Catechesis for the Church: The Apostles' Creed (Part 2)
“I believe…”
In our Catechesis for the Church slot in the morning service, I did a series of short talks working through the Apostles’ Creed. Here’s an outline of the second talk on the opening words, “I believe…”. These has since been repurposed for an assembly in a junior school.
The Apostles’ Creed, this summary of what the Bible teaches and what Christians believe, begins with the words, “I believe…”
I want us to think about what it means to believe in something or someone by looking at what some people in believe.
Swifties. [Put picture of Swifties on the screen]. Some of you might be a ‘Swifty’. What do Swifties believe? That Taylor Swift is a brilliant singer. They are die hard fans who are passionate and loyal, not just casual listeners. They listen to her music, know the words to her songs, spend money on concerts, wear clothes with her image on it.
Just Stop Oil Protesters. [Put picture of Just Stop Oil protesters on the screen]. These protesters believe that the way to solve the ‘climate emergency’ is for the UK government to act. So, they do things like throw soup on paintings or block the M25 in order to try and get the government to take notice.
Football Fans. [Put picture of Football Supporters on the screen]. Football fans believe their team is the best one to follow. They spend money going to games, on their team’s shirt, they sing songs about how great is it support their team.
Believing causes people to behave or act in a certain way.
Christians, because of what they believe, act in a certain way. They do things like get baptised, read the Bible, pray, go to worship God at church, talk to people about Jesus, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
When Christians say “I believe…”, they don’t just have knowledge of what the truths found in the rest of the Creed mean. [Put picture of a brain on the screen]. They also believe that the truths found in the Creed are true. [Put picture of thumbs up on the screen]. But that’s not enough, because we’re told in the Bible that even the demons believe that these things are true.
No, when a Christian says “I believe…”, they are saying they are so committed to what they believe to be true that it changes the way they live and shapes what they do. [Put picture of a crown on the screen].
As we start to look at the truths found in the Creed, I want you to ask yourself:
Do you know this?
Are you convinced this is true?
Does it affect the way you live? Does it actually make a different to your life?
Because those who truly believe the Apostles’ Creed will be changed by it.