I Believe in God

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I Believe in God

Pastor Jeff McNicol begins the “I Believe: How Belief Behaves” series with a humorous look at odd beliefs—like the moon landing hoax or the conspiracy about Paul McCartney’s death hinted at in the Abbey Road album cover. Delivered the week after Easter at Pathway Church, this sermon dives into the Evangelical Free Church of America’s (EFCA) statement of faith, focusing on its first point about God. The message urges us to not only understand our beliefs but to live them out.

1. The Preamble

Our world holds many strange beliefs—some think Area 51 hides UFOs, others believe birds are surveillance drones or that Elvis, who’d be 90 this year, is still alive. At Pathway, the focus is on the core beliefs of the congregation, combating a “theological lag” in churches today. Titus 2:1 instructs, “You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.” The “I Believe: How Belief Behaves” series examines the church’s statement of faith, emphasizing that true belief leads to action—if we’re not living it, do we really believe it?

Pathway belongs to the EFCA, an association of about 1,500 autonomous churches in the US, united by shared theological convictions. The preamble to the statement of faith reads, “The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions,” followed by 10 points. While Pathway governs itself—deciding on vision, budgets, and staffing locally—it shares this statement with other EFCA churches, balancing autonomy with association.

2. The Point: God

The sermon centers on the first point of the EFCA statement of faith: “We believe in one God, creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for himself and to make all things new for his own glory.” Pastor Jeff aims to make this statement approachable, breaking it down to erase any intimidation and help us grasp its meaning.

3. The Distinctives

Pastor Jeff unpacks the statement by highlighting several key distinctives about God, each rooted in Scripture.

3.1. One God

The statement affirms monotheism. Deuteronomy 4:35 says, “You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God, beside him there is no other,” echoed by Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” and Jesus in Mark’s gospel. Isaiah 46:9 adds, “I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me.” Unlike other monotheistic religions (e.g., Islam, Mormonism), our God’s grace, love, mercy, and salvation set Him apart.

3.2. Creator of All Things

Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” making everything from nothing—sun, stars, rivers, oceans, animals, and the intricate human body, proof of an intelligent Creator. The EFCA holds this as a core truth but allows flexibility on creation’s mechanics (e.g., six literal days or longer periods), focusing on unity in essentials while permitting diversity in secondary matters like the tribulation.

3.3. Holy and Infinitely Perfect

Isaiah 6:3 proclaims, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory.” God’s holiness separates Him from sinful humanity, as Habakkuk 1:13 states, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.” Jesus bridged this gap through His death, as discussed last week (point five).

3.4. Eternal

God is uncreated, eternal. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were born and you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” He has no beginning or end.

3.5. Loving

1 John 4:8 states, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” God embodies love’s qualities—patience, kindness, perseverance—perfectly. Romans 5:8 adds, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” a depth of love shown in sacrificing His Son.

3.6. A Loving Unity of Three Persons

The Trinity—one God in three persons—is evident in Genesis 1:26, “Let us make mankind in our image,” and John 1:1, 14, where the Word (Jesus) is God and became flesh. Acts 5:3-4 equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God. For deeper study, Pastor Jeff recommends Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

3.7. Limitless Knowledge and Sovereign Power

God is omniscient and omnipotent—nothing escapes His knowledge, and His power ensures His will is done, though He allows human free will.

3.8. Redeeming a People

God’s purpose is salvation for peoples, from the Israelites in Genesis 12 to the church in the New Testament. Revelation 7:9-10 envisions, “A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language,” worshiping God.

3.9. Making All Things New

Revelation 21:1 promises a new heaven and earth, restored from sin’s ravages—a future hope.

3.10. For His Own Glory

Romans 11:36 says, “For from him and through him and for him are all things, to him be the glory forever.” God’s actions—from creation to redemption—glorify Him, stirring us to worship.

4. So What?

If we believe these truths, they must shape our actions. Pastor Jeff offers three steps to live this out.

4.1. Submit to God’s Call on Your Life

The Trinity models submission—Jesus followed the Father’s will, saying in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” and the Spirit guides believers. We must submit, immersing ourselves in God’s word to know His will. Ignoring His call (e.g., to fast or change direction) rejects His authority.

4.2. Love as God Loves

1 John 4:7-8 urges, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God, whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” The Trinity’s selfless, sacrificial love calls us to transform relationships—breaking negative patterns with a spouse or loving others. Without this, belief is mere intellect, as even demons believe but lack fruit (James 2:19).

4.3. Live for God’s Glory

Chasing self-glory brings fleeting fulfillment, but glorifying God aligns us with our purpose. True meaning comes from living for Him, as all glory is His.

A Call to Live It Out

Pastor Jeff urges us to declare, “I believe in God,” and let it transform us—submitting, loving, and glorifying Him. If we believe He’s sovereign, holy, and redeeming, we must humble ourselves, letting His truth shape our lives and relationships, all for His glory.

SERMON DETAILS

Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: I Believe
Sermon Title: I Believe in God
Date: Apr 27, 2025

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Titus 2:1

• Deuteronomy 4:35

• Deuteronomy 6:4

• Isaiah 46:9

• Genesis 1:1

• Isaiah 6:3

• Habakkuk 1:13

• Psalm 90:2

• 1 John 4:8

• Romans 5:8

• Genesis 1:26

• Isaiah 6:8

• Romans 1:7

• John 1:1

• John 1:14

• Acts 5:3-4

• Revelation 7:9-10

• Romans 11:36

• John 4:34

• 1 John 4:7-8

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