Sermon Series Wrap-Up: What We Believe



Plenty of people say they are Christians, but you can choose two Christians at random and ask them both what they believe and you probably won’t get the same answer from both. Sometimes the differences may be minor. Other times you may get responses that seem mutually exclusive. It’s strange that something like that could be true given that Christians supposedly all get their beliefs from the same source, the Bible. Pastor Pope addressed the issue and used a series of sermons to explain what we at United should believe.
Pastor Pope started at the beginning with the first being to ever exist, God. Belief in Christianity begins and ends with God. The problem is that our perception of God is not always representative of who and what God actually is. As Pastor Pope pointed out, in some ways we’ve created our own version of God that is not fully based in truth. As always, we must turn to the Bible to get back on track.


First, God is omniscient. What he knows is beyond what we can understand. David makes that point.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. - Psalm 139:1-6
Second, God is omnipresent. Everywhere we can go and anywhere we can conceive of going, God is already there. David illustrates that as well.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. - Psalm 139:7-12
Lastly, God is omnipotent. He can do anything, but not only can he do anything, when we witness what he has done, we cannot help but marvel over his works. The way he has expressed and used his power is wondrous. God is supreme. He is exactly the type of being deserving of our belief and devotion.

We believe God has given us instructions, and those instructions are in the form of the Bible. The Bible is God’s word, meaning that it was directly inspired by Him. 
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible is more than just a collection of words on pages. It is the primary way that God speaks to us. It is powerful and provides the basis for a Christian’s understanding of what God has done, what God wants from us, and what God has planned for us. Part of the reason that disagreement exists between Christians about what we believe is because people claim to interpret various passages differently. That is problematic because the Bible should only be interpreted one way. It is true that the Bible may speak to us all in different ways, but the content of what it says is the same for everyone who reads it. As Pastor Pope notes, the Bible says love your neighbor. Our problem is that we want to add to it and define what a neighbor is based on our own desires rather than taking it for what we know the Bible means.

The Bible is central to the experience of Believers. Reading and understanding it is the key to living the lives God wants for us. The Bible can even keep us from sin if only we let it.
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:9-11
The Bible is truth, particularly for Christians, and when we learn to take it for what it is, then other important concepts become clearer. Salvation for example, is often a point of contention between various groups of Christians. However, the Bible is clear on how we come to salvation. Adam and Eve’s sin is what brought death upon us, but Jesus’ sacrifice is what can save us from that destruction. God made himself into a being like us to take on the consequences for our sin.
For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:17-18
We don’t believe salvation comes from works. We don’t believe it can be lost by those that genuinely believe. We don’t believe one can be saved by simply being a good person. We believe that salvation comes from belief in Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Since that’s what we believe, we also believe that it is our duty to expose others to the Gospel so that they may have the chance to believe and be saved too. 

Thankfully, we are not alone in that task. Jesus not only saved us, but opened the door for the Holy Spirit to enter into all believers. The Spirit helps us live righteous lives and reach out to others. The Spirit also gives us the gifts that we need to fulfill the destiny that God has for us.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. - 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
The Spirit decides who gets what gift or gifts based on what God wants. None of us gets gifts based on what we want or on what others believe we should have. We get gifts based on what would best equip us to bring glory to God in our own way. As a result, we believe that everyone should use their gifts to the best of his or her own ability without regard to what gifts others have or what gifts we think we should have had. The Spirit works in us for God’s benefit, not our own.

Those points are the crux of what we believe. God is good. He loves us despite our shortfalls and shortcomings. He’s saved us and sent us a Spirit that can provide everything we need to achieve our purpose. We are here to fulfill God’s will according to his Word, and it’s just that simple. If anyone calls themselves a Christian but adds on anything extra, that person should be questioned. And if any of us claims to be a Believer, then we should be sure to behave in a way that confirms and displays those beliefs.




Chris Lawyer
Sermons by Everett Pope


What We Believe
https://www.facebook.com/222948344433306/videos/873445906407309/


What We Believe - Amazing Grace
https://www.facebook.com/222948344433306/videos/2545053075708955/


What We Believe About Salvation
https://www.facebook.com/222948344433306/videos/179196803496306/


What We Believe About the Spirit and the Church
https://www.facebook.com/222948344433306/videos/1799837160146990/

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