JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL
COLOSSIANS • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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TEXT: Col 1:15-23
This is called the Christ Hymn. The Hymn of Christ!
It’s remarkable.
—
Sometimes we use a negative statement to make a positive one.
1. He is LORD OVER ALL CREATION (15-17)
1. He is LORD OVER ALL CREATION (15-17)
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.
Image of the invisible of God
Image of the invisible of God
literally, the exegesis of God
more than the portrait of God…or God’s selfie for the World to see
it reveals the very nature and personal character of God
not just a “plaster” mold, but the very revelation of what God is really like!
HE IS NOT a starting step towards God
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and 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,
EXACT IMPRINT: Better than silly puddy lifting newspaper print off the paper
as image-bearers…you and I should take special note of how Christ lived and loved and served and led
He is what we were meant to be in terms of Character.
He deserves FIRST- and HIGHEST-PLACE in our lives.
SUPREME IN 4 WAYS IN CREATION
the Firstborn (15b)
Creator (16)
the Goal (16b)
the Sustainer (17)
A few notes:
FIRSTBORN (15b)
FIRSTBORN (15b)
= FIRST CODEWORD FOR RANK OR HONOR
27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
Jehovah’s Witnesses try to twist this texts (just like ancient heretics) to mean that Jesus Christ was a created being.
He - Jesus Christ is completely supreme in creation! Look at verse 16 with me….
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.
CREATOR (16)
CREATOR (16)
Jesus is the AGENT OF CREATION in the Godhead.
This reinforces that He has always been. He CAME TO EARTH as a baby in a manger, but He DID NOT COME INTO EXISTENCE in Bethlehem.
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
2 …his Son…through whom also he created the world.
HE IS THE GOAL (THE AIM) OF CREATION
HE IS THE GOAL (THE AIM) OF 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.
Christ is Creator of all!
Not only does this include a universe which is millions of light-years across…but the more you discover about this earth; it is mind-blowing here too!
He created even the tiniest creatures.
There are 925K catalogued insects, with billions in some of the species—all created by Christ.
ALL THINGS FIND THEIR PURPOSE IN HIS GLORY!
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Peter O’Brien writes, “Paul’s teaching about Christ as the goal of all creation … finds no parallel in the Jewish wisdom literature or in the rest of the extant Jewish materials for that matter.”
Everything began with him and will end with him.
All things sprang forth at his command, and all things will return to him at his command.
He is the beginning and he is the end—the Alpha and Omega.
One day everything will give him glory (cf. Philippians 2:11)!
not only do we sing of His being the Firstborn - the highest honor, the Creator, the Goal…the aim…
clearly…
HE IS THE RULER/SUSTAINER OF ALL CREATION
HE IS THE RULER/SUSTAINER OF ALL CREATION
BY HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER
The tense of the word here tells us that he continues NOW to hold all things together, and that apart from his continuous activity, all would disintegrate.
Physicists tell us that among the atom’s whirling protons and electrons there is vast space, not unlike our solar system.
Though some have theories as to why the atom holds together, none know for sure. While Christ is not contained IN matter, Scripture is telling us HE holds it together by his Word!
APPLICATION:
Since Jesus Christ is LORD OF ALL CREATION…He must be FIRST IN OUR WORSHIP!
he is the ruler / authority over creation
creation was made for HIS glory
When we behold the majestic VASTNESS or the microscopic details of 925K insects
Our worship of Jesus Christ should consume every area of our lives.
Your walks at the park ought to have you on the verge of singing
Your glimpse of fellow image-bearers - the most complicated and intricately woven of all of God’s creation - should leave you aghast at God’s worthiness
The Psalmist captured this in Psalm 95.3-7
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…
…
Let’s look at the next couple verses…
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.
Not only is HE the LORD OF ALL CREATION…
2. He is LORD OF HIS CHURCH (18-20)
2. He is LORD OF HIS CHURCH (18-20)
Now I won’t belabor this point or the next one greatly, because we spent significant time here in the opening message 2 weeks ago; AND this thread will continue throughout this entire letter.
But let’s notice a few glorious notes to this HYMN that are staring us in the face.
MAN DID NOT START THE CHURCH…JESUS DID.
HE IS THE LORD / THE HEAD / THE SUPREME
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The church OWES ITS LIFE to Jesus Christ.
He is the Founder, our Sustainer, our SOVEREIGN!
He is the RULER of His Church.
When folks ask you about how Mission Bible Church is LED…our response is
We aim to be a Jesus-ruled church where biblically qualified servant leaders flourishes. Elders pray together and serve by leading, teaching, praying, and shepherding the congregation accountably. Deacons enthusiastically meet tangible needs as they care for the congregation.
Why do we say it that way?
BECAUSE JESUS IS IN CHARGE…WE SERVE HIM AND ONE ANOTHER.
THIS IS NOT “OUR CHURCH” IN THE SENSE THAT WE GET TO MAKE THIS UP AS WE GO ALONG!
APPLICATION: So how to we respond to that reality?
We Submit. We Obey. We Serve with joy.
His agenda over personal desires!
His agenda over programs!
His agenda over a controlling group of people SHOULD determine our direction and ministries.
HE IS LORD over this body of believers; this family of God…
and HE IS LORD over us as individuals that make up this body.
TRANSITION:
That’s a great transition for our last main point here…Paul makes it supremely personal in the final verses of our text this morning as He reminds the church that this Jesus…
3. He is LORD OF SALVATION (21-23)
3. He is LORD OF SALVATION (21-23)
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 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.
WE ARE IN NEED
alienated / hostile / evil
We were lost. (That song we Sing, “thank you Jesus for the blood applied.)
I was a wretch
I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind
I was running out of time
Sin separated
The breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm
You held me in your sight
So You made a way
Across the great divide
Left behind Heaven's throne
To build it here inside
And there at the cross
You paid the debt I owed
Broke my chains, freed my soul
For the first time I had hope
JESUS RECONCILES US TO GOD
in His body, by His death
Reconciliation to God is an explicitly one-sided process! He does virtually everything. All we have to do is respond.
“all we bring to our salvation moment is our sin”
HE WILL MAKE US HOLY
to present us holy / blameless / above reproach…to stand right before HIM
27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
IF WE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH…
stable / steadfast / not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard
THIS IS NOT A CONDITION OF SALVATION; BUT IT IS THE REALITY OF OUR BEING MADE HOLY.
“As you continue in the faith…you are being made holy…”
Bible scholars help us with this:
the gospel does not work like magic.
The mind, the heart, and the will must be involved.
Our minds must feed on Christ and his Word.
Our hearts are to focus on him in love.
Our wills are to take their practice and pattern from him.
Jesus NOT ONLY Reveals the Father’s heart to us by His cross…
HE RECONCILES us to the Father with His blood!
CLOSING
CLOSING
(It is written) that the late Bible expositor Haddon Robinson would illustrate the priorities in sermon preparation this way:
“An old recipe for a rabbit stew starts out, ‘First catch the rabbit.’
That puts first things first.
Without the rabbit there is no dish” (Biblical Preaching, 53).
Paul’s message to the Colossians is like a one-chord symphony - turning the volume up on this fundamental principle: Without Christ, nothing else matters.
WE WORSHIP HIM AND LIFT HIM UP AS
…LORD OF OUR SALVATION
…LORD OF HIS CHURCH
…LORD OF ALL CREATION!
Christ must be first in every area of our lives.
FINAL:
He is LORD of our families.
He is LORD in our marriages.
He is LORD in our professions.
He is LORD in our mission and ministry.
He is LORD in matters of the intellect.
He is LORD of our time.
He is LORD of our loves.
He is LORD in our conversations.
He is LORD of our pleasures.
He is LORD of our eating.
He is LORD of our play.
He is LORD of our athletics.
He is LORD of what we watch.
He is LORD in art.
He is LORD in music.
He is LORD in worship.
Let us give him the highest place - Jesus Christ IS THE LORD of ALL!
