Prayer and Worship Study Week 8

The Kingdom, the Power, and Glory are Yours Now and Forever

Colossians 1:15–23 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

Christ Is Supreme

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

The Preeminence of Christ—or the supremacy of Christ, the first in order of rank, unique, unlike any other.

Eminence is defined as—fame or recognized superiority, especially within a particular sphere or profession.

So Preeminence is—The fact of surpassing all others; superiority.

Image of the invisible God—the exact representation, the “archetype” (like a stamp that makes the impression on a coin), the imprint of His nature, the personal/human embodiment of God

Firstborn of creation—as in rank and position, He is superior and unique in regards to all of creation, He, Jesus is unlike any other. Even Adam the first and unique created man of God was born without sin, had a desire for autonomy and he acted on it and thereby rebelled and sinned. Jesus was born without sin, had a desire for autonomy and yet He never acted on it, never rebelled, never disobeyed and never sinned. Also, Jesus is not a created being, like all else/creation, that could be falsely worshipped, He is Himself the creator God and thereby preeminent and worthy of all worship. So as creator, He is above and superior to all thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities.

Firstborn of the dead—as in rank and position but also in the first of many to come, the first to rise from the dead sinless, “He was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead”(Rom. 1:4). He is the ruler of the disobedient and the obedient, the heavenly and the earthly, the world, the Church, the underworld, etc.

So what do you think this passage tells us about “The Kingdom, the power, the glory are Yours now and forever”?

Jesus is the Son of God, a member of the Trinity, He is the preexistent One who was and is and is to come.

He is the creator of all and also holds all of creation together V17

He is above and over all other powers or kingdoms

He is the head of the church whom He reconciled to Himself

He was God in the flesh and He currently reigns bodily as Jesus from Heaven

Because of His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension we have peace with God and have been brought into the presence of God and we are holy and blameless

Ephesians 1:3–14 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

Spiritual Blessings

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Blessed or thanked and worshiped be God for He has

Blessed us, a gift and/or of rightness with Him

Before we look at the “Why” let’s look at the “What”

The Three Spiritual Blessings in Christ,

V7 Redemption-

Romans 11:33–36 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

New Living Translation Chapter 11

33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

34 For who can know the LORD’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to give him advice?

35 And who has given him so much

that he needs to pay it back?

36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.