Sermon Text: Psalm 93:1–5
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 3rd November 2024
Sermon Text: Psalm 93:1–5
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 3rd November 2024
1 Timothy 4:13
13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
This is the apostle Paul’s exhortation to Timothy concerning how he should fulfil his pastoral duty, as the apostle would be away from the church at Ephesus for a while. This exhortation defines the main tasks of anyone who enters the pastoral ministry of the church. The Greek verb translated as “give attendance” is a present active imperative; hence it issues to all the ministers a continuing command. The duties delineated in this exhortation ought to become every pastor’s way of life.
In Greek, the word for “give attendance” (proséch?) is often used as a nautical term to refer to controlling a ship to sail towards a definite direction. Paul’s emphasis here is that Timothy should see to it that his ministry in the church is heading towards the fulfilment of the tasks mentioned hereafter. Every pastor must prepare himself to effectively carry out the Scriptural duties outlined here.
The first duty of a pastor that is mentioned here is “reading”. It could mean either private or public reading of the Scriptures. The private reading of the Scriptures is of great necessity in preparing oneself for the next two duties of “exhortation” and “doctrine”. This duty is necessary for one to be thoroughly furnished for the work of a pastor to which one is called. Scripture is the fount of all wisdom and spiritual knowledge that a pastor ought to have in carrying out his pastoral duties. Though Timothy had known the Scriptures from a child and had been trained up in them, he still needed to give diligent attention to the reading of them. The continual careful reading of the Scriptures is of utmost importance to a pastor’s faithful and effective ministering of God’s Word in the church. He must also ensure that the Scriptures are read in the public gathering of the church, for everyone’s edification.
The pastor’s next two duties of “exhortation” and “doctrine” (or teaching) refer to the public expounding of Scripture to the advantage of believers. “Exhortation” (parákl?sis) is the act of encouraging, comforting and also admonishing from the Word of God. “Doctrine” denotes the teaching and instructing of the church from God’s Word. His duty is thus to disseminate and explain the Scriptures to edify the believers, defend the truth against all opponents, and refute errors and heresies contrary to them. To these duties, every minister of the Word should give his unreserved attention.
Our sovereign God calls individuals to church offices so that they may lead, guide, and build up the church according to His divine will. Scripture clearly affirms this divine appointment and the establishment of godly leaders to serve His purposes within the body of Christ.
We thank God for providing Gethsemane with faithful and capable men to lead and nourish the church according to His Word over the years. Let us also praise the Lord for the ongoing work of His Spirit among us, preparing those He has chosen for leadership in the coming three years. It is crucial that we, as a congregation, pray for those standing for election to the Board of Elders. Your support and prayers are integral to the election process.
Below is a summary of the candidates’ prior service in our church. While not exhaustive, many of you are well-acquainted with their dedicated service to the Lord as committed members and seasoned leaders over the years. Let us continue to commit them and their families to the Lord, praying that they remain humble and diligent in their lives and ministries, and be effective instruments in His hands. Our prayers can support them in being faithful and zealous in fulfilling His purposes.
Since 1990, Pastor Koshy has been preaching God’s Word in Gethsemane, and was ordained as the Pastor of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church in 1994. Since 1999, he has been leading the Church Session as its Chairman.
His primary areas of ministry include preaching and teaching God’s Word during Sunday worship services, Tuesday prayer meetings, and various fellowship gatherings, seminars, retreats, and camps of Gethsemane B-P Church. He regularly offers pastoral counselling to members and worshippers, and leads the Pastoral Visitation Ministry. Additionally, he provides pastoral supervision and leadership for the Bible Witness Media Ministry, serving as the editor of the Bible Witness Magazine, and overseeing The Gethsemane Care Ministry and all church fellowship groups. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Gethsemane Bible Witness Limited (GBWL).
He also actively trains men for ministry through the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) and Gethsemane Bible Institutes in the Philippines, Ethiopia, and India. He conducts lectures on Theology, Book Studies of the Bible, and other topics for GBI Online. Pastor Koshy also holds a special course in Pastoral Biblical Studies for those in preaching and pastoral roles. He maintains correspondence with our missionaries, and visits our church’s mission stations from time to time.
He is married to Carolyn, who serves the Lord by assisting him in church ministries and providing her services in various ministries like GLF, Bible Witness Web Radio, GCM, etc.
They have three married children: their eldest son, Pr Cornelius, serves as a preacher of the Word in our church, leading youth and choir ministries. Bro. Andronicus works as a media personnel with the Bible Witness Media Ministry (BWMM). Sis. Dorcas is married to Pastor Sujith Samuel, and they serve in Vizag, India. Pastor Koshy is also blessed with four grandchildren: Theophilus, Ahava (children of Cornelius and Abigail), Olivet (child of Andronicus and Esther), and Jedidiah (child of Sujith and Dorcas).
Since Gethsemane BPC’s inception in 1988, Elder Mah has been serving in the leadership of Gethsemane as an elder. He served as the Chairman of the Church Interim Committee till 1994, and of the Church Session (1995-1999).
He has laboured in various leadership roles at Gethsemane, such as Clerk-of-Session, Leader of Gethsemane Encouragers’ Ministry, Finance Committee Member, Building Committee Member, etc.
He teaches God’s Word in Catechism Class, Seniors’ Ministry, and The Gethsemane Care Ministry. He takes leadership in organising the Newcomers’ gatherings from time to time. Elder Mah has led several mission trips to places like Kuching, Pangasinan, Cebu, and India. He also serves as worship chairman on Sundays, and renders his advice and help in many areas of church administration. He has also been serving in GBWL’s Board of Directors as its Secretary.
He is married to Lean Choo. She has been serving the Lord in GLF’s committee for many years, and participates in many of our fellowships and ministries with Elder Mah. They have two children, Melissa and Matthew. Melissa serves the Lord in BWMM, and Matthew serves in the GCM committee and other areas of the church ministries. Matthew is married to Fidelia, and they have two children, Ethan and Kate.
In 2008, Elder Ng and his family joined Gethsemane B-P Church. Prior to that, he served as a deacon in Sharon BPC (1978-2002) and as an elder (2002-2008). He also served in Sharon BPC as a Sunday School teacher and as its Superintendent.
Elder Ng was elected as an elder of our church in 2013. In the Session, he has served as the Treasurer. He has also served on the committees of Gethsemane Adults’ Fellowship and Gethsemane Men’s Fellowship. He co-labours with Pastor in the leadership of the Pastoral Visitation Ministry, and actively participates in the Gethsemane Seniors’ Ministry.
He also serves as worship chairman on Sundays, and renders his advice and help in many areas of church administration. He is a member of GBWL’s Board of Directors.
His wife, Sis Dorothy, and their two daughters, Sarah and Sharon, are also members of Gethsemane BPC. Sarah is married to Samuel Yong, and they both actively serve the Lord in our church. Sharon, who was married to our late missionary Dominino dela Cruz Jr, serves the Lord in our midst, together with her son Nehemiah.
Elder Francis and his family joined Gethsemane as members in 2008. Before that, he was a member of Life B-P Church (since 1988), and True Life B-P Church (2003-2007). Upon joining Gethsemane, he rendered his services in various church ministries.
He became a deacon in Gethsemane in 2011 and diligently served in the Session till 2021. He has faithfully served in the Session as the Clerk-of-Session and also as the Treasurer. He has been a member of the church’s Finance Committee.
He has served as the Camp Master in annual church camps, and is currently leading the committees of Gethsemane Adults’ Fellowship and Gethsemane Men’s Fellowship as their Advisor. He also leads the Gethsemane Defenders’ Ministry. He has also served along with Elder Mah in several past mission trips to our mission fields.
He sought theological learning through FEBC and graduated with a Certificate of Religious Knowledge in 2008 and a Certificate of Biblical Studies in 2010. Elder Francis has co-laboured with Elder Alan Choy to teach in our church’s Catechism Classes for the applicants for church membership.
He served as a Project Owner on the Gethsemane Media Centre’s building renovation committee, and is now a member of GBWL’s Board of Directors.
His wife, Stephanie, and their four children, Sarah, Michelle, Samuel and Moses, worship and serve the Lord in Gethsemane BPC, and actively participate in various fellowship groups and ministries. Sis Sarah is married to Jordy Kay, who serves on the GCM Committee. God has blessed Elder Francis with two grandchildren, Elias and Ansel.
Elder Low Boon Siang was saved and baptised in Gethsemane in the year 2001. As he grew spiritually, he served the Lord in various fellowships and ministries of the church: Youth Fellowship; Ushers’ Ministry; Young Adults’ Fellowship Committee; Audio-Visual Ministry; Men’s Fellowship Committee, and Church Camp Committees. He served the Lord in the Fundamental Christian Ministry of NTU and NIE (2006-2008), and the B-P Combined Youth Conference Committee (2007-2008).
Upon his election as a deacon in 2015, he was appointed to be a member of the Finance Committee. He helped to organise the 5th Missionary Conference held in Kuching, Sarawak. In the Church Session, from 2017-2019, he served as the Treasurer, and from 2019 to 2021, he served as the Clerk-of-Session.
As an elder, he actively led as an Advisor to the Young Adults’ Fellowship and Ushers’ Ministry. Since 2021, he has served as BOE’s Secretary and as a member of GBWL’s Board of Directors.
Through part-time studies, he has pursued theological training at Far Eastern Bible College and obtained the Certificate of Biblical Studies (CertBS). He teaches God’s Word to our children in Junior Worship and GCM, and regularly contributes to BWTV’s programmes for children.
His wife, Hui Lin, and their three children, Christopher, Caleb and Claire, are active members of Gethsemane BPC, and they participate and serve in many fellowship groups and ministries.
He was saved in the year 2000 through a tragic event, when his son of 8 years old, Vance, suffered a massive brain haemorrhage and was hospitalised in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He was led to the Foochow Methodist Church (FMC) by the 88-year-old Mdm Lim (mother of a good friend of his wife, Chow Lin), who was instrumental in his salvation. She ministered to Dn Ah Sang’s family while Vance remained critically ill. He was baptised on June 11, 2000.
In 2005, a former drug addict and FMC’s pastor together invited him to share his testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ in prison. By God’s grace, he has since served faithfully in the Prison Ministry.
Dn Ah Sang and his family became members of Calvary Pandan BPC on July 4, 2010. He served two terms as a deacon from 2013 to 2019, during which he oversaw the Visitation Ministry and actively served in the Ushers’ Ministry.
Since January 2010, he has pursued part-time theological studies at FEBC, where he has accumulated 84 credits and graduated with both a Certificate of Religious Knowledge and a Certificate of Biblical Studies. Additionally, he regularly attends GBI courses to deepen his theological understanding.
His family was led to join Gethsemane BPC on November 25, 2020. In Gethsemane, he regularly and actively participated in various fellowship groups and prayer meetings. He was appointed a deacon in Gethsemane BPC for 2021-2024. As a deacon, he served on the Pastoral Visitation team and was tasked with leading the Missionary Conference (June 2024). He also co-labours with our preachers and brethren in the Prison Ministry every Tuesday afternoon.
His wife, Sis Chow Lin, regularly participates in GLF and GAF. His son, Vance, also eagerly joins the prayer meetings, GAF and GMF with his parents, despite his severe health complications. As a family, they support the nomination of Dn Ah Sang as an elder of Gethsemane BP Church.
In preparation for his candidacy as an elder, the Board of Elders (BOE) conducted a comprehensive written examination and interview with him, covering all essential doctrines and practical matters. The pastor and elders have also provided him with guidance on effective service as an elder at Gethsemane. Having found him eligible according to Scriptural guidelines, the BOE has approved Dn Lim Ah Sang’s nomination as a first-time candidate for eldership at Gethsemane BPC.
1 Timothy 4:12b
12b But be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Though Timothy was a young man, he had been given a very responsible task of being a minister of God’s Word. His close association with the apostle Paul and the other early church leaders as a devout disciple, had equipped him for the solemn tasks required of a minister of God’s Word in Ephesus. His appointment was not haphazardly carried out. Even after his appointment, the apostle Paul paid attention to encourage him to rise above his fears and struggles to be an excellent minister of Jesus Christ.
Timothy was here challenged to be an “example” to God’s people. Paul used the Greek word tupos, which means “model” or “pattern”. Artists often use a model so that its features may be reproduced in his work. A tailor will usually lay a pattern on top of the material and cut the material to match the pattern. Likewise, a Christian leader ought to be an example for the people of God to follow. His life should demonstrate how one should live a life that pleases the Lord.
Paul then exhorted Timothy to be exemplary in six areas of spiritual life which are pertinent to Christian leadership. Firstly, “in word”. A Christian leader’s speech must be exemplary. His words and attitude in speech must be worthy of emulation. Secondly, “in conversation”. A Christian leader’s conduct must be exemplary; it must be built upon biblical principles. He must be a model of biblical living. There must be a sincere concern for personal and pervasive holiness in all aspects of the leader’s life. Thirdly, “in love”. A Christian leader ought to love others. It does not mean he must tolerate everything without discernment. Love is best expressed through serving others according to God’s truth and holiness. Fourthly, “in spirit”. A Christian leader must exhibit the control, leading and filling of the Holy Spirit. Every servant of God must seek “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). Fifthly, “in faith”. The Greek word used here can also mean “faithfulness”. His faith in the perfection, authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures is inviolable. His message and life must show his absolute confidence and loyalty to God’s Word. Sixthly, “in purity”. The Greek word used here (hagneía) refers not only to sexual chastity, but also the intents of heart. When one’s heart is pure, one’s behaviour will also be pure. A Christian leader should never adopt a lifestyle that his people should not practise.
1 Timothy 4:12a
12a Let no man despise thy youth.
From these words of Paul, it is clear that Timothy was then a young man, though no reference to his exact age is found. He was ministering God’s Word to the church in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). It was an enormous task to be a pastor, particularly to a large and vibrant church like that in Ephesus. It must have been a tall order for the young Timothy. It is apparent from Paul’s words in this epistle that he was ploughing his way through the difficulties he faced in the ministry.
Some people in the church must have been hard to deal with. They might not have accepted him as a leader and teacher due to his youthfulness. So Paul advised Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth”. Paul wanted him to give no occasion for anyone to accuse him as a frivolous, facetious young man. He ought to act in such a way that men will respect him in all aspects as a minister of the Word. His habits, his mannerisms, his practices and his demeanour should be above reproach. No occasion should be given for anyone to despise him, or to perceive him as an indiscreet, unwise, unsuitable person for the ministry of the Word.
A man in the ministry must see to it that he conducts himself in a manner worthy of the office to which he has been called. The respect that he receives is closely attached to his conduct and abilities. Such respect is not attained by “acting big” or bragging about one’s credentials, but by humility, prayerfulness, faithfulness, friendliness, industriousness, cheerful countenance, practical wisdom, etc.
Paul’s counsel to Timothy was meant to mould him to be a “good minister” (1 Timothy 4:6). His corrections and instructions were for his betterment. In fact, Paul had a high regard for Timothy. In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul commended Timothy as “our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:2).
Every Christian young man who desires to progress in his Christian life and service must be open to godly counsel from mature Christian men around him. It is a great blessing to have a godly man with biblical knowledge and plenty of experience in the Lord’s work to provide necessary correction and counsel. Young men who are submissive and willing to be corrected and instructed, will make excellent progress in both life and ministry.
1 Timothy 4:7
7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
It was with profound concern for Timothy’s pastoral ministry that the apostle Paul had written this epistle. Instructions concerning a faithful and fervent pastoral ministry abound in this epistle. Timothy had just been instructed in the previous verse that “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” In other words, it is the declaring of God’s truth and being nourished in His Word, which make one a good minister.
But there will always be challenges to one’s commitment to the truth that must be decisively dealt with. So Paul admonished, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables”. “Fables” are myths or folk tales that are not founded on facts; “old wives’ fables” denote legends and folk tales, such as those found abundantly in heathen religions. There were also many Jewish fables which were contrary to the Word of God. Paul calls them “profane”, for they are blasphemous or impious in their character. They are devoid of truth and godliness. In 1 Timothy 1:4, Paul warned, “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” To Titus, he wrote, “Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth” (Titus 1:14).
Paul’s counsel to Timothy was to “refuse” them all. Christians must not entertain any unbiblical, superstitious stories. They have nothing to do with such baseless stories. Giving heed to such vain stories will have severe consequences. In 2 Timothy 2:16, Paul warned, “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” Paul further warned that in the last days, many “shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:4).
Not only should one refuse such unprofitable, unfounded stories and claims that are being circulated, one must also “exercise thyself rather unto godliness”. Instead of wasting our time and efforts in conversations and friendships that corrupt us, we ought rather to pay attention to that which tends to piety and holiness. Let us seriously consider our progress in true godliness and give ourselves only to that which advances our piety.
James 1:8
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The Greek words used by James for “double minded man” can be literally translated as a man of double souls. To pursue Christ and the world is to pursue both good and evil, which divides and defiles all the good in oneself. A believer ought to be single-minded in his allegiance to God. He cannot be divided in his loyalty to God. If a man who claims to be a believer is always in two minds, he will prove himself to be hypocritical.
The church in Corinth had many who lived a “double life”, which was sharply rebuked by the apostle Paul. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
Sadly, many attempt to live a double-minded life in these days. They try in vain to blend contradictory pursuits of carnality and godliness, faith and doubt, the flesh and the Spirit, self and God, the wisdom from above and the wisdom from the earth. Double-mindedness will severely mar one’s life. One’s life will be smeared with stains of divided loyalties. If a man would ask God in prayer for a favour but would not submit to His Word, let him not think that God would accept his prayer. He who prays without surrendering to God’s will is disingenuous.
The apostle James says that such a life “is unstable in all his ways”. Unstableness of the double-minded man is not merely in regard to prayer, but in respect to “all his ways”! His character, conduct, friendship and all other pursuits of life will show his instability in faith and devotion. Although such a person claims to trust in God, all his ways will show otherwise.
Many such may profess to be Christians and claim to seek God in prayer, but their fickleness and instability will consume their lives in all respects. If a true Christian has been living without wholehearted devotion to God, he must repent of the folly of his double-mindedness and return to God at once! Why should such a person expect anything from God through prayer? Let every Christian yield to God with genuine, undivided faith so that God’s wisdom, favour and assurance may always attend his ways.
James 1:6
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
To obtain any favour from God, there must be faith in the asker. How can a person ask in faith if he has no faith in God? How can he ask in Christ’s name if he believes not in Him? Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
It is also crucial that the request made befits the faith in the Lord Jesus. If one has no good grounds to believe that God will be pleased with the request, then it would not be asking in faith. Scripture says in 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us”. In fact, asking for things that are inconsistent with Scripture is sin.
Faith in God also means submission and obedience to His good will. If we ask for anything from Him, let it be with a willing and ready heart to remain submissive to His answer. We must not ask with a covetous and grudging spirit, but rather with a quiet heart resolved to yield to His will. We must not be self-seeking but God-pleasing in our desires and requests.
Our faith in the wisdom, goodness and faithfulness of our God should fortify our assurance that whatever be His answer to our request, it will be certainly for our good and for His glory through us. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Asking in faith also means being fervent in our prayers. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). By our continual asking for a matter that is in our mind, we do not weary our gracious and compassionate God. He knows it is because of our total reliance upon Him that we return repeatedly to Him with prayers. Has not His Word reminded us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)? Jesus also said in Luke 18:1 “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint”.
Thus, we must be unwavering in our faith in God when we pray. Let there be no hesitancy nor doubting. Otherwise, like in a troubled sea, our hearts will be filled with doubt and anxiety. So, let us commit our needs and troubles in prayer to God with utmost confidence and assurance.
1 Timothy 2:8
8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Paul, having introduced himself in the previous verse as one who is ordained to be a preacher, an apostle and a teacher of the church (cf. v. 7), now exercises his apostolic authority to give more directions to Timothy, who was ministering to the church in Ephesus (cf. 1:3), concerning prayer in church gatherings. In the first seven verses of this chapter, he had already instructed that prayers be offered on behalf of all people, including kings and people in authority.
The apostle instructed “men” to “pray every where”. The phrase “every where” in the original Greek text is literally “in every place”. Paul was saying that men should pray in places where they met together for worship, hearing of God’s Word and prayer. Their meetings were often held in large rooms of houses that belonged to church members.
In such public gatherings, the apostolic instruction is that “men” ought to pray. Paul uses the plural form of the Greek word an?r, which refers to an adult male person. He did not use the generic Greek word ánthr?pos, which means mankind in general. Obviously, Paul here refers to males, as distinguished from females. When the church come together and it is time to pray, the men ought to do the praying. Now this is the apostolic emphasis. This instruction was very much in line with the Old Testament practice in the Jewish synagogue that only men were permitted to pray in their public services. It is apparent from the following section of this chapter that Paul’s insistence here on men praying in church gatherings, was because some women in the Ephesian church had challenged the male leadership in matters of prayer, teaching and leadership.
As for the men, they should offer prayers, “lifting up holy hands”. Though Paul here mentions the lifting up of hands as a posture of prayer, many prayer postures have been mentioned in other parts of Scripture, such as standing (Genesis 18:22; Matthew 6:5), hands spread out or lifted heavenward (Exodus 9:29; James 4:8), bowing the head (Genesis 24:48; 2 Chronicles 29:30), kneeling (2 Chronicles 6:13; Psalm 95:6), falling down with the face upon the ground (Genesis 17:3; Matthew 26:39), etc. Whatever be the posture of the body, the praying man must be holy. They must also be “without wrath and doubting”, i.e. without angry disputations and contention.
Dear brethren,
Since the church was constituted and registered, our Annual Congregational Meetings have been times when we reflect with gratitude on God’s blessings and renew our commitment to serving Him with holiness and zeal. As we prepare for the ACM on the next Lord’s Day (Nov. 3), let us pray that we will gather with reverence and gratitude before our God. He has graciously blessed us with His patience, unwavering guidance, provisions, and oversight over the past year, which is a truly wondrous display of His faithfulness to our church. Let us come together with hearts full of thanksgiving and prayer.
As previously announced, the ACM documents, including the annual report and audited accounts, are available on our church website. If you encounter issues accessing them, please contact Dn Norefel promptly.
If you have any questions regarding the report or accounts, we encourage you to submit them as soon as possible, as mentioned in the past two Sundays. This will allow the respective elders to prepare answers ahead of time, ensuring a smooth and efficient ACM.
During this upcoming ACM, we will also hold the election of the Board of Elders, as required by our church constitution, to lead the church forward for the next three years, God willing. We thank the Lord for providing us faithful men to serve as elders. Pastor Prabhudas Koshy, Elder Mah Chin Kwang, Elder Ng Poh Kok, Elder Francis Lee, and Elder Low Boon Siang are willing to continue serving on the Board of Elders, according to the Lord’s call and direction upon them. Additionally, the BOE has approved Dn Lim Ah Sang as a new candidate for the Board of Elders.
We have been praying for these candidates in our church prayer meetings for the last three weeks, and we encourage you to continue praying for them earnestly. Please join us this Tuesday night (Oct. 29) for prayer as we prepare for the ACM and the BOE election. May the Lord’s Word concerning the ordination of elders to set things in order in the church (Titus 1:5), and their role to feed and rule the church (1 Tim 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4), be gloriously fulfilled in our midst – for His glory and for the strengthening of our church’s ministry.
Heartily in the service of the Lord,
Pastor
I thank God for leading me and my family to Gethsemane B-P Church, and for enabling me to serve along with the brethren here. I also thank God for enabling me to serve as a deacon in various areas the Board of Elders assigned me.
Sometime last year, Pastor Koshy, on behalf of the BOE, called and asked me to consider standing in for the office of an elder. With my many challenges, I hesitated, but Pastor advised me to pray about it and talk with my family.
Months of prayer and waiting upon the Lord for His confirmation were difficult and testing. The fear of failing to do the Lord’s work weighed heavily on my heart, especially now that I am no longer young. The growing responsibilities of caring for my ailing son and my wife in the years ahead added to the burden.
During one of the Sunday Evening Teaching Services, I was deeply convicted as Pastor expounded from 1 Samuel 22 on how King David, despite his own burdens while in the cave of Adullam, willingly accepted the additional responsibility of caring for his brethren and all his father’s house who came to him. I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:37 – “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” The good Lord also reminded me that He has delivered and cared for my family through many trials over the past 24 years. It is not who I am but who He is. He is the great I AM that I AM. I must trust Him to do His bidding to serve Him.
The call to the office of an elder is a high calling. As I am relatively new to Gethsemane B-P Church, there is much timidity, a sense of inadequacy and unworthiness in me. The Lord once again spoke to me through Pastor’s daily devotion taken from Jeremiah 1:7a – “But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child…”
The Lord also reminded me how He had seen me through my inadequacy and fear since 2005, when the pastor of Foochow Methodist Church left me alone in the Prison Ministry only after a few months. Being young in faith, I found it difficult to continue in this ministry when external voices discouraged me. The Lord has helped me hitherto to serve in the Prison Ministry and to regularly bring His Word to the prisoners.
Through His Word and the reminders of His glorious works in my life and ministry, I was comforted and strengthened to yield to His calling to serve Him as an elder in Gethsemane BPC. With the Lord confirming His calling in my heart, my resistance wilted, and my heart has been at peace to yield to serve Him along with Pastor and elders of Gethsemane. When Pastor asked me again about my response to the BOE’s invitation to serve as an elder, I shared how the Lord led me to accept the call.
Since then, the Lord has helped me study the Scriptures to write my answers to the questions the BOE has given me on doctrines, my convictions, and my commitment to the Lord and the church if I am appointed as an elder. I thank God for His grace that has helped me to undergo the interviews with Pastor and (later) with the elders. I also praise God for the Biblical instructions and godly counsel I received from them from time to time, which prepared me to serve the Lord in the BOE, if confirmed during the ACM and election.
May God help me to serve Him humbly and faithfully.
Bro. Tan Eng Huat
Deuteronomy 8:2-3: “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
As I look back over the past 40-plus years as a believer, I am deeply thankful for how God has elected and kept me and my family faithfully despite my countless shortcomings and failures. The above passage from Deuteronomy (and also Ps 63:5-7) reminds me of the importance of remembering how God has led me since my conversion, and hence of always being mindful of His longsuffering, grace and mercy, that I may submit to Him and His ways as revealed in His preserved Word. While God’s hand upon me was unbeknown to me in my earlier years, I have become progressively more conscious of the Holy Spirit’s patient guidance and instruction in my later years through the studies of His precious Word. I am thankful to God for leading me to Gethsemane B-P Church, that I may be further moulded through the faithful preaching and teaching of His Word.
When Pastor Koshy told me of the BOE’s consensus to nominate and appoint me as a deacon of the church, I was filled with much apprehension and uncertainty regarding the appropriateness. I could think of multiple reasons why I shouldn’t accept the appointment, namely the brevity of my membership and my personality. Being a reserved and taciturn person by nature, I would require more effort and time on my part compared to the current deacons, who seem gifted with ease of interaction and joy in serving the members of the church. I felt that I am not in the same mould, and would not be able to fulfil the role well. Moreover, I felt that I may not be sensitive or patient enough to meet the needs of others.
I conveyed my self-assessment to Pastor as reasons for declining the appointment. Pastor was moved to speak and counsel me further regarding the BOE’s unanimity in their desire to appoint me. After spending 3 weeks praying, ruminating, and meditating on God’s Word, the Spirit placed this burden on me to accept the nomination and appointment, and convinced me that I should not resist His prompting through the elders. Subsequently, I purposed in my heart to serve Him in this capacity. God has taught me that He will enable His children as He directs them and will reveal His grace and goodness as we step forward by faith and in faith. As I have enjoyed – and continue to enjoy – His innumerable grace, it behoves me to be a good steward “of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Hence, it would be a sin on my part to disobey His calling and will. While I would prefer to serve without the title of “deacon”, however, I should not succumb to my personal preference but to yield humbly to His will. May the LORD enable me to be faithful in serving Him (1 Cor 4:2).
Bro. Lijoy K George
I am grateful to have been raised in a Christian family, where my parents guided me to walk in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ from a young age. It was a simple faith in Christ, nurtured with morning and evening devotions, which laid a strong foundation for my spiritual growth. As Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” My grandfather was a true inspiration to me, demonstrating dedication and purity in life as a true believer.
God’s providence led me to work in Singapore and worship at Gethsemane B-P Church, which was a special blessing. I am thankful for the faithful teaching of our Pastor, which has helped me grow and be rooted in God’s Word. I also thank God for Dn Benny, who has been like a brother to me. Our mutual fellowship, together with our families, has encouraged us all to serve the Lord in Gethsemane BPC. The fellowship has nourished and supported my family as we navigated the challenges of our life.
Learning Covenant Theology has deepened my understanding of the richness of God’s promises and faithfulness to His people, and it helped me to realise how I need to continue to grow in the knowledge of His Word. God has also helped my family grow in faith as we continue to trust in His grace and learn from the Word to rejoice in worshipping and serving Him with the brethren in the church. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
In Gethsemane, the LORD has guided me to serve Him in several areas, and taught me more about service so that I may humbly surrender to His sovereign will always as He shows them to me. God’s work must be done in His way, and all we need to do is submit faithfully to Him. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I also thank God that my family has been a constant source of encouragement and support, even as I had yielded to serve Him wherever He had been directing me thus far.
When Pastor approached me about the role of deacon, I initially felt unworthy of the position. I shared my inabilities and fears. However, through prayerful consideration and encouragement from our elders and Pastor, I have found strength in God amid my imperfections. Their support and prayers have been invaluable, helping me to see that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
The LORD alone is God, and His mercy is sufficient. I trust that He will equip me to serve according to all His will. May the Lord help me always be willing, humble, and ready to fulfil my calling to serve Him for His glory.