SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #7: THE ONE AND ONLY CHURCH

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

 (Link to Youtube Sermon Video)

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 2:11-13

 

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

 

            -- in 1845, a potato famine occurred in Ireland – it lasted for about seven years, and it devastated the people there – physically, financially, and emotionally – the potato was the staple of their existence, and when this blight hit, killing the potatoes, there was widespread famine, death, and emigration out of Ireland to other areas for survival

            -- approximately one million people died of starvation and disease in Ireland during this seven-year period, with about one million more emigrating to other countries, including the United States

            -- at this time, Ireland was part of the British Empire, but England did very little to help the struggling Irish – in fact, the English landowners continued to export food from Ireland to England during the height of the famine, reducing the already dwindling food supplies for the Irish

            -- but one nation heard the call and responded – the Choctaw Nation of Native Americans – heard about the famine and the suffering of the Irish people – they empathized with the Irish suffering -- recognizing parallels in their own experiences of displacement and loss.

            -- as you may remember, the Choctaw had themselves endured suffering and hardship and forced displacement on the Trail of Tears, so they understood what the Irish people were going through

-- they collected and donated $170 to help the Irish – which doesn’t sound like a lot to us now, but it’s equivalent to around $5,000 today – and for the Choctaw, who were oppressed and financially destitute themselves, this would have been an offering and a sacrifice as great as the widow’s mite

-- but they recognized the need – they saw the Irish as their brothers and sisters – as people in need – and they responded to the call to help those who they saw as family

 

-- I bring this up this morning as we continue in our sermon series on the foundations of our faith as an example of how we are united with others across this globe and how we have a responsibility to share the burdens and sufferings of others

-- in a very real way, we see in the example of the Choctaw Nation’s outreach to the Irish a picture of what the church on Christ should look like on earth today – of the unity and oneness that we are called to by Christ Himself

 

-- this morning in this series on the foundations of the faith from the Nicene Creed, we find ourselves considering the question of who the church is and the ancillary question of what the church is supposed to look like and do

 

            -- 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 one holy catholic and apostolic church.

 

            -- before we begin to dive into an understanding of what the church is and what the church is to look like and do in this world today, let me reiterate one more time that the word “catholic” here means “universal” – it does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church

            -- don’t get that wrong – don’t misunderstand – catholic means universal – keep in mind that the Nicene Creed is accepted across the entire Christian faith, to include the Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, and the various protestant denominations, except for those who call themselves “non-creedal” even though there is nothing in this creed that they do not believe and accept

            -- these different Christian communities are not proclaiming faith in the Roman Catholic Church – instead, when we recite this creed and affirm the teachings of Scripture that are the backbone of this clause in the creed, we are proclaiming we believe in the one holy and universal church – so, keep that firmly in mind as we go through this study

 

II.  What is the church?

            -- since we’re talking about the church this morning, let me ask you this – how many churches do you think there are in Naylor – in this tiny little community here? (7)

            -- what about Valdosta? – how many churches do you think there are in Valdosta? – just a rough guess (216)

            -- nope, you’re all wrong – do you know how many churches there are in Naylor and Valdosta? – one – just as the Nicene creed affirms, the Bible tells us that there is only one church – the church of Christ on earth today

            -- what we call “churches” are really just subgatherings of members of this one universal church

 

            -- look back at Ephesians 2:11 and let’s explore this some more

 

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)

 

            -- Gentiles – non-Jews – Paul’s talking about us here – Gentiles were called the “uncircumcised” because they were not included in the covenant between God and the descendants of Jacob – the Jews – those are the ones Paul refers to here as the “circumcision” – referring to the sacramental and symbolic practice and sign that identified those who were part of the covenant of God with the children of Israel from birth

            -- so, Paul is talking about two groups of people here – the Jews – the circumcised – and the Gentiles – the uncircumcised – which is everyone else

– so, if you take the Jews and you add the Gentiles, the Bible is talking about everyone on earth here – no matter where you are from – no matter who your blood relations are

 

            -- keep that in mind and look back at verse 11 again

 

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

 

            -- so, the Gentiles – the uncircumcised – were separate from Christ and excluded from citizenship in Israel – we were not part of the covenant of God – we were not part of the promise of God that He gave to the descendants of Israel

            -- in other words, we – the Gentiles – did not know God and the promise of God and we were without hope for eternal life and salvation, because we were estranged from Him – we were separated from Him – we did not know Him and had no way to be included in the covenant of God that led to salvation and eternal life

 

            -- verse 13

 

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

 

            -- but now, we read, things have changed – but now, those of us who are Gentiles – those of us who were separated from God and not part of His kingdom – have been brought near by the blood of Christ

            -- the door to salvation and eternal life with the Father has been opened by the very blood of Jesus

 

            -- verse 14-18

 

Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

 

            -- as Gentiles – as those who were far from God – as those who were separated from God by our sins and our natures – who had no knowledge of the Law – who had no knowledge of the covenant – we were at war with God in our very spirits

            -- the Bible says that we were hostile against God in our nature and our thoughts – we had enmity against Him and against each other – both other Gentiles and Jews

            -- we lived in a constant state of war with God and with others – but Jesus, through His blood, destroyed the barrier that existed between us and God and between us and the world around us – so that we might be at peace with God and with others – and so that we might be one with each other and one with Him

            -- the cross brings peace – the cross brings unity – the cross unites Jews and Gentiles into one new humanity – into one new body – the body of Christ – the church

 

            -- that’s why the cross looks the way it does – it has the vertical component, which emphasizes that Christ’s death brought peace with the Father above – and it has the horizontal component, which emphasizes that Christ’s death brought peace with those around us – both Jew and Gentile

           

            -- flip over to Ephesians 4:4-6

 

Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

 

            -- there is one body and one Spirit – one Lord – one faith – one baptism – one God and Father over all

            -- what Paul is saying here is that through Jesus, we are one with all those who believe in Him and have accepted His free gift of the forgiveness of sins and salvation

            -- how many churches are there? – One

            -- how many bodies are there? – One – the body of Christ

– as the Nicene Creed says – there is one holy catholic universal body – holy, because the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us – the righteousness of Christ has been transferred to us – and we are one with Him and one with each other

            -- and this body of Christ isn’t captured in any one community of faith or any one denomination or any one group of people who claim to be the church – the body of Christ is universal

            -- and just like the Choctaw Indians saw a kinship with the Irish people during the potato famine, we have a kinship with each and every believer that exists on this planet – they are part of our body and we are part of them because we are joined through the blood of Jesus

 

            -- this really came home to me several years ago when Haiti had that great earthquake – a radio host I listen to came on the air and made a passionate plea for help – he said, “I need help – I need assistance – I need money – because my brother has been hurt – my sister has been hurt – and I need to help them”

– and then he went on to say that the people of Haiti – the believers who lived in that nation – were literally our brothers and sisters – they were part of our family – they were part of our body – and that we had a responsibility to help them in their time of need, just like we would help any of our blood relatives if they had a need

            -- but we forget that – we make artificial boundaries and put up artificial walls and tell ourselves, “It’s not our problem – they’re not part of our family or community or nation” – and we do nothing because we say to ourselves, “They’re not us – they’re not part of our family”

            -- but the Bible says differently

 

            -- verse 19-22

 

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

 

            -- we live in a divided world today – we divide ourselves based on race, nationality, politics, culture, gender religion, and social class – we even divide ourselves based on the college football team we support

– and so, we talk about different races -- blacks and whites – Hispanics – Asians – other races

-- we talk about different nationalities -- Americans and Canadians and Mexicans – Ukrainians – Russians – English – African

-- we talk about democrats and republicans and independents – conservatives and progressives – males and females – rich and poor

-- we create boxes for everyone and live in a box of our own description

 

-- the same was true in the first century, too – the world was divided up between the Romans and everyone else – between the Jews and the Gentiles – and, in this case, the Jewish believers were having a hard time accepting Gentiles into the church – that’s why we see the controversy in the New Testament over those who were teaching that Gentile converts had to become Jewish in all their ways before they could be accepted as believers

-- but the Spirit is teaching here that these divisions have been erased by the blood of Jesus – that as His blood covered us and justified us and His righteousness was imputed to us – that all of these divisions were erased – and we become one with each other

 

            -- as Gentiles, we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household – household could also be translated as “family,” so we’re members of God’s family

– and that is true for all who believe in Jesus – who have received Him as their Lord and Savior by trusting in His sacrificial death on the cross

            -- there is no “them” and “us” – there is only “us” – because there is only one body and one Spirit – one church – one people – formed and joined by the blood of Christ

            -- that’s why that radio host could truthfully say that his brother and sister were in need in Haiti, because even though they were of a different race and different nationality and there was no blood relation there at all, they were one in Christ and member’s of the same family and household – the church of Christ

            -- and that’s why we need to quit building walls and dividing ourselves and separating ourselves from other believers – because these are our brothers and sisters – these are people who are part of our very body – the church

-- Lil Dickson was a missionary to the mountain people of Formosa -- She told of going across miles of mountain trail, only to come to a long, high, swinging bridge, badly in need of repair -- A villager was directing her -- He would point out the loose boards, and the gaps where a board was missing

-- Finally, she asked fearfully, “Have people been drowned here?” -- “Oh, yes,” was his careless reply. -- “But it didn’t matter. They were from another village.”  

-- If Jesus was to ask us about how we act towards over believers in the world, what would we tell Him? -- “Yes, but it doesn’t matter. They are of another social class, another skin color, another nation. It really doesn’t matter.”

-- It does matter. It mattered to God. That’s why He sent Jesus. – it says in verse 15 that His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two – to erase all the differences – get rid of all that divides us – as Galatians 3:28 says, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

            -- and so, we proclaim, with all of God’s people, “we believe in one holy catholic church” – one holy universal church – the body of Christ

            -- that is the whole point that the Spirit was trying to make through the Apostle Paul in this section of the epistle to the Ephesians

            -- stop fighting amongst yourselves – stop dividing into separate groups and factions – because you are united in one body and one family and one household through Christ

 

III.  The Apostolic Church

            -- moving on -- in the Nicene Creed, this section says that we believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church – what does it mean by apostolic?

            -- the answer is right here in verse 20 – we read that the church – the body of Christ – is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone

            -- 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 says, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it.  But each one should build with care – For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ”

            -- so, when Paul says that Jesus Himself is the chief cornerstone of the church, he is saying that Jesus is the true foundation of the church – that the church is built on the body and blood of Jesus – on the finished work of Christ

            -- and now, Christ has called the apostles and the prophets to build up the household of God – the church -- on the foundation of salvation and justification and sanctification that came through the blood of Christ

            -- the apostles were those who were taught and instructed by the risen Christ – who were given their charge to go and spread the good news of the gospel and the kingdom of God to everyone else – so that those who heard the good news and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior might be added to the church – being added as living stones to build up a holy temple to the Lord

 

            -- There is a famous story from Sparta. A Spartan king boasted to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. The visiting monarch looked around and could see no walls. He said to the Spartan king, "Where are these walls about which you boast so much?"

-- His host pointed at his bodyguard of magnificent troops. "These," he said, "are the walls of Sparta, every man a brick."

-- The point is clear. – each bodyguard – each warrior – was a brick in the wall of the Spartan kingdom – together, they made the wall

-- the same is true with the church – each believer is a living stone that is being used to build the church of Christ on earth today – built on the foundation of Christ by the apostles and prophets

 

-- when the Nicene Creed says that we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church, it is referring to this passage and others were we read that the apostles, who were given the original gospel from Jesus Himself, spread that message and were used by the Spirit to bring others into the household of faith

-- over the last seven weeks, we have been looking at the foundations of our faith – the rest of the Nicene Creed that we have covered – these truths and the scriptures these are based on are the apostolic foundations of the church

-- for what Jesus passed on to the apostles were the spiritual truths that were of the utmost importance – and then the Spirit spoke to and through the apostles to grow the church – to share spiritual truths and to build on the foundation that Jesus Himself established

-- so, when we affirm the truths of the Nicene Creed – when we affirm the truths in the New Testament in the writings of the apostles and the prophets – we are standing on the foundation of faith that we inherited from them

 

-- in other words, our faith is linked to the original apostolic outreach and ministry – which, in turn, is based solely on the gospel message and person of Jesus Christ

-- that is why we proclaim in this creed that we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church – not “church” as in building or structure or denomination – but church as in the people of God who are saved through Christ Jesus and who are called according to His name to live for Him in this world today

-- our heritage – our faith – our being – traces back to Christ Himself as the cornerstone through the faithful teachings of the apostles and those that followed them

 

IV.  Closing

            -- so, what does all this mean? – if we proclaim that we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church, so what?

            -- does that mean that our responsibility and calling is to just come to this building one hour a week to hear the scriptures taught and sing a few songs together? – or does it mean something more?

 

            -- I read a story this week from an incident in France that I think speaks to the reason why Christ came and reconciled us with the Father and made us into one family here on earth

 

            -- an apartment fire broke out in a building in Paris earlier this week – this guy was sitting in his room in an adjacent building and looked out the window and saw smoke pouring out from the apartment next to him – a lady was leaning out of the window of the apartment on the sixth floor and was holding a baby outside to keep it out of the smoke

            -- people were screaming – the fire was raging – and no one knew what to do

            -- without hesitation, this man opened his window and climbed out on the narrow ledge – he followed it to the edge of his building and then jumped over to the ledge of the burning apartment – he made his way along the ledge and grabbed the baby from the woman and retraced his steps, handing the baby to someone in his building

            -- he then repeated his actions time and time again – rescuing two infants, two other children, and two adults

            -- in an interview later, he said, “Given the amount of smoke, they and their children could have suffocated – their last hope was to throw themselves out the window [knowing they probably wouldn’t survive] – Their lives were in danger – I didn’t think twice – [I just acted]”

            -- a government official lauded his actions to the press later that day, “Facing death, armed only with his bravery, he saved Naomie, her two children, a neighbor’s five-month-old baby, and her other one-and-a-half year old child – without a weapon – without a helmet – just his courage”

 

            -- in Ephesians 2:10, we read that we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

– who is that we? – it is the church – the holy catholic and apostolic church – and we were created by Christ and joined together through His blood to become one with each other so that we could do good works in His name

– so that we could live out our faith with each other and minister the gospel to those around us – sharing His love with each other and with those who don’t know Him yet

– plucking them from the fire and saving them from condemnation to hell and eternal separation from God by pointing them to the cornerstone of our faith – Jesus Christ – and His atoning death on the cross for their salvation

 

-- I want to close by leaving you with this thought – I have participated in the Kairos prison ministry from time to time – and in this ministry, we go into the prisons and we spend three days with a selected group of residents there – teaching them scriptures and discipling them and leading them to action in Christ’s name

-- the main intent of this ministry is to help the residents there reclaim the truth that we just read about in Ephesians 2 – that Christ died to reconcile them to the Father and to make them one body in union with Him and with each other – that together, the believers in that prison are the church of Christ in that place – and are one with those of us on the outside

-- we drill into them the message that they are the church – and the weekend ends when each speaker cries out, “Who is the church?” – and the residents and the workers all reply, “We are”

 

-- Who is the church? – We are – we are this one holy catholic and apostolic church – built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone

-- who is the church? – we are – and that means that we are called to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world today – as members of His family and His body to be the people who carry on the apostolic ministry and who share the good news of Christ with others by loving them and telling them about Jesus

-- who is the church? – we are

-- let us pray