Resources on The Apostles' Creed

We started a sermon series on The Apostles’ Creed a few weeks ago (I’ve written a little about it) and I have been frequently asked about the resources I use for sermon prep or further reading. I thought I’d lay out the short list of books I have read or am using; hope you enjoy.

RESOURCES

1. The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits by Dr. Al Mohler

2. Affirming the Apostles’ Creed by J.I. Packer (great for devotion)

3. “I Believe”: Exploring The Apostles’ Creed by Alister McGrath

4. The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers

5. The Heidelberg Catechism (helpful resource)

That’s everything that I’m currently using. If you find something out there that you’re using and it’s shown itself to be really beneficial, hit me up.

Confessions and Creeds

Two weeks ago, we started a new sermon series at Storehouse McAllen on the Apostles’ Creed and while it has been a fruitful study and I briefly walked through the importance of historical creeds and confessions of the Christian faith, I still feel the need to elaborate a little more in a few key areas. The Apostles’ Creed certainly raises the questions of why do creeds matter? isn’t the Bible enough?

And yes, the Bible is certainly more than enough as it is the inerrant Word of God that revives the soul (Psalm 19:7). Creeds, however, present us with a number of opportunities for clarity and worship. Here are a couple of reasons why I believe creeds and confessions are critical to the life of a church:

1. Creeds Point To Scripture
Creeds serve as summaries of the Christian faith. The Apostles’ Creed not only summarizes the Holy Trinity and their distinction and roles, but is almost fully dedicated to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Further, each section of the creed forces us to look back to the pages of Scripture.

2. Creeds Help Defend and Define the Truth
As a summary of the Christian faith, creeds and confessions help to defend against false teaching. In our culture today, truth is preached as something that is subjective. But the Bible teaches that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Creeds and confessions help the church stand on the foundation of scripture during such times of subjectivity by defining what the truth is through proclamation. And while the church in the United States may not be in decline, the gospel is certainly in danger. Creeds help to defend and define the truth of the gospel objectively.

3. Creeds Unite the Church
Creeds and confessions help to unite all believers because the statements made are foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. Creeds and confessions are very important to Christian community for the sake of unity.

4. The Historical Church
The Apostles’ Creed was recited and affirmed by new converts as they were baptized during the 2nd century; catechisms were developed around creeds and confessions as a result of the teachings of Scripture; martyrs would pray the words of the Apostles’ Creed before being burned at the stake or executed. When the church today says “I Believe” independently, but corporately we are connected to the saints that have gone before us. To them, creeds weren’t just a part of the service, but integral to them personally.

5. Christ Centered
Creeds and confessions are not simply a summary of facts, but the exaltation of a person: Jesus Christ. This last reason collects all of the previous ones because without Jesus, you lose Christianity and that’s one of the things that makes Jesus so wonderful and unique. He is not a ideology. If that were true, then Christianity could and would survive without Him at the center just like any other idealogical system of beliefs. However, because Jesus is not a system, but a person then the church thrives in spite of trials and culture shifting. Creeds and confessions draw a line in the sand by exalting the name of Jesus.

I hope this helps. I would love to have a conversation with you on what your thoughts behind creeds and confessions mean to you. As for me, my family, and Storehouse McAllen, we affirm the teaching of the Apostles’ Creed as it directs us to the person and work of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

The Apostles’ Creed
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 power of 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 again 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.

RECOMMENDED READING
• The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity In An Age of Counterfeits
• Affirming the Apostles’ Creed by J.I. Packer
• I Believe: Exploring the Apostles’ Creed by Alister McGrath

The Confessional Taco Podcast

During the month of June, I made a post and released a few details on the start of a new podcast that I’m doing with my friend Serge called The Confessional Taco. I’m pretty excited about this project for multiple reasons and we are stoked to share this experience with you as we dive into the Christian faith from the depths of Mexican-American culture.

The response has been great so far and we’re hoping to have a lot of fun with our topics and the variety of interviews we’re looking at having. For the months of June and July, we’re fine tuning a lot of the behind the scenes stuff like the website, audio, and listening platforms. But if you’re interested in learning a little more, visit the website for all of the details.

Once you’re on the website, you’ll notice “The Weekly Taco” link at the top of the page and you can listen to our 10 minute trailer as we work through some of the details in conversation concerning The Confessional Taco. Starting in August, we will be releasing new episodes every Tuesday morning.

While we work on all of the BTS material, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Stay posted and we hope that you enjoy!

What's So "Good" About Good Friday?

For many in the Valley, Holy Week is a sacred time and while less than 10% of the population in McAllen are Christians, there is a strong religious observance and “reverence” toward many seasons in the church calendar. And as Good Friday approaches, I thought it would be helpful to walk through the meaning behind it as it is a huge part of history and a cultural value for many Valley Natives.

To clarity, Good Friday is paramount for the Christian because it is the day in which Jesus willingly suffered, was crucified on a wooden cross, and died as the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for sinners (1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21) followed by the Resurrection (Easter) where Christ, after three days and according to the Scriptures, was raised from the dead conquering sin, hell, Satan, and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 55-58)

On Good Friday, Jesus cried in a loud voice, “It is finished!” which marked a turning point in redemptive history. The loud cry of Jesus meant that the work by which we are reconciled to God was not satisfied through His atoning sacrifice.

WHY “GOOD FRIDAY”?

There are many discussions surrounding the origins of the name “Good Friday.” For some, the word “good” is a derivative of the word “God” suggesting that the origin of this day was actually “God’s Friday.” For others, “Good Friday” is a unique contradiction as Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, dies crucified on a cross, but through His death provides redemptive hope (more on this in a minute).

Here are two reasons why Good Friday is so good in spite of the terrible sequence of events that occurred leading to the death of Jesus:

1. Good Friday and The Condition of our Hearts

One of the things that Good Friday should lead us to recognize and understand is that we are a sinful people who are under condemnation. When we read the law of God, we quickly learn how holy He is and how depraved we are. This doesn’t mean that we can never do moral good, but it does mean that apart from Christ, we are enslaved sin. It’s not that we’re simply human and imperfect, but that we are enslaved by nature (Romans 6:16). Good Friday is a reminder lifts our eyes to our need for a savior. The gospel of Jesus is what brings us grace and the relief of salvation.

2. The Joy of The Resurrection

As terrible as the events of this day were—Jesus beaten and whipped, his beard plucked, a crown of thorns placed over his head, deserted by his closest friends, and crucified—we could not receive the hope and joy in the resurrection without it. The significance of the cross isn’t only that Jesus died, but that the wrath of God was poured onto him on our behalf in order for forgiveness and reconciliation to take place.

Paradoxically, the day that is filled with blood shed, grief, sorrow, and what looked like a triumph for evil was actually a day where God’s glorious plan of redemption was accomplished.

Good Friday is where Jesus endured the cross knowing that it would lead to His resurrection and our salvation (Hebrews 12:2). Good Friday marks the day where wrath and mercy met at the cross. And that is why Good Friday is so good.

God At Work In The Ordinary

Later this Spring, we’re starting a new sermon series called Revival: Renewal In The Ordinary. While I’m certainly loving our 1 Peter series, I’m really excited to be studying the many topics that this new series is going to cover. More than anything, I’m looking forward to this series because I believe our church communities are in need of revival.

In my opinion, many churches in the United States have boxed “church” to only on Sunday’s and have further boxed God to an entity who provides creative inspiration through clever uses of social media and attractional preaching where people can get their fix of daily or weekly goodness. I think, in many ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ has become water downed in our churches and assumed in our families and communities.

WHAT IS REVIVAL?

I’m going to define “revival” as a work of God in the people of God through the ordinary means of life. When we look back at church history, particularly during the Great Awakening, revival broke out in church communities all over New England and it wasn’t that pastors and preachers were doing anything spectacular or new, but simply faithfully preaching the word of God and shepherding their congregations.

Through the ordinary means of daily life, God convicted the hearts of His people and they cried out to Him, people came to know Him, and the church thrived.

If you’re like me, when you hear the word “revival,” you may think of large tents that are set up on the fringes of a city where people gathered and preachers created a revival through special events. This is not revival. When men try to manufacture revival through techniques, tactics, and wonder, they are relying on the power of persuasion and manufactured emotion.

In revival, God the Holy Spirit is the primary agent; awakening His people through faith and repentance. In revival, it is the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer that produces renewal, not technique or tactic.

MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM

In their 2005 book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, sociologists Chad Smith and Melinda Denton coin the term “moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD)” to define the spiritual condition of teenagers in America. They argue that our teenagers have actually been listening well and have adopted moralistic values, but with the absence of God. Additionally, this view has bled into other “Christian organizations and institutions” .

In short, the American church has reduced the depth and beauty of the gospel and Sunday’s have become self-therapy.

Here’s a breakdown MTD:

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.

2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.

5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

So, what’s the problem with MTD? If our churches have embraced MTD (even if they don’t call it that), then we will have sacrificed theological conviction for individualism. Revival is necessary because it begins with faith and repentance not moralistic therapy. Revival is a transformational work of God through the Holy Spirit that compels us to make much of the person and work of Jesus so that more can come to know and worship Him.

And rather than the pursuit of moral therapy, the church seeks and pursues holiness that is deeply rooted in what God has done for us and who He says we are.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

When we embrace MTD, we end up redirecting our sin and not repenting of it. And when the cultural value is individualism, we end up counseling our sin and not mortifying it.

Church, we need revival.

RECOMMENDED READING

• Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858 by Ian Murray

• Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: The New American Religion by Albert Mohler Jr.