SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 4 October 2026
Sermon Text: Ephesians 4:1-16
Main Points:
Introduction
I. Fed by the Word, formed for the work
II. Serving in love, strengthened from above
III. Growing into Christ, building His body
Conclusion
In the Scripture we’ve just read, Paul gives us a wonderful picture of the Church. We usually think about the Church as the body of Christ. We think about the Church as the people of God. We think about the Church as the bride of Christ. All of these are biblical descriptions. But today, I want us to think about the Church in another way. The Church is our spiritual mother.
Now, what does that mean? What does a mother do for her children? She gives birth. She feeds them. She nurtures them. She teaches and protects them, and helps them grow. And in a spiritual sense, this is what Christ does through His Church.
This is not my idea. We read in Gal. 4:26 that “the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” In that verse, ‘the Jerusalem above’ means the Church. In Eph. 5, Paul describes the Church as the bride of Christ. Christ loves His Church and He gave Himself for her. He cleanses her and sanctifies her. And He brings her to maturity. So, when we speak about the Church as our spiritual mother, we are talking about something deeply biblical.
But we need to be clear about what we mean by the Church. When I say ‘the Church,’ with a capital C, I am not simply talking about a particular congregation or another. I am not talking about a building. I am not talking about one denomination. I am talking about the one universal Church of Jesus Christ – the Church whose Head is Christ and which consists of all those who are regenerated and belong to Christ. It is greater than any one congregation or one denomination. It is the Church Christ has been gathering throughout history, and it is the Church that He will bring to glory when He returns.
And there is an important truth that follows from this – that is, there is no salvation outside the Church. Now, we need to understand that statement carefully. We are not saying that the Church itself saves us. The Church is not our Saviour; Christ alone saves us. But there is no salvation outside Christ, and everyone who is united to Christ belongs to His Church. Christ is the Head of His body. Therefore, to belong to Christ is to belong to His Church. This is why John Calvin – and many others who followed and believed in the same biblical and apostolic faith – could speak of the Church as the mother of believers. The Church is the mother through whom God nourishes His children and brings them to maturity.
So today, I want us to consider three things about the Church, our spiritual mother.
I. Fed by the Word, Formed for the Work
First of all, our spiritual mother feeds us. This is what a mother does for her children.
When a baby is born, the baby cannot feed himself. He depends upon his mother. And as the child grows, the mother continues to provide the food that the child needs. The same is true spiritually. The Church feeds us with the Word of God.
Look at v. 11 of Eph. 4 that says this: “So [Christ] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.” Why did Christ give these ministries to His Church? V. 12 tells us: “to equip the saints [that is, Christ’s people] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Do you see the connection? Christ gives shepherds and teachers to His Church. The apostles proclaimed the message Christ had entrusted to them. The prophets proclaimed God’s Word. The evangelists proclaimed the gospel. Ministers and teachers teach God’s Word to God’s people. All of these ministries are directed towards the same purpose – that is, feeding the people of God.
When you come to worship and hear the Scriptures read, you are being fed. When you hear God’s Word preached, when you open the Bible in your own home or with other Christians in a Bible study, you are being fed.
But, a mother does not feed her child simply to keep the child alive. She feeds the child so that the child will grow. That is exactly what Paul says in Eph. 4. Christ gives His Church the ministry of the Word “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” Please notice that. The purpose of being fed is not simply to be full, but to be formed. We’re fed by the Word, to be formed for the work. God feeds us so that He can prepare us for the work of ministry.
Sometimes we think that the purpose of preaching is simply to give us more information. We hear a sermon and we learn something. Then, we go home. And next Sunday we come back for another sermon. But, that is not the picture the text presents. The Word is given to us to change us and equip us for the work God has given us to do.
So, let me ask you: What is God preparing you for? You are being fed every week. You are hearing the Word. You are learning the gospel. You are being taught about Christ. What is all of this leading towards? God’s answer through Paul is: ‘for us to be equipped for the work of ministry or service.’
And that brings us to our second point: ‘Serving in love, strengthened from above.’
II. Serving in Love, Strengthened from Above
We are told here that Christ equips us, His people, “for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” The Christian life is not simply about being served. It is also about serving. We receive, and then, we give. We are nurtured. And then, we nurture others. We are taught. And then, we teach others. We are encouraged, and then, we encourage others. This is how Christ builds His Church.
And what does this ministry look like? The apostle has already told us at the beginning of ch. 4 – in v. 2, he says, following the way the NIV renders, “[being] completely humble and gentle; [being] patient, bearing with one another in love.” In v. 3, he continues, “[being] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This is the work of ministry for which the Lord is preparing us.
Sometimes, we imagine that ministry has to be something impressive. Standing behind a pulpit. Leading a Bible study. Serving as an elder or deacon. Organising a ministry. Running an event. Those things can certainly be genuine ministries. But, Paul begins somewhere much more ordinary. The ministry of service he explains here is being humble, being gentle, being patient, bearing with one another, and loving one another.
Sometimes, the most important ministry you’ll ever do is simply to be patient with another Christian. Sometimes, ministry is listening. Sometimes, it is encouraging someone who is discouraged. Sometimes, it is forgiving someone who has hurt you. Sometimes, it is visiting someone who is lonely. Sometimes, it is opening your home. Sometimes, it is teaching a younger Christian what you’ve learned through years of walking with Christ. Sometimes, it is helping someone who is struggling or simply sitting beside someone who is suffering. These are the works of ministry.
And, notice something else. This ministry does not originate in our own strength. It comes from Christ. The Apostle Paul says in v. 7 that grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. And v. 16 says that the whole body grows from Him. So, we serve, but Christ supplies what we need. We do the work of ministry, but Christ gives the strength. We minister, but Christ gives the grace. We build one another up, but Christ is the One who builds His Church.
That is why our service, our ministry, should never become a reason for pride. We should never say, ‘Look at what I’ve done.’ Rather, we should say, ‘Look at what Christ has graciously allowed me to do for His body, the church.’
And this is where the image of the Church as our mother becomes so beautiful. The Church has nurtured us; now, we participate in nurturing others. We’ve been cared for; now, we care for others. We’ve been taught; now, we teach others. We’ve been served; now, we serve.
What happens when we do this? V. 12 tells us that the body of Christ is being built up. The Church becomes stronger. Weak believers are encouraged. Young Christians mature. Struggling Christians are supported. And the whole body is strengthened in love.
But strengthened for what? For maturity. And, that brings us to the final point, that is, ‘Growing into Christ, building His body.’
III. Growing into Christ, Building His Body
Now, please look at v. 13. We read in this verse: “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.” Here is the goal – maturity. Christ does not want His children to remain spiritual infants. He wants us to grow.
Notice what the standard of maturity is. It is not another Christian. It is not the minister. It is not the most mature person sitting beside you. The standard is Christ. Paul says that we are to reach and attain to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” That is an extraordinary goal, isn’t it? We are to grow into Christ and become increasingly like Him, Christ.
Notice also how Paul describes the opposite of maturity. In v. 14, he says, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” A child is easily influenced. A child does not yet have the maturity to discern everything. And spiritually, we can remain like that. We can be tossed to and fro by every new teaching, by every attractive idea, by every persuasive personality, by every popular opinion.
But, Christ does not want us to remain spiritual infants. He wants us to grow. And how do we grow? V. 15 says, “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.”
Please notice those two things – truth and love. Truth without love can become harsh. Love without truth can become empty sentiment. But, the Church is called to speak the truth in love. As we do this, we grow into Christ. Then, Paul gives us the beautiful picture of the whole body in v. 16, saying this: “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.”
There it is – “when each part is working properly.” Every part – not just the minister, not just the elders, not just the deacons, not just the Sunday School teachers. Not just the people who are obviously gifted. It is every part. Every Christian has a part to play in the growth of the body.
This brings us back to the picture of the Church as our spiritual mother. The Church feeds and nurtures us. The Church equips us. The Church prepares us. And then, as we grow, we participate in that nurturing work.
You’ve been encouraged by someone, and now, you encourage someone else. You’ve been taught the gospel; now, you teach someone else. Someone was patient with you; now, you are patient with someone else. Someone prayed for you; now, you pray for someone else.
Do you see the picture? This is how Christ builds His Church. It is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing work. Christian after Christian, generation after generation. One believer feeds another. And that believer encourages another. And through all of this, Christ builds His Church. The picture is this; the Church as mother feeds her child with God’s Word. That child who has been fed grows to begin to feed others. Then, the same repeats and continues!
But, notice where the growth is going. It is not simply growth in numbers. It is not simply growth in our knowledge or activity. We are growing into Christ. That is the goal.
So, let me bring this picture personally to each of us. If the Church is our spiritual mother – are you allowing your mother to feed you? Are you hungry for the Word of God? Do you come to worship expecting God to speak through His Word? Do you read the Bible? Do you study it? Do you listen when God’s Word is preached? Do you allow God’s Word to correct you? Or have you become spiritually satisfied with very little?
And secondly – are you growing? If you’ve been a Christian for, say, five years – are you more like Christ than you were five years ago? If you’ve been a Christian for twenty years – are you more humble? More gentle? More patient? More forgiving? More loving? More willing to serve? More willing to bear with other Christians? Are you growing into Christ? Or are you still spiritually dependent upon others to feed you?
And, finally – whom are you helping to grow? Who is being encouraged because you are here?
Who is being strengthened because you pray? Who is learning God’s Word because you teach? Who is being helped because you serve? Who is experiencing the love of Christ through you?
This is the beauty of the Church, our spiritual mother! She feeds us, nurtures us so that we may grow and serve others, pressing on towards the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Conclusion
So, let us thank God for our spiritual mother, the Church. God did not give us a new birth outside of His Church. He did not save us to live our Christian lives alone. He brought us into His Church. He gave us His Word. He gave us brothers and sisters. He gave us ministers and elders. He gave us spiritual gifts. And He gave each one of us a part to play.
So, let us cherish Christ’s Church. Let us faithfully receive the nourishment Christ gives us through His Word. Let us grow in the knowledge of Christ. And as we grow, let us take our place in the body and do our part.
May Christ make us a Church that faithfully receives His Word, faithfully serves one another, and faithfully grows together into His fullness. ***
