Church and Spirit #5

Not only is a Spiritual church guided by the word of God and bound by the Spirit of peace, but a Spiritual church is also equipped by God with people who have various abilities; abilities which are empowered by the Spirit and used by Christ to care for and guide his Church.

Ephesians 4.11-13
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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.


Often these abilities are referred to as the “gifts of the Spirit”, because as we learn in 1 Corinthians it’s through the Spirit that Jesus grants these abilities to people as gifts for the Church. Much could be said about these gifts, and in our remaining time we cannot do justice to all that the Bible has to say on the matter. So I just want to point out one thing from verse 11 about these gifts of the Spirit: different people have been given different abilities. Jesus has granted some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. Earlier in Chapter Four, in verse 7, Paul writes that:

to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

Jesus grants each of us a certain role to play. We won’t have the capacity or ability to everything, but we will have the opportunity to do something. Jesus has given each of us a portion to play in his ministry through the church and because each of us has a portion, that means there are two mistakes we can make. Either we can think that it’s up to us to do everything, or we can think that it’s up to someone else to do everything. Some of us need to let go of holding all the responsibility within our congregation. The Holy Spirit doesn't work through just one person, he works through all of us. Alternatively some of us need to get on with the job of picking up various responsibilities. The minister can’t do everything, the church committee can’t do everything, but we all can do something. If you’re wondering what that thing is, then speak to John Hooton,* he will tell you! But this is the way the Church works: it’s through the Holy Spirit that Jesus guides us, unites us and also quips us to work effectively as his Church.

So what church should our new immigrant look for? A church where the members are each taking a part in the ministry of the church. A church where the twin evils of egotism and apathy are replaced by teamwork. What church should we be? A church where we each accept the portion of the Spirit’s work which we have been given. A church where we put that portion into action. A church not unlike the church that Richard Johnson started back in the first days of the colony.

We started by talking about what it would have been like going to church back in the days of early European settlement when Richard Johnson was the only chaplain. From what historical evidence we have it seems that Richard Johnston tried his best to build a church which was Spiritual in the way we have seen this morning. When he arrived he brought with him 500 bibles to give away; it seems as if he knew that the Spirit authored Scriptures were an essential part of doing church. And one of the convicts who experienced the ministry of Johnson wrote about the sickness endured by the convicts of the colony, reporting that:

few of the sick would not have recovered if it was not for the kindness of the Reverend Mr Johnson, whose assistance out of his own stores makes him the physician of both soul and body.

It seems as if Johnson knew that the church ought to live by putting others first. And Johnson himself wrote about his plans to raise other workers up to teach the children of the young colony; he knew that the church’s work was a team effort, with each member bringing something to the community. In short Richard Johnson knew what a Spiritual church looked like: It was a church guided by Scripture; it was a church focused on others; it was a church where each person receives and gives back their portion. May Christ mould us into a church like this through the power of his Holy Spirit. Amen.

* John Hooton is the minister with special responsibility for Emmanuel Church Glenhaven, a church within the Anglican Parish of Castle Hill where I work on Sundays.