I BELIEVE --- GOD THE SON --- FREEDOM

God The Son --- Freedom

Philippians 2:5-11 & Hebrews 12:1-3

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

We have been looking at the Apostles’ Creed for the past few weeks. As I prayed and prepared for God’s plan for us for our 51 Sundays of preaching this year, the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to teach on this ancient creed. This Apostles’ Creed was first professed around 140 A.D. Jesus had been crucified, died, buried, and resurrected around 100 years earlier. Most of the disciples and first believers had died, and the second generation of the church felt the need to write down what they believed. The early followers of Jesus, the church, the body of Christ, used this Apostles’ Creed as their baptismal confession. When a new believer wanted to join the church, they needed to be able to stand before the church and proclaim what they believed. That’s THE APOSTLES’ CREED.

I love history and I truly believe that it is important for us to know history and to know what we believe. When I went to college, I first went to play football but ended up becoming a collegiate wrestler. I also thought I would become a history teacher and a coach. God often has other plans for us. What has come to pass, is that I love to teach HIS-STORY.

History is knowing HIS-STORY

Join with me and repeat the Apostles Creed:

Apostles’ Creed

1. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

2. and in Jesus Christ, His only (begotten) Son, our Lord;

3. who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,

4. suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried;

He descended into hell;

5. the third day he rose again from the dead;

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

7. from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and the life everlasting. Amen.[i]

We are looking at the Apostles’ Creed and we are breaking it down into three sections: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. As you can see, I have those three sections highlighted in red ink.

This study really excites me and oftentimes, in my excitement, I get super serious. I want others to know the truth so that the truth will set them free.

Jesus told the Jewish leaders who were following him these words about the truth and freedom: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” … “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-32; 36) The Apostle Paul later wrote to the early church. Listen to his powerful words about freedom in Galatians 5 … “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

This past Thursday we celebrated the fourth of July! Today we gather and remember our freedom—both the freedom we enjoy as American citizens and the freedom we have in Christ.

When I think of freedom, I not only think of America, but I think of Jesus and how he freely gave His life. I have two readings today from the Bible. The first is a passage Paul wrote to the church in Philippi and the section we will read is called the Hymn of Christ. Many scholars believe that this section of the book of Philippians was an early hymn that was sung in the homes of the faithful gathered in homes to worship God and celebrate their freedom in Christ.

Let us pray before we come to God’s living word. “God of all truth set us free from our fears, failures and faults that cling so tightly to us. Let Your Word of Truth sink deeply into our hearts and set us free. Amen.”

Philippians 2:5-11

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[ii]

Our second reading is from the Book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.[iii]

When Jay Leno was the host of the Tonight Show. Leno did his famous "man-on-the street" interviews. One night he collared some young people to ask them questions about the Bible. "Can you name one of the Ten Commandments?" he asked two college-age women. One replied, "Freedom of speech?" Mr. Leno said to the other, "Complete this sentence: Let he who is without sin..." Her response was, "have a good time?" Mr. Leno then turned to a young man and asked, "Who, according to the Bible, was eaten by a whale?" The confident answer was, "Pinocchio."[iv]

Are we confused about what we believe? I think many people are confused about what they believe. That’s why we’re looking at the Creed this summer. I want us to study and know what we believe.

Today we are going to look at these lines: “suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried…”

One of the things that stood out to me this week is that when the authors of the Creed added these lines, they were declaring the fact that Jesus was a real man who suffered under a real Pontius Pilate. Jesus’ suffering, death, burial and resurrection were firmly anchored in history. It is a fact and it is history that Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea from 26 A.D. to 36 A.D. Think about that. Somewhere between 26 – 36 AD Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea. That would be right at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Each time we say these words of the creed, we have a real history on our side.

This past week, I meant with a very good friend who was told that he has inoperable pancreatic cancer. We met and prayed together. We laughed and cried together. We read Scripture and prayed together. One of the passages that we read was 2 Corinthians 5 … “For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:4)

Some years ago, a lawyer by the name of Frank Morison wrote the book Who Moved The Stone? Morison set out with the purpose of disproving the resurrection, of proving that Christ did not really rise from the grave. But the book turned out entirely different; it is a searching study of the scriptural story, truth and history of a very real Christ and of his crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.

I love what C.S. Lewis wrote to his friend Arthur Graves about the divinity and resurrection of Jesus. “The doctrine of Christ’s divinity seems to me something stuck on which you cannot unstick but something that peeps out at every point so that you would have to unravel the whole web to get rid of it.”[v] It reminds me of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

During the Continental Congress of 1776 the committee selected a tall, rangy, auburn-haired Virginian named Thomas Jefferson to draft a proposition paper. He secluded himself and, with minimum help, within about seventeen days, produced one of the most profound and beautiful political documents ever penned. Congress debated the document, made a few changes, and then signed it with great fanfare, the ringing of the Liberty Bell, and the making of clever speeches, and costly commitments. Caesar Rodney, ill with a malignant disease that covered part of his face, rode all day and all night from Dover, Delaware, in time to stride, booted and spurred, into the Assembly Hall in Philadelphia to bark: “I vote for independence.” John Hancock led off the formal signing with a large, bold signature, saying he wanted King George III to be able to read his signature without his specs. Signer Benjamin Franklin quipped: “We shall have to hang together, or we shall all hang separately.” Among many magnificent statements in this eloquent and comprehensive document, that which most succinctly characterizes the American stance and spirit is this impeccable sentence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Toward the end of the Declaration of Independence, we find a summary sentence which places everything in perspective: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” This is a unique creed. The signers believed something very special was happening and that God would see them through. It was a new and courageous covenant, men mutually pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor all for the sake of freedom! This is breathtaking and inconceivable in the fermentation of today’s world.

Have we forgotten the high price our founding Fathers paid for freedom? Have we forgotten that nine signers of the Declaration of Independence did not survive the war? Have we forgotten that many of the signers lost their homes and fortunes? One signer, Thomas Nelson of Virginia, directed the bombardment of his own mansion at Yorktown. Another signer, Francis Lewis, a wealthy New York trader, lost everything he had. His wife was thrown into prison and died shortly after her release. Signer Richard Stockton of New Jersey, a Princeton graduate, lost his wealth, property, and magnificent library. He was imprisoned and died following the war. These illustrations of sacred honor should remind us that the Fourth of July commemorates a costly freedom.[vi]

On this Independence weekend, we remember the dedication, devotion, and determination of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. We remember that many of the signers gave their lives, their fame, their fortunes and their families in order to fight for the freedom of this nation. And, we also remember those who put together the Apostles’ Creed. Like our own forefathers, they gathered to put into writing, for others to declare, “THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE ABOUT GOD.”

May we never forget that Jesus gave His life so that we could be free. It is for freedom that Christ set us free … we are not to fall back into slavery. May we never forget the words of the Declaration of Independence, either.

So what are you doing with your freedom? Are these ancient words—of both the Apostles’ Creed and the Declaration of Independence--just ancient words that have grown old and lost their value? Or are these words something that we, too, would give our fame, fortune and our very lives to defend? Our forefathers of faith and our founding fathers have so much in common: they painstakingly drafted a creed and a declaration based on HIS STORY…and history.

As we come to the communion table, let’s close with the Apostles’ Creed:

1. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

2. and in Jesus Christ, His only (begotten) Son, our Lord;

3. who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,

4. suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried;

He descended into hell;

5. the third day he rose again from the dead;

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

7. from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and the life everlasting. Amen.[vii]

The Seed Christian Fellowship

Rancho Cucamonga, California 91701

www.theseedchristianfellowship.com

July 7, 2019

Pastor Dave Peters

[i] Historic Creeds and Confessions. (1997). (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Lexham Press.

[ii] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Php 2:5–11). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[iii] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Heb 12:1–3). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[iv] Preachingtoday.com

[v] C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1996

[vi] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (pp. 36–37). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[vii] Historic Creeds and Confessions. (1997). (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Lexham Press.