What We Believe – Part THREE (September 28, 2025)
Sermon Outline for Sunday, September 28, 2025
PASSAGES: Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:15-17; Acts 2:4; Matthew 28:19
For the month of September, we are going to be looking at the Declaration of Faith in the Church of God. This is the core of what we believe, not only as a Christian, but also as a church, being a part of the Church of God. Please note, everything that we believe MUST be backed up by Scripture and we are looking at not only what we believe, but WHY we believe.
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) ~ 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.”
- In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.
- There are three great Scriptures that deal with the doctrine or teaching of the Holy Spirit at length.
- The Identity of the Holy Spirit and who He is (John 14:15-26)
- The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-15)
- The Power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-17)
- John 14:15–17 ~ “15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
- Jesus is spending His last hours He will have on earth with His apostles and is covering several major subjects they (and we) need to grasp, revealing and filling them with the truths that will help them through the upcoming trials they are to face.
- The greatest heal the believers are to receive is the very presence of God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit, His identity, who He is.
- He is the Counselor, the Comforter, the other Helper (vv.15–16).
- He is the Spirit of truth (v.17).
- He is the personal presence of Christ (vv.18–20).
- He is the very special manifestation of Christ within the believer (vv.21–22).
- He is the abiding presence of the Trinity (vv.23–24).
- He is the Holy Spirit, the Teacher (vv.25–26).
- There are three great Scriptures that deal with the doctrine or teaching of the Holy Spirit at length.
- In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
- It is a divine-human communication in which the believer speaks in exact response to the mind of the Holy Spirit. The believer is powerless to speak without this responsive relationship with the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:4 ~ “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
- There is a differences in the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:28-33) and this “other tongues” found here in Acts 2:4.
- “Other Tongues” definitely means foreign languages; the disciples were supernaturally witnessing and preaching in the languages of the different nationalities gathering together.
- Part of the meaning behind this outpouring was to be a correlation back to the Tower of Babel. God is bringing people back together.
- And there can be no doubt that the disciples were flooded with joy, an ecstatic worshipful joy. They now knew the most wonderful things …
- Christ was in them, His Spirit had actually entered into their hearts and lives. Their wonderful Lord had returned to them just as He had said He would.
- They were filled with a deep sense of His presence and power, His concern and love for the world, His courage and drive to share the great news of the glorious gospel.
- In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
- Matthew 28:19 ~ “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,”
- Baptism is of crucial importance. Christ says that it is as essential as teaching, despite the fact that it is a one-time act. It is as much a part of the commission of Christ as discipling and teaching. Christ is definitely teaching that baptism is to be the immediate sign and the identifying sign that a person is now stepping out of the heathen (unbelieving) ranks and taking his stand with Christ.
- Baptism “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” means more than just saying a formula as one is baptized, much more. It means …
- a statement of faith: of belief in God as the true Father of Jesus Christ; of belief in Christ as the true Son of God, the Savior of the world; of belief in the Holy Spirit as the Comforter of the believer.
- a commitment to follow God: to follow Him as revealed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Andy Lambert
Call/Text: 205.642.8744 ext 101