MARANATHA BIBLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT

Dear members and friends,

We praise and thank God for many years of fruitful and productive ministry in Maranatha BP Church since October 1990. The formative years have not been easy, but the faithfulness of God sustained and prospered His own church to what it is today. There had been many challenges and daunting tasks for us from the registration of the church, the purchase of church van, grounding of our members on sound doctrines and equipping of the saints, the renovation of church building, launching out into missions and others. Many have come and gone and we thank God for them, and the ministry of the Lord go on faithfully sustained by God’s grace and mercies coupled with the diligent labour of old and new members and friends who share the same vision. What then are our priorities and the key areas of concern and ministry in the next century? Primarily, there are 4 areas as spelt out in our Mission Statement formulated in 1995 for Maranatha BPC as our perennial goals. We shall recapitulate them below.

WORSHIPPING CHURCH

To exalt and extol Christ in reverential worship, responsible stewardship and service. One foremost objective of regenerate man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever as said by the Westminster divines in the Shorter Catechism. Worship will be the principal pre-occupation of redeemed sinners for eternity and there is no exception on earth. The church will concentrate on reverential worship, praise and the preaching of the Word and enable and encourage believers to seek the Lord in a conducive atmosphere of God honouring worship every Sabbath and to grow spiritually thereby.

John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” 1 Chr 16:29 “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

May our church continue to exalt and magnify the name of the Lord with psalm, hymns and spiritual songs (Col 3:16; Eph 5:29). Let this be our fervent zeal spent on honouring on the Lord’s Day each time we meet.

We are to serve God at the same time with our God-given talents, time and treasure. Are we doing this presently in our lives?

Do we worship the Lord with the right spirit and attitude on the Sabbath Day and honouring Him throughout the rest of the week?

WORKING CHURCH

To edify, admonish and exhort the saints through meaningful worship, the sacraments, fellowship, systematic study of God’s Word and prayer.

The other major thrust each year is the fulfilment of the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20) The Church is to teach, equip and build up the saints in the most holy faith. It would require members to be committed to service and stewardship and serious bible study. There will be a systematic series of expository messages from the pulpit, in-depth BS in the Christian Education Dept, Neighbourhood Bible Classes, Fellowships (MYF, MYAF and MLF) and other edifying activities. It will be the continued emphasis of the church to ground believers to the doctrines of grace. The Christian Education Dept have planned to deepen believers in the knowledge of the Word, the May Bible Seminar, the NBC studies on OT in Simei, Seng Kang and Adam Road (New Central NBC) and the various Fellowships on biblical studies and general Christian living and the BS during Wednesday night Prayer Meeting. The Catechism class conducted for catechumens is foundational and necessary for all members to know sound doctrines of the Reformed Faith. Are you growing in the knowledge of the Lord and serving the Lord in any capacity in the church today? God willing, we are also seeking and waiting upon the Lord to have our own church building. We thank God for the use of St Georges Chapel since 1990. We have to be prepared to move at short notice if it is the Lord’s will. Meanwhile, there is also human responsibility and God helps those who help themselves. We need to build up our church building fund. Let us all remember to give cheerfully to the Lord our tithes and offerings out of grateful hearts and pray and plan to build God’s house in his own time.

WITNESSING CHURCH

To evangelise the world in the propagation of the gospel and the discipleship of young believers in the fear, grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The work of the gospel is to include Foreign Mission and local evangelism will be intensified as the church goes out regularly in tracting, evangelistic meetings, rallies and mission trips to Malaysia, India and other fields. With our commissioned missionaries in Dr George and Bessy Skariah in Covenant BP Church India stared in May 2005, we had a responsibility to support, pray and encourage them in the propagation of the gospel in a land of more than a billion people. Jesus said in Mark 5:19 “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” We must do what Paul said in 1 Cor 9:16 “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.”

In September 2007, we started a Chinese Fellowship on Saturday night at 7.30 pm to reach out to the Chinese speaking people.

Let us put away our spiritual lethargy and inertia and re-double our evangelistic efforts to reach out to our loved ones, colleagues and neighbours and those in the vicinity. The gospel is to be shared to all men and some redeemed, God willing. We are also to take the global view of mission as we launch out to Malaysia to help with the starting and support of Evangel BP Church, Kulai BP Felllowship and Calvary Reformed Church in Sri Lanka (supported by CJBPC), Cambodian missions in partnership with Life BP Church and others. When was the last time you shared the gospel or gave a tract to someone? Who will go with the Pastor on the next mission trip?

WATCHING/WARNING CHURCH

To defend the faith, warn and alert believers of the increasing deception of the end times. One often neglected function of the church today is the grave duty of defending the truth and propagating in an increasingly confusing and compromising ecclesiastical world. We must not be afraid to preach and teach the truth in love and to warn and admonish others in the last days of spiritual and ecumenical compromise, cult and occult in these perilous days. We are to constantly sound out the alarm concerning the latest spiritual perils that confronts us today. Some have been warned of new age practices and fantasy games. That was the reason why Maranatha BP Church publish the book on Examining & Exposing Cultic & Occultic Movements. The New Age Movement (i.e. crystals, yoga, meditation, self worship, spirit guide etc) has mesmerised many and misled them into unbiblical practices that may be potentially dangerous to the body and soul. The BP Movement was incepted in 1937 by Dr Carl Mcintire in the USA and in Singapore, in 1950s by Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow and Rev Dr Quek Kiok Chiang out of strong conviction to propagate the precious reformed faith and defend the unadulterated gospel of Christ and other fundamental, biblical doctrines. We must continue stedfast in preaching Christ and defending the faith into the 21st century, lest we forget our rich, spiritual heritage. We are also to remember the worthy and needful Reformation Cause of the 16th century Reformation today and persevere in the vigilant continuance and conservation of true religion in the true spirit of the Reformers. Our ministry includes watching and waiting for the return of Christ while fervently proclaiming, defending and warning others of aberrant teachings and heretical practices of the day. The Alpha Course, Freemasonry, Secular Psychology, Charismatic and Ecumenical Movement and New Age, Manga Messiah, Occultic & Cultic (i.e. Harry Potter) practices are some examples of such unbiblical teachings, that we are to be vigilant and watchful against. Paul said in Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” 1 Pet 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Have you ever warn or admonish any of your friends of the spiritual dangers today?

CONCLUSION

We are truly living in the last of the last days on earth. Our days on earth are numbered. While the Lord tarries, the church has to press on with the work of the gospel and the building up of the saints. Eph 5:16 said ‘Redeeming the time, because the days are evil’. Maranatha BP Church and its members are no exception. We are to endure faithfully to the very end, as a good soldier, disciplined athlete and patient farmer doing the work of the Lord fervently and dutifully. At the same time, know and recognise that our citizenship is in heaven, not on this ephemeral earth. We are but pilgrims and strangers sojourning in this land. We are to put our affections above and not on temporal things (Col 3:1). Christ is coming again very soon. Are you ready to meet your God? (Amos 4:12) May the Lord continue to bless and prosper the work of Maranatha till He comes. Amen.

Rev(Dr) Jack Sin