The Apostles Creed is never used by the Orthodox Church! They only use the Nicene Creed! The Apostles Creed arose as a baptism creed. Donald and Malenia were married at an Episcopalian Church in Florida. They only recite the Apostles Creed at Baptism and the Nicene Creed at Communion! Malenia is from the Eastern Orthodox and they only use the Nicene Creed! This may explain the misunderstanding at the Bush funeral! It may demonstrate their convictions! Some of our former Presidents would recite the Quran if you gave them a copy at a Service! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: nicene
Wonderful Councilor! Isaiah 9:6
God chose to make His dwelling place with men! A councilor is one who fixes problems! My dad was my best councilor growing up as an adolescent! He rescued me many times! Kids should learn important lessons in life from their parents! With all those close calls I had growing up God never took His eyes off me! Today many youth are exposed to a flawed view of God! There are four basic views how people view God. 1. God is a troubleshooter! We do not bother Him unless we get in a crisis! 2. God is a distant power! God is not really interested in us. This pro-active disengagement leads to many problems in marriages and home life. 3. God is a grandparent. God wants what I want! God is an ATM machine to give me my every desire! 4. God is Lord and center of my life! God is the source of all wisdom and I submit to His rule over my life! Is God a wonderful councilor to you? Are you busy and distracted by the cares of this life? I will ask God council over every area of my life! We live in cultural chaos! There are competing voices for your life! Slow down! Take time to be Holy! Pay attention to Christ! A sheep only responds to the voice of his shepherd! He will ignore all other voices! Take time to listen to the Master’s voice! People that hear from God wait on Him! John 14:26 The councilor, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things! He will remind you of everything He has taught you in His Word! Jesus was the original home schooler! Teaching requires patience, diligence, and staying with it everyday! Teaching is not a lucrative occupation! Jesus disciples were slow and rebellious! Teaching requires kindness and being intentional! The Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of all things! We as a church recite the Nicene Creed because it teaches us and reminds us of very important things! What do good parents do for us from the cradle to the grave? They teach us and remind us! As we take communion this morning Jesus taught us and reminded us to do this in remembrance of Him! God is personal and interested in you! That is why He came to earth! God came from Heaven wrapped in flesh! Fully God and fully man! He told us He would be born of a virgin, die on a Cross, be raised from the dead and ascend back to Heaven! He taught His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit! The original Passover meals took hours to prepare! It was not fast food! God has taken great preparations for us! All we do is just receive the gift! Christ was broken for you yet His brokenness heals the world! At Passover in Jewish tradition the Messiah’s cup was always displayed meaning one day He would drink with us! At the Passover Jesus took the ceremonial cup and drank from it saying I am the long awaited Messiah! Jesus invites you to His table this morning! Jesus asked the Father if He could take this cup away from Him! Let thy will be done! God’s will was very costly to deliver us from our sin! Drink with Him this morning. He is a wonderful councilor and much more! No one can crash this party because everyone is invited! Source; Excerpt from Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. His complete messages can be seen on his Podcasts. Go to NewLifeChurch.org
Nicene Creed (Baptism)
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.
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
Why is Nicene Creed Important? Part 2
Earlier we discussed the importance of the Virgin birth! Only three names are mentioned in the Nicene Creed. They are Pilot, Mary and Jesus. Why? Mary and Jesus represent one Kingdom and Pilot represents another Kingdom. Two very different Kingdoms! Remember Pilot was not breaking any laws! He was the enforcer of Roman Rule using intimidation, force, fear, violence and death to enforce Roman Law! Lawful does not mean Godly! We have a higher calling! Not all laws are Christ like! Jesus was a Middle Eastern man who never spoke English. Pilot represents the law and Christ represents Grace and Truth! Not just represents but is the embodiment of Grace and Truth! The law shows us that no one except Christ can keep the law and all of humanity needs the Savior! Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Who Wrote The Nicene Creed? 325 A.D.
Heretics such as Arius of Alexander Egypt disturbed the peace of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine called a meeting of all the Bishops across his empire in an accessible town of Nicaea which is in present day Iznik Turkey. It was organized like the Roman Senate with the Emperor participating as a non-voting observer. The council met in Senatus Palace which is under Lake Isnik today. About 318 Bishops came from Rome, Jerusalem, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Greece, Asia Minor, Persia, Gaul, Hispania and the Danube. Among them was Saint Sylvester, Saint Alexander of Alexandria, Saint Nicholas of Myra (Jolly old Saint Nicolas, same guy), and Saint and Church Historian Eusebius. Each Bishop could bring up to two Priests and three deacons. So a total of up to 1800 could have attended! Even heretic Arius attended and got to vote! 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.
The Nicene Creed
WE BELIEVE IN one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. WE BELIEVE IN one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate: He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end. WE BELIEVE IN the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one Holy universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
True or False? Matthew 7:15-23
False Prophets! Not all that shines is gold! Jesus warning His disciples. Wolves attack just to kill while other beasts kill only for food. Assassins! Dressed in sheep clothing. They look like you, dress like you, have a good church language but are suicide bombers wearing a Christian costume. Intentional people who purposely mislead us to hurt. Evil at the core. Verse 16- By their fruit you will recognize them. Good or Bad! True or False! Pay attention to the right thing. Walk and be not deceived. Good fruit is moral fruit. Bad fruit is immoral or evil fruit. Verses 21-23. Final Judgment! I prophesied in your name? I cast out demons in your name? I did miracles in your name? Jesus said but I never knew you! Worst thing you could ever hear! Warning! Big crowds always follow those who perform prophecy, cast out demons and perform miracles. They may be genuine or total deceivers? Work for the right fruit. Do they sell products and then sprinkle Jesus on top of their sales pitch? How does fruit come? Fruit takes time to produce. Galatians 5:22- Fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace———-. Is our motivation on self or Christ? Look for sound doctrine! Is your household built on sand or rock? 2Timothy 4:3-4. People want a doctrine that fits their desires. Our desire and God’s desire is different. Make me happy God! The 21st century church theology is called; Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. It says that God is here to make me happy! Use Jesus to get what you want. No sound doctrine. A lot of money made under this false doctrine. Money made in the God business. Why? It sells! Itching ears. We want to hear this! Pleases the flesh. Marketing 101- Find out what the people want and tell them how to get it. Politicians today- They follow the culture rather than lead it! Flow with the stream down the drain. Sound doctrine- Iron sharpens iron. Follow Jesus. Believe Him. False Prophets will appear to go along with the Gospel but yet will say Jesus did not die and raise from the dead. The Death and Resurrection of Christ is foundational to our Faith! The Nicene Creed has been foundational to our Faith for over 1600 years. The early church father’s wrestled these heresies to the ground for us. You have to be able to discern truth to avoid the destruction of the false! Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sunday Sermon Notes Message given on September 8, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Was Jesus Married?
This subject has come up alot since about the 4th Century! The novel, Da Vinci Code was our most recent until a Harvard scholar says she has found evidence? This writing is out of the 4th Century. The 4th Century is a long way out from the Gospel’s that were written a few years after Jesus life in the 1st Century! Keep in mind what was going on in the 4th Century! One of the greatest challenges to Christianity came from the Coptic Church in Egypt! You had a non-trinitarian theology system rising and with that the rise of Arianism! Arianism said Jesus did not pre-exist His birth. All these forces lead to the Nicene Council in 325 A.D. This lead to the Nicene Creed which millions of churches around the world hold in their theology. There were many forces in the 4th Century trying to remove Christ’s Divinity and reduce Him to a mere man. The same goes for today! This letter from Harvard came out of the 4th Century. The Gospel’s of the New Testament mention all of Jesus family which includes mother, father, sisters, brothers, cousins, ect. Also the Gospel’s take Jesus lineage all the way back to Adam and Eve! If Jesus was married it would not have been left out by all these writers of Biblical and Non-Biblical Historians during the 1st Century! His disciples died promoting the truth and reality of who Christ is and would not have died for a fake! Sometimes I joke and say Jesus did not get married because He was too smart! Think about the plan God had for His Son Jesus and what it required of Him! The Cross and all that lead up to it and then after the Cross! When would He have time for a wife and kids? Then you would have generations living after Christ who would claim they are His relatives and claim special rights! Jesus is married to His Church! We are His Bride! Jesus said you must be born again! This birth is a Spiritual Birth that transforms your life and prepares you to receive the Holy Spirit! Are you married to Jesus or are you trying to live without God? The choice is yours. Love demands a choice! You either serve God or Satan! Choose the one who has created you, died for you, saved you, rose from the grave for you and is in Heaven preparing a place for you! No one else in history can do this or would do this for you! Thankyou. James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com