This morning we are going to cover the last two stanza’s of the Creed. This Creed was crafted in the 4th Century to give guard rails to our Faith! The Creed is a prayer predicated on the Scriptures to unify the Body of Christ together! The Creed says, ” We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sin.” For the parents here I would never force your children to take Baptism but should be ready to give an answer when asked about Baptism. Baptism should be voluntary! Baptism is not a box to be checked off on your church itinerary! It should not be on your no can do list! Baptism is a supernatural event! It is a galvanizing document much like our Constitution! There are two idea’s I want to discuss about Baptism. Some call Baptism in water as a voluntary drowning! Jesus is your life guard! Romans 6: 1-4. Water baptism is surrendering to Christ! Remember Jesus got Baptized! In the Jordan River and then on the Cross! Baptism is a defining moment for you are entering death, burial and resurrection! The Roman Empire was the center of civilization during the first few centuries of history. As powerful as they were the Gospel still got into Rome! First under the Emperor’s skin and then to become the official religion of the Roman Empire! How does Grace align with Baptism? The cheap brand of Grace says it does not matter what you do just what you believe! Baptism is living out your Faith! Faith in action! Some think today as some in the 1st century that we sin more so we can get more Grace? Grace is God doing for you what you cannot do for yourself! God will not sin for you! We do not live to sin but die to sin for all are Baptized into His death! The Roman’s perfected Crucifixion! Christ was executed for our sin! We are buried with Him and raised with Him in Baptism! As Christ was raised from the dead so we are raised to life! We participate with Him in Baptism! After we are raised with Him we are radically different! His internal witness living inside us changes us! Our world is turned upside down! What used to matter the most to us now matters the least! Eternity awakens our souls! The early Church set aside a special day for Baptism. It was called Holy Saturday. It was done between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It was done on sunset Saturday. It was a special moment of reflection where you die to self and let Jesus raise you up into new life! We need to remind ourselves and those who are taking Baptism this morning why are we doing this? It is personal and a special moment in your life! Baptism is personal but it is also public! Baptism is the outward protest of sin’s attempt to win an internal war! It is resisting the enemy! It is surrender to the one who has defeated your sin! It is a public protest to acknowledge your victory in Christ! This do in remembrance of me! More important He remembers you! When you remember Him you forget your sin and so does Christ! All of God’s promises to you are released in Baptism. The death, burial and resurrection bring victory! Never view Baptism as a work that gets you to Heaven! It is a work that prepares you for Heaven! Baptism is not begging for forgiveness of sin but receiving that which is already ours! Baptism is releasing victory! Baptism is a family event! Again Salvation is personal but not private! At water baptism people help you! John the Baptist helped Jesus! It is team work in the Body of Christ! If done by yourself it is just taking a bath! Baptism is proof that the Holy Spirit brings us together! Baptism breaks down the cultural divides that separate us! The 1st Century divide between the Jews and the Greeks was bridged through Baptism! The free and the slaves, the rich and the poor, the men and the women were united into one Body His Church! 1 Corinthians 12: 12-13. We have one body but many members! Baptism illustrates this! By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one body! Just as the Trinity is one so are we one in Christ! We are clothed in Christ! In the Greek culture they wore an outer and inner garment. They always took off the outer garment before entering a home because it was a dirty covering. The outer garment represented the places they lived and traveled. The outer garment represented sin and death. Jesus left your dirty garments at the foot of the Cross! The soldiers gambled them away! When you are Baptized in water those who help you are committed to walk with you! In Baptism you receive a new garment worn by you a new person clothed in Christ! Jesus left your grave clothes in the tomb! We are family because we are immersed in the same water! As family we trust God together! In marriage the two become one! In the Covenant we have each other! The Church is a family! Baptism is a public demonstration of your Faith! Baptism is a public confession of your Faith and your new birth into a family! Thankyou. Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Tag: life
Truth About Loss!
Invite Jesus into the place where you are broken! He has the answer! He is the answer! Jesus speaks life into brokenness! He is the resurrection! He has power! He does miracles! That is what He does! God has treasure for you in the midst of tragedy! God’s plans outweigh your plans! If you lose the truth about Christ you lose everything! Trust God for when you find the truth in the midst of tragedy you have everything! Stephanie Henderson, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We Believe In!
This has and is a series of messages we will continue today. Church history is important because He is the same yesterday, today and forever! We need to understand the foundation of our Faith! When we begin a journey to a specific destination we must stay on a tested proven path! The Nicene Creed does not replace the Bible but it condenses the most important elements of our Faith! The Creed is a guardrail that keeps us on the right road and helps prevent detours that could get us lost! It is hard to get upset with this Creed! If you lose a football game you cannot blame the playbook! You have to execute the play! Sometimes the church has petty differences but all can agree on this Creed! The part of the Creed we are studying this morning is, “We believe in one Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church.” Just as the Creed professes one God, one Christ and one Holy Spirit so the Creed professes one Church! Sometimes the church can be a disappointment! Our expectations are very high! The hardest people to council and encourage are those who have been abused by the church! Jesus understands this! My father when I was a young lad did not attend church! My mother took us to church and he went fishing! He always took me fishing after we got back from church. My father believed the church was full of hypocrites! He recognized later in life all were sinners and we all need a Savior! My wife Pam went through surgery last week! There is no greater comfort than the people of God! His church surrounds you in love and prayer! Nothing is sweeter! Nothing is greater than taking God’s love to people and then it is returned to you in your time of need! That my friend is Heaven! Why belong to a local church? First it is God’s plan! Do not forsake your assembling together! The local church is a non-negotiable. We need the community of the local church! A medical doctor cannot mature unless he has patients! We need someone to practice love on! Yes, you can find Jesus outside the church but you can only mature inside the church! Yes, we need our private devotions but congregational worship cannot be replaced! We will not be in Heaven by ourselves! You will have to cooperate with other Saints! God’s presence is magnified when we worship together! There is only one church on planet earth! There is only one church in Heaven! In church you worship with people who do not look like you! Hey, it is your lucky day! You have to worship with republicans, democrats, immigrants both legal and illegal! America is more divided today than anytime in my lifetime! Yes, we had our Revolutionary and Civil War but today has a cultural war like none I have seen before! The Bible says that God created all of us in His Image! If you believe that the racism, sexism, rich and poor has to go! The church breaks down the stereotypes! The world tries to separate us and the church unites us! What does Apostolic mean? When my son Abram was small he could not pronounce that word and when he tried it sounded like alcoholic! We get our word apostles from apostolic. The Apostles lived with Jesus and recorded what He did and said! The twelve disciples had first hand knowledge of Jesus life! The teachings of Jesus were handed down to us! In the 1st century there were a few thousand followers. Today 1/3 of the earth’s population is Christian! Jesus revealed to us how to live! Matthew 16:15-18 Peter denied Christ then repented and Jesus told him upon this rock I will build my church! Peter became the leader of the Jerusalem church and the first Pope of Rome! We have community in one Holy, Universal Apostolic Church! Acts 2:42 What this verse says is that they continued to have church! Again we come into the church with certain expectations! Remember marriage is not always romantic! We sometimes have exaggerated idea’s about things! Remember the church is a community of imperfect people! Why give up on the church? The church is full of saved sinners! The church is full of frail people! In church we take off our masks and are transparent before God! We openly testify of God’s redemptive work in our lives! Philippians 2:12 The church is where we work out our salvation! We cannot do it in private! We have to love people we do not agree with! The world looks into the church and tries to figure it out? It’s growth and influence exceeds any corporation in history! The world needs the church example with it’s unity in Christ! The church is a colony of life in a country of death! Our Mary’s Home and other facilities in Colorado Springs are a beacon of light in a dark world! We take people in who are on the margins of our culture and give them hope! We show the world what can happen when Christ’s followers come together in unity! We cannot do these things by ourselves! We just do what Jesus does and the world wonders in awe! Miracles! In church we meet people we would not choose! The church chose you and me! You can choose your friends but not your family! We love people who are not like us! The Holy Spirit confirms us! We are under the same tent with new and different people! John Chrysostom a famous theologian who lived from 347-407 A.D. said, “The church is an angelic commonwealth where the poor man knows no shame and the rich man knows no haughtiness!” Jesus is the head of the church! Remember Paul persecuted the church and then became an Apostle of the church! Ephesians 1: 22-23 Jesus is the head of His Body the Church! The Holy Spirit shapes the church into His Image! His Holy family looks like Jesus! Thankyou. Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
What is Political Correctness? John 14:6
Political correct speech is speech that is intended to hide the truth! What is truth? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.” The word truth here translated from the Greek means what is not concealed but open and known! God’s truth embodied in His Son Jesus Christ reveals our sin rather than conceal it through political correctness! Christ exposes our sin so that we can confess it to Him and be reconciled to God and come into relationship with Him! Political correctness is the modern day version Adam and Eve hiding in the Garden of Eden! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Why is the Virgin Birth Important?
Most of the time you will not hear about the Virgin birth except around Christmas time. This is why we as a congregation repeat the Nicene Creed every Sunday because it includes this among other important things to our Faith! This great event in human history causes to awe and wonder about how God does things? God does not owe us an explanation! God could have zoomed Jesus down to earth in a flash of light for the whole world to see instantly! Think about Mary for a moment? She was a teenager, poor, female and pregnant out of wedlock! In the Greek, Roman and Jewish world women had no status! They were considered property! Yet God chose her? Why? God shows us the womb is a Holy place! There is dignity in the womb! Life begins in the womb! God shows us the important role of women! God does not have a war on women! Satan does! Herod and the State tried to abort Jesus! A medical doctor wanted to abort Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow! His mother chose life! God has demonstrated to us that the womb is a Holy Sanctuary! Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Excerpt taken from message given on August 23, 2015.
American Education System Today!
2 Timothy 4: 3-4 For the season will come when they will not put up with superior teaching; but after their own lusts of the flesh shall heap themselves instructors having itching ears. They shall pervert their ears from what is not concealed, open and known but shall be turned into fiction. Note; Greek to English translation Comment; America was founded on Truth and the Holy Scriptures! Sadly, today we are living in a land of fiction! Whether we perish or not will depend on what Americans do with the Holy Bible and those who follow it! Our choices will either lead us to life or death! Pray for America! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
What Attracts God?
Praise! Praise! Praise! Brandon Cormier, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Great Leadership!
It is characteristic excellence of the strong man that he bring momentous issues to the fore and make a decision about them! The weak are always forced to decide between alternatives they have not chosen themselves! Dietrich Bonhoeffer Comment; What was the alternative to the Cross? Failure! What is the alternative to work? Welfare. Every leader is following someone! There are two types of leaders. One will lead you to Heaven and one will lead you to Hell! Your outcome in life and eternity will be determined by who you follow! Hell is a poor alternative! The bum going through the trash dumpster is living on alternatives! God is love and Satan is fear! What method does your leader use? Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Two Best Days of Your Life?
There are two great days in a person’s life—the day you were born and the day you discover why! William Barclay (1907-1978)
Does Your Life Matter?
The awful importance of this life is that it determines eternity! William Barclay (1907-1978)