Couverture de Sermon: Apostles' Creed Week One - I Believe

Sermon: Apostles' Creed Week One - I Believe

Sermon: Apostles' Creed Week One - I Believe

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 Sermon Date: 01/04/2026 Bible Verses: Various Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new Introduction: Belief Is Not Neutral The Apostles’ Creed does not begin softly. It doesn’t ease us in. It doesn’t ask how we feel. It doesn’t say: “I feel like…”“I hope that…”“I was raised to believe…” It begins with a declaration that demands ownership: “I believe.” Those are not polite words. They are dangerous words. Because the moment you say “I believe,” you are no longer neutral. You have stepped off the fence. You have chosen a side. Belief is never just internal—it always leads somewhere. What you believe determines what you trust, what you obey, and ultimately what you worship. Everyone believes something. The only question is what and who. Jesus never treated belief as optional or abstract. He didn’t say, “Consider these ideas,” or “Adopt this philosophy.” He said, “Follow Me.” He spoke of belief as a road you walk, a foundation you build on, a gate you pass through. That’s why He framed belief as a fork in the road: A narrow way or a broad way.A house on the rock or a house on the sand.Life or death. You don’t accidentally end up following Christ. You don’t drift into faith like a leaf on the wind. Drift always takes you away from God, not toward Him. Faith requires a decision—a deliberate turning of the heart, mind, and will. To say “I believe” is to say: “This is true—even if it costs me.”“This is real—even if it confronts me.”“This will shape my life—not just my opinions.” The Apostles’ Creed begins here because Christianity does not start with behavior—it starts with belief. But belief is never content to stay in the head. It moves into the hands, the feet, the calendar, the wallet, and the conscience. So before we recite ancient words, we must ask a modern question: Do I believe—or am I just familiar? Because belief is not neutral. Belief is allegiance. Belief is direction. Belief is destiny. And once you say “I believe,” there is no turning back to indifference. Point One: I Believe — Two Worldviews, One Choice Jesus does not offer belief as a preference. He presents it as a decision with consequences. “Enter through the narrow gate…” (Matthew 7:13–14) That verse doesn’t sound tolerant, and that’s because truth rarely is. Jesus says there are two gates, two roads, and two destinations. One is easy, crowded, and familiar. The other is hard, costly, and life-giving. He presses the point further: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them…” (Matthew 7:24–27) Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “Everyone who agrees with my words.” He says, “Everyone who hears and does.” Belief that never reaches obedience isn’t belief—it’s noise. Moses framed it the same way centuries earlier: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life.” (Deut. 30:15) Scripture does not give us a philosophical spectrum. It gives us a fork in the road. You don’t get a third option. You don’t get to stand in the middle forever. You choose by how you live. Two Worldviews The Biblical (Covenant) Worldview (And yes—bilabial works beautifully here: belief spoken and belief lived.) This worldview says: God is real.God has spoken.Truth is revealed, not negotiated.Obedience flows from trust, not fear. This worldview does not say God is one voice among many. It says God defines reality. At its core, it confesses: “God defines what is true—and I submit to it, even when it costs me.” Faith here is not blind—it’s anchored. Not naïve—it’s obedient. The Secular Worldview This worldview sounds free—but it enslaves. It says: Man is the final authority.Truth is flexible.Desire becomes doctrine.Feelings outrank Scripture. This worldview claims independence, but it quietly replaces God with self. At its core, it confesses: “I decide what’s right—and God can weigh in later, if at all.” Jesus does not pretend both foundations work. When the storm comes—and it will—only one stands. Same storm. Same rain. Same wind. Different foundations. That’s why this matters: Belief is not what you claim on Sunday. Belief is what you build your life on Monday. Point Two: I Believe in God — Can We Know Him? That single phrase—“I believe in God”—raises one of the most important questions a human being can ask: Who is God—and can He actually be known? The Bible answers without hesitation. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deut. 6:4) God is not a vague force. Not a cosmic suggestion. Not a spiritual placeholder. He is one, personal, distinct, and self-existent. And remarkably—He does not stay distant. “The LORD your God is in your midst… He will rejoice over you with gladness.” (Zeph. 3:17) Let that sit for a moment. The infinite, eternal, holy God doesn’t ...
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