Date: 12 January 2025, 9.30 am
Speaker: Ps Daniel Tan Sermon Text: Ephesians 4:7-16; Romans 12:3-21
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TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
A blessed Sunday to everyone.
According to our last week’s Hermon Herald article, by the end of Jan and we are halfway there, 80% of us would have given up on our new year’s resolution.
How many of us are in the ‘make a resolution yearly’ camp? I know some of us are in the ‘no point to make resolution’ camp as well.
I’m in the first category, but yes, sadly the article is correct and not all of my resolutions successfully cross the January threshold.
And when I look back at the resolutions which have been successful, it’s usually those that I’ve shared with loved ones and because they cared, they have helped me persevere.
The article gives us the encouragement that if we want to wake up on 1 January 2026 a new person, the slow but significant process of sanctification begins now.
We definitely will encounter the 2 steps forward 1 step back effect during the year, but like everything worth doing, perseverance is the key.
As a church, our overarching desire has been relational discipleship. This year, because we are going through 1 Corinthians, we have articulated it using the phase - One Body, Many Parts.
Therefore it is very fitting that as we begin 2025, we spend this month, thinking about what it means biblically to be a church.
I pray that for all of us, this month’s journey about God’s New Community will not be left at the front door of February but instead carried with us through 2025.
That we will endeavour together to build Hermon up so that on 1 Jan 2026, we will observe tangible evidence of our corporate sanctification.
In the 2 sections we will cover today, we want to answer the following.
Firstly, now that we know what a church is – it’s believers not buildings, we want to ask what is the purpose of the church.
Secondly, what does it mean to belong to a church.
Which way is up? (Eph 4:7-16)
The title of this segment is taken from the relevant chapter in the book. It gives the idea of ascension, of growing up, of maturing.
Because Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is the go to reference for what a church is to be like, let’s look at a few verses from Ephesians 4.
Since in Christ, we believers have become one body, Ephesians 4:12-13 tell us what then is the purpose of our oneness.
Eph 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until 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,
Our oneness is for the building up of the body of Christ, until 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.
Paul provides us 2 pictures to help us in our understanding of the purpose of the church.
Firstly, the metaphor of a construction of a building.
It’s great news for all of us who are staying at CCK, greater connectivity will be coming you way with the extension of the Downtown Line by 2035.
With that, a new interchange with the North-south line will happen between Yew Tee and Kranji Station.
In building the extension and all the accompany infrastructure, as each day passes, more and more of it will be completed.
Ephesians gives us the idea then, that like a building project that is moving towards completion, so too the body of Christ, the church like Hermon should move in the same direction.
There is growth towards completion.
The second metaphor is that of growing into adulthood. To mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
2024 was a game changer for my family. Whether we were going to JB or further afield, my daughters now are the ones doing all the heavy lifting.
They are the ones taking on the responsibility of searching for the restaurants to eat and ordering the food.
They are using up their data-roaming searching google maps to get to attractions, doing all the online bookings and ensuring the overall safety of the group.
They are adulting and I’m experiencing luxury travel now.
Paul is saying here in Ephesians 4, the progress to maturity is the purpose of the church.
Then in v16, he mixes both the building and adulting metaphor - 16 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.
If moving to completion and maturity are the purposes of the church, then it means we all must have a growth mindset.
It means as we look at ourselves in Jan 2025, we need to be growing so that we are different in Jan 2026. We cannot be stagnant, we cannot be marching on the spot the whole of 2025.
And so, if you are asking what are we to grow in? That’s a good follow up question.
V13 gives us the answer -
13 until 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.
Unity of the faith refers to the body of doctrine regarding Christianity.
As a church, we are to strive to be more aligned in our knowledge and more mature in our thinking.
So, Paul contrasts it with the immaturity of children, being tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.
A growth mindset means that we never say we know everything already.
A growth mindset means as the world evolves, we must be willing to constantly bring it through the filters of God’s Word.
We have been grappling with the Prosperity Gospel for a while now, and I think, the infiltration of individualism and consumeristic tendencies into Christianity are also challenges we need much godly discernment for.
We are also to mature into the stature of the fullness of Christ. This means, more Christ-likeness.
As we pray that people will say of Hermon that they teach the bible faithfully, let’s also pray that when they look at us, they will add, they love each other like family and their neighbors as themselves.
You might now be wondering, okay, good that we know that spiritual maturity is the purpose of the church, and that maturity is increasing in the unity of the faith and fullness of Christ.
But now how are we to do so?
Paul anticipated your question and he gives us 2 means.
The first one is in v11 & 12 -
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
Regarding apostles and prophets, Paul said earlier
Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
So apostles and prophets are foundational, that means they are laid once only.
Today, what they have given us are the 66 books of the bible. And so, we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture.
Evangelists are those whom God has gifted to proclaim the Gospel as found in the bible and today, I would include our missionaries in this category. They go to unreached people and evangelize.
Finally, we have that of the pastor-teacher. Shepherds of the local flock of God.
Here we have the Elders of the local church. Some are lay while others are full-time.
In all 4 categories of people that God has gifted to the church, teaching is the common core focus.
Thus the idea is equipping through God’s Word.
By implication then, if we all have a growth mindset, we would all also should have an equipping mindset as well.
It means to have a learner mindset each time we come for a Sunday Service and for our small groups.
Even as we enjoy our cup of coffee at the pantry, we can have a learner’s mindset and ask God, how has the sharing from my fellow Hermonite enabled me to appreciate you more.
Or from the sharing I’ve heard, is this a warning, a caution Lord, you are giving me?
In Hermon, we have 3 levels of key equipping. Firstly at the Sunday Service and vitally through the sermon, secondly through the small groups and finally in our 3-2-1 fellowship time.
For those who are unfamiliar, 3-2-1 means 3 persons, meeting for 2 hours once a month.
For the Sunday Service and the CGs, there is greater oversight by the Elders.
And in all 3 levels, the aim is for v15 to be evident and this is the 2nd means of how we can mature:
Eph 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.
2025 is a significant year for the Hermon-Horeb relationship. Both our churches are going to do something unprecedented.
We are journeying together for both the Pulpit and the Small Groups. And our small group material is based on the sermon series for 1 Corinthians.
But since the sermons are the same, you don’t have to wait till 1 Corinthians to have your small group discussions.
After each sermon, you can already discuss the Sermon text and the reflection questions.
I pray that in 2026, we will look back at 2025 and say, Eph 4:15 has become more evident in our CGs and our 3-2-1s.
We have all given others the permission to speak God’s truth into our lives and when we have had the privilege to speak, we have done so in a more loving and gracious way.
Since the purpose of the church is maturity, Ephesians instructs that we are to cultivate a growth mindset that is evident in a learner’s mentality.
In Hermon and Horeb, the Sunday Service and the small groups are our essential platforms for equipping to take place.
In 2025, let’s grow in spiritual maturity through these platforms.
Concrete Love (Rom 12:3-21) –
The tile of this chapter in God’s New Community comes as a contrast to something the author read.
Concrete love is contrasted with Liquid love which is the title of the book by sociologist Zygmunt Bauman.
Bauman observed that today, many want companionship and love but not the burden that comes with commitment. We don’t want to be trapped in other people’s problems.
There is a contradiction in our wants and desires. We want a sense of community but desire to keep our distance so that people don’t impose on us.
To me, from another angle, it looks like F.O.M.O.
There is commitment phobia because we fear to miss out. We are okay to attend CG meeting so long as none of our friends wants to catch a movie.
We hesitate to sign up early for church camp because we might miss out on a great deal from the travel fair that is coming up. If the deal is good, taking leave for that Japan holiday will trump church camp.
In contrast, God’s New Community, love that binds us is concrete and not liquid.
Let’s look at what Romans 12 has to say about what it means to belong in a local church.
In v4 & 5, it speaks of the unity that we have.
Rom 12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
There is an old song which might be familiar with some of us. It says:
Bind us together Lord, Bind us together Lord with cords that cannot be broken.
That song comes from a desire to be closely knitted.
Yet Romans 12 tells us in Christ we are already formed into one body.
So, though it is our wish that God bind us together, biblically, once we have placed out trust in Christ, God has already bound us together.
You may ask, who is the ‘we’ that has been bounded together? Is it the universal church or the local church?
May I say, each individual church is the universal church in its local expression.
God who is sovereign and has placed each part of the body just where He has intended and so, we are in Hermon because God has placed us here.
Thus church membership, is a step we all take in identifying with a particular local church.
Like a body, there can be no mistaken identity about whether this part of flesh and bone is or is not part of the body.
Church membership fulfils this identification process. Church membership is the visible identifier of the binding God has already done for us.
So concreteness in our belonging to the church, means we identify with a local church through membership.
And because God has already bounded us into His body, church membership should not be a desire, but a next logical step after accepting Jesus as Saviour.
Now, as we belong to each other in Christ, as we seek unity and display oneness, we must also know that belonging does not mean uniformity.
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Because we have the body metaphor, we know that body parts are not the same and they are complementary and interdependent.
Since they are complementary, we must be humble because no body part is superior to the other. All parts are necessary.
It means even if you feel your contributions are limited, there is still scope for your contributions.
Like good stewards, let us recognize that God has given each of us the gift of service to the body here in Hermon.
Some of us are better in certain areas, while others have attributes more suited for other areas. When each part does its work, the whole body is built up and functions as God had intended.
Since there is interdependence, know that we cannot function independently. Our salvation is personal but it is not private.
Just take the ministry of presence at Sunday Services, at CG meetings, at online Prayer Meetings. It is possible to praise God, have bible study and pray individually.
But God has so wired us such that doing it together is the most edifying.
To me, a church is like a handbell choir. Yes you can play each note well, but to make a melody, you need many notes.
Each one of us is a part of the body here in Hermon. Our contributions matter. Without our individual contributions, Hermon will be poorer for it.
Concrete love in a local church is committed membership.
Now because of diversity in the body, we know that there will be differences. Our upbringing, our training and our personalities all shape us with preferences, with likes and dislikes.
And our differences can be very stark. For one it will be plain water, to another its kopi kau and for a third, it would be yin yang coffee tea.
Yet, we are one family. We are one inter-generational family united by the blood of Jesus.
How then should siblings interact? Romans 12:9-13 gives us the way to stay bounded. It is the way of agape love.
Rom 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Do you know that we have been blessed with training room number 4 at Block 75 Redhill Road?
Training room 1 to 3 are in Henderson while number 4 is just next to the Redhill MRT. That training room also comes with great coffee and is frequently booked by the YA.
This is a great example of serving the church through generous hospitality.
How many of you find it hard to use Zoom?
How difficult do you think it would be for a non-sighted person? Yet we have a Hermonite who is visually challenged and is still able to participate in our online prayer meetings.
That is having zeal for prayer.
Last year we had a wonderful cruise onboard the MV Doulos at Bintan.
A handful of campers were able to attend due to the generous sponsorship of 2 individuals.
And all of us contributed via our General Fund so that our mission partners from Thailand and Myanmar could attend.
That is us showing brotherly affection.
All these are examples of concrete love. And by the grace of God, we can love more deeply and more expansively.
Now to belong to the family of God is not an exclusive thing. No, belonging to the family of God is to be inclusive.
That means as one body, we are to reach out to those outside.
And Romans gives us how we are to do so. It will be in a counter-cultural way.
Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Jesus said, love your neighbour as yourself and we know that when we ask who is our neighbour, Jesus will remind us of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10).
If the bar is to bless those who persecute us, then for those who are just ambivalent towards us, how should we be responding to them?
To those who are needy, to those who are broken, how should we be responding to them?
If we are called to bless those who persecute us, then would not blessing others be the least we can do for those that do not persecute us?
Through the various community activities we have been involved in – BB & GB, St Luke’s Eldercare, sports outreach, Mighty Kids and Monfort Family Center, we are sensing that God will be bringing some of them to visit us here.
Would we bless them by being welcoming?
Would we bless them by accompanying them during the service or Sunday School lesson, so that personalized explanation can be given to them for what they are experiencing with us?
Would we bless them by taking time after service to get to know them instead of just heading out for lunch or tea with our usual church kaki?
Ever so often, we remind each other, 3 things we need to do as a good neighbour – be watchful of our noise, the use of the lifts and the restrooms.
This is our corporate way of living peaceably with all at Henderson.
Concrete love by God’s people is living graciously towards outsiders, no matter their attitude towards us.
What does it mean to belong to a church? Romans 12 tells us it means committed membership to the local church that relates in agape to one another and graciously towards outsiders.
Wherever we think we are on the scale of 1 – 10 with regards to understanding the purposes of the church and what it means to belong to a church, let us pray that by Jan 2026, we would have moved 1 level higher towards the goal God has set for us.
Amen.
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