Today, I would like to publish the gist of the sermon I preached last Tuesday, during the 19th Anniversary Thanksgiving of TGCM and prayer meeting, to benefit all the worshippers in our church. In Matthew 5:14-16, as Jesus addressed “his disciples (who) came unto him” (cf. Matt. 5:1), He declared–“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
This was Christ’s declaration concerning His dedicated followers that they are “the light of the world” (v. 14a). His point was that as He came to the world as the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5), His genuine followers will also act as His light in this world of darkness. Jesus came to give His light to those who “sat in darkness” and the “shadow of death” (cf. Matt 4:16; Luke 1:79). As the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:6–“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Christ, the eternal Light, illuminates us so that we may be His radiant “moons” in this dark world. Through those who have received His light, Christ desires to shine His Gospel light upon many more in this dark world. The apostle Paul echoes Christ’s will concerning all believers in Philippians 2:15-16a, “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; holding forth the word of life …”. Christians are not meant to be quiet, reserved and secluded. Rather, they must actively demonstrate their belief and dedication to Christ.
Christians are to be like a city that is set on a hill and cannot be hidden. Just as a city on a hill cannot be concealed from people’s view, no Christian can hope to live unnoticed. In encouraging believers to be beacons of God’s glorious light in a world shrouded by sin, Jesus is also cautioning them against isolation that hinders God’s glory. Jesus further emphasises this truth by noting that no one lights a candle, only to hide it under a bushel. A lit candle serves no purpose if kept out of sight; it should be placed on a candlestick to illuminate and benefit everyone. It is senseless to hide away a lit candle. A hidden candle benefits no one.
Every follower of Jesus must conduct himself in a manner observable to others, so that others may see it and praise God for it. Every life illuminated by Christ will inevitably bear the fruit of good works. The light of Christ shining through Christians will manifest as visible acts of kindness and compassion, honesty and righteousness, fairness and goodness.
Brethren, let the radiance of your Christian benevolence draw the world to God’s splendour. Our good works are not to win praise for ourselves, but to turn people’s hearts to our great God, who has made us His children so that we may be beacons of His salvation, goodness, grace, and glory.
Report by Rev. Donald dela Cruz
We are currently continuing the construction of the worship hall. We are nearing completion of the walls, which will then fully close up the worship hall. God’s provision is just on time, so we will not get wet as we worship during the coming rainy season. Praise the Lord for the love gifts we received from the Gethsemane B-P Church, Singapore, and the brethren during the Missionary Conference 2024. The sum we received is enough to construct the wall. After the walls are finished, we do not need to transfer our things, as the workers are all from the company of Dn Kyt. May the Lord help the workers as they diligently build the hall. As the Lord provides, our next target will be the toilet facility, and the way side pavement (which will be useful during the rainy season when the surrounding area becomes muddy).
The Church Session has appointed Dn Jumar as the Clerk and Dn Kyt as the Treasurer. Dn Jumar will also be in charge of the Youth Ministry, while Dn Kyt will lead the Children’s Ministry. Both ministries will be under my direct supervision. Thank God for their willingness to serve in these ministries.
The school year has opened yesterday. The group we are affiliated with for the School Missions went yesterday to meet with the principal of Mangaldan National High School, in order to confirm the schedule for teaching God’s Word on their campus. The school is the biggest secondary school in the town, with more than 8,000 students on its enrolment.
The Lord has helped us through amidst the recent two typhoons. Though there was persistent rain for 8 days, the Lord has preserved the brethren, and there was no flooding in our area. Providentially, the Lord also stopped the rain (temporarily) last Sunday so that the brethren could come for worship. All praise be unto the Lord!
