It is said that there are over 700 different types of flies in this world.  Human nature tends to abhor flies, for they transmit wide range of contagious diseases and germs.  Today, countless scientists and biologists around the world study flies in order to prevent the spread of disease and spoiling of foods.  But a different aspect of flies is a source of great surprise to many scientists.  Flies can attach themselves to walls and ceilings without falling off.  Can you imagine having the ability to attach yourself to a ceiling without the aid of any device?  Gravity tends to pull us down.  Yet, flies can attach itself to ceilings for hours on end, without much effort.  How is this possible?  It is possible because flies have special adhesive properties at the ends of their legs.

 Let’s think about adhesives, or glues, this morning.  According to scientists, in order for a certain material to act as an adhesive (to bond two items together), it has to have two molecular properties.  It needs to have mobility, or viscosity, and the ability to form strong bonds.

 For example, let’s say that we have a little bit of honey on both of our hands.  The adhesive, or sticky, property of honey makes our hands stick if we bring them together.  Honey has mobility the ability to attract and attach itself to other things.  If we put honey on toasted bread, the honey flows into the uneven crevices on the surface of the toast.  Yet, mobility alone is not enough to make an adhesive.  Honey lacks the ability to form strong bonds between two items, such as two paper plates.  In order to become a strong adhesive, a material needs to have the ability to form strong bonds between two items.  Let’s think about the flour and water paste that elementary school students use during art classes.  The paste has mobility as long as it is wet, or saturated with water.  Yet, once the paste hardens, then the adhesive property of the paste takes over that is, the molecules of the paste form strong bond with one another, making it virtually impossible to separate the hardened paste.  Therefore, the water and flour paste has requisite properties to act as a strong adhesive.

 The reason why I bring up the subject of adhesive, or glue, this morning is to stress the fact that we, as individuals, need to come together as one within this church, the body of Christ.  People from all walks of life come to a church.  People of all types of personality congregate in the sanctuary.  This divergence is especially profound in a church in an immigrant community.  A lot of people who seem to know-it-all gather at churches in immigrant society.  Also present are those whose egos speak for themselves.  That is why some people refer to immigrant churches as church of rioters, of boisterous people.  It is another way of saying that a lot of egos congregate there.  Problems naturally arise in such churches as people of different familial background, from different regions, with differing personalities, thoughts, hobbies, and values gather in one place.  Friction and conflict often result as people try to socialize with one another.  Division and rifts occur as differences in opinion calcify and crystallize.

 Today, we must seek that adhesive the super glue that will bond and bind our thoughts and minds together as one entity.  Some churches name themselves “Church of Unity” or “Church of United Heart” yet fails to come together as a congregation.  We often see such church divide into two, three, or four partisan groups or cliques and come apart as a congregation.  No matter how we, as individuals, have lived in the past or living in the present, we must become one when we step inside our church.  This must be a community in which we do not fight or argue amongst ourselves and coexist peacefully in tranquillity under the pretext of love.

 ​Paul states the following in verses 4 through 6 of today’s scripture.  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  We are the people of God, who were called forth to this St. Luke’s church within one God, one Lord Jesus and one Spirit.  Just as the church, which is the Body of Christ, cannot be split into two or three entities, we, as a congregation, cannot be divided into two or three groups.  We must never forget the fact that we are destined to be One, according to the holy will of our God.

 Then how can we become One?  We can become One through our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Believe in the fact that Jesus is the strongest adhesive in this world, able to bring all of us together and bind us together as one.  I mentioned before that two molecular requirements must be met in order for something to act as an adhesive.  The two molecular properties are mobility and strong affinity to form bonds.  Our super glue, Jesus Christ, exhibits these two characteristics of a strong adhesive; therefore, He is able to bring us together and bind us as one.

​Jesus has strong mobility, or viscosity.  He has the ability to seep and flow into almost any place.  Whether it is light or dark, wealthy or destitute, healthy or blighted, Jesus reaches into every corner of this world.  There is no geographical boundary that Jesus cannot cross.  East and west, Africa and Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and any other place in this world, Jesus flows into every region as the life-giving river and reservoir.  Jesus leaps over every linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and gender barriers to shine upon every human being in this world!

As a result, and as it is stated in verse 12, Jesus bestows health and vitality to Christians to serve Him; furthermore, in order to edify His Body the church He ensures that all necessary foundation work are completed.  He allows disciples in places where a disciple is needed; He stands up prophets in places where prophets are required.  If a missionary is needed to spread the word of the gospel, He sends a missionary to do the work.  He supplies pastors and Sunday school teachers where they are needed.  He gives us choir members when we need singers in our church. 

 All of you are here today because Jesus invited each and every one of you to this church.  Nobody came here without a reason or purpose.  Jesus knows and loves each one of you, and He called on each of you to help in edifying His church.  Remember that you are God’s workers, called forth to work for His church, His Body, and for Him.  You are all special workers of God, who have received His special gifts!

Jesus has strong bond-forming capabilities.  Take a look at verse 16 of today’s scripture.  “From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”  Even though the different organs and joints in the body perform many disparate functions, they ultimately contribute in making the body operate as a single entity.  Likewise, we are the organs and the joints of the Body called the church, which is the Body of Christ.  When we do our duties and execute our responsibilities, the body that we are all part of the church will move and grow.

​Jesus is the melting pot.  In Christ, the people who are full of past sins melt, break, die, and become reborn.  Our diversity transforms into unity.  We, as individuals, have different personalities, habits, tastes, hobbies, and views.  Yet, if we go into and come out of the melting pot called Jesus, all our differences will disappear.  We transform into people of God, who are willing to yield, understand, and forgive in the name of doing God’s work and edifying the Body of Christ.  All this is possible through the super glue called Jesus.

 From now on, we must “come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  Through the super glue Jesus, we have become one.  For us, God’s task awaits.  It is to do our best in believing in Christ and maturing as Christians.  Our faith must grow.  It must mature and develop.  It must fully develop according to its potential, in fullness of Christ.  It must not peak out at premature stages.

  In order for your faith to grow to its full potential, in fullness of Christ, pray.  If you are able, come to the Morning Prayer service.  Pray for at least 10 minutes a day.  Read and study the Bible.  Within those covers lie the secret to our salvation.  The Bible is like a treasure chest full of gold, silver, and other treasures.  The Bible is like a giant diamond and gold mine, possessing a great ore of treasure.  If we dig hard enough, we will find the greatest treasure, the one that is not available in the secular world.

 Most of all, like verse 15 states, “speak in the truth in love.”  Truth and love must go hand in hand.  Truth without love is frigid, harsh, and judgmental.  Likewise, love without truth is empty and blind.  In order for our church to be harmonious, we must seek both truth and love.  A church with only truth is a cold, frigid church.  Conversely, a church with only love is an irresponsible one.  From now on, the St. Luke’s church must be a church in which all members of the congregation love one another, seeking growth and development through quest for truth, and maintaining harmony and peace.

   In conclusion, I would like to point out the 12 differences between a ‘living church’ and a ‘dying church,’ as listed in some book I read a while ago.

            1.  Living church is cramped for space; dying church has abundant space.

            2.  Living church is constantly changing and evolving; dying church is always the same.

                  3.  Living church is noisy with sounds of children; dying church is quiet.

            4.  Living church’s expenses and outlays always exceed the budget; dying church always has positive balance in its account.

5.  Living church always has new faces; dying church always has same faces.

6.  Living church is always busy with missionary work; dying church is always busy maintaining the bare minimum for survival.

7.  Living church has many giving members; dying church has many boasters and exhibitionists.

8.  Living church always moves by faith; dying church moves by human judgment and calculation.

9.  Living church is always bustling with learning and teaching; dying church is static.

10.  Living church is always busy with spreading the gospel; dying church is lacking in service and missionary work.

11.  Living church considers the church as its home; dying church considers the church a place of transit, a place to temporarily visit.

12.  Living church always has 12 flames of prayer; dying church has no flames of prayer.

Let’s do our best to make our church the living church within Christ. 

​Amen.