Pastoral Staff Rev Lee Kien Seng Mobile: 9815 2589 / Ext 104 kienseng@trueway.org.sg Rev Edwin Wong Mobile: 9477 0727 / Ext 115 edwin@trueway.org.sg Rev Ronnie Ang Mobile:9736 5145 ronnie@trueway.org.sg Pr George Ang Mobile: 9657 4460 / Ext 105 george@trueway.org.sg Pr Loliro Sani Worship Director Mobile: 9129 7546 / Ext 116 loliro@trueway.org.sg Pr Png Eng Keat Mobile:9819 8901 / Ext117 keat@trueway.org.sg Ms Chan Suet Fong Children Ministry Director Mobile: 9870 6048 / Ext 112 suetfong@trueway.org.sg Ms Suttiporn Radeerat Thai Service Mobile: 8862 3457 / Ext 111 suttiporn@trueway.org.sg Church Manager Mr Ray Hsu Tel: 6474 3527 / Ext 122 ray@twpc.org.sg Facility Coordinator Mr Chee Hock Guan Tel: 6474 3527 / Ext 122 Fax: 6474 6572 hockguan@twpc.org.sg Administrative Assistant Mr Alvin Yip Tel: 6474 3527 / Ext 114 Fax: 6474 6572 alvinyip@trueway.org.sg

September Memory Verse

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness

in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:12-16 (ESV)

*11am Online Service

13 Sep 2020 8.30am Service &

11am Online Service

20 Sep 2020 8.30am Service &

11am Online Service Sermon The Hope Of Generations Psalm 78:1-11 Mr Samuel Nee

Sermon One Generation Away Judges 2:6-15; Joshua 24:15 Rev Tan Cheng Huat

Worship Leader Dn Soh Lay Bin

Worship Leader Pr Png Eng Keat

Pianist Samuel Liu

Pianist Samuel Liu

Holy Communion Servers/ Count Offering Eld Wong Chee Seng Eld Tan Teoh Khoon

Holy Communion Servers/ Count Offering Eld Chan Kin Ming Eld Eddy Teo

PA Paul Soon

PA Dn Soh Lay Suan

Computer Lee Kien Meng

Computer Lee Kien Meng

Ushers Wu Mei Hui Claire Chai

Ushers June Leong Serene Khee

Temperature taking Dn Tan Yi Ling Chua Li Hua

Temperature taking Dn Andes Poh Yvonne Tan

Online Service Crew Chow Koon Meng Evan Lim Ming Bao

Online Service Crew Amos Hoe Jeremy Goh Gracia Lee

13 Sep 2020 Ordinary 15 11am Online Service

ORDER OF WORSHIP Prelude Call to Worship Opening Song: Our God Reigns* Prayer of Praise & Confession* Song of Praise & Adoration: There Is A Redeemer* PROCLAIMING THE WORD Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1-11 Sermon: The Hope Of Generations Psalm 78:1-11 RESPONDING TO THE WORD Intercessory Prayers Offertory / Doxology* Offertory Prayer* Announcement SENDING FORTH INTO THE WORLD Closing Song: O Church Arise* Benediction & Threefold Amen* Postlude * Please stand as you are able

ANNOUNCEMENTS Welcome We welcome all our worshippers who have tuned in.

Condolences We extend our condolences to Ong Beng Choo on the demise of her beloved father, the late Mr Ong Yong Seng, on 7 Sep (Mon).

Congratulations We extend our congratulations to Dn Michael Khoo and Ng Pei Xin on the birth of their first child, a baby boy, named Timothy Khoo Yi Kai ,on 8 Sep (Tue).

Resuming of Worship Service Our 8.30 am services have resumed but they are limited to 50 worshippers only. We have a ticketing system which is on a first-come-first serve basis. We appeal to you not to reserve tickets every week so that others can have a chance to come. However, if tickets are still available on Saturday you may go ahead to reserve them. Reservations are done via the church website. 11am Online Service will be broadcast as normal.

Digital Giving of Tithes & Offerings There are 3 ways to give our tithes and offerings: 1) PayNow - Launch your mobile banking app

- Scan the QR code using the app or key in UEN: T12SS0173B - Indicate whether it is ‘tithe’ or ‘offering’ in the narrative field “Enter UEN / Bill

Reference No.”

2) Internet Transfer to DBS 1629002650. Kindly indicate your name and purpose (tithes offerings) while making the transfer.

3) Write a cheque payable to "TWPC - English Congregation". Kindly indicate your name, contact number and purpose (tithes/offerings) behind the cheque. Mail the cheque to 156B Stirling Road Singapore 148947.

"Learning to Pray" Sessions through Zoom Dates: 15 & 22 Oct (Thu) Time: 8.00 pm - 9.30 pm

The theology of prayer will be taught and Christians who wish to pray in small groups but lack the confidence or the know-how will benefit from this course. A short time of prayer will be organised for participants over three consecutive Sundays after the course as a follow-up (through Zoom). The course will be facilitated by Ps George Ang. For registration, please contact Ps George Ang.

Are You a Newcomer at True Way? If you are a newcomer who has just started tuning in to our 11am online service or attended our 8.30am live service, we would like to connect with you. Do contact Ps George at george@trueway.org.sg and he will get in touch with you.

Bible Reading Plan (BRP) Bible reading is a good spiritual discipline. You are encouraged to embark on this journey of reading the Bible from cover to cover. If you want to know God, you would need to know God ’s Word because He has revealed Himself through His Word. You may choose between reading the Bible within a year, 2 years or even 3 years. If you are keen to start your BRP or if you have any queries, please email to Pr. George Ang.

Looking for a Discipleship Group (DG) If you have been worshipping with us for a while, we would like to encourage you to join a Discipleship Group (DG). Please email Ps George Ang at george@trueway.org.sg for more information.

Change of Email Address If you have changed your email address, kindly email Alvin and cc Ps George.

Results of ACM Election on 23 Aug 2020

We would like to congratulate Rev Tan Cheng Huat who has been successfully elected as our Associate Minister for another term of 4 years.

We would like to congratulate Eld Chng Say Tiong, Dn Koh Guat Hua, Dn Soh Lay Suan and Dn Joel Seah who have been successfully elected as elder and deacons for a term of 3 years. A Word of Thanks We wish to thank the Lord for Belinda Lee and Chua Li Hua who faithfully served as deacons for the past three years. They have officially stepped down at the last ACM after serving for a full term. Rev Ronnie Ang stepping down as Associate Minister Rev Ronnie Ang has served in our church as a pastor since 2005. With the completion of the ACM last Sunday, he has completed his fourth term as an Associate Minister of TWPC-EC and will be stepping down from active pastoral duties. This is because he needs to care for both of his elderly parents who are not in good health. He will still be very much part of our community and you will see him preach and conduct communion from time to time in the capacity of a church member.

While Rev Ang has stepped down as Associate Minister of our church, he remains an ordained minister on a leave of absence from the Presbytery. Hence, we can still address him by the title of “Reverend”.

Online Outreach Resources For online outreach resources, you are encouraged to go to the TWPC-English Congregation website: https://truewaypc.com/2020/04/15/covid-19-resources/ and click here for online outreach resources, to look for suitable materials for your personal evangelistic efforts. Christian Education Classes Now Online! Over the past two weeks the church has conducted two CE classes. If you have missed them, the recordings are available for viewing on our church website at <https://truewaypc.com/2020/09/10/christian-education-classes/>. .

Election of Associate Minister

Total Votes Cast

Yes No Abstain %

Tan Cheng Huat 471 455 1 15 96.6

Election of Elder Total Votes

Cast Yes No Abstain %

Chng Say Tiong 471 463 0 8 98.3

Election of Deacons Total Votes

Cast Yes No Abstain %

Koh Guat Hua 471 436 5 30 92.6

Soh Lay Suan 471 462 0 9 98.1

Seah Wei Jie Joel 471 451 3 17 95.8

When Masks Are Longer Needed

According to traditional Chinese beliefs, the Hungry Ghost Festival which falls annually on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month would have just been celebrated earlier this September. As it is believed that the souls of the dead are allowed to roam on earth during this seventh month, all sorts of offerings in the form of food items and money are made as a way to provide for one’s deceased family members. For some, it also serves as a means to appease any spirits who may otherwise get up to mischief if ignored.

What is really surprising though is to read from social media that there are some shops in Hong Kong selling papier-mâché facial masks meant for the deceased. Given that the current pandemic has adversely affected the living, one would have been forgiven for thinking that the dead would be immune. Perhaps those shops offering such other-worldly merchandise are merely trying to brighten the gloomy mood caused by the pandemic.

But if not, this does raise some questions about the need for a mask. If there are to be differences in the afterlife as compared to living in this world, what would these differences be? In the first place, why do some burn stacks of paper money and offerings of papier-mâché cars, clothes and other fine goods at some Taoist and Buddhist funerals as if the deceased continue to have a need for them? Isn’t rather disheartening that even in death there can be no relief from the mundane concerns of existence? For that matter, will there be crime and victims in the afterlife since what would be stopping some from transgressing the laws in order to lay their hands on whatever they desire?

In contrast, most historic Christian churches believe that Scripture teaches what can be generally described as a two-stage view of life after death that will be radically different from life here on earth. The first stage between death and bodily resurrection is sometimes referred to as the intermediate state. Admittedly, there are differences in opinion as to the nature of our being during this state. Nevertheless, Scripture seems clear that the living will not be able to make a difference to the well-being of the deceased and that God’s people are expected to be in a restful albeit temporary place (Luke 16:19-31).

With regards to the second stage, there is certainly consensus about it being final and unending. This second stage is ushered in through the second coming of Christ where all dead humans will be raised and undergo

final judgement. God’s people will be taken to be with Christ in his glorious presence and they will be given new bodies. For them, it is life and fellowship with God, worshipping him in our glorified bodies and reigning with Christ in his everlasting Kingdom. For God’s enemies, it is everlasting separation and judgment (Dan 12:1-2).

For the purposes of this Perspective, I want to just focus on the absence of sin with regards to eternal life in the new heavens and new earth. A closer look at some verses in Revelation offers us some clues about this wonderful truth that sin will no longer remain in eternity future. For example, we learn from Apostle John that there will be a removal of pain and sorrows: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore" (Rev 21:4). This same verse notes the reason that this would be so is because “the former things have passed away".

Scholars believe that John was alluding to how the curse of sin that came with the fall of Adam and Eve will no longer be experienced by all of creation in the new heavens and new earth. Indeed, if not for their transgressions, there would not have been all these experiences of death, disease, natural catastrophes and suffering today. This would also explain why in Scriptures, there is always this prophetic hope for the current created order to be restored (Isaiah 65:17) and this idea that creation itself is longing for restoration and liberation from the curse of sin (Romans 8:22-23).

Throughout the New Testament, we also find many passages talking about how through Christ’s death and resurrection, God has sovereignly and graciously removed the penalty and power of sin upon one’s life (Col 2:14-15, Romans 6:5-10). In addition, with Jesus’ return, the presence of sin as well as its effects upon all of creation will be totally eradicated.

Beyond the new imperishable physical body that believers will receive (1 Cor 15:36-49), I trust that we are looking forward even more to the day when we will sin no more in the new heavens and new earth. Indeed, there are sufficient grounds to believe that this is more than just a utopian ideal since Revelation 21:27 states that “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable… but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life”.

Indeed, what a glorious freedom of conscience there will be where in our thoughts and deeds, we will no longer displease our Lord ever again. What a joyous prospect where upon Christ’s return, we will forever be in the presence of the one who loves us and whom we seek to love, being assured that “what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he

appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

Until that day comes, the wearing of a mask during this pandemic is a reminder that all is not well yet. Indeed, we are mindful that in this fallen world, sin will continue to wreak havoc in different aspects of life. Nevertheless, let us take heart that behind our masks, we can still behold the glory of God and by God’s Spirit are being “transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 4:6). Wearing a mask can be a rather inconvenient necessity at this moment. But unlike Moses who needed to veil his face from the Israelites, our masks need not stop us from reflecting Christ’s glory through all that we do and say until the day when masks are no longer needed.

Rev Edwin Wong

13 September 2020