The Preeminence of Christ

The Preeminence of Christ

12 giving thanks to the Father

who has qualified us to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness

and

conveyed us into the kingdom

of the Son of His love,

14 in whom we have redemption through His blood,  

the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created

that are in heaven and that are on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things,

and in Him all things consist.

18 And He is the head of the body,

the church,

who is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead,

that in all things He may have the preeminence.

M.O.I. – Christian adoration

C.I.T. – Paul wanted the church to understand why Christ must be preeminent in it.

Thesis – The church must recognize Christ as being preeminent in all aspects of church life.

Proposition – I want the church to understand that Christ is preeminent and the reasons why.

Probing Question – What does this passage teach about why Christ is to be preeminent in the church today?

Unifying Word – Reasons

Transitional Sentence – Many times people fight over who ought to have preeminence within the church.  There is only one who may and that is none other than Jesus.  This passage gives us several reasons why this is so.

I.  He is preeminent because He has saved us.  Vs. 12-14

II.  He is preeminent because He is the image of God.  Vs 15

III.  He is preeminent because He created all things.  Vs. 16,17

IV.  He is preeminent because He is the Head of the Church.  Vs. 18.