WEBVTT

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 Welcome, brothers and sisters.

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 This will be our final class on the creeds.

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!

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 Father in heaven, Lord, we thank you for your rich example of faithfulness, Lord, to your church.

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 Lord, that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

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 Father, that you have been faithful in the past, and so we can be assured that you will be faithful today.

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 And that you will guard us, protect us, and that you will bring us safely home.

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 Father, we pray that today will be edifying.

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 Lord, there be unity and love.

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 And, Father, just sincere thankfulness toward you.

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 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 All right.

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 Well, ignore this for another 10, 15 minutes.

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 So today, this year marks the 1700th year of the Nicene Creed.

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 And Christians around the world have been pausing,

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 using this as an opportunity to reflect, again, at the rich heritage of the creeds that we have.

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 And creeds, if you recall, come from the word credo.

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 I believe, believing, confessing.

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 These are truths that God calls the church to believe and confess.

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 And in this class, I'm going to use the word creeds and confessions almost synonymously.

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 They're very similar in function.

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 It's been said confessions are about what we believe.

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 Creeds are about in whom we believe.

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 Creeds tend to be more ecumenical in the early church, universal in nature.

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 Confessions, on the other hand, come from the Protestant Reformation and tend to be more comprehensive.

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 There might be a more surgical way of distinguishing creeds and confessions,

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 but that's just a roadmap for us.

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 And we do have a rich heritage that reminds us that we join an assembly of believers across the ages,

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 both saints today and saints from yesterday, from the past.

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 As we're thinking about this, in the old world,

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 Christians often created graveyards on church property,

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 mostly in the UK, but here in Connecticut as well.

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 And it was a reminder that when you came to church,

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 that you join the communion of saints,

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 present and the past.

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 You walk into church,

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 and you join the saints who have gone before us,

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 those who have departed to a better place.

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 And being a member of the church universal is to be a part of that community,

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 a community that stretches back to antiquity.

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 And we're united in the faith that we confess.

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 And I've been encouraged just throughout this class

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 where we stand in line with generations of Christians

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 who believe the same things we believe today.

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 That should be a rich encouragement for us.

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 So let me recap some of what we've discussed,

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 and then we're going to pivot and look at creeds for today.

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 And when we discuss the creeds,

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 Christians can either have a healthy or an unhealthy relationship to the past.

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 An unhealthy relationship to the past is when we elevate traditions to the place of Scripture,

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 where we begin to venerate human teachers.

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 Or on the flip side, an unhealthy relationship to the past is when we try to reinvent the wheel every Sunday.

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 A healthy respect means we recognize that the Spirit of God has been at work in the church.

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 Every age, every generation of Christians are called to study, proclaim, and live out the Scripture.

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 But we have healthy models from our brothers and sisters in Christ

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 who have taken God's Word, applied it to the challenges of their day,

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 and we need to pay attention and learn from their example.

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 That's a healthy relationship to the past,

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 where we stand on the shoulder of giants.

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 You know, when there's a crisis,

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 you're going to have Scripture come to mind, right?

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 But what else?

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 Hymns will start to come to mind.

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 Maybe it is well, great is thy faithfulness.

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 And in sickness and chronic struggles,

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 how many times have people quoted as a comfort Heidelberg Catechism?

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 What is my only comfort in life and death?

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 Maybe some of you have quoted that answer,

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 that I am not my own,

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 but belong body and soul in life and in death

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 to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

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 So in clear, powerful words,

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 this reminds us that we can rejoice

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 because we belong to the One who laid down His life for us.

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 True comfort and assurance.

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 Again, not Scripture.

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 And the Heidelberg Catechism wouldn't claim to be Scripture.

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 But maybe that statement reminds you of John 10,

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 where Jesus said,

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 I am the Good Shepherd.

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 The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

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 Or maybe it reminds you of Psalm 100, verse 3.

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 Know that the Lord, He is God.

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 It is He who made us, and we are His,

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 and we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

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 In the same way,

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 martyrs march to their death,

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 reciting the words of the creeds.

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 Again, not Scripture.

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 Remember, these creeds are helpful summaries

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 of biblical teaching.

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 Going back to our first class,

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 this is not the inspired, authoritative Word of God.

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 It's not additional, special revelation.

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 We do not claim infallibility for creeds.

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 Yet these creeds are helpful summaries.

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 They're hearing aids to help us strengthen

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 our understanding of the Scripture.

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 And these are summaries.

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 They're doctrinal aspirations of the Church.

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 Here's what we believe.

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 Here's what we aspire to.

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 When you come into our Church,

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 here's what you can expect to be taught.

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 We're not replacing Scripture.

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 We're using them as helpful summaries.

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 And so if someone asks you a question,

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 you know, who is Jesus?

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 What does it mean to be a Christian?

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 What is the Church?

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 What role do good works have in the Christian life?

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 You could say, well, you know,

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 I believe in what the New Testament teaches

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 on those things.

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 Okay.

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 And you could just start from Genesis 1-1

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 and start citing a list of Bible verses.

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 That's one way of doing that.

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 Or you could do what most people do,

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 and you start to summarize

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 of what the Bible teaches.

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 But as soon as we say to summarize,

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 we're moving in the direction of creedal statements.

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 In our second class,

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 we discussed how creeds were used by Christians

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 in the early Church.

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 We talked about people like Irenaeus

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 and Tertullian and Ignatius,

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 and who used the rule of faith

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 to summarize those matters

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 which were at the heartbeat of their faith.

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 The rule had things like the Trinity

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 and creation, God's grace,

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 Christ's incarnation,

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 his suffering, his resurrection,

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 the ascension,

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 his second coming in judgment.

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 They emphasized Jesus was really,

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 really, really, really human

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 in contrast to the heresies of their day.

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 And just like laws that are passed

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 after an offense,

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 creeds were often a response against heresy,

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 where theological error forced the Church

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 into articulating theological clarity.

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 I remember Raul said,

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 creeds are not intellectualistic.

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 You know, someone sitting in their study,

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 it's because from within and without,

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 they are clarifying,

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 because there's a threat to the Church.

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 And we talked about the Nicene Creed,

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 a response against Arianism.

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 You know, Aria said the Son was highly exalted,

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 even a divine figure,

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 but a creature, nonetheless.

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 There was a time when the Son was not.

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 And we saw Aria used evasive language,

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 maybe similar to Jehovah's Witnesses today.

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 But the Church had to formulate terminology

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 that became a guardrail to protect the Church.

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 Christ is of the same substance as the Father.

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 And we talk about Constantinople,

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 response to those who deny the divinity of the Holy Spirit,

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 or Chalcinon,

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 a response to the nature of Jesus,

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 fully God and fully man,

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 the hypostatic union.

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 So that's what we've been discussing

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 as these last six weeks.

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 So let's pivot for creed for today.

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 Are creeds still relevant?

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 One way we could say this,

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 to creed or not to creed?

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 That is the question.

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 Like Shakespeare,

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 we're thinking about creeds.

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 So first, I think three things

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 I want us to consider together.

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 First, I'm going to suggest

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 that creeds protect against authoritarianism in churches.

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 Authoritarianism in churches.

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 Second, we're going to discuss

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 how the Apostles' Creed

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 speaks to modern cultural issues.

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 And third, we're going to conclude

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 by looking at future creeds.

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 Creeds that have not yet been written.

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 So before we do that,

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 let's make sure that we don't miss the wood from the trees.

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 This is a reminder for myself, as it were.

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 If the creeds are large red oaks

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 that have withstood the test of time

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 in God's kingdom,

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 it's not the main tree, right?

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 It's not the gospel.

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 So let's keep the main thing the main thing.

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 There are godly Christians

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 who disagree

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 about the use of creeds.

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 And you know what?

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 We'll spend eternity with them.

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 This is an inner family conversation.

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 All right?

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 And more liturgical

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 Protestant traditions,

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 our brothers and sisters

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 in Lutheran traditions,

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 the Presbyterians,

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 Anglicans,

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 some Baptists,

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 creeds are used

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 within churches.

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 not only for protecting doctrine,

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 but teaching it

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 to help memorize

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 these fundamental truths.

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 And you'll often hear

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 that Baptists do not recite creeds.

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 Well, that might be true

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 of many Baptists in America today,

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 but that historically

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 has not been the case.

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 There's kind of been a fear

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 that only Roman Catholics

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 recite creeds.

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 We're Bible people.

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 Baptists are an an electric bunch, right?

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 So we are,

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 it's a wide tent.

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 And we have brothers and sisters

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 who are Baptists

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 who we love.

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 They're good Christians

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 who love the Lord,

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 love the gospel,

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 who disagree with the use of creeds.

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 And that's okay.

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 I just want to keep

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 the main thing the main thing,

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 that we both love Jesus

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 and we're committed

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 to the authority of Scripture.

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 But I want to suggest

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 that creeds protect

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 against authoritarianism

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 in churches.

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 Because, you know,

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 every church has a creed.

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 And even the pastor

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 who gets up to the pulpit

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 and claims,

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 we have no creed,

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 but the Bible

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 actually has a creed.

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 And I've been influenced

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 by Carl Truman

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 on this question.

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 And he has a book

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 called The Creedal Imperative

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 where he writes this.

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 The only difference

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 between someone

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 who claims no creed,

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 but the Bible,

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 and a creedalist

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 is this.

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 The creedalist

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 writes his creed down.

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 What he,

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 the non-creedalist,

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 really should say

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 is this.

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 I have a creed,

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 but I am not going

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 to write it down.

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 So you cannot critique it

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 or test it by the Scripture.

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 And I am going

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 to identify my creed

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 so closely

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 with the Bible

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 that I am not going

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 to be able

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 to critique it either.

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 So in other words,

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 he's saying,

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 when we refuse

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 to acknowledge

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 our own framework,

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 framework,

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 we refuse actually

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 for an opportunity

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 for others

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 to publicly scrutinize

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 what we as a church believe.

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 So creeds actually

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 help to avoid

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 authoritarian leaders

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 in churches.

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 How?

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 Well, every church

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 has boundaries.

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 Every church

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 draws boundaries.

00:13:03.520 --> 00:13:04.560
 And when you write

00:13:04.560 --> 00:13:05.600
 it down,

00:13:05.660 --> 00:13:06.080
 when you write

00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:07.140
 those boundaries down,

00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:08.200
 you give others

00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:08.780
 the benefit

00:13:08.780 --> 00:13:09.660
 of knowing

00:13:09.660 --> 00:13:10.700
 where those boundaries are.

00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:13.780
 And I wonder

00:13:13.780 --> 00:13:14.160
 if you've ever been

00:13:14.160 --> 00:13:14.700
 in a church

00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:15.560
 where there's

00:13:15.560 --> 00:13:17.060
 just underground landmines

00:13:17.060 --> 00:13:18.220
 where you actually

00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:18.620
 don't know

00:13:18.620 --> 00:13:19.680
 where those boundaries are

00:13:19.680 --> 00:13:20.840
 until you've crossed it.

00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:24.720
 And worse than that,

00:13:24.820 --> 00:13:25.920
 one person can change

00:13:25.920 --> 00:13:27.020
 that boundary in secret.

00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.340
 So rather than having

00:13:30.340 --> 00:13:31.620
 above-ground fences

00:13:31.620 --> 00:13:32.920
 where it's a clearly

00:13:32.920 --> 00:13:33.960
 delineation of

00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:34.840
 here's what we

00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:35.720
 as a church believe,

00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:37.500
 you have people

00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:38.280
 who are afraid

00:13:38.280 --> 00:13:40.680
 of abandoning

00:13:40.700 --> 00:13:41.680
 of crossing boundaries,

00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:42.560
 but they're not actually

00:13:42.560 --> 00:13:44.000
 quite sure where those are.

00:13:44.680 --> 00:13:45.640
 And I think historically,

00:13:46.300 --> 00:13:47.020
 J.A. Packer,

00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:48.020
 he wrote that

00:13:48.020 --> 00:13:48.780
 historic creeds

00:13:48.780 --> 00:13:49.500
 assist the church

00:13:49.500 --> 00:13:50.220
 in carrying out

00:13:50.220 --> 00:13:51.820
 four principal responsibilities.

00:13:52.680 --> 00:13:54.420
 The first is disciplinary,

00:13:54.640 --> 00:13:55.240
 so guarding.

00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:56.160
 You're guarding

00:13:56.160 --> 00:13:58.740
 the truth from error.

00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:00.700
 The second is doxological

00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:02.259
 or worship.

00:14:02.940 --> 00:14:04.620
 Third is declarative,

00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:05.620
 witnessing.

00:14:06.440 --> 00:14:08.040
 And fourth is didactic

00:14:08.040 --> 00:14:08.740
 or teaching

00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:09.360
 or instruction.

00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.480
 So that's how the creeds

00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:12.399
 have normally been used.

00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:13.919
 And so for today,

00:14:13.980 --> 00:14:15.180
 I want to consider witnessing.

00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:17.940
 How does the Apostles' Creed

00:14:17.940 --> 00:14:19.720
 help us to witness?

00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:23.940
 And can the Apostles' Creed

00:14:23.940 --> 00:14:26.519
 speak to our modern challenges?

00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:28.740
 So in North America,

00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:30.220
 you know,

00:14:30.360 --> 00:14:31.919
 there's been a general idea,

00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:32.500
 I would say,

00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:33.960
 within the past 100 years,

00:14:34.100 --> 00:14:35.220
 maybe, of course,

00:14:35.659 --> 00:14:36.899
 farther back than that,

00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:38.379
 of what constitutes

00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:39.199
 Christian belief.

00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:42.039
 It's often been assumed,

00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:43.399
 right?

00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:44.559
 But for various reasons,

00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:45.279
 we've entered into

00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:46.740
 a consciously post-Christian,

00:14:47.379 --> 00:14:48.879
 even anti-Christian outlook.

00:14:49.579 --> 00:14:51.120
 So when churches

00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:51.759
 recite,

00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:53.199
 share the gospel

00:14:53.199 --> 00:14:54.199
 and evangelism,

00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:56.299
 they'll often use

00:14:56.299 --> 00:14:57.220
 something called

00:14:57.220 --> 00:14:59.159
 the Romans' road.

00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:00.039
 And I want us to talk

00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:00.759
 about that together.

00:15:00.759 --> 00:15:02.539
 The Romans' road

00:15:02.539 --> 00:15:03.439
 to evangelism,

00:15:03.939 --> 00:15:06.720
 where they present

00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.179
 the gospel

00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:07.960
 to a non-believer.

00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:09.779
 The ABC method,

00:15:10.419 --> 00:15:10.679
 admit,

00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:11.120
 believe,

00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:11.679
 confess.

00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:13.019
 All right?

00:15:13.059 --> 00:15:13.720
 And the Romans' road

00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:14.539
 typically goes like this.

00:15:14.620 --> 00:15:14.759
 Okay,

00:15:14.819 --> 00:15:15.819
 admit that you are a sinner.

00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:17.819
 And they recite Romans,

00:15:18.059 --> 00:15:18.819
 chapter 3,

00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:19.539
 verse 23.

00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:21.019
 All have sinned

00:15:21.019 --> 00:15:21.519
 and fall short

00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:22.319
 of the glory of God.

00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:23.580
 And they'll say,

00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:23.980
 well,

00:15:24.059 --> 00:15:24.879
 and then believe

00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:25.939
 on the Lord Jesus Christ

00:15:25.939 --> 00:15:26.819
 and you will be saved.

00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:28.439
 And believe that

00:15:28.439 --> 00:15:29.659
 He laid His life down

00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:30.120
 for sinners.

00:15:31.059 --> 00:15:32.159
 And then third,

00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:33.019
 confess Jesus

00:15:33.019 --> 00:15:33.740
 as the risen Lord

00:15:33.740 --> 00:15:34.659
 and He will welcome you

00:15:34.659 --> 00:15:35.159
 into heaven.

00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:36.639
 Okay,

00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:38.100
 so you may have seen

00:15:38.100 --> 00:15:39.459
 some of these ways

00:15:39.459 --> 00:15:40.360
 of presenting the gospel.

00:15:41.439 --> 00:15:42.559
 But let me ask this question

00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:43.459
 to all for all of us here.

00:15:43.839 --> 00:15:44.919
 What information

00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:45.699
 do you think

00:15:45.699 --> 00:15:46.740
 this assumes

00:15:46.740 --> 00:15:48.279
 about the non-Christian hearer

00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:49.579
 who is listening to this?

00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:51.899
 What are we assuming

00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:52.360
 about that?

00:15:54.839 --> 00:15:55.279
 Luke.

00:15:58.620 --> 00:15:59.519
 Yes, exactly.

00:15:59.659 --> 00:16:00.299
 I mean,

00:16:00.339 --> 00:16:00.939
 this kind of makes

00:16:00.939 --> 00:16:01.480
 no sense

00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:03.059
 if you don't know

00:16:03.059 --> 00:16:04.240
 what a sinner is

00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:05.759
 or what an idea of sin.

00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:06.199
 Exactly.

00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:07.299
 Anything else?

00:16:09.219 --> 00:16:09.879
 That they know

00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:10.879
 who Jesus is?

00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:12.240
 Like what He said

00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:12.759
 about Himself?

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:13.959
 Yep.

00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:15.639
 Jesus

00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:18.019
 is undefined here.

00:16:18.219 --> 00:16:18.360
 Yep.

00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:20.000
 Excuse me?

00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:20.620
 God loves you

00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:21.259
 and has a wonderful

00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:22.179
 plan for your life.

00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:24.459
 This certainly

00:16:24.459 --> 00:16:25.079
 could create

00:16:25.079 --> 00:16:25.939
 a whole bunch

00:16:25.939 --> 00:16:26.860
 of pastoral issues

00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:27.500
 down the line.

00:16:27.500 --> 00:16:28.639
 Yes.

00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:30.779
 Yes.

00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:31.899
 Anything else?

00:16:32.460 --> 00:16:33.299
 It assumes

00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:34.960
 that the modern reader

00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:36.220
 or hearer

00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:38.240
 acknowledges

00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:38.960
 the existence

00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:40.600
 of the biblical God.

00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:41.480
 Mm-hmm.

00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:42.159
 Yes.

00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:43.460
 Yeah,

00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:44.620
 that God has certain demands

00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:45.519
 on your life.

00:16:46.179 --> 00:16:46.399
 Yeah.

00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:46.460
 Yeah.

00:16:46.460 --> 00:16:47.840
 When a person

00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:48.759
 is suppressing

00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:49.280
 the truth

00:16:49.280 --> 00:16:50.320
 and unrighteousness,

00:16:50.660 --> 00:16:51.259
 all of this

00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:52.080
 doesn't mean anything.

00:16:52.220 --> 00:16:53.000
 He doesn't believe

00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:53.620
 miracles.

00:16:53.920 --> 00:16:55.080
 His conscience

00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:56.139
 is seared maybe.

00:16:57.639 --> 00:16:57.920
 Mm-hmm.

00:16:58.139 --> 00:17:00.340
 It's a smorgasbord

00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:01.220
 of belief

00:17:01.220 --> 00:17:02.080
 that you believe

00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:02.960
 and doesn't mean

00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:03.620
 a thing to me.

00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:04.460
 Right.

00:17:04.460 --> 00:17:05.579
 I'm trying to find out

00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:06.120
 where I'm going to get

00:17:06.120 --> 00:17:06.940
 my next meal.

00:17:07.380 --> 00:17:08.180
 You're talking about

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:08.960
 a guy that rose

00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:09.539
 to the dead.

00:17:10.259 --> 00:17:10.620
 Yes.

00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:11.220
 Yeah.

00:17:11.220 --> 00:17:13.420
 So I would suggest

00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:14.420
 that the ABC method

00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.940
 is not enough

00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:17.900
 in our current day.

00:17:18.860 --> 00:17:19.779
 The gospel call

00:17:19.779 --> 00:17:20.480
 is not understood.

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.180
 There's an ignorance

00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:23.279
 of who God is.

00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:24.660
 So if you told a pagan

00:17:24.660 --> 00:17:25.740
 that Jesus was Lord,

00:17:26.299 --> 00:17:26.500
 you know,

00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:27.019
 they might think,

00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:27.259
 okay,

00:17:27.259 --> 00:17:28.579
 he's one of many options.

00:17:30.019 --> 00:17:31.299
 And the problem,

00:17:32.220 --> 00:17:33.680
 this problem ran deep

00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:35.259
 in the early church

00:17:35.259 --> 00:17:36.799
 in the Roman Empire.

00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:39.019
 And so the Apostles' Creed

00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:40.400
 was actually born

00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:41.120
 as an instrument

00:17:41.120 --> 00:17:41.980
 for evangelism.

00:17:42.940 --> 00:17:43.180
 All right.

00:17:43.420 --> 00:17:44.000
 So do you think

00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:44.800
 you can find the gospel

00:17:44.800 --> 00:17:45.700
 in the Apostles' Creed?

00:17:47.100 --> 00:17:48.280
 Anybody want to give a shot?

00:17:48.580 --> 00:17:50.240
 Is the gospel in there?

00:17:53.820 --> 00:17:54.220
 Yeah.

00:17:55.340 --> 00:17:56.400
 Forgiveness of sins,

00:17:56.540 --> 00:17:57.860
 communion of the saints,

00:17:58.860 --> 00:18:02.019
 he ascended into heaven,

00:18:02.200 --> 00:18:03.300
 he's sitting at the right hand

00:18:03.300 --> 00:18:03.900
 of the Father,

00:18:04.040 --> 00:18:04.840
 he will come and judge

00:18:04.840 --> 00:18:05.880
 the living and the dead.

00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:07.440
 Mm-hmm.

00:18:08.019 --> 00:18:08.240
 Right.

00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:10.980
 It starts with creation.

00:18:11.700 --> 00:18:13.039
 God is the maker of everything,

00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:13.980
 including ourselves.

00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:15.940
 And the Father's care

00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:16.720
 for everything

00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:21.779
 is of heaven and earth.

00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:24.019
 And so he's Lord over it all.

00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:25.240
 Then the incarnation,

00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:26.339
 right,

00:18:26.380 --> 00:18:27.359
 the Son stepping down

00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:28.099
 into creation,

00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:29.519
 his humiliation,

00:18:29.700 --> 00:18:30.180
 into death,

00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:30.920
 and his resurrection.

00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:32.079
 He's reigning,

00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.079
 soon returning

00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:33.940
 as royal judge.

00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:35.860
 And what was his mission?

00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:36.500
 To suffer,

00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:38.080
 to die for the forgiveness

00:18:38.080 --> 00:18:38.799
 of sins.

00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:42.200
 And we have the Spirit's power

00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:42.900
 in our lives.

00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:43.640
 And we're going to talk more

00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:45.080
 about this section particularly.

00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:46.559
 And we have a future hope.

00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:49.799
 So really what the Apostles' Creed

00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:50.519
 is doing,

00:18:51.320 --> 00:18:52.240
 and you can make sense

00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:54.259
 why the writers of the Creed

00:18:54.259 --> 00:18:55.980
 would need to have this

00:18:55.980 --> 00:18:56.620
 written down,

00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:57.279
 is that they're providing

00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:58.460
 a biblical theology

00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:00.140
 of creation, fall,

00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:00.640
 redemption,

00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:01.800
 and restoration.

00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:03.960
 And it's giving content

00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:05.140
 to the entire scheme

00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:06.820
 of the biblical storyline.

00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:09.160
 And it's radically God-centered

00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:09.980
 and it requires

00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:11.180
 a reorientation

00:19:11.180 --> 00:19:12.320
 of our entire lives

00:19:12.320 --> 00:19:14.160
 when we confess

00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:15.640
 that Jesus is Lord.

00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:17.820
 And so I think

00:19:17.820 --> 00:19:19.400
 that schema

00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:20.200
 would be helpful

00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:21.200
 for people today

00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:22.400
 who don't understand

00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:24.500
 this part,

00:19:24.840 --> 00:19:25.560
 especially that God

00:19:25.560 --> 00:19:26.140
 is the creator.

00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:29.660
 Or who Jesus was.

00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.920
 And I think

00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:33.840
 it also does something

00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:34.800
 else besides

00:19:34.800 --> 00:19:36.080
 providing biblical theology.

00:19:36.380 --> 00:19:37.180
 And I've been reflecting

00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:39.080
 on Tim Keller's words

00:19:39.080 --> 00:19:39.940
 before he died

00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:41.220
 in his writing

00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:42.160
 on church renewal.

00:19:42.620 --> 00:19:43.980
 He wrote about the idea

00:19:43.980 --> 00:19:45.140
 of the church

00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:45.600
 needing to do

00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:46.860
 counter-catechesis.

00:19:47.820 --> 00:19:49.140
 And counter-catechesis

00:19:49.140 --> 00:19:50.960
 is what the church

00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:51.820
 has always done.

00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:53.240
 And it's using

00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:54.280
 biblical doctrine

00:19:54.280 --> 00:19:55.960
 to deconstruct

00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:56.400
 the beliefs

00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:56.900
 of the culture

00:19:56.900 --> 00:19:57.700
 around us

00:19:57.700 --> 00:19:58.720
 and then provide

00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:00.000
 alternative narratives

00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.519
 to the secular narratives.

00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:04.019
 So counter-catechesis,

00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:04.819
 he's not saying

00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:07.140
 using actual Q&A catechesis.

00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:08.460
 He's just saying

00:20:08.460 --> 00:20:09.779
 we need to provide

00:20:09.779 --> 00:20:10.819
 a Christian narrative

00:20:10.819 --> 00:20:11.880
 of what's most true

00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:12.339
 in the world

00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:13.019
 over and again

00:20:13.019 --> 00:20:13.880
 secular narratives

00:20:13.880 --> 00:20:15.059
 that are bombarding us

00:20:15.059 --> 00:20:16.000
 every day.

00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:17.660
 And I think

00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:19.539
 we can do better.

00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:21.460
 Those have still

00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:22.140
 yet to be written.

00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:22.700
 But I think

00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:23.500
 the Apostles' Creed

00:20:23.500 --> 00:20:24.480
 actually helps with that.

00:20:25.339 --> 00:20:26.240
 It helps us

00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:27.000
 to understand

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:28.380
 the kind of world

00:20:28.380 --> 00:20:29.000
 we live in.

00:20:29.520 --> 00:20:30.140
 It helps us

00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:30.660
 to understand

00:20:30.660 --> 00:20:31.900
 a counter-narrative

00:20:31.900 --> 00:20:33.000
 of what's most true

00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:33.560
 in the world.

00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:35.840
 And as pilgrims,

00:20:35.940 --> 00:20:37.900
 we need to avoid

00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:38.820
 being squeezed

00:20:38.820 --> 00:20:39.640
 into the mold

00:20:39.640 --> 00:20:40.620
 of this world

00:20:40.620 --> 00:20:41.460
 but constantly

00:20:41.460 --> 00:20:42.620
 being renewed

00:20:42.620 --> 00:20:44.320
 by the...

00:20:44.320 --> 00:20:45.160
 renewing our mind

00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:46.280
 with God's truth.

00:20:47.120 --> 00:20:47.500
 And so,

00:20:47.700 --> 00:20:48.700
 I want us to consider

00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:49.760
 the Apostles' Creed

00:20:49.760 --> 00:20:50.400
 almost in a

00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:52.260
 counter-catechetical way

00:20:52.260 --> 00:20:53.600
 where we're

00:20:53.600 --> 00:20:54.500
 contrasting it

00:20:54.500 --> 00:20:55.420
 with secular creeds.

00:20:55.420 --> 00:20:57.380
 And so,

00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:58.300
 let's consider

00:20:58.300 --> 00:20:59.220
 the secular creed

00:20:59.220 --> 00:20:59.560
 together.

00:21:00.620 --> 00:21:01.500
 So this month,

00:21:01.600 --> 00:21:02.180
 Pride Month,

00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:03.600
 is almost a liturgical

00:21:03.600 --> 00:21:04.160
 calendar

00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:05.120
 to a modern

00:21:05.120 --> 00:21:06.680
 secular creed.

00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:08.980
 Rebecca McLaughlin

00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:09.779
 has called

00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:11.660
 one creed

00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:12.240
 you might see

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:13.440
 during the election day,

00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:15.080
 during the election season,

00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:15.960
 where you might see

00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:16.860
 a sign like this.

00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:18.100
 It says,

00:21:18.180 --> 00:21:18.820
 In this house

00:21:18.820 --> 00:21:19.560
 we believe,

00:21:19.620 --> 00:21:20.259
 so credo,

00:21:20.840 --> 00:21:21.560
 we believe

00:21:21.560 --> 00:21:22.440
 black lives matter.

00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:23.759
 Women's rights

00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.440
 are human rights.

00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:25.600
 No human

00:21:25.600 --> 00:21:26.320
 is illegal.

00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:27.799
 Science is real.

00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:28.960
 Love is love.

00:21:29.100 --> 00:21:30.100
 Kindness is everything.

00:21:31.580 --> 00:21:31.759
 Right?

00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:32.559
 So we've gone

00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:33.120
 from an age

00:21:33.120 --> 00:21:34.420
 of moral relativism

00:21:34.420 --> 00:21:35.180
 to an age

00:21:35.180 --> 00:21:35.900
 concerned

00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:37.140
 acutely

00:21:37.140 --> 00:21:37.779
 with issues

00:21:37.779 --> 00:21:38.340
 of what is

00:21:38.340 --> 00:21:39.080
 of justice,

00:21:39.220 --> 00:21:39.500
 of what is

00:21:39.500 --> 00:21:40.180
 right and wrong.

00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:42.860
 And that is a creed.

00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:43.980
 That's a secular creed,

00:21:44.100 --> 00:21:45.080
 as Rebecca says.

00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:46.100
 And the point

00:21:46.100 --> 00:21:47.519
 isn't to disentangle

00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.120
 these ideas

00:21:48.120 --> 00:21:49.019
 but just to recognize

00:21:49.019 --> 00:21:49.920
 we live in a very

00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:50.960
 creedal age.

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.440
 And we face

00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:53.400
 challenges

00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:54.440
 of rival

00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:55.880
 conceptions

00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:56.980
 of what is

00:21:56.980 --> 00:21:57.620
 most true

00:21:57.620 --> 00:21:58.340
 of things like

00:21:58.340 --> 00:21:59.860
 rising individualism

00:21:59.860 --> 00:22:00.480
 and autonomy

00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:01.140
 and freedom.

00:22:02.259 --> 00:22:03.059
 Everyone has

00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:03.400
 the right

00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:03.840
 to decide

00:22:03.840 --> 00:22:04.240
 what's right

00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:04.660
 for them.

00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:05.559
 That's true

00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:05.980
 freedom,

00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:06.480
 right?

00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:08.120
 Throw off

00:22:08.120 --> 00:22:08.480
 traditions

00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.200
 and expectations.

00:22:09.940 --> 00:22:10.680
 Let what's

00:22:10.680 --> 00:22:11.360
 inside of you

00:22:11.360 --> 00:22:12.220
 come outside.

00:22:12.840 --> 00:22:13.340
 Our biggest

00:22:13.340 --> 00:22:13.880
 problem

00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:14.759
 could be

00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:16.019
 political repression,

00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:17.360
 trauma from your past,

00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:18.420
 people's judgmental

00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:18.880
 attitudes.

00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:20.140
 the problem

00:22:20.140 --> 00:22:20.640
 comes from

00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:21.680
 outside of you.

00:22:23.040 --> 00:22:24.040
 And Charles Taylor

00:22:24.040 --> 00:22:25.260
 calls this ethic

00:22:25.260 --> 00:22:27.260
 expressive individualism.

00:22:28.100 --> 00:22:28.680
 It's a story

00:22:28.680 --> 00:22:29.760
 we live by.

00:22:29.840 --> 00:22:30.320
 It's the air

00:22:30.320 --> 00:22:31.120
 we breathe.

00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:32.860
 And Pride Month

00:22:32.860 --> 00:22:33.820
 is almost an annual

00:22:33.820 --> 00:22:35.260
 liturgical calendar

00:22:35.260 --> 00:22:35.800
 where we can

00:22:35.800 --> 00:22:36.720
 act these beliefs

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:37.920
 out as a culture.

00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:40.760
 But on top of that,

00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:42.420
 the secular creed

00:22:42.420 --> 00:22:44.060
 has a very

00:22:44.060 --> 00:22:45.600
 has an understanding

00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:46.320
 of power

00:22:46.320 --> 00:22:47.020
 that would be

00:22:47.020 --> 00:22:48.080
 different than

00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.179
 what I think

00:22:49.179 --> 00:22:49.720
 Christians'

00:22:50.439 --> 00:22:51.079
 idea of power

00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:51.419
 is.

00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:52.299
 Where in the

00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:52.939
 secular creed,

00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:53.919
 the idea of power

00:22:53.919 --> 00:22:55.059
 is almost always

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:55.480
 harmful.

00:22:56.639 --> 00:22:56.799
 You know,

00:22:56.879 --> 00:22:57.559
 freedom is the

00:22:57.559 --> 00:22:58.220
 ability to do

00:22:58.220 --> 00:22:58.960
 what you want

00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:00.039
 and power

00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:00.699
 is the ability

00:23:00.699 --> 00:23:01.359
 to make others

00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:02.240
 do what you want.

00:23:03.139 --> 00:23:03.519
 Christianity

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:04.839
 is just a raw

00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:05.839
 form of power

00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:06.539
 to control

00:23:06.539 --> 00:23:07.339
 and to oppress.

00:23:08.379 --> 00:23:08.740
 And according

00:23:08.740 --> 00:23:09.179
 to some,

00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:09.759
 everything can be

00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:10.559
 reduced to matters

00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:11.019
 of power.

00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:11.659
 Who has it?

00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:12.879
 Who doesn't have it?

00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:14.059
 And any use

00:23:14.059 --> 00:23:14.740
 of power

00:23:14.740 --> 00:23:15.599
 power is

00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:16.400
 of a dominant

00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:17.339
 group maintaining

00:23:17.339 --> 00:23:18.000
 its state of

00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:18.920
 dominance by imposing

00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:20.519
 its control.

00:23:21.380 --> 00:23:21.839
 And power

00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:22.779
 invokes negative

00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:23.539
 emotion that's

00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:23.920
 damaging,

00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:24.559
 it's bad.

00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:25.720
 It's like a sheep

00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:26.299
 in the jaws

00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:26.920
 of a tiger.

00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:28.160
 Many find

00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:28.859
 themselves in the

00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:29.680
 jaws of an

00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:30.640
 abusive leader,

00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:32.380
 an abusive

00:23:32.380 --> 00:23:33.279
 pastor who abuses

00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:33.779
 the sheep.

00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.620
 But the creed

00:23:35.620 --> 00:23:36.299
 has a lot to say

00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:37.019
 about power

00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:38.279
 and how Christians

00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:39.160
 understand power.

00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:40.500
 And I'm indebted

00:23:40.500 --> 00:23:41.640
 to our brother

00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:42.319
 from down under,

00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:43.019
 Reese Bezant

00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:45.159
 for his thoughts

00:23:45.159 --> 00:23:45.679
 on this.

00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:47.319
 After all,

00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:48.319
 what is power?

00:23:49.639 --> 00:23:50.460
 What does the

00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:51.220
 scripture say

00:23:51.220 --> 00:23:52.059
 about power?

00:23:52.220 --> 00:23:52.759
 And do you have

00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:55.159
 any thoughts?

00:23:55.379 --> 00:23:55.980
 I would say

00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:57.079
 certainly there

00:23:57.079 --> 00:23:57.619
 are examples

00:23:57.619 --> 00:23:58.099
 of leaders

00:23:58.099 --> 00:23:59.000
 using their power

00:23:59.000 --> 00:23:59.960
 to enslave

00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:00.480
 its victims.

00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:01.559
 Think of Pharaoh

00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:02.659
 and the Israelites.

00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:05.000
 But the scripture

00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:05.740
 also has a lot

00:24:05.740 --> 00:24:06.339
 more to say

00:24:06.339 --> 00:24:07.679
 about what is power.

00:24:08.019 --> 00:24:08.439
 And the creed

00:24:08.439 --> 00:24:08.919
 is going to get

00:24:08.919 --> 00:24:09.480
 into this.

00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:12.960
 The scripture

00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:13.700
 says the gospel

00:24:13.700 --> 00:24:14.319
 is the power

00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:14.799
 of God.

00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:16.200
 So according

00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:17.099
 to the gospel,

00:24:17.779 --> 00:24:18.859
 God's power

00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:19.839
 actually brings

00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:20.240
 life.

00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:22.419
 And Jesus

00:24:22.419 --> 00:24:23.539
 uses his power

00:24:23.539 --> 00:24:24.819
 to rescue

00:24:24.819 --> 00:24:25.480
 captives

00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:26.200
 and to set

00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:26.700
 them free.

00:24:27.379 --> 00:24:28.039
 So power,

00:24:28.220 --> 00:24:28.859
 according to the

00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:29.119
 scripture,

00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:29.839
 can actually

00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:31.220
 heal creation.

00:24:32.220 --> 00:24:33.059
 And things

00:24:33.059 --> 00:24:33.859
 can be powerful

00:24:33.859 --> 00:24:34.259
 and they can

00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:34.859
 bring life.

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:35.859
 So think

00:24:35.859 --> 00:24:36.339
 about a

00:24:36.339 --> 00:24:38.980
 defibrillator

00:24:38.980 --> 00:24:40.000
 restarting

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:40.579
 someone's heart.

00:24:41.619 --> 00:24:42.139
 Powerful.

00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:43.179
 Think about

00:24:43.179 --> 00:24:43.819
 a helicopter

00:24:43.819 --> 00:24:44.339
 rescuing

00:24:44.339 --> 00:24:44.700
 a sick

00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:45.220
 patient,

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:46.179
 airlifting

00:24:46.179 --> 00:24:46.500
 them to

00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:46.960
 the hospital

00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:47.299
 to get

00:24:47.299 --> 00:24:47.619
 the care

00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:48.059
 they need.

00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:49.539
 Think of

00:24:49.539 --> 00:24:50.159
 the power

00:24:50.159 --> 00:24:50.359
 of a

00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:50.879
 compassionate

00:24:50.879 --> 00:24:51.240
 leader

00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:51.720
 who stands

00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:52.019
 up for

00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:52.500
 those whom

00:24:52.500 --> 00:24:53.079
 God has

00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:53.439
 called to

00:24:53.439 --> 00:24:53.839
 protect.

00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:56.399
 That's power.

00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:57.279
 And according

00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:57.819
 to the scripture,

00:24:58.039 --> 00:24:59.119
 by God's power,

00:24:59.659 --> 00:25:00.379
 Jesus was

00:25:00.379 --> 00:25:01.220
 raised from

00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:01.720
 the dead.

00:25:02.439 --> 00:25:02.899
 And the

00:25:02.899 --> 00:25:03.460
 power of

00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:04.139
 the gospel

00:25:04.139 --> 00:25:04.720
 raises

00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:05.740
 those who

00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:06.220
 are dead

00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:06.859
 to new

00:25:06.859 --> 00:25:07.240
 life.

00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:08.579
 Right?

00:25:08.679 --> 00:25:09.019
 He who

00:25:09.019 --> 00:25:09.500
 raised Jesus

00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:09.980
 from the dead

00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:10.720
 will also give

00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:11.200
 life to your

00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:11.859
 mortal bodies.

00:25:11.859 --> 00:25:12.639
 Paul says,

00:25:13.179 --> 00:25:13.839
 in this

00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:14.619
 same power

00:25:14.619 --> 00:25:14.979
 is the

00:25:14.979 --> 00:25:15.639
 same power

00:25:15.639 --> 00:25:16.240
 working in

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:16.599
 your heart,

00:25:16.679 --> 00:25:17.059
 brother and

00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:17.339
 sister,

00:25:17.959 --> 00:25:18.500
 by the

00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:18.939
 Holy Spirit.

00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:19.579
 The power

00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:20.819
 of God

00:25:20.819 --> 00:25:21.139
 brings

00:25:21.139 --> 00:25:21.740
 perseverance.

00:25:21.740 --> 00:25:25.579
 So,

00:25:25.660 --> 00:25:26.240
 according to

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:26.440
 the

00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:26.779
 scripture,

00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:30.200
 God's

00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:30.799
 power

00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:31.259
 brings

00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:31.620
 healing.

00:25:32.579 --> 00:25:33.200
 And let's

00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:33.700
 consider the

00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:34.319
 last part

00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:34.559
 of the

00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:34.880
 creed

00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:35.279
 together.

00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:35.379
 here.

00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:39.839
 I don't

00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:40.079
 know if

00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:42.960
 that's...

00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:43.879
 I think

00:25:43.879 --> 00:25:45.119
 I can...

00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:45.539
 Here we go.

00:25:49.379 --> 00:25:49.920
 Try it

00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:50.099
 again.

00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:51.099
 Here we go.

00:25:53.379 --> 00:25:54.200
 There it was.

00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:54.899
 It was.

00:25:55.339 --> 00:25:55.819
 It was.

00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:56.299
 I hope you

00:25:56.299 --> 00:25:56.899
 memorized it.

00:25:59.059 --> 00:25:59.500
 Okay.

00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:02.059
 It's okay.

00:26:02.059 --> 00:26:02.079
 It's okay.

00:26:04.980 --> 00:26:05.980
 So powerful.

00:26:06.420 --> 00:26:07.000
 So powerful.

00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:07.980
 There we go.

00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:08.299
 Okay.

00:26:08.859 --> 00:26:09.480
 So I want us

00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.240
 to consider this

00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:10.980
 section together.

00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:12.660
 I believe in the

00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:13.299
 Holy Spirit.

00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:15.420
 And the sentences

00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:16.700
 that follow are all

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:17.440
 about the Holy

00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:18.279
 Spirit's power

00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:19.680
 and how the

00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:20.220
 Spirit works

00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:21.759
 powerfully to

00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:22.900
 help us in our

00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:23.619
 lives to live

00:26:23.619 --> 00:26:24.099
 lives to the

00:26:24.099 --> 00:26:24.680
 glory of God.

00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:27.340
 The Holy Spirit

00:26:27.340 --> 00:26:28.000
 is working

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:28.820
 powerfully in

00:26:28.820 --> 00:26:29.120
 our lives.

00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:29.480
 To consider

00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:30.220
 2 Timothy

00:26:30.220 --> 00:26:31.580
 chapter 1

00:26:31.580 --> 00:26:32.080
 verse 7,

00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:33.240
 God gave us

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:33.799
 not a spirit

00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:34.960
 of fear but

00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:36.039
 of power,

00:26:36.460 --> 00:26:37.060
 of love and

00:26:37.060 --> 00:26:37.680
 self-control.

00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:39.660
 The Spirit

00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:40.560
 brings power

00:26:40.560 --> 00:26:41.360
 but it's a

00:26:41.360 --> 00:26:42.080
 different kind

00:26:42.080 --> 00:26:42.519
 of power,

00:26:42.620 --> 00:26:43.000
 isn't it?

00:26:43.340 --> 00:26:44.200
 It's a power

00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:45.080
 that the world

00:26:45.080 --> 00:26:45.720
 does not have

00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:46.740
 a category for.

00:26:47.840 --> 00:26:48.620
 So how does

00:26:48.620 --> 00:26:49.340
 the Spirit

00:26:49.340 --> 00:26:50.019
 work powerfully?

00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:51.080
 The writer

00:26:51.080 --> 00:26:51.580
 of the creed

00:26:51.580 --> 00:26:52.160
 start with,

00:26:52.620 --> 00:26:53.180
 I believe in

00:26:53.180 --> 00:26:53.779
 the Holy

00:26:53.779 --> 00:26:54.560
 Catholic

00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:55.200
 or Universal

00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:55.759
 Church.

00:26:57.460 --> 00:26:58.220
 Where is

00:26:58.220 --> 00:26:58.899
 God's power

00:26:58.899 --> 00:26:59.480
 most evident?

00:27:02.159 --> 00:27:03.279
 God's power

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:04.819
 most evident

00:27:04.819 --> 00:27:05.440
 in the world.

00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:07.460
 Where is

00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:07.799
 His power

00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:08.379
 most evident?

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:09.759
 As we see

00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:10.779
 God's power

00:27:10.779 --> 00:27:11.940
 working itself

00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:12.319
 out,

00:27:13.099 --> 00:27:13.579
 what is

00:27:13.579 --> 00:27:14.740
 God's primary

00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:15.639
 strategy to

00:27:15.639 --> 00:27:16.240
 make us like

00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:16.679
 Christ?

00:27:17.779 --> 00:27:18.419
 Well, it's

00:27:18.419 --> 00:27:18.919
 the church,

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:19.500
 isn't it?

00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.440
 This is a place

00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:22.119
 where God's

00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:22.879
 power is

00:27:22.879 --> 00:27:23.220
 evident.

00:27:23.220 --> 00:27:25.180
 And the

00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:25.980
 gospel is

00:27:25.980 --> 00:27:26.500
 the power

00:27:26.500 --> 00:27:27.240
 of God

00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:28.539
 which saves

00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:28.980
 us.

00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:30.220
 But week

00:27:30.220 --> 00:27:30.700
 after week

00:27:30.700 --> 00:27:31.180
 the gospel

00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:31.980
 is applied

00:27:31.980 --> 00:27:32.819
 to all

00:27:32.819 --> 00:27:33.299
 of life

00:27:33.299 --> 00:27:33.640
 as we

00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:34.360
 become more

00:27:34.360 --> 00:27:35.019
 like Christ,

00:27:35.140 --> 00:27:36.120
 more holy.

00:27:36.279 --> 00:27:37.240
 It's a holy

00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:37.700
 church.

00:27:38.180 --> 00:27:38.880
 We belong to

00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:39.400
 the holy

00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:40.039
 universal

00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:41.100
 church,

00:27:41.559 --> 00:27:41.819
 a people

00:27:41.819 --> 00:27:42.339
 for God's

00:27:42.339 --> 00:27:43.299
 own possession.

00:27:43.299 --> 00:27:43.379
 sin.

00:27:44.460 --> 00:27:44.639
 You know,

00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:45.500
 one of my

00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:45.799
 favorite

00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:47.940
 descriptions of

00:27:47.940 --> 00:27:48.419
 the church

00:27:48.419 --> 00:27:49.000
 is in

00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:50.019
 Ephesians 1

00:27:50.019 --> 00:27:50.720
 verse 23

00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.339
 where Paul

00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:51.700
 says the

00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:52.700
 church is

00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:53.399
 the fullness

00:27:53.399 --> 00:27:54.099
 of Him

00:27:54.099 --> 00:27:54.759
 who fills

00:27:54.759 --> 00:27:55.700
 all in all.

00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:56.720
 The church

00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:57.039
 is where

00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.159
 Christ dwells

00:27:58.159 --> 00:27:58.839
 and is made

00:27:58.839 --> 00:27:59.279
 manifest.

00:27:59.899 --> 00:28:00.480
 This is where

00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:01.119
 His presence

00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:02.059
 is known.

00:28:03.339 --> 00:28:04.259
 So where is

00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:05.220
 God powerfully

00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:05.639
 working?

00:28:06.259 --> 00:28:06.779
 He's working

00:28:06.779 --> 00:28:07.319
 in the church,

00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:08.139
 isn't He?

00:28:08.140 --> 00:28:09.840
 And isn't

00:28:09.840 --> 00:28:10.480
 it sad

00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:11.100
 in our

00:28:11.100 --> 00:28:11.820
 modern day

00:28:11.820 --> 00:28:14.140
 that,

00:28:14.460 --> 00:28:15.080
 you know,

00:28:15.120 --> 00:28:15.600
 for example,

00:28:15.860 --> 00:28:16.580
 after COVID

00:28:16.580 --> 00:28:18.180
 there are some

00:28:18.180 --> 00:28:18.640
 who have not

00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:19.720
 returned to

00:28:19.720 --> 00:28:20.240
 gathering with

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:20.680
 the church

00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:22.420
 or those

00:28:22.420 --> 00:28:22.800
 who think

00:28:22.800 --> 00:28:23.740
 watching a

00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:25.020
 service on

00:28:25.020 --> 00:28:25.640
 their couch

00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:27.440
 is equivalent

00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:28.180
 to being part

00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:28.980
 of this church.

00:28:29.780 --> 00:28:30.800
 They have not

00:28:30.800 --> 00:28:31.480
 partaken of

00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:32.140
 one of God's

00:28:32.140 --> 00:28:33.040
 greatest gifts.

00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.060
 The Spirit

00:28:35.060 --> 00:28:35.840
 works powerfully

00:28:35.840 --> 00:28:36.740
 in the church

00:28:36.740 --> 00:28:38.060
 and how

00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:38.960
 many of us

00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:39.319
 need to be

00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:40.740
 reminded that

00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:42.079
 the church

00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:43.000
 is God's

00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:44.139
 primary way

00:28:44.139 --> 00:28:44.960
 of displaying

00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:45.359
 His new

00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:45.899
 creation to

00:28:45.899 --> 00:28:46.299
 the world.

00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:47.339
 The Spirit

00:28:47.339 --> 00:28:47.879
 is working

00:28:47.879 --> 00:28:49.079
 powerfully.

00:28:50.159 --> 00:28:50.859
 But not only

00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:51.240
 that,

00:28:52.359 --> 00:28:52.859
 the Spirit

00:28:52.859 --> 00:28:53.679
 works powerfully

00:28:53.679 --> 00:28:54.179
 in the communion

00:28:54.179 --> 00:28:54.700
 of saints.

00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:57.639
 I'm going to

00:28:57.639 --> 00:28:58.279
 ask this question.

00:28:58.440 --> 00:28:58.980
 In a divided

00:28:58.980 --> 00:28:59.419
 world,

00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:01.059
 how might the

00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:01.879
 communion of saints

00:29:01.879 --> 00:29:02.440
 be a witness

00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:03.099
 to God's,

00:29:03.980 --> 00:29:04.659
 the Holy Spirit's

00:29:04.659 --> 00:29:05.359
 power in the

00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:05.619
 church?

00:29:08.059 --> 00:29:09.839
 not a rhetorical

00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:10.220
 question.

00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:12.440
 How might this

00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:13.279
 demonstrate God's

00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:13.619
 power?

00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:14.500
 How might this

00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:13.299
 demonstrate God's

00:29:13.299 --> 00:29:13.639
 power?

00:29:13.640 --> 00:29:14.640
 powerfully?

00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:16.540
 How might this

00:29:16.540 --> 00:29:18.540
 be a witness

00:29:18.540 --> 00:29:18.900
 of the

00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:19.040
 church?

00:29:19.040 --> 00:29:20.020
 How might this

00:29:20.020 --> 00:29:20.540
 be a witness

00:29:20.540 --> 00:29:20.960
 of the

00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:23.380
 communion of

00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:25.640
 saints?

00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:26.960
 Surely you can't

00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:27.759
 be talking about

00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:28.940
 promulg killing all

00:29:28.940 --> 00:29:29.680
 those tens of

00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:30.300
 thousands of

00:29:30.300 --> 00:29:31.700
 Irish Catholics.

00:29:33.280 --> 00:29:34.780
 Well, this would

00:29:34.780 --> 00:29:37.040
 be the communion

00:29:37.040 --> 00:29:37.740
 of saints.

00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:39.600
 Yeah, of course

00:29:39.600 --> 00:29:40.740
 the church has not

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:41.640
 lived up, right?

00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:42.960
 This is

00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:43.840
 aspirational.

00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:44.560
 This is what we

00:29:44.560 --> 00:29:45.259
 aspire to.

00:29:45.600 --> 00:29:46.100
 Of course we're

00:29:46.100 --> 00:29:47.140
 not going, the

00:29:47.140 --> 00:29:47.700
 communion of saints

00:29:47.700 --> 00:29:48.300
 is not going to be

00:29:48.300 --> 00:29:49.340
 perfect until glory.

00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:51.780
 And I take your

00:29:51.780 --> 00:29:52.060
 point.

00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:54.580
 But isn't it a

00:29:54.580 --> 00:29:55.500
 witness to the

00:29:55.500 --> 00:29:56.320
 Holy Spirit's power

00:29:56.320 --> 00:29:58.100
 that he's so

00:29:58.100 --> 00:29:58.940
 powerful that he

00:29:58.940 --> 00:29:59.800
 binds us together?

00:30:01.080 --> 00:30:02.259
 The communion of

00:30:02.259 --> 00:30:03.240
 saints is us,

00:30:03.780 --> 00:30:04.060
 right?

00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:06.240
 And not only us,

00:30:06.300 --> 00:30:06.780
 but those who have

00:30:06.780 --> 00:30:07.880
 left us.

00:30:08.080 --> 00:30:08.980
 The union we have

00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:10.660
 in Christ, this

00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:13.940
 communion with

00:30:13.940 --> 00:30:15.360
 each other binds

00:30:15.360 --> 00:30:15.980
 us together.

00:30:16.620 --> 00:30:17.120
 So, brother and

00:30:17.120 --> 00:30:17.820
 sister, we have

00:30:17.820 --> 00:30:18.540
 much more in

00:30:18.540 --> 00:30:19.740
 common than that

00:30:19.740 --> 00:30:20.600
 which divides us.

00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:22.259
 Wouldn't that be a

00:30:22.259 --> 00:30:23.100
 wonderful testimony

00:30:23.100 --> 00:30:25.720
 for us to church to

00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:26.140
 save the world?

00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:26.759
 We have the

00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:27.960
 communion of saints.

00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:29.019
 We are bound

00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:30.200
 together in the

00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:30.540
 gospel.

00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:33.019
 And I think in a

00:30:33.019 --> 00:30:34.100
 divided world, that

00:30:34.100 --> 00:30:35.580
 witnesses to God's

00:30:35.580 --> 00:30:36.259
 power in the

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:36.560
 church.

00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:36.599
 church.

00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:40.200
 In Hebrews, I was

00:30:40.200 --> 00:30:40.980
 thinking of Hebrews,

00:30:41.179 --> 00:30:43.700
 which tells us that

00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:45.079
 we have this

00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:46.379
 communion together

00:30:46.379 --> 00:30:48.480
 with all saints in

00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:48.759
 glory.

00:30:48.839 --> 00:30:49.619
 Hebrews 12, verse

00:30:49.619 --> 00:30:50.039
 22.

00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:51.480
 But you have come to

00:30:51.480 --> 00:30:52.659
 Mount Zion, into the

00:30:52.659 --> 00:30:53.279
 city of the living

00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:54.500
 God, the heavenly

00:30:54.500 --> 00:30:55.839
 Jerusalem, and to

00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:57.059
 myriad of angels, the

00:30:57.059 --> 00:30:58.079
 general assembly, and

00:30:58.079 --> 00:30:58.579
 church of the

00:30:58.579 --> 00:31:00.079
 firstborn, who are

00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:01.059
 enrolled in heaven, and

00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:01.919
 to God the judge of

00:31:01.919 --> 00:31:02.940
 all, and to the

00:31:02.940 --> 00:31:03.460
 spirits of the

00:31:03.460 --> 00:31:04.099
 righteous made

00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:04.619
 perfect.

00:31:04.619 --> 00:31:04.699
 perfect.

00:31:05.419 --> 00:31:06.679
 This idea that we

00:31:06.679 --> 00:31:07.939
 have come to this

00:31:07.939 --> 00:31:10.539
 great assembly, which

00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:13.539
 is in heaven, the

00:31:13.539 --> 00:31:14.199
 spirits of the

00:31:14.199 --> 00:31:14.779
 righteous made

00:31:14.779 --> 00:31:15.679
 perfect, those

00:31:15.679 --> 00:31:17.299
 present and past.

00:31:18.339 --> 00:31:20.639
 So the spirit works

00:31:20.639 --> 00:31:22.799
 powerfully in the

00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:25.339
 church, in our union

00:31:25.339 --> 00:31:26.639
 in Christ together.

00:31:27.739 --> 00:31:28.919
 The spirit of God

00:31:28.919 --> 00:31:29.759
 works powerfully in

00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:30.459
 the forgiveness of

00:31:30.459 --> 00:31:30.819
 sins.

00:31:32.179 --> 00:31:33.199
 Does the Holy Spirit

00:31:33.199 --> 00:31:34.119
 play a role in the

00:31:34.119 --> 00:31:34.879
 forgiveness of sins?

00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:35.479
 I mean, at first

00:31:35.479 --> 00:31:36.719
 glance, right, the

00:31:36.719 --> 00:31:37.739
 Father sends the

00:31:37.739 --> 00:31:39.459
 Son to die.

00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:41.419
 The Son secures our

00:31:41.419 --> 00:31:43.219
 forgiveness through

00:31:43.219 --> 00:31:44.599
 redemption, but does

00:31:44.599 --> 00:31:46.179
 the spirit play a role

00:31:46.179 --> 00:31:46.699
 at all in the

00:31:46.699 --> 00:31:47.719
 forgiveness of sins?

00:31:48.159 --> 00:31:49.179
 What do you think?

00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:50.359
 The answer is yes,

00:31:50.479 --> 00:31:52.659
 but it's all

00:31:52.659 --> 00:31:53.319
 Trinitarian.

00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:54.299
 It's one plan

00:31:54.299 --> 00:31:55.059
 working together.

00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:56.879
 How does the spirit

00:31:56.879 --> 00:31:58.159
 play a role in the

00:31:58.159 --> 00:31:59.099
 forgiveness of sins?

00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:12.259
 Yes, he applies the

00:32:12.259 --> 00:32:13.179
 work of forgiveness

00:32:13.179 --> 00:32:14.319
 into our hearts.

00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.379
 Yes.

00:32:15.819 --> 00:32:17.639
 He reminds us of the

00:32:17.639 --> 00:32:18.319
 forgiveness of sins

00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:19.219
 that we have in Christ.

00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:21.459
 And isn't that one of

00:32:21.459 --> 00:32:22.500
 God's greatest gifts to

00:32:22.500 --> 00:32:22.759
 us?

00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:24.759
 You know, Jesus didn't

00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:25.699
 want us to take this

00:32:25.699 --> 00:32:26.339
 for granted.

00:32:26.339 --> 00:32:27.939
 And neither did the

00:32:27.939 --> 00:32:28.740
 writers of the creed,

00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:30.259
 and we're so likely to

00:32:30.259 --> 00:32:30.879
 forget this.

00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:33.000
 Remember, Jesus tells his

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:34.099
 disciples to do two

00:32:34.099 --> 00:32:35.720
 things regularly.

00:32:36.599 --> 00:32:37.740
 He gives us the

00:32:37.740 --> 00:32:38.359
 model of the Lord's

00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:39.379
 Prayer, right?

00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:40.480
 Pray like this.

00:32:40.759 --> 00:32:41.939
 And in the Lord's Prayer,

00:32:42.059 --> 00:32:42.879
 it says we need to ask

00:32:42.879 --> 00:32:43.359
 for forgiveness.

00:32:44.779 --> 00:32:45.980
 And we need to extend

00:32:45.980 --> 00:32:47.419
 forgiveness to others

00:32:47.419 --> 00:32:49.240
 for their sins against us.

00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:51.059
 And secondly, he says,

00:32:51.140 --> 00:32:52.200
 at the communion table,

00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:54.500
 Jesus tells us the bread

00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:56.160
 is broken, the cup poured

00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.359
 out for the forgiveness

00:32:57.359 --> 00:32:58.059
 of sins.

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.900
 He's saying, church,

00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:00.980
 don't forget this.

00:33:01.660 --> 00:33:03.200
 Your sins are forgiven.

00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:06.220
 And of course, that's easy

00:33:06.220 --> 00:33:08.220
 to talk about, harder to

00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:09.099
 live, isn't it?

00:33:09.700 --> 00:33:10.880
 You know, forgiveness may

00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:11.740
 be one of the hardest

00:33:11.740 --> 00:33:14.120
 things many of us face

00:33:14.120 --> 00:33:14.720
 in our lives.

00:33:15.339 --> 00:33:15.779
 Truly.

00:33:15.779 --> 00:33:17.319
 Has God really forgiven

00:33:17.319 --> 00:33:20.759
 you for all that

00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:21.179
 you've done?

00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:23.039
 Could he?

00:33:23.619 --> 00:33:25.000
 Has he forgiven me?

00:33:25.460 --> 00:33:27.639
 Could he forgive all the

00:33:27.639 --> 00:33:28.939
 sins that I know

00:33:28.939 --> 00:33:30.779
 condemn me?

00:33:31.179 --> 00:33:32.439
 The voice of the accuser.

00:33:34.039 --> 00:33:35.019
 And C.S. Lewis once

00:33:35.019 --> 00:33:37.240
 reflecting on his church

00:33:37.240 --> 00:33:38.559
 reciting the Apostles'

00:33:38.659 --> 00:33:38.839
 Creed.

00:33:39.980 --> 00:33:41.359
 He wrote this in his

00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:42.079
 Weight of Glory.

00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:43.619
 He has a small essay

00:33:43.619 --> 00:33:44.700
 called On Forgiveness.

00:33:45.539 --> 00:33:46.220
 And he writes this,

00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:47.660
 we say a great many

00:33:47.660 --> 00:33:48.480
 things in church,

00:33:48.980 --> 00:33:49.720
 in Adam Church too,

00:33:49.779 --> 00:33:50.740
 without thinking of

00:33:50.740 --> 00:33:51.579
 what we are saying.

00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:53.160
 For instance, we say in

00:33:53.160 --> 00:33:54.319
 the Creed, I believe in

00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:55.660
 the forgiveness of sins.

00:33:56.600 --> 00:33:57.640
 I've been saying it for

00:33:57.640 --> 00:33:58.620
 several years before I

00:33:58.620 --> 00:33:59.759
 asked myself why it was

00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:00.200
 in the Creed.

00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:01.759
 At first sight, it seemed

00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:03.019
 hardly worth putting on.

00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:05.039
 But again, if one is a

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:06.259
 Christian, I thought, of

00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:07.259
 course one believes in

00:34:07.259 --> 00:34:08.220
 the forgiveness of sins.

00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:09.260
 It goes without saying.

00:34:10.139 --> 00:34:11.019
 But the people who

00:34:11.019 --> 00:34:11.940
 compiled the Creed

00:34:11.940 --> 00:34:13.260
 apparently thought that

00:34:13.260 --> 00:34:14.320
 this was part of our

00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:16.019
 belief which needed to be

00:34:16.019 --> 00:34:18.260
 reminded of every time

00:34:18.260 --> 00:34:19.100
 we went to church.

00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:20.960
 And I have begun to see,

00:34:21.059 --> 00:34:22.039
 as far as I'm concerned,

00:34:22.140 --> 00:34:22.740
 they were right.

00:34:23.320 --> 00:34:24.080
 To believe in the

00:34:24.080 --> 00:34:25.260
 forgiveness of sins

00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:27.320
 is not nearly so easy

00:34:27.320 --> 00:34:27.960
 as I thought.

00:34:28.680 --> 00:34:29.780
 Real belief in it

00:34:29.780 --> 00:34:30.680
 is the sort of thing

00:34:30.680 --> 00:34:32.039
 that very easily slips

00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:34.320
 away, even if we don't

00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:36.320
 keep on polishing it up.

00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:40.480
 So this is very easy

00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:40.940
 to forget.

00:34:40.940 --> 00:34:42.500
 And Jesus didn't want

00:34:42.500 --> 00:34:43.720
 you, brother and sister,

00:34:43.780 --> 00:34:44.740
 to take that for granted.

00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:46.159
 In Christ, you have been

00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:46.539
 forgiven.

00:34:47.539 --> 00:34:49.460
 And for Lewis, he needed

00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:51.019
 to be reminded of this

00:34:51.019 --> 00:34:52.460
 truth over and over again.

00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:54.639
 I think Jesus would agree,

00:34:54.960 --> 00:34:56.960
 don't forget this, you

00:34:56.960 --> 00:34:57.619
 have been forgiven.

00:34:58.860 --> 00:35:00.300
 He is not only able, he

00:35:00.300 --> 00:35:01.700
 is willing to forgive your

00:35:01.700 --> 00:35:02.059
 sins.

00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:04.659
 Now, this is a radical idea.

00:35:05.240 --> 00:35:06.119
 This kind of turns the

00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:07.000
 world upside down.

00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:07.920
 Right?

00:35:08.019 --> 00:35:09.220
 The world today pretty

00:35:09.220 --> 00:35:10.159
 much believes I'm pretty

00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:11.000
 much a good person.

00:35:11.719 --> 00:35:13.279
 And if God is real, he

00:35:13.279 --> 00:35:14.599
 will accept me because

00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:15.960
 doesn't he accept

00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:16.460
 everybody?

00:35:17.319 --> 00:35:18.599
 But the church confesses,

00:35:18.659 --> 00:35:19.359
 no, we believe in the

00:35:19.359 --> 00:35:20.359
 forgiveness of sins

00:35:20.359 --> 00:35:24.739
 when we confess Jesus

00:35:24.739 --> 00:35:25.159
 Lord.

00:35:26.399 --> 00:35:27.899
 And I wonder, it goes on

00:35:27.899 --> 00:35:29.420
 to believe, I believe in

00:35:29.420 --> 00:35:30.279
 the resurrection of the

00:35:30.279 --> 00:35:30.539
 body.

00:35:31.079 --> 00:35:32.980
 I wonder if you've ever

00:35:32.980 --> 00:35:33.940
 heard someone who thinks,

00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:34.659
 you know, Christians are

00:35:34.659 --> 00:35:36.019
 just always hung up talking

00:35:36.019 --> 00:35:36.719
 about sex.

00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:38.559
 And view the body as

00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:39.539
 basically bad.

00:35:40.380 --> 00:35:41.179
 You know, Christians care

00:35:41.179 --> 00:35:42.340
 nothing for the material

00:35:42.340 --> 00:35:42.840
 world.

00:35:43.799 --> 00:35:44.759
 Christians hate the body

00:35:44.759 --> 00:35:45.860
 and are just interested in

00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:46.759
 flying off to some

00:35:46.759 --> 00:35:47.880
 spiritual realm somewhere.

00:35:48.739 --> 00:35:50.199
 But again, the writers of

00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:51.599
 the Creed thought it was

00:35:51.599 --> 00:35:53.880
 very important to say not

00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:54.940
 only that we believe in the

00:35:54.940 --> 00:35:56.400
 resurrection, but we

00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:57.380
 believe in the resurrection

00:35:57.380 --> 00:35:58.360
 of the body.

00:35:59.079 --> 00:36:00.279
 So it stresses the

00:36:00.279 --> 00:36:01.259
 physicality of the

00:36:01.259 --> 00:36:01.719
 afterlife.

00:36:02.820 --> 00:36:03.779
 And so Christians have been

00:36:03.779 --> 00:36:05.139
 very positive about the

00:36:05.139 --> 00:36:07.219
 body and the material

00:36:07.219 --> 00:36:08.699
 world since the very

00:36:08.699 --> 00:36:09.000
 beginning.

00:36:09.159 --> 00:36:10.239
 We love creation.

00:36:10.799 --> 00:36:12.059
 We love the material

00:36:12.059 --> 00:36:12.519
 world.

00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:14.419
 When Jesus died, he came

00:36:14.419 --> 00:36:16.059
 back not as a spirit, but

00:36:16.059 --> 00:36:16.879
 as a body.

00:36:17.419 --> 00:36:19.039
 He bodily rose from the

00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:19.279
 dead.

00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:22.399
 And life is a life of body

00:36:22.399 --> 00:36:23.139
 and spirit.

00:36:24.799 --> 00:36:26.019
 And there's going to be a

00:36:26.019 --> 00:36:27.699
 day where we will be

00:36:27.699 --> 00:36:29.539
 raised in our body.

00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:30.839
 So Alzheimer's disease,

00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:32.099
 those who have been

00:36:32.099 --> 00:36:33.419
 ravaged by that horrible

00:36:33.419 --> 00:36:36.639
 disease, will be changed and

00:36:36.639 --> 00:36:37.299
 transformed.

00:36:38.299 --> 00:36:39.319
 Paul, remember he says,

00:36:39.659 --> 00:36:40.199
 well, at the final

00:36:40.199 --> 00:36:41.400
 resurrection, we will be

00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:43.279
 raised and changed in

00:36:43.279 --> 00:36:43.739
 glory.

00:36:44.619 --> 00:36:47.000
 So Jesus wants us to

00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:50.059
 remember in his word that

00:36:50.059 --> 00:36:51.400
 we will be raised to new

00:36:51.400 --> 00:36:52.500
 life and that new life will

00:36:52.500 --> 00:36:53.000
 be bodily.

00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:54.900
 And the Creed writers want

00:36:54.900 --> 00:36:56.000
 us to remind us of the

00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:56.579
 same thing.

00:36:57.279 --> 00:36:59.119
 And the final clause, we

00:36:59.119 --> 00:36:59.960
 believe in the life

00:36:59.960 --> 00:37:00.500
 everlasting.

00:37:01.659 --> 00:37:03.359
 2 Corinthians 3, verse 12,

00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:04.420
 therefore, brothers and

00:37:04.420 --> 00:37:05.879
 sisters, since we have such a

00:37:05.880 --> 00:37:07.920
 hope, we are bold.

00:37:08.820 --> 00:37:10.079
 So when we declare the

00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:12.559
 Creed, what we are saying

00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:13.500
 is that this is what's in

00:37:13.500 --> 00:37:14.000
 our hearts.

00:37:14.619 --> 00:37:16.019
 This is what the world

00:37:16.019 --> 00:37:16.880
 needs to know.

00:37:17.200 --> 00:37:18.260
 The world needs to know the

00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:19.700
 power of the Holy Spirit,

00:37:19.880 --> 00:37:21.480
 the power of the Spirit in

00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:22.099
 their lives.

00:37:22.579 --> 00:37:24.039
 And this is a hope that we

00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:25.740
 declare and devote our lives

00:37:25.740 --> 00:37:26.059
 to.

00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:28.420
 The truths we believe are

00:37:28.420 --> 00:37:30.340
 not localized by our own

00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:31.579
 specific culture or

00:37:31.579 --> 00:37:32.140
 demographic.

00:37:32.139 --> 00:37:33.779
 No, these truths are

00:37:33.779 --> 00:37:34.299
 universal.

00:37:35.139 --> 00:37:36.359
 We stand shoulder to

00:37:36.359 --> 00:37:37.440
 shoulder through the ages

00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:38.279
 of Christians who make

00:37:38.279 --> 00:37:39.099
 the same profession.

00:37:40.259 --> 00:37:40.859
 And so, brother and

00:37:40.859 --> 00:37:42.879
 sister, I think this is a

00:37:42.879 --> 00:37:44.980
 flag I personally want to

00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:45.239
 fly.

00:37:47.339 --> 00:37:48.879
 This is a profound way of

00:37:48.879 --> 00:37:49.879
 summarizing the Christian

00:37:49.879 --> 00:37:51.460
 faith, universally

00:37:51.460 --> 00:37:52.000
 recognized.

00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:53.440
 There's only one thing

00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:54.619
 missing in that group.

00:37:55.380 --> 00:37:56.380
 And I've been looking at it

00:37:56.380 --> 00:37:57.619
 for the last ten minutes.

00:37:59.380 --> 00:38:00.460
 And it's plain.

00:38:00.659 --> 00:38:02.159
 It's, I believe in the

00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:02.900
 Holy Spirit.

00:38:03.760 --> 00:38:05.739
 But I, Raul, believes in

00:38:05.739 --> 00:38:07.380
 the indwelling of the

00:38:07.380 --> 00:38:07.960
 Holy Spirit.

00:38:08.099 --> 00:38:09.780
 There's nothing in all

00:38:09.780 --> 00:38:10.440
 that about it.

00:38:10.659 --> 00:38:11.500
 Because it wouldn't be

00:38:11.500 --> 00:38:13.300
 true if it wasn't, if

00:38:13.300 --> 00:38:14.619
 his spirit wasn't

00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:15.420
 indwelling me.

00:38:15.699 --> 00:38:17.159
 You just said, I believe

00:38:17.159 --> 00:38:18.000
 this because it's in my

00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:18.400
 heart.

00:38:18.619 --> 00:38:18.780
 Yeah.

00:38:18.880 --> 00:38:20.019
 If the Holy Spirit wasn't

00:38:20.019 --> 00:38:20.840
 in you, you wouldn't

00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:21.599
 believe that.

00:38:22.059 --> 00:38:22.340
 Right.

00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:23.119
 So that's the only thing

00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:23.480
 for me.

00:38:23.480 --> 00:38:23.800
 Sure.

00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:25.059
 And this is just a side

00:38:25.059 --> 00:38:25.259
 point.

00:38:25.420 --> 00:38:25.619
 Yeah.

00:38:25.699 --> 00:38:26.320
 I mean, it doesn't mention

00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:27.099
 grace either.

00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:28.920
 It doesn't say everything

00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:29.699
 we want.

00:38:30.059 --> 00:38:31.940
 But I think if we use

00:38:31.940 --> 00:38:33.119
 this as a teaching tool,

00:38:33.639 --> 00:38:34.800
 that we could, it's

00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:35.559
 certainly we would get

00:38:35.559 --> 00:38:36.259
 to that point.

00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:38.519
 The Spirit is indwelling

00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:39.759
 the saints.

00:38:40.579 --> 00:38:40.759
 Yeah.

00:38:40.940 --> 00:38:41.900
 This is a teaching tool.

00:38:42.320 --> 00:38:43.780
 We have to explain what

00:38:43.780 --> 00:38:44.800
 this means.

00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:46.719
 And I highlighted these

00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:49.000
 in red because we could

00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:49.739
 also talk about the

00:38:49.739 --> 00:38:50.379
 nature of Christian

00:38:50.379 --> 00:38:51.059
 discipleship.

00:38:52.239 --> 00:38:53.859
 Christ comes, his

00:38:53.859 --> 00:38:55.799
 descent, right?

00:38:55.919 --> 00:38:57.139
 He was conceived, born,

00:38:57.279 --> 00:38:58.039
 suffered, crucified,

00:38:58.379 --> 00:38:58.799
 descended.

00:38:59.359 --> 00:39:00.199
 And then there's the

00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:00.619
 ascents.

00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:02.299
 He rose, he ascended,

00:39:02.399 --> 00:39:03.119
 he's seen, he will come

00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:03.419
 again.

00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:05.519
 So there's a cross, but

00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:06.199
 then there's a crown.

00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:07.619
 And so we could talk

00:39:07.619 --> 00:39:08.199
 about the nature of

00:39:08.199 --> 00:39:09.919
 Christian living, picking

00:39:09.919 --> 00:39:11.500
 up your cross, and there

00:39:11.500 --> 00:39:13.559
 is a crown at the end.

00:39:13.559 --> 00:39:15.099
 But I didn't get there.

00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:18.079
 So I think, brothers and

00:39:18.079 --> 00:39:19.420
 sisters, that the

00:39:19.420 --> 00:39:20.779
 Apostles' Creed does

00:39:20.779 --> 00:39:22.039
 speak to modern issues.

00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:24.860
 And it's not just an

00:39:24.860 --> 00:39:27.539
 archaic document that is,

00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:28.440
 that we should just file

00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:29.199
 in the filing cabinet

00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:29.539
 somewhere.

00:39:30.420 --> 00:39:32.279
 I think this, again,

00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:34.039
 reproduces accurately

00:39:34.039 --> 00:39:36.199
 Scripture, and Scripture

00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:37.599
 is always going to speak

00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:38.519
 to our modern age.

00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:38.559
 church.

00:39:40.500 --> 00:39:43.780
 So that's old creeds.

00:39:43.860 --> 00:39:45.420
 We have a few minutes

00:39:45.420 --> 00:39:45.699
 left.

00:39:45.759 --> 00:39:46.679
 What about new ones?

00:39:46.940 --> 00:39:47.840
 What about new creeds?

00:39:49.460 --> 00:39:51.320
 Semper reformanda, right?

00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:52.300
 There's always going to be

00:39:52.300 --> 00:39:53.699
 new questions for the

00:39:53.699 --> 00:39:54.400
 church to answer.

00:39:55.059 --> 00:39:56.139
 There are new challenges.

00:39:56.360 --> 00:39:57.900
 There are new heresies.

00:39:58.099 --> 00:40:00.159
 So should we have new

00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:01.539
 creeds, new confessions,

00:40:01.539 --> 00:40:03.000
 to combat new challenges?

00:40:03.480 --> 00:40:04.460
 And I think I want to say

00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:05.199
 the answer is yes.

00:40:05.199 --> 00:40:07.460
 So I think, you know, we

00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:08.099
 could look at the

00:40:08.099 --> 00:40:09.119
 Westminster Confession.

00:40:09.579 --> 00:40:10.819
 We'll be an example of

00:40:10.819 --> 00:40:13.179
 Protestant churches trying

00:40:13.179 --> 00:40:13.980
 to recover the

00:40:13.980 --> 00:40:15.219
 Apostolic Gospel from a

00:40:15.219 --> 00:40:15.939
 form of medieval

00:40:15.939 --> 00:40:16.199
 Catholicism.

00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:18.399
 We could look at the

00:40:18.399 --> 00:40:20.559
 Barman Declaration, where

00:40:20.559 --> 00:40:22.379
 it reiterated during

00:40:22.379 --> 00:40:23.419
 Nazi Germany the

00:40:23.419 --> 00:40:24.339
 independence of the

00:40:24.339 --> 00:40:25.179
 church and the state

00:40:25.179 --> 00:40:26.899
 and the secular Nazi

00:40:26.899 --> 00:40:28.439
 totalitarian ideologies

00:40:28.439 --> 00:40:29.000
 in the church.

00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:30.860
 and the Barman

00:40:30.860 --> 00:40:33.300
 Declaration, again, a

00:40:33.300 --> 00:40:34.079
 summary of what

00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:35.099
 Scripture teaches that

00:40:35.099 --> 00:40:35.739
 the church is

00:40:35.739 --> 00:40:36.699
 independent from the

00:40:36.699 --> 00:40:36.980
 state.

00:40:37.800 --> 00:40:39.400
 Perhaps today's day and

00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:41.699
 age, we don't face a

00:40:41.699 --> 00:40:42.760
 similar Westminster

00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:43.360
 confession.

00:40:46.059 --> 00:40:47.340
 And, you know, the

00:40:47.340 --> 00:40:48.900
 church, there are

00:40:48.900 --> 00:40:51.260
 places in the church

00:40:51.260 --> 00:40:52.119
 that are being co-opted

00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:52.719
 by the state.

00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:53.619
 And so maybe they need

00:40:53.619 --> 00:40:54.360
 to revisit the Barman

00:40:54.360 --> 00:40:54.699
 Declaration.

00:40:55.760 --> 00:40:57.159
 But for us, you know,

00:40:57.199 --> 00:40:57.860
 I think this is one

00:40:57.860 --> 00:40:59.420
 issue I was reflecting

00:40:59.420 --> 00:40:59.800
 on.

00:41:01.160 --> 00:41:01.740
 You know, the moral

00:41:01.740 --> 00:41:03.640
 issues we face track

00:41:03.640 --> 00:41:04.460
 with the brilliant

00:41:04.460 --> 00:41:05.760
 technological innovations

00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:06.720
 in the last, you know,

00:41:06.760 --> 00:41:07.620
 even ten years.

00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:09.559
 In an age of

00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:10.780
 artificial intelligence

00:41:10.780 --> 00:41:13.240
 or transhumanism, where

00:41:13.240 --> 00:41:14.900
 machines are helping

00:41:14.900 --> 00:41:16.019
 humans advance beyond

00:41:16.019 --> 00:41:16.660
 our creaturely

00:41:16.660 --> 00:41:17.180
 limitations.

00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:18.640
 Our reproductive

00:41:18.640 --> 00:41:20.220
 technology like IVF

00:41:20.220 --> 00:41:21.340
 or the dehumanizing

00:41:21.340 --> 00:41:23.140
 impact of social media,

00:41:23.700 --> 00:41:24.860
 smartphones, where many

00:41:24.860 --> 00:41:25.900
 have distinct online

00:41:25.900 --> 00:41:27.500
 identities divorced from

00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:27.960
 their day-to-day

00:41:27.960 --> 00:41:28.320
 living.

00:41:29.059 --> 00:41:30.159
 Or think about

00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:31.760
 medical ethics as it

00:41:31.760 --> 00:41:32.840
 relates to euthanasia.

00:41:33.659 --> 00:41:34.019
 All right?

00:41:34.639 --> 00:41:35.880
 An age of free-willing

00:41:35.880 --> 00:41:36.679
 sexuality.

00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:37.519
 What do we believe

00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:38.079
 about sexuality?

00:41:38.920 --> 00:41:39.440
 So I think the

00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:41.420
 defining question that

00:41:41.420 --> 00:41:44.460
 the next generation has

00:41:44.460 --> 00:41:45.420
 to answer is, what does

00:41:45.420 --> 00:41:46.300
 it mean to be human?

00:41:47.800 --> 00:41:48.900
 What is the purpose of

00:41:48.900 --> 00:41:49.500
 our bodies?

00:41:50.920 --> 00:41:51.139
 Right?

00:41:51.239 --> 00:41:52.360
 What we need is a

00:41:52.360 --> 00:41:53.460
 biblical anthropology.

00:41:53.460 --> 00:41:53.559
 anthropology.

00:41:54.840 --> 00:41:56.300
 And what is the soul?

00:41:57.460 --> 00:41:59.059
 I think a creed would be

00:41:59.059 --> 00:42:01.079
 very helpful in

00:42:01.079 --> 00:42:02.820
 articulating a biblical

00:42:02.820 --> 00:42:03.659
 anthropology.

00:42:04.039 --> 00:42:05.400
 That would be helpful for

00:42:05.400 --> 00:42:06.720
 Christians today to

00:42:06.720 --> 00:42:08.420
 articulate and to teach

00:42:08.420 --> 00:42:08.679
 from.

00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:11.179
 You know, we've seen an

00:42:11.179 --> 00:42:12.320
 explosion in the last

00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:14.960
 decade of men presenting

00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:16.079
 as women, women presenting

00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:16.559
 as men.

00:42:16.920 --> 00:42:17.860
 There's a lot of confusion.

00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:19.340
 And I think if you're like

00:42:19.340 --> 00:42:20.840
 me, you struggle with some

00:42:20.840 --> 00:42:21.420
 of these things.

00:42:22.059 --> 00:42:23.800
 You know, you have a

00:42:23.800 --> 00:42:24.519
 host of issues.

00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:25.820
 You have pronouns.

00:42:26.240 --> 00:42:27.120
 And what about new names

00:42:27.120 --> 00:42:27.900
 for people at work?

00:42:28.760 --> 00:42:29.700
 Puberty blockers.

00:42:29.780 --> 00:42:30.980
 What about a child who

00:42:30.980 --> 00:42:32.480
 feels isolated and

00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:33.620
 expresses internal

00:42:33.620 --> 00:42:34.180
 wounding?

00:42:34.720 --> 00:42:36.000
 And it's painful when

00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:37.500
 they feel distressed

00:42:37.500 --> 00:42:38.539
 about their own bodies

00:42:38.539 --> 00:42:40.200
 in a highly sexualized

00:42:40.200 --> 00:42:40.620
 culture.

00:42:41.400 --> 00:42:42.420
 You know, loved ones who

00:42:42.420 --> 00:42:43.300
 are confused.

00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:45.340
 And there are those

00:42:45.340 --> 00:42:46.880
 within the church who

00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:47.840
 say the compassionate

00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:49.559
 approach, the life-giving

00:42:49.559 --> 00:42:51.019
 approach is to affirm

00:42:51.019 --> 00:42:51.559
 that person.

00:42:53.239 --> 00:42:54.279
 But again, this is not

00:42:54.279 --> 00:42:55.320
 an issue for the ivory

00:42:55.320 --> 00:42:55.759
 tower.

00:42:56.960 --> 00:42:57.059
 Right?

00:42:57.480 --> 00:42:58.599
 One example, Fuller

00:42:58.599 --> 00:42:59.500
 Seminary just a couple

00:42:59.500 --> 00:43:01.360
 weeks ago said, you

00:43:01.360 --> 00:43:02.019
 know, the incarnation

00:43:02.019 --> 00:43:04.259
 should be a basis for

00:43:04.259 --> 00:43:05.420
 which we affirm same-sex

00:43:05.420 --> 00:43:05.900
 marriage.

00:43:06.860 --> 00:43:08.820
 Because the God

00:43:08.820 --> 00:43:10.299
 becoming man, it's a

00:43:10.299 --> 00:43:10.679
 mystery.

00:43:11.279 --> 00:43:12.219
 And so this same issue

00:43:12.219 --> 00:43:12.799
 is a mystery.

00:43:13.019 --> 00:43:13.539
 That's how we should

00:43:13.539 --> 00:43:14.219
 treat this issue.

00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:16.880
 Again, is that a valid

00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:18.000
 view for the incarnation?

00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:19.460
 What do you do when

00:43:19.460 --> 00:43:20.260
 you're a 13-year-old

00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:21.440
 and identifies as

00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:21.800
 trans?

00:43:22.599 --> 00:43:23.739
 The pediatrician is

00:43:23.739 --> 00:43:25.159
 telling you that you

00:43:25.159 --> 00:43:25.940
 have to validate that

00:43:25.940 --> 00:43:26.659
 child's beliefs.

00:43:27.320 --> 00:43:28.480
 And the child begins to

00:43:28.480 --> 00:43:29.380
 ask you to use their

00:43:29.380 --> 00:43:29.880
 own pronouns.

00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:31.119
 And you go to a

00:43:31.119 --> 00:43:32.159
 pastor for counsel and

00:43:32.159 --> 00:43:33.780
 they say, here's what

00:43:33.780 --> 00:43:34.380
 you need to do.

00:43:34.940 --> 00:43:36.239
 Follow the scripture and

00:43:36.239 --> 00:43:37.039
 love your child.

00:43:38.619 --> 00:43:39.500
 That's all I tell you.

00:43:39.579 --> 00:43:40.039
 Just follow the

00:43:40.039 --> 00:43:41.380
 scripture, love your

00:43:41.380 --> 00:43:41.780
 child.

00:43:42.679 --> 00:43:43.639
 That's not helpful.

00:43:43.880 --> 00:43:44.619
 That would be pastoral

00:43:44.619 --> 00:43:45.440
 malpractice.

00:43:46.159 --> 00:43:47.039
 So wouldn't it be good

00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:49.380
 if we had theologians

00:43:49.380 --> 00:43:50.579
 from around the world

00:43:50.579 --> 00:43:52.339
 to come together to

00:43:52.339 --> 00:43:53.440
 answer wisely,

00:43:53.940 --> 00:43:55.019
 scripturally, these

00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:56.099
 challenges in our day

00:43:56.099 --> 00:43:56.480
 and age?

00:43:57.339 --> 00:43:58.359
 Wouldn't it be nice if

00:43:58.359 --> 00:44:00.159
 we had a statement

00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:02.199
 that engaged wisely

00:44:02.199 --> 00:44:03.679
 with these issues based

00:44:03.679 --> 00:44:04.659
 in the scripture?

00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:06.639
 That it was so good

00:44:06.639 --> 00:44:07.639
 that we could use it to

00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:09.400
 reinforce in our

00:44:09.400 --> 00:44:10.500
 teaching and to

00:44:10.500 --> 00:44:11.719
 counter secular

00:44:11.719 --> 00:44:12.159
 narratives?

00:44:12.159 --> 00:44:14.099
 You know, of course,

00:44:14.259 --> 00:44:16.500
 we don't need a

00:44:16.500 --> 00:44:17.500
 confession to do that.

00:44:17.699 --> 00:44:18.500
 We could just reinvent

00:44:18.500 --> 00:44:20.179
 the wheel, each church

00:44:20.179 --> 00:44:20.779
 doing that.

00:44:21.759 --> 00:44:23.179
 Or we could acknowledge

00:44:23.179 --> 00:44:24.159
 that, you know, we need

00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:24.899
 the help of others.

00:44:25.159 --> 00:44:26.379
 We need thoughtful

00:44:26.379 --> 00:44:27.619
 theological reflection

00:44:27.619 --> 00:44:29.639
 of the church at large

00:44:29.639 --> 00:44:31.059
 to help us answer

00:44:31.059 --> 00:44:32.920
 faithfully this problem

00:44:32.920 --> 00:44:33.639
 in our day.

00:44:34.319 --> 00:44:35.339
 And I think the church

00:44:35.339 --> 00:44:36.559
 that isolates itself

00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:37.920
 from the wisdom of

00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:39.579
 others is clearly at

00:44:39.579 --> 00:44:40.139
 a disadvantage.

00:44:40.139 --> 00:44:42.400
 So if you're

00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:42.879
 interested in these

00:44:42.879 --> 00:44:43.739
 topics, don't worry,

00:44:43.799 --> 00:44:44.199
 we're going to have a

00:44:44.199 --> 00:44:45.339
 class in the fall,

00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:46.039
 Lord willing, on

00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:46.420
 ethics.

00:44:47.940 --> 00:44:49.960
 But I think there's

00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:51.179
 modern challenges

00:44:51.179 --> 00:44:53.799
 and it would be

00:44:53.799 --> 00:44:54.779
 wonderful if we could

00:44:54.779 --> 00:44:56.199
 have brothers and

00:44:56.199 --> 00:44:57.519
 sisters across the

00:44:57.519 --> 00:44:58.500
 world from different

00:44:58.500 --> 00:45:00.039
 denominations engaging

00:45:00.039 --> 00:45:01.359
 with this issue

00:45:01.359 --> 00:45:02.359
 scripturally.

00:45:02.360 --> 00:45:05.300
 So I'm going to pause

00:45:05.300 --> 00:45:05.539
 there.

00:45:05.720 --> 00:45:06.700
 I went through a lot.

00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:08.000
 Any questions?

00:45:08.720 --> 00:45:09.860
 Let me remind you that

00:45:09.860 --> 00:45:13.079
 it was creeds avoid

00:45:13.079 --> 00:45:14.180
 authoritarianism.

00:45:14.680 --> 00:45:17.519
 Second is the Apostles'

00:45:17.620 --> 00:45:18.579
 Creed speaks to modern

00:45:18.579 --> 00:45:19.000
 issues.

00:45:19.120 --> 00:45:20.660
 And third, there is a

00:45:20.660 --> 00:45:21.740
 place for new creeds,

00:45:22.019 --> 00:45:25.120
 for new challenges.

00:45:25.119 --> 00:45:25.259
 questions.

00:45:39.380 --> 00:45:40.179
 Yeah.

00:45:40.380 --> 00:45:42.739
 Do you really think it's

00:45:42.739 --> 00:45:45.159
 possible to address some

00:45:45.159 --> 00:45:50.159
 of these issues like an

00:45:50.159 --> 00:45:52.480
 anthropology that speaks to

00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:55.960
 our day, et cetera,

00:45:56.079 --> 00:45:58.260
 et cetera, in a creedal

00:45:58.260 --> 00:45:59.860
 statement that is as

00:45:59.860 --> 00:46:01.699
 succinct and memorable as

00:46:01.699 --> 00:46:02.619
 the Apostles' Creed?

00:46:04.699 --> 00:46:05.960
 That's a good question.

00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:13.639
 That would be hard to do.

00:46:13.639 --> 00:46:15.639
 But I think...

00:46:15.639 --> 00:46:18.679
 So that's why I was

00:46:18.679 --> 00:46:20.099
 increasing confessions very

00:46:20.099 --> 00:46:20.739
 similarly.

00:46:22.139 --> 00:46:23.799
 It's distilling certain

00:46:23.799 --> 00:46:26.799
 elements of the

00:46:26.799 --> 00:46:28.920
 scripture.

00:46:29.139 --> 00:46:32.059
 But I would say maybe.

00:46:32.619 --> 00:46:33.659
 But of course we would

00:46:33.659 --> 00:46:35.519
 need a more fuller

00:46:35.519 --> 00:46:38.059
 exposition on sort of

00:46:38.059 --> 00:46:38.779
 like a biblical

00:46:38.779 --> 00:46:39.559
 anthropology.

00:46:40.699 --> 00:46:41.699
 I mean, you know, we

00:46:41.699 --> 00:46:43.079
 could say the main parts

00:46:43.079 --> 00:46:44.559
 are, you know, we're

00:46:44.559 --> 00:46:45.559
 creating God's image.

00:46:45.960 --> 00:46:47.400
 We're a union of body

00:46:47.400 --> 00:46:48.059
 and soul.

00:46:48.420 --> 00:46:49.239
 We have creature

00:46:49.239 --> 00:46:49.880
 limitations.

00:46:51.679 --> 00:46:52.860
 You know, we all are

00:46:52.860 --> 00:46:53.719
 dealing with effects of

00:46:53.719 --> 00:46:54.759
 the fall inside our

00:46:54.759 --> 00:46:55.219
 bodies.

00:46:55.719 --> 00:46:56.599
 And we're going to be

00:46:56.599 --> 00:46:57.420
 renewed one day.

00:46:58.420 --> 00:46:59.079
 I mean, there's...

00:46:59.639 --> 00:47:00.759
 That's kind of the broad

00:47:00.759 --> 00:47:01.279
 framework.

00:47:02.480 --> 00:47:04.599
 But I don't know.

00:47:04.819 --> 00:47:06.019
 I mean, that's why I

00:47:06.019 --> 00:47:07.119
 need thoughtful

00:47:07.119 --> 00:47:09.440
 reflections from people

00:47:09.440 --> 00:47:10.199
 who are much smarter than

00:47:10.199 --> 00:47:10.440
 I.

00:47:10.639 --> 00:47:11.639
 But that's why the

00:47:11.639 --> 00:47:12.119
 church should come

00:47:12.119 --> 00:47:13.859
 together, I think, and

00:47:13.859 --> 00:47:15.099
 come up with something.

00:47:15.239 --> 00:47:15.940
 It doesn't have to be a

00:47:15.940 --> 00:47:16.819
 creedal statement like the

00:47:16.819 --> 00:47:17.440
 Apostles' Creed.

00:47:18.319 --> 00:47:19.460
 The Barman Declaration

00:47:19.460 --> 00:47:21.339
 or the Westminster

00:47:21.339 --> 00:47:22.719
 Confession, like, they're

00:47:22.719 --> 00:47:23.940
 much longer, more

00:47:23.940 --> 00:47:24.480
 comprehensive.

00:47:24.799 --> 00:47:25.940
 So that's probably how

00:47:25.940 --> 00:47:26.659
 that would have to be

00:47:26.659 --> 00:47:26.960
 handled.

00:47:26.960 --> 00:47:29.099
 Richard, are you doubtful that

00:47:29.099 --> 00:47:30.240
 something like that could

00:47:30.240 --> 00:47:33.480
 happen because you don't

00:47:33.480 --> 00:47:36.460
 imagine that the Bible

00:47:36.460 --> 00:47:37.780
 would give us sufficient

00:47:37.780 --> 00:47:39.480
 clarity on some of these

00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:41.320
 new issues like technology

00:47:41.320 --> 00:47:42.220
 or gender or that?

00:47:42.579 --> 00:47:44.260
 Or is it because you're

00:47:44.260 --> 00:47:45.880
 doubtful that maybe

00:47:45.880 --> 00:47:47.780
 universally Christians might

00:47:47.780 --> 00:47:49.840
 agree on the solutions?

00:47:50.019 --> 00:47:51.220
 I'm just curious as to what,

00:47:51.940 --> 00:47:54.579
 where your doubtfulness

00:47:54.579 --> 00:47:55.199
 arises.

00:47:55.199 --> 00:48:01.079
 I guess my doubtfulness

00:48:01.079 --> 00:48:02.639
 arises because

00:48:02.639 --> 00:48:07.399
 I don't think we have

00:48:07.399 --> 00:48:10.939
 the wherewithal to

00:48:10.939 --> 00:48:13.599
 come up with anything

00:48:13.599 --> 00:48:16.000
 that is as succinct as that

00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:18.500
 to meet the needs of our

00:48:18.500 --> 00:48:19.019
 generation.

00:48:19.019 --> 00:48:22.539
 I guess what I would

00:48:22.539 --> 00:48:26.800
 suggest is since the

00:48:26.800 --> 00:48:28.460
 Nicene Creed or the

00:48:28.460 --> 00:48:30.139
 Chalcedonian Creed, the

00:48:30.139 --> 00:48:31.940
 Apostles' Creed, there have

00:48:31.940 --> 00:48:33.280
 been some subsequent ones.

00:48:33.759 --> 00:48:34.739
 There's a reference to the

00:48:34.739 --> 00:48:36.340
 Heidelberg Confession or the

00:48:36.340 --> 00:48:37.539
 Westminster Confession of

00:48:37.539 --> 00:48:39.579
 Faith or maybe the London

00:48:39.579 --> 00:48:41.079
 Baptist Confession of Faith

00:48:41.079 --> 00:48:43.480
 or the Philadelphia Confession,

00:48:43.579 --> 00:48:44.820
 Baptist Confession of Faith.

00:48:44.820 --> 00:48:46.820
 It would be interesting to

00:48:46.820 --> 00:48:48.160
 give him a read and see if

00:48:48.160 --> 00:48:49.800
 you thought, well, I think

00:48:49.800 --> 00:48:52.039
 that's true and I think that

00:48:52.039 --> 00:48:53.500
 that's succinct and I think

00:48:53.500 --> 00:48:56.500
 that that's a wonderful turn of

00:48:56.500 --> 00:48:56.780
 praise.

00:48:57.200 --> 00:48:59.380
 I think you might be impressed.

00:48:59.380 --> 00:49:05.039
 it's as if the Holy Spirit

00:49:05.039 --> 00:49:07.059
 doesn't leave us abandoned with

00:49:07.059 --> 00:49:09.660
 inadequate gifts for the

00:49:09.660 --> 00:49:10.760
 church to meet the needs of

00:49:10.760 --> 00:49:12.880
 each moment that we find

00:49:12.880 --> 00:49:13.519
 ourselves in.

00:49:14.760 --> 00:49:16.680
 Maybe there's hope that the

00:49:16.680 --> 00:49:18.099
 Holy Spirit would raise up

00:49:18.099 --> 00:49:20.599
 those who could actually be

00:49:20.599 --> 00:49:22.200
 good shepherds to guide these

00:49:22.200 --> 00:49:22.660
 areas.

00:49:22.659 --> 00:49:28.799
 that might be a hope that we'd be encouraged to cling to.

00:49:29.799 --> 00:49:33.980
 I have no doubt about the ability of the Holy Spirit

00:49:33.980 --> 00:49:35.019
 to give this church.

00:49:37.519 --> 00:49:48.879
 What I do doubt is that a creed can meet these challenges.

00:49:52.659 --> 00:50:03.279
 I am hopeful, maybe in my lifetime,

00:50:03.279 --> 00:50:06.639
 that there will be thoughtful theologians

00:50:06.639 --> 00:50:10.399
 who will engage wisely and faithfully and scripturally on these issues.

00:50:10.539 --> 00:50:12.480
 And maybe we have to come up with new terminology,

00:50:12.659 --> 00:50:13.960
 like the way the Nicene creed it.

00:50:14.460 --> 00:50:15.259
 I don't know.

00:50:15.440 --> 00:50:17.159
 But I think looking forward,

00:50:17.339 --> 00:50:22.579
 there is certainly a place for this to be worked out

00:50:22.579 --> 00:50:26.119
 again in community with other Christians across the world,

00:50:26.139 --> 00:50:29.159
 just like the way they did in the Nicene creed.

00:50:30.639 --> 00:50:33.480
 I'm hopeful, but we'll see what the Lord has.

00:50:34.480 --> 00:50:35.779
 We'll see what the Lord has for us.

00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:38.340
 Any final thoughts?

00:50:40.340 --> 00:50:49.880
 I guess I think succinctness comes with the more ecumenical something it is, right?

00:50:49.880 --> 00:50:53.680
 Because I think the more specific to a particular Christian tradition

00:50:53.680 --> 00:50:54.720
 something it's going to be,

00:50:55.200 --> 00:50:56.860
 the more you have to explicate it

00:50:56.860 --> 00:50:59.119
 and describe exactly what you mean.

00:50:59.579 --> 00:51:01.460
 One of the benefits of the Apostles' Creed,

00:51:01.700 --> 00:51:02.579
 the Nicene creed,

00:51:02.680 --> 00:51:07.380
 is that basically any Christian can affirm it, right?

00:51:07.660 --> 00:51:09.340
 And there's certain...

00:51:09.340 --> 00:51:11.539
 I mean, I like the idea of them being gargoyles,

00:51:11.640 --> 00:51:14.720
 because there's a lot of play in between the gargoyles.

00:51:14.719 --> 00:51:15.279
 Mm-hmm.

00:51:15.279 --> 00:51:16.639
 And the gargoyles are there.

00:51:16.739 --> 00:51:17.819
 So I think, you know,

00:51:17.879 --> 00:51:21.839
 we could do an anthropological creed.

00:51:22.339 --> 00:51:24.559
 It just might not be as...

00:51:24.559 --> 00:51:27.699
 I mean, it could be succinct.

00:51:28.039 --> 00:51:28.799
 It could be saying,

00:51:29.139 --> 00:51:31.279
 we believe in God Almighty,

00:51:31.439 --> 00:51:33.199
 the created man in his image,

00:51:33.480 --> 00:51:34.379
 male, female.

00:51:34.799 --> 00:51:37.179
 Already that's starting to become controversial,

00:51:37.639 --> 00:51:38.779
 right, to the world.

00:51:39.239 --> 00:51:40.539
 Now what those things mean

00:51:40.539 --> 00:51:42.899
 is probably going to be played in the gargoyles.

00:51:42.900 --> 00:51:43.420
 Mm-hmm.

00:51:44.019 --> 00:51:45.820
 I think there's probably value

00:51:45.820 --> 00:51:46.940
 in just stating,

00:51:47.119 --> 00:51:48.840
 like, putting all those...

00:51:48.840 --> 00:51:49.180
 Mm-hmm.

00:51:50.079 --> 00:51:52.619
 And the more succinct it is,

00:51:52.680 --> 00:51:53.440
 I guess is what I'm saying,

00:51:53.519 --> 00:51:54.660
 there's probably less specific.

00:51:55.260 --> 00:51:55.700
 Yeah.

00:51:58.220 --> 00:52:00.039
 Well, there's still work to be done,

00:52:00.380 --> 00:52:00.900
 brothers and sisters.

00:52:01.099 --> 00:52:03.940
 So that's why I wanted to leave this for you,

00:52:04.019 --> 00:52:07.000
 is we have reminders of the past,

00:52:07.079 --> 00:52:08.960
 but God is calling our generation,

00:52:09.820 --> 00:52:10.760
 Semper Reformanda,

00:52:10.760 --> 00:52:12.619
 new challenges to engage wisely

00:52:12.619 --> 00:52:13.259
 with the scriptures,

00:52:13.639 --> 00:52:15.559
 and I think there are new creeds

00:52:15.559 --> 00:52:16.359
 that have yet to be written,

00:52:16.839 --> 00:52:18.279
 or confessions,

00:52:18.400 --> 00:52:19.019
 like Lord willing.

00:52:19.679 --> 00:52:21.380
 We'll see what the Lord has for his church.

00:52:21.920 --> 00:52:23.259
 Let me close in prayer.

00:52:24.359 --> 00:52:26.099
 Father, I thank you, Father,

00:52:26.199 --> 00:52:27.319
 for your Holy Spirit

00:52:27.319 --> 00:52:29.179
 who works powerfully in our lives.

00:52:29.239 --> 00:52:31.099
 We pray your Spirit would be with us

00:52:31.099 --> 00:52:32.739
 as we gather together as a church,

00:52:33.099 --> 00:52:35.000
 as we celebrate the communion of saints

00:52:35.000 --> 00:52:36.859
 that we have with one another,

00:52:37.400 --> 00:52:39.159
 that there's far more that unites us

00:52:39.159 --> 00:52:41.480
 than divides us in your household.

00:52:41.480 --> 00:52:43.780
 We pray you'd be glorified in Jesus' name.

00:52:43.780 --> 00:52:44.820
 Amen.