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

 

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