Savior Community Church Feed

I Believe, Part 6: Execution

Editor — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:33:42 +0000

Video from Sunday, May 29, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

You can give using The City

Editor — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:48:06 +0000

I'm not sure we ever really made a big deal about it, but our in-house social network, The City, makes it super easy to give to the Savior Community Church. The video below shows you how. Watch the video and then go have fun making huge donations. ;-)

By the way, if you used EasyTithe in the past, we're shutting that down soon. Go here if you need to access it for any reason.

I Believe Part 5: only Son, our Lord

Editor — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:06:07 +0000

Video from Sunday, May 20, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

I Believe Part 4: ... in Jesus Christ

Editor — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:09:24 +0000

Video from Sunday, May 13, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

I Believe Part 3: Father, Almighty, Maker 2

Editor — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:12:37 +0000

Video from Sunday, May 7, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

I Believe Part 2: Father, Almighty, Maker

Editor — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:33:58 +0000

Video from Sunday, April 29, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

The Most Common Questions on the Apostles’ Creed

Editor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:03:12 +0000

We are doing a series called “I Believe: An Exploration of the Christian Faith” based on the Apostles’ Creed. For various reasons, use of ancient creeds always freaks a few people out. Moreover, the Apostles’ Creed uses some language that is frequently misunderstood. I’ve written down a few thoughts to answer some common questions and explain the way I intend to use the Creed over the next few weeks. I hope it helps clear up some common questions and concerns and allows everyone at SaviorCC to get the absolute greatest possible benefit from the messages coming up in the next few weeks.

If I didn’t cover your questions, let me know!

Where does the Creed come from?

The Apostles’ Creed took shape from about A. D. 200 to 750, with very similar works being used by the end of the 2nd century.[1] Many, if not all, of the earliest Christian creeds were designed to be recited when new believers were baptized. Many were originally interrogatory (question and answer), like this one from c. 215 AD:

Do you believe in God the Father all-governing?

Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was begotten by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died (and was buried) and rose the third day living from the dead, and ascended into the heavens, and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy church, and (in the resurrection of the body)? (Apostolic Traditions of Hippolytus) [2]

Did Jesus go to hell?

The phrase “he descended into hell” right after the word “buried” has been included in the creed since about A.D. 650.[3] The most common understanding of the phrase is based on a misreading of 1 Peter 3:18–20. Some hold that the text teaches that Jesus proclaimed His victory over sin to people in hell. I do not believe the text teaches that Jesus went to hell after he died, and Luke 23:43 indicates that He was in “paradise”, that is God’s presence, that day.[4] Moreover, the first person to use the phrase in A.D. 390 didn’t mean that Christ descended into hell, but only that Christ was buried.

Seeing all of the problems with the tradition behind the phrase, and the theological confusion it causes, I have deliberately left this phrase out of the text that we’re studying and teaching through on Sundays. (In this, I’m following the example of people like Dr. Wayne Grudem, John Piper, and others.)

Does the Creed come from or endorse the Roman Catholic Church?

When the Creed says “I believe in . .. the holy catholic Church” it is not referring to the Roman Catholic Church. The word catholic means “including a wide variety of things; all-embracing.” In this case, the word refers to all the members of the true Church of Jesus Christ, of which every believer is a part.

How should we treat the Creed, and why are we studying it?

It is a great summary of what the Scriptures teach and thus something we will benefit greatly from learning. The Creed ably summarizes the most important concepts and events in the Christian faith. It succeeds so well at setting forth the most simple and fundamental truths of our faith, we should learn it and confess it as our own creed or belief (with the exception noted below). Schaff nails down the reasons for its longevity and continued usefulness:

It follows the historical order of revelation of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, beginning with the creation and ending with the resurrection and life eternal. It clusters around Christ as the central article of our faith. It sets forth living facts, not abstract dogmas and speaks in the language of the people, not of the theological school. It confines itself to the fundamental truths, is simple, brief, and yet comprehensive, and admirably adapted for catechetical and liturgical use. It still forms a living bond of union between the different ages and branches of orthodox Christendom, however widely they differ from each other, and can never be superseded by longer and fuller creeds, however necessary these are in their place. It has the authority of antiquity and the dew of perennial youth, beyond any other document of post-apostolic times. [5]

J.I. Packer pointed out that the Creed was used as a sort of syllabus, outlining essential topics of study for baptismal candidates in the first few centuries of the Church. I’m following a similar line of thinking. It is a great outline for covering the most important parts of our Christian story. The deeper we cherish, understand, and apply these truths, the healthier we’ll be. Also, I hope that for some, this is a sort of preparation for Baptism. If you find that you hold to the things we cover in the Creed, and your loyalties lie with Christ, then you should indeed be baptized in water! It’s going to get wet up in here!

Grudem, W. A. (1994). Systematic theology: An introduction to biblical doctrine (586). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich. : Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House. ↩
From Creeds, Early Christian, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. 1996 (D. N. Freedman, G. A. Herion, D. F. Graf, J. D. Pleins & A. B. Beck, Ed.). New York: Doubleday. ↩
See Grudem, 586. ↩
For a somewhat detailed explanation of what 1 Peter 3:18–20 does and does not mean, check out this article by John Piper. ↩
Schaff, P., & Schaff, D. S. (1997). History of the Christian church. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. ↩

I Believe in God (Part 1 of "I Believe" Series)

Editor — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:30:05 +0000

The latest video in our series I Believe: An Exploration of the Christian Faith, from Sunday, April 23, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

Fishing (John 21:1-25)

Editor — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:52:40 +0000

Video from Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Blessed Are You (John 20:1-31)

Editor — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:06:53 +0000

Video from Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012.

Clip: What "Love God" means to the SaviorCC

Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:05:08 +0000

Pastor Frank talking about the "Love God" part of SaviorCC's purpose statement: Love God, Live Community, Be Servants.

Watch the full message this clip was taken from here.

The King: John 18:28-19:16

Editor — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:40:23 +0000

Video from Sunday, April 1, 2012. (Community Groups are on break this week.)

Pastor Rob Schwinge - Playing to Win

Editor — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:50:56 +0000

Video from Sunday, March 25, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

The Cup (John 18:1-27)

Editor — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:44:54 +0000

Video from Sunday, March 18, 2012. Download the Community Group homework here.

Our High Priest's Prayer (John 17:1-26)

Editor — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:32:42 +0000

Video from Sunday, March 12, 2011. Download the Community Group homework here.