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. How Are You Feeling?
Start by asking: “In one word, how would you describe the past week?” Share the following and let them choose.
2. Scissors Paper Stone
Cell members start by choosing an opponent to play “Scissors-Paper-Stone.” On hearing the word ‘Stone’, both players choose an object (Scissors, Paper or Stone) to represent with their hand (1 out of 3). To win, ‘stone’ beats ‘scissors’; ‘scissors’ beat ‘paper’; and ‘paper’ beats ‘stone’. Losers will be out of the game by turning off video function and winners choose someone else to challenge till the final winner emerges. Cell Leader then asks everyone to switch on their video function and give a thunderous applause to the winner!
Transition to Worship:
In the Lord’s house, we can have lots of fun and joy! Hallelujah! The Bible says we are to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Let’s prepare ourselves to worship the Lord with gladness of hearts and enjoy an exuberant worship! Hallelujah!
WORSHIP (20 minutes)
You may use the following worship songs:
- This Is Amazing Grace (D)
- Goodness of God (G)
- Cornerstone
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:
Dearest Jesus, You are our Cornerstone, You are the Anchor of our life! We build our hope on You and You alone. We are made strong by Your love to go through all storms in our lives. Thank you Lord for Your constant love. Lord, teach us Your word, give us revelation so that we may live out Your word. Amen!
WORD (45 minutes)
Memory verse of the week: Jeremiah 50:34
34 Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.
Sermon Title: How are you feeling?
By Senior Pastor Daniel Khong on 17 & 18 Oct 2020
Scripture Passage: Matthew 26:36-46 (NLT)
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. 44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Introduction
Last weekend’s sermon was entitled, “How are you feeling?” Our Senior Pastor Daniel Khong had intentionally entitled it so that we will all take some time to reflect upon how we are feeling. Perhaps some of us may be feeling down, feeling upset, feeling hurt, feeling tired, or feeling just fine. Regardless of what we are feeling, however, the question is: do we know how are feeling; why are we feeling that way; and where do we go from there?
Given the increasing incidents in mental health in Singapore, we must learn to keep our emotions in check. If we do not learn to master our emotions, our emotions will become our master. As Charles Spurgeon puts it succinctly, “There is nothing so deluding as feelings. Christians cannot live by feelings. Let me further tell you that these feelings are the work of Satan, for they are not right feelings. What have you to set up your feelings against the Word of Christ.” Clearly, Spurgeon never said that we cannot or should not have feelings or emotions, but that we cannot be led by them. Therefore, in order to become better at mastering our emotions, we need to practise 2 things:
- Don’t suppress our feelings
- Don’t isolate yourself
Discovery and Understanding Questions:
Q1. Describe some emotions experienced by Jesus when He was with His disciples at the Garden of Gethsemane.
A1. From Matthew 26:37-42, we see that Jesus experienced the following emotions:
- Anguish and distress (v. 37)
Matthew 26:37 - He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed.
- Deep grief (v. 38)
Matthew 26:38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.
- Discouragement (v. 40)
Matthew 26:40 - Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?
- Fearfulness (v. 42)
Matthew 26:42 - “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Q2. Although Jesus did not suppress His emotions, He did not isolate Himself too. How do we know that He did not isolate Himself?
A2. Jesus was accompanied by 3 of His closest disciples when He was in anguish at the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37-38). More importantly He did not isolate Himself from God (Matt 26:39).
Matthew 26:37-38
37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Matthew 26:39
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.
Matthew 26:42
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.
Matthew 26:44
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
Application Questions
Break into smaller groups, share, pray and minister to one another. Cell leaders can use breakout rooms to allow members have a more personal ministry time.
Q1. Have you confronted what you’re feeling?
(Take turns to share some words to describe your emotional struggle, e.g. stressed, worried, anxious, fearful, panicky, angry, impatient, depressed, sad, lethargic, uncertain)
Q2. Do you need to get in touch with God?
(Take turns to share how’s your conversation with God? And how do you feel towards God?)
Q3. Have you been hiding away?
(Take turns to share views on isolation, which can take the form of choosing to stay away from family, cell group, friends, or choosing to disengage in conversation, staying in the room the whole day, and not wanting to talk or being withdrawn)
Note: Cell leaders, please alert your Team Pastors privately if you know of any members who may harm themselves unconsciously.
Transition to Works:
Lord, you have taught us to be in touched with our feelings and be with friends and not isolate. Lord help us carry the message of love and hope to our friends who need a listening ear and be a friend to those who are lonely.
WORKS (15minutes)
1. Continue to Connect
a) With cell group members
- Hold your cell members accountable to watch the Livestream Service or download the message to listen later.
- Seek ways and means to stay connected with each other, especially those who’ve been impacted by COVID-19. For example:
- Synchronize prayer times.
- Discuss devotional thoughts through WhatsApp.
- Create a cell group hashtag - Post uplifting messages, sermon videos and notes, or even bookmark pretty verse images that you like on Instagram by leaving these in your cell group hashtag as a comment. Everything that has been tagged with your cell group hashtag will be available for the entire group to see!
- Video call each other.
- Continue with your cell group meetings online. Help your members to set up their online meeting account (if not done already) and teach them how to use it for online meeting (if need be). 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 or COVID-19. 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
Encourage 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. Encourage them to fill up the Response Form immediately after the livestream service.
2. 3x3 Prayer
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the strongholds that bind the people. 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.
3. Consolidation of New Converts
Assimilate them! Let them have a sense of belonging with our faith community! Connect with them via phone calls; introduce them to cell members via WhatsApp and invite them to join in our livestream services and your online cell group meetings.
Announcements:
For the latest announcements, please visit www.fcbc.org.sg/announcements or our social media platforms – we can be found on Facebook and Instagram @fcbcsg.