Legacy

by Admin | Jul 12, 2024 | Ong Kiat Hoe, • Timely Word •

Legacy

Yio Chu Kang Chapel celebrates her 70th Anniversary today. In the past year, I have also had the privilege to attended the 70th birthday celebrations of a few of our church members as they gave thanks and honoured God.

Many people in their 60s and 70s make it a priority to leave behind a legacy. Whether material or otherwise, a legacy serves to make a lasting impact and secure the future of those who are loved. More selfishly, leaving behind a legacy signifies an individual’s hope to be part of a bigger story, thereby gaining a symbolic sense of immortality after they are gone. Should we aim similarly?

The origin of the word, “legacy” comes from the Latin root word “legare”, which means “to depute”, “to appoint” or “to commission”. It is also the root word for the frequently used organizational term, “delegate”, which means to “down” (de-) “depute” (-legare). The modern meaning of the word “legacy” has therefore shifted from its original meaning.

Knowing the original meaning of this word, we can conclude that in God’s spiritual family, it was Jesus who left behind the original legacy when He gave to His disciples the Great Commission, deputising them and delegating to them the responsibility of “making disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19) As individuals who are His disciples, and as a church, we dare not claim and we should not aim to leave behind any legacy other than that which had been left to us by our Lord and Saviour. Rather than saying that we leave behind a legacy, as if we originated it, we should be thankful for the call to participate and to propagate the legacy of Jesus Christ.

How do we participate in and propagate the legacy of Jesus our Lord? Every Christian organization has a vision and a mission statement for this very purpose. Yio Chu Kang Chapel likewise. We can do many things, but let us always go back to review our vision and mission. Let us always seek to clarify our vision in relation to the context of the time and environment in which we live. Often, clarifying our vision may mean that we sharpen our focus on a people group, age group, or even individual families. Let us also seek to inspire mission according to the needs around us, both in our immediate neighbourhood and further afield. And may mission always be inspired not out of fear or obligation, but out of gratitude and love borne out of God’s love and grace toward us.

We are 70 years young. No matter the age, let us be faithful to participate in and propagate the commission and legacy of Jesus Christ. And echoing the words of the song, “Find Us Faithful”, may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey.

By Elder Ong Kiat Hoe

New Relationship: Masters and Slaves

by Admin | May 24, 2023 | Ong Kiat Hoe, • Sermon •

SCRIPTURE:

Ephesians 6:5-9

SERIES:

Ephesians

SPEAKER:

Elder Ong Kiat Hoe

Understanding Unity

by Admin | May 5, 2023 | Ong Kiat Hoe, • Timely Word •

In the first sermon of the year, Pastor Rick expounded on what it meant for the church to be united. In that sermon (https://yckc.org.sg/yckchapel-unity-diversity-charity/), he explained the meaning of “Unity of the Spirit”, “Unity of Faith” and “Unity in Mind and Purpose”, drawn from Paul’s letters to the Ephesian and the Corinthian church.

In Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, He too, prayed for His disciples and for us – His followers, to be united. The paramount importance of unity among His disciples and followers was reflected by the proportion of His prayer focused on this theme.

How can the church be united? Firstly, Jesus prayed for His disciples to be sanctified or to be made holy, to be set apart by God’s truth (Jn 17:19). Do we have the truth of God deeply etched into our hearts and minds? Do we know His Word and understand it deeply? Do we go beyond head knowledge toward an experiential knowledge of God? And do we then allow that knowledge of God to set us apart from the world’s value systems?

How can the church be united? Secondly, by reflecting the glory that Christ had given to the church (Jn 17:22). The degree with which we reflect His glory is the degree of unity that the church will have. What is God’s glory? It is all His goodness: reflected in His love, His mercy, His grace, His creative power, His holiness. Jesus’ glory is summarized in two weighty words that the Apostle John used in John 1:14 to describe our Lord – Grace and Truth. The degree that YCKC reflects Jesus’ grace and mercy and love and creativity (not only within our spiritual families, but also to the outside world) is the degree of unity that YCKC has.

How else can the church be united? Thirdly, by knowing with certainty the hope that we have in Jesus Christ (John 17:24). Jesus prayed for us, His followers, to be with Him where He is, that we may see and know firsthand, all of His glory. What a privilege and what a hope! Many of us have heard our relatives, friends and even ourselves pronounce that we have placed our hopes on our children, on our careers, on the economy turning around. Yet, I have never heard of anyone (myself included) speak of placing our hope on the certain future, when we will be with Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

So, my brother and sister, let us ground ourselves in God’s truth and allow that truth to guide our values. Let us reflect the grace of our Lord Jesus to each other and to those around, and let us place our hope in the future that we have with Christ our King. Then we will live more and more as a church, united.

By Elder Ong Kiat Hoe

Admin In Violet James, • Timely Word •