Dear BPCWAians, This week, we will close up on a relook at our theme for the year. Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”.

Steadfastness in service. It is sometimes said that it is easy to begin something, but seeing it through is often the more difficult part. Children burst out in spurts of energy, but may not be able to have the endurance to sustain through difficulties and challenges. Talk is easy, but walking in it is hard. And so, as a church, we must be committed workers for our Lord’s work. We live in an age where commitment is a rare virtue. It is every man for himself, and if something isn’t going our way, we bail out. But spiritual work will never be easy, and instead, it often gets harder and harder as God may see fit to put trials in our way to test our perseverance for Him in the face of hardships. These difficulties will be part of our spiritual growth, as we depend upon Him and we do not give up on doing what God wants us to do. As a church, we may find the spiritual ground of hearts getting harder, more enraptured with the world. Interest in spiritual things may wane as many get caught up with chasing the glitter of the world. It is easy to get distracted or discouraged, but we must continue to remember this lesson to stand fast.

Unity in service. But in God’s service, we are His spiritual house. God gifts His church with spiritual gifts to serve Him, and God’s work in His church takes many people working together. Firstly, besides being united in the faith of the gospel, we must remember that it requires all of us to work together for it. There is no need for unity if it is only 1 person working. It is God’s design for His church that His children are privileged to serve Him, and that we must do it together in our various roles. And because God intends His people to work together for His purpose, we must have a unity in doing this work. Yet, at the same time, because it is work that is done together, there are even more opportunities for discord, strives and unhappiness…. Which means a greater importance for unity in work, because it is not our work but His work. Secondly, this is in “one spirit”. It must be a solidarity that starts from within us. We can seem to be working together with our hands, but yet not together in spirit. One can apparently be serving together, but the hearts can be brewing with anger and unhappiness. We must be careful of this, because God looks not on the outward, but at our hearts. Let us consciously watch our hearts as we serve together. Are we doing it for vainglory to show ourselves better than another? We can have the same convictions of the faith but still divided in heart. Are we unhappy at submitting to another’s way of doing things? Are we listening to the devil’s whispers and thinking evil of a fellow co-worker without cause? It begins with unhappiness, grows to anger, and we have committed murder in our hearts. Left unchecked, it affects others and causes divisions in the church. Thirdly, we must do it with “one mind”. This means we must be doing it with the same affection and will. Just as in farming, 2 different animals cannot be yoked to work together because they will want to walk their own way. This begins with a common faith and set of beliefs. But it also extends to how things are done in church, who we will work with, and who we will separate from. As the Bible teaches, two cannot walk together except they are agreed. But at the end of the day, there must be a higher principle – we must realise that we are serving God. So, what and how we do things must be based upon what is best for God’s work at BPCWA as a common purpose and objective in our minds. This we do by setting aside our personal preferences, where a lot of differences and friction can occur.

Zealous Service. Finally, God’s work requires us to strive together. This means a readiness to exert oneself. What God desires of each of us is not to give Him our “spare time” when we’ve “nothing better to do”. It often takes a lot of commitment to hard work, discussion, planning, and executing. There is an earnestness that we should serve Him with that is not in a laissez faire manner, with half-heartedness. I thank God for many in BPCWA that serve very fervently. Many personal hours are set aside to further God’s work in their respective roles and areas. Much sweat and toil goes into many of the activities that are planned. Some will put in hard physical labour, others put in much time in organising, and yet others are stretched in playing multiple roles at the same time. We do all these together for the faith of the gospel, not for personal satisfaction or vain glory. If God so wills for BPCWA to grow, then there will be many more things that needs to be done, in more areas. And if so, then we will need more also to come forward and serve as well by helping out in some of these areas in unity.

As we approach the end of 2017, I hope that every worshipper will take some time to examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word. How have we served Him? Have we spent 2017 profitably for Him? How will we commit to His work at BPCWA in 2018? Will you strive together with us for His work at BPCWA?

Must I be carried to the

skies On flow’ry beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor