Grow big on the inside - Go beyond your Corinth..

Do you ever ponder how influential the church can be in a post-pandemic world? We explore this radical notion in our newest podcast episode, reflecting on the inspirational teachings of Paul to the Corinthians. The message is clear - the path to relevancy isn't in building bigger churches but cultivating bigger people. People who are strong in faith, resilient in the face of life's challenges, and capable of leaving a mark on their society. Join us as we delve deeper into this intriguing perspective and how it can revolutionize our approach to faith and growth.

Our episode also features the compelling story of Dr. David Livingstone and his relentless mission to bring the gospel to Africa. With courage at his helm, he navigated dangerous journeys with his family, transcending his circumstances to reach new heights of faith and purpose. His story is a testament to our potential to push boundaries and live beyond our current situations. It's a call to stretch ourselves, take bold steps, and make the otherwise unthinkable our new normal.

In our final chapter, we dig deeper into the essence of becoming big on the inside. After all, it's not just about the size of our churches, but the strength of our faith. How ready are you to face challenging situations? How far can your faith carry you? As we reflect on Paul's teachings and Dr. Livingstone's journey, we're reminded of the power within us. The power to confront adversity, to trust in God's providence, and to extend our reach. So come, be inspired, and discover what it truly means to live beyond.

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Transcript

Living Beyond

Speaker 1 0:30

Kepan makirau suku tunine kenaiya sosama na kuto Na hatuna sanga tunine ne sama weku Na hatuna sanga tunine ne sama weku oh the Two Kingdoms .

Speaker 2 1:19

Corinthians . 2 Corinthians , chapter 10 , verses 12 to 18 . Second Corinthians , chapter 10 , verses 12 to 18 . I just want to really focus on verse 16 . That's what we're going to just share with us briefly , and I know that Lord encourages us , but let's just really . The Bible says we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves . When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves , they are not wise . We , however , will not boast beyond the proper limits , but will combine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself as assigned to us , a sphere that also includes you , verse 14, . We are not going too far in our boasting , as would be the case if we had not come to you , for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ . Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others . Our hope is that , as your faith continues to grow , our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand , so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you , for we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory . But let the one who boasts in the Lord . But let the one who boasts in the Lord , for it is not the one who commends himself who is approved , but the one whom the Lord commends . Verse 16 is really what I want to use . I just want to pick a word there that I want to speak there on , so that we can preach . This was Paul's desire , saying that our hope is that , as your faith continues to grow , our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you . That was Paul's desire and he's writing the Corinthians and he's telling them that he has got this hope and this desire that , as the Corinthian charge continued to grow in faith , they could be able to reach , to preach the gospel in the regions beyond Corinth . And I want to just use that scripture to encourage us this morning on living beyond . Paul is talking to the Corinthians and he's telling them he desires that their faith grows . But as the faith grows , paul is desiring that they may get the opportunity to be able to reach and preach the gospel beyond Corinth . And so this morning I want to encourage us just as slowly as I can on the importance of living beyond , because the church of Jesus Christ , as we get back and I know everything is going back to normal .

Speaker 2 4:37

But there is need for the church to reinvent itself so that we can become relevant to the communities that God placed us in . During the lockdown , in many countries the church was locked up and the church was considered a non-essential service . That's what most governments said . They said the church was considered non-essential , and that was a big indictment for the church that we reached a point where the leadership of nations believes that the church is non-essential . And as we go back and as we continue going back to our normal I've just been having this whole body that we cannot go back and continue doing things as normal , because if we continue back in the same way , we will not have an impact in the communities that God has placed us in .

Speaker 2 5:39

And so we have to keep asking that question how can the church reinvent itself so that we can be so relevant that nothing can move without the church being consulted ? We can be so relevant that no decision can be made without the church being consulted that we reach that point of influence where the church is so , so critical that decisions being made , the church is fast consulted . Whether it is changing the constitution , whether they are thinking about what to do with the law , the church becomes the place where they consult fast , especially in a country like Kenya where you are saying we are over 85% Christians . So we have to keep asking that question what do we need to do so that the next generation of leaders , the next generation of pastors , the next generation , the new church that is coming up post COVID , can be a church that is so relevant ? That is relevant and the one thing that we need to do is , when we start understanding the principle of living beyond and Paul's writing to the Corinthians uses this word , that is , the faith of the Corinthians continues to grow , there may be an opportunity for Paul and his team to be able to reach the church beyond calling them . So I want to use that and to speak to us this morning and to encourage us in this first Sunday service of today so that , as we go back to our churches this morning , what I'm going to share you and continue to challenge us .

Speaker 2 7:20

Now , the one thing that I've realized is that if for the church to become relevant , that the church to be relevant and reach that point where nothing can happen without the church being consulted , it is important for us to make a deliberate effort to grow big people , not just big churches . There has been an emphasis in the past where we wanted to grow mega churches , where we wanted to grow churches of 10,000 and 20,000 and so , okay , there's no problem having big churches , but it is more important to have a church that is full of big people , not just big in number . There must be a deliberate effort for the people inside the church to be big , because when you have a church that is full of big people , then that church starts to have an influence . So it is the opposite , where you first grow big people and then those big people then grow the church . So the church is full of big people and you see , the whole idea about being big is something that happens on the inside . It's not on the outside when your believers are big . Inside , because when you have good believers that are big on the inside , they can confront situations . When the seasons of life change and difficult things come , they can navigate it . They can be able to confront every single challenge and come out strong . But when you are just many but we are small , in fact , there's nothing so frustrating than having a big church full of small people , because all you do is clap and shout , but inside you you are just full of small people on the inside and when they come out of the church and we go into the society , we cannot withstand corruption .

Speaker 2 9:26

When we are put in an office and we are in charge of resources for our country , we cannot withstand corruption . Why ? Because we are so small on the inside and we have seen people clapping and shouting and yelling in church on Sunday , but the next morning you go to the offices , they are the ones leading corruption . They are Christians , they are baptized , they are church elders , they are sitting in the church every Sunday , but the moment they leave the church and they go back into the real society , they cannot withstand a bribe . They have school fees , challenges with their children , but instead of believing God for him to come through and to send resources and provide miraculously , instead of doing that you start saying you know what God has put me in this office and therefore this is where I should be able to benefit . And that's why the government , even today , is struggling . We have an anti-corruption authority , we have policemen , we have got . We have got . They've tried everything . And the people that are being policed are Christians . They are in church on Sunday , they are leading hymns and worship , but when they go into the society and they go into the real world , they cannot stand .

Living a Purposeful Life Beyond

Speaker 2 10:58

When money comes into your hands , you start getting ideas on what you can do and it's not yours . You start abusing position . Young girls come for interview in your office and instead of being truthful , instead of bringing whatever , you start doing funny things on them . And you are Christian On church on Sunday . You are there , but in the marketplace , where we are supposed to be having an impact , we are completely impactless . We are big churches full of small people , and that's not God's plan . That's not God's plan for his church . God wants a church that is full of big people , big people on the inside , that when they come out and they go to the marketplace they can say you know what ? I'll stand by faith . I will stand by faith , my provision shall come from God . I would rather be fired than do this . I would rather leave the job than to compromise . I would rather trust on God , because I know my God is a provider . You will walk the difficult path , you'll work the difficult path .

Speaker 2 12:06

A church that is full of big people , big people on the inside , and you know big , big . You know , and in the ministry , here in this team , we've tried our level best to make sure that we grow people . We don't want just people clapping around and we want everybody in this ministry , in this team , to be big on the inside . And that's why , when we go out for missions , you know we assign you a class and for all weekend you are sitting in a class , preaching from Friday all the way to Sunday everybody , so that the ministry is not about one person that is standing on the front and everybody else is clapping around them . No , each one of us has to be strong and stand , and you know it is a deliberate . It is something that we have to be deliberate about growing big people . That's why , even in this prayer meeting , you know we everybody , we want everybody to participate . It's not , you know , everybody has a chance . Come be used of God , because we want you to grow so that when you go out in the marketplace tomorrow , you can stand , you can build on something , you can stand and be strong , because that is what is going to make a difference . And for us to be able to you know , to , to , to live beyond . It is important that we grow big people . How do we live beyond . The first thing is that we need to have a um . We need to , we need to be conscious not to do anything that is average .

Speaker 2 13:49

So Paul would have been comfortable with the ministry that he had done in Corrine . The church was growing . They , they had done ministry in Ephesus . Everything was looking great and and the church was vibrant and they were . They were growing and you know , you look at , but Paul is saying , no , I thank God for you , but as your faith grows , as your faith grows , my vision is now not in Corrine . I want to be able to go beyond and reach many other people . I want to extend territory . I want to go beyond where I am . I want to stretch myself , I want to go beyond Corrine , and this has to be the desire of each one of us . Paul is saying I need to go beyond Corrine . And let me tell you , every time the church has desired to go beyond , it has progressed . Revival has come when they have refused status quo . Paul would have been comfortable in Corrine , but he's saying , no , I'm going to go beyond . I wouldn't accept Corrine as good enough , I wouldn't accept Corrine as just average . No , no , I'll keep stretching myself . I want to go forward and the church of Jesus Christ , for us to become big people on the inside . We must have that desire , that determination to go beyond where we are . We must .

Speaker 2 15:11

You know , and if you look at it , all in all , all progress , all progress in life , go and do your history , go and do your research , whether it's Bible , history or geography or world history . Go study . You'll realize that all progress in life has been made by people who lived beyond . When Adam and Eve were created , they were just not created to live in the Garden of Eden . But God said I am putting you here , but I'm giving you the power to dominate . I want you to go and increase and go beyond the Garden of Eden . You are not just going to be around here telling this Garden , no , I'm giving you , I'm . He created Adam and Eve with the power to go beyond the Garden and that is exactly the same power that is in all of us , we all progress in life has been made by people who have lived beyond . I mean just give you a very good example .

Speaker 2 16:11

A few years back , people believed that the world was flat . One of you who have read history . People believed that the world was flat , that if you keep walking , if you keep walking , you reach somewhere and fall into a cliff or something like that . That's what we believed . But then came people like Christopher Columbus you remember history and geography and these people . They came and said you know what , we're not going to sit here and not know where the world ends . And they got into boats and they said we are going until we reach the end . And that's how people were able to realize and discover you know what ? The world is not flat . Actually , the world is secular . It's a globe .

Speaker 2 16:59

It took men and women to arise and go beyond their homes , go beyond their homes and extend themselves . And this morning I'm calling on all of us . We may not be Christopher Columbus who have to get on a ship to go looking for the end of the world , because that has been done , but each one of us , we can be our own Christopher Columbus in our homes , where you say you know what , I'm not going to leave , I'm not going to accept Corinth . Corinth is a situation , is the place of comfort , is where you have been successful . You have been successful today . You have achieved some measure of success and everything is looking nice . But God is calling us If the church is going to be different , we must live beyond . We must go beyond Corinth .

Speaker 2 17:44

Stretch yourself and say this is good , but it's not good enough . Keep going , stretch yourself . These people , they got into boats and sailed and they don't know where they are going , but they are saying we are not stopping until we know where the world ends . We'll go until the end . Many of them died in the seas trying to discover and try to figure out where is the world going . They died but they had that passion to go beyond . And this morning I want to challenge all of us . You know , let us not accept average . Go beyond . You have been successful , that's okay . You have achieved a measure of success , but don't stand there . That is Corinth . Police say no , I want to go beyond Corinth . Go , stretch yourself . Where you are today , let you not be there tomorrow . Stretch yourself the situation you have found in your home . Don't allow , don't hand over your home situation to your children the way you found it . Stretch yourself and hand over a different place so you can say you know what ? You got no inheritance . None of us here . You got no inheritance from your father . You got nothing . Determine and say I'm not good to hand over nothing to my children . If you struggled as a child , make sure that your children will not struggle . Hand over them something Fight , stretch yourself , get into a boat , go and find out where the land , the world is . That was Christopher Columbus In .

Speaker 2 19:31

A few years ago people were talking about going to the moon . Now people are not talking about going to the moon . People want to go to the mass To reach . Mass is going to be . You know , it's 87 months , 87 months on the road , traveling in a rocket , 87 months going to Mars . And people are busy preparing . They're investing man . They say we are not stopping , we are going to go to Mars . Now , I'm not saying we go to Mars , but I'm just using this as an example and bring it home to the church . If the world can have that ambition , if the world can have the ambition to go to Mars , they can have the ambition to send men to the moon .

Speaker 2 20:20

Recently I was watching in the in the in the television during the American election . There are some people who voted from space . They have been in space for years . They were voting from there In the International Space Station . They're there why the world is progressing , the world is pushing forward . They've refused to accept that normal . They're pushing boundaries . They are saying let us do it differently , let us try , let's keep moving . But the church , we like being stagnant , we like sticking with what works . It's the same thing . The same thing January , december . We're not willing to change . We have achieved some measure of success , that's okay , with the congregations coming , and that's okay . But God is calling us . Let's go beyond calling .

Going Beyond and Growing Big People

Speaker 2 21:16

I was reading about the story of Dr Debbie Livingstone . Men of you know he was one of the men that was used so powerfully to bring the gospel here . But out of the Scottish revival , this man said you know what we got to Africa ? There are no roads , nothing , and they get into a ship . They arrive here . They don't speak the African language , they teach themselves the language and they're not alone . He has a wife and for children I mean those of you who read history he married the daughter of Moffat I'm sure you know Moffat College of the Bible and Moffat was the missionary in South Africa living on Maris the daughter . And they moved , they start going out , expanding , and he said I'm not going to stop until I can find a route that connects the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic , so that we can end slavery . And he's carrying goods , his wife , four children . In one of the journeys it gets attacked by a lion . It almost cuts off his hand , but he continues . He says I'm either going to find the route or I die .

Speaker 2 22:33

And he's busy there , pushing on , progressing , pushing boundaries , and today we have got Christianity in Africa . We have been reached . Why ? Because there were people that were willing to go beyond . It was dangerous , it was difficult , it was not easy , but they went beyond , they called forth , they went forward , they pressed on and today we are seeing the fruits . And it's not just Dr Debbie Livingstone and it's not just Peter Cameron , scott and Moffat and all these people that came in and pioneered the gospel , and today we are enjoying . There are many others that have gone in front .

Speaker 2 23:17

But what am I trying to say ? I'm saying for us to be able to have an impact , we need to live beyond . And for us to live beyond is important that we grow big people , big people on the inside , and we have to make a decision . You know , it just started to be a big thing . We have to make a decision to go beyond in small things , push beyond your current limitations . That's why I'm so excited about this .

Speaker 2 23:44

This year we have been able to push forward , and we started this prayer meeting every morning . We never thought it would be possible , but we progressed . We are here every morning and God is doing a new thing , is using this forum to grow us . We are not the same . We are not the same people when we started out this prayer meeting . You know five or a month , I forget when we started off , but we are not the same . Why ? Because every morning , god is using this forum to grow us , to become , you know , is using it to grow us , to encourage us , to move us forward , and so what we need is to make small .

Speaker 2 24:24

You know , every day , choose something , go beyond , whether it's on your finances . Say you know what this year I've reached here . This next year I want to go forward , I want to push , whether it's in ministry management , sometimes it's just our mentality . There are things we struggle with and you say you know what ? I'm tired of being dragged back by this thing . Something I struggle with this year breaking loose . I'm going forward . It could be in church , but it's never too late to begin going beyond , because when you go beyond and you stretch , that new stretch become the new normal . The new place , the new boundary that you set become the new normal , and that's how progress in life is made . Every time the church has thrived , it has been people that went beyond .

Speaker 2 25:18

The problem is that the church we are not good at that . We are not good at going beyond . The history of the church is one of conservatism . We are conservative , we get stuck in a particular style of music and we resist change . You know , I remember when we were starting up this ministry , we were fighting with people in the church who wanted us to sing hymns only , and we fought over that . No , no , here we don't sing choruses , here we don't , we only sing hymns and the choir songs . And we fought over that . The church , we fought .

Speaker 2 26:01

They were at the worshiping , and , and , and , and this is in the house , it's not in the church , it's in the house . And we started worshiping and people were praying and people were lifting up hands , and you know , we are worshiping and and and the presence of God came in that meeting . I'll never forget it . The next Sunday , I was called for a meeting that you , you know , you know , you know , you know , you know , you know you encourage people to lift up their hands . And then people started worshiping . So you forced us to worship . Has it come ? And all your hand ? No , I didn't come . I said I'll die for you . But this is where we have come from . This is how the church receives change . We get stuck with one thing . We think it's only once like that and we fought over that .

Speaker 2 26:53

The church will explain in people saying the . You know , you know , some people put the Samosa on there and it's Sanauteration is located thereéd . People saying the guitar is devil , is devilish . The guitar was considered the devil . They won the . They said that is the devil inside that . That is that . That is that . But that those of us who come , you know , because you know , prayed by this CAT , you to pull this , the devil One , by equipment . But a few years later they were calling the devil . When the radio came , the church was saying it is the devil speaking inside that box . That is the devil inside that box . When television came , it was considered the devil . When the internet came , it was considered the devil . Everything that comes . The church has always been behind . And then later on they were calling the devil . Everybody knows on Facebook . They're discovering out why preach on Facebook . The same thing you are calling the devil now is the one that you want to use .

Speaker 2 28:01

But the world has moved forward . What am I trying to say , brothers and sisters ? We need to live beyond , and for us to live beyond , it's important that we grow big people . We want churches that are full of big people , people on the inside , because it's people that are that . When you are big on the inside , you will be able to grow from the world . Difficult things will come , but they will not take you out . The world has got challenges . We have issues , we have problems , you get attacks and everything arrows we thrown on to us , but when you are big on the inside , you will be able to prevail . We cannot live on inspiration . Inspiration is good . On Sunday , we go and we are inspired , we are worked up and hallelujah on Sunday , everything . On Monday , the inspiration is gone . What do you think the inspiration

Living Beyond

Speaker 2 28:53

is going to be ?

Speaker 2 28:53

A person that is big on the inside , where you can go through , and if not big on the inside , they will take you out . You wouldn't even be able to say hallelujah . You will go inside and lock yourself in the house . You won't want to be seen . But when you are big on the inside , you can go through that difficult situation . You can be going through hell inside you . It's burning inside you , but you are strong and you are saying you are not going to go through it .

Speaker 2 29:21

It does not matter how it looks like . How will go through this situation . It does not matter how bad the situation is . It may be a family issue , it may be a relationship issue , it may be a whatever . The issue may be even a lack . Even you may be fired from a job , like many of us have been affected , you may have financial lack , but you , when you are big on the inside , you can take it in .

Speaker 2 29:41

You say , bring it on , bring it on , we will go through . We are not failing God . We are standing still . We are not failing God . We don't don't drink . We don't serve God because all around us is okay . We don't serve God because we have got it all in place . We don't serve God because we got money . We don't serve God because our families are perfect . We don't serve God because our children are okay . We don't serve God because our business are okay . We don't serve God because everything around us is okay . We serve God because we believe in Him , we are faith in him and like God .

Speaker 2 30:19

That is someone that is big on the inside , where we are not serving God because of inspiration , but we are serving God because we are big on the inside . And that can only happen when we start living beyond . Living beyond . Paul said as your faith grows in Corrine , I pray that I may be able to take the gospel beyond Corrine , and this morning I'm going to be able to take the gospel beyond Corrine . But desire Stretch , stretch . You have been successful , it's okay . Stretch , stretch yourself . Do something new , try something new , expand yourself , expand your ministry , expand your service , Expand your impact .

Speaker 1 31:08

Let's keep stretching and it's free .