“Whose Faith Follow”
The year 2010 is the seventh year of True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. The Sabbatical year is a holy year, a year to remember our past in grateful devotion to God. It is a Jubilee because it is a time to rejoice over how the Lord has blessed us all these years.
History
History is important. We must remember our roots so that we might not forget the reason for our existence. This year is the 60th year of the Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore. The first generation have laboured faithfully for the Lord Jesus Christ. A new generation will now have to take on this work of faith without compromise. There is a need for the new generation to know what it means to be Bible-Presbyterian. Young minds and hearts must not only know history, they must also feel history. They must catch the spirit of the founding fathers, what moved them, what drove them. This is the purpose of our Sabbatical Jubilee—“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (Heb 13:7).
Our Founding Pastor
We remember our founding pastor—the Rev Dr Timothy Tow— whom the Lord had called home last year, April 20, 2009 at the age of 88. He was not just founding father of True Life but the whole Bible- Presbyterian movement in Southeast Asia. There are about 40 Bible- Presbyterian churches in Singapore. Life Church is the oldest, and True Life one of the youngest. Yet, we can say we are in principle the oldest since our pastor was the founding pastor himself who resigned from Life to establish True Life according to the founding ideals and spirit of the Bible-Presbyterian Faith, “Holding forth the word of life” (Phil 2:16), “Holding fast the faithful word” (Tit 1:9).
Battle for the Bible
As Bible-Presbyterians, we believe and defend the Bible. The battle for the faith today is still the battle for the Bible! Not all Bibles are the same. Know your Bible. Know which Bible! The logic of faith based on the twin doctrines of Verbal Plenary Inspiration (2 Tim 3:16) and Verbal Plenary Preservation (Matt 5:18) will enable you to recognise and receive the forever infallible and inerrant Scripture —our sole, supreme and final authority of faith and practice. Our faith in God’s Word is sure and certain and not foolish, blind, or agnostic.
It is tragic that there are Bible- Presbyterian churches and schools which do not believe that the Bible we have in our hands today is 100% perfect without any mistake. Instead of believing in the perfect preservation of Scripture, they choose to accept the rationalistic presuppositions of modern textual criticism believing that the Bible today contains mistakes. Textual criticism like source, form and redaction criticism denies all things supernatural and miraculous about the Bible, and is thus very destructive to the Christian Faith.
In obedience to the biblical command of separation, we reject all unclean theories and methods of Bible study. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor 6:17).
Despite the fierce opposition and persecution that we face today because of our faith in the present perfection of Scripture, we cannot but “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
Praise Service Tonight
Besides the Seventh Anniversary Thanksgiving Service this morning, we will have a Sabbatical Jubilee Praise Service tonight at Calvary Pandan. The combined Church and FEBC choir, one hundred strong, will sing a series of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in praise of our good Lord for His Attributes, His Word, and His Church. Do not forget your appointment with the Lord this evening. Come for a blessed time of joyful worship and fellowship. Note that the offerings collected tonight will go to the support of our Palestinian brethren at the Baraka Bible Presbyterian Church in Bethlehem.
Olive Wood Bible
In commemoration of this very special occasion, every member and visitor this morning will get a Sabbatical Jubilee olive wood Bible. The olive wood comes from the Holy Land, made by our brethren in Bethlehem.
Sabbatical Jubilee Magazine
At the evening Praise Service, our Sabbatical Jubilee magazine will be officially released, hot from the press. We thank the Lord for the labour of love put in by the editorial committee headed by Elder J T Joseph and ably assisted by Judith D’Silva. The magazine is aptly titled, “In the Steps of Our Saviour.” It tells why we are True Life. Read all about our life as True Lifers in the magazine, handsomely bound and in full colour. I am sure you will enjoy reading the True Life story, the people whom God had used, what we as a church stand for, and how God can use us in the days ahead. “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth” (Zech 4:10).
May the Lord magnify His Word above all His Name (Ps 138:2). To God be the glory great things He has done!
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What Causes a Denomination to Drift from Its Beliefs?
Dr John C Whitcomb
I have come to this conclusion: there is such a thing as a Second Law of Ecclesiastical Thermodynamics! Every system that has ever been launched in human history by human beings that has quality to it, that has integrity to it, that has something that’s divine in it, through the passing of time, it will drift downward unless acted upon by outside intelligent, authoritative energy.
One of the most fragile, delicate ephemeral systems in the world is the faculty of a theological seminary, where all the professors are in harmony with what God has written, where they are in harmony with Him personally day by day, where they are in harmony with each other.
That is a target of Satan, isn’t it? Because a faculty of men who want to teach the whole counsel of God to another generation (2 Timothy 2:2) will cause a chain reaction that will evangelize the whole world; that’s the Great Commission. That’s the dynamic of it, so it has to be the most prominent target Satan has on this planet.
The same application applies to a fellowship of churches that is in harmony with God and each other—my, show me one that has no deviations or driftings or problems in terms of integrity and faithfulness to the original model and commitment. So God is watching, Satan is watching, and we have to be very conscious, don’t we, of the fact that this is fragile system that has to be daily prayed over, confronted, watched, disciplined, controlled—or it’s going to go down irretrievably, irreversibly.
What are the first signs of this drift?
John put his finger on it with the church of Ephesus: “You have left your first love.” Your doctrine is okay and you still have some standards, but you have lost your first love. Unless you repent, I will come and take away your candlestick. In other words, we need a relationship to Christ personally, day by day. “Lord, tell me this day how to serve You effectively. Guard my thoughts, my motives, every thing I do. I’m answerable and accountable to You.” If we’re not consciously committed to Him day by day, our service becomes mechanical and professional; then we begin subconsciously to drift.
What is the greatest need in our churches today?
From the perspective of the theologian, the greatest need is getting back to God and His Word, getting back to the Bible. You may say, “Well, I’m doing more important things. I’m on the cutting edge of some new philosophy or perspective or principle.” To which I respond by saying, Now just be careful here. If an idea isn’t solidly based on Scripture and Scriptural priorities, it is immediately suspect.
(Excerpts of interview with John C Whitcomb by Kevin Mungons, managing editor of the Baptist Bulletin. For the whole interview, go to http://baptistbulletin.org/?p=9509.)
