Three "Be" Attitudes (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Title: Three "Be" Attitudes (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
Speaker: Rev. (Dr.) Yap Kim Sin

News & Announcements

1. We welcome Rev (Dr) Yap Kim Sin, pastor of Zion BP Church as the Lord's messenger to our 1st and 2nd worship services today.
   There will be no Children’s Choir practice today. Practice will resume next week.
   
   
2. Moriah Child Care has an opening for a Christian Childcare Teacher. She must be fluent in English, possess a Certificate in Pre-school Teaching (CPT) and be able to work 9 hours shift on Mondays to Fridays and 4 hours shift on Saturdays. Experience in a child care setting and fluency in Mandarin will be an advantage. Interested person please contact Elder Gary HP 96369432 or email your resume to church office: sembawangbpc@pacific.net.sg
   
   
3. Registration for the Church Camp will close by next Sunday! Have you registered yet? Please see Weijian, Dianne Wong or Hian Yau.

Is Worshipping God Improperly Idolatry?

Last Week Elder Handson Fu wrote on some aspects of the appropriateness of proper God-honouring worship. This week, I would like to look at the opposite side – that of improper worship, and ask the question, is that idolatry?

A. W. Tozer (1928-1959), a notable Bible teacher, author, and a veteran pastor of 31 years, says it is idolatry. In fact he went so far as to say that not thinking rightly about God is idolatry! He taught that idolatry begins in the mind and is the very place where it should be rooted out. Discerning the lack of true spiritual vitality within the Church of his day, Tozer dedicated his life’s work to calling the Church back to a radical obedience to Christ.

Let us beware lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized peoples are therefore free from it. The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place. "When they knew God," wrote Paul, "they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." (Rom 1:21)

Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous. The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true. Perverted notions about God would soon rot the religion in which they appear. The long history of Israel demonstrates this clearly enough, and the experience of some modern churches confirm it. So necessary to the Church is a high view of God that when that view in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and her moral standards declines along with it. The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high view of God.

Tertullian (155-230) an early Christian church leader makes the strong argument that idolatry is the root of all sins – in that it displaces God and His purposes from their rightful position. He wrote that, "The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment, is idolatry. For, although each single fault retains its own proper feature, although it is destined to judgment under its own proper name also, yet it is marked off under the general account of idolatry."

This is of course, to put it simply, sin and rebellion. And according to John Stott a well known preacher, scholar, and evangelist, the root of all man’s rebellion is the worship of man himself instead of God.

I couldn’t agree more. Stott in his book, The Cross of Christ, says, "For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone."

So, the answer to our question, "Is worshiping God improperly idolatry?" is a resounding "Yes!" Amen.

In Him,
Rev. Robert Chew

Staying On God's Agenda (Acts 10:44-11:18)

Title: Staying On God's Agenda (Acts 10:44-11:18)
Speaker: Pr. Mathews Abraham

News & Announcements

1. Pr Mathews Abraham brings the message at the 1st and 2nd worship services today on ‘Staying On God’s Agenda’
   
   
2. Rev. Robert Chew is at Cambridge, England until 26 April, attending the 3rd Quinquennial International Conference on Preaching (held at 5-yearly intervals), to gain greater insights and encouragement for the faithful preaching of God’s Word.
   
   
3. The Evangelism Team is organizing a video screening in the church this Saturday, 28 April, of a film, "So Who Is This Jesus?" on a quest to seek out the historical reality and true person of Christ. There will be food for all from 5.30pm before the film starts at 6.15, with testimonies and sharing after the show. Come with your friends.
   
   To facilitate the catering for the food, a registration booth is set up at the tea fellowship area downstairs to take down the number of those who plan to come - please help by registering there after the worship service today.

Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We come each Lord’s Day for corporate worship. Do we know the meaning of worship and the God whom we worship? Do we prepare ourselves physically and spiritually when coming together for worship each Lord’s Day? How much liberty should we exercise in our worship practices and in conforming to the "contemporary" styles of worship practised by many today?

The word "worship" means "to kiss the hand of", "to bow down towards" or "to pay homage" to someone, signifying humble adoration and the idea of giving something special to someone. Worship then, is fellowship with God together with the exaltation and the giving of praise and honour due to Him. For our God-Jehovah, indeed, is Creator of heaven and earth, King of kings, holy and pure. "Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, for He is holy" (Ps 99:5).

It is only appropriate then that our worship must be exercised with the highest decorum and honour to such a glorious Lord. Not man-centred, but God-centred. Not according to the whims and fancies of man but according to principles contained in the Bible. Ex 20:1-17 speaks about keeping the Lord’s Day holy and a day of rest. John 4:22-25 tells us that God is a spirit and we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. 1 Cor 14:33 instructs order in worship.

Anything that is of importance always requires some form of preparation. We rarely can rush into something impulsively and do it well. Worship is no exception. It is necessary that we as believers prepare our hearts for worship the way, perhaps, by analogy, we dress up for a formal dinner with the President or any VIP. Preparation begins the night before. We must retire to bed early so that we can be fresh and ready for worship the next day.

It is imperative that we come early for worship and to prepare our hearts and mind in prayer. Lateness is an affront to God and is a bad testimony to worshippers. Reverence and the fear of God behoves us to be dressed appropriately and be early before Him in holy worship.

Correct, biblical, sound worship is fundamental and needful for the vitality and spiritual health of our church. Ever since the days of Cain and Abel, there has been enmity between the practitioners of unapproved worship and the true worshippers of the Lord. Let us then pray for discerning spirits and hearts that we may give glory that is due unto our Lord.

Your Servant in Christ,
Elder Handson Fu

Pride And Prejudice (Acts 10:1-35)

Title: Pride And Prejudice (Acts 10:1-35)
Speaker: Rev. Robert Chew

How Young People Must Live

Yes, the wisest man Solomon had it all and lived a long life overflowing with money, power, fame, and many women. Yet he also lamented that all his wealth and fame still did not satisfy him - it was all vanity of vanties and "striving after wind" without God. Young people need to heed the wisdom and advice of King Solomon. Those who do so will find a reservoir of godly counsel to guide them around the pitfalls of bad choices and give them joy in life. Those who don’t will inevitably fall victim to the sinful temptations of youth and bear the painful consequences of foolish actions throughout their life. Let me just highlight two key sayings of this wise man and hope we can take heed, learn wisdom, and thereby enjoy life!

1. Remember Your Creator (Eccl 12:1):
Yes, you do have a Creator! You did not evolve from apes or lower life forms as "scientific theories" would have you believe. Here is the truth: you were designed by divine hands. Believe it or not, there really is a God given purpose for your existence and the secret is not found in searching the world around you but is in the Word of God. Your youth is the very best time in your life to seek your Creator!

Remember, as you sow so you reap. But Satan, the great deceiver, gets people to forget about the results of their actions by reinforcing instant, momentary pleasure. Yes, sin is pleasurable for a season but it will never bring forth a good harvest. So, start sowing good seeds in your life by fleeing from evil and pursuing the treasures of wisdom which are found in the Bible and in the Lord Jesus Christ. You will most certainly reap a harvest of life!

2. Fear God and Keep His commandments (Eccl 12:13):
After living his life, King Solomon concluded that to fear and obey God is more important than anything else. Because, he says, "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). The fear of God and finding His wisdom is the path to a joyful life. The fear of the Lord is turning away from evil and turning toward God with all your heart.

Instead of adults looking down on teenagers and despising the folly of adolescence, Paul tells Timothy to set the high bar for the adults! "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (I Timothy 4:12). Young men and women, set a high standard of godliness for others by your words,

your way of life, your Christ-like love, your passionate zeal of the Word, your steadfast trust in God, and your pure heart. And don’t forget to "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (II Timothy 2:22).

My prayer is that you would have the courage to purge out anything in your life that keeps you from a close walk with your Creator. The Almighty God wants to be the pilot of your life, taking you on a magnificent adventure called abundant living in Jesus Christ. It is deeply fulfilling and eternally rewarding. Are you willing to seek Him with all your heart? May God help and bless you.

In His Grace,
Pr Mathews Abraham

News & Announcements

1. Rev. Robert Chew brings the message at the 1st and 2nd worship services today on 'Pride and Prejudice'.
   
   
2. On behalf of all members and friends of Moriah, the Session would like to express our grateful thanks and appreciation to Mr. Paul Wong and Mr. David Ong for all their valuable contributions and labours of love for the Lord in the Session and in the church. By the grace of God, we benefited from their stewardship and pray that they will have opportunities to continue serving the Lord here in other capacities.
   
   
3. Rev. Robert Chew will be away from 16 - 26 April. He is attending the Third Quinquennial International Conference on Preaching in Cambridge. This conference draws together a distinguished group of scholars, teachers, authors, and preachers to share their knowledge on the theme, "For such a Time as This: Preaching Truth in an Age of Idolatry." Participants will be offered an insights and encouragement for faithful preaching of God's Word within the challenging context of 21st Century modern culture.
   

Childcare

MORIAH CHILDCARE AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE started operations on 14th September 1998 under the charge of a Committee in the church. This Committee has the responsibility of ensuring the smooth running of the centre.

The centre caters to children from age 18 months to 6 years in their playgroup, nursery and pre-school programmes.

This is our philosophy:

• Every child is an individual and thus is to be treated as one.
  
• The child's family shall be the most important institution. Time in quantity and quality with parents must be encouraged strongly.
  
• Parents are responsible for the child's growth. Co-operation between the centre and the parents begins by being mutually well-informed of the child's critical affairs and events through each day.
  
• A child learns what he lives.
  
• Character such as love and integrity, moral values, behavioural attitudes and social skills are precious facets of a child's life that is highly decided by the dispositions a child adopts during their early childhood and school age years. Caregivers can actively influence the choices of dispositions the child makes through role-modelling, positive behavioural reinforcements, directed group-cohesiveness, lectures, experiential-learning games and activities.
  
• Caregivers must be committed to the total development of every child. Every child's Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social (PIES) development is our concern.
  
• Academic curriculum must be current and relevant to help a child be ready for Primary One.
  

These are our objectives:

• To provide professional care, education, fun and friendships in a safe and healthy environment for children.
  
• To meet the developmental needs of children through quality programmes.
  
• To nurture positive values and dispositions through good role-modelling, rules, workshops and guidance.
  
• To encourage parental involvements in our activities.
  
• To facilitate and encourage consistent communication between parent and caregiver.
  
• Our teachers are locally trained through the MCDS Early Childhood Programmes and meet the standards and requirements set by the Ministry of Education.
  
• Character such as love and integrity, moral values, behavioural attitudes and social skills are precious facets of a child's life that is highly decided by the dispositions a child adopts during their early childhood and school age years. Caregivers can actively influence the choices of dispositions the child makes through role-modelling, positive behavioural reinforcements, directed group-cohesiveness, lectures, experiential-learning games and activities.
  
• Caregivers must be committed to the total development of every child. Every child's Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social (PIES) development is our concern.
  
• Academic curriculum must be current and relevant to help a child be ready for Primary One.
  

A normal day would begin with bible stories, songs and a short prayer, and a prayer is said before every meal to give thanks. As part of the centre's programme to encourage awareness in nature, there is a vegetable plot in the garden where the children are encouraged to observe and learn how vegetables and plants are grown organically.

Operating Hours
Mondays to Fridays : 7.00am to 6.45pm
Saturdays : 7.00am to 1.30pm
Sundays & Public Holidays : closed.

For enquiries, please contact Christine or Judy at 67884436.

You can also e-mail us at moriahccdc@pacific.net.sg

Map

Missions

Coming soon...

About Us

Coming soon...

Teen Fellowship (TF)

The Teen Fellowship was formed in 2005 with the church's growing number of young teenagers actively attending Saturday meetings, and eager for God's Word. Bible study classes and talks, as well as fun activities are planned throughout the year to guide them as they grow in their Christian life.

Youth Fellowship (YF)

The Youth Fellowship (YF) started as far back as the late 1960s. It was then a part of the International Christian Youth (ICY), which was a branch of the International Christian Council of Churches (ICCC). The Sembawang YF conducted its first meeting at 95 Nemesu Avenue. In the 1970s, the YF moved over to 99 Nemesu Avenue, and was officially inaugurated in 1975.
The YF emphasizes on the nurturing of young people in the Word of God, and reaching out to youths through evangelism, and introducing them to the Sunday School. The main aim of the YF is to foster and strengthen the bonds of Christian love for one another. The YF meets regularly on Saturday afternoon and on other days for special activities. Major events of the YF include the YF Camp, YF Anniversary, Games Day, tracting and evangelism, visitation program, combined meetings with other youth fellowship groups. The YF members are personally involved in the production of a magazine called the Youth Conversation. This magazine features current issues that interest young Christian people.

On 11th July 1998, the Youth Fellowship moved from Sembawang to Moriah, to extend the work of evangelism into Simei as well as to the nearby neighbourhoods. It is now officially known as the Moriah B-P Church Youth Fellowship.

Presently, the YF has an average attendance of about 28 young people each week. Many may be young in age and new to the YF, but they have shown great initiative and support for the YF. Praise the Lord for their enthusiasm! Indeed, God has been very gracious to the YF throughout these years. Many young people have grown in their faith through the YF programs, and are actively serving God in the various departments in the Church. Some have entered Bible College and graduated to become pastors and preachers. We pray that with a new group of young people in Moriah, the YF will continue to grow and be a channel of blessing to those in need of God's salvation and Christian love.

Services

WORSHIP SERVICES

Service	Day	Time	Venue
English Service	Every Sunday	9.30 a.m. &11.15 a.m.	Main Sanctuary
Mandarin Service		9.30 a.m.	Mandarin Sanctuary
Junior Worship		9.30 a.m.	"Patience"

COUNSELLING
(pastoral counselling, pre-marital counselling, marital & family counselling)

Are you in need of counselling, for any reason like stress, marital problems or BGR problems? Contact us. Our preachers and church workers will arrange for a counselling session with you.

If you need us to pray for you or for anyone that you think needs praying for, please do not hesitate to contact us as well.

Church's Tel: +65 6788 4770


JUNIOR SUNDAY SCHOOL

This children's ministry has been richly blessed by the Lord since the work started in Moriah. We have about 75 children attending the Junior Worship (10.00 am to 11.00 am) some of them in the pre-schooling age group. Sunday School classes are usually conducted between 11.00 am to 12.00 noon.


SENIOR SUNDAY SCHOOL

Moriah's Sunday School Department caters to the young and old. The emphasis is to encourage members and friends to be deeply grounded in the Word of God. We have Sunday Bible Classes for the secondary one students as well as for senior citizens. No matter what your age is, there is a class which will suit you. Newcomers who have completed the Follow-up and Discipleship classes are also channelled to the Sunday Bible Classes. Currently, the classes are following the "Life and Work" series for adults and young people. We encourage everyone of you, regardless of your age, to enrol into a class on Sunday. You will be richly blessed by the interaction with other Christians as you search God's Word together.


PRAYER MEETINGS

Every Wednesday, 8.15 p.m. at Prayer Room, 3rd Floor.

Hosanna Praise Fellowship (HPF)

The Hosanna Praise Fellowship (previously known as the Moriah Adult Fellowship) was formed in 2005 with the aim of giving Christian adults a distinct biblical identity through fellowship and interaction on a regular basis. The HPF plans activities, talks, seminars and discussions to address contemporary issues. To this end, it endeavours to give biblical answers to the problems and difficulties that adults have to confront in modern situations.

On the lighter side, the HPF also gathers for "Praise Friday", a monthly cottage meeting where members of the fellowship can get to know one another on a more personal basis. So if you're too old for the Youth Fellowship, why not join us at the HPF!