Sermon Text: Galatians 4:21–5:1
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 3rd October 2021
Sermon Text: Galatians 4:21–5:1
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 3rd October 2021
Herein is the last portion of the article based on Jeremiah 23, calling the church to stand up and be counted as “the pillar and ground of the truth”.
In the next 2 verses, we note how intensely God expressed His anger to the unfaithful prophets and people: “Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly” (vv. 19-20). Indeed, who could withstand such fury of the LORD? Before such consuming wrath, we can only plead, “O Lord, have mercy, hide Thy face against our sins.” The LORD again reiterated His strong displeasure of the prophets of Israel in verse 21, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.” The LORD was upset with the prophets for taking the office without being called and appointed by Him, hence His damning denunciation: “I have not sent these prophets”!
A similar phenomenon of an increasing number of false teachers and pastors is seen in Christendom today. Is there a preacher or missionary in this conference who is not sent by God? Is there a preacher who has come by his own will? Is there one sent by the devil? Is there a man here who is considering the office of the church without having a clear calling from the LORD? You might think me to be uncharitable, ill-natured and hurtful in raising these questions. But recall how Jeremiah had to proclaim the LORD’s scathing pronouncement that “I have not sent these prophets”. It was Jeremiah versus the entire association of prophets! It is imperative for all of us to understand that a divine call is indispensable to be a preacher of God’s Word. God must first beckon him, equip him with the necessary gifts and qualities, and then train him in His Word to be a preacher. No one should try to become a preacher, without the LORD’s clear appointment. No one can say, “Trust me, I am confident that I will make it.”
One who is called by the LORD will not only have an inner conviction of God’s call, but also the external evidence of spiritual qualities (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:7-9) and the necessary spiritual gifts (1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). Bible colleges cannot make one a preacher. Rather, Bible colleges can only aid those who are called to gain knowledge through godly and faithful teachers. In this respect, pastors are to be careful not to lay hands upon a man who has not proven his calling. “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22), so wrote Paul to Timothy. I dread the possibility of unwittingly ordaining a person whom God didn’t ordain. Beware of men who rush to become pastors, men who quickly want to put on the “clergy cloak”, even though there is little to prove that they are called. None should pretend that he is called.
Dear Gethsemane churches, let us not delight in the number of preachers we have, but pray that they are called and equipped by God. I would ask all the preachers and missionaries present, to examine whether they are truly in the ministry in obedience to God’s call. Is it because the Lord has called you that you are a preacher? Is your heart led by the Spirit? Or is it your own carnal and materialistic thoughts that teach you what to do? If your heart is not guided by the Blessed Spirit and Truth, you had better step down from your post. Let us also pray that God will prevent us from ordaining a man who is not called by Him. May our “sweat and blood” not go into supporting a man who is not called by God. Do not rush to ordain men into the ministry. Your heart will be broken, and you will be dragged into places and situations that you should never be in. Pretentious, ungodly men cannot lead you into righteousness and truth. They will corrupt you; you will then cry and weep, and howl in great misery. May God be merciful to protect our churches. Let His Word defend us!
My dear friends, let me tell you how we become defenders of God’s Word. When we allow God’s Word to defend us, we naturally become the defenders of its truth. We are not supposed to fight the battle with fleshly means; we fight the battle with the spiritual armour God has given. You do not go up to God and say, “Count on me God, here I am. Look at my strength; look at my intellectual ability. Why don’t you enlist me?” “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). If God has not called you, if God has not given you the armour, if God has not equipped you with skill and ability, how can you defend God’s Word? Unless we let God’s Word defend us, we cannot be defenders of God’s Word. May God save us from the folly of human pride that assumes that we are capable of defending His Word by our own human devices and wisdom! If Gethsemane is ever to be a church that defends God’s Word, then her preachers must be moulded by the truth of His Word, and hence unreservedly yield to it.
Likewise, worshippers and church members must also live according to His Word. In this respect, be watchful! Analyse what you hear in the church, whether it is of God. Many false prophets have gone out! 1 John 4:1 admonishes us, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God”. Having heard from one of our conference preachers about an American pastor caught in an adulterous relationship after being in the ministry for twenty years (how tragic!), we can never let our guard down. Anyone who disobeys the Word and does evil is not a defender of God’s Word. By acting against its counsels and living a compromised life of worldliness, he has instead ridiculed and maligned it, and “thrown it away” for the world. “But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings” (Jeremiah 23:22). It is the duty of the church – even every Christian’s duty – to make sure that the preacher is following God’s Word. This cannot be assumed.
O, may Gethsemane churches arise; repent of our unbelief and disobedience; and pray: “LORD, I am prone to wander. O LORD, defend me, deliver me.” May God defend us, that we may be defenders of His holy name and His truth. Defenders of God’s Word are those who stay under its truths, trusting everything it says and appropriating all its counsels by faith and obedience. They believe, preach and affirm it; they do not question it.
Finally, we do well to remember Paul’s reason in giving Timothy advice on the orderly governing and conduct in the local church: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Blessed be His name! We are not the church of any heathen statue or idol; we are the church of the living God. Just how do we prove that? By being the pillar and ground of the truth! The church ought to show the world the magnificence of God’s Truth by yielding to its authority. God’s Truth rules over us as we submit to its counsels. We in turn, like a pillar, hold up the Truth. In so doing, we are deemed to be defending God’s Word.
In the previous two weeks’ pastoral exhortation, we saw from Jeremiah 23 how those who profess to be God’s people could become miserable custodians of God’s truth and glory. From this account of Israel’s wretched failure to be keepers of God’s Word, we continue to draw more lessons on how we ought to conduct ourselves as “the pillar and ground of the truth”.
In verse 18, the Lord probed the Israelites with these searching questions: “For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?” What an incriminating interrogation! The Lord was challenging the Israelites to prove to Him if they had firmly followed His counsel. But they had exhibited nothing whatsoever to show their unwavering commitment to His counsels.
Those questions will not go down well with churchgoers of our time. They would retort, “Wait a minute! Do we not boldly confess that the Word of God is inspired, inerrant and infallible? Haven’t we affirmed that God has preserved His Word? If we haven’t, then who have stood in the counsel of the LORD? Why question us then? We stand for the Bible, and have perceived that it is His Word. We affirm that not even a jot or tittle shall pass away. Why ask us, ‘who hath marked his word, and heard it?’ Take a look at our Bibles – we have underlined His commandments and promises. We have taken down notes. Why mock us, even though we love His Word?” Similarly, one who is a preacher might say, “I have been trained in a biblical, reformed, fundamental Bible college. I am known as a preacher of God’s Word. I take pains to expound the Bible according to the historical, grammatical contexts of its passages.” Nevertheless, the LORD’s question needs to be answered – “who hath stood in His counsel”? Having heard and known God’s counsel, have you remained true to it?
To be honest, many of us in this congregation ought to mourn over our transgressions of His counsels – “O LORD, we heard your voice and yet we didn’t stand in Thy counsel. We have so often veered from Thy ways. You told us to watch and pray, but we had not obeyed, and had fallen into temptations. Against Thy instructions, we held on tightly to our possessions and refused to give in support of Thy work. You told us to go and evangelise, but we ignored Thy commission. You told us to be a pattern of godliness to Christians around us, but we stubbornly walked in the ways of the world. You asked us to separate from ungodly relationships, but we still continued in them.”
Have you stood in the counsel of the LORD? Have you marked His Word? God is not asking if you have underlined certain verses in your Bible, but rather if you have kept and not forgotten His Word to you. If you were all required to stand up and declare truthfully whether you have kept your pledges made upon your joining the church, what would you say? I daresay hardly anyone among us would be able to say, “I have marked all His words and kept them all.” We have not marked or obeyed all His words. We have not kept our pledges made in accordance to His will concerning us. We have previously said, perhaps with great fervour, in response to His Word: ‘LORD, this will we do.’ So today, God searches our hearts with His piercing questions, “Did you stand in My counsel? Did you mark My Word? Will you defend My Word with your life?”
Kelvin Lim
Gethsemane Children’s Ministry (GCM) thank God for the opportunity to organise a Gospel meeting on the 4th September 2021 at the Gethsemane Media Centre. The Lord has helped GCM to reach out to children, both within and without our church, to come together as instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not” (Mark 10:14b).
Truly, the Lord is good! Since the Circuit Breaker last year, there has not been a physical gathering of children on a Saturday to learn or hear God’s Word. May this be the start of many gatherings of children on Saturdays for the sowing of Gospel seed among the little ones, and to establish the faith of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Secondly, GCM is thankful to the Lord for this opportunity to minister the wonderful Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to children within our church, and their friends. We have a total of 29 children, among whom 6 were friends from outside: Dorcas Choy (8 years old), and her brother, Daniel (11), Michelle (8), Ethan (12), Philip (10), and Amber (4). May the Lord be gracious to use the Word preached for the salvation of souls among the children and even the unbelieving parents of our little friends. Next, we are also thankful to the Lord for parents who brought their children to hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and for children who invited their friends to this event.
Thirdly, GCM is thankful to the Lord for modern technology. Due to the current restrictions of Covid-19 safe management measures, live singing is not allowed. As such, Bro. Elvin led the singspiration session from home via Google Meet, which was broadcast through the PA system in the seminar room at GMC. Technology also played a part during the activity time (conducted by Sis. Abigail) when the children were taught to make a wordless bookmark.
Finally, GCM thank the Lord for the Word! Pastor Koshy preached on “Jesus, the Prince of Peace” (from John 14:27) to both the children and adults. Indeed, only the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, can give peace as the pandemic sweeps through the world causing anxiety and fear among the people. The world cannot calm nor assure troubled hearts, but the Word is able. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, “and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Sermon Text: Galatians 4:12–20
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 26th September 2021
Sermon Text: Galatians 4:8–11
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 19th September 2021
The record of Jeremiah 23 demonstrates to us how those who profess to be God’s people can become miserable custodians of God’s truth and glory. From this account of Israel’s wretched failure to be keepers of God’s Word, we can draw some precious lessons on how we ought to conduct ourselves as “the pillar and ground of the truth”.
Notice how vexed the LORD was when he spoke the words in Jeremiah 23, because the house of Israel and its prophets have failed to remain faithful to God’s Word. His prophet Jeremiah said, “Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD” (vv. 9-11).
Surely, the disobedient and unfaithful men in the church cannot be defenders of God’s Word. When we do not give ourselves to knowing and obeying His Word, we dishonour the majesty of His Word. Indifferent and disobedient churchgoers are actually troublemakers in God’s house. They become agents of the enemy of God in His house. By their disobedient conduct, they promote disorderliness, unholiness and defiance in the church.
My dear friends, I will not neglect to put you in remembrance of the church’s duty to hold up God’s Word by her faith and obedience; that is how the church ought to defend it. We do not have to do anything extraordinary to defend His Word. Just believe all that His Word says and do all that it commands. When the LORD in His Word says to the preacher to rebuke the people’s sins, he should do just that. When the LORD says, “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us”, you should just obey His Word to you! When His Word commands you to stop loving the world, or beware of loving your parents, spouse, children or siblings more than the LORD, you should readily obey it. If, through His Word, the LORD calls you to give up your life’s career to be a preacher, pastor, missionary or a full-time church worker, you must yield immediately to it. If you have done as the Word of God commands you to, then you have defended God’s Word by your life.
When you hear the LORD’s voice and respond to it as the majestic Word of God, you have allowed His glory to shine through you. Thus, you become a faithful servant of God who gives of himself to do what He requires. On the other hand, if you do not align yourself with God’s Word, you are not a defender. You may teach apologetics or theology, and you may even be a theologian or a polemical writer of Christian articles yourself, but if you are disobedient to His Word, you will never be its defender.
Further note some mind-boggling indictments that the LORD has uttered through Jeremiah. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you” (Jeremiah 27:16a). Why would God tell the people not to listen to their prophets? Because “they prophesy a lie unto you” (Jeremiah 27:16b). Moreover, according to verse 16, “they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.” Everyone who speaks out of his own heart and disregards the truth God has revealed, is a “corruptor” of God’s Word. He is a deceiver of God’s people, certainly not a defender of God’s truth, for he gives credence to his own thoughts over God’s thoughts.
The pulpit is not a place for anyone to show off how clever he is, how smart he is, or how witty he is. This is God’s platform; this is a sanctified place! Too many preachers often desecrate this hallowed place by their self-asserting, self-promoting words, which detract from the truths of God’s Word. They are engrossed in showing off their own intellect and self-righteousness, and in asserting their personal authority. They use the LORD’s name, His church and even His Word for their despicable self-aggrandizement. Such men are abusers of holy things, even His Word and the church. They are not defenders, but defilers of God’s Word.
I readily confess my fear that we who are preachers, if not watchful, tend to serve our minds rather than the will of God. When our preaching becomes a showmanship of our intellectual abilities and oratorical skills, we pervert God’s glorious truth. God forbid that we preach to promote ourselves! Our hearts must love God’s truth. We must give all glory, honour and praise to Him. Let every preacher pray that he will not stand in the pride of his intelligence, but utter the words of God accurately in humble obedience, without distorting them. That is the way we defend God’s Word. We must cease from prideful human intelligence if ever we were to be defenders of God’s Word. So let every preacher pray, “O LORD, teach me and make me to know what Thou hast spoken in Thy Word, and let me only declare that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Word.”
In verse 17, we notice that the LORD was angry with the prophets of Judah because they didn’t defend the righteousness and judgment of God’s Word by preaching against the evildoers: “They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” They would say to those who were walking wickedly, “God’s peace be with you”! Instead of rebuking them and proclaiming God’s judgment against their sins, they cheered them on by assuring them that no evil would befall them. God detested those pastors of Israel who spoke words of peace to evildoers.
Because of the prophets’ and priests’ tolerance of wickedness among the people, the LORD had earlier severely censured them: “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD… I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah” (vv. 11, 14). Those religious leaders were men-pleasers rather than God-pleasers. They craved the support of worldly men over God and His righteousness. They permitted and promoted carnal pleasures among men in place of God’s truth, righteousness and judgment. In direct defiance against the Lord’s clear message, they would rather not upset the hearts of the wicked ones among the Israelites!
Jeremiah’s time reminds us of our woeful situation today. Preachers and pastors are increasingly hesitant to rebuke the worldliness and ungodliness in the church. Though many preachers deliver excellent expository sermons with eloquence, scarcely any applies the truth of God’s Word to the lives of the people in order to confront and convict them of their sins. Preachers’ hesitation to rebuke sin has sadly resulted in the worsening moral condition of the churches of our time. As few men on the pulpit today rebuke sin and exhort people to a modest, chaste and holy life, should we be surprised that evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, even in churches? Increasingly, we see churches turning into entertainment centres or academic forums, rather than places of transformation of sinful men unto the LORD’s glory.
It is utterly important that in our churches, we are committed to urge one another unto purity of life through the obedience of God’s Word. If we develop an accepting attitude towards those living wickedly among us, by rationalising thus: “O let us not make a fuss about it. After all, you know, people are prone to err”, we despise and defy the glory of His Word that demands repentance from evil ways and consecration towards godly living. Do not forget, God hated the prophets for despising His truth when they refused to reprimand the wickedness of Israel. By not insisting on Scripture’s demand for personal holiness, they poured contempt on its holy commands. They thus failed to defend the demands of Scripture. The preacher’s hesitation and refusal to denounce sin is a direct challenge to the authority and wisdom of God’s Word.
If we are ever going to be defenders of God’s Word, let every man, who is the head of the family, nurture his family according to God’s Word. Let him also pray, “O LORD, sanctify us by Thy Word. Sanctify me, sanctify my wife, sanctify my daughter and my son.” Let every man, every family and every church wield God’s sword to fight off every sin. Let every preacher, every elder, every man and woman, every youth and every child in the church resolve to fight off sin according to His Word. Nothing glorifies God and His Word more than our willingness to battle against sin and falsehood.
Sermon Text: Galatians 4:1–7
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 12th September 2021
(Sermon starts around 38:00)
(In the coming weeks, we will be republishing the extracts of a sermon preached by Pastor Prabhudas Koshy during the 4thMissionary Conference (June 23-27, 2014).
Will it surprise you that some of the worst attacks on God’s Word have come from within the church? When non-churchgoers, who make no claim on the Christian faith, attack or despise the Bible, we could “turn a blind eye” without being unduly perturbed. But when those who call themselves Christians – even leaders and pastors of churches – disregard, disrespect and detest the truths of the Bible, the Bible and the church at large are under severe attack! In times like these, the church must consecrate herself and muster her strength to defend the veracity and authority of the Bible. No other institution on earth has been appointed by God to declare and defend the Word. It is the church which God has commissioned to be the custodian of His Word. As is mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:15, “the church of the living God” is “the pillar and ground of the truth”. So the church should not fail to recognise her duty to declare and defend the Word. It therefore behoves us to approach this topic with the correct mindset and attitude.
At this juncture, it is imperative for us to consider whether we need to defend the Word of God at all. Is not the Bible able to defend itself? Is it not powerful enough to defend its truths against its attackers? Or is the Word of God so defenceless and destitute that we need to render our help to defend it? So, when we say that we need to defend the Word, are we not making the Bible look weak? After all, the Bible teaches us to “defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy” (Psalm 82:3); but nowhere does it say, “Defend the rich and mighty”.
Moreover, does not the Bible teach us that God is our Defender, and His Word a shield unto His people? In Zechariah 9:15, we read, “The LORD of hosts shall defend them”. The LORD is the Defender of His people! Psalm 91:4says, “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Is not the Bible an unfailing, impregnable bulwark by itself? How can we defend God’s Word, when we can’t defend ourselves? Since we ourselves need to be defended by the truth of God’s Word, how can we be in a position to defend the Word?
We should not approach this topic as though we have what it takes to defend the Word. Who among us has the power to do so? Can this preacher convince you that you have the power to defend the Word? Make no mistake about it, any careless thinking or conduct towards God’s Word will be like the presumptuousness of Uzza, who stretched out his hand to hold the ark of the covenant when the oxen (pulling the cart carrying the ark) stumbled, and was thereby struck down by the wrath of God (1 Chronicles 13:9, 10). God forbid that I should unwittingly stir you to think that the Word will fail without us defending it. May we not become so puffed up to think that God’s Word will perish without us.
Haven’t you read in Psalm 29:4, “The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty”? What can puny men like us do for the Word of God that is full of divine majesty? Jeremiah 23:29 declares, “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Now, which one of you can break the rock with your bare hands? Whose fist is so strong to cleave the rock in twain? Even if all of us (about 270) gathered here, were to give the hardest blow, will the rock be broken? Dear folks, when we handle God’s Word, whether we propagate, preach or defend it, we should not take glory to ourselves. Our prideful attitude towards God’s Word will destroy us. God’s Word is a consuming fire! It is the hammer that can crack rocks and crush them into powder. Let us be careful how we think of our role with respect to God’s Word.
No preacher, whether he is expounding the Word or conducting an apologetics class in defence of the Word, should ever think that God and His Word are “defenceless”. God and His Word are not powerless nor vulnerable. He is the Almighty; hence, His Word self-enduring. As Isaiah 40:7-8 declares, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” 1 Peter 1:25 also says that “the word of the LORD endureth for ever”.
No one has what it takes to protect the Word. Besides, no man is worthy to take God’s Word in his mouth. Without God’s sanctifying work in us, we are unfit even to utter His Word. “But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?” (Psalm 50:16). “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully”(Psalm 24:3-4). None of us by himself is fit to be a defender of God’s Word. Should the weight of God’s judgment as revealed in His Word come upon us, we will surely perish in a flash!
Therefore, the proper attitude to have is a desperate cry – “Have mercy on me, LORD, that we may serve Thee!” Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in God’s mercy. Let the preacher say, “The LORD has helped me to preach His Word.” We do well to remember Paul’s testimony in 1 Corinthians 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am”; and also in Ephesians 3:7, 8 – “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”. Let all who labour in His church say, “God has shown great mercy to use us.” Let those who give generously and those who sing praises to God in choirs alike say, “We serve God because He has mercy on us, so blessed be His name.” Otherwise, He will detest our self-assumed roles as “propagators” and “defenders” of God’s Word. To get off on the right foot, we must think of going about defending God’s Word with the right attitude.
Lim Joash
Having grown up in a Christian family, I thank God that my parents have faithfully brought me to church since I was young. As a child, I had the privilege of attending Junior Worship (JW), Children's Bible Study (CBS) and the Gethsemane Children's Ministry (GCM). It was through attending JW that I first learnt the truths of God’s Word. Every week, “uncles” and “aunties” in Christ would patiently teach us the Word from particular passages in the Bible. I thank God for the JW and GCM lessons, where I was able to learn many Bible truths, and even for the CBS lessons, where we learnt from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. I learnt that I am a sinner, and that God gave His only begotten Son to save me so that I can have everlasting life (cf. John 3:16), and that I must believe in Him.
As I grew older, I moved on to the English Worship Service, where Pastor Koshy and (occasionally) other faithful preachers would bring us the Word every Sunday. I thank God for their diligent efforts and for the opportunity to learn from His Word weekly. I thank God also that as a youth, I am able to participate in the Youth Fellowship and serve in the Youth Choir. I praise God for the fellowship that I can have with fellow godly youths and for the lessons that I can learn from the older godly youths, through such means of grace.
What led me to make this decision to reaffirm my faith was actually the “Harmony of the Gospels” course conducted during FEBC’s Daily Vacation Bible College in December 2020. Through this course, I learnt much, especially about the importance of defending the doctrines of Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) and Verbal Plenary Inspiration (VPI). Realising how the world attacks the Bible and these doctrines today, it is crucial that as Christians, we do not be swayed by these ungodly men. The Bible is the perfect Word of God, and these doctrines are supported by Scriptural proofs, such as Psalm 12:6-7. Yet more importantly, this course led me to realise how important it is for me to take my stand as a Christian and defend the truth. So, I have decided to take this step to reaffirm my faith publicly and take my stand for the Lord. Thank God for granting me the grace to go through the catechism class smoothly, and I pray that I will continue to grow in the faith and love Him more and more.
Grace Ho
Being born into a Christian family, I regularly attended church since infancy. I had the privilege of attending worship services, prayer meetings, fellowship meetings, children’s programmes, and many other activities organised by the church. From young, I always enjoyed coming to church to learn about God’s Word, and fellowshipping with like-minded God’s children. From my childhood all the way to the end of Secondary 2, I had always believed that I was saved. I would tell myself that since I often attended church, participated regularly and enjoyed coming to church, I was automatically saved. Yes, I had heard about Christ, I had heard about salvation. I was certain that I loved Christ. However, as I became older, it occurred to me that even though I loved Christ and His commandments, I lacked a sort of sincerity. In my heart, I knew that I wanted to be saved. Yet deep down, I knew that I wasn’t, because I still disobeyed God and continued in my wilful ways.
In Secondary 3, I felt God speaking to me in a way that I had never felt before. Whenever I disobeyed Him, I would feel agonised within me. Words cannot express my pain. I was scared of going to hell! Sometimes, I would even have tears in my eyes as I thought of the many times I’d disobeyed and, in doing so, pained God and those around me. From that time onwards, when I attend church, my heart would feel lighter, as if a burden had been taken away from me. Singing hymns, listening to God’s Word being preached, praying to God, all bring into my heart an indescribable joy. The thought of meeting God in Heaven fills my mind frequently. I would anticipate to see God in Heaven. I am now certain that I am saved – for I yearn to learn more about Him, to serve and honour God and His commandments, to obey Him in whatever I do, to be a shining light for Him in this world of darkness. “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
I am extremely thankful for the godly leaders in our church, especially for Pastor Koshy who preaches faithfully to the church. In addition, I am thankful for the elders, deacons and preachers who are always willing to minister to us. In particular, I am grateful for the catechism classes led by Eld Francis and Eld Choy; the classes have taught me much knowledge about basic doctrines of the Christian faith. Lastly, I am thankful for God-honouring parents who never fail to instruct and correct me in the right way.
As a Christian, I purposed in my heart to bear a good testimony in my life. I pray that I will always seek God before acting, and that I will put God as first in my life. I pray that I will be a good testimony to those around me, especially my non-believing friends in secondary school, so that they may see the power of God in my life. Lastly, I pray that I will obey God in all aspects of my life, that I will not allow my earthly desires to take hold of me and cause me to detract from my spiritual duties.
May God keep me in His way! All glory be to God!
Elle Ruth Lee
I grew up in a Christian home with godly parents. I thank God that in our upbringing, my siblings and I were made to attend church every Sunday, to do devotions regularly and to learn and to trust in God.
However, now that I’m in my early teens, I face many challenges and doubts in school. I could see that my classmates are constantly doing ungodly things that contradicted the Scriptures. For a period of time, I was confused about what was right and what was wrong. As I regularly attended Sunday service and fellowship gatherings, by God’s grace, I was able to understand that this was a trial for me. I prayed and acknowledged that this was God’s trial for me. I was encouraged when I turned to the Bible and encountered the verse: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41a). It comforted me and I knew that God is with me, guiding me throughout my testing. From then on, whenever I have a doubt, I would pray silently in my heart for God’s guidance and I could really sense God working in my heart. God is helping me to be discerning and to walk away from that which is ungodly and wrong. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Knowing that my faith comes from God helps me to be firm, and not wavering, in my faith.
I thank God for my family and for the church. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I am saved only through Him. I have accepted God as my own personal Saviour, and I thank God for His goodness and grace upon me. I pray that I will continue to have faith in Him and serve Him fervently.
Joshua Low
I grew up in a Christian family, and my parents have been taking me and my sister to church to attend the different fellowships each week. We would say grace before dinner and prayers before bed. Though life was generally plain sailing, there were times when I really needed God’s guidance and counsel.
I think one of those times was during Primary 6, when I was struggling hard to get good grades and to do well. After getting my PSLE results, I was extremely sad and disappointed. I was confused about how things had turned out. During that disheartening period, I prayed and repented of my transgression (of not putting God first); I realised that Jesus is my only Savior and He is in control of everything. God has always been there to help me whenever I pray for help and guidance, something which I am eternally grateful for. Romans 8:28 never fails to lift up my spirit – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” I am constantly reminded that whatever trials may come my way, I should persevere in Christ and put my faith in Him.
When I first entered secondary school, I had difficulty finding friends. However, after some praying, I found out that I was not the only Christian in my class and soon, good friendships were forged. God has helped me in many ways, and this is just one example of Him helping me. These friends constantly reminded me that we need to always bear a good testimony for Christ to our non-Christian classmates.
One of my favorite Bible verses is John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for our sins, so that we would have everlasting life because of God’s love for us. It clear that only God can save us from our sins and grant us everlasting life. There is no greater love than this. I thank God that I am saved, but I have many relatives, including my grandparents, who still do not know God. I pray that one day, their hearts will soften and accept Jesus into their lives.
To conclude, God has helped me many times in my life, whether it be in studies or understanding the Bible. The only way to honour Him is to obey and worship Him eternally.
Sermon Text: Galatians 3:26–29
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 5th September 2021
(Sermon starts around 51:36)