Foundations

I. OPENING (2 min)

When I was in high school, we lived in Jackson, MS. Our house, like many in town, suffered from sticking doors and windows, cracked walls and ceilings, and uneven floors.

The reason is that the area sits on large pockets of Yazoo Clay. It’s a soil that looks solid, but it's one of the most unstable foundations you can build on. When wet, it doubles in volume and then shrinks back down as it dries. Houses built on it could shift back and forth sometimes as much as 6-8 inches in a season.

To get around that, you had to dig down to the bedrock, past the sand and clay.

The problem wasn't that our house was poorly built. It’s that it was built on a poor foundation.

Jesus tells a story in Luke 6:48 about two builders, one wise and one foolish—one builds a house on rock, the other on sand. When the floods came, this wise man’s house survived, the other was washed away.

We're all building something—the way we think, the way we live, what we believe matters, how we make decisions. You're constructing a life on some kind of foundation.

Last week we talked about what it means to be part of God's household—that we're not strangers or outsiders, but we belong to his family. We're members of his house.

But here's the question for today: What is that house built on? When the floods come—when culture is pulling at you, when everything around you is shifting—what keeps God's household from washing away?

What's our bedrock?

Paul addresses this exact question when he writes to the church in Ephesus. Let’s look again at those verses together.

[Read Ephesians 2:19-20]

The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

The metaphor here would have hit home because Ephesus in the first century was in the middle of a massive building boom. Stone buildings rising everywhere, foundations being laid all over the city. They knew what it took to build something that would last—you needed solid stone-on-stone foundations.

In ancient building, the cornerstone was the first stone laid down, and every other stone in the foundation had to line up with it. If your cornerstone was wrong, your whole building would be crooked.

So Paul's saying this: The foundation is what the apostles and prophets taught, but only as it lines up with Christ. Everything has to align with him. It's not their authority we're building on—it's what they revealed about Jesus.

That's the bedrock. Christ revealed in Scripture.

If that's our foundation, we have to know what it is we’re standing on.

The early church understood this and practiced this.

If you wanted to join the household of God in the first few centuries, you couldn't just show up and get baptized. You went through months—sometimes years—of instruction in the faith, called catechesis—the teaching of Christian doctrine. It’s where we get our word catechism: the content and process of teaching people the doctrine of the faith.

When baptism came, you confessed publicly what you believed about Jesus. It wasn’t a formality; it was your entrance into the household. To belong meant affirming what that house was built on.

Right belief mattered.

It wasn’t enough to be sincere or nice, had to believe right things about who Jesus is.

Today, many think its doesn't matter what you believe as long as you show up and you're "loving"—but that’s not what Jesus or the historic Church taught.

But Christ as revealed in Scripture is the foundation of life. We don’t get to redefine truth or reshape it to fit our preferences. Our foundation doesn’t move.

[PAUSE]

So we have Scripture. We have Christ revealed through the apostles and prophets. That's our foundation.

But the apostles didn't live forever. And once they were gone, the church faced a question: How do we preserve what they taught? How do we make sure the next generation gets it right?

That's the story of the creeds.

III. WHY CREEDS MATTER (5 min)

That story starts with the apostles - the original disciples of Jesus - they traveled, they taught, they wrote letters to the first groups of Christians. Those letters became the New Testament and those believers became the church.

But by around 100 AD, John—the last of the apostles—had died. And now you have a second generation of church leaders. Men who had been taught directly by the apostles.

We call them the church fathers: those who shepherded the church after the apostles were gone. This is the patristic church - the era of the fathers.

And these men had a responsibility to faithfully pass on what they'd been taught.

So they started writing down summaries of Christian faith. They called these the "rule of faith" - the core of what it means to be a Christian. And they circulated these teachings, along with the letters from the apostles, to help churches understand and teach the gospel.

But here's the problem...

From the very beginning - even while the apostles were still alive - false teachings started popping up. And these heresies weren't just crazy fringe ideas. They were usually bad answers to good questions.

Really important questions that the gospel raised. Big ones that required a lot of work

Was Jesus created, or is he an eternal being? Did he have a beginning, or has he always existed?

How can Jesus be fully God AND fully human at the same time? Isn't that a contradiction? How does that even work?

During his life on earth, didn't Jesus have divine power that made it easier for him to resist sin? So can we really be like him?

What does it mean that he was born of a virgin - born to Mary but conceived by the Holy Spirit? How is that possible?

And the Trinity - how can God be three persons and one being? Why isn't that just three gods?

These are profound questions. We still wrestle with them today. And they're still crucial to every generation's faith and life.

[The Growing Conflict]

There are no new questions in the church. Every difficult question we face, the early church faced too.

But some teachers gave bad answers—answers that sounded reasonable and eemed to solve problems, but contradicted what the apostles had taught. And these false teachings spread. They attracted followers and became very popular. They threatened to pull the church away from the truth about who Jesus is.

Some things never change.

So the church responded to heresy by clarifying and summarizing the apostolic faith.

[How Apostles' Creed Emerged]

And over time, as these summaries from different church fathers circulated and were refined and tested, they came together into what we now call the Apostles' Creed.

But it wasn't created by some church council or handed down by authorities. It emerged organically - it was grassroots. Different churches teaching the same things because they'd all received the same apostolic faith.

The creed was the church saying together: This is our faith. This is what we've received from the apostles. This is what we're standing on.

A creed served two purposes.

First, it was instructive.They were the basis for teaching new believers. Here's what you must know about God, about Jesus, about the Holy Spirit. Here's the foundation you're building your life on.

Second, it was performative. At baptism, you would stand and publicly declare: "I believe this." You weren't just learning information - you were swearing allegiance to the truth about Jesus. To belong to the household of God meant — and should still mean today— affirming these core truths about who he is.

The creeds were the church's way of saying: We're not making this up. We're standing on the foundation the apostles gave us. And we're going to guard it.

IV. THE FOUR HISTORIC CREEDS

But as time went on, new heresies kept emerging. And the church had to get more specific.

So let me walk you through the three major creeds and what each one was addressing.

[1. Apostles' Creed]

We've already talked about the Apostles' Creed - the earliest, simplest one that emerged around 300 AD from baptismal confessions. It served to affirm the basic Christian beleifs at the core of the faith.

But new questions kept coming.

[2. Nicene Creed - 325/381 AD]

So the next to develop was the Nicene Creed, the most widely used creed in Christian worship worldwide. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches recite it regularly.

It was written at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, to combat a heresy called Arianism. Arius was a wildly popular preacher who taught that Jesus was created—the first and greatest creation, but still created. There was a time when the Son didn't exist.

It sounded reasonable. But it wasn't true. If Jesus is just a created being—even if he’s a really good one, he can't save us because he can't bridge the gap between God and humanity.

So the church said: No. Jesus wasn't made or created. He's "of one being with the Father." Fully God. Eternally God. Always has been.

So the Nicene Creed guards the heart of the gospel: who Jesus is and what that means for our salvation.

[TRANSITION TO RECITATION]

So let's do something together right now. Let's speak these words - the same words the church has been confessing for 1,700 years.

Some of you have recited this before. For others, this might be your first time. That's okay. Today, you're joining your voice with the faithful across twenty centuries.

Would you stand with me?

[RECITE NICENE CREED TOGETHER]

(Pause 2-3 seconds)

[REFLECTION AFTER RECITATION]

Did you hear that line? "Begotten, not made. Of one being with the Father."

That's the boundary the church drew against Arianism. That's the bedrock they refused to compromise on, even when it was easier to go along with popular teaching.

[3. Chalcedonian Definition - 451 AD]

But after Nicaea, a new question eventually emerged: If Jesus is fully God and fully human, how do those two natures exist together in one person?

This wasn't just a theological puzzle. It struck at the heart of our salvation. Because if Jesus isn't truly human, he can't represent us. And if he's not truly God, he can't save us.

But different teachers gave different answers, and some of them were pulling the church away from the truth. And these teachings were dividing churches across the empire.

So in 451 AD, the church gathered at the Council of Chalcedon and said: No. Jesus is one person with two complete natures - fully God AND fully human. Those natures don't mix together into something else, and they don't separate into two different persons.

Jesus is both human and divine: Without confusion. Without change. Without division. Without separation.

This is the mystery at the heart of the Incarnation. And Chalcedon drew the boundaries to protect it.

[4. Athanasian Creed - ~500 AD]

Finally, the Athanasian Creed. Formulated around 500 AD, this statement addressed the nature of the Trinity itself. Even after Nicaea established Jesus's divinity and Chalcedon clarified his two natures, the church still faced confusion about the Trinity - whether the three persons were truly distinct and truly equal.

So this creed went deeper than any before it, emphasizing that Father, Son, and Spirit are three distinct persons, not just different roles, and that all three are co-equal, co-eternal, and yet one God.

[Summary]

These creeds form the foundation of the church's teaching about God. Each one built on the previous, clarifying and guarding the apostolic truth as new challenges arose.

V. WHY LEARN THE CREEDS TODAY? (3 min)

Now, some of you might be thinking: That's interesting history. But why do we need these old creeds today? Isn't the Bible enough? Our only creed is the Bible, right?

And yes, Scripture is our ultimate authority. The creeds aren't Scripture. They don't replace Scripture.

But here's the reality: these creeds offer us essential guardrails. They protect us from dangers that are just as real today as they were 1,700 years ago.

So what do we gain when we build our lives on Scripture guided by the creeds?

First: The creeds protect us from drifting into cultural Christianity.

We've seen what happens when churches abandon this foundation. Many denominations have drifted from Scripture's authority, trading knowing God rightly for vague ideas of social justice or love. But without Scripture’s anchor, you lose the ability to define what justice or love even mean.

Churches then become social clubs—the United Way with a steeple. Christianity becomes little more than Moralistic Therapeutic Deism—God exists to make you happy and help you be a good person.

"Die to self, take up your cross, and follow Christ” is replaced by “Be nice and feel good”

That’s what happens when you cut loose from the foundation and build on sand—culture washes you away.

The creeds guard against this. They give us specific, concrete boundaries. They tell us exactly who Jesus is—not who we'd prefer him to be. These aren't negotiable. These aren't things we can reshape to fit what our culture finds acceptable.

When the pressure comes to soften the gospel, to make it more palatable, the creeds anchor us. They say: This is the line. This is the foundation. We don't move it.

Scripture is our authority —truths that have held the church firm for 2,000 years—and the historic creeds help guard that bedrock.

Second: The creeds give us solid ground.

When your world shakes - and it will - when the pressures of life crash up against us, the creeds give us something concrete to stand on. Not feelings or 'my truth.' But Truth—objective reality about who God is.

This is the truth the church has stood on through every age, every trial, every challenge.

We know what we believe and why we believe it. Our belief rests on evidence and history, not just feelings. This ground doesn't shift or give way.

Third: The creeds connect us to the global and historic church.

When we affirm the creeds, we're joining our voices with millions of Christians across 2,000 years. The Nicene Creed we just spoke—Christians in the fourth century spoke it. Christians in medieval Europe spoke it. Believers on every continent have spoken it.

These truths have anchored the church through empires rising and falling, through persecution and prosperity, through every every generation. This is what it means to be part of the household of God—not inventing something new, but connected to something vast and tested.

This is why the creeds matter now more than ever.

The world around us is built on sand. Its foundation is crumbling. What was called wise yesterday is called foolish today. What was good becomes evil.

Truth itself seems to change with every passing year.

But the church that knows what she believes, that clings to the ancient faith once delivered to the saints, will stand firm through every storm.

Because houses built on rock don't get swept away.

[PAUSE]

COMMUNION SETUP (1 min)

We are going to prepare to take communion together, so I invite our servers to come forward.

Jesus is our cornerstone. The creeds all point to this: Christ crucified for our sins, risen for our new life, ascended to the Father, and coming again in glory.

That's why the Eucharist is the cornerstone of our worship. When we come to this table, we anchor ourselves to him. We declare: Jesus is the one who holds everything together.

So we gather around the Lord’s table knowing what we believe. Let’s join with the One who is the foundation of our faith and be glad!

INVITATION

[Step down to floor to join servers.]

This is the meal Jesus gave us as the sign of His new covenant. If you confess Christ as your Lord and Savior and are in living in reconciliation with your neighbor—you are welcome to come. You don’t have to be a member of this church, but you do need to belong to Him. This is His table—not ours.

Instructions to come forward, receive bread, dip, pray. “If you are unable to come forward, simply raise your hand, and the servers will bring the elements to you.” Directions on flow and following ushers. Instructions about corporate liturgy and recitation

LITURGY

Pastor:  On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to the Father, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

 (hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread as he speaks those words. same with the wine while reciting the liturgy of the wine.)

 When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to the Father, gave it to his disciples and said, “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

 (raise hands and say)

And so, in remembrance of these mighty acts of God through Jesus Christ, and confessing Him as the Promised Messiah—we offer ourselves in confession and surrender to you, O Father, as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim this great mystery of faith:

 People: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

 Pastor: Father, pour out your Holy Spirit on us and upon these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

 ALL: By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.  Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

As we come, our servers will also bring communion to those who need to remain seated, and a station is available at the back. Simply remain where you are—our team will find you.

[SERVE ELEMENTS TO SERVING TEAM FIRST]

[to congregation]

As Paul said to the Corinthians, I say to you: Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Let us keep the feast! The table is ready.