 Okay, why don't we pray? And today as we pray, let's just ask the Lord to stir up a hunger for more of Him. And also let's just ask the Lord to move us in the direction of the call that He has for us, for each one of us. And for those of us who have already, know what our life's call is and already started walking in it, let's pray that there'll be a fullness into which we step in, more of Him and a fullness into which we will walk in. That we will mature in that call, that we will go deeper in that call and onto new things and new seasons. So we can pray on those lines, right? For those of us who are yet to start, saying, okay, I'm just still trying to figure out or I'm praying and seeking God for what He needs to do in my life or what He wants. You pray as well, saying, God, you show, let there be a stirring, let there be a hunger, let there be a moving towards the things that you have for me, right? So let's pray. We thank you for this day, we thank you for this time that you've given us, Lord, what a privilege it is, Lord, to come to your presence. And this morning, Lord, especially we pray for those of us who are yet to discover our life's calling, Lord, what you have called us to do. And so, God, I pray that there will be a revelation, that there will be a moving towards it, Father God, today, right now, God. Even as we pray, I pray that eyes will be opened, ears will be opened, O God, to see, to hear. And Lord, I pray that there'll be a revealing, O God, an uncovering of Father God in our spirits or in our heart, what you want us to do. And I just pray that it'll be a joyful discovery, Lord. Yes, Father God, we thank you. We thank you that you're the one who calls us, you're the one who prepares us, and you're the one who commissions us, Lord. We just thank you, Father God, thank you for that. Yes, Master, thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I pray that our desire, hunger for them, will be even more, that whatever is causing that lack of appetite or lack of hunger will be removed, will be taken away, will be totally destroyed, so that, you know, there'll be a genuine, fresh hunger for more of God, for more of His Word to do more of His will, no matter what the discomfort or no matter what the cost. For some of us, the Lord will direct and say, leave and go, in the sense, just like how He told Peter, and leave your nets and follow me. But for some of us, it'll be to stay in that place, like even how He spoke to the demoniac. He said, he wanted to come, but then the Lord says, you stay, you go tell your people. So it'll be either of that. And I just wanted to mention that, you know, let's, because it comes from Him, because it comes from the one who is all-knowing, because it comes from the one who knows the end from the beginning, you know, we can receive it, even though sometimes it might be different from what we are aspiring to do, right? We might say, I wanna leave this thing, and then go do something new, or you might be saying, you know, I wanna stay here, and then minister, but then the Lord is, you know, leading in a way that's, you know, that's not what we are aspiring to be, aspiring to do maybe, but since it comes from Him, it's all good, right? So just go with it. Just ask the Lord to confirm, ask the Lord to, you know, make things concrete, you know, put it in your heart and give you that sense of peace and go with it, right? Thank you, Lord, Father, she may take care. And for those of us, let's just pray for those of us who are already walking in the, you know, in the call of God, and you've taken those steps, you've making those choices, and maybe you're in it for maybe some number of years now. Let's just pray for a deeper walk, a revelation of what needs to be done next, maybe a higher realm, ministering at a higher level, ministering at a realm that God has for us, and maybe, you know, with more of the work of the spirit, and maybe a new people group being opened, maybe an expansion of the current work, whatever it is, you know, let's just pray and ask the Lord. Father, we pray for that, O God, we pray for a deeper walk, walk in a higher realm of Father God with you, a ministering of great fruitfulness, O God, and I just pray, Father God, second Corinthians three, what we've been looking at, O God, it's a more glorious work of the spirit, it's a more glorious manifestation of the spirit, and it's a more glorious ministry, and since it's a ministry of life and not condemnation, God, I pray that for those of us who've been walking in it, O God, that it'll be a walk in a higher plane, in a higher realm, a close walk with you, and a greater manifestation of who you are, God, of, let you will draw people to yourself for Father God. Yes, Master, thank you, Father God, thank you, Lord, thank you, we bless your name, we bless your name, we bless your name, we bless your name, we give you all the praise at this time, and we give you all the glory. In Jesus' matchless name, we pray, amen, amen, amen. Amen, just pray that God will continue to lead, even as we know it's a process, we know that it's a journey that we make as we walk with God, and yeah, just pray that there'll be a greater revelation and a greater expansion of the work that you're already doing, that you're already involved in. Maybe some of us are saying I'm too young to start, right, I'm too young to start, or I'm too young to maybe, you know, probably just saying, disqualifying, but like Jeremiah, I mean, God tells Jeremiah, and he says, you know, do not say that you are too young, and then he says, he puts his word in his mouth, in Jeremiah's mouth, and he says, you know, you will do this now, you will establish, you will uproot, he says, you know, do not say I'm a youth, Jeremiah chapter one verse seven, for you shall go to all whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak, so do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, touched my mouth, and said to me, and the Lord said to me, behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations, over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant. So may the prophetic word be your declaration, be your proclamation, do not discount yourself saying you are too young, okay? Maybe some of us are saying, you know, maybe I missed the bus, I'm too old, I'm too far on in years, and I don't think I can do much, but you know, don't forget that even with Apostle Paul, he had so many, he was a Pharisee, so he was well into his, finished his 30s and whatever, and then there were many years that we did not hear of him, even after he came to the Lord, and so he was probably as mid 40s by the time or even older when he started ministry, right? And so don't worry about your age, don't worry about, you know, don't discount yourself saying, I wish I had done this in the past or done this in my youth, I wish I had done more. Well, with the time that God has given us, I'm sure that you would be a blessing wherever you are and the realm of influence that God gives to you, right? So yeah, so don't discount yourself, just open yourself to God, yield yourself to the Spirit of God and may the Lord continue to work in and through you, right? Awesome, okay, praise God. Okay, so we've come to chapter 13, which is the practical keys of doing the ministry of the pastor, and after that, we will look at, you know, the restoration of the ministry of the pastors and where we will look at some of the lives of some pastors and it'll make sense after we have actually studied the practical keys of doing the ministry of the pastor, okay? So let's just go through this and as we go through, we get an understanding of the kind of varied roles that a pastor plays and also the scope of some of the things that he might consider to be unspiritual, which are very much a part of the ministry of the pastor. So it'll give us clarity in that area also, right? Okay, so yeah, so let's look at the first one. First one is to, I'm on page, I'm sorry, page 28 and this is chapter 13, okay? So we're looking at the pastoral ministry, the ministry gift of the pastor and the, you know, generally, these are, let's say the pastor is, this person is called to be a pastor and he or she is ministering in a local church and these would be the general responsibilities, right? And of course, you know, if somebody's called for a specific functioning, you know, in the local church, like maybe worship or maybe something else, then of course, it would vary, right? But we are talking about the general responsibilities. So this would be it, right? Okay, so the first responsibility is of course to keep growing and keep continuing in the journey of prayer and walking in intimacy with the Lord, okay? And this is very, very, very important and it is very basic, very foundational, but at the same time, you know, there's something that often has the potential to fall by the wayside because of the, you know, many responsibilities because of the many things that need to be done and maybe you look at some of the administrative side, maybe some of the other, you know, the ministry side of things. So this would, you know, most likely be the first one to come under attack either by the enemy or by our own, you know, lack of making it intentional. So because the thing is, you know, you are anyway doing something, Christian, you are anyway preaching, you are anyway praying, testifying, you are engaging with God, but, you know, so we tend to, and that happens when we are in Bible college, maybe in attending in-person Bible college more, so we're saying, okay, I am part of this whole thing. You know, we are reading the Bible and I am part of this prayer, I'm part of this worship, but to seek Him personally and to grow in that intimacy with God and to grow in that increase in that intimacy in prayer and so on. So that's very, very crucial because out of that flows whatever ministry that we are doing, okay, it's always an overflow. So public ministry is always an overflow of our private times with the Lord and it's not the other way around, right? So it's so very important that we just, you know, if things are getting a little over and just, you know, schedule or prioritize and just run to the presence of God and spend time and make it a normal rhythm in life, life and ministry, that this is part of it. This is an undeniable part of it so that ministry becomes an overflow, right? So that we know the mind of Christ and we are ministering out of that place of intimacy because the Lord does say, you know, without me you can do nothing. John chapter 15, we looked at that, that He is the vine and we are the branches and so the fruit comes on the branch and it's because of the, you know, the fruitfulness happens because of the branch being connected to the vine and out of a place of intimacy that we minister, right? So what happens is that whatever is done in church or whatever we pursue as a congregation, as a local church, it is the mind and heart of God, right? It reflects that the, or it is in the direction where God is leading and we are not at cross purposes with whatever God is, you know, leading. So it comes out of that overflow, right? So this is something that we want to, you know, which is really placed as something that right at the top and say, grieve and grow in the relationship with God. Okay. Secondly, we see that, well, a pastor is involved with people that are all kinds of people, mature, immature, young, old, all kinds of people in the, you know, as part of the flock, as part of the church. So all kinds of needs are there as well. So, you know, have a process or, you know, be sensitive to the needs and be concerned about the welfare of the families, right? And we know that the welfare of the family could be in, you know, either something could be spiritual, it could be a spiritual need, it could be an emotional need, it could be, you know, something in the physical realm, right? So, and we know that all three are interconnected as well, right? So, spiritual needs, emotional needs, material needs, you know, that these are taken care of, right? Or we have something in place to take care of that, right? To follow, you know, if it is a big gathering, like if it's a small gathering, yes, it's just even then sometimes difficult, right? When people do not share the pain that they're going through, the struggles that they're going through, et cetera. So it's, you know, it's good that even in a small gathering, we have a formal process in place, some number to reach out to, some person to reach out to, if they are going through, you know, some kind of difficulties, right? So in the spiritual realm, so which means that they are fed spiritually, right? There is the ministry of the word, there is that push or invitation to draw people to feed from the word both corporately as well as individually, right? That constant encouragement, that constant push of the people in the church to be able to stand, to be able to stand on their own, to be able to, you know, to have those disciplines in place, like worship and word and prayer and so on, right? So to create avenues for people to learn in different ways, right? I mean, Sunday sermon, maybe it's messages which are probably kept somewhere so that they have access to it or something that's on a daily, ongoing basis, something inspirational, something that people can have access to, right? To encourage them to move in that direction or also to, and also, sorry, and also to have small groups or accountability, some kind of accountability where people are, can sharpen one another, encourage one another and then grow, not only in the call of God, but also in these very things, so spiritually, emotionally as well. Emotionally that people thrive in whether when it comes to the soul, soulish realm of mind and will and emotions and if you look at pre-John and verse two, I think we've seen this over and over again and we looked at in the financial stewardship class, pre-John and verse two, beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers. So we take care of the realm of the spirit where prayer and worship and word and so on, also the realm of the soul when it comes to emotional health or mental health and oppression and how to deal with it. So it's again, we know it's interconnected, right? And so to deal with that aspect, to teach on that and so people can thrive emotionally as well. My people are equipped to deal with maybe negative thoughts or oppressive thoughts or things that happen in the thought, in their thought life, maybe strongholds or deal with that, et cetera. So and to have avenues where if people in some kind of a problem in these areas, like maybe a counseling ministry or maybe even a reference to something on that line, right? So where people know where to get help, okay? People don't have to suffer in silence and of course sharing from time to time when we're addressing the gathering also helps. I don't even remove those stigma and shame and everything and say, okay, this is something that has to be dealt with and can be dealt with and the Lord died on the cross to give us victory in these areas as well. And it's not something that we need to suffer in silence, but we can find victory in these areas. So the people can reach out and also, so this pastor may not have all the resources, we need to understand that, you know, the pastor may not have all the resources, may not be an expert in that particular field, but the pastor can always refer, connect people, okay? So we're just saying that to think about these areas and to see if people are doing well, right? And not to kind of downplay that, right? And physically, because material needs, people need to be taught how to handle finances, people need to be taught, you know, with regard to spending, saving and making good choices when it comes to finances and also about their health and so on. So as a pastor, you know, we facilitate that, you facilitate that, you teach that and to ensure that people, if they are in a kind of problem, they can always reach out, right? So in a way, you know, you're taking care of the flock of God, right, in all these areas, especially emotionally and physically. But also, you know, you know where the line is, where you don't get overly, overly involved, that one is making the decisions for them. We need to be careful. Also, you know, overly attached, that it becomes like a controlling thing, you know, all that, I'm sure, you know, you must be learning in Kingdom Builders and other courses about this. And of course, right, in Ministers Foundations, you know, you would have gone through it. So it's that again, you know, it's very, very important, right? But it covers this, that we look at, we are sensitive to, we are, you know, aware of all these kinds of challenges or these kinds of needs in the lives of people whom we are shepherding, right? Whom the pastor is called to shepherd, okay? You know, vision for the church, now that's probably, you know, that's the first thing, you know, which after intimacy with God and having all those things in a, and all those disciplines in place, this would be the first thing, right? What is the vision? What is God called the church to be, right? Or what is God's blueprint for this particular church or this particular group of people to whom you, I mean, God has placed in the midst to give a spiritual leadership, right? What is the vision? And so that is very, very important for us as pastors to understand, to seek God's face, to really know and understand God, what is the vision for this ministry or what is your heart for this church, okay? So vision is what, it's big picture, right? Vision just means to see in plain English, it just means to see. But really, let me say vision, it is, let me just put it here. So vision for ministry, vision for church, it's a description about what the church will do or what the church will become, okay? So it's also that statement, that vision statement will also communicate purpose, you know, the reason for our existence, focus on the future, what are we looking at, what are we aiming for and also be a call to action, you know? This is what we're aiming for, so therefore gather around, you know, therefore let's go, let's do this together, right? So the vision statement should really communicate that, but as a pastor or maybe you're the lead pastor, you're the one who's planting the church, a lead pastor or maybe you're the pastor of a particular ministry in church, right? So the clarity about vision is very, very important and clarity about where, you know, what is the church about? What is this ministry about, right? What are we called to do? Where are we going at? And to get that clarity. So if we are under a working with a senior pastor, to really have that dialogue and receive that blueprint, right? To receive that vision, okay? So pastor, what is it, you know, yes, I'm taking care of this ministry, I'm taking care of this, but you know, what is God, what has God put in your heart, you know, for this particular ministry or for this particular ministry function in the local church and what is it? To get, you know, so the reason is God actually puts the blueprint, right? So the primary, because he's the primary vision holder, right, God has given that vision and yes, God will, you know, as a ministry leader, God will give certain things to you as well to discuss that and to, you know, come to an agreement, okay, this is where we will go, okay? So it should not be something that is very different from what the, you know, the lead pastor or the senior pastor is looking at or, you know, then there will be, there will be unnecessary tension, conflict and we're not going in that direction. So, you know, coming to an agreement is okay, this is the big picture, this is where we are heading, okay? Now, vision is very important because it flows from the pastor and on to the people whom the pastor is called to, you know, give oversight to God's people, right? To give oversight so that, you know, everybody's moving in the same direction, right? So, to really look at church that way, right? To look at church and say, okay, yeah, we're not here to just conduct services, you know, that's a very small vision. If it's only about gathering on Sundays and, you know, if it's just to study the word of God, we sing a few songs, we encounter the presence of God and then we go back. Now, you know, that's hardly, you know, that's a small part, but to really see God's art and say, okay, God, you know, we know that church is the body of Christ and as a local church, there is something, there is a plan that you have for this territory and for this place. It could be big, it could be a nation, it could be, you know, just maybe a few streets, but whatever it is, God, you know, whatever you've called us to do in this region, give us a plan, give us a blueprint and so the pastor receives that and receives those strategies, receives that blueprint and yes, it comes as a burden, it comes as, you know, as a desire to do, okay, I want to do this, we want to do this and to get God's heart, get God's burden for, you know, for that particular people group or that territory geographical region and to pursue that, okay. So before, so there could be three questions, right? I'm just spending a bit of time on vision. You will be looking at it in later courses also, but yeah, so it'll be a kind of reminder. The thing is, okay, what, you know, that is three questions, okay, what do you want to do? Okay, that will describe the vision and why, you know, describes our mission and principles and values. Just mentioning this, won't go into details, how, you know, determines our goals, objectives, activities, right, so to have a clear vision, okay. Proverbs 29 and verse 18, it says that where there is no revelation or where there is no vision, what happens is people cast off restraint, but happy easy keeps the law. I mean, there is no clarity of vision, then there are no boundaries and people cast off constraints in the sense, they're free to go, you know, wherever, whichever in terms of effort, in terms of direction, but we're not going together, right, as a body, whom God has called. So when there is clarity of vision, then there's clarity of purpose, okay. So when there's clarity of purpose, then our thoughts, actions, efforts go in that direction because there is clarity of direction as well. Okay, this is what we need to do, this is what we are doing, and so let's go for it. So it could be many diverse things, right. It's not just one thing that the local church is going up, it could be diverse ministries, diverse activities, like we see in 1 Corinthians 12, you know, diverse ministries, different kinds of activities, but the same spirit. So God will call, you know, a leadership and local church and give that vision and say, okay, I need you to do this. I need you to be this in this place, right. So when we have that clarity, then there is clear action, clear, you know, pulling in our resources, effort, and there's direction and there's movement, right, you're moving towards it. So for us to understand that, let me just put this, the clear vision provides direction and guidance, okay. It, this is applicable to us personally as well, okay. And not just corporately personal. So a clear vision provides direction, provides guidance. It also brings light in the sense there is clarity. You know, it brings light, there's clarity. And currently our responsibility as pastors is to state that vision, okay, is to really spell it out, to state it. And so that there is a statement of that vision which can be communicated, okay. So, well, when you receive the vision, okay, this is what God, it could be small, big, whatever, but you know that we can ask God for a big vision because he has the whole world and he's a savior of the whole world. So we can ask God for a big vision. But the thing is, you know, he has also, he has plans, purposes. He has gifted us in certain ways. So, well, we go with whatever, you know, clarity we receive and we state it, right. Make a statement of it. Like, we see in this verse, maybe you've read this Habakkuk 2 and verse 2. Habakkuk 2 and verse 2. There's a Lord answered me and said, write the vision, make it plain on tablets, but he may run who reads it. Okay, so maybe we can just go there for a minute, Habakkuk 2. It's interesting how the Lord instructs Habakkuk, okay. Habakkuk 2, okay. Verse 1, Habakkuk 6, I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart and watch to see what he will say to me and what I will answer when I am corrected. So he's positioning himself and he's waiting on God. Then the Lord answered me and said, write the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end of it, it will speak, it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry. And so one practical takeaway is that Lord is saying, you know, you make it, you know, you write it on tablets, make it plain, make it simple, so that one who reads it runs, meaning is move to action. And so make it plain, write it down, meaning, you know, you need to, it's, you can communicate it, you can show it to others and make it simple so that the one who reads is moved to action, okay. So which leads us to the fourth thing. Yeah, yes, that's right Charles. Then the fourth one that we see is, which we need to do as, and we were responsible for as pastors is to communicate that vision. Now the vision could be, you know, locked up in our heart, it's in our mind, you know, as one person, as the vision carrier, as the vision bearer, but we really need to communicate that, share that, make it common with the people to whom we are leading. And unless we share it, they will also, you know, once we share it, actually, once we share it, they put our shoulders, put their shoulders to the work and say, okay, this is something that God has spoken to us. And when you communicate the vision, others who are not part of that vision, you know, they are also drawn to the vision and saying, this is what God has actually spoken to us and we want to be part of this work. We want to be part of what God is doing. We are excited to be part of what God is doing and this is what God wants us to do and we will do it. So, the importance of communicating the vision, right? So it helps us, first of all, to really know what it is, to help others know what it is and then be part of the vision. It also helps us in many ways. It gives us direction. It brings in that enthusiasm. It brings in that motivation and then you're part of that work, right? So we communicate the vision and that responsibility is up to us as the spiritual leaders of, you know, maybe you're a ministry leader. You communicate the vision, right? You're the primary, you know, to use the word vision caster. You're casting the vision, you're saying, you know, God has called us to do this, right? And it's not something that I'm pursuing alone but God has called us together as a church, as a body to do this, okay? So, we communicate it in a manner that's simple, clear, easy to understand, you know? Sometimes what happens is when it comes to visions, you know, it's a grand plan and we, you know, make it very complex so people are finding it very difficult to understand what it is, right? So make it simple, make it plain. Put it there on, you know, on as many as many vehicles as possible, avenues as possible so people can see it, hear it, watch it and, you know, get that vision ingrained in their lives, okay? The thing is that, you know, all of us, we have the ability, we have the ability to remember, we also have the ability to forget. So reiterate, you know, repeat the vision, you know, whenever possible, okay? You decide, okay, this is a good time to do this but you repeat the vision. And of course, you know, here at All People's Church, we have the vision repeated every time the church gathers for worship on Sundays. So it's part of the church announcement, you know, it goes there. So this is the vision, so people get to hear it and sometimes we hear, sometimes people switch off also but we just need to do it in interesting ways so people hear it, understand it. They may have questions, okay, what is this? You know, we have this membership class for people who want to become members, right? So there we talk about the vision, you know, talk about the vision, what is it that we want to do? What does it mean to be salt? What does it mean to be light? And what does it mean to be the voice? And so we talk about that, so repeat the vision, it helps to communicate it over and over again and not to the point of tiring the people but really so that it is reiterated, okay? Like for example, we had for the worship team, right? For the worship ministry, we have a vision statement. Okay, so every time the church or the worship team meets, we make it a point to kind of explain it, talk about it in creative ways, we just try to see, okay? So the last time we met, we had something like a quiz kind of thing, like a fill in the blank. So it was online, of course, so we could do this. Let me just put it up for you, okay, right? So I think you can see, so everyone in the team, during the orientation, we kind of make it a point for them to understand or state the vision, understand it, et cetera. So it is worship ministry, the big picture. So we just put it up, the vision of APC's worship ministry is to, so people had to type it on the chat, what is that? And then, okay, you have the answer, and then, you know, put it up, again, people need to chat. I mean, you know, either unmute and say what the blank is or they need to put it in the chat. Yeah, so that is it, right? That's the vision. The vision of APC's worship ministry is to please God's heart in an unrestrained worship to encounter his manifest presence and to establish a community of believers who will do the same, okay? So the vision of the worship ministry is not to lead people in worship. That's not the first thing, okay? So this is the order in which it comes to, is actually to please God's heart in unrestrained worship, which means that I personally, as a believer, as a worshipper, I look to, I posture myself to please God's heart in unrestrained worship. It's unrestrained worship, because I don't want to hold anything back. Secondly, to encounter his manifest presence. So it's not just a time of singing some nice songs or playing some good music, but it's really about the presence of God, right? So to encounter his manifest presence. And thirdly, third part of the vision is to establish a community of believers. So I do this personally, I do this as a, you know, as a team, and then it overflows, right? So intentionally we do things to establish, so which is the ministry part of it, which is what happens on maybe Sundays or maybe, you know, we teach on worship, when there's an opportunity to do that and so on. Okay, let me just come back. Okay, so you can do it in creative ways. You know, you don't have to always, you know, read it out, but you can do it in creative ways. And, but it's important that vision is repeated. So people get a hold of it, right? So it remains in people. I think it was Bill Hybles who made this statement in a leadership conference, I don't know if you said, vision leaks, and the picture that he, you know, he explained it by giving us a picture saying, you know, let's say you have a bucket and the bucket is punched full of small holes, and you fill the bucket. And what happens is over a period of time, the water leaks, water starts to leak. These are small, minute holes, but still it leaks. And over a period of time, you notice that the bucket is empty, right? And you need to refill it. And so also, if you look at it, that's what happens. If the vision is not reiterated, repeated, people have many things and it's, you know, get into the details of the work or the task and forget what the big picture is, right? So the importance of repeating, reiterating the vision, okay? Okay, on the same lines, the pastor also oversees the preaching and teaching or ministry of the word of God. Okay, to oversee the preaching and teaching and ministry of the word of God. Now, God's word is powerful. We know God's word is transformative. It's living. Hebrews 412 talks about all that. And so it's important that it's handled with care. It's important that it's ministered. It is shared in a manner that rightly divided and with the right emphasis of the word and the spirit. And it's so that it brings change in people's life. I mean, the Holy Spirit really brings, transforms people's lives and people experience the truth and not really brought on any kind of bondage or any kind of, you know, legalistic weight of things, but rather, you know, it's freedom, like liberty. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. There is liberty. And this Holy Spirit, it's all about, you know, the ministry of the spirit ministry is all about opening doors, opening of prison doors. And the Lord Jesus himself states that, you know, I've been anointed to do this, the opening of prison doors to those who are in prison, the opening of, you know, blind eyes to see the truth and so on. So it's a very liberating, you know, ministry is liberating the word of God, you know, is very, very liberating freedom, right? So when done in the right manner, doesn't bring people into bondage or guilt or shame or condemnation, it's very liberating. So therefore, you know, the lead pastor has to, is responsible for the preaching and teaching of God's word. Responsible for the, or oversight, give oversight to the preaching and teaching, you know, set the direction, just like how he's a primary vision caster. So also with regard to the preaching and teaching of God's word. And, you know, the scriptures that we looked at in previous castes, you know, when it came to the roles and rewards, responsibilities and rewards of the pastor, we looked at first Timothy, we looked at second Timothy, we looked at Titus and Paul writing to Timothy and you notice how he talks about, you know, he's giving, he's charging Timothy. Let's just read that. First Timothy and the very first chapter, verse three is, as I urged you, when I went into Macedonia, I remain in Ephesus that you may charge some. Timothy that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Okay. Nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes rather than godly edification. Since the objective is godly edification, since the objective is, you know, is this that there is right doctrine, right teaching and so on. Paul is saying, you know, I charge you that I asked you to remain there and that you may charge some, that you may command, that you may, you know, very firmly instruct some that they teach no other doctrine. Right. So which means what, what he's saying is that, now Timothy, you be in charge of that. You know, you give oversight to that. You be careful of what is being taught. You know, guide them. It need not be done in a very, you know, in a very military fashion. You know, it can be done in a very nurturing manner. So that, that oversight, you're able to give people the freedom, delegate and give people the freedom. And, you know, there is that, you know, guidance you've already, you know, kind of set the direction, set the thing and maybe there is a process of, you know, correction, et cetera, when things go a little bit off. But, you know, he is in charge now, right? So, and he says over and over again, right? Even in chapter four, he's talks about that, be an example, you know, but give attention to reading, to exhortation to doctrine, et cetera, right? So, so the importance of that. So as a pastor, you know, be careful of what is being shared from the pulpit. First of all, you hold yourself accountable. And the thing is, you know, whom you place there, okay, on the pulpit or, you know, at the podium, to minister to the flock of God, at whom God has put you as an overseer. So you be careful. Who are you inviting? Who are you placing? Right? Just be mindful of that, right? It's just that, be discerning because it's going to have hard-reaching consequences. If somebody comes and shares something which destroys the lives of people, then they might come and go, but, you know, it is you as a lead pastor who's going to be left with the damage. So you need to, you know, work on the repair, on the maintenance, right? Okay. Okay, so we'll stop here. Take a break and then get back. Okay.