Sermon Tone Analysis

God the Son --- Identity & Birth

John 1:1-14 & Romans 1:1-7

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his [glory], the [glory] of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

“And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:6

This is second message in our summer sermon series on the Apostles Creed.

Last week, on Father’s Day we looked at the reason the Apostles Creed came to be.

This creed was used to state what the early believers believed.

In fact, the word, “creed” comes from “credo” which means “I believe.”

I hope by the end of our series that you will have created your own “CREDO”!

Do you remember that the early church used this creed as their baptismal confession?

If you wanted to join the church—way back in the second century—you needed to proclaim your faith in the TRINITY: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Whenever I sit down and create the yearly preaching calendar, it is an understatement to say it’s a light and happen event.

It’s a huge responsibility for me as your pastor to pray about what need to look throughout the year.

As I sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit on what to do for the summer, I kept thinking about what we believe as a church.

What do we believe and how did the church decide on that?

As I studied the Apostle’s Creed, I also saw that it was dubbed the Believer’s Creed.

I like that.

As we go line by line, maybe you will discover what you believe, too.

Join we me and repeating the Apostles Creed:

Apostles’ Creed

1.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

2. and in Jesus Christ, His only (begotten) Son, our Lord;

3. who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,

4. suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried;

He descended into hell;

5. the third day he rose again from the dead;

6.

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

7. from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

8.

I believe in the Holy Ghost,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and the life everlasting.

Amen.[i]

Let us pray.

“Our Lord and our God, we come today to seek Your Living Word.

Help us to see the wonderful things in Your Words of life and love.

Help us to embrace these truths and learn to live by them.

Amen”

We have two New Testament readings today.

The first comes from the opening chapter of John and the second from the opening chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Let us listen for God’s Word about His one and only Son.

John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.10

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his [glory], the [glory] of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testifies concerning him.

He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”

16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.[ii]

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.[iii]

PART ONE: God The Father

The Apostles’ Creed goes way back.

First written down in 140 AD and is till here 1,880 years later!

What in the world keeps a document around that long?

Let’s take a look!

I find it fitting that the first line of the CREED is: I believe in GOD, THE FATHER Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth!

In this first line we are saying that God is our parent—our FATHER.

Last weekend was Father’s Day and families and friends gathered around our nation to celebrate Fathers.

Just last week I was at an event where 8 men were gathered.

We talked about our dads.

Of the 8 of us, one had a really great dad who taught him everything.

On the way home from another meeting on that day, my wife called.

We have a car with a speaker phone and there were 3 guys in the car.

My wife asked how our first meeting went.

I shared just a little about our statistics: 1/8 of us had a really great dad.

My wife’s reply was simple, “I wish all of you guys had a dad like mine.

My dad is my hero.”

One of the guys said, “I wish I did, too.”

I happen to be married to a woman whose father is her hero and who’s become my hero, too.

I’ve known Andy for 47 years.

I’ve never seen him lose his temper—although he does get worked up over politics.

I’ve never seen him throw anything or hit anything.

Here’s what really impresses me about her dad.

For 47 years, I’ve listened to my wife talk to her dad on the phone.

This is always the opening phrase: “Hello, Daddy oh!” Do you know what he calls my almost 65-year-old wife?

He calls her “Baby doll” or “Baby” or “Sweetheart.”

Whenever we visit, Andy, always kisses his daughter on her forehead as he calls her, “Baby doll.”

Jac really meant it when she told the 3 of us in my car that day, “I wish everyone had a dad like mine.”

It made me stop and think.

You know what?

WE really DO.

If we believe in God, then we have the same heavenly Father.

And just like the first line in the creed says, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth…” In this first line we are saying, “I believe God is my father.”