God and Creation Reconciled
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Colossians 1:15–20 (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.
Broken things are hard to repair
Even a novice in woodworking quickly learns that you need to measure twice and cut once
If you’ve ever had a bad haircut, you know that it’s hard to repair when if the hair is cut too short
Even my three year old son learns this all the time when his toys break.
Humpty Dumpty
The shards of Narsil
or the walls of Jerusalem
Broken things are hard to repair
And this is true in our relationships as well. We all know, that sin separates. And once there is hostility between two people, it can be difficult to be reconciled.
And while this is true in human relationships, it’s all the more true in our relationship with God. It’s true, sin separates us from God.
Adam and Eve were cut off from Eden because of sin
Israel was repeatedly sent into exile because of sin
And yours and my sin also separates us from God.
But this is where the Christ him in Colossians 1 brings us incredibly good news.
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.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of Creation… and as such, he is preeminent over all. But we know that not all creation has seen fit to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. So we see that Christ creates a new creation that will gladly submit to Christ as Lord.
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.
We have already seen what it means for Christ to be the head of the Church
Last week, Tait preached on Jesus being the firstborn from the dead - and as such he is preeminent. And on what ground are these true?
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.
V 19-20 describe the mystery that was hidden for ages - that God, through Christ has reconciled all things to himself. Here, we have a wonderful explanations of the gospel in this one sentence, so it’s important that we rightly understand what it is saying. So to help us walk through these verses, want us to ask, by who and what, where and when, then why and how, creation has been reconciled to God.
So first, who and what - who and what reconciles us to God
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
1. Who and what? — All the fullness of God in Jesus
1. Who and what? — All the fullness of God in Jesus
Reconciliation between God and man would have been impossible if Jesus in his humanity was not truly God.
This word fulness here should remind us of the Colossian heresy that Paul is writing to correct. It’s difficult to know precisely what it was that the false teachers taught, but from what Paul is writing, it seems like they were offering the Colossians a false sense of fulness that was found through other means apart from Christ.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Understand what these verses mean:
You know how companies are adding + to the end of their name?
Disney+
Paramount+
I just saw that Crossway has a Crossway+
It implies that there is something added to it that was lacking before - better deals, better bundles, better subscriptions
The Colossian heresy was a Jesus+ teaching
Implying that there was something lacking for those who only had Jesus, but didn’t have angles, spirits, those who didn’t do keep certain Sabaths and festivals
What’s happening is they are teaching a kind of Jesus+ gospel that informs them that if they want to be full, they need Jesus and these other spirits and practices as well.
But this false gospel of fulness though Jesus + other things is a false gospel, because in Jesus all the fulness of God is pleased to dwell.
We need to recognize this - the Jesus+ heresy is not unique to the Colossians. For we in our own consumer mentality feel like we lack something it is owing to the fact that we do not believe that Jesus is sufficient. But don’t you know that if you have Jesus Christ, you lack nothing?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Understand, if we have Christ, we lack nothing, because all the fulness of God dwells in him.
What does this mean exactly… all the fulness
These three few words have an incredible weight to them. All the fulness of God. We could spend a lifetime meditating on it, and we would still need another lifetime of meditation before we began to scratch the surface.
But since our time is limited this morning, it might help read through the I AM statements in John that give us a glimpse of Jesus’ deity.
There are seven I AM metaphors in John… but in order for us to understand them, it’s important to understand what it meant for Jesus to say I AM
In response to the Jewish leaders questions, Jesus said
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
What Jesus said here is very similar to what Col 1:15-17 has showed us - that Jesus is the eternal uncreated God God - When Jesus said -before Abraham was, I am, Jesus distinguished himself from Abraham who was created, to himself who simply is. And make no mistake… the words I am had particular significance to the Jews and do to us as well, for when God revealed himself to Moses, he said,
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
When Jesus said, before Abraham was, I am… the Jews knew what Jesus was saying, and because they did not believe in him, they sought to kill him.
But Jesus is who he says he is… he is God, the meaning of his deity is further unpacked in the seven I am statements of John.
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Just as God provided manna for Israel in the wilderness… so too, Jesus provides his people with spiritual nourishment that satisfies their hunger - for all the fulness of God dwells in Jesus.
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Just the Word is a light to our path… so to Jesus is the light of the world who brings light and life - for in him the fulness of God was pleased to dwell
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus is commited to watching over those in his care… and he is able to do so, for in him, the fullness of God dwells
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Here we have the image of a shepherd’s protection and provision - and Jesus is able to to this, the way YHWH did this for Israel, for in Christ the fulness of God dwells
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
In Christ, death does not have the final word, because in Jesus, the fulness of God dwells.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Through Jesus is true knowledge of God that leads to life, because in Jesus the fulness of God was pleased to dwell.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Just as life flows through a vine, so life flows through Christ to all those who are in him, for in Him, the fulness of God dwells.
He is our satisfaction, he is our light, our protection and guide, he is our truth, our resurrection, and he is our life. If we have Jesus, what do we lack?
Paul but it this way:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
There is no need for Jesus+ anything, for Jesus is sufficient for everything that we need, because him the fulness of God was pleased to dwell. That’s the who, and the what. Now we move on to where and when.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Where does this fulness dwell? We might be helped to look at
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
2. Where and when? — In Jesus’ body for all time.
2. Where and when? — In Jesus’ body for all time.
What I have in mind here is the incarnation of Jesus Christ - and it was completely necessary for God to dwell in human form if man was going to be reconciled back to God. For if God did not put on flesh, how could anyone come into the presence of God, who is a consuming fire?
The language of God filling Jesus is the same language used to describe God filling the temple.
Exodus 40:34–35 (ESV)
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And again when the temple was built
14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
It was necessary for God to put on flesh, for if he didn’t, we would still be left without direct access to God. Without the incarnation, we would still need temples and priests in order to have any access to God. And do you see what limited access Moses and priests had to God. So for the rest of Israel, consider how limited your access would be… that is if you were a Jew. And for us gentiles… our access would be even more limited.
But speaking of limited access to the presence of God… even if one were to enter into the holy of holies… that is the inner part of the temple… even still your access to God would be but a fraction of what we have through Jesus Christ.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
Isaiah 66:1–2 (ESV)
1 Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
Do you understand what this means for the earth to be the footstool of God? It means that the temple contains but a fraction, and the lesser portion of God’s glory. But this is not so of Jesus
For in him, the fullness of God dwelt.... Not just a portion of God’s glory… but all the fulness of God dwells in Jesus.
14 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.
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
So the where is in Christ’s body - and the when, is for all time. For in him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell… that is, to take up residence. This is the word used to describe God’s filling the tabernacle that was a temporary place… this is the language of a person settling into their land… into their home
Spurgeon noted that the efficacy of Christ’s saving power is just as powerful today as it was when the criminal hung next to him on the cross. So it is, when we have faith in Jesus today, what was true of the criminal will also be true for us. For the fullness of God dwells with Jesus.
This brings us to our last two questions… why and how are we reconciled to God?
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.
3. Why and how? — It pleased God to reconcile all creation through Christ’s blood.
3. Why and how? — It pleased God to reconcile all creation through Christ’s blood.
Why did this happen? Why did Jesus put on flesh? Because it pleased the Father to send his Son into the world.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For those who wish to create some kind of divide between the Son and the Father… one being full of love, and the other full of wrath… understand, it was the Father’s good pleasure to send the Son in the likeness of sinful flesh - that through him, all things would be reconciled himself.
See it again in Ephesians 1.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Know, that Jesus’ incarnation was the Father’s plan, and he was pleased to dwell with the incarnate Jesus.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Sending his Son into the world… was a plan that the Father made, and he was pleased to see his Son carry it out. So it is, the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Jesus Christ. And why did the Father make this plan? Well remember…
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.
he created all things, and all things belong to him
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.
Here we see that he is reconciling all things back to himself.
Now, before we misunderstand this text and become universalists let tell you what this text doesn’t mean. The phrase ‘all things’ does not include the unrepentant sinner, nor does it include Satan and his demons.
But Josh… it says all things… how can that not include all things?
Well for starters, we must interpret this in light of what we clearly know from Scripture. And we know that all the rebel spirits will be defeated in the end. The demons themself know this to be true
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
The demons know that they aren’t going to be reconciled back to Jesus. Instead they speak in dread of a coming torment.
10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
I want you to take notice of the location of Satan’s torment… he and the beast are thrown into the lake of fire.
And again, consider that of the wicked and unrepentant sinner who never puts their faith in Jesus. What will come of them?
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
If they won’t enter the kingdom of God, then where will they go?
41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Notice the difference between where the wicked go with where the righteous go. Let’s go back to our text at hand, and try to understand what things are included in the all things that will be reconciled to Jesus.
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
He clarifies what he means by all things… they are all things in on earth or in heaven… those are the things that will be reconciled to Jesus…
This too, parallels the language of revelation…
1 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.
I seems to me, that this new heaven and new earth will be filled with those who have been made new, who have been reconciled by the blood of the cross…
but Josh… it says all things…
Yes, all things in on earth or in heaven…
But Paul uses similar language again in Philippians 2.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Notice the third location added in these verses. Under the earth… I understand that to be hell, where satan and his demons, and all the rest of humanity that doesn’t turn to Christ, that is where they will be. And while they will bow their knees, they will not be restored to peace with God.
But the reality of the coming judgment is what makes the reconciliation of Jesus such good news.
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.
Who, what, where, when, why, and finally how....
He made peace by the blood of his cross
He was truly God, and therefore could satisfy; he was truly man, and therefore could obey and suffer in our stead. He was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again.
George Whitefield