One holy catholic and apostolic Church

"We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church." Wait, we believe in the Catholic Church? I thought we were Protestant! The Nicene Creed echoes the language of almost every creed in church history using this wording to confess belief in the doctrine of the church. If we interpret the word "catholic" as speaking of an institution, we do have a problem. But the church was never an institution---it was always the assembly of the redeemed people. The word catholic means "universal", the affirmation that in Christ, God has purchased a people for Himself. Our confession is that the church of Jesus is unified in the Gospel, global and diverse, and built on the foundation of the Apostles. Local churches are visible outposts of the universal church. In this light, we do believe in One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic church made up of those who have believed and been baptized for the forgiveness of sin. This morning we will take a look at the doctrine of the church, and hopefully, come to realize the importance of participation in a local church for our spiritual well being.