Jesus is Not a Co-Pilot

 You have probably seen the bumper sticker that says, "God is my Co-Pilot!" On the surface this sounds like a good thing. It sounds spiritual, like someone has their priorities straight. But sometimes these little bumper sticker clichés may reveal something theologically flawed in our thinking. For example, if God is a co-pilot, then he is not flying the plane. He's not in charge; we are. It means that we are still choosing the altitude and speed of our flight in life. It means we are picking the destination and determining the flight path to get there. God just becomes a helper to our goals and plans when we hit some turbulence or need some rest. If God is a co-pilot, we cease to be followers. We see ourselves as equal partners or pals on the same team, but either way, it puts us in the pilot seat. So, this bumper sticker cliché will need to take a back seat today as we find ourselves on the liturgical calendar with a special day called "Christ the King Sunday." This marks the last day of the Christian worship calendar before we start over again with Advent. The Christian calendar, which focuses on the life, death, resurrection, ascension and return of Jesus, culminates with this crowning moment: Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. No room for co-pilots. The most important question a person needs to answer has to do with their relationship with Jesus Christ. This is no trivial matter. We all need to answer the question, 'Is Christ prominent in our lives or is He pre-eminent? He doesn't want just a place in our lives, He demands first place. Christmas is the time of year when this question is truly put to the test in our lives. When you enter Wal-Mart, and past the greeters, you are immediately faced with aisle upon aisle of 'stuff' to buy for that one special person. As you walk down each aisle, you will also find elves, Santa Claus, and even Harry Potter. It seems each year that Santa and Harry Potter are becoming increasingly more prominent at Christmas. However, contrary to what is happening to Christmas, no amount of marketing by Wall Street can ever take away Jesus' pre-eminence over Christmas. Jesus will always remain the central focus, simply because without His birth, there is absolutely no reason to celebrate. The fact of Jesus' pre-eminence over Christmas is without question. The most important question each of us needs to ask is, IS Jesus Lord over my life, my family, and my work? Yes, for many people Jesus is prominent. They will decorate their homes with lights, a tree and maybe even a Christmas crèche. They will attend church at least once and sing the familiar carols. Jesus is prominent, but in their hearts is He the central one guiding and directing their lives? Jesus does not want to merely have a place in your life, He wants the throne of your heart. Turn with me to Colossians 1:15-22, where Paul talks about what it means to have Jesus Lord of your life. Colossians 1:15-22 (ESV) 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. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 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, In this epistle, the apostle Paul describes Jesus' Lordship in terms of four relationships: * First, his relationship with God (15) * Second, his relationship with creation (16-17) * Third, His relationship with the church (18) * Fourth, his relationship with you and me. (18-20) Let's deep deeper into these four relationships. First of all, Paul describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God. The word image conveys at least two ideas. First, it conveys the thought that the Lord Jesus has enabled us to see what God is like. The Bible says that God is spirit, and so He is invisible. But in his life Jesus made the invisible God visible. The writer of the Hebrews also conveys this idea in Hebrews 1:3 The Son perfectly mirrors God and is stamped with God's nature ..." (The Message) Sometimes people say that there is more than one way to God. Jesus is okay, but he is only one of many roads to the Father. Well, if the Bible is true, and we believe that it is, then there is only one way, one road, one Lord, Jesus!!! "O, I can see God in nature." It is true that the existence, power, and wisdom of God is revealed through creation. Several days ago my wife and I were sitting at our dining room table shortly after 5 pm and I looked out at the Fraser Valley which was lit up like it was under a huge flood light. I got up to take a closer look. What I saw was stunning. There was huge rainbow in the sky and a second but lighter arc parallel to the first one. Yes, sights like that one remind us of the existence and power of God but nature alone cannot reveal the essence of God. Jesus himself made this bold statement: Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9 ESV) Jesus came, born in a manger, not to be the subject of quaint Christmas carols sung once a year. He came to reveal the very essence of God himself. In his Book, A Portrait of Christ, James Draper concludes that "Jesus is not a photocopy. He did not become the image of God. He is the image of God, always has been and always will be." The word, image also conveys the idea of 'representative'. God had originally placed Adam on earth to represent his interests, but Adam failed. Therefore, God sent his only begotten son, into the world as His representative to care for His interests and to reveal His heart of love to man. Well you ask, are we not all made in the image of God? So what makes Jesus different from us? Paul answers that question in the second relationship that he describes. Jesus is the firstborn over all creation, or of every created being. Now this does not mean that Jesus was the first-person God ever made. Or that Jesus was the first among many of God's creation. Nor does it mean that Jesus is merely God's greatest creation. The expression 'firstborn' has at least three different meanings in scripture. In Luke 2:7 (ESV), and she (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn, a son.... Here the word firstborn is used in a literal sense, where Mary gave birth to her first-born child, a son. Jesus was the first child to whom she gave birth. Second, in Exodus 4:22 (NIV) we read Then say to Pharaoh (God addressing Moses), 'This is what the Lord says" Israel is my firstborn son. Here "firstborn" is used figuratively. "Israel is my son, even my firstborn." This verse does not talk about an actual birth. It is referring to the distinctive place which the nation of Israel had in God's plans and purposes. Finally, in Psalm 89:27 (NIV) we read I (God) will appoint him (David) my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. The word 'firstborn" is used to designate a place of superiority, of supremacy, of uniqueness. This is the thought that Paul has when he writes that Jesus is the firstborn over all creation. The Lord Jesus is God's unique, one and only, Son. Yes, through repentance and grace we are adopted as sons and daughters of God. But Jesus is God's son in a way that is not true of any other. He existed before all time and space, and he occupies a position of supremacy over it. He holds the position of pre-eminence and supremacy over all creation. In fact, scripture even says that Jesus was the agent of creation itself. • He created all things. As we have just read in Col. 1:16 (NIV) For in him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through him and for him. He is the architect of all things on earth and in the vast expanse of space. • He is before all things...This describes the timelessness of deity. Jesus stated, Before Abraham was born I AM... (John 8:58 NIV). Jesus is GOD!!! • He is over all things, and He upholds all things. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Col. 1:17 NIV). He is the sustainer, source, and saviour of creation. Jesus is the one who keeps everything from falling apart. Consider some basic chemistry. You probably learned in school that water is composed of two gases, hydrogen, and oxygen. Every molecule of water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Hydrogen is combustible and oxygen supports combustion. But put them together and we have water with which to put out fires. Suppose for one minute Jesus decided not to hold the world together and all the water in the world reverted back to its natural state of hydrogen and oxygen. In a split second, with any source of ignition, the world would explode and burn up. That is not about to happen because He is the foundation upon which it is built and its sustainer. You say, that is fine, but what does all this have to do with me? Well, if it is true that Jesus holds this world together, then it is also true of our lives. The only one that can hold our families, homes, and lives together is Jesus. We are emotional, physical, and spiritual creatures, and Jesus holds every cell, atom, and molecule together. Were it not for Jesus we would fragment and destroy ourselves. When we begin to fall apart, our only hope is Jesus. There are times when our emotions run away with us, when our anger lets loose, when we become fragmented. The only hope for our fragmentation is Jesus Christ, who holds all things together. If we could understand that it would put most psychiatrists out of business. We are not Humpty Dumpty. We will never be put together by 'all the king's horses and all the king's men'. We are put together only by King Jesus by whom everything was created and for whom everything holds together. He is the foundation on which life is built. It is this foundation upon which the church, Jesus' body, is built. The third relationship Jesus' lordship affects is his role as head of the church. We can be confident that the church is moving in the right direction, because Jesus is leading, guiding, and shepherding it. The church derives its sustaining power through its Head, Jesus the Christ. Just as the head shares itself with the body, so the body shares with the head. Jesus Christ shares his life with the church, and the church in turn enters into His being and His ministry. Each of us has unique and individual responsibilities within the body of Christ, but we all agree on the Head, Jesus Christ. To Him we together ascribe praise, glory, and honour. To Him we extend our hearts. To Him we commit our lives. By Him we stand, and, in His strength, we shall serve until He returns for us. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent (Col. 1:18 ESV) Jesus is Lord in His relationship with the Father; He is Lord in his relationship with creation; He is Lord corporately over the Church: But what about ME!? Fourth, Jesus is Lord over us personally. Jesus became Lord of the church through His incarnation, death, resurrection, and exaltation. He is already Lord of the created universe. But when Jesus died on the cross, we were saved. The cross is the focal point of our salvation. He is now the Lord of our salvation! Hallelujah! The last part of verse 18, 'That in everything He might be preeminent", begs a personal question of each of us, Does Jesus have pre-eminence in my life? Jesus is Lord in fact, but is HE Lord personally? The Bible says that there will be a day when every knee shall bow and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Romans 14:11-12 (ESV) (quoting Isaiah 45:23) 11 for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. But for many it will be too late. Their declaration will be an after thought. For us to enjoy the blessings of our salvation today, then we must decide to make Jesus our Lord personally. What does making Jesus Lord mean to you and me? What difference does it make? 1. It determines my commitment: there are many things in life which demand our attention and a affections. Many treat their lives like they are going to the mall. Depending what they need at the moment, that is what they will spend their lives on. I think one of our big problems is that many of us are just "going through the motions" when it comes to living out our commitment. It's not demonstrated in our lifestyles. In the introduction to the DC Talk song, What if I Stumble? the lyrics say something very profound: "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." It is not that way with Jesus. Jesus is not one among many good noble teachers. When we make Jesus Lord, He is the ONE SUPREME MASTER of our lives. We determine to make Him the only Lord of our lives. 2. It will be displayed in my character: Sometimes people say that "I can't change my ways; it is the way I am." Well, if that were completely true then the cross was a meaningless exercise. The Bible is full of examples of individuals whose lives were dramatically changed when Jesus became their Lord: • Peter, the profane fisherman, became a firebrand evangelist whose very shadow brought healing to people (Acts 5:15) • A restless demoniac became a living testimony to the delivering power of Jesus (Mark 5) • The shunned, immoral Samaritan woman at the well became a dynamic witness for the gospel (John 4) • Saul, the bloodthirsty persecutor of the church, became a tender-hearted brother and friend of Christians (Acts 9:1; 21). His theological writings have transformed the Western world for the last two thousand years. The same story is repeated every day around the world as people surrender their lives to Christ. 3. It will be demonstrated by my conduct. A relationship with Christ has practical implications in how you and I live our lives. Colossians 3:1-14 The Message says that Jesus is our life. 3 1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ-that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. 3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life-even though invisible to spectators-is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too-the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. 5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk. 9-11 Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious, and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. 12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Conclusion I started this message with a question: "Is Christ simply prominent in our lives or is He pre-eminent?" For many, Jesus is like a Christmas decoration. You take Him out when it is convenient when it looks good to you and others. There are others who take out Jesus when it is comfortable. As long as life is going well, and it feels good, Jesus is Lord. But like those Christmas decorations, as soon as the season ends the decorations are put back in a box until the right time presents itself. The problem is that people are trying to change their lives from the outside. But true change and transformation can only be affected by an inside change. In a discipleship training series called The Agape Road, author and speaker Bob Mumford talks about what he calls "The White-Knuckle Club". In other words, sometimes God will bring some area of our lives to our attention, and we will realize that we need to change. So, we'll go to God and promise to do better, and we'll try harder. But what God wants for us to do is to bring that area of our lives to Him and allow Him to change us from the inside out. When I just "try harder", ultimately, I fail and get discouraged. But when I give it to God, I'm asking God to transform my heart. This means the time to serve God is now. There will never be a convenient time, nor will you always feel like it, but you will never be disappointed when you commit yourself to Christ and submit yourself to his pre-eminent Lordship of your life. May the coming Advent and Christmas season be a time when we reflect on Jesus' coming to this earth and rededicate our lives to his pre-eminence in everything. Jesus is not a Co-Pilot; he is Lord of our lives! Amen! *** Closing Prayer *** Word Count: 3359 Estimated time: 25 minutes Video bumper: Stevers, Dan. No Other King. Sermon0Jesus is not a Co-Pilot0Page 1 of 2 Keith M Roberts0New Life Christian Fellowship0November 14, 2021