Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

A W Tozer said- “what you believe about God, that is the most important thing about you.”

We could say what you believe about Christ, that is the most important thing about you.

Paul wrote this letter to the Church at Colosse.

The church there was being put in danger by a heresy that tried to belittle the character of Christ.

Paul recognised that the Church needed a proper view of Christ in order to have a proper view of anything.

In order for people to be saved they need to trust in Christ, in order for people to trust in Christ they must know that He is trustworthy.

If people do not believe correctly about Jesus Christ their soul is in danger.

John Newton, the famous hymn writer, wrote-

What think ye of Christ? is the test.

To try both your state and your scheme; You cannot be right in the rest, Unless you think rightly of him; As Jesus appears in your view, As he is beloved or not, So God is disposed to you, And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

A right view of Jesus Christ is paramount for the eternal well being of your soul.

In our text Paul reminds the Colossians about who Jesus Christ is.

This section; can be split into two parts

I. V.15-17 Jesus is Lord of creation

II.

v.18-20 Jesus is Lord of salvation

In this portion of Scripture we have several truths about who Jesus Christ is.

As mentioned a moment ago, what we believe about Jesus has eternal consequences and so the truth about Christ in these verses are important for each one of us here to grasp.

I. Jesus is Lord of creation v.15-17

Firstly then we will look at the first part of this section.

v.15-17.

The title for this section could be Jesus is Lord of creation.

Here we find three truths about who Christ is.

We see that Jesus is the image of God, He is the Firstborn over all creation and He is the creator of everything.

The first truth.

1.Christ- The image of God

Verse 15 begins with these words “He is the image of the invisible God”

Paul begins by telling the Church at Colossae that Jesus Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God.

The word image used by Paul is the same word that Jesus Christ used in when he was being tested by the Pharisees and they asked him whether they should pay taxes to Caesar.

Jesus told them to bring a coin and said these words “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”

They replied Caesar’s.

The word likeness is the same word as image here.

On a denarius there was an image of Caesar.

Paul is saying when we look at Christ we see the image of the invisible God.

Paul is saying to the Colossians that Jesus Christ has all the attributes of God.

He is the exact representation of the invisible God in bodily form.

That is why Jesus in could say “whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Describes Jesus like this “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.”

This is what Paul is saying to the Colossians.This shows that Jesus Christ is God.He is the perfect representation of the invisible God.

The Bible tells us that God is Spirit.

Here Paul tells the Colossians that though God is Spirit He has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ.App: The obvious application of this truth to us here this morning is that if you want to know what God is like look at Jesus.Read the Gospels.

See how Jesus had mercy and compassion on people, that’s what God is like.

See how Jesus had righteous anger over sin, that’s what God is like.There are many today who have a mistaken idea that God the Father is angry but that God the Son, Jesus Christ is loving.

That is not true.

They both have the same attributes, they both feel same about sin, they both have the same love for people.The First truth that Paul gives about Christ is that he is the image of the invisible God.

The second truth is also found in verse 15.

2. Christ- The Firstborn of all creation.

The second truth about Jesus.

Christ- The firstborn over all creation.Look with me at verse 15.“He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn over all creation”Here Paul is reminding the Colossians about the preeminence Jesus Christ has over the things that have been made.

The Word Firstborn needs to be explained.This verse through out history has been used by false teachers to teach that Jesus Christ was created and therefore not eternal and so couldn’t be God.This is often done by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

But that is not what this verse means.So what does the word Firstborn mean in this verse?Well in the Bible the word firstborn can be used to mean the one who was physically born first.We see this in lots of verses , are just two examples.But the title can also be given to people who were not physically born first.

In Hebrew culture the Firstborn son was the one who was the heir to the Fathers wealth.

The Firstborn would get the inheritance.The Firstborn was classed as first in rank over the household.

The term first born then can be used to refer to a person who has the privileges of the firstborn son even though they were not physically born first.

It can be used as a title to show prominence, they have prominence over the others in the household.We see that this term can refer to position or rank with out referring to physical birth in the Bible.

Speaking about King David says “ Also I will make him My firstborn,The highest of the kings of the earth..”

Here in this verse it clearly isn’t speaking about being physically born first because David was the youngest of all his brothers and he certainly wasn’t the first king, God is saying that he will have prominence.It is in this sense that Paul uses the word Firstborn in and the strongest evidence for this is found if we just keep on reading.

In v.16-17 Paul gives the reason for why Jesus Christ is the first born.

He says because he created everything seen and unseen.

Everything was made through Him and for him.So if he created all things then he cannot be created because he obviously didn’t create Himself.

v.17 says that he was before all things.What Paul is telling the Colossian believers is that Jesus Christ is the Firstborn over all creation.

Jesus Christ has supremacy over all creation.

He is preeminent over everything that he has created.“that

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” -11App-The question is do you give him the rightful honour that is his?Next in v.16 Paul goes on to give the reason for the two statements about Christ he has just made.

Here we have the third truth about Christ.

3. Christ- the Creator

Look with me at verse 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.”In these verses Paul continues to remind the Colossians that Jesus Christ is the preeminent One, by telling them the truth that he is the creator.Paul says that Jesus Christ created all things and then goes on to emphasise this to leave no room for anything that wasn’t created by Him.He created all things-in heaven and that are on earthPaul here is saying that the entire universe was created by Christ.

In heaven- the starts, the planets, the galaxies.

On earth- the trees, the birds, human beings- every strand of DNA, every single cell.He goes on and says Christ created everything material and everything spiritual, He says;Visible and invisibleThe things we can see and the things we cannot see were created by Christ.

Christ created the body and he created the soul.Paul goes even further to explain this point with a list of spirit beings or angels.Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powersHere Paul lists different ranks of angels, he is referring to the entire angelic realm.

Paul emphasised the point that the angels were created by Christ because false teachers had come into the church at Colosse and were trying to teach angel worship .

Paul here is proving angel worship to be worthless because Christ Himself created the angels and He alone is to be worshipped.

He is the all sufficient Saviour.

Why look to created beings for salvation when Jesus Christ created them and He is the one sent by the Father to save us from our sin.

Then the Apostle Paul rounds up the list by restating that Christ created everything and then he gives the purpose of creation.The end of v.16;all things were created through him and for himPaul says here that everything exists for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.He created everything and they were created for His glory.This is another proof that Jesus Christ is God.

Everything exists to bring glory and honour to Him.

App- Do you live to bring glory to Jesus Christ?

That’s the reason that you were created.Do you believe in Him as your Lord and Saviour? and if you do live for Him?So Paul reminds the Colossian church that Jesus Christ is the Creator of everything and he finishes this theme by stating two facts that naturally follow this truth.Look with me at v.17;“And he is before all things, and in him all things consist.”a)

Firstly he reminds them that Jesus Christ is eternal, he has always existed, he had no beginning.

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”That is why Jesus could say to the Jews in “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”Before

Abraham existed Jesus Christ had always been.

There has never been a time when Jesus Christ has not existed.

Yes he became a human being, he stepped into time and space but before that He has always existed in the Godhead.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Co eternal, Co equal.b)

Secondly he reminds them that Christ is the one that is keeping the universe in existence.Jesus Christ is the one who holds all things together.

It is in Him that everything consists and has its being.Christ not only created everything but He is also the One who is sustaining it and keeping it going.Jesus Christ is Lord of creation.

He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation.

He created everything for His glory and He is the one who holds everything together.App-

That means that He is the one who created you.

He is keeping you alive this moment.

He is the one who is sustaining your life.

I wonder if you give Him the honour and the worship that he deserves.

If your a believer this morning does he occupy first place in your life? or is he just one of many interests?

As the eternal God who not only created but also died for you upon Calvary your whole life should revolve around Him.

Is your life consumed with Him?

If your not a believer this morning then the question is; will you believe on him?

Will you give your life to Him?Without Christ you have nothing.