Dear Brethren and Friends,
A warm welcome to Tabernacle BP Church Gospel Worship Service today. Thank you for taking your precious time to be with us and we want to assure you that your time spent with us is worthwhile and meaningful. You may be wondering why your friends, who are Christians, are so insistent and persuasive to invite you to Church today. Well, I would like to share with you this question “What is a Christian?” and then you will know why we are so keen to share God’s love with you.
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
First, do you know who is a Christian? When this question is asked, you can expect some very different answers. Some will say they are Christians because they were baptized or their family is a Christian family. Others may say they attend Church regularly. Some may even claim they are Christians because they keep the laws of God. Others may believe that being a Christian is purely by calling Jesus their Lord outwardly with the profession of their lips. But the Bible reminds us, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
What, then, is a Christian? Jesus gave the answer to this question : “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This answer is so simple and yet baffling to many. Nicodemus, a religious and respected leader of the Jews, thought that Jesus was referring to a physical birth and was puzzled as how one could enter into the mother’s womb and be born again. He missed the point.
What Jesus spoke of was a Spiritual Birth. Spiritual Birth is the work of God in making alive the spirituality in us. There must be a radical change that takes place in the nature of a person who is born again. It is not a bodily change nor is it an attitude change. All these are purely superficial changes. Similarly too, your temper may change for the better, but this does not amount to be born again. You may turn over a new leaf, but the fact is by nature you are still a sinner. Improvement and rehabilitation can never amount to you being a new creature. The same sin which has been with you, will still reign in you, though it may have assumed a different garb or it may use another voice.
All these superficial changes will not suffice you, and if you are in Christ and to be born again, you must posses a radical change in your nature : “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your whole old nature must be changed and transformed such that it gives way to the new. Only then, you are a born-again Christian. Someone gave an apt description of such a nature change in a person who is a born-again Christian :
“Once he could see not beauty or excellence in the Lord Jesus Christ, he could not understand some pastors speaking so much about Him. Now he would tell you that Christ is the pearl of great price, the chiefest among ten thousand, his Redeemer, his Advocate, his Priest, his King, his Physician, his Shepherd, his Friend, his All.”
“Once he cared only for this world, its pleasure, its business, its occupations, its rewards. Now he looks upon it as an empty, unsatisfying place, an inn, a lodging, a training school for the life to come. His treasure is in heaven. His home is beyond the grave.”
My friends, Jesus says, “Ye must be born again!” Are you? When you are truly born again in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will find the true meaning of life and have the answers to life’s perplexing questions: “Who am I?” , “Why am I here?”, “Where will I be going?”. May you experience the true joy of being born again today by repenting of your sins and putting your faith only in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life for sinners in dying on the cross for our sins.
Elder John Leong
The Announcement of the First Christmas
Text : Genesis 3:15
December 24 is Christmas Eve, the night our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, 2003 years ago. As for Singapore it has been celebrated since early November by the commercial world for the mighty dollar. To witness to the truth we should all the more celebrate Christmas and spread the good news like the shepherds that God has come to save a lost mankind.
Such wonderful news to a lost mankind God had given was at the very dawn of history. After Adam and Eve our first parents sinned and with sin came death, God announced the seed of the woman, the Virgin-born Son, not the seed of man, of a human father, would crush the head of serpent and it will bruise His heel. The Virgin-born Son of Mary, Jesus, will destroy Satan and Satan will hurt Him for a time, but Jesus will triumph over him by rising from the dead.
It took over 3,000 years when the coming of the Virgin-born Son was announced again to King Ahaz, a wicked king of Israel , and after another 700 years before this Event, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Why should not God celebrate with such a mighty breakthrough of the angel and heavenly hosts praising the Lord God Father Almighty? It had taken God full 4,000 years to send His Son into this sinful world to save us. Now for the Church to celebrate today and Dec 24 is the very least. In some places in Indonesia the celebration in many forms takes a full month. Our singing of the old Christmas carols is the most powerful way. We should sing them with all our might.
Secondly, peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Christmas attracts even non Christians to come to church. On such a great and happy occasion, no matter how sinful you are, God makes a great amnesty offer to you. Humble yourself like the shepherds, bow down with gifts like the three wise men to worship Him, the Virgin-born Son of Mary will receive you. You who have come with your Christian loved ones. Accept Jesus as your Saviour and He will cleanse you from your sins and save you from hell to heaven. Go and bring your friends and you will further be blest. This is what peace on earth and goodwill toward men means. Amen.
(Adapted from http://www.febc.edu.sg/assets/weekly2004/weekly12.htm)
SEVEN RULES FOR DAILY LIVING by Jonathan Goforth
The following rules for daily living were made by Dr. Goforth in 1894 and written on the fly-leaf of his Bible :
1. Seek to give much – expect nothing.
2. Put the very best construction on the actions of others,
3. Never let a day pass without at least a quarter of an hour spent in the study of the Bible,
4. Never omit daily morning and evening private prayer and devotion.
5. In all things seek to know God’s Will and when known obey at any cost.
6. Seek to cultivate a quiet prayerful spirit.
7. Seek each day to do or say something to further Christianity among the heathen.
(from Goforth of China by Mrs. Rosalind Goforth. Appendix p. 355-356.)