Pastor Jim is preaching a three part series on a look at our Lord and Savior- Jesus the Christ. He is above all others, all other things, and He’s all we need. In this morning’s sermon, we concluded our look at Colossians chapter 1.
Click the “Play” button to start the recording, then scroll down to follow along.
The scripture was from Colossians 1:15-20. Open the below drop down box to read along with Pastor Jim… and the congregation. We read from the New Revised Standard Version; the New King James is shown below.
COLOSSIANS 1
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Opening Joke…
Review Time…
This is the third and final part of this look at Colossians 1, “The Supremacy of Christ.”
- Week 1: We identified Jesus Christ as fully human and fully God. When it comes to everything and anything in life:
- It’s All About Jesus!
- Week 2: We identified that Jesus is the Creator and the Sustainer of all things in heaven and earth.
In both weeks we identified our call from God to be molded into the image of Jesus and our need to imitate Jesus in every area of our life. Here are two important things to keep in mind:
I’m a historian, I and not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that the penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.
It’s All About Jesus!
The Christian Church, for nearly 2000 years, has believed that Jesus Christ is supreme over all creation. They have handed down to us the truth that Jesus is the King of king and Lord of lords…
Check out the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed.
It’s All About Jesus!
Could it be that our struggles today come because we want something other than Jesus? Is our attitude, “Yeah we need Jesus. But we need Jesus and ___“???
- Do we trust Him with eternal life, but not with the day to day things?
- Do we give Him the keys to our sanctuary, but not to our entire house?
1: Jesus is the Beginning of the Christian Church
In verse 18 of our text (Colossians 1), Paul writes:
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
In other words, it can be said that Jesus is the Beginning of the Church.
Yes- we think of Pentecost as being the Church’s birthday. But the church has always been in the Mind of God and it finds its full expression in the person of Jesus.
If there was no Jesus, there would be no Church!
“Ah Ha!!! It says that Jesus had a beginning. Therefore, He can’t be the eternal God!!! Gotcha!!!”
But look at the original Greek. The Greek word used for “Beginning” in verse 18 is “Arche.” This means the start of a long list of things. For example, “A” is the beginning of the alphabet and “1” the beginning of (counting) numbers.
And it also means First in Originating Power.
Just like there are no letters before “A”, there is nothing before Jesus! The “Beginning” here means the source from which something came… out of nothing!
The Church is something new; it’s supposed to be different. It was always in the mind of God and was revealed when Jesus came. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul wrote…
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
In other words, the Church is a collection of God’s people who are a New Creation. We’re supposed to be different! As Pastor Jim’s Grandaddy said…
Make sure you stick out like a sore thumb!
Jesus is the source of the Christian Church’s life AND Jesus is the Director of the Church’s continued activity and ministry in the World.
2: Jesus is the Firstborn from the Dead
Verse 18 also brings the conversation back to the resurrection of Jesus…
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
This Jesus isn’t just some religious leader who lived His life and then tragically died never to be heard from again. “On a hill Far Away” Jesus willingly gave His life for you and me; as Jesus atoned for our sins.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours
but also for the sins of the whole world.1 John 2:2
On the cross there was a Suction which took place reaching Back into the Garden of Eden and then reaching Forward until the end of human history:
As Jesus hung on the cross suspended between Heaven and earth, all of the sins from Adam until the last human being were drawn into His body. And at the same moment God transferred the righteousness and holiness of Jesus throughout all time to those who would come to faith in Him.
3: Jesus is Supreme over EVERYTHING!!!
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS…
In a nutshell (no reference to the joke that began this sermon…), that’s Paul’s message. Everything in this passage has been leading up to verse 18:
“He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” NKJV
The word “Preeminence” is better translated as “Supremacy.” Above All. Nothing else measures up.
Here’s how Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message (v 18-19):
He was supreme in the beginning and — leading the resurrection parade — he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding.
The supremacy of Jesus’ deity makes equal with God the Father in every way. As we’ve seen:
Jesus is God with skin on.
He is supreme in every way…
In short, Jesus is supreme in every admirable way over everything, over all the galaxies and all the endless reaches of space. Supreme over the earth from the top of the tallest mountain, down to the bottom of the deepest part of the sea.
And since He is God, the second person of the Trinity, He can be supreme over every area of your life and mine!
That’s an awesome Jesus!!!
Conclusion
Abraham Kuyper, a 19th century Dutch journalist, statesman and theologian said,
There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry “Mine!”
Where can you ever go where Jesus isn’t already there? Even in death, you can’t get away from Jesus; He’s conquered our greatest enemy and He’s on the other side waiting for us.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon beautifully articulated the reality of Jesus’ supremacy when he wrote…
Look at Him! Can your imagination picture Him? Behold His transcendent glory! The majesty of kings is swallowed up; the pomp of empires dissolves like the white mist of the morning before the sun; the brightness of assembled armies is eclipsed.
He in Himself is brighter than the sun, more terrible than armies with banners. See Him! See Him! O! Hide your heads, you kings; put away your gaudy pageantry, you lords of this poor narrow earth! His kingdom knows no bounds; without a limit His vast empire stretches out itself.
Above Him knows no bounds; without a limit His vast empire stretches out itself. Above Him all is His; beneath Him many a step are angels, and they are His; and they cast their crowns before His feet. With the stand His elect and ransoms, and their crowns too are His.
If Jesus is supreme over all, then He is sufficient for all. If He is the creator He knows how to create! He knows how to fix things. He knows how to provide.
Is Jesus supreme in your life?
Quiz Time!
As you reflect on what you’ve just heard/read, give this quiz a try. If you don’t understand an answer (or if you disagree with the “correct” answer, post a comment)…
+ + + + + + +
Click this button to view other sermons: Sermon Archive
