Chinese New Year Promotes Filial Piety and Parental Love — Timothy Tow

The Command to Honor Parents

Let us now turn to Ephesians chapter 6 verse 1 to 4. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 1 to 4. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And ye fathers, Provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let us pray. Almighty God, our loving Heavenly Father, how wonderful it is that upon Chinese New Year's Day is also the Lord's Day.

Prayer for Resurrection, Evangelism, and Christian Leaders

When we specially remember that you were raised from the dead, that those who believe in your resurrection are saved. We thank Thee that we have received ankh-pau so we will be receiving them because of Chinese New Year.

May we not forget to bring ankh-pau for thee. If we have not done so, help us to make good the next week. And we also remember the poor and needy according to Luke chapter 4 verse 13, that we have ankh-pau for them.

That we also grant gift to our filial piety. We pray Thee that we truly do this to our parents. Lord, we pray for our speaker next week, who is Dr. S. H. Toh. Grant him Thy word, O Lord, that he may bring health and joy to us.

You have instructed us to pray for all men and apart from the 15 Christians in Singapore, the rest, including Muslims, are 85%. While the people here only seek for money by wishing one another good luck and much money, we may bring them the word of salvation.

Our good news, Thou has instructed us to pray for kings and all those that are in authority, that under their government we may live peacefully. And truly we thank Thee for three Prime Ministers who have led this nation and we pray for them above all that they may come.

And know the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is also their Saviour. O Lord, how wonderful it will be that they will confess Christ and kneel before Thee, the Son of God. We see war clouds gathering in all parts of the world, which shows us that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is near.

And the Church must hurry on with the work of Your salvation in accelerated missions as it is commanded in Matthew 24, 14. And this gospel must be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.

The Global Work of Bible Colleges

We thank Thee that the Far Eastern Bible College, which is our college, is heavily involved in the Bible College movement and particularly in Africa. Thank Thee Lord that it is more Christians in numbers counted than the people of Singapore.

And we thank Thee for the Bible College of East Africa, of Tanzania, of Burma, and there are those three Prime Ministers who have sent their gifts to them to help them. May Thou bless Thy children who are faithful and who love Thy work and help us, O Lord, the true life Bible Church that did not be a dead church but a living and lively church, working with their hands to turn us up to heaven to see Thy glorious coming.

This is our particular prayer for Chinese New Year for all Thy children here. We pray all this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. The topic of my message is Chinese New Year promotes filial piety and parental love.

Ephesians 6 and the Christian Meaning of Chinese New Year

And this is the beginning of Chinese New Year. Therefore, it is appropriate for me to speak on this subject. This subject is based on Ephesians 6, verse 14. Let us open again our Bible and read together.

It is so little Bible that we know that every time the Bible text is referred to, we will want to turn to it even again and again. Let us read together. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee. Thou mayest live long on the earth. And fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Long on the earth. Let me ask you the question, how long do you want to live on the earth? An old member of Life Church told me sincerely, 65 years is enough for me. Life is a hard struggle. Well, the Lord let him live up to 75.

He is Mr. Kwek Kaomo, the son of Reverend Kwek King Hoon, who was my pastor in Princep Street. Incidentally, Reverend Kwek King Hoon's nephew is Reverend Kwek Heo Cheung, my good friend. And he has just come to 90.

But he always told me, I would like to live up to 100. But I happen to have told him, I am at 95. But since I am 5 years younger than he, when the time comes, both of us will go hand in hand to heaven.

And we will have a good laugh together. Today is Chinese New Year's Day. And Chinese New Year affects China most of all. There are millions and millions of Chinese. Like an army on the move to return home to visit their parents once a year, to eat the last meal of the 29th or 30th night, and to wish their parents well the next morning.

Chinese New Year Customs and Filial Responsibility

Some of them travel back as far south as Yunnan Province, which is next to Burma. And some of them travel back from the west as far as Tibet. The parents will bless them with monetary gifts. But if the parents are aged, then it is the reverse, the turn of the children, to give them an ang pao.

Christians can follow this custom that is kept at Chinese New Year. Indeed, Chinese New Year promotes filial piety and parental love according to Ephesians. Interestingly, Ephesians chapter 6, 1 to 4, teaches what we practice at Chinese New Year.

Now, why do we worship at 9am so early this morning and to finish by 10 o 'clock? It is for the purpose that we may go and pay respects to our aged parents. In my case, people kind of pay me respect. It is the other way around.

The delight is double when they pay you, aged parent, and your daughter-in-law, or follow your son, and also give you an ang pao to make it two. Well, that is my case, of which I remember. On the other hand, let us not forget the younger ones, to give them an ang pao each.

That is why you see so many children around Chinese New Year. But whether children or not, even for servants, for those who work for us, let us never disappoint them who deserve an ang pao from you, only once a year.

Family Gatherings and Reconciliation

If we have aged parents, we might gather in the big brother's house and spend the get-together with the rest of the family. This will promote good relationships. But sometimes we miss one or two of the smaller families that they do not come because they are at odds with the rest of the family.

Not all families are peaceful, and so we pray that this will not happen. At Chinese New Year, in our Christian circles, we receive even the extension of the whole church, inasmuch as the members would come and we invite them.

Christian Fellowship and the Blessing of Hospitality

Now in Singapore, we enjoy two days of Chinese New Year vacation this year. When Chinese New Year falls on a Sunday, which is a holiday, the vacation is extended to Tuesday, January 31st. An enthusiastic Christian husband with his equally zealous wife make it a point to invite me, the pastor, to preach an anniversary message requested by the ladies with a fellowship lunch thereafter.

Does it seem to us that Chinese New Year is more than promoting filial piety and parental love? God will surely bless such a large-hearted home. The joy of sharing Christian fellowship is such joy that you cannot experience anywhere.

It is the first joy we receive out of heaven. Is it so? In the John Soong revival, it was so wonderful to see friends who are saved at the same meeting. It is a joy out of heaven. But the world does not know this.

The Role of a Mother in a Christian Home

So as for me, I must specially prepare my anniversary message and tell about my excitement beforehand to my brothers and sisters. Remember, Tuesday morning, 11 a .m., January 31st. And the title of my message to be given at that time is The Role of a Mother in a Christian Home.

Because I have written a book, the title is Son of a Mother's Vow. So you see, Chinese New Year comes handy to promote Christian filial piety and parental love. And also to bring blessing to the whole Church as the enthusiastic couple have done, as I have mentioned.

Don't you agree with me? Amen and Amen.