Colossians 1:18-20 "Firstborn of the New Creation"
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Anybody getting tired of this world?
Things are not right in this world > It is fallen!
Get so upset at what we see on the NEWS
What is supposed to be JUSTICE is actually INJUSTICE
It’s like we are living in the inverse world of darkness where superheroes are the bad guys
Discouragement sets in > Separation from FELLOWSHIP
This current craziness is nothing new to creation
Creation has been groaning since the Fall
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 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. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Longing for the new Creation!
Let this passage today encourage you that craziness, sickness, and sin we see around us will not endure > It will soon pass away!
First we saw Jesus is CREATOR of a perfect creation that fell
Now we see He is REDEEMER of His fallen Creation
We have so much to look forward to!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
1.0 HE IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CREATION (1:18)
1.0 HE IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CREATION (1:18)
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.
Head of the body—Meaning He is the SOURCE as well as LEADER
Authority, direction, leadership, empowerment for growth
The closer you are to the head, the closer you are to one another!
Various styles of church leadership: Bishop leads, Congregation Leads, Elders lead
Biblical style is the one in which Jesus is head of the church
If Jesus is HEAD—“I pity the fool that tries to tell the church what to do!”
*Chickens with their heads cut off experience all kinds of activity until it runs out of energy. Churches that lose connection with the head experience the same thing.
Lots of activity, but no life!
*Some years ago, someone on staff at the church I worked at took all the staff pictures and placed our heads on the bodies of various pictures. Our worship leader was a ballerina; our associate pastor was a shirtless body builder, I was a disco style piano player, etc...
The photos were pretty hilarious, because the head didn't fit the body.
If we look at Christ as the head of the church, would the world laugh at the misfit or would they see consistency?
“The Church of God apart from the Person of Christ is a useless structure. However ornate it may be in its organization, however perfect in all its arrangements, however rich and increased with goods, if the Church is not revealing the Person, lifting Him to the height where all men can see Him, then the Church becomes an impertinence and a sham, a blasphemy and a fraud, and the sooner the world is rid of it, the better.”—G. Campbell Morgan (Giant Steps. Christianity Today. Vol. 40, no. 6.)
Church = ἐκκλησία ekklēsía n. refers to a body of free citizens called together by a herald. It is an assembly of believers called to gather in the name of Christ.
Not a building > PEOPLE
Not an institution, but a LIVING ORGANISM
There is the universal church, the “called out ones,” baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
There is also the local church, a group of believers that gathers in person locally under Christ’s lead.
Beginning—Just as Genesis begins with, “In the beginning God” > New Creation will begin the same way: "In the beginning Jesus!”
Jesus discipled the first church
He sent His Spirit to empower it and help it grow
You become part of Christ’s body the moment you place your faith in Christ & Spirit indwells you
Firstborn from the dead—He is the one who conquered sin on Cross & death through Resurrection > Firstborn of the RESURRECTED SAINTS
Many people have been raised from the dead, but only to die again. Jesus was the first one to be raised who didn’t die again.
He became Head of the Church by being the first to be RESURRECTED w/ an eternal RESURRECTION BODY
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 each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
HE IS the new creation to come!
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
DYING TO OLD LIFE > NO LONGER LIVING IN SIN
Firstborn = πρωτότοκος prōtótokos adj. “to be in the first position, with the implication of high rank and prominence—‘to be the first, to have superior status.’”—Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 737.
Not first chronologically, but rather in PREEMINENCE, PRIORITY, AUTHORITY
*We have an equivalent in our day—The First Lady: doesn’t mean that she was the first lady ever born, but that she has priority, position, and authority.
Preeminent—literally means “have the first place” in everything
He is the firstborn of CREATION & NEW CREATION
There is no part of eternity past or eternity future that He is not Preeminent!
He must have first place in everything in creation
He must have first place in everything in the church & ministry
He must have first place in everything in our life, relationships, jobs, finances, recreation
That is really the purpose of this section, to show that Christ is supreme. Do you allow Him that place in your life? Does anything else supersede His place in your life?
*Discovering the sun is the center of the solar system > Have to change understanding of the universe from a geocentric model of the universe
We revolve around the sun—gives light & life to earth
Discovering Christ is center should also change our whole view on life
Christianity is not a compartmentalizing your life, but allowing Jesus to completely fill it.
2.0 OUR CREATOR BECOMES PART OF HIS CREATION (1:19)
2.0 OUR CREATOR BECOMES PART OF HIS CREATION (1:19)
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Fullness—Technical term in Gnostic theology, denoting the totality of the supernatural powers that controlled men’s lives.
[To the Gnostic] “fullness meant all the angelic powers that emanate from God, fill the space between heaven and earth, and act as intermediaries between God and humans.”—Life Application Bible Commentary
There is a reason Paul uses this word in his letter 8 X’s
Paul’s use of the word “fullness” here was an intentional slap at the Gnostics, who used the same word, pleroma, to denote the totality of all the thousands of divine emanations or lesser gods. But Paul said, “No way! Jesus is not one of the lesser gods of the fullness. He is the Fullness!”—R. Kent Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 36.
Fullness = πλήρωμα plḗrōma n. The full measure, completeness, totality.
God is fully present in person of Jesus
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
There is no part of Jesus that is not God
Jesus is completely, totally, and perfectly displayed the attributes and works of God
Pleased to dwell—Delighted in tabernacling among us > Identifying with us
No part of God Jesus is not
No part of man Jesus is not
Not just a cold theological truth, but an enjoyable, delightful experience of God
*Having fun making tents w/ the kids! > Delightful to enter their world
Salvation is God’s JOYOUS work!
He tabernacled among us!
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.
He joyfully fills our life & fellowships with us!
God was truly fully “with us” in the person of Christ > He is “Emmanuel, God with us!”
Sufficient for everything in our life because of WHO HE IS
Sufficiency Of Christ—One night while conducting an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Citadel in Chicago, Booth Tucker preached on the sympathy of Jesus. After his message a man approached him and said, “If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying for their mother, who would never come back, you wouldn’t be saying what you’re saying.” Tragically, a few days later, Tucker’s wife was killed in a train wreck. Her body was brought to Chicago and carried to the same Citadel for the funeral. After the service the bereaved preacher looked down into the silent face of his wife and then turned to those attending. “The other day a man told me I wouldn’t speak of the sympathy of Jesus if my wife had just died. If that man is here, I want to tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus. I want that man to know that Jesus Christ speaks comfort to me today.”— Today ill the Word. MBI. October. 1991, p. 10
When Jesus became part of His creation > He experienced sorrow & comfort, which He now shares with us!
3.0 HE MAKES A WAY FOR A NEW CREATION (1:20)
3.0 HE MAKES A WAY FOR A NEW CREATION (1:20)
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
A Father’s Love—There’s a Spanish story of a father and son (who had become estranged. The son ran away, and die father seL off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in Madrid newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.—Bits & Pieces, October 15. 1992, p. 13
Through Him—God sent His SON to establish & communicate reconciliation with the FATHER
When the first man and woman first sinned, they became like sheep going astray
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Essentially, mankind declared war on God
Instead of God declaring war on us, He seeks us out to reconcile us to Himself
Reconcile = ἀποκαταλλάσσω apokatallássō v. To reunite, reestablish a relationship after it has been broken, to bring back to a former state of harmony.
Essential it means to change from ENEMY to FRIEND
He wanted to bring reconciliation, not just a compromise > He died for you!
Reconciliation with God is accomplished for us! > He initiated it > He paid the price > He will bring it to completion!
All we do is receive it!
Are you ready to come home to the FATHER?
Do you remember the DEPRAVITY from which you were saved?
*People are concerned about getting to heaven, but why? To live forever in a state of pleasure? To avoid hell?
The reason God wants us I n heaven is to have an eternal RELATIONSHIP with Him
On earth or in heaven—The work of reconciliation covers the widest imaginable scale
Not universal salvation > But setting all things right!
Jesus will bring harmony to universe—willingly or unwillingly
Every enemy & rebellious angelic being will be put under His feet—in subjection
Some irreconcilable beings have to be cast into the Lake of Fire—a place prepared for the devil & his angels
Everything will be used to glorify Him
Every knee will bow & confess that Jesus is Lord
Everything will be restored to that divine harmony
Making peace by the blood of His cross—Primarily relational > We have all turned away > We have all become enemies of God
People try all sorts of ways to get to heaven—good works, religion, church, etc.
Only payment for sin is shedding of blood, which means a life was sacrificed
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Scripture tells us since the wages of sin is death
Cross was an instrument of execution, and to the Jew was a sign of being accursed by God
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
Cross is center of life for the believer
Chief Gives Life—The famous Muir Woods in California are named for John Muir, “Father of the National Parks,” famous explorer and naturalist. In his book. Travels in Alaska. Muir tells an amazing story of the Tlingit and Sitka Indians, two tribes that readily accepted the preaching of the gospel in Alaska in 1879.
He writes: The Tlingit tribes give a hearty welcome to Christian missionaries. In particular they are quick to accept the doctrine of the atonement, because they themselves practice it, although to many of the civilized whites it is a stumbling-block and rock of offense. As an example of their own doctrine of atonement they told Mr. Young and me one evening that 20 or 30 years ago there was a bitter war between their own [Tlingit] and the Sitka tribe, great fighters, and pretty evenly matched.
After fighting all summer in a desultory, squabbling way, fighting now under cover, now in the open, watching for every chance for a shot, none of the women dared venture to the salmon-streams or berry-fields to procure their winter stock of food. At this crisis one of the Stickeen chiefs came out of his block-house fort into an open space midway between their fortified camps, and shouted that he wished to speak to the leader of the Sitkas.
When the Sitka chief appeared, he said: “My people are hungry. They dare not go to the salmon-streams or berry-fields for winter supplies, and if this war goes on much longer most of my people will die of hunger. We have fought long enough; let us make peace. You brave Sitka warriors go home, and we will go home, and we will all set out to dry salmon and berries before it is too late.”
The Sitka chief replied: “You may well say let us stop fighting, when you have had the best of it. You have killed ten more of my tribe than we have killed of yours. Give us ten Stickeen men to balance our blood-account; then, and not till then, will we make peace and go home.”
“Very well,” replied the Stickeen chief, “you know my rank. You know that I am worth 10 common men and more. Take me, and make peace.”
This noble offer was promptly accepted; the Stickeen chief stepped forward and was shot down in sight of the fighting bands. Peace was thus established, and all made haste to their homes and ordinary work.
That chief literally gave himself a sacrifice for his people. He died that they might live. Therefore, when missionaries preached the doctrine of atonement, explaining that when all mankind had gone astray, had broken God's laws and deserved to die, God's son came forward, and, like the Stickeen chief, offered himself as a sacrifice to heal the cause of God's wrath and set all the people of the world free, the doctrine was—readily accepted.
“Yes, your words are good,” they said. “The Son of God, the Chief of chiefs, the Maker of all the world, must be worth more than all mankind put together; therefore, when His blood was shed, the salvation of the world was made sure.”—John Muir. Travels in Alaska (Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1913) p. 197.
Since the fullness of God dwelt in Christ, He was the ultimate sacrifice who paid the ultimate price for your sin!
Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Last week we talked about being in awe of Creation and that giving us the view of God’s Transcendence & Immanence
If this creation puts you in awe looking at the stars > Just wait!
If this creation is orderly and beautifully detailed down to the quantum level > Just wait!
If this creation seems glorious > Just wait!
The awe of the New Creation is Greater!
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
1. REMEMBER JESUS MADE YOU A NEW CREATION
1. REMEMBER JESUS MADE YOU A NEW CREATION
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
He didn’t come to make bad men better, but to make dead men live
Let the old things pass away!
Walk in the NEWNESS OF LIFE!
2. RESPECT THE PREEMINENCE OF JESUS IN EVERYTHING
2. RESPECT THE PREEMINENCE OF JESUS IN EVERYTHING
Purpose of this passage is to show that Christ is supreme
He will subject everything to Himself > Even this messed up World
Head of the church
Christ-Centric Universe!
Christ centered life—A woman once asked her pastor, “Will you please tell me in a word what your idea of consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet of paper the pastor replied, “It is to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet, and to let God fill it in as He will.”—The Baptist Challenge
Have you fully surrendered your life to Jesus as LORD?
3. RESOLVE TO LIVE VALIANTLY FOR JESUS IN A WORLD NOT YET REDEEMED
3. RESOLVE TO LIVE VALIANTLY FOR JESUS IN A WORLD NOT YET REDEEMED
We await our redemption & redemption of universe!
World is not the way it is supposed to be—decay, chaos, sin
Especially in these end times, we need boldness in this world that is passing away!
Do not live like citizens of this world:
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Our enemy will not give up without a fight!
He will try to DIVIDE & CONQUER
Be brave in Hope we have in Jesus!
With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
Be prepared to ENDURE & to stand your ground TOGETHER
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Question one
Question one