Last Wednesday prayer service, we had a good gathering of BC folks and friends from the mission agency organisation, Operation Mobilisation, to be encouraged by the sharing and teaching of God’s Word. OM founder, Dr George Verwer, blessed us with an excellent exhortation taken from Phil 4: 4-9. Not only were we challenged from God’s word, we walked away with many books brought into our midst by the OM Team. We ended the evening gathering in prayers for many of our neighbouring countries like India, Japan, Indonesia, China , central Asia, etc. The hearing of God’s Word whenever His people are gathered is a privilege that we have especially in Singapore.
Last Sunday visiting speaker, Elder Dr Andrew Goh, commented on our pulpit’s schedule of preaching through the books of the Bible. God willing, it’s our desire and plan to cover annuall a book from the Old Testament and another from the NewTestamen. There is a small group of individuals forming our pulpit committee, and they certainly value the prayers support of the whole Bethesda Chapel famil, to ensure that the priority of preaching is not neglected in the midst of pressures of local church life.
Last month, eleven brothers from amongst us, attended a 2 days Preaching Seminar, organised by Eagles Communication. It was a time of learning of the finer details of public speaking as well as encouragement from other senior and seasoned preachers from other churches.
It’s our prayer that more brothers within our assembly will take the opportunity to use the open worship section in our services to encourage others through the exhortation of God’s Word. Luke 8:15 “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience”. Similarly, in the months ahead, we will have new facilitators , helping in our Adult Bible Classes. Do pray along our men and women as they take on speaking engagements at pulpit, Bible classes, and small groups level. Support them in prayers. Make a commitment to pray as a church.
Few months ago, our Faith Ooi , gave me a book, entitled “The Priority of Preaching “, written by Christopher Ash, a director of Cornhill Training Course, a centre where they train preachers and Bible teachers. Today, let me share on some keynotes from a chapter about Consecutive Expository Preaching. Many a time,we have feedback that preaching topics are to be made more relevant and contemporary and should be topical in approach. Am not suggesting that we ought never to preach topical sermons; but rather suggesting that topical preaching ought to be the exception rather than the rule. The following are some of the blessings identified by Christopher Ash in the last chapter of his book, concerning consecutive expository ministry.
1. It safeguards God’s agenda against been hijacked by ours. Allow God to tells us what He wants us to hear. He sets the agenda for our teaching and our learning. Let’s give God the microphone!
2. It makes it harder for us to abuse the Bible by read in it out of context.
3. It models good nourishing Bible reading for the ordinary Christian.
4. It helps us preach the whole Christ from the whole of Scripture.
Let’s trust God’s agenda, not listening and leaning to “relevance, entertainment “. May we as hearers of God’s Word enjoy a week-by-week freshness of content and style. Let’s supplement our Sunday pulpit sermons, our SG bible studies with our personal devotional time in the study of God’s Word and prayers. And let set before them all of Christ in all of Scripture, that we may present them mature in Christ at the end.
Colossians 1:28 (ESV)
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
Elder Andrew Lim
