Six areas for growth in 2023

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on January 8th 2023  by Colin D'Cruz. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.

Six areas for growth in 2023

2022 ended just a few days ago. The older you get the faster time flies. When you’re young you are looking forward to things and so time doesn’t seem like it’s going fast at all. Now 2022 is behind us. Let’s get ready for 2023. 

The fact that we are here today, alive, is the grace of god. Let’s thank God for that! 

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ 

This year this should be our outlook. Paul was not casually walking into the purposes of God. He strained forward. We are looking at 6 areas of growth in 2023

1. Be with Jesus: no matter what gifts you have, this is the basic requirement. Mark 3:14 “.“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him.” We know that the apostles did many great things. But the no. 1 purpose for which they were called is to be with Him. Make sure that we are feeding ourselves on the word of God. 

2. Preach, cast out demons, heal the sick:  “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬. We are amazing because the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Wherever we go we bring in the light of the world. “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬. People may not be interested in your theology, but they will always welcome our prayers. Preaching is sharing the word of God to people. We just need a crowd of one. As we go about our day God will give us opportunities to speak about him. 

3. Reach the lost: Christians love to come to meetings with healing and miracles and that is great. But this is a critical part of our assignment. Col 4:3 ““At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—” even in the prison, Paul was passionate about the gospel expansion. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬. If we are not actively gathering people into his kingdom, you’re scattering. 

4. Remember the poor: with inflation and the shooting prices and all we notice that there are poor among us. The apostolic mandate is to remember the poor. “Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬. So how do we remember the poor? 

1. As a church, we give to the poor. 

2. We can individually reach out to the poor around us. 

5. Grow your gift: “For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬. Find someone to help you grow your gift. Discover, develop, and deploy. As you grow your gift god will give you the opportunity to use it. This is how we can fan it into flame. 

6. Grow your character: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭14‬. God’s calling for us is to become more and more like Jesus. Michael Eaton said maturity is not perfect but is acknowledging when we sin, receive forgiveness and move forward. 

For all these, we need the power of the cross. As you spend time in his word and his presence He will bring about that transformation. 

Next year we want to see how each of us has grown. 

Let’s pray and ask God to show us one area that he wants us to start working on straight away. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.  

The catalyst for a pioneering movement : Daniel MacLeod | FUSION 2016

This message was preached by DANIEL MACLEOD at the Fusion 2016 RegionsBeyond gathering in the UK.

The audio /video link please click here


We are Region Beyond which means we are about what is outside or outside our borders. We are a people who need to look forward and pioneer something.
Every movement is in danger of slowing down. Movements have become museums, they have become stagnant, safer and just more organised.

What will keep us?
Being pioneers, where we have our own stories.
Better strategies and organisation only make us better museums where we talk about the good old days.
Pioneers are those who let go of what we have right now and take hold of the promise of God.
Hab 2:14 tells us  that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God even as the waters cover the sea.

Every time you go you are walking in step with this promise. Is 60 bringing light to the neighbourhood. people establish promises not movements. Lets look at the catalyst to the greatest pioneering movement .

 Exodus 2:23

What starts and sustains a pioneering movement?
Some don't like being pioneers. Some don't want to be a pioneer. In Exodus 3 Moses was not in a pioneering mood at this stage in his life. 
There were 2 reasons that stopped him and that could stop us. 

1. Past failure - He was on fire for justice etc. He knew God's promises. He went ahead in zeal with no planning at all. He probably through he as doing a good job and that people would praise him for rescuing that Jewish slave. He suddenly realised the next day that people were looking at him in a strange way. He tries to stop a quarrel this time and the people react. The people did not want him. His bubble bursts!!! That must have hurt. Exodus 1. Moses is found licking his wounds. Some are still doing it. You were at the cusp of something and then you were let down. Your past hurts can hold you back from going on. But  today is the end of that and God can heal you.

2. Present Comfort - Moses flees. He fights the shepherds at the well to allow the women to draw water. He gets married and now is content to live in the land with his father in law and his wife. He is now settling into a routine that is not pioneering, but is parallel with the promises of God.But you do not live with the promise burning in your heart. He is in a rut.
You can come to church, go to the Life Group but there is no spark. The pull of comfort is more than pioneering. The cares of this world, more of the stuff, more different things etc 
So what takes a stuck in the rut wounded shepherd to become a pioneer? Fire!!! 

The burning bush was the catalyst. Fire is what we need today. I am praying for fire!! 
Ps 104:4
" Preaching is logic on fire" M L Jones. We want flames of fire!
Samuel Chadwick in the 1800s in The Path to Pentecost " Men and women ablaze are invincible... the church is powerless without the Holy Ghost"

Revelation describes us as lamp stands. Without the fire of God church is boring.
Exodus 3:20 The angel of the Lord appeared before Moses from the fire.This is no ordinary fire- it was not consumed. Its an object lesson for Moses in systematic theology on who God is. God was demonstrating his might and power. God is saying you are a created being and you have tried on your own. I am the creator and I can create anything. I don't need wood to burn a fire. This was a small lesson on who God is.

Moses asks god who He is because he is thinking how do I explain this to the people. God says "I am who I am" Only God has the audacity to say "I is". I always will be "is". I simply exist within myself. Th Latin word - at, from , self. He is the un caused one. He needs nothing outside himself. We are totally different from God. We are very dependent on things around us.

"Take off your sandals" God is saying I and you are not the same. I am the creator , you are the created. When Moses does this , he is reminded that he is just come from dust.
He covers his face because he is afraid to look at the face of God. We are captivated and terrified. This God is not tame. He is a wildfire. We cannot become tame in our churches. When you come into the presence of the One who has infinite knowledge you would feel uneasy.

Why does this relate to pioneering? Because all this power is being made available to us!
v.24 God remembered the groaning and remembers His promise t His people. That's the point of the burning bush. God was giving His power to Moses . When you go on pioneering mission you know that you have all of God's sustaining power.

Chapter 4 God gave him a tiny demonstration of it. The snake. This does not happen naturally i.e  a staff does not turn into a snake. God does supernatural things.God does amazing things because He is not bound by the laws of nature.

Eph1: " Head over all things for the church". FOR THE CHURCH !!! Everything that we think is not helping is actually helping because the Church is at the centre of all things. So we don't need favourable conditions for a church to thrive because God does not need wood to burn. China has more Christians than the whole of Europe in spite of  100 years of oppression.

The past is not a predictor of your future.
All human hearts are the same . all are dead in their sin - so no ground is hard.
This is the ground that sets a pioneering movement. Pioneering mission is sustained in that you know that God does not need wood to burn.

William Carey " God's work will triumph. One conversion had a nation coming behind him. He was talking about India.
God want to set your  heart alight. he wants to use you.
We are coming to the living Lord Jesus, not a burning bush. He is the presence of God, the radiance of the Father's glory. The Shekinah glory. At transfiguration Jesus face was ablaze.

What do you have in your hand? Steve Oliver | Fusion 2016

 This message was preached by STEVE OLIVER at the Fusion 2016 RegionsBeyond gathering in the UK.
For the audio /video link please click here

Matt 25:14-30
The parable of the talents. We heard Iona's story of God given opportunities to work with world movers and shakers, to work against slavery which is affecting 35 million people.

This is a sobering parable.When you think of all that God is placing in our hands, you begin to feel the weight of what God is doing. God calls out individuals to change a nation viz. Mandela, Gandhi, Churchill. And he calls YOU!

Then he calls a people group just like us and gives us a part in this great story. so we joins the ranks of Hudson Taylor and the great cloud of witnesses. When you speak to the Donna's, Brother Andrew, you do not hear any regret in their voice.

We are gathered here because God has called us to a task. Everyone of us is hand-picked and selected for this task.
What will we be remembered for? This helps us guard our heart.

When you hear Lincoln's story and his humility you see how he knew he needed others but he achieved the emancipation of the slaves.General B McClellan in 1861 was the youngest officer in the American army. He was only 16 with a great leadership gift. He was nicknamed Napoleon. 168,000 men were prepared under his leadership. Lincoln made him general and Chief of the entire Northern army. 

However another battalion in the north were completely defeated because McCellan did not come to his aid. He had a problem. He did not like to fight.
I see the church of our age : 2000, 4000, 10,000 and you hear a leaders falling by the wayside. Generals are meant to fight. We have to step up and fight.

"The context of the Christian life is that of warfare" Simon Petit.
Church planting is the call upon us. We have so much today.Today we are so well trained, better buildings, better heating, better sound etc etc. Its OK except is we forget to fight.

Its good to build good local churches but we are under orders to go disciple the nations.
When you see someone rising in the ranks, train them for what God has got for them.

J. D Greer  wrote a book Make Disciples
Lincoln took away Gen B McClellan's commission because he would not fight.

If there is one thing I hope for Regions Beyond is that everyone is discipled by someone.

It would be frightening that we would become a McClellan church.
We are not a church planting movement, but a disciple making movement that will plant churches that make disciples.

What has God put in your hands?

Then came U.S Grant and he led the men into battle and the rest is history.
We all know the parable of the talents and heard it explained in many ways.
Its not about gifts and abilities but about God given opportunities . God puts us in those places. We all want to hear good and faithful servant.
We need to understand that:

• What has been entrusted is very valuable. Gen McClellan kept procrastinating.
• Its given deliberately.
• There is an expectation to work hard.

Entrusted implies handing over. What is given to us is valuable and costly.

If you look at each servant, he was given opportunity. WE have to be faithful and we can make it prosper under our care.

We have to work hard to make it prosper.We need to go from here and do something. What has been given to us is meant to multiply.

The next time  we gather for Fusion we should see churches planted and leaders raised up. We are here to change the world.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE?

1. RISK Are you ready for some risks? With the possibility of producing gain or loss. Do you feel the weight of that?
2. OVERCOMING FEAR - you shouldn't be afraid. We are children of God. We can overcome the fears. Fears lock us up.
3. INVESTMENT unto the Lord. Its wholly for the benefit of God.

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for a bird to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” C.S. Lewis.

"Its time to step out and risk" Steadman.

So lets step out, risk, live life out. Surrender yourself to his cause again and again and again.

The Same stuff | Gary W

This message was preached  by Gary Welsh at Word of Grace Church on  February 7th , 2016. To listen/download the audio please click here. 

Acts 7:54 -, Acts 8:1-8

These are the early years of the church in Jerusalem. The church has grown. It’s been successful by and large up to this point. Then Stephen gets arrested and Stephen is giving a history of Israel.

When I read Acts it’s a paradox – I’m encouraged and yet I have preached the gospel to some people over the years and they are still not Christians. They were doing exactly the same things that we are doing today.

Acts 8:8 My prayer is that there will be much joy in the city.

Let’s look at some of the same things that affected them 2000+ years ago that affects us today as well.

1.     SAME REBELLION

The most serious problem facing the planet 2000years ago and now in Pune is rebellion.

Is. 53 WE all have gone astray. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit they decided they knew better than God. The problem is that we are rebels and that needs to be dealt with. WE have stopped listening to God. We are his representatives to represent His glory.

All have sinned. Rom3:23 All our scientific advances has not changed our rebellion. We have only become better rebels. When we share Jesus we need to realize that we are trying to persuade rebels to follow Jesus.

2.     SAME CONSEQUNECES

None of the consequences have changed. The penalty for treason is death. With all their arguments and mocking the consequence of death is the same. The doctrine of death and hell should provoke us to share the gospel. We don’t just live and die. There is a judgment where we have to give an account of our lives. There will be no weighing up of good and bad. We need 100% to get through and we can’t get that on our own. That’s why we need the gospel. Even our “trying our best to live a good life” is a symptom of rebellion. How did you decide what is “best”; by what parameters?

3.     SAME SOLUTION

The solution i.e Jesus is the same 2000years on. Its not good deeds, or a new lifestyle. Nothing is going to change that. It will always be Jesus.

4.     SAME POWER

Jesus asked the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. He is a person who empowers us to do impossible things. Power comes to change weak scared disciples. They were hiding during the crucifixion but now they are preaching it boldly.

Acts 6 Stephen does signs and wonders and serves widows. The Holy Spirit is at work in their lives. We need His infilling daily. Every woman, man child can have the Holy Spirit.

5 SAME NEED FOR PRAYER

We need to be a people of prayer. We need to pray when we share the gospel. We plant seeds but God gives growth. There is no alternative to this. There is no option to this. It’s not a prayer machine. We pray in faith and expect results.

Amos 9:13 The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills,

This comes through prayer. Have we decided that as Word of Grace this is the only way? Prayer is work. We need to devote ourselves to this!

6 SAME CONFIDENCE

If the above are true then we can be confident that God will hear us. The gospel is the power of God. Can you share WHY you trust Jesus? Can you share the tin one minute?

7 SAME PERSECUTION

We pray for peace but wherever there is persecution the gospel advances. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Tertullian

Ask God for opportunities to share the gospel every day. Find opportunities to do that.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.

Let's Go! : Franco Lonappan | THE HUB 2014

This message was preached by Franco Lonappan at THE HUB , the annual conference of Regions Beyond, an apostolic sphere that is a part of Newfrontiers, an international family of churches joined in apostolic partnership.

Here is the video link.

Let’s Go!  Franco Lonappan . THE HUB 2014 Session 1

2 Kings 6:1-7

This scenario is similar to church life. They felt the place was too small. Elisha’s fame was increasing and they were growing. Elisha did not think about planting out but the people came to him and told him it was time to take new ground and take some initiatives.

Jesus said “I will build my church” anything healthy will grow. Anything healthy will need more space. 

Is 54 Introduces the church? “Sing O barren woman”.

Your descendants will dispossess the nations. We are here to go to the ends of the earth.

1) Let’s go – the sons of the prophet said “Let’s go” Let’s plant out. Elisha said “Go” Jesus said “Go and make disciples of all nations”

God wants to commission us to go and reach new communities. Many will be re commissioned.

God’s first words to Abraham was “go” to a new country (Gen12)

Acts 7: Stephen starts the story of the Bible with “go”

Our Story starts with “go and make disciples…”

Mk37-38 Jesus said “Let’s go” to the other side because he wanted to preach. That is why he had come.

Mk.4:35 Jesus goes to the other side. There is one demon possessed man- through him the region is saved.

2001 – Stoneleigh the theme was “let’s go!”

2 Cor. 10:14 they wanted to go to the regions beyond.

We need to have a lets go attitude. Jonathan and his armour bearer- because they went they had great victory. Sometimes we can be hesitant to take new ground. God is coming with a spirit of encouragement. There are new things that God has assigned for you. There is no dead end in God. God is gracious and kind.

God is looking for individuals who will say “let’s go” and take initiative.

2. God is with us – As we take steps of faith and take initiative God will go with us. The prayer of Moses . God says “My presence will go with you” Matt28:20 surely I will be with you always” Emmanuel – God with us. God’s authority and power will be with us. God is going before us, with us, behind us as we take steps of faith.

Ray’s prophesy of the locomotive train that pushes against obstacles put on the track encourages us to know that we will push through difficulties and obstacles because God is with us. Apart from Him we can do nothing.

3. There will be disappointments .When you decide to take new ground you will face opposition. But these are opportunities to see God do the miraculous. Mission creates an atmosphere and opportunities for the miraculous.

Rom4:17 God who calls things that are not, as though they are.

In the NT we live in the resurrection power of God. It’s working in us. If you are in a place of disappointment its time to call things that are not as though they are.

As we step out we will experience God working through us.

V7. “Lift it out”. There are acts of faith that are needed where we have to reach and take it. We need to take it up and not miss opportunities. You know what God is showing you. If you can’t see it, ask God to show you – like the axe head to float.

Steve Oliver spoke some things to the churches in India. I feel for us too. There are some things we have to lay down in order to take up some things. For some of us our gifting has gone blunt- we need to take it up again.

God has brought you here for a purpose to divinely position you for maximum impact.

Jonah - a call to the nations Part 1| Colin D Cruz

This message was preached by  Colin D' Cruz at Word of Grace Church  Pune, on the 2nd of February  2014 

Are we in step with God's purposes for our lives and through our lives? . 

To listen to the AUDIO please CLICK HERE

Jonah was an established, practising prophet (2 Kings 14: 25). He was the one who prophesied in the Northern kingdom of Israel. He was prophet to the Jews. One day, God tells him to go somewhere else i.e. Nineveh- a world power at that time. The Assyrians were powerful, ruthless and cruel and were hated by the Jews. Years later, God uses Assyria to bring judgement on Israel. Now Jonah has to go and give them a message of mercy which he did not want to do. He wanted them punished. So he ran away and was out of step with God i.e. that God was not just interested in Israel but the nations of the world. We can be cosy and comfortable here but God wants more.

When Abraham and Moses were told that God would destroy the world, they pleaded on their behalf. But Jonah wanted them destroyed. As Jonah was away- the book is more about Jonah than Nineveh. In fact, (3:4) the prophetic word was only one sentence, i.e. repent. This book is not about the revival of a city but God’s love for a rebellious child. God loves us inspite of our rebellion and he is committed to you. God is committed to working through Jonah. God is committed to working through our lives. Jonah  being a prophet was a man who spent a lot of time in God’s presence to hear God speak.

Jonah is now running away and he finds a ship. Be careful of circumstances guiding you- was that God’s boat? We need to be guided by the WORD. Jonah tries to flee- Has he not read Psalm 139? So he goes to Tar shish and in verse 3 in the boat, he fell into a deep sleep. In verse 4 God sends a storm. Can God send a storm? Yes he can because he is committed to his child. Heb 12- God disciplines his children and in different ways. Here God sends a storm (some come from the devil, but this was from God). The sailors try everything but Jonah was sleeping. He has to be shaken awake.

The world is crying out to their own gods and we can be like Jonah- asleep, watching T.V., getting on with life, our career and we can miss out on the cries of people all around.

Q. Are we awake to the purposes of God or just pre-occupied with our own lives?

God is concerned for us and sometimes, a storm hits to rouse us from our slumber to the purposes of God.

In verse 8 Jonah is now found out. He tells them that he is a Hebrew and that he is running away from God.

In Verse 12, it looks that Jonah knew the solution. The sailors acted with compassion and tried not to throw him over. But the irony is that Jonah had no compassion.

In verse 15- the raging sea is calmed and the sailors saw the power of God and they became believers. God can use our mistakes to turn things around. This is the amazing thing about the sovereignty of God.

Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a giant fish. This is not a fairytale but a true story. Even Jesus refers to it.

Judgement hangs over the whole world. But we have one greater than Jonah. Jesus, who was not thrown in the sea but hung on the cross for you and me. The nations are waiting. Ephesians 2:10- there are good works prepared in advance for us to do. We need to be a part of a local church, plug in and serve, loving one another and be a people who are missional for the nations.  We will look at the next part of the story next week.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log ontowww.wordofgracechurch.org.

    English Language Service Sundays at 10am. Please check google maps for directions!