Colossians 1 | Christ Centered

Good morning, Crossroads! It’s great to see you all.

I recently came across a powerful quote attributed to Samuel Chadwick. Here’s what he said about prayer:

"Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."

Let that sink in for a moment. Satan doesn’t fear our hard work or our religious activity. But he trembles when we pray.

There are a lot of thoughts out there about prayer, but at it’s simplest, prayer is a real, two-way conversation with God. A heart-to-heart. And honestly, in this crazy world, it's one of the most powerful weapons we have. We're living in a love story, but it's set in a warzone, and prayer? It's a game-changer. It's a big stinking deal.

That's why Paul, in his letters, almost always starts with prayer. He knew its power.

Now, if you're new here this morning, welcome! We are so glad you're with us. We hope you experience the real joy of knowing Jesus and being part of His family.

I’ll remind us all that we’re picking up in a series on Paul that we paused 3 weeks ago to hang up and hang out! Remember our digital fast? I hope you finding it as refreshing as I am. It's been amazing to hear how God's been working in your lives as we’ve all hung up on our digital devices and entertainment to hang out with God and his people! Keep sharing your stories and encouraging one another. God is moving!

But Today, we're back to the Apostle Paul, the man who wrote so much of the New Testament.

And where do we find him as we jump back into our series? Praying! Let's turn to Colossians 1. If you have your Bible, great. If not, grab one from the seat or follow along on the screen.

Before we dive in, let's set the stage. Paul starts, as usual, by introducing himself and Timothy. Then, right away, he launches into a powerful prayer for the church in Colossae.

Why? Because Paul believed what Samuel Chadwick said—prayer moves mountains! It shakes heaven and earth. And it makes the enemy tremble. So he starts with prayer.

This prayer goes from verses 3 to 14. I encourage you to read it all later. But here's the gist:

First, in vv. 3 and 6, Paul praises God for the Colossians' fruitfulness, their love, and their transformed lives. Then, he thanks God for the gospel, the good news about Jesus that’s spreading worldwide, changing lives.

Next, Paul moves from praise to petition. He asks God for more fruitfulness, specifically in v. 10 Paul prays that the Colossians would 'grow as they learn to know God better and better.' Highlight that!

He then prays they'd be strengthened with power, patience, and joy. And finally, he prays they'd walk in freedom from darkness and into Christ’s kingdom.

It’s an incredibly powerful prayer—a prayer we’d all love for someone to pray over us! "Yes and amen! Lord, make this true in my life!"

But here’s the key I want you to see: Paul didn’t just pray this prayer—he believed it.

Now, you might be thinking, "Uh, thanks Captain Obvious! Duh! Of course, he believed it—who prays something they don’t believe?"

I hear that, but, let’s be real, a lot of people just go through the motions and recite words and prayers with little to no faith at all. That’s not Paul though? He's praying from deep conviction, to a God he knows personally.

And that’s where we need to pause for a moment and remember who Paul was.

Before he became Paul, he was Saul—a rising star in the Jewish religious world, a Harvard-caliber legal mind with a promising future in the Sanhedrin. And he wasn’t just indifferent toward Christians—he was actively hunting them down. Making a name for himself by persecuting them, imprisoning them, and even overseeing their executions.

But then, Jesus.

On the road to Damascus, Jesus literally knocked Saul off his high horse—blinded him and spoke directly to him: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9)

That moment changed everything.

Saul went from being a murderer of Christians to a missionary for Christ in a matter of days. But as we’ve seen in this series, his transformation wasn’t just an overnight shift—it was also a lifelong process. Paul himself grew as he learned to know God better and better!

He knew suffering, persecution, hardship, anxiety, and unanswered prayers as he grew to know God better and better and yet in spite of all of that he still believed in prayer and loved Jesus deeply!

I mean look at Colossians 1:24-29 from out text this morning:

Colossians 1:24–29 NLT

24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. 28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

This is why I struggle and work so hard! Why I am glad to suffer, why I pray, that I may present you perfect in your relationship to Christ! The NIV says that I might present you mature in Christ, that I may play apart in answering the prayer I prayed over you at the beginning to help you bare fruit! To help you grow as you learn to know God better and better. This is why I work and struggle so hard!

Folks, how does this happen? How does Saul change to become Paul?

How does a murderer of Christians become a missionary for Christ?

How does someone who once hated Jesus become a man willing to suffer and die for Him?

The answer is simple: Paul met the real Jesus.

Before Damascus, Saul knew about Jesus. He knew the claims, the rumors of resurrection. He knew the facts, but he didn’t know Jesus personally.

Until Jesus—the risen, reigning, supreme Creator and Sustainer of all things—knocked him down and introduced Himself:

"Hey Saul, I’m Jesus, the one who your persecuting."

And that changed everything.

Listen—Paul didn’t change because he joined a Bible study or heard a great sermon, or memorized a bunch of scripture, or gave to the poor or served in his Church, took communion or got baptized. Those things matter, but only if they lead us to actually know Jesus better and better. Paul changed because he met the real Jesus and began to know him better and better!

So here’s my hope for the rest of today’s message, I simply want all of us together to gaze upon the real Jesus that Paul met on the road to Damascus. I want you to see Him as He is and to learn to know Him better and better! Because once you truly see Him, you’ll never be the same.

Knowing and Loving Jesus changes everything! How and why is that true, well read with me Col. 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15–23 NLT

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Alright, so who does Paul know Jesus to be? Who is Jesus as Paul met Him and knew Him? Well Paul says Jesus is:

The visible image of the invisible God! V. 15a

Have you ever wondered what God would do in the situations you face? What if God the Father stepped into our shoes?

Jesus reveals the answer—because He is God in our shoes. He didn’t just walk a mile in them; He lived 33 years in them! He felt every emotion, faced every challenge, and experienced everything we do. He knows what it’s like to be human because He lived it—and He lived it perfectly.

Jesus makes the invisible, unreachable, and unknowable God known. Like Father, like Son. In John 14, Jesus said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” He is God translated into our language—so we can see, hear, and understand Him. Imagine God apart from Jesus as Russian to an English speaker. Jesus is the translation that makes God clear.

So if you want to know who God is—if you’re wondering what He’s like—start with Jesus. Study Him. Read about Him. Talk with Him. Learn from Him. He is the image of the invisible God.

Yes, nature reveals some things about God, but it can’t tell us everything we need to know for salvation. So don’t look to Muhammad, Gandhi, Jordan Peterson, Morgan Freeman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, a spirit guide, or a psychic to understand God. Look to Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God.

Who is this Jesus that changes everything? Paul says Jesus not only the image of God but that He, himself is fully God! V. 19

Jesus is not just the reflection of who God is. He was not created in the image of God like you and I. He was not created at all! Jesus is God. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ.

How much is fullness? All. Everything. Lacking nothing. The fullness of God lives in Jesus. Jesus is God!

He’s not just a good teacher. He’s not just a good man. He’s not just a prophet. He’s not just an exorcist. He’s not just a healer. He’s not just a miracle work. He’s not just another god among many. He’s not just a leader. Jesus is God. Jesus is God with flesh on. He’s God. Sorry Jehovah’s witnesses, Mormons and Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus whoever… Jesus is fully 100% God Most High!

Jesus, Himself, made this claim! And then He died and rose to prove it and you and I should believe it and love it and submit to it!

He’s the God who was and is, which makes Him supreme! God most High! He’s first!

Jesus is Supreme over all creation! V. 15b

The NLT translates firstborn as supreme—and for good reason. Paul isn’t saying Jesus was born or created. Firstborn can mean birth order (like me—I’m a twin, but I came out first. I remind my siblings often: I was here first. You sleep on the floor.). But it also refers to rank.

In the Old Testament, firstborn wasn’t always about who was born first but who held the highest position—like Isaac over Ishmael or Jacob over Esau. That’s what Paul means here. Jesus isn’t firstborn as in created; He’s firstborn as in supreme.

Think of it like the President—Commander-in-Chief. Jesus is THE Commander-in-Chief, not just of a country but of the entire universe. (Michigan fans, cover your ears—think THE Ohio State University. Jesus is THE Supreme One.)

This means Jesus holds the highest rank. All authority. Full inheritance rights. All power. He is Numero Uno. No one above Him. No one before Him. He is the Alpha and Omega—Beginning, Middle, and End. And even after the End—He’s still there.

So here’s what that means for you: Your life is not about you. It’s about Jesus. The sooner you get that, the better. It’ll change everything.

Your job, business, family, career, politics, government—all of creation exists for Him. Why? Because He created it.

Look at Jesus in verse 16. He is Creator:

He made it. He owns it. It’s all for Him!

He made all of it. All of what? Everything!

Think about this: in the beginning there was nothing and then Jesus spoke. He just spoke. Now I’m a bit of a DIYer, I enjoying making stuff! Rachel asked me to make window boxes last spring and I’m proud of them, but 2 little boxes, it’s embarrassing how much time it took me to make those things!

Church, Jesus just speaks and creation happens. Let there be and boom — there is.

Fish. Birds. Plants. Animals. Stars! Stars church!

Do you know how many stars are out there? First, do you even know what a star is? Our Sun is one, and it’s massive. You could fit Earth inside it a million times over—with room to spare! As the Donald would say, It’s huge! Really, really huge! You can’t possibly comprehend. I can, ‘cause I’m a genius. You can’t!

And the Sun? It’s not just big—it’s powerful. Every second, it releases enough energy to power the entire world for half a million years! One-one-thousand.… half a million years of energy… all the gas, all the oil, all the electricity in the world in 1 second for 500,000 years! WHAT!

Jesus speaks and stars are born! Stars like our Sun, even bigger than our sun. And how many stars? We don’t know! Our best and brightest have estimated that there are between 5-10 times more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the world’s beaches!

This is Jesus friends! He’s creator. He’s powerful. He made it. He owns it. It’s all for Him.

And He left that power and glory behind so He could make away for you to know Him! He used this power not to serve Himself, but serve you and I!

Who is like this God friends! Do you live in light of this truth. Do you know this powerful creator God who died to know you? If you did — it would change everything!

Why do we worry if this is our God! Why do worry about our lives!?

Jesus created all of it. He created us and He knows what we need. He Loves us! He can and He will take care of us!!! He’s creator, not created. And because He created it, that means He must have come before it!

Jesus is Before All things. V. 17a

Hear this—it’s not that Jesus should be before all things. He is. That’s His position in life, death, creation, and the universe. Everything exists for Him and by Him.

The question is where does Jesus stand in our lives?

If we get this out of order, our lives will be out of order. Chaos will follow—stress, anxiety, brokenness, heartbreak, destruction. Jesus comes before our spouses. Before our bank accounts. Before our happiness. Before our kids. Before our careers. Jesus is before all things!

This means Jesus should define who we you are and how we live.

If we accept this, and we’ll find salvation, freedom, and joy.

If we resist and rebel against Jesus’ position as King before all things, we’ll face the weight of rebellion, outside of God’s protection and live under His judgment—because the wages of sin are death.

Jesus is before all things. Does He hold that place in your life? If not—repent. Turn from whatever comes before Him. Surrender it. And follow Jesus in submission to Him as King and Lord of you life!

Jesus is before all things and He Holds All Things Together (v. 17b)

If your marriage is falling apart—you need Jesus. If your relationships are fractured—only Jesus can restore them. If your world is crumbling—run to Jesus.

Why? Because He holds all of creation together.

Whatever is broken in you or around you—Jesus has the power to hold it together. To heal. To restore. To set free.

This is why He came! To bind up broken hearts and to set captives free!

And He does this work primarily and and through His Church of which He is the head!

He is the Head of His Church. V. 18a

Jesus loves His Church. He works through His Church. He died for His Church. And He is in charge of His Church.

If you’re a Christian, you are part of His Church—His family. So be a part of it. That doesn’t just mean attending a service; it means regularly and intentionally connecting with other believers at a heart level. It means making sacrifices—even saying no to good things—so you can walk in deep friendship with other believers in Jesus regularly!

Hebrews commands us: “Do not neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some.” (Heb. 10:25) Jesus’ words, not mine. He’s in charge—not me, not Wes, not the elders. We follow Jesus. He is the Head of the Church.

And He can be the Head, because...

He is ALIVE V. 18b

Church, every other religion worships dead men or demons! You know what demons are capable of? Striking fear. Killing and destroying. You know what dead people are capable of doing, not much! Feeding worms maybe?

Muhammad, Dead. Joseph Smith Dead. Gandhi. He gone. We can go to each and everyone of these guys’ tombs! We could see their decaying flesh in those tombs. You know where Jesus’ tomb is? Yeah neither does anyone else. If you went to Israel, sure people are like well we think this is where Jesus was buried but we don’t really know. Why? Because people stopped going to where ever it was because He wasn’t in it anymore.

You know where He was 3 days after the cross? Jesus had a tomb people tried to visit. A rich dude named Joseph of Arimathea purchased it, but people stopped going because 3 days after Jesus died He left the tomb and went into town. Jesus wasn’t at the tomb 3 days later. He was in Jerusalem having breakfast!

People went to the tomb. It was empty. They’re all looking around, “Where’s Jesus. He’s dead. Nope He’s having breakfast.”

For over a month, He ate, walked, and talked with more than 500 of His followers before ascending to His rightful throne—ruling and reigning over all creation.

Jesus ain’t dead. He’s alive.

That means He’s here. Right now. And is always an ever-present help for us in our times trouble!

Where’s Muhammad when you need him? Where’s Joseph Smith? Where’s Gandhi?

They’re dead. Gone. Feeding the worms.

But Jesus?

As for me and my house, we’ll serve the the One who defeated death. we’ll worship the One who speaks and stars are born. we’ll worship the One who gave up everything to reconcile us to Himself.

Jesus is the great reconciler! V. 20-22

That’s what these verses declare—Jesus reconciles us to Himself, back to God.

He was punished so we could be forgiven.

He was wounded so we could be healed.

He became sin so we could become righteous.

He died our death so we could share His life.

He was cursed so we could be blessed.

He bore our shame so we could stand honored before the Father, confident as His children.

He endured poverty so we could share in His abundance.

Church, if your heart is broken—you need Jesus. If your relationships are fractured—you need Jesus. If your marriage is struggling—you need Jesus. If you are a sinner—and Scripture says we all are—you need Jesus.

He alone can reconcile your heart, your family, your life. He alone can heal the wounds inflicted upon you.

But hear this: Reconciliation isn’t automatic. You must repent and believe that He is who He says He is.

And once He reconciles you, He doesn’t leave you where you are. He changes everything in an instant and over your lifetime. Colossians 1:10 says, "Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."

Reconciliation is just the beginning. Knowing Jesus changes everything and growing in Him transforms everything. The more you know Him, the more you love Him. The more you love Him, the more your life bears His fruit.

So don’t stop at being reconciled—grow! Learn to know Him better and better. Let Him shape your life, your relationships, your purpose.

Jesus is the great reconciler—and the more you know Him, the more He changes you

And lastly, I want you to really see Jesus as He is in verse 22. Just like Paul we can be transformed in an instant but change also takes a life time! We can grow as we learn to know this Jesus better and better but we won’t do this perfectly. We will grow and transform and change and make progress but it won’t be perfect which is why it’s so encouraging to know Jesus as not just reconciler but also as our defender! Look at v. 22:

Colossians 1:22 NLT

22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Jesus is our great defender! V. 22

In the courtroom of Heaven there is a slick, sharp dressed brilliant lawyer mounting a case against you. His name is Satan, and his evidence is strong. It’s an open and shut case. The Devil has you exactly where He wants you. And He’s seeking the death penalty. The situation is bleak, But the King and Judge. He tells Satan, will you hold that thought a minute. The King and Judge. The Creator of the World steps down off His throne, takes off His glorious robe and exchanges it for the flesh of humanity and a crown of thorns and sits down in the electric chair made for you and I. He takes the penalty. Defeats Sin and death and then retakes His seat on the throne. He looks at the Devil and says, so you were saying about Levi… what was that. He deserves death because He’s guilty? Not anymore. I took His place and I’ve adopted him as my own! Case closed. Get out of my sight! And don’t you try to bring anything against my son or my daughter again. This is finished! This case is closed!!!

This is Jesus Church! He’s alive. He’s ruling and reigning, sustaining and reconciling all things to Himself. This is Jesus and He’s standing at the door of your hearts. Knocking. He desires for you to get to know Him and to grow as you learn to know Him better and better!

Revelation 3:20 NLT

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Psalm 9:10 NLT

10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

Psalm 14:2 NLT

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.

Proverbs 8:17 NLT

17 “I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.

Matthew 7:7–8 NLT

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

All of our Bible reading. All of our prayer. All the sermons preached here. All the programs we offer, this is what they are all about Church, that you may meet and learn to know Jesus as He is! And if you do, it will change everything!

So what do you say, how bout we get to know this Jesus together!

Let’s pray