He Holds All Things Together

Call to Worship

Illumination

Sovereign God, let your Word rule in our hearts and your Spirit govern our lives until at last we see the fulfillment of your realm of justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Context

Since Pentecost last spring we have been reading selections from Paul’s letters. All through the lens of “Growing Together”.

Today, the series comes to a culmination point with our reading on: Christ the King Sunday.

One Lord of creation, head of the church, king of our lives.

He is the one who holds all things together.

Text

Colossians 1:15–23 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.”

Introduction

The Colossians were struggling with feelings of vulnerability.

Political powers that were unpredictable.

Financial difficulties.

Health and mortality major problems in 1st c.

Believed in angels and demons, and unseen powers from which one had to seek protection.

Paul reminds them that Christ is Lord…in him they are secure.

We need to hear this word too.

We’ve got more technology and wealth than the Colossians…but not less anxiety. We need to be reminded that only Christ holds all things together, and as long as we hold to him, we will certainly see his lordship in our lives.

Exegesis: Christ the Lord of Creation

Paul writes, Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God.

In Greek: He is the ICON of the invisible God.

Ancient world, “icon” = more than just a picture such as a painting. An icon is an image that shares in the character of the thing it represents.

Today, some vestige of that meaning in English. When I say Taylor Swift is the ICON of musical success. I mean that to see her is to see what musical success is.

I could say musical success consists in — record breaking album sales, loyal fanbase, respect of other artists — or I can just point Taylor Swift and say: that is musical success. She is the icon.

Paul just points to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the icon of the invisible God. What is true of God is true of Christ.

Jesus said, If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.

Therefore, says Paul, Jesus Christ, existed before all things, holds all things together, and is the goal toward which all things area heading.

Colossians 1:16 “for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.”

Sun, moon, stars, galaxies, and planets, and mountains, hills, oceans, plants, animals, people. By him, through him, and for him.

All that we can taste, touch, smell, see, hear — all created by him, and for him.

All that is spiritual: thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities — angelic classes of all kinds. By him, through him, for him.

Everything exists because of Jesus Christ.

John 1:2–3 “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.”

Hebrews 1:3 “[Christ] is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains/upholds all things by his powerful word. …,”

Christ created in the beginning AND maintains creation moment by moment. Colossians 1:17 “He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Creation not just a past event, an ongoing event.

Example:

Consider a garden. They don’t happen by accident. It exists because a gardener brought it into being. He conceived it. Planted it. It exists for him, his pleasure. It continues to exist because he cares for it. No gardener, no garden.

All of creation is intentional. Christ made it and he is keeping it. It exists day by day because he wills it to exist.

Christ is Lord of all of Creation.

Implication 1: We know Jesus is Lord in the world.

We can look at the world around us and sometimes wonder who — if anyone — is in control:

politicians?

corporations?

social influencers?

militaries?

religious institutions?

my boss, my kids, my spouse, me…?

No. They have domains of influence. Not lordship.

But the universe is not out of control. It is under the reign of Christ.

By faith we know Jesus is Lord of all creation.

Nothing has happened in all of history, is happening right now, or ever will happen apart from the authority of Jesus Christ.

A stand toward the life not of fear, but of confidence in Christ.

Thanksgiving: really grateful to God….good things to encourage; sorrows to draw us near to himself.

Give thanks in all circumstances!!

Tall order…how can we know this is true?

Exegesis 2: Christ the Lord of the Cross

Paul: We know that Christ is holding all the things together because of what Christ did during his time on earth — he was crucified, died, and rose again.

For a moment: It seemed that chaos had won the day: This one who was righteous himself was betrayed. He was condemned. He was put to death.

This is the epitome of a meaningless universe: that the righteous should be treated like the unrighteous.

Everything in us rebels against the idea that such a thing should happen and not be answered.

But God did answer.

But God did not let that injustice stand.

For on the 3rd day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And revealed that on his cross he had accomplished a secret plan.

Colossians 1:20 “and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of [Christ’s] cross.”

Jesus’ shed blood atoned for all the sin and evil that separates humanity and all of creation from God.

By raising Jesus from the dead, God took what was wrong and evil and turned it to good. The greatest good, that all should be reconciled to God.

Jesus is Lord because of the CROSS

Implication 2: We trust even in the hardest

It is a tall order to believe that God is holding all things together.

One might say: how can you believe in God when such horrible things happen in the world, in your life?

I can believe in God because of Jesus Christ…specifically because he died and rose again.

If God was able to bring good out of the tragedy of Jesus on the cross, and he was, then there is no pain or sorrow anywhere in the world that he is not also able to work out his plan.

Sometimes we can see it with our eyes. Like the original apostles got to see Jesus raised from the dead.

I once had a sickness…

Other times we have to believe on faith

a person has died….and we have to believe that we will be reconciled to God.

Believing that Jesus is Lord precisely because he died and rose again is the calling of the Christian church.

Exegesis 3: Lord of the Church

The church is the community of faith is where God’s plan for all of creation is being played out.

God is bringing all in heaven and earth to himself.

Starts with the church.

Colossians 1:18 “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.”

Christ has reconciled the church, SO THAT he will reconcile everything.

Christ is first in the church, SO THAT he will be first in everything.

The church is the people who know they have been reconciled to God through Christ..

Colossians 1:21–22 “And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—”

That is how they strive to live.

Colossians 1:23 “provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, …

Sign of what God is doing in the whole world.

Example

Jesus chose 12. They brought in the Colossians.

The Colossians congregation a sign to their community.

Christ is Lord in the church

Implication 3: We are a sign

Growing together. Not just temporary preaching theme. It is statement of our vocation as Christians.

God is bringing all things to himself. God’s mission to the world.

It starts with us.

He is the Lord of our life together.

He is the head, we are the body.

We are steadily toward Christ. Then we are also steadily moving toward one another.

We are growing together.

The Lordship of Christ becomes visible. It works in the church, therefore it is going to eventually work in all the world.

A vocation:

Forgive as I forgave; love as I loved you…in this way the world will know…

Difficulties with members, with plans, etc.

Christ you are Lord. Hold us together.

Conclusion

Christ the King Sunday.

He holds all things together.

Lord of Creation

Lord of the Cross

Lord of the Church.