Preeminence of Christ

Introduction:

As we continue through our church covenant and our Series on the One another’s, we come to the phrase “We Will make Christ FIRST IN ALL THINGS BOTH SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL”

This idea of making someone more important than ourselves goes against every human fiber in our natural bodies doesn't it?

We are by nature selfish people we are by our human nature self righteous self centered and self pleasing people.

So for us to put anyone or anything above ourselves as the center of our lives requires something that is not natural to us as humans..

As we look around at the world we live in, Everyone does what they think is best for their own lives- Just look at the news-

it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds us.

It can be tempting to think that everything is out of control and that there is no hope for the future of humanity.

But as believers, we have a truth that can anchor our souls and give us a reason to hope -

And that Truth that keeps us together when everything around us seems to be failing apart is the truth- that Christ is preeminent over all things.

PREEMINENT: means - Before all others, Superior to all others, Surpassing all others.

This morning my desire is that we as a church understand why Jesus Should be first in our lives.

and How we do this is by fully grasping the Supremacy Jesus has over all things.

The reality is this- that ever since the garden of Eden Man has tried to live his life outside of the design God intended, Mankind as a whole has ignored the supremacy Jesus has over over things.

And unless we put Jesus in His rightful place in our own lives we cannot escape the fear and uncertainty of this world.

PAUSE

I can think of no better passage of scripture when it comes to the supremacy of Jesus than Colossians chapter 1.

Read Colossians 1:15-20

Colossians 1:15–20 (ESV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Jesus is not merely a historical figure, He was not just a good, righteous teacher that walked this earth , but the very center of all things.

He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and the one through whom all things were created. (Revelation 1:8, John 1:3)

Without the Preeminence of Jesus Everything in your life would fall apart.

This is why we need to make Him first in our lives

look with me a gain at verse 15 where we see that.....

Jesus is Preeminent over All Creation

The Image of the Invisible God (v. 15)

When the Bible describes Jesus as the "image of the invisible God," it is speaking of His nature and character. Its describing Who Jesus is as a Being.

The Greek word here for "image" is "eikon," which means an exact representation or likeness.

In other words, Christ is the perfect representation of God the Father in human form.

God exists beyond the physical world, and His nature is beyond our human comprehension.

Yet, it is through Jesus, that God has revealed Himself to us in a way that we can humanly understand.

God Manifested Himself in an exact representation in a form that we could see and understand.

This is why In John 14:9, Jesus says, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

In other words, when we look at Christ, we see a perfect reflection of God's perfect character and nature.

Think about it. Through Christ’s life, and through His teachings, He showed us what God’s unchanging character and nature is - loving, merciful, just, and compassionate and righteous.

Not only is Jesus the image of God but He is the....

Jesus is the Firstborn Over all Things (creation) (v. 15)

READ Colossians 1: 15 again....

There are some religions out there that use this verse as proof that Jesus is not equal with God but the firstborn Creation of God.

This is a very bad theology- This is a gross misinterpretation of Gods word.

If Jesus was only a creation and not the creator, He would have no authority over creations eternal destiny. But we know this is not true

Paul uses The term "firstborn" in this passage in the context of ancient Israelite culture.

He uses the word “FIRSTBORN” to paint a picture for His audience so that they could fully grasp the authority Jesus has in their lives.

The Jewish Audience knew that The title firstborn wasn’t necessarily a description of chronological birth order. In their culture it had a much deeper meaning

It carries with it the idea of first in priority, first in rank, and first in inheritance rights.

To be the first born meant that you recieved all the power and authority to carry on form your father.

Take Solomon for Example.

He was not David’s Oldest Son, in Fact, He was 10th down the list- He had 10 older brothers, and Yet, He was the one who recieved the rights of the firstborn Son. He recieved David’s Blessing, David’s throne and David’s Inheritance.

Just Like Solomon was placed above all his brothers in priority, authority and inheritance

Our Text in Colossians says Jesus is the "firstborn of all creation," .

He ranks #1 above all creation, There is no one above Him.

In other words, Paul is telling his readers, that Jesus is the supreme ruler over all that was created, and that all creation exists for him and through him.

Look at what Paul says in the next two verses ...

Colossians 1:16–17 (ESV)

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Paul continues to paint a powerful picture of the preeminence of Jesus over all creation.

Not Only is Jesus God Himself, Not Only is He first in order, first in Rank, and First in Power, But He is the creator of all things.

Do you grasp what these verses are saying to us today?

The Reason Jesus is preeminent over creation is because ...

Jesus is the Creator of All things

He spoke the universe into existence

This why David Wrote in Psalm 33:6-9

Psalm 33:6–9 (ESV)

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

Jesus is preeminent because He is the creator of all things

Paul goes on to tell us that Jesus didn't just create but that he rules over His creation

Jesus is the ruler of all things.

Read vs 16 again..

The phrase "thrones or powers or rulers or authorities" refers to all the different levels of authority and power that exist in the visible world and the invisible world- from earthly kings and presidents to heavenly angelic beings and spiritual forces.

Jesus Created them All

and this means that All of these powers are subject to His authority, and he rules over them with wisdom and justice.

Ephesians 1:20–21 (ESV)

20 God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Philippians 2:9–10 (ESV)

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Church Family -Jesus is Supreme because There is no name Above Him, there is no authority a greater than Jesus,

there is no human government that has any power except that Jesus grants it to them.

He alone is supreme over all authority.

Transition: Not Only Is Jesus the creator, Not only Is Jesus the supreme authority over all creation… Look with me at verse 17...

Colossians 1:17 (ESV)

17 And he is before all things [the first born], and in him all things hold together.

Jesus is the sustainer of all things.

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV) tells us that

3 He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, [ a familiar word- “eikon," an exact representation of the triune God.] and [what does he do?] he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus holds the universe together by the word of his power.

This means that his involvement in creation is not just limited to its inception.

He didn’t just create the universe and leave it . We do not have a distant God But a God who lovingly continues to hold all things together.

- he is actively sustaining it every moment of every day.

Illustration:

Think about a watch maker- He spends hours upon hours upon hours carefully and meticulously creating His watches. He wants them to tell time perfectly. He makes sure that they are perfect without any mistakes. He makes sure that they are accurate down to the second.

What happens to that watch after the Maker has finished His work?

He gives it away- He sells it to another person who will now have the responsibility to take care of the watch and to make sure that it continues to keep accurate time.

The watchmaker is no longer the one who is caring for that watch

Jesus isn’t like a watchmaker who creates and then steps away.

Jesus the creator of the world, Doesn’t give his creation away-He continues to hold all things together,

He lovingly and meticulously keeps our lives ticking by the millisecond.

As believers, the preeminence of Christ over all creation should fill us with awe and wonder, but it should also full us with great Hope.

We have a Creator God who is not distant or indifferent, but is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives.

Luke 12:7 tells us that He even knows how many hairs you have on your head. (insert joke)

Jesus created us, Jesus rules over us, and Jesus cares for us through every moment of our lives.

Transition:

Christ is not Just Preeminent over Creation He is so much more, Our Passage in Colossians 1 Moves on in verse 18 and speaks of Christ’s Preeminence in the church

Christ is Preeminent in the Church(v. 18)

Colossians 1:18 (ESV)

18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Eph 5 Tells us that Christ is the head of the church. (Ephesians 5:23)

He is the one who guides and directs His followers, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit which He gave us, He empowers us to carry out His mission in our lives.

When we think of the church, we often think of it as a human institution - a collection of individuals who have come together to worship God and support one another.

This is certainly true about the way a church should act, but

Colossians 1 reminds us that the church is ultimately about Jesus.

He is the head of the church, He is the one who holds it together and He is the one who guides it according to his purposes.

The fact that Christ is preeminent over the church means that he is the one who has the highest authority and the greatest influence in the church and for the church.

Paul says in our verse that Jesus is the “FIRSTBORN” As we saw before this means that Jesus has been given the highest authority, He is at the place of honor, He is the supreme ruler of the church.

There is no one above Him when it comes to the church,

think about what this means for us today as the church… As members of the church, we are not simply individuals who happen to share the same beliefs - we are part of a body that is united under the headship of Christ Himself. With the purpose of bringing Him glory through this local body of believers,

Not only does Christ have supremacy over the church because He is the head of the church, but He also has Supremacy over the church because He is the one who empowers and equips the church for the ministry he has called the church to do.

Jesus told us the purpose of the church is to love God and to love others., And Jesus is the one who gives us the ability and power to accomplish this in our lives.

this means We are not simply relying on our own strength or abilities to please God as a church, but we are dependent on the power of Christ that is working in us.

Understand that When we surrender ourselves to his leadership, we can trust that he will use us to accomplish his purposes and bring glory to his name.

The preeminence of Christ over the church means that our ultimate goal is not simply to build up our own congregation or to promote our own agenda. Rather, our goal as local body of Believers is to glorify Christ and make him known to the world.

The church is all about Jesus and not about you.

And Not about me

When we have a right understanding of the the Preeminence of Christ in the church- It motivates us to serve one another, it motivates us to make and equip followers of Jesus in and through this church,.

Why Because we understand that when we follow his commands for the church Jesus is the recipient of our worship.

Transition: Moving on in our text We see that Christ is not only Preeminent over Creation, and Preeminent over the church But He is also Preeminent over our Salvation,

Colossians 1:19–20 (ESV)

19 For in him all the fullness of God [Eikos] was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Christ is Preeminent over Salvation (19-20)

Jesus the Creator God-is the one who came to earth as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, all so that He could reconcile us back to God.

it is only Through Christ’s death and resurrection, that we are given the opportunity to have eternal life and enjoy a personal relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 (ESV)

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Jesus Christ is preeminent in salvation. Without Him there is no other salvation.

-No other person Has the power to redeem us,

-No other person has the ability to forgive us,

-No other person has the strength to rescue us out of Satan’s Dominion and into God’s eternal kingdom,

and to do all of this wholly by his grace because of his unwavering love for us,.

THe point is this Our salvation is all about Jesus

Jesus is the author of our Salvation-

1 Peter 1 tells us that even before the foundation of the world- Before anything was ever created Jesus planned to come to our rescue - He planned our salvation before we were ever created

Jesus is the Agent of our salvation-

He is the one who willing came to earth to die in our place -all so that He could redeem us back to God

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Because Jesus the perfect God Creator is Preeminent over our Salvation -He fully satisfied the justice that our sin debt required.

He shed His own Perfect Blood on that Cross so that we would no longer be the recipients of God’s Wrath but could now be the inhabitants in God’s Peace.

The point is this- because of Jesus Preeminence in our Salvation- Look at who we are now in Christ Col 1: 21 -22

Colossians 1:21–22 (ESV)

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind [ you who were under the wrath of God], doing evil deeds, 22 he [Jesus] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, {[WHY?] in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him [God],

Because Christ did all the work of our Salvation, We are His glory !

He now presents us holy and blameless and above Reproach to God the Father as an offering of Praise,

Our Redemption is only ours because Jesus stepped into our lives and redeemed us. and Because He alone did the work of Salvation He alone is Preeminent in that Salvation.

Transition:

Creation is all Because of Jesus

The church is all Because of Jesus

Our Salvation is all Because of Jesus.

Without Him Not one of these would ever exist. And because of this truth..

He is the firstborn In everything. First in importance, first in honor, first in exaltation, and first in glory!

Jesus is Preeminent in all things-

So what does this mean for us today as the church?

HOW Do we “make”Christ First in all things?

We don’t really “Make him first”

It’s not like we are picking our teams for Dodgeball and all the kids are lined up and you get the first pick and You pick Jesus to be on your team first.

It’s not about picking him first out of every other option,

its so much more than that---- It’s coming to the realization that HE IS FIRST in ALL THINGS because He is above all things, and without him there is nothing in existance that woudl exist.

To make Christ first in all things means to accept the truth that we desperately need him in every aspect of our lives

Creation (dont read)

It’s realizing & accepting the fact that he is the one who made us, he is the one who sustains us and He is the one who holds all things together in His hands. And without him this world would fall apart.

The Gospel

It’s realizing & accepting the fact that He is the Gospel Message that brought us salvation.

Its understanding that without Jesus We would all still be hopelessly lost in our own sins.

The Church (dont read)

It’s Realizing and accepting the fact that he Didn’t just form the church, but that He is the head of the church. He is the one who leads the church, He is the glue that holds it all together. Its understanding that we have the opportunity to serve Him our savior by serving one another in the church.

So This idea of us making Christ first in all things is really us saying

“we are going to stop trying to take his place on the throne of our lives.”

“We are going to stop trying to be in control of what He is sovereignly over.”

“We are going to stop living for our own glory but for His glory alone.”

It’s coming to the realization that we are in desperate need of Jesus in our lives. Both in our physical lives and in our spiritual Lives.

To make Christ First simply means that you make him the first born in your First in importance, first in honor, first in exaltation, and first in glory!

“A. W. Tozer, Pastor at Moody Bible Church in Chicago some 50 years ago, once wrote:

The teaching of the New Testament is that now, at this very moment, there is a Man “named Jesus” in heaven appearing in the presence of God for us. He is as certainly a man as was Adam or Moses or Paul; he is a man glorified, but his glorification did not de-humanize him. Today he is a real man, of the race of mankind, bearing our lineaments and dimensions, a visible and audible man, whom any other man would recognize instantly as one of us.

But more than this, he is the heir of all things, Lord of all lords, head of the church, firstborn of the new creation. He is the way to God, the life of the believer, the hope of Israel, and the high priest of every true worshiper.

He holds the keys of death and hell, and stands as advocate and surety for everyone who believes on him in truth.

Salvation comes not by accepting the finished work, or deciding for Christ; it comes by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole, living, victorious Lord who, as God and man, fought our fight and won it, accepted our debt as his own and paid it, took our sins and died under them, and rose again to set us free.

This is the true Christ; nothing less will do.”

When we fully accept all that Jesus has done and is doing for us it should motivate us to live our lives for His glory- To make Him first in all things both temporal and Spiritual.

Why?- Because without Him we are nothing.

Lets Pray!