If you were asked to summarise what you believe about being a Christ-follower in a dozen bullet points what would you put down?  Print This Post

That was the task some church leaders set themselves in about 390AD when they realised that the gospel was being challenged from several different directions. The statement of faith (or creed) they came up with was the earliest version of the apostle’s creed and its name was first used in a letter sent from the Council of Milan in that year – probably written by Ambrose, one of the early church fathers.

From that day to this it has been a widely accepted summary of Christian belief and that’s what motivated this series of sermons. As is usual in our church (Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne, UK) we use a team teaching approach to Sunday preaching so you will only find the sermons Ian White has preached in this blog.

What is the creed itself? Here is a recent English text taken from the original latin

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living 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 the life everlasting. Amen.

 

At first sight some of these statements appear very basic, however when you sit down to think about them they all open up the enormous depths of the faith. This Sunday morning teaching series is based on the phrases of the Apostles Creed and the scriptural passages that they represent.

1I believe in God

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth” – It all starts with him as the originator of the cosmos as we know it.

18/09/2011

2God in a body

“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary” – Knowing about Jesus’ origin is key to understanding who he is and what he does for us

25/09/2011

3The death of God

“Suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to the dead” – Christ was the victim of a vicious plot to bring down an ideology. But God had other plans. In this talk we work through the significance of Christ’s death

02/10/2011

4 For sale: an empty tomb

“On the third day he rose again” Jesus Christ isn’t a dead hero but a living saviour and this is why he is so vital to life.

09/10/2011 (Reflections only)

5The homecoming

“He ascended into heaven” – Today we unpack the ministry of Jesus Christ today and see why his return to heaven was so important for us today.

16/10/2011

6Courtroom drama

“He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead” – In this talk you will hear about Jesus’ task as a judge of all people.

23/10/2011

7God’s power in us

I believe in the Holy Spirit” – Often the omitted member of the trinity the Holy Spirit empowers us to life for Christ and exercise abilities that enable the church to thrive.

06/11/2011

8Father’s army

“the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints” – The church is bigger than you think!

13/11/2011 (reflections only)

9The great climax

“the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting” – The liberating fact of forgiveness sets Christianity apart for all other faiths and this peace with God will have eternal consequences. In this talk you will hear about what the Bible says about it.

20/11/2011