Pictures of the Church - Part 5

 

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on  March 16th 2025 by Navaz. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

CHURCH AS A FAMILY – PART 3

Last week, we examined God's heart toward His creation made in His image. His heart always wanted to have an intimate relationship with us. But we saw how sin corrupted God’s perfect creation. Yet God made a covenant with Abraham's family and then with the nation of Israel, who was supposed to be a model to the rest of the world, but the rebellion was so deeply rooted in their hearts.

And then, in the fullness of time, as prophesied in Gen 3, God sent His only son to die for us while we were steeped in our sin. Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father and to make way for an orphaned planet to find sonship through the Cross. We have been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus and brought into His family. God has expectations for each of us. We need to live to please the Lord. The Bible asks us to “find out what pleases Him”. It is not just function but relationship. In God’s family, the master and worker are brothers. The Cross brings down every barrier and diving wall.

We then looked at God’s family. What are some of our features and characteristics? God is our father, Jesus is the head of the family, He is our brother, we are His household, and we are a caring community that seeks to live in harmony and unity.

We ended by asking where you are in the family circle of life: an infant, child, young adult, reproducing parent, or grandparent.

Jesus saved us to reconcile us to the Father. We have been transferred from being orphans into a family, from one kingdom to another. Our salvation has a plan and purpose: to bring those who are not yet saved into the family.

So, after salvation, it is not a time to sit around and sing lovely songs. We are called to co-labour, co-create, and collaborate with Jesus. We have a job to do within the family and then get involved in the family business or mission to seek the lost.

The last time, Colin took us through how we live together as a family: Family intimacy, fellowship, encouraging one another, carrying each other’s burdens, praying for one another, growing spiritually together and serving one another.

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Each member of the family of God has a role to play. There are no spare tyres or parts

WE LIVE IN UNITY AND PEACE

• Ephesians 4:3 – “Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• Romans 12:18 – “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

While we celebrate our differences, it also gives us opportunities to rub each other the wrong way. The planners can get frustrated with spontaneity; the extroverts might find the introverts boring. We all must learn to accommodate our differences with grace, understanding, and respect.

However, we need to understand that the Cross has saved us, but sanctification is a lifelong process. We live in the now and not yet. So, we will face imperfections in our lives and those around us. This will give us opportunities to practice unity, forgiveness, and forbearance. etc

For this unity to work, we must work on a few things, such as our character and our relationships.

Two things that Jesus highlighted a few hours before His death are – our love for one another (by this shall all men know that you are my disciples). And our unity (that they may be one even as the Father and I are one).

WE FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER

This love and unity are vital if we are to learn how to handle our differences well and forgive well. People will hurt you, and you must learn to fight off offence (real and imagined). At least 20 passages of scripture address our need to forgive each other.

Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mark 11:25 - And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Colossians 3:13 - 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.

Matthew 6:12 - And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

WE CELEBRATE EACH OTHER AND ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER’S SUCCESS.

Though we carry the same DNA as Christ, we are all uniquely shaped. Each one of us has been fearfully and wonderfully made. We have different gifts, talents, temperaments and personalities. We must honour and celebrate our differences and not try to clone each other.

How do we do this? We encourage one another,

James 4: 2—3   You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have it because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive it because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

1Cor 3:3 You are still worldly. Since you are jealous and quarrelling, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

WE SHARE AND GIVE GENEROUSLY

• Galatians 5:13 – “Through love serve one another.”
• 1 Peter 4:10 – “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”
• Acts 2:44-45 – “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

At Word of Grace, we circulate everything we can – from furniture to appliances and clothes. There is no shame in this. This is what a family does. So, baby toys, beds, clothes, etc., all make church rounds. In this way, we help the young parents save money.

When someone gets married or is renting a home, we look for what we can bless them with to help with expenses. Whenever we buy new furniture, we give away what we no longer use. We could have sold it, but we chose to give it away.

When there has been a crisis of a major illness, we have often offered to help that family with hospital expenses.

People in the world do not understand this behaviour and so thing that we must have an agenda.

 WE LEAVE A LEGACY

Every good parent plans an inheritance for their children. We leave money and possessions behind for them. And that is required and good. But the best legacy you can give them is a spiritual one.

In the church, our job as brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and grandparents is to multiply ourselves in someone else. Whose life are you investing in? That legacy will live one for generations to come. The Biblical word for that is discipling.

Titus 2: 3-5 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God.

V6.Similarly, young men should be encouraged to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

2 Tim 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

FAMILY ON A MISSION

God always wanted a family that would work with Him. That is why He created Adam and Eve—to co-work. He made this magnificent creation and then put us in charge. And we know how that went. But then the power and authority that we lost were redeemed and restored to us on the Cross. The Gen command is echoed in Matt 28:18–20—Go make disciples of all nations. It’s a command to multiply and to steward (make disciples and teach them to obey).

Jesus is waiting for His gospel to reach the ends of the Earth, and then the end will come. We have a job to do. We are the only organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members. Everything we do and learn here is to prepare us for our real vocation, which is outside these four walls—to be salt that flavours society, prevents corruption, and preserves what is good.

We are to be a light to the nations, showing the way and shedding light on injustices.

 Isiah 61 mandate is upon us.

One day, all imperfections will cease. That is the day when we will meet Jesus face to face, and there will be a final restoration of all things. There will be a celebration of the marriage feast of the Lamb where families from every nation, tribe and tongue will gather before the throne of God and will be invited to this great banquet. This is what we live for. So, let us be encouraged with these words. Let us hold on unswervingly to the faith we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Everything will be made new; no more sin, sickness, imperfections, or sorrow. They will all flee away.

We will continue to live in the now until then. We have a small taste here on earth. Now, we see dimly as in a mirror, but one day, we shall see clearly.

Let us continue to love and serve our Lord and His body, His family. Let us do the good works that He has prepared for us because one day, we will have to give an account of how we have lived. Let our lives give Him glory. Amen.

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 part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Pictures of the Church - Part 1

 

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on January 26th 2025 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here. 

Pictures of the Church

Last week we looked at how to become a part of a church. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is not like any other club where you pay thousands and lakhs of rupees to get membership. It is open to anybody who recognizes they're sinners, repent put their faith in Jesus and decide to follow Him. They're born again and added to the body of Christ.

Our salvation is through faith which is called the Justification. But that's not the end of salvation. God now has a plan for our lives which includes becoming His disciples. Many haven't given themselves to obeying Jesus' commands. The Gospel has to transform lives. John the Baptist said to produce fruit by keeping up with repentance. 

None of us are perfect. We're all sinners. There has to be at least an attempt to change our ways. Faith is important but obedience must follow faith. 

Paul says that the Church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the Church and the rest of us are parts of the body. 

1. Unity in the body

When we come here to attend the Sunday service, our whole body is here. We don't leave any part behind. We may have many differences but we are one. If you look around we are all different in several ways. The parts of our bodies are different too. The world divides people based on differences like race, language, region and others. All the wars that take place are because of these differences. 

Ephesians 4:6 NIV - one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

We are united by the Father. 

Jesus' prayer for his disciples is to be one. Before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed that all may be one. 

John 17:21 NIV - that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

We see that there's deep unity among the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted His disciples to be in that deep unity. 

Galatians 3:28 NIV - There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

This unity transcends all social, cultural and other barriers.

Why is this unity important? 

* God says so

When we share the gospel, we can't cause them to believe. That decision is with them. There's no forced conversion to Christianity.

John 17:21 NIV - that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

When we are united, somehow the unbelievers will believe that God sent Jesus. 

John 17:23 NIV - I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

In this verse, the same thing is repeated. 

If we want power in evangelism, we need to work to be one - loving one another and accepting one another. Seeing this, unbelievers will somehow believe that God sent Jesus Christ. 

When we are united, we have Jesus at the centre. That is the common thing. 

So let's have fellowship with one another. 

What can we do to promote unity in our church? 

It starts with greeting one another and then serving, loving, accepting, bear with one another. It is also expressed in doing things together and praying together. 

 

The Bible uses more than 90 metaphors for the body of Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, we see a unified story of God wanting a people for Himself. The story begins in a garden and ends in a city in heaven. Everything will fade, but the church of Jesus Christ will go on forever.

We are the Bride of Christ. Before anything was created, God had a bride in mind for His son.

We have been chosen not because of what we have done but because of what He has done for us.

Who did Jesus purchase with His blood – His body, the church.

What do you value most apart from God, your salvation and your family? It is your body.

Let’s look at 1 Cor 12.

We are far from perfect, but one day, we will be.

Heb 6:2 There are four baptisms – the indwelling of the Spirit at conversion, the baptism of water, the Holy Spirit and the baptism by fire which is suffering.

UNITY

God’s heart is that we all be united Eph4:4.

Ephesians 4:4 - There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called

John 17:21 -  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Our unity helps others see the Father in heaven; therefore, we need to do all that we can to foster this unity in the church.

What can we do to be united in this local church? It is not just intellectual assent but doing what it takes, viz., participating in whatever the church is engaged in, like prayer, Gym groups, training, etc.

We are different but one. The church is the most diverse grouping of people on the Earth. In Christ, there is no Jew, Greek, or Gentile. What brings us together is Christ.

Let us build on unity and build up the Body of Christ.

DIVERSITY

The body is made up of many parts. We have different gifts, and we are all unique.

1 Corinthians 12:15 - Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

“I don’t belong” – inferiority complex, and these people can back away from interacting and integrating. We have been placed in this body by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:21 - ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

 “I don’t need you” is also a mistake if we think we are independent or superior. This is a sin of pride and independence. We need each other, and we cannot survive on our own.

1 Corinthians 12:22 - On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable

The weaker parts (those not seen) are indispensable.

Ephesians 4:16 - From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The body grows up as each one does its part.

How do we practically work out this diversity? Encourage all who serve.

In India we can see everything that is wrong with everything. Let us be thankful people. It takes humility to encourage someone else.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

How am I using my gifts to serve the church? How am I building the church?

Do I value that I am a part of the body of Christ? We are privileged people and should not take this for granted. We cannot be ‘alone’ Christians. We have been placed in a body. God uses the church to put His manifold wisdom on display.

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 part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

The Day of the Pentecost

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on June 5th 2022  by Colin D'Cruz. For the audio & video please click here.  To listen to the worship please click here.

Today is a special day because it’s a celebration of the Christian feast – Pentecost. It is a great reminder of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we find in the 2^nd chapter of Acts that resulted in the birthing of the church and the subsequence spread of the gospel to all nations.

Remember, on the day of the Pentecost, there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached and the gospel went forth. It’s important that we remember these great events in church history because they are so instructional for us. We are going to look at many different scriptures this morning.

Before that, I’m sure all of us have participated in a race. If you remember, just before the race begins, what are the words we hear? “On your mark! Get set go!” Can you believe that Jesus almost said this after His resurrection? He didn’t use the same words. But he says to His disciples, “Go to Jerusalem. Wait for the promise of the Father and go into the world”. It’s almost the same as “On your mark! Get set go!”

We are going to look at the 2^nd chapter of Acts and see how Jesus’s disciples obeyed His commands.

Acts 1:12 - Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk^[c] from the city.  – On your marks!

Acts 1:13-14 - ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. – Get Set!

In Acts 2, as they were waiting there, the Holy Spirit comes upon them. As they were waiting, Jesus gave them this promise. Jesus rose from the dead after His death on the cross and for a period of 40 days, He met with the disciples. He gave them convincing proof saying He’s alive.

Acts 1:4-5 - ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  ⁵ For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.” 

This verse “baptized in the Holy Spirit” is there in almost all the gospel lessons and in Acts. It is important. God‘s plan for each one of us is to get baptized. Without the Holy Spirit, we don’t have the power to do anything.

Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Peter was afraid of a servant girl. When he was asked about Jesus, he was afraid and ran away. But that same Peter, boldly preaches the gospel. The difference was that he received power. Are you afraid to share the gospel with anyone? Especially these days wherein many states, you could be accused of forcibly converting somebody and be sent to jail. The Bible says that on our own we can’t do it. But when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our fear and boldly preach the gospel.

Acts 2:1-4 - When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

They were not just playing video games but they were worshipping and praying.

Verse 2 says, “Suddenly”. They didn’t know when the Holy Spirit would come. But suddenly there was a sound like a violent wind filled the room and tongues of fire came upon each one of them. The first gift of the Holy Spirit we see here is “Speaking in tongues”. WE see it in verse 4.

Just to summarize what happens next is that there were other Jews who had come for this Pentecost and they heard the disciples speaking in different languages. AS they were wondering, Peter, stood up and proclaims the gospel as you can see in the verses -

Acts 2: 22-24 - ²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,^[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴ But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 

Acts 2:38 - ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 2: 40-41 - ⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

So we see on the first Pentecost that Peter preached powerfully and 3000 were saved and added to the 120 disciples. And the church was birthed. And the rest of the Acts tells us how they started living.

We will cover that in the subsequent messages.

This morning, if you are here and you’ve not yet received forgiveness of your sins if you’ve not yet put your faith in Jesus if you have backslid in life, let me tell you, Jesus came, he died for the forgiveness of our sins on the cross and he rose from death. He has a plan and purpose for you on earth. But you’ve got to receive him into your life. And he says he will fill you with the Holy Spirit and give you power.

This morning, we are going to look at 3 things about the day of the Pentecost.

1.   1. It caused the reversal of the tower of Babel

In Genesis 11, we see that there was only one language in the whole earth and people moved together.

Gen 11:4 - ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

At that time people were united, they had one language and they had one goal – to build a tower to the heavens. They wanted to do this for 2 reasons –

·        To make a name for themselves

·        Not to get scattered across the earth

When God saw what was happening, this is what he thought –

Genesis 11:6 - ⁶ The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 

God, the trinity understood that if people work together in unity, then nothing is impossible. Unity is very important. But God wasn’t pleased with this unity and this goal because of 2 reasons –

i.                 Pride and arrogance – They wanted to build a tower to make a name for themselves.

ii.                Against the command given to Noah – In Gen 9, God commanded Noah to multiply and fill the earth

God was not pleased with this and He caused confusion in the languages and that’s how different languages came to pass. Because they couldn’t understand one another, God forced them to spread out to different parts of the earth.

The people of Babel were cursed and their unity was broken.

How did Pentecost reverse this?

Acts 2:5 - ⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out, the gift of tongues was given and they could understand what these people were saying in their own language. So one of the things the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues did was it reversed what happened there and it enabled a new unity to come for God’s glory.

So, unity is important and being filled with the Holy Spirit is important for that unity.

If we look at our country, we are proud to have diversity in culture, customs, outfits, traditions, languages etc. But in the church of Jesus Christ, there’s got to be unity where no matter you are from, we are ONE in Jesus Christ. And when we stay united and work in unity, nothing is impossible for us.

2.   2. The reversal of death due to the law

In Exodus, when Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt into the promised land, he left the people there and went up to the mountain to meet with God and that’s where he got the ten commandments.

Exodus 24: 15-18 - ¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, ¹⁶ and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. ¹⁷ To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Moses was just with God for 40 days and 40 nights without eating or drinking anything. He just feasted and was sustained by the presence of God.

When we are in the presence of God, God’s presence can sustain us through whatever we are going through. While Moses was in God’s presence, there was something else happening down. The Israelites got tired of waiting for Moses and asked Aaron to make an golden calf. They went crazy dancing before this idol and God was not pleased with them.

Exodus 32:15-16 - ¹⁵ Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

Exodus 32:19 - ¹⁹ When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 

Exodus 32:25-28 - ²⁵ Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. ²⁶ So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. ²⁷ Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” ²⁸ The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.

Do you see this coincidence in the numbers? When the law was given, those who sinned were judged and 3000  were killed.

But on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was poured out, 3000 were added. The law gives death and the Spirit gives life. Hallelujah! 3000 were given eternal life!

3.   3. Received a blueprint for the church

What is the purpose of the church? Who gets entry into the church? What are we called to do while we are waiting for Jesus to call us home?

The entry into the church is very clear in Acts 2.

Acts 2:37-38 - When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

·        Faith in Jesus

·        Repentance of sins

·        Baptism in water

·        Receive the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:41 - Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 2: 42-47 - ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

From verse 42, we see what they did after they were added to the church. They fellowshipped together, they met together at homes, in temple courts, ate together, praised God, prayed together, there was unity, shared their possessions and it speaks about Holy Spirit and unity. It’s only in the church of Jesus Christ we see this unity. In our country, people don’t even eat together because of caste and religious divisions. But in the church, we accept one another as Christ accepted us.

What are we here for?

It is not to meet here every Sunday. Our purpose is to scatter and proclaim the gospel wherever we are. Some are called to go out, to another place, and some will be here, but our purpose is to proclaim the gospel and to do good deeds to bring glory to our Father in heaven. Love one another, proclaim the gospel. Do good deeds.

This is just a summary of Pentecost and we will be covering it in detail in the coming weeks. 

Let’s pray to God to fill us more with His Holy Spirit just as He did on the day of the Pentecost. 

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.