The Apostles’ Creed: The Holy Church and the Fellowship of the Saints

Sep 06, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Living Stones in God’s Household

The church isn’t a building or institution but a living temple made of people. Ephesians reveals believers as stones fitted together, forming a dwelling place for God’s Spirit. Just as a cornerstone anchors a structure, Jesus unites diverse individuals into one spiritual house. This identity reshapes how we view ourselves and others—not as isolated believers, but as essential parts of God’s eternal home. Holiness here isn’t about perfection but purpose: we’re set apart to reflect Christ together. [36:23]

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”
(Ephesians 2:19-21, ESV)

Reflection: How does seeing yourself as a “living stone” in God’s household change the way you engage with fellow believers? What practical step could you take this week to strengthen your connection to others in this spiritual house?

Day 2: Set Apart to Shine in the Shadows

Holiness isn’t a religious checklist but a calling to stand distinct in a dark world. Like temple utensils consecrated for sacred use, the church exists to declare God’s goodness through countercultural love. Peter’s words remind us that our holiness is both a gift and a mission—we’re pulled from darkness not to escape it, but to illuminate it. This requires intentional living: rejecting what dims our light while embracing compassion as our native language. [38:41]

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
(1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel tension between blending into culture and standing apart for Christ’s mission? How could your unique story of being “called out” encourage someone still struggling in darkness?

Day 3: Beyond Borders: The Church Without Walls

Heaven’s choir in Revelation drowns out earthly divisions, celebrating a blood-bought family from every tribe and tongue. The universal church shatters our preferences for sameness, demanding we see denominational lines and cultural barriers as temporary. Unity here isn’t uniformity but shared allegiance to Christ—the Savior who turned enemies into siblings. This truth confronts our comfort zones, inviting us to practice radical inclusion today. [43:29]

“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”
(Revelation 5:9, ESV)

Reflection: What invisible “border” (generational, cultural, or theological) have you struggled to cross in your local church? How might initiating one conversation this week bridge that divide?

Day 4: From Rows to Circles: The Risk of Real Fellowship

Fellowship flourishes when we turn from passive spectators to active participants. The early church modeled this through shared meals, vulnerable prayer, and radical generosity—not as programs but as family rhythms. Like iron sharpening iron, these intentional circles forge bonds that Sunday morning handshakes cannot. True belonging begins when we stop asking “What can I get?” and start asking “Who needs me to stay?” [51:56]

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”
(Acts 2:44-46, ESV)

Reflection: What fear holds you back from moving beyond Sunday small talk? Which church environment (small group, mission trip, etc.) could help you transition from rows to circles this month?

Day 5: From Critic to Contributor: Joining God’s Team

Spectators inevitably become critics, but players become partners. Serving transforms “they should” into “we will,” aligning our hearts with Christ’s mission. Whether teaching children or funding outreaches, every act of stewardship declares, “This family matters.” Paul’s body metaphor reminds us: the church thrives when each member owns their role, however unseen. The deepest joy comes not from consuming but from building what lasts. [01:04:02]

“From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
(Ephesians 4:16, ESV)

Reflection: Are you observing more than contributing in your church? What dormant gift or resource could you activate this season to help Christ’s body grow stronger?

Sermon Summary

The Apostles’ Creed brings believers to the words, “I believe in the Holy Church,” and the church cannot become either the center of faith or an optional extra. Christ remains the center of faith, yet everyone born again through faith in him automatically becomes part of his worldwide church. Ephesians pictures this church as God’s household, built on the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. The church is not mainly an organization, a denomination, or a building. The church is people.

Holiness means being set apart for a special purpose. Peter calls God’s people a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession so that they may declare the praises of the one who called them out of darkness into marvelous light. Paul calls the troubled Corinthians sanctified and called to be holy even while confronting their immorality, idolatry, division, and selfishness. God makes his people holy, and God also calls his people to live up to that calling. Colossians therefore tells God’s chosen, holy, dearly loved people to put earthly sin to death and to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.

The universal church reaches far beyond one local congregation or denomination. Revelation shows Christ purchasing people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. The Spirit calls believers to resist the fallen instinct to divide according to appearance, education, politics, or likeness. Ephesians grounds unity in one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. The local church becomes the first place to practice crossing those barriers, as older and younger saints, singles and married couples, and families in different seasons of life learn to know one another.

The fellowship of the saints goes deeper than sitting beside somebody, shaking a hand, and exchanging a few pleasantries. The local church gives believers the place where fellowship becomes real through choosing to belong, loving people “warts and all,” and becoming more than an attender. Friendship grows as God’s family shares experiences, homes, problems, and love. Fellowship develops “not in rows, but in circles,” through small groups, Bible studies, camps, ministry, outreach, and time spent face to face.

The deepest circle of fellowship comes when believers enter the core of the church by serving and supporting the church family. Spectators always become critics, but partners get in the game and learn the cost of serving. Paul pictures Christ’s body growing as each part does its special work. Christ receives service to even the least member of his family as service rendered to himself.

Key Takeaways

1. The church is people, not optional. Christ places every born again believer into his worldwide family. The church cannot replace faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but neither can faith treat Christ’s body as disposable. God makes belonging part of salvation’s new reality, not an add-on for especially committed Christians. [37:26]
2. Holiness is purpose before performance. God sets his people apart so that they may declare the praises of the one who brought them from darkness into light. Paul’s correction of Corinth shows that holy people may still need serious repentance and change. Identity in Christ does not excuse sin; it becomes the reason believers put sin to death and clothe themselves with love. [40:24]
3. Unity crosses barriers close to home. Christ’s blood has purchased people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. The universal church therefore exposes the small divisions that fallen human nature likes to preserve. Local relationships become the proving ground for whether believers truly value one body and one Spirit. [44:20]
4. Fellowship grows in circles, not rows. The fellowship of the saints requires more than Sunday attendance and surface conversation. God deepens his family through shared stories, shared burdens, open homes, truthful love, and regular presence. Personal relationships make absence matter because church members become family rather than faces in a crowd. [56:36]
5. Partners serve while spectators criticize. The critical spirit often grows where people only watch from the stands. Service changes “they” into “we” because those who carry responsibility begin to understand the work, encourage the body, and use their gifts for its health. Christ joins every part together so that the whole body may grow full of love.

## [62:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:08] - I Believe in the Holy Church
[34:40] - Is Church Central or Optional?
[36:10] - The Church Is People
[37:43] - A Holy People Set Apart
[39:20] - Living Up to Holiness
[42:41] - The Universal Church
[44:20] - Unity Across Barriers
[46:56] - Universal and Local Fellowship
[48:13] - Loving God’s Family
[50:31] - From Attender to Belonging
[51:38] - Sharing Life in Friendship
[56:22] - Fellowship in Circles
[61:04] - From Spectator to Partner
[64:42] - Which Circle Are You In?

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 2:19-22
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
[36:20]

1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
[38:35]

1 Corinthians 1:2
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:”
[40:19]

Colossians 3:5, 8, 12
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”
[41:12]

Revelation 5:9
“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,’”
[43:28]

Ephesians 4:3-6
“eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
[44:25]

Observation questions

In Ephesians 2:19-22, what pictures does Paul use to describe believers’ new relationship to one another and to God? What place does Christ hold in this picture? [36:20]
According to 1 Peter 2:9, what four descriptions are given to God’s people, and what purpose follows those descriptions? [38:35]
What specific sins does Colossians 3 tell God’s chosen and holy people to put away, and what qualities are they to put on instead? [41:12]
In Revelation 5:9 and Ephesians 4:3-6, what words show both the wide diversity and the deep unity of Christ’s church? [44:25]

Interpretation questions

Paul calls the Corinthians “sanctified in Christ Jesus” even though their church had serious problems. How can believers be truly set apart for God while still needing repentance, correction, and growth? [40:36]
If Christ is the cornerstone and believers are being built together into God’s household, why is it incomplete to think of church mainly as a building, denomination, program, or weekly event? [37:05]
Revelation celebrates Christ’s purchase of people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. What kinds of dividing lines might keep believers from living out that reality in a local church? [44:00]
Ephesians calls Christians to maintain the unity of the Spirit. What is the difference between preserving biblical unity and pretending that important differences, sins, or hurts do not exist? [44:25]

Application questions

Do you tend to treat church as the center of faith, as though belonging to the right group saves someone, or as optional to following Jesus? What would it look like to keep Christ at the center while also receiving his people as your family? [34:52]
God calls his people holy and dearly loved, then tells them to put sin to death and put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Which of these “put off” sins or “put on” qualities most affects your relationships in the church right now? What is one concrete change you could make this week? [42:03]
It is easy to connect only with people who are in a similar stage of life, age group, background, or political outlook. Who in the church is outside your usual circle, and what could be a simple first step toward knowing that person better? [45:10]
Fellowship is more than greetings and small talk on Sunday. Are there experiences, needs, struggles, or answered prayers that you have kept hidden from God’s family? What would wise, appropriate sharing with another believer look like? [51:49]
Have you chosen to belong to a local church family in your heart, or do you mainly see yourself as an attender? What difference does that choice make in the way you pray for, speak about, and care for the people in that church? [49:24]
Friendship and deeper fellowship usually grow face to face, “in circles,” through shared time, Scripture, service, and honest conversation. What opportunity could help you take one step deeper: a small group, Bible study, meal, outreach, ministry team, or invitation into your home? [56:22]
A spectator can easily begin saying, “They should do this,” while a partner learns to say, “How can we help?” Where have you noticed a critical spirit growing in your own heart, and how might serving or supporting the church family change that response? [01:02:30]

Sermon Clips

71s

#SmallGroupSunday

“If you are stalled in the outer circle, then how do you make your way the place of friendships developing closer relationships. How do you do that? You do it by placing yourself in some opportunity for that to occur. Next week is a small group Sunday. So many of you or number of you have never been to a small group Sunday. So what happens is, we not only look at the back of people's heads on Sunday morning, but we sit in circles in different rooms throughout the building where we connect with one another face to face. And fellowship is developed not in rows, but in circles.”

75s

#ServeAndBelong

“So if you just settle for having friends in church and never really enter the core of the church, you will develop gradually a critical spirit. They don't do this, and they don't do that. when you get in the game, go down to the field and play, when you become a team member or as the Bible says, a partner, we are partners together working for God. When you become a partner in the game by volunteering to serve on a regular basis and by supporting financially the church. Then something happens in your heart where it's not they, they, they don't do this and they don't do that. It's we,”

50s

#MoveBeyondSunday

“you want to go deeper in relationships with people, it does not happen necessarily on a Sunday morning. It happens in these other environments. And yet, this is not the deepest circle of fellowship. The deepest and most satisfying circle is when we enter the core of the church, and that is when we start doing our part by serving and supporting the church family. A word of caution to all of you, spectators always become critics.”

59s

#BeyondHandshakes

“But sadly, millions of people go to church without really connecting fellowship in any deep way. It happens in large churches, and it happens also in small churches and in medium sized churches. But some relationships, truth be told, in churches are pretty superficial. There may be a handshake or two and some small talk, but is that what's really meant by the fellowship of the saints? The fellowship of the saints is clear in scripture that it is much more than sitting next to somebody and exchanging a few pleasantries on Sunday morning.”

65s

#BridgeGenerations

“we believe that the church is holy and universal, then we should try to cross boundaries and barriers even here in this church. The older saints should get to know the younger saints. The singles should get to know the married saints. Those with little children should get to know those with grown children and make friends with all of them. And we should start practicing crossing barriers if we believe the church is universal. If we can't do it here, then we're just kidding ourselves that we can do it with other churches.”

61s

#ChurchIsPeople

“though we use the term church sometimes to mean an organization or a denomination, the church really is people. When you become born again, when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you automatically become a part of this universal worldwide church. So when we say I believe in the Holy Church, all believers connected to the church. They become a part of the church. we also believe that God's church is holy. And holy means set aside for a special purpose.”

59s

#ChurchFamilyMatters

“So you might think it doesn't matter if you are here on a Sunday morning. But if you are not here on a Sunday morning, I would miss Dan and miss Ally if they were not here. I would miss Daniel and Mia if they were not here. I would miss Steve and Debbie if they were not here. And I long to come and see you and talk with you and share with you things that are happening in in my life and and find out from you what's happening in your life because we really are family. it matters when we gather together if we are here or not.”

87s

#ChooseToBelong

“And entering the circle of fellowship in a local church happens when you decide that you're no longer just an attender and you, in your heart, become a member of that church family. Entering the circle happens when we enter the congregation. When we become a part of that congregation, we choose belong to a local church. And we no longer consider ourselves an attender, but consider ourselves part of that church family. Have you chosen to belong to the church family here at Christ Street Fellowship. Do you identify Christ Street as your church family? If so, you have entered into that deeper circle of fellowship. And if not, I would encourage you to make a decision today to go from just being an attender in your mind to being a member of the church family.”

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