Sunday's Message - I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

During the sermon series I Believe: Exploring the Apostle's Creed, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church is using The Apostles Creed to discuss some basic Christian beliefs. We’ll also take those beliefs and apply them to our daily living. This includes talking about why they're important and how they might shape our thoughts, feelings and faith. Below are the topics we'll cover:

• August 10 - I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
• August 17 - I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
• August 24 - I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ,...who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
• August 31 - I BELIEVE...he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;
• September 7 - I BELIEVE...he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.
• September 14 - I BELIEVE...he ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
• September 21 I BELIEVE...from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
• September 28 - I BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit,
• October 5 - I BELIEVE in...the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
• October 12 - I BELIEVE in...the forgiveness of sins,
• October 19 - I BELIEVE in...the resurrection of the body,
• October 26 - I BELIEVE in...and the life everlasting. Amen.

On Sunday, we started this series by looking at the meaning and significance of saying, "I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." Below is the text and a video presentation of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

This morning we’re going to start a new series that I’ve entitled I BELIEVE: Exploring the Apostle’s Creed. You see, over the next twelve Sundays, we’re going to take each of the twelve statements in the Creed to discuss some basic Christian beliefs. And then we’ll take those beliefs and apply them to our daily living.

And I’ll tell you, saying The Apostle’s Creed, man, that was one of those things I remember doing as I was growing up in Ocean View Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. I mean, it was right there, on page twelve, of the old burgundy Presbyterian Hymnbook we used back in the 60s. You see, along with singing the Gloria Patri and the Doxology, this was something we said every, single Sunday, right along with the responsive readings in the back of the book. As a matter of fact, once I memorized it, I remember seeing how fast I could say it. No, the Apostle Creed, well, it brings back all kinds of memories, at least it does for me. 

But, of course, that’s not why we’ll be looking at the creed for the next two and a half months. I mean, it’s not so I can trip the light fantastic down memory lane. Instead, when compared to some of the other creeds and confessions in the ancient church, I think it offers a pretty clear and concise explanation of what Christianity is all about. Now, in case you’re wondering, it was first called The Apostle’s Creed in the year AD 390, because, according to the Synod of Milan, each of the twelve apostles contributed one statement. Of course, that’s just tradition, which means it may or may not be true. Still, for the last 1,600 years, the Apostle’s Creed has been used to help believers better understand the faith they claim and the witness they share. And that’s how we’ve going to use it over the next twelve Sundays.

And this morning, we’re going to start with the phrase: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. In other words, we’re going to begin this series by focusing on what’s called the first person of the Trinity. You see, using the words of the creed itself, we’re going to consider what it means to say that God is the Father and that God is almighty and that God is the creator. And as we talk about each one, we’ll look at some scripture and then focus on what the statement means and why it can be important for us as we try to live our faith. Now, that’s the plan. 

And as I just said, we’ll start by talking about what it mean to say that God is the Father or maybe better, our Father. In other words, what does it means to say that we have the same kind of personal relationship with God that we share with our human parents? And how might recognizing and accepting this kind of relationship affect us as Christians? Of course, the idea that God is our Father, man, that’s got deep roots in Scripture. For example, just listen to what John wrote in his first letter:

Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are. But since the people of this world did not know who Christ is, they don’t know who we are. My dear friends, we are already God’s children, though what we will be hasn’t yet been seen. But we do know when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is. This hope makes us keep ourselves holy, just as Christ is holy. [1 John 3:1-3, CEV]

Of course, this is just one example of God being called our Father and us being called his children. But, you know, regardless of which example you use, they all remind us of three things that God does. For example, because he’s our Father, God just plain loves his children, and I’m talking about a love that’s compassionate, gracious, and abounding. He’s patient and always there to support and to nurture us. As a matter of fact, although we may fall short, his love for us is unconditional, meaning it’s not based on anything we can earn, much less deserve. You see, God loves. But that’s not all he does, because he also forgives. In other words, because he’s our Father, God is quick to forgive us, his children, and to give us every opportunity to return to the fold. As a matter of fact, like a shepherd who finds his lost sheep or the widow who finds her lost coin or the father who finds his prodigal son, God actually rejoices when His children are found, welcoming them back with open arms. God forgives. But again that’s not all our Father does, because God also guides. You know, just yesterday, I was talking to my brother about our dad and how he was always ready to give us his advice, whether we wanted to hear it or not. And that’s the way it is with God. You see, as a Father, he provides guidance and protection for his children, leading them through life’s journey, offering them both wisdom and strength. You see, because God really is our Father, we can trust that he loves us and forgives us and guides us. 

And I’ll tell you, I think that’s something pretty important for us to remember, especially when we feel isolated and alone. You see, when we’re discouraged, I mean, when we feel incredibly lonely and absolutely lost and when we’re facing pain that we don’t deserve or problems we sure didn’t choose and when it feels as though we’ve out there, facing this garbage all by ourselves, it’s right here that we need to remember that God really is our Father, that he loved us before he created the universe and will love us after time has lost its meaning. And we need to remember that despite our failures and mistakes, he still forgives and accepts us. And we need to remember that even when we’re face to face with the one reality none of us can avoid, my gosh, he’s going to guide us “through the valley of the shadow of death.” You see, regardless of how isolated and alone we might feel, we can trust that God is our Father, but that’s not all

You see, according to the creed, God is also almighty. In other words, God possesses infinite power and sovereignty over all things. As a matter of fact, when you get right down to it, God can do anything. That’s what it means to be almighty. And I’ll  tell you, I think it’s something we can see in this story from the Book of Genesis:

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.” Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:

I promise that you will be the father of many nations. So now I’m changing your name from Abram to Abraham. I will give you a lot of descendants, and they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.

I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God. [Genesis 17:1-8, CEV]

You see, the God described here and in many other passages certainly is almighty, because he’s all-powerful. In other words, he’s omnipotent, which means he has unlimited power. But I’ll tell you, just to be clear, what we’re talking about here isn’t just having a lot of power or a lot of authority or a lot of influence. Rather, there is no power that exists outside of God’s control. That’s what all-powerful means. But since he’s almighty that also means God is all-knowing. He’s omniscient, which means he possesses complete and perfect knowledge of all things: past, present, and future. In fact, it implies that there is nothing God doesn’t know, including every thought, feeling, and action of every being. You see, that’s what it means to be all-knowing. Just like he’s also eternal. He’s the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. I mean, since he’s always existed and will always exist, God has transcended the limitations of time. I’m telling you, when Moses asked God to share his name, the voice from the burning bush said, “I am”: not “I was” or “I will be,” but “I am,” because everything is present in the mind of God. That’s what it means to be eternal. That’s who God is; man, he’s almighty. 

And you know, the fact that we believe this, you know, that we believe God’s all-powerful and all-knowing and eternal, man, that’s something we need to remember, especially when we feel overwhelmed and scared. You see, no matter how difficult life becomes, we can have peace, because nothing is too great for God to handle. And no matter how confused the world around us seems to be, we can have faith, because we can trust that God knows a way though the darkest night. And I’ll tell you, no matter how frightened we might feel as we look forward into the future, we can have hope, just knowing that our ultimate destinies are right now in the mind of God, a God who loves us and who forgives us and who guides us. You see, regardless of how overwhelmed and scared we might feel, we can believe that God really is almighty in every sense of the word, but again that’s not all.

Because, according to the creed, God is also the creator of heaven and earth, you know, that he’s the ultimate source and origin of everything that exists, both visible and invisible and that he ultimately sustains and maintains everything he made. And even though the obvious passage that deals with our creator is in the first couple of chapters in Genesis, I think we can also see it in how the Evangelist John began his gospel:

In the beginning was the one

    who is called the Word.

The Word was with God

    and was truly God.

From the very beginning

    the Word was with God.

And with this Word,

    God created all things.

Nothing was made

    without the Word.

Everything that was created

    received its life from him,

and his life gave light

    to everyone.

The light keeps shining

    in the dark,

and darkness has never

    put it out. [John 1:1-5, CEV]

Now, this is what it means to say that God is the creator. And I’ll tell you, since it was formed by our Almighty Father, I think it says a lot about the creation itself. For example, I think it shows that the creation has structure. I mean, it was God who called order out of chaos and who brought design and light to a universe that was dark and formless. Now that’s the kind of structure about which I’m talking. And since God made it, I think it also shows that the creation is good. In other words, what God made reflects his own character and nature. It reveals his power and wisdom, his generosity and graciousness, his kindness and love. And because of that, every aspect of creation has some intrinsic value, because it was designed with a specific purpose in mind. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s the reason, throughout the creation story in Genesis, God looked at what he made and said that it was good. And you know, along with being both structured and good, I also believe that God’s creation needs care. And according to what the writer of Genesis said after God created people, that’s where we step in. You see, we were made to care for what God created. We have authority not to tear down but to build up. And we have dominion not to dominate but to nurture. And we carry the image of God not to exploit and to degrade and to neglect what we think belongs to us but rather to be good stewards of something entrusted to our care. You see, because it was made by God, not only does creation have structure and is good, it also needs our care.

And I’ll tell you, I think that’s something we need to recognize, especially when we feel confused and distracted. For example, when it seems like the world has become chaotic and random, we need to remember that there’s structure and order within the heavens and the earth; there always was and there always will be. And when it seems as though evil and ugliness have the upper hand, we need to remember that there’s a goodness inherent in what God created and that can’t be changed no matter how hard some people try to deny that it’s there. And when it seems as though all we hear are folks who say that it’s all about us, that’s it’s all about exploiting what we assume we have and neglecting what we know we don’t, we need to remember that God has given us, and I’m talking about men and women who carry his image whether we like it or not, man, our Almighty Father has given us a job to do, and it involves nurturing and caring for and being good stewards of everything that he has made. You see, regardless of how confused and distracted we might feel, we can believe that God is also the creator of heaven and earth. That’s who God is. 

You know, I don’t think it’s an accident that the creed starts with God, because, as we’ll see as we continue this series, his nature and work really provides the basis for everything else. You see, as the creed reminds us, God is the Father, our Father, and as such, he loves and forgives and guides his children, something that we really need to remember especially when we feel isolated and alone. And God is almighty, that he’s all-powerful and all-knowing and eternal, something that just might help us when we feel overwhelmed and scared. And finally, God is the creator of heaven and earth, and because of that we know that creation has structure and is good and needs care, something that just might offer a little clarity when we feel confused and distracted. You see, I think that’s the one we’re affirming when we say: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.