HopeUC Secunderabad

Fan the Flame

• HopeUC Secunderabad

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0:00 | 25:10

Gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it’s a posture that prepares us to share hope. When we recognize what we’ve received, we become ready to give it away. Jesus showed us how: start where people are, speak plainly, and love deeply. You don’t need a stage or a perfect story—just a willing heart. What simple step will you take this week to share living water?

PRAYER
We are here to pray for you - with you. Please share your prayer request or praise report here - https://hopeucindia.churchcenter.com/people/forms/3009, and someone from our team will pray for your need through the week.

NEXT STEPS
If you would like to give your heart to Jesus, it's the best decision you could ever make. We want to celebrate with you, provide you with resources and get you the support you need on this journey. Please fill the form - https://hopeucindia.churchcenter.com/people/forms/297739, and someone from our team will contact you soon.

ABOUT HOPEUC INDIA
Hope Unlimited Church is an independent, Spirit-filled church with multiple campuses in India, serving young professionals and families from all parts of India in a modern, dynamic metropolitan church setting.
More about us - https://hopeuc.in/

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SPEAKER_01:

A couple of days ago we had something called Thanksgiving. All right, I hope all of you participated in that. No? All right. The Bible talks about God is a good God. And the scripture talks about that people don't come back to Him to thank Him. This Thanksgiving is just a reminder. It's not a festival or a kind of a worldly celebration, even though it may look like that. But for you and for me, we should be able to thank God, right? For your job, for your business, for your work, for your family, all, whatever it is, you must be able to thank God. Right? And the Lord Jesus performs a miracle for ten of them, right? Only one of them comes back. And the Bible records it. How come 10 where there only one came back to thank me? So out of ten, every ten, only one will thank the Lord. But hope you see is different. Come on. Hope you see is different. We all will thank the Lord. Second thing, always have a heart of gratitude to somebody who did something for you. Somebody helped you find a job. Somebody helped you to pray for you. Somebody did something for you. Act of kindness over your life, wherever you are today, it could be your siblings, it could be your colleagues, it could be your neighbors, unbelievers. Did you go back and thank them? Or did you take it for granted? No, it is their responsibility to do it for me. It is none of responsibility to do anything for you. But when was the last time you went and you thanked that person for somebody praying for you? Somebody just sitting with you and listening to you. Did you ever go back to thank that person? Come. Today, as pastors, we want to thank you all as a congregation for all that you've done for the church. You all want to be very quiet. Can you guys hand over those cards, please? This is a thank you note from us as campus pastors to all the congregation members. You will receive a card, you know, which reads our heart to each of you. You might say, Pastor, I haven't done anything. No problem. Being part of Hope You see family is something unique and so special. We as campus pastors want to thank you, each of you, for just being there. If you have done something wonderful, praise God, but you haven't done anything, no problem. No problem. Amen. It's the joy of the Lord, and we want to bless you all as we just pass the Thanksgiving. We don't want to miss the opportunity to thank each of you as congregation as campus pastor. So this is a small note that you have. Would you like to read that, please? Everybody together, please hold the card. Are you all ready?

unknown:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

One, two, three, here we go. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

For your support. Love and press. It's been a joy and a privilege to walk with you this year. Our hearts are full as we see the growth in each of you and your children. We're excited to keep moving forward together with the same heart and dedication in 2026. May God bless you.

SPEAKER_01:

That's our prayer for each of you. Amen. Even though it's a small card, but it's from deep down from our hearts. Amen. I know this may go somewhere, right? We don't know where this will go. It's perfectly fine, but hope these words will be imprinted in your hearts. This is our heart. This is our prayer for each of you. Let's all give thanks to the Lord. Glorifying God. Amen. You please go and do the same. If somebody has blessed you, you must go and thank them. You even a small act of kindness, you must thank them. It's a heart every child of God must carry. Amen. God bless you all. Quickly, I want to share from God's word this afternoon. Let's look to God in prayer. Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for this beautiful day, this time, that we can come together as your sons and daughters to worship you, to glorify you. Even as we are going to hear your word, God, that you speak to our hearts, Lord. Transform us, Lord. Encourage us, Lord. Stir us, Lord, touch us, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. So I have titled my sermon as Fan the Flame. Turn to your neighbor and tell them, Fan the Flame. So this is a month of evangelism at Hope You See. If you missed it, this is a month of evangelism. Last week a pastor was here, he talked about we are not called to be fans, but we are supposed to be followers. We are in a time and a society, we have a lot of fans. Nowadays, you know, influencers have taken over and we are, you know, fans. I was driving this morning and I realized that without my knowledge, I actually do a lot of things they say, like how to take care of your car. I'm wondering who on earth is this guy? Is he actually qualified to tell? But he tells and I'm doing it. How to clean the car, you know, you understand? So we are in a world like that. All right? So I'm wondering, is he my fan or I am his fan? What is he an expert? I have no clue who that guy is. But I I realize I'm simply doing what is that guy saying. I watched that clip and I said, this is how we have to put the brake, this is how you have to change the gear. I said, We are living in such a kind of world, my friend. Amen. So either you're a follower or you are a fan. Fan watches from distance, follower steps into the mission. Everybody, please listen to me carefully. Amen. Evangelism is not an option for any one of us, it is a mandate given by God to each of us. Every believer in every generation is commissioned to carry the gospel. Amen. Acts chapter 1, verse 8. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses. Amen. God is calling the disciples, the Lord Jesus is saying, You should be my witness. Amen. So looking at the scripture, we understand that at our workplaces, wherever we live, whatever we are doing, we are supposed to make Jesus known. Your mission field, listen to me. Your mission field is not far away. It's the space you occupy every single day. I don't know whatever it takes for you to understand that. To understand how to live out, we look at how Jesus Himself reached the people. I want you to figure this out. In John chapter 4, we look at a situation where Jesus talks with Samaritan women. All right. Samaritan, I'd like you to please follow the notes. You know, that's there on the U version app, and uh the scriptures and all of it is listed there. This is the QR code. Uh the notes is available over there. So John chapter 4, there is there is a situation that uh uh uh that Jesus had to pass by uh Samaria. All right, and uh where is that verse? Uh all right, so verse 4, the Bible says he had to go to Samaria. Somebody say he had to, not he want to, he had to, right? There are many times situations in our we have to go through certain things. We don't want to, we don't want to be in those places, we don't want to do certain things, but sometimes we are forced into certain things, and now what we do, now Jesus does not want to go there, but now he's forced to. You know why? Because Jesus sensed a divine moment that somebody needs to be touched, and I have to break every barrier. Amen. So uh Jesus, we see him, you know, uh as an evangelist going and reaching this person. Jews and Samaritans have nothing in common, they're actually fighting against each other. They even don't go through their way, even though it passes by, they just go around the corner and then they come to their location. So then they they never, if you read this chapter, you'll understand you know, they they don't have nothing in common and they're always uh uh against each other. All right. Then when verse 7, when a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, Will you give me uh water to drink? You probably all know the story. Verse 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew, I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for drink? For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus breaks every cultural barrier and he goes and talks about the good news. You know what he picks up? He picks up the common terminology, common understanding, or a common need for everybody that is water. And that was there. And from there, Jesus connects her to the supernatural, and he tells you, if you drink this water, you will be thirsty again. But if you drink the water I will give you, you will never be thirsty. Amen. And the the story doesn't end there. I want you to understand what is happening here in the scripture, amen. And uh uh right so this bring uh brings us to a question now. I want to pose a question so that each of us can evaluate. How many people have you led to Christ this year? How many people think about it? How many people that you were able to reach out and share the gospel? Probably the answer is none. For various reasons, no condemnation, because normally we think evangelism is for pastors, evangelists, and so called. But Jesus never gave the great commission to a small group. Mark chapter 16, verse 15 to 16. Go into all the world and preach the gospel, good news to everyone, it was given to everybody. If you are a child of God, if you follow Jesus, then this commission is for you. Amen. As it was for the disciples, then it is for each of us. Something unique I want you to see. How come Jesus was able to tap into a situation and this person turns around and she becomes an evangelist? She came as an unknown person, she came as nobody, she had her own problems, but after connecting with Jesus, she becomes an evangelist. She goes and talks about this good news. What happened with her? Amen. So the same question I want you to understand. How many souls have you reached this year? As we go through this uh story. In the same chapter, between verses 16 to 19, Jesus tells her, Go call your husband. Listen to me very carefully, go call your husband, right? She replies, What? I have no husband. I hope all of you know the story, right? And Jesus reveals the truth of her life, something he had no natural way of knowing. How did Jesus know about her life? And what does the scripture say when she said, I have no husbands? Jesus comes up and says, You are true in saying that. You already have five husbands. The one you're living with is not her husband. Everybody listen to me. How did Jesus know? She never told him. She's hiding. I have no, she's saying I have no husband. But she's in a living relationship, I guess. How did Jesus know? She never told her. People of God, please know people around you are in deep trouble. They are going through hardships and difficulties. And Jesus operates in a gift. He operates in such a gift, he is able to see beyond the face, he's able to see beyond the colors, he's able to see what's happening in a person's life. Today we are so caught up in our own world, in our own problems, in what we are trying to do, what is our career? How will I become a prosperous man? When will I build a house? What am I going to be? All that is good, my friend. But that is a greater thing. When God sent you onto this earth, he sent you with a gift. What are you doing with that gift? The question is: what are you doing with that gift? Jesus suddenly operates in a gift. Nobody told her, told Jesus. But he knew what was happening in our life. Do you know what happens in the story? Do you know what happens? The Bible says, Huh? She saw what? anybody know the story? She saw Jesus. Sir, you are a prophet. Sir. On one side, Jesus is telling the story of her life. This woman, her eyes open. She's seeing I was a prophet. How is the world seeing you? Do you really have a testimony that she this person there, your neighbor, your friend, your colleague? Oh, this man is child of God. This man, no woman, is a child of God. I can say something different in this person. Or can they just say, no, this is just a worldly person. Why will they come to you? What will you offer to them when they come to you? You will talk about bank loans. You will talk about how to build a house. You are you will give 101 suggestions how to cook, how to have a good married life. Praise God with that. No problem with that. But the real essence is people are struggling, people are suffering. You are the answer for their problems. You are the solution for their problems. Sir, you are a prophet. He did not declare himself. Many times we want to declare, I am prophet, I am evangelist, I am apostle. Praise God. I have a title as a pastor. I've never progressed from there so far. In my 25 years of ministry, I'm still a pastor. I'm happy wherever I am. Right? What is your neighbor calling you? What is your friend calling you? Do they call you as a child of God? Your actions, your behaviors, your lifestyle. When they look at you, you have offered them all the solutions in the world. You sit and talk, you have 101 things to tell people. Great man. Good, keep it up. But that's not the end of it. There's more than what it is of why God sent you onto this earth. Use your gift. The gift God has placed in you and sent on this as a person to touch the lives of people. Amen. People around us are colleagues, neighbors, classmates, are watching how we live and what we say. Many times we hold back from sharing our faith because we feel our life does not match our words. Ah, that guy, I saw him when he heard the duba. Now he's telling me Nithulu. No, I use that Telugu word. Sorry, huh? Oh, he is so. Now he is telling me. Now what that will do? You already know that fellow saw me now. Now what will I go and tell him? What testimony? And many times we are withdrawing because we find ourselves in certain things. You know, if husband and wife are fighting, who will know? Do you know that or you don't know? Hello? You thought you were totally covered. Now nobody knows David thought about it. Nobody knows what will happen. No, I'm doing everything so meticulously planned. But everybody knew. Everybody knew. Your neighbor knows about you, my friend. You might think, oh, they might think, look at this guy. Sunday he'll carry the Bible and he'll go. Oh, what a person he is. But no, Divan said, no, this fellow is a very good actor. Sunday he goes with Bible, Monday to Saturday, he looked at his life. He will not tell you. She will not tell you. But it is imprinted in their minds. That's what happened to this woman. Oh, they are Jews. They don't come to us. They don't talk to us. And Jesus breaks that shackle. She he goes into the very root of the problem, addresses it, and brings it out. And Lord, she perceives, wow, this is a prophet. Everybody around you are trying to perceive who you are, understand or see who you are. How will they see what you say, what you don't say, what you do, what you don't do? Hello, church. The world is waiting. Amen. I want you to see this great personality. I want you to see what he said. Can you all read it? He followed Jesus, his teachings, he implemented in his life. But this is what he has to say. Many times our Christianity is stopping people in coming closer to Christ. Just imagine if this person came to the Lord. How India would have been today. But who was the stumbling block? So-called Christians. I want you to read to a story. Before I do that, I want to ponder this question. What's your gift? Ask your neighbor, what's your gift? You're all saying mobile phones, is it? I told you to talk to your neighbor and suddenly silence. I just looked at my notes for to say the next thing, all I'll ask your neighbor what's your gift? That's the biggest problem. I don't know what's my gift. Go to the Lord, Baba. He sent you, he designed you, he planned you. If you go to him, he's more than willing to let you know what is your gift. Somebody say amen. Let me read this story. You can follow what's happening on the screen. Elias was confined to a small room because of a rare illness that took away his mobility. The world outside, the laughter of children, the sounds of the marketplace became a painful reminder of what he had lost. At first, he struggled with despair, but slowly a quiet determination rose within him. If he could not walk among the people, he would still find a way to reach them. Listen to me. So he began to write. That's his gift. He began to write. Using every scrap of paper, every drop of ink, he wrote small tracks, short messages of hope, salvation, and God's love. When each piece of paper was finished, he folded it, weighed it with a small pebble, and dropped it out of his window into the busy streets below. He did not know who will read them. He only knew he had to try. One afternoon, a young woman named Sarah picked one up. Those words reached her at a moment of deep grief and became a lifeline. She shared them with others. Soon many in the community were finding these little messages. Elias became known as the window preacher. Now listen to this. He never left his room. But his words travel farther. Further than he could ever go. The question is not what you cannot do. The question is, are you doing what you can do?