SERVING THE LORD TOGETHER IN THE NEW YEAR

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Pet 5:1–11)

The world in which we live is not in good shape. Look at all the political, economic and social tensions and dissensions which will eventually lead to war. Can the world last for another decade?

Despite the global trouble and turmoil, we are reassured and comforted that we have a God in heaven—the living and true God who is sovereign and in control of all things. As we look at the year 2018 which is about to end, do we not see God’s good hand upon us as a church, blessing us especially with Goldhill? We rather call it Godhill to remind ourselves that the place is God’s gift to us to be used for God’s glory and purpose.

What will the new year bring? We pray it will bring blessings. God will bless if we remain true to Him and His Word, true to His will and His way. How to do this? The Apostle Peter tells us how.

Elders to Feed God’s People Faithfully (1 Pet 5:1–4)

The elders (presbyters) refer to church leaders who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1–11. We are a Presbyterian church. We believe the biblical form of church government is the rule of some (spiritually qualified men) and not the rule of one or the rule of all. The elders (especially the teaching elders or pastors) are to “feed the flock of God.” The feeding here refers to spiritual feeding, to feed them with the milk and the meat of God’s Word. Pray for a faithful pulpit ministry with biblical and practical heaven-to-earth messages in all our church services—English, Chinese and Filipino.

It is not only from the pulpit that the people are fed, we also have the Sunday School for both children and adults. The Lord has blessed us with a good number of teachers who are spiritually gifted to teach the children, and many have earned their certificates in religious knowledge or biblical studies from the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC). Our adults are taught by full-time preachers who have their theological degrees from FEBC. As such, our Sunday School students are in good hands. We have such a good spread of Bible-feeding programmes not only on the Lord’s Day but also on Mondays and Thursdays (FEBC night classes), on Fridays (prayer meetings) and on Saturdays (fellowship meetings). Let us take advantage of them for our spiritual nourishment and growth.

Peter also tells us that our service must not be motivated by gain or fame (v2–3). It is not, you pay me then I will preach. If you don’t pay me, I don’t preach. It must be unconditional service that is from the heart, “not for filthy lucre,” not for money or profit, “but of a ready mind” ie always prepared and ready at any moment to serve, not as lords, demanding for this or for that, but as godly examples to the flock.

Those who want to serve the Lord must be prepared to suffer for Him. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt 16:24). We must all carry our crosses. No cross, no crown. Cross first, then crown.

Members to Submit to the Elders Humbly (1 Pet 5:5–7)

The younger (v5) are to submit to the elders. The young here refers to those young in physical and spiritual age. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” (Eph 6:1); “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” (Col 3:20). The 5^th commandment says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Exod 20:12). The Westminster Larger Catechism tells us that your “father and mother” include those who are your rulers and your teachers. If there is no submission of the young to the old, of students to teachers, of citizens to governors, of church members to pastors and elders of the church, then there would be disorderliness and even chaos. Even God the Son who is our Supreme Example submitted Himself to God the Father, and the Lord’s loyal and loving submission to His Father resulted in our salvation.

Remember, we are True Lifers because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible to be 100% perfect without any mistake because it is 100% inspired and 100% preserved by God. The Bible is the sole, supreme and final authority of our faith and practice. We uphold the Verbal Plenary Inspiration and Verbal Plenary Preservation of the Bible (2 Tim 3:16, Ps 12:6–7, Matt 5:18). It is the very foundation of our faith. Look at our church logo: It is the Alpha and Omega—our Lord and Saviour—the all-powerful Living Word, and the Holy Scriptures—the forever infallible and inerrant Written Word. It is in the Living Word and the Written Word that we find True Life.

Our founding pastor—the late Rev Dr Timothy Tow—had led us by the right Word into the right way. We must not forget his good doctrine and example. The Apostle Paul says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Likewise we followed our beloved founding pastor because he followed Christ. We submit to him because he submitted to Christ. And when we humble ourselves and submit ourselves to Christ and His anointed shepherds, He will bless us. If we are proud and rebellious, He will resist us, “for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (v5).

Many a time we worry because the proud oppress us and we think we will lose out if we do not fight back. We worry unnecessarily. We have the secret to victory. It is “the mighty hand of God” (v6). Our God is so powerful, so strong—no words can describe His might. Did He not create heaven and earth? Did He not open the Red Sea? He knows how to take care of His people who humble themselves before Him. So let us trust Him, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (v7). Taking care of us is God’s responsibility. But what is our responsibility? Our responsibility is spelled out in verses 8–9.

All to Resist the Devil Stedfastly (1 Pet 5:8–11)

Who is the devil? Well, he is “D Evil” one. He is evil because he is a slanderer, a false accuser, a liar, a deceiver, a murderer. He is a “roaring lion,” hungry, fierce, strong and cruel. He is a very dangerous predator. He is our adversary, our archenemy. The Christian life is not fun and games, but spiritual warfare. We must always be on our guard. “Be sober and vigilant” (v8) and “resist stedfastly” (v9) are military terms. We are soldiers.

Do come for the Watchnight service. Instead of partying your night away, attend this special vigil service (New Year’s Eve, 10.30pm–midnight). We must be watchful always. As we serve the Lord together, Satan as a roaring lion, will oppose and persecute us who are true to our Lord and His Word and live a life that is pleasing in His sight. We must resist stedfastly all the wiles of the devil by putting on the whole armour of God (Eph 6). We must make sure that we do not compromise our faith, but stand stedfastly in the Lord and in obedience to His Word. We must never give in to the devil. We must press on in the faith. We must continue to preach the truth, teach the truth, write the truth, and live out the truth. We must expose the Deceit and the Wrong of false teachers and false writings that seek to undermine or destroy our faith.

As we battle for the truth, we must not depend on our own strength but on God’s strength. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph 6:12) The arm of flesh is of no use in such a battle. If we use carnal weapons we will be defeated. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph 6:13). The grace of God or the strength of the Lord will make us “perfect” for the fight (v10). He will “stablish, strengthen and settle us.” These are all words of building or construction. Our foundations must be settled, our walls must be strong, our weapons must be sharp.

Summary

How to serve the Lord together as a church in the New Year? (1) Elders must feed the flock of God faithfully; (2) Members must submit to the elders humbly, and (3) all must resist the devil stedfastly. All this must be done with the strength of the Lord. May the Lord help us. Blessed New Year to all. JK