With this offer we would like to give you the opportunity to learn more about the Bible and Christian life. Reach people and get the message across to other people.

We thank "The International Curriculum" as well as all pastors and pastor Michael Ackermann, who unfortunately passed away much too early and gave us the opportunity to use these lessons for this service.

The Bible says: "You received it for free and you should pass it on for free."

Our thanks also go to BibleServer for the possibility to connect the links of the Bible verses directly to the website. The biblical passages shown refer to the King James Version (KJV) translation.

In the course of these lessons, we will look at:

The Christ Connection (7 lessons)

Dr. T.L. Osborn is known worldwide for his enormous contribution to evangelism. He has preached to millions of people in 78 countries. His personal statement about this course: "These are the most important truths that I have learned in 55 years of service."

Life to give (5 lessons)

Rev. Wayne Myers is an experienced missionary and has served the Lord in over 70 countries. He teaches Christians to live a way of giving like Jesus.

Supernatural Faith (5 Lesson)

Dr. Mitch Medina teaches insights into the "rhema", the word spoken and revealed by God. It shows how hearing the voice of God releases supernatural faith.

Service to children (2 lessons)

Dr. Paul Paino has served fruitfully for 55 years. He has spent 13 years developing a comprehensive curriculum for children and adolescents that is used all over the world today. He has a heart for effective education and upbringing of children.

Youth service (2 lessons)

Rev. Rob McFarlane is nationally recognized as a youth pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa, and runs regular radio and television programs. His course is very practical. The principles of the service it conveys can be applied worldwide.

Biblical Eldership (5 lessons)

Rev. Dick Benjamin serves as apostolic leader for over 60 congregations, almost all of which were founded under his leadership. He teaches here about the calling and behavior of elders.

Discipleship (5 lessons)

Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz is a Spanish pastor at Robert Schuller's famous Crystal Cathedral. In this course, he challenges our understanding of discipleship. He encourages every Christian to reach their potential in Christ.

Dr. T.L.Osborn - The Christ Connection

The Christ Connection 1 to 3

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Jesus is our Model

The message in this course is about the life and ministry of Jesus. The Christ connection or the connection of the believers with Christ is the basis for the Christian life. The Christ connection is the basis for:

1. your faith
2. your hope
3. your love
4. your life

The Christ connection can also be called the miracle connection. Because the Jesus of the Gospels is the same Jesus who is with us today.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE MIRACLE CONNECTION.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. Without miracles, Christianity is just one more:

1. Dead religion.

2. Compilation of dogmas.

3. Belief.

4. ritual.

True Christianity is a life of miracles.

B. The emphasis of this course is on seven fundamental truths that lead to a living Christianity of signs and wonders.

C. As you progress through this series of lectures, you will:

1. Feel like Peter and Paul.

2. Feel like Mary at the feet of Jesus.

3. Feel like believers after Jesus is resurrected from the dead.

4. To be revitalized by a fuller understanding.

5. Get stronger in your faith.

6. Become brighter in your hope.

7. Grow deeper into love.

8. Experience greater abundance in your life.

II. THESE LESSONS ON THE JOINT OF CHRIST ARE BASED ON THE FIRST FOUR VERSES OF THE ACTS.

It is about the formulation in the first four verses that serve as a "bridge" or "connecting piece". It is about the concept that connects the Jesus of the Gospels with the Jesus who dwells in us.

A. We are going to ask ourselves seven questions related to the foundations of Christian life.

1. What does the supernatural miracle life do in us?

a. Everything that Jesus started to do and teach.

b. Subject: Our example is Jesus Christ himself

2. What is it that makes the Christian faith more than just a religion?

a. We will think through and empathize with the life of Jesus.

b. Pay special attention to the words, "until the day He was received" (Acts 1: 2).

c. Subject: Jesus is our inspiration.

3. What, in God's view, brings out the best in a person's life?

a. Jesus gave commandments to His followers through the Holy Spirit.

b. Subject: Our Response to His Orders.

4. What happens when we discover how much God trusts us?

a. He gave direction to those whom He had chosen.

b. Topic: What are our actions?

Because He chose us, He relies on us and He believes in us.

What do we do with knowing this fact?

5. What makes our Christian witness credible?

a. Jesus showed himself to be the risen Lord through much unequivocal evidence.

b. Subject: Our Credibility in Life and Service.

c. He vouches for our testimony.

6. How is this thing about Jesus today?

a. In our nation.

b. In our environment.

c. In our country.

d. Subject: Our Power and Authority.

His presence within us gets the devil into trouble.

7. How big can the term "possible" get in you?

a. What did Jesus say about the Holy Spirit?

b. do not run away but wait for the Father's promise!

c. Topic: Our experience of his power and his values ​​lived through us and how he put his life and his power into us.

B. These seven lessons will be about the ministry of Jesus in the time of the Gospels, as well as about the ministry of Jesus in us and through us today. As we do this, we will find what basic principles to follow in order to continue what He has started to do and teach.

III. THE GOSPELS AND THE ACTS

A. The Acts of the Apostles should basically be understood as OUR Gospel.

1. Look for an "Amen" at the end of the New Testament books.

2. The Acts of the Apostles has no such "amen."

3. The followers of Christ have continued the work.

4. Jesus himself never put an end to what He was going to do.

5. We must pick up where the early Christians left off.

6. If books were written about the deeds of the apostles today, we would be part of them.

7. I would prefer to call it "the deeds of believers".

B. In the text of the first four verses, which connect the Acts of the Apostles with the Gospels, we encounter these seven principles.

IV. GOD'S REVELATION IN CHRIST BECOMES HIS REVELATION IN US.

A. The Holy Spirit that came upon them is the Holy Spirit within us.

B. The Christ who was with them in the Gospels is the unchanging Christ who is by our side today.

C. Christ can continue His work in you.

1. It is a privilege to be born again and to be a child of God.

2. Jesus started out as a person.

a. Your two hands.

b. The one mouth that you have.

c. Your two feet.

D. God could not take shape in us because the wall of sin separated us.

1. Jesus bought us free.

2. Jesus made the solution to God's only problem with us possible.

3. When our sins were out of the way, He was able to come to us.

F. Now He uses our (s):

1. hands.

2. feet.

3. Arms to show someone close.

4. Mouths to bear testimony through us.

“You must do greater things for I am going to my Father!” In the book of Acts, Christ was the model of the believers, and their passion was to continue what He began.

V. THE ACTS HISTORY HAS NO END.

A. It is we who are to continue Christ's ministry.

1. Most people tell God what to do.

2. However, God has already told us what to do.

3. We are the ambassadors.

4. We are the ones who are to continue Christ's ministry.

B. Christ will not come down to your town or village in marvelous clothing and with a halo and testify to them of his own sacrifice.

1. The only way people will hear of Christ is through us.

2. The only image they have of Jesus is what they see in us.

C. We are the ones to continue the Acts of the Apostles.

1. How do we do it?

2. What is the secret?

3. Focus on Jesus as your example.

a. Jesus was their example.

b. Christ was their message.

VI. GOD IS LIKE JESUS.

The first believers left their traditional religion. They discovered that God was full of love.

A. Nobody had ever dreamed that God would be like Jesus.

B. That was the revelation that changed the world.

1. Therefore their message was in Jesus.

2. What's your message?

3. Is Jesus as the "translator" of God a revelation for you?

C. In ancient times it was believed that God was:

1. Malicious.

2. Judging.

3. Someone who would kill anyone who dared go near him.

D. Peter preached about Jesus (Acts 2).

1. Acts 2: 22-24.

2. What is your Pentecost message?

a. The Pentecost message focused on Jesus.

b. We should return to this message again.

c. God raised this Jesus from the dead, of which we are all witnesses. (Acts 2: 32).

d. The day of Pentecost was marked by the message of Peter.

E. In Acts 3, Peter and John fixed their gaze on Jesus.

1. "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise and go (Acts 3: 6b)."

2. No one had ever said anything like this before.

a. Our faith is based in Christ.

b. Our knowledge is in Jesus.

c. Jesus is not dead.

d. He rose from the dead.

e. God raised Him from the dead.

Acts 4: 10-12 ... "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; through him this one stands before you healthy, vs. 12: ... neither is there any other Name by which we shall be saved. "

VII. AND WITH GREAT POWER, THE APOSTLES WITNESSED TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS ​​(Acts 4: 33).

What do you use your strength for?

A. What did Philip preach when he went to Samaria (Acts 8: 5-8)?

B. Philip preached the Lord Jesus to them at that time.

1. Jesus is our example.

2. Jesus is our mentor.

3. Jesus is our guide.

C. From Acts 9 we learn what Paul did after he was converted:

1. He preached Jesus as the Son of God.

2. Do you preach Jesus as the Son of God?

In this confession there is the power that unconverted people will find faith in the Lord when you proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.

D. I proclaimed and solemnly proclaimed to the crowds that Jesus is the Son of God, who was raised from the dead and is still alive today.

E. Paul said the gospel is the power of salvation for anyone who believes.

1. Talk about Jesus.

2. If you want to be anointed, talk about Jesus.

3. 1. Corinthians 2: 2

a. What did you plan to know among people?

b. When we talk about Jesus, we reveal God.

c. When you preach Jesus, you are helping to make God known.

d. When God's splendor is revealed, his power is present.

e. There is a force present to validate His Word.

4. God fulfilled the history of salvation in His Son (Acts 13: 38-39).

a. Is that also your emphasis?

b. The content of Paul's message to the Thessalonians was Christ.

c. Acts 17: 2-3 A supernatural force is inextricably linked to this message.

F. Paul's message was Jesus.

1. Acts 20: 20-21

2. Passion to testify to Jesus.

3. The last years of Paul.

4. The last verse of the Acts of the Apostles.

If you want to live a life of power, you must teach about Jesus.

VIII. LOOK AT JESUS

A. What should we consider about the life of Jesus?

1. He suffered.

2. He endured the cross.

3. Why?

4. Someone said, "You cannot come to God without religion."

a. I am part of God.

b. God is in me

c. I am in Him.

d. His spirit is in me.

e. I am His messenger.

f. I have no religion.

B. It was a revelation.

1. God loved us.

2. He wanted to draw us into His presence.

3. God opened a better way.

C. Preach the Old Testament and the New Testament.

1. Passages from the Old Testament in the New Testament context.

2. The old plan didn't work.

3. Jesus gave his blood.

a. To redeem us.

b. To restore fellowship with God.

4. No question about sin remained open.

5. He wants to live with me.

a. Isaiah 59: 2

b. 2. Peter 3: 9

D. People didn't want salvation, they had a certain idea of ​​God.

1. Religion.

2. People fight for their religion.

3. No religion succeeds in revealing God.

4. Romans 10: 20.

E. Religion based on the Law of Moses.

1. Ceremonial Law.

2. Judges 2: 10.

3. Matthew 13: 15.

4. Hebrews 10: 5.

5. Hosea 6: 6.

6. Jeremiah 5: 31.

Religion will never show you God who He really is.

IX. GOD WANTED US (1. Corinthians 1: 21, John 1: 10).

A. The big question.

1. How did He show us God?

a. Matthew 1: 23.

b. John 1: 14.

c. I see God by seeing Jesus.

d. John 14: 9.

e. John 5: 18.

f. John 10: 37.

g. John 19: 7.

2. He was God in the flesh.

B. Jesus showed us what God is more interested in:

1. More about people than laws.

2. More about humanity than sacred rituals.

3. More in communication than in commandments.

4. More in grace than judgment (Exodus 20: 18).

SUMMARY

Preach Jesus!


SELF-STUDY

1. How do you receive power?

2. What is the difference between religion and real Christianity?

3. How much do you think God loves you?

4. How does He show you His love?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What is the miracle connection?

2. What is the bridge sentence to which T. L. Osborn refers?

3. How is it possible that "our Gospels" have no end?

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Our Believable

We are connected through Christ. That is the secret of our success.

We started our service in 1947. We have advanced into 80 nations. We told people that there would be no miracles if Jesus was really dead. But if Jesus lives, miracles will happen and people will experience healing.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. JESUS ​​WAS CONFIRMED BY GOD THROUGH SIGNS AND MIRACLES AMONG MEN.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. Miracles have nothing to do with my great faith.

1. The seed is the word.

2. The gospel is power.

3. The word has a saving effect.

4. God will confirm the word.

5. Miracles of all kinds occur.

B. The story of a woman who gave birth to a child without eyes.

1. Preach the Word: People will believe.

2. It is bad not to believe.

3. Give people a chance to believe.

4. I have no special feelings about it.

a. No tingling in my hands.

b. No hot twitching.

c. No cold showers.

5. I feel for people who suffer because they are without Jesus.

II. THE FOLLOWING SEVEN PRINCIPLES ARE ELEMENTARY TO UNDERSTANDING THE CHRIST CONNECTION.

A. These are fundamental principles of Christian life.

1. These principles are why I am still moving forward.

2. You are my anchor.

B. I have seen hundreds of Christian workers come and go.

1. They weren't anchored.

2. They became popular and then fell into disgrace.

3. But it doesn't have to be that way.

4. Let these fundamentals of scriptural salvation change your life.

5. Don't look for some spectacular sign.

C. That's why I'm here giving this series of sermons.

1. God loves you.

2. God believes in you.

3. God is interested in you.

4. God trusts you.

5. It is a divine appointment in which God comes to you through His truth.

6. I have already shown that the gospel is just that. The same thing that happened through the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the apostles should also happen through you according to God's will.

III. FAITH WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM WHEN YOU GET KNOWLEDGE.

A. The CHRIST CONNECTION connects the Jesus of the Gospels with the Jesus of this century.

1. God through Christ in biblical times becomes Christ through believers in our time.

2. God sends Jesus.

3. Jesus sends us.

4. I have demonstrated this gospel all over the world.

B. There are 24 chapters in the Gospel of Luke about how the Word becomes flesh in a person.

C. Luke wrote the 28 chapters of Acts about how the Word becomes flesh in all believers.

1. Jesus was the model.

2. What God has done in one body, He wants to do in another.

3. Every time someone is converted, the Word becomes flesh again.

D. Jesus came to show us "ourselves".

1. Jesus was our model.

2. John 1: 14

a. He lived among us.

b. We saw his glory.

c. We saw him.

d. He was full of grace and truth.

3. John 1: 16

a. We have all taken from His abundance.

b. Grace for grace.

4. John 1: 17

a. For the law was given through Moses.

b. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

c. Nobody has ever seen God.

d. The only begotten Son embodied Him.

IV. HE IS OUR INSPIRATION.

A. When we look at Jesus, we are looking at God.

1. He showed us how we could be.

2. He demonstrated God to us in human form.

3. When you have received Jesus Christ, you represent God in human form.

B. The miracle of salvation.

1. The Christian religion does not focus on this.

2. God came to inhabit us.

3. Jesus is our example.

4. There was joy and inspiration.

C. Jesus shows me how I stand before God.

1. God came to dwell in us.

2. We learned from Jesus how it works.

3. God made us holy through Jesus.

4. We cannot do it ourselves.

5. The only way to holiness is to know what Jesus did for us.

D. Jesus is my inspiration:

1. Because he showed me what I am by believing in Christ.

2. John 14: 12 "Whoever believes in me ..."

a. You can do the things that I do too.

b. Even bigger works.

c. Because we have the electricity.

V. THE REALM OF GOD

A. Mark 1: 14-15: Preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. What's this?

1. God created this world.

2. God is the owner of this world.

3. He has the right to rule this world.

4. He wants to rule us.

5. That is what His kingdom means in this world.

B. He has revived us and restored us as his counterpart.

1. Consequently, He can be embodied in human form.

2. We can continue what Jesus started.

3. That is exactly the Christ connection.

C. How did He preach the Kingdom of God?

1. Christ who lives in you.

2. Who performs his service through you.

3. The continuation ... :

a. His work.

b. His teaching.

c. His miracle.

d. In the flesh.

4. Christ does not just appear, but Christ is with you.

IV. JESUS ​​IS OUR MODEL

A. We are inspired.

1. We don't get tired.

2. We don't get discouraged.

3. We don't burn out.

4. We don't give up.

5. We are recharged.

B. Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God.

1. The kingdom of God is at hand.

2. God decided to give them a new spirit.

3. God made up his mind to live in them.

4. God will by no means join forces with sin.

5. Nothing in the Old Testament could remove sin.

C. When Jesus died, he became our ransom.

1. 1. Peter 2: 24

2. I am close to Him based on what Jesus did for me.

3. God dreamed of the day when He could take up residence in us.

4. Change your attitude towards your religion.

a. Your religion will not save you.

b. Turn back.

c. Throw your religion overboard.

d. This old system won't work.

5. The gospel is "the good news" of what Jesus did for you.

a. Good news for the sinner.

b. Jesus bore our sin.

c. You can be saved.

d. We can be healed.

e. He suffered our pain.

f. Turn back.

6. Belief in the gospel.

VII. JESUS ​​IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE.

A. We never have to wear what Jesus took for us again.

B. The gospel is what Jesus did for the world.

1. He died for our sin.

2. He took away our diseases.

3. He was to blame.

4. Jesus can live in people and continue His work.

VIII. JESUS ​​KNOWED THAT HE HAD TO DIE.

A. Jesus was raised from the dead.

1. In this way we can now be lifted up with Him.

2. Deliver us.

3. Save people.

4. Restore people.

5. As a partner of God.

IX. THE REACH OF GOD IS GRAPPLE.

A. Repentance is just a formality to repent from our religion so that our relationship with God can be restored.

B. Inspiration by example.

1. A story from Kenya.

2. Hold on until the devil gives up.

3. Medicine man.

4. A lesson after evangelism.

C. The devil is there for sinners. Jesus for the believers.

D. Jesus looks like you.

1. The story of the man from Africa.

2. God has such diversity.

SUMMARY

What is it that makes Christianity more than a religion? Jesus Christ lives in us. He lives in You. How big can Jesus be in you?


SELF-STUDY

1. Think again about how you can be anchored in the foundation of scriptural salvation?

2. T. L. Osborn emphasizes John 14: 12. For example, what great things should be done in your day if you believe in Jesus?

3. How can you become a part of this Bible passage (John 14: 12)?

4. Write down some things that would be good news to people in the world.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. List some of the great works, signs, and wonders that Jesus performed.

2. How can Jesus become our inspiration?

3. Why did God send Jesus to · us?

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Jesus our Inspiration

I am thankful that I am connected to God through Christ. As you listen, you will be connected to him. That's why God sent me to you. I am important as a servant of God. I've been all over the world.

Man is created in the image of God. People have the potential to receive God's grace and to become everything God intended for them. What you need is just information. The purpose of these lessons is to give you information.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE FOLLOWING SEVEN LESSONS BASED ON THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE ACTS, AS REPRESENTED IN ENGLISH.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. I want to share what I know with young ministers.

B. I was deeply impressed when I discovered seven principles from the first four verses of Acts.

C. We learn about the ministry of Jesus from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

1. Jesus' ministry lasted 3% years.

2. He came to show what God is like.

3. He came to show us who we are.

4. He demonstrated God to us.

5. He showed you the potential you have in God.

D. After showing us God and ourselves, He died for our sins.

1. He wore our:

a. Sin.

b. Diseases.

c. Punishment.

2. He shed His blood and gave his life.

a. So we don't have to do it.

b. The wages of sin is death.

3. Nobody asked for a savior.

4. Though we didn't want Him, He wanted us.

5. John 3: 16.

E. God raised Him from the dead. Jesus returned and was seen among His followers for 40 days. Then He went back to the Father.

1. He sat right next to the father.

2. He intercedes for us forever.

3. He destroyed the works of the devil.

4. He gave us victory.

a. He healed us.

b. He saved us.

c. He accomplished our restoration.

5. He brought us back to Him (God) as friends and partners.

II. WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO ALL OF THIS?

A. This question pertains specifically to you who are a witness.

B. How does the best that God has put in us come to light?

1. Even if we are not yet converted.

2. God loves you.

a. He made you.

b. He cares about you.

C. He sent me to you to ask how you can get the maximum out of your life according to God's standard.

1. You need to know what God's plan is.

2. How can you become a part of it?

D. Why am I happy?

I have seen millions of people lifted up and changed through the knowledge of Jesus.

E. When Christ comes into life and people understand the simplicity of God's purposes for them, they will see how they can become part of God's plan.

1. It gives you dignity.

2. They become messengers of God.

3. You discover God's plan.

F. Acts 1: 1-2

1. Jesus started teaching.

2. Jesus gave commandments through the Holy Spirit.

3. His commandment calls for our obedience.

4. Knowing one's will challenges our reaction: in positive as well as in negative sense.

G. The story of Paul (Acts 26: 12-18).

1. He replies.

2. Then he went to the Gentiles.

3. Acts 26: 22.

a. Pagan people could repent.

b. Convert to God:

H. I have continued the work I started for 55 years.

1. I have preached in 80 nations.

2. I was allowed to receive help from God.

3. I came to you.

4. I preach the word of God.

5. That Christ should suffer and rise from the dead to be a light to the unconverted.

6. This is a revelation of what Jesus did for you and me.

I. What is your answer?

1. How can your maximum God-given potential be exposed?

2. I came to you for a very specific reason.

a. To go to people.

b. To open their eyes.

c. To free them from the power of the devil.

d. By proclaiming the gospel, they will receive it.

III. THAT'S GOTIES WILL.

A. In order for our potential to be fully realized, we need to know what God's plan is and that we are a part of it.

B. Paul was someone who responded to God's will. (Acts 9: 20).

1. In Acts 26 we find a summary of God's will.

2. It's a simple truth; People are:

a. Separated from God.

b. Condemned to die in their sin.

C. They are God's creatures.

1. He loves her.

2. He wants to live in people.

3. He was found by those who did not want him.

D. God's heart literally burns to be able to pass on His light to people.

1. Save you.

2. Heal you.

3. They are bought and the price paid for them.

4. You are afraid of dying.

E. We have to do it (preach).

1. Without us, He won't do it.

2. If we don't, He won't be able to do it.

3. He has placed in our hands the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel.

a. After Jesus paid for our sin ...

b. After Jesus returned from the dead ...

c. . . . Jesus sat down.

d. His job was done.

e. He has given us the responsibility.

f. Our work has only just started.

IV. WE ARE TRUE MASTERS IN THIS KIND OF PRAYER:

A God, you work in this area.

1. God work in this person.

2. But God is not going anywhere.

3. God is waiting for you to move.

4. We send out serving angels to do our work.

B. The story of a women's group.

1. The women's group prayed.

2. They were told to approach and show love for the woman they were praying for.

C. He gave himself for us and He lives for us in that devotion.

D. The story of a statue.

1. People were repairing a statue of Jesus.

2. The hands could not be found.

3. A brass plate read: "I have no hands of my own, only yours."

V. THE CERTIFICATE OF T. L. OSBORN

A. My brother was converted.

B. My parents were Baptists.

C. My brother came home and spoke in tongues for 3 days.

D. I went to church and I was saved.

E. I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

F. I started off by printing tracts.

1. There are now 132 languages ​​in which I have them printed.

2. In addition, many books are now also being printed.

God can also do something with your life if you find out what God's plan is and what role you play in that plan.

VI. IN PAUL'S DAYS, BUT OTHERS DID NOT RESPOND (John 1: 34)?

A. Are you answering God's call?

1. Peter responded.

2. Bartimaeus answered when he heard something.

3. How is your attitude?

B. God comes to you, He says:

1. "I love you."

2. "I have a plan."

3. "I died for the world."

4. "I gave my son."

5. "You can be saved."

C. God cannot tell people without your participation. He tells you:

1. "I came to you."

2. "You took me in."

a. "Do my will."

b. "Carry out my plan."

3. "I depend on you."

4. "You have a voice and you are flesh and blood."

D. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1: 14). God says to you:

1. "I am spirit, you are flesh."

2. "I will give you my spirit, give me your flesh for it."

E. I'm sure if you can hear it, you will respond to it too.

1. I believe that every sinner has been paid for.

2. They will come to God when I show them the way.

3. This is exactly where the best thing about me comes out.

4. I am a child of the king.

a. I am redeemed.

b. He chose me.

c. He sent me.

5. God paid for everyone.

6. What he needs is flesh and blood to tell them.

SUMMARY

God says, "I will make them powerful messengers. I will make them messengers of Jesus."

What promotes our maximum from God's perspective? His best for us is to know His plan and how we fit into His plan.


SELF-STUDY

1. Read Acts 9 and think again about how Paul responded to God's will.

2. Reflect on what God has done in your life. Imagine how God can help others around you.

3. What about your response to what was covered in this lesson?

4. Are you ready to do God's will in your life?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Share what God has done for us regarding the Christ connection.

2. Share what Jesus did for us.

3. What do you think what God's will is for you after hearing the first three lessons?

The Christ Connection 4 to 5

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Our Reaction

These lessons about the Christ connection are based on the first four verses of Acts. I think it should best be called the "Acts of Jesus' Followers." There are four accounts of the life of Jesus, the four Gospels. This was followed by the account of the faithful, which is the book of Acts. Today's lesson is about that those He chose.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. HE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO MORE THAN THE 12 APOSTLES.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. He gave instructions to those he returned to and appeared to.

1. 120 believers were gathered there.

2. To those he chose, He gave instruction.

3. We are His choice.

4. That gives me dignity.

a. Courage.

b. I am chosen.

B. He trusts you or you wouldn't be here listening to these lessons.

1. You are chosen by God.

2. These lessons will help you understand.

3. Knowledge will bring responsibility.

It is my honor to be part of what He did.

4. Here I am - I am a very important person.

a. I have served thousands of people for 55 years now.

b. I would do nothing better than come to you, sit down with you with the Bible and pour out my heart to you.

c. Then you would know and not make mistakes when you go out.

d. I will pass on wonderful truths to you that I have learned over the past 55 years.

e. If I can plant in you what I have learned myself, the world will be in good hands because you are chosen.

I am God's choice.

C. You and God, you are connected through Jesus Christ.

1. What for?

2. To do his work.

3. What is His work?

4. Sharing the gospel, the good news, of injured people.

5. God has looked everywhere. He saw us and chose us.

II. JESUS ​​SAID, "I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS (Matthew 28: 20)."

A. I have good news for you. Jesus says:

1. "You can always count on me."

2. "I am with you to the end of the world."

3. "Because you are my choice."

4. "You are my special friends."

a. "I have chosen you."

b. "I have redeemed you."

c. "I used you."

d. "I trust you."

B. "It is I (Jesus) who will do the work in you."

1. "Your flesh will do the work, but it will be me who heals it."

2. "Your flesh and blood mouth will speak the words, but it will be I who will bring them life."

3. "Your flesh-and-blood feet will take you from one place to another, but it will be I who will perform the miracles."

4. Your flesh and blood ears will hear the cry of the needy, but it will be I who inwardly groan:

a. To love her.

b. To heal you.

c. To bless you.

5. He has given orders to those He has chosen.

C. A word to women.

1 . Mark the verses that appear to be addressed to men.

2. Mark them with a yellow light pen.

3. Be honest with yourself.

4. Use yellow for the verses that you think are only for men. (In fact, they are meant for you too).

5. You women, keep this to yourself and keep yourselves in the background.

6. Men, make a fuss about it and go public.

7. Through our tradition we have been taught how to interpret this.

(Note: T.L. Osborn makes fun of tradition and religion at this point. What is said or written to men, of course, also applies to women).

III. GOD HAS RECONCILIATION.

A. The sin of the whole world has been paid for and atonement has been obtained.

B. The world doesn't know.

C. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.

1. 2. Corinthians 5: 19.

2. 2. Corinthians 5: 20.

IV. HOW MUCH DOES GOD TRUST US?

A. How do you rate your life?

B. Are you a valuable part of what God wants to do in our world?

C. Do you think He will do it Himself?

1. Let Him do it.

2. He is powerful.

3. Let Him set things in motion.

4. This is the way out the lazy seeks.

V. GOD'S COMMITMENT REQUIRES OUR ACTION.

A. He chose us for something to happen.

1. He makes himself dependent on us.

2. He believes in us.

B. What kind of activity is this supposed to be?

1. Our commitment to doing the will of God.

2. Actions that provide evidence that Jesus is not dead.

a. Power (Acts 1: 8).

b. Great power (Acts 4: 33).

C. Women, mark these passages in your Bible without reading them and mentally assign them to the men. Paint them yellow so you don't forget that they are meant for the men.

(Note: TL Osborn tries to make women aware that it is meant for them too, because in the past they were traditionally taught that the gospel was only meant for men. But it has always been God's purpose, the gospel also accessible to women.)

D. We missed the blessings because we thought they were only intended for the 12 apostles.

1. That was just the beginning: the first 12.

2. He instituted His followers (Mark 3: 14).

3. The word apostle means "to be sent to do a commission" (Acts 1: 8).

4. Dear women, He chose you just as He chose men.

5. What for? That they would be with Him and be sent out to preach.

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't preach.

E. The world will trample on you as long as you let it go.

1. Daisy (his wife) has always been small in stature, but she was not fooled by anyone.

a. I have a womb.

b. I have a brain

c. I can read.

2. Women, stand up!

3. Be what God has chosen you to be.

4. He instituted them and sent them to preach.

5. And having the power to ...

a. To cure diseases.

b. Casting out demons.

c. To always have fellowship with Him.

VI. RESTORATION, FORCE, ACT.

A. Either we let ourselves regenerate or not.

B. Either we are saved or we are not.

C. I was out in the world.

1. I've met demons.

2. I know what I am talking about.

D. Power (Matthew 10: 1).

E. Matthew 10: 7-8

F. Action and Power.

1. Luke 9: 1-2

2. Luke 10: 19

a. What happens when we discover how much God loves us?

b. He has made himself dependent on us in carrying out His plans. What is happening? Deeds happen.

VII. TRUTHS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.

A. I discovered that sickness comes from the devil.

1. The devil is evil and hurts people.

2. I was afraid of illness.

3. I had power and authority over the devil.

4. That posed a problem for my religious beliefs.

B. Religion claims that God gives us diseases.

1. It is His will for us to be sick.

2. He teaches us through illness.

3. The truth is that it is as much part of God's will to heal someone as it is to save someone.

4. Illness comes from the devil.

C. What should I do with it now?

1. Take action.

2. This is God's call to us: Get started!

3. And we took action.

a. Oregon healing ministry.

b. God was more interested in sick people than I was.

D. God promised to do His part if we would do our part.

VIII. PAUL IS A GREAT MODEL AS A MAN OF DEED IN GOD'S PLAN (Acts 9: 20-23)

A. Paul made a discovery.

1. Paul found that the message was for the Gentiles.

2. God couldn't find a person to bring the message to Paul.

3. God had to show Paul in a vision.

4. Paul discovered that we are God's choice.

B. Christ has redeemed us.

1. He can take up residence in us and live in us.

2. It is our job to continue His work.

C. The work of God has been entrusted to us and put into our hands.

1. 1. Timothy 1: 11-15

2. Galatians 1: 15-16

3. I took action immediately.

4. The harvest is ripe, there is not much time left.

SUMMARY

Let us put into practice what we have received because His election challenges us to action.


SELF-STUDY

1. Are you connected to God through Jesus Christ? For what purpose are you connected to Him?

2. Will you be alone in your work for God? Who will be with you (Matthew 28: 20)?

3. How much does God trust you?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. In what ways do you think we can be equal to the 12 apostles in their mission?

2. Describes what it feels like to have been chosen by Almighty God, the ruler of the universe.

3. Are you ready for something exciting to happen in your life? Read:

Acts 1: 8

Acts 4: 33

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Experience

It is the Christ connection that connects the Jesus of the Gospels to the believer today. These lessons are based on the first four verses in Acts. Here is the foundation that helps us to continue what Jesus started.

Lesson one: Jesus our example.
Lesson two: Jesus our inspiration.
Lesson three: Our reaction.
Lesson four: Action.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. HE IS THE SPIRIT. I AM THE MEAT.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. He gives me His Spirit; I give my flesh to Him.

1. We go together.

2. This is what life means to me.

3. This is what life is all about.

B. First, He is our example: the yardstick.

1. I am no longer afraid of God.

2. When I see you, I see God.

C. He in turn gives me signals.

1. Inspiration.

2. The father lives, I live.

3. Look at our example and receive power from him.

4. John 14: 12.

5. I respond by sending signals back to Him.

D. Most people just live within their pews.

1. The fourth lesson is about action.

2. We take action so that we don't deceive ourselves.

3. Faith that does not "take action" is dead (James 2: 26).

4. James 1: 22-25.

5. You only learn what you do.

6. It is not enough just to accumulate knowledge in your brain.

E. When we've refueled and lifted up in praise, let's go for it.

II. WHAT GIVES US CREDIBILITY?

A. It is all based on the resurrection. (Acts 1: 3).

1. He offers tangible evidence (1. Corinthians 15: 1-4).

2. Paul was a successful minister of the gospel for a world in need.

3. Announce: Christ died for our sins and was raised.

B. If there are no signs and wonders in Christianity, it is just another dead religion.

C. Christianity without miracles is:

1. A ritual.

2. A creed.

3. A dogma.

4. A routine act.

D. Christianity is not a religion.

1. Religion consists of rituals.

2. Christianity is life.

3. When Christianity was born with Jesus and his followers, religion came to an end.

E. Religion was obsolete.

1. Without religion a direct connection to God was now possible.

2. The world received hope.

III. NOTHING COMPARED TO A CROWD WHO COME DESPERATELY TO YOU AND IF YOU CAN GIVE HOPE IN JESUS.

A. John 14: 19

B. Romans 5: 8

Christianity depends on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

C. I have demonstrated around the world that Muslims believe in Christ when the gospel is preached to them.

1. You will trade a dead prophet for a living prophet.

2. The communists in China and the Muslims believe in our Jesus more than we do.

3. They know that once they give us the freedom to preach, there will be no communists left.

4. Then there would soon be no more Muslims left.

5. We have the greatest power in the world behind us.

D. A story from Kenya.

1. Four Muslims who were in different places to find out where the magical power came from.

2. A blind woman received her eyesight.

3. They loved God.

4. They were saved and became preachers.

5. According to you, the magical power came from the black book (Bible).

IV. IF WE REALLY LIVE LIKE CHRISTIANS, THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE HINDUS.

A. Those who believe in Jesus Christ have a message.

1. Our message is full of power.

2. The world will believe us if we go and tell them.

a. Don't be intimidated.

b. Stand up.

c. We have authority.

d. Don't accept a doctrine that is satisfied with less.

B. We will continue to do what He showed us when He was here. And He showed us how to do it.

1. I will never leave you or forget you.

2. Nothing will be impossible.

V. WHAT MAKES US CREDIBLE?

A. Acts 2: 32.

1. Young ministers, this is your message for a world of pain.

2. Announce the resurrection of Jesus.

3. His power is at work (Ephesians 1).

4. You are not walking alone, you are walking together with the risen Christ.

5. The living Christ. (Acts 2: 36).

B. Acts 3: 15.

1. Paul preached Him.

2. Peter announced Him.

3. Stephen announced Him.

C. All of Christianity depends solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

D. The story of their trip to India.

1. When we discovered this living Jesus, we were changed.

2. We went out into the world.

E. Evangelism.

1. Latin America.

2. The leper in India.

a. He accepted Jesus.

b. He missed the prayer for healing.

3. When he was healed, he made Daisy and T. L Osborn credible witnesses of Jesus Christ.

4. A Muslim beggar.

a. He had crawled around for 30 years.

b. We were there at the invitation of the king.

c. The king himself had invited him to our meeting.

d. He was healed.

SUMMARY

I became believable. Christianity became credible. Without miracles, we have only one dead religion. I am with you to the end of the world.


SELF-STUDY

1. Name some differences between Christianity and religion.

2. What do you think people will do when they really hear and understand the true message of Jesus?

3. What makes you believable?

4. How is the resurrection of Jesus Christ related to the credibility of Christianity?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Discuss how we are connected to God.

2. What would Christianity be without signs and wonders?

3. What makes us credible?

Acts 2: 32

Acts 3: 15

Acts 2: 36

The Christ Connection 6 to 7

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Action

We are connected to God in Christ; through rebirth and fulfillment with the Holy Spirit. God can communicate himself through others. The gospels of Jesus are connected by the gospel of the believers. The lessons are based on the first four verses in Acts. I call it the "bridge verse". Your gospel is how Christ came to you.

I would like to explain something to the women again. I have already told women to paint all the scriptures that they think are intended for men in yellow. I want you to be really honest with yourself. So if you don't think it's meant for you, paint it yellow. If you believe it, then leave it. You would all be amazed at how much yellow is used. (NOTE: T. L. Osborn believes that the Bible applies to everyone equally. Only tradition and religion set limits.)


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. IT IS THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST THAT MAKES OUR CHRISTIAN WITNESS CREDIBLE.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. If Christ lives, then we live too.

1. Because I live, you live too.

2. He has power, so we have power too.

B. It is His Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

1. Luke 4: 18.

2. The same Holy Spirit has come upon us too.

3. It is no other anointing; it is the same anointing.

C. Power (Acts 1: 8)

1. The Holy Spirit is more than just speaking in tongues.

2. He brings true values ​​and strength into your life.

3. Force for what?

a. To understand Jesus correctly and to interpret his words.

b. To represent the father.

c. To continue what Jesus began to do and teach.

4. If he is dead, he has no power.

5. If He is alive, He will do the same things today that He did before He was killed.

II. WHEN I PRESSED THE MUSLIMS, THEY ALREADY KNOWED THAT HE LIVED AND WAS CRUCIFIED AS A HEALER AND PROPHET

A. The Bible tells us that He came back from the dead.

B. Our focus today is on Acts 1: 3.

C. The basic question is: How is the life of Jesus reflected in your church today?

D. What makes us believable is the fact that Jesus lives and that in us.

Annunciation among Muslims.

a. People listen.

b. Jesus is the Son of God.

c. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins.

d. Then HE was raised from the dead.

III. I COME TO JAVA TO SHARE WHAT THIS BOOK HAS TO SAY.

A. To convince you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and the only Savior.

B. If He really is the only Savior, then you need to get to know Him.

C. The Bible tells us that He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13: 8).

D. If He is alive, let Him do the same things He did before He was killed.

1. If He is dead, He cannot.

2. If He lives, He can and will do it.

E. I want to convince you that this book is telling the truth.

F. I believe that Jesus is alive and that He wants to answer prayer.

1. I prayed for a dove.

2. The deaf man was healed.

3. That made me believable.

IV. WHAT GIVES CREDIBILITY TO OUR CHRISTIAN WITNESS IS THE FACT THAT JESUS ​​RISEN FROM THE DEAD AND LIVES IN US.

A. The story of a Muslim leader.

B. Miracles and the supernatural in general authenticate our Christian testimony.

C. Our lessons.

1. In lesson one we got to know Jesus as our example (model).

2. In lesson two we talked about Jesus, our inspiration.

3. Lesson three was about our reaction.

4. In the fourth lesson we talked about action.

V. WE HAVE TO BE CREDIBLE AND TO DO THIS WE NEED MIRACLES.

A. I am the one who pioneered the field of mass evangelism with signs and wonders.

B. John Alexander Dowie.

1. Has been arrested over 100 times in America.

2. He distributed "medicine" without a permit.

3. He paid the price for preachers in America to preach the gospel.

C. I was the first to hold open air events in non-Christian countries.

1. I think the idea came from Paul.

2. Paul was a missionary.

3. Paul reached the Gentiles.

D. Jesus has called us out into the world.

VI. I LEARNED TO THINK LARGE DIMENSIONS.

A. Moses believed it was for everyone.

1. God revealed himself to Moses.

2. There was not a weak person among them.

3. They were healed by looking at the brazen serpent.

4. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, He had to learn to think big.

B. John Alexander Dowie directed us to our service in America.

C. I paved the way for those of you who work overseas.

D. If our testimony is not accompanied by effects of forces, signs, and wonders, we are not believable.

VII. OUR TOPIC TODAY IS THE AUTHORITY OF OUR DOING.

A. Things you encounter as you enter into the ministry of Jesus, the healing ministry.

1. There are all kinds of demons.

2. This revelation will be enough for you.

a. You will pray for people.

b. You may even think you have the gift of healing.

3. What do you do when a stubborn demon crosses your path?

4. Then you have to know that what you are doing is lawful.

B. Jesus stayed with His followers for 40 days after His resurrection.

1. The things that concern the kingdom of God.

2. The resurrected Jesus Christ came back to rule through us.

3. He paid the ransom.

4. Then he sat down.

SUMMARY

The hardest part is getting people to understand that Jesus lives in us.


SELF-STUDY

1. Read Luke 4: 18. Can you put your own name in this verse?

2. How can you use Luke 4: 18 to influence the world?

3. Read Acts 1: 8. What can you do with the power you receive from the Holy Ghost?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Do the scriptures, commandments, and blessings apply to women and men alike?

2. What impact does Christ's resurrection have on Christianity?

3. How can you know that what you do is lawful in God?

The Christ Connection Dr. T.L.Osborn - Our Status

The greatest revelation in the New Testament is the Christ connection. As long as we have not yet understood this concept, we have not yet understood the work of salvation. Jesus told us to preach the gospel.

These four points must be included:

1. God's creation: where we come from.
2. Seduction by Satan: Where the problem comes from.
3. The Representation of Christ: Who has cleared the situation.
4. Our restoration: How we can be and live in God today.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. FOUR ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE Sermon.

Text: Acts 1: 1-4

A. The religions of the peoples of the world have different ideas about our origins and origins.

1. The truth of the Bible, which gives us the greatest dignity, is that we are the creation of Almighty God who made the universe.

2. The world needs to know that God created us.

3. The world must experience what God is like.

a. He is good.

b. We are His creatures.

c. This will motivate them to want to live according to the dignity of their creatures.

B. Who caused the problem?

1. The seduction of Satan.

2. The world blames God for everything that happens.

3. Satan is a liar.

4. Satan has corrupted God's creation.

C. Pass on the good news: Who made things right.

1. God loved us so much.

2. He gave us His Son to buy us out from Satan's slavery.

3. He paid for our sins.

4. He delivered us from the kingdom of darkness.

5. He set us free from:

a. Diseases.

b. Hate.

c. Lust.

d. Murder.

D. Our restoration.

1. God lifted us up together with Jesus.

2. So that we can attract His essence.

3. So that our relationship with God can be restored.

4. Through the sacrifice of Jesus.

5. Just as if we had never sinned before, just like Jesus.

E. Focus on this message.

1. There are thousands of ways to get this message across.

2. Read your Bible with these four things in mind.

II. REVIEW.

A. These lessons are all in the first four verses of Acts.

B. Here is our start.

1. The book of Acts has no ending.

2. All other books in the Bible have an ending.

3. We are part of the deeds of Jesus' followers.

C. We begin with the first four verses of the Acts of the Apostles:

1. Lesson 1: Jesus our example.

2. Lesson 2: Jesus our inspiration.

3. Lesson 3: He gave His commandment.

4. Lesson 4: Action.

5. Lesson 5: Credibility.

6. Lesson 6: Authority.

III. FORCES, SIGNS AND MIRACLES.

A. Christianity is the only religion in which a preacher stands up to pray, whereupon powers, signs and wonders occur.

B. Teachers in any non-Christian religion.

1. They hold their lessons.

2. You do not come with:

a. Force effects.

b. Character.

c. Wonder.

3. They hadn't the faintest idea about it.

C. Effects, signs, and wonders are fundamental principles of Christianity.

D. The Israelites showed us exactly the same thing in the Old Testament.

1 . The Prophet of God:

a. Came to a city.

b. Preached the word of God.

c. Prayed for a miracle.

2. Jesus is to be classified here.

a. He got up in the temple.

b. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me."

c. He preached all over Galilee.

d. He healed the sick and cast out demons.

e. He was confirmed by God (Acts 2: 22).

E. Jesus said, "Go do what I did."

1. Jesus said, "I will be with you."

2. They went out to preach everywhere.

3. The Lord went with them, and He confirmed the word by signs and wonders.

F. We're the only people in the world who can do this.

IV. THE SEVENTH POINT: WHAT SIZE CAN "POSSIBLY" TAKE ON IN YOUR LIFE?

A. We were young evangelists.

1. We wanted to win souls.

2. We weren't prepared.

3. We weren't believable.

4. We came back.

B. Without the miracle, Christianity is just another dead religion.

1. Miracles can become a ritual.

2. Miracles must have the character of revelation.

C. Once you meet Jesus, you will be a different person.

1. Jesus Christ came into my bedroom.

a. I could not move.

b. This is too much for the body.

c. I became a changed man.

2. We do not preach a dead religion.

3. We preach the living Christ.

4. That was the first of four visions.

a. For the first time Jesus came alive in me.

b. For example, I've been successful before, but when I saw Jesus I was totally changed.

V. THE TURNING POINT.

A. The story of a man who cast a demon out of a little girl.

1. She got well.

2. In this man Jesus was present.

B. We went home and made a deal.

1. We read the Gospels as if we had never heard of them before.

2. Whatever Jesus said, He would do it.

3. We expected Him to do it.

4. Whatever He said about our options, we were determined to implement.

C. That day we saw our third vision: We saw Jesus in the scriptures.

D. We went to the newspapers and radio stations and got reports that everyone should bring their sick.

1. Our old chapel was packed.

2. We preached.

3. People were saved.

4. Everyone we touched was healed.

E. We traveled and preached.

1. How big is "possible"?

2. We prayed for all the deaf and they were healed.

3. Then we went out into the world.

SUMMARY

This gospel really works. What size can “possible” take on in your life? Broaden your horizons, open yourself up and just believe that all things are possible. God says: “I love you, you are my choice, I am with you, I will never get you leave."


SELF-STUDY

1. Go over the four points mentioned in this lesson again. Then start reading your Bible with these points in mind.

2. Imagine yourself performing the miracles of Acts.

3. How big can "possible" get in you?

4. Where have you put limitations on yourself?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What four points should our sermons contain?

2. How can it be that Christianity is the only religion that can produce effects of power, signs and wonders?

3. Can other non-Christian religions produce effects of power, signs and wonders? Why or why not?

Rev. Wayne Myers - Life to give

Life to give 1 to 3

Life to give Rev. Wayne Myers - The maximum Lifestyle

Some people think this kind of proclamation could only be successful in the United States. But I have seen this message bear fruit all over the world. So far it has been distributed in around 75 different nations.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. A SECRET WORTH DISCOVERY

Here we find the secret of a lifestyle that will set you free from many of the bonds the world has placed on you. This secret is:

A. Live with all your heart to give.

1. Live to Bless.

2. Live to serve.

3. Life to give.

B. Live as Jesus lived (Mark 10: 45).

1. He is our role model.

2. He gave himself.

3. We must walk in His footsteps.

C. Giving is the very nature of God (John 3: 16).

1. What did God give? His only begotten son.

2. Why? As a ransom for a lost human race.

3. When we adopt a lifestyle of giving, we experience a whole new dimension of life.

4. It is a life of joy, blessings, and release.

5. It is a life of blessing others.

D. Live like the first church lived (Acts 4: 32-37).

1. In the English translation of the Bible, we find the words "serve" and "service" over 1,400 times.

2. We also find the word "give" 816 times.

3. Therefore, in order to give, living has to be a way of life and not just something that you occasionally hear or do from time to time.

E. Live like all great missionaries did.

1. Jesus is telling us here that greatness comes through giving.

2. People like William Carey, David Livingstone, Adoniram Judson, John Gaddy lived to give.

II. WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO GIVE IN ADDITION TO OUR MONEY.

A. What we can give:

1. A smile or a loving hug.

2. Prayer.

3. Visiting someone who is sick or in jail.

B. The Macedonian Christians were great donors (2. Corinthians 8: 1-5).

1. First of all, they gave themselves.

2. God first wants our whole being before He expresses ours in monetary value Can accept gift.

C. The most precious gift from a farmer's wife in Mexico.

III. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE FROM OUR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (Matthew 6: 21; Mark 8: 34-36).

A. We cannot take our possessions with us to the grave.

Every good deed, prayer, and gift we give is recorded by the angels in heaven.

B. We can send our gifts ahead of our arrival in heaven (Matthew 6: 19-20).

C. We will be rewarded according to our works. (Revelation 22: 12).

1. The salvation of souls is a gift from God.

2. But rewards will be allocated according to the loyalty we show in carrying out our calling of God.

IV. THERE ARE ONLY VERY FEW IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE.

They are actually just two things, to be precise (Acts 9: 3-6).

A. To know God.

B. To do the will of God.

1. This is basically the only guideline you need for your life.

2. God's will includes our daily service to those who need us.

3. What is the value of owning all the goods in the world without having peace in your heart?

4. How blessed are we ~ when we have peace in heart without having a lot of worldly goods.

5. Peace comes from relationship and not from possession.

V. WHEN DEALING, THE TENTH IS THE STARTING POINT.

If you only start tithing after having known God for 10 years, you are way behind in your growth.

Quite a few people have made progress in many areas of their Christian life.

But they do not grow at the same rate in terms of stewardship of their earthly affairs. Malachi 3: 8-12.

A. A man who refused to tithe.

B. Someone who refuses to tithe is disobedient to God and is slowly but surely breaking their faith.

1. Disobedience destroys faith.

2. A little is much with God on your side and much is little without God's blessing.

3. If you do not tithe, you have not even begun to understand what stewardship is all about.

SUMMARY

God can meet your needs. Trust him. Make a firm decision to be a servant like you have never been before. Then start scattering seeds. All you have in your hand is seed. Everything in God's hand is harvest. Until the seed leaves your hands, it will never be able to reproduce.


SELF-STUDY

Study 2. Corinthians 8 to 9 and outline Paul's teaching about giving in this passage.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. In your small groups, share the secrets of a happy life as presented in this lesson. Discuss how you can put this secret into practice in your life.

2. Discuss things that you can give regularly.

3. Asks each other which concerns are current and tries to meet these needs within the group.

Each individual should decide which need he or she can satisfy.

Life to give Rev. Wayne Myers - How to start a Lifestyle of giving

In the previous lesson I spoke of the joy and blessings of a lifestyle dedicated to life to give. A lifestyle that was also found in the life of Jesus. (Mark 10: 45) I also explained what a blessing it is to regularly tithe as an entry into a giver's lifestyle.

If a Christian doesn't tithe, I would rather not want him to be a neighbor. Because if he steals God, he will probably steal something from our house. In this lesson, I want to teach you how to start a lifestyle of giving.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

TEXT: 1. Chronicles 29: 12-14

In this section we read of David making an offering for the building of Solomon's Temple. King David himself set a good example. He gave 115 tons of gold from his personal fortune. Then all the other people gave willingly too. He clearly shows us the source of all wealth and honor.

I. REALIZE THAT GOD IS THE TRUE OWNER OF OUR LIFE AND GOODS. (1. Corinthians 4: 1-2; 1. Corinthians 6: 9)

A. We are only stewards. (1. Corinthians 4: 1-2; 1. Corinthians 6: 9)

1. It is made clear here that we are only stewards of what we consider to be our property.

2. God is the true owner.

3. When we have realized this, we have no problem giving back to God what He has given uris.

B. Much will be asked of those who are given much. Luke 12: 48.

1. We are accountable to God for everything, talent and earthly good that we have considered our property.

Face the needs of others.

II. BEGIN A LIFE OF GIVING WITH WHAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO YOU.

A. Peter and the Lame. (Acts 3: 6).

B. The widow's last cake. (1. Kings 17: 8-16).

1. Out of a great willingness to sacrifice, she gave everything she had.

2. But your problem has been solved.

C. The little boy's packed lunch. (John 6: 9).

1. A little is much when it has God's blessing on it

2. Money is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.

3. If we honor God, He will honor us too.

III. GIVE OUT FROM A GRATEFUL HEART (Luke 7: 46-50).

A. Gratitude should be expressed in our actions, not in our words alone.

B. The woman who washed Jesus' feet.

C. Every Christian should always be grateful.

IV. GIVE WITH THE CORRECT MOTIVES (Colossians 3: 17, Colossians 3: 23-24).

A. Everything we do should be for the glory of our God.

B. Giving must also be for the glory of God.

V. GIVE WITH JOY AND GENEROUSITY (2. Corinthians 9: 6-10).

A. Our giving should be from a joyful heart.

B. Every gift is a seed sown.

1. We will reap what we sow.

2. Example: Monkey hunt in Brazil. This is typical of many Christians (Proverbs 11: 24-25)

3. A stingy attitude has no place in a Christian's life.

VI. GIVE OUT BY FAITH (Luke 6: 38)

Many people say that if we give something to God, we shouldn't expect anything in return.

The truth is that they are ignoring the word of God. For God himself instituted the law of the harvest. When we give, we should expect two things:

A. That our gift alleviates a need.

B. We will receive a harvest so that we will have more seeds available.

If you want God to do something for you, do something for him that you have never done before. Move into this dimension of a life of giving. Embark on this lifestyle of victory and honor. Because it works!

C. Obedient giving by faith and creative giving by faith.

1 . Obedient giving by faith means releasing what you already have.

2. Creative giving by faith means believing God for something that only belief in God can produce.

Example: birthday meat.

Live to give and and you will never lack anything good in your life.


SELF-STUDY

1. Gibst du überhaupt etwas oder bist du nur ein Empfänger?

2. Erstelle eine Liste dessen, was du besitzt und was gegeben werden kann.

3. Stelle zusammen, was du nicht besitzt, aber wofür du Gott vertrauen möchtest, um es weiterzugeben:

4. Bete darüber und übe dich im schöpferischen Glauben.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Who should set an example in order to initiate a lifestyle of giving in a church or a Christian organization?

2. What does God bless His people for?

3. Discuss the difference between giving with wrong motives and giving with the expectation of a harvest.

Life to give Rev. Wayne Myers - The fruits of a life to give

We have to keep our eyes on things that have eternal value. Just as Moses did according to the account of Hebrews 11: 24-27. He saw the one who is invisible. The apostle Paul tells of the same vision in Philippians 3: 7-8. He looked beyond the values of the world. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews did the same (compare Hebrews 12: 1-3). Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 1: 18) so that they could see the true treasures.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. MANY CHRISTIANS SUFFER FROM POOR SPIRITUAL VISION.

A. People with different eyesight.

1. There are people who are nearsighted.

You have to hold a book very close to your eyes to read it.

2. There are people who are farsighted.

They can see things very well in the distance, but nothing in their immediate vicinity.

3. There are people who squint.

4. People with normal eyesight.

5. There are people who have real eagle eyes.

B. Spiritual application.

1. A short-sighted Christian simply grabs what is temporary, as if he had 1,000 years of enjoyable life ahead of him.

2. A far-sighted Christian can see up to heaven, but he is not aware of the needs of his neighbor.

3. A cross-eyed Christian does not want to miss anything here on earth or in heaven. And so he does not enjoy either the one or the other world.

From C.S. Lewis stems from: "Go purposefully towards heaven and you will get the earthly in play; orient yourself towards the earthly and you will gain nothing at all."

4. Christians with normal visual acuity are always there, they are faithful because they are tithing people.

5. Eagle-eyed Christians are people who have this life and eternity in view at the same time and who daily accumulate treasures in heaven.

II. GOD WANTS TO BLESS US BUT WE MUST KNOW WHAT WE ARE BLESSED FOR. (Psalm 1: 1-3; Deuteronomy 28: 1-14; 3. John 2; Proverbs 10: 22)

A. We are blessed to be a blessing to others.

B. Enjoy the blessings of God without being captured by them. (James 1: 16-17)

C. Wealth that is not used for the benefit of others can destroy a person. (Ecclesiastes 5: 13; Proverbs 10: 22)

D. Paul warns against wanting to get rich. (1. Timothy 6: 6-12)

Someone once said, "When someone gets rich, either God wins a partner or Satan wins a fool."

E. Jesus' parable of the sower. (Luke 8: 14)

1. This world is a deceiver, because it offers you something that it cannot give at all.

2. Money can buy anything except happiness: Money will take you anywhere, just not to heaven.

3. The word "money" is used 2,085 times in the Bible.

4. A hen and pig illustration.

5. Many people are ready to make sacrifices, but they cannot seem to afford total surrender.

F. Jesus commands us to accumulate treasures in heaven.

III. MANY REASONS WHY WE SHOULD EXCHANGE EARTHLY OWNERS FOR ETERNAL TREASURES.

A. Jesus commands us. (Matthew 6: 19-20)

B. We can only do it in this life.

1. You cannot issue a transfer to Heaven from here.

2. Example: A rich woman's dream.

C. If we follow Jesus' direction, God is guaranteed to provide our daily bread. (Matthew 6: 33)

D. The economic thinking of this world collapses very quickly.

1. When we don't learn the true art of living. (Psalm 27: 4)

2. You haven't really started giving until you are happy with it.

3. If the gospel hasn't changed you, it has not yet reached you.

E. The story of the good Samaritan (Luke 15)

In this story we encounter three philosophies of life. Each of us lives one of these philosophies.

1. What is yours is mine and I'll take it so I can own it.

2. What is mine is mine and if you are in trouble, then you are out of luck. I don't share with anyone. (Priests and Levites).

3. My friend in need: what is mine is also yours. You can have it when you need it. (Philosophy of the Good Samaritan).

It is through this philosophy that the gospel can be spread around the world.

IV. MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE EXCHANGED THE EARTH FOR THE HEAVENLY REALM.

A. Before John wrote Revelation, we learn the following from history:

40,000 martyrs have already carried their own cross at this point.

B. 50 years ago:

50 million martyrs gave their lives for Jesus.

C. In this generation:

More than the above Number of people sacrificed their lives as martyrs.

V. LIFE IS MORE THAN OWNERS. (Luke 12: 15)

Life is an expression of an intimate relationship with God.

A. Live to give and serve.

1. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without being a giver.

2. Love does not look for limits, but for opportunities to act.

3. If you give because you cannot help it, you will receive because you cannot stop it.

B. Leave as little as possible to the Antichrist.

Example

1. A young boy at the mission meeting.

2. Let's look to Jesus - Hebrews 12: 2


SELF-STUDY

Study Matthew 6: 19–24 and 1. Timothy 6: 6-12 and summarize the principles of life contained therein regarding earthly possessions.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Share different reasons why people are stingy.

2. Discuss the attitudes of Christians who have eagle eyes in giving.

3. Discuss the importance of money in this life and its limits.

4. Share the good Samaritan's philosophy of life and how it can be applied to our lives.

5. What will you leave with the Antichrist and what will you transfer to your bank account in heaven?

Life to give 4 to 5

Life to give Rev. Wayne Myers - Live and give beyond what is possible

We have now looked at three lessons on this important topic. Now I want to lead you from the known to the unknown, from your limitations to God's possibilities. God is a supernatural God and it is no more than natural that He will have a supernatural family. So I want to talk about a life of giving beyond what is possible.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

TEXT: Hebrews 10: 35 to Hebrews 11: 1-6

A. In this chapter, the word "faith" is mentioned more than 22 times. It is a chapter of the heroes of faith. Faith has changed circumstances in their lives.

In Hebrews 11: 1 we find the definition of faith.

B. T. L. Osborn says, "Faith is the title deed of the property you bought before you saw it."

C. God looks for people who live and give beyond what is possible.

1. The Christian life is a life of faith - from being born again to heaven.

2. The man of faith sees the invisible, believes in the unbelievable and receives the impossible.

D. Love is the door and faith is the key.

I. GOD ALWAYS HAD A PEOPLE WHO LIVE BEYOND THE POSSIBLE.

A. The miracles in Egypt and the passage through the Red Sea. Exodus 14: 21-22

B. God gave them water from dry rock. Exodus 17: 6

C. Joshua and Israel crossed the Jordan by faith at the time of the flood. Joshua 3: 5

D. Gideon won a great battle of 300 men by faith. Judges 6: 7

E. Elijah prayed down fire from heaven in faith. 1. Kings 18

F. Daniel survived in the den of lions by faith. Daniel 6

II. PEOPLE WHO LIVE BEYOND POSSIBLE IN THE 20TH CENTURY.

Belief in God works the same way today.

Examples:

A. The fish miracle.

B The 1985 Mexico City earthquake

1. A Christian nurse miraculously got into her apartment from the 11th floor of a hospital, where she was safe.

2. The gasoline miracle in Cuba.

III. GOD CHALLENGES EACH OF US TO LIVE BEYOND THE POSSIBLE.

A. God's promise - Jeremiah 33: 3

B. Jesus' challenge to Mary and Martha at the tomb of Lazarus - John 11: 40

C. God's Challenge to Us - Isaiah 54: 1-3.

1. God challenges us to believe in miracles in our lives.

2. It takes faith to be able to live in His sphere of influence.

3. A belief that costs nothing and that risks nothing is also worth nothing.

IV. GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO GIVE ABOVE THE POSSIBLE.

A. A new dimension in life.

1. Creative giving in faith.

a. You make a promise to the glory of God about something you do not have and you expect God to provide you accordingly.

2. God desires people of faith.

a. If you don't take a step, God won't move either.

B. Obedient Faith - Acts 3: 6

Examples:

1. A woman in Kenya.

2. We only have what we can give away.

3. We are not called to live by sight, but to live by faith in the promises of God.

4. Wayne Myers personal experiences.


SELF-STUDY

1. Study Hebrews 11 and make a list of the heroes of faith listed there.

Make note of how they lived and what they achieved through faith (use a separate sheet for this exercise).

Example:

Abel - Hebrews 11: 4 - He lived by faith and made a pleasant sacrifice to God. He was vindicated by God as righteous.

2. Write down personal impressions of how this lesson challenged you to live and give beyond what is possible.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. In your small groups, discuss some of the barriers that prevent Christians from living beyond what is possible.

2. How can these obstacles be overcome?

3. Are you currently involved in a mission project? Practice your creative faith by making a promise of faith in relation to the project.

4. Pray for one another.

Life to give Rev. Wayne Myers - Can God Yes God Can

We have experienced the joy of a life of giving. We have also been concerned with going beyond our means by letting our faith create what we want to do for God and for His glory.

Now I want us to think about the greatness of the God we trust. Because God is big enough to do everything your faith demands.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL.

Text: Psalm 78: 9-20

We live in a world of disbelief. Man doubts God - just like Israel did then.

A. Miracles in Egypt, on the Red Sea, guided by the pillar of clouds and fire. Water from the rock.

B. They doubted that God could provide them with food. "Can God give us bread?"

C. God worried about this for 40 years.

1. 4500 tons of manna daily.

2. Quail for 30 days.

II. THE WORLD STILL SCREAMS TODAY: "CAN GOD?"

A. Given:

1. Drunk people on the streets.

2. Prostitutes.

3. Terminally ill patients.

B. A wise man and a young boy.

III. TESTIMONIES OF GOD'S GREATNESS.

A. From the word of God.

1. Isaiah 12: 6; Daniel 4: 3; Job 42: 2; Jeremiah 32: 17

2. The angel: Luke 1: 37

3. God gives an assurance of His greatness - Jeremiah 32: 27

B. God's greatness in many ways:

1. In creation - Genesis 1: 1; Psalm 147: 4

2. In salvation - 2. Corinthians 5: 17

3. In prayer - Jeremiah 22: 3; Matthew 7: 7-11

4. In His care - Philippians 4: 19; Matthew 6: 33; Psalm 37: 25

5. In His Preservation - Psalm 91: 11; Psalm 34: 7

C. God can! God can take care of His children! He is loyal!

IV. GOD WANTS TO SHOW YOU HIS LOVE, POWER AND MERCY.

A. Your problem is not too big that God cannot solve it.

B. Your burden is not too heavy for God to bear.

C. Your illness is not too bad that God cannot cure it.

D. He invites you to trust Him. (Proverbs 3: 9-10; Isaiah 26: 4; Psalm 37: 3-7)

E. Trust, rejoice, surrender and rest.

V. FAITH - OUR SHARE. (Hebrews 11: 1-6; Mark 11: 23-24)

A. Can God spread a table in the desert? Yes, God can!

But you have to take a step of faith.

B. God waits for us to move before He starts moving.

C. Belief in God is still the only hope for this world.

D. Faith without works is dead.

E. God is bigger than we think.

F. We are richer than we think because we are connected to the God of the universe.

G. Because God is greater than we think and we are richer than we think, we can do more than we could have imagined.

H. Can God? God can! ! ! He will ! ! ! The way we believe in Him. How we reach out to Him. How we trust His word.

I. You don't have to look around for someone who is wealthy. Look to the god who owns the cattle on the thousand hills. We all have access to the Father in the name of our Savior.

J. Let us not be like the people of Israel who have doubted God. God can take care of the needs you face.


SELF-STUDY

1. Study Psalm 78 and record: (on a separate sheet of paper)

a. God's goodness to Israel:

b. Israel's answer to God:

c. God's reaction to Israel:

2. What lessons can you learn from this psalm for your relationship with God?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Asks the group about special needs that are currently too great or too challenging for one or the other.

2. Encourage one another to make a creed about the greatness of God who can solve all problems.

3. Confirm in prayer for each individual participant in the group that God wants to intervene in the areas of need.

Dr. Mitch Medina - Supernatural Faith

Supernatural Faith 1 to 3

Supernatural Faith Dr. Mitch Medina - How to grow in Faith

God brought us together today so that we can receive a very special insight into supernatural faith. We are here not only to learn about this belief, but also to receive it. God, the Holy Spirit, will lead you to a new breakthrough in your life through this course.

Look at your hands, each of you. In exactly these hands God will put the key with which the world can be reached in this last generation. I want you to say to me: "God that I am here is your divine purpose. You want me to receive the key to supernatural faith."

To receive this, we start together in prayer.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. PRAYER EFFECTS FAITH.

"Pray without ceasing" - (1. Thessalonians 5: 17).

A. Mitch Medina's personal testimony of growing in faith through prayer.

B. How God changed His prayer life through Ephesians 6: 18.

C. It is utterly impossible to just pray from the mind without ceasing because your thoughts keep getting in your way.

D. Prayer in the Spirit is prayer in which what I have in mind remains fruitless (1. Corinthians 14: 14).

E. Our mind is built in such a way that we can only deal with one thought at a time.

F. Singing in the Spirit (1. Corinthians 14: 15)

G. If we really set our hearts to praying incessantly, we will discover that we will spend most of our time praying in the spirit or in tongues.

1. Paul demonstrated ceaseless prayer by praying in tongues (1. Corinthians 14: 18).

2. Start practicing praying in silence in the Spirit while continuing to breathe normally.

II. EFFECTS OF PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT.

A. This edifies our spirits (1. Corinthians 14: 4).

B. We pray in accordance with God's will.

1. We can only count on an answer from God if our prayer corresponds to God's will (Romans 8: 26-27).

2. If you pray in tongues, you have a guarantee that God will answer you.

C. God gives us victory in spiritual warfare when we pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6: 17)

1. God's armor (Ephesians 6: 11-17)

a. Girdled With Truth: A Belt (Ephesians 6: 14)

b. The armor of righteousness (Ephesians 6: 14)

c. Suitable Shoes: The Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6: 15)

d. The shield of faith (Ephesians 6: 16).

e. The helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6: 17).

2. All of the elements of armor mentioned have one thing in common: They are all weapons for defense.

3. Under no circumstances can you win a war if you only use defensive weapons to fight.

4. Victory is only achieved when you have driven the enemy from the battlefield and they are actually defeated.

III. GOD HAS GIVEN US A WEAPON OF OFFENSIVE (Ephesians 6: 17).

A. It is the sword of the spirit.

B. We can use it to put the devil to flight.

C. How can we acquire the sword of the Spirit?

D. At the end of Ephesians 6: 17 we find a small Greek word that is omitted from most Bible translations.

E. This word is "dia" and means "by" or "by means of".

F. So if we combine Ephesians 6: 17 with Ephesians 6: 18, the relationship is as follows:

"And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, while you pray always with petitions and supplications in the Spirit."

G. In this way, then, we can acquire the sword of the spirit so that we can use it.

H. We are built up by faith (Jude 20).

1. If you have never received the gift of speaking in tongues before, then this can happen now, because the power of God is at work exactly where you are at the moment.

2. The Bible says: "And they were all fulfilled ..." (Acts 2: 4)

3. So the secret lies in Acts 2: 4. There it says: "... and they began to preach in other languages ​​..."

4. You have to offer your tongue to God and start speaking. The spirit will put the sounds in your mouth.


SELF-STUDY

1. According to Ephesians 6: 17-18, what is it that turns the word of God into the sword of the Spirit?

2. List some of the spiritual benefits we receive from praying in tongues.

3. Suggest two types of prayer, as found in 1. Thessalonians 5: 17, that you can use to pray without ceasing without drawing the attention of others unnecessarily.

4. Spend a significant portion of your daily prayer time praying in the Spirit.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Take time to pray together in groups. Pray for those who will be filled with the Holy Spirit and who want to receive the following sign of speaking in tongues.

2. Those of you who are already filled with the Spirit should spend some time praying and singing in the Spirit with others.

3. Keep praying in tongues without the people around you knowing or being able to hear you.

Supernatural Faith Dr. Mitch Medina - The Trinity of the Word and Spiritual Struggle

In the first lesson, we learned why the key to praying in Ephesians 6: 17-18 is incessant. The only way we can pray without ceasing is to pray in the spirit. We were able to recognize that we can acquire the sword of the spirit by praying in the spirit. The sword of the spirit is our only weapon of attack in spiritual warfare. Only by using offensive weapons can we be victorious in spiritual battle. We would now like to dig deeper into this topic.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. WHAT IS THE SPIRIT'S SWORD?

A. It is the word of God (Ephesians 6: 17).

When examining the Greek text, it is noticeable that the word used in Ephesians 6: 17 does not generally mean the Bible.

B. There are three different words that are translated "Word of God" in the Bible translations.

1. The first word is "graphe". It means the "scriptures" or what was written (2. Timontheus 3: 16).

2. The second word is “logos,” which translates as “word” (John 1: 1, 14).

a. It means all of God's counsel. Everything God has ever planned, done or said.

b. It's not the same as the Bible.

c. The Bible did not become "flesh" as it did with Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6: 14).

d. Jesus is the Word, but He doesn't just fit into a book.

3. The word at Ephesians 6: 17 is "rhema".

a. This means a word of revelation from God.

b. It is the word that God speaks into your spirit and that He makes alive through the Holy Spirit.

c. An example of how the rhema works: "It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit" (Luke 2: 25-32).

i. It is God's word of revelation that is hidden behind the "sword of the Spirit" at Ephesians 6: 17.

ii. It is with this sword that we achieve victory in spiritual warfare.

II. THE ANINTING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REVELATION

A. It shows in the healing of pain and disease, etc.

B. It shows itself in the courageous appearance against all works of the devil.

C. Our goal is to receive from God the key to supernatural faith.

D. We have already learned that "rhema" means the sword of the spirit.

E. We also looked at praying in the Spirit incessantly in Lesson 1 (Jude 20).

In prayer without ceasing, we appropriate the sword of the Spirit so that we can use it. Also, when we pray in the Holy Spirit, we ourselves are built up in faith.

III. BUILD UP OURSELVES IN FAITH

A. Through the Word of God (Romans 10: 17)

What Word Makes Faith?

B. It is the "rhema" or the word of revelation of God that He speaks into our spirit.

1. God has integrated his supernatural faith into the "rhema".

2. When God speaks a rhema word into your mind, you can be sure that it has God's supernatural ability to be fulfilled.

C. Jesus compares faith to a mustard seed (Matthew 17: 20).

In order for the mustard seed to grow, there must be God's life in it.

D. The supernatural life that comes from God is wrapped in a rhema word.

1. Faith is a gift. It is not acquired by works.

2. Supernatural belief comes from paying attention to the "rhema" of God.

E. God the Holy Spirit will lead us into a new dimension of supernatural faith.


SELF-STUDY

Take your Bible Concordance to help and look for at least six places in the New Testament that speak of the "Word of God". Write a short summary of the contextual background and differentiate in particular between the contextual use of "graphe," "logos" and "rhema."


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the relationship between the three Greek words used for "Word of God" in the New Testament. Is there such a relationship?

If so, how is it going?

2. Can we even deal with God's revelation word, the "rhema", without knowing the written word, "graphe," and the "logos," Jesus himself?

3. How can we make the sword of the Spirit work in our spiritual battle?

Supernatural Faith Dr. Mitch Medina - Faith and the Rhema of God

As we continue our course on the subject of "supernatural belief", the power of God is powerfully flowing and flowing right where you are. I want you to look at your own hands and repeat the following to me: "Lord, you brought me here to put the key to supernatural belief in my hands. "

Faith comes through hearing and hearing through God's theme. It is the sword of the spirit and with it all works of the devil are destroyed. This belief is wrapped in a mustard seed (Matthew 17: 20).


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. CAN "RHEMA" MEAN A SCRIPTURE?

A. We know that by "graphe" we mean the Scriptures.

B. The "rhema" is the word of God's revelation.

C. There are many situations in which God cannot or will not speak to us through a passage in the Bible.

1. In the event you pray and ask God for a job, God simply cannot speak to you through the Bible. Because there are no firemen or computer programmers in Scripture.

2. So if. God cannot speak to you through the scriptures, He will give you a word of revelation.

D. God can of course also speak to us through a word from the Bible, but He must make it present to us through his Holy Spirit.

1. Sometimes the Holy Spirit throws a word from the Bible into our thoughts. However, you do not need to be a Bible Student to be guided through the "rhema" of God.

2. You don't even have to be able to read.

3. The first church in its day reached its world within 200 years by being strong in faith.

4. The written Bible as we have it today did not even exist back then, and the possession of individual books was also rather a rarity.

E. The scriptures had to be handwritten.

1. Not even the Jewish synagogues usually had a complete edition of the Bible (i.e. the Old Testament).

2. They owned the five books of Moses, the Psalms, and a number of prophetic books.

F. In the first century, the New Testament wasn't even available.

1. And yet the Christians of that time reached their surroundings for Jesus.

2. Why? Because they were strong in faith.

3. And faith comes through hearing, hearing in turn through the rhema of God.

G. Therefore, being able to read the Bible is not an essential requirement in order to be able to go forward in faith in God.

1. The · (Faith comes through hearing and hearing through the rhema of God.

This is the word of revelation of God which He speaks into your spirit.

2. God need not limit himself to what is written in the Bible, although He will never contradict the written word.

3. God doesn't necessarily have to quote the Bible to guide and guide you.

H. To people who can read and have studied the Bible:

1. God will speak to you through scripture. But don't try to get God to do something you would like Him to do just because it's in the Bible.

2. What gives the word power is God's direct address to you - not the utterance of this word before Him.

3. Faith comes through hearing and hearing through the word (rhema) of God, not through your confession.

II. WHO OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE MORE?

A. What is supernatural belief?

1. Most of us think of faith as a spiritual event or as a personal opinion.

a. The biblical definition of belief has nothing to do with an opinion.

b. The definition of biblical belief is found at Hebrews 11: 1.

c. "But belief is a firm confidence in what one hopes for." This is a wrong translation of this verse.

2. "Faith is the substance ..."

It is a divine substance that is wrapped in the mustard seed of the rhemas of God.

B. A Biblical Example of How Faith Works (Matthew 9: 20 and Luke 8: 45)

1. The woman who suffered from blood flow for 12 years.

How did she get the idea to touch Jesus?

2. In Matthew 9:20 we find the answer.

a. The woman said to herself: "If I could just touch his robe ..."

This is rhema. The woman had been given a rhema.

b. Jesus answered her: "Your faith has made you well."

Your topic resulted in a concrete act.

C. Personal example:

1. Mitch Medina's first evangelism in Nicaragua and how God spoke to him.

a. 2,000 people came to the Lord.

b. 100 miracles happened.

c. All the power that was needed to make all of these things happen was wrapped in the one rhema word "evangelist," which the Lord had spoken to him.

2. So we see that faith comes through hearing and hearing through the rhema of God.


SELF-STUDY

Make a personal statement about what you just heard in this lesson. It should be at least half a page.

CAUTION:

The focus of this lesson is on how the rhemas of God works. This in no way ignores the importance of the Bible for the believer's daily life with God.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Discuss some of the statements made in this lecture and use the Bible to help you evaluate.

a. "There are many situations in which God cannot or will not speak to us through a word from the Bible."

b. "You don't even need to know the Bible to be guided by the rhema of God."

c. "God doesn't have to quote the Bible to lead and guide you."

d. "Faith comes through hearing and hearing through the word (rhema) of God, not through your confession."

2. Which revelation is greater, the rhema word of God or the written word of God? Which of these does the church need most today?

Supernatural Faith 4 to 5

Supernatural Faith Dr. Mitch Medina - How Faith works

The spirit of wisdom and revelation rests powerfully on us as we continue our journey step by step until we have received supernatural faith.

In the previous lesson we learned from divine revelation that faith is a divine substance. It comes through hearing and hearing happens through the rhema of God. When rhema is put into practice, it combines with the power that lies in Jesus and leads to an explosion. This explosion is called faith. This belief heals you. That is what Jesus emphasized over and over again. Faith is a manifestation. So faith is not just a substance (Hebrews 11: 1), but also evidence of things in the invisible world. Because as soon as someone is better, proof is already provided.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE TIME THAT LIES BETWEEN A GOD SPEAKED RHEMA AND ITS ARRIVAL.

A. During this time, we practice the virtue of hope.

Hope is the supernatural state of God in which we find ourselves once God has spoken the word, until it comes true.

B. The example of the woman with blood.

1. She left in hope.

2. God gave her the rhema.

3. When she touched Jesus and a power went out from him ...

... there was an explosion of faith.

4. Faith is both substance and evidence.

II. THE WORKING OF FAITH IN THE LIFE OF THE HEROES OF FAITH (Hebrews 11: 2-21)

A. "By faith Abel ..." (Hebrews 11: 4)

1. Cain and Abel both wanted to make an offering.

2. Both brought what they had.

What was the problem?

3. God had a communicative relationship with both of them (Genesis 4: 6-7).

He asked them to make a sacrifice in which animal blood would flow.

4. Cain rejected the rhema of God because he was jealous of his brother.

a. He didn't want to go to his brother and ask for a lamb.

b. Instead, he brought to God what he imagined to be a sacrifice.

5. When his sacrifice was not accepted by God, he became angry and killed his brother.

6. Abel had faith and did what God said.

B. "By faith Noah ..." (Hebrews 11: 7)

1. God spoke to him.

It wasn't just his own idea to build an ark.

2. Noah did what he was told and thus became an inheritance of righteousness.

3. The righteousness that comes from faith consists in hearing and doing the word (rhema) of God.

4. Faith is also proof. If you live like the devil, you are not demonstrating your righteousness.

C. "By faith Abraham became ..." (Hebrews 11: 8)

What did Abraham do?

a. God spoke to him.

b. He listened and obeyed.

c. Then he became the father of faith.

D. "By faith Sarah also received ..." (Hebrews 11: 11)

1. Remember that belief is not a spiritual event such as expressing an opinion is. It is more of a divine substance.

2. When Sara heard the word that she was going to have a child, she didn't believe, but laughed.

3. Apparently she later changed her mind (Hebrews 11: 11)

E. "By faith Isaac blessed ..." (Hebrews 11: 20)

1. What did Isaac think he was doing when he blessed Jacob?

He was convinced he was going to bless the other child.

2. Rebekah had heard the word of promise that was spoken on the twins before they were born and she believed.

3. Isaac never believed because he loved the meat Esau made for him.

Isaac spent his whole life in rebellion against the rhema of God because he did not put the rhema into practice.

4. Isaac is not a model of mature faith.

F. "By faith Jacob blessed ..." (Hebrews 11: 21)

1. Jacob knew that he would give the younger son a greater blessing than the older one.

2. Jacob is a model of mature faith who knows the will of God and does it regardless of loss.

3. Rhema is not always pronounced.

It can also be perceived in the mind through spiritual insight.

4. There are other spiritual senses (Psalm 34: 8):

a. Spiritual taste

b. Spiritual smell

c. God can use any of your spiritual senses to convey rhema. Listening is not the only way to do this.

III. THE BEGINNER AND COMPLETE OF OUR FAITH

A. Jesus Christ, our example (Hebrews 12: 1-2)

1. His ears were always open to the Father and He always heard what the Father had to say to Him.

2. By this word He lived (Matthew 4: 4).

3. God the Father gave Him scriptures through the Holy Spirit.

4. All of his mighty deeds grew out of the power of the rhemas of God (John 5: 30).

5. Everything Jesus said He had previously heard from God (John 14: 10).

6. He spoke the rhema of God that He had heard with His spiritual ear. That word went out along with the power of the Father and it caused an explosion of faith.

B. The application for us:

1. We cannot be God's only begotten Son.

2. We cannot shape the universe.

3. Yet we can hear the rhema of God just as Jesus could.

4. We can do God's mighty works by activating the power of faith hidden in the rhema just as Jesus did.

5. Look at your hands again. God puts the key in your hand. You can do the great works of God. This happens in the same power in which Jesus accomplished all of His mighty days (John 14: 12).

6. He has withheld nothing of what He received from the Father for our benefit (John 17: 22).

SUMMARY

It doesn't matter whether you turn right or left: Your ear will hear a soft, low voice saying, "This is the way, continue on it." Listen, trust and do what you are told.


SELF-STUDY

1. Study Hebrews 11: 1-40 and develop a study of the heroes of faith in this chapter under these two headings:

The substance of belief

Proof of Faith

2. What is the significance of the application of supernatural faith in our lives?

3. How can we hear the "rhema" of God?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Share the two parts of the definition of faith at Hebrews 11: 1-2 (the substance and the evidence).

2. How does this definition relate to the rhema of God in the Christian life?

3. How can we appropriate God's righteousness in our lives today?

4. Remember the mighty deeds of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. Can we do greater works than He today? If yes how?

Supernatural Faith Dr. Mitch Medina - Faith and the Curriculum

We learned many things while traveling this course to receive the key to supernatural belief:

1. Pray without ceasing.
2. The only way to pray without ceasing is to do it through the Spirit as Ephesians 6: 17-18 teaches us.
3. When we pray in the Spirit, we acquire the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. However, this does not only mean the written word of God, but the rhema word of God. It is God's Word of Revelation, which is the sword of the Spirit.
4. Faith comes by hearing the (rhema) word of God.

In this lesson we will look at 1. Kings 19: 11-12.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE SOFT, QUIET VOICE

A. We do not always experience God's speaking as a major event, but often simply as a soft, quiet voice.

B. It may even sound like your own inner voice. The difference, however, is that you have a special anointing.

It is a feeling of peace and security that enables you to recognize the voice of God.

C. When you set out to walk with God in His rhema, He will prove faithful and build your faith. He will give you a word and it will come true very quickly.

D. A mature Christian is receptive to the Lord's voice and can hold on to this word with hope for long periods of time until it is fulfilled.

E. God spoke to Abraham about 1,800 years before Jesus was born. The Jewish people held on to this rhema for 1,800 years until finally, when the time was fulfilled, God sent His Son.

F. God doesn't have to make you wait 1800 years. Maybe He will give you a word that will become truth in seconds. The more familiar you become with dealing with his voice, the more he strengthens you so that you come to a point where you can wait as long as it takes.

G. How do you know that an inspiration is the voice of God?

1. You cannot find out by doubt.

2. The only way in which you can check the truth of God's rhema is through obedience.

3. As you begin to do what you have been asked to do by the rhema of God, you will find out if it was really the voice of God.

II. GOD'S RHEMA AND THE ITSD CURRICULUM

A. The subject does not always come to you directly from the mouth of God.

1. It may come to you through a man or woman of God who received it through the revelation of the Father.

2. It is certain that you will experience a breakthrough in supernatural beliefs while taking these ISOM curriculum courses.

B. True servants of God also have the ability to serve you with the rhema.

1. It is the rhema word of God through which the body of Christ is served for edification.

It doesn't have to be prophecy.

2. A teacher of the word can teach you a word of revelation in a teaching unit, which in turn produces faith.

3. From Ephesians 4: 11-13 we know that through fivefold service the saints are prepared, the body of Christ is built, and we are led to the unity of faith:

C. No servant who has not received a rhema from God has any business behind a pulpit.

D. Another temptation for a servant of God who has received revelation is to continue speaking after the revelation has been completed.

1. We men of God must learn to shut up after sharing the revelation.

2. Within the framework of the ITSD curriculum, God has brought together many teachers who are mature in the faith and know the subject or the revelation of God. They also know when to talk and when to be quiet.

3. These teachers are not just giving lectures on Sunday School sessions, but are each presenting the message of their life. The rhema word that God has given them cannot help but produce faith.

4. Faith wrapped in the rhema of God comes out of their mouths and it is no less powerful when it comes to you through the medium of "video".

E. Through this international teaching program, God sends you His rhema and gives you faith.

1. Receive him! Receive him !! Receive him !!!

2. With this teaching program you have the unprecedented opportunity to be edified in the faith and the faith of every man of God to receive sent to speak to you.

3. Wherever you are, be faithful and hardworking. This is your chance to receive a power filling through faith which will enable you to do the work of God on this generation.

F. Let's read Matthew 24: 14 together.

1. Jesus is coming and the time is short.

2. God will use you whether you can read or not.

3. It depends on the ability to set things in motion according to belief in God.


SELF-STUDY

Spend some time alone with God this week and earnestly pray that God will allow you to grow into communicating His rhema in your situations of service to others.


GROUP DISCUSSION

Please band together for a time of mutual service and common prayer. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and spend time praying for one another and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to be released into your life.

Dr. Paul Paino - Serving Children

Serving Children 1 to 2

Serving Children Dr. Paul Paino - Serving Children Part 1

God is interested in your children. Should the church strive to reach children? Will the Lord hold us accountable for our children? Is the church only for adults? Can Children Receive Salvation?


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CHILDREN

A. The children came to Jesus (Mark 10: 13-16).

1. Jesus was reluctant when His disciples corrected the children.

2. Jesus took her in His arms and blessed her.

B. Seducing a Christian Child (Matthew 18: 6)

1. Jesus made it very clear that no one should stop or dissuade children from knowing about Him.

2. Be careful not to harm children who have accepted Christ.

C. Jesus laid hands on the children (Matthew 19: 13).

1. We have failed in our divine commission if the church only takes care to pass blessings on to adults and at the same time does not enable the blessing service to be given to children.

2. Reach the children, for Jesus has instructed you to do so.

3. Scripture commands us to reach children.

II. GOD GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO ISRAEL (Deuteronomy 6: 4).

A. God commanded believers to teach their children (Deuteronomy 6: 6-8).

1. Teach them in the home.

2. Teach them when they sit down.

3. Teach them wherever they go.

B. God instructed Israel to teach the children so they would know that God would deliver them. (Deuteronomy 6: 20):

1. Out of their bondage.

2. Of their problems.

3. Of their difficulties.

C. Teach your children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4: 9-10).

D. We are here together today to challenge you and your community.

1. Jesus told us to reach out to our children.

2. The Word of God commands us too.

3. The church is not only there for adults but also for children.

4. Children are available.

III. GOD HAS CALLED US TO WIN OUR CITY FOR CHRIST

A. Start reaching your city for Christ by reaching out to the boys and girls in the local area.

1. We have invited the boys and girls to specially organized groups.

2. We set up and prepared a place where we could gather the children.

3. We have divided them into groups according to their age.

4. We have prepared biblical material to teach the children basic things about our Lord.

5. We taught them to sing songs of praise and worship to God.

6. We taught them what to give to God.

7. We started teaching them Bible lessons.

8. Before we knew it, we had 1,000 children together.

a. Boys and girls, in turn, brought their friends with them.

b. Children can be reached.

B. There are many things that children can be taught about God.

1. Children are docile.

2. Children are receptive.

3. Children are ready to learn.

4. Children ask questions.

5. Children have a fertile world of thought.

6. If we don't teach them, they will learn things they shouldn't learn.

7. The church is called to teach.

8. Jesus was addressed as a "teacher" 109 times.

C. Is your church doing something to teach children?

1. Do you have groups where you can learn about our Lord?

2. Are there teachers there who are dedicated?

3. Is there a worship and worship leader in child labor?

4. Is there a place where you can talk to them on their wavelength?

5. I challenge you to reach out to the children of the world.

IV. WE HAVE TO REACH OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ARE US.

A. We need to take care of our children because they can actually be reached.

B. If the life of a boy or a girl is touched, we can also influence the lives of the father and mother.

1. There are many parents who would never have come to church if their children had not invited them to a Bible study.

2. There are children all around you who know practically nothing about God because no one has taught them.

a. They are like fertile ground.

b. In this way the next generation is reached as well.

C. 45 years ago we started bringing children together in a place where we could teach them.

D. 45 years later we are teaching the grandchildren of those children from back then.

1. If we don't get there, the devil will.

2. If we do not bring them the saving knowledge of God, they will be lost.

3. It is the responsibility of the church to reach them.

V. OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS WILL DEVELOP.

A. The Holy Spirit has given gifts to all who belong to the body of Christ.

1. Every member of the body of Christ has at least one gift.

2. One of the gifts mentioned is the gift of teaching (1. Corinthians 12: 27-28).

a. Some of you are called to be teachers.

b Start by bringing children together in a group and teaching them.

c. In this way your "teaching service" begins.

VI. INFLUENCES OF EVIL

A. We must teach our children and give them clear direction so that we can save them from the corrupting influence of the devil.

1. You are exposed to things that have nothing to do with the truth.

2. They will understand as soon as they are brought under the light of scripture.

3. There are many evil forces and forces that want to influence your children and keep them from the presence of God.

4. We must teach the children so that as they get older they do not deviate from the way of the Word · of God.

VII. IT CANNOT BE THAT THE CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN ARE IGNORED.

A. We have been to churches where parents enjoy worship and children are forced to sit next to them.

B. We can influence a whole town by reaching out to the children.

C. We can help them develop character and discipline in their lifestyle.

1. What is right?

2. What's wrong?

3. How does God's word speak to our boys and girls?

4. We can receive instruction from the Word of God.

D. If we teach them obedience to the Word of God, the blessings of God will come upon them.

1. It is necessary to teach them about prayer.

2. It is necessary to teach them about tithing and offerings.

3. It is necessary to notify them of attending community events.

4. You need to be taught about obedience.

5. They must also be taught fidelity to the house of God.

E. It is necessary that we reach out and teach our children.

1. It will never happen in the local church unless the pastor has a burden on his heart.

2. It is the job of the pastor to instruct, guide and help the trainee teachers.

a. Children must be divided into groups.

b. It forces us to structure ourselves in order to perform this task.

VIII. ONE LAST REASON WHY WE HAVE TO REACH OUR CHILDREN IS THAT THE MISSION ORDER INCLUDES REACHING ALL AGE GROUPS.

A. Children can understand the word of God.

1. Samuel

2. David

3. Timothy

B. There are churches that have grown in revival times, but in some cases have not reached the children.

1. You have lost the children.

2. At the latest when they have reached the 3rd generation, they are lost to the kingdom of God.

C. The point is that we do all we can. We have to do it because:

1. Jesus told us to do it.

2. Scripture commands us to do so.

3. The children are ready to learn.

You can and want to learn.

4. When we love a child, there are opportunities to reach out to parents.

5. The church has the opportunity to influence the next generation for the glory of God.

6. Caring for children also allows us to develop spiritual gifts within ourselves.

7. We can protect our children from destructive influences and forces of darkness.

8. It allows us to develop their character and discipline.

9. This whole process forces us to do something in our community to reach the children.

10. In the missionary command, Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and teach the nations. This also includes making disciples of Christ at all ages.

SUMMARY

What is your community doing to reach the children in your community?

What do you personally do for it?


SELF-STUDY

1 . What Did Jesus Have To Say About Children?

Mark 10: 14-15

Matthew 18: 6

Matthew 19: 14

2. What spiritual role did the Israelites have in their children?

3. What will happen to our church when we reach the children in our community for Jesus?

4. In what ways are the spiritual gifts released in our lives as we begin to care for and teach children?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. How can the church serve all ages, both adults and children? Remember what you heard in this lesson.

2. Do you think that only adults can receive salvation?

3. Exchange your experiences in or with child labor.

4. In addition to salvation, why is it important to teach our children about the Bible?

Serving Children Dr. Paul Paino - Serving Children Part 2

In the previous lesson, I tried to challenge you in the rationale for our efforts to win children for Christ. What does it mean to be able to reach children for Christ? What can we do about it?


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. WHAT WE CAN DO TO REACH CHILDREN

A. We need to provide suitable accommodation for them.

B. We need to train teachers and child workers.

1. Pastors need to find Christians who can teach the children.

2. If not trained on duty, they run the risk of becoming discouraged.

3. We must have space for the group lesson.

a. A room where you can sit around the teacher.

b. A clear spot under a tree.

c. Any place where you can be for yourself.

4. We need materials to use to teach them.

II. WE MUST TAKE THE TIME TO TRAIN THE TEACHERS.

A. Jesus was a teacher (Matthew 28: 18-20).

1. It is impossible to teach without a teacher.

2. It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit has given certain gifts to the body of Christ.

3. There are many who are gifted with the ability to teach.

B. God wants the gift of teaching for the church.

1. Jesus taught the disciples the word of God.

2. The Scriptures were His textbooks.

3. He received the anointing to teach.

4. The same anointing will rest on you.

a. Blessings are not to be confused with anointing.

b. Inspiration is not anointing either.

c. God has promised to anoint us as we serve Him.

d. When a teacher begins teaching, the anointing will be evident.

C. We must have the right materials to teach the children.

1. I wrote 52 lessons for each age group.

2. If you have the opportunity to teach a child between the ages of 6 and 18, they will be guided through the entire Bible that way.

3. Accustom a boy to his way "(Proverbs 22: 6).

D. We need to consciously take our time and provide a place to teach children.

1. When we set a specific time for children's Bible lessons, it becomes very important for them.

2. You don't even need a building for it. A comfortable place where the children can sit is enough.

III. WE CAN TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO EVANGELIZE.

A. Shepherds do not produce sheep. But sheep in turn produce sheep.

1. The children have the potential to bring friends.

2. In this way they become evangelists.

3. There are innumerable children in every town and village where people live.

4. If we really care about them, they will feel our love.

5. Save a child; save a life.

B. Time goes by so fast.

1. We can start teaching a child between the ages of 8 and 9 and before we know it will be 14 or 15 years old.

2. Today we have 70 elders in our churches who at some point went to our Sunday school as children.

3. There are 46 deacons in our ward today who have come to our Sunday School regularly at some point.

4. Our congregation has now grown into 41 satellite congregations that were planted by people who used to attend our Sunday School.

5. As soon as we realize how quickly time flies, we will use all our efforts to get there quickly.

C. If we don't teach them, they will learn things from other people that may not teach them what is right.

1. Faithfulness is the result of good teaching.

2. We can multiply ourselves by teaching others what we are doing.

a. When I started 45 years ago, I was the only teacher.

b. Today there are 350 teachers teaching every week.

c. By teaching, our ministry is multiplied.

3. The way to change our families and communities is to reach our children.

4. Either we teach them and train them or we lose them.

5. By the time they turn 18 we have lost 85% of them because many of them have not been taught.

IV. MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE IN.

A. Many of our adults have sat in the ward for years without knowing the doctrinal beliefs of the ward.

B. Do our children know that:

1. Is Jesus the Son of God?

2. Did Jesus Christ die, was buried, and rose again for our sin?

3. Is Jesus Christ Coming Soon?

4. Is Jesus Christ our doctor?

5. Is there a way we should walk and live according to God's will?

6. We either teach them and train them or we lose them.

C. Your children are learning. Who teaches them?

D. A Christian character is the result of the choices we make.

E. Children, teaching, gives us the opportunity to give them direction and purpose for their lives.

1. God loves you.

2. God has a plan for your life.

3. When they are young, we should teach them this so that they can work out and live out the purpose of their lives.

F. If you know Jesus Christ, we can help shape your life sustainably.

1. You will have hope.

2. Some of them are very poor.

3. Some will be denied the opportunity to train.

4. If the church does not teach them, they will never receive instruction.

V. PASTORS SHOULD FOLLOW THE MODEL JESUS ​​CHRIST

A. Jesus spent 3% years preparing the disciples to be teachers themselves.

B. We are commanded to teach.

C. Pastors, don't you want to take the time to teach others so they can teach the children again?

D. You will be able to reach others in the social environment.

VI. WHEN WE TEACH OUR BOYS AND GIRLS, POWERFUL THINGS WILL HAPPEN.

A. You will see the importance of obedience.

B. You will learn the importance of respect.

1. You will learn to respect the Word of God.

2. You will develop respect for the house of God.

3. You will respect the families who come to the house of God.

VII. EVERY COMMUNITY MOVEMENT SHOULD BE MAKING A PLAN SO THAT THE CHILDREN CAN BE TEACHED.

A. Make the premises available.

B. Prepare and train teachers.

C. Make the necessary efforts to source materials that are really helpful.

D. School both teachers and staff.

E. Look for good and appropriate study material so that every age group can be blessed.

F. Set a specific time and place for the class.

G. Encourage people in your group lesson to evangelize by inviting their friends to join.

H. Ask the Holy Ghost to show you compassion and grow a vision for the lost.

I. Remember that time flies by and that through your life you can really influence the lives of others.

J. By teaching, we help build Christian character.

1. We will instill hope.

2. We pass on the meaning of life.

3. We will offer strength and support to families.

4. We will generate obedience.

5. We will also give strength to the church through this.

6. We will build faith.

CONCLUSION

The highest calling is to become a teacher.

That is why the Holy Spirit put this gift in His body.


SELF-STUDY

1. How do you feel about teaching children?

2. What are some of the most important topics that children should be taught?

3. What Christian character traits should children learn when they are still young?

4. Why is it important to train children to focus on a goal in life?

5. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to give you mercy and a vision for the lost?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What have your churches done so far to reach out to children?

2. Name some structures that must be in place for the benefit of the children.

3. Discuss what the anointing has to do with teaching.

4. How can we bring more children into the church?

Rev. Rob McFarlane - Serving Youth

Serving Youth 1 to 3

Serving Youth Rev. Rob McFarlane - Young people teach God's Word

According to Matthew 28: 19-20, we were given the task of passing on the Word of God especially to young people and teaching them. This generation needs a solid foundation on which to build its life. It is important that young people base their lives on the Word of God.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. A SOLID FOUNDATION (Luke 6: 46).

A. A house was built on the rock: a solid foundation.

B. A house was built on sand: a shaky foundation.

C. Young people should hear the word of God.

1. It is necessary that you apply it to your life.

2. Every single life should have a solid foundation: God's Word.

D. A storm hit both houses.

1. The storms of life hit everyone.

2. We must teach them how to be established in the faith.

II. HOW TO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE THE WORD OF GOD.

A. There are three things we need to teach effectively.

1. Pathos: the speaker's passion.

2. Logos: the use of the right words.

3. Ethos: the credibility of the speaker.

God's word should inspire, be relevant and be credible.

B. God's word should be able to carry you away and trigger enthusiasm.

1. God's Word should be like fire that burns in our bones.

2. We absolutely have to have a passion for it.

3. We have the greatest message.

4. We need to be excited about our message to get young people to listen.

C. Our teaching must be relevant.

1. The gospel has the same meaning today as it did when it was first preached.

2. The gospel means "good news" (Luke 4: 18-19).

a. Share this good news with others. Pass them on.

b. If you are blind, it means regaining your sight.

c. If you are in captivity, it means freedom.

d. For broken hearted people, it means healing.

e. The gospel is always topical.

3. A man painted a sign: Jesus is the answer.

a. Another man wrote under the sign: What is the question?

b. He was answering his own question.

c. Jesus is the answer for everything you need.

4. The content of the gospel is unchangeable, but the methods of preaching vary.

D. We need to be relevant in four ways.

1. First of all, it concerns our language.

a. Don't use worn-out phrases.

b. Avoid any old sayings.

c. Don't pretend to be too intellectual.

d. Really convey the word of God to them.

e. In Acts of the Apostles, the word of God was passed on in a language that everyone could understand.

2. We need to be relevant to the topics we are working through.

a. Make sure you are actually saying what they need to hear.

b. Friendship and sexuality is an issue that needs to be addressed among young people.

c. You need to learn how to deal with temptation.

d. They have to learn how to deal with the pressures that their surroundings put on them.

e. You need to learn how to build and maintain friendships.

f. You need to learn how to recognize God's voice and what he is saying.

g. You need to learn how to live as a witness of Jesus.

h. They have to learn what the relationship with their parents can and should be like.

i. Uncover the pitfalls of the enemy.

j. Teach them how to develop a personal relationship with God.

k. Share with them how to deal with authorities.

l. Teach them how to forgive others so that bitterness doesn't creep in.

3. We need to be creative in using the word of God.

a. Don't use outdated methods.

b. We usually only have their attention for a short time.

c. Jesus spoke in parables. He was about things that people were related to.

d. Use humor in a targeted and careful manner.

e. Interviews and role plays.

f. Discussion groups.

g. Case studies.

h. Plays.

i. These ideas can be implemented in any country, even with limited options.

4. We must also pay attention to importance in our time planning.

a. An adult can also follow a long sermon.

b. Offer variety in the selection and presentation of the topics.

SUMMARY

We should live what we preach. This generation not only has to get the word of God preached, it has to be able to see its implementation. Let's not just preach the word of God, but live the word of God. We have the most powerful message in the whole world. Let's go out into all the world and share the good news.


SELF-STUDY

1. Make a list of solutions to questions and problems the gospel answers.

Examples: provides eyesight for the blind, ensures that the poor are cared for.

2. Besides salvation, what does it mean for your life that Jesus is the answer?

3. What creative ideas do you have for youth ministry?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. A solid foundation (Luke 6: 46) is important for every Christian life. Discuss Luke 6: 46 and the various foundations on which houses are built.

2. Where are the parallels in this parable to our lives, to the life situation of new converts and to young people?

3. How can we gain passion in our teaching ministry?

4. Discuss some of the ways we can be relevant and believable in teaching.

Serving Youth Rev. Rob McFarlane - Useful activities

As youth leaders, we need to create an atmosphere in which young people can develop deep relationships with one another (Hebrews 10: 24-25). It is very important that young people really have relationships with each other.

Develop relevant groups for young people in your communities.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. Peer Interest Groups

A. The peer group is either positive or negative.

1. The way we interact with others does not remain without influence on us.

2. Bad company (1. Corinthians 15: 33)

3. Good company can influence us in a good way.

a. The righteous (Proverbs 12: 26)

b. Dealing with the wise makes you wise. (Proverbs 13: 20)

B. We need to develop groups where young people can interact and relate in a positive way.

C. Young people stay in a youth group because their friends are there.

1. Getting to know each other in a relationship

2. Level of information exchange in a relationship

3. level of mutual interest

4. Closer relationship

D. It is important that we channel young people's energies into holistic activities. Proverbs 20: 29.

1. Games and "icebreakers" should be an integral part of your group meetings.

a. Keep the balance between "having fun" and spiritual input.

b. Choose interactive games.

c. Avoid games that might make individuals look stupid.

The game "Bingo" e.g.

d. You must be committed to one another (Philemon 6).

2. Plan monthly activities.

a. They need something to look forward to.

b. Holiday camp

c. Sports

d. Something that is valuable

e. Teach them to encourage one another.

f. Joint meals

g. Always take the time to share some of the Word of God.

h. Take time to pray.

3. Regularly organize outdoor events.

a. Provides comprehensive supervision and care.

b. Bring enough food and drink with you.

c. There are so many ways in which you can be creative.

d. It is important that you set spiritual priorities in these activities.

SUMMARY

If we don't channel the energy and zeal of young people, they will be distracted from the varied activities that their surroundings offer them. Take time for the young people and to channel their energies for God. It is important to involve the young people in order to be able to consider their ideas. The key to an effective youth group is to create an atmosphere where mutual encouragement occurs and peer pressure is beneficial.


SELF-STUDY

1. Start by writing down your ideas about possible activities and meeting places for the youth group.

2. Look up scriptures that speak of generations and youth.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What kind of negative "interest groups" are affecting the youth in your area?

2. How can you counter these negative effects with a positive offer?

3. Start making a list of holistic activities that the teenagers could enjoy. Asks some young people to help generate ideas.

Serving Youth Rev. Rob McFarlane - Opportunities for Christian Service

It is important that young people get involved. Without such opportunities, they dry up and become apathetic. Taking on the yoke means taking responsibility (Lamentations 3: 27).


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. IT'S GOOD FOR YOUTH TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. (Lamentations 3: 27)

A. The Dead Sea has no drain.

B. We must not only receive but also give.

C. We must provide a spiritual habitat for the youth.

1. We grew up thinking that leadership should do anything.

2. But God wants the leaders to equip the saints to do the work of service.

3. Some ask: "You are young. How can you be integrated into the work?"

a. It would have been easier to take things into your own hands.

b. Involving other people is part of the discipleship.

II. FIVEFOLD GIFTS (Ephesians 4: 11)

A. The service gifts were given by our Lord for a specific purpose (Ephesians 4: 11).

The gifts were given to serve.

B. We were not born again through our good deeds (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

1. We should do good works.

2. Let us integrate the young people so that they can grow.

3. As they engage, currents will begin to flow and they will begin to grow.

C. The key to making disciples of young people is to involve them.

1. Gives them an idea of ​​what part of the overall picture they fill.

Let them see that the job they are doing matters.

2. We need to provide both training and guidance.

a. We have to take part in the game ourselves, but also take part in the game Be a coach.

b. Step 1: I tell you, you listen.

c. Step 2: I do, you watch.

d. Step 3: You do it, I watch.

3. Provide encouragement.

a. Catch them doing something right and good.

b. Write a letter to parents about the teenager.

c. Start a service department in your youth group.

The service of helping:

i. music

ii. security service

iii. Service Projects

D. Take them with you on missions.

1. Witnessing on the street

2. Home care for the elderly

3. Bus service

4. The most exciting thing a young person can experience is leading someone to the Lord.

5. Take teenagers with you when you go out for services.

6. Integrate your youth into larger events that extend beyond the framework of the church.

7. Seminars for youth leaders

8. Organize a mission

III. IN THE PAST LESSONS WE HAVE:

A. Discussed teaching the Word of God among youth.

B. Discussed holistic activities for young people.

C. Discussed opportunities for Christian ministry for young people.

D. Discussed the spiritual focus and focus on Jesus:

1. Through times of worship.

2. Through times of prayer.

E. These four things must be in balance.

1. We have two legs.

a. One is like teaching the Word of God.

b. The other stands for the time of prayer before God.

2. We have two arms.

a. One corresponds to holistic activities and community.

b. The other stands for Christian service.

3. As soon as one of these links is lost, you become unbalanced.

SUMMARY

God wants to use you powerfully. Children and teenagers account for more than 50% of the world's population. It is God's will that we pass the spiritual baton on to the next generation. Take what you learned in this course and apply the principles wherever you are. They will help to change the situations in your work environment.


SELF-STUDY

1. Is there a youth you could personally begin a discipleship program with?

2. List some things you can do to integrate young people into community work areas.

3. Which four things do we have to keep in balance in youth work?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Many people grew up thinking that leadership should do everything. Where are opportunities for us to do things together in the church?

2. How can we move aside in a way to make room for at least one youth to come to our service in the ministry?

3. How can we explain to young people how they fit into the service of the church?

4. How can we explain to them that they play an important role in serving the entire church? How can we redesign our services in order to integrate their contributions?

Rev. Dick Benjamin - Biblical Eldership

Biblical Eldership 1 to 3

Biblical Eldership Rev. Dick Benjamin - What is a biblical elder

Richard C. Benjamin Senior's personal testimony regarding his experience in service and his family life.

Our Lord Jesus told us to preach the gospel all over the world. We should make the lost disciples after they are saved. But God's real purpose is to build churches among these peoples.

God's heart is saddened to see how many people are saved, but cannot find the proper way into the church and thus receive no pastoral care. Every sheep needs its shepherd and its enclosure. This is why I am talking about biblical elders.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE STAFF OF A LOCAL COMMUNITY

When the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the church in Philippi, he addressed it to the saints (all Christians), the deacons and the bishops. Every local church needs saints, deacons, and bishops.

A. Saints

1. The word "holy one" means: sanctified or set apart for the work of the Lord.

2. In common usage it refers to all believers in Christ.

B. Deacons: In Greek this primarily means a servant.

1. The word is also used in other types of context:

a. Helpers (Acts 19: 22)

b. State Authorities (Romans 13: 4)

c. Servant (Romans 16: 1; 1. Corinthians 3: 5)

d. Angels (Hebrews 1: 14)

The word has a wide meaning.

2. Biblical Qualifications for Deacons (Acts 6: 3; 1. Timothy 3: 8-14):

a. They are men of excellent character.

b. First, they must demonstrate that they are worthy of the task.

c. Their wives also have to meet certain requirements.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippi church, he was addressing saints, deacons, and bishops.

C. Bishops (Overseers)

1. The word "overseer" is self-explanatory.

2. An instruction to the elders

3. From Miletus Paul asked the elders of the church in Ephesus to visit him. (Acts 20: 17).

4. "So now watch out for yourselves and for the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops to feed the church of God, which he has acquired through his own blood." (Acts 20: 28).

5. "I exhort the elders of you, fellow elders and witnesses of the sufferings of Christ, to whom I also share in the glory that is to be revealed: feed the flock of God that is entrusted to you; pay attention to them, not compulsorily but voluntarily as pleases God; not for the sake of shameful gain, but from the heart. " (1. Peter 5: 1-2).

a. Elders should take care of the flock.

b. All who are in the fivefold ministry should also be called elders. However, this does not mean that all elders must be gifted in the gifts of fivefold service.

c. They should not exercise their office as rulership over people.

d. Rather, they should be shepherds of God's churches.

6. Jesus himself is the shepherd. Jesus Christ as the great Shepherd has under shepherds. But Jesus as the Lord has no subordinates. Nobody is entitled to act as a dictator. Rather, it is about an office that can only be exercised according to the principle of service.

7. Our focus is to show that the elders are the overseers of the church.

II. THE USE OF THE WORD "ELDER" IN THE BIBLE

A. In the Old Testament the word "elder" is used in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, in 1 and 2 Samuel, in 1 and 2 Kings, both Chronicles, Ezra, Job, the Psalms, related in the great and minor prophets.

B. In the New Testament it occurs in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles.

Although there have been many bad examples from elders, the principle has not changed. (Matthew 16: 21; Acts 4: 5-8).

III. HOW MANY ELDERS ARE THERE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY?

A. There could be a senior representative.

B. Usually there were several: God wants many elders in the church.

1. "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church ..." (Acts 14: 23).

2. "But from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church" (Acts 20: 17).

3. "That is why I left you in Crete, so that you ... should appoint elders all over the cities ..." (Titus 1: 5).

4. "If any of you are sick, call the elders of the church ..." (James 5: 14).

IV. HOW ARE CHRISTIANS "APPOINTED" AS THE ELDERS?

A. By qualifying for it.

1. The Lord asked Moses to choose elders. (Numbers 11: 16-17).

2. It is not a popularity contest.

3. God wants certain people to become elders in the local church.

B. It is done by appointment.

1. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders (Acts 14: 23; Titus 1: 5).

2. They were mature Christians.

3. Church leaders must be confident in their cause and able to make other ministries fruitful as well.

V. THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR ELDERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT COMMUNITY

A. Your job is not to hire and fire pastors, but to care for the church.

1. "Take care of yourselves and of all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers."

2. Although there are many involved in this process, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to direct the entire church like an orchestra.

3. Your role is to feed the flock (1. Peter 5: 2).

4. This care can only be properly done at the local level.

SUMMARY

Care and supervision in the church can only be provided by elders who meet the requirements mentioned and who work at the local level. I urge you to train people of character and ability in your community. Then use them according to God's guidance within the church. Then, after a while, you should send them out to plant more local churches.


SELF-STUDY

1. Study Acts 6: 1-4 and 1. Timothy 3: 8-14 and make a list of the requirements that the deacons of the ward should meet.

2. Using a concordance, write out some references to the use of the word "elder" in the Old Testament. Also note the context in which the word is used.

3. What number of elders per ward is recommended in this lesson?

4. How are elders appointed and inaugurated?

Numbers 11: 16-17

Acts 14: 23

Titus 1: 5


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Referring to the meaning of the word "deacon" (as you have learned about it in this lesson), discuss who is referred to as a deacon in your ward, including those who do such work without an official deacon. To be called a deaconess.

2. Is "deacon" used as a title in the New Testament or does it represent a service that is being performed?

3. The words "overseers," "elders," and "bishops" are interchangeable in the New Testament and refer to the same office. Who were these officers in the early church? Who is holding these offices in the church today?

4. Are the titles "general overseer" and "archbishop" used in the New Testament?

Biblical Eldership Rev. Dick Benjamin - The tasks of elders

In our first lesson, we briefly looked at the local church staff, which consisted of saints, deacons, and elders. They are all one in our Lord Jesus Christ.

In teaching this course, I associate a heartfelt wish: that you will be inspired to train people to serve the community of elders in your communities. We must always keep in mind that the church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. So whatever we do, positive or negative, we ultimately do to our Lord. Jesus said: "I want to build my church on this rock."

Jesus set standards for the formation of leaders. Mark 3:14 gives two reasons why Jesus chose his disciples:

1. That they are with him.
2. That he sent them to preach and serve.

In the leadership training of the local church, we must have at least these two goals in mind.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR ELDERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

A. Your job is to lead the church.

1. They cared for the flock (Acts 20: 28).

2. They were shepherds of God's flock (1. Peter 5: 2).

B. It is up to the elders to feed the flock as shepherds.

1. "Be shepherds of the church of God that he has bought with his own blood." (Acts 20: 28).

2. The English "King James Translation" uses the word "feed."

3. In Greek, the word "feed" means:

a. To cherish and care for.

b. To guard and guide the Lord's sheep.

c. To provide shelter for the sheep.

2. Be shepherds of God's flock that is entrusted to you (1. Peter 5: 2).

a. King James Translation: Feeding

b. The fodder the Lord's sheep need is the word of God.

c. Elders must have the ability to teach the word.

C. It is the responsibility of the elders to lead, preach, and teach.

1. They are not allowed to take on management responsibility if they cannot also provide for food.

2. The Word of God teaches us both to provide and to teach.

3. They have looked after their own families well (1. Timothy 3: 4-5).

4. They have led the church well and been honored (1. Timothy 5: 17).

5. Those who are heavily involved in the preaching and teaching ministry are among the officers of the fivefold ministry, which also includes the ministry of elders.

D. Elders must also be able to make decisions about doctrinal issues.

The apostles and elders met to discuss theological issues. Acts 15: 6.

E. The elders also take part in the laying on of hands which prophecy may be associated with. (1. Timothy 4: 14).

F. Have the elders pray for the sick (James 5: 14).

Elders should let God use them to pass on the healing power of God to the sick.

G. The elders preside over ordinary matters. (Acts 11: 30).

1. The everyday life of the local church includes many very natural processes.

2. This can include the acquisition of land, the expansion of buildings or the purchase of all kinds of equipment.

3. The body of elders should also determine these matters.

H. Elders should be hospitable.

1. Hospitality (1. Timothy 3: 2 and Titus 1: 8)

2. There must be a personal relationship between elders and individuals in God's people.

II. THE SAINTS BE APPROPRIATE TO THE ELDERS (1. Timothy 5: 17-19 and 1. Thessalonians 5: 12-13)

A. God's people should honor the elders.

B. The people of God should pray for the elders.

C. The people of God should support the elders.

D. God's people should listen to the elders (Hebrews 13: 17).

E. The people of God should submit to the leadership of the elders.

F. The people of God should not make allegations against the elders without evidence.

G. The people of God should respect the elders.

Some people have trouble respecting their superiors.

III. THE OLDEST CARE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MAIN PASTOR

A. Although there are multiple elders in the local church, God has only designated one man to be the overall leader.

B. In the Old Testament (Numbers 27: 15-18)

C. At the beginning of the New Testament church, it was Peter who assumed such a leadership role.

D. As Peter's travel ministry expanded, God introduced another apostle to the task, James the Lord's brother.

1. James and Paul (Acts 15: 13)

2. James and Paul elsewhere (Acts 21: 17-18)

3. Peter, James, and the Gentiles (Galatians 2: 12)

C. In Revelation, each letter is addressed to an "angel" of the local church (Revelation 1: 20; Revelation 2: 1, Revelation 2: 8, Revelation 2: 12, Revelation 2: 18; Revelation 3: 1, Revelation 3: 7, Revelation 3: 14).

1. Behind this is the Greek term "angelos".

2. The same word is translated as "messenger" in both places:

a. Matthew 11: 10

b. Luke 9: 52

CONCLUSION

In order for the church to function properly, elders must respect the responsible, leading pastor. “Somebody has to drive the bus.” There has to be a mind in every local church who in turn is aware that it is subordinate to God.


SELF-STUDY

1. What are the two biblical goals that we must consider when we want to develop church leaders?

2. Which fivefold ministry activity, which is also part of the ministry of elders, should be given priority?

3. Describe in your own words what a healthy relationship might look like between the elders and God's people.

4. How should the elders relate to the chief pastor?

5. Why does God place emphasis on the senior pastor for communicating with His people when there should be multiple elders in the church?

6. How can you ensure that elders are called to serve in your ward if they have not already been called?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. In your small group, discuss at least one new insight you learned in this lesson.

2. Discuss ways in which the pastor can involve the elders in the daily life of the local church. This can concern spiritual matters as well as everyday, worldly tasks.

3. How should church members support the elders?

4. Share the importance of the senior pastor in the healthy development of the local church.

5. Does your congregation have recognized elders who also hold their office?

6. Compare their areas of responsibility with the biblical guidelines you just learned.

Biblical Eldership Rev. Dick Benjamin - The character of elders

In the past two lessons, we have examined biblical elders. We found out that there should be saints, deacons and elders in the local church.

In this lesson, we want to consider the requirements for people who should become elders in the local church. In 1. Peter 5, the apostle Peter identified himself as an elder. He also gave instructions to those who want to be elders in the church, stressing that they should first be a model for other believers. An elder is a leader within the church. If he really is a leader, there are also successors who imitate his lifestyle. That is why the Lord gives us some very serious increasing demands on all who desire the office of elder.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. ELDERS MUST MEET BIBLICAL REQUIREMENTS (1. Timothy 3: 1-7; Titus 1: 5-9)

This list of qualifications has clear boundaries. It is God's will that proven people in His church become elders. In these two sections we find around 28 qualifications. They are to be grouped under three headings.

A. His personality traits

Most of an elder's qualifications have more to do with character than charisma.

1. Above all reproach and blameless, he must be a man of perfect integrity.

2. He must have a good reputation with those outside the church: He must be a man who is respected in public life and even by non-Christians. ·

3. Honorable: Those who belong to God's people must respect leadership. However, it is difficult to respect someone who is not honorable or who does not deserve respect.

4. Moderate, sober: He is not prone to extremes.

5. Disciplined: His work shows discipline, for example by showing up on time for church services or appointments.

6. Self-controlled: He must allow himself to be ruled by God and be self-controlled. He must not become an instrument of his wife or other people.

7. Sincere: Honest and right in dealing with people.

8. Holy: This means to be set apart for the Lord.

a. To neither love nor adapt to the world.

b. It's not just about outer holiness, but about inner justice that becomes visible in life.

9. Someone who loves the good: He loves good things, valuable activities, and associating with lovely people. (Philippians 4: 8)

10. He is hospitable: that means that he likes to invite guests.

11. Prudent: The balanced personality of Jesus is expressed.

a. Jesus was mostly very gentle. But there were also times when he rebuked the Pharisees.

b. When he spoke to John on the island of Patmos, His eyes were like flames of fire.

c. So it does not mean that an elder cannot be steadfast and adamant about what he believes and preaches.

12. Not contentious: He must be a man of peace.

13. He shouldn't be hot-tempered (James 1: 19)

a. This doesn't mean that he never gets angry.

b. It means that it takes a long time to get upset.

c. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and the religious people resisted him. Jesus looked at her in anger. (Mark 3: 5).

14. Non-violent: He must not be argumentative or belligerent.

15. He must not seek dishonest gain: He does not appropriate money in a dishonest way.

16. Nobody who is attached to money.

a. There is nothing wrong with having money.

b. The problem is that many people love money more than God.

17. Not Presumptuous: He's not arrogant and he doesn't control other people.

18. He shouldn't be addicted to alcohol: Elders should never get drunk.

B. Characteristics affecting the family.

1. Husband of a woman

a. Many men in the Old Testament had more than one wife.

b. A New Testament elder   is commanded not to have more than one wife.

2. He must lead his family well.

a. His family is his first herd.

b. He must manage his household affairs with great care.

3. His children must obey him and treat him with appropriate respect.

a. His children must be believers.

b. His children cannot be accused of being savage.

c. The accusation that his children are disobedient should also not be justified.

C. Skills.

1. He must hold firm to the trustworthy message.

2. He must be able to teach others.

a. This does not mean that he must become a teacher according to Ephesians 4: 11.

b. Teaching takes place in a wide variety of situations.

3. He must be able to use sound teaching to encourage others and reject those who disagree. ·

4. He cannot be someone who has recently been converted.

In the Old Testament, the office of elder was related to a person's age. In the New Testament, it has to do with a person's spiritual maturity. Jesus began his public service when he was 30 years old.

II. Elders PERSONALIZED IN SIN MUST BE REJECTED (1. Timothy 5: 20-21).

An elder who sins continuously must be rebuked, suspended, and if possible restored.

A. He must be publicly reprimanded to make others fear:

1. There must be no exceptions to this.

2. It must be done without any privileges.

B. He must be expelled from the body of elders.

C. If he repents and confesses his wrongdoing, he must be restored.

1. This includes restoring one's relationship with God.

2. This includes restoring his family relationships.

3. This includes his restoration in the local church.

4. He must again meet the biblical requirements to return to service.

III. OTHER BIBLE SUCCESSES THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED

A. Elders should not abuse their position to rule over God's people (Matthew 20: 25-28).

Rather, their job is to serve the believers.

B. They should all speak with one voice (1. Corinthians 1: 10).

1. Elders should unite with one another.

2. You have to be of one mind.

3. There must be no divisions among them on doctrinal issues.

4. They must share the same philosophy of service.

5. You need to have a common vision of church work.

C. They must be found faithful (1. Corinthians 4: 2).

CONCLUSION

The elders should love the chief officer in their church. She should love his wife and children too. If you take these requirements into account, you will save yourself a lot of trouble and it will be a great blessing to your local church when elders serve there in the biblical sense.


SELF-STUDY

1. Study 1. Timothy 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 5-9 very carefully and make a list of characteristics and features of family life that you can find in these sections.

2. Evaluate yourself by prayerfully reviewing the expression of each quality in your own life. If you discover areas in which you are struggling, pray for strength to overcome them.

3. Make a quality decision before God to do the right thing.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Does someone really have to meet all of the requirements outlined in the New Testament before they can be appointed as elders?

2. Discuss what it means to be irascible and what it doesn't. Look at the case studies of our Lord Jesus Christ and Paul.

3. Discuss the consequences of an elder drinking alcoholic beverages. What impact will such an example have on other believers? Read 1. Corinthians 10: 29-33; 1. Corinthians 8: 11-13.

4. An elder is commanded to be a woman's husband. Does this mean that other Saints in the ward can be married to more than one woman at a time?

5. What are the guidelines for removing an elder from the body of elders if he is mistaken?

Biblical Eldership 4 to 5

Biblical Eldership Rev. Dick Benjamin - The five fold Ministry Part 1

In the previous lesson, we examined the qualifications for biblical elders together. God's standards are very high indeed! The purpose that God pursues with these requirements is not to discourage us, but to challenge us. We should grow in Him so that we can qualify for His service. The standard for elders is high, but it does not demand total perfection.

In this lesson, we look at the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4: 11. Anyone who performs one of these five ministries is also an elder in the body of Christ.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE FIVE-FOLD SERVICE

TEXT: Ephesians 4: 7-13

A. This section is about the unity, but also the diversity of service.

1. Paul quotes a passage from Psalm 68: 18 in Ephesians 4: 8.

2. In the English translation (NIV), the continuation of the quote from Psalm 68: 18 reads as follows: "So that you, O Lord, can take up residence there."

B. Jesus Christ fulfilled all five of the Ephesians 4 ministry functions.

1. Jesus is an apostle (Hebrews 3: 1)

2. Jesus is the great prophet (Acts 3: 22)

3. Jesus is the great evangelist (Luke 19: 10).

4. Jesus is the ultimate shepherd (John 10: 11).

5. Jesus is the great teacher (Acts 1: 1).

C. These five gifts should be present in the worldwide church. However, they are not necessarily found in every local church.

II. THE USE OF THESE SERVICES AND THE USE OF THEM

A. God uses these ministries (1. Corinthians 12: 28)

1. Some people believe that the apostles are of higher value than the prophets, while teachers are not so high.

2. That is not what this text is about.

3. Rather, the statement focuses on the apostles beginning in the chronological order.

a. If one looks at the historical context in the Acts of the Apostles, it becomes clear that the prophets and evangelists came after them.

b. Ephesians 4: 11 says that it was Christ Himself who bestowed these gifts by working through His followers.

B. The temporal factor in considering these ministries (Ephesians 4: 11-13)

1. "He has ascended to the highest ..." (Ephesians 4: 8)

2. These names were not given as titles but rather as job descriptions.

3. How long will these services exist?

"Until we all come to the unity of faith" (Ephesians 4: 13)

4. There is a difference between "unity in spirit" (Ephesians 4: 3) and "unity in faith" in Ephesians 4: 13.

III. HOW THESE SERVICES WERE CREATED IN THE URBAN COMMUNITY

A. Christ appointed the original 12 disciples.

B. There were apostles, prophets, and possibly teachers in Jerusalem.

C. An apostle visit took place in Caesarea. The prophet Agabus and the evangelist Philip lived there (Acts 21: 8-11).

D. There were prophets and teachers in Antioch (Acts 13: 1). Apostles were also sent from this city. Acts 15: 23.

E. Paul lived in Ephesus for an extended period of time.

IV. THE COMMON PURPOSE OF THESE SERVICES

"That the saints may be prepared for the work of service. Through this the body of Christ should be built up." (Ephesians 4: 12).

V. THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTLE

The example of Paul and Barnabas

A. Proclamation and church planting (Acts 13: 4; Acts 14: 28)

B. Paul was a skilled, wise builder (1. Corinthians 3: 10).

C. Paul was in personal contact with churches and individuals.

1. He cared about the churches. (1. Corinthians 11: 28).

2. He became like a father to those who were converted (1. Corinthians 4: 15-16).

3. Although he was an apostle to many, some did not acknowledge it (1. Corinthians 9: 1-2).

D. Paulus was God's "Personnel Manager"

1. He sent Timothy to Corinth (1. Corinthians 4: 17).

2. He left Timothy at Ephesus (1. Timothy 1: 3).

3. He read Titus in Crete (Titus 1: 5).

E. Paul also expressed his authority in words.

1. He gave ordinances that affected all churches (1. Corinthians 7: 17).

2. He also gave detailed instructions (1. Corinthians 11: 23).

3. He gave advice (2. Corinthians 8: 10).

4. He requested obedience to his instructions (2. Thessalonians 3: 14).

5. He used his authority for edification (2. Corinthians 13: 10).

F. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2: 20).

SUMMARY

We still need these five ministries in the church today. May God give us many apostles in His church. Because the church needs them to be able to effectively implement God's intentions.


SELF-STUDY

1. Read Ephesians 4: 1-13 and explain the difference between the "unity of spirit" in Ephesians 4: 3 and "the unity of faith" in Ephesians 4: 13.

2. How did Paul deal with his authority as an apostle in the churches he founded?

3. In what ways did Jesus practice the fivefold ministry according to the following scriptures?

Hebrews 3: 1

Acts 3: 22

Luke 19: 10

John 10: 11

Acts 1: 1


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What can a local church do when there is a lack of talented servants of God who are necessary to equip the Saints for service?

2. Are there differences in rank among five-fold ministry officers? (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers) Give reasons for your answer.

3. Explain your point of view on:

1. Corinthians 12: 28

Ephesians 4: 11

4. Is it biblical that officials today who are in one of the fivefold ministries should add the title of office to their name? Explain your answers.

5. Does the community need full recognition of these officers in order for them to perform their ministry properly?

Biblical Eldership Rev. Dick Benjamin - The five fold Ministry Part 2

In lesson 4, we looked closely at apostolic ministry. In doing so, we realized that Jesus Christ unified all the offices of the five-fold ministry in his person. He is an apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher.

In this lesson, we'll look at the other services. We start with the prophets.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PROPHET

Note: There is a difference between someone who can prophesy according to the gift of the Spirit and someone who is appointed as a prophet (1. Corinthians 12: 10; 1. Corinthians 14: 1; Acts 19: 1-6). The Holy Spirit Himself gives the gift of prophecy, while Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gives the gift of prophecy.

Such a service was evident in the prophet Agabus (Acts 11: 27-28).

A. They foretold things to come (Acts 11: 27-28).

B. It may have been they who spoke a crucial word about the sending of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13: 1-2).

C. Judas and Silas encouraged and strengthened the believers (Acts 15: 32).

D. Agabus spoke to Paul personally (Acts 21: 10-11).

Each servant must be accountable to a local church.

E. God reveals truths to them (Ephesians. 3: 5).

F. They rejoice at the great harlot's condemnation (Revelation 18: 20).

G. Some prophets end up martyrs (Revelation 18: 24).

H. Your words are to be tested (1. Corinthians 14: 29).

A true prophet has no problem being tested.

I. The five ministries are given to equip the saints.

1. The apostle gives them an apostolic vision.

2. The prophet equips them in the area of ​​spiritual sensitivity.

3. The evangelist preaches the word of God, but he also teaches them how to win souls.

4. The pastor gives his people the care of a shepherd.

5. The teacher teaches them so that they can teach others.

II. THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT EVANGELIST

There was only one man who was even called an evangelist in the New Testament. His name was Philip. The word "evangelist" has to be defined from the biblical context. Its definition is derived from three Greek words. Two of them are nouns, one of them is a verb. The first Greek noun makes it clear what an evangelist is. The second is what he preaches. The Greek verb indicates what he is doing. Based on these three Greek words we arrive at a definition of the New Testament evangelist: the evangelist is a preacher of the gospel of Christ. He preaches the good news. He is the herald of good news.

The evangelist can work either in the travel ministry or locally. The word "evangelist" only appears three times in the New Testament. The word "Gospel", with which the content of his preaching is marked, appears about 80 times in the New Testament.

We also encounter the activity of preaching again and again in the New Testament. So the office of evangelist is very important.

A. Jesus is the great evangelist.

1. Jesus preached the good news in Galilee (Matthew 4: 23).

2. Jesus preached in towns and villages (Matthew 9: 35).

B. Christ taught His apostles to preach the gospel. (Mark 16: 15).

C. Paul was a preacher of the gospel (2. Timothy 1: 11).

1. His primary gift and grace was apostleship. In 2. Timothy 1 he also speaks of himself as a messenger of the gospel, as an apostle and a teacher.

2. It is therefore possible for one person to combine several of the five ministries from Ephesians 4 in himself.

D. Timothy was encouraged to do the work of an evangelist (2. Timothy 4: 5).

1. Paul read him in Ephesus as chairman of the body of elders in the church there.

2. He gave him many instructions.

3. Among other things, he instructed him to do the work of an evangelist. "

4. We do not learn that Timothy was appointed to the office of evangelist, but that he was instructed to do the work of one.

E. Philip was the only one called an "Evangelist".

1. He preached to large crowds (Acts 8: 4-8).

2. He worked signs and wonders.

3. He also preached to an individual (Acts 8: 26-38).

4. He preached from town to town (Acts 8: 40).

F. The evangelist is called to equip the believers (Ephesians 4: 12).

III. THE MINISTRY OF THE PASTOR UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT

We are most familiar with this office today. God knows different ways to describe the church, e.g. as an army, as a plantation, as a building, as God's family and as the body of Christ. Another image that keeps popping up is that of God's flock.

The Greek noun for pastor is also translated as "shepherd" in other places in the New Testament. The meaning of the Greek word can be given as: "... shepherd the flock." The word "pastor" appears only once in the New Testament, but the word "shepherd" appears several times.

Every sheep needs a flock and a shepherd.

A. God's people are made up of sheep who need shepherds.

1. A flock (Acts 20: 28).

2. God's flock (1. Peter 5: 2).

B. Christ is the Good Shepherd.

1. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep (John 10: 11).

2. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep (John 10: 14).

3. Christ the great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13: 20)

4. Christ the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls (1. Peter 2: 25)

C. Elders participate in pastoral ministry.

1. “Feed the church” (Acts 20: 28).

2. “Feed the flock” (1. Peter 5: 1-2).

D. The apostle Peter was commissioned to feed the sheep of Christ (John 20: 16).

E. Pastors receive a special grace from Christ (Ephesians 4: 7).

F. The pastors are also responsible for equipping the Saints (Ephesians 4: 12).

G. In the churches of our day pastors have been given many other functions. Some of these can be justified biblically, but others cannot.

IV. THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHER

A. Jesus commanded us to teach the gospel (Matthew 28: 20).

B. The apostles both preached and taught (Acts 5: 42).

C. There were teachers in Antioch (Acts 11: 26; Acts 13: 1).

D. God has established teachers in the church (1. Corinthians 12: 28).

E. The elders support this function (1. Timothy 5: 17).

F. Paul identified himself as a teacher (1. Timothy 2: 7)

NOTE: There are some who assume only four departments or offices. In their view they see the office of "pastor and teacher" as one office. I want to point out that the office of "teacher" is mentioned separately in 1. Corinthians 12: 28 and in Acts 13: 1. That is why I am convinced that this is an independent office.

V. HOW TO IDENTIFY THE FIVEFOLD MINISTRY OFFICERS (Matthew 10: 41).

Each of them should be recognizable by their service without necessarily having to be awarded a title. The leadership of the church should recognize tried Christians according to their service gifts according to Ephesians 4.

SUMMARY

All ministers who are in the fivefold ministry are to be designated as elders and must therefore also meet the biblical requirements for elders. On the other hand, I don't believe that all elders need to be ministers according to Ephesians 4. According to 1. Timothy 3: 1, anyone can seek the office of bishop or elder. According to Ephesians 4: 11, Christ assigns these services according to His will and purposes.


SELF-STUDY

1. Study 1. Corinthians 12: 14; Acts 19: 1-6; and Ephesians 4: 11. Use these texts to distinguish between the gift of prophecy and the service of the prophet.

2. Study Matthew 7: 15-23 and write down the characteristics of a false or correct prophet.

3. Philip was the only one called an evangelist in the New Testament. At the same time, there were many who did similar work without being called evangelists. Make a list of these servants in the New Testament.

4. Explain the following statement in your own words: "Every sheep needs a flock and a shepherd."


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Read Deuteronomy 18: 21-22 and Acts 11: 27-28. Discuss one of the signs that a true prophet can be identified by, especially when it comes to predicting future events. What is the main touchstone?

2. Jesus warns believers about many false prophets who will come to deceive many people before his second coming. It is therefore necessary to examine every mind. What other characteristics can one recognize a correct prophet?

3. Should the church forego the prophet's ministry in the local church because of the number of false prophets today? Justify your answers.

4. Is it possible for a ministerial officer to exercise more than one or even all five of the service gifts found at Ephesians 4: 11? Secure your views with biblical evidence.

5. Can the offices of shepherd and teacher be separated? Your respective view should be based on the Bible.

6. Pray for one another.

Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz - Discipleship

Discipleship 1 to 3

Discipleship Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz - Jesus Christ is Lord

We begin this course by considering the external conditions in which we should be a disciple of Christ or lead others to discipleship.

For most religious people, God is a mystery. People wonder, "What is God like?" It is important for a Christian to know that this question need not remain open. Do you want to know what God is like? Paul put it this way: Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. So if you want to find out what God is like, you have to look at Jesus. Do you want to know how God thinks about sinners? Then look at Jesus. Do you want to know how God thinks about sick people? Just look at Jesus. God is like Jesus.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. JESUS ​​MADE EVERYTHING

TEXT: Colossians 1: 15-20

A. The full name of this revelation.

1. It's not just about the gospel.

2. The full name of the gospel is: The gospel of the kingdom of God.

B. The definition of the kingdom of God.

1. At the time the Bible was written, the concept of the universe was very limited.

2. It was believed that heaven and earth were the only things that existed.

3. Hell was imagined underground.

4. God had to be somewhere above heaven.

5. For this reason Galileo was expelled from the Church when he claimed that the earth was one of many planets in space.

6. We have now found out far more than Galileo. The earth is just   a small planet. It is like a ball that orbits the sun together with other planets. This group is called the solar system.

7. Even with the fastest rocket, it would take 80,000 years to reach the closest star like our sun.

8. Our planet earth belongs to a whole family of galaxies that are much larger than ours. All of this was created by and for Jesus. And in Him it is all held together.

9. Jesus Christ is much more than your personal Savior.

10. First of all, He is the King, Lord and Owner of the universe.

11. The word "master" means "owner".

12. He is the creator and sustainer of the kingdom of God. He also created the invisible forces.

Their names are:

a. Thrones.

b. Gentlemen.

c. Powers.

d. Violence.

e. Angelic beings.

f. Archangels, Cherubines and Seraphins.

Who are these heavenly angelic beings?

a. It is a matter of powers and powers.

b. God created these spiritual beings to serve in the administration of His vast kingdom.

c. So they are governors in different places in the universe.

d. Behind every visible thing there is an invisible force.

i. There are angels for children (Matthew 18: 10).

ii. There are also angels for adults (Acts 12: 14-15).

iii. Angels standing behind nations (Daniel 10).

iv. Angels that can be assigned to planets are: "The prince of this world".

3. The kingdom of God is very well organized.

4. Everything is under the rule of God.

II. A PROBLEM IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

We just call it a problem from our human point of view. There are no problems from God's perspective. God has a purpose and everything that happens is in His overall purpose.

A. God's purpose

1. To show the riches of His grace in the ages to come.

2. Grace is undeserved favor.

3. As long as He does not find unworthy people, He cannot show His grace either.

4. That is why He created you and me to show His grace.

5. He created Adam and Eve, whose strength was not precisely to support God's plan to show His grace.

B. The Lucifer Revolt

1. The Bible calls him one of the sons of God (Job 1).

2. God sees in Satan one of His own sons who rebelled against Him and ran away from home.

3. God did not destroy Satan because He allots him a certain time.

4. Satan is currently part of God's plan for the demonstration of His grace.

C. What is Satan doing within the kingdom of God?

1. He divides the kingdom of God.

2. This has resulted in two realms.

a. The kingdom of God.

b. The realm of darkness.

3. Salvation thus means to be torn out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of the beloved Son of God.

4. How big is the kingdom of darkness?

a. This planet earth is part of the realm of darkness.

b. Perhaps Satan ruled this planet when he was an obedient son of God.

c. Then he rebelled against God with that part of the universe.

d. Therefore, so we learn from John, the earth is up to now in darkness.

e. Not only the earth, but also the sky or what we can see from it is part of this darkness.

f. The Bible tells us that we have to fight against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly air.

g. That could mean that the entire galaxy belongs to the realm of darkness.

5. The devil's sphere of influence is all around us.

6. From Revelation 12: 4 we learn that Satan carried away a third of the stars in heaven.

7. Maybe that means that a third of the universe belongs to the realm of darkness.

8. Our earth is on the side of rebellion against God.

9. If it is true that Satan is the prince of this world, then the earth is the capital of the kingdom of darkness.

10. The Bible is very clear about the kingdom of darkness.

It will be burned in fire and will not last.

11. Why? Here we are on the side of the insurgents.

III. THE RESTORATION OF THE REBEL PLANET

A. Not by force

B. But through reconciliation

1. Through Jesus Christ

2. Jesus Christ is the King in the Kingdom of God.

3. He rules the remaining two-thirds of the universe that have not rebelled against God.

4. He went to the capital of the kingdom of darkness.

5. He began to preach, "The kingdom of God is at hand."

6. That is good news!

When we thought there was no more hope for this planet, the King of the Kingdom of God came and opened a branch of the Kingdom of God in the Kingdom of Darkness. Then he said: "Repent!" Come back and submit to the King of the Kingdom of God. You should never have left Him then. Return to God's original purpose with you! That is why it is so important, Jesus my Lord, my owner and to call my king, that's salvation.

C. We work with God under the following conditions:

1. Christ the King dwells in us.

2. There is darkness all around us.

3. We work here to promote God's kingdom.

4. We are on earth to work for another kingdom.

5. We are a kind of special unit of the kingdom of God on earth.

6. We are here to destroy the works of Satan.

7. We are God's warriors.

8. It's a daunting challenge, but we have Christ in us.

9. So when we go to testify, we pray a lot.

10. In prayer we push back the forces of darkness.

11. That is why prayer and preaching are so important to us.

12. When we preach, we speak to the visible.

13. When we pray, we come into contact with the invisible.

D. Therefore, the community must be the training center for the citizens of the empire

To be of God in the fight against the kingdom of darkness.

E. Our goal is to promote the kingdom of God. That is the reason we exist.


SELF-STUDY

Write your personal commitment on the following topics:

1. Who is Jesus Christ to you?

2. What does His rule mean to you?

3. What role do you play in the kingdom of God and how do you play that role?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the idea of the universe in biblical times and how it differs from understanding the universe today.

2. In what way does today's understanding of the universe influence the Christian view of the kingdom of God?

3. Who is Jesus Christ for you personally and what influence does your confession have on your whole being? How did this lesson broaden your perspective?

4. Share the approach that Satan is part of God's plan so that He can show His grace.

Discipleship Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz - Evangelism and Discipleship

It is very difficult to advance someone in discipleship unless we have evangelized them first. First, the gospel of every creature must be preached. Only then is it about baptizing people and making them disciples.

So what does it mean to preach?


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. PRE-EVANGELIZATION

TEXT: Matthew 28: 18-20

A. The preaching within the cultural context.

1. Wherever we go to preach the gospel - we enter a particular culture.

2. Jesus appeared in Jewish culture.

The same is true for Peter, John and James.

3. Paul's sermon was different because he traveled to many countries and cultures.

4. We must always come into contact with people first before we can begin to confront them with the gospel clearly.

5. Pre-evangelism: Before you have any relationship with people, you should avoid confrontation. Otherwise you will oppress people.

6. The Blessed Virgin Mary is considered the mother of all in Latin America. If you want to reach the heart of a Catholic and start saying something against Mary - forget it!

7. If you want to win Arabs for Jesus · and you start to say something against Mohammed or the Koran - forget it!

8. You cannot win any Jews either if you stand against Moses.

9. Therefore, we need to pause and focus on serving the people through pre-evangelism.

10. We therefore respond sensitively to the dominant culture when we evangelize.

11. The people in the Orient tend to meditate.

Why don't we use meditation and prayer to focus on Jesus?

12. There are different styles and approaches in spiritual life.

a. Some like to cheer and dance loudly when they worship God.

b. Others, however, prefer the silence.

13. The community should be able to cater to any cultural context.

B. The language we use when we talk about Jesus.

1. "More than conquerors" or "victorious" is appealing to Christians.

2. The word "success" is more appropriate for non-believers.

3. Jesus read the Bible in the synagogue.

4. When speaking to the crowds, He never read from the Bible, but spoke in parables.

5. Those who do not know the Bible feel offended when they hear from us: "It says in the Bible ...". Because a lot of people never read the Bible.

6. So if you are conducting a Bible study among believers, it is appropriate to say, “The Bible says ...” However, when you are speaking to nonbelievers outside the church, use little stories, just as Jesus did Has.

II. EVANGELISATION INCLUDES EDUCATION AND RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR

A. Do not intentionally hurt people.

1. Do not say to them, "You sinners."

2. But: "You are someone whom God loves."

3. The gospel is true. It's the good news!

4. When speaking with the Samaritan woman, Jesus never used the phrase "You must be born again."

Such language was appropriate with the religious Nicodemus.

5. Jesus touched the woman first and made contact with her by drawing water.

6. Jesus praised and respected the woman.

7. First we have to learn to respect people if we want their attention.

B. How do we reach types of people like the biblical characters Matthew or Zacchaeus?

1 . Jesus adapted himself to a person's environment.

2. Pre-evangelism means choosing the audience we want to reach first. Then we'll look at the methodology for teaching them the gospel.

3. Do you want to evangelize business people?

Then wear a suit like her too.

4. Do you want to reach young people?

Then you'd better wear jeans and a t-shirt and play contemporary music.

5. Do you have a lot of friends in your life?

Some might be doctors, some might be teachers, some might be gardeners.

6. You have to develop a methodology in each case in order to be able to approach them.

7. Even if someone accepts Christ, he or she cannot yet be called evangelized.

8. Touch has only just taken place.

C. Evangelizing people who have been touched.

1. Offer them a basic course in faith to strengthen their new life, which may include the following lessons:

a. God loves you.

b. God has forgiven you.

c. The cross and the death of Jesus.

d. You can be changed.

That is exactly what conversion means; Turning your back on sin, the world and Satan.

e. God gives me strength: Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

f. Who is jesus christ He is the Lord of the universe and we lead people to the point where they are ready to surrender their lives to Him.

g. I Can Change the World: Teach Testimony.

h. I belong to a family: teach about the church and the sacraments.

i. Teach them how to find their place in the work of church service.

j. Doctrine on tithe.

2. After completing this course, when we are satisfied that they are evangelized, we begin discipleship training for them.


SELF-STUDY

1. Make a list of the names of your friends and relatives waiting to be evangelized:

2. Write down the respective professions.

3. Make note of the evangelistic methods each of which could be effective in attaining them.


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Think about different groups of people in your area. Discuss the various methods that can be used to achieve them with the gospel.

2. Share some of the biblical and theological terms we use when witnessing to unbelievers, and translate these words into their everyday language.

3. Discuss in detail what it is called. To touch people for God and what it means to evangelize them.

Discipleship Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz - Disciples are Perpetrators of the Word

It is very difficult to advance someone in discipleship unless we have evangelized them first. First, the gospel of every creature must be preached. Only then is it about baptizing people and making them disciples.

So what does it mean to preach?


Discipleship 4 to 5

Discipleship Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz - Every Believer is one who serves

There are two different ways to define service areas within the community. The most common way of defining service is that every believer has a service that is different from others. Everyone has to find out what type of service he or she is suitable for in order to promote its development. That is the understanding of the most widespread service. I am convinced that this is true.

I want to emphasize the other side of the same coin. As we grow spiritually, we advance into a new ministry. With spiritual growth, we change from one department to another. Hence every believer is a servant. God has made every believer an agent of Christ's reconciliation service. Every believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit is automatically also an employee. The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts to use us.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAYERS AND PASTORS

TEXT: 2. Corinthians 5: 17-20

A. Clarification regarding the term "layperson"

1. Some people think that lay people are the ones who sit in the pews and the clergy are the ones who preach to them.

But that's not true.

2. In the language of the Bible, a lay person is someone who does not know God.

All believers belong to the clergy.

3. We are a royal priesthood.

4. Every believer is a priest and the non-believers are the laity.

B. The difference between preachers and those who sit in the pews.

1. There is no difference.

2. Some of us are called to give ourselves up to prayer and study the Word of God so that we can guide the rest of the staff.

3. Our ministry as pastors of the church is to lead the remaining co-workers of God into conquering the world.

4. Our goal is to train the members of the ward so that we can all collectively carry out the task of reaching the world.

5. The reason churches are not growing in numbers or spiritually is because Christians think that pastors are only responsible for maintaining the flock of sheep.

II. MISCELLANEOUS MINISTRIES IN THE CHURCH (1. Corinthians 12: 28)

A. The order:

1. Apostle

2. Prophets

3. Teacher

4. Miracle Worker

5. Healings

6. Assistance

7. Speaking in tongues

a. The first gift that believers in the first church received was speaking in tongues.

b. Nobody started out as an apostle in the church.

c. Rather, one started with speaking in tongues and then continued with the gift of helping.

d. The pastors and elders were helped.

e. Only then did they begin to evangelize, accompanied by healings and miracles.

f. Then you could also become a pastor or a teacher.

g. Eventually you also became a prophet or apostle.

B. The Reason Believers Should Grow in Service (Acts 13: 1-2; Acts 14: 14)

1. In Acts 13 Barnabas and Saul are introduced to us as prophets and teachers.

2. In Acts 14 they are called apostles.

What happened?

3. Something happened: first teacher, second prophet and third apostle.

4. It is obvious that Paul and Barnabas, in their maturation process as apostles, were first prophets.

5. Later, Paul and Barnabas had an argument that led to their separation (Acts 15: 40).

6. Paul had to find Silas as a new companion.

Who was Silas?

7. Silas was a prophet (Acts 15: 32).

8. When he joined Paul, he became an apostle because an apostle is a missionary.

a. The word "apostle" comes from the Greek and means "sent out".

b. The synonymous term for apostle in Latin is "missionary."

9. So before anyone could become an apostle, he was a prophet.

C. The higher service included the other services.

1. Could an apostle prophesy? Yes.

2. Could an apostle be a teacher? Yes.

3. Could an apostle work miracles? Yes.

4. Could an apostle be a pastor? Yes.

5. Could an apostle speak in tongues? Yes.

a. How did he come to be able to do all of this?

b. Because he had already been through all of this.

6. An apostle is like a builder.

7. He is like an engineer who knows everything about a building.

D. It is open to every believer to move forward in service. But it has to do with the right priorities, timing, and levels of devotion to Jesus Christ.

1. Basically, just because you speak in tongues doesn't mean you have to stand there for the rest of your life just because God gave you that gift.

2. No, serving God is something exciting! It's an adventure and a daily challenge that grows and grows until we finally hopefully get to heaven.

3. If you don't grow, you can remain a speaker in tongues for the rest of your life. (Hebrews 5: 11; Hebrews 6: 2).

E. It is an apostle's vision that people should grow.

1. An apostle tells us to grow beyond the elementary pieces of faith and come to maturity.

2. Pastors should also continue to grow. If they teach the same thing all the time, they definitely won't grow.

F. Many Christians leave the church because they get bored.

1. The church should work like a factory in which new converts can grow until they are apostles.

2. This is exactly why discipleship is so important.

G. An apostle is someone who starts a factory because he has been through everything himself.

1. An apostle is a factory in motion.

2. We need to transform our churches into service factories.

3. If we don't, the pastor becomes a cork in the neck of the bottle.

4. Christians cannot grow beyond their pastors.

5. For this reason we also have supra-church organizations that were no longer able to work under the umbrella of the churches.

H. Examples: Youth on a Mission (YME), Full Gospel Business People, Campus for Christ, etc.

1. Every believer is a co-worker.

2. The pastor should see himself as a trainer who trains and sets Christians free for the various ministries.


SELF-STUDY

1. Assess your current level of growth in service. Are you a speaker, helper, evangelist, teacher, pastor, prophet or apostle?

2. How did you get to the level where you are now?

3. Are you satisfied with your growth or do you still need to develop?

4. What can you do to grow in God's service?


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the concept of "every believer is a co-worker" and how that fits in with the understanding of the denomination to which you belong.

2. How can your local churches create conditions for the growth of the ministry of their believers?

3. Does the current structure of your local church allow believers to grow into new levels of service?

4. What do you think can be done for pastors in your area to help them grow into higher levels of ministry?

Discipleship Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz -Cell groups

The basis of discipleship is the message of grace.


CONTENT OVERVIEW

I. THE STARTING POINT OF DISCLOSURE: "YOU WAIT DEAD."

TEXT: Colossians 2: 13-14

A. What does dead mean?

1. Dead means dead.

2. It means the complete inability.

3. We cannot help ourselves, or we cannot even wish to be helped.

We are totally dependent on someone being gracious to our corpses.

4. God is so merciful.

B. How does God manage to love a dead person?

1. If you have children of your own you should be able to understand the love of God.

2. Because we are God's children, He loves us.

3. If you had a dead son and you had the power to raise him, you would.

4. The father has the power. When you were dead, He gave you life again in Christ.

5. Thus, God himself acts in salvation.

6. No one can come to the Son unless the Father draws him.

7. Dear Disciples of Christ, There is no reason to be proud of yourself.

8. God has forgiven us all of our transgressions.

C. What do all transgressions mean?

1. "All" means different things to different people.

2. "All" for me is relative and not absolute.

3. But God knows everything about us.

4. So God has called you. He knew you before the world was founded.

5. Consequently, "all" is an absolute "all" to God.

6. There is no time limit for Him.

7. God is the only one who lives in the advancing present. That is why His Name is I AM.

8. God knew all of our sins before we were even born. That is why they were placed on Christ on the cross.

9. Because of this, we can have eternal life.

10. Even our future is taken care of.

11. Therefore, believing in Christ means that I have been forgiven for all my transgressions, from birth to death.

12. Even the sins that we have not yet committed were blotted out on the cross.

13. The grace of God enables us to live righteous lives.

14. The joy of living as a Christian is to trust in Jesus Christ our Lord, not in ourselves.

15. Keep trusting in the one who gave you life when you were dead.

II. HIS GRACE ALSO HELPS US TO MAKE THINGS BETTER

A. We can do great things for God because we trust Him.

1. The net is there so that we do not fall or if we fall. Its job is to hold us and help us improve our performance.

2. He gave us His peace so that we could be safe.

B. What is the death certificate that Christ nullified?

1. It is all that we owe God.

2. Everything that should be written in His book against us in case we should break His commandments.

3. What do you do with a mortgage after it has been paid? You burn them.

4. Now it is true that Jesus erased your death certificate in heaven, but Satan always shows us a copy of it. However, there is no doubt that the original has been annulled. (Colossians 2: 13-14).

5. He took her completely off the scene.

6. He also nailed them to His cross.

The cross of Jesus Christ is the best guarantee for our eternal salvation.

7. So do not judge your disciples.

8. Think about the network. Remember that the blood of Jesus Christ has brought about forgiveness for all of our transgressions.

9. Whatever happens, there is a radical cure for it. There is always a solution in Jesus Christ.

10. Inner peace means being at peace with yourself. If you don't learn to forgive yourself like God did, you will never be able to have peace with yourself.

SUMMARY

The message of grace is the foundation of the discipleship process. You can be as strict as you see fit. You can set very high standards for yourself. But don't forget that you are someone who has been forgiven. As you pray "forgive us as we forgive."

Grace is the basis of discipleship.


SELF-STUDY

Write a short summary in your own words for each of the following keywords:

1. Grace

2. God forgives you for all your transgressions

3. God cancels your death certificate


GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Share what it takes when God forgives all of our transgressions.

2. What does this fact do in view of our everyday life with God?

3. Each of you should tell the others in the small group what the destruction of the death certificate through Christ's death on the cross means for you personally.