O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

	8:00 am	11:00 am
Call to Worship	Eld Chia Ah Lak	Eld Chia Ah Lak
Opening Hymn	A Shelter in the Time of Storm (TSMS 166)	A Shelter in the Time of Storm (TSMS 166)
Invocation-Gloria Patri
Scripture Reading	Acts 7:33-39, 48-53	Acts 7:33-39, 48-53
Hymn	-	Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (TSMS 443)
Offertory Hymn	Look to the Lamb of God (TSMS 540)	Look to the Lamb of God (TSMS 540)
Doxology & Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon	Christ, Our Greatest Deliverer (Hebrews 3:1-6) by Rev Quek Kk	Christ, Our Greatest Deliverer (Hebrews 3:1-6) by Rev Quek Kk
Closing Hymn	There is a Green Hill Far Away (TSMS 284) *The Lord’s Supper	He Hideth My Soul (HGG 607)
Benediction
Announcements

IF GOD IS RENEWING ME, WHY AM I TIRED ALL THE TIME?

This year’s church theme is “Renewing our strength in the Lord”. It is based on the wonderful promise of Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.” 

Notwithstanding this glorious promise, and the many others in scripture, we do frequently feel weary. In fact, for some, weariness seems to be the pervasive sentiment of this life. Why is this so and is there anything we can do about it? 

As I sought to understand this verse, I found it very helpful to think upon the verse before - Isaiah 40:30 “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:” 

The first reflection I have on this, then, is to ask myself what I am relying on. If it is the strength of man – whether physical or mental, we will faint, grow weary and ultimately fail. So, whether it is the challenges of providing for my family, the burdens of work, service in the church, my own strength will run out.  So often, it seems that after putting out one fire, another three erupt somewhere else and I’m rushing off to solve these problems. Life seems like one unending game of Whac-A-Mole. And perhaps this is why I feel weary when dealing with or even thinking about the problems that I face. Perhaps this is a reflection of my inability to organize my life better. But that may just be the limit of my own strength. At the same time, I acknowledge that the challenges in simply getting by daily are the result of the ground being “cursed” because of sin. None of our work will be easy and leisure will be hard earned. Raising children will be challenging. Our relationships with one another, even with our nearest and dearest, will be fraught with difficulty. In fact, God’s people, have throughout time, in the depths of their sorrow amidst the sorrow of this life, cried out to Him. Certainly, Christ Himself directly and through the writers of the New Testament has told all who believe in Him that we are to expect tribulation – anguish, affliction, burdens, and testing. 

What then of the promise of Isaiah 40:31? How do we access this renewed strength? Is there any hope? How have God’s people survived through time? 

The key seems to be in the first part of the verse – “But they that wait upon the Lord…”. The “but” at the opening of the verse contrasts with the fainting, weariness and failure of the preceding verse. And then comes the all-important qualifier – “they that wait upon the Lord”. I sought to understand what this means and found that the ESV renders it: “they who wait for the Lord …” and the NKJV as  “those who wait on the Lord …”. Reading further into it, various writers have described this waiting upon the Lord as:

1. Hope with confident expectation (Reformation Heritage Study Bible, ed. Joel Beeke)
2. Patient, praying believers are blessed by God with strength in their trials (John MacArthur)
3. Those “who make conscience of their duty to him, and by faith rely upon him and commit themselves to his guidance, shall find that God will not fail them.” (Matthew Henry)
4. Those (godly people) who hope in the Lord (John Calvin)

Calvin goes on to say that “We must therefore be fully convinced of our weakness if we are to yield to God’s power.” 

Perhaps that is why we feel weary. We are not convinced of our weakness. We believe – we have been taught, and we teach our children – that we just need to try harder and muster the strength – and we will achieve. And when we don’t achieve – we feel defeated and weary. And some will just give up, choosing not to strive any more or trimming our ambitions. But that is exactly the problem. If our hope is in ourselves or in this world’s riches, then we are doomed to fall. If we are waiting upon ourselves and serving ourselves, we will end up just weary. 

Instead, those of us who are God’s people, as described all through the Bible, are to put our trust, our hope in God. This is certainly not sitting on our hands waiting for something to happen; but actively living out our lives in obedience to His commandments, worshipping Him, seeking to please Him, seeking to have fellowship with Him, labouring to grow His kingdom and giving Him the glory in all things. 

Psalms 42:11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”​

Lamentations 3:24-25 “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” 

This is not a mindset change applied only when we turn up in church. This is a change, a renewal that God promises for the entirety of our life. He will give us that renewing of strength, the exchange of our weariness for His abundant grace, that hope for the future that cannot be extinguished by the trials of life, if only we will put away self, submit to Him, and receive of His goodness. Then perhaps we will have the eyes of faith to grasp the promise of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” 

Maybe the answer to the question “If God is renewing me, why am I tired all the time?” is another question: “Why do I love me more than I love God?”

– Elder Clement Tan

Shorter Catechism Question 35

35. What is sanctification?

A. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

 

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Feb 17

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Counselling in the Local Church (Mr Joel Seah)

Tuesday, Feb 18

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Eld Clement Tan)

Thursday, Feb 20

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: The Epistles of Peter (Rev Bendick Ong)

Saturday, Feb 22

      11.00 am     Faith NBC

        2.15 pm     Ladies’ Tea Fellowship (Rm 1-6)

        3.00 pm     LTF / YLM

Sunday, Feb 23

  8.00 am Persevering to the End Hebrews 3:7-19 (Rev Charles Seet)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Persevering to the End Hebrews 3:7-19 (Rev Charles Seet)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.00 pm Session Meeting

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

 

Announcements

Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2025

VBS is back this year for N2-P6 children!  
Save the Dates: 4-6 June (Wed-Fri)
Details on how to register will be coming your way soon—stay tuned!

 

Door to Door Evangelism

16 February 2025 

Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30pm

Contact: Desmond or Amos 

 

Traffic Warden Service

We welcome all church members to join in this work. Our TW’s role is to provide godly service to facilitate worship. We need help in following time slots for Sunday: 7.30-8am or 10.30-11am with a frequency of once or twice a month.
Please contact Dn Chan Yong or Bro Kelvin. 

 

Library Ministry

Members are invited to serve in the Library Ministry. If you are available on Sunday, please contact Sis. Mimi Sim  or Bro. Paul Cheong for more details.

 

Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Course (MBCC)

Another Church Outreach Ministry invites Lifers to register their young children, teens, or grandchildren with our MBCC. Those whose loved ones, friends or colleagues who are either young in their faith or being non-believers, are interested to know and explore more of Christianity, are also invited to register with us by filling in the registration forms which are now available at the Church front counter and post them to:

Life B-P Church

No.10, Gilstead Road

Singapore 309064

Attention: Mrs Ong Chuay Ying

 

Condolence

Our condolences to bro Samuel Teo and family on the homegoing of his father, Mr William Teo Jui Wah (80 years old), on 11 February 2025.

 

Gospel Sunday

English service:
Topic: Is there more to life that I'm missing? (Luke 15:11-32)
Date: Sunday, 30 March 2025
Time: 8:00 am & 11:00 am
Speaker: Dn Lim Chien Chong
Venue: Life B-P Church Sanctuary, 9A Gilstead Road, Singapore 309063

 

Senior Fellowship Medical Seminar: Coping with Critical Illnesses

Date: 26 April 2025

Time: 4-6pm

Venue: Beulah MPH

Speaker: Dr Loh Keh Chuan

Register by 13 April https://www.lifebpc.com/sfseminar

 

Gospel Sunday Choir Presentation

The Life Church Service Choir will be presenting the song “Grace of God” for Gospel Sunday on 30 March 2025. The practices will be held at Beulah 4-2 from 0830 – 0930 hrs on Sundays 9, 15 and 23 March

We welcome all church members to join us for this presentation! Please contact Yoong Chiang for more details.

 

Young Adult Talk Series 2025

Join us for the first of our Young Adult Talk series on Career and Direction.

Topic: How Hard Should a Christian Work?
Date: 23 Feb 2025
Time: 9:40 AM
Venue: Beulah Room 2-1

We strongly encourage all young adults to come to hear God's word, and see how we may have a biblical perspective of work. See you there!  

 

Missions Trips 2025

Lifers are encouraged to participate in Mission Trips. You may sign up as an individual, a family, a Fellowship Group or an NBC. https://forms.gle/Cc4Q22b8csiFmqEY6 

 

Church Camp 2025

Save the date! Please mark your calendars for our upcoming church camp!

Theme: Are We Prepared to Meet Christ?

Dates: 17-20 June 2025

Venue: Radisson Hotel, Batam, Indonesia

Speaker: Rev Ian Goligher, Retired Pastor of Free Presbyterian Church in Cloverdale, BC Canada.

Join us for a blessed time of spiritual growth and fellowship as we explore the messages from the letters of Christ to the seven churches in Revelation.

Camp registration will start from today, 19 January 2025. You may go to the church's website at https://www.lifebpc.com/church-camp-2025 to register online. Availability will be on a first come first serve basis. Please do register early to avoid disappointment. If you require any assistance with registration, please contact Josiah Seah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For any questions about camp, please contact Dn Chen Wei'an.