First of all, it's a great pleasure to be here.
And Vanessa sends her apologies.
She sends her love.
She really wanted to be here, but she's just incredibly tired.
As I said to Chris and to you earlier,
we got off the plane late Friday,
so we're both suffering heavily from jet lag still.
So as Paul asks the Ephesians to do in chapter four,
please bear with me.
Now, I'll just read this passage out to you.
Ephesians chapter four, verses one to 16.
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, 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.
But to each one of us, grace has been given
as Christ has apportioned it.
And this is why it says,
when he ascended on high, he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.
What does he ascended mean?
Except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions.
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher
than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.
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
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.
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.
Now this is the word of the Lord.
Let's move that out of the way.
So Vanessa and I have been working,
as many of you, most of you will know,
with African Enterprise.
Initially we started working there in 2007
with the Pan-African Missions Department
from the Malawi office
and in 2010 we moved down to the city of Peter Maritzburg
in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
And last year I volunteered for the Leadership Training Centre
and Vanessa continued her work on
in the Communications Department,
heading up the international communications
for the organisation.
And we decided that,
well we both really felt that the Lord was telling us
that it was time to finish our time with African Enterprise.
As many of you will be aware,
African Enterprise has just celebrated
their 50th anniversary of ministry in Africa.
And to celebrate that,
in conjunction with the local churches of Peter Maritzburg,
they held a city-wide mission in the city
where it all started back in 1962
with Dr. Michael Cassidy.
And the Lord really said to us
that he wanted us to actually be there
for the city-wide mission
and help out as much as we could.
And then after that we would move on.
And it was then we had the offer.
Well first of all it was then we actually found out
that Vanessa was pregnant with Benjamin.
And it was then also we had the offer
to move to Cape Town
and work alongside George Whitfield College.
So it's a great time of heavy changes for us.
And it has been a very interesting time
in post-apartheid South Africa.
South Africa, there is no doubt
it is still suffering from a heavy hangover
from the apartheid regime.
And that regime really goes back to the 1700s
where the Boas came in
and started taking over the land
from the Bantu and the Koi people
and with the force of shotguns.
And because they had their land taken off them
which was their livelihood
and everything they had
they were forced to work
for these new white people
who then basically lauded it over them
and the rest is history.
In 1946
75,000 people
went on strike
because miners
black African miners
were receiving
a twelfth of the wage
that white South African miners
were receiving.
75,000 people went on strike
an unarmed protest
and
the police
met it
with violence
and a thousand people
were killed
or injured
during that
uprising
to try and get
more wages
for black South African workers.
In August
2012
3,000 people
who were miners
they were getting paid
very little money
and they were really being
discriminated against
in the wages
they were receiving
they were marginalised
they were being unfairly treated
and they stopped work
3,000 of them went on strike
and the police
responded to their protests
by killing 34 of them
shooting 34 of them dead
and
another 80 of them
were injured
and wounded
so South Africa
is suffering heavily
from a hangover
from apartheid
and needs your prayers
desperately
that that nation
will
be able to get
through the resentments
and the bitterness
of the past
which leads to so much
hatred and violence
within the country.
But South Africa
the secular world
is not the only place
that that resentment
and bitterness
can be found
and unfortunately
that has gone through
into the church
and while we were there
in the lead up
to the citywide mission
many of the churches
who were involved
in the citywide mission
came together
the pastors
from the church's
assorted denominations
and assorted colours
to meet with
a fraternal
a black South African fraternal
known as the Indemasa Fellowship
and the meeting
was because
the Indemasa Fellowship
did not want
to actually
minister alongside
the rest of these guys
because
they felt that
during the apartheid
era
that they had been
mistreated
by the other pastors
that these pastors
had supported apartheid
and there was still
bitterness
and hurt
and resentment
between
and enmity
between
the actual
racial groups
within the church
and
this meant
that they then
went through
a process
of reconciliation
which started
before the mission
and is continuing
on and will
continue on
hopefully
for a couple
of years to come
but the good news
is the process
of reconciliation
has begun
but even
African Enterprise
was not exempt
from the
racial
hurt
and
feelings
of bitterness
and feelings
of resentment
towards
different people
groups
and it was
so strong
that in the times
where I was asked
to preach
at devotions
on three separate
occasions
the Lord
put on my heart
to preach
on the topic
of unity
in the body
of Christ
and the first time
I preached
on the topic
of what it was
to be truly
great in Christ
and today
I'm going to
I'm not going to
exegete the passages
if you want to find
a good exegesis
on Ephesians 4
1 to 16
Reverend Chris Jones
did a terrific one
last year in November
it's still on the website
and I recommend
you have a
have a look at that
or listen to that
and also
John Dunn
has done some
terrific studies
before his health
deteriorated
on the book of Ephesians
so you might want
to get hold of that
I'm not going to
exegete the passage
today
but I just wanted
to relate some
of my own experiences
which I felt
had some similarities
with what is going
on here in the
church at Ephesus
the analogy
is problematic
so forgive me
for that
one is about
two different
groups of people
who are racially
different
the
obviously
the black
South Africans
and the non-blacks
but
the other
is the Jews
and the Gentiles
who basically
have different
beliefs
so the analogy
is problematic
but there's also
a lot of similarities
so the first time
I preached
on the topic
of what it was
to be truly great
and I think
this topic
is very relevant
to the passage
here today
because the passage
here today
Paul is speaking
to a group
of
Christian believers
in the church
at Ephesus
and
he's speaking
to them
as a group
but he is
addressing them
as to their
individual
responsibility
within that
group
and
so
on preaching
on true
greatness
what struck
me
is that
often
when we
look
at true
greatness
as Christian
believers
we look
at the
people
who have
got
the
Billy
Grahams
or the
Michael
Cassidy's
or the
great
preachers
up front
or whatever
it might
be
but
in actual
fact
true
greatness
in the
scriptures
is a
man
hanging
on a
cross
bloodied
and wounded
taking the
sins of
the world
upon him
that is
true
greatness
in the
scriptures
and
I started
to see
that my
criteria
for judging
what a
truly
great
Christian
was
actually
very
faulty
and it
was not
based
on the
Bible
and
so
I
really
felt
that it
was
strong
for people
to
understand
that on
that day
when the
Lord
says
well done
good and
faithful
servant
it won't
be based
on your
position
it won't
be based
on our
position
but it
will be
based
on what
we did
with what
the Lord
gave us
as it
said in
the parable
of the
talents
where
it wasn't
based on
how much
they had
but what
they did
with what
the Lord
had given
them
that's
what really
mattered
so true
greatness
is about
us living
in the
fullness
of the
calling
that
Christ
has
given
us
to
live
in
no one
is better
at being
Chris Jones
than Chris
Jones
no one
can be
Chris Jones
other than
Chris Jones
and no one
can be
Darian
Clensos
other than
Darian
Clensos
thank God
but
my point
is that
no one
can be
better at
being
us
than us
we are
designed
to be
who we
are
living
at the
maximum
potential
of who
we have
been
called
to be
in
Christ
each
one
of
us
here
today
is
a
skin
full
of
gifts
and
each
one
of
us
has
received
an
incredibly
high
calling
it is
not
a low
calling
it is
not
something
where
we
should
be
thinking
oh
well
I'm
only
a
secretary
or
I'm
only
a
cleaner
or
I'm
only
somebody
who
works
in
an
office
it
is
how
we
do
those
things
for
Christ
with
all
our
heart
as
in
working
for
the
Lord
that's
what
true
greatness
is
not
the
position
of
the
person
but
how
they
live
in
that
position
so
that
was
the
first
sermon
that
the
Lord
put
on
my
heart
to
preach
in
the
context
of
post
apartheid
South
Africa
to
a
wounded
and
divided
group
of
people
the
second
passage
that
the
Lord
put
on
my
heart
unity
and
we're
in
Galatians
3
and
in
Colossians
3
in
both
those
passages
let me
read
them
to
you
Galatians
chapter
3
if I
can
find
it
Galatians
chapter
3
where
Paul
says
in
verse
28
there
is
neither
Jew
nor
Greek
nor
slave
nor
free
male
nor
female
for
you
are
all
one
in
Christ
Jesus
we
have
been
brought
together
by
the
blood
of
Christ
the
book
of
Ephesians
talks
about
how
Christ
has
made
us
brought
us
into
a
new
humanity
he
has
destroyed
the
dividing
wall
between
Jew
and
Gentile
and
brought
them
in
together
to
make
one
people
one
people
who
will
be
purified
and
who
are
the
race
who
will
live
forever
the
children
of
God
the
second
passage
was
Colossians
3
where
there
is
neither
Greek
nor
Jew
circumcised
nor
uncircumcised
barbarian
Scythian
slave
nor
free
but
Christ
is
all
and
in
all
and
so
I
continue
to
say
there
is
neither
Afrikaner
or
Zulu
or
Koza
or
Indian
or
Colored
or
Australian
or
American
but
all
have
been
brought
together
and
are
one
in
Christ
has
destroyed
that
dividing
wall
and
through
his
blood
shed
at the
cross
we
brought
into
the
new
humanity
filled
with
the
one
spirit
worshipping
the
one
God
the
father
of
us
all
the
father
and
God
of
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and
what
an
incredible
calling
we have
been
brought
into
and
one
of
the
things
in
the
book
of
Ephesians
is
that
Paul
is
always
talking
about
where
we
have
come
from
and
what
we
have
been
brought
into
and
the
magnitude
of
that
and
the
incredible
future
that
lies
ahead
for
the
people
of
God
and
I
often
think
when
we
get
to
heaven
and
we're
standing
around
that
throne
and
we're
singing
night
and
day
and
praising
God
we're
not
going to
be
praising
God
and
trying
to
think
of
what
we're
going to
sing
next
when we
sing
hymn
34
or
what's
it
going to
be
I
think
we
are
just
going to
have
the
praise
pouring
out
of
us
it
is
going
to
pour
out
of
us
when
we
see
what
God
has
done
for
us
we
will
not
be
able
to
stop
rejoicing
and
praising
him
because
we
will
be
overflowing
with
such
gratitude
that
is
what
God
has
got
prepared
for
those
who
love
him
and
that's
what
God
has
got
prepared
for
us
in
the
new
heavens
and
the
new
earth
and
so
Paul
in
the
get
your
mind
off
the
present
and
look
to
what
God
has
prepared
for
you
and
what
he
has
brought
you
into
the
magnitude
of
that
and
the
future
he
has
for
you
preach
my
heart
out
as
I
did
the
division
still
remained
and
so
the
third
time
I
was
asked
to
preach
at
devotions
once
again
I
felt
strongly
the
need
to
preach
on
unity
this
time
I
preached
on
loving
one
another
and
being
one
in
Christ
and
I
preached
on
John
chapter
13
where
Jesus
says
by
this
will
all
men
know
that
you
are
my
disciples
if
you
love
one
another
not
by
our
doctrine
not
by
the
church
we
go
to
not
by
the
social
group
we
are
in
or
whether
we
go
to
summer
school
or
whatever
else
it
might
be
but
by
this
disciples
if
you
love
one
another
Jesus
says
a new
commandment
I
give
to you
that
you
love
one
another
as
I
have
loved
you
it's
not
an
option
it
is
a
commandment
and
so
Christ
is
commanding
them
to
love
one
another
he's
commanding
us
to
love
one
another
and
in
John
chapter
17
he
prays
to
the
father
and
he
says
may
they
be
one
as
you
and
I
are
one
what
an
incredible
responsibility
that
puts
on us
to be
one
with
one
another
to
be
tender
hearted
forgiving
one
another
being
meek
and
gentle
as
I'm
being
gentle
now
but
what
a
responsibility
that
puts
on
us
to
be
meek
and
gentle
to
one
another
and
to
be
one
with
each
other
because
it's
by
that
people
will
know
that
the
father
sent
the
son
in
other
words
our
oneness
is
what
demonstrates
to
the
world
that
Jesus
is
the
real
deal
that
he
has
come
from
the
father
that
he's
not
just
some
guru
he's
not
just
another
prophet
but
that
this
Jesus
is
the
son
of
God
as
he
says
he
is
our
oneness
is
what
will
demonstrate
that
our
unity
will
demonstrate
that
our
love
demonstrates
that
we belong
to
Jesus
our
unity
demonstrates
that
Jesus
was
sent
by
the
father
I
preached
my
heart
out
as
I
did
the
division
still
remained
and I
really felt
the Lord
had spoken
to them
through
me
and it
didn't
seem to
matter
that I
had
preached
like I
did
and that
the word
of God
had come
through
and that
Myles
Gilliam
the head
of
African
Enterprise
had
affirmed
that
that was
that he
really felt
the Lord
had spoken
that day
but as
the mission
came closer
I started
to see
something
which I
think
underlies
everything
that Paul
is saying
I think
it is
the thing
that goes
without saying
in this
passage
and that
is
that there
is
without
it goes
without saying
that the
gospel is
being
proclaimed
because once
that mission
came up
all of a
sudden
this body
who was
so focused
on their
differences
and their
things which
divided them
and made them
different
and made them
upset with
one another
and all their
hurts and
grievances
instead of
having their
eyes on
themselves
all of a
sudden
everyone
had their
eyes
on the
one focus
which was
the proclamation
of the gospel
which was
the word
of God
going out
and new
converts
coming in
and Paul
when he
talks
here
he says
it was
he who
gave some
to be
apostles
some
to be
prophets
some
to be
evangelists
and as
I got
to that
point
some
to be
evangelists
he talks
about
for the
building
up of
the
body
and I
thought
well
the only
way
the
evangelist
really
builds
up
the
body
is
that
the
evangelist
is
speaking
the
word
of
God
and
new
people
are
coming
into
the
church
and
what
happens
when new
people
church
people
are
praying
for
them
people
need
to be
taught
people
need
to be
discipled
all of
a sudden
every
part of
the body
comes
alive
and is
doing
its
thing
but
without
the
proclamation
preach as
we may
those
divisions
will
remain
now
the
mission
to
Peter
Maritzburg
was
definitely
not
a
faultless
mission
there
were
still
difficulties
from
time
to
time
but
an
incredibly
divided
community
came
together
as
an
army
for
the
Lord
who
were
focused
on
people
who
needed
to
come
to
know
Christ
and
come
out
of
their
sins
and
come
into
the
light
now
I
know
the
situation
in
Sydney
here
is
very
different
to
what
it
is
in
Maritzburg
and
there
is
a
hardness
to
the
gospel
I
believe
in
Sydney
but
I
still
think
the
message
of
the
gospel
is
the
power
of
God
unto
salvation
for
all
who
believe
and
the
proclamation
of the
gospel
is what
brings
the body
of Christ
alive
that's
really
the
main
thing
I
want
to
say
today
is
that
the
proclamation
of the
gospel
is what
brings
the
body
alive
and
I
think
every
single
one
of us
have
got
different
roles
to
play
some
of
us
are
evangelists
some
of
us
are
people
who
work
quietly
alongside
other
people
wherever
the
Lord
has
placed
you
do
not
think
lowly
of
your
calling
because
you
are
the
Bible
that
many
people
will
read
and
you
are
the
witness
to
Christ
where
you
are
through
your
life
and
actions
and
through
your
words
and
I
just
want
to
encourage
you
and
encourage
everyone
today
as a
body
of
believers
be
encouraged
to
proclaim
that
word
and
just
tell
it
where
it
is
just
go
out
and
proclaim
the
lordship
of
Christ
the
cross
of
Christ
and the
forgiveness
of
sins
because
people
throughout
this
city
are
stuck
in
their
sin
and
they
are
living
in
terrible
situations
because
of
their
sin
I
think
many
people
have
learned
to
live
with
their
sins
many
people
have
learned
to
live
a
lifestyle
which
accommodates
for
their
unbelief
and their
sin
and their
darkness
but
they
are
living
in
pain
and
they
are
living
in
torment
and
they
are
living
in
bondage
to
those
things
chains
and
we
have
the
words
of
eternal
life
we
have
the
message
that
can
free
them
from
those
chains
as
we
proclaim
that
word
and
as
people
come
into
the
church
and
the
body
comes
alive
and
the
body
is
all
doing
their
part
evangelists
are
preaching
the
word
pastors
are
ministering
to
new
converts
teachers
are
teaching
the
new
converts
people
are
praying
for
them
people
are
organizing
new
groups
for
them
to
go
to
when
all
these
things
are
taking
place
then
the
body
is
starting
to
become
one
with
one
focus
and
is
being
built
up
to
reach
the
maturity
that
Paul
talks
about
in
the
concluding
part
of
this
passage
he
says
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
unto
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
God
bless
you
all
and
thank
you
for
having
me