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

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

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

 

I.  Introduction

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

            [Recite Nicene Creed]

 

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

 

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

 

II.  Who is the Holy Spirit?

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

            -- but who sent Him?

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

III.  The Spirit is the Giver of Life

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

 

            -- look back at Romans 8:1-4

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

-- verse 9-11

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

           

            -- verse 12-14

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

IV.  Closing

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            -- let us pray

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

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

 

I.  Introduction

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

The Nicene Creed

 

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father;

through him all things were made.

 

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son

is worshiped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

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

 

            -- On the third day He rose again, in accordance with Scriptures; He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end.

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

            -- so why is the ascension of Christ important?

 

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

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

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

 

-- look back at verse 50-51

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

-- and that’s what the disciples did

 

-- verse 52-53

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

-- look at the second part of verse 7

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

IV.  Closing

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

            -- and, with that, we will close

            -- let us pray