Greater Belief

Introduction: Saint Nicholas was a pastor in a town called Myra in Modern day Turkey. He lived in the 300s A.D. and was born into wealth which he used for the glory of God’s kingdom. He was known for extravagent generosity towards the poor, children, and sailors. On numerous occasions, he would sneak around at night and deliver presents to children. Sometimes food or gold coins. He once saved 3 sisters from slavery by secretly paying their dowries so they could get married.

There are many stories of miracles that he performed in the name of Jesus leading to his being labeled a miracle worker, some say even after his death.

Through the centuries His legend spread throughout the world and his traditions of generosity and love for Christ and His kingdom led to who we now celebrate as Santa Claus.

But his greatest contribution to Christ and His church was his fierce defence of right belief.

Around the time he lived, a major question came up about the nature of Jesus. The church was fiercly monotheistic in that they the believed in one God revealed in the OT as Yahweh. But they also affirmed that Jesus was God. And they also affirmed that the Holy Spirit was God. So the Trinity was accepted very early in the church.

A pastor named arias was teaching that Jesus was in a sense a lesser God and not fully God in the absolute sense that the Father was. Arias beleived the Son and the Spirit were of a similar substance to God but not the same. He set the Father as supreme and the Son and the Spirit as lesser.

This led to one of the last truly universal councils. The Council of Nicaea 1700 years ago in 325 A.D.

The council was convened for 2 reasons, 1) To rebuke arias and affirm the doctrine of the Trinity and 2) to settle the debate on the date of Easter. Which is why Easter does not fall on the same date as Passover anymore. The early church believed that the jewish people had miscalculated their own calendar.

Contrary to popular opinion these days, they did not choose which books of the BIble to include or exclude. We know this because the council kept minutes.

And because they kept minutes, we know that in the midst of the debate, it became heated. And in the midst of the shouting, jolly ol’ Saint Nick got up from his chair, walked across the room and slapped (or punched) Arias in the face.

As a result, the council confined Nicholas to council jail, because you can’t tolerate violence int he midst of debate.

Now I’m not here to debate whether he was right or wrong, but I do know this, some hills are worth dying on.

And I have heard people speak some nonsense about God, Jesus, the Bible, the church, that has certainly made me sympathize with Nick.

Because was we believe is important and worth defending.

Out of the Council of Nicaea came the Nicene Creed, that last statement on which all of Christendom could agree.

Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bibles to John 1:1-18. We’ve just finished Christmas where we celebrated to birth of Jesus, God become flesh. And sometimes we jump past what really happened that day. Jesus was more than a man. More than a good teacher. More than the son of Mary. More than a Carpenter. He was immanuel, God with us. And it’s important that we get this right, lest we end up on Santa’s naughty list. As we engage God’s Word this morning I want to put forward a question. And it’s simple enough.

Introduce:

Big Question: WHAT do we BELIEVE?

But as we go through some of the things that “WE” believe, I also want to answer the question, Why do we believe what we believe? Because the why is just as important as the what.

But in many ways, as we start we begin our journey of belief at the beginning.

Read: John 1:1-18

John 1:1–18 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

I don’t have enough time to talk about all of the essential things that we believe, but I feel confident that we can put them into 4 categories that summarize them all.

To start:

1. We BELIEVE in GOD. (John 1:1-5)

Explanation: Specifically, we believe in the Trinity.

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

John says in the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

Now we can’t understand John 1:1 without having Genesis 1:1-2 in mind.

Genesis 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

You see there you have God, and the Spirit. But John adds the Word. And we see the Word even in Genesis where God spoke creation into being.

That is confirmed by John when he writes, John 1:3

John 1:3 ESV

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

But how can God be one and also 3. The jewish people were fiercely monotheistic because God was adamant that He was one.

Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Isaiah 45:5 ESV

5 I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God;

But then you have other passages like Gen 1:26

Genesis 1:26 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Isaiah 6:8 ESV

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Or another one in Zech 2:8-9

Zechariah 2:8–9 ESV

8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.

It would appear, Yahweh is talking to Yahweh and Yahweh is sending Yahweh.

Application: So yes, we believe in the Trinity and to not believe in the Trinity puts you outside of the family of Faith.

But again, why do we believe in the Trinity?

Now if I were to ask, “why believe in God?” I could answer that with, I think science and history point to God.

People throughout history have looked to a higher power. Atheists are and have always been the minority.

But why the Trinity.

Because God has revealed it through his prophets. Special Revelation has revealed God.

I know this sounds like circular reasoning but bear with me.

So secondly….

2. We BELIEVE the Bible is TRUE. (John 1:6-8)

Explanation: John points us to John the Baptist. And we have to understand the function of John the Baptist in the ministry of Jesus.j

John 1:6–7 ESV

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

John was the last OT prophet who’s purpose was to witness to who God is.

The Nicene Creed puts it this way:

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

Even when talking about Jesus it says:

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

John was a prophet and God has chosen to reveal Himself through the Prophets and later the apostles.

Ephesians 2:19–20 ESV

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

This is why Jesus didn’t just show and say He was the Messiah and God.

The Bible set the pattern that declarations required witnesses. Multiple.

And the Bible is not written by one man. But 66 books written by 40+ authors over a period of 1500 years on 3 continents. And there isn’t a single contradiction or error that holds up to scrutiny.

Peter says it this way:

2 Peter 1:19–21 ESV

19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

And then in 2 Peter 3:16 he calls Paul’s words scripture.

2 Peter 3:16 ESV

16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

But why do we believe the Bible?

I love what Voddie says.

“I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and they claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.”

And we have thousands and thousands of copies and fragments that show that the BIble was reliably transmitted over thousands of years prior to the printing press.

Application: John connects the OT to the NT as a prophet in the same line as the OT prophets.

But the OT saints still needed a mediator. A Priest.

We now can come directly to God through Jesus.

Hebrews 1:1–2 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

So if we believe the Bible, we should believe what God says about how we are saved as well.

3. We BELIEVE in Jesus as God’s WAY to SAVE His people. (John 1:9-18)

Explanation: John 1:9-13

John 1:9–13 ESV

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

We learned last week from Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

God wants you to believe what He has revealed.

Especially about Jesus:

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

That is scandalous to the world?

Illustration:

Application: Why do we believe this? Because all roads do not lead to heaven or to God.

We aren’t all in a dark room touching an elephant and describing it in different ways.

And finally, all of this leads to this:

4. We BELIEVE that what we BELIEVE matters for ETERNITY. (Colossians 1:15-23)

Explanation: Paul synthesizes all of this for us.

Colossians 1:15–23 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul affirms the that Jesus is both God and distinct from God.

He affirms the humanity of Jesus.

He affirms that the church is the mystical body of Jesus.

He affirms that Jesus was the way in which God chose to reconcile His people.

And then He affirms that you need to believe it.

Colossians 1:23 ESV

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

There is it. What you believe matters. And there are certain beliefs that put you outside the faith.

There is a syllogism that we like to affirm.

In essentials we have unity. In non essentials have diversity. In all things we have charity.

Unless you speak heresy, then santa claus is coming to town.

Illustration:

Application: Why? your soul hangs in the balance.

Response: Do you BELIEVE?

Summation: I like to put things in categories.

Convictions:

Committments

Preferences.

Convictions are the things that make us Christian.

Committments are the things that make us Baptists.

Preferences are things that make us North Hills.

We all have the same convictions.

As baptist we have some committments like believers baptism by immersion. But I would never say our Presbyterians brothers and sisters are Christians. I’d argue they are in error, but still Christians.

I even have some committments that i don’t put on you.

And then preferences like Bible translations and songs.

Carpet color.

And the way we fulfill the great commission.

Closing Illustration: Some where along the way we have stopped insisting that people know and believe the essentials largely because I believed we stopped being able to answer why?

But there are things you must believe.

And while we don’t regularly recite the creeds, it’s appropriate to acknowledge that there is one creed that every Christians demonination throughout history has affirmed.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Let’s pray.