“Once a Slave, But Never Again”

Scripture: Philemon :8-18

Since the earliest days of human existence, slavery has been a way of life for many in this world. From the 16th and 21st chapters of Genesis, we read about Hagar, Sarai’s slave, and how she and her son Ishmael were used, mistreated, and then cast off. Throughout scripture, we read of other slaves – who they were, how they were treated, how they should have been treated, and, in spite of their human condition, how they contributed to the spread of the Christian faith.
In Galatians 3:26-29, we are told that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
We also know that slavery is not just a condition of human ownership, but one of personal obsession. Many have become slaves to alcohol, or tobacco, or pornography, or drugs, or their jobs, or any number of other addictions, and none of these are good things.

But Matthew 20:26-28 tells us that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Slavery, it appears, can be seen as either a blight on human life, or as a blessing to others. In God’s eyes, when we are forced into slavery for the benefit of others, it is a sin, but when we freely give ourselves as an act of Christian faith, we are commended.

Read Philemon 1:8-11

So who is this Onesimus, and just as importantly, who is Philemon? At one time, the two men had a relationship – that of slave and master – but apparently that bond had been broken. Onesimus, it is presumed, is a run-away slave, and his former owner, Philemon, probably had no idea of his whereabouts until receiving this letter from the apostle Paul. He could have legally demanded that the slave be returned to his service without question, and it would have happened with a great deal of pain for the slave.
But should he? Would he?

Paul lets Philemon know that he could order his friend to do what is right, but that he won’t. He will leave the final response up to him, but that the apostle intends to advocate for this new brother - not from a legal basis, but from one that is grounded in love. So before we continue with our passage, let’s take a moment to consider the implications of the statement – “I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love.”
Why is this Paul’s preferred way to broach a very difficult and tenuous situation? And why is this attitude so important for a Christian in the 21st century, especially when we are told that we are to be bold in our faith (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)? I believe that we are called to boldness in that we are not to be ashamed of our faith (Romans 1:16-17), we are not to shy away from our faith, and we are not to hide our love of Jesus Christ and his gospel. That is a good boldness.
But when we become arrogant in our faith, when we badger others into making a hollow confession for Jesus, when we berate others for their lack of faith or even for having a shallow faith, that is a boldness that the Lord tells us to avoid. Jesus’ words in Mark’s gospel (Mark 7:20-23) tells us that arrogance is evil, that it is an unclean act, that it is a sin. Not boldness, but arrogance!

And Paul is letting Philemon know that he will not be bold in this way, but that he will be bold in advocating for his run-away slave who will soon be returning home.

Read Philemon 1:12-18

The lifelong United Methodist author Barbara Wendland writes:
"Biblical faith says you are God's partner. To [the Lord], you aren't a slave whose only duty is to do what you are told. You aren't even an employee who agrees to do work in exchange for pay. You are a real partner whom God invites to share the responsibility for carrying out [his] plan for the world ....
God coming to you in Jesus gives you the freedom to be who you are: [his] partner .... God's coming to you in Jesus, however, is not a demand. It is an invitation. God doesn't tell you, “This is what you must be!” God says instead, “This is what you can be!”
So when you encounter Jesus, you can say not only, “There God is”, but also, “There I am”."
--Barbara Wendland and Stanley Menking, God's Partners: Lay Christians at Work (Valley Forge, Penn.: Judson Press, 1993), 2, 54.

Faith isn’t a condition of slavery – it’s a choice for relationship. Faith isn’t a situation where God demands and we respond, where God hands down a law and we are obligated to observe it, where Jesus sets the perfect standard and expects that we will live that same perfect life. It is a walk together, us with our Triune God, with a willingness to serve in his name, and with the Spirit enabling us to do the most marvelous things, and with Jesus gaining and winning salvation for us though his redemptive act at Calvary, and expecting only that we will believe in him as Lord God Almighty.

Paul’s advocacy for Onesimus isn’t out of obligation, and it certainly isn’t a justification for his fleeing from service to his master. He offers Philemon the fact that Onesimus is now more than just a slave – that he is the master’s brother in Christ, and as such, they are now partners in faith.

But the world would have us believe that a slave can never be a partner! The master orders, the slave responds. Period! As partners, they must work together, each with their own responsibilities and abilities, but working with one purpose and one vision. And in gentle boldness, Paul reminds Philemon what this relationship must be about.
Paul knows that he cannot let Onesimus stay with him without Philemon’s agreement – that it is only right that he return home. Of course, it would be Philemon’s perfect right, legally, to deal with the returned slave in a very harsh manner. But Paul begs him to treat the man as he might treat the apostle – who is seen as a brother! And how could any Christian possibly justify the treatment of a brother or sister in faith in a harsh way?

Have you ever felt as though you were being treated like a slave? In a human relationship? In a work relationship? In a faith relationship? In the secular world, there are still many slaves, and I expect that this will never change. There is the bondage type of slaves, who are forced to serve others for little or no compensation, and who have no way out. There is relational slavery, where one person treats the other with absolutely no respect and imposes great demands and unreasonable expectations on their “slave”. There is religious slavery, where a person is refused any self determination or faith expression other than that which is dictated by the hierarchy.

In Christ, there are no slaves, and as a matter of fact, even though Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:11 tells us that “The greatest among you will be your servant.”, and in John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.” But in John 15:15, we read “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
From a slave in the world,to a servant of God, and finally to being a friend of Jesus! That is how the Lord sees us, and if we are friends and brothers and sisters to Jesus, then we had better be friends and brothers and sisters to each other. That’s what a relationship about, that is what a partnership is about, that is what friendship is about.

Do you treat others as friends and partners? Would they describe their relationship with you that way? If not, why not, and what are you going to do about it? Paul tells Philemon “If you consider me a partner, welcome him [Onesimus] as you would welcome me.” Do we truly treat others as our partners in faith? This means that we are to do what is best for all concerned, and not what is best for our self.
Paul would have preferred that Onesimus stay with him. He was in prison, and was, most likely, getting older and drawing closer to execution. As such, he could certainly use any help that he could get. But it was only right that Onesimus return to his home, to begin anew in his service as a Christian, and to be welcomed by his “owner” - no longer as a slave, though, but as a brother.

It wasn’t about Paul’s needs, and it wasn’t even about Philemon’s rights – it was about God’s call on Onesimus’ life.
Even though Paul may not have understood the reasons for his action, I believe that his decision to encourage the new brother to return was Spirit inspired. He wasn’t sending Onesimus back as a slave – he is going as his former master’s brother in faith, and as such, they have a ministry, a mission, to work and develop together.

Jesus never drives us to serve him, he never sees us as slaves that must do his bidding. He motivates us to seek his will for our lives, he encourages us in faith, he sets the example for living in this world, he calls us brothers and sisters and friends, and he leads us in every step we take. And we can never be slaves to the world again.
And we are to be the same for others – bold in our witness, gentle in our manner, and loving in our words. Relationships must be totally new, never again to enslave another in their life with us. Amen.

“The Godless and the God-Filled”

Scripture: Jude :4, 8-10, 12-13, 17-23

Through the centuries, there has constantly been a conflict between the world and Christianity. Each one has been trying, with all their might, to convince the other of the validity of the opposite position. The worldly view of “self above all else” is an anathema to Christians, and the concept of “joyful surrender of self” to Almighty God is ridiculous and inane in the eyes of the world.
But they each have one thing in common – their success in converting the other has had only minimal success. For the most part, Christians see no hope at all in focusing their life in this world, and the world cannot see any glory in waiting for their reward in the next. Neither has found the lynchpin, the one thing that ties everything together, to turn the tide of discussion to their favor.

Our text today is from the epistle of Jude. The apparent intent of this single chapter book is to encourage, not just the church, but Christian leaders, to stay strong in the faith, to avoid a marginal walk with Christ, and to reject the arguments that “the godless” offer to the church, both then and now.

Read Jude v. 4

The “wolves in sheep’s clothing”! In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warns us about false prophets and false teachers – that they can offer us absolutely nothing that has any spiritual value.
He gives us a means for seeing these “wolves” for what they truly are – godless liars. It is in the quality and worth of the things that come from their efforts – their fruit - but the problem lays in distinguishing the “bad fruit” from the “good”, and neither Jesus’ comments in Matthew, nor Jude’s letter give us a clear cut means to separate the two. The only way, as I see it, is to know the “good fruit”, and to simply reject all the rest.
This is the very thing that many in leadership today fail to do. They try to blend the world’s ideals with Christ’s, and that works about as well as mixing oil and water! And yet, they still try to do it. Now please understand that I have no objection to working and cooperating with non-Christians in various endeavors, such as in programs to feed and clothe the poor, to strive to bring relief to areas that are torn apart by war or other disasters, and to bring peace to people’s lives. But I believe that we need to draw the line at participation in faith matters – worship, study, prayer, etc. – as a multi-faith event - these are an examples of “bad fruit”. Can you think of others?
Worship with Christians from other denominations? Absolutely. But in a decidedly non Christian emphasis? Never.

Read Jude v. 8-10

Jude refers to the godless leaders as “dreamers”, which is probably a pretty good description. While it is true that scripture contains a number of references to the Lord speaking to people in dreams, Jude’s context is a little different. He is, I believe, referring to conscious dreaming, or controlled imagining. Jude is saying that these people are basing their faith on personally derived revelation, and not on that which God has inspired. They are using their own conscious thought and human creativity to make faith more acceptable, more understandable, more logical. They are rejecting the Divine authority and are taking matters of faith into their own hands and minds – to distort that which God has made, and to reshape it into a misrepresentation of glory.
Jude says that they reject those things that they don’t understand, which leads us to the question “Just how much of Jesus’ teaching does anyone truly comprehend?” If we were to tear out those pages of scripture that we don’t understand, or those pages that don’t make sense, or are lacking of any sense of logic, or can’t be proven to our own satisfaction, or any number of other excuses, we would probably have half of the Bible remaining! In Hebrews 11:1, we read “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Truth is not always readily apparent, but in faith, we know that God is truth, even when we don’t understand him, and that those things that are not of the Lord, can have no truth in them.

Read Jude v. 12-13

And the ones who do not follow God’s precepts are royally condemned. Jude offers a number of images that suggest the sinfulness of these faithless teachers.
* “They are blemishes at your love feasts” – They demean the holiness of the fellowship meals because they participate without reverence or fear or worship for the Lord.
* They are “shepherds who feed only themselves.” – They are recognized as leaders of the people, but they are tending only to their own benefit and are giving the people nothing that has any value.
* “They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind” – Proverbs 25:14 offers a similar admonition - “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.” He is hollow and empty and without any benefit.
* They are “autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted – twice dead.” They provide absolutely no benefit, they provide nothing of spiritual worth to the church, and as if the lack of “spiritual fruit” isn’t bad enough, they themselves are as good as lost. This “double death” that Jude refers to may imply that not only will they die a physical death, but on the Judgment Day, they will die again.
* “They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame.” Isaiah 57:20 offers a like thought, telling us that the waves of a storm only throw up “mire and mud” – things that have no value, things that are an embarrassment and a burden to those who have to live in the mess, and who have to clean up afterward.
* They are “wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” Wandering stars, those who could have been part of glory, but who, in turning away from the path charted by God, will be condemned forever.

Not an especially pretty picture! In reading these condemnations, it is confirmation that these false teachers are definitely part of the church, and as such, should have known the truth, but failed miserably in learning the Lord’s ways.

The French philosopher Paul Ricoeur is on record as claiming that the sin which the Bible denounces is less the apparent sin of the wicked and more the hidden sin of the righteous.
--As referenced by Paul Tournier in “The Violence Inside” (London: SCM Press, 1978), 117.

The hidden sin of the righteous, the obvious sin of the shallow – it all leads to one conclusion – “the blackest darkness” has been reserved for them for all time.

Read Jude v. 17-23

We don’t use the word “scoffers” much anymore, but the word refers to the very ones who are demeaning the church, ridiculing the faithful, making a mockery of faith and worship. And these are the recognized leaders of these churches? Pray for their congregations!! Jude was.
Their counterfeit teachings will divide the church, and we have evidence of that truth even today. They follow their humanity, their “natural” instincts, instead of God’s word. They avoid any influence by the Holy Spirit. There are no divine visions in their makeup, only human, godless, faithless dreams. They bring nothing of God into the fellowship.

And Jude calls the church to live faith-filled, God-filled, Spirit-filled lives. But we are told that we shouldn’t condemn those who are working their evil – love them and show mercy to them, just as Jesus did! Continue to rescue the perishing, be graceful and merciful to all, love the Lord in all ways, while at the same time, hating the things that are going on around you. Above all, the true and authentic work of the church must never go wanting - it must never be interrupted, it must never be misleading, and it must always be faithful.

Welcome those who come to learn of the Lord, but reject the godless thoughts that they may bring with them. Be the face and hands and heart and spirit of God, that others may come to know his way and his truth. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

“I Believe, Act 2”

Scripture: Acts 5:27-32

Last week, we talked about the importance of not only having faith, but in knowing exactly what we believe, and having the ability to articulate those things we believe. For those that haven’t examined this aspect of their lives, they will be at a loss for words whenever faith is tried or doubted in a situation.
Without a depth of faith, how can we ever be an effective witness? Without confidence in our faith, how can we believe that our faith is true? Without trust that our faith is true, how will the world ever see us as authentic Christians?

One of the problems that the church of today has, I believe, is an issue of focus. We become so centered on the physical trappings of “religion”, that we forget the vision of faith. Has the time come to began stripping away the exterior and revealing the center, the essence, of our faith? Before we ever had liturgy, before we had altars, before we had buildings and paintings and pulpits and pews and all of the physical plant of “church”, what did we have? Only faith.

Read Acts 5:27-32

The apostles had been told not to teach about Jesus anymore, but they did it just the same. “We must obey God rather than men.” What had happened to these men? They had no great cathedral to preach in, no exalted title to distinguish them from others, no position of prestige – all that they had was faith! Aren’t these the same people who, on the day that Jesus rose from the dead, were cowering in a locked room, hiding from the very people they were now witnessing to! Where did this faith, this courage, come from? What happened?
Well, I believe that the Holy Spirit happened. On Pentecost, Christians everywhere had begun to receive an ally whose power was so much greater than those who were opposing them, that nothing could ever stop the spread of the word again!
The world’s authority had taken a huge hit, but the authorities themselves would never admit it. As a matter of fact, the world, to this day, has never admitted it. And the reason is that they simply don’t understand a power that comes from beyond themselves. They want to believe that you can make your own power, that you become authority, that it is all part and parcel of your human nature.

But the power of the Spirit comes from God, and it rests upon those who believe in Christ Jesus. It can never be created by human desire, it can never be earned by human effort, it can never be claimed as a personal authority, and it has nothing to do with our humanity. It is, and it comes from, and it functions by faith – faith in the One who has sent it – and not by any other means.

Peter and the others had been healing the sick, they had been driving out demons, and they had been teaching everyone who would listen about Jesus and his great sacrifice for them. Nothing could stop them. They had been arrested and taken to jail and they were about to be tried, but mere prison doors can never withstand the power of God. That night, the doors would be thrown wide open by the Angel of the Lord, the men would be taken out of their restraints, and the next day, when the authorities went to take them to the court, they wouldn’t find them locked up, but rather in the temple courts teaching about Jesus – again! Nothing can interrupt, nothing can weaken, nothing can stop the Spirit’s work!

And it all comes to be through faith in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 7:7-8, we read that anyone who asks will receive, anyone who seeks will find, and when we knock, the gates will be thrown wide open. And they certainly were for Peter and his companions!

Read James 1:2-7

James continues with the theme that God gives to all who seek his grace, and now we are told that not only will God give, but that he gives generously. As we exhibit faith in the Lord, he blesses us in like measure. There are many instances in the gospels that show us just how overly generous God can be. In Luke 19:11-27, in the Parable of the Minas, the faithful servants who earned a few coins of return on the Master’s trust, receive authority over cities for their faithfulness! In Luke 6:38, Jesus tells us “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure that you use, it will be measured to you.”
Pressed down, shaken together, running over – that is a measure of the grace that awaits us in Christ. Not just sufficient, but excessive! Whenever a believer in Jesus Christ asks God for anything in His name – whether it is wisdom, or words, or guidance, or faith, or courage, or healing, God will respond in a way that many would describe as extreme, unnecessary, and even wasteful! But that is just the Lord’s way of showing just how great a love he has for us.

Do you believe? Are you in need? Then come with your request, and we will present it to the Lord together. It can be for yourself, or for another; you can come alone, or accompanied by someone who loves you; you can ask for something simple and small, or something that is life changing. Regardless of your need, come, and we will ask the Lord together.

(Note: At this point in the service, a healing service was offered, with a number of people coming forward for anointing and prayers.)

“I Believe That …”

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Since the beginning, the Christian Church has been embroiled in many theological controversies over just who Jesus is and what he means for the world. Without going into a lot of detail, the earliest issues centered on thoughts such as: was Jesus a divine being who people only thought looked human, or was he completely human with some connection to the divine – after all, he couldn’t be both! And this concept of Trinity – that just didn’t make any sense to most. Many areas of the church had begun to supplement and even replace theological reflection with philosophical thought in order to become more attractive to the more learned segments of society.
The many and diverse approaches to faith – Gnosticism, Arianism, Monasticism, pagan thought, and others - were beginning to tear the church apart, so in 325 AD, the emperor Constantine called for an assembly of all the bishops of the church, to be held in Nicea, a city near Constantinople (today’s Istanbul). Approximately 300 bishops gathered together, and this would be the very first assembly of church leaders that had ever occurred in all of Christian history. The Council of Nicea lasted for quite some time, with these men holding discussions on many issues of faith of the day.
For me, the most important decision to come out of the Council was the development of a creed, a statement of faith, which, with a few revisions over the centuries, has survived to this day, is still recited, and it is known as the Nicene Creed.
- Gonzalez, Justo L., “The History of Christianity”, HarpurCollins Publishers: New York, 1984, (162-167)

Why would a concise statement of faith be so important to the growth of the Church? Why is it so important for the Church to know the statement of faith, and not just produce it and then relegate it to some dusty shelf in some dusty archive?

Read John 20:19-23

The disciples would soon be sent out in ministry to the world. Jesus tells them that “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Their mission would be no different than the one that Jesus had lived for 33 years, with one notable exception. They would be going as 100% humans, without the power of God within them. So Jesus breaths the Holy Spirit upon them, and they are prepared.
You see, the disciples had yet to experience the power of the Spirit, and John gives them a pretty easy time in his gospel. However, in Luke 24:36-43, we read that they were terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost when Jesus suddenly appeared in the locked room. Their faith wasn’t quite where it would need to be, and they didn’t yet know what to believe! For now, the Lord gives them a “shot of the Spirit” to get them through this and the coming days. But they would need more if they were to truly and fully believe.

Rev. Jessica LaGrone, Pastor of Worship at the Woodland UMC, writes:
A young woman was sitting around one evening with a group of friends when the conversation turned to religion. While her friends went around discussing their convictions, it was clear that most of these young adults weren’t really sure what they believed. They spoke in vague generalities, and some of them weren’t able to articulate what they believed at all.
Finally, she realized everyone was looking at her. Somebody said: “Well, you’re quiet – what do you believe?”
She opened her mouth without even knowing how she would answer. She started out: “I believe .. I believe in God.” Then out of nowhere heard herself say:
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord…”
Almost unable to stop herself she proceeded to recite the entire Apostles’ Creed from beginning to end. When she looked up, her friends were wide-eyed, and no one was more shocked than her. She had grown up in the church reciting the Apostles Creed – and even though she didn’t even know she had it memorized, when asked what she believed, it just came out.
- Rev. Jessica LaGrone (www.jessicalagrone.com), ‘I Believe: Why We Need the Apostles’ Creed’, Good News, Abington Press, 2013 (By Permission)

This is what the disciples needed – a constant and easily remembered verse to help them to know what they believed. But they didn’t have one, and without the “Spirit breathed”, they would be lost in faith.

Read John 20:24-31

Thomas hadn’t been there for Jesus’ first reappearance. Out of fear, he had left for parts unknown, and when he finally did return, he didn’t believe – he couldn’t believe what he was being told! He had forgotten all that Jesus had ever taught him and these stories didn’t make any sense. But Jesus, who is always ready to overturn our shortcomings, appears a week later and gives Thomas the reassurance that he needed.
For the others, they received the Spirit to bring them peace and assurance. But Thomas does not receive Spirit as the others did, but instead, he is given a precious offer that the others did not receive. Jesus tells him to touch him – and not just anywhere, but in the piercings that still appeared in his hands and side. And Thomas once again remembers the sound of the heavy hammer driving those cruel nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, and he remembers the spear thrust that sliced into his Lord’s side, and he understands and believes with the exclamation “My Lord and my God!”
I doubt that very many people since then have ever had Jesus actually breathe on them, or invite them to physically touch his wounds, but others have been given their own reminders. Remember the experience that Cleopas and his friend had at the inn in Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)? They receive their reminder every time they celebrated communion. Remember Paul’s experience on his way to Damascus in Acts 9? He would be reminded every time he touched a person in the name of Jesus, and they were healed. Remember the persecution that many, throughout the centuries, have been forced to endure? They remember Jesus and the suffering that he had to endure for them, every time that they do the same for him.

How do the people of the 21st century remember all that Jesus is for them? Certainly, we remember him when we serve others in his name; we remember when an impossible situation is resolved in glory; we remember when a person receives a miraculous healing through the prayers of the faithful. But these are not, for the most part, every day occurrences! We need an everyday reminder of who and what Jesus is for our lives. And that is where creeds come into play.

Let’s take the Apostles’ Creed piece by piece, and see what it reminds us of.

“I Believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,”
God is before anything else was, and He is the Creator of all that is and ever will be – both those in the glory of heaven, and those in the beauty of earth.

“And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;”
Jesus is God in heaven, and he is Lord of earth.

“Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,”
As God is, Jesus has been before time began, but he took on a new form through the power of the Spirit.

“Born of the Virgin Mary,”
Even though Jesus is divine and God, and even though his conception was not by a human man, he came into this world in a human way – through birth by a chosen woman.

“Suffered under Pontius Pilate,”
God, divine and holy, had to experience terrible pain in his humanness, at the hand and sentence of a human being.

“Was crucified, dead and buried;”
God in Christ didn’t just die, but he died the most excruciating death that anyone has ever been able to devise. And his death was real – he was buried and sealed and left in a tomb.

“The third day he rose from the dead;”
The God Jesus could not leave the Man Jesus to rot into nothingness, so He regained life once more, to walk among his people, to teach them one last time, to give them reassurance and remembrances that would last them a lifetime.

“he ascended into heaven,”
And when his 33 year mission on earth was finished, he returned - not in death, but in life - to his glorious and heavenly home.

“and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;”
He has taken his rightful place as the Son of the Most High God.

“from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”
Godly judgment of the people of earth has been postponed for now, but Jesus will, one day, return to this place to execute his verdict on all who have ever lived.

“I believe in the Holy Spirit,”
God is not simply singular in nature, but Triune – as John Wesley put it, at the same time, “Three and One”.

“The holy catholic church,”
I believe that the church universal, a human institution, is to be the true and full expression of God’s nature in Christ Jesus.

“The communion of saints,”
Believers in Jesus Christ are united as his Body in this world.

“The forgiveness of sins,”
Those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will receive a spiritual “washing” that cleanses them of all sin, and will make them worthy and fearless when they stand before the Judgment Seat.

“The resurrection of the body,”
Those who are in Christ will be raised, as our Lord Jesus was – physically and spiritually.

“And the life everlasting.”
As Jesus lives in glorious and eternal life, so will his people.

“Amen.”
We solemnly agree.

These are the core beliefs of the Christian faith. Every time you say them, we are reminded of just what God, “Three and One”, is for the world – that this is what we believe. Amen?