Colossians 1:15–23 English

Prayer

The overall theme of Colossians is to see how

"all of our being is transformed

by the loving and liberating rule

of our King, Jesus"

Today we are going to see this through a beautiful poem from the early church about the supremacy of Jesus

in contrast to who we are

and, finally, the joy of the reconciliation he has won for us.

So hear this through the passage, that

Jesus is supreme,

we were enemies and yet

we will be presented without accusation.

We are going to start with the poem proclaiming who Jesus really is. v 15-20

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

In Greek culture, an image was not considered to be something distinct from the object it represented.

So when we read "the image of God".

we're not talking about something derivative

we're talking about the ideal,

Image as the revelation of the perfect,

Jesus is the

perfect essence,

the exact, illuminated,

revealed and visible

presence and essence of God.

Here is a creed from the early church that explains who Jesus is. Listen carefully.

(We believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ,       the only Son of God,       begotten from the Father before all ages,            God from God,            Light from Light,            true God from true God,       begotten, not made;       of the same essence as the Father.       Through him all things were made.       For us and for our salvation            he came down from heaven;            he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,            and was made human.            He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;            he suffered and was buried.            The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.            He ascended to heaven            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.            He will come again with glory            to judge the living and the dead

His kingdom will never end.

Did you hear that?

Jesus became flesh, thus becoming the visible image of the invisible God.

He has the right to everything he pleases. Which brings us to finish v. 15

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

What does the firstborn since we clearly aren’t talking chronologically?

Let's look at what it says in the Psalms:

Psalm 89:27 “And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”

It means he holds the rights to do as he pleases.

So Paul continues in v. 16

Colossians 1:16 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities—

Sure, authorities and powers and thrones exist…

but Jesus is the King of kings….and he is our King.

v. 16 —all things were created through him and for him.”

Colossians 1:17 “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

God didn’t just simply start everything and back away from us.

Jesus continues to sustain all things, the entire universe and will not abandon it.

Jesus keep the the cosmos from turning into chaos.

Jesus, the one you talk to, the one we sang to, the one you follow and hear as you read the Word...

He is who can

make the mountains

and quiet the sea.

Colossians 1:18 “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.”

Jesus has authority even over death

We are talking complete and total authority and power.

And how does he use that authority over death?

to bring us life.

This is the loving and liberating rule of our King, Jesus.

Colossians 1:19 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”

Jesus is completely God, fully God.

And as such he has the right, power, and authority to reconcile us with God.

and so…

Colossians 1:20 “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

The 2 main strophes of this poem create a parallel between

the creation of all things and

the reconciliation of all things

Together they affirm that the Creator of all things is who the Colossians knew as their Reconciler, as their Redeemer

And who we know as our Redeemer, it affirms that when you worship Jesus, when you go around town telling people about Jesus, it is about the one who reconciled you from dead in your sin to saved, loved, adopted, and alive together with the author of life, God himself.

Listen to these biblical afirmations about who Jesus is, ill read a list here.

And during dinner afterwards I will ask which of these titles or roles of Jesus most motivates you to be transformed by Him as you submit your life to Him.

Jesus, Alpha and Omega

the beginning and the end

Jesus the Bread of Life

our needed life sustenance

Jesus, our cornerstone

the stable foundation of life

The Good Shepherd

our protector and sustainer, who cares for us

Jesus, the firstborn from the dead

the one who leads us into resurrection and life eternal

Jesus, the Lamb of God

the perfect sacrifice that satisfies the just wrath of God against our sin

Immanuel

God with us

Jesus, the Light of the World

the one who brings hope in the midst of darkness

The Lord of Glory

the majestic master of all, the living king of the power of the presence of God

The Perfect Prophet

who faithfully proclaims the truths of God

Jesus, the Savior,

who pulls his people out from a life of sin and death and eternal suffering

Pause

Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of lords

Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV)

God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

the knee was a symbol of power

put knee on chair, statues

and every knee will bow before Jesus

and we

pause

we, before his intervening, were separated, alienated, from him,

in fact we were his enemies

We were enemies of the King of Kings

To appreciate our reconciliation with Him, we need to look at who we really are

Colossians 1:21 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,”

Before his intervention, we were alienated, we were foreigners to the Kingdom of the King of kings

We were found against the one before whom all knees will bow down

We were separated from the path of life

in whose presence is abundant joy

our natural disposition, our minds, were oriented towards sin

without the renewal and grace of God, our minds drift towards that which distorts the image of God in which we were created

“But we ask…is it really that bad?”

like, Tommy, that a little extreme, a little dramatic

But yes, it is, we aren’t comparing how good or bad we are to each other, but rather to the Holy God, the standard to enter through the gates of Heaven.

so yes, its that bad.

doing whatever you want is bad, relying on yourself, following your desires, is bad.

Example of Tyke with inflatables

ambition for your profession, to make money, to settle down and have the car and house you have in mind

ambition to do what you want to do, to be comfortable,

ambition to find a comfortable lifestyle falls far short of your King’s call to take up your cross and follow him,

to sacrifice your life and your wants to follow what He wants

wandering into the false world of lust is an abuse against marriage

our anger leading us to speak with someone in an aggressive or provoking manner,

its forgetting that that person was made in the image of God, its expressing anger against someone that represents God.

being disposed, or bent towards needing to justify yourself, to show your own reasoning,

yet you know that your knee is going to bow down before Jesus

We must recognize that we were “once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds”

Lets confess that….

This is a heavy prayer but pray with me the words of David from

Psalm 38 “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!

For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.

For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.

My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.

My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.”

But….But nonetheless….However…..

Colossians 1:22–23 “he has NOW reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless (without any accusation whatsoever) and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

so you may indeed be worse than you could have ever imagined but NOW you are reconciled

What is reconciliation?

its a change of attitude

its going from hostility to peace

its the end of hostility in both atitude and action

Specifically, in Christ, God changed our relationship from being enemies to the King of Kings to being dressed in his very righteousness.

He took the price of our sin on himself

to free us

and asks now that we follow him, under his good authority as our King

knowing that as we walk under his authority we will flourish as we conform to how we were created to be, in perfect union with God himself

This is a beautiful message that makes God’s name revered.

That he took his enemies and now presents us

blameless,

holy,

without fault,

free from every accusation!

You are blameless, you are without accusation

Therefore, those who are with Jesus, under His rightful reign as the firstborn among all creation, the rightful King of kings

you are a new creation

God reconciled you with himself and gave us also a ministry.

A ministry of reconciliation

You as a believer then are to go about your days seeking reconciliation in your relationships, not accusation.

We who were enemies of the Creator, the King of Majesty, we who were enemies of Jesus…

were reconciled to Him because our record of debt was nailed to the cross

God’s love, revealed in Jesus, was poured out for us and now overflows from us.

It was poured out to reconcile us to God

and now, like Paul who was made a minister,

we also have a ministry to seek reconciliation

dont look to accuse people, look for them to turn from their sin and be reconciled to God

keep going through your days, seeking passionately to let people know that God wants a relationship with them

Encourage people to submit now and willingly to Jesus as their King

before they are forced to bow their knee to Him when he comes back in glory.

With that, we must finish our prayer from before…

Pray with me…

For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

BUT NOW….“I acknowledge my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity; I said,

“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin…..

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Here is what you do with that.

You walk with Jesus the rest of your days.

You remember that every knee will bow before Jesus and very tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

Bow your knee now. Give up your wants and follow him.

Confess that Jesus is Lord now. Give up what you think and your thoughts, study His Word and tell people what God says.

Im gonna say it one more time…

Bow your knee now. Give up your wants and follow him.

Confess that Jesus is Lord now. Give up what you think and your thoughts, study His Word and tell people what God says.

Lets stand together now and profess our faith in Jesus

We believe that, moved by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures.

The man Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, was conceived through the miraculous agency of the Holy Spirit, and was born of the virgin Mary.

He perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father, lived a sinless life, performed miraculous signs, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead on the third day, and ascended into heaven.

As the mediatorial King, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, exercising in heaven and on earth all of God’s sovereignty, and is our High Priest and righteous Advocate.

We believe that by his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute.

He did this so that in him we might become the righteousness of God: on the cross he canceled sin, propitiated God, and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciled to God all those who believe.

By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death and defeated Satan who once had power over it, and brought everlasting life to all his people; by his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him.

We believe that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.

Because God chose the lowly things of this world, the despised things, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, no human being can ever boast before him—Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God—

that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.