Dear BPCWA worshipper, We continue in this pastoral about the Christian’s service. Christ is concerned about His churches, and He walks in the midst of them (Re 1:13). Our service is observed by Him. As such, we must constantly keep our eyes upon Him in everything we do in church, serve aright, and seek to please Him.

Some key requirements upon anyone who serves in any capacity. 1) Be humble, not selective.  We must remember that service is not our choosing, but God’s. Be content and diligent where God appoints us. We should not seek to serve only in prominent positions in the church. Some are literally “doorkeepers” in the house of God (Ps 84:10) – coming early to open or staying late to close the church doors. We do not need to be specially appointed to roll in the garbage bins from the verge when we see the emptied bins outside, or sweep the piles of leaves outside the church. Everyone can pray and evangelise. Though elderly, we can attend the Fellowships and Bible studies, thereby serving by provoking one another to love and good works too (Heb 10:24). Our gracious God recognizes our service in His body, the Church, as service unto Him – even if it is as simple as offering a drink, or in visitations to those in need (Mt 25:35-40) for His Name’s sake. We can serve God in many ways, even in ways that may not seem so evidently “important” in the eyes of man. Let us remember that “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary” (1Co 12:22) is God’s truth. 2) Bear godly testimonies and do not stumble. Those who serve must be examples to others in their own lives. Timothy and Titus, and other leaders who were called to serve were reminded respectively in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity”, Titus 2:7 “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity”, and 1 Peter 5:3 “. . . being ensamples to the flock”. This is an expectation of anyone who serves. We learned from our theme for this year that we should not stumble other Christians (Mr 9:42). Not stumbling is different from ensuring others think well of us. The latter stems from pride and love for admiration, rather than love for the brethren and God’s Name. Not stumbling is not causing anyone to succumb or be led to sin because of what they saw or learned from your life’s example or speech. If every Christian must not stumble others, this is even more important for those serving in visible positions. This is why all who teach or facilitate God’s Word are expected to sign a declaration form that they will live in practical obedience to our church’s beliefs, such as by practicing biblical separation. Pianists are also to abide by the criteria highlighted in the commitment forms. No one is forced to sign these commitments because no one is forced to serve. But all who serve must abide by these commitments which they make. This annual declaration helps the church to know if any have changed in their beliefs after they were initially appointed to service. Those who do not hold on to our church’s doctrinal position must not serve in such prominent and visible areas, because they can cause confusion and disagreements. This can stumble others or cause others to follow their examples. 3)Have genuine holiness. As we serve, we can merely bear outward holiness and mask our true selves. It is easy to “say the right things” to the right people or even drop hints to tell others how obedient we are so that others will think well of us. To serve acceptably, God expects this of us, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully” (Ps 24:4). Man may not know, but God does. A life of constant sensitivity, readiness to accept correction, and repentance whenever we are aware of sin, gives us clean hands. As for the heart, it must be honest before God. Christ’s walk is our standard. A hypocritical heart that wants to sin will use others to lower the bar and give excuses when their lies are uncovered. Over my years in the ministry, I have heard more than a few Christians justify themselves. They cite peers or prominent people who allow certain sins in their lives or make certain disobedient choices, so it was ok for them to do likewise too. This must also remind us not to be that person who stumbles another to sin. As we serve, we must not only study God’s Word to know what God expects. We must also constantly submit to the Word sincerely. Ultimately, we must serve God without any known sin. This is why Rededication Sunday is a good reminder to serve God in holiness.

Some key requirements upon the church. 1) Exercise prudence, not haste. The church is to “lay hands suddenly on no man” (1Ti 5:22).  It can be tempting when there’s a “need” to fill that “need” with someone. While it is easy to assign service to someone, it can be complicated and challenging to remove the person who turns out to be a misfit for some reason. A square peg in the wrong hole can be difficult to remove once it’s stuck in there! This is especially so when the person is in a key or leadership role. God wisely warns against haste without using God’s Word, proper evaluation, and prayerful consideration, “Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth” (Pr 19:2). 2) Test the characters of those who serve. If we are to “prove all things” (1Th 5:21) and the church is to ensure that a leader is “not a novice” and “have a good report” (1Ti 3:6-7), it goes to say that the church must exercise temperance and make time tested due diligence checks. God puts a strong emphasis on Christian character, especially in key roles, and so must we. I have seen many who came expressing strong support and enthusiasm for the church and its doctrines, overflowing with praise for BPCWA. Yet, as God revealed to His church later, many of these did not stand the test of time. Soundness of faith, reliability, endurance, perseverance, integrity, and tenacity can only be proven through the test of time.  How a person will respond and what a person will do under stress and difficulties reveal much of the person’s true Christian character. 3) Remember it is God’s church. BPCWA must not appoint nor encourage people to serve as if it is their “automatic right”. This is God’s church. Service is spiritual service to a holy God for His kingdom’s work. He expects us to serve in righteousness before Him and according to His ways. Hence, we must not think that as long as we are serving in the church, we have served Him well and that our service is acceptable before Him. Leaders in the church must not be menpleasers. Service must not be assigned to please those who want to be in those areas or to retain them in church, or as a means to gain their favour and support, or to “buy” votes for elections. Service must be based on God’s will, always according to His Word, and with qualifications. 4) Serve aright so that the next generation can serve. How we serve now and who we have serving in God’s church will affect the next generation. What kind of church BPCWA will be depends on how obedient we are to God, even in areas of service. Whether God will continue to be in our midst and is pleased to use us is affected by our service to Him now. As each generation passes, the next generation must rise up in its place. But God’s eternal principle about service always holds true. The next generation will learn from us how to serve according to God’s principles. BPCWA’s ministries and outreaches can only continue with the engagement of God’s people stepping up to serve. The past few pastorals have contained some hard teachings, but it is better to teach in times of peace so that we can sound the alarm if BPCWA starts to deviate in our practices from God’s principles. May each serve in any capacity with holy hands and a clean heart. May each parent be filled with fear as they serve Him. May each child be brought up in the fear of God when it comes to the things of God.  

Ps 24:3-6   Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?  4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor