WELCOME (15 minutes)
Choose one of the following icebreakers:
(If you have first-time guests, begin with a round of introduction and warmly welcome the new visitors.)
1. Mystery Object Pictionary
One CG Member will take turns to pick up a random object from his/her room, and without showing the object, describe the object for another participant to draw on the Zoom whiteboard. The Member describing should describe the object’s colour, shape, and significant details without revealing outright what the object is. The other CG Members are to guess (within 10 guesses) what the object is. The participant describing will reveal the mystery object on camera once anyone guesses the correct answer, or when the group has exceeded the number of tries.
Materials needed: Zoom whiteboard, random objects from Members’ home.
2. 5 Things in 10 Seconds
Get all CG Members to think of a topic. Then get each Member to call out his/her topic and the name of another Member who will have to think of the 5 things related to this topic. For example, for the topic of Covid-19, the 5 related things can be – vaccination, community cases, work from home, hand washing, and face masks.
The objective is get CG Members to call out the 5 things related to a particular topic within 10 seconds.
Materials needed: Online or handphone timer.
Transition to Worship:
O Lord Jesus, every day with You is a happy day! We thank You that for us every day with You is a happy day for us. Let’s now declare this in the worship song – Happy Day!
WORSHIP (20 minutes)
You may use the following worship songs:
- Happy Day (D)
- You Are Faithful (G)
Let us pause to wait upon the Lord for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We would like to encourage everyone to exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit – if you have a word, a vision, tongues and interpretation of tongues – release it to minister to each other.
Transition to Word:
Lord Jesus, You are faithful and You will fulfil all Your Word and Your purposes in our lives. As we meditate on Your Word, we know You will cause Your Word to come alive in us. Let it be so! And let our live be a fragrant offering of obedience to You always! Amen
WORD (45 minutes)
Memory verse of the week: Exodus 39:30
30 They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord.
Sermon Title: How Do You Feel
By Senior Pastor Daniel Khong on 10-11 Jul 2021
Scripture Passages: John 11:1-7; 17-36
John 11:1-7 (NLT) A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
John 11:17-36 (NLT) 17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 29 So Mary immediately went to him. 30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”
Introduction
Human beings are made in the image of God – just as God has emotions, so also do human have feelings. Feelings come from the heart. However, the human heart is deceitful and divided. Last week’s message is to help us manage our feelings, and not deny or suppress them. We must manage our feeling according to God’s truth and not according to how we feel. To manage our feelings, we must first acknowledge that:
1. Our feelings are real - and then not allow these feelings to define our reality. Our feelings sometimes do not reflect the actual situation; hence it is important that we do not allow our feelings to cloud out the fact that the situation may be very different from the way we feel.
2. Our feelings are sticky – and so we must surrender them to Jesus. When we say that our feelings are sticky, we mean that we get stuck in our feelings which is like a whirlpool dragging us down. The way to get out of this whirlpool is to surrender our feelings to Jesus so He can pull us out.
We must seek to face our emotions:
- In God’s Presence – that is, allow God into our pain and feelings.
- With God’s Truth / Word – direct our feelings and manage it on the basis of what God’s Word/the Truth says about it.
- With God’s Community – allow our CG members, or other members of our spiritual community to help us walk through our difficult times and cope with our emotions.
Discovery and Understanding Questions:
Q1. What do you learn from these verses about feelings?
A1. It is all right to have feelings – that makes us human. But we must not let our feelings to lead us into sin. We must commit our feelings to God, and control our feelings with the help of God rather than let feelings control us. Only then will we experience His transcendent peace.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT)
26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIVUK)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Q2. In the account of Lazarus’s death, what is Jesus wanting to teach us?
A2. Jesus want to teach us:
- That He is sovereign over our circumstances and taking charge. So we can commit to Him and not let our feelings run wild.
- That it is ok to be sad – Jesus Himself wept over Lazarus’ death; the community came to comfort Mary and Martha.
- Mary and Martha had confidence that Jesus would turn the situation around for them in their sadness.
- Jesus asks us to come to Him and He will quiet our raging emotions.
John 11:4 (NIVUK)
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’
John 11:19 (NIVUK)
… many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother
John 11:33 (NIVUK)
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled
John 11:21 (NLT)
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.
John 11:32 (NLT)
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Application Questions
Break into smaller groups, share, pray and minister to one another.
Q1. Meditate on these verses. Use them daily for your prayers
Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Romans 12:2 (NIVUK)
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Q2. Share one emotion you are experiencing during this period of time. Based on what you have learnt, how can you manage this emotion? If you have not managed this well, what can you do in future?
Transition to Works:
Lord Jesus, take charge of our feelings. Cause our feeling to be Your feelings. Give us the same feelings you have for those who do not know You – deep compassion for the lost. Help us to reach out to them.
WORKS (15 minutes)
1. Focus on CG Outreach
The focus of CG meetings is edification, equipping and evangelism.
In each CG meeting, spend some time to encourage your Members to do personal outreach right where they are. Give sometime each week during the WORKS portion for them to share their outreach efforts.
Plan regular (monthly or quarterly CG outreach, either as a whole CG or in separate groups) into your CG roster, using the existing covid19 guidelines to plan your activities/programmes.
The next XFXZ will be in September. Use the CG time to prepare your Members and get their buy-in to conducting a XFXZ cell the next round.
2. Prayer over Covid19 Situation
Consecrate some time each CG meeting to be praying for the situation; and to remain connected with one another.
4. Continue to Connect
a) With cell group members
- Hold your cell members accountable to watch the Livestream Service.
- Seek ways and means to stay connected with each other. For example:
- Synchronize prayer times
- Share devotional thoughts through WhatsApp. Encourage your members to share their Quiet Time Reflections in your cell group chat.
- Create a cell group hashtag - Post uplifting messages, sermon videos and notes, or even bookmark pretty verse images by leaving these in your cell group hashtag as a comment.
- Video call each other
- Continue with your cell group meetings online. Ensure that none of your members fall through the cracks. Continue to monitor the attendance of your online meetings.
b) With Potential BESTs / Pre-Believers
- Evangelism need not take a back seat with livestreaming. Invite pre-believing friends/Bests/3x3 contacts (depending on their comfort level) to join you in watching our livestream service. Connect online with them and spur other members to do so.
- When the salvation altar call is made during livestreaming, a Response Form link will be screened over the livestream for those who have responded or want to respond, to fill in. The livestream links are:
- For English -- www.fcbc.org.sg/connectwithus
- For Chinese -- www.fcbc.org.sg/zh/connectwithus
Get your pre-believing contacts to fill up the Response Form or you can help them fill it up. When filling up the Form, try to provide as much of the information needed as possible, and do so immediately after the livestream service.
5. 3x3 Prayer
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the strongholds that bind the people in captivity. Ask Him to set up divine appointments for us to minister His power over them (words of knowledge, healing, helps, etc.). Pray for one another to have boldness, courage and obedience to follow through.
6. Announcements
- We will resume on-site English and Chinese Services at Touch Centre starting 3 July 2021. For more information, please visit https://fcbc.org.sg/serviceresumption.
- English, Chinese, and Hokkien Services will continue to be streamed at their regular service timings on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/FCBCsg)
- In-person cell meetings and gatherings may resume for up to 5 persons.
- Our advisories on weddings and funerals have been updated in our website.
For more announcements, please visit www.fcbc.org.sg/announcements or our social media platforms – we can be found on Facebook and Instagram @fcbcsg.
7. Partial resumption of onsite Services
Praise God we are going back to onsite Services! Remind members to practise Phil 2:4 –
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
- Reserve seats only for yourselves and your family members. Don’t mass book. Don’t double book to secure more chances of getting a seat.
- Turn up for service after getting your seats. Don’t cancel last minute – every last minute cancellation deprives one person of an opportunity to come to onsite service.
- Obey covid19 safety procedures to safeguard yourself and others – e.g., stay in your zones; don’t turn up if you are sick, etc.
- Be patient and calm if there are delays in admitting you because of covid19 safe entry processes. Don’t abuse the Staff or volunteers on duty.
- Honour God – have a worshipful attitude even though you cannot sing aloud.
- Be punctual – build in extra time so that you will be seated already when Service starts.
- Dress appropriately.
- Recognise that there are many others also worshipping with you online.
- Continue to invite your pre-believer friends.
- Etc…