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G e t h s e m a n eBible-Presbyterian Church
Not my will, but Thine, be done (Luke 22:42)Volume 22, Issue 31
4th October 2009
Clear instructions are given in the scripture concerning how
believers should relate to their pastors. The unity and
effectiveness of a local church are greatly dependant on the good
relationship between the congregation and the pastor. Therefore,
the Lord provided specific guidelines in his Word concerning the
attitude and response of believers to their faithful pastors. It is
important that believers understand and yield themselves to fulfil
the biblical instructions on this matter.
Obey your pastorshebrews 13:17 exhorts all believers, Obey them
that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch
for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it
with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
The Greek word for obedience, peitho, literally means to be
continually persuaded. It emphasises that believers must be ready
and willing to be persuaded by the biblical doctrines and
principles that the pastor proclaims. This thought is further
enhanced as we are also commanded to submit. When these two verbs
are used together, the idea of obedience becomes all too apparent.
so, we are taught in this verse that compliance to pastoral
instructions is required of all believers.
It is also important for us to note that hebrews 13:17 expects
all believers to voluntarily submit to their spiritual leaders. The
exhortation to submit yourselves is a call to make every effort to
subject ourselves to the spiritual leaders whom God has appointed.
submission has to be voluntary on the part of every believer.
Acts 2:3838 Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the holy Ghost.
Our Pastor: Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy (M: 9001 1119, H: 6788 1721,
Email: [email protected])Our Office: 510 Geylang Road,
#02-06, Singapore 389466. Tel: 6741 1910, Fax: 6741 1016
O come, let us worship and bow down:Let us kneel before the LORD
our maker.
Psalm 95:6
Biblical Guidelines on How to Relate to
Your Pastors/Elders - I
Pastoral Exhortation
Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy
Call to Worship Elder Mah Chin Kwang
*O Worship the King (1)* Invocation & Gloria Patri
* Scripture Reading in Unison (John 8:31-36)
Jesus Shall Reign (216)Collection of Offerings
Doxology & Prayer
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (101)Childrens Sermon
Pastoral Prayer & Sermon Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy
Christ, the Liberator (Christian Freedom I)
(John 8:31-36)Holy Communion*At the Cross (178)
* Benediction & Threefold Amen* Congregation Standing
to all worshippersWelcome
Order oF Worship
Scripture Memorization
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2
Our Church Session: Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy (9001 1119), Elder
Mah Chin Kwang (9325 0668),Elder Alan Choy (9853 9556), Dn Arvind
Pawa (9642 8954), Dn Daniel Lim (9385 0371),
Dn Lok Kwok Wah (9022 5508), Dn James Wong (9023 3003) & Dn
Kelvin Lim (8268 2828).
The world may describe submission as weakness; but the Word of
God views it as a spiritual virtue. It is the spiritual power that
restrains all our prideful and rebellious attitudes. It is a very
high and noble virtue, which pleases the Lord. submission of
believers to their godly pastors promotes obedience, righteousness,
unity, peace and joy in the church. In so doing, the glory of the
Lord shall reign.
hebrews 13:17 clearly tells us the main reason why members
should be submissive to their pastors for they watch for your
souls, as they that must give account. Only submissive and obedient
members can receive the full pastoral care offered by faithful
pastors, who minister with their final accountability to God in
view. If you remain obedient, the biblical teachings of pastors
will protect you from sin and falsehood. Furthermore, the biblical
guidance which the pastors give will help you to grow in faith and
in holiness unto the glory of Christ. so let us joyfully submit and
obey our godly pastors.
Bring joy to your pastorsat the end of hebrews 13:17, believers
are exhorted that their attitude towards their pastors ministry
should help them to do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you. The Greek grammatical construction of this
verse clearly expresses this to be a command to all believers that
their responses to and relationship with their pastors will enable
them to truly enjoy their pastoral work.
The church in Philippi brought much joy to the apostle Paul that
he wrote to them, saying, Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and
longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly
beloved (Philippians 4:1). similarly, he
rejoiced and thanked the Lord for the members of the church in
Thessalonica. he wrote about them in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, For
what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye in
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our
glory and joy. Later, he repeated the same sentiments, For what
thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy
wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God (1 Thessalonians
3:9).
If you bring grief, instead of joy, hebrews 13:17 warns us that
it is unprofitable for you. The Greek word translated as
unprofitable does not only imply no advantage or without special
benefit, but also hurtful or pernicious. It cautions us that we
will be hurting ourselves, if we cause grief in the hearts of those
whom God has appointed to watch over our souls.
Remember your pastorsIn hebrews 13:7, believers are urged to
remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto
you the word of God. The Greek word for remember is mnemoneuo,
which brings to mind such ideas as be mindful of, call to mind,
make mention of, to think of and feel for a person or thing, etc.
There are great spiritual advantages in remembering fondly your
pastors preaching, passionate pleading, prayer, private counsel,
and example. Keeping them upfront in your mind will certainly
influence your life to excel in your walk with God, just as they
have done.
(second part of this article will be published next Lords
Day.)
Pastoral Exhortation
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Our Staff: The Gethsemane Care ministry Bro Jerah (9337 2337),
Gethsemane Chinese service Dn Daniel Lim (9385 0371),Gethsemane
Filipino service Pr Dennis Kabingue (9648 0004), Gethsemane
Childrens ministry Pr Kelvin Lim (8268 2828)
Church Office Diana Koh, Bible Witness Dn Kwok Wah, Kenneth,
John, Melissa Mah, Eric & Ruth
Junior Worshippers Devotion
3
John the Baptist listened to Gods Word. John came baptizing with
water in order to identify the messiah for the nation of Israel and
the world. he was told by God: Upon whom thou shalt see the spirit
descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth
with the holy Ghost (John 1:33b). John saw and testified that Jesus
is the son of God (John 1:34). he also declared to the world that
Jesus is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world
(John 1:29). John obediently did what God told him to do, and the
Bible testifies of his obedience. What about you, do you listen to
Gods Word?
Listening is a skill that requires focus and obedience. For
example, during the craft time in the Childrens ministry or Junior
Worship, most children are more excited about the completed craft
which the teacher holds in his or her hand than listening to the
instructions given. When it is time for them to do the craft, the
children do not know what to do with the materials that were given
out. In the end, the teacher has to repeat the instructions, and
more time has to be spent on the Craft session while the Games
session has to be shortened to the dismay of every child. Thus,
listening is an important skill which all of us need to acquire.
how much more when it comes to the listening of Gods Word.
When we do not listen to God and his Word, we will suffer. The
Jews asked John the Baptist to give a reason for baptizing with
water. John told them that God had sent him
to identify the messiah (messiah is the hebrew equivalent of
Christ which means the anointed one), and introduce him to the
people. But most of the Jews still chose not to listen to Johns
testimony. In fact, they chose to suffer the consequences of
sending Jesus to be crucified when they said to Pilate, his blood
be on us, and on our children (matthew 27:25).
Due to their rejection of Christ, the Jews and their posterity
suffered much in both the physical and spiritual sense. They were
dispersed to every corner of the earth and did not have a land of
their own until 1948. They did not have the peace which only Jesus
gives because they do not know him. even to this present day, many
of the Jews are still waiting for the messiah to come, but in vain.
They chose not to listen to John the Baptist and his testimony
about the Lord Jesus Christ. They will not believe that Jesus is
the messiah or Christ whom God had sent, and will not turn to him
for the salvation of their souls.
Children, how about you? Will you listen to Gods Word, and
believe that Jesus is the messiah and turn to him for the salvation
of your soul? many a time,
we suffer the consequences of not listening to our parents
instructions. For example, they often tell us, no climbing or Dont
run! But do we listen
and obey? no, we often choose to reject their counsel. as a
result, we fall down and hurt
ourselves. Is this not true also in the spiritual aspect? Will
you then be obedient to God and his Word?
Do You Listen to Gods Word?by Pr Kelvin Lim
And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then,
if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John
answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one
among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is
preferred before me, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to
unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where
John was baptizing. John 1:25-28
GEthsEmanE YOunG aDults FEllOWshiP
Walk as Christ Walked
speaker: Rev Dennis Kwok Chairman: Bro Beng Wee
Date: Friday, 9th October 2009
time: 7:30pm (Pot-bless dinner)
Venue: home of Bro Jeremy mark & sis meilanie
Block 270 #06-133 tampines st 21
For enquiries or directions, please call sis meilanie (8138
8885) or sis Kamala (9026 0401). Those who like to open
their homes for YaF, please inform sis Kamala.
redeeming the timeannual ChuRCh CamP 200930th November 2009 -
4th December 2009
speaker: Rev Reggor GalarpeVenue: Klana Resort, seremban,
malaysia
Camp fees, including 2-way coach transport:$430 (Single Room),
$320 (Twin-sharing), $240 (Child* with bed), $180 (Child* without
bed).Infant below 4 - free (* Child - aged 4-12 years)Camp
registration forms are available at the reception table. Please
fill in the form, attach a photocopy of your passport and pass them
to Dn Kwok Wah. Please ensure that your passport expiry date is on
or after 5th June 2010 (6 months validity). Closing date for
registration: 25th October 2009
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sunday Collection(september 27 English service)
Tithes: $2,900.00
Offerings: 3,480.75
Building Fund (Ethiopia): 1,000.00
Building Fund (Local): 500.00
Gift: Kenneth Wong (400.00)
Our Place of Worship: SingPost Auditorium (Level 5), 10 Eunos
Road 8, Singapore 408600Our Websites: www.gethsemanebpc.com;
www.biblewitness.com
Mon - Sat Activities October 05 - October 10
TuesdayPrayerGathering(8:00pm)Venue: SingPost Seminar Room
#02-31
WednesdayLunchHourBibleStudy(12:45pm)Venue: Bible Witness Media
Ministry Bookroom (Tel: 6438 0578), Hong Lim Complex
ThursdaySeniorsMinistry(11:00am)Venue: Please contact Dn Daniel
Lim for more information at 9385 0371.
FridayMorningPrayer(6:30am-7:15am)Venue: Church Resource Centre
(For more info, please call Pr Kelvin Lim at 8268 2828.)
YoungAdultsFellowship(Every2ndand4thFriday,8:00pm)Please contact
Sis Kamala for more information at 9026 0401
Satu
rday
ChurchChoir Time:2:00pm Venue: SingPost Seminar Room #02-31
AdultsFellowship
Every 1st and 3rd Saturday, 4pm.Venue: SingPost Seminar Room
#02-31 Annexe
GethsemaneChildrensMinistry
Time:4:00pm Venue: SingPost Seminar Room #02-31Teachers: Sis
Kamala & Dn Lok Kwok Wah
Song Leader: Sis Gan Sheu HoongRefreshment: Sis Lee Kim Lei
GYBHTime:4:00pm Venue: SingPost Theatrette Rm 2Chairman: Chin
Juo Wi Speaker: Pastor Koshy
Topic: Bible Study on The Minor Prophets of the Bible
non-sunday CollectionGeneral Fund: 300.00
Building Fund (Ethiopia): 1,800.00
2010 Ethiopian Assignmenttarget: $500,000.00Collection (as of
27th September): $381,739.92
Please give cheerfully!Let us rise and build!
hasten to complete the work!Strengthen their hands
in the work of the house of God Ezra 6:22
Sunday Activities October 04 October 11Li
ons
Hom
e M
inis
try
(10:
00am
) Venue:
Suspended SuspendedEnglish:
Chinese/Dialect:
Get
hsem
ane
Filip
ino
Serv
ice
(12:
00no
on)
Worship Leader: Bro Eric Delia Bro Eric Delia
Preacher: Pr Dennis Kabingue Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy
Usher: Bro Arnold Diaz Bro Randy Laurencio
Pianist: Bro Josias Pawa Sis Carmen Wong
Refreshment: Sis Daryl Kabingue Sis Emelinda Villardar
Get
hsem
ane
Chi
nese
Ser
vice
(2
:30p
m)
Worship Leader: Bro Gan Chin Hwi Bro Stephen Yap
Preacher: Pr Daniel Lim Pr Daniel Lim
Pianist: Sis Flora Ng Sis Sarah Yap
Ushers: Robert & Samuel Cayson & John
Refreshment: Sis Ivy Seah Sis Roscelle Lim
Get
hsem
ane
Engl
ish
Serv
ice
(2:3
0pm
)
Worship Leader: Elder Mah Chin Kwang Dn James Wong
Preacher: Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy
Pianists: Chloe Pawa & Eunice Choy Sarah Lee & Jasmine
Low
Ushers: Dn Kwok Wah, Dn Pawa, Tuck Whye, Benny,
Danial & Sean Stephanie Lee (Greeter)
Dn Kelvin, Kwan Teng, Francis Lee, Max,
Randy & Jeremy Mark Siew Lian (Greeter)
Junior Worship: Ruth Low, (Cecilia Siah), John Peh
Dorothy Ng, (Diana Chan), Luan Kheng
Sunday School: Carolyn Koshy & Kelvin Lim Carolyn Koshy
& Kelvin Lim
AV Ministry: Crew No. 1 Crew No. 2
Flowers: Diana Chan Carolyn Koshy
Refreshment Duty:
Gina Sim, Seong Yeng & Diana Chan
Amy Peh, Cecilia Tan & Aileen Tan
Adults Bible Class (4:45pm) The Meek The Hungry
Malayalam Fellowship (6:30pm) Venue: SingPost Theatrette Rm
2
sola scripturareformation lecture & cantata 2009
Date: saturday, 17th October 2009Venue: singPost Level 5
auditorium
lecture: 9.30am-10.30am (Pastor Koshy)Cantata: 11.00am-12.30pm
(Church &
Childrens Choir)
Invite Catholic and Christian friends to hear the truth of Gods
Word.
The new Church session (2009-2011)During the aCm held last Lords
Day, 27 september 2009, the following were elected into the session
of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church:1. Prabhudas Koshy (as
Pastor/Chairman)2. Choy Weng Heng (as Elder/Clerk-of-Session)3.
Arvind Kumar Pawa (as Deacon/Treasurer)4. Mah Chin Kwang (as
Elder/Session Member)5. Lim Hoe Chiang (as Deacon/Session Member)6.
Lok Kwok Wah (as Deacon/Session Member)7. Wong Chee Meng, James (as
Deacon/Session Member)8. Kelvin Lim Cheng Kwang (as Deacon/Session
Member)
ladies Prayer GroupDate: Wednesday, 21st October, at 3:00pm
speaker: elder mah Chin KwangChairperson: sis Gina sim
Venue: home of sis Dorothy ng (6281 2056)Block 414 #06-361,
serangoon Central
all aRE WElCOmE!