A Gospel Song for the Ages
Listen Up to the One in Charge • Sermon • Submitted
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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. 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.
Title:
Introduction -
Text:
Ear worms - Songs that get stuck in your head!
It’s a Small World - Disney
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine - The Beatles
Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
Advertisers have known for many years the power of ear worms. Songs associated with a particular product that makes you think about the product and then buy it!
The top 10 advertising jingles of all time are:
A good advertising jingle has the power to spark nostalgic feelings and get stuck in your head for days. You might even have a playlist full of them. The top 10 advertising jingles of all time are:
McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It”
Kit Kat® “Give Me a Break”
Oscar Mayer “I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Weiner”
Subway "Five Dollar Foot Long"
Empire "800 Number"
State Farm "Like a Good Neighbor”
Lucky Charms They’re Magically Delicious”
Huggies “I’m a Big Kid Now”
Alka Seltzer “Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz”
Band-Aid “Stuck on Band-Aid”
Main Idea:
Attention (Why should they listen to you?)
Introduction
Attention (Why should they listen to you?)
Music is powerful. Paul understood this. He understood music’s power to sink truth deep into our souls.
The church at Colossae was starting to listen to a heretical teaching and Epaphras went to Paul and enlisted his help to get them back on track.
What do the hearers need to know?
It is very interesting that the verses we are covering today (15-20) are considered by most scholars to be a hymn that was known by the early church. Some believe Paul even wrote it! Whether he did or not, Paul wrote this hymn down to remind this dear church of the powerful and rich truths of the Christian faith. And we would do well to study, know and perhaps even sing these truths in the depths of our own hearts.
Main Textual Idea:
Main Idea: Here’s a Catchy Tune - “Jesus is Over All!”
Interrogative:
One of the parts of the heresy coming against the Colossian Church was the denial of the deity of Jesus. This is a big deal, folks! If Jesus isn’t God, our Faith is a joke! We should be, legitimately a joke to the world around us.
And Paul dedicates his letter to remind the Colossians who Jesus truly is. If He was just a man, just a prophet, just a good teacher, we would have no reason to listen to Him. But Jesus Christ is the God of the universe! And because this is so, we better take Him very seriously!
So Paul in this portion of Scripture quotes a Hymn that will remind them of the truth about Jesus. There are three components of this hymn that we ought to pay attention to and the first one is...
Body (Satisfaction)
1. Sing of Him as Creator (vs. 15-16)
Lead in…Folks, there is a lot of opinion out there about the origin of the earth and the creation around us. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ, the God / Man, is the creator of All!!!
Text -
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.
Explanation -
He is the image of the invisible God - We cannot see God because the bible says...
John
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
And because He is Spirit, His is not visible to us...
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Certainly there were times in the Old Testament that God made Himself visible through a Theophany or a Christophany, but those were special times where it was important for God to be physically relatable to His creation. The majority of the time he worked through prophets, priests and kings.
However, these were all precursors to the One who would come and live among us! “Jesus is literally the exegesis of God.” (RKH)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God planned from before the earth was ever built by Him to have the Son (who is God and lived eternally in the God-head with the Father and the Spirit) be incarnated - which means to take on our human form. And that He did. In fact, the word IMAGE
He is the firstborn of all creation -
IMAGE
1. eikon (εἰκών, english word “Icon”) this mean “an image or representation.” Like a portrait. Jesus is the portrait of God.
The word is used (1) of an “image” or a coin (not a mere likeness), Matt. 22:20; Mark 12:16; Luke 20:24; so of a statue or similar representation (more than a resemblance),
The word is used (1) of an “image” or a coin (not a mere likeness), Matt. 22:20; Mark 12:16; Luke 20:24; so of a statue or similar representation (more than a resemblance),
However it means more than simply a picture of someone. Being the eikon, the image also means “revealing the personal character of God.”
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 318.
So in this sense, Jesus revealed what God is really like, and He did so flawlessly! Just like a metal stamp leaves the perfect imprint, so it is with Jesus. “He is the exact impression of the essence of God.”
‘ So in this sense, Jesus revealed what God is really like, and He did so flawlessly! Just like a metal stamp leaves the perfect imprint, so it is with Jesus. “He is the exact impression of the essence of God.”
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 318.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Vine / Unger - “Christ is the visible representation and manifestation of God to created beings; the likeness expressed in this manifestation is involved in the essential relations in the Godhead, and is therefore unique and perfect.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
9
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 318.
He is the firstborn of all creation -
The point? If you have seen Jesus, you have seen God! And just as He is the exact imprint of God, we are to be as well.
He is the firstborn of all creation - This phrase might be a little confusing at first because it seems to indicate that Jesus had a beginning. He did not! He has eternally existed in the triune Godhead.
Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the heretic Arius
Arius (Ἄρειος, 250 or 256–336) was a Libyan presbyter and ascetic,[1] and priest in Baucalis in Alexandria, Egypt.[2] His teachings about the nature of the Godhead in Christianity, which emphasized God's uniqueness and the Christ's subordination under the Father.
https://www.fuller.edu/next-faithful-step/resources/arius-and-nicea/
He is the creator of all things -
Arius...argued that "if the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: and from this it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was not. It therefore necessarily follows, that he [the Son] had his substance from nothing."[14] This quote describes the essence of Arius's doctrine. This heresy made him a primary topic of the First Council of Nicaea, which was convened by Emperor Constantine the Great in 325.https://www.fuller.edu/next-faithful-step/resources/arius-and-nicea/
By the way, Here is part of the Nicene Creed that resulted from this council...
“…We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ…begotten of the Father…of the essence of the Father…begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father...”
Arius then and cults today fail to understand the significance of Scripture...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And while Paul declares in this hymn that he quotes that Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation,” they fail to realize or refuse to accept the fact that while “firstborn” can mean first child, it often times means “first in rank or honor.”
They fail to realize or refuse to accept the fact that while “firstborn” can mean first child, it often times means “first in rank or honor.”
Interestingly, “Firstborn was also a code word for the coming Messiah...
And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
The NIV translates verse 15 in the best sense…
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Jesus is the firstborn over ALL creation. In other words, the highest glory, honor and praise belongs to Him!! Jesus Christ is SUPREME over ALL creation!
And not only is He supreme over all things created, He actually created all things!
By the way, only God can create!
He is the creator of all things - God the Father is the architect and Jesus, the Son, is the Contractor! He’s the one who built it! He is the agent of creating everything from nothing. And, like I said, only God can do that!
And just to ensure that the Colossians do not miss the point, Paul goes above and beyond in his description of everything that Jesus has created...
In heaven and earth -
Visible and invisible -
Thrones…Dominions...Rulers…Authorities - “The Scriptures and Jewish literature reveal that the for descriptions…refer to the four classes of angelic powers, with the las two referring to the highest orders of the angelic realm.” (PTWC)
Rulers or authorities -
All means all! - The grandiose extent of His creation includes everything.
The heresy that was infiltrating the church taught that the Christ was merely a “spiritual emanation from the true God.” Paul certainly took issue with this and corrected this thinking a firmly as he could declaring Jesus to be far more than an emanation from God, but that HE IS GOD VERY GOD!!!
This means that Jesus Christ, the lowly carpenter who lived, worked and ministered in Israel some two thousand years ago also is the Creator of all there is. This means He created universes that are millions of light years across, our beautiful and complex earth as well as the smallest of all living creatures.
Did you know there are 800,000 catalogued insects and that some species contain billions? All created by none other than Jesus Christ!
Jesus is over ALL!
And we must sing of him as creator!
Indescribable - Christ Tomlin
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creations revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we…
Argumentation - It is absolutely fundamental to our faith that Jesus Christ is recognized as the creator of everything that is! Why? Because only God can create. And Paul is fighting heresy with truth. The heretics that were influencing the church at Colossae were making the claim that Jesus wasn’t God. Paul wasn’t having it!
It is absolutely fundamental to our faith that Jesus Christ is recognized as the creator of everything that is! Why? Because only God can create. And Paul is fighting heresy with truth. The heretics that were influencing the church at Colossae were making the claim that Jesus wasn’t God. Paul wasn’t having it!
Jesus Created all things. They were created by Him and for Him!
Application - It was so important for the Colossians to understand that Jesus was in fact the Creator God. Why is it important for you to believe this?
Review - Here’s a Catchy Tune - “Jesus is Over All!”
Sing of Him as Creator
2. Sing of Him as Lord (vs. 17-19)
2. Sing of Him as Supreme (vs. 17-18)
Lead in…The heresy moving into the church at Colossae was minimizing the Lord of all things. Not wise! Paul does not mince words...
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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,
Col
Paul continues to build on his powerful argument that Jesus is creator, which is breathtakingly impressive enough.
Explanation -
Explanation -
However, now he ups the ante even more!
He is not like the deist believes. That God created everything and walked away. Not a chance! Our God is intimitly intertwined in every aspect of His creation.
First notice...
He is eternal - “…he is before all things…”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
He is powerful - “…in him all things hold together.” He is not like the deist believes. That God created everything and walked away. Not a chance! Our God is intimately intertwined in every aspect of His creation.
Christ is continually keeping this world together and preventing it from falling apart and into chaos.
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,
By the way, no one really understands why the atom doesn’t burst apart with its whirling protons and electrons. Physicists have their theories as to why this is, no one is certain. I am certain that the atom along with everything else is held together by the POWER of JESUS CHRIST!
He is not like the deist believes. That God created everything and walked away. Not a chance! Our God is intimitly intertwined in every aspect of His creation.
Other than His creation, the most important thing to Christ is His church!
He is the Head of the Church - Can you imagine a headless body? It would be a monstrosity! It would not be able to survive on its own!
Jesus is the head of the Body of Christ! And just as the human body is controlled by the head/brain, so the Body of Christ controls and gives life and direction.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
And so everything we do as a church must be in compliance with THE HEAD, Jesus Christ! He is the beginning of the church, the source of it’s creation at Pentecost and He is over it!
What qualifies Him to be in this exalted headship position?
He is the -
He is the Beginning - This means that He is the source of all things and that he is supre
He is the Firstborn from the Dead - What does this mean? It means that Jesus was the first be be raised from the dead, never to die again!
Yes, there were those who were raised from the dead throughout the Scriptures. Lazareth is a prime example. The problem for Lazareth was, he would die again. Not so with Jesus. When He was raised from the dead, he was raised to die no more. And so because He was the first to do this, He was the firstborn from the dead.
All who are His since the resurrection will enjoy the same thing...
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
This is an amazing promise even for us today!
He is Fully God - In case the Colossians missed it, Paul strongly reiterates His main point. No matter what these heretics are preaching, no matter how compelling and convincing they might be, no matter how seemingly logical and cogent their arguments were didn’t change the simple fact that JESUS CHRIST IS GOD VERY GOD WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME!!!
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
He is God very God!
This is an amazing promise even for us today!
Illustration -
Lyrics:J. Temperley Grey
Music: P. Skene
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
Thy love has conquered me;
Beneath Thy Cross I die to self,
And live alone to Thee.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
Thy love has conquered me;
Beneath Thy Cross I die to self,
And live alone to Thee.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
Nor creed, nor form, nor word,
Nor holy Church, nor human love,
Compare with Thee, my Lord!
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
My inmost being fill;
So shall I think as Thou dost think,
And will as Thou dost will.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
My inmost being fill;
So shall I think as Thou dost think,
And will as Thou dost will.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
Thy life transfigure mine;
And through this veil of mortal flesh,
Lord, let Thy splendor shine.
Argumentation - And because of the resurrection, Jesus is the ultimate, supreme, preeminent One! And because of this promise, Jesus Christ should have prominence in every area of life.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
Thy life transfigure mine;
And through this veil of mortal flesh,
Lord, let Thy splendor shine.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
My soul exults in Thee;
To be Thy slave, to do Thy will,
Is my felicity.
Be Thou supreme, O Jesus Christ,
My soul exults in Thee;
To be Thy slave, to do Thy will,
Is my felicity.
And because of the resurrection, Jesus is the ultimate, supreme, preeminent One! And because of this promise, Jesus Christ should have prominence in every area of life.
• First-place in our families.
• First-place in our marriages.
• First-place in our professions.
• First-place in our mission and ministry.
• First-place in matters of the intellect.
• First-place in time.
• First-place in love.
• First-place in conversation.
• First-place in pleasures.
• First in eating.
• First in play.
• First in athletics.
• First in what we watch.
• First-place in art.
• First-place in music.
• First-place in worship.
Let us give him first-place!
R. Kent Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 34.
Review - Here’s a Catchy Tune - “Jesus is Over All!”
Sing of Him as Creator
Sing of Him as Supreme
3. Sing of His Power to Make Things Right (vs. 19-20)
Lead in…Jesus Christ is many things, but at the top of the list is the reality that He is the great reconciler!
Sing of Him as Lord
Lead in...
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
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.
Text -
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Explanation -
The twenty first century Christian doesn’t have a problem with the idea that Jesus is God, we struggle more with the idea that He was 100% human. In the first century, it was just the opposite. They had a much harder time thinking that Jesus was divine. Not simply divine, but God very God!
This was at the heart of the heresy Paul was addressing with the Colossians. Jesus wasn’t part God, He is God!
God Was Pleased to Dwell Fully in Jesus -
Preaching the Word: Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ The Father’s Reconciling Pleasure (vv. 19, 20a)
Colossians 2:9 says it even more explicitly: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” “Fullness” means that the totality of divine power and attributes is in Christ. “The whole fullness—the full fullness”—Jesus Christ is the “exhaustion of God.” Moreover, the fullness is said to “live in him.” It is not temporary. It was, and is, there to stay.
In case the Colossians missed it, Paul strongly reiterates His main point. No matter what these heretics are preaching, no matter how compelling and convincing they might be, no matter how seemingly logical and cogent their arguments were didn’t change the simple fact that JESUS CHRIST IS GOD VERY GOD WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME!!!
This means we need not look to anyone else to see the full revelation of the character of God. If you want to see God in action, look at Jesus revealed in the Scriptures.
And because He is fully God...
God Was Please to offer Reconciliation Through Jesus -
God desires to reconcile creation to himself.
The harsh reality is all of creation suffered a curse because of the Fall of man.
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
Paul reiterates the reality that man’s sin has subjected the creation to futility...
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Our HOPE is realized in Christ alone. We sing this hope at Christmas time...
“No more let sins and sorrow grow,
Preaching the Word: Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ The Father’s Reconciling Pleasure (vv. 19, 20a)
No more let sins and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
No more let sins and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.”
And even more than simply creation, but He will reconcile the crown of His creation, humans! You and me...
and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Reconciliation = a financial term that means “to balance the books.” How does God “balance the books?” The gospel.
Do you notice who the initiator of this process of reconciliation is? God! He does everything and all we need do is respond.
Illustration -
Hallelujah! What a Savior! Phillip Paul Bliss
2
“Man of Sorrows,” what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
3
Argumentation -
Guilty, vile, and helpless, we,
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full redemption—can it be?
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
4
Lifted up was He to die,
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in heaven exalted high;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
5
When He comes, our glorious King,
To His kingdom us to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
God is in the business of making all things right. Why? He has every right to scrap this whole thing and start over ensuring that everything will be perfect. why doesn’t he do this? Because of His Great love for us and His passion for His glory or fame.
He will make all things right. And right now He wants to make sure you are right with Him - Review the gospel
Review - Here’s a Catchy Tune - “Jesus is Over All!”
Sing of Him as Creator
Sing of Him as Lord
Sing of Him as Supreme
Conclusion (Visualization)
Sing of His Power to Make Things Right
Conclusion (Visualization)
Music is a powerful! Don’t believer me? “Oh I Wish I Were and Oscar Myer Weiner...”
But it is not all bad. In fact, Music is a powerful way to get truth rooted deep in our soul.
Paul knew this and so he quoted a familiar hymn to his friends at Colossae.
way to get truth rooted deep in our soul.
I’m not sure what you are dealing with today, but I think it would be wise if you took a page from the Apostle Paul this morning and sing this powerful song. “Jesus is over all!”
Land the Plane
Connection Group Questions
Share something that encouraged you from the sermon?
Why do you think Paul took the issue of Jesus being supreme over all so seriously? What can we learn from him in this regard?
Who is able to create? Is this a characteristic of God alone? Why is this important for us to understand?
Jesus is supreme over all things. What does this mean? How should this effect your life?
Jesus holds all things together. What does this truth tell you about Him?
Jesus is the head of the Church. How should this impact the way we do church?
What does “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” mean? What hope should this give you?
What do Jesus’ divinity and reconciliation have in common?