Thyatira - The Danger of Tolerance | A Sermon on Revelation 3:18-29

Introduction
Have you ever been part of something that started out so well—full of love, faith, and good intentions—but over time started drifting in the wrong direction? That’s the story of the church in Thyatira. They were growing, serving, and enduring—but they were also tolerating serious compromise.

Today, we’re going to look at what Jesus says to this church, how He calls them back to truth, and the incredible promise He gives to those who remain faithful—even in the dark.

Let’s listen closely to Jesus, whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

Revelation 2:18-29
¹⁸ “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:

¹⁹ “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.

²⁰ “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.

²² “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering,^[c] and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.

²⁴ “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you ²⁵ except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. ²⁶ To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,

To them I will give authority over all the nations.
²⁷ They will rule the nations with an iron rod
    and smash them like clay pots.^[d]

²⁸ They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!

²⁹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Jesus Sees Who We Really Are

Here we have Jesus, the son of God, the one who has flaming eyes, which means that he can see into our very soul down into the depths beyond the persona that we put on and the masks that we wear. He sees down into our hearts who we really are and why we do what we do. And it says that he has feet of bronze, meaning that he stands firm on eternal

truth that does not change with the whims of society around us that says one thing is fine is is abhorrent, you know, in one decade and then in  another decade they say that it's fine. It's okay. But Jesus' teachings and his character and his  expectations do not change. They do not change with the whims of society, but they are eternal.

Jesus Commends Thyatira

Jesus commends the people of Thyatira. He commends them for their love and their faith and their service and their patient endurance. Despite the troubles that they face and the persecution and the darkness that is around them, they continue to be loving, faithful people who serve. And that's a

wonderful thing to commend them for. And not only are they doing those things, but he also commends them for their constant improvement in these things. So, they don't settle for just doing them.  They are getting better and better and better at them. And I like that because I'm a Methodist and Methodist, we want to uh emphasize this is I think the gift that Methodism brings to the Christian world. We emphasize sanctification, growing in perfection and holiness or as some people would put it becoming more and more like Christ. And the people of Thyatira were doing that. They were growing in sanctification, becoming holier and holier, more and more like Christ, which we should always seek to do. Not just settling for salvation.  "I have received Christ and I know I'm going to heaven."  Well, that's wonderful. But we should also become more and more like Christ and grow in holiness.

Tolerating Sin in the Church
Jesus commends them. But He also corrects them. He tells them you are tolerating sin in your church and that is not a good thing. He's not happy about that. Now we talk a lot about tolerance. Tolerance can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. Tolerance is a buzzword that we hear a lot in our world today. And it's important because we live in America which is a melting pot of all kinds of different people. And when different people all live together, we have to learn tolerance so that we can tolerate different ways of thinking and speaking.  And we have to do that. And it's a good thing when we're thinking about it in those terms. But when it comes to being a church, we have to hold to the firm teachings of Jesus Christ.  In the world around us, we can't expect everyone to believe and act the way we do as Christians. I mean, recognize that according to surveys that only about 62% of Americans claim to be Christians. And that's not asking them like, "Do they believe a certain set of beliefs?"  That's just them saying of themselves, "Yes, I'm a Christian." Only 62%. That means around 40% don't claim to follow Christ, don't go to church, don't claim to believe the way we do. We can't expect them to  follow Christian rules if they don't even identify themselves as Christian. We have to learn to tolerate and let you know people live the way they're going to live. But if someone says that they're a Christian, then we have to hold them to a higher standard. We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. And what is the standard according to our faith?  Everything that we believe and how we act is based on  God's holy word in the Scripture. And so we have to study this. We have to know it and we have to hold firm to it. We cannot tolerate beliefs that are contrary to Scripture. Now, there might be different ways of interpreting it. Our Baptist friends across the street may look at baptism differently than we do as Methodists. That's okay. We can allow for that different interpretations based on the same scripture. But as Christians altogether, there must be some things that we cannot compromise.  And the church in  Thyatira, Jesus says, was tolerating false teaching in their midst and false teachers.  It almost reminds me of some of the things that we hear in our world today. These false teachers in Thyatira would say they were teaching "deeper truths". They were looking at those who were holding to the the biblical way of thinking and Jesus' teaching. And the false teachers said, "Well, we have a 'deeper truth'. Those views in the Scripture, they're kind of old and outdated. We've discovered a higher path, a deeper truth." 

Jesus says their deeper truth is actually depths of Satan. Depths of Satan! He says it because it's not truth.  It it's trying to rewrite what God has said and twist it and say that any of the ones who were holding firm to the Scripture is just old and outdated and obsolete.  

We have already talked about sexual immorality. Other churches that Jesus wrote letters to were struggling with sexual immorality. And this was common because the pagans around them practiced all kinds of different sexual immorality. And so the Christians within the church were constantly being tempted to do what everyone else was doing. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? In the world we live in, I don't have to tell you the ideas of our society about human sexuality have changed a lot through the decades and Pleasant Grove Methodist has already made our decision as a church to stand firm on traditional, biblical orthodox Christina teaching.  And so what we know believe and where we are going and I don't  want to a horse that's already dead.

But those in Thyatira were also struggling with teachers who were telling them to compromise about idol worship. And that's what I want to focus a little bit more on today. What is idol worship?

Modern Idol Worship
The common way that we look idolatry is someone bowing down to worship an idol or a statue or a false god. And that was certainly the case sometimes in the ancient world.  But the problem for Christians in the first century was sometimes more nuanced.  

The majority of people that lived in Thyatira were not Christians. They were pagans. And they worshiped gods and had religious festivals. And they sacrificed animals to their pagan idols. And then they would have a festival and eat the meat of the sacrificed animals. And who doesn't love a good steak or a good hamburger?  And so these Christians were smelling this wonderful meat roasting. And maybe their pagan neighbor was bringing home some leftovers from the feast and offering it to their Christian neighbors. And the Christians were faced with a dilemma. Should I eat this meat that has been sacrificed to a false god, to an idol? And what does that say if I do?  By partaking of that food, they were not only eating food that had been sacrificed to an idol, but it was sort of making a statement to their neighbor who was a pagan that they also were participating in this religious ritual of eating meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. 

And Christians around the ancient world had already had a big council in Jerusalem decades before and discussed this and agreed Christians should not eat meat sacrificed to idols, consume blood, or participate in sexual immorality.  

But there were some in the church of Thyatira that were saying "No, it's okay to do it."
Jesus was not okay with their false teaching.

Well, that was what they struggled with in the first century. We don't really have that problem today.  I don't know of anybody who is sacrificing meat to idols. Is that something that you deal with on a regular basis? I don't think so.

So, does that mean we don't struggle with idolatry today?  Absolutely not.  We we struggle with idolatry even more in other ways.

We studied a great book called, Counterfeit Gods on a Wednesday night here at the church about 10 years ago. It's by the late, great Timothy Keller--a wonderful preacher, teacher, Presbyterian

actually. He had some a really good points about idolatry and what that means in the modern context.  Timothy Keller defines idolatry as anything that is more important to you than God,
anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God,
or anything you seek to give you what only God can give.

And I think this is something people today right here in Dalton, Georgia, struggle with a lot all the time.  We are constantly being tempted to put something else before God or to expect other things besides God to fulfill us in ways that only God can. And so the questions I would put before you three question today as you consider whether or not you personally are struggling with idolatry.

First, what if anything is more important to you than God?  And that could be anything.
Second, what if anything absorbs your heart and imagination more than God?
Third, who or what, if anything, are you seeking to give you what only God can give?

And when we're thinking of idols and idolatry, it's not necessarily a bad thing that becomes an idol in our lives.  A lot of times it is a very good thing, but it becomes bad for us because we treat it as the ultimate thing.

So I'll just give you one example.  Our children.
We love our children and we're supposed to love our children. For many of us, they're the most  important thing in our life. But listen to what I just said. Are your children or your grandchildren the most important thing in your life?  

That sounds good. And the world would say they should be the most important thing in your life.  But they cannot be more important than God because your children cannot fulfill you in ways that only God can. 

And as a matter of fact, if you try to use your children to fulfill you as if they were God, that's not fair to them. That's putting a burden on them that they cannot fulfill. 

How awful if you're doing that to your spouse or your job or your church or your pastor or your friend or anything.  They cannot be God for you.  It's not fair to expect created things to be God for you. That is idolatry and it is a sin. And sin not only hurts you, but it hurts the one whom you are treating as an idol.

Now, most of us would not say or think consciously, "I put this thing above God."
We don't think about things that way.  But you have to ask yourself the honest question, Where are you really keeping your treasure?"  

You know what Jesus said? When He was teaching about money, which is a common idol for people, He said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

You can look at your bank account. What do you spend most of your money on?  That's an indication of what you highly value. What do you spend most of your time on? That is an indication of what you highly value. What do you spend most of your energy on? That is a top priority in your life.

And of course we know intellectually, logically, that God is supposed to be the most important thing for us or else we have broken one of the first commandments:  "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

So we have to ask ourselves and we have to think honestly as we evaluate our life and our spirit.  Is God really first or are we guilty like the people of Thyatira of worshiping an idol?

Now sometimes we can't answer those questions for ourselves. We have a way of rationalizing things in our own mind and that's why it is important that we are part of a Christian community with other people who we give permission to hold us accountable. Do you have a friend, a partner in Christ in whom you can confide and whom you can trust with the wisdom and the permission to share with you how you're struggling?

You know, I was thinking about it.  It's kind of tricky, isn't it? I mean, if somebody comes to you, even if it's somebody in the church you like, and they come to you and they say, "Amy, you know, I just want to tell you I love you and I see you struggling this, this, and this."

If someone says that, immediately we're like, "Well, who asked you!  Mind your own business!"
Well, I thought about that and I said, "You know, perhaps we should give someone permission to say those things by asking them."

Perhaps this week you should go to someone that you truly trust and and look up to as a Christian with wisdom and ask them ask them, "Hey, I want to grow in holiness. I want to become more like Christ, but I can't always see my own faults. So, I'm asking you, what do you see in me? What's one thing that you see in me that I need to work on?"

Boy, that's getting real, isn't it?  See, this holiness thing, this growing and becoming more like Christ,  it's serious.  The Christian life. It's not all about just coming to church and hearing an awesome song by the choir and getting goosebumps. That's the fun part.

But the challenging part, the real part, is where we grow.  Jesus commended the people of Thyatira for growing and he challenged them about idolatry.

What would He say to us today?   

Jesus’ Message to the Faithful

Jesus said, "The faithful will rule the nations with the authority of Christ." This is a quote from Psalm 2:9 where it's talking about how David is going to rule as king. But he's also mysteriously talking about the Messiah who will rule for all time. And it's also talking about the kingdom of Israel and the people of Christ, us, the faithful, who will rule the nations with all authority.

This is God's ultimate vision for His people, that we would rule over the nations.  What is it that God told Adam and Eve? He said, "You will rule over the birds of the air and the fish of the sea and the animals of the land." It's the wonderful privilege God invited humanity into.  He invites us, even though we were made from the dirt, to be co-rulers with Him over all creation.  

Ultimately, this is God's plan for us to return to this. We're not just going to be in heaven playing harps. We're going to rule over the all creation with God.  We will have the same authority as Christ. 

And Jesus also says, "I will also give those who remain faithful a morning star." And I love that. Always wondered it meant. So I looked into it and it makes a lot of sense. 

The first star you see in the morning after it's been dark all night is the morning star.  What a beautiful image for these people of Thyatira struggling by being a tiny minority of faithful godly people in a pagan society. Darkness is all around.  Persecution  is heavy. People being arrested, tortured, and murdered because they believe in Jesus Christ. It was very, very dark. And Jesus says, "Just hang on. If you'll just hang on through the darkness, I will give you the morning star." 

It's kind of like that saying "The light at the end of the tunnel." The morning star is that first star that you see right before the darkness is over. Right before the darkness fades away, I will give you that morning star. 

But it goes even deeper than that. Jesus actually said in Revelation 22:16, "I am the bright morning star." So he's saying, "If you'll just hang on, then you will have me." When you cling to Christ in the darkness, He will be there when the darkness ends.  And He will continue to be your light and your hope and your forever king. 

So if you're facing darkness, if you're facing some kind of suffering, hang on!  Because guess what? Jesus has already won the victory and you will win the victory, too. 

Now, some people say, "Well, I'm sick. What if I die? Does that mean that I didn't win the victory?"

And that's the beautiful thing of our Christian faith. Even if you die, you still have the victory because it's not over.  This life will come and go for all of us. Even if you never struggle with cancer or kidney disease or lymphoma or anything, everyone faces death.

But the Morning Star, comes when the darkness is over and the darkness will end.
The darkness of this world will end. And then there will be the Morning Star and light eternal as we walk with Christ and rule with Christ over all creation for all eternity. 

Conclusion & Closing Challenge
We live in a world not so different from Thyatira’s. There is pressure to compromise—on truth, on holiness, on what it means to be faithful to Jesus. Sometimes it doesn’t come with loud rebellion but with a quiet tolerance of sin, false teaching, or the idea that deeper spiritual “truths” can somehow bend God’s Word.

 But Jesus sees. His eyes are like flames of fire, burning through every appearance and straight to the heart. He sees your love, your service, your faith, your perseverance—and He also calls you to holiness. 

So I ask you today:

• Is there anything you've begun to tolerate that Jesus would call you to turn away from?
• Are you holding fast to Christ in both your heart and your actions?
• Are you walking in the light, even when the world feels dark?

Because here’s the promise: if you stay faithful—even when it’s hard, even when others fall away—you will reign with Christ. You’ll share in His authority. And best of all, you’ll receive the Morning Star. You’ll receive Jesus Himself.

So hold on. The night is almost over. The Morning Star is rising. Stay faithful—and you will shine with Him.

Ephesus - Remember Your First Love | A Sermon on Revelation 2:1-7

Introduction
Well, it's good to be back with you, but I want to especially thank Sherry Dixon for speaking last Sunday. I got to listen to the message online, and it was a wonderful message—really good information—and she spoke with such clarity. I hope that it was helpful to you.

Thank you, Sherry, for taking the time to prepare and present that. If you missed her message, you should really go and check it out. She talks about the different kinds of judgment found in Scripture. Even people who have been studying the Bible for a long time don't always have clarity about what the Bible means when it talks about judgment.

There are different kinds of judgment, and they affect us in different ways depending on the context and our relationship with Christ. We need to know that. I encourage you to go on Facebook and find the message—it’s on the church page. You can read it, listen to it, or watch the video.

It goes along well with the series we started a couple of weeks ago on the Seven Churches of Revelation. (Remember, “Revelation” has no “s” at the end—it’s one Revelation.)

The book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John—the beloved apostle—while he was in exile on the island of Patmos. The Lord gave him a vision and told him to write it down and share it. Part of what he shared were seven letters to seven churches—churches full of persecuted Christians living in the first century. These were words meant to encourage them and to correct them when they were going astray.

Today we’ll read the first letter, written to the church in Ephesus. But before we read it, let’s review a few important symbols from Revelation so we understand what we’re reading.

Review Symbolism
First: The Seven Lampstands. In the vision, Jesus showed John seven golden lampstands. These represent the seven churches He was addressing—churches meant to shine God’s light in a dark world. Despite the persecution and evil happening all around them, they were called to burn brightly for Christ.

Second: The Son of Man walking among the lampstands. This figure represents Jesus Himself. He is not far off—He is walking among His people, among His churches.

And remember, “church” here doesn’t mean a building. These first-century churches often didn’t even have a building. The church is the people—the body of believers. If something happened and this building we’re in were washed away, God forbid, we would still be the church.

Third: The Seven Stars. These are held in Jesus' right hand and represent the “angels” of the churches—likely meaning the pastors or spiritual leaders. Jesus holds these leaders in His hand, meaning He protects, shelters, and guides them.

Revelation 2:1-7
¹ “To the angel^[a] of the church in Ephesus write:  [I think the angel in this case, is the leader(s)]

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The City of Ephesus
Ephesus was a major port city in what is today modern-day Turkey—one of the largest and most influential cities in the Roman Empire. It was a commercial hub, wealthy, and bustling with trade. It was also home to the Temple of Artemis, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

But Ephesus was also a city full of idol worship, immorality, and spiritual darkness. Yet in that same city, there was a strong Christian presence.

Paul the Apostle planted the church in Ephesus and stayed there for two years, shepherding and teaching the new believers. Later, Timothy—Paul’s young protégé—served as pastor of that church. Paul wrote two New Testament letters to Timothy while he was there.

According to tradition, the Apostle John—the same John who received and recorded the Revelation—also lived in Ephesus. Remember, John was the disciple to whom Jesus entrusted the care of His mother, Mary. Many believe John cared for Mary in Ephesus until he was exiled to Patmos. Some traditions even say Mary died there.

So this letter is written to a spiritually rich and well-established church, but also a church surrounded by intense pressure and cultural compromise.

Jesus Commends Ephesus
Jesus praises the believers in Ephesus for several things:

1. Hard work and perseverance – They stayed faithful even under persecution.

2. Rejecting wickedness and false teachers – They held tightly to truth and doctrine.

3. Enduring hardship for Christ – They didn’t give up when things got difficult.

4. Hating the practices of the Nicolaitans – A group who claimed to be Christian but lived immorally.

The Nicolaitans were known for:

• Sexual immorality

• Eating food sacrificed to idols

• Blending Christianity with the surrounding pagan culture

• Using God’s grace as an excuse to sin

They wanted to enjoy the prosperity of the city while still calling themselves followers of Christ. Jesus says, “You hate their practices—which I also hate.”

And let’s be clear: Jesus doesn’t say He hates the people. He hates their practices. There’s a big difference. As followers of Christ, we don’t hate people. We may hate sin, but we love the sinner—because that’s how Jesus treated us.

Jesus Corrects Ephesus
Jesus then offers a strong correction:  “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

What was that first love?

• Joyful, wholehearted devotion to Christ

• A personal relationship—not just head knowledge or doctrine

• Love that overflowed in worship, witness, and daily life

Jesus is saying, “You’re doing all the right things, but your heart’s not in it anymore.”

And that happens sometimes, doesn’t it?

Maybe you remember a time in your walk with Christ when your heart burned for Him—when worship was your favorite part of the week. When prayer felt natural, like talking to your best friend. When telling others about Jesus wasn’t a duty—it just came out of your life because He was changing you.

But now… maybe it’s different. Maybe it’s become routine. Maybe your faith has gotten cold. Maybe your love for Jesus has faded.

If that’s you, Jesus says: “Remember. Repent. Return.”

The Seriousness of Their Sin
Jesus says in verse 5:

“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

What does it mean to “remove your lampstand”?

It doesn’t mean they would lose their salvation. It means their church would lose its place as a light-bearing witness for Christ. It would:

• Cease to exist in its God-given role

• Lose its influence and spiritual power

• Continue in form, but without the presence and blessing of Christ

This still happens today. Some churches keep going long after the Holy Spirit has left the building. They may hold services, sing songs, and do ministry—but there’s no fire, no light, no love. They’re still a church in name, but not in Spirit.

Jesus is saying, “If you don’t return to love, I will no longer recognize you as My church.”

Our American Context
As we celebrate freedom this Fourth of July weekend, we’re reminded of how richly blessed we are to live in a prosperous and free nation. But prosperity comes with its own challenges.

The Ephesian Christians faced hostility and persecution. We, in America, face the temptation of comfort and compromise. Just like the Nicolaitans, there’s a danger that we’ll try to blend in—watering down our convictions for the sake of being accepted or enjoying worldly benefits.

But Jesus calls us to something higher.

The Takeaway
Jesus won’t let a church shine for Him if it doesn’t love like Him.

It’s not enough to be doctrinally right, or to have a full calendar of ministry activities. Jesus wants your heart. He wants you to love Him like you did at first—or even more.

If your faith has grown cold…

If you’ve gotten too good at guarding the gates and forgotten how to open your heart…

If you’re just going through the motions…

Then hear His voice today:

“Remember the love you had at first.
Repent, and return.”

Invitation to Communion
As we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember the greatest act of love the world has ever known:

Jesus giving Himself for us.

And maybe—just maybe—this table is your invitation to come back to your first love.

Come not out of routine, but out of repentance.
Come not because you’ve got it all figured out, but because you are deeply loved.
Come because the One who walks among the lampstands is here now—walking among us.

As you kneel at this altar, it may be that the risen Christ is kneeling beside you, placing His hand on your shoulder, and whispering,

“Welcome back. I’ve missed you. Let’s walk together again.”

Jesus' Baptism | A Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17

Introduction
Today, we continue our journey through the beginning parts of the Gospel of Matthew.  Last Sunday, we were introduced to John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin.  He was called the Baptist because he preached repentance and baptized those who repented—turned away from their sin.

John came to prepare the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord and Savior of the world.  Today, Jesus comes to be baptized by John.  Let’s read the story.

Matthew 3:13-17
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,^[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”

Introducing Jesus
This is the first time in Matthew that we meet Jesus as an adult.  The earlier chapters show Jesus as a baby.  But now Jesus comes down from Galilee to be baptized by John and he is probably 30 years old (according to Luke 3:23).

John preached about repentance—that everyone needed to turn away from their sins and turn to God because the God’s Kingdom was at hand. When they repented, John baptized them as a sign.  But Jesus doesn’t need to repent.  1 Peter 2:22 tells us Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”  Jesus did not need to repent.  And so, John is taken aback.  He says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

John recognized Jesus was special.  Of all the people who ever lived, Jesus is the only one who never sinned.  Think about that.  Everyone you have ever known has sinned.  And you know yourself; and you know you have sinned.  Even if it was only a small sin, you sinned.  You have been angry at someone in your heart. Or you have lusted in your heart.  Or you have been jealous or coveted what you neighbor had.  Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glorious standard of God.”  Everyone has sinned in one way or another.  But not Jesus.  Jesus was absolutely perfect and Holy, just as God is perfect and holy.  Yet Jesus was baptized for other reasons.

Jesus was Baptized “…to fulfill all righteousness.”
In Matthew 3:15, Jesus says He is to be baptized “…to fulfill all righteousness.”  What does that mean?  Jesus’ baptism was part of God’s plan and symbolized His obedience to God and His identification with humanity.  Though Jesus was sinless, He was baptized to fully identify with us—the people He came to save. His baptism symbolized taking our sin and dying in our place.

Jesus was Baptized To Mark the Beginning of His Ministry
Baptism is a sacred ceremony that marks the beginning of a spiritual journey.  For Jesus, baptism served as the launching point for His public ministry.  Immediately after His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and the Father declared from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17). This was a clear affirmation of Jesus’ divine identity and mission.  And it was the starting point for His ministry.

Jesus was Baptized To Set an Example for Us
Jesus’ baptism was an example for us to follow. We are baptized when we start following Jesus.  At the end of His ministry, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize others (Mt. 28:19-20), signifying a commitment to God and new life in Jesus and their beginning of a new life.

Lessons for Us Today
Jesus' baptism matters to us today because it shows His humility and His willingness to identify with sinners, even though He was sinless. We often struggle with pride.

We don’t want people looking down on us or to feel like people are judging us.  We may even avoid coming to the altar to pray in church just because we wonder, “What will people think?”  Jesus’ humility to be baptized right alongside all the other sinners of His day—even though Jesus was innocent without any sin in his life—should be an example to us.  Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.  Just be obedient to God.  Listen to His voice and obey.

Jesus’ baptism also marks the beginning of His public ministry and sets an example for us.  How do you officially mark the beginning of your faith journey?  It is through baptism.

Some are baptized as infants, a sign that they are part of God’s family from the very beginning.  What a beautiful and sacred thing to seek God’s grace to raise our children in the Christian faith.  But even children who are born into a Christian family that promises to raise them in the faith must confirm their faith for themselves when they are old enough to make their own decisions.  In the Christian church, we call this ceremony “confirmation”, because the person who was baptized as an infant “confirms” they have decided for themselves to follow Jesus as Lord.  And those who were not baptized as infants and decide to follow Jesus as adults, begin their discipleship with the sacrament of baptism.  Baptism is the beginning for us, just as it was for Jesus. 

For us, baptism is a symbol of repentance, cleansing, and a new life in Christ.  It is an outward sign of something real God does inside us.  Jesus didn’t need to repent, but He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15), showing us the importance of obedience to God. His baptism also foreshadows His death and resurrection, reminding us that through Him, we too can be made new.  Ultimately, Jesus' baptism points us to our own need for salvation and a relationship with God. It’s a call to follow Him, turn from sin, and live as citizens of His Kingdom. 

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and God the Father affirmed Him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).  This moment reveals the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all present together.  But it can reveal something else too.  It reveals how God see us when we walk with Christ. 

There are several Scriptures that teach when we are in Christ, God sees Jesus in us. For example:
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The mystery of the Christian faith is that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ.  When God looks at us, He doesn’t see the dark and shameful deeds of our past.  Instead, He sees Christ in us.  And the affirmation the Father spoke of Jesus, He speaks over us:  “This is my beloved Son [or daughter], with whom I am well pleased.” 

Now, if you’ve ever had your earthly father or mother affirm their love and admiration for you, it is a tremendous blessing.  But now imagine the Father of the whole universe affirming His love for you.  Wow!  What a blessing!

If you are a Christian—meaning, you have repented of your sin and decided to follow Jesus—God looks at you and affirms you just as He affirmed Jesus:  “This is my beloved Son (or daughter), with whom I am well pleased.”  Take a moment to imagine God the Father saying these words to you right now…  If you follow Jesus, this is how God sees you.

There may be some reading this message who have not yet decided to follow Jesus.  Maybe you don’t believe because something about the story is really hard to believe: that God could overlook your sins, or that God would become a man and die for us, or that Jesus could rise from the dead.  I understand that it is remarkable and hard to believe.  I can't prove the Good News about Jesus to you the way a scientist can prove gravity, but I'm not asking you to believe blindly.  There is plenty of evidence for a Divine Creator God and for the Love of God reaching out to us.  And there is plenty of evidence for the real difference faith in Jesus makes in a person's life and the hope.  Being a Christian requires a leap of faith.  It's not blind faith, because we have evidence that we can trust God, but we need faith to leap across what we can see and know to full trust in God.  But it is so worth it.  I encourage you to take that leap.

Maybe you are afraid, but I pray you will be bold and courageous.  Maybe you are too proud and don't want to admit your mistakes.  But don't let pride deter you from something so important.  Turn to Jesus today and be saved.

The saddest and most dangerous reason some people don't follow Jesus is because they don't care.  They are just fine with living their life however they want.  They don't care about God or even if there is a God.  They don't care about what will happen once they die.  They just want to live their life however they please and don't care what God or anyone else thinks.  I pray that God's message through Jesus and John the Baptist will shake those who don't care to the core.  I pray that God will send whatever trials or tribulations necessary to wake people up so they do care. 

John and Jesus preached the same message. They said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  God has extended an offer of grace and mercy.  He will forgive your sin.  He will give you a new and perfect heart—one that is full of love for God and your fellow man.  And He will welcome you into His Kingdom if you will accept Jesus as Lord.  And He will look at you too and say with genuine love:  “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”

But if the Kingdom comes before you repent and you are found still to be in rebellion, then there will weeping and gnashing of teeth and eternal punishment.  Jesus and John both said there would be hell to pay for anyone who doesn't repent of their sins and enter into the Kingdom of God.  For only those who accept Christ as Lord can dwell in the eternal Kingdom of God where there is eternal love, and joy, and peace, and life.  For all others, their will be eternal punishment. 

The choice is yours.

The Apostle's Creed - Articles 4, 7, 9, and 11

Introduction
This past Sunday, my church held a unique service different from our typical Sunday service.  This service was based on the 12 articles of the Apostles' Creed.  The Apostles' Creed is a short statement of core Christian beliefs that has been used by the Church since ancient times. It summarizes foundational doctrines about God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life. The Creed is called the Apostles' Creed because it is traditionally believed to reflect the teachings of the apostles, though it was not directly written by them. It serves as a unifying confession of faith for Christians across denominations, guiding worship and teaching while connecting believers to the historic Church.

The service included scripture and 12 hymns associated with each article of the creed.  You can watch the full service here.  In this blog, I want to share the short sermonettes I gave for articles, 4, 7, 9, and 11.  

Article Four – “…He descended to the dead.”
I think most people in our congregation are familiar with the statements from the Apostles’ Creed that say: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.”  But the last statement may be unfamiliar.  “He descended to the dead.”

The confusion stems from the fact this statement about Christ “descending to the dead” or “descending to hell” is included in the traditional forms of the Apostles’ Creed but not the ecumenical form many congregations have used.  The ecumenical version was used in many congregations (like ours) for the last century, but the traditional Apostles’ Creed has been used for most of the Christian Church’s history for 2000 years.  Some creeds, including the oldest creeds that were used in the 2^nd and 3^rd century, did not include the phrase “He descended to the dead.”  But the overwhelming majority of Christians through the centuries included the phrase “He descended to the dead (or hell)” as they recited the Apostles’ Creed.   Well?  Did Christ descend to the dead or not?

1 Peter 3:18-20 in the Bible says of Jesus: "He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built."  The “imprisoned spirits” were people who died before the time of Christ.

Ephesians 4:9 says, "What does 'He ascended' mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions?"  Where else could Jesus have descended but hell (or the place of the dead)?

There is an understanding in Scripture (and among early Christians) that Jesus descended to the place of the dead (Hell or Sheol) and shared the Gospel with those who died before He came so they too would have an opportunity to repent and believe and be saved.  Think of all the heroes of the Old Testament era like Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David.  These people never had a chance to hear Jesus’ message of salvation.  They died before He came.  But God, in His infinite mercy and ultimate justice, would not leave anyone out of His plan to save the world—even if they lived and died before Jesus’ time on earth.  So, Jesus descended to the place of the dead (AKA Sheol or Hades or Hell) and preached the Good News.  And anyone who believed and accepted God’s grace was saved.

The points we can take away are these:  First, God is just – God would never condemn someone without them having a fair chance to be saved. Second, though Christ was God, He was also human and really did experience everything it means to be a human—including death and the reality of what can happen to sinners who face judgment in hell.

Article Seven – “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (see Acts 1:9-11)
This really is an important statement to affirm.  Christ was clear.  He said He would come again.  The angels were clear.  Christ will come again.  The Bible is clear.  Christ will come again.  It has been nearly 2,000 years since Christ ascended into Heaven.  After so long, some might think Christ will not return as promised.  But we affirm He will.

And Jesus said no one knows when the second coming will happen, but that He will return “like a thief in the night” and catch many by surprise.  So, we should always be ready and live as if His return is imminent. 

You will see Jesus face-to-face in your lifetime.  Either He will return for the whole world al at once in the second coming or He will return for you individually when you die.  And when He comes, what will He find when He evaluates your life?  Will He say of you, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”  Or will He say, “Away from me, you have lived a wicked life and never repented and turned to me as Lord.”

Remember, none of us knows how long we have—whether it is years or days, or moments.  Therefore, repent and turn to the Lord now for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Article Nine – “I believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints.” (see Colosians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, & Hebrews 12:1)

I get more questions about this one statement in the Apostles Creed than any other.  I get it. 
It was the same question I raised when I first attended a Methodist Church as a boy and recited The Apostles Creed.
I thought we were Methodist.  Why do we say we believe in the “catholic Church”?

The word catholic means universal. We do not profess to believe in the “Roman Catholic Church” (which is only one denomination of the WHOLE Christian Church). No, we believe in a universal Church that transcends denominational lines and includes every person around the world who follows Jesus Christ as Lord. This universal (or Catholic) church includes Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, people who attend non-denominational churches, and people from every other Christian denomination.  It even includes Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians if they truly follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.  This is the universal (or catholic) Church.  And I believe in the holy, catholic church.

The second part of article nine is important too and related: “I believe in… the communion of saints.”  The communion of saints is the community of all believers—both living and dead—who follow Christ.  The communion of saints includes you and me (if we are truly Christian) as well as all the Christians who lived over the last 2000 years and are now living with Jesus in heaven.  Even though we cannot see those saints in Heaven, we join with them in praising God every time we worship.  They care about us and cheer us on as we seek to live for God in this life (Hebrews 12:1).

Article Eleven – “I Believe In The Resurrection of the body."  (See Job 19:25-27 & Romans 8:11)
That seems straightforward enough, but I think we don’t fully consider what it means.  The idea of Heaven is common in popular religion in America.  Even those who do not attend church may believe the idea that when a person dies, their spirit will go up to heaven.  But Christians boldly proclaim, “I believe in the ressurection of the body.”  Of the body…  The teaching of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and therefore the belief of the Christian Church, is that our physical bodies will be resurrected.  We will not be disembodied spirits floating around in heaven.  No.  We will live forever with Jesus with a perfected, healed, physical body.  God created Adam and Eve as physical creatures with perfect bodies and we will ultimately have our broken, sinful bodies healed and restored to perfection. 

Jesus is our example.  He was born as a baby and lived on earth in a physical body.  He died after His physical body was crucified on a cross.  And then He rose from the grave on the third day.  He was not a spirit or a ghost.  He ate breakfast with His disciples.  He told Thomas to touch His physical hands and feel the actual nail scars.  If Christ rose to eternal life in a physical body, so too will we.  So, we believe in the ressurection of the body.”

The Full Apostles’ Creed
Now that we have examine the meaning of these articles of the traditional Apostles’ Creed, read the whole creed as one and contemplate the meaning in these historic words. What new insight do you find in them?

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried. 

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father,

He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Closing
Today, we have examined 4 articles of the Apostles' Creed, affirming the foundational truths of the Christian faith. We have declared our belief in God the Father, the Creator of all; in Jesus Christ, the Savior who conquered sin and death; in the Holy Spirit, who empowers and guides us; and in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the ressurection of the body, and life everlasting.

As we leave, let us carry these truths in our hearts and live them out in our lives. May the faith we have affirmed today shape our actions, inspire our worship, and deepen our love for God and one another.

Remember, this Creed is not just words we recite—it is the foundation upon which we build our whole life.  It guides us to live boldly for Christ, trusting in His promises and sharing His love with a world in need.

Now, as you go, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever.  Amen.