Dear Wesley Family,
We are 140 years old! On this milestone anniversary, my heart is filled with gratitude. Psalm 77:11 declares, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” May we take time to remember what the Lord has done as we celebrate His goodness and faithfulness to us as a church all these years.
I remember my childhood days of growing up in Wesley and how pastors, leaders and God-sent persons have sowed into my life, nurtured my faith and helped me grow as a disciple of Christ. We must continue to look up to His faithfulness in providing for us a church. We must cling to His faithful promises in our discipleship journey as a faithful community.
Let’s press on to seek and serve the Lord in our Small Groups, our ministries and discipleship programmes as we encourage each other towards a maturity of faith that pleases the Lord. As we have been blessed, we must be a blessing.
On this 140th Anniversary, we celebrate God’s faithfulness to us by reaching out to be a blessing. We will be extending our outreach from Jalan Berseh to a larger area of Jalan Besar as the Lord has given us a fresh vision to reach the least, last and lost in this area. We will press on with our evangelistic outreach through Alpha and other workplace initiatives. We will continue to go to the nations through our mission trips and raise missionaries for the Great Commission.
At the core of it, outreach is integral to our intentional discipleship. As a disciple of Christ, we are to be missional, and I can think of three biblical reasons for that.
First, outreach allows us to grasp the heart of Christ. Jesus says He has come to serve and not be served (Mark 10:45). This is because God has a heart for the least, last and lost. Psalm 140:12 makes it clear that God secures justice for the poor; He upholds the cause of the needy. Isaiah 1:17 tells us to seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the cause of the orphan and plead for the widow. God reminds us to take care of the migrants among us. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 that whenever you do it for the least of these, you are doing it to me. Matthew 25 truly reveals the heart of God. God has such a big heart for the least and last that He identifies with them in the deepest way. God feels their hunger and thirst; He knows what it is like to be lonely, sick and unable to care for yourself. God identifies with those who are locked in prison. That is why He declares that when we feed or give a drink to someone in need, or visit someone in prison, it’s just like feeding and caring for God Himself. What a privilege to grasp the heart of God whenever we reach out and be a blessing to those in need. For when we minister to such as these, when we avail our presence to care and love, we are catching a glimpse of the heart of God, and that delights Him. As Jesus is that perfect example of sacrificial love shown on the cross, let us follow His example. As He has washed our feet, let us wash the feet of others (John 13:14-15).
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ~ Matthew 25: 40
Next, outreach strengthens our belief in Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us to always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks us for the reason for our hope. It is in outreach when we talk about the goodness of God or share the gospel of Christ that our belief and faith in Christ are strengthened. Each time I testify about who God is and all He has done; my faith is deepened as I recall His goodness and explain the basis of my faith. Let’s take this opportunity to grow our faith this year as we live out the mission God has given us as a church.
Outreach will also always deepen our reliance on Christ. Christ reminds us that He is always with us even as He gives us the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). We can truly rely on His presence as we go in His authority, an authority of love and humble service. As we trust Him to empower us, we can also rest in His sovereign goodness. I always take comfort from 1 Corinthians 3:6 that some of us will plant the seed, others water, but it is God who brings the harvest. Such is the good and sovereign God we have. Our intentional discipleship is to rely on God’s sovereign purposes. He who takes care of the lilies in the field, who feeds the sparrows, is the one who takes care of the least and last among us. We must do our best and then learn to rest in God’s sovereign providence for the ones we minister to and reach out to with the gospel of Christ.
My Small Group has the privilege of being involved with COSC by reaching out to an individual and a family living in the Beach Road area. Both are under the church’s financial assistance, and my Small Group members take time and turns to visit them. Sometimes we really wonder if we can ever do enough for this elderly uncle and struggling family. Each time we visit, we are amazed at how God provides for them in so many ways, ways which are beyond us. We are encouraged by the stories we hear of how God shows up in their lives when we least expect it. Such is the good and faithful God we have. May we always be deeply rested in His goodness as we faithfully serve our God.
This year, let us remember the Lord’s goodness to us as a church, and with gratitude, let us go forth to be a blessing as we fulfil God’s mission for us. I pray that as we serve, we will truly grow in our intentional discipleship as we grasp the heart of God, deepen our reliance on Him, and strengthen our faith in Him. Let us be steadfast and immovable, always giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know that our labour in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). It is not in vain because we have a risen Lord, whose resurrection power and strength empower us, and whose hope is available for the least and last who put their trust in Him. That’s why we continue to press on to bless others. This is because we believe that every act of kindness and love, every caring and available presence shown, matters for eternity. It matters because it leads someone to encounter Jesus.
May the Lord bless you and your families as you continue to seek and serve Him faithfully.
This is Ps Ray, serving with you.
Read also: 140 Years of Faith: Wesley Methodist Church’s Enduring Legacy in Singapore
