Jesus Above All
Notes
Transcript
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossae - background
The Colossian church was not a church that Paul started and even visited.. not even mentioned in the Book of Acts. But it was the result of his three-year ministry in Ephesus.
10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
This is an amazing accomplishment. Asia is not the continent Asia that we know today, it was a Roman province
May this be the story of Crosswind Church. This is a pattern of discipleship.. iTIM and TUMI. This is what fellowship in the church is all about - No “individual Christianity” , just finding their spiritual food in television, radio or podcasts
There were two prominent men who were brought to saving faith in Jesus by Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, Philemon and Epaphras. Who planted the Colossian church.
Why did Paul write to the Colossians? Influx of new ideas from the East
Epaphras, reported to Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome that there was a crisis of false teaching of Gnosticism.
Body is inherently evil
Hidden knowledge only to be attained by the initiated
They challenged the deity of Jesus and had false teachings, astrology, angelic beings..
Like what Paul did, we as a church founded on God’s word should warn against false teachings..
There are even more dangerous teachings in our time - demoting Jesus, he is only one Great teacher
we live in an age that claims “one faith is just as good as another”, “there are so many beliefs”, uniting many schools of thoughts --- they are not denying CHrist but dethroning Him and robbing Him of His rightful place of preeminence.
well-known pastor of a church in Atlanta changed his mind on the Bible, because of his renewed view on homosexuality.. that Jesus may be wrong on this issue. (talk)
The World embraces a Jesus who is “prominent” but not “preeminent”
Preeminent means superior or supreme above all things.
The Preeminence of Jesus.. Jesus is above all because...
Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
One thing Gnosticism teaches is that God is so distant.
talk worship of nature,,,
God is unknowable
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
God is holy, no one can see Him or gaze at Him, story of Isaiah in Isaiah 6
“...He who has seen Me has seen the Father..”
Firstborn of all Creation — He is eternal (talk)
Not Oneness, the invisible attributes of the Father (he is eternal, all powerful, all present, all-knowing) .. Jesus is God
God’s character seen in Jesus - His love - God loves you so very much, and that love is seen in the Lord Jesus
2. Jesus is creator.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
This is why Jesus is the firstborn over all, because He created all.
Jesus Christ is the cause, the power and the purpose behind creation.
Talk about creation, the vastness of the universe
This leads us to bow to Jesus in Holy reverence.
3. Jesus holds all things together.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
He is the One Who unites believers
“Matter is made primarily of space”
gravity, magnetic force, atomic force
Jesus holds all things together.
4. He is the head of the church, which finds her fullness in Him.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Head - Ruler, leader, THE SOURCE
Firstborn from the dead - we just celebrated Easter - THE TOMB became the WOMB!
Firstborn from the dead means that someday we will be like Him in our own resurrection
“That He may have the PREEMINENCE”
PREEMINENCE image here
Jesus is first and above over all things.
We already know that Jesus is first among all things. The important question today is: Is Jesus first in your life?
You need to have an encounter with the Risen Savior
The Resurrection story with Mary Magdalene
“Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
DON’T YOU JUST LOVE JESUS?
He wants to commune with us
FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE HEARD TODAY ABOUT THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST, HE REACHED DOWN TO US!
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
He draws us to repentance.