Starting on November 2, we’ll begin a 4-part sermon series on the Nicene Creed.

This year marks 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), the gathering that helped the Church carefully articulate and defend who Scripture reveals Jesus to be: the eternal Son of God, “begotten, not made.” For seventeen centuries, this confession has guided Christians to think rightly about God, worship Him faithfully, and pass the truth of the gospel to the next generation.

But the Creed is more than an artifact of history. It’s a vital confession of the triune God we adore. It reminds us that right belief matters, that doctrine safeguards worship, that salvation depends on the God-man, and that our hope reaches forward to the resurrection and life everlasting.

Together we’ll celebrate how this confession anchors our faith and unites Christ’s people across time and nations—one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one church.

Use the schedule below to read the text in advance. Remember, what you gain from Gathered Worship is related to how much heart preparation you do!

We believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;

who for us and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets;
and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church;
we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and we look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Quick Info on the Nicene Creed

• Adopted: A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicaea; expanded in A.D. 381 at the Council of Constantinople
• Purpose: Convened by Emperor Constantine to restore peace and unity within the Church after years of persecution and growing division over the nature of Christ
• Setting: Held in the city of Nicaea (modern-day İznik, Turkey), the council gathered about 300 bishops from across the ancient world to deliberate together for the Church’s harmony

Major Themes

• The Trinity — The Creed proclaims one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—coequal, coeternal, and worthy of the same glory and worship
• The True Deity of Christ — The Son is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,” sharing the same divine essence as the Father
• The True Humanity of Christ — The eternal Son truly became man for us and for our salvation, taking on flesh to redeem humanity and to bring us into fellowship with God
• The Work of the Spirit — The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, giving life, applying redemption, and sanctifying the church

Series Outline

1. We Believe in One God — Deuteronomy 6:4
2. Begotten, Not Made — John 5:26
3. And Was Made Man — Galatians 4:4-5
4. The Lord and Giver of Life — 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

Key Figures

• Arius: A theologian who denied the eternal divinity of Christ, claiming there was a time when the Son did not exist
• Athanasius: A theologian who rightly affirmed the NT truth that the Son is eternally God and that our salvation depends on his true deity
• Constantine: The Roman emperor who convened the Council of Nicaea, seeking unity in the empire
• The Council Bishops: Nearly three hundred pastors from across the ancient world gathered, confessing with one voice that the Son is “true God of true God, begotten not made.”

Memory Verse

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3 ESV)