Baptist Church of Oamaru

Living in Faithful Obedience to Jesus Christ

Sermons

10 Successful Church Ministry Journey Reflections

As my closing reflections for last Sunday’s sermon, “Two Winning Factors in the Race Marked Out for Us”, I have composed ten reflections on a successful church ministry journey.

I derived these reflections from the two-year ministry journey we have embarked on since June 2022.

Oamaru sunset, as seen from the Holmes Wharf’s eastern end.
  1. Jesus Christ is the owner and head of the church. It is not ours. We are only stewards of God’s ministry. We are accountable to him.

  2. The church’s ministry is not a solitary endeavour by the pastor but a shared responsibility and accountability that we all bear together.

  3. Like anyone else, the pastor is limited and can only do some things. We must serve one another because we believe that the greatest in God’s Kingdom is the one who serves all.

  4. The church is not like a local business driven by the goal of monetary profit at the end of each year.

  5. As outlined in Acts 2:42, the church’s purpose is to teach Biblical doctrine, provide a venue for worship and fellowship, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and pray — driven by faith, hope, and love, with love as the greatest of the three.

  6. This purpose gives us a sense of belonging and significance in our shared journey and inspires and connects us to the heart of the church’s mission.

  7. Because love is patient, we are on a marathon, not a race. In a marathon, we train for it, pace ourselves, endure, and finish strong. This is how we will achieve the church’s goals.

  8. The success of God’s ministry does not rest solely on what the Pastor does for the local church but more on what the local church members do for themselves because pastors come and go, and the local church is the mainstay.

  9. As your Pastor, my role is to equip, guide, and empower you to serve the Master more and more.

  10. I am here to support you, to encourage you, and to walk alongside you in our journey of faith and works, ensuring you feel supported and empowered in your service to the Master.

Thank you, Oamaru Baptist Church for entrusting me with the role of your permanent pastor. With the help and guidance of God, and by working together, we aim to fulfil our potential for His glory and honour.

Team Castillon – Jonan, Jewel, and Jadyn

Fresh Beginnings Around Us

As I shared last Sunday, the new year offers many fresh beginnings. All we need to do is look around and see these impending changes.

Let me share the outline of the sermon I delivered on Sunday, 4 February.

baptist church oamaru

I took this photo when we stopped at Shag Point’s southern end because of road works. I noticed the new house built on the hilltop. We were following a moving van. Someone or a family might be moving.

We visited Jadyn’s accommodation in Dunedin on 31 January. She begins university next week, a big, fresh start for us as a family.

Yes, there are many fresh beginnings around us. We only need to look around, observe, and ask, “What are the new things around?”

Jesus had impactful fresh beginnings in Galilee after his Baptism and when Herod arrested John.

Fresh beginnings at Capernaum (Matthew4:12-27)

  1. Jesus went to Galilee to start His itinerant ministry in that region to continue John’s ministry.
  2. Galilee offers a safer place for ministry.
  3. Jesus left Nazareth to live in Capernaum because
    • People rejected Jesus in his hometown (Luke 4:16-30)
    • Matthew and Peter live in Capernaum (Matthew 9:1-9; Matthew 8:14)
    • Fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. (Isaiah 9:1-2)
  4. Jesus came to preach, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is near.”

Fresh beginnings with Jesus’ first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22)

  1. Jesus called, “Come, follow me.” (Matthew 4:19)
    • Brothers Simon (called Peter) and Andrew
    • Zebedee’s siblings, James and John
  2. His calling came to busy people.
    • Simon (Peter) and Andrew were casting a net into the lake (v.18)
    • James and John were in a boat preparing their nets (v. 21)
  3. The immediate response of these disciples is an excellent example to us.
  4. Following Jesus means leaving some things behind.

Fresh beginnings of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4:23-25)

  1. Teaching in their synagogues (Matthew 4:23)
  2. Preaching (proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (v.23)
  3. Healing every disease and sickness among the people (v.23), as far as Syria (v.24)
  4. Large crowds followed him – people from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across Jordan. (v. 25)

A growing church always faces fresh beginnings, especially when we are deeply engaged in following our Master and Lord Jesus Christ.

Following what Jesus started in Galilee, we as a church or individuals must be able to preach the Gospel of repentance, make disciples, teach them to obey, and bring them to holistic healing in Jesus’ name.

The Faithful, Indomitable, Noble, Hopeful, and Generous People of OBC

As part of our “Faith-Wisdom Series”, this continues the Mapping Oamaru Baptist Church’s Faith-Wisdom sermon I shared on 28 March.

Previously, I talked about OBC’s faith-wisdom in 1883, 1889, 2008, and 2012, which led us to discover the church’s founding values.

  • steadfast faith,
  • indomitable courage,
  • noble vision,
  • hope, and
  • generosity

In this message, we will talk about the faithful, indomitable, noble, hopeful and generous people of Oamaru Baptist Church and the faith-wisdom discovery map in the past three years.

ministry appreciation and participation toolkit

The flow chart above indicates that we are still on “Faith-Wisdom Discovery”, and next, we will tackle “Testimony Writing and Sharing”. All the tools we discuss and learn are integral to our church planning.

Basic Biblical Principle

faith-wisdom OBC

Between 1883 and 2023, Oamaru Baptist Church had many faith-wisdom waiting to be found.

The basic principle in faith-wisdom discovery is searching for and finding God in all the events in the church’s life.

The faith-wisdom statement above is taken from the “In Retrospect” article on the “Turning Back the Pages”, Oamaru Baptist Church Centenary 1883-1983, published in 1983, where the founding values are mentioned.

During all the years of its witness in Oamaru, the Church has been steadfastly loyal to the foundation principles of the Evangelical faith. The distinctive and historic Baptist witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the absolute authority of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God, the freedom of the individual personality before God, and the right of all to freedom of conscience have been maintained with vigour and without compromise.

Today we thank God for those early pioneer members who, with indomitable courage, steadfast faith and sanctified vision, established the Baptist Cause in this town. We bless our God for every remembrance of them. ‘Their faith and their hopes we share as a glorious heritage. God grant that we prove worthy of the trust they have left us.

“Turning Back the Pages, Oamaru Baptist Church Centenary 1883-1983

Applying the faith-wisdom principles

The slide below shows some events in OBC’s life from 2020 to 2023. The listing is not exhaustive. I selected a few for illustration purposes only.

Now that we have listed the events, how do we search for and find God in these events in OBC’s life in the last three years, you may ask.

Remember the basic Biblical principle I showed earlier (Slide No. 3) found in James 1:22 and 1:26 and summed up by the phrase, “Faith without works is dead”?

As believers, the church continues to perpetuate works of faith because we have been born again in Jesus Christ.

It is the same faith that moved the early pioneers, “who, with indomitable courage, steadfast faith and sanctified vision, established the Baptist Cause in this town.”

Looking at OBC’s Faith-Wisdom Discovery Map above and reflecting on the events listed from 2020 to 2023 takes us to two questions.

  • One is hypothetical. Could those who left have stayed if they knew of OBC’s faith-wisdom statement?
  • The other question is reflective. Now that you know OBC’s faith-wisdom statement, how does it impact your commitment to be part of OBC?

As I have mentioned in my previous explanation, Faith-Wisdom discovery must lead to forming a mission statement.

So, based on the faith-wisdom statement, we create a mission statement needed in planning programs for the church.

Oamaru Baptist Church must plan and implement programs that teach, train, and track the founding values of every member (dynamic discipleship).

  • steadfast faith,
  • indomitable courage,
  • noble vision,
  • hope, and
  • generosity

Proclaiming God’s Righteousness – The Triumphal Entry of Jesus

baptist church oamaru lent

John 12:12-19

We are celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem once again.

It is well-known as “Palm Sunday” because when Jesus rode on to Jerusalem, people carrying palm leaves, some waving and others spreading along the ground, greeted him.

To be exact, it was John who specified that “they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him” (John 12:13). Matthew (21:8) and Mark (11:8) mentioned that the people got leafy branches of trees Luke only said “cloaks” that the people spread on the road as Jesus entered Jerusalem (Luke 19:36).

Whether you would like to call it “Palm Sunday” or “Cloaks and Branches Sunday” is not the focus of our reflection.

Here, we see Jesus proceeding on a critical mission to enter Jerusalem.

Jesus proclaimed the righteousness of God.

Jesus entered enemy territor Word was out that anyone who would see Jesus must report to the priestly authorities so that they would arrest Jesus.

Jerusalem was the seat of the religious hierarch Jesus pushed through because God called upon him to proclaim His righteousnes Where is righteousness fitting to be declared than among unrighteous people?

What we need today is COURAGE TO PROCLAIM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. 

It begins when we have been put right with God from within ourselves.

How?

Romans 3:21-31 explains how we have been put right with God in Jesus Christ.

Yes, God makes us right by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Roman 3:22 points out:

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And h s is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

ROMANS 3:22 (NLT)

And because we have experienced the righteousness of God, we aren’t comfortable seeing unrighteousness done before us.

We become restless and can only relax when we have proclaimed what is right. 

What hinders us from seeking and proclaiming God’s righteousness?

However, some of us tend to only focus on seeking the “Kingdom of God” but aren’t keen on finding and proclaiming “His righteousness”, as the first statement in Matthew 6:33 mentions.

I have thought of three things that hinder us from seeking and proclaiming God’s righteousness.

1. Proclaiming God’s righteousness puts us outside of our comfort zone

Seeking and proclaiming God’s righteousness will not only take us out of our comfort zone, but most of us dread the thought that we would make others uncomfortable.

Yes, we are uncomfortable thinking that our proclamation will cause others to be uncomfortable.

Our thinking would be like…we have everything we need and live in a peaceful and secure community; why should we bother?

2. The world and some believers accuse us that we aren’t righteous enough

“Oh, let us leave them alone because we too are sinners” is the statement that Christians often hear discouraging Christians from speaking what is right and just before God.

Going through the triumphal entry narrative in Luke 19:28-44, we read in verses 36 and 37 that…

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Then some of the Pharisees in the crowd told Jesus to rebuke His disciples, but Jesus replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (vs. 39-40).

Not everyone in the crowd of disciples is righteous enough based on the Pharisees’ standard (or on the world’s standard), for they told Jesus to rebuke His disciples.

The Lord Jesus Christ didn’t stop them from proclaiming God’s righteousness.

It’s not the world or some ignorantly righteous persons who call the shot when it comes to who would proclaim God’s righteousness. Only Jesus Christ!

3. We are compromising and serving two masters

A lot of us today are what we call TIRED AND WEARY Christians. What causes it is “SIN. 

The most tiresome part of sin is when the Christian compromises. TO BE LUKEWARM is the most tiresome thing to a faithful Christian. 

Serving two masters will eventually wear us out.

We cannot serve both God and money, Jesus said. We must serve the one and only Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Paul tells us to take off all that hinders our race.

Therefore, since such a great cloud of witnesses surrounds us, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

(Hebrews 12:1-3)

He also exhorts us not to conform anymore to the pattern of this world but be transformed by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2).

How can Jesus’ triumphal entry lead us to our triumph?

I want to close this sermon with some reflections on the relevance of the triumphal entry of Jesus to our present situation.

1. Let us welcome the Lord in our “Jerusalem.”

Remember, when we read Acts 1:8, where “Jerusalem” is mentioned, we would interpret it as starting our witness in our place “Jerus lem” could be our hearts, homes, and families.

I don’t know if your culture has this saying: “Clean your backyard first before cleaning the backyard of others.”

Then we have Jesus Christ saying in Matthew 7:5, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Therefore, let us welcome the Lord Jesus Christ into our own “Jerusalem”, but unlike the people in Jesus’ time who received him with external objects (palm leaves, leafy branches, and cloaks), let us welcome him with all our hearts, mind, and soul.

2. A grim reminder – If we choose to remain silent, “the stones will cry out”.

Okay, I may appear like a doomsday prophet ere. Som theologians will challenge my statement based on a deeper hermeneutical basis.

My reflection is a simple analogy here. As I’ve mentioned, many church people are satisfied with seeking His Kingdom but not keen on seeking His righteousness.

Not many are proclaiming the righteousness of God because it’s easy to raise and clap hands in worship, recite our prayers, sing and shout praises, and play the instruments within the comfort of the church.

It wasn’t a long time ago when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and their uncertainties caused us to be more prayerful, more trusting and more dependent on God’s grace and mercy.

I recalled that during the height of the pandemic when the number of positive cases and deaths were announced, I saw a flood of posts on social media channels (FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Mix, etc.) about the righteousness of God.

Still, I can confidently say that God’s people calling out to God, showing kindness, and encouraging one another in this pandemic have become exponentially more viral than the coronavirus.

A virus, a microscopic non-living organism like a non-living stone, has caused God’s people to proclaim His righteousness louder than ever before.

As we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, let us once again shout with louder voices starting within our own “Jerusalem”:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”