What Should the Church Look Like?

I would like us this evening to think about the nature of the church. My title is ‘What should the church look like?’and in particular I want to consider Paul’s words in Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 to 16.

At this traditional choral service we have been singing some older hymns, listening to some older music, and using liturgy from 1662. Doing so reminds us of the history of the church. The church has been around for a long time. And in three years time this church, JPC will be 150 years old.

So what is the nature of the church? What causes it to prevail? Why is it different from other gatherings of people? What should the church look like?

Well I want to draw out four descriptions of the church from Paul's words in Ephesians chapter 4. And I hope that as I do so we will be encouraged by the ways in which we already live as the church of Christ, and challenged about the ways in which we fall short of being God’s church.

1) A UNITED BODY OF BELIEVERS WHO LOVE ONE ANOTHER DEEPLY

So my first heading is this:Number 1, the church is a united body of believers who love one another deeply.A united body of believers who love one another deeply.Unity and love are characteristics of the church of God. Take a look at what Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 to 6:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

These Christians to whom Paul is writing are united around the gospel. They have a centre, a common belief, a common relationship with God. Paul reminds them that they believe in Ephesians 4:4-6:

. . . one Spirit . . one hope . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father. . ..

In other words they are united around the gospel. Just as God is one, they are one. Just as there is only one faith, they are united around that one faith. There is a commonness, a oneness, that they all share. They are united.

In the good old days of dangerous physics experiments I remember watching as a teacher let a drop of mercury fall into a bowl. The drop splattered all around the base. Tiny droplets covering the bottom of this large bowl. But as the teacher rolled the bowl around all the droplets came back together again, and the end result was a single ball of mercury. It was united back together. Naturally mercury sticks together rather than remaining separate. And Paul is saying that Christians naturally stick together. The church is naturally united. That is the nature of the church. Or at least that is what it is supposed to be like.

Now in some ways the church is united. I think one of the greatest strengths of JPC is the relative unity that it enjoys. The strong stance of the leadership on a number of key issues means that everyone in the congregation knows what we believe as a church. When you and I decide to regularly attend a church such as this, and commit ourselves to a small group, and become part of this church, then we align ourselves and agree to support the leaders of the church as they seek to hold to the one true faith. What you and I believe about the Bible, and about Jesus, and the cross, and judgement, and eternity, are things that others here also believe.

But Paul still has to write to the believers in Ephesus telling them, verse 3, to:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace..

Now the Ephesian church was probably quite a good church. The believers seem to have understood and accepted Paul’s message. But Paul still has to urge them to be united. They are to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.

Because of course, as we know, there are many things that get in and drive us apart. Despite our common faith and oneness, we find that as brothers and sisters in Christ we have fights and quarrels. Just like human brothers and sisters, we have a common oneness, but at times our relationships grow cold and distant. So Paul urges these believers, and us as the church of God today, to make every effort to ensure that that does not happen. As Paul says in verse 2, we are to:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love..

That means that you and I have to bear with the person in the congregation who annoys us. That means that we don’t hold a grudge against the person who has hurt us, or the person who has disagreed with us in a meeting. When someone has been a bit grumpy in the past when we have spoken to them, we don’t just ignore them from then on. Instead making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit we are humble, gentle and patient in the way we deal with one another.

In fact you and I are to be so aware of God’s calling on our life, and the love that God has demonstrated to us, that we go out of our way to love our brothers and sisters in the church. As Paul says in verse 1, we as a united body of believers are:

to live a life worthy of the calling [we]have received.

We are to love one another deeply.

This is one of the things that I greatly appreciate about the church. It is incredible that people from so many different cultures, stages of life, social backgrounds, and educational experiences, can come together and relate to one another. It is different from any other social grouping or society. The church is unique in bringing people together who are fundamentally different from each other, and uniting them in one body.

Paul himself saw the gospel cross the Jew Gentile divide. For him it was incredible that Jew and Gentile together were now the one people of God. Today the world-wide church crosses many country and language boundaries. And yet we are the one church, united in the one faith.

The church is a united body of believers who love one another deeply.

2) A GIFTED BODY OF BELIEVERS WHO BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP

Number 2, the church is a gifted body of believers who build one another up. A gifted body of believers who build one another up. We read verses 7 and 8, do take a look, chapter 4 verse 7-8:

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.

And jumping down to verse 11-12:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up . . .

Paul is describing a gifted body of believers who build one another up. Jesus Christ has ascended on high, but he has not abandoned his people. Rather Christ continues to support and build up his church. And the primary way in which he has chosen to do so is by giving apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to his church. In other words he gives to his church the gift of people. He uses people within the gathering of believers as the means of building up the body.

In the early church the apostles had a significant role in the spread of the gospel and the planting of new congregations. Their early work was built on by those who followed after them. The prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, continued to declare the gospel, spread the good news, and build up the congregations that were established.

And even today we recognise within the church that some are particularly gifted in the declaration of God’s truth, or in evangelism, or as pastors and teachers. In a church like Jesmond Parish Church we are blessed with a number of ministers on the staff who have a particular responsibility to build up the congregation.

But it is also the case that all of us as Christians are gifted by Christ. The ascended Christ, verse 8, has given gifts to all men and women in order that all of us may be involved in the building up of his church. Paul indicates in verse 12 that the Christian leaders in the congregation are:to prepare God’s people for works of service.

In other words ministry in the church is not to be done only by the ministers. Rather all of us, every member of the gathering of believers, is to use his or her gifts, to serve in ministry,

so that the body of Christ may be built up.

You have maybe seen a sailing team in operation. Perhaps you have watched a round the world sailing race on TV. Large ocean going yachts with a crew of eight or nine people. And each member of the crew has a particular role and position to fill. There is a skipper who directs operations, but there is also the guy whose job it is to work the winches and hoist the main sail, and the guy whose job it is to take the sails to the locker, and the person who is responsible for the spinnaker pole. Everyone on the crew has a particular responsibility and a particular area of expertise. But the whole team works together to get the job done.

Well that is what the church is supposed to be doing. Some have responsibility for pastoring and teaching. And those pastors and teachers have a particular responsibility to release the members of the congregation into ministry. But the members of the congregation are to exercise their individual gifts so that the yacht can sail, so that the church is built up.

But what does that look like in practice? Well to use Paul’s words from Romans 12, it means that if you are good at encouraging you should get on with encouraging, if you are good at leading you should govern diligently, if you are good at teaching you should teach, if you are good at serving you should serve, if you are good at contributing to the needs of others, then give generously, if your strength is showing mercy then do it cheerfully.

The point is that each of us has been given particular gifts by Christ with the purpose of building one another up. We are to find ways, even seek out ways of using the gifts that God has given us for the purpose for which they are intended. Each of us has a part to play in the building up of God’s church.

The church is a gifted body of believers who build one another up.

3) A MATURE BODY OF BELIEVERS WHO HOLD TO THE TRUTH

Number 3, the church is a mature body of believers who hold to the truth. The church is a mature body of believers who hold to the truth.

Take a look at verses 13 to 15. Paul tells us that we are to serve one another so that the body of Christ may be built up, verse 13-15:

. . . 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. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Paul calls the Ephesian believers to maturity in the faith so that they hold to the truth of the gospel. In other words, the type of ‘building up’ that we are to be engaged in, is the sort of ‘building up’ that results in mature Christian disciples who hold to the truth of the gospel.

A few years ago I helped plant some trees outside a house in Donegal. Donegal is on the north west corner of Ireland, and it is often very exposed to the elements. There aren’t many trees and it is hard to get trees to take root and grow strongly. When we planted the new trees we also had to erect a special screen around them to protect them from the wind. We had to feed them with compost and manure. We had to water them regularly. It took a lot more work to establish them than would have been required if I had been planting them in my back garden in Newcastle. But they did eventually take root. They did eventually become mature. And now they stand up against the strong winds sweeping across the headland.

Paul says that the body of believers are to help one another become mature. Help one another take root and grow so that each of us is established in the faith and can withstand the challenges that come our way.

In practice, that means, that you and I are to look out for one another. We ought to notice when someone hasn’t been along to church for a while, and seek them out to see if they need some encouragement. The writer to the Hebrews says Hebrews 10.25-24:

Let us not give up meeting together, . . . but let us encourage one another . . . And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Knowing that we have a responsibility to build one another up to maturity, ought also to lead us to speak to one another of spiritual things, to talk about what was said in a sermon, to talk about how our faith impacts our lives, our homes, our work. It ought to lead us to care for the new Christian in our midst, welcoming them into our home group, taking time to get to know them in church. You might not think that you have much to offer, or much to say. But you and I have been uniquely gifted by Christ and we are to use our gifts to serve in some way so that we become a mature body of believers who hold to the truth.

Unfortunately there are many things that can shake our faith. Holding to the truth is not necessarily easy. Paul writing to the Ephesians is particularly concerned aboutthe cunning and craftiness of false teachers, verse 14. And it is the case that false values are promoted all around us in the world of our day, and we even find false teaching on the lips of those who claim to be ministers of the church.

In a slightly different way our faith can be shaken as we come up against the hard experiences of life. Some of my friends have stopped coming to church because of a painful experience that they have gone through, or because they have had an intellectual crises and they are no longer sure what they believe.

Look at verse 15 again. Paul says we are to:[speak] the truth in love so that:

we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

We are to speak the truth of the gospel, we are to remind one another of the truth of the gospel, so that we are not swept away by false teaching, and so that we can stand firm in the faith when the trials and temptations come. It is like a fortress with the walls and doors in place. Collectively we stand firm in the truth – encouraging and supporting one another.

The church is a mature body of believers who hold to the truth.

4) AN INTERDEPENDENT BODY OF BELIEVERS WHO KNOW CHRIST AS THEIR HEAD

And number 4, the church is an interdependent body of believers who know Christ as their head. An interdependent body of believers who know Christ as their head.

Take a look finally at verses 15 and 16. Paul writes verse 15-16:

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Paul in describing the church to these Ephesian believers uses the image of a body. Just as a body is joined together with supporting ligaments and muscles, so the body of Christ is joined and held together. The pastors and teachers have a special responsibility for equipping believers, every member of the body does its part in maintaining unity, but ultimately the body is held together by Christ. Christ is the head and from him the whole body derives its life.

Paul in 1 Corinthians uses that same ‘body’ imagery. He says that the foot cannot say 1Corinthians 12.15-16:Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, and the ear cannot say Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body. Each part is dependent on every other part. The church is an interdependent body of believers.

And this is how we must think of ourselves. So many of us are capable, self-sufficient, independent people. We don't think we need one another – but we do. We are part of the same body. That means that we need to be willing to receive help and support from other believers. That means that we need to open ourselves up and be vulnerable enough to allow another Christian to serve, encourage and strengthen us. We need one another. We are in fact dependent on one another.

I recently visited St Paul’s cathedral. Evensong was just about to start so I didn’t have very long to look around, but I did manage a quick glimpse up into the inside of the dome. It is a very impressive structure. And you will probably know that a dome derives its strength by spreading the load in all directions. Each brick in the dome shares some of the weight and holds up the roof.

Paul in verse 16 talks about the body buildingitself up . . . as each part does its work. There is an interdependency within the body of Christ, we need one another, and each member must play his or her part – just like the bricks in the dome of St Paul’s cathedral.

But not only are we interdependent as believers, we also know that Christ is our head. We know that we are building a church body that brings glory to him. When God called his people Israel out of Egypt he commissioned them to be a people who brought him glory among the nations. They were to be a 'kingdom of priests', a 'holy nation'(Ex 19:6). They were to display God’s glory to the surrounding nations. And the same is true of God’s church today. The body of Christ is to bring God glory in the world and one day in eternity.

As we love one another, and demonstrate the unity of the Spirit, maturity in faith, interdependence, people can see that there is a difference between the church and a human organisation. The church is the visible demonstration to the world around of what it means to be God’s people. Christ is glorified, for he is the head of the church.

But knowing that Christ is the head of the church, is also a reminder of the forgiveness that we receive though him. I don’t stand up here this evening thinking that I have always related to all of you, as my brothers and sisters in Christ, in exactly the way I should have done. I know that I have failed at times to be the member of this body that Christ intended me to be. And you are probably thinking the same thing about your behaviour as I have been speaking.

Although Paul confronts us with the perfect picture of the church, you and I know the reality of falling short of that expectation, despite our best efforts. We have not always loved one another deeply. We have been grumpy, we have been angry, we have gossiped, we have made our self look good at someone else’s expense, we have slandered, we have held a grudge. That is why it is important to realise that Christ is the head of the church.

Christ died for you and me to bring us into his church. When we sin and fall short of being the perfect member of his body, we repent, ask for forgiveness (from Christ and perhaps from other people), and experience cleansing because of Jesus’ death on the cross. It is Christ who enables us to be the transformed member of his body. Enabling and empowering comes from his Holy Spirit at work in us (collectively) transforming us (collectively) into what we should be.

What I have just said might also help you if you are here this evening and you are not yet a Christian. If you are outside the body of Christ, I hope at times you do see some of the amazing wonder of the church. You see those who love one another deeply, who are united, mature in the faith, who build one another up. But I am sure that at other times you see the church with all its faults – you see the sin that is still in the lives of Christians.

Christians are those who live by grace, we are a forgiven people, and we are striving as a church, to fully become what we should be. One day the church will be presented to Christ just like a bride perfectly adorned for her husband on her wedding day.

The church is an interdependent body of believers who know Christ as their head.