| Life B-P Church Weekly - 22 April 2007
Scripture Memory: Walking with God.
VERSE : Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man,
what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly,
and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
* * *
O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness
22 April 2007
8.00 am Worship Service:
Rev Colin Wong (Lessons from Ephesians)
10.45 am Worship Service:
Rev Frank Low (Lost and Found)
6:00 pm Rehoboth Evening Service:
Rev Charles Seet (The Life of the Prophet Elisha)
29 April 2007
9.00 am Combined Worship Service:
Rev Colin Wong (My Role As A Lifer)
6:00 pm Rehoboth Evening Service:
Rev Wei En Yi (No Rest on Labour Day)
* * *
KNOWING CHRIST
"And he [Paul] trembling and astonished said, Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6)
Many people have mistakenly looked upon Christianity
as just another religion, comprising a set of beliefs and practices.
Genuine Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship with Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Saviour. No one becomes a Christian by joining a
Church or by being involved in some Christian activities. One must
personally come to know and experience Jesus Christ in his life to be a
Christian. And this personal experience is not a one-off affair but it
involves a relationship that lasts and grows in his lifetime.
There are some Christians who profess to believe in
God but in their lives and daily conduct they live as if God does not
exist. They proclaim Christ and yet that knowledge has no influence and
impact upon their lives, their outlook or the whole of their behaviour
and conversation. They have a theoretical understanding of God and an
academic interest in the things of God. They attend Church or
participate in religious activities as a matter of duty; it is entirely
external and mechanical. In Singapore, many people go to Church every
week but really how many of them have been changed and transformed by
God’s Word to be more Christ-like?
This is the whole object of Paul’s life: "That I may
know Christ" (Phil 3:10). This knowledge of Christ is not merely
theoretical; it is to know by personal experience so that one can
enter more deeply and intimately into this blessed experience of
communing with Christ. Do you really know Christ? This is the crux of
all that we do – cultivating a relationship and experiencing Christ in
our lives, daily and under every circumstance. The Christian life is
about a living and meaningful relationship with Christ. It is possible
to read and believe the Bible and yet our hearts are cold and there is
an absence of this living realisation of God in our lives. There are 3
aspects of our relationship with Christ, as exemplified in the
conversion of the apostle Paul as recorded in Acts 9:1-16:-
Before We Knew Christ
Paul was a very eminent and well-qualified person
before his conversion, before He knew Christ, as he reflected on his
life (Phil 3:4-6):
th
day after birth in accordance with the covenant of God made with
Abraham, signifying him as one of God’s people;
- he was of the stock of Israel, a descendant of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and an heir to God’s covenant with them;
- he was of the tribe of Benjamin, a tribe
distinguished by the fact that it gave Israel her first king, Saul,
and the tribe that aligned itself with faithful Judah;
- he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews; this contrasts
him with the Jews who embraced Greek culture;
- he was concerning the law, a Pharisee; this tells
us that he was of an elite sect, who were noted for their rigid
devotion to the law of God;
- he was, concerning zeal, persecuting the church;
Paul was an active fighter against them, even in his blindness to God;
- he was, concerning the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless; which shows that Paul had achieved the standard of
righteousness which was accepted among men, though this standard fell
short of God’s holy standard.
In summary, if anyone could lay claim to pleasing God
by law-keeping and personal merits, it would be Paul. He was far more
qualified than his peers to make such a claim. BUT HE DID NOT KNOW
CHRIST! (cf Acts 9:4-5) He was persecuting Christ, not knowing Him.
He was missing the most important Person in his life and endeavour. He
was misled and misguided, and placed His confidence and trust in the
wrong things. He thought he was doing all the right things, but he was
going the wrong way.
Likewise, we may have everything that this world
affords us (rewarding career, academic achievements, material
possessions, social status, etc.), but if we do not know Christ, we miss
it all! We may have accomplished much in the sight of men but if we do
not know Him, we are but poor, wretched sinners chained by the yoke of
sin. If we do not know Christ personally, we have missed the mark! We
have gone the wrong way! For the Bible warns us, "For what does it
profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
(Mk 9:36)
When We Know Christ
If we want to know and experience Christ in our
lives, like Paul, we must learn to first surrender our lives wholly unto
Him for "he (or Paul) trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6) We must first empty ourselves of our
pride, accomplishments, acts of self-righteousness, etc. To invite Jesus
to take control of our life requires us to forsake our own ways and
submit ourselves wholly unto Him. Have we? The Word of God promises that
we will have eternal life through Christ who died on the cross for our
sins. But we must believe with our hearts and confess with our mouth and
through our lives, that we are sinners in the sight of God, that Jesus
died on the cross for our sins, and that we have to ask Jesus to take
complete control of our lives, and to surrender and submit ourselves
wholly to Him.
The real failure of many of us is our failure to
surrender ourselves wholly and unconditionally to God. God is merely an
insurance cover so that we will get to heaven and then we go on and live
our own lives independently of His control. God wants us to realise Who
He is and our utter dependence upon Him daily. God does not want our
opinions about Him; He asks for our heart and our wholehearted
submission. We can give God our money, but if we do not give of
ourselves, it is of no value. The whole essence of true religion is to
KNOW Christ. It is not simply to know things about Him, nor is it to
have certain views about life. The essence of Christianity is to know
Christ personally. And we cannot know Him unless we have first yielded
and surrendered our lives unto Him and He is in control of us.
How do we know Paul had come to know Christ? Paul
PRAYED! (Acts 9:11) This was the first time Paul really prayed aright
because it was a prayer accepted by God. Prayer is a sign of spiritual
life. Prayer suggests a fundamental relationship, that of communion with
God. Paul communed with God after he came to know Christ. Communication
is the basis of every relationship. People who never talk to each other,
never grow very close together. When we know Christ, there is now a
relationship. Previously we were dead in sin and dead people do not
communicate. But now there is life and communion with Christ.
How is our communion with Christ? Paul puts his
personal relationship with Jesus Christ at the very center of
everything; he will joyfully accept the loss of all other things for
that personal relationship. Paul had indeed suffered the loss of all
things that he might gain and know Christ. And because Paul knew Christ,
he could renounce his own righteousness and live by the righteousness
which was from God by faith (Phil 3:8-9). This is the only way to know
Christ – come to Him "trembling", and recognize our need to be saved.
After We Have Known Christ
When and after we have known Christ, our whole life
will be transformed. For Paul, his life was changed, for he became a
servant of Christ (Acts 9:15). A real work of grace in our heart will
always lead to a real change in our life and character. Saving faith
necessarily involves the relinquishing of what previously occupied the
heart, the rejection of what formerly was trusted in, the abandonment of
all that is opposed to God. It involves the denying of self and the
forsaking of old companions and habits. It was thus with Moses, who
"refused to be called" (any longer) the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Heb
11:24).
If we are in Christ, we are a new creation, a new
man. There must be a change in us as if we are a new person, a different
person to others. It is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us
(Gal 2:20). We now live, not to ourselves, but to Christ. The lives of
believers are to reflect the reality of their salvation. As Christians
we must live in obedience to God’s Word and will. Previously, we were
slaves, servants to sin; now that we are resurrected with Christ, we
become servants to God. Previously, we had given ourselves
wholeheartedly to sin; let us now give ourselves equally wholeheartedly
to the service of God. If we know Christ, He will be the focal point in
our lives, and in all that we do, we want to do His will and please Him.
Are we living for Christ or for this world? It is so
easy to be caught up and lose our souls to the things of this world, be
it our job, family, hobbies, the TV or Internet, etc. No wonder our life
is so directionless. Do we know Christ? If yes, our lives will be
changed. He will change us. May the words of this hymn remind us of the
urgent need to KNOW and to SURRENDER to JESUS:-
Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use
every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
at Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
— Elder Beng Kiong
* * *
Notice of Annual Congregational Meeting next
Lord’s Day, 29 April 07, at 10.45 am sharp
All members of Life B-P Church are reminded to attend
this meeting. The combined English worship service begins at 9.00 am.
Besides bringing the agenda and other documents, please remember
to bring along your Member’s card.
* * *
Vacation Bible School 2007
Theme: Son-shine In My Soul!
For kids in K1-P3. (5-9 yrs old)
30 May-1 Jun ’07 (Wed-Fri)
9am - 12.30pm
Register at front entrance or online:
www.lifebpc.com/vbs
Closing date 6 May 2007.
Sign up your child or bring a friend. Teachers and
helpers needed.
* * *
1) Gospel Tract - "Knowing God": Copies of this new
tract are available at the front counter of the sanctuary.
2) Family Worship at the home of Mr & Mrs Teo Kian
Guan, Friday, 27 Apr, 8 pm. Address: 20 Springside Green,
S786913, Tel: 6552-3313. Speaker: Quek Keng Khwang.
3) Easter Photographs: Those who wish to obtain
photographs that were taken at the Sunrise Service and Easter breakfast
on 8 April may order a photo CD ($1.00) from brother Earl Poon,
90213113.
4) MP3 CD of CARE Ministry by Rev Goh SF and Joshua
(SS Adult Class) by Eld Ng BK are now available at $1 each. Kindly place
order with Reformed Tape Library.
5) Youth Retreat 2007, 11-12 May (Fri-Sat) at
New Life B-P Church.Theme: Bow The Knee. Speaker Rev Jack Sin.
Registration closes today. Contact lifeyf@gmail.com.
6) Life BPC Bible Camp 2007: 11-14 June 07 at
Harris Resort, Batam. Registration for the camp has closed. Please check
the camp notice board for 3 alternatives.
Preaching appointments: Rev Seet at Philadelphia BPC, 9.00am. Rev
Wong at Senior SS Dept, 9.30 am.
* * *
Results of Scripture Memory Verse Programme Review
Exercise No. 1
We congratulate the following who have achieved a
score of 90% and above:
1. Analiza Payot
2. Andrew Lim Ian Chung
3. Angela Tan
4. Chiam Tok Ling
5. Claire Tan
6. Daniel Tan
7. Deborah Tan Hui Yi
8. Flora Lau Seck Hong
9. Hannah Choi
10. Hayley Yap
11. Helen Teo
12. Jamie Koh
13. Jamie Kok
14. Jodi Vizcarra
15. Karen Chan
16. Lee Hock Chin
17. Leong Li Peng
18. Leong Sow Mun
19. Leslie Tan
20. Loi Huey Ching
21. Mercedita A.Talucod
22. Nathaniel Goh
23. Ong Phei Hong
24. Peh Siew Kuan
25. Russell Joel Indran
26. Sim Mong Eng
27. Sim Siew Hoon
28. Sonnyluz G. Orpilla
29. Tan Khoon Lee
30. Tan Ming Song
|
