Colossians 1:15-20 (Pt. 1 of 2)

What’s the big deal about Jesus?

Read Colossians 1:15-20

Pray

Tell the story of teammate in football (K. Jolley) who forgot to bring helmet to Clayton football game.

Oof- having a helmet is NON-NEGOTIABLE in playing a football game!

When have you forgotten something that was absolutely crucial to what you were doing?

Forgetting your instrument on a marching band trip

Forgetting to take out the pork chops out of the freezer like mom asked

Forgetting to put water in microwavable cup of Ramen

Forgetting to put the drain plugs in the boat

Let’s face it- we all forget important things.

Today, we are starting the first lesson of a two-part series that begins to explore the magnitude and importance of Jesus.

What are some reasons why Jesus is important?

Let’s dig into Scripture tonight to find some answers for why Jesus is a big deal- and why we should take special, upmost care to not forget Him in our daily lives.

Verse 15 - Jesus is the image of the invisible God

John 1:18

It is a a BIG deal to see God…

How many of y’all’s most glorious feature is your feet?

Story of Elders of Israel and Moses seeing God’s feet (Exodus 24) … Exodus 24:11

Moses seeing the back of God from the rock cleft (Exodus 33)

Priests had bells attached to their robes so others outside the Tabernacle would know if he was still alive (God’s Presence)

Although no one had ever truly seen God, Jesus is God Himself. Jesus made God known to us.

He is the exact, perfect representation of God.

“In the exalted Christ the unknowable God becomes known.” (Peake)

Jesus showed up in-person, being God Incarnate Himself. You can’t hardly get a better representation than that!

Verse 16 - All things have been created through Him and for Him

When is the last time you took a few moments to truly be lost in amazement and wonder over all God has made and done?

Let some of the following facts and information increase your wonder towards God.

“Comets have vapor trails up to 10,000 miles long. If you could capture all that vapor, and put it in a bottle, the amount of vapor actually present in the bottle would take up less than 1 cubic inch of space.” (Guzik)

Saturn’s rings are 500, 000 miles in circumference, but only about a foot thick.” (Guzik)

“The earth travels around the sun about eight times the speed of a bullet fired from a gun.” (Guzik)

“There are more insects in one square mile of rural land than there are human beings on the entire earth.” (Guzik)

“A single human chromosome contains twenty billion bits of information. How much information is that? If written in ordinary books, in ordinary language, it would take about four thousand volumes.” (Guzik)

We are told that all things- including this astounding things- were made through and for One Source: Jesus Christ.

What is your purpose in life?

In a Christ-centric universe, your purpose is to know God (and love God) and make Him known.

John 17:3

Verse 17 - He is before all things

Who has read or heard about the creation of all things in Genesis?

Who has learned or heard anything about evolution? (school, news, etc.)

Let’s add some needed perspective about the truth of creation.

John 1:1-4

All things had a beginning through Jesus- the Word- during creation.

Take note of the priority and precedence of Jesus Christ- He has always been and forever will be!

If Jesus is eternal, and all physical things (including you and I) exist because of Him, why do we struggle with giving Him first priority in our lives?

Verse 18 - Jesus is First Place

Who likes to be first place?

For all of these reasons we have discussed and explored so far, Jesus is worthy of being first place in everything.

Jesus doesn’t simply want to be first- He must be first. His very existence and essence demands first place.

Christ has no equal and no rival. He is undefeated. He is Lord of all.

Jesus was the firstborn from the dead.

Jesus defeated death by his resurrection- this is convincing proof of His Lordship over all things.

We’ll also see next how this relates to us personally.

Verse 19 & 20

God’s fullness dwelled in and through Jesus to make us right with Himself

Here’s the truth: we aren’t right with God by ourselves because of our sin.

Who is a sinner by their own nature?

God changed this by “making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

Jesus made the offering that we could never make.

Jesus’ blood, which is the very blood of God Incarnate Himself (the most valuable thing in the entire universe), was poured out from His body for you and for me.

Who is a saint because of Christ’s nature and His accomplishment on the cross?

In closing:

All too often, our image of Jesus is the blue-eyed, fair-skinned Jesus found in those paintings. We’ve all seen them- with all the little children crowding around Him.

“spirit sprinkle” Jesus

He becomes a Hobby Lobby house decoration or a quotable Person.

Rather, He should be our real, Living Savior, the Alpha and Omega, and our daily bread.

So, how should we apply this to our lives?

Who finds it difficult to spend quiet time with God, such as reading the Bible?

Spend daily fellowship with Jesus. Allow your heart to burn for Him. Be satisfied by Him. Study the Word, be in fellowship with other believers, pray continuously.

Don’t go through each day curbing your aching heart and soul with lesser things than Jesus.

What does it mean for your soul to ache?

Things like sports and choir, endless social media scrolling, nonstop video games, Netflix indulgence, hanging out with friends, late night soul-crushing habits on your phone, etc.

Not all these things are inherently bad or sinful … some of them are OK in moderation.

However, none of them connect you with your One Sole Purpose

All of your being hungers and thirsts for God. We starve our souls and hearts by denying ourselves Him.

Have you accepted Jesus as the answer to your hungering, longing, and searching?

We must believe in Jesus Christ and be rooted in Him, or else our Christian faith and life is hollow, misdirected, and meaningless.

Jesus is the SOURCE.

Pray