Racial & Religious Harmony

On August 16, 2009, I was invited to the National Day Rally held at the NUS University Cultural Center. The National Day Rally is akin to the State of the Union Address delivered by the President of the United States. In our case, it is an annual address that the Prime Minister of Singapore makes to the entire nation.

That night, I was seated on the second row, directly behind Rustom Ghadiali, the vice-president of the Inter-Religious Organization. Among those around me were the Methodist bishop and the Catholic archbishop, Buddhist monks and Muslim leaders. I must say that I was very impressed by the podium design, multimedia incorporation and technological gadgetry that PM Lee Hsien Loong used. The discipline and excellence in which the entire NDR was organized is indeed commendable.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s self-government. The PM spoke first in Malay and then in Chinese. The following two hours, he spoke in English, issuing a call for unity across different races and religions. I was amazed by the content of the PM’s speech as it is consistent with the value and philosophy of ministry we practice in City Harvest Church. In a sense, it is comforting to know that our approach is not antagonistic to the society we are planted in and seeking to reach.

PM Lee: Critical to our long-term success is maintaining social cohesion, particularly racial and religious harmony. We have discussed potential fault lines in our society - between rich and poor; between Singaporeans and new arrivals. But the most visceral and dangerous fault line is race and religion.

As far as racial harmony is concerned, this should be second nature to us Christians. The Bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Jesus Himself exhorts us to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). That word “nations” (Gr. ethnos) literally means people of diverse races and ethnicity. We can’t reach them with God’s love if we don’t engage, befriend and build meaningful relationships with people of various cultures and customs. God created the world as a collage of various colors, hues, “nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9-10). For us to live and operate within our own racial enclave is certainly against the spirit of New Testament Christianity. One of the things I am very proud of about City Harvest Church is that our membership is made up of 24 different nationalities (based on a 2007 internal survey), and within them a further multiplied variety of ethnic races. This racial mix enriches us and gives us a more global outlook as a community.

PM: [In a multi-religious society, we] need good sense and tolerance by all sides, and a willingness to give and take. Otherwise whatever the rules, there will be no end of possible causes of friction—noise, parking, joss sticks, stray ashes, dog hair, etc.

We have been saying for years that God expects His people to thrive and prosper even as they mingle with people of different faiths. A good example is Jeremiah 29, when the Jews were in exile in Babylon. The Babylonians had thousands of gods that its citizens worshiped and revered, with religious values that were diametrically opposed to that of the Jews. Yet, God instructed His people,

“Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jer. 29:5-7). They were to put down their roots, establish businesses and profit from them. They were to assimilate themselves fully into the culture by raising their families, to increase and not diminish in their presence and contribution to the society. They were not to be antagonistic as a community but to seek the peace and prosperity of the world God had placed them in, knowing that if their city prospered, they too would prosper. It was precisely in that setting of a multi-religious culture that God promised His people, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (29:11). This is a promise to all Christians who are living in this present world. In fact, our greatest value to God is right here in our society, not when we get to heaven. Truth be told, heaven is just a temporary holding place for us before we return to earth to rule and reign with Christ. Like the Bible heroes Joseph, Daniel and Esther, we need to adopt a non-antagonistic stance toward our multi-religious world. Relationship precedes ministry. In our interface with people of different faiths, the central issue is always one of trust. Do non-Christians trust us enough for us to speak truth, wisdom and blessing into their lives? The PM talked about “noise, parking, joss sticks, stray ashes, dog hair, etc.” Let us ensure that our weekly cell group meetings are not a constant source of noise pollution and nuisance to our neighbors. Let us not park indiscriminately (or illegally) when we come for church gatherings. Let us live the words of Jesus Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39). May our neighborliness and consideration be evident to all. PM: In itself, there is nothing wrong with people becoming more religious. Religion is a positive force in human societies. It provides spiritual strength, guidance, solace and a sense of purpose to many, especially in our fast-changing and uncertain world. But stronger religious fervor can have side effects which must be managed carefully, particularly in a multi-religious society. [For example:] Aggressive proselytization: pushing one’s religion on others, causing nuisance and offence ... the distribution of Christian tracts with contents that are offensive to other faiths ... Groups trying to convert very ill patients in hospitals. The PM is certainly not against conversion or the sharing of our faith, but he is exhorting us to do it in a civil manner. In our zeal to win others to Christ, we should not be “pushing” our faith on others, “causing nuisance and offence.” I can’t agree with him more. Never once in the Gospels do we find Jesus scolding, shaming or condemning people into believing in Him. If Jesus ever got agitated, it was always to rebuke the religious scribes and Pharisees in the synagogues—people who shared His belief, who had the form but not the substance of the faith. But when it comes to the general public, Jesus was considered a friend to those whose lifestyle and religious beliefs were very different from His (Matt. 11:19, Luke 7:34). He was a natural in befriending, relating and communicating with them. We see the same with Paul when he was in Athens. Though he was in a city whose citizens worshiped many different gods and idols (Acts 17:16), Paul remained gracious and polite in his interaction with the Athenians, even commending them for their religious longing (17:22). Sure, he was uncompromising in his presentation of the gospel, but he did it with great sensitivity, civility and in a non-pressuring manner, allowing his newfound friends to decide for themselves if they wanted to embrace his faith (17:32-34). “Evangelism” is the sharing of good news. It is a good word. This term is even used in secular arenas today. For example, Google has a “chief internet evangelist,” tasked to promote and market the products and services Google is offering. On the other hand, the word “proselytization” evokes a negative connotation. It is the inordinate, overly zealous pushing of one’s religion at the expense of causing offense. In some societies without religious freedom, proselytization is the enforced conversion of the masses by the dominant local religion. It is insensitive and borders on harassment. Personally, I get very upset if someone aggressively tries to push his religious belief upon me or puts down my own Christian beliefs. Just like the indiscriminate touting of commercial products by insensitive salespeople at shopping malls can be irritating, proselytization is a huge turn off to many. The way we grow CHC is not by “selling” the gospel, but by “serving” people. Jesus gives us the New Testament model of effective evangelism in Luke 10. He says that whenever we interface with nonbelievers, we must learn to be gracious, to bless and be encouraging in our words (10:5). We should build a genuine friendship with the people of different faiths, fellowshiping and sharing meals with them (10:7). We must then seek to serve them and meet their practical needs (10:9). And only when their hearts are open to us can we share the gospel of the kingdom of God to them (10:9). The pattern is clear: be gracious, befriend, meet needs, and then when they are open, share the gospel. Again, the underlying principle is clear—relationship precedes ministry. The impersonal, indiscriminate “handbill saturations” done by Singapore churches in the 1980s have never proven to be effective. Instead, it has made a nuisance out of Christians in the community, giving us the image of being an overzealous bunch of religious fanatics. Yes, as Christians, we do believe that people without Christ will go into a godless eternity; but there is always a right time and a right way of sharing the gospel to nonbelievers. When we serve people lovingly and unconditionally with no ulterior motives, the opportunity to evangelize will naturally present itself. PM: Intolerance—not respecting the beliefs of others, or accommodating others who belong to different religions, sometimes even within same families. Children who have converted from their parents’ religion, and decline to fulfill funeral rites of parents, or even stay away from the funerals [is] the ultimate unfilial act. Again, Bible heroes like Joseph, Daniel, Esther and Paul have proven that being with people of different faiths does not “contaminate” their spiritual purity to God. Joseph had a diviner’s cup given to him by the Pharaoh (Gen. 44:5). Daniel worked among the magicians and sorcerers of Babylon (Dan. 4:7-9; 5:11-12). Esther was a beauty queen who lived in the harem of the Persian king (Esther 2). Being with Athenian idol worshipers didn’t mean that Paul had become one himself (Acts 17:16-17). In fact, one of the greatest ways to demonstrate the reality of Christ is by loving people who are radically different from you (John 13:34-35). Loving people means accepting them just the way they are and treating them with respect even when you don’t agree with them. The PM talked about filial piety. Honoring our parents is not only an Asian culture, it is a sacred biblical value. The Fifth Commandment states, “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Deut. 5:16). To stay away from our parents’ or grandparents’ funerals because the rites are unchristian is truly the “ultimate unfilial act.” At moments of grief, as loving Christians, we need to stand with our family and walk with them “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Ps. 23:4). We should “fear no evil” (grieving the Lord, being demonized, etc.) having the confidence that God is with us (23:5). Remember, we are already covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit in us. The trickier part is the fulfilling of funeral rites. This is where we need to be more spiritually discerning because not all portions of a funeral rite are religious or superstitious in nature. Showing honor and respect to the dead doesn’t mean you are worshiping them. Whenever possible, in the non-religious traditions, we should do them in solidarity with our families. PM: Exclusiveness—segregating into separate exclusive circles, and not integrating with those of other faiths. This could be a direct preference to stay within own group or an indirect result of intolerance. Example, preferring not to share meals with others, or disapproving of yoga and taiji practices, because they allegedly contain religious elements. First of all, Jesus tells us to share meals with nonbelievers (Luke 10:7). This should be a nonissue for us Christians. But what about yoga and taiji? Yoga is often associated with Hinduism, and taiji with Taoism. But it is undeniable that the health elements of these physical disciplines are beneficial to the human body. So again, the question lies in whether is there anything religious in them. It all depends on the context they are practiced in and the instructors who teach them. In Singapore, as with many metropolitan cities around the world, yoga and taiji are taught as forms of physical fitness systems in sports gyms, just like aerobics and Pilates, devoid of any superstitious elements. John Calvin (1509-1564), in his Commentary On First Corinthians, teaches that any good contribution by nonbelievers to society, as long as it is free from religious superstition, should be freely employed by Christians for his or her own enjoyment, for the glory of God. I personally know of Spirit-filled pastors in Taiwan and Indonesia who regularly practice qigong. They certainly don’t pray to idols, recite chants, believe in magical powers, or embrace Taoism. And they certainly don’t get possessed by demons. None of the Christian leaders I know who practice yoga and taiji regularly have lost their spiritual consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ. But aren’t the roots of these ancient exercises unchristian or even anti-Christian? Well, if you go by that reasoning, then we shouldn’t even celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees. There is no dispute that the origin of Christmas trees is pagan. The ancient Egyptians decorated their homes with tree branches during the winter solstice as symbols of the afterlife. Heathen Greeks used them to worship their god, Adonia. Pagan Romans decorated their trees during their midwinter festivals in honor of the sun god. In Northern Europe, the ancient Germanic people tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches in honor of god Woden. (By the way, this is the deity after which Wednesday was named.) In fact, the English Puritans long condemned the use of the Christmas trees, yule logs, hollies, mistletoes, etc. Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” Yet, over the years, the Christmas tree has been “de-idolized” to become a major Christian symbol celebrating the birth of Christ. To people everywhere, it is a symbol of hope for the New Year and the future return of warmth to the earth. Churches today have “singing Christmas trees” and carols are sung to herald the birth of Christ. What originated as something totally unchristian has become very Christian over time. Titus 1:15 says, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” Don’t do anything you are uncomfortable with in your heart. But at the same time, don’t condemn others who do not share your personal preferences or convictions, or think of them as lesser followers of Christ than you. PM: All groups must exercise tolerance and restraint. Christians cannot expect Singapore to be a Christian society, ditto Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other groups. Many faiths share this island. Each has different teachings and practices. Rules which apply only to one group cannot be made into laws that apply to everyone. Muslims do not drink alcohol, but alcohol is not banned; ditto gambling, which several religions disapprove of. All must adopt “live and let live” as our guiding principle ... Secondly, religion must stay separate from politics ... Third, Government must remain secular. Government authority derives from the mandate of the people. Laws are not based on divine authority, but enacted by Parliament based on the public interest. The Bible teaches repeatedly about the “royal law” (James 2:8), commonly known as the Golden Rule: treat others in the same manner you wish to be treated yourself. I often ask myself, as a Christian, if I live in a state whose dominant religion is say, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Mormonism, do I want the values of those religions to be legislated as laws and imposed upon me? Definitely not. Even as a lover of the Holy Scripture, do I want the ceremonial, dietary and civil laws of Old Testament Judaism to be imposed on me? Definitely not. Now, putting myself in the shoes of the adherents of other faiths, how would they feel if they hear us spewing rhetoric about a Christian state where biblical commandments are enforced as law to all? I am sure the reaction would not be dissimilar to mine if the table is turned. Look, even among the body of Christ we can’t all agree to the style and philosophy of ministry. If we have a Christian government seeking to establish a Christian state, whose denominational doctrine are we going to follow? Anglican? Baptist? Assemblies of God? Roman Catholic? Church of Christ? I shudder just to think of the amount of religious legalism that would be mandated upon Faith-Charismatic, contemporary churches if that happens. Is it God’s will to have a Christian geopolitical state in this dispensation? I doubt it. Even after the resurrection, the ever zealous disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” To that, Jesus answered, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:6-7). Looking at the Holy Scripture, that is not going to happen anytime soon in this dispensation. The beauty of a democracy is that human rights and freedom can be pursued for the common good of all. I believe in the separation of religion and politics. Christianity is a freewill religion. I wouldn’t want our commandments to be enforced on others who don’t follow the teachings of Christ. As much as he was persecuted for his faith, Paul didn’t advocate the overthrow of the oppressive Roman government. Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. (Rom. 13:1-7) Paul endorsed the secular state of Rome even with Nero Caesar on the throne. Paul teaches that we should submit to secular laws, pay taxes, respect and honor the political leaders in authority, even if they are secular in nature. In fact, Paul wants us to regularly pray for them. Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence (1 Tim. 2:1-2). When a secular state guarantees “The Four Freedoms” enshrined in the United Nation Human Rights Charter: (1) freedom of speech and expression, (2) freedom of worship, (3) freedom from poverty and lack, and (4) freedom from fear, the gospel can thrive in that society. I certainly wouldn’t want any government to legislate what I should believe, and how I should worship or carry out my faith. I greatly doubt that the unchurched public would appreciate us forcing them to embrace our spiritual convictions either. Let us continue to keep religion and politics separate as much as possible. PM: [Concerning the recent AWARE controversy:] On homosexuality policy or sexuality education in schools, there can be strong differences in view; but government’s position on these issues is clear. My position on this hot button issue is this: gay or straight, heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual, we want to introduce everyone to the love of Jesus Christ. But how are they going to encounter that if gays and lesbians perceive the Church as hostile toward their community? As the shepherd over my flock, I don’t want my members exposed to any unwelcome, predatory sexual advances made by anyone—be that person straight or gay. But if he or she doesn’t pose a direct, negative influence over the congregation, we should indeed adopt a “live and let live” attitude. We are all sinners saved by grace. I want City Harvest Church to focus on the issue of salvation, not sexual orientation. Once someone is saved, I trust the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth and sanctification. PM: Hence, we also invited religious leaders to be here with us tonight. Help your flocks to understand our limitations and guide them to practise their faith taking our context into account. Please teach them accommodation, as this is what all religions preach. I look forward to religious communities continuing to do good for Singapore. “Tolerance,” “accommodation,” “mutual respect” and “being accepting” are all buzzwords of City Harvest Church. These are not foreign or new concepts to us. These are the values of new covenant Christianity. This is how we have always run CHC. They are an integral part of our DNA. In the last 20 years, we have grown our church by loving and serving people, not by knocking down other races, religions or communities. Let us continue to stay engaged to our culture as the salt and light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-16), promoting the common good for all.

What City Harvest Church Is All About

This is the 20-minute message I shared on August 2, 2009, at the second 20th Anniversary service held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

What an awesome thing it is for us to be celebrating our 20th Anniversary as a church. Let’s face it, to have come through all these years, against incredible odds, is nothing short of a miracle.

On May 7, 1989, when we started our church, I was only 24 years old, going on to 25. With a handful of teenagers, we had our first gathering in an office space at Peace Center. We had no money, no assets, no financial supporters. All we had was a simple faith in God, and in the dream that He had given to us—that we will raise up a new generation of believers who will take Asia by storm.

When I was a kid, I used to hear sermons on revival. Elderly missionaries, who had witnessed revivals, would reminisce of how when the move of God comes, there will be signs, wonders and miracles. But more than that, people will receive Jesus Christ by the hundreds and thousands. Those elderly preachers would give prophecy after prophecy that a huge revival was coming to Singapore, making us the Antioch of the East—a great mission base for the gospel in the region.

We were admonished to get ourselves equipped in the Word and spiritual things, because when revival hits, we are going to be so busy winning the lost, healing the sick, casting out demons, and making disciples of the new converts. To only start preparing then would be too late. We had to start now. As a kid, those sermons fascinated and consumed me.

As I dreamed of revival, the Lord told me four simple things I have to build my life around. First of all, I must make prayer a way of life. Coupled with prayer, I must learn to fast to weaken my fleshly nature and become more alive in the spirit. Thirdly, I must give, especially my tithes and offerings, and enter into the rhythm of sowing and reaping. Most of all, my whole life must be laid down as a living sacrifice unto the Lord.

Unbeknown to me, the Lord was also speaking to a young teenage girl by the name of Sun. As she grew in her passion for God, one day Sun prayed, “Lord Jesus, I give You all of me, in exchange for all of You.”

A common dream was born in the two of us. We shared a faith in the possibility of a new kind of church. A church with a strong, tangible presence and power of the Holy Spirit, with members of passionate spiritual convictions, but tolerant, accepting and loving of people—even if they were radically different from us. And no one was going to despise our youth (1 Tim. 4:12), even though we were often looked down upon for our youthful zeal and enthusiasm.

But as I stand here today, I know that the story of my wife and I is just part of a larger City Harvest story. I owe a debt to all the pioneers who have made tremendous sacrifices—their tears, sweat and blood—they have given their lives to make this story possible.

Today, we gather to affirm the greatness of our God. Not because of the size of our congregation, or the assets we have accumulated, or the number of ministries and affiliate churches we now have. We thank God for entrusting us with an awesome vision: “To build a church with a strong spiritual atmosphere of faith and purity, where every member is released into ministry, discipled in the Great Commandment, to fulfill the Great Commission.”

This is the DNA of City Harvest—loving God wholeheartedly, and loving people fervently. A love for God’s Word. A love for prayer, praise and worship. A love for the spiritual gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit. We have faith that God is a good God, that as we seek His kingdom and righteousness first, He will add all things back to us (Matt. 6:33). He will provide for our families. Our careers and businesses will prosper and be successful. Our children will grow up to be happy, godly and excellent. Most of all, the destiny of our lives will come to pass. We shall be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, blessed in our coming in and blessed in our going out (Deut. 28:6, 13).

As with all things great, we face challenges as we seek to live out our dream. These challenges often come in two fronts: legalism from the ultraconservatives, and antinomianism (which is the rejection of morality) among the ultra-liberals. The ultraconservatives feel that we are too worldly; the ultra-liberals feel that we are too driven by our vision, that we work too hard.

Now, this is nothing new. Jesus Christ Himself had to resist the narrow-mindedness of ultraconservative Pharisees. But at the same time, He also warns against ultra-liberals who seek to destroy and reject the law of God. Jesus says that the abounding of lawlessness will cause the love of many to grow cold (Matt. 24:12).

Paul himself cautions us of both extremes. He writes the book of Galatians to loose the church from all the do’s and don’ts of manmade rules and regulations. Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Then turning to those who embrace “cheap grace,” Paul teaches in the book of Romans, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2).

If we shouldn’t veer to the far right of legalism and the far left of antinomianism, how then shall we live? Well, balance is always the key of life. In Ecclesiastes, the Bible tells us that being “overly righteous” and “overly wicked” will lead to self-destruction (Eccl. 7:16-17), that “anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes” (Eccl. 7:18 NLT).

Now, this is easier said than done. As I minister around the world, I see so many good Christians who have come out of the bondage of sin, and they sincerely believe that to protect the next generation, they should now monitor the behavior of their followers with strict, enforced codes of morality. At the same time, I see others who have come out of churches that are rigid and driven. Today, they are tired, burned out and dry. As a reaction to their demanding, legalistic upbringing, they are casting away the moral law of the Ten Commandments and basic discipleship, throwing away the ancient landmarks that have grounded their faith.

Yet, most believers I have met just want to live a good, normal Christian life. They have not enrolled into a theological seminary to debate on doctrines. Instead, they join churches hoping to have their needs met and at the same time, that will help them grow spiritually in God. The Church should be a family where they can trust their pastors and leadership to lead them into God’s purposes for their lives.

It is tough enough facing the challenges of daily living. People don’t want to come to services each week only to hear sermons that are negative and condemning, or to be constantly reminded that they don’t measure up to the standards of God, or that of the Church. Neither do they want to continue living an immoral life. They know they are sinners saved by grace. And having received that divine grace, they want to overcome their sinful habits and character flaws, be better people, and live lives that are pleasing to God.

In City Harvest, we offer that choice. We seek to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. We want to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39). We believe that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives ... God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16 NLT). And because we love Jesus, we keep His commandments (John 14:15)—especially the Ten Commandments.

We love the presence and power of the Holy Spirit—that as we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). Through the Holy Spirit, we now lean on that grace of God to win the lost, grow the church, and do missions all over the world.

So yes, we are conservative but not ultraconservative. At the same time, we are liberal but not ultra-liberal. Sure, in absolutes, we want to be absolute. But in non-absolutes, we allow for the freedom of personal convictions and give space to the Holy Spirit to lead every Christian individually.

We believe that Jesus has come, not only to give us a new birth in our spirit, or to heal our physical body, He has come to redeem our soul. And this is what separates us from the birds, the fish, and the beasts of the field. The moment God breathed into Adam, man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7 KJV). Our soul is who we really are. Jesus has come to liberate our soul and fill it with love, esteem, knowledge, beauty and freedom. Without those things, we may be religious, but still live a very empty and meaningless life—a soulless existence.

And because God is a very creative God, we glorify Him as we seek to be innovative, colorful, contemporary and progressive in the way we live and do ministry. In that quest for creativity, we seek to provide loving answers to the many questions society is asking.

Take Kenny Low for example. As a teenager, Kenny was touched by the Lord. He was thinking of serving God in a full-time capacity as a pastor, a preacher or a missionary. But Kenny is more gifted in education and street dancing. As a dancer, Kenny has performed with pop-stars like M.C. Hammer. So he set up O School as a means to train and befriend other street dancers. Today, O School has become the premier dance school in Singapore that trains 800 student-dancers per week.

Kenny then enrolled into a postgraduate program and completed his Master of Education. He opened CHEC as a private school that offers early school-leavers a second chance at their GCE O Level Exams. Many of these school-leavers come from lower income families. Kenny uses the profits generated from his dance school to finance the tuition of the poorer students. Over the years, his innovative efforts have bore fruits that gained him national recognition. Two years ago, Kenny Low was given the 2007 Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for using his creativity to solve social problems among young people.

Like Kenny, we recognize that our secular vocation in the marketplace is a calling from God. For too long, the Church worldwide has been preaching separation, but practicing isolation. There is such a disconnect between the Church and the world Jesus wants us to reach. We have been looked upon as prudish and alarmist, constantly spreading unnecessary fear and warnings of danger, capable of only reaching out to the simple and naive.

I believe God has raised up City Harvest Church to change that perception. While we live in a broken-down world, I don’t believe in keeping Christians naive and ignorant of the harsh realities of society. I don’t ever want City Harvest to be so isolated and sanitized that we become out of touch with the world. We want to be a tolerant, accepting and gracious people. We want to identify with their pains, brokenness and struggles. We want to give hope to the hopeless, and peace to the restless, believing that value can be added to those whom are considered worthless. We are not antagonistic to society, or its popular culture. On the contrary, we seek to engage pop culture fully as salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16).

Every one, two hundred years, God raises up ministries to remind the body of Christ of its responsibility to the Cultural Mandate. In these early days of the 21st century, the lot has fallen upon us. Not only must we focus on our faith and families, we must engage the marketplace of business, education, government, arts and entertainment, and the mass media. And this is our destiny, not just to preach the message but to be that message.

In a sense, we are an enigma to many. To the conservatives who label us as “worldly”, they can’t fault the spiritual disciplines they see in our members. We diligently study the Word, pray and fast, move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, win the lost, and plant churches all around the world―often more than those conservatives themselves. To the ultra-liberals who label us as “narrow-minded”, our members are colorful, artistic, fashionable, ultra-current and sophisticated―often more than those liberals themselves.

The Bible says, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor. 16:9). Jesus tells us to pray and bless our enemies (Matt. 5:44). That means that there will be enemies as we forge ahead. Opposition may come through principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness—forces that are demonic in nature (Eph. 6:12). Opposition may come through those who are anti-Christians or anti-Church. But most of the time, opposition will come from religious believers who are against our way of life and the freedom we enjoy in Christ. They want to keep us locked up in the little box of religious correctness.

I am never worried of the enemies without. They may inflict some pain but they can’t stop us. In the last 20 years we have gone through many trials, testings and tribulation―for me, for my wife, and for all of us. Yet, in Christ Jesus, we have overcome them all. We have grown bigger and stronger.

What I am more worried of is the enemy within. Can we continue to keep our unity and focus as one people? The place of agreement is the place of power. We never have a church split because we have never allowed internal strife and disagreement to fester. Can we stay totally united in carrying out the Great Commandment, the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate for years and years to come? I believe we can.

To fulfill the purposes of God for our lives and the church, we must become even more loving, more giving, and spiritually bigger on the inside. But for us to grow larger, we must care even more for others.

If there is a child that is abused and neglected, who can’t read or write, whether in Singapore, Indonesia, India or China, that matters to me, even if it is not my child.

If there is a senior citizen somewhere who is abandoned, that makes my life poorer, even if it is not my grandparent.

If there is a person somewhere facing pain and brokenness, because of a natural disaster, a civil war, or simply because that person is marginalized by society, we have to do something.

I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper. And that is what makes City Harvest Church special and unique. Yes, we want to pursue our individual dreams, but yet we come together as one spiritual family to meet the dreams of others. Ultimately, we want to proclaim the gospel of truth that people need the Lord. Whether you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, able or disabled, gay or straight, young or old, we proclaim that Jesus Christ loves you and He is still the answer for our world today.

In the end, that is what City Harvest is all about―a place where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. This is our place and moment in history: to demonstrate a growing church that is passionate for Jesus, yet relevant to society, caring for the broken and marginalized. A church with a “holy worldliness.” That means holy disciplines that make us the people of God, but a worldly sophistication that makes us relatable to the world.

Today, we have a chance not just to represent Christ but to re-present Him in the 21st century. This is our calling. This is our destiny. This is our dream. A new brighter day has dawned for the body of Christ, and we are all part of it.

Finally, today we gather to affirm the goodness of God. For Sun and I, it is a great privilege to serve the Lord Jesus. But beyond all that we have done and can ever do, my prayer as your pastor, is that we will love God more each day. 20 years ago when we had nothing, He has already loved us and called us His own―long before we have church growth, or big buildings, or fame or influence. And He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). His love for us never changes.

As I stand here in this awesome crowd, I am fully convinced of one thing: even if all these didn’t happen, God still loves me for who I am. Even if all these didn’t happen, God still loves you for who you are.

In 20 years, we have all grown a little older, and hopefully a little wiser. I’m sure we have made mistakes and tasted failures, yet God is still faithful. And He is still as excited about us as the first time we met Him. Whether it is at 41A Amber Road, or at Duke Hotel, Bible House, Hephzibah, Wold Trade Center, Westin Hotel, Hollywood Theater, Jesus is still very much in love with you—passionately, deeply in love with you.

On this 20th Anniversary, why don’t we make a decision to love Him back even more every single day? Shall we do that? Shall we, once again, live to love Him more each day?