APOSTLES’ CREED: Holy Catholic Together
In our study of the Apostles’ Creed, we come today to, “I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints.”
What place does the church have in our faith?
Some people put the church at the center of their faith. They believe if they go to church and try to be good, they are set for life. They don’t have much interest in what came before: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator…Jesus Christ, the Son, our Lord…the Holy Spirit…” But being active in a church cannot save; God saves. The church would be nothing but a social club without God. It is formed by God’s grace, instituted by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Other people have an entirely different view of the church. They say, “I am a believer, but I don’t need to go to church. I don’t find it that helpful to my personal faith.”
Both groups of people are the missing point: It’s not about going to church. Church is not a building, not an event, not an organization. The Church is people, formed by God, for God’s glory and purpose. Ephesians 2:19-22 puts it this way: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens [of God’s kingdom] with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Church is not an optional add-on for a Christian. (“I’ll accept Christ…Hmm…Do I want church too?”) When you are joined to Christ, you are joined to his church.
So we say, “I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints.” What does the really mean?
GOD’S CHURCH IS HOLY.
“Holy” means, “set apart for a special purpose.” In the Old Testament, items in the tabernacle and temple, priests, and even God’s chosen people were designated as “holy.” They were set apart as special by God, for his purposes.
God’s church is holy, not because the people in the church are better than most, but because God chose them, redeemed them, and set them apart for a purpose. 1 Peter 2:9 spells it out: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a HOLY nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Holy is what we are, and holy is also what we strive to be.
The church in Corinth is a good example. Corinth was a pagan city, and the church reflected the depraved background of the people in it. Immorality and idol worship were issues in the church, and divisions between rich and poor were so bad that even church potlucks were problematic. Paul wrote a letter to address their problems, and he began the letter (1 Cor. 1:2), “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified (literally, “having been made holy”) in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people…” God had made them holy, and now he was calling them to be holy—to act like people special to God.
How do holy people act? Some people think holiness is “Do this, don’t do that.” It does matter what we do, and rules can help, but holiness is much more than following the rules.
Romans 12:1-2 gets to the core of holiness: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, HOLY and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. DO NOT CONFORM to the pattern of this world, but BE TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind…” Do not be CONFORMED, but be TRANSFORMED as you understand God’s call and purpose for you.
In Colossians 3, Paul addresses the church as “God’s chosen people, HOLY and dearly loved.” When we understand that God has chosen us, how will we live? We will not conform to our lower nature, as Paul goes on to say, “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Our words will be transformed: “…rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” We will not treat people as objects to be used for our own benefit, but as precious to God: “As God’s chosen people, HOLY and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
When we live like that together, God’s church will be holy, set apart for his glory, and used by God to reach out to the world in love. That is the kind of church we want to be!
GOD’S CHURCH IS CATHOLIC.
It might surprise you that I say that. The word is not capitalized; it does not stand for the Roman Catholic Church. The word “catholic” means “broad, whole, universal.” In other words, I believe in one true church—God’s church.
Ephesians 4:3-6 spells it out in some detail: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
God’s church is broader than individual churches or denominations. ***The story is told about a man who has just died, and is getting a tour of heaven. St. Peter says, “Over there are the Baptists, and by that tree are the charismatics, and by that stained glass window are the Anglicans.” The man asks, “Who are those people clustered in a circle, behind that rock?” Peter says, “Shhh. Those are the Presbyterians [or your group, pastor]. They think they are the only ones here.”**
God’s church includes his people throughout history, in heaven and on earth. It even includes Old Testament saints, like Abraham, Moses, and Elijah.
God’s church includes his people from many cultures, races, and continents. (Some estimates say there are 600 million Christians in Africa!) Revelation 5:9 describes the saints in heaven: “They sang a new song [to the Lamb, Jesus], saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” I wonder what kind of songs we will learn in heaven, from people of other cultures.
It is human nature to separate people, according to wealth, appearance, education, politics, or whether they look and act like us. Yet we are all joined in God’s church, God’s catholic church.
If we believe the church is catholic, we will not compete with other churches that belong to Christ. ***We visited my wife’s parents, in a retirement community in Florida. The community had its own church, and we sat at table for worship, with a stylish black lady, a friend of my in-laws. As we talked about different styles of worship, she said, “God gave us different kinds of churches, because we are all different.”**
If we believe the church is catholic, we will engage with the global mission of the church. People like to be hands-on with mission, so they might prefer local missions, or they go on mission trips, which help them connect. In our missional efforts, we should find ways to cooperate with the global church, not as people with all the answers, but as partners.
If we believe the church is catholic, we should try to bridge cultural barriers in our own church and community. I once served a church with very affluent members, in a less affluent community. As the church became more diverse, we became sensitive to the affordability of some church activities. It was also a church with some members who were not Americans, and we became sensitive to patriotic expressions in worship. God’s church is catholic. It includes people who are deaf, physically or mentally challenged, or simply not “like us.”
“I believe in the holy catholic church.” And then we way, “the communion of saints.” Communion is related to community.
GOD’S CHURCH IS A COMMUNITY OR FELLOWSHIP.
The church is built around PURPOSEFUL RELATIONSHIPS.
Millions of Americans “go to church” without really connecting. It happens in very large churches, and it happens in small church churches as well.
Some relationships in churches are pretty superficial. There may be a smiling greeter at the door, and maybe a handshake or two. There might be coffee, and some enjoy conversation with friends. Is that “the communion of saints”?
Even when Christians sit down together at a potluck, or hang out together, is that the fellowship God intends for the church. God’s vision for his people is relationships with a purpose. Paul says in Ephesians 4:15-16, “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, GROWS AND BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE, as each part does its work.”
Paul speaks of truth—the kind of truth that comes from someone who cares enough to risk a friendship. Paul envisions a body, where people support each other, using their gifts and resources. The body is held together by deep love, not just for friends, but for those Paul describes, in 1 Corinthians 12, as “unimportant” and “less presentable.”
When relationships are personal, going to church takes on greater importance. Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Our fellowship with other Christians is purposeful.
How can we have those kinds of relationships in church? When we sit at a table having coffee, we can go deeper than how the Huskers are doing. If we go to a Sunday School class, we can share what is going in our lives, listen to what others are dealing with, and ask the questions that apply the Bible to real life. We can build deeper relationship with a few people, in a small group, or as a mentor to a younger person, or with a newcomer who needs a friend to care. Purposeful relationships.
We can have purposeful fellowship as we go into the world together. Christians come together as they work on a mission project, an outreach event, or community service. A shared sense of purpose unites people, and the support they give each other helps them experience the power of God in their lives.
I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints.
I believe God’s church is HOLY, because it consists of people chosen by God, sanctified by Christ’s blood and filled with the Holy Spirit.
I believe God’s church is CATHOLIC, united by Christ in spite of the things that separate us
I believe God’s church is, at its core, PURPOSEFUL RELATIONSHIPS.
Do you believe those things? How can we be that kind of church? That’s a great discussion to have, and we won’t have it in this room. Maybe you can discuss it at coffee time, in your Sunday School class, or while the kids are playing. I do believe in God’s church, and I do believe that God brings us together for a purpose—his purpose.
