This is a copy of the first sermon I gave to all three congregations in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Sunday 21 January 2024. The Bible Reading was Ephesians 1:15-23.
Prayer
Heavenly Father
I thank You for Your word
By the power of the Holy Spirit
May You speak to my heart
And change my life
In the precious name of Jesus I pray
Amen.
Introduction
It’s a joy for myself, Paula (and Dylan) to be finally here!
What a privilege to be appointed Parish priest to the Anglican Church in Paphos with its Biblical and Christian History. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes. Our arrival has been a long time in coming and not without its stresses!
Some of you may be wondering what to expect! I’m hoping those on the interview panel have had some good things to say about my appointment. Some of you may have viewed my services/sermons online or you may have read some of the articles on my website.
I’ll certainly bring different gifts than my predecessors – which is only to be expected – but I hope to bring new insight/experiences that will benefit all of our churches as well as the ex-pat and wider community.
Paul’s words to the Ephesian church 1:15-23 highlight some of my passions for ministry and mission and Paul offers five principles for being church:
1) A Commitment To Prayer vs15-16
Paul begins by writing about prayer. Vs15-16: ‘For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.’
We can never underestimate the value of prayer in our personal and in our church lives. I want to encourage you to keep praying but also to recognise how strategic the corporate prayer life of the church is, especially if you’re a member of the PCC or a leader in any area of church life. It seems to me that corporate prayer has to be high on the list of all of our agendas if we want/expect God to move amongst us. We may need to experiment with different approaches and times to give each of us different opportunities to pray together.
2) Growing In The Knowledge Of God vs17
Paul prays that they might know God – the best possible thing that anyone can do with their lives. The atheist claims there is no God for us to know and the agnostic states that if there is a God, we cannot know him. But one thing I know from personal experience, is that God changes people’s lives.
God touched my life in a wonderful way almost 40 years ago and turned it upside down – or should that be downside up! Becoming a Christian was a life changing moment. Paul’s desire for the Ephesian church, and my desire for the Anglican Church in Paphos, and the wider community, is that people would come to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour and allow Him to give their lives meaning and purpose.
Those who trust in Jesus must continue to grow in the knowledge of God and this is why a commitment to His word is essential. If there is one thing which has marked my ministry over the years, it is my commitment to preaching and teaching. I passionately believe that God’s word is central to our discipleship and our becoming servant-hearted disciples. I hope that my commitment to the ministry of God’s word, will enable you to be encouraged, strengthened and challenged in your daily walk with the Lord (see Acts 6:l-4).
When I first started searching for answers to the meaning of life, I wanted to know: Is it true? My ‘spiritual search’ was an intellectual search. Nowadays, in our post-modern society, people aren’t asking: ‘Is it true?’ But rather: ‘Does it work?’ Does it? Does the Christian community/ church convey a faith that is alive and vibrant? Do the services/activities of ACP prove that Christianity does, indeed, work? Do you behave as though Jesus is risen from the dead or still buried in the tomb? Is the joy of the Lord your strength (Nehemiah 8:10)? I look forward to finding the answers to some of those questions in the coming weeks/months.
One of the consequences of the pandemic in the UK is that it has left people feeling weary in their working and social lives – and the church was no different. We become weary physically, of course we do. We can become weary of doing the same old things, but becoming weary of serving God can be a dangerous place to find ourselves. We should never want to be in the position that we find ourselves becoming weary of doing God’s work. I love the promise of Galatians 6:9: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Let us hold onto that promise in the months to come.
I’ve always believed that ‘we do what we do seriously’ but should have some fun along the way – with a smile on our face! I’m sure that will prove to be true, once I grow accustomed to the Paphos ways of doing things and you begin to understand my Northern twang and humour – though that shouldn’t be a problem as I follow in Ken’s footsteps. But NEVER forget, he’s a Geordie and I’m a Mackem!
3) Knowing God’s Call On Our Lives vs18a
After knowing Jesus for themselves, it is Paul’s desire that the Ephesians begin to know God’s call on their life. Of course, this covers a huge area, both individually and as a Christian community and covers areas of holiness and integrity and morality and Biblical ethics and lifestyle and purpose and vision. But, as we get to know Jesus, these things should automatically be affected as we nurture/strengthen our relationship with him.
But what is our calling as Christians? I’m mindful of Jesus’ response to the teachers of the law in Mark 12:29-31: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbour as you love yourself. Remember, too, the calling of the first disciples in Luke 5, where Jesus told them they would no longer ‘fish for fish’ but fish for men.
It’s no secret that I believe the church exists primarily for Mission. One of the successes in my ministry over the years, especially in Billericay, is the way I’ve networked with the wider community. My heart is for evangelism, and I passionately believe we should be doing all we can to utilise the many resources at our disposal, to bring light into a lost and dying world.
4) Knowing God’s Blessing On Our Lives vs18b
It is Paul’s desire that, after knowing Jesus for themselves and knowing God’s calling on their life, they might know God’s riches. One of the great blessings of God’s GRACE ‘Gods Riches At Christ’s Expense’ is that God deals with us on the basis of our future not our past. Isn’t that reassuring?
The stuttering Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. The cowardly Gideon became a mighty man of valour (Judges 6:12), the adulterer David became the greatest King Israel had ever known; the impetuous and inconsistent Peter was called a rock on which the church would be built (John 1:42).
God deals with us on the basis of our future not our past. I’m well aware that I come here with a clean slate! I believe it’s appropriate, therefore, that each one of you should enjoy that same privilege. I believe that all of us have a strategic role to fulfil in the ministry of the church. I am committed to enabling each one of you to reach your full potential as an active disciple of Jesus and to continue to develop the variety of gifts, and riches, that God has blessed the Anglican Church here in Paphos.
5) Knowing God’s Presence In Our Lives vs19-23
And finally, it is Paul’s desire that, after knowing Jesus for themselves and knowing God’s calling on their life, and receiving the blessing of his riches, they may know God’s presence. There’s no doubt that we all need more of God’s presence in our lives. We need God’s presence to enable us to love in the way Jesus loved. We need God’s presence to be effective in our mission and ministry. We need more of the love of God in our lives in order to release his power.
My experience over the years has been that whenever I have started to become serious with God, whenever I have started to take God up on his promises, whenever I get down on my knees and expect the power of God to show up in my life – things start to happen. God never lets anyone down who takes Him up on his promises.
Conclusion
In my Advent Letter to you I wrote:
I’m particularly looking forward to spending time getting to know you and learning about both the challenges and opportunities within the parish. I’m also looking forward to hearing where, and in what ways, you have observed the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your own lives, in the life of the three churches and in the life of the parish, and to discern how we may show and tell the good news of Jesus to those who don’t yet know him.
There’s no doubt we’re going to have an interesting and challenging and exciting journey ahead of us. But let me ask you a question in closing: Do you really have a passion to see the Anglican Church of Paphos as a beacon of hope and faith? If so, will you allow a greater knowledge and understanding of: Prayer; God’s Word; God’s Purpose; God’s Gifts and God’s Presence to shape your hearts and minds? I’m hoping the answer to those questions is a resounding yes!
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author, Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.
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