Why We Confess: Understanding the Nicene Creed

Aug 24, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Baptizing in Threefold Name, Making Known the Unknown

Jesus’ final command anchors discipleship in concrete confession: baptize new believers into the triune God’s name. This isn’t religious jargon but a radical invitation to introduce others to the Father’s creative power, the Son’s sacrificial love, and the Spirit’s sustaining presence. Like the disciples on that Galilean mountain, we’re called to name what we’ve seen – even when mystery remains. Our commission thrives not on perfect explanations but on pointing to the God who defies containment. [21:42]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
(Matthew 28:19, ESV)

Reflection: When have you hesitated to explain the Trinity to someone? How might embracing mystery rather than mastery free you to share God’s nature more boldly?

Day 2: Begotten, Not Made – When Words Guard Wonder

The Nicene Creed’s precise language about Christ being “begotten, not made” preserves the scandal of incarnation. Like ancient scribes measuring temple curtains, these phrases protect holy ground. They remind us theology isn’t wordplay but worship – safeguarding the truth that the carpenter from Nazareth existed before creation yet chose skin and splinters. Every syllable defends the miracle: God became approachable without ceasing to be eternal. [23:11]

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
(John 1:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: Which aspect of Jesus’ nature feels most wondrous to you today – his eternal divinity or his earthly humanity? How does this tension deepen your worship?

Day 3: Dust and Deity – Why Creation Demands Confession

God shaped Adam from mud yet breathed His image into him. This paradox echoes in the Creed’s opening lines – the Almighty crafts galaxies yet kneels to form fingerprints. To confess “Maker of heaven and earth” is to reject both cold deism and chaotic chance. Every daisy and DNA strand becomes a discipleship tool, proving our God authors stories in atoms and eras. [26:31]

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
(Genesis 1:26-27, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you most clearly see God’s dual nature as transcendent Creator and intimate Potter? How does this shape your prayers?

Day 4: Waffle House Wisdom – Discipleship’s Unscripted Curriculum

True theology leaks through 4 AM conversations and spilled coffee. Like the pastor mentored over hash browns, we learn God’s heart not just in creeds but in how saints apologize, parent, and wrestle with doubt. The Great Commission’s “teach them to observe” happens as much around dinner tables as pulpits. Every ordinary moment becomes seminary when washed in triune love. [44:50]

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV)

Reflection: Whose daily faithfulness has taught you more about God than any sermon? How can you intentionally learn from their “ordinary” walk this week?

Day 5: Kneeling Before Mystery – Where Theology Meets Doxology

The transfiguration’s blinding glory didn’t produce theological debates but facedown worship. Like Peter on that holy mountain, our deepest confessions should leave us speechless yet singing. Creeds aren’t exams to pass but altars where we trade analysis for awe. For when we’ve said all the right words about God, we’ve only begun to know Him. [39:27]

“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.”
(Matthew 17:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: When has theological study moved you from mental assent to heartfelt worship? How can you approach God’s mysteries with both reverence and joy today?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 28 sets the frame with the risen Christ saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Christ gives the clear command to go and make disciples of all nations, and that command includes baptizing them “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The name of the triune God is not a side issue for disciple making. The God being confessed is the God new believers must come to know, love, worship, and obey.

The Nicene Creed stands as a tool for saying what Scripture has already revealed. The creed does not sit above the Bible, beside the Bible, or in place of the Bible. The Bible alone is the inerrant and infallible word of God, but the creed summarizes what God has made known about himself. The confession matters because God has revealed himself, and theology begins where God has spoken, not where human imagination starts painting pictures.

The history behind the creed shows how dangerous careless speech about God can become. Arius did not simply wake up and decide to deceive people. The error grew from trying to hold certain truths while neglecting others, especially regarding the eternal deity of the Son. False teaching often comes through an attempt to balance truth without submitting every thought to the whole counsel of God. The creed says the church can believe more than its words, but not less.

Theology, then, is not mainly a room full of books and somebody trying to master God. Theology looks more like Moses before the burning bush, shoes off, face down, listening. Theology looks like the disciples at the transfiguration, seeing Moses and Elijah through Jesus and falling before glory. The more God is known truly, the more worship becomes the right response.

Faith also needs an object. Faith is not a vague feeling or a religious mood. Faith rests in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not merely in benefits God gives. The cross, salvation, and hope all matter because the living God stands behind them and gives himself through them.

Discipleship is not just passing along concepts. Christ commands teaching that leads to obedience, worship, and a transformed life. The picture of discipleship at 4AM in Waffle House and around a dinner table shows that truth is learned in Scripture, but also seen in a life shaped by Christ. The creed helps the church teach creation, salvation, the Spirit’s work, the church, resurrection, and the hope of life to come.

Key Takeaways

1. God reveals himself for worship God has not left his people to guess, imagine, or invent him. God has spoken because he cares, because he loves, and because human creatures were made to know him. A creed only helps when it sends the heart back to the God who has revealed himself in Scripture. [37:08]
2. Faith needs the right object Faith is not a feeling floating in the air. Faith rests in the real God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one who saves, sustains, and makes himself known. Even salvation itself must not become the final object of trust, because the joy of salvation is God himself. [46:58]
3. Theology should kneel before glory Theology is not mainly about mastering hard concepts or winning arguments. True theology looks like Moses before the burning bush, shoes off, on his knees, listening to God speak. Knowledge that does not become worship has missed the very reason God gave truth. [38:34]
4. Discipleship forms a whole life Disciple making is more than handing someone the right answers. Truth must be taught in a way that forms obedience, worship, repentance, family life, and daily faithfulness. A life shaped by Christ often teaches alongside the open Bible. [45:44]
5. Orthodoxy must be intentionally handed down Right belief in a local church does not happen by accident. A healthy church in one generation can drift in the next if truth is not taught, loved, and lived. Children, new believers, and struggling saints need more theology aimed at worship, not less.

## [56:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[18:31] - Introducing the Nicene Creed Series
[19:44] - Matthew 28 and the Great Commission
[21:07] - Why Confess a Creed?
[22:23] - Reading the Nicene Creed
[25:36] - God Has Revealed Himself
[30:10] - Nicaea and the Trinity
[35:34] - The Creed Under Scripture
[38:34] - Theology at the Burning Bush
[41:02] - Faith Rests in God
[43:33] - Discipleship as Life Together
[51:47] - Christ Commands Teaching Others
[56:27] - Orthodoxy Requires Intention
[59:30] - The Creed as Redemption’s Story
[62:37] - Hearing the Nicene Creed Again

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” [20:12]

Exodus 3:1-6
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” [38:34]

Matthew 17:1-8
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and have no fear.’ And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.” [39:17]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28:18-20, what actions does Jesus command his disciples to do, and what threefold name is used in baptism? [21:52]
In Exodus 3:1-6, what does Moses do when God reveals himself at the burning bush, and what does that scene show about how a person responds to God’s holiness? [38:47]
In Matthew 17:1-8, what happens when the disciples see Jesus in glory, and how does the passage end? [40:28]
What were some concrete pictures of discipleship given: early mornings over an open Bible, time around a dinner table, and watching a believer’s daily life? [44:33]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says disciples are to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Why does that suggest that knowing the triune God is central to disciple-making, not a side topic? [38:04]
If theology begins where God has spoken, how should that shape the way a church answers questions like, “Who is God?” or “What is faith?” [37:38]
Arius tried to make sense of certain truths about God while neglecting others. What warning does that give about handling doctrine carefully and teaching the whole counsel of God? [33:28]
Matthew 28 joins teaching with obedience: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” What does that show about the difference between merely passing along information and actually making disciples? [42:30]

Application questions

Faith needs the right object. When personal fears rise, what is most often being trusted in that moment: God himself, or mainly the benefits he gives such as peace, help, or relief? [47:10]
Theology should lead to worship, not just more words. What is one way time in Scripture could become more like Moses before the burning bush—slower, humbler, and more ready to listen? [39:04]
Right belief does not drift into the next generation by accident. Where could more intentional conversations about God happen this week—with children, a newer believer, a friend, or a struggling saint? [56:39]
Disciple-making forms a whole life. Who has been helped most by seeing another Christian’s life up close, and where might that same kind of life-on-life encouragement be offered to someone else? [45:44]
Sometimes the most honest answer is, “I don’t know, but let’s look at God’s Word together.” Is there a question about God or the Trinity that has been avoided out of uncertainty, and what would it look like to start that conversation humbly? [54:00]
A healthy church is not mainly a place with a few informed people, but a people who love God and help each other follow him. What would it look like to move one church relationship beyond small talk into real spiritual help? [58:18]
The truths of creation, salvation, the Spirit’s work, the church, resurrection, and the life to come can all be handed down clearly. Which of those truths feels easiest to talk about, and which one feels hardest to explain to someone else? [01:04:34]

Sermon Clips

66s

#TheologyForWorship

“But if I can, the solution to a cold faith and even the solution to a new faith is not less truth of God, but more. A dying church does not need less theology. It probably needs more theology. A a suffering saint does not need less theology. They need more theology. An unreached people group doesn't need less theology. They need more. But in every circumstance, it's theology aimed at worship. The more you and I worship, the more joy we experience in God because that's how we were created. So God is the destination of all theology. Worship is the proper action of all proper theology. Doctrinal truths are the means to get there. That's how we get there. That's how we make disciples.”

45s

#KneelAndListen

“The proper approach to theology is like the scene of Moses at the burning bush. What do we do when we're faced with God revealing himself? Well, in some sense, we take off our shoes, and we get on our knees, and we listen. I I think there's an image up there that that's that is the picture. Theology is not primarily the picture of being in a room surrounded by a bunch of books with glasses on the end of your nose saying, look at all that I've mastered. Instead, it's more of a picture of Moses before the burning bush on his knees, face down, listening to the word of God.”

34s

#ScriptureFirst

“The bible alone is the inerrant and infallible word. The creed is not inerrant and infallible. The bible is the only inspired revelation of God, but at the end of the day, we believe that all the truths and the creed reflect what God has revealed. So theology does not begin with our search for God. It doesn't begin with our effort to find God. It begins with where God himself has revealed himself.”

52s

#BeliefThatTransforms

“So so so my question for us is, even as we go through this, is we could articulate all these things all day long, but has our life actually been impacted by it? Are we actually changed by who God is? Are we changed by our understanding of who the father, son, and holy spirit is? So our confession is not we have mastered, instead it's we believe, and that belief changes everything about us. So we're not giving a discourse. We're not just trying to attain knowledge. We're actually confessing the one whom we love. We're we're confessing the one who we worship. We're we're confessing the one who changed our life.”

44s

#CreedReflectsScripture

“So we confess this creed, not because these councils developed an idea of who God is. We don't confess this creed because majority of churches just decided who god is. We confess the creed because it falls in line with the teachings of scripture. So the creed we confess is what God has revealed in his word. The creed does not in any way supersede scripture. It doesn't come equal to scripture, and we never set it above scripture in any manner. But it is the summarization of what God has revealed.”

62s

#TeachingForTransformation

“Disciple making is part teaching, but it's teaching for the purpose that their lives would be transformed through that teaching. Our goal is not to just add people who know they are supposed to be here. Our goal is to add people who are here because now they know who to worship. That's the whole goal. That's the goal of sharing the gospel and pouring into people. In the same way for teachers, the goal is not simply, hey, do you know the bare minimum of what you need to know? It's have I equipped you in learning that you can go beyond here to know even more than what I'm able to teach you. In the same way, disciple making does not have an end of let me teach you the foundational things. So if I can, even at the end of the day, if you teach somebody the Nicene Creed, that's not the end. It's teaching them how to live.”

46s

#GospelLeadsToWorship

“There's nothing I can do to convince them to sing except teach them who God is. There there's nothing I can do to conve sure. We could force them to open the and and and sing. We can force them to move their mouths. We can force them to do all that. But if the goal is simply to sing voices aloud, then that's fine. But the goal is not for our voices to just make noise. It's for us to worship God. And the only way lost and dying people will do that is if you share the gospel with them and then teach them the beauties of the gospel. That's what disciple making looks like.”

68s

#FaithInGodNotThings

“And if faith is the is what we're after, a faith in who he is, then we have to understand faith requires an object. Faith is not just a feeling we have. It's not the butterflies that you feel whenever you're around your crush. Faith faith we we actually have faith in someone, not something that's randomly out there, not in something that we make up. We actually have faith in a god who is real and a god who we can know. So the object of our faith is not even just our salvation itself. I think if we're not careful, that's kind of maybe what we get at. Well, my faith is in my salvation. If I could press this even more, our faith is not even in the cross itself. Our faith is in the god who does all those things. If our joy is in god and not the things he offers, our faith is not in the things he offers, but in who he is.”

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Central Fellowship Baptist Church Macon / WR This sermon · AI assistant

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