Sunday's Message - I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

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 continued this series by looking at the meaning and significance of saying, "I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord." 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.

I’ve got to tell you, this is one of my favorite services of the entire year. Of course, it’s not because it’s the largest; man, it’s hard to do better than Christmas Eve or Easter. And it’s not because it’s the most meaningful, at least not for me. Personally, nothing touches me like our Good Friday Tenebrae service. And it’s certainly not the most exciting, especially if the Keystone State Quartet sings for our church picnic instead of me preaching. Still, I really look forward to this last Sunday before school starts, because during the service we do something really special, in fact, something I never did before coming up here. Man, we bless the backpacks. And even though we always make more tags than we have kids and even though it’s just a small piece of the service and even though I’m not sure anyone would call what we did about ten minutes ago exciting; at least for me, it was special, because it not only starts the school year off on the right foot, it also gives the young people a reminder of the one who’s with them every single day, and I’m not talking about Tom Minick. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s reflected in the prayer that’s printed on the card we gave to the kids:

Lord bless this backpack,

And the child who carries it this school year. 

Wherever they carry their backpack,

Remind them of the love they are surrounded by every day.

Keep them safe and in Your loving care.

Through the school year,

May they grow in knowledge, confidence, friendships and faith.

Let them be the best student they can be.

Give them confidence when they are nervous,

Comfort when they are afraid

And encouragement when they are stressed.

I mean, what a great way to start a school year.

Of course, the one to whom this prayer is addressed is also the one on whom we’re focusing our second message in this series, I BELIEVE: Exploring the Apostle’s Creed. You see, since we’ve already talked about what it means to say, “I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth,” this morning we’re going to move on to the second statement in the creed: “I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.”  And just like we did last week, we’re going to talk about the three affirmations in this statement that deal with Jesus, the one who unites Christians all over the world and yet who also separates us from all those other religions. You see, before we focus on what Jesus did and will do, we’re going to spend a little time looking at who he was and is. And we’ll do that by breaking down this statement and relating it to our own experiences. 

For example, thanks to the Creed, we know that Jesus is the Christ. Now, in case you don’t already know it, this title comes from the Greek word Χριστός which literally means “the one on whom oil is poured” and which is usually translated as “Christ” or “messiah.” You see, according to the New Testament, Jesus is the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ. And I think we can see the significance of that title in the Gospel of Luke. You see, after being a witness to everything he’d done the first half of his ministry, this was what happened to the Apostle Peter:

When Jesus was alone praying, his disciples came to him, and he asked them, “What do people say about me?”

They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist or Elijah or a prophet from long ago who has come back to life.”

Jesus then asked, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah sent from God.”

Jesus strictly warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this. [Luke 9:18-21, CEV]

Now that’s what Peter said, and I think it’s important. You see, by this point in the Gospel of Luke, based on everything Peter had seen and heard, and I’m talking about the teaching and the healing, the casting out of demons and the stilling of the storms, and of course, the ability to feed a crowd of 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, Peter knew exactly who this guy he’d been following around in Galilee was. He was the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ. 

And you know, when we think about what Peter saw and heard, well, I believe this can help us understand what it means to say that Jesus is the Christ. You see, as the Christ, he has great power, and I’m talking about the power to heal a man born blind with a touch and who can exorcize a demon by just calling it out. Good night nurse, not only did he have the power to still a storm by just ordering the wind and waves to stop, he could also walk on the water, showing that even the chaotic forces of nature were under his control. I’m telling you, Jesus the Christ had power. But I’ll tell you something else, as the Christ, he also had authority, something that amazed the crowds when they heard him speak, you know, when he reminded them of the promises God had made to his people and when he challenged them to trust that their future was in God’s loving and merciful hands. You see, along with power, Jesus also had authority. And that’s exactly how Jesus was the Christ.

And you know, I think that’s something we need to remember, because when we do, I believe we’re going to feel all kinds of confidence. I mean, because he has power and authority, we have no reason to be afraid, and I’m talking about being afraid when the world seems as chaotic as a storm at sea or when we’re facing problems and pain that are far greater than anything we think we can handle or when we feel as though our own lives have become an absolute mess. You see, since Jesus is the Christ, we don’t have to be afraid. Instead we can be confident. We can be assured that Jesus Christ is greater than the winds and the waves. And we can be courageous just knowing that, “If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?” [Romans 8:31b, CEV] You see, I believe we can be confident, because, as it says in the Creed, Jesus is the Christ. But of course, that’s not all it says about Jesus.

You see, along with being the Christ, Jesus is also God’s only Son. And I’ll tell you, even though we often see this as a sign of his divinity, according to the Evangelist Mark, this sonship has a different significance. I mean, after predicting that he would have to suffer and die, and after the betrayal and the arrest and the denial and after he’d been beaten and convicted and crucified, Mark wrote this: 

About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o’clock. Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He is calling for Elijah.” One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, “Let’s wait and see if Elijah will come and take him down!” Jesus shouted and then died.

At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom.

A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!” [Mark 15:33-39, CEV]

Now, that’s what Mark wrote, and you know, I think that says a lot about what it means to recognize that Jesus is God’s only Son. You see, as the son, Jesus was the one who suffered. He was the one who was rejected by his own people and who was betrayed and denied by his own followers. And he was the one who, as I’ve said before, was hung on a cross to save the people who drove the nails. And I’ll tell you, because he suffered, I think he can identify with us. In other words, he knows what it feels like to endure physical pain. And he knows what it feels like to experience profound disappointment. In fact, based on his last words from the cross according to the Evangelist Mark, he even knows what it feels like to have doubts. You see, that’s who Jesus was as God’s only Son.

And I think that’s something else we need to remember, because when we do, I believe we’re going to experience some genuine comfort. I mean, since we know he suffered and died, we have no reason to feel alone, you know, to feel that we worship a God who has no idea what we’re facing and to feel as though we’re somehow less than faithful when we’re not even able to fake being “inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time.” No, as we struggle and as we suffer, and as we feel fears and frustrations, disappointments and doubt, we are not alone, because as God’s only son, Jesus experienced them too. And so, when we approach him in prayer, we can dump on him all that stuff we may keep hidden from others, because we don’t think they’d understand. You see, because he’s God’s only Son, Jesus can identify with us, his brothers and sisters, and for that reason we can feel comfort, something else that I believe is grounded in the Creed.

But again, that’s not all, because Jesus is also our Lord. In other words, he’s the one who’s called each and every one of us here this morning and who’s given us guidance and direction as we go about living our lives. And you know, that’s something I think the Apostle Paul talked about in that letter we just finished studying a few weeks ago. As you might remember, to the Colossians, he wrote this:

Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him. [Colossians 3:15-17, CEV]

You see, Jesus really is Lord, our Lord. And as such, he offers us serious direction through his words and his work. For example, when he said, “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it,” [Mark 8:34a-35, CEV] when he said this, I think he meant it. And when he said, “But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples,” [John 13:34-35, CEV] I think he meant it. And when he said that the nations would be judged based on whether or not they fed the hungry and gave drink to the thirsty and whether or not they welcomed the stranger and clothed the naked and whether or not they cared for the sick and comforted the prisoner, I believe he meant that too. And why do I believe that? Man, that’s simple, because Jesus is our Lord. 

And you know, because he is, now, right now, we can be encouraged, encouraged to take focused and concrete action. I mean, give me a break, we have no reason to be confused by all the different voices that literally bombard us all the time, and I’m talking about folks who frankly don’t want us to read our Bibles and who don’t want us to take seriously what Jesus actually taught or how he actually lived and who most definitely don’t want us to view him as the one who actually is the Lord of our values and morals and behavior. Man, we don’t have to be confused. Instead, we can listen to what Jesus said and look at how he lived; what a radical thought! And we can come together as his body so that we’re able to do what he’s called us to do. And then we can roll up our sleeves.  And then we can then take up our cross. And then we can carry his good news out into a world that appears to have lost its moorings and seems to be drifting without purpose and focus. I’m telling you, brothers and sisters, whether we like it or not, we can be encouraged, we can be empowered, we can be inspired because, as it says in the Creed, Jesus is our Lord. 

And you know, it was in his name, we blessed those backpacks just a while ago. And it’s interesting, knowing more about who he is, well, that just may enable those young people to live the class pledge on the other side of the tag. You see, this is what it says:

Today is a new day.

I am ready to be the BEST me I can be.

I will listen, so I can learn.

I will try hard, so my brain can grow.

I can learn anything that I put my mind to!

I will act in such a way 

that I will be proud of myself

and others will be proud of me too.

I will not waste this day

because this day will not come again. 

Now that’s the class pledge.

And I’ll tell you, we can make a similar pledge ourselves. You see, we can promise to recognize that Jesus is the Christ and that, because he has power and authority, we can feel confidence. And we can promise to recognize that Jesus is God’s only Son and that, because he suffered and can identify with us, we can experience comfort. And we can promise to recognize that Jesus is our Lord and that, because he directs us through his words and works, we can be encouraged. You see, I believe this is possible when we decide to say together: I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord...