Apostles' Creed - Lesson 15: Amen.

Apostles' Creed

Lesson 15: Amen.

I believe in God, the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord;

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

Born of the virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, dead and buried.

He descended into hell,

And on the third day he rose again;

He ascended into heaven,

Where he is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father, Almighty,

Whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

The holy, catholic church,

The communion of saints,

The forgiveness of sins,

The resurrection of the body,

And the life everlasting.

Amen.

John 13:17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

The Main Points for This Lesson:

The purpose of this series of lessons is, using the Apostles' Creed, to teach the essential teachings of the Christian faith and what it means to believe them. To state it simply, the goal is to teach what we believe and what it means to believe it.

In the Apostles' Creed we confess the essential teachings of the Christian faith. We confess them as what we believe. Hence, it begins with “I believe,” and ends with “amen.” Faith, or believing, has two important parts: 1) agreement or assent; 2) surrender of our will. Both parts are necessary to the faith that pleases God. The Christian life not merely statements and facts that we can recite well. It is believing things that change our life and change how we live in this world and what we live for. We begin the Apostles' Creed by saying that we agree and surrender our will to these things (“I believe”), and conclude by saying truly, so be it, I agree (“amen”). We must be careful that our belief goes beyond our mouth, that we believe these things with our very life each day in how we live. God rewards those who have such faith.

The essential teachings of the Christian faith are life-changing for those who believe them. Yet, too often, we may think and talk about such things as the resurrection, the judgment, the Holy Spirit, the life everlasting, etc., and not see a connection between the things we are discussing and the changed life such things call for. For this reason, I have tried to connect in these lessons what we believe with what it means for us in our living to believe this.

If we believe in God the Father, we will not be anxious but trust our almighty Father – that he has cared for us, is caring for us, and will care for us. We will walk in the fear of God. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we will call him lord and obey what he says. Believing in Jesus, we will follow him to eternal life through the path of death, death to myself and to sin, and live to God. We are saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). If we believe in the Holy Spirit, we will be sure to receive the Holy Spirit, and having him, not quench the Spirit. Thus we will repent, be baptized and obey the commands of our Lord, for such receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 5:32).

We will live according to what we believe. If we really believe these things we will live according to them. If we believe the lies of this world, we will live according to them, no matter what we say we believe with our mouth.

One goal of this series of lessons has been to teach the essential teachings of the Christian faith. Much more than that, I desire that all who read this can with their mouth and with their lives and living say “I believe” and “amen” to these things.

Suggestions:

Remind the children that we are using the Apostles' Creed to teach the essential teachings of the Christian faith, that is, what we believe and what it means to believe it. Read through the Apostles' Creed with the children.

For the purpose of these lessons, we have broken the creed into twelve parts. Let the children know that we have talked about all twelve parts, and today we will talk about the end: amen.

Cover up the Apostles' Creed on the wall. Ask the children if they can tell you what the creed begins with? (I believe.) What does the creed end with? (Amen.) Remind them that the purpose of the creed is not to simply recite a list of facts, but to say what we believe.

Ask the children if they can tell you what it means to believe? Help them to understand the two parts of agreeing with something and surrendering your will to that. If your parents tell you not to do something, or they will discipline you in some way, you can agree that such is true. Will you obey or disobey? Obeying would be surrendering your will to this.

Ask the children what amen means? Explain to them that it means truly, or so be it, or I agree. So at the end of the creed we are again saying that we agree with it. We should agree with our mouth, and also with how we live.

Tell the story (brief summary) of the ten virgins. Use this story to show that all ten knew the bridegroom was coming. Asked them who also surrendered their will to this?

Tell the story (brief summary) of the master who gave money to three servants. Use this story to show that all three knew what the master was like. Asked them who also surrendered their will to this?

Read the story of the two blind men in Matthew 9:27-31. Did the blind men believe? How do you know? Ask the children what would happen if Jesus said to us, according to your faith be it done to you? What would happen at the judgment day if Jesus said that? What door would open? Do we believe with both our mouth and with our lives by obeying?

To close the lesson, pray with the children and have all the children read the Lord's prayer together.

Stories:

Matthew 25:1-13 – The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins.

All ten virgins knew the bridegroom was coming. All ten could agree to this statement. Only five surrendered their will in relation to this. In surrendering their will, they lived in such a way that when the bridegroom did come they were ready, and were received into his presence. The five who could agree, yet did not surrender their will, surrendering their will to other goals, were not ready for the coming of the bridegroom, and were rejected and kept from his presence at his coming.

Matthew 25:14-30 – The master gives talents to three servants.

All three servants knew the master. They could all describe what their master was like. Two servants, along with mental agreement, surrendered their will according to their knowledge (vv16-17). They made choices and acted such that the master was pleased with them at his return, and they were praised, rewarded and received into the joy of their master. The third servant, while knowing what his master was like, did not surrender his will in accordance with what he knew of his master (v18). Upon his return, the master rebuked this servant and cast him out to outer darkness.

Matthew 9:27-31 [27] As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!” [28] When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.” [29] Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” [30] Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” [31] But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

We must confess with our mouth, yet that is not the completion or end of faith. We must believe with our heart. We must believe with our very lives and with how we live each day. These two blind men could confess with their mouth that Jesus was able to heal them, to give them sight. Their faith was more than the words of their mouth, for when Jesus said, “According to your faith be it done to you,” their eyes were opened.

If Jesus were to say to us, according to your faith be it done to you, what would be done to us? If on the judgment day, the great Judge were to say “according to your faith be it done to you,” which door would open to us? Would the door of heaven, or the door to hell swing open to receive us?

Is our believing like that of the five wise virgins and the two good servants, or is our believing like that of the five foolish virgins and like the third servant who knew the master and his will, but didn't do it?

More Stories and Examples:

1 Kings 11:1-13 [1] Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; [2] of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon joined to these in love. [3] He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. [4] When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father. [5] For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. [6] Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father. [7] Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. [8] So he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. [9] Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, [10] and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded. [11] Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, “Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. [12] Notwithstanding I will not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. [13] However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

The Lord was angry with Solomon. Solomon knew but did not live. He could agree with the truth in his mind, but did not surrender his will to obey.

Hebrews 11:8-9 [8] By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. [9] By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

Mark 9:23-24 [23] Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” [24] Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL

Matthew 9:20-22 [20] Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; [21] for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.” [22] But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

Mark 5:21-43 [34] He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.” [36] But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”

[Luke 8:40-56]

Mark 10:46-52 – Bartimaeus

Your faith has made you well.

Matthew 8:5-13 [5] When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him, [6] and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.” [7] Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” [8] The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” [10] When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. [11] I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, [12] but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [13] Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.

Matthew 15:21-28 [21] Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. [22] Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” [23] But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.” [24] But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [25] But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.” [26] But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” [27] But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” [28] Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Other Verses:

Luke 6:46-49 [46] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? [47] Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. [48] He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. [49] But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Luke 11:27-28 [27] It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” [28] But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

1 Peter 1:17 If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear: