Dear BPCWA worshipper, We had our Triennial elections and Annual Congregational Meeting last Sunday. We thank God for a smooth ACM and also for showing His will in having the Session elected to their respective church offices. Following the results of the election, the ordination of Elder Leong was also conducted before members at the Act of Ordination where Elder Leong vowed and declared his convictions, call, and commitments. Thereafter, the previous BPCWA BOE laid hands to ordain him as an elder. He then received his charge for his office as a ruling elder. With this having been completed, we can install our new Session during today’s service.

I would also like to recap in this pastoral the exhortation that I gave at the start of the ACM from Ephesians 4 for the benefit of all worshippers. When we studied the book of Ephesians earlier, we learned about God’s plan for His church. To do God’s work in the church, the Apostle Paul gave us many instructions about God’s intention for the church, which He loved greatly. For this reason, we are told in Eph 4:10-13 that “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”. The Apostle Paul’s instructions to and about the church were not just so that the people would have a great social environment.  The Apostle was driven and motivated by his deep love for Christ’s church.  The Apostle was very jealous for the church because Christ loved the church. Every member of BPCWA must, likewise, have a deep love for God’s church and must be deeply concerned for the church. Our love for BPCWA must be because it is part of the body of Christ. We must also be jealous for BPCWA like how Paul had a jealousy for the church which was redeemed by the blood of Christ. Having taken our membership vows as members of the church, we must have a collective duty and jealousy for BPCWA. How can we show our deep jealousy for God’s church? By ensuring the following:

Peace and Unity. Nothing can destroy the church as effectively as that which is from within the church itself. We must be concerned about peace and unity in the church because God tells us that we must be “endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). Peace doesn’t happen by chance. Peace needs endeavouring, i.e., putting strong effort into making it happen. We must also keep or guard the peace because there is a strong tendency to fail in this matter. If we love the church, that will be in our hearts. A burden and prayer in my heart is that there will never come a day when there is no peace in BPCWA. There must never come a time of disunity which will cause there to be no peace among the congregation. The worst situation in a church is when the congregation is against the Session. Or the Session is against the congregation. Or the BOE is against the Session and vice versa. We must all have this sense in us that we are one in the body of Christ. It is never about me versus you or you versus me at any point in time. We must all realise and feel strongly that we are all on the same side with God. Satan always wants chaos. We must be ready to put aside our personal preferences and agendas for the bigger purpose of Christ. This must be the first attitude in our hearts, and there needs to be a collective endeavouring to have this happen.

Perfecting myself. The mission of the church is “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12). The people in the church must remember that it is never about pleasing the people, but about perfecting God’s flock. That means the church must fervently instruct and make you mature in Christ. It also means that the church must identify areas where you need to change in order for you to grow to the next level of spiritual maturity. If you love the church, you must understand that that is the duty of the church to be jealous for the spirituality of the body of Christ. It means that you won’t hold grudges that “the facilitator said this”, “the pastor said that”, or “he insulted me” when the instructions are from Scriptures and for your perfection. Someone who loves the church understands that the church exists first to perfect you, not to please you.

Protecting the church. God instructs us “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph 4:14). We have the duty to protect the church against false doctrines instead of introducing them to church. When the church defends God’s truth, we must stand with the church for the protection of God’s body. If you are jealous for God’s church, you will be ready to put aside friendships and relationships that will affect the soundness and safety of doctrines and practices.  If you are driven by a jealous love for Christ’s bride, you won’t feel that sound doctrines and practices divide our friendships or are a nuisance. We must be jealous for God’s truth.

Purity of my life. If we claim to love the church and are jealous for God’s church, the test is whether we want to keep our lives pure. Paul puts it strongly in Eph 4:17 “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind”. The purity of the church is affected by the purity of every individual’s life. If you live a life that is carnal and worldly, then saying that you love God’s church is not consistent with your declaration. Even when Paul spoke about how they should live, it was driven out of his deep love and jealousy for Christ’s body, the purity of the bride of Christ.   

As members of God’s church, we must be people who will keep the peace of the church. If there are leaders who are not concerned about the perfecting of the saints but want to please the people, who don’t have the steel in them to want the church to be pure no matter what it would cost them, then we would rather not have these people. We must protect the church against false teachings and people that will cause problems. We have a personal duty of purity because we love the bride of Christ. May God give us the grace to always love the church and be very jealous for it.  Only when the members are such can BPCWA fulfill what is engraved on the plaque outside our church doors and continue to stand “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:9).

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor