what is the word visionary love this word a visionary is the is a person who has the ability to see something when it does not exist right you you see it in a mind's eye it's wonderful to have that a pioneer must be a visionary so for example God is saying I want you to be I'm going to choose you and you're going to use you as a worship leader but you're going to sing songs so you feel that's a vision that's that's what God is calling you to be this is an example right if that's a vision so you as you must be a visionary okay God I want to see myself one day writing my own writing songs the songs coming up with melody for those songs recording those songs releasing those songs the songs touching people's lives worldwide you see it right now you're only in your room writing nobody knows right and that do you not want to finish one song it's okay you're right be a visionary when it comes to church you may have 10 people sitting in the church you know you tell your church hey one day we're going to be 50 people here one day we're going to be 100 people one day we're going to be 500 thousand two thousand people the vision you used to see do be a visionary but now vision without work is a brilliant but you can have many if you keep having the vision you don't do anything about it it's a brilliant right so also when it being a visionary is is the ability to see something which does not even exist I see a church with 5000 people right now there may be 50 people but the heart is so stirred that you know that one day we're going to see this I see my church reaching out to different nations right now so reaching out only to your area water in the city but the visionary sees way beyond it doesn't exist for this year that's why I love Efficient Street 320 and I keep saying it to myself what is Efficient Street 320 now to him who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more that we can ask think or imagine by the power of his Holy Spirit that works to us a visionary sees beyond what what is what is happening right now another indicator for a pioneer is prior history in engaging in church plants so somewhere you have engaged in church plants and I can also say selling groups starting up selling groups or starting up youth teams something small it could be something really small youth team so starting up life groups several groups right and then you build from there and then maybe you have some history before in your life you have helped your maybe you were in a church planting team and you've served and and after the church planting team you were able to establish a church and the church is going on well now it's a church that has been established then you have some experience then you can also say hey god can be calling me towards this pioneering gift because work before in that area so maybe five of them were in the church planning team in another city you were there you were engaging in that now the church has been established so you have some experience so god can use that experience to help you be a pioneer right a stirring in your heart this is the most I would say the most powerful indicator for a pioneer stirring in your heart right the Holy Spirit stirs your heart so much you'll know that this is what what what's he doing remember Moses right what happened he said I have to you know he knew that God had called him but he made a mistake 40 years later at the burning bush he saw the burning bush there was a stirring Moses when when he was 40 years old they saw he saw his people being persecuted and beaten there was a stirring in his heart although he went about doing it the wrong way but God used that stirring it didn't go away he knew that God had chosen him to be the prophet to bring the people out of bondage from Egypt into the promised land stirring in his heart can you believe this 40 years later that stirring may not have been there but God like it was like a picture of the burning bush like it was like God saying I'm gonna stir up that you know what was there inside that leadership skill i'm going to stir it up four years later Nehemiah everyone with him but only Nehemiah was stirred at this point many of them hundreds of people have heard about the walls that are appropriated gates have been burnt down only Nehemiah was stirred because of that stirring he took a step and because of that step he led the people to build the walls of Jerusalem did he have experience as an architect you know did he have experience in leadership normally did he have experience in building teams normally or everything he learned on the job but he did it powerfully why was it a stirring from God it was a gift that God gave have people listen to him but people who caught that vision the real book of Nehemiah totally caught the vision it's worthy you know when you think of it they were people who were working in the farms they were doing about builders they said okay he's just saying am I saying let's build the walls okay let's go they did it they caught his vision in a way that they would would go in the morning work they come back home and they continue to build the wall they didn't say oh I've tired the whole day of work I can't do anymore today they did it because it was a vision which they have caught stirring in the heart so God can put a stirring in our heart the stirring can be a mild one it can be a strong stirring right it's very important to hold on to those stirrings so you go okay tell me when to step on tell me when I can when I can when you want me to find out when do I take the step you lead me you guide me right sometimes it'd be like stirring is like a tornado inside you but outside you may look just calm calm and pleasant on the outside but inside you're stirring so much that God wants to do and be patient ask God for the right time step out at the right time in faith right seventh point another indicator is a clear confirmed word of direction from the world and this is also a wonderful way right imagine you you know that God is calling you to pioneer a church but now you're working in the corporate sector for example right you're working in the corporate sector you know that God is calling you to plant a church pioneer a ministry but it's not happened two three days it's like two three years maybe right so you're reading the word one day and then suddenly you come to a passage it says a big door I have opened for you this is giving an example a big door I'm open for you Jeremiah in the book of Jeremiah he says step go into the land which I have told you all through the book of Isaiah there are wonderful passages so God could speak to the words a word of direction go now it's the type of member of friend of mine a non-person he had been waiting on God and when should I step out when should I step out so for many years he was waiting and one day he was reading the word and he came to this passage where it said that Jesus stood up and left that place and that word spoke into his heart so strongly he knew okay Jesus saying get up and leave this place and he knew that it was time for him to start his ministry so the word can be something as simple as that it can really confirm or bring direction into our life then you have the accidental church planter it's important to note the height and the accidental you're not expecting this but you find yourself with a baby in your hands so buses put the example of apc napal church let me say let me just share what happened with napal church right so I may not get the years right but I think it was early apc started 2001 but I think it was 2002 when there were a few napalis who you know who came up to a pastor and said you know we want to you know come to church we want to be part of church so he said okay and so they were already about 10 12 of them in the napal napal friends and all of them and usually I think initially they later on they met on Tuesdays because Tuesdays were the day off they used to work Monday to all the other days so so what happened was also used to preach in English and they were there was napalese translation so we didn't expect to start a napal church there's always this church and of course other languages also but napal was not probably not in our mind but but it came the door came and eventually we started the napal church the church grew it grew up to 100 200 I think about 250 people or the pastors leaders napal eventually not be appointed napal pastor and so it was an accidental church it was not something that we met at planted but they came and they said we want to be part we want to learn from you we want to learn the word there's no other place that we find fellowship can we do this so there will be times people will come and say you know we want to be part of this that's wonderful but here's the important thing pray and get a clear confirmation before proceeding why because now these baby churches as so to speak can come in and if they're not aligned with of course they give them time to get aligned with the vision of the church and all that but if if it's not something that God has directed it can cause problems right it'll be very hard to especially when you accept something like this it'll be very hard to disengage because why it's they're all believers in church so carefully do it think about what is it something that God wants me to do so somebody comes and says come on don't immediately say yes big time maybe you can take a week or however long would like but spend time in God's presence ask God for direction ask God for wisdom when how to go about I'm sure the Lord will minister but it's if the Lord is leading us towards it and says okay go for it and it's it's a beautiful it's a very good feeling like you already have people and they want to learn the word so all we have to do is be there to preach and teach and they will just there'll be like a spot just taking in everything because they they themselves have come so that's that's a wonderful opportunity and it's nice when these these things happen but again be careful pray and get confirmation so these are a few indicators when it comes to being a pioneer right now these are not the only indicators there can be many other these are some of them right let's look at wrong reasons to engage in a church club okay Rosalind has a question is it possible that we may miss the season like God spoke we did not obey because for some reasons like we are under a pastor for several years and the pastor did not release or advised us not to go so in this case can we miss our season right so this is a good question but Rosalind see God is beyond time and seasons right God is beyond what one is a God has got a well a vision or a pioneering gift into your life right number one is yes we can miss it because of our own right now always look at the example of Moses right he he knew that he's going to bring the people out of God has called him to do that but he did something wrong he had to run away and there was a 40 years delay right now it was not in God's design for him to be looking after sheep that's not his he was a pioneer he was a prophet right but he was looking after not when his is his father was she he had nothing to with him right so but then God knows how to restore back seasons he can restore us back yes there are times we can miss it now two reasons you have mentioned here right one reason is because we are we are not copied yes that can be one reason you know maybe fear how can I step out or what will people think right or how will it support me financially we're a family to look after so all these are you know general and general thoughts that may come up but if God has called us he will you know provide all of that but yes disobedience could be one reason but if we pray and ask God God I know that you have a vision I have a feeling you know I sense that you know I missed it you told me the last time I did not obey Lord forgive me and restore me back help me to be obedient to you and the Lord would definitely like use you but you definitely fulfill the vision that he has here he opened doors right look at all through the scriptures you see that David but even though he didn't miss his season but he made many mistakes but God still used him and even in the New Testament the apostles God used him the Lord Jesus they made many mistakes but the Lord Jesus used him now the second reason that you're giving here is the pastor did not release or advise not to go now this is a very sensitive issue right and it's not just an issue that is happening recently but it's been happening for many years right because especially for example there's a person who's been with the church for maybe many years close to the pastor and all of a sudden he feels that he wants to start or not all of a sudden but he feels that God has called him to start a church okay number one if the person knows that this is a hundred percent sure okay God has told me to do this obedience to God comes first so what the best thing to do is to go speak to your pastor tell them this is what it is and I will have to step out because this is what God is calling me to do if the pastor says no you cannot right you have to work here now obedience to God or obedience to your leader and we'll have to choose right now remember that when we make these choices we don't you're not in a place to you know control other people's thoughts and emotions or reactions we can't control they may speak bad of us they may speak wrongly of us but remember that if God is called that is more important if you're stepping out obedience to God is number one but we must not have any hatred or any kind of anger or resentment against you know the pastor because he he or she may say things to us right so so they're good to just go straight and tell the pastor the pastor has not let you know he has not released you before and you feel you missed your season just go back ask God is it the right time if the God says yes go ahead just go directly now one of the things that I have noticed is that many of us many of them as believers they're afraid to go to the pastors and tell them that this is the vision that I have and I want to you know find it I'm afraid to do that because so many years have been working under them and sometimes they feel obligated to be there and the pastors feel that these these leaders must work only here I don't know where else so we need to come out of that mindset we need to step out it's okay uh there are some pastors who understand that support not understand the worst priority is the ministry that God has called us also and I hope that helps answer your question yes thank you okay let's look at some of the wrong reasons to engage with church plan oh number one doing this motivated by strife and competition just because this person said you know just because this my friend he said he's starting a church even I will stop church now make sure my church is better than his church competition it's not going to last something that is born of the flesh will only produce flesh people will come and sit right but we know fruit when it comes to church lives must be touched so don't do anything out of strife and competition wow this is another reason the wrong reason to engage in a church plan because other options and ministry did not work out I actually wanted to be an evangelist or I actually wanted to be a teacher in a Bible college but now since all of that is not there let me just start a church now and so you know these are wrong reasons three doing this as a job or if I do this I can I know that my needs are met so it's a job it's a wrong reason to engage in a church plan of course practically we do need finances and all of that but remember that God knows right and even as you are preparing to pioneer a church we look at that here initially like we look at how you need to prepare yourself financially take time take three years save up save enough funds so that you can sustain your family and the church at least for a year or more so don't look at it as a job or a way a source of earning the more money so that should not be the mindset at all right and then another wrong reason was doing is doing this for personal reasons maybe to migrate to another city or another country for comfort for status right now comfort could be or no nine to five so I can I can go if I won't come and I won't it's okay so these are wrong reasons right or I don't like this city so I'll go to another city and no private church Rosalind you have your hand up you want to share something yeah pastor I wanted to know that can be because we are talking about pioneering so like suppose if you start a church so can we use our type to like you know to meet the expenses or whatever needs the church has like to start with like because it's it's a startup so can I use my type because maybe like I'll be I'm giving my type to some of the church all these years like can I just put my type into this church when I'm starting it like okay so now this is a good question but Rosalind here's what I will share okay this is what I feel now as long as I'm connected to a local church right I have to be faithful to that local church give one ten and pay my tides to the local church that's what God has said that's what God has designed right now if you feel that God is calling you to start your own ministry and you'll need those initial funds right I would suggest that you look at probably other ways to try and save up right whatever the little you can also remember that God can bless you because God's design is when you're part of a local church you pay your tides and your offerings right one tenth of it right and this is what I believe right you can maybe check with others as well but that's what I believe with part of the local church you give to the local church and then you can take certain portions remember for God all he needs is five loaves of bread and two fish right so even if it's just very minimal amount and you know that's not going to help right it's okay right never despise small beginning so you keep it aside you say okay this I will use when I start my own ministry right and you will see that what is those scriptures teach us and it says that you be faithful in this and I will open up the storehouses of heaven right so I completely understand what your question right because many of them have asked this question can I take this answer use it for my ministry but I feel that until you're planted in that local church you're there it'll be good to be faithful to that local church and when God says okay now is the time to step out even if you have less parts remember that God will provide because of your faithfulness through all these years God will provide for for your for your own ministry so this is what I believe those things so you can and you can also ask others or other leaders as well this is something that is good because what I believe is even if you have a little right I know planting a church involves a lot of money but whatever little there's faithfulness that we have shown here God will be faithful he will bring people and you know he will bring people who will support you he will open up the heavens he will just make a way for you so sometimes it's not only finances sometimes when you're starting a ministry you need people people who can support you moral strength moral support they need you need that also so it's not only financial so yeah God will bring the right people okay should I pioneer with an existing church ministry or should I do this independently now it's always good to you know that a lot of benefits pioneering within a ministry because you have leaders who can lead and guide you and say okay let's do this let's try this way and you have many inputs many thoughts coming in but when you step out of your own venture you know it's it's sometimes it's nobody to give you advice and there are situations where you know you have to make sure that you establish good relationships with people care and encourage them support you spiritually so here are a few advantages we quickly go through them working with an existing ministry has several advantages right so for example you're in the church you're working in the church and you want to start your own ministry so maybe a counseling ministry within the church or a cat or a we something that we have is called a catalyst where catalyst ministry which grows into schools and minister the gospel so whatever ministry right you want is done these are some of the advantages you already have well established tried and proven strategies and methods right this is work this is not work okay so you have people around you who can help right you have a good support system you have to get started so you know you have probably a team you'll say hey we'll be there for you you know if you want to start a college outreach we can come with the guitar imagine you're alone and you don't have a you don't know how to play the guitar or you don't know how to sing right but if you have a team it's already there it'll come into it you're just stepping out of faith right you you may be able to get like-minded people to form a part of a core team so you so within the church itself you know people already probably two years five years ten years form a team and say hey what do you think about this how about we start a college or youth outreach kind of a ministry form a core team we'll be able to provide ongoing resources and spiritual oversight and support right so on a not moving basis we have resources material spiritual oversight you have pastors leaders you know encouraging you sorting you giving you ideas and strategies and then there's also support and you may have a name that is recognized and respected right so so let me give you this example right in the city of mangrove we went to a few colleges right and we wanted to ask them for the opportunity to take that one hour usually one hour a week is scripture classes so we wanted to ask them can we take value education or scripture classes and remember this so clearly but we were only maybe 15 20 people in church and when we went to this the principle of the college we were speaking and he said okay which church are you from and we were saying it's not to brag about APC but I remember saying I said oh we are from all people's church and he said oh I know more people's church because in Bangalore you know we we work with all people's church and they they they were very helpful to us and they said some very good things about the church and immediately the principle said from next week you start he didn't ask us what you're going to teach what is the material nothing he said from next week you start and not only for your degree college but I also speak to the principle of the 11th and 12th we call it the PMC here in India so your 11th and 12th you can also go to that college and you can also teach them why because we were recognized and we were as a church we had a good name they respected us so they gave us so many open doors out of that came Christmas carols and value education classes year after year and from that we got opportunities in at least seven to eight colleges just through that one road right so a lot of advantages that way yeah and the last one may be able to help with transition and continuity meaning to hand over the ministry or the church plan and we can hand over okay but when you feel that your season in that place is over you can always say hey this is another team or this is another person who can take over and build on this ministry right so here's the thing there are a few cautionary points here do not join a Christian ministry to do a church plan because an opportunity exists you won't join a ministry just to start a church because you know that you can start a church then right that we are all intention to start right some things to remember is their spiritual alignment right so there are different denominations that we see we have the charismatic Pentecostal Baptist also many denominations so is there an alignment like imagine you get this an example you get into the Pentecostal or church say i want to start a church plan and within the church you start a church plan and they say actually you know what we don't believe in the gifts of the spirit or the Pentecostal church they believe only right they are so strong on the gifts of the spirit right so we need to be 100 percent sure is there an alignment is it is there any theological differences i say 100% freedom to minister all of this needs to be understood is there alignment of culture now for example there's a church and you go there you join the church and in this church boys and girls sit separately men and women also sit separately now suddenly you do a church plant all are sitting together that's going to raise questions and maybe something simple but that's a culture how come they are doing this and all the main church everyone take off the shoe enter the church but we are everyone are coming in the shoe what's happening there's a cultural difference make sure that all of this is well thought of right is there freedom for God's grace and gifts to be released right so you don't want to be in a place where you're controlled or you feel that okay i can't float the gifts of the spirit because this church doesn't believe in the gifts of the spirit right or i can't release healing or talk about the supernatural because this church doesn't believe in that right so then you'll understand that hey i shouldn't have done this i need it to always check make sure that what i'm doing is right right and then does the church christian ministry have a heart for the city or the region where you have you feel called to plant a local church so is there a long time commitment so for example uh you go to church and you say hey i want to reach out to this part of the city uh but do they have a heart for that or do they have or it could be another city itself so but do the pioneers the quality do they have a heart for that place they will say okay start a new start and then over time there's no commitment from there and there is no assistance there is no help there no support what happens we feel rejected we feel it down right so another aspect to think of and finally does the christian ministry have well-defined systems to provide support and assistance to those doing church planting and so one of the things that you can look out there for is when you are if you feel that you want to be part of a church and do a local church plan do they have systems in place do they have support system do they have assistance system meaning assistance system in helping this church plan to grow now i know that these are things that are quite new for us but uh you know when we learn to you know walk in this understanding walk in that spirit of okay god i know but i also need to be cautious right and you know i'm sure the lord will connect us lead us he will lead us at the right part so we'll stop here we'll pick up from chapter 23 tomorrow and you're almost coming to an end so thank you so much for joining this class have a great day ahead see you tomorrow but bless thank you poster