Jesus is Supreme

Good morning

Quick announcement If you have a student going to Jr Sr High Camp June 1-6 we need parents and campers to meet right after church next Sunday....I know it is graduation Sunday but we need to meet for about 10 minutes

once again to our Mother’s

Thank you and we love you very much

To those who are new this morning either in person or online welcome.....we are so glad you are here this morning

To those who are always here....welcome.....you are a blessing to this ministry

God is so good to us

I pray that as we continue with meat in this series that God is having you get real with Him

He is in my life and there are some things that I am working through and also working through with My Beautiful Bride Melody as well

God is showing me through the Word and Melody that I have some glaring blind spots and weakness that I am working with the help of the Holy Spirit

I pray you are there also.......That is growth.....that is maturing in Christ.....that is moving from milk to meat by obeying the Word of God!!!!!

Let’s pray

This morning we continue on with our Colossians sermon series and will tackle Colossians 1:18-29 so if you would like to turn there in your Bible or on your phone or ipad however you access God’s Word

Also if you have not grabbed a note sheet and a devotional please feel free to do that now

the enemy loves to steal from you and one way he does that is by getting you to believe you don’t need to write things down

that you will remember it and boom what happens you forget it every time!!!!!!

Those are there for you to use and grow in maturity in Christ! Please use them

I want to start this morning with

Colossians 1:18–20

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“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Jesus is supreme over all things

Jesus is the only one with the power to reconcile all things through His perfect blood shed on the cross for you and for me

Jesus is also head of the body the church

I want to go here for a minute

I believe the enemy has sold a lie and Christians have bought that lie

hook

line

and sinker

That lie is this

You do not have to go to church

You do not need to attend church

You do not need to have a church home

You do not need to make sure your kids and grandkids grow up in a Bible preaching

Bible teaching

and Bible living church

You are saved regardless of church and church attendance.....now that is absolutely true but satan, as is his custom, blurs the truth

Going to church never has and never will save you

however I believe based on this scripture in Colossians and others that all Christians should have a burning desire to go to church

The first reason I believe this is found in

Colossians 1:18

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“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

Jesus is the head of the body the church

Church here comes from a Greek word

 ekklēsía, ek-klay-see'-ah; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):—assembly, church.

This word is used 118 times in the new testament and 115 times it is translated church the three other times assembly

In the Bible the most consistent usage of this term is a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly

Here is where some people get tripped up with the Bible....God is God and He is awesome and His thoughts are far above our thoughts and understanding

God throughout the Bible speaks of spiritual and physical at the same time

Here is one of those

The body of Christ is all Christians everywhere that will be called out and assembled when He returns to earth the church but that time has not come and until then we have the church, local churches like this body here CCC

so in my mind there is no doubt that Paul is talking about a gathering of Christians to assemble and worship together as well as the whole body of Christians that make up Christ’s body the church

You know me and if you are new you will get to know me and I and we as a church believe the Bible teaches the Bible

Hebrews 10:25

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“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

again assembling ourselves together

what does the writer of Hebrews say about that

Don’t forsake it

Not just assembling together but exhorting

exhorting comes from a Greek word

 parakaléō, par-ak-al-eh'-o; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke —beseech, call for, comfort, desire, exhort, intreat, pray.

Much more than come and receive teaching and sit in pew and experience or consume a worship service

so much more

call near.....are you calling your brothers and sisters in Christ near to you as you gather here

are you calling near the lost that God puts in your path

are you inviting.....some of you are inviting a lot and are not seeing a lot of fruit just yet.......keep inviting it will pay off

some of you havent invited someone to church in years......what is stopping you....invite invite invite

exhort according to Websters 1828 means To incite by words or advice; to animate or urge by arguments to a good deed or to any laudable conduct or course of action.

when was the last time you exhorted someone here at church to a good deed

church is much more than sitting in a pew hearing worship music and prayer and preaching

are you doing church Biblically?

not just gather and exhort but in fact do them more often as ye see the day approaching

each day is a day closer to Jesus return and because of that we should never forsake church

Will you miss church

absolutely

you will get sick

you will go on vacation

you will have other obligations at times

forsaking here is not missing but choosing to stay away without a reason

i am tired

i was up too late last night

i have had a busy week

i need rest

i need a break

you need Jesus and by forsaking church you made all of those things worse

God just told you twice in His Word to be in Church.......if you don’t like that take it up with Him

I believe as Christians church is non-negotiable

Now back to the burning desire to be at church

look back at vs 18 in Colossians 1 again.

Christ is the head of the body the church

as one who is saved by His blood

why on earth wouldn't you have a burning desire to be where He is the Head

Why wouldn't you have a burning desire to be in His body

His bride

the church

Now His body and the Bride are all Christians worldwide not a specific church building or denomination etc but that also includes local bodies such as CCC as I mentioned earlier

Are churches flawed....you betcha ya there are men in charge so absolutely they are flawed

So many use that as an excuse to not be here but

That doesn't stop you from going to the chiefs game or the races or wherever you go those are all flawed and most who attend complain about those flaws but that doesn’t stop them from going

There is nothing perfect on this earth

there is no perfect gathering on this earth

the problem is a heart issue.......most who say the church is full of hypocrites or flawed people are using that as justification to not be there

if you have the love of Jesus pumping through your veins as a Christian then you must love what He loves and He loves the church

The world has fallen and our American society is no longer Christian

God’s Word is optional to most not binding

I believe based on these two scriptures that church is non-negotiable again not to be saved or earn some sort of grace from God but because of what Jesus did for you and me on that cross

Jesus is the beginning

Jesus is the first born from the dead

sure there were others resurrected from the dead before Jesus but they all died again....Christ is still alive today!

Why is this important because it gives Jesus preeminence over all things

His sacrifice demands He is first in your life

Colossians 1:19

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“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;”

What does that mean?

It means Jesus was fully man and fully God at the same time

The Greeks didn’t believe this

They didn't believe Jesus could be fully human and fully God as the same time

But He was so that means He lived a perfect human life in a human body dealing with everything that we deal with as humans just without sin

Colossians 1:20

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“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

FREEDOM!!!!!!!!

Jesus made peace with His blood shed on the cross

All the old testament sacrifices leading up to the cross were temporary

they were substitutionary

they were merely appeasing not reconciling

God had always intended for Jesus to fulfill them

God had always intended for Jesus to remove the sin barrier that kept humans from God the Father

In Jesus you have direct access to God the Father because He was perfect

because He shed His blood to pay the price for the sin He became on the cross

you are reconciled back to God through Jesus

Don’t you get that.....nothing you do can add to that or take away from that

You and I are free from all that because of Jesus being the perfect sacrifice in order to reconcile all things....including you....through His blood

Live in that freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!

Colossians 1:21

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“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled”

Church this is big stuff here

this is eternal stuff here

Romans 3:23 says all have sinned

Romans 6:23 says the wages of that sin is death

this is truth

If you never deal with your sin you will go to hell when you die

the only way to deal with your sin is to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and His blood then covers your sin and you are reconciled back to God

Jesus paid that price all while you and I were God’s enemy

Romans 5:10

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“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Enemies

Few would die for a good man but who would choose to die for his enemies

Jesus that is who

What made us enemies

our wicked works

sin

anything that doesn’t glorify God

anything that breaks God’s commandments

anything that breaks God’s rules

anything that goes against the Bible is sin

Sin separates

sin alienates you from God

Jesus reconciles...brings you back to God.....not only brings you back but puts you back in right standing with God just as if you never sinned

That is who you are in Christ

Your wicked works are in the past

they are dead

they are gone

they are as far as the east is from the west because they are paid for

you are reconciled

Colossians 1:22

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“In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Do you see it

If you are truly saved this morning then you are not who you were

you cant be defined by your mistakes

you cant be defined by your sin

you cant be defined by your past

sure you may still have lingering consequences from your wicked works but you are not defined by them

they no longer have any power over you

Jesus had to live a perfect life in the flesh...fully flesh...in order to satisfy God’s holiness and redeem us

reconcile us because of our sin

the wages of sin is death

only a perfect

sinless human could die to pay for mankind's sin

once that blood is applied

you are unblameable

you are unreproveable

just as if you never sinned

do you see it

do you get it

are you living in it

Praise Jesus here this morning for reconciliation

no really praise Him

Listen I don’t want to tell you how to do church but I want you to realize what Amen means....I agree....that is right....that is truth....that is what amen means and if someone is passionately preaching about the Gospel and what Jesus did that should always get a resounding AMEN

It is okay to speak out

It is okay to get excited about the Gospel

It is okay to say AMEN.....COME ON...That is right etc whatever God lays on your heart

I will tell you I was so encouraged and impassioned by Juliet and her crew last week when they were responding to God through His Word being preached

No matter how many times you hear the Gospel it should light you up because of what Jesus did for you

anyone out there grateful this morning....give an amen

Now with this gift of salvation

with this freedom

with this redemption

with this reconciliation comes responsibility

Colossians 1:23

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“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

Jesus sets you free but you must continue in the faith

be grounded in the faith

be settled in the faith

not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel.....JESUS!!!!!

Do you have faith Jesus is enough

Do you have faith that Jesus’ blood saved you

Does that faith then result in you living a changed, transformed life?

If you are only transformed on Sunday mornings or at Bible studies you miss it and truly must question your salvation this morning .....is your salvation true

if it is true then you are truly still a babe in Christ and on the milk of salvation

Ephesians 3:14–19

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“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Deep stuff here church

faith = fulness of God through the Holy Spirit!!!!!

Rooted and grounded in Love....His love....agape love......send your son to the cross to die for your enemies love

able to comprehend Christ’s love

this is an inside job.....only the Holy Spirit can do this in you

Do you bow your knee?

Do you surrender to God because of Jesus and His great love?

Are you rooted and grounded in love

what is your fruit

Colossians 1:24–25

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“Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;”

Paul rejoices in his sufferings for the church in Colosse

Paul rejoices in the afflictions of Christ in his flesh for Christ’s body....the church

You don’t have to be a minister to fulfill the Word of God but you do have to be present

you do have to be engaged

you do have to be committed

are you rejoicing in your suffering for the church.....do you endure sufferings for the church

Melody and I endure sufferings for you......this is not a plea looking for sympathy or anything like that

we sacrifice time togehter

we sacrifice time with family

we sacrifice sleep

we sacrifice many things for you

we love doing that it is part of the calling God laid upon us

sometimes that sacrificing seems one sided however

we are all called to sacrifice for each other.....is the fruit of sacrifice for brothers and sisters in Christ the church in your life?

Colossians 1:26–27

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“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

The Gospel is a mystery to the lost

Foolishness to the lost

It is made known by the Holy Spirit when it is heard with faith

Hebrews 4:2

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“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

The same gospel is preached but some did not profit because it was not mixed with faith

Hearing the Gospel mixed with faith is the only way it profits

where are you

Are you hearing the Gospel mixed with faith so it profits you......do you believe and because of that belief you are moved to action

that is the difference

if there is no action because of the Gospel it is not mixed with faith

That is done by God through the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:28–29

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“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”

The Gospel is for every man and woman and child everywhere

it is not just to Jesus

it is not just to the Israelites

it is for everyone

Christ died for all people

The Gospel however does come with a warning

Jesus is the only way

Jesus says count the cost because if you are to be my disciple...saved....it will cost you everything

You will labor and work because of what Christ did for you on the cross

So many want to be comfortable

So many want someone else to to the heavy lifting

so many want to just write a check, sing a song, check a box and go on with their life

they miss it

you are to labor

you are to work

not to gain salvation but because you have salvation

what is your fruit

what is your life’s mission and goal

what is your ministry

there are so many needs just in this small body that go unfilled because people refuse to walk in Christ

they refuse to get out of the pew and into ministry

they refuse to hear the gospel mixed with faith and stay where they are

church it is time to get real and that authenticity requires you to be uncomfortable and step out in faith and go and do

does your fruit confirm or deny that?

Church how you live matters

are you living from Christ Jesus or living from the world and evil and satan

those are the only two choices

invitation Casting Crowns