One God, the Father, the Almighty

Started a new series last week looking at ancient confession of Christian faith - Nicene Creed.

Why? The Creed isn’t in the Bible. True, but the Creed is how the early church made sure people understood the story the Bible was telling. There’s two reasons why this is important for us:

Problem of confusion - Popularity has replaced credibility. We’re not sure who or what to believe. A very recent State of Theology report reveals there is a lot of confusion in the evangelical church. Just to mention a couple a items, 99% of Evangelicals believe there is one true God in three persons: Father, Son, Spirit. Yet, confessing they believe this, 41% say the HS is just a force and not a personal being. 100% of Evangelicals believe that salvation is through Jesus alone, but a shocking 69% turn around and say that Jesus was a great teacher but he was not God. Lots of confusion!

Controversy - we’ve chosen Separation over solidarity. We’re not really sure who is in or and who is out. I grew up being told the Catholics were definitely out, and probably the Episcopalians. We weren’t sure about the Methodists. Last week I used a bicycle wheel to illustrate how, as we move to the perimeter we get further about, but moving back toward the center brings us together. The Creed helps define what is essential for Christians to believe and therefore allows there to be unity even within diversity.

I referenced Midwestern farmers on the plains (farmer pic). Even familiar surroundings can become confusing and disorienting in the midst of a swirling snowstorm. Used a rope to help find their way back home. The early church has given us a rope - the Nicene Creed - to help us find our way home in the midst of confusion and controversy.

As we get into this week’s focus, would you agree that what you believe about God is perhaps the most important belief in your life? How you see God and how you see yourselves in relation to God ultimately determines the course for our life.

There’s two main equal and opposite errors that we fall into when it comes to our beliefs in God. The first is an over focus on God‘s justice and wrath. Some of us have come from traditions where the impression we have of God is that of an angry and vindictive deity. You never know what’s going to set him off and when he might smite you. It’s very hard to draw near and love this vision of God.

But the other extreme that we tend to fall into is an over focus on God‘s love and grace. For some, God is just a bigger version of Santa Claus. He’s a kindly old man that exists to bless us and come to our aid - but only when we decide we need him. Other than that, he lets us get on with living however we want.

Obviously, both of these extremes are false. You might be useful to spend a moment thinking about where you fall on the spectrum between a vengeful God and Santa Claus.

This morning we’re taking a deep dive into the first article of the Creed. It pulls back the confusion that swirls around who God is and what does he like.

As we did last week, before we get into this weeks teaching, can we recite this creed together?

Recite the creed…

Pray …

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The first article of the Creed begins We believe in...

One God…

For the last few centuries, the western world has been consumed with the question, “Is there a God?” But this was not the concern for the early church. Everyone believed in multiple gods. And so what the early church wanted to emphasize is our belief in the one true God. For this they looked at the ancient declaration of faith of the Jews called the Shema found in Deuteronomy.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4, NIV)

Surprisingly, this statement is not an argument against multiple gods. Belief in the reality of other gods was the norm. God’s for weather, for fertility, for harvest, for war. Rather, it is a statement regarding your allegiance. There is only one God… for you.

The Father…

A little later in Deuteronomy, Moses asks a rhetorical question.

Deuteronomy 32:6 “Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?”

The rhetorical answer is, of course, he is our Father.

When we call God “Father” we need to be clear what we are saying - and what we aren’t. First, God‘s fatherhood does not imply gender. Jesus said that the Father is spirit. He has no gender. And we know from the creation account that both male and female equally represent God’s image.

Second, this is a loaded term in our world today. Some have had earthly fathers that have given negative baggage to the word. What scripture causes us to do is to understand fatherhood, not from the ground up, but from the top down. We don’t look at our earthly fathers and judge God by their standard but the other way around.

What this means is that He is our Father in the sense that he is our source of being and that he has compassionate care for us. God is perfect fatherhood.

The Almighty…

After God called Abraham we read this:

Genesis 17:1 “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.”

This is one of the most beautiful self-revelations of God. In Hebrew the word is El Shaddai - God Almighty. What does that mean?

One literal translation would be “God of the mountain”. Mountains were seen as places of power and strength, and so our God is strong like a mighty mountain - immoveable and unshakable and enduring.

But there is another surprising translation. It could also be translated “God of the breast”. Here the image is not one of masculine power but feminine nurture. God is the one who spreads his wings over you in compassionate care.

Taken together what we understand is that the God we believe in is the all sufficient one - able to meet our needs perfectly.

Maker of heaven and earth…

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, NIV)

The very first line of the Bible is that God created everything. Whether it is the visible creation - trees and deer and lakes, or invisible things - spiritual beings, but also intangibles like love and mercy and joy.

The creation myths that the Hebrews would have known from their neighbors is that the world was created when two gods fought and one killed the other and ripped her guts out to make the world. In their view, the world - and you - is made of bad stuff.

But Genesis tells us not only did God make it all, but that it was all good. And everywhere we see things that are “not good” we understand that God did not make it that way, but that it is actually the absence of the good that he intended.

In the midst of confusion and controversy, the creed brings clarity about the God that we believe in.

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So what does all of this mean for us right now?

First, the God we believe in is Sufficient. He is the only God you need. Idolatry is an ongoing struggle. Not having little statues around your house, but treating something that is not God as if it is. Looking to something finite to give you something infinite. Work, sex, relationships, politics. Al of these things make promises to give us the happiness, peace, and satisfaction we desire. But in the end they can never live up to our expectations. For some of you this morning, the Lord may be revealing things - maybe good things - that you’ve made the main thing. And so one response this morning is to repent and accept his invitation to remember that he is more than enough for you.

Next, the God we believe in is our Source. A new job makes us feel more financially secure, so we begin to believe that our job is the source of our peace. Or a new relationship brings us comfort and we fool ourself into believing this friendship or relationship is the source of the comfort we feel. We take a vacation to the Grand Canyon and we get exposed to it’s beauty and grandeur, and we become deceived into thinking that this is the source of beauty. All of these things are conduits of joy and peace and comfort; but they are not the source. All created things are what goodness comes through, but not where goodness comes from.

Juice box - what if we thought the juice came from the straw. You decide to keep the straw but throw away the box. There may be a couple of drops of juice left in the straw, but very quickly there is frustration. “This stupid straw!” And you blame the straw for not having what you want. But it was never the source. So often we look at our marriage, our bank account, our health, and so many other things as the source of our happiness, but when our spouse or church or whatever isn’t giving us what we want anymore we discard them looking for new straws. But the scriptures remind us that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17, NIV). A second response this morning would be to simply re-connect to the true source of all that is good.

Finally, the God we believe in is our Sustainer. He is the maker of all that we see and the Bible says that through Jesus he upholds the universe by his word. He made everything and called it good. Guess what everything includes? You. Our descriptions of God can make it sound like he is distant and abstract. But the scriptures talk about God our maker in very intimate ways. Listen to what the Psalmist says about God our maker:

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:15–16, NIV)

This means you are not a mistake. Whether or not you parents intended you, God did. He was intimately involved in your creation. He is intimately involved as your ongoing sustainer. A final response would be devote yourself to gratitude, thanking God that, in the words of Psalm 139, are “fearfully and wonderfully made”.

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I always feel compelled to ask if you know this God that we confess in the Creed? Maybe you’ve been around Christianity, but you’ve never made a personal decision to surrender your life to Jesus as Lord. If you’re ready I’d like to lead you in a prayer this morning:

Heavenly Father, I know I have done wrong. I know I deserve the suffer the consequences of my actions. But I believe Jesus died to take my place, and that he suffered death for me so that I won’t have to. I am making the decision today to surrender myself to you and making Jesus my Lord. Please forgive my sin and make me your child forever. Amen.

If you prayed this for the first time this morning - Yay! I’d like to follow up with you and talk about your decision and next steps. If you would please fill out a Connect card, either by using the Connect Tag on the seat in front of you or by completing a paper Connect Card and dropping it in the offering box at the back of the sanctuary.

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Invite people to stand. Ask for worship, ministry, and Communion team to come down.

Every Sunday we close our time by receiving Communion together. This symbolic meal reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice. It proclaims the gospel that Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again. It is the source of our spiritual nourishment. We believe Jesus is present with us as we receive his body and blood.

We think Jesus invites everyone to this table. If it’s your first time, or you’re not even sure yet where you stand with Jesus, we think he would welcome you here. If you would like to participate, after I pray step into the nearest aisle. Someone at the front will take a piece of bread dipped in wine and offer it to you as the body and blood of Jesus. If you prefer not to have wine, close your hands together and that will be the sign for them to give you a sealed container with grape juice and a wafer.

What is the Spirit doing this morning?...

As we go into our time of Communion let’s prepare our hearts to receive by confessing our sins together:

Merciful God, we confess that we have failed to love you with our whole heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, forgive us; change us, that we may walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Observe a moment of silence

Thank God for his forgiveness. For his patience in our struggles. To move us deeper into a life of faith with him.

Thank him that through the blood of his cross he has washed our sins away. Through his victorious resurrection he has guaranteed us eternal life. Through his ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit he has made us one with you.

We remember Him who for us and for our salvation, on the night that he was betrayed...

Come Holy Spirit and overshadow these elements. Let them be for us your body and blood so that we can participate in your redemptive work for us. May we find mercy, healing and salvation through the finished work of the cross. Amen.