Welcome to New Covenant Church!

We are so glad you have joined us to celebrate the Risen Lord! This week, we will hear a lesson from Fr. Christopher Caudle called "A Powerful Question."  Here are the scriptures for this week:

Scriptures
Psalm 14
Acts 17:16-34
Matthew 16:13-21

We look forward to seeing you online with us!

Listen to the sermon now, "A Powerful Question" - Fr. Christopher Caudle

Summary

Fr. Christopher presents a detailed exploration of the Nicene Creed, framed within the context of Christian scripture and teaching. It emphasizes the foundational question Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" and explores how this question forms the basis of Christian worship and witness. The teaching also connects this scriptural question with the early church's response through the Creed, highlighting its role in worship and evangelism.

The Foundational Question: "Who Do You Say That I Am?"

Fr. Christopher begins by recounting Jesus' question to His disciples in Matthew 16:13-20, where He asks who people say the Son of Man is, and then directly asks His disciples who they say He is. Simon Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, is presented as a divinely revealed truth, not a conclusion reached by human reasoning. Jesus blesses this insight as a gift from the Father and explains that understanding His identity also involves recognizing His mission, including His suffering, death, and resurrection. This question remains central for the church today, and the Nicene Creed is described as the church’s collective response, summarizing Jesus' identity to foster true worship and praise.

Worship and the Nicene Creed

The Creed serves as a worshipful confession of Jesus' nature and work. It is not merely an intellectual exercise but a response empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to worship Jesus as He truly is. The Creed gathers the church’s understanding and testimony about Jesus, ensuring that worship is based on His true and comprehensive knowledge. This response to Jesus' question is also an act of worship that glorifies Him fully and rightly.

The World’s Question and the Church’s Witness

Fr. Christopher then shifts focus to the church’s engagement with the world, drawing on the example of Paul in Acts 17. Paul reasons with Jews and Gentiles in Athens, addressing their diverse philosophical backgrounds and answering their questions about Jesus and the resurrection. The world asks the church, "Who do you say Jesus is?" and it answers through its witness. The Nicene Creed thus functions as both worship and witness, articulating Christian faith in terms accessible to the world’s questions and categories. Paul’s approach demonstrates the importance of proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection regardless of the audience’s initial understanding or skepticism.

Responses to Paul’s Message

Paul’s preaching in Athens elicited three types of responses: dismissal as babbling, recognition of foreign gods, and curiosity about the new teaching. Despite these varied reactions, Paul remained steadfast in proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection as proof of His divine appointment to judge the world justly. The resurrection is presented as the cornerstone of Christian hope for both this life and the life to come. This message invites listeners to repentance and faith, offering good news even to skeptics and seekers.

The Creed’s Development and Missionary Purpose

Fr. Christopher explains how the Apostles' Creed and later the Nicene Creed evolved to help new believers understand the faith they were entering, especially in baptism. The Nicene Creed expands on earlier summaries to address theological questions and clarify misunderstandings, especially concerning Greek philosophy and the broader cultural context. The Creed is portrayed as a missionary tool designed to meet the world's questions while faithfully expressing the church’s worship and witness. It is both a declaration of faith and a response to the challenges posed by different worldviews.

The Role of the Holy Spirit and Personal Reflection

The teaching highlights that knowing Jesus truly and bearing witness to Him requires the gift and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit guides believers in deepening their worship and courageously extending their witness. The concluding call invites listeners to reflect personally on Jesus' question: "Who do you say Jesus is?" It encourages an honest prayer for deeper worship and a bolder witness, framing the Nicene Creed study as a journey into the heart of Christian faith and mission.

Fr. Christopher connects scripture, early church history, and contemporary faith practice, showing how the Nicene Creed encapsulates the church’s response to Jesus’ identity and mission. He underscores the Creed’s dual role in worship and witness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and invites ongoing engagement with the fundamental question of Christian faith.

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