The sermon focuses on the foundational Christian doctrine encapsulated in the Apostles' Creed, emphasizing the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It highlights Psalm 11.3 and Isaiah's teachings as biblical foundations for navigating cultural and spiritual challenges. The speaker underscores that attending church or reciting creeds does not equate to true belief, which involves a personal, faith-inspired response to God's Word. The sermon stresses the necessity of a biblical worldview and Christ-like identity, calling believers to embrace the Creed's truths as a guide for actions. It distinguishes between intellectual belief and a personal saving relationship, emphasizing that true faith is a gift from God, developed through His Word. The sermon also clarifies the concept of the Church Universal, urging unity among believers as a testimony to the world.

As we begin again tonight, obviously our focus verse is up on the screen. Psalm 11.3, if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? And I hope as you pay attention to what's going on in our culture and what's going on in our world and what's going on in the church, quote unquote, you'll begin to see, at least understand, how serious this situation is and what our responsibility is. Isaiah gives us a biblical answer. We've looked at that as well.

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy comes in like a flood and he has, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and that standard is his body, his church, his people. And if you look at your Bible verse sheet, the second sheet that you have stapled to that is just a little Bible study for you to go through because if you look through the book of Ephesians there's many many verses that tell us our identity in Christ. And unless we have a biblical worldview, and unless we have our identity in Christ figured out and living, then what we're trying to do on Wednesday night really has very, very little value. So enjoy that if you want to, it's just there for you.

We're not gonna go through it, but that's why it's put together for you. So we become the standard, as I shared before, We become what God is looking for in his people, this standard that's lifted up and against the enemy's onslaught. And we know that our call is to become Christ-like. You know, our goal, every goal of a believer should be that we become partakers of his divine nature, that we would look like him when he reveals himself to us at that last day. So we have that challenge before us and as in my absence Josh and Jerry taught and I thank him very much for filling in.

Josh teaching on the dangers of the worldly influence or worldly philosophy, and then Jerry teaching last week on being complete in Christ. And so we have that as the foundation and that we have that reality that God is calling us to walk worthy of his calling. And he who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light as scripture teaches us, now has before us an examination, if you will, of what the foundation, biblical foundations of doctrine of our faith are. What do they look like? And a very excellent summary of those foundational truths are found in the Apostles' Creed.

I'm gonna read that to you. You've gotta, don't think you have a copy of that. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. The third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, amen. So in this Apostles' Creed, we have a summary, if you will, of the foundational biblical doctrines of Christianity. And before anybody gets all nervous and conflicted, when we talk about the Holy Catholic Church, we're not talking about the Roman Catholic Church. We're talking about God's Church Universal, that His Church, those who have been called out of darkness, those who have been born again by the Spirit of God, have a commonality in one God, the Triune God and our Heavenly Father, and in that commonality, in that unifying relationship, we have relationships with one another. We're called brothers or sisters, right?

I mean that's kind of how it is. And in that family we have a call, a purpose, a function. So don't take this as a Catholic creed or a Lutheran creed or an Episcopalian creed, there's no real denominational connections. You know, it was probably completely written, completed in about 750 AD, Wycliffe's era translated into English in the 14th century. And so we have this creed.

Well, what's a creed? Well, the dictionary defines creed this way, a formal statement of Christian belief. Another one says a set of beliefs which guide someone's actions. That's probably a little closer to what we're looking for. But I would venture, this is ignorance talking, I don't know for sure, but I would venture that the Muslims probably have a creed and the Buddhists probably have a creed and other people probably have a creed.

So a creed isn't necessarily just a formal statement of Christian beliefs, although that's what we're looking at tonight. It's just a statement of beliefs. And as we look at the second part of that definition, a set of beliefs which guide someone's actions, you know, I want us to see as we look and begin to study in depth this creed, this foundational doctrines of Christian belief, that it was calling for a total surrender to the biblical truths and have them lived out in our hearts and lives without compromise. I mean, that's how we want to look at what we're gonna enter into in our study for the next couple of weeks. I wanna look at two words tonight.

The first two words, I believe. Why do I think that's important? Well, first of all, it's important because it says I. It's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It's not we believe, although we believe, as individuals we have to have this firmed up in our hearts and minds.

You know, one of the misunderstandings, one of the deceptions, if you will, one of the realities of false faith is that just because you attend a church of a particular belief makes you a believer. It Doesn't. Having pastored here since 1981, I can't tell you how many people have come in here and thought just because they went to the Voice of Faith they were Christians without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Folks, coming here doesn't make you a Christian. I had a good friend in Stevens Point, and he used to say this continually.

He'd say, if going to church makes you a Christian, then going into a garage makes you a car. I mean, it's a little ridiculous, but we understand the application. So it's important that we personalize what we're saying and what we believe, because each one of us here have a personal responsibility and accountability before God. And in that accountability and responsibility we're declaring this is what God has worked in my heart and life. You see it's a personal faith response to His Word, surrendered in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and His truth revealed in His Word.

So we have to start with I, And I have to pray Psalm 139 to myself every day, search me oh God, see if there be any wicked way in me. We have to have that in our hearts and lives continually that our relationship with Jesus Christ isn't conflicted by our relationship or a general idea perhaps that because you're here, this is yours as well. It has to be I. And then we have the word believe. And I struggled with this for quite a while as I was pondering and putting this together because I think we all have this general consensus of what believe means.

And yet here's the reality is that someone can say and intellectually believe everything that this creed says because it's all historically true and not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That has to sink in because if you ask 99% of the people they tell you they believe in God. Okay, well I believe in God. That's the first thing in our creed. And yet they do not have a biblical belief.

They don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. So it's important as we go through scripture to see the word used in our translations and to see how it's affecting us individually and purposely. Because just saying the creed and understanding or believe it's historically correct is a false faith. And there's denominations across the board that teach if you can say this creed then you're a Christian. Saying this creed doesn't make you a Christian.

It's a relationship with Jesus Christ. And it's important that we come to some clear understanding of what this word biblically means and how it applies to our hearts and lives. I want to give you a couple examples. In James chapter two verse 19 it reads this way, you believe there's one God, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.

Okay, Think on that for just two seconds. You know, you say you believe in God, that's good, James is saying, even the devil believes. So we have to get a clearer understanding of how that means, that translation, if you will, believing in Jesus, you know, as a personal faith response to the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that his in His atoning death and glorious resurrection, He's given us forgiveness of sins in a new life. So when we talk about believe or belief, we're talking about this faith-inspired response to the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God.

You cannot have a saving biblical belief, saving faith without the Word of God because it's the Word of God that leads us to Jesus. Every single word of it points to Jesus. And so we have this before us. Hearing comes by the Word of God. In Hebrews chapter 11 verse six, this is an interesting verse because it has, without faith it's impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Now I don't know how many of you have a strong concordance either on your phone or at home or whatever okay those of you who don't might encourage you to get one but if you begin to look up these two words faith without faith it's impossible to please God, and he who comes of God must believe. If you look up faith and believe, they come from the same root words. I'll give you a number just so you understand what I'm talking about. The belief number in Strong's Concordance is 4, 100. The faith word number in Strong's Concordance is 4, 102.

They're connected. They're derivatives. They're derived from one another. So we have this close assimilation of Greek words being translated, faith or believe, in different contexts. But it's talking about a personal response.

It's talking about responding to a revelation of God by His Word. And so as we look at that, we begin to understand Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 is saying this, without faith it's impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must first of all must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. If it's a faith response, it's all God. You and I can't muster up faith. Faith is a gift from God.

It comes from his word. So our faith walk, our confession that I believe needs to be understood that this is God's work in my heart and your heart, my life and your life. This isn't ours. You can't add to it, you can't subtract from it, It's just there. So we have those two words in the New Testament that are used in the King James and the New King James is the word believe.

And the first one is found in Mark chapter 1. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. And saying, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Strong's Concordance is underneath that verse on your screen.

Strong's Concordance reads, To have faith in or upon, with respect to a person or a thing, credit by implication to entrust, especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ. I want to read the amplified version of that verse just so you can hear it. It says this, now after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the good news, the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The appointed period of time is complete fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, have a change of mind in which issues are regret for the past sins and in a change of conduct for the better. And believe to trust in, rely on, and adhere to the good news, the gospel.

That's biblical belief. To trust in, adhere to, and rely on the person of Christ. Okay? Another verse, let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. It's the same word, it's a different word, but it's the same root word that's in mark.

And again, Strong's Concordance reads this way, to have faith in, upon it with respect, to trust in things, credit by implication and trust, especially to one's spiritual well-being. It's the same. So I want you to have confidence of what I'm trying to explain to you from the Greek to the English translations that we use. They're using the same words and they're using the same definitions of those words. This is a picture that I had heard about a long time ago, and I just want you to kind of envision this for a minute.

You're standing on the river of Niagara Falls, And there's a man who stretched a wire across Niagara Falls, and he's gone back and forth on his bicycle. And he comes to your side of the river, and he gets off his bike, and he said, do you believe I can cross that river? You've seen him do it. Your response is what? Yes.

And his response is get on. That's believe, okay? It takes its historical perspective and makes it reality. It's historical, intellectual to a relationship, a personal trust and faith and hope. And so as I was looking at this tonight, and as I thought about studying it and talking about it I wanted to go through just some Bible verses that have that word belief in them and that we can talk about them briefly but you'll begin to understand the importance and the reality of why it's so important to even just get these first two words of the Apostles Creed reality.

I can't stress enough the I, a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ. So we're gonna just go through some Bible verses from the book of John. It's the only one we're gonna look at tonight. There's over 160 times this word is used in the New Testament. We're not gonna go through them all tonight.

We're just gonna look at a few from the Gospel of John, okay? These should be familiar to us, because that's what we're studying on Sunday morning. So when we get up to at least chapter eight, We'll have heard all of these, we'll have heard them explained, we'll have heard them talked about, but we're gonna just talk about them a little tonight. John chapter 1 verse 7. It begins, in the beginning was a word, the word was with God, the word was God, and then it goes into this, There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. So what's that verse saying? It's quite simple. John the Baptist is the witness, and he's bearing witness of the light. The light is Jesus Christ.

And that through John's witness, through John's testimony, Through John's pointing them to the light, they might believe in Jesus Christ. Hope, trust, put their faith in, have a personal relationship. From the beginning, it starts this way. It goes on in the same chapter, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. If you've been born of God, you've been born again by the Spirit of God, you've received Jesus Christ into your heart and life, and you have been given the opportunity and the right and the relationship to believe and have believed in His name.

Now when it talks about His name, you know, there is something special and we could sing that song if you want, but we're not going to. I learned my lesson about singing here alone without accompaniment. We're not going to do that. But when you talk about believing in the name, they're talking about the person of Jesus Christ. It's not just the name Jesus, It's who that name represents.

It's his whole embodiment in his name. When somebody says Rick Lentz or Fred Roosh, they're just not talking about a name. They're talking about who we are. They're talking about this embodiment of our life and so when it talks about believe in the name of Jesus in His name, they're talking about putting your hope and faith and trust in Him, Jesus Christ and Him alone. Just move ahead a little bit to chapter four.

Then they said to the woman, now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard him, and know that it is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." Here's, you remember the context probably, but God has ministered to this woman at the well, she goes back into the city, the city comes out, and they hear Jesus Christ themselves, and what's their testimony? They said to the woman, now we believe. It's not because what you said. They heard the word of God. Okay?

Remember, it's a response. It's a faith response to the revelation of God in His Word. So they heard Jesus, the Word from Jesus' mouth, His Word, and now they believe, and they don't believe that He's just a prophet or a teacher. What are they saying they believe? We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

It's a faith response. I cannot emphasize this enough because it is so easy to slip into an intellectual faith. And so many people that you and I know and love have only an intellectual faith. They can say, I believe without having a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And many of them will go to church and say this creed every week and not be changed.

You and I need to have this just deeply embedded in our hearts so that we have a response but a responsibility as we talk to these people. Chapter five, you believe Moses you would believe me if you believe Moses you'd believe me But you do not believe his writings. How will you believe my words? What's he addressing? He's addressing the reality.

The scribes and the Pharisees talk about Moses all the time. And he said, look, if you really believe Moses, Moses was talking about me. But you don't believe in Moses, you don't believe what he said. If you won't hear what I say, the Word of God, You won't believe in me either. But the belief is talking about a relationship.

Belief is talking about putting our hope and trust and faith in Jesus Christ. In John chapter 6, they said to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him who He sent. How many of you have struggled with your desire to do the work of God but really didn't know what it was? Yeah, most of us.

And yet here's the biblical answer, believe. If our efforts, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 says that after you've been born again by grace through faith we are created by his workmanship for good works but if you don't have a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ and have that embedded in your hearts and lives. Whatever you're doing doesn't count. Jerry's talked about it, we've talked about it. There's religions that teach about works, and you can somehow work or earn your way into the kingdom of God, you cannot.

Good works will never produce a relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship with Jesus Christ will always produce good works. And this is the work. You believe in Him who He sent. People, when we are hope and trust in our relationship with Jesus Christ is firm and secure and we're living it out, He'll guide us and lead us.

We don't have to worry. And then the things that you do will bring Him honor and glory because it's not about you or me anymore. It's about Him, Him alone. If you paid any attention last Sunday, I mean just the slightest attention last Sunday. You heard this.

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins. Jesus is talking. If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. Okay. What is the definition of believe?

Putting our hope and faith and trust in Christ and Him alone. I mean, it's so foundational and it's so clear when we stop to think about it, but it's so unclear to the world and to people who are going to church every Sunday morning. And that's our mission field. You've probably got relatives, I do, who can say this creed backwards and forwards and yet don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ because they have not figured out what biblical belief really looks like and is really about, this relationship. Because Jesus said, you'll Die in your sins if you don't believe that I am He." Couldn't have been clearer Sunday morning.

Couldn't be clearer tonight. John chapter 9, Jesus heard that they cast him out. And when he had found him, he said to him, do you believe in the Son of God? And he answered and said to them, who is he Lord that I may believe? Verse 37 says, I am he.

Jesus talking. This The context of this is this is the blind man who was begging and Jesus healed him. Another healing on a Sabbath day. And the scribes and the Pharisees were all upset and the blind man and saying, you know, you tell me that He's from the devil, but I'm telling you, this is the blind man telling the scribes and the Pharisees, you know, only somebody who came from God can do this miracle, and they kicked him out. And Jesus heard they'd cast him out, And he found him and he said, you believe in the Son of God.

The miracle didn't give him saving faith. The miracle, his vision restored, He was born blind because the first question was who sinned, him or his parents. So he never had vision to be restored. He never had vision at all. And Jesus gave him vision.

He gave him sight. He gave him light, if you will. That didn't save him. But it certainly awakened him to the reality that there was somebody who could save him, who could and would forgive him of his sins? And it's the Lord Jesus Christ.

John chapter 11, Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead, I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. What was he asking them to believe? I mean, this was a fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah said. This was Jesus' friend, Lazarus. Mary and Martha were upset.

And he's talking to the group of people, and he said, I'm glad. I'm glad that for your sakes I wasn't there, because now you can see from my miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead that I am the Messiah, the promised one. John chapter 13. I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen but the scripture may be fulfilled He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass you may believe that I am he." Jesus is addressing his disciples here folks.

I mean this was the Last Supper. This was not some obscure group of the multitude. Barely not this morning in reading our, in going through the Bible reading this morning about, you know, the disciples remembered the feeding of the 5, 000 and they were impressed. You've got to wonder about that. But this isn't a group of 5, 000 people sitting on the hillside.

He's talking to the people that he has chosen as his disciples. And this is the last night that he's going to be with them in the flesh. And he has to tell them, I am explaining to you what's going to happen. Judas Iscariot is going to betray me, the one who dips his finger in this bowl, the one who eats bread with me. He is going to betray me that you can see the fulfillment of the prophetic promises of God, because every word of God proves true.

And when it comes to pass that you see this, It will cause you to respond by faith to put your hope and trust in the one who's telling you this, the Lord Jesus Christ. John chapter 14 verse one, probably another, I don't know, I would think John 3 16 is the most quoted verse out of the Gospel of John. God so loved the world. I'm sure that's probably the most, but this one is often quoted. And it's a comforting word to those who put their hope and trust in Jesus Christ.

It's a word that would speak to all of us. It's a word that seriously speaks to those who are near death, or to families who have loved ones who are born again that are near death. This isn't consoling to unbelievers. This is for believers. And he says, let not your heart be troubled.

You believe in God? Believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I wouldn't tell you. I go to prepare a place for you." He continues on.

But he's telling us that the confusion and the influence of the world will cause this troubled heart, but a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ, putting our hope and faith and trust in him, because we believe in God, we believe in him, let not your heart be troubled. Goes on, John chapter 17, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be one as you and the Father are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." What is going to be the unbelievable testimony to the world that we have our hope and trust in Jesus Christ, our unity. Why is it important? Because this is what they see. It's unfortunate today that that's not what they see or hear.

You know, Sunday mornings at 10 o'clock is the greatest hour of division in any hour of the week. Because there isn't a recognition of one another in Christ. And when we talk about the holy Catholic church, we're talking about that recognition. We're talking about that relationship of a body, of a family, of the family of God, the church. And John in chapter 17, this is the high priestly prayer section of scripture.

If you have one in red, it's all red. And he said, he's just saying, I'm not just praying for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, through their testimony, through their life, others will come to be drawn and come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I and you, that you may be one in us, and the world may believe that you sent me, God the Father. Jerry's and my favorite verse from the Gospel of John. Truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

We have God's Word from the Gospel of John that we can believe, put our hope and faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And it's in the Gospel of John that he said you must be born again. If you are not born again you have no part of the Kingdom of God. And he tells us who can be born again by having a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ, receiving Him, putting our belief in Him. That is the biblical definition of belief, total reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's not compromise. There was a man who used to run a radio station in town and Mike and I would talk fairly regularly. And I think one of the things that I said to Mike along the way that he's never let me forget was that I love to sing the hymn, I surrender some. It's not the hymn folks, it's I surrender all. And if you talk to Mike today and mention my name, he'll tell you that.

Oh, I surrender some lens. But it's a reality that we have to come to grips with as we look at this biblical definition of belief and how it applies to my heart and your heart, my life and your life, and what we're exhibiting to the unbelieving world. I believe. Father, we just need to reflect on the preciousness of your gift, this faith response to your Word, that we can have a relationship and that we can walk in this relationship, and that we can bear testimony of who you are in our hearts and lives. We're just asking for this to just become real in our lives by grace through faith that we might truly live in our hope and trust in you and be able to declare before God and man I believe.

It's in your name we pray, amen.