O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN

Although the Book of Ecclesiastes was written some 3,000 years ago, it has special relevance for believers today, for it helps us see the vanity of our many worldly pursuits. Having been blessed with great material wealth and wisdom, Solomon writes to share with us his observations and words of counsel. Solomon sees life as brief and ultimately worthless without God. Those who do not possess a saving faith in Christ are faced with a life that will ultimately end in futility. If there is no salvation, and no God, there is no point to life. Life has meaning when we rise above the futility of man’s wisdom to trust in God and embrace His wisdom. 

The message of Solomon is stated in his final words in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Herein lies our duty on earth: to fear God and keep His commandments.

The Fear of God 

We do not hear much about the “fear of God” in sermons these days because it is not a “feel good” topic compared to topics such as love, joy, peace, etc. However, it does not change the fact that the Bible repeatedly commands Christians to be governed by the fear of the Lord. Coming from the world’s wisest man, it is prudent for us to take heed. The word used for “fear” in this verse and most other verses in the Old Testament means “to stand in awe of,” or “to reverence, honour and respect.” It does not mean that we cringe and tremble at the mention of the name of God. It does not refer to a servile dread or abject terror of God, which is superstitiously held by many ignorant devotees of their deities or gods. A natural man who does not know God may be fearful of His judgment. When Belshazzar, the arrogant and blasphemous Babylonian king saw the writing on the wall, “then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another” (Daniel 5:6). Belshazzar may not have fully understood the significance of the words written on the wall, but the words filled him with a deep sense of foreboding and dread; he was “fearfully” conscious of the reality of the judgment of God. Christians are not to be scared or frightened of God. We have no reason to be afraid of God. We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). 

For the believer, the fear of God is something much different; it is a godly fear. It is a reverence for God’s divine character and attributes, and having the attitude that views everything in relation to God who is holy, wise, just, and good. When we are conscious of God’s presence and holiness, we will respond with awe and reverence for Who He is. Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of this: “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin, and fearing His judgment on sin. Joseph was noticed by Potiphar's wife who was attracted to him and tried to seduce him. But Joseph did not succumb to this temptation; he had his sense of right and wrong. He protested, “how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9b). It was a sin against his God! Joseph's fear of God conquered temptations. We face temptations frequently, and it is important that we cultivate a godly fear of God. 

The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes, loving Him. Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21: “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul..... Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.” The bottom line is this: when we are walking in the fear of the Lord, we take careful pains not to displease Him, and earnestly endeavour to glorify Him in all things. We make that choice because we love God and want to please Him. Do you live in fear of the Lord? Or do you fear and seek to please man? 

Keeping God’s Commandments 

Solomon explains that the fear of the Lord is manifested in a life that keeps the commandments of God. This is the outward manifestation of the disposition of the heart, a heart that has respect unto God’s commandments, and it shows the genuineness of our faith. Feelings and professions of faith are vain unless they are supported by corresponding actions. Simply stated, you and I prove what we think of the Lord – whether we fear Him or not - by the way we live our lives. Is it not precisely through our obedience that we show our honour and reverence for God? God’s Word reminds us:

⃝ Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments (Psalm 112:1).

⃝ If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).  

Keeping God’s commandments involves 2 things:

⃝ Abstaining from that which God has forbidden. For instance, we are commanded to abstain from “worldly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). In other words, we are to keep away from any worldly or sinful desire or habit that is not good for our soul or spiritual life. Are you harbouring some secret sins or some sinful addictions? God knows. Keep away from these.

⃝ Exemplifying those virtues which God has enjoined. We are to diligently study His Word regarding all things and strive earnestly to do it, such as honouring our parents, submitting to authorities, and loving one another, etc. 

According to Solomon, in fearing God and keeping His commandments, “this is the whole duty of man” or, “this is the whole of man.” To fear God and keep His commandment is to learn to be and to discover the secret of being a whole person. This is what we are all about. Man discovers all of himself in fearing God and keeping His commandments; all other pursuits are empty and vain. The success or failure of our “whole” life depends on whether we know and fear God. And our fear of God is evidenced by our obedience to His commandments. This is the true meaning of life. We are on planet earth not to make the world a better place, not to enjoy ourselves, not to amass riches or fame, but we are here to glorify God. These 2 virtues – a God-fearing spirit and a godly life - is the source of true happiness. It is our duty to God while we are on earth. If we are not fearing God and keeping His commandments, we are missing the whole point of our existence.

– Elder Ng Beng Kiong

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Apr 22

        7.30 pm     ERBL: OT Prophetic Books (Rev Charles Seet)

Tuesday, Apr 23

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Dn Benedict Sim)

Wednesday, Apr 24

      10.00 am     SF Meeting

Thursday, Apr 25

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Bible Geography (Ms Lilian Lee)

Saturday, Apr 27

        2.00 pm     MM AGM

        2.30 pm     LF AGM (Rm 1-6)

        3.00 pm     LTF / YLM

  4.00 pm SF Medical Seminar (MPH)

Sunday, Apr 28

  9.00 am Jesus, My Lord, My God and My All John 20:19-29 (Eld Chia Ah Lak)

  9.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

  9.40 am No Sunday School

10.45 am Annual Congregation Meeting

11.00 am No Children’s Ministry

  2.00 pm Session Meeting

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1

Announcements

SUNDAY, 28 APRIL 2024 (Next Sunday)

Combined English Service: 9:00 am

Annual Congregational Meeting: 10:45 am

Please bring along the blue “Voting Member’s Record Verification Form” (VMRVF) which was mailed to you.

Life BPC Job Vacancies

1. Church Operations Manager (COM)

Responsibilities:

The COM provides active oversight and support in the mission, administrative affairs and general operations of the Church including Financial Management, HR, MIS Technology, Media Technology, Facilities and General Administration.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree or higher
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in operations or managerial positions
• Good interpersonal and communications skills

2. Estate Management Officer (EMO)

Responsibilities:

EMO plans, oversees and coordinates all property management and preventive maintenance activities associated for the church premises. Coordinates facilities usage for a range of Church activities and Church’s authorized users using the premises. The EMO reports to the Church Operation Manager.

Qualifications:

• Diploma or equivalent
• 5 years’ experience in real estate management and maintenance
• Certification in real estate management and maintenance is an added advantage
• Lifers are preferred

Candidates with relevant qualifications and experience may submit your application and CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Catechism Class for Anniversary Baptism on 20 October 2024

commences on 14 July 2024. Please pre-register by emailing to Church Office. Those seeking baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership must attend the catechism class. Closing date: 7 July 2024.

Coffee Corner will be closed on ACM Sunday (28 Apr).

Parking on 28 April 2024 (ACM)

On ACM 28 April, all parking lots at Sanctuary and Beulah sides are designated for those staying for ACM. For those not staying for ACM, please park at Kai Suites, along public roads with single yellow line or Revenue House (RH).
Ferry service from RH pickup point (near to pedestrian overhead bridge entrance/exit) to Church will run from 0840 to 0910. When church service or ACM ends, ferry service back to RH will commence outside Beulah House gate entrance.

Door to Door Evangelism 21 Apr 2024 (Today)

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 .

Ladies’ Tea Fellowship: Book of Habakkuk by Bro Mok Chee Cheong

Date: 27 Apr, 25 May, 22 Jun

Time: 3.30 pm

Venue: Beulah Rm 1-6

Please contact sis Sally for more information

Church Camp 2024

will be held from 10 June to 14 June (Mon to Fri) at Resorts World Awana, Malaysia. 

Speaker: Pastor Tan Soon Yong (Over Zoom)

Theme: Truth Matters

Registration for Church Camp 2024 is now open. You may go to the church's website at

www.lifebpc.com/church-camp-2024 to register online. Availability will be on a first come first served basis. Please do register early! If you require assistance, please contact Josiah Seah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

In-Person Church Prayer Meeting

5 May 2024, 5pm @ Beulah Rm 2-1

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