This is a copy of my talk given at Ayia Kyriaki and Saint Stephen’s in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Sunday 4 August 2024. The Bible reading was Ephesians 4:1-16

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

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be marooned on a Desert Island all by yourself? I guess for many of us the idea sounds wonderful. All that turquoise sea, beautiful sand, fresh fruit to eat plucked from the trees, breath taking  scenery, and above all, time! Time to think and relax and enjoy your own company without the hassle of everyday life. Some of you may feel as though you are living that dream already here in Cyprus!

The film ‘Cast Away’ (2000) starring Tom Hanks is far from a romantic ideal. Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a man who is washed up on a remote Pacific Island after a plane crash. He’s completely isolated with very little food, no mod cons and no way of escape. The film shows him desperately trying to survive against the odds and spending most of his time talking to his friend ‘Wilson’ (a ‘Wilson’ volleyball with a smiley face!).

After watching the film I couldn’t help thinking at the time that many people live cast away, isolated, lives. It’s no secret that our society is becoming ever more individualistic, as nuclear families become nuclear individuals. 30% of people now live on their own, and we exist in isolated little units, with our own close-knit circles of friends. The irony is that as the world gets smaller, people get more insular and independent. The Tube in London is a classic example. You can easily spend hours travelling on it and not speak to anyone. Unless you are a ‘Northerner’ of course!

It’s quite easy for Christians to be cast away Christians. The danger is that we turn up on a Sunday to a gathering of individuals and then go back to our homes and meet up a week later to do the same again. But that is not the way that God wants it. Rather, God is building for himself a new society, a people who are united under the Lord Jesus Christ. These people are the church. In Ephesians 4 Paul teaches that Christians are a body, a fully working, caring, moving body, all devoted to the same task, but all doing different jobs. We are to be counter cultural, letting God’s Word shape our minds and actions, living as the people of God are meant to live, not becoming more isolated, but growing more together.

And in 4:1, Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received. Paul says that if we are the people of God, called by God, then we’re to act as the people of God. So, what do we learn about how to build community together from this passage? I have four points this morning:

1) Unity vs1-6

Firstly, Paul teaches us about our unity. Vs2: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. This, says Paul, is what it means to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Paul doesn’t start with structures; he starts with love. We’re to be completely humble, to put others first. The church is not the place for showing ourselves off to be more spiritual than others or for climbing a career ladder to get to the top. Rather, we are to humbly recognise the values and strengths and concerns of other people. We’re to be gentle and gracious. We’re to be patient, bearing with one another in love. That’s often easier said than done but Paul says in vs3, we are to: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.

Jesus was the model par excellence of humility, gentleness, patience and love. He considered others’ needs more important than his own. It might seem pretty obvious that a church which is founded on those principles should be able to maintain its unity and togetherness. But we’re human and that’s not always the case. If you reverse these qualities, what do you get? Pride instead of humility, bitterness instead of gentleness, sharp tongues instead of patience, hatred instead of love. How often do we see that in churches?

We must guard against complacency – many a good church has been ruined by complacency! I’ve been in enough churches over the years to see how petty jealousy and rivalries take over – be they be about theology, practise or personality. Most churches split from the inside out and not from the outside in! Pride and selfishness are so often at the root of disunity, and if we at ACP are to grow together as a church, then these loving qualities will have to be at the very heart of all we do. And that will be costly. Putting ourselves second and loving others first is always hard, but it must be the character of our unity.

Notice, vs4, There is: one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father … And for this reason there can only be one body, his church.

2) Diversity vs7-12

Secondly Paul teaches us about our diversity. Whilst we are unified, we are not uniform! Paul mentions Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Pastors and Evangelists and he mentions these because they are essential for the growth of the body. I believe every believer is uniquely gifted for ministry.  I reckon there are thirty gifts in NT. The Bible teaches that every Christian is:

  • Created for ministry (Eph. 2:10)
  • Chosen for ministry (John 15:16)
  • Saved for ministry (2 Tim. 1:9)
  • Called into ministry (1 Peter 2:9-10)
  • Gifted for ministry (1 Peter 4:10)
  • Authorized for ministry (Matt. 28:18-20)
  • Commanded to minister (Matt. 20:26-28)
  • Needed for ministry (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph 4:16)
  • Accountable/Rewarded according to our ministry (Col. 3:23-24)

No matter who you are, God has a unique ministry for you to carry out to his glory. I’m not a Zoologist, but I do know that when God created animals, he gave each of them a specific area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each animal has a particular role to play in the eco-system, based on the way they were created by God.

The same is true with humans and the church. We all have natural talents that we were born with. Some people have a natural ability with words – they came out of the womb talking!  Some people are naturally good with numbers – they think mathematically and can’t understand others who don’t understand arithmetic! Some people have natural athletic abilities – they excel in physical coordination.

All the coaching in the world will never allow you to match the natural talent of a David Beckham or the natural running ability of Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia – the new women’s 100 metre Olympic Champion or the natural ability of Turkish shooter, Yusuf Dikeç, who won a Silver Medal in the 10 meter Air Pistol Shooting competition, wearing a pair of ordinary spectacles with his hand in his pocket!

Vs7: But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. God has been moulding and shaping you for ministry since you were born (Psalm 139:13-16). I don’t believe that God would give each of us inborn abilities, temperaments, talents, spiritual gifts, and life experiences and then not expect us to use them! When it comes to ministry, your function flows out of the way God formed you and shaped you.

Are you using your God given gifts for the benefit of the whole body? I rejoice that there are many different gifts here in ACP. I delight in those who are musically gifted, lead worship or have the gift of prayer and Bible Reading, or those who are brilliant at administration and encouraging others. No-one has everything. Everyone has something. It’s like the conductor who stopped the orchestra one day and said: “I can’t hear the triangle!” Every part matters, and when one part is not functioning the whole body is affected. Each of God’s people are to do works of service for the benefit of the body.

NB. The Diocese have a Lay Worship Leaders Course, led by Archdeacon Christopher, starting at the end of August. Might this be something for you to consider?

3) Maturity vs12-16

Thirdly, Paul teaches about our maturity. And that is our goal as a church: maturity. In vs13, Paul says that gifts are given to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up … until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Now there is a sense in which this will not happen completely until we get to heaven and attain to the measure of the fullness of Christ. But our task in this life is to press on together in God’s strength, growing in understanding together. And notice that Paul understands this maturity to be corporate. As individuals we’ll be growing each day in Christ likeness, and yet we need one another to do that.

I cannot be maturing in my Christian life unless I am contributing to my fellow brothers’ and sisters’ maturity and if I am a stumbling block to those around me that I am not mature in my faith.

Are you growing in the faith? Are you growing more mature in the knowledge of Jesus Christ? For only then can you resist the winds and waves of doctrine. If we are to steer a good course, then we need the rudder of God’s Word and the support of one another to do it. That’s how a church matures: When the Word of God is applied and lived out in love together with other Christians. It’s a wonderful picture isn’t it. A fully working, maturing, growing and loving body. That’s our maturity.

4) Every Believer is Dependent on Each Other

We should remember that the ministry God has given us is also intertwined. No ministry is independent of the others. Since no single ministry can accomplish all the church is called to do, we must depend on and cooperate with each other – we get by with a little help from our friends.

Like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece is required to complete the picture. You always notice the missing piece first. When one part of your body malfunctions, the other parts don’t work as well. We shouldn’t allow our culture’s preoccupation with individualism and independence to replace the Biblical concepts of interdependence and mutuality.

Conclusion

So, which would you prefer? To be a ‘castaway’ Christian or to be part of this great body of the church? Paul has taught us  that we are a living, breathing and growing body: A body which is united around the gospel and living in love, a body which has many diverse gifts with each part contributing to the growth and a body which is maturing, fed on the Word of God and growing more like Jesus.

I wonder, what could/would happen if each one of you were to be active in service to the Lord? What could/would happen if we were able to unleash the massive talent, resources, creativity, and energy at ACP? What could/would happen if each one of you were serving God to your full potential?  What indeed?

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.