Sermon Tone Analysis

 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.