Dear BPCWA worshipper, we will recapture messages 5 and 6 this week. I pray that these reviews will help all remember the key aspects of the messages and rekindle our resolutions that we made at camp during our private reflection times.

The collective witness – the Achan effect. Each individual’s life affects the church’s witness. The “collective witness” of the church refers to its shared responsibility to reflect Christ’s teachings. Because the church is considered one “body” (1 Corinthians 12), individual sins impact the entire community. They can delay, detract from, and even destroy the church’s mission, let alone its witness. They can also weaken its spiritual vitality. This notion of personal sin and its consequences on the community is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. 1) Know that my sin affects God’s church. Sin, while often perceived as a personal act, frequently extends its repercussions beyond the individual, affecting the collective well-being of families, communities, and even entire nations. A clear illustration is found in the account of Achan in the Book of Joshua. Achan’s lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and his pride of life led him to transgress God’s commandments. He thought it was just his own secret sin. After committing his secret sin, he went around as if nothing had happened. But it resulted in Israel being defeated in a small battle. Lives were lost. God made it clear that “Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff” (Jos 7:11 ). It resulted in a corporate judgement of a military defeat where 36 died. Note that God said “Israel” and also used the plural pronoun. You won’t sin if it affects your family. This should be our attitude when it comes to Christ’s family too. 2) I must fear God’s wrath. God takes sin seriously, and so should you. He is the living God, nothing escapes His eyes, “… why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God (Act 5:4). He intends for us, and all the church, to fear when we sin with our eyes clearly opened and not ignorant, “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things” (Act 5:11). Sin affects the entire body of Christ, “. . . Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” (1Co 5:6). 3) I must love God’s church enough to stop sinning. Most of the children of Israel were not interested in their purpose of being a collective witness of God, which was the purpose of God for them to be a nation in the promised land. They were only concerned about their own lusts and would even rather return to Egypt after God had delivered them from their bondage. These selfish lusts resulted in God’s work being delayed for almost 40 years. This resulted in them being useless personally. This resulted in hundreds of thousands dying in the wilderness. When you hold on to your sins, you become useless to God and deprive God’s work of the very resource He delivered you from your bondage to be for His church. Your prayers are not answered because you regard iniquity in your heart. Every time you are tempted to sin, or take sin lightly, remember the negative impact upon the church Christ loves and shed His Blood for to make her pure. But unless you love the church which Christ loves, you will not care. When was the last time you shed tears for your sins, let alone for the church?

Championing for God’s church. 1) Only God’s truth can protect His church. “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1Ti 4:13). The Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to ensure that the doctrine of the faith received focus in the church till he came back. Doctrine must not be neglected in his absence. Doctrinal truth is the pillar of the church. The safety of individuals, and hence the church, is through doctrines, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1Ti 4:16). The truth of God is to be championed by Timothy. Errors were present and must be overcome by the truth. To champion God’s truth is to be an active, dedicated, courageous, and unwavering advocate of biblical doctrine. What is popular in Christianity does not make it God’s doctrinal truth. There were popular ideas among some believers which Paul needed Timothy to correct. Churches and prevalent practices do not dictate doctrines. God’s truth is absolute and unchangeable in itself and hence to be embraced as is, not interpreted according to what is popularly practised. When we do the latter, the individuals and the church will be lost to the world. If we allow the pillar of God’s truth to be diluted, the building will collapse. The church will die and inhabitants in it will also be affected as a result. 2) I must help protect doctrinal purity. Pillar of the truth refers to proclaiming purely God’s truth. Pillarshold up the structure which showcases the building to passersby. Individuals must contend earnestly for the doctrinal truth, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”(Jud 1:3). The church and the individuals are to proclaim God’s truth, not decide on it. The ultimate, infallible standard of that truth remains the Word of God (the Bible), and not the church itself or individuals. Scripture is what we resort to whenever there are conflicts. But to champion God’s truth among our family and friends, we must first know it well, or we will end up proclaiming what man thinks or what our preconceived ideas are. Timothy was told to “meditate” on the Word and “give thyself wholly to them”. We must study God’s Word assiduously with great care, hard work, and persistent attention to detail. We must teach them to our children diligently. You can do these only if you do not give excuses to absent yourself whenever God’s Word is taught in the church. 3) I must be disciplined in doctrinal practices. The ground of the truth refers to the practice of God’s doctrinal truths. Foundations ensure a secure and stable base for the pillar. If the foundation shifts, the pillar shifts with it. The church and you can proclaim the truth but not practise it. This is the most dangerous situation. People will begin to interpret the proclaimed truths by the practices. Godliness is repeatedly emphasised in 1 Timothy. Godliness is about how you live and what you practise, not just about having spiritual conversations. Are you worldly or godly in your living at home, at work, at school and in the church? We must not blindly follow the practices of other individuals and Christians. The test of truth is not based upon how well known and well received the preacher, pastor, or full-time worker is, nor does it matter how big or popular a church is. The acid test is the practice according to the absolute truth as stated plainly in Scriptures, not according to culture or practicality or social norms or majority acceptance. For example, when it comes to the church model, church music, biblical separation, the social gospel, the family model, and the consecrated life, the litmus test is not what others practise or what is common and widely accepted, but what Scripture plainly states in its precepts and principles.

The hymn writer of our camp theme song loved God’s kingdom, prized her heavenly ways, and for her his tears will fall. Do you love God’s kingdom’s work and His church enough to give up your lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life so that His work will not be affected, you will be useful, and God will hear your prayers for His church? Do you prize the church’s purity enough to stay on God’s heavenly ways instead of worldly ways, and change your ways even though they are what you have become used to?

. . . For her my tears shall fall,
For her my prayers ascend:
To her my cares and toils be giv’n
Till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy,
I prize her heav’nly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor