Pentecost 10 year B Sermon
Grow up! Paul says…
We must grow up… in every way into him…who is the head…into Christ.
Grow up? What does Paul mean encouraging us to grow up? Well for one thing…it has to mean we haven’t finished growing yet …we’re not fully mature…and Paul isn’t talking to you and I as individuals… he’s talking to all of us…as the gathered followers of Jesus…as the church
It’s time for all of us to grow up…time to reflect our calling as Jesus disciples… in everything we do……..time to lead a life worthy of the calling… a life of ‘all humility and gentleness, with patience…bearing with one another in love
and why is it so important for us… as the gathered people of God …to live this way… well Paul warns… humility gentleness and patience are the only way we’ll be able tomaintain the unity of the Spirit… in the bond of peace.
But we’re so different…aren’t we…how can we hold this thing together…the church has asked this question for two thousand years…how can we hold this thing together in our diversity…oldies and youngies…charismatics evangelicals and traditionalist sea of faith…men and women…languages nationalities
Please don’t worry Paul writes…you’ve got to trust that as far as the Body of Christ is concerned…God will provide all the skills you need…God will…equip the saints for the work of ministry…for building up the Body of Christ
Saints?...Yep that’s us… not dead beatified holy ones…
Just us… you and me… ordinary followers of Jesus…called to the ministry of building up the Body of Christ… so Jesus’ work can continue...
But how will we know when the projects complete …when the work is done …what will it look like?
Well Paul wants us to understand…the building up of the body won’t be finisheduntil all of us come to the unity of the faith…and the knowledge of the Son of God…to maturity…to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
Till we’re all able to live and worship and work and play…side by side…with humility gentleness, and patience…till we’re all
Able to bear with one another… in love.
Whew…given our differences we could be working on that for a while eh.
But maybe all those differences we perceive are just distractions…maybe conformity and homogeneity aren’t what Paul means by unity…everyone being the same in the way we worship …in our attitudes to tradition…in our convictions about doctrine …no I think the kind of unity Paul means… is unity in and under Christ…unity in our commitment…to live out his Way of Shalom.
And to achieve that kind of unity…we have to grow up…
Paul says…
We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro…and blown about by every wind of doctrine… by religious magicians and charlatans.
Just like the violence a chain saw can to your arm…disunity among Jesus followers…can do violence to the Body of Christ…So for God’s purposes to be fulfilled…we have to be mature enough…to live with our differences in gentleness humility and patience. And when we disagree …and we will disagree from time to time…
Paul says… you’ve gotta
Speak the truth in love… not in anger or bitterness or arrogance or fear…
Thirty years after his encounter with the risen Christ… the Apostle Paul finds himself under house arrest in Rome. He arrives… not in glow of publicity befitting a world famous evangelist…but in chains.
Bringing the good news to the ends of the earth…
has had its downside.
On home detention and under guard…Paul’s ministry is limited to occasional visitors…some from the new churches he’s left behind in his apostolic mission…these visitors bring good news and bad…yes there is growth…but trouble is brewing. Squabbles over ideas contrary to Jesus’ teaching…are causing disharmony threatening the unity…and therefore the witness of the church…
Somehow Paul manages to smuggle letters out …when his visitors leave. Letters we now know as… Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians and Philemon.
Paul compares the congregation to a human body unified by the head… from whom the whole body…joined and knit together…by every ligament with which it’s equipped each part working properly to promote the body's growth… in building itself up in love.
Antagonism and ill will among believers…is like a body attacking itself from the inside…weakening its own defences … keeping it from thriving…Without unity under Christ …we’re disabled and our witness…sounds like hot air the world…That’s why Paul exhorts us to
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ…who is the one hope of our calling.
For in reality
There is only one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is above all and through all and in all.
And in the end if we’re open to the Spirit of God…
Paul assures us…we will receive the strength and the unity which bring peace and faithfulness to Christ…
You see there’s a continual process going on in every generation …as God works out his purposes in the world. Paul says
God gives the saints…that’s us…certain gifts…skills…
and abilities…to equip us for the work we’re called to do…
the work of growing up into Christ…
To all of us is given a grace according to the measure of Christ's gift
that some would be apostles…some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.
Apostles – are sent out to set up new ventures...new connections with the community
Prophets – question the status quo and shake us out of self-righteous complacency
Evangelists – bring newcomers into the company of Jesus followers
Pastors – care for God’s children and creation
Teachers – explain and communicate our faith.
Maybe you identified your spiritual gifts ages ago…but are you using them?
Maybe you never even thought about it.
Well I think Paul’s trying to tell us to recognise these gifts in ourselves and in each other…that part of growing up in the faith… is a willingness to accept and use the gifts we’ve been given… so we can contribute… to the building up of the Body of Christ. As Paul says we’re not finished…we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.
this is the only way we’ll be able to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
As part of our vows of Eldership…our leaders have to promise to maintain the peace and unity of the church… Soon we’re going to explore more deeply the gifts we’ve been given. Any team of Christian leaders needs a balance of gifts. And Session had this in mind when we prayerfully discerned Phil Smith would make a good Elder.
After this next song it will be our pleasure to ordain him to this office.
