Imagine: 2025

Sunday, August 24, 2025

SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #6: THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Romans 8:1-4, 9-14

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

-- several years ago, I was driving home from work on Bemiss Road when I got stopped by a red light – nothing out of the ordinary – I sat there, waiting for the light to change, and all of a sudden I heard honking behind me – I looked up and saw that the light was green, and had evidently been green for a while – and I realized that I had done something that I had never done before – I had fallen asleep at the wheel – thankfully, while sitting still at a red light

-- I chalked it off to being tired, just like everyone else is these days – seems like everyone complains about being tired – we just do too much and stay too busy and never get the rest we need – but this was a different type of tired – like I was just completely worn out and unable to think or move or do anything like normal

-- it wasn’t long after that episode on Bemiss Road that I remember being woken in the middle of the night by Kim hitting me and saying, “Breathe” – I didn’t know what was going on, but evidently, she had noticed that I had quit breathing and had not taken a breath in several seconds

-- normally, we breathe in and out over 20,000 times a day – 15 to 20 times per minute – when we’re awake and when we’re asleep

-- we do it without thinking – it’s just a normal involuntary movement of our body as it self-regulates the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide within us – we just breathe without thinking – but apparently, my body had forgotten how to breathe

-- I went to the doctor and had a sleep study done and found out I had severe sleep apnea – instead of breathing the normal 15-20 times per minute at night, I was breathing about half that – my body would just stop taking a breath – and the end result was that I was not getting the oxygen I needed – I was not getting the sleep I needed – and that was leaving me abnormally tired because I was never getting the rest and recharge all of us need

-- they gave me a CPAP machine, which pumps a continuous stream of oxygenated air through a mask and into your lungs when you sleep – the first day after I used the CPAP, I was buzzing around the house like I was high on caffeine, because, for the first time in years, I had actually experienced a good night’s sleep

-- that CPAP machine was literally a life-giving machine – and it change how I live my life today

-- we read about breathing and the need for breathing in the Bible, too

-- the Greek word pneuma is translated as breath or wind – and this is the word that is translated for us in our Bible as the Spirit, in reference to the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and who gives us life through His very breath and presence

-- when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus in John 3 about being born again and coming to new life in Him, He spoke about the wind and told Nicodemus in John 3:8, “The wind – the pneuma – blows wherever it pleases -- you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going – so it is with everyone born of the Spirit”

– the word pneuma reminds us of the essential role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer – of the life-giving presence and activity of the Spirit in our lives

-- just like the CPAP machine that I rely on to physically enhance my breathing and keep me alive, the Spirit works within us to bring breath to our bodies – to enhance our lives with Christ -- and to enable and empower us to live holy and sanctified lives through Him today

-- this morning, we are continuing on in our series on the foundations of our faith, using the Nicene Creed as the outline for our messages – today, we will be discussing the section of the creed that concerns the Holy Spirit

-- if you would, let’s turn to the creed now and let’s recite it together – you can find it on Page 880 in our hymnal or you can refer to the handout that I gave you earlier

[Recite Nicene Creed]

-- the section of the creed that I want us to focus on this morning comes at the beginning of the third paragraph:

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

II. Who is the Holy Spirit?

-- before we begin, I think it’s important for us to remind ourselves of who the Holy Spirit is – as Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:12, “I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.”

-- we all know who the Holy Spirit is – we have been taught that in church and in Bible study – we’ve gone through sermon series on the Spirit – but if you are like me, there are times when we forget the truth that we know – when we forget to rely on the truth in our lives, even though we know what the truth is

-- that’s why Peter said it was important to be reminded of these things, even though we know them and are firmly established in the truth – it’s because sometimes we forget how to breathe and how to rely on the Spirit within us in our daily lives and we need a spiritual CPAP to get us breathing again

-- so, who is this Holy Spirit that the Bible speaks of?

-- first, contrary to the teachings of some of the cults around us, the Holy Spirit is a person – the third person of the Trinity – God Himself

-- remember the reason why I told you the Nicene Creed was prepared in the first place – it was to be a definitive statement of our faith – of the foundational truths that we stand on – so that we can counter the false teachings and misinformation about God that we hear today

-- there are two prominent cults in our area that teach that the Holy Spirit is not a person – that He’s not God – that He’s not part of the Godhead – but that He is simply a term used to refer to the power of God

-- but that’s not true -- the Bible makes it clear that the Spirit is more than that – He is God and He has always been present, throughout all eternity and infinity

-- in the very first words of the Bible, we read of the Spirit – in Genesis 1:1-2, it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”

-- the Spirit has always been present as part of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

-- I like the way A.W. Tozer explained the Holy Spirit in his book, "The Counselor," -- Tozer wrote: "Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON -- He is not enthusiasm -- He is not courage -- He is not energy -- He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather -- Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the personification of anything...... He has individuality -- He is one being and not another -- He has will and intelligence -- He has hearing -- He has knowledge and sympathy and ability to love and see and think -- He can hear, speak, desire, grieve and rejoice -- He is a Person."

-- the Holy Spirit has intellect, emotion, and will -- He speaks to us -- He has feelings -- He can love -- He can be grieved -- He can be hurt -- He has all the characteristics of God because He is God -- He is omniscient – omnipresent – and omnipotent -- all-knowing -- ever-present -- and all-powerful

-- as the third person of the Trinity, He has specific roles and functions that He accomplishes in our lives and in the life of the church – and it is for that reason that He was sent to indwell believers and empower the church

-- but who sent Him?

-- if you’ll notice in the creed, our version of the Nicene Creed says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son – but this is a change from the original

-- when the Nicene Creed was originally written in 325 AD, this sentence stated that “the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father” – it did not mention the Son

-- in the Sixth Century, the creed was modified by the Roman church and the filioque clause was added – filioque is a Latin term that means, “and the Son” – so that, the creed now reads, “The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son”

-- if you remember, I told you that this creed was accepted by all orthodox Christian faiths – Catholics, protestants, and eastern orthodox – and that is true, except for these three words

-- the eastern orthodox churches rejected the addition of the filioque clause because they believed the Holy Spirit was sent to us by the Father and not by Jesus – their contention is that although the Trinity is comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that it is the Father who directs the actions of both the Son and the Holy Spirit – so the Holy Spirit could only have been sent by the Father and not by Jesus

-- these three words caused a rift between the west and the east that still exists today

-- so, what does this mean for us? – nothing, really – I bring it up just for your awareness, because the important thing for us to know is that the Holy Spirit has been sent to us to give us life – to empower us – to lead us – to counsel us – and to gift us with the manifestation of His presence to build the church of Christ on earth today

-- I think the wording of the phrase in our version of the Nicene Creed is fine – because the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father through Jesus – both the Father and Jesus were intimately involved in the sending of the Holy Spirit to the church

-- in John 14:26, Jesus says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”

-- and, in John 15:26, we read, “When the Advocate comes, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – He will testify about Me”

-- so, the Spirit was sent by the Father through Jesus – and I think it is acceptable to say that means He proceeds from the Father and the Son

III. The Spirit is the Giver of Life

-- moving on from this discussion of theological minutia – we know who the Spirit is – we know that He proceeds from the Father and the Son – so, let’s finish up by looking at why – why was the Spirit sent to the church?

-- look back at Romans 8:1-4

-- as the Nicene Creed states, the Holy Spirit is the giver of life – while Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins with His own body and blood and rose from the dead on the third day in victory over sin and death – we are not living in the fullness of salvation and redemption at this moment

-- as we have talked about before, we will not experience the fullness of salvation until we stand in the presence of God in our new immortal and imperishable bodies in the new heaven and the new earth – right now, we still live in this fallen world, even if our allegiances have changed

-- the Bible tells us that when we are saved, we become a new creation – we are moved from the kingdom of this world and into the kingdom of God – as these verses state, we are no longer under the law of sin and death, but we are called to live in obedience to the law of the Spirit though Jesus Christ

– but even though we have been reconciled to God – even though we have been forgiven and our sin debt has been wiped away – we still live in this fallen world with this fallen nature within us – we are daily beset with temptations and sins – we experience the consequences of sin and of living in this fallen world every single day

-- and that is where the Holy Spirit comes in – He is called the giver of life – literally, it is the Spirit working in us and through us who enables us to live a holy and righteous life as part of God’s Kingdom while still being present in this fallen world

-- it is the Spirit – the pneuma – who gives spiritual breath to our bodies and enables us to breathe in and breathe out the righteousness and holiness of Christ – as it says in verse 4, we no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit

-- verse 9-11

-- if we have the Spirit of God living within us, we are no longer in the realm of the flesh, but the realm of the Spirit – the Bible tells us that when we become a believer – when we put our faith and trust in Jesus and depend on Him for the forgiveness of our sins and look to Him for eternal life – we are saved and are indwelt with His very presence -- the Holy Spirit

-- unlike in the past – in the time before the cross and the resurrection – when the Holy Spirit did not indwell people but merely came upon them and empowered them to accomplish specific ministries or activities for God – we now live in a time when believers are filled with the very presence of God in the Holy Spirit

-- if you believe in Jesus – if you are saved – then you have the Holy Spirit living within you – and these verses tell us that means that we are no longer in the realm of the flesh – we are no longer under the dominion or authority of the flesh – but now we are in the realm of the Spirit – we are under His authority and we live and move by His enabling power within us

-- the Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies through His own presence living within us

-- How do we know that we have the Spirit? Ask these questions:

1. Has the Spirit led you to Jesus? – have you been convicted of your sins and turned to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Him? – have you put your faith and trust in Jesus?

2. Has the Spirit put in you the desire to honor and to be more like Jesus? – are you striving to live a holy and righteous life in obedience to Jesus? – are you turning away from temptation and sin – are you seeing spiritual growth and progress in your life? – are you led to worship and honor Jesus with your words and your thoughts and your actions?

3. Is the Spirit at work in your heart? – can you see a change in your life? – has the Spirit moved you and changed your heart so that you are seeking God in all you do?

-- if you are a believer, then you should be able to answer all of these questions, “Yes” – that doesn’t mean you’re perfect – we won’t be perfect until we are living in the kingdom of God in the last days – but it should mean that we are better than we were – that we are growing in grace and in love and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ – and this is only possible if we have the Spirit within us, who gives us life and who enables and empowers us to live for Jesus every single day

-- verse 12-14

-- there are two ways we can live our lives, even as Christians

-- first, there is the life that is dominated by the flesh – dominated and controlled by the human sinful nature – as Barclay puts it, a life whose only law is its own desires – it takes what it likes, where it likes – it lives only to please itself

-- In different people that life will be described differently -- It may be passion-controlled, or lust-controlled, or pride-controlled, or ambition-controlled. – but the end result is the same – a life lived for self always ends in death

-- on the other hand, there is the life that is dominated by the Spirit of God – a life that is empowered and enabled by the Spirit so that it lives for Christ – it is occupied by Christ – and it puts to death the misdeeds of the body

-- a Spirit-filled life results in a life of righteousness and holiness – a life where you experience all the fullness and goodness that Jesus promised – a life where you walk in the Spirit and are led by Him as children of God – a life that leads to an eternity with the Father

-- the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son to enable us to live holy and righteous lives here on earth – to share the good news of the gospel – and to grow in grace and perfection as His very own children – He is truly our life-giving Spirit

IV. Closing

-- I read a story about three young men who were in seminary – while they were there, they sought permission from the head of the seminary to plant a garden

– the seminary was located in the downtown area of a large metropolitan city – there wasn’t much of a backyard – there was only a stone-covered dirt parking lot with no extra space – but the three young men really wanted a garden

-- so, they approached the head of the seminary with a plan to plant a small area of the parking lot with squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers – the only real cost was to rent a rake, a pickaxe, and a hoe – they went in and spoke to him about their plans, and he just looked at them and replied, “You’re wasting your time – nothing will ever grow there – but go ahead, if you still want to”

-- with his permission, the three students embarked on their mission to plant a garden – they raked four inches of stones from one corner of the parking lot, and outlined the boundary of their garden – then one of them took the pickaxe and began trying to loosen the soil and find a place where their plants would grow

-- to their amazement, when the pickaxe hit the ground, they found they had selected the one area of the parking lot that used to be a refuse pile – as the pickaxe bit into the ground, it turned up a gardener’s dream – dark, composted, fertile soil just sitting there – it had been buried beneath rocks for years, just waiting to be discovered

-- the three men looked at each other and repeated together the words of the head of the seminary – “You’re wasting your time – nothing will ever grow there”

-- have you ever said that before? – have you ever thought that – either about yourself or someone else? – have you ever looked at someone and said, “nothing will ever grow there – they will never change?”

-- the take-home message for today is to never believe that change is impossible – to never believe that “nothing will grow there” – George Eliot wrote, “It’s never too late to be who you might have been” – you may not always see the potential for growth, but it is there – just waiting for someone to dig past the rocks and to find the good soil underneath

-- when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He comes in and begins to work – He rakes away the rocks and the trash that are there – He gets rid of all the things that are keeping us from growing – and He turns the soil and digs in our lives to find the rich, fertile soil that is there

-- He fertilizes it and nurtures it and leads us to become holy and righteous people – He helps us to walk in this world as the children of God – led by the Spirit and not by the flesh

-- He helps us to choose life and not death – to choose to follow Jesus and not the way of this world

-- He gives us His power and He changes us from the inside out into the people that Jesus called us to be

-- through the Spirit, there is always the potential for growth – through the Spirit, anyone can change and become better than they are – through the Spirit, we can find life and enjoy it forever

-- that is why we worship Him – that is why we praise Him – and that is why we are here today

-- let us pray

Sunday, August 17, 2025

SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #5: THE RETURN OF THE KING

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Luke 24:50-53

Luke 24:50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

-- as we have discussed ad nauseum, we find ourselves living in unprecedented times – every day, we wake to find disheartening news of violence and war and crime – of injustice and unfairness and discrimination – of poverty and famine and starvation – of sickness and disease and death -- of natural disasters affecting thousands and thousands of people – of wonders in the skies that we have never seen in our lifetimes

– just think about what we’ve seen and experienced here in our local community – with two hurricanes and a tropical storm over the last two years that devasted this region – of the tornados and flooding and droughts that affected so many – of the news of increasing crime and violence, even in sleepy little towns like Naylor and Valdosta – and consider that we had the aurora borealis visible in south Georgia this past year – and then we had the fireball from the meteor that streaked across South Carolina and Georgia and Alabama this week – with pieces from the meteor crashing into a home in Henry County

-- if you just step back and just consider what we’ve been going through – not just across this globe, but even here in own backyard – you just have to wonder what’s going on – where is this going to end? – what is going to happen to us in the future?

-- we don’t like uncertainty – humans are not good with that – we like to be in control – we like to know what is going on and to think we have some semblance of control in our lives

-- but there is no one who feels that right now, anywhere in this world

-- and that’s why so many people are reacting the way they are – people are lashing out – they’re angrier than they’ve ever been – just the littlest thing sets them off – that’s why you see so much road rage and so many fights in stores and in other places – that’s why you see and hear so much hatred and vitriol on social media, in the news, in public, in politics

-- it all goes back to the fact that we feel this world is out of control – and it’s affecting our emotions, our behaviors, our actions, and our lives

-- if you remember, it’s been a little over seven years since Bill York collapsed and died during the chapel service out at Camp Tygart – I was in the room with him that day when it happened, along with about 50 teens and a handful of adults – it was chaos – and I was supposed to be one of the leaders of the event – and I remember looking at one of the other pastors there in the room and I could tell we both had the same thought – “We need an adult here – we need someone to step up and take control and tell us what to do” – we both felt lost and out of control and clueless and didn’t know what to do in the moment

-- that’s where society is today – we’re lost and out of control and lashing out and just looking for someone to step up and show us the way – for someone to step up and speak peace into our midst and to tell us that everything is going to be okay – for someone to step up and say, “I am in control – I’ve got this – don’t worry”

-- thankfully, the Bible tells us who this Someone is – we just need to remember and stop worrying and have faith in Him

-- this morning, we are continuing on in our series on the foundations of our faith, using the Nicene Creed as the outline for our messages – we find ourselves today considering the final words about Jesus from the second paragraph of the creed

-- if you would, let’s turn to the creed now and recite it together – you can find it on Page 880 in our hymnal or you can refer to the handout that I gave you earlier

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

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.

We 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 worshiped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

-- the section of the creed that I want us to focus on this morning comes at the end of the second paragraph:

-- On the third day He rose again, in accordance with 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.

-- so, in the midst of the uncertainty and confusion in this world today, the Bible affirms two truths about Christ – after His atoning death on the cross in payment for our sin debt and His resurrection from the dead in victory over sin and death – the Bible tells us that Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father – and it tells us that He will come again in glory at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead and to set up a Kingdom that will have no end

-- promises that should give us hope and peace in these turbulent times

-- I want us to look at each of these separately today, as we finish up this section of the Nicene Creed

II. The Ascension of Christ (Luke 24:50-53)

-- the story of the ascension of Christ is given to us in three main passages – the first is in the gospel of Mark – and then Luke gives us a brief account here in Luke 24 and a more detailed description in Acts 1

-- all three passages describe the moment when Jesus physically returned to heaven in the sight of His disciples following His death and resurrection

-- so why is the ascension of Christ important?

-- as Kevin Miller wrote, what the disciples witnessed and recorded for us in the Bible was the “triumphal return of Jesus Christ to heaven, His enthronement at the right hand of God”

-- this marks the end of Jesus’ physical ministry on earth and the transition to the end of the age -- as we experience the Kingdom of God within us in the presence of the Holy Spirit and as we look forward to the renewing of our souls and spirits and all creation with the coming of a new earth and a new heaven

-- from this point on, Jesus no longer appears physically to His disciples -- we see no more physical resurrection appearances – and the time of Jesus teaching His disciples from the Scriptures after the resurrection has ended

-- look back at verse 50-51

Luke 24:50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

-- we read in the Bible that after the resurrection, Jesus taught His disciples for a period of 40 days from the Scriptures – explaining to them the prophecies and showing them the promises of God for restoration and renewal and reconciliation with the Father from the Old Testament

-- after this period of intense instruction, Jesus led His disciples back out to the Mount of Olives – if you remember, it was on the Mount of Olives that Jesus began His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, riding on the back of a donkey to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God

-- He takes His disciples back to the Mount of Olives and it is from this place that Jesus returns to the Father in the sight of all those who are gathered there – He lifts up His hands – He blesses them and, as we read in Acts 1, promises to send the Holy Spirit to them – and then is taken up into heaven

-- so, while the disciples were talking with Him, Jesus literally began to rise from the ground -- His physical body was lifted up above them while He blessed His disciples with raised hands, and the amazed disciples watched as Jesus rose higher and higher above the Mount of Olives, until a cloud hid Him from view

-- Mark expands on this and tells us in Mark 16:19 that Jesus was taken up into heaven, where He then sat down at the right hand of God – so, with the ascension, we see the Father’s acceptance of the work of Christ -- when Jesus ascends to heaven in the sight of His disciples to sit down at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, it tells us the Father has accepted His atoning sacrifice for us and that no more sacrifices are needed to pay the penalty for our sins

-- His ascension into heaven and into the very presence of the Father is evidence to us that He has made a way for us and is a promise that we, too, will one day join Him in heaven with the Father forever

-- so, the ascension of Christ is the final exclamation point on His earthly ministry and marks for us His victory over sin and death, once and for all, and points the way to the establishment of His final kingdom on earth and our eternal life with Him forever

-- but what does this mean to us today? – in light of the turmoil and uncertainty and chaos that we’re experiencing now in this world, what are we supposed to do with the ascension?

-- in Acts 1:10-11, Luke tells us that the disciples just stood there on the Mount of Olives – looking up at the sky where Jesus had disappeared – but two angels appeared to them and said, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

-- the important question to the disciples was, “Why are you standing here?” – this was a call to ministry – this was a call to live out our faith in the risen and ascended Christ and to share the good news of the Kingdom of God with this world – to be His ambassadors of peace and reconciliation – to be His heralds in the world today

-- when the angels told the disciples to quit standing there looking up into the sky, they were basically telling them, “Go – do something – start living in the knowledge and faith and hope of the Lord Jesus Christ”

-- and that’s what the disciples did

-- verse 52-53

Luke 24:52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

-- after the ascension of Christ, the disciples didn’t just stand there waiting – they didn’t just spend their days looking up at the sky for the coming Christ – but they lived out their faith

-- empowered by the Holy Spirit that Jesus would send to them in just 40 days on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples spent their time worshiping Jesus – they were filled with joy – they were filled with anticipation and excitement – Luke says they stayed in the temple, praising God – and, as we know from the Book of Acts, they preached the good news of the Kingdom – they lived in harmony and peace with one another in a new community of faith – the church – and they shared the message of hope with everyone they met

-- now think for a moment about how we’re living today – think for a moment about what I just mentioned – about the fear and worry – the uncertainty and lack of control – that we see all around us – that we see in ourselves

-- is this the way we should be living? – or should we be like the disciples after they descended from watching Jesus go back into heaven on the Mount of Olives?

-- what does the world see in us when they see us live lives of worry and fear, just like everyone else?

-- we, above all, should be examples of peace and faith and tranquility in a world gone mad

-- when John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was on his way to Georgia with his brother Charles, the ship he was sailing on got caught up in the middle of a terrible storm – it was being tossed back and forth – the waves were crashing over the deck – the main sail was ripped off by the mighty winds -- everyone was in fear for their lives, Wesley included

-- and understand that Wesley was an Anglican priest – a man of faith – a man who God was using to call out the people to live real lives of holiness and obedience and not just go through the motions of church, like most people in his day

-- of all people, you would have expected Wesley to be the one who was like the Apostle Paul during the storm in the book of Acts, when Paul’s ship was destroyed but Paul remained calm and peaceful and without fear

-- but Wesley was just like all the others – he thought he was going to die – he was filled with fear – he went below deck and there, to his amazement, he found a group of Christians – the Moravians – who were holding a worship service -- singing hymns and praising God – even in the midst of the storm

-- Wesley wrote in his journal about this experience, noting the contrast between the terrified English passengers and the peaceful Moravians -- He asked one of them if they were not afraid, and the Moravian replied, "I thank God, no." -- He further inquired if their women and children were afraid, and the answer was, "No; our women and children are not afraid to die."

-- This encounter with the Moravians, and their unwavering faith in the face of death, deeply impacted Wesley and highlighted a lack of assurance in his own faith.

-- I know we live in chaotic and dangerous and unprecedented times, but the way we live – the way we act and the words we speak – say volumes about our faith and trust in Jesus

-- Wesley learned about his lack of true faith on the ship that day, and it changed how he lived the rest of his life and the message that he taught others about living lives of holiness and obedience in light of Christ’s victory

– in the same way, the disciples lived in a harsh world, ruled by the Romans, and subjected to the persecutions of the Jews – their world was no less dangerous or uncertain or chaotic than ours – it was probably worse, in all actuality -- but they approached their world in faith and they lived out their faith in Jesus completely

– they lived peaceful and joyful lives – they continued to worship and praise God -- despite all the violence and persecution and harm that came against them and the early church – they lived without fear, because they had seen the risen Christ and they had watched Him ascend to heaven, where He sat down at the right hand of God the Father in victory over sin and death

-- what fear can this world hold in light of the victory of Christ? – what concern or worry can we have knowing that Jesus has conquered sin and death and that we are waiting for His return, so we can live with Him in His kingdom here on earth forever?

-- which brings us to the second truth of Christ that I want us to consider this morning – His second coming

III. The Second Coming of Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:5-12)

-- the creed proclaims, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end.”

-- turn over to 2 Thessalonians 1, and we’ll end there – 2 Thessalonians 1, beginning at verse 5-7a

2 Thessalonians 1:5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.

-- understand this – contrary to what the prosperity preachers claim – we are going to face trials and tribulations in this world today – we are going to have troubles and face suffering in this world

– that’s why Peter said in 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you”

-- this isn’t strange – this is expected – we may be living in unprecedented times right now, but the troubles we are going through – the trials that we are facing – they’re not out of the ordinary – it’s a part of life – and the closer we get to the end – the closer we get to the return of Christ – the worse it’s going to get because the Bible tells us that the devil knows his time is short and so he’s going to throw everything he has at us in the final days

-- so, what we are going through is normal – storms of life and trials and tribulations are normal – things are not going to get better until Christ comes again – the question is what we do about it? – how do we live in light of these trials and storms that we are facing?

-- do we live like the rest of the world – in worry and fear and anger and lashing out at everyone around us – or do we live like the disciples and the Moravians in the midst of the storm? – living lives of faith and trust in God, despite the storms raging around us

-- these verses give us the same promise we read of in the Psalms – eventually, all things will be made right – the unrighteous will be judged – the trouble that we were given will be paid back and we will find relief –everything will be made right in the world forever – and there will be no more pain or suffering – sorrow or tears

-- look at the second part of verse 7

2 Thessalonians 1:7b This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

-- we talked about this in our series on After Life, as we looked at what was going to happen to us after we die – at heaven and hell and everything in-between

-- in the Bible, we read that there will be a final reckoning – that there will be a final judgement at the Great White Throne – where everything and everyone who is evil will be judged and found guilty for their sins – where righteousness and justice will prevail – and where sin and death will finally be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, along with Satan and his demons

-- this will occur at the end of the age, when Jesus returns to claim His bride and to establish His kingdom on earth forever

-- and this should be good news for us – it says right here in verse 9 that on this day – on the day that Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives in the same way He was taken up on the day of His ascension – that He will be glorified in His holy people and be marveled at among all those who have believed – and Paul tells the Thessalonians and tells us that this includes us – it includes all Christians -- because we have believed in the gospel of Christ and have received forgiveness of our sins and been reconciled to the Father through our faith and trust in Jesus

-- the second coming of Christ should be something that we long for – that we are looking for in anticipation and excitement – the same way little kids look for the coming of Christmas morning

-- the disciples were that way – they stood there so long on the Mount of Olives staring up into the sky after Jesus’ ascension that angels had to tell them to go and get busy – and all throughout the New Testament we read of how the people of faith are looking forward to the day of Jesus’ return – they are looking forward to His coming again

-- but that’s not what I’m hearing in the church today

IV. Closing

-- last weekend, the U.S. bombed Iran and it resulted in an increase of fear and uncertainty – President Trump’s base – the MAGA people – were actually split in their opinion of whether Trump should have authorized the bombing or not – and not for the reason you think – it had nothing to do with politics or whether it was justified or whether the US had the right to bomb Iran

-- instead, some people felt the US shouldn’t get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran because it might start a war in the Mideast, which would then usher in the end of days and the return of Jesus

-- believe it or not, there were many in the MAGA base and many Christians who opposed the attack on Iran and the U.S.’s involvement in the Middle East, simply because they felt it would hasten the coming of Christ – there was fear in their voices – they were scared at the thought of Jesus returning – and they said that we shouldn’t be doing things that might make Jesus come back soon

-- but, as some pundits on a Christian podcast I follow noted, “if this really is a prelude to Christ’s return, as many online end timers claim, why are they stoking panic and fear? Shouldn’t Christians welcome this news?”

-- as we read here and as we read throughout the New Testament, the coming of Christ is a good thing – the culmination of our faith – the moment when evil and sin and death are completely destroyed forever and the kingdom of God is finally established forever – that’s a good thing!

-- so, why the fear? – is it because we don’t understand how wonderful the coming of Jesus will be? – is it because our faith is weak, like Wesley’s?

-- the Bible makes it clear that the coming of Jesus is a good thing – for with His coming, we see the completion of our salvation and redemption – we no longer have this sin nature still residing in us and we no longer have the temptations of this world or the devil trying to lure us away from Christ – but we will live in complete holiness and righteousness and perfection in Him for all eternity

-- we will see the renewal of the earth and the heavens – right now, this world is broken – our climate is broken – and all of these natural disasters and other things we are experiencing is not what God had planned in the beginning – these are all the result of the fall – and the farther we get from Creation – the farther we get from the paradise of the Garden of Eden – the worse things will get here on earth

-- but when Jesus returns, He will recreate the earth again – there will be a new heaven and a new earth, for the old earth and the old heavens will pass away – we will live with Jesus forever in the paradise that He originally intended for us to inhabit – we will experience earth and Creation as God planned it – before sin entered this world and corrupted everything – that is something I am looking forward to

-- can you imagine going out into nature without experiencing mosquitoes and sunburn and poison ivy and dangers from wild animals or earthquakes or volcanos or hurricanes? – we will be able to live in total harmony and peace in God’s creation, enjoying it forever

-- and when Jesus returns, we’ll see the fulfillment of all prophecy and the fulfillment of all the promises of God – as we talked about, there will be no more sin or death – no more sorrow or tears – we’ll know what it means to live in a society at peace – with justice and righteousness the norm

-- and, finally, when Jesus returns, we’ll be able to spend eternity with Him – just being in His presence – just knowing Him and experiencing Him – as it says here in verse 10, glorifying Him and marveling at Him

-- can you image walking with Jesus by the seashore? – can you imagine sitting at His feet while He talks? – can you imagine what it would be like to see Him and hear Him and know Him in a real and personal way?

-- why are we scared of that? – why are we in fear of His coming? – why are we worried about the future? – it is going to be everything that we ever hoped for or longed for or dreamed about – it will be the ultimate life

-- this is not something to fear, but something to look forward to – something to be excited about – something to tell others about

-- I know there’s a lot of fear and worry and concern right now – but I’m telling you – don’t let that happen – live above it – live your life as a true believer in Christ – live in faith and trust – know that He has this – that our future is firm and fixed in Him – and that we are only walking through momentary troubles as we face a future of perfect holiness and righteousness with God forever

-- people are watching you right now – they’re looking to see how you are responding to the events of this world – to the things that are happening in your life

-- we are all walking through troubles right now – we’re all facing scary times – the things we are going through are not fun – they’re real and they’re hurtful and they’re not good

-- but we have to look past the storm to the sunshine and the rainbow – we have to look past the storm to the moment when that storm breaks and we are welcomed into the very arms of Jesus – either through death or when He returns to gather His church and to establish His kingdom on earth again today

-- we need to live as the disciples did – in faith and in trust of the One who died for us and rose again – who ascended into Heaven and who will come again to usher in the final kingdom of God

-- that is really what Paul is praying in the final verses of our passage this morning – look back at verse 11-12

2 Thessalonians 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ

-- may that be us – may we live lives worthy of our calling – may we walk by faith and in His power – may we desire goodness and do good things for Him – may God be glorified in us and through us – and may we be agents of His grace in this world today

-- and, with that, we will close

-- let us pray

Sunday, August 10, 2025

SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #4: THE INCARNATE SAVIOR

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 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 and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

-- once upon a time, three blonde women died and found themselves standing before the pearly gates -- St. Peter met them there outside the gate and told them they must pass a test before they could pass through the gates and enter heaven – Peter said, "all you have to do is answer one simple question -- What is Easter?"

-- the three blonde women all sighed in relief -- the first blonde turns to St. Peter and says "Oh, that's easy! Easter is the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey, and give thanks for all they have" -- "No, I'm sorry -- you're wrong!" St. Peter replies

-- he turns to the second blonde and asks her the same question, "What is Easter?" -- she replies, "Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and drink eggnog." -- St. Peter looks at the second blonde, shakes his head in amazement, and tells that her she's wrong, too

-- he then peers over his glasses at the third blonde standing there before him and asks, "What is Easter?" --The third blonde smiles confidently, looks St. Peter in the eyes, and says "I know what Easter is -- Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover -- Jesus and his disciples were eating at the last supper in the Upper Room and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane -- He was arrested, and then Pontius Pilate sentenced Him to death -- He was forced to wear a crown of thorns, and was hung on a cross with nails through his hands -- He was stabbed in His side with a spear -- He died on the cross for our sins and was buried in a nearby cave which was sealed off by a large boulder."

-- St. Peter smiles broadly with delight as the third blonde has answered correctly so far – but then she continues, "Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out...and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter."

-- so many people have it wrong about Jesus – they just don’t understand who He is or why He came to live among us – and so there are many false teachings and heresies concerning the person of Jesus

-- some people today still follow Arius’ lead and think that Jesus was simply a good man – a good moral teacher – a created being -- but not God

-- others think Jesus wasn’t real and is only a myth or a fable – others continue to believe like the Gnostics, and say that Jesus was only a spiritual being and wasn’t a man

-- and others think Jesus was just a conman and a magician, who fooled his disciples and the crowds with tricks and faked his own death and resurrection

-- we are in the midst of a sermon series on the Nicene Creed because of these misunderstandings and false teachings about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit – in this day of fake news and deliberate misinformation, we need to know the truth – we need to know the foundations of our faith – so that we can ascertain in our hearts who Jesus is and why He came and so that we can tell others about the hope and the faith that we have in Him and in the gospel plan of salvation

II. Who is Jesus?

-- this morning, we are continuing in our study by looking again at the second clause in the Nicene Creed that concerns the Lord, Jesus Christ – last week, we dove into who Jesus was in relation to the Trinity – how He was not a created being but was God from the beginning – the second person of the Trinity – of the same substance and nature and being as God the Father Almighty and the Holy Spirit

-- that’s why the writers of the Nicene Creed made sure to proclaim that Jesus was “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father” – and that through Him, all things were made

-- look back at verse 15, and you will see a passage that corresponds to this teaching in the Nicene Creed

-- going back to our foundational truth of who Jesus is as the Second Person of the Trinity, Paul writes here that Jesus is the "image" of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation – Paul is affirming here that Jesus is one with God the Father – one in substance – one in essence – one in being – Jesus is the physical manifestation of God the Father – the Word made flesh

-- these verses go on to describe the role of Jesus as the Creator of all things – verse 16 tells us that it was in Jesus and by Him that all things were created – things in heaven and on earth – visible and invisible – all things were created by Him and for Him

-- that means that Jesus – as the "firstborn over all creation" – existed before creation and cannot be a created being – He was and is and shall always be the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity

– so, contrary to the teachings of Arius, Jesus was not a created being – contrary to what the Mormons teach, Jesus was not Satan’s brother and not co-equal with Satan – Satan was created as Lucifer by Jesus and they are not brothers

– and, finally, contrary to the teachings of the Gnostics who said that everything physical was inherently evil, we see here that all things – visible and invisible – were created by Jesus – God does not create evil, so the physical world as Jesus created it was not evil

-- these verses sum up what we talked about last week and what the Bible makes so clear -- Jesus is God Himself – the Creator of all things – of one being and essence and nature with the rest of the Trinity

-- but we know that Jesus was also a person – a human – who was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary – that He ministered on this earth for about three years – and that He died on a Roman cross because of the will of the Jewish leaders

-- even secular historians support this truth – from the Jewish historian Josephus all the way up to modern historians, most are in agreement that Jesus was a real person who was born and lived and died in Israel in the first century

-- so, what does this mean? – how do we rectify the fact that Jesus was a literal man who lived and died in the first century AD with the fact that the Bible tells us that He was one with God and that He was God?

-- that’s what the next section of the Nicene Creed discusses – it tells us who this Jesus was and why He came and what that means for us as humans today in the 21^st century

-- the creed proclaims: “For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day, He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.”

-- so, the first thing we see is that Jesus was originally found in heaven – He was in heaven as God Himself – the second person of the Trinity -- that is what we talked about last week – and Paul brought that point home in verses 15-17

-- but the creed tells us that Jesus “came down” from heaven – what does that mean?

-- hold your place right here and turn over to Hebrews 2:14-18

Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

-- there’s a lot going on in these verses, so let me unpack this for you – as you remember, our whole problem started with the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden – when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit and sin entered into the world and into us – from that point on, all mankind was born with this sin nature inside of us that separated us from God and that caused us to disobey His word and sin against Him

-- but the problem was that we could not get rid of this sin nature on our own – as flawed and sinful human beings, we were incapable of following the law and of paying the penalty for our sins – and just like it says in Romans 3:23, because of that, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God – all of us are sinners and stand condemned because of our sinful nature and the sins that we have committed – and there was nothing we could do about it

-- we couldn’t earn enough to buy our way out of sin – we couldn’t do enough good things to make up for the bad that we did – we were lost and condemned and separated from God the Father with no way out

-- and because of God’s holy and righteous nature, He could not just forgive us out of hand – that would not be righteous – that would not be fair – that would not be just – we did wrong and we had to pay the penalty for the sins that we committed

-- the problem was that there was no human anywhere who could live a sinless life and fulfill the law and pay the penalty for themselves, much less for the rest of humanity

-- and that’s where Jesus comes in – it says right here in verse 14 that since the children – us – humans – since we have flesh and blood – Jesus shared in our humanity so that He could live a righteous and holy life in our place and by His death break the power of sin and death in our life – reconciling us to the Father through His own sacrifice on the cross

-- look at verse 17

Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

– for this reason – for our salvation – Jesus had to be made like us in every way – fully human – so that He might become our merciful and faithful high priest and make atonement for our sins

-- so, the Word became flesh – Jesus became a man – the technical term for that is “incarnate” – we see that in the creed – it reads that Jesus came down from heaven and was “incarnate” of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human

-- in order to save us, He had to become one of us – the Word made flesh – fully human – and fully God – that was the only way we could be saved

-- so, that’s what the creed is affirming when it says that He “came down from heaven” and “became truly human”

– He didn’t just appear in spiritual form and appear to be a human – it wasn’t a mirage or a trick or a mask He put on – no, the Bible makes it clear – Jesus became one of us completely – He shared in our flesh and blood – and was made like us in every way

-- that’s what Christmas celebrates – and that’s what we affirm and proclaim every Sunday when we light these two candles on the altar – they represent Christ in His dual nature as fully God and fully human

-- the Creed tells us that Jesus came down from heaven, “for us and for our salvation” – we see in that phrase the two-fold ministry of Jesus that we have already alluded to in our study so far

-- first, Jesus came for our salvation – He came to pay that penalty for our sins that we could not pay – so that through Him we might have everlasting life with Him

-- that’s John 3:16 in a nutshell, right? – “For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”

-- verse 17 goes on to say that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him

-- Jesus came down from heaven and became Man so that we might be saved from our sins and receive forgiveness and eternal life through grace by faith in His death on the cross

-- we read the same thing here in Hebrews – look back at Hebrews 2:14 – it says that Jesus shared in our humanity “so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death”

-- Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin are death – and that was the penalty that we all faced because of our sin nature and the sins that we committed against God – we lived in bondage to sin and death – we lived in slavery to sin and death – and Satan held that power over us because he was the one who originally tempted Adam and Eve and led to the introduction of sin into this world

-- but now Jesus has come to free us – to bring us salvation – by dying on the cross for us – by making atonement for our sins – atonement literally means that the payment for sin has been made – Jesus literally sacrificed Himself for us so that He might pay the price for the penalty of sin that we each owed

-- that’s the main reason Jesus came – the Bible makes that clear – but Jesus also came for another reason, and the writers of the creed point that out when they say that Jesus not only came for our salvation, but He came for us

-- this phrase points to the change that comes when we believe in Jesus and receive Him as our Lord and Savior – Jesus didn’t just come to die on the cross for us – He came to also show us how to live for God now in His power and strength

-- through His death and resurrection, Jesus replaced our sin nature with a new nature – He removed our hearts of stone and replaced them with new hearts that were filled with His presence – and with this new nature inside of us – with this power over sin and death that we have, we can live our lives free from sin and in obedience to God

-- for three years, Jesus lived among us as a righteous man – showing us how a human – remember, Jesus is fully human – how a human could live in righteousness and obedience to the Father – how we could live full and abundant lives right now as God intended

-- we do that by relying on Him and His strength and by being part of His church on earth – turn back to Colossians 1:18-23

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

-- in the previous verses, Paul spoke of Jesus' divine nature -- here he turns his attention to Jesus' physical nature and His position as the Creator of the new covenant

-- through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus created the church -- bringing all those who believe in Him and put their faith and trust in Him into His fold and making them part of His body -- when we express our faith and trust in Jesus' death and resurrection, the righteousness of Christ is given to us and we become one with Him

-- He was the first to rise from dead never to die again -- and with His body and blood He offers us eternal life with Him -- as we look forward to His return when all things will be placed under Him in His kingdom

-- in verses 19-20, we read of how Jesus reconciled us to the Father through His death on the cross – the same thing we read about in Hebrews

-- through His death on the cross and the blood which was shed, Jesus removed the curse on creation, destroyed the power of sin and death, and bridged the gap that had separated man and God since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden

-- the Bible tells us that once we were God's enemies -- once we were separated from God and alienated from His blessings -- but through Christ, we have been reconciled – and now live in peace with God because of the blood that was shed on the cross for us

-- and that means that we can now live in righteousness with God – we are no longer bound by sin and death – we are no longer held by sin’s grip, but are freed to live our lives as God intended

-- the power to do so is there – and Jesus lived among us for three years as a man in righteousness and obedience to the Father so that we would know how to live in the same way – now we have to make the choice as to whether we will live this way or not

-- even on this side of the cross, a lot of people still live with a victim mentality – “I can’t help but sin – I’m only a human – it’s just who I am – I can’t do anything else” – to quote Pastor Jeff Shreve, the Hebrew word in response to this is “Baloney” – that’s just an excuse so that we can continue to sin and live sinful lives in disobedience to God

-- in verse 23, Paul tells us here that we should continue in our faith – established and firm – and to not move out from the hope we have in the gospel – that means we are to live out our faith everyday – to believe the Bible when it tells us that Jesus has overcome sin and death and that we no longer have to live our lives trapped by temptation and sin

-- this means that we can choose to live obedient and holy lives as part of the church of Christ on earth today – to be His body – His arms and feet – showing others how to live as Jesus lived and how to find peace and reconciliation and salvation through Him

-- we’ve been studying Romans 6 in Bible study – and this whole chapter is about saying “no” to sin and living lives of righteousness through Jesus – as it says in Romans 6:2, “we are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” – and in Romans 6:11-12, we read, “in the same say, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus – do not let sin reign in your mortal body…”

-- in other words, stop making excuses and start choosing to live lives free of sin – it is a choice that we now have as Christians because of the power and presence of Christ within us – and He showed us how to live this way during the three years He lived and ministered to Israel with His disciples

-- so, the main take-aways that I want you to get today are these:

1. Jesus came down from heaven to be incarnate for us – He became fully Man and fully God

2. He came down from heaven for our salvation – He came to die on the cross and to pay the penalty for our sins through His atoning sacrifice in our place

3. He came for us – He came to claim us as His own and to show us how to live for God as His body on earth today – as the church – and that through His power and presence in our lives today, we can choose to be holy and righteous inside and out – and learn to say “no” to sin

-- that is what the Nicene Creed is affirming when it tells us “For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day, He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.”

-- next week, we’ll be looking at Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the promise that He is coming again in glory in the end of days

IV. Closing

-- let’s wrap this up -- I read about this family who took their first-grader on a car trip to Canada -- To help pass the time, the little six year old boy practiced his new reading skills by calling out road signs -- He fell asleep just before they entered Quebec

-- a short while later, he woke up and looked out his window at the highway signs, which were all written in French -- he was quiet for a moment and then said in a worried tone, "Mom, I think I forgot how to read while I was asleep."[forwarded by Michael Grice]

-- One of the reasons that the early church gave us the Nicene Creed was so that we don't forget what we believe and so we might not get led astray by the many false teachings that surround us everyday

-- C.S. Lewis wrote that more people leave Christianity because they have drifted away the truth and not because they have been argued away – and, in the same way, a lot of Christians fail to live holy and righteous lives today because they have fallen for the lies of the devil that we can’t do any better – that we can’t say “no” to temptation and sin, even though Jesus died for us to give us that power and to make us His body on earth to live out the truth today

-- this creed reminds us of who Jesus is and what He has done for us -- these truths were taken from Scripture itself and put in a form that distilled it down to its basic elements so that we might continue on in our faith and not drift away from the truth that both saves us and helps us live righteous lives in His name

-- so, as we close today, remember who Jesus is and why He came – and remember who you are in Christ – of the power you have in Him – and of the ability that we have to say “no” to sin in our lives today

-- may we hear the word of God and receive it in us today and live the abundant and full lives that He wants us to live

-- let us pray