The service started with an invocation of the Almighty by the worship leader which was followed by a blessed praise and worship session. Upa B Langkham dedicated the offerings to the Lord.
Pastor Dr Suankhanhau welcomed the first timers/visitors to the church and made a series of important announcements including the ongoing Upa Bial khawmpi and change in timing for all sessions of the Sunday worship service i,e, the 11 AM, 2 PM and 5 PM services are to be held an hour early at 10 AM, 1 PM and 4 PM from 10 November, 2024. After conducting the pastoral prayer for the congregation, he dedicated baby Thangvanglun Tonsing S/o Samuel Tualbiaklian Tonsing and Chingmuankim as a love offering to God. Thereafter, the Dwarka Prayer Cell presented a short choreography on the song ‘Nang Bang Kua Dang Omlou’.
Bible study on Galatians 6:1-18 (Sunday School lessons 23, 24 & 25 of Hilhchianbu) was taken up by Pastor Lamkhanthang. Explaining that verses 1-3 are about the foundation of God’s Ministry, Pastor emphasized that the Christian ministry is touching our fellow beings in accordance with the Gospel, restoring sinners in a spirit of gentleness and bearing one another’s burden thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. One should be empathetic towards one another and humble like Christ, not deceiving ourselves by thinking we are something, when in fact, we are nothing. Points to ponder is whether we have touched the lives of others, lightened someone's burden or only add to it and whether we are prone to glorifying ourselves rather than glorifying Christ.
The verses 4-10 deals with God’s Ministry and its fruits. It calls on believers to examine their own work and not compare themselves with others. The standard to be followed in this regard is Jesus. God has given us different gifts and will judge us on how we use our gifts. We will reap what we sow, so keep on doing good and do not grow weary. And since we will not always have the opportunity, it is incumbent upon us to do good while we have the opportunity and also make every opportunity for the purpose, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Important lessons from these verses - in God’s ministry, the standard is not based on others but on what God wants and His expectation from us. Each of us has to bear the responsibility God gave us. God is not to be mocked, we have to do as per His will and not our own. Words of encouragement can also be seen in this verse: one may not immediately be praised or rewarded by doing a good deed but it is important to keep doing so for as long as we persist, our efforts aren't for naught.
The honour of the Cross is the theme of verses 11-18. Paul called out the hypocrisy of the Judaizers who prioritised outward appearance and compelled believers for circumcision to avoid sufferings for the sake of Christ. He said that even those who are circumcised do not keep the law but desire believers to be circumcised so that they can boast in their flesh. Paul said he will boast only in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ for in Him nothing avails except a new creation. He declared that he bore the marks of the Lord Jesus on his body. Pastor laid stress on the need for inner change as opposed to outward appearance. The Cross is the only thing we should glory in and Jesus is the only one who is faithful to be trusted and taken refuge in. He then posed a question for introspection - what marks do we have of Jesus that people can see in us and in our lives?
With the cold breeze slowly advancing, the Christmas Committee announced the customary feast planned on Christmas and New Year, encouraging everyone to contribute as per their capability.
The praise and worship team led the congregation in singing the last hymn and thereafter, the service concluded with thanksgiving prayer by Upa Chinsum.
