Sermon Tone Analysis

Special Prayer

This morning we are continuing our theme of Together, as we have been looking at the statement that God has given us

We Grow together, Build together, Serve together, to Glorify God together.

This morning we are continuing in the letter to the Colossians, in chapter 1 looking at Jesus holds us Together.

We need to see that together we are stronger than we are apart, when we started this series or this theme of together, I shared: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts.

10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.

11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm?

12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Therefore we see that it is important to work together, that is something that I am still trying to learn myself.

When we look to Jesus we can through his redeeming powers, because he has created all things and if we will put him in first place, he will hold us together, because he has made the way.

So Look at our text with me this morning.

Colossians 1:15-23

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

16 For everything was created by him,

in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities—

all things have been created through him and for him.

17 He is before all things,

and by him all things hold together.

18 He is also the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead,

so that he might come to have

first place in everything.

19 For God was pleased to have

all his fullness dwell in him,

20 and through him to reconcile

everything to himself,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace

through his blood, shed on the cross.,

21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions.

22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him—23 if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard.

This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.

Last week we looked at the prayer that Paul prayed for the Colossians, now Paul is addressing some False teachers that were confused about Creation.

they taught that Jesus Christ did not have a full physical body since this would have put him in contact with evil and sin.

The result of these false teachings were tragic, including extreme unbridled sin.

after all, if your body is sinful, you either try to enslave it or you enjoy it.

another words these false teachers were leading people in the wrong directions and Paul was ready to get the people back on the right track.

I. Everything Created by Him

 He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

16 For everything was created by him,

in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities—

all things have been created through him and for him.

17 He is before all things,

and by him all things hold together.

The first thing we see here is: He is the image of the invisible God, that is He being Jesus.

What is Paul meaning image of the invisible God?

Well we know from different Scriptures both Old and New Testament that we have been told that we cannot see God.

but here we are told that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the invisible God is speaking of God the Father, the Scriptures that tells us we cannot see or look upon God is referring to God the Father.

but here we are talking about Jesus Christ, God the Son.

Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

Another words Jesus Christ, God the Son is an exact expression or representation of God the Father.

He looks like his daddy.

when i worked out at the plant, my dad had worked out there for 25 plus years or right there at it at the point I started working out there, and people I never even meet before, would walk up to me and say, you A.D.’s boy.

why because I am the image of my father, I am exact expression of my dad, if you will, I have been at funerals and different things and people come up and start talking to me like they know me and I have no idea who they are, come to find out they think I am my dad.

our text continues, the first born over all creation, this term does not refer to time, first Jesus Christ was not created, because Jesus created all things.

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created

the term there first born simply means Jesus is of first importance, of first rank.

Tony Evans explains it this way, the Presidents wife is referred to as the first lady, but she is not the first lady to be in the White House, she holds the rank or title of first lady because of her connection to the one in charge.

by his divine connection to God the Father, Jesus inherits creation and the right to rule.

our text continues that everything was created by him, that is the things we can see and not see, nations, universes, rulers, all things, were created by Jesus and for Jesus.

not only did Jesus create everything but he created it for himself.

he created mankind for fellowship and relationship.

Jesus is before all things and because of this, by him all things hold together.

that is he holds the planets where they belong.

he keeps the oceans in place and the rivers flowing in the right direction, and the earth spinning in the right direction at the right speed, orbiting the sun at the right angle and at the right direction at the right speed.

Jesus can hold all of creation together, he can hold your life together, he can hold your problems together, he can hold us together.

we just have to let him have control, let him be the Lord of our lives and have the throne of our hearts and

II.

First Place in Everything

He is also the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead,

so that he might come to have

first place in everything.

19 For God was pleased to have

all his fullness dwell in him,

20 and through him to reconcile

everything to himself,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace

through his blood, shed on the cross.,

He is the head of the body, the body here being the body of Christ, which is composed or made up of all true believers.

When a person trusts in Christ for salvation, they are immediately included into this body, therefore, each christian is a member of this Spiritual body, and Jesus is the Head.

the Greek usage of the word head here meant source and origin as well as leader or ruler.

Jesus Christ is the source of the church, His body, and the Leader.