Sermon for 25 Oct 2020

Message: Apostle’s Creed Chapter Two

The last time I prepared a message for you, I began what I envision to be a series of messages on the Apostle’s Creed. You know how it goes we just recited it. It is in twelve parts and tradition says each of the twelve parts was written by one of the original twelve apostles. I is also thought to have been used as an oath for the early converts to affirm their new-found faith in Christ. I don’t plan to be in a hurry. My first installment covered only the first two words. “I believe.” Note it says I believe not we or all Christians. You and you alone are responsible for your faith. The “believe” is not maybe or I think. It is an unequivocal acceptance of truth with or without proof.

“I believe in God…” Atheism is a fairly modern concept. Every culture I know of believed in some power higher than ourselves. During the days of the Old Testament, each nation, tribe, or town had its own god. Collectively they were called Baal. Armies won or lost depending on the strength of their particular god. The Egyptians worshipped the sun along with a series of lesser gods. The Greeks and Romans believed in two separate groups; humans and gods. The gods had their own complex society, although they sometimes interacted with humans. Modern day Japanese are also polytheistic. They have a god for everything, and some are more important than others. He sake god holds a place of honor while the god of kitchen utensils not so much. I actually visited the shrine of the kitchen utensil god. The icon was a 20 fork. The Norse gods reflected the culture of the believers.

Abraham was the first patriarch to recognize the one true God. “If you will be my people, I will be your God.” The age of enlightenment was a period around 1700 or so when everything was questioned, even the existence of God. The French mathematician and philosopher Descartes wrote a logical proof of God. I use a different one but God is not hard to prove. You can see evidence almost any where you look. I wrote a proof several years ago when I was studying in Spain. I used a peanut to make my point but I could have used almost any seed. I liked the sound of the Spanish word for peanut “cocahauate” so I used that. Inside the woody shell and inside the sealed membrane is a nut containing a tiny plant, new life. Neither science nor engineering can put it there. God is the only answer.

“I believe in God the Father...” I have no problem with God being a father. God is our ultimate father. A true father does much more than provide half our DNA. A father provides and protects his offspring. God does that for us. A few years ago, a pastor in Spokane decided to address God as “she.” I guess God could be female if He wanted. Some ancient cultures worshipped Mother Earth. I generally support feminists, but in this case they are wrong. God is a He. He is our Lord and our protector. He is the father of all mankind.

“I believe in God the Father Almighty…” The Christian God is an almighty God. He can do anything He wants to do. He is truly omnipotent. If God can do anything, why doesn’t He wipe out evil or human suffering? He could eliminate COVID19 with a wave of his hand, but he doesn’t. Why not? God interferes in our human affairs very little. He didn’t stop Hitler, and He hasn’t yet stopped cancer. He allows us to suffer and to die. Why? As Jack Pea used to tell me, “Because He is God and I am not.” But it’s more complicated than that. God created good, but there is no good without evil. God created joy, but there is no joy without pain. God allows us to struggle because there is no success without struggle. Only a wise God would allow His children to seek their own way.

Pray with me. I believe in God the Father Almighty. I believe you a part of who we are. I believe You love me enough to allow me to choose between good and evil. I believe You love me enough to allow me to reject your very existence. I believe You love me enough to allow me to love You. I believe…