SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #9: THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY

 

 Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

 

1 Corinthians 15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 

            -- several years ago, this couple was visiting the Holy Land with the wife's mother -- while they were over there, her mother got extremely sick -- and despite all the doctor's best efforts, she eventually died

            -- the man's wife was understandably distraught, so the husband went to the funeral home to see what could be done for his mother-in-law's body

            -- the funeral home director told him that it was very expensive to ship a body back to the United States -- and that it would cost at least $5,000 -- but, if the man wished, he could bury her in a special graveyard there in the Holy Land for just $150

            -- the man thought about it for only a second and said, "No, I don't care how much it costs -- we want her shipped home" -- the funeral home director said, "You must have loved your mother-in-law very much, considering that you would want to spend all that extra money to ship her home when you could just have buried her here"

            -- "No," the man said, "it's not that.  You see, I know of a case many years ago when you buried a dead man here in Jerusalem, and He came back to life on the third day.  I just can't run the risk."

 

            -- now I have a good relationship with Judie, so I can get away with telling jokes like that -- but this little story does introduce us to the final clause in the Nicene Creed, as we finish up our sermon series on the foundations of our faith

            -- this morning, we are going to be looking at the section of the Nicene Creed that proclaims,

 

“We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen”

 

            -- so far in this sermon series, we have looked at the foundational truths of who God the Father is – of the incarnation of the Son and what it means for Him to be fully man and fully God – why Jesus came to earth and the result of His death and resurrection for all mankind

-- we discussed the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives as Christians and in the world today – we discussed baptism and the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ – and this morning, we close our series by looking at one of the most important foundational truths that we have in the church -- the doctrine of the resurrection 

-- our religion hinges on the truth and promise of the resurrection and eternal life with Christ -- without the resurrection, we have no religion -- without the resurrection, our faith is in vain -- without the resurrection, we have no hope and we are wasting a perfectly good Sunday morning because we are here for no reason at all

            -- Gerald O'Collins put it this way:  "Christianity without the resurrection is not simply Christianity without its final chapter.  It is not Christianity at all."

 

            -- we sing in our hymns that our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, but it is the truth of the resurrection that proves Jesus’ claim to be God and that proves His victory over sin and death forever

-- so, we stand on the foundation of Jesus’ death – that He died on the cross at Calvary for our sins – and we stand on the foundation of the resurrection – believing that God raised Him from the dead three days later – and that, because of this, we will be forgiven of our sins and be raised to life with Christ for all eternity

            -- this is a foundational truth that is not optional – it is not debatable – it must be believed and trusted in – for you cannot be a Christian if you don't believe in the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the body

            -- so, this morning, we’re going to close out our series on the foundations of our faith by discussing the doctrine of the resurrection

 

II.  Scripture Lesson

            -- as we begin to consider the doctrine of the resurrection, let me share this fact about the promise of the resurrection with you – the idea and the promise of the resurrection did not originate with Jesus – it didn’t find its beginning in the gospels – it wasn’t developed by the Apostles or the early Christians at a later date

-- no, the promise of the resurrection is first found in the Old Testament, and was believed by many Jews through the time of Christ, with Orthodox Jews today still believing in the promise of the Resurrection

 

-- the Pharisees, who we tend to criticize so harshly in our readings of the Bible today, were believers in the resurrection – they looked forward to the end of the age when their bodies would be raised from the dead and they would live with God forever

– many Jews in Jesus’ day believed in the resurrection, even before Jesus’ death and before He rose from the dead -- Martha, Lazarus’ sister, made this same point when she told Jesus that she believed her brother would rise in the resurrection at the last day

-- and many saints in the Old Testament also put faith and hope in the resurrection -- in the Book of Job, Job proclaims in Job 19:25-27, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

-- In Isaiah 26:19-20, we read, “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

-- and in Daniel 12:2, it says, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

-- so, make sure you understand this – the promise and the doctrine of the resurrection are not something that we find only in the New Testament with Jesus – God Himself gave the Jews the promise of the resurrection when He established His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – and even before that, the promise of the resurrection from the dead was known and believed – we know this because Job knew of the promise of the resurrection, even though he was likely a Gentile who lived at the same time as Abraham

 

            -- so, let’s look now at the doctrine of the resurrection and the life of the world to come – look back at 1 Corinthians 15, beginning in verse 1-8

 

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

 

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

 

            -- as I said, the resurrection of Christ is the core of Christianity -- in fact, the emphasis of the early church was not on the cross like ours is today, but on the resurrection of Jesus

-- if you think about it, the church today tends to emphasize the cross, in our preaching – our teaching – our songs – and our symbology – we focus on the cross, for that is the place where Christ died to atone for our sins – but that only gives part of the picture, and doesn’t demonstrate the full scope of what Jesus did for us and what our faith is built on

-- I had a coworker in the Air Force who was granted a temporary security clearance that was higher than Top Secret – I’m not sure the official name, but he called it “Keyhole Clearance” – he said that he was given access to information and documents that were classified above secret – above top secret – but he wasn’t given access to all the information they included

-- instead, he was only given access to part of it, so that he could analyze only that small part, while others analyzed other parts of the same information – he said it was like looking through a keyhole at a room and describing only what you could see from that vantage point – but when his keyhole information was added to other’s keyhole information, together they told the entire story

-- that’s what it’s like when we focus solely on the cross and neglect the resurrection – we’re only emphasizing that one part that we can easily see and we don’t see the whole picture – but we need the full gospel of Christ – we need the Way and the Truth and the Life – if we are to fully understand and praise God for what He has done for us

-- we cannot neglect the resurrection or just distill it down to one day a year and just talk about it on Easter Sunday – for the resurrection is the heart of the promise that Jesus gave us and that His death on the cross pointed to

 

            -- the early Christians understood this – they lived with death – death on a cross was not foreign to them – they saw it every day – but the resurrection was a miracle – it was supernatural – it proved their faith and pointed to their future

-- and so, if you read the gospels and the epistles – if you read what the early church emphasized and taught – you’ll see their focus was not on the cross, but the resurrection and the eternal life they looked forward to

-- even when they respond to the suffering and the persecution they faced, the message was always future-focused – you can go through anything, because your hope is not in this world, but in the life to come – that because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, we look forward to the time when we will be raised as He was, to eternal life with the Father forever

 -- so, the resurrection was the emphasis and focus of the early church – and it was something that they could point to and proclaim to others, "The resurrection happened -- we saw it with our own eyes -- after Jesus died, He appeared to Peter and then to all twelve of the apostles -- and then He appeared to over five hundred other believers at one time -- He appeared to James, His brother -- and finally, He appeared to Paul"

            -- "if you want to know if the resurrection was real, ask us -- ask any of them -- we know that everything Jesus taught was true because He died and rose again -- and because Jesus died and rose again, we know that we will, too!"

            -- this emphasis on the resurrection doesn't negate the atoning death of Jesus on the cross -- but that happened in another realm -- the atoning of our sins -- the judgment that came against Jesus -- was in the spiritual realm -- no one watching Jesus die on the cross that day could point to Him and say, "Look, our sins are being taken away" -- it was only after the fact that the Spirit revealed just what had occurred on the cross as Jesus offered His body and blood as an atoning sacrifice for us -- the atonement of our sins is a spiritual truth, not a physical truth

            -- but the resurrection was different -- it happened in our physical world -- and the early Christians could point to it and say, "This proves Jesus was the Messiah"

 

            -- like I mentioned earlier, the Pharisees also believed in the resurrection -- it was one of the distinct differences that set them apart from the ruling Sadducees -- but their view of the resurrection couldn't make room for Jesus returning from the dead

            -- kind of like us, the Pharisees lived in the real world -- they believed in the immortality of the soul -- that at some point in the future, there would be a resurrection of the spirit and that all who died would be resurrected -- some to eternal life and others to eternal punishment

            -- they taught that they would be given a new body at this time and that believers would live with God forever -- but for the Pharisees, that was in the future -- that was something that would happen in the spiritual realm -- they never envisioned someone in their day walking out of a burial tomb three days after being crucified -- it was a matter of faith -- something that was talked about, but couldn't be proven

 

            -- but for Peter and James and all the other disciples and apostles, the resurrection ceased to be theory and became a fact -- their faith had been given sight

            -- in other words, they believed in the resurrection of the body because they had seen a dead man raised -- they knew, without a doubt, that Jesus was dead -- they had witnessed His crucifixion -- they had seen His body taken down from the cross -- they knew He was as dead as dead could be

-- even though Jesus had tried to tell them many times that He would be killed and would be raised from the dead on the third day, they didn’t understand – so on the day when Jesus was laid in the tomb, the thought that He might physically come back to life again never even crossed their mind

            -- but they learned otherwise – with their very eyes, they saw Jesus alive – risen from the dead --  not as a disembodied spirit -- but as a living, breathing person who spoke with them, ate with them, and let them touch Him

            -- as Peter said in Acts 2:31, "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. "

            -- the early Christians believed in the resurrection and taught the resurrection as fact and emphasized the resurrection as part of their faith -- not because they had been taught about it from a book – not because it was something they had learned from the Rabbis or the scriptures -- but because they had witnessed it with their very own eyes -- and that is why it became the most important part of Christianity and the emphasis of their message to others

 

            -- look at verse 12-13

 

1 Corinthians 15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

 

            -- now, as always happens, false teachings will begin to circulate in the church -- in this case, some people in the church at Corinth had apparently begun to teach that there was no resurrection of the dead -- a position similar to that of the Sadducees

            -- this had the people concerned -- if this was true -- if there was no resurrection of the dead -- what did that mean? – where did that leave them?

            -- so, Paul addresses the  false teaching about the resurrection here by pointing out that the evidence of Jesus' death and resurrection are proof that the dead will be resurrected at the last day       -- he tells the Corinthians, “If we preach that Jesus was raised from the dead -- if we are eyewitnesses of this fact -- how can you say that there is no resurrection?

            -- “If you believe in the resurrection of Jesus, then you have to believe in the resurrection of all of us -- because, if there is no resurrection, then Jesus cannot have been raised, either -- nowhere in the Bible does it say that only the Messiah will be raised from the dead -- it's all or none – and because Jesus is the firstfruits, the rest of us can look forward to the promise of the resurrection in our own lives, too”

 

            -- in John 11, when Martha told Jesus that she knew her brother would rise again in the resurrection at the last day, Jesus responded, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

            -- don’t miss that – “whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die” – with that statement, Jesus is telling us that the resurrection is for all – and the point that Paul is making here is that Jesus' resurrection is proof that His word will come true and that all believers will be raised to eternal life with Him

 

            -- now Paul shifts his focus and addresses the question of why the resurrection is important --  what does it matter? -- look at verse 14-20

 

1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 

            -- these false teachers had been telling the Corinthians that there was no resurrection – it wasn’t true – and Paul said, “If there is no resurrection, then that means Jesus wasn’t resurrected, either” – and the implications of that are profound

-- he goes on in these verses to point out that if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then we have no chance at being raised from the dead, either -- and, so, he makes the argument that if the resurrection didn't happen, then it doesn't matter what you believe, for we have nothing to stand on

-- you can believe that Jesus was the Son of God -- you can believe that He paid the penalty on the cross for you -- you can trust Him for eternal life -- but if Jesus didn't rise from the dead on the third day, then that’s as far as it goes – when you die, you die – and your existence is ended – there is nothing beyond death

-- but if there is an eternity beyond death, Paul says, you have to have the resurrection – because the resurrection proves that Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins and to reconcile us with the Father – and if that didn’t happen – if the resurrection didn’t take place, then we have not been saved – and we will awake after death to condemnation

-- our whole faith hinges on the proof of the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of our own bodily resurrection at the end of the age

           

            -- Do you see why I said that the resurrection of Christ is the most important aspect of Christianity? -- Do you see why the early Christians didn't just preach about the cross but emphasized the fact that Jesus rose from the dead?

            -- As Lee Strobel wrote, "The resurrection is the supreme vindication of Jesus' divine identity and his inspired teaching.  It's the proof of his triumph over sin and death.  It's the foreshadowing of Christian hope.  It's the miracle of all miracles."

            -- The resurrection of Christ confirms His deity.  It proves that He bore the price of our sins on calvary.  It proves that He has conquered satan and death.  It proves that there is an eternal life after physical death.  It proves that believers will one day be physically resurrected as well.

 

III.  The Resurrected Body

            -- there were two false teachings about the resurrection that Paul was countering here in the book of 1 Corinthians – the first was that there is no resurrection from the dead – and Paul has countered that by proving that since Jesus was resurrected, that proves that the promise of the resurrection is for us, as well

-- the second false teaching had to do with the form of the resurrection – how will we be resurrected? – what does the resurrection look like?

 

            -- many of those who believed in the resurrection, including the Pharisees, did not believe in a physical resurrection of the body – they believed the resurrection was only a spiritual resurrection

            -- this belief continued in the early days of the church, and was taught by various sects and cults – and it was in response to these teachings, that creeds like the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed were formulated

-- one such group who was very active in the early days of the church were the Gnostics -- this group believed that the material world was inherently evil -- and that we were nothing more than spirits trapped in a physical body

            -- they taught that the reason Jesus had come was to free us from our physical body by making possible the resurrection of the spirit – doing away with the body for eternity

-- they were steadfast in their beliefs that Jesus did not have a physical body when He was on earth -- and, if Jesus didn't have a physical body in the first place, then He was not physically resurrected but only spiritually resurrected and just appeared to have a physical body

-- so, what is the truth? – will we experience a bodily resurrection, or will we only experience a spiritual resurrection?

 

            -- look down at verse 42-44

 

1 Corinthians 15:42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

 

            -- Paul makes it clear here in these verses -- our resurrection is not a spiritual resurrection -- Jesus didn't die and be raised on the third day so that our spirits could be released from our physical bodies – Jesus didn’t die to put the physical to death -- Jesus died to heal us and make us whole again – He died that we might be resurrected to new life -- and this new life includes a new body

            -- Paul spends these verses comparing our old body with our new, resurrected body -- which he calls a 'spiritual' body

            -- now don't get confused with the term "spiritual" here -- Paul is clear that we are not going to be bodiless spirits -- we are going to have a body -- he is using the term "spiritual" here to distinguish it from our current, natural body

            -- Paul says that our natural body is perishable -- that it is weak -- that it is corrupt and dishonored – that is the result of the fall – that is the result of sin entering the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden – our bodies were corrupted – our spirits were corrupted – we were filled with this sin nature that allowed our fleshly desires to take hold

-- but Paul is pointing out here the restoration and healing that will occur when we are resurrected – we will be recreated as God originally intended us to be -- we will be given a new body to house our new spirit that we received through Christ – and this new body will be imperishable -- it will be filled with the power of God and it will be perfected through the grace of God

            -- our new body will be similar to the resurrected body of Jesus -- in 1 John 3:2, John wrote that "we shall be like Him"

            -- contrary to the teachings of the Gnostics, Jesus did not come back after death as a spirit -- but He came back with a physical body -- a new, perfect and imperishable body -- the disciples were able to touch Him and He was able to eat, so it had substance – but it was different from our bodies today – it was whole and healed and restored through the power of Christ

            -- when we are resurrected, the Bible tells us that we will be like Jesus -- we will not be resurrected as spirits -- but we will have a new body and a new spirit – and we will live with Him forever here on this earth

 

IV.  Closing

            -- let me close by sharing with you a story about Gilbert Haven -- Gilbert Haven was a Methodist Episcopalian Bishop -- he was known as an able writer, a zealous reformer, an earnest preacher, and an indefatigable laborer -- He died on Saturday morning, January 3, 1880, in Maiden, Massachusetts.

 

            -- In his last few hours of life, Bishop Haven's family allowed many of his friends to see him one more time in this life -- Many were near at hand -- Others were summoned by telegram and by messenger, until groups gathered around that couch, touched with the light of immortal glory, to muse over the transition from death unto life.

 

            -- A physician who was present said: "I never saw a person die so before." -- A fellow clergyman remarked: "To me it did not seem that I was in the presence of death. The whole atmosphere of the chamber was that of a joyous and festive hour. Only the tears of kindred and friends were suggestive of death. I felt that I was summoned to see a conquering hero crowned."

 

            -- Bishop Haven's last words were: "Oh, but it is so beautiful, so pleasant, so delightful! I see no river of death. God lifts me up in His arms. There is no darkness; it is all light and brightness. I am gliding away into God, floating up into heaven." -- and, with a final breath he proclaimed: "I believe in the resurrection of the body!"

 

            -- when we stand and say together, "I believe in the resurrection of the dead," we are proclaiming our belief in Jesus -- we are proclaiming that we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior -- we are proclaiming that we believe that God raised Him from the dead on the third day -- and we are proclaiming that we believe that we will be physically raised from the dead and given a new body, just as Jesus was raised from the dead

 

            -- and so, we end our sermon series on the foundations of our faith – and I would like to close today by joining together to share holy communion as the body of Christ here in this community of faith – and I would like us to recite again the Nicene Creed, as the final proclamation of what we believe and what we stand on as the people of God, saved by Christ for eternal life with Him

            -- so, please turn in your hymnals to page 880 or read along on the handout I gave you, and let’s recite the creed together, and then we’ll share holy communion following our last hymn

 

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.

 

 

            -- let us pray

SERMON: REMEMBERING OUR FIRST LOVE -- REFLECTIONS ON THE RESPONSE TO THE DEATH OF CHARLIE KIRK

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Revelation 2:1-5

 

Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

 

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

 

            -- this was a week marked by anger and violence – as I’m sure you all know, Charlie Kirk, an influential right-wing activist and close ally of Donald Trump, was murdered while he spoke to a gathering of students at a university in Utah

            -- I came home Wednesday to the breaking news on TV and social media accounts that were filled with information and commentary about the event – I watched for a few moments and popped on Twitter and Reddit to see what was going on there -- but to be honest, I did not know who Charlie Kirk was – I didn’t know what he stood for – I didn’t know anything about him – I didn’t understand this national response to his passing

            -- I had heard his name and ran across it on political posts – I knew he was conservative and aligned with MAGA and had something to do with Turning Point USA – but other than that, I didn’t know anything about him – good or bad

            -- I looked him up after the event to get an idea of who he was – and although I disagree with many of his political stances and cultural commentaries – my heart breaks for his death and especially for his wife and his two young children that he left behind – I grieve for them, just as I grieve for the kids who were killed in a Colorado school that same day – just as I grieve for the people in Gaza, as they suffer the brutality of war and are experiencing horrors that we simply cannot imagine

            -- I grieve for this world – and my heart breaks because of all the violence and pain and the wars and rumors of war that we see today – this is not the way it should be – and I join with God’s people in praying for His will to be done – for His peace to come – for His Kingdom to be made manifest – on earth as it is in Heaven

            -- grief is normal – it is natural – it is sharing God’s heart and God’s love for all His people in times of violence and injustice and hurt

            -- but that is not what I want to talk about today – instead, I want us to consider the other thing that marked this week besides grief – and that was the anger that roiled out through political messages and especially social media

            -- I have never seen nor heard such hatred and vitriol and harsh language in the news and on social media and from the lips of our elected officials as I did this week – I understand that Charlie Kirk’s death was a shock to many – and I know now that he was much admired and much loved by many in this country – but that is not an excuse for the hatred that poured across our media this week

            -- I have a good friend that I have known for over 40 years – I know him to be a man of God – he works as an administrator in a local church – I have served with him on the Walk to Emmaus and on the Chrysalis weekends multiple times – we’re friends in real life and friends on Facebook

            -- and when his response to the death of Charlie Kirk came across my Facebook feed, I was dumbfounded – it was so hate-filled – it was so horrific – accusing one political party and everyone who belonged to that political party of being evil atheists and satanists and pedophiles and everything else you can imagine – he called for all of them to be hunted down and prosecuted for the death of Charlie Kirk, even though this senseless act of violence was perpetrated by a lone gunman

            -- when I read that post from him, I just couldn’t believe it -- and I’m not just singling my friend out – he was not the only one that posted such dangerous and rash messages on social media – my Twitter and Reddit and Facebook feeds were incredible this week – they were heart-breaking – as people on both sides expressed their feelings in ways that were not acceptable

– I can understand the world reacting harshly to the news of Charlie Kirk’s death or the death of a similar well-loved and well-liked person from either side of the political and cultural spectrum – I can understand the world castigating others and pouring out hatred and vitriol on those who don’t agree with them because of acts like this

-- they can’t help themselves – this is all they know – they don’t have the love and the peace of Christ in their hearts – they are not led by Christ but by the god of this age, who rejoices when violence and hatred and injustice reign

– but that is not the way of Christ – and that is not to be the way of Christians

– we – the people of God – the people saved by the grace and mercy of God and forgiven for our sins through the very body and blood of Christ sacrificed on the cross of Calvary for us – filled with His presence and sealed with His Holy Spirit – we should never have hate-filled words and messages on our lips or on our tongues – this is not right – this is not the way of Jesus

 

-- when we consider the Book of Revelation and especially Christ’s letters to the seven churches, there are many who contend that the churches in our day most closely resemble the church of Laodicea – the church that was rebuked by Jesus for being lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – a church that did not have true love or true deeds but was marked by self-sufficiency and self-justification

-- and while there is some truth in that and we can see that in our churches today as we turn a blind eye to the cries for help from those outside the church while focusing on ourselves, I think that we can rightly say that we also share a heritage with the church at Ephesus

 

-- Look back at Revelation 2:1-3

 

Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

 

 

-- I believe the church at Ephesus represented the first generation of believers who founded communities based on the apostles’ direct teachings – they were counter-cultural – they were counter-religious for their day

-- where other religions were based on works and appearance and power – the early church reflected the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, and sought to live out the example that Jesus had left for them – they tried to live holy and good lives in pagan cultures – they lived in grace and mercy with one another and worked hard and persevered against evil and injustice – they held to the faith and stayed true to the doctrines and teachings of Jesus – they endured hardships and suffered greatly for their faith

-- and we can certainly say that there are many churches and communities of faith in our world and our country today that look like this – who stand firm for the faith and who try to live right and righteous lives for Christ

-- but there’s more to being a Christian than that – on the night that Jesus was betrayed – as He was pouring out His heart to His disciples in the Upper Room before He left them for the cross, Jesus gave them one final command and prayed to the Father one final prayer on their behalf

-- in John 13:34-35, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

-- Jesus called this a “new command,” but really it was not new, for the disciples had heard it before – in response to the question, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”, Jesus responded in Matthew 22:37-40, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”

– and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had commanded that our love extend even to our enemies – In Matthew 5:44-48, Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

-- so, the disciples had heard this command to love one another before – but in this context and this setting, this was a new command because this was to be the governing commandment in their lives from now on – they were to love everyone, even their enemies – their lives were to reflect the love that Christ had for them – and they were to be known by that love

-- this new command was a new way of life – and because of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross and our empowerment through the presence of the Holy Spirit – we would be able to live in love as Jesus did – not loving as the world loved – but loving as Christ Himself – loving one another – even our enemies – as Jesus loved them

-- and when Jesus prayed in John 17:22-23 that His disciples and the church would be one, just as Jesus and the Father would be one, it was love that was to be what united them and bound them together – not doctrine – not deeds – not adhering to a written standard of faith – but love

-- it all comes down to love – that is the message – that is the command – love is to be who we are – love is to be how the world knows us – love is to be what defines us as Christians

 

-- and that’s why it’s so heart-breaking to read Jesus’ rebuke of the church of Ephesus here in Revelation 2 – look back at verse 4-5

 

Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

 

-- this church – this church that we would look at and think is the best example of who we could be – this church that was in the world doing good things and holding firm to the truth of the gospel and standing up for righteousness in the world – who persevered through sufferings and trials and temptations – this church had a problem – it had lost its love

-- it had forsaken the love it had at first – it had gotten so wrapped up in doing what was right and teaching what was right that it forgot the underlying foundation that it stood on – it forgot the command to love one another as Jesus loved us

 

-- this is what I saw this week – this is what I heard this week – from politicians and elected officials – from the mainstream media – and especially on social media

-- like I said, we can understand a lack of love coming from the world and from those who don’t know Christ – but I saw this same lack of love coming from Christians and those who proclaim the name of Christ every day

-- the one thing about social media that is so bad is the anonymity of it – Twitter and Reddit and Instagram and all the other social media sites bring with them anonymity – on these feeds, you don’t know most of the people who are posting – you don’t know the groups that are speaking – and you have to be aware of that – and you have to know that some of the posts are not real, but generated by bots or automated accounts simply to spread misinformation and dissension for their own nefarious purposes

-- if you are on those sites – if you absorb the posts on those sites – even filtered through the site’s algorithm that feeds you what you want to see – know that you are getting the messages and thoughts from both Christians and the world – and just because someone claims to be a Christian, doesn’t mean they are

-- Facebook is a little different, because there you are supposed to only see posts from “friends” – and friends is in quotes – people that you know and that you trust and that you have allowed to speak into your life

            -- and that’s why my friend’s post shook me so badly – because I know him – I know his heart – I know him to be a man of God – but the emotions of Wednesday overcame him and he allowed the enemy to speak hatred and vitriol and dissension in a way that shouldn’t have occurred – and certainly, shouldn’t have been made public in such a forum

            -- he forgot his first love – he forgot Jesus’ command to love one another as Jesus loved us

 

            -- unfortunately, my friend wasn’t the only one – I read post after post on various social media sites and saw message after message from politicians and elected officials castigating those from other political parties and those who did not agree with their opinions on cultural and social issues – to the point where some were even calling for violence and persecution against those on the left – not because they had done anything – but simply because of what they believed

            -- that is wrong – that should not happen – we expect this from the world – but this should never be the response of a person who calls themselves a Christian – who has been saved through the love and grace and mercy of Jesus Christ

            -- as Christians, we are supposed to be known for one thing and one thing only – not deeds – not righteousness – not holding to right doctrine – Jesus said we are to be known for our love – and it is in this love and through this love that we are to be united and one with each other

            -- that is the way – and that should be how Christians respond to horrific acts of violence and injustice – whether they are perpetrated against someone on your side of the political or social spectrum or on the other – violence and hatred and vitriol are never acceptable responses for Christians

            -- in Romans 12:2, we are told, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind – then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will”

            -- for too long, we in the church have allowed politics to mold us and shape us far more than the word of God – we reflect the politics of this country more than we reflect the character and nature and love of Christ – to the point where we equate being a Christian with being a patriotic American

            -- to this, I can only say, “No, No, No” – we are not to be conformed to the pattern of this world – we are not to imitate this world – we are not to reflect the social and cultural and political values of this world – we are to be in this world but not of this world

            -- as Christians, we are members of the Kingdom of God – we are citizens of the King – and we should reflect His values and His nature in this world today – we should reflect and live out His love in the world today

            -- we are not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed into the people that God has called us to be through the renewing of our minds – this is the way – this is who we should be

 

            -- turn over to 1 Corinthians 13 and we’ll try to wrap this up – we’re all familiar with 1 Corinthians 13 – it’s a common passage for us to read at weddings – the “Love Chapter”, we call it

– but when the Apostle Paul penned these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they were not reserved for newlyweds – they were for the church – they were for life -- they were for us to hear and to live out in our lives as we seek to love one another as Jesus loved us

            -- look with me now at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

 

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

8 Love never fails.

 

            -- the Bible tells us that God is love – and Jesus prayed that we would be one with each other and one with Him – that we would be united in His love – that we would love one another and even love our enemies – as He loved us

            -- what does that mean? – what does that look like? – How do we do that?

 

            -- God tells us right here – this is the way we are to live – this is the way we are to respond to those who disagree with us – this is the way we are to respond to troubles and trials – to violence and crime and wars and injustice – this is the way we are to love

            -- Jesus calls us to love one another by being patient – by being kind – by not envying – not boasting – by not being proud, but humble

            -- the love we are called to is not dishonest nor dishonoring – it is not self-seeking – it is not easily angered – it keeps no record of wrongs

            -- true love remembers the depths from which Christ pulled us and the glory to which He brought us and calls us to do the same – to easily forgive – to easily show love to everyone

            -- our love should never delight in evil – whether that is the evil of a gunman who takes the life of another for no reason or whether that is the evil that comes from our lips in response to events like this – our love should rejoice with the truth – and speak the good news of Christ to all

            -- it is the love of Christ in us that protects us, that always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres – this love never fails

            -- this love is what we are called to show to one another – in word, and in deed, and in thought

 

            -- in 2006, Charles Roberts went into a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and took the children hostage -- eventually killing five girls between the ages of 6 and 13 before he committed suicide

            -- for weeks, the nation was fascinated with this story -- not so much the horrific story of the events in the schoolhouse, but the story of how the Amish parents and the Amish community responded to the Roberts family in the aftermath of the event

            -- how would you have responded? -- what if it was your family -- your children -- your grandchildren -- that were killed? -- I shudder to think what the response of my heart might be

            -- but the Amish responded with love in such a way that the world could not understand – they responded with the love that Christ calls us to in His command to love one another

-- immediately after the shooting, Jack Meyer, a member of the Brethren community living near the Amish in Lancaster County, explained: "I don't think there's anybody here that wants to do anything but forgive and not only reach out to those who have suffered a loss in that way but to reach out to the family of the man who committed these acts." [Wikipedia: Amish School Shooting]

            -- hours after the shooting, members of the Amish community visited Roberts' widow, parents, and in-laws and extended forgiveness to them -- "One Amish man held Roberts' sobbing father in his arms, reportedly for as long as an hour, to comfort him" and 30 members of the Amish community actually attended the funeral of the man who had killed their children

            -- Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer, wrote a letter to her Amish neighbors thanking them for their forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love -- She wrote, "Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you."[Wikipedia: Amish School Shooting]

            -- this is the way – this is the command – this is what we are to do – love one another as I have loved you

 

            -- before I close, let me leave you with some recommendations on what to do – practical things you can do outside of following the commands of Christ and the call to love as He commands in 1 Corinthians 13

            -- first, when something horrific happens, like the assassination of Charlie Kirk this week – if it does not personally affect you and threaten you or your family or your immediate community –  if you are not in danger at the moment -- then let me strongly urge you to take a moment and detach yourself from the event

            -- take a pause – stay off media – don’t look at the news and their 24-hour doom-casting – and especially, stay off social media – for at least 24 hours

            -- give it time – give the nation time to get past the raw emotions of the event – most of the time, the immediate news that comes out and the immediate emotional posts that follow events like this are not accurate and are too emotionally based to be reliable – give it time before you let yourself be affected by the news and the social media posts

 

            -- second, before you post anything, think about it – take a moment – write it – take a break – get a drink of water – let it sit for a while – and then go back to it and read what you wrote – let someone else read it, too, and ask them what they think

            -- do not react and respond immediately to anything you read or hear or see – don’t let your emotions and your thoughts rule you – but take every thought captive to Christ and ask yourself these things about your post or your email before you hit the share button:

 

            1)  Is it helpful -- physically, spiritually, and mentally? -- 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial"

 

            2)  Does it bring me under its power?  -- the second part of 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything"

 

            3)  Does it hurt others? -- 1 Corinthians 8:13 says, "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall"

 

            4)  Does it glorify God? -- 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"

 

            -- I believe that a lot of the posts and comments that were shared by Christians in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death were emotional reactions in the moment – I pray that these thoughts and the hateful comments and posts that I saw do not reflect the true hearts and natures of these people who claim to know Christ

            -- it is always better to take a moment and formulate a plan and a thought and then to respond with grace rather than just share something hurtful and hateful as an instant reaction to the event

 

            -- I promise – I’m going to wrap this up right now

            -- earlier this week, I shared a story from Sean Dietrich on Facebook about an experience he had while walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrim’s trail – he met an older gentleman in a restaurant after a long day’s walking – and this man shared with him a story unlike any he had ever heard

            -- this man said that when he was in his 40s, he had suffered a massive stroke and died – he said that he left his body and watched as the paramedics rushed him to the hospital – and then he was caught up to a place of whiteness – of just white light that enveloped everything

-- allow me to quote Sean’s post to you: 

 

“The old man spoke of the family members he was reunited with. He told of the movie-like review of his earthly life’s events. He spoke about meeting God, who, as it turns out, was nothing like he expected, and did not resemble Charleton Heston.

But mostly, the little man described an overwhelming, awe-inducing, bone-crushingly intense realization of love. Everything is made of love, he explained. Love is the atomic matter of life itself.

Love, the man said, is the glue that binds all things. Love inside, outside, above, below, everywhere.

Love before us. Love behind us. Love on our right. Love on our left. Love is the empty space between objects. Love, love, love. There is no death, only love. Even our mistakes are somehow made of love.

By the end of his story, our small group of dusty pilgrims was listening with slack jaws. The priest was staring into his empty beer glass.

“I was given a choice,” the old man said. “I was told that if I came back, life would be hard for me because of my stroke. I was told there would be pain. But I chose to leave that realm, and come back.”

“Why?” said the young woman beside me. “Why would you ever leave?”

The old man smiled. “Oh, ma petite. Because I have a message to share.”

“What message?” the priest asked.

The old man smiled again. “You just heard it.””

 

            -- whether the old man’s story was true or not – whether he really died and went to heaven and experienced what he said he did is irrelevant – because his message stands alone

            -- the Bible agrees with him – love is the glue that binds all things – love before us – love behind us – love on our right – love on our left – love, love, love

            -- God is love – and we are called to love one another as He has loved us – to love everyone – even our enemies – even those who don’t agree with us politically – even those who are different from us culturally and socially

            -- love one another – love that person that is woke – love the person that is ultra maga and a Trump supporter – love the person that is a lukewarm moderate – love the person that is politically disengaged – love the person that doesn’t look like you – that doesn’t believe what you believe – that doesn’t stand for what you think is right

            -- love them just as Jesus loved everyone and went to the cross for everyone – no matter how great a sinner they were – love them in that same way

            -- love, love, love

            -- to quote the great philosophers of old from Liverpool, “All we need is love – dum-de-dum-de-dum—all we need is love”

 

            -- let us pray

 

 

 

 

 

SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #8: ONE BAPTISM

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 [Sermon Video]

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles 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.

 

            -- as we open up this morning, I want to share with you a mostly true story, with only slight exaggerations, about a conversation that I had with a Baptist preacher on the Walk to Emmaus

            -- we were sitting at the clergy table at the back of the room, and we began to discuss baptism – as a true Baptist, my friend said that the only acceptable form of baptism was immersion – and that the Methodists were erring by baptizing people who joined the church by sprinkling or by pouring

            -- we discussed this off and on over the course of the morning, and he was steadfast in his convictions – so, I asked him, “Okay, how much water is necessary for it to be a biblical baptism? If I go into the river and go up to my chest, is that sufficient?” – he said, “No, it’s not”

            -- I said, “Okay, what about if I go in the water up to my chin? – will that work?” – “Nope, not good enough”

            -- “Okay, what if I go in up to my forehead?” – “Nope, still not enough”

            -- “So, if going in up to my chest or my chin or my forehead is not enough to be baptized, you’re saying that the most important part is the top of my head, right? – So, why isn’t sprinkling the top of someone’s head sufficient?” – I thought he was going to lose his mind

 

-- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on the foundations of the faith from the Nicene Creed – and today, we find ourselves concerned with the sacrament of baptism

 

            -- to get us started, 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 beginning of the third paragraph:

 

            -- We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

 

II.  Baptism

-- so, what’s the deal with baptism? – why does the Bible emphasize this sacrament and tell us in so many places that we are to be baptized to be in the faith and to be part of the church? – and why is there so much controversy and division about this sacrament?

 

-- I told you a few weeks ago about the filioque clause, that section of the Nicene Creed where the western church added three words to the Nicene Creed to proclaim that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son, where before the creed just said the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father – and, if you remember, we talked about how adding those three words caused a split between the eastern and western church

-- well, the sacrament of baptism is just as controversial as the filioque clause in some circles, with some churches like the Southern Baptists standing on the claim that immersion is the only acceptable form of baptism -- other churches carry this even further, saying that salvation comes through baptism, and that if you are not baptized through immersion, you are not saved – and then you have some churches and denominations, like the Methodists and the Anglicans, who take a more liberal view of the sacrament of baptism and who say that the form of the act doesn’t matter -- that immersion, sprinkling, and pouring are all acceptable forms of baptism per the Bible – and that’s even before we get into the topic of infant or children’s baptism

-- so, without a doubt, the understanding of the sacrament of baptism is highly controversial –I’m going to lay out for you my understanding of baptism and what I believe the Bible means when it tells us we are to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins – just keep in mind that a lot of good Christians have different understandings of baptism and you may encounter those who disagree with my – and your -- interpretation of the Scriptures

-- as always, I would encourage you to be like the Bereans from Acts 17 and examine the Scriptures for yourself and ask the Spirit to confirm in you the truth about the sacrament of baptism – and know that it’s okay for you to disagree with me on this – it won’t hurt my feelings, so long as you have studied the Scriptures and come to a conclusion that you feel is the correct biblical view of the sacrament

 

-- so, before we dive into the issue of “one baptism” that we read about here in Ephesians 4 and that the Nicene Creed affirms, let’s discuss baptism in general

 

            -- flip over to Acts 2:36-37

 

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

 

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

 

            -- when God sent the Holy Spirit upon the church at Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached the message of salvation and told the Pharisees and Jews who had gathered for the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem the good news of Jesus Christ

            -- Peter told them about the cross and the resurrection – that the same Jesus that all the people and the Sanhedrin had crucified, had died on the cross and rose again on the third day in victory over sin and death, confirming that He was both Lord and Messiah

-- as Peter spoke through the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the people were convicted of their sin – they felt the weight of their guilt – and they realized the truth of the Bible when it says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

-- in response to Peter’s preaching, the people cried out, “What must we do? -- we know now that the law won’t save us -- we know now that our good works can’t get us to heaven -- what must we do in order to be saved?”

            -- and Peter lays out for them the path to salvation in verses 38 and 39

 

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

 

            --  Peter tells the people to “repent” -- to repent means that you confess to God that you know who you are and you know what you’ve done -- you take ownership for the sins that you have committed and you agree with God that you are guilty and that you stand condemned for your sin -- deserving of death

            -- through repentance you ask Him to forgive you of your sins through Jesus -- to let Jesus’ death and suffering on the cross stand as payment for what you have done -- and then you agree to turn around and follow God by trusting and believing in Jesus

            -- to repent means you literally go in another direction – it means that you stop doing what you’ve been doing and you start following God and His commands

            -- repentance is the beginning of salvation as you realize what Jesus has done for you and you turn from your sins and begin to follow Him in faith, believing in His atoning death for you on the cross of Calvary

           

            -- Peter tells the people to repent, but he doesn’t stop there – in verse 38, Peter says, “In order to be saved, you must repent and be baptized – in order to be forgiven of your sins, you need to do both” 

 

            -- I read a story from Bob Beasley, who is a pastor in Canada, about the time he carried his three-year-old daughter with them to a baptismal service -- she just couldn’t understand what was going on -- when the pastor immersed the candidate and put them under the water, his daughter exclaimed in surprise, "Why he pushed that guy in the water? Why, Dad, why?"

            -- later that night, they tried to help her understand what was going on -- they talked about what she had seen and told her that when people decide to live for Jesus and "do good" they want everyone to know and so they get baptized -- they explained to her that the water symbolizes Jesus' washing people from sin -- and that when they come out "clean," they are going to try to be "good."

            -- but it was obvious that his daughter still didn’t quite get it -- she responded, “Well, if he has been bad, why didn’t the preacher just spank him?”  [Source:  Preaching Today Illustration from Bob Beasley, pastor of Gregory Drive Alliance Church, West Chatham, Ontario, Canada]

 

            -- that’s the great thing about grace -- we don’t have to be spanked because Jesus was spanked for us -- we don’t have to suffer the punishment for our sins because Jesus was punished for us

            -- so, when we humble ourselves and ask Jesus to forgive us for all we have done wrong -- when we repent of our wicked ways and follow Him in faith, the Bible tells us that Jesus gives us eternal life and it tells us that one of our first acts as a Christian is to offer ourselves to Him through the sacrament of baptism as we read here in this verse

            -- while we understand and believe that salvation comes only by grace through faith, the Bible confirms that salvation is brought to life through repentance and baptism, which are linked together as the tangible steps necessary to bring about salvation and the forgiveness of sins and eternal life

 

            -- baptism is an outward expression of an inward grace -- it is a symbolic act that proclaims to the world the inward change that has occurred in our hearts and in our spirits when we put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior

            -- baptism signifies our new life in Christ that began by grace through faith with the forgiveness of our sins – baptism is the act that incorporates us into the body of Christ -- and makes us one with Christ and one with the church

 

            -- baptism is what we call a sacrament -- the word sacrament literally means “sacred moment” -- what this means is that when we are baptized, not only are we present in the act -- but God Himself is present and is pouring out His grace upon us

            -- that is what makes this act of baptism so special and so meaningful in our lives -- it’s not just us -- it’s God with us

            -- and while we use water to represent the waters of creation and the cleansing of sin in our lives -- we have to keep in mind that the word baptism is more inclusive than just being immersed or sprinkled with water – that when the Bible talks about baptism, it is primarily referring to the inward spiritual washing of your soul and spirit with the blood of Christ

-- so, when we are baptized – when we go through this sacrament as part of our Christian experience -- we are being baptized with both water and the Spirit – it is both physical and spiritual – an outward sign of an inward grace

-- when we are baptized, the presence of God through the Holy Spirit is made alive in us to raise us up from the old life to a new life in Christ and to empower us to live that new life in victory

 

            -- because the water is used only as a symbol of what Jesus has done within us, I don’t believe it really matters how much water you use, although some will argue that you have to be immersed completely when you are baptized

            -- that’s why we baptize in the three methods that have been used throughout the Bible -- immersion, sprinkling, and pouring -- and we leave it up to the choice of the person being baptized as to how they would like to be baptized

            -- I like the symbolism of immersion – given the choice, I think immersion is the better way for baptism because the act of being placed beneath the water and rising up from it symbolizes to the world and to all those watching the spiritual reality that has occurred in our lives as we have died to our former self and our sin nature and have risen to new life with Christ, having our sins washed away forever

-- but there are times when immersion is just not an option – think about the thief on the cross with Jesus – I believe he was saved – I believe he put his faith and trust in Jesus for salvation – even though he did not undergo baptism with water in any form – his was truly a baptism of the heart – a spiritual baptism as the Spirit washed him clean through the blood of Christ

-- in our day, think about someone who is incapable of being immersed – perhaps they are bedridden or in the hospital and could not be safely immersed in water – since I believe the act of baptism is an outward symbol of an inward grace, it is certainly acceptable for these people to be baptized by sprinkling or pouring since the true act of baptism has occurred inwardly – within their heart and their spirit

 

            -- so, if there are many acceptable ways to baptize new believers – such as immersion, sprinkling, or pouring -- what does the Bible and the Nicene Creed mean when it says that there is only “one baptism?”

            -- the one baptism that the Bible talks about here is not referring to the physical act of baptism that typically involves water as a sign of cleansing from sin – that is symbolic – an outward sign of an inward grace

            -- the “one baptism” that the Bible talks about is the baptism of the believer with the Holy Spirit, as someone comes to put their faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him – the “one baptism” is the act of justification, as a person repents of their sins and turns from their old way of life and puts all their trust in the atoning death of Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection from the dead on the third day

            -- in other words, the “one baptism” the Bible and the creed refer to is the spiritual conversion that takes place in the heart of a believer when they put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life – and usually, that takes place before the symbolic washing of the body by baptism in the church

 

            -- turn over to Acts 19, and we’ll close there – Acts 19:1-6

 

Acts 19:1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

 

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

 

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

 

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

 

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

 

            -- in this passage, we read about Paul encountering a group of disciples who claimed to be Christians but who obviously were lacking something in their lives – he noticed there was something off about them – and so he asked them, “did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

            -- remember what we’ve said about baptism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – they are synonymous – the baptism of the heart is the baptism with the Spirit – and so, when you truly believe in Jesus and put your faith in Him, the moment you believe, you are baptized in the Spirit and He comes to indwell you and live within you forever

            -- these disciples that Paul encountered here in Ephesus didn’t have the Spirit – which means they were not true believers – they had not been baptized with the Spirit and had not received salvation by grace through faith

            -- so Paul asked them, “If you don’t have the Spirit, then what baptism did you receive?” – they replied, “John’s baptism”

            -- what is John’s baptism? – if you remember from the gospels, John the Baptist would immerse people in the Jordan River as a baptism of repentance – it was a symbolic and ceremonial cleansing of their bodies, but it did nothing to remove their sins – it was no different from the ceremonial washing of hands that the Pharisees did before they ate – it was only symbolic

– it was not a spiritual act – for if the people could have been cleansed through the baptism of John, then there would have been no need for Jesus to come – there would have been no need for the cross

 – but John’s baptism -- even though it was baptism through immersion and a confession of sins and a promise of repentance – did not save – it could not save – it did not result in  salvation because it was physical only – there was not a corresponding spiritual action

-- John’s baptism served as a sign of the baptism that was to come through Jesus – the baptism of the Holy Spirit – the spiritual change that occurs in the life of people who put their faith and trust in Jesus

-- these disciples that Paul was talking to had never truly put their faith and trust in Jesus – they were trusting in a physical act – the immersion of their bodies – but a spiritual change had not occurred

-- and this is something that I think we need to understand and need to realize – just because someone is moved during a worship service and comes down front and gets baptized doesn’t mean that they are saved – for the physical act of baptism – whether it’s immersion or sprinkling or pouring – does not save – salvation only comes by grace through faith and the one baptism that the Bible speaks of is the baptism of the heart

-- Paul made that same point about circumcision to the Jews in the Book of Romans – he pointed out that physical circumcision is only done by man and means nothing – it is the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit that effects spiritual change in a person – same truth about baptism

-- so, you can be held under the water and immersed until your fingers and toes get all wrinkly, but if you are not baptized in your heart, it doesn’t matter – the one baptism is the spiritual baptism of the heart by Jesus and is marked by the coming of the Holy Spirit

 

            -- when he realized what was lacking in the lives of these disciples, Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus – and understand, I believe this means more than just the physical act of baptism – when it says that Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, I believe this means that he led these disciples to a full understanding of the gospel – that he led them to the point of justification, whereby they put their faith and trust in Jesus and truly repented of their sins and turned from their evil ways, trusting in Jesus for salvation by faith through grace

            -- although the Bible describes this as simply “baptism,” it is more comprehensive – it signifies a spiritual change of heart that is reflected as a person puts their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life

            -- and when Paul led these people to understand the truth of the gospel and baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, they were filled with the Holy Spirit as confirmation of the spiritual act – of the inward grace – that had been accomplished through Christ

 

            -- just one final note here – verse 6 says that the men began to speak in tongues and prophesy after they were baptized and received the Holy Spirit – that does not mean that this is a sign that follows all true baptisms – this was a special outpouring of the Spirit in the lives of these men to confirm that they were now in the faith and part of the church of Christ since they had been living their lives based solely on John’s baptism – by having the outward expression of the Spirit given to them by speaking in tongues and prophesying, these men and all those in the church of Ephesus would know that these men were truly saved and had come to a saving knowledge of Jesus – the outward manifestation of the Spirit was given in this case to make sure they knew they had been saved

            -- for those of us who are sure of our faith and who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is usually no need for such an outward manifestation of the Spirit – although it does occur on occasion

 

            -- so, to summarize – the “one baptism” that Ephesians 4 and the Nicene Creed reference is the spiritual baptism that occurs inside a believer when they come to put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life

            -- the outward expression of this inward spiritual change—baptism with water in the presence of others -- is conducted in obedience to the Word and as an act of confession to the world that we have been changed through Christ and are now part of His church

            -- and this outward expression of baptism can occur in any way – immersion, sprinkling, or pouring – because it is only a symbolic outward expression of the inward grace that has taken place

 

IV.  Closing

-- with that, let’s wrap this up

 

-- social media was buzzing yesterday with pictures and memes related to an incident that took place at a Coldplay concert – during the concert, the camera panned around the audience and rested on a couple who were embracing each other as they sang along to the music – when they realized that their picture was being broadcast on the screen and streamed across the internet, the couple reacted strangely

-- the man dove for the floor and hid himself behind the crowd while the woman turned away and covered her face with her hand – it made no sense, until the truth came out that this couple were actually involved in an adulterous affair

-- he was the CEO of a large tech company – and she was the head of HR for the company – they had apparently been having an affair for some time, and thought they could safely go to a concert together in public and enjoy the anonymity of the crowd in that place

-- but the truth was broadcast for all to see, and the consequences for both the CEO, the HR head, and their families is just beginning to be felt

-- and here’s the thing I want you to recognize in this story – the man in that situation was married – he wore on his left finger a wedding ring – a symbol of his love and devotion and faithfulness to his bride that was placed on his finger by her at their wedding – an outward sign and symbol of their union for all the world to see

-- but that outward sign – that wedding ring – means nothing if it is not supported by the heart – the wedding ring is only a physical, outward sign of the inward love and devotion to another person that a marriage affirms

-- in this case, that wedding ring this man wore was meaningless and symbolized nothing

 

-- I bring this up because this demonstrates the truth of baptism that we read about in Scriptures – baptism is more than just the physical act of immersion or sprinkling that we see during a baptismal service

– it doesn’t matter whether we gather together and watch a person get immersed in the river or sprinkled in the church – this physical act of baptism means nothing to that person or to us unless there is an inward grace and spiritual change that accompanies it

-- what is truly important in baptism is the inward spiritual action that happens when someone believes in Jesus – this is the “one baptism” that Paul references in Ephesians 4:5, and this is the “one baptism” for the forgiveness of sins that the Nicene Creed affirms

 

-- it has nothing to do with the water – it has everything to do with Jesus and with the spiritual change that occurs when a person puts their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life

-- for it is through true spiritual baptism – the baptism of the heart and the spirit by Jesus – that we receive justification and salvation

-- physical baptism is important – Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist as a sign for us to follow and physical baptism is our declaration to the world that we belong to Jesus – but it is like a wedding ring – it is only as good as our hearts – for it is the spiritual baptism of the heart that saves us -- the one baptism for the forgiveness of sins that we affirm in the Nicene Creed

 

-- let us pray