October 23 2025 Thursday's Teachings

We’d like to ask another question — what do you have to say about the Gospel?

What do you understand about the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Romans 1:16 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes — to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

The King James Version says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth — to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

That means the Gospel — and not just any gospel, but the Gospel of Christ. Everything you’ve said so far is correct: it is the Word of God, the spiritual message of God, the gift of God.

But here, Apostle Paul defines the Gospel on a higher level. He says the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

So, when Paul says “I am not ashamed of the Gospel,” it means he is not ashamed of the power of God.
To be ashamed of the Gospel is to be ashamed of that power — the very power that brings salvation.

Now, how can a person be ashamed of the power of the Gospel? Let’s see what Jesus said in Matthew 10:32–33:

“Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.”

Many times, people deny Christ — not always by words, but through silence, fear, or compromise.

So, here in Jesus Disciples’ Fellowship, we are learning not to be ashamed of that power. This fellowship is an equipment center for the saints of God — a place where we are educated to know God personally, not just through a preacher, pastor, or priest, but as God in you.

And how does God live in you? Through His Word in you.

That’s why Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Because that Gospel is the very power of God working within those who believe.

We’re looking at Romans 1:16, where Apostle Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.”

That means, if the gospel is the power of God, then to be ashamed of the gospel is to be ashamed of the power of God.

Now, let’s turn to Matthew 10:32–33, where Jesus said,
“Whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.”

Many times, we deny Christ — not necessarily by rejecting Him outright, but by staying silent about Him.
So, to be ashamed of the gospel is to deny Christ.

Earlier, we asked: How many of you prayed to God today?
Almost everyone said yes — meaning, you acknowledged God’s power.
When you pray, you are appealing to that power — believing that God can do what you cannot.
If you had the power to solve it yourself, you wouldn’t need to pray.
But when you pray, you trust that God can control all things and make the impossible possible.
That is faith in His power.

But here’s the challenge — in one part of your life, you may believe in His power, yet in another, you deny Him by not speaking of Him.
Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.”
He meant that he was not ashamed to proclaim the gospel.

Some Christians believe quietly, keeping their faith private — “Yes, I’m a Christian,” and that’s it.
But Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men.”

In Matthew 5:14–16, Jesus says,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

How does your light shine? By speaking the Word of God.
You said earlier that the gospel is the Word of God — and the Word of God is light.

In John 1:1–4, it says,
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The world around us is full of darkness.
But the Word of God — the light — has come to you so that it might shine through you.

When you allow that light to shine, others see it and glorify God.
But if you hide it — if you remain silent — it means you are ashamed of Him.
You might still profess, “Jesus is Lord, He is my Savior,” but if you never speak of Him, your light remains hidden.

If you say, “Jesus is Lord, He is my Savior, I love Him,” but you never speak about Him — then truly, you are ashamed of Him.
How can you say you love someone and never talk about them?

That’s why the Lord Jesus constantly spoke about the Father throughout His time on earth. His entire life was centered around revealing and representing the Father. Everything He did was for the Father’s interests — not His own.

And so, brethren, understand this: you are on earth for the interests of God.
Yes, God helps us, blesses us, and cares for us — but He does not exist for us. We exist for Him.

He does not exist to serve your will — you exist to fulfill His will.

In John 1:1–3, it says,

“All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

That means you were created by His Word and for His purpose.
As one sister said earlier, “I come to fellowship because I believe I was made for a purpose.”
That’s true — and it’s only through the Word of God that you discover that purpose.

God never creates anything without purpose.
Everything He makes, He makes to represent Him — and you are no exception.
You are on earth for His glory and for His will.

But often, we turn this around.
We treat God like a bank — a source of solutions for our needs — rather than asking, “Lord, what is Your interest in my life?”
We focus on what God can do for us, instead of what we can do for God.

That’s why on Tuesday we spoke about the stages of man in Christ.
Let’s revisit that.

The First Stage: The Stage of a Believer

This is where most people start — you’ve heard about God, you believe in Him, and you acknowledge His existence. That’s good — but it’s not enough.

James 2:19 says,

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the devils believe — and tremble.”

So if you only believe, you are still at the same level as the devil — who believes, and even fears God!
Many Christians stop here — they believe but don’t grow beyond that stage.

The Second Stage: The Stage of a Child of God

To move beyond being just a believer, you must receive the Word you believed — accept it deeply into your heart.
When you truly accept the Word, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in you.

It is that Spirit — the Spirit of Christ — that makes you a child of God.

Just believing, praying, reading your Bible, or going to church does not make you His child.
If the Spirit of Christ is not in you, then you do not belong to Him.

As Romans 8:9 says,

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

So, brethren, the Spirit is the mark of sonship — it is the proof that you are God’s own.

Romans 8:9 says:

“But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”

You can claim to be a believer.
You can claim to be a child of God.
You can say, “I go to church, I was raised in a Christian home, I read my Bible, I pray every day — my father is a pastor, my family is full of believers.”

But none of these make you a true child of God.
Unless the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, you do not belong to Him.

That means you might claim God as your Father — but God may not recognize you as His child.
Why? Because you lack His DNA — His divine nature.

And what is the DNA of God?
It is His Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit lives in you, that’s when your identity as His child becomes real.

The Third Stage — The Disciple

Now, after becoming a child of God, there’s still another stage to grow into — the stage of a disciple.

At this level, your spirit and your soul begin to undergo training and discipline in the family of God.
This is the stage where you are taught and molded in the ways of your Father so that you can become a responsible member of His household.

Think of a child born into a home.
The parents don’t simply give birth and then leave the baby alone in a room full of food and toys.
They nurture the child, teach the child, and train the child in the right way.

In the same way, when God gives birth to you by His Spirit, He takes responsibility to teach and train you — but you also have a responsibility to be available to learn from Him.

Jesus’ Disciples Fellowship — A Training Ground

That’s why we call ourselves Jesus’ Disciples Fellowship.
No one here is above the Word of God — not even the teacher.
We are all students of the Word.
Even as the Lord speaks through me, He is also teaching me at the same time — so that I may know and do the will of my Father.

But a child who does not know his father’s will is still immature.
He only focuses on his own desires — “Father, give me this. Father, help me with that. Father, I want…”

That’s the nature of children.
They always ask: “Daddy, buy me this. Daddy, give me that.”
And when they don’t get what they want — they cry.

Now reflect:
Is that not how we often treat God?
Always asking for something, always wanting something, and when He doesn’t answer the way we expect — we become frustrated or discouraged.

That’s the mark of a child.
But God desires to raise you beyond that — to maturity — to the stage of a disciple, one who knows His Father’s heart and seeks to do His will.

When children cry, it’s because they don’t always understand what’s good for them.
Sometimes they ask for things that could actually harm them — but in their innocence and ignorance, they still cry, “I want it! I want it!”

A wise father says, “No, my child. You don’t know what I know. This thing you are asking for will hurt you.”
And that’s exactly how our Heavenly Father deals with us.

When you are still a child of God, it’s okay to be in that stage — but it’s not okay to remain there.
Every child must grow.

Growth is a natural expectation. A baby born today must not remain a baby ten years from now.
Likewise, in your spiritual life, God expects growth — maturity in understanding, in desire, and in obedience.

As a child grows in a home, they begin to learn responsibilities:
“This is how you clean your room, this is how you do the laundry, this is how you take care of the house.”
At first, everything is done for the child — but later, the child learns to take responsibility in the family.

In the same way, as you grow spiritually, your relationship with God shifts.
It’s no longer only about what God does for you — but about what you now do for God.

The Final Stage — Sonship

The next stage is the stage of Sonship — or spiritual maturity.
At this stage, you can begin to truly represent your Father.

A child cannot represent the nature of the Father because he is still immature in his understanding and desires.
But when you grow into maturity, you start to carry the mind and heart of your Father.

That’s why your greatest prayer should be — “Lord, help me grow.”
Because without spiritual growth, you cannot walk in the fullness of what God has designed for you.

A child cannot handle the inheritance of his father.
Even though he is the rightful heir, he cannot step into authority until he matures.
The same is true spiritually — you cannot manifest your purpose in God unless you grow.

Someone said earlier, “I know I was created for a purpose.”
Yes, that’s true. But to fulfill that purpose, you must grow into it.

That’s why the Lord is discipling you — through His Word, through teaching, and through revelation — so that you may know Him personally.

You are not called to know God in me or in your pastor or in your religious leader.
You are called to know God in yourself.

If your knowledge of God only comes from what you read in the Bible, you only know about Him — not know Him.

To know about someone, you can read their biography.
But to truly know them, you must walk with them — see how they act, speak, and respond in real life.

When you spend time with God — in prayer, meditation, and obedience — you begin to know His ways, not just His words.
That’s when, even if you don’t hear a voice, you can say,
“I know what God would have me do here, because I know His heart.”

That’s the difference between knowing about God and knowing God.
The Pharisees knew all the Scriptures — they were experts in the Law — but they did not know the God of the Law.
They had knowledge of the words but lacked the life behind them.

Jesus said in John 5:39,

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life;
and these are they which testify of Me.”

They knew the writings — but missed the One the writings spoke about.

In your life, there may be knowledge about God — but that doesn’t mean you truly know Him.
That’s exactly what the Lord Jesus was addressing in John 5:39–40, when He spoke to the Pharisees.

He said,

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life;
but these are they which testify of Me. Yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life.”

What does this mean?
The purpose of the Scriptures is to lead you to Christ — they testify about Him.
But the Scriptures themselves are not Christ.
Christ is a living Spirit, a real Person — the One the Scriptures speak about.

So, reading the Bible gives you knowledge about Him, but you must come to Him personally to receive the life He offers.
Eternal life is not in the letters written on the pages — it is in Jesus Himself.

And this is what the Lord is doing today: drawing us into a personal relationship with Him — not just to know of Him, but to truly know Him and experience His power.

Now, returning to the Gospel — which is our topic today.
Although this message has been taught many times before, we encourage you to keep your heart open.

Because even if the topic remains the same, the revelation is new every time.
The Word of God is alive and new every morning.
The moment you start to feel “familiar” with the Word of God — thinking, “I already know that” — you have missed the spirit of it.

That’s why humility is essential.
Without humility, you cannot learn from God. Pride blocks revelation.

The Gospel is the spiritual message of God, contained in His Word, sent to mankind on earth.
This message reveals the mind and heart of God toward humanity.

Earlier we asked: “How many of you prayed to God today?”
Many said yes — meaning you believe in the power of God.

But what is the power of God?
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).

So, brethren, take note of this:

The Gospel is the solution to every problem of mankind.

Every issue, every need, every brokenness — the answer lies in the Gospel.
Many of us pray:
“Jesus, help me with this. Lord, fix that. Father, do this for me.”
But we often lack understanding that the solution is already in the Gospel.

What is the Gospel trying to accomplish in your life?

It is to repair the separation that sin caused between you and God.
From birth, sin was found in us because of a corrupted foundation inherited from Adam.

David said in Psalm 51:5,

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

This means that every human being is born with a sinful nature — a broken foundation — which is why Romans 3:23 says:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We are all born with a foundation of sin — that’s why the Bible says in Romans 3:23,

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Sin is what creates separation between humanity and God.
And this separation is the root cause of all suffering, confusion, and hardship in life.

The Gospel comes to remove that separation — to reconcile us to God and bring us back into His presence.
When you receive the Gospel, it begins to restore what sin destroyed.

The Gospel does not just deal with your outward circumstances; it begins its work within you — in your spirit man.

Now, who is your spirit man?
The spirit man is the real you — your inner being, your soul.
On the outside, you have flesh and blood.
But on the inside, you have your soul — the spirit man — that is your true self.

That is where true healing begins.
That is where the solution to life’s problems starts — not in the flesh, not in your job, not in your surroundings, but in your spirit.

Many of you try to figure out life — asking, What’s next for me? What’s my purpose? What should I do next?

But here is the truth, brothers and sisters: You are not meant to figure out your life.
Why? Because your story has already been written by God.

Your life is like a completed book — already authored and published by God Himself.
Your task is not to write the story, but to ask the Author to reveal it to you.

So instead of saying, “What should I do next?” ask God,

“Lord, what have You written about me?
What does the next chapter of my life say?
What is Your plan for me in this season?”

But you cannot access such revelation until you receive the Gospel deeply into your heart.
Because the Gospel — as we said — is a spiritual message from God.
It comes to reveal mysteries — about God, about His purpose, and about you.

The truth is, you are a mystery.
You may think you know yourself, but in reality, you only know the physical version of you — the outer shell.

Just like a tree — you can see the trunk and the leaves, but you cannot see the roots that hold it in place.
Or like a house — you can see its beauty, but not the foundation beneath it.
That unseen part is where the real strength lies.

The same is true of you.
What you see in the mirror is only the outer form.
The real strength — the real you — is hidden within, in your spirit.

You cannot understand your spiritual nature through human reasoning, self-reflection, or intellect.
That’s because spiritual things cannot be understood by the natural mind.

As 1 Corinthians 2:14 says,

“The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

No matter how intelligent you are, your brain cannot process the Word of God.
You may understand it intellectually, like a philosopher or a scientist reading the Bible — but without the Spirit, it remains only information, not revelation.

Revelation only comes when the Spirit of God opens your understanding.
That’s when His Word becomes life in you — transforming you from within.

There are people — atheists, scholars, even scientists — who have read the Bible.
They can tell you what the Bible says, they can even quote scriptures accurately.
But they don’t believe it. Why?
Because they process it with their minds, not with their hearts.

The Spirit of God did not reveal it to them.
They approached the Word as mere information — not as revelation.
And the Word of God can only be spiritually discerned.

Unless the Spirit of God opens your eyes, you cannot truly see.
The truth of God’s Word remains hidden — concealed from the natural mind.

Think about this: every night you go to sleep and wake up in the morning.
But can you explain what happened while you slept?
Who was awake? Who was at rest?

The one who sleeps is your body, the physical man.
But your spirit man never sleeps.
Spirits do not sleep.

So if you are a spirit living in a body, it means that even when your physical body rests, your spirit continues to live, to move, to exist in the spiritual realm.
But are you aware of it? Are you conscious of what happens in your spirit?
No — not unless God opens your eyes.

That is why the Gospel comes:
To open your eyes, to reveal mysteries, and to help you understand who you truly are.

Because as we said earlier — you are a mystery to yourself.
You spend your life seeking things that should actually be seeking you.
You pray for things that you should be praying against.
You chase after what God never intended for you.
Why? Because you lack the knowledge of what truly matters.

You can be a believer — a Christian, even a faithful churchgoer — and still live in spiritual blindness.
That’s why in the Book of Revelation, chapter 3 (verses 17–21),
the Lord Jesus wrote to the church saying:

“You say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’
but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

They thought they were doing well — praying, worshipping, serving —
but spiritually, they were miserable and empty.

So the question is: What is the condition of your spirit man today?

You might say, “I’m saved. I have peace. I have the joy of the Lord. I’m blessed. I’m highly favored.”
And those are beautiful confessions — but are they true of your spirit?

Because when we talk about your spiritual condition, it’s like looking in a mirror.
When you see a blemish on your skin, you take action to clean it.
Likewise, your spirit man may have blemishes — scars, wounds, or stains from sin —
but unless God opens your spiritual eyes, you may never know they’re there.

When you come to Christ, He gives you His Spirit.
That Spirit begins to reveal what is going on inside you — not to condemn you, but to heal you.
Just like Jesus did in Revelation 3: He exposed the church’s true condition so they could be restored.

Many people are active in church — reading the Bible, serving in ministry, singing in the choir —
yet their spirit man is starving, weak, and blind.

This is why we urge you: seek spiritual understanding.
Do not measure your relationship with God by material blessings.
Physical healing, financial provision, open doors — these are wonderful, but they don’t define your relationship with Him.

Remember the multitudes that followed Jesus on earth?
They saw His miracles, ate the multiplied bread and fish, and received healing —
but at the end of the day, they denied Him.

They experienced His power, but never knew His person.
They saw the miracles, but missed the relationship.

Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables,
but He explained the meaning only to His disciples —
because only they sought to know Him, not just what He could do.

The others heard the parables, ate the bread, felt the power —
but never experienced the transformation of His Word in their souls.

So ask yourself: when your physical life ends, and only your soul remains,
will you have a relationship with Christ that lives beyond the flesh?

If not, today is the day to begin.
Ask the Father:

“Lord, open the eyes of my heart.
I want to know You — not just in word, but in truth and in spirit.”

Many believers today have grown comfortable and passive in their walk with God.
Why? Because He blesses them. He provides for them. He answers their prayers.
And so they settle — satisfied with the benefits of God,
but unaware of the depths of His calling on their lives.

Don’t be comfortable where you are.
Seek to know God in His Spirit.

Because when you become too familiar with hearing about God,
you may stop listening for God.

And if you cannot hear His voice,
how then will you ever represent Him?

Today is the day to begin seeking God more deeply.
Desire Him. Cry out to Him and say:

“Father, I want to know You more in my soul.
Open the eyes of my heart to see You — because it is my right as Your child.”

Many of you have grown comfortable and passive in your walk with God.
Why? Because every time you call, He answers.
He provides for you — so you’ve become comfortable.
But you don’t realize the height of His calling upon your life.

Don’t stay where you are.
Seek to know God in His Spirit.

You’ve become so used to hearing sermons, reading the Bible, and attending fellowship
that you no longer listen for His voice.
You can talk to Him in prayer — but can you hear Him speak back to you?

If your Bible were taken away today,
could you still recognize the voice of your Father?
If you were out in the world, away from every church and preacher,
could you still represent Him?

That’s what God is working on today — something deep.
He’s empowering your spirit man
so that you can know Him intimately and represent Him boldly.

In the coming classes, we’ll go deeper into the revelations of the Gospel,
but let’s begin with an introduction.

The Gospel reveals the love of God.
As written in John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

How did God show His love?
He gave.
He didn’t just say, “I love you.” He proved it by acting.

If you say you love God, you must also prove it — by obeying Him.
The Lord Jesus said in John 14:15,

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

And again, in John 15:14,

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

So, if you claim to love Jesus, you will talk about Him.
If you truly love Him, you will not be ashamed of Him.
As Paul said in Romans 1:16,

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.”

That’s why Paul went everywhere preaching the Gospel.
Yet many believers today are bold enough to ask strangers for directions,
but not bold enough to tell them about Jesus.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:32–33:

“Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father in heaven.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father.”

So, if you love Him — speak about Him.

Let us pause and reflect:
What have you learned tonight?
What will you do with what you’ve heard?

Because it is not the hearers of the Word who are blessed,
but the doers of the Word.
You have heard — now you must apply it.
Only when you act upon the Word does it release its power in your life.

The Word of God is alive and powerful.
It created all things.
But unless you apply it, the power remains dormant.
You’ll keep praying and begging for things that should come naturally —
because the Word has not yet taken root in you.

So what have you understood tonight?
And what will you do to make the Word real in your life?

As one participant said:
“There’s a big difference between believing in God and obeying God.”
Yes! Even the devil believes — but he does not obey.
That’s what separates true believers from mere confessors.

Therefore, I encourage you:
Study what you’ve heard.
Meditate on it.
Apply it personally.

Don’t compare your walk to others — not to other Christians, not to your pastor, not to your friends.
Ask yourself:

“Do I obey God?”
“Where am I lacking in obedience?”
“Lord, help me to obey more. Empower me to represent You.”

Because representing God is your personal calling.
It’s not a group effort — it begins with you.
When I represent God, and you represent God, together we manifest His presence on earth.

So take responsibility for the Word you’ve received.
That’s how it will work in you.
That’s how it will transform your life.

As the Lord said in Matthew 6:21,

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Is your heart with God?
If it is, it will show in your desires —
and your desires will show in your prayers.

So examine your prayers.
Are you asking mostly for physical things — or for spiritual growth?
There’s nothing wrong with praying for your needs,
but what do your prayers reveal about your heart?

Before the next fellowship, take time to pray:

“Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart.
Open the ears of my heart,
that I may encounter You more deeply.”

Because that is where the power of God begins to work in your life.

Let us now pray together:

“Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your Word tonight.
Open the eyes of our hearts.
Awaken a new hunger and thirst for righteousness within us.
Reveal Your love and truth to us.
Help us not to remain children,
but to grow into mature disciples who can represent You.
Give us boldness to speak of You, to testify of You,
and to draw others to You.
Seal these words in our hearts with Your blood,
and let nothing take us away from You —
and nothing separate You from us.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.”