Dig Deeper - Sunday 6th July 2025
Sermon Reflection Questions - We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Creed - The Church - One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Matthew 16:13-20
Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 6th July service:
Is church still worth it?
Many people today ask that question. Some feel closest to God on a mountain walk. Others
have drifted away after being hurt by gossip or disappointed by change. Some feel the warmth
of belonging, while others feel like outsiders, unsure if they still fit.
And yet, the Nicene Creed—a foundational Christian statement written in AD 325—makes a
bold claim: We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Why does this ancient phrase matter? Because it reminds us that the Church isn’t a human
invention. It’s Jesus’ idea, Jesus’ project, and Jesus’ people.
Let’s explore four key questions to understand why the Church matters.
1. Why Believe in the Church?
In Matthew 16, Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter replies, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus responds, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.”
He doesn’t say “a church.” He says my Church. This is the one thing Jesus explicitly said He
would build. So even when church feels messy or hard, Jesus still believes in it—and invites us
to do the same.
To love Jesus is to love what He loves. And He loves the Church.
2. What Is the Church?
The Church isn’t a building or a service—it’s a people. It’s made up of those who believe in
Jesus, follow Him, and belong to one another.
The New Testament word for church is ekklesia, meaning “called out ones.” We are called out
of darkness into light, from isolation into community. As 1 Peter 2 says, we are “living stones”
being built into a spiritual house.
The Church is Christ’s Body. If you belong to Jesus, you belong to His Body—His family.
Yes, it matters which church you’re part of. Look for one that teaches the Bible, centres on
Jesus, and helps you grow in faith.
3. What Makes a Church Healthy?
The Nicene Creed gives us four marks:
• One – We are united across cultures and denominations. Unity in Jesus doesn’t erase
our differences but binds us together in love.
• Holy – We’re called to be different from the world. Not perfect, but set apart. God
shapes us into His likeness through His Spirit.
• Catholic – That means “universal.” The Church spans all times and places. You’re part
of something global and ancient—bigger than you realise.
• Apostolic – We’re grounded in the teaching of the apostles, found in Scripture. We don’t
make up truth—we receive it and pass it on.
These four marks help us recognise when a church is spiritually alive, faithful, and nourishing.
4. What Is the Church’s Hope?
Our culture is full of anxiety, loneliness, and moral confusion. It often offers freedom without
meaning, choice without purpose.
But the Church proclaims something different: forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life.
The Nicene Creed ends by saying, “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the
world to come.”
In Jesus, we are not defined by our past. We are forgiven. And our future is not uncertain—it is
resurrection life with Him.
Discussion Questions to reflect on:
Take a few moments to consider these questions:
Why do you think Jesus chose to build His Church through people like Peter—flawed
but faithful?
2. How has your personal experience with church shaped your view of Jesus?
3. Read 1 Peter 2:4–9. What does it mean for you to be a “living stone”? How are you
being built into God’s house?
4. Which of the four marks of the Church (one, holy, catholic, apostolic) do you think St
John’s reflects well? Where could it grow?
5. How can you help protect unity in your local church, especially among people who are
very different from you?
6. Who in your life needs to hear the Church’s message of forgiveness and hope? How
could you share that with them this week?
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for building Your Church and inviting us to be part of it.
Thank You for calling us out of darkness into Your marvellous light.
Help us to love Your Church, even when it’s messy.
Grow us into a people who are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—
united in love, rooted in truth, and filled with hope.
In Your name we pray, Amen.
