Let's worship God now. We sing to His praise in Psalm 95. Psalm 95 in the Scottish Psalter,
and that's on page 357. The tune is Glasgow. As we were this morning, we're following the theme
of the gathered church. We saw this morning the church gather together for praise, and especially
with singing praise. Tonight we're looking at the church gather together for growth as we seek to
grow, not just individually or numerically, but also spiritually, the growth that the Lord brings us
as we wait on His blessing. So we'll sing these verses. O come, let us sing to the Lord. Come,
let us, everyone, a joyful noise make to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95 and these verses 1 to 6.
We'll stand if you can, please, just stand.
Let us sing.
Let us before his presence come with praise and thankful voice.
Let us sing sound to him with praise and make a joyful noise.
For God, the great, God, the great King, above all gods he is.
Exalt the earth, how in his hand the strength of his is.
To him the stanchiest seed he haunts, for he the same did me.
The pride and love so from his hands its form adversity.
O come and let us worship him.
Let us overcome with all.
And on our knees before the Lord, our maker let us fall.
Let's unite together now in prayer and calling upon the Lord.
Our gracious and ever-blessed God, we have been gathered in your presence so many times before.
And yet we confess tonight our need of you as much as ever to lead us into your truth,
to enable us, O Lord, once again to benefit not only from being gathered together,
but also from our communion with you.
And we thank you, Lord, that that lies at the heart of our worship.
At all times when we come together to worship you,
our concern is to glorify your great name,
to know you and to confess you as our Lord and as our God.
And we thank you for every opportunity we have to do so.
As we come together, O Lord, to sing your praises.
As we come together to join collectively in prayer.
As we come to hear your word and your voice speaking to us through your word.
And as we come, Lord, at this time anew,
and to share fellowship with each other and to be a means of encouraging one another,
we thank you for the services of worship that we are always privileged to attend.
Lord, help us, we pray, in all aspects of our worship,
in dependence upon your Holy Spirit.
Help us to listen to your voice.
Help us to speak in such a way as declares your will in the preaching of the gospel.
Help us, Lord, in the interaction we have with each other,
as speaker and hearers alike.
Help us, for we need you, O Lord, to work in our hearts.
For every aspect of our worship emanates from the hearts of your people.
And we give thanks tonight that we have this privilege,
even of looking in and calling upon our very soul,
to praise the Lord.
We ask, O gracious God, that our meeting tonight will further equip us
and benefit us for living in the world and for our growth as a people.
Help us, we pray, through these moments we are together,
in conjunction with the times we spend individually with you.
Help us, Lord, we pray, to grow together in grace
and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Help us, as we seek that spiritual development in our lives,
that we may extend what we seek for individually
to what we ought to seek for ourselves as a people, as a congregation.
Give us, O Lord, the grace that will enable us to grow,
to grow in our relationships,
to grow in our interaction one with another,
to grow in our concern, to be to the world a living light
that shows forth the glory and the claims of Christ.
Lord, we give thanks tonight that it is our privilege
to be able to look forward to doing this,
even in the days that you spared us during the course of life.
We ask for all the gatherings of your people tonight,
wherever they are in the world, that you would bless them.
And that you would bless them, Lord, for that same benefit to be theirs
that we pray for for ourselves.
We ask, O God, tonight that your cause will advance.
We pray and we bring to our children's notice as well
the Lord's Prayer each and every passing Lord's Day.
When our prayer is in using these words,
that your kingdom come,
that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And we ask that you would continue, Lord,
to provide for your church throughout the world
the grace that would enable us to know the advance of your kingdom.
Lord, our God, we are so conscious in our day and generation
of how much is ranged against your kingdom,
how your kingdom is the target of so much assault
from the forces of unbelief and even of evil.
Lord, we pray that in our day our concern might be
that wherever your people are,
wherever your cause is set forth,
that we may see, O Lord, the grace working in the lives of your people,
that enable them not only to resist the powers of evil,
but also to actually accomplish a victory over them.
And to be sure that the Lord on their side
enables them to look forward to final victory after all is done.
We ask your blessing to be with all who serve you in different capacities.
Lord, we as a congregation know that so many people of our number
serve you in different ways in their lives through the course of each week.
We pray that you would bless every witness to your grace
that we seek to have set forth in our lives.
And we pray that for all the variety of gifts and of service that we represent,
Lord, that you would be pleased to accompany all that with your blessing.
We give thanks that we are able to show forth your glory
in the world in which we are set.
And we pray that our concern might be to do that more fully and more clearly.
And we pray tonight for all those, O Lord,
who need you in a way that is specific,
and especially those that face the difficulties and challenges
of old age, of incapacity, of illness,
of the failure of various faculties mentally and spiritually.
And we pray for those, Lord, who have challenges in life
over their concern with loved ones who may be ill,
or even over their own illness as well.
We pray for those who are seriously ill,
for those who are terminally ill,
for those who have been given the news
that they are hastening toward the end of their life in this world.
Bless their families.
Bless themselves, O Lord,
whether they remain conscious to those outwardly or not.
Yet we give thanks that you are able to reach to our inmost souls,
that you are able to speak to us inwardly,
even when, to all other accounts,
we may not be conscious or able to converse with those around us.
Be merciful to them, we pray,
as well as to all who have lost loved ones
in recent times and in times gone by.
Lord, we continue to bear them before you.
We pray for all those who work with people
who have different kinds of addiction.
Gracious One, we ask the blessing of the Lord to be with them.
We pray for a road to recovery for David,
as he works and heads up the work, Lord,
for a road to recovery locally.
We pray for him and we pray for his work.
We pray for all those who come under the benefit
of being confronted with the Bible's teaching
and seeking to help them along the road to recovery.
Lord, we ask that your blessing will be with them.
We pray too for safe families.
We thank you for your provision for them thus far
in our community here.
We pray that you would bless them,
each and all of them,
who organize and head up the work.
And we ask that you would continue
to bless the families that are being helped,
O Lord, through the work of safe families,
not only here,
but in other parts of our nation as well.
And we give thanks for the opportunities given
to come alongside people,
to help them in their distress,
in their need,
and in lives that are so deprived
for various reasons
of things that we have in abundance.
We do ask your blessing,
Lord, for all who help with pregnancy crisis,
for all those who help,
those who have that situation in life
also to face and contend with.
O Lord, may your blessing be with Elizabeth
and all others who help her with that work.
As it goes on quietly,
we give thanks, O Lord, for them.
We pray that it will continue to be effective.
And we ask for all those
who are helped by it,
that they will come
to realize, O Lord,
your goodness,
realize your willingness
to come to receive them to yourself
and to come to be their Lord
and God and protector also.
We ask for our nation,
Lord, at this time.
We pray that you bless us
in times of great trouble
and crisis and questionings.
And we do pray that you bless those
in authority over us in government.
Lord, be pleased, we pray,
to bless them nationally and locally.
Be pleased to bless our schools,
our teachers,
the education authority.
We ask your blessing
for our medical practices,
for our hospitals,
for our hospitals.
Lord, we ask that you would continue
to provide them with all
that is necessary for their well-being.
And we pray that in difficulties
financially and in other ways,
that you would continue, Lord,
to provide for them
and give those who are in charge
of all of these areas
of our public life,
give them, Lord,
the grace and the mercy
that would daily feed them
with wisdom from above.
We ask, O Lord, too,
that you would continue
to bless our children,
our young people.
Be near to them, we pray.
Remember the fellowship tonight.
And Marianne, as she speaks,
we pray for your blessing
upon our young folk,
our children and young people,
and we commit them to you.
We ask, O Lord,
for the troubled parts
of the world in this day.
We pray for the situation
in the Middle East.
Lord, our God,
there is so much
that lies beyond
even our capacity
to pray about it,
except that we can bring it
before you and ask, Lord,
that you would intervene,
that you would come, Lord,
to bring peace
to these troubled parts
of the world
and help the people
of Ukraine as well
when they presently
may have fallen out
of the news
through other things
coming to take prominence.
We pray for them.
We ask that you would continue
to bless them
in their struggles
against oppression.
We ask that they may see,
O Lord,
your own hand at work.
And when we find, Lord,
so much in our world
to do with refugees
and people moving
from one nation to another
and coming into our own land,
Lord, sometimes we feel perplexed
that the pressures brought
to bear upon various nations
and our own.
And yet we also recognize,
O Lord,
it is your providence
and we recognize
that much may be going on
even behind the scenes
that we know not of
where you are bringing home
to people in distress
their need of God.
And we do pray
that that will be so
even amongst the vast number
of people throughout the world
who are displaced.
Help us to learn
from your word
from such times
as happened in the past
that we may know from that
that God is very often
at work where we least expect.
And we pray that it may be so
in our own age as well.
Continue with us now,
we pray.
Hear our prayers
and pardon our sin
for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Let's sing again to God's praise.
This time we're singing
from Psalm 31.
Psalm number 31.
Psalm 31.
And verses 19 to 24.
That's on page 37.
June this time is Wareham.
Your goodness, Lord,
is very great,
prepared for those
who fear your name.
You show your goodness openly
to all who your protection claim.
Your presence hides
and shelters them
from those who plot
to take their life.
And in your tent
you keep them safe
from evil tongues
that stir up strife.
Verses 19 to 24.
Your goodness, Lord,
is very great.
your goodness, Lord,
is very great.
Prepare for those
to hear your name.
You show your goodness openly
to all who your protection claim.
your presence.
Your presence, Lord,
and shelters them
from those who plot
to take their life.
and in your tent
you keep them safe.
Your people say
all people
touch
and stare
at strife.
the Lord
be praised
because
he showed
the wonder
of
his love
to me.
when in the city
I was struck
surrounded by
the enemy.
in my alarm
I rush
to say
that I was hidden
from your eyes
but
when
I
call
to
you
for help
in
grace
to
listen
to
my
cries
O
love
the
Lord
the
Lord
all
human
saints
a
faithful
will
be kept
by God
but
he
will
give
the
power
their
true
each
strong
day
heart
O
thank
the
Lord
let's turn now to read God's word we're reading tonight from Ephesians
Paul's letter to the Ephesians and chapter 4 verses 1 to 16
Ephesians chapter 4 from the beginning
chapter 5 verse 1 to 16
I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience forbading with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one spirit just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism of the
one God and Father of all who is over all who is over all and through all and through all and in all but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift therefore it says when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and the
and he gave gifts to men and he gave gifts to men and he gave gifts to men and he gave gifts to men and saying he ascended what does it mean but that he had also did not be the one hope that he had been given to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism one God and father of all who is over all and through all and through all and in all but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift
therefore it says when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men and saying he ascended what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth he who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things and he gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the pastors and
teachers to equip the saints to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ till we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes
rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way unto him who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love
and we pray God will bless
reading of his word with his own blessing
before we turn to that passage let's sing again this time psalm 115
115 that's on page 153
singing to a tune Denfield from verse 9
O house of Israel place your trust upon the Lord alone
he is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
O house of Aaron trust the Lord he is their help and shield
all you who fear him trust the Lord
he is your help and shield
the Lord remembers Israel
and he will bless us all
the house of Aaron and all those who fear him
great and small
may God the Lord make you increase
both you and all your line
may you be blessed by God
who makes all things
by his design
and we'll sing to the end of verse 18
from verse 9
O house of Israel place your trust upon the Lord alone
He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
so that you and all are his own
He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
and all who are his own
He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own
He is the mighty help and shield of all who are his own.
O hearts of Aaron, trust the Lord.
He is their help and shield.
All you who fear him, trust the Lord.
He is your help and shield.
The Lord remembers Israel, and he will bless us all.
The hearts of Aaron, and all those who fear him great and small.
May God the Lord make you in peace.
All due and all you are divine.
May you be blessed by God who makes all things by his design.
The highest tempts we long to know.
The earth to us be gave.
It's not the dead who hates the Lord.
There's silent in the grave.
May we extol the Lord on high, his majesty proclaim.
O now and ever, O next song, and which is holy name.
Amen.
Let's turn now for a short time to Ephesians chapter 4.
We're going to look especially at verses 15 and 16.
the Lord, which, of course form part of this great passage all the way through these verses
from the beginning of the chapter, really.
But especially from verse 11, where he speaks about Jesus having equipped and equipping the
church with various types of leaders, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so on.
But you notice it's to equip the saints.
All that ministry is to equip the saints, that's all the people of God, for the work of ministry.
And that's not just the ministry of the gospel in terms of a minister's work.
Ministry there really refers to the whole ministry of the church for which the Lord equips us,
so that as we go forth in His name, we are equipped by Him for the tasks that He has called us to.
So, it comes in verse 14 then to say that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and so on.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him or unto Him who is the head into Christ,
from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,
when each part is working properly, efficiently, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Well, as you know, the human body is used by Paul as a very useful illustration of certain features of the church.
He uses it elsewhere, and he's using it here, as you can see, as an image for the church,
because the human body, for Paul, is illustrative of various features of the church
and various ways in which the church not only acts together,
but actually is a body spiritually acting towards the world and towards God Himself as well, that spiritual body.
So, when Paul is thinking about such things, for example, as unity and diversity together,
in other words, all the various gifts that God has gifted the church with,
he's mentioned that here, that the Lord, when He ascended up on high, led a host of captives.
He gave gifts to men.
The ascension of the Lord, the exaltation of the Lord,
was so that from that, gifts would come to the church by the Holy Spirit,
so that that diversity of gifts, that whole range of gifts,
is nevertheless itself sits alongside and indeed in many ways contributes to the unity that Paul speaks about,
that unity of which we are one body in Christ with all the variety of gifts within that one body.
So, when he's thinking of unity and diversity together,
he finds the human body to be very illustrative and useful for that.
Or you could say that when he talks here as well about development and growth,
he can say that the human body as you see it is also very illustrative of the spiritual growth and the moral growth
that God enables His church to grow in and grow by,
just as a human body develops from early stage through to maturity,
so as a body, the church in every generation grows,
until finally the whole church will be complete in the presence of God in glory.
And it's also important that we see his illustration of the body,
the human body, as illustrative of the spiritual body,
with a reference to the head of the body.
And as we'll see tonight, it's from our head, from our brain,
through the various parts of the body, that in many ways the body is controlled.
And what he's saying is that that's true spiritually of the church,
because the head of the church is Jesus Himself.
It is Christ.
That's what he's saying here.
From whom, verse 16,
the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it's equipped,
makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
In other words, that growth, that capacity for growth,
that enabling of growth comes from the head, comes from Christ.
The controlling of the body is Christ Himself, as He's the head of the church.
And from that, we can see quite a number of things develop.
The body will grow, verse 11 here, he says,
where he's saying the growth of the body.
He gave all these different functions to people in the church
to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
until he says in verse 13,
we all attain to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God
to mature manhood,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Now, some people take it that that's a reference to the church
even in this world,
that it goes on maturing or growing.
But I think it's better to see that Paul is looking towards
the final growth,
the final maturity of the church in glory,
where it will perfectly be in the image
or in conformity to Christ Himself.
And it's an interesting thing that you think of
of the church corporately,
the whole of the church,
all of God's people united together,
that it's as a whole body,
he's speaking here,
of them conforming to Christ.
We tend to think about individual conformity to Christ,
and indeed that's perfectly proper.
The Bible teaches that.
But it's another dimension, really, isn't it?
When you think of the whole church
in its final state of maturity and glory,
that that itself, in a mysterious way,
but a wonderful way,
is conformity to Christ Himself
in His exalted glory.
The final likeness to Himself.
But you see, while we may take it that way,
He still takes us back to the meantime,
where He says in verse 14,
so that we may no longer be children
tossed to and fro by the waves
and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
by human cunning and craftiness
in deceitful schemes.
In other words, the powers that we face,
as they are themselves fueled by the satanic,
by the dark forces that exist in the universe,
how do we face these?
How are we equipped in order to not only face them,
but to overcome them or to resist them?
Well, He says,
by together growing unto the Lord.
It's possible, of course,
that you need to resist
and to overcome the powers,
these evil powers for yourself as a Christian,
for us individually.
But this is talking corporately.
This is talking of the church as a body.
And one of the beauties
and one of the privileges
of belonging to the church
is that you're not on your own
as you face these powers.
It's the church as a body,
the church together.
And we're following this theme
for a few studies
of the gathered church,
the church in its gatheredness,
its togetherness, if you like.
And it's also applicable then
to this particular point
of facing the powers
that are ranged against the church.
And it's clear from verses 11 to 16,
we're going to come to verse 15 in a minute,
but this just feeds into it.
It's clear from these verses,
from verse 11 onwards,
that the apostle is really speaking
of what we might call our togetherness.
Our togetherness under the headship of Christ,
in the togetherness with which
we are required to grow
and for which God enables that growth
through the ministry of the gospel,
the ministry of his word,
and the ministry of believers together,
one to another.
And so let's come to see
what he's saying now
in verse 15 and 16.
A couple of things I'm going to focus on
from these two verses.
First of all,
what he means by growing up
unto the head who is Christ.
Rather, speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up in every way
unto him who is the head,
even Christ or into Christ.
That's the first thing.
A number of things he mentions under that.
Secondly, each part contributes
to the whole body's growth.
It says there,
from whom the whole body is joined together.
But he says,
when each part is working properly,
it makes the body grow
so that it builds itself up in love.
Now, it is a complex passage,
and I'm not going to try
and open up some of the phrases,
the particular phraseology in it.
I want to keep our minds focused
on the central emphasis
of growing spiritually
under the direction
and in relation to Christ
and to each other,
and how the gathered church,
even in its gatherings such as this,
is a church that gathers
to enable that growth
to take place
through the blessing of Christ,
through the ministry
of God's Holy Spirit.
So, growing up unto Christ,
you see what he's saying here?
Rather, speaking the truth in love.
Instead of actually caving in,
if you like,
or being tossed to and fro
by these different doctrines
and human cunning and craftiness
and the deceitful schemes
that we face instead,
he says,
rather than that,
speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up unto him.
What does he mean by the truth?
Well, he means far more
than just not telling lies
to each other,
important though that is.
By the truth,
he means what God
has actually revealed of himself,
of his salvation.
The whole revelation of God,
as you find it,
actually set out in the Bible.
The truth of God,
truth about God himself,
the truth about salvation,
truth about ourselves,
who we are,
what we're like,
where we came from,
all of the things the Bible reveals,
in fact,
you could say,
that is God's truth revealed to us,
God's revealed truth.
And it's objective.
It's absolute truth.
It's independent,
if you like,
of our input.
We didn't produce it.
And we have to remember that
in our day as well.
The truth is not
what people think it should be.
The truth is not
what people would want
the Bible to say
rather than what it says.
The truth is not
God's truth
adapted,
as it were,
from generation to generation
to fit in with
what human beings
think it ought to say.
The truth is here.
The truth is objective.
The truth is absolute.
It's unchanging truth
because it's God's truth.
Because it reflects
God's character
and God's will
and God
who is Himself truth.
And so,
that objective,
absolute truth,
is really what we are to
take as what he means here.
Rather,
speaking the truth
in love.
And that takes us to
think of,
as we're thinking of,
the truth as not being,
and you can say,
the truth is not actually
religion.
The truth is not
any particular
holy book.
The truth is not
humanism.
The truth is not
secularism.
The truth is not
any of these things.
The truth is
God's revealed will
as you have it
in the Scriptures.
But then,
what does he mean
by speaking the truth
in love
to each other?
Well,
that takes us
to the word speaking.
Because actually,
the word speaking
is more than just
speech or conversation.
The word speaking
actually means
something like
holding to
or showing
the truth of God.
In other words,
what he's talking about
is our lives.
Our lives as they are
together,
as we form the church,
as we form the body
of Christ
in this world
under the headship
of Christ,
we are to be
showing the truth.
We are to be
holding the truth.
We are to actually
show that the truth
is meaningful to us.
Our lives have to be
truthful in the sense,
not just free of lies,
but truthful
in presenting the truth.
There's a word
which isn't very,
it isn't very elegant,
but nevertheless,
it kind of captures
what we're at here,
that your life
has to be
a truthing life.
Truthing in the sense
of showing the truth,
living for the truth,
standing for the truth,
presenting the truth,
commending the truth,
all of the things
that are to do with
holding the truth
and showing forth
the truth in your life.
But it's not just
in your life individually,
what he's saying here is
this is actually
something not just
for the believer,
but for believers
together,
for the people of God
as the body of Christ.
They are to
hold and show out
the truths of God
in love in their lives.
In other words,
this is actually speaking
about our whole way
of life together,
our relationships together,
how we live together,
how we relate to each other,
how we speak to each other,
how we listen to each other,
how we care for each other,
how we show our care
for each other.
You see,
the gathered church,
the togetherness
of God's people,
as we said at the beginning,
is a togetherness
through which the truth
must be shown,
through which the truth
comes to be seen,
not only among themselves,
but to the world out there.
It's together
as His body
that we are to live
out God's truth.
And you can only do that
as we gather together,
as we meet together,
as we relate meaningfully
to each other,
as we have fellowship
with one another
and with God,
and together as we meet
and have fellowship
with God in that.
What are you saying?
Rather,
speaking,
holding forth.
It involves speaking,
of course,
but it's not confined to that.
Speaking the truth,
but He's saying,
in love.
That's such a vital,
vital part
of His emphasis there.
We're not just to be
caring for each other,
speaking to each other,
showing out the truth of God
and how we live.
We are to do that
in love.
That's such an important
consideration,
isn't it?
In fact,
it really is to be,
as it were,
put on over all the other parts
of the garments
we wear spiritually.
Put on truth,
is what He says in Colossians.
Putting on this
over all the other parts
of the spiritual garments
that you wear.
Put on love.
See verse 18 there,
the very end of the verse there,
makes the body grow
so that it builds itself up
in love.
Remember that
as a spiritual body,
we are always visible.
And just like parts of
your natural body,
your human body,
when one part is affected
in some way,
either positively
or mostly negatively,
if it's hurt,
the rest of the body
actually feels that.
The rest of the body
is affected by that.
And it's the same way
spiritually,
because as Paul thinks
of the human body
as being illustrative
of the spiritual body
that we are together,
what he is saying,
we are to grow
in love,
we are to exercise
our relationships
one with another
in love,
because there's a watching
world out there
for one thing.
Not only does it affect
other parts
of the body,
but the one thing
that a real turn off
of the world
is when Christians
are seen not to love
each other.
That was one of the
great confessions
made by the world
in the apostles' own day.
Behold how they love
each other.
Look at how they love
each other.
These were pagan people
watching the church,
watching these people
of God,
watching these Christians
as they met,
as they went about
their business
from day to day,
as they met together,
as they related
to each other,
as they spoke out
to the world
around them.
They loved each other.
They were able
to put up with so much
because they valued
the headship of Christ,
the spirit of Christ,
because they loved
each other.
Our spiritual body,
or we as a spiritual body,
are intensely visible
to the world.
And while you want
that world out there
to be changed,
people to be converted,
people to come
to join the spiritual
body of Christ
that we are,
nevertheless,
you know of their opposition.
You know how difficult
they make it at times.
You pray for them,
and yet so much
comes your way
by hostility,
by opposition,
by refusals.
And when you widen
that into the situation
that we face
in our society today,
you can see
how difficult it is
in the present climate
to live consistently,
not just as a Christian,
but as a Christian church
together in the way
we relate to each other
so that our love
for each other
is made plain
and made effective
to the world.
But that's what Paul
is saying.
There should be no place
at all for cold
orthodoxy.
You know,
it's perfectly easy
to be very orthodox
in your doctrine
and yet be as cold
as ice
in your relationship
to your fellow Christians.
Well,
that orthodoxy
is very ineffective,
and in fact,
that orthodoxy
is very off-putting
to the world
and even to other Christians too.
Yes,
of course,
we need orthodoxy,
but there should be
no place for a cold type.
No,
there should be
any place for
what you might call
as denominational pride.
When we compare ourselves
with other denominations,
and when we say
that the church
at large
in some ways
is defective
or has left
the truth of God
as you find that
in various places
throughout our nation,
throughout the world,
that doesn't mean
that we hold ourselves
up in pride
and preen ourselves
as if we were
the best of the best.
Nor does it mean
that we give place
for a moment
to any party spirit
even within
a congregational setting.
That's what was wrong
to a great extent
in Corinth.
People were saying,
oh,
I am of Apollos.
Others were saying,
no,
I'm of Cephas.
He's my man.
I'm his follower.
What others were saying,
no,
I'm not of Cephas.
I'm not of Apollos.
That's far too low for me.
I am of Christ.
I'm superior to that.
I belong to that group
who put Christ first.
Be done with your Cephas
and with your Apollos.
They're just human beings.
What does Paul say to them?
Is Christ divided?
Are we a body of Christ?
He is saying,
are you a body of Christ?
To the Corinthians,
are you a body of Christ?
And yet,
going about
with all these divisions
among you,
what's wrong with you?
Because
you're not speaking
the truth in love.
You're not holding
the truth in love.
You have intense rivalries.
You're competing
with each other.
And even the disciples,
of course,
well,
we can follow them
because it's just
our own heart after all
that is revealed
through them,
isn't it?
On their way there
to the Passover,
on their way
as Jesus made His way
ultimately to the cross,
what were they talking about?
Well,
they weren't talking.
They were actually disputing.
And they were disputing
which of them
would be the greatest.
Apostles,
disciples,
called by Jesus
to be His followers,
to be His witness
to the world,
to be His witness
in the truth.
And they're disputing,
they're squabbling
over which was going
to be the greatest.
Who's going to have
the highest place?
And Jesus is saying,
be done with that.
That's not my church.
That's not my body.
That's what we're not.
That's what we're,
that's not what we're called
to be and to do
in our relations
to each other.
But,
holding the truth,
showing the truth,
living the truth
in love.
In love.
And,
elsewhere,
he shows,
as he does
in this chapter itself
later on,
how they are to be
quite different
to the pagan world
around them.
He says,
verse 20,
this is not the way
you have learned Christ.
So,
put off your old self,
your former manner of life,
and as corrupt
through the deceitful desires,
be renewed
in the spirit of your mind.
Put on the new self.
Put away falsehood.
Speak the truth
with your neighbor.
Verse 25,
be angry.
Do not sin.
Let not the sun
go down on your anger.
Give no opportunity
to the devil.
Let the thief
no longer steal.
Rather,
let him labor.
Let no corrupting talk
come out of your mouth.
Only such as is good
for building up
as fits the occasion.
Don't grieve
the spirit of God.
Let all bitterness
and wrath
and anger
and clamor
and slander
be put away from you
along with all malice.
Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
as God in Christ
forgave you.
But don't let the chapter
break,
put you off.
You have to go
into the next verse.
Therefore,
be imitators of God
as beloved children
and walk in love
as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us.
When he's saying there,
be imitators of God.
Seek to be as like God
as it's possible to be
in this life.
Walk in love
as beloved children.
What does he mean by that?
Children already loved by God.
Beloved in that sense.
Reflect, he's saying,
that love
as you speak the truth in love.
As you live out the truth in love.
Let love be preeminent.
Let love be on the top
of your agenda.
Let love to one another
and love for God
dominate your life.
That's really what he's saying.
Rather,
speaking the truth in love.
And you see how that fits into
our gathering together
from time to time.
But even as we leave
such gatherings
as we're involved with today
and you go out,
you still remain
the body of Christ,
united together in Christ.
And so as parts of that body,
as members of that body,
as you live in the world,
this is the world's,
this is to be the world's view of us.
So growing up unto Christ
means in the truth
and speaking or living out the truth
and doing that in love.
And we are to grow up,
he says,
up in every way unto him
who is the head unto Christ.
From each part,
secondly,
each part contributes
to the body's growth overall.
Now we've said already,
from whom,
in verse 16,
the whole body,
from Christ,
from whom the whole body
receives its nourishment,
you might say.
That means that
our growth
has a source.
Our growth is
fueled by the grace of Christ.
He is himself
the source
of what enables us
to grow together
and to be in our relationships
together what we ought to be.
Verses,
verse 7,
verse 11,
and all the way through
verse 7 to 10 here,
what we're seeing is that
we don't grow
from our own competency,
from our own ability.
There's not a self-produced growth.
It's a growth that comes
through the grace of Christ
being channeled
into our souls,
into our life together,
into our life individually.
And that's why the head
is so important
as the source
from which we receive
all our nourishment
and all our ability.
That, of course,
carries with it.
I'm just saying this in passing.
It's a point that's come to me.
It means that in passing
you maintain
and I maintain
our individual
relationship with Christ.
Otherwise,
that's going to be reflected
in the quality
or lack of it
of the whole body
in its growth.
But what he says here
then goes on
to say,
from whom
the whole body
joined and held together
by every joint
with which it's equipped.
Literally,
it's saying
by every joint
of the supply.
Very complex phrases
he uses
and I'm not going
to try and open them up.
It would take a lot of time.
When each part
is working properly
makes the body grow
so that it builds itself
up in love.
And I think
it's best really
if we think of
again our human body
which he's actually
using anyway
as an illustration.
Think of the different
parts and functions
of these parts
in our human body.
There are limbs.
There are bones.
There are joints.
There are muscles.
There's the skin.
There are ligaments.
Every part of your body
physically
as it's joined together
marvelously
in God's creation.
There are bones
fit into various sockets
here and there.
The arms,
the legs,
they're tied to the trunk
of your body,
your neck,
all of these things.
All of these parts
of the body
are fitted together
so that they function.
Each of them
has its own function
but each contributes
to the whole
working of the body.
But not only that,
over all of these parts
such as the bones
and the flesh
and the sinews
and so on,
you have two
two
communicating
you might say
two communicating
systems.
The communication
that comes
from the head
is communicated
to the rest
of the body
even to the tiniest
bits of the tip
of your finger
through the nervous system.
And the nervous system
is what carries
the messages
of the brain
through to these
parts of the body
by which they are
then enabled
to function.
That's why
when something
goes wrong
with any part
of your body
or when something
goes wrong
with the brain
itself,
sadly at times
and the messages
don't reach
parts of the body
with various diseases,
sadly,
that you see,
some parts of the body
cease to function
properly.
They're not getting
the right signals.
That particular overlay,
if you like,
of the nervous system
has ceased to function
as it should.
But there's another
system as well
that's necessary
for the overall
good of the body
and again it reaches
every single part
of the body
and what is it?
It is, of course,
the vascular system,
the system that conveys
blood throughout the body
to all parts
of the body.
And when you think
of all of these
and how they illustrate
the spiritual body
that we are together
as we seek to serve
the Lord Jesus Christ,
as we are the church
in this world together,
the gatherer church,
the church as it functions
in the world,
so the different parts
of the body,
the different types
of gifts that Christ
has endowed
his church with,
they all function
by virtue of receiving
from the head
all the abilities,
all the grace,
all the nourishment
that these parts
of the body require.
And whether we're
involved in preaching
the gospel
or whether you're involved
in working with young people,
teaching in the Sunday school,
being involved
with the youth club,
being involved
with working
with older people,
whether you're actually
working with people
who have addictions,
people who are ill,
people who have severe disease,
whatever it is,
it's through the grace
of Christ
that you're enabled
to actually carry out
these duties effectively.
But that means that
each and every part
of the body
must be working properly.
That's why your relationship
individually with Christ
is so important.
The various parts
of the body,
each is different
in many ways,
as you can see
in your physical body.
There's a huge difference
between your little toe
and your nose
or your neck
and parts of your legs.
But they all have
the same supply.
The nervous system
and the blood supply
supplies each
and all of them.
And what does that
actually mean?
Well, it means
the end result is
that from Jesus
the body is held together
by every joint
of the supply,
the supply that comes
from Him.
When each part
is working properly,
it makes the body grow
so that it builds
itself up
in love.
So three points
just to make
by way of
a final application.
There's so much else
that we could say,
but the time is gone
and a lot of these things
would take time
to open up further.
I hope you've got
the main gist
of the passage
and what it's saying
to us by way
of our need to grow
and the privilege
of growing together
spiritually under Christ's
direction
and under Christ's
enabling.
But the three points
I want to finish with
are these.
Firstly,
each part
must have
a living connection
with the head.
Each part
must have
a living connection
with the head
because Paul is
reminding us
that the body's
functions,
the spiritual body's
functions are
as each part
is working properly.
Tonight,
you and I
have to ask ourselves,
do I have
a living connection
with Jesus?
I have a connection
with him formally,
you might say,
because I belong
to his church
outwardly,
because I form
part of those people
who worship him
regularly
in Stornoway Free Church.
But then I have
to ask myself,
do I have more
than the ability
to speak such
as it is?
Do I have more
than being able
to stand in front
of people and say
certain things
for a certain
amount of time?
What is my own
connection to Christ?
And you have to say
that of yourself.
Do I have a living
connection with Jesus?
Is there grace?
Is there power?
Is there ability?
Is there life
flowing from Jesus
into my soul
and into my life?
Am I a living part
of this body
that meets
from time to time
and seeks to worship
the Lord
as we do tonight?
See, how vital
that is for yourself
and for myself.
To really ask ourselves,
whatever age we're at,
it's true of young folks
as well as old,
that we have to have
a living connection
with the head.
A living connection
with Jesus himself.
Because the passage
as we've seen
speaks about Jesus
and his being ascended
up into the heavens.
In other words,
Jesus has died,
he's risen from the dead,
he's shown his power,
he's exercised his power,
that power is in him
as he is now seated
at God's right hand.
And it's to that
that we look
as the head of the church
that supplies us.
But you and I
have to look individually
at it as well
and ask ourselves,
am I one of these people?
Am I just turning up
every Sunday?
Do I have something
more than just habit
or good habit
though it might be?
So if you're here
tonight and
you know that
you're not yet saved
and you want to be saved,
surely,
you want to be a living
part of this body
of Christ,
you want to be able
to function spiritually,
effectively,
to contribute
your own contribution
and to receive
from Jesus
the life you know
you need.
Well, here is God
saying to you,
firmly but gently,
make sure that
you're connected
vitally,
savingly,
spiritually,
in a life-receiving way
with me.
And you do that
by not trying to
make yourself
better than you are
so that you then
come to be joined to him,
you just cast yourself
upon him.
And you say,
Lord,
I cannot do you,
I cannot do it
except as I am
joined to you.
I can't save myself.
I need you to save me.
I need you to be my head,
my Lord,
my Savior.
Please receive me.
Please forgive my sins.
Please give me
a meaningful place
in your living body.
The second thing is,
each part
is important
to that body
and needed
by the body
and affects
all the other parts.
You see,
you mustn't say
tonight that,
well,
I'm not really important,
I shouldn't see myself
as a significant part
of the whole body
because I don't have
the capacity of others,
I don't have
the ability of others,
I don't have such things
as I see in other people
who serve the Lord.
I'm just a tiny wee fragment,
just forget about me.
I don't need to commit myself fully.
I don't have what it takes anyway.
Never say that about yourself.
Never think you're insignificant
to God.
If we were insignificant to God,
would He have sent His Son
to die the death of the cross?
When you see
old stonework
with a large lintel,
maybe on top of a doorway
or a gate,
and you look at that lintel
and you ask yourself,
is that the most important stone
in this opening,
in this entrance?
And of course,
your immediate reaction is,
well, yes,
it's strong,
it's holding up
a lot of other stones.
It's really there
to take the weight,
if you like,
of everything that's above it.
Yes, but you look under the stone,
there are little wedges,
little stone slices or wedges
that have been carefully
set in a particular place
and carefully by a stonemason
or whoever built it.
And it is these
that keep the large stone
balanced from moving
as they're placed in
under the large lintel stone.
And these little stones
are just as vital
to the whole gateway
as the lintel
that you see prominently.
So it is in the church.
It's not the people
that you see prominently
in the work of Jesus alone
that are important
to the work.
You are too.
Even if you're not seen
and visible
and prominent in the church,
even if you're just
worshiping Him,
loving Him,
showing your love for Him,
praying to Him
for yourself,
praying that God
will bless His church
and His cause,
well, you're needed
in the church.
You're valuable
to the church.
Christ Himself
says of you,
you're not insignificant.
I have a work for you
as well as for the minister
and all those
who might be more prominent.
So each part
must have a living connection
with the head.
each part is important
and needed
and affects
every other part,
either positively
or negatively.
And finally,
the whole body,
we're persuaded today,
surely the whole body
needs the reviling power
of Christ.
We can never say,
and we certainly cannot say,
of the days in which
we live that the church
is greatly empowered
in the things of the gospel.
as you look at your own life,
as I look at mine,
certainly as I look at mine,
I have to say,
Lord,
I need to be revived.
I need to be quickened.
I need Your Holy Spirit
just to lift me,
to give me
a refreshment
in my soul.
And the church, too,
needs that.
And only God can do that.
I don't do it
by organizing things.
I don't do it
by conferences,
by committees,
all of which are very good
in their own place,
all of which are necessary.
The life of the church
is from the head.
The life and enabling
of the church
is from Christ
through His Spirit.
And it runs, then,
through every part
of the body
when it's functioning properly,
so that it edifies,
it builds itself up
in love.
Well, we pray that God
will bless these thoughts
on His Word.
Let's conclude
by singing to His praise.
And our final singing
is in Psalm 92.
Psalm 92,
and it's in the Scottish Psalter,
page 353.
And singing verses 12
to the end of the psalm.
But like the palm tree,
flourishing shall be
the righteous one.
He shall like to the cedar grove
that is in Lebanon.
Those that within
the house of God
are planted by His grace.
They shall grow up
and flourish all
in our God's holy place.
And you see again
through these verses
the togetherness
of God's people
as His church.
Those, plural,
planted within
the house of God.
So let's sing these verses
in conclusion,
but like the palm tree,
flourishing.
Amen.
But like the palm tree,
flourishing
shall be
the righteous one.
He shall like to the cedar grove
that is in Lebanon.
those that within
the hearts of God
are planted by His grace.
they shall grow up
and flourish all
in our God's holy place.
...
habe...
have land and είναι and forjamal
andreso
Cesar
is
a
agreement
that pela
sheola
is
a
be furnishing.
To show that
upright is the Lord,
he is our God
to be.
And he from all
the righteousness
is all
to ever be.
After the benediction, I'll go to the door here to my right.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore.
Amen.
Thank you.