Sermons

Series: Colossians: Supreme!

Title: “What’s the Big Deal about Jesus Christ?”

Scripture: Colossians 1:5-23; John 1:1-8, 14:9; Heb 1:3

(Commentary helps listed at the end)

Bottom line last week: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (way, work, witness) because he supreme over all things creating us from nothing and redeeming us from sin and death, shame and guilt, hell itself.

Bottom line this week: Jesus is supreme because he reveals God to us and reconciles us to God.

INTRODUCTION

Opening story:

“On April 15, 1912, the white star liner Titanic raised her stern high above the frigid waters of the North Atlantic and began a slow, seemingly calibrated descent as her lighted portholes and towering stern slid silently toward the ocean floor. That famous night saw the extremes of human behavior – from abysmal cowardice to the terrible beauties of sacrificial love. But with the Titanic gone and her lifeboats spread upon the icy waters among the crying, drowning swimmers, the story was almost totally devoted to self-serving cowardice, for of the 1,600 people who were not able to get into the lifeboats, only 13 were picked up by the 18 half-empty boats that hovered nearby.

“In boat #5, when third officer Pittman heard the anguish cries, he turned the boat around and shouted, “now, men, we will pull toward the wreck!“ But the passengers protested, “why should we lose all our lives in a useless attempt to save others from the ship?“ Pittman gave in. And for the next hour boat number five, with 40 people on board and a capacity of 65, heaved gently on the calm Atlantic, while the 40 listened to the fading cries of swimmers 300 yards away. The story was much the same on the other boats.

In boat #2, fourth Officer Boxhall asked the ladies, “shall we go back?“ They said no, so boat number two, about 60% full, likewise drifted while her people callously listened.

On boat #6, the situation was reversed as the women begged quartermaster Hitchens to return, but he refused, painting a vivid picture of the drowning overturning the boat. The women pleaded as the cries grew fewer. Of the 18 boats, only one boat, number 14, returned to help – and this was an hour after the titanic’s sinking, when the thrashing crowd had “thinned out.”

“To me, the personal drama of the sinking of the titanic is a parable of the world gone wrong. Following humanity is adrift on the unfriendly seek, alienated, unable to help one another despite some furtive individual attempts. The wrongness of everything points to the fundamental problem of peoples estrangement from each other and from creation by sin. It is a picture of the world desperately in need of reconciliation and the harmony and rightness that brings.

Access

It’s Who You Know

During the American Civil War, as a result of a family tragedy, a soldier was granted permission to seek a hearing from the President. He wanted to request exemption from military service. However, when he arrived at the White House, he was refused entry and sent away. He went and sat in a nearby park.

A young boy came across him and remarked how unhappy he looked. The soldier found himself telling the young boy everything. Eventually the boy said, ‘Come with me.’ He led the dejected soldier back to the White House. They went around the back, none of the guards stopped them. Even the generals and high-ranking government officials stood to attention and let them pass through.

The soldier was amazed. Finally, they came to the presidential office. Without knocking, the young boy opened the door and walked straight in. Abraham Lincoln, standing there, turned from his conversation with the Secretary of State and said, ‘What can I do for you, Tad?’

Tad said, ‘Dad, this soldier needs to talk to you.’

The soldier had access to the President ‘through the son’. According to the New Testament, in an even more amazing way, you have access to God ‘through the son’ – Jesus.

Many people pray, but not all prayer is Christian. Christian prayer is distinctive – it is Trinitarian. St Paul writes, ‘Through him [Jesus] we have access to the Father by one Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:18).

This is why prayer is such an immense privilege. You are able to speak to God, the creator of the universe, as your Father. You come to him through Jesus, the man who is God, our Lord, brother and friend. Your prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, who lives within your heart.

Bible in One Year 2021 With Nicky Gumbel: Day 310 • Devotional

Excess versus:

John 14:6

Romans 5:1-2

James 4:8

OUTLINE

Better questions: What’s the big deal about Jesus Christ?

Because Christ is supreme. Why?

1. He contains and revealed the fullness of God to us. (19)

2. He reconciled us to God. (20-23)

Bottom line this week: Jesus is supreme because he reveals God to us and reconciles us to God.

1. Who is God? (1:15)

   1. He is our actual Creator sent by his Father to reveal the Triune God to us. (15)

2. What has God done? (Or is doing?) (1:16–23)

   1. As Supreme Lord…(In regard to creation)

      1. He created us.

      2. He sustains us.

      3. He is reconciling “all things” to himself.

   2. As Supreme Head…(in regard to the Church) (18-23)

      1. He started and heads the Church. (18)

      2. He revealed God to us. (19)

      3. He reconciled to himself us to God, by making peace through is blood, shed on the cross. (20-22a)

      4. He is presenting us to himself holy and blameless forever. (22b)

3. Who am I?

   1. A rebel, traitor and sinner reconciled to God by the blood Jesus Christ. (20, 22)

   2. A fellow servant of Paul to the gospel mission of Christ. (23)

4. What do I get to do?

   1. Live accepted, forgiven and with eternal access to my creator and redeemer. (20-22)

   2. Serve in and through the Church of Christ the gospel mission of Jesus where I live, work, and play. (23)

5. Who should I share this with?

   1. Neighbors

   2. Co-workers, fellow students, faculty

   3. Family and friends

III. Jesus is the (supreme) Savior of the Cross (19-23)

A. He reveals the Father to us (19-20a)

1. God the Father found pleasure and having all of his fullness dwell in Christ.

   1. Fullness means that the totality of divine power and attributes is in Christ. “This means that we need to look to no one except Jesus for the full revelation of God‘s character.

      1. If God could only be perceived in closely Dash?? reasoned theological language, only the most brilliant could understand him.

      2. But the fullness was in Christ, and all we have to do is look at him. As we see him in the gospels and hear him preached, we can know what God is like.”

2. “It was God’s pleasure to “reconcile to himself all things weather on earth or in heaven.

   1. God means to reconcile creation to himself.

   2. Reconciliation to God is an explicitly one-sided process! He does virtually everything. All we have to do is respond.”

B. He reconciles us to God (20-23). “The Father’s method of reconciliation is seen in two parallel clauses from verses 20 and 22:

1. “making peace by the blood of his cross“;

2. ‘he has now reconciled [you] to in his body of flesh by his death.’ “God‘s method is the death of Christ.”

C. We see 4 things about the Father’s reconciliation here:

1. The fathers reconciling pleasure 19–20a

2. The fathers reconciling method 20b, 22a

3. The fathers reconciling purpose 21–22

   1. “When a great 17th century Christian woman and encourager of God‘s servants, lady hunting done, invited one of her friends, the Duchess of Buckingham, to hear George Whitefield preach, she received this reply:

      1. ‘it is monstrous to be told, that you have a heart as simple as the common riches that crawl on the earth. This is highly offensive and insulting; and I cannot but wonder that your ladyship should relish any sentiments so much at variance with high rank and good breeding.’”

      2. “Paul’s pronouncement that we are “alienated… Hostile… Doing evil deeds“ may sound a bit harsh to us too, but it is terribly true. (21) All it takes is a telling difficulty, like floating on the cold Atlantic, to find out what is really there.“

   2. Illustration: “Luther used a simple analogy to explain this process.

      1. He described the condition of a patient who was mortally ill. The doctor proclaimed that he had medicine that would surely cure the man. The instant the medicine was administered, the doctor declared that the patient was well. At that instance the patient was still sick, but as soon as the medicine passed his lips and entered his body the patient began to get well.

      2. So it is with our reconciliation and justification. As soon as we truly believe, that very instant we start to get better (sanctification); the process of becoming pure and holy is underway and its future completion is certain.” We are as good as saved at that moment, however. (Justification)

4. Fathers reconciling condition 23

   1. Illustration: “ It is said that years ago in a western city a husband and wife became estranged and chose to separate. They moved away and lived in different parts of the country. The husband happened to return to the city on a matter of business and went out to the cemetery to the grave of their only son. He was standing by the grave in fond reminiscence when he heard a step behind him. Turning, he saw his estranged wife. The initial impulse of both was to turn away. But they had a common – hearted interest in the grave, and instead of turning away they clasped hands over the grave of their son and were reconciled. They were reconciled by death!”

   2. Who are you unreconciled with right now?

      1. Don’t wait for someone else to die to try to be reconciled.

      2. If you need a grave, put your self-pity and rights in the grave.

      3. Work on what you can control and surrender what you cannot. And you’ve got a chance to do a miracle of reconciliation in a relationship that you have or don’t have right now.

      4. God loves to reconcile people. To God and to each other.

Application: Christ must be first in our witness.

CONCLUSION

Bottom line this week: Jesus is supreme because he reveals God to us and reconciles us to God.

Who do you need to forgive? Have you asked God to forgive you?

Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

1. Who is God? (1:15)

   1. He is Father and the one who sent his son to us to reveal himself to us.

   2. He is our creator and redeemer.

2. What has God done? (1: 16–23)

   1. As Supreme Lord…(In regard to creation)

      1. He created us.

      2. He sustains us.

      3. He is reconciling “all things” to himself.

   2. As Supreme Head…(in regard to the Church) (18-23)

      1. He started and heads the Church. (18)

      2. He revealed God to us. (19)

      3. He reconciled to himself us to God, by making peace through is blood, shed on the cross. (20-22a)

      4. He is presenting us to himself holy and blameless forever. (22b)

3. Who am I?

   1. A rebel, traitor and sinner reconciled to God by the blood Jesus Christ. (20, 22)

   2. A fellow servant of Paul to the gospel mission of Christ. (23)

4. What do I get to do?

   1. Live accepted, forgiven and with eternal access to my creator and redeemer. (20-22)

   2. Serve in and through the Church of Christ the gospel mission of Jesus where I live, work, and play. (23)

5. Who should I share this with?

   1. Neighbors

   2. Co-workers, fellow students, faculty

   3. Family and friends

Outline Bible

I. Christ and the Church at Colossae (1:15-23)

A. Who Christ is (1:15): He is the visible image of the invisible God.

B. What Christ has done (1:16-23)

1. In regard to creation (1:16-17, 20)

   1. He created all things (1:16) PAST

   2. He sustains all things (1:17) PRESENT

   3. He will reconcile all things (1:20) FUTURE

2. In regard to the Church (1:18-19, 21-23): He has been appointed head of the Church.

Scott Pace outline (15-23) modified

LAST WEEK Part 3a)

I. Jesus is the (supreme) Lord of Creation (15-17)

A. He is the authority of creation (15)

B. He is the agent of creation (16)

C. He is the aim of creation (16-17)

Application: Christ must be first in our worship.

II. Jesus is the (supreme) Head of the Church (18)

A. He is the source of the Church (18)

B. He is sovereign over the Church (18)

Application: Christ must be first in our work.

I added “supreme” to last week’s points. After all, there are little lords, little heads, and little saviors in our world to contend with. Jesus is supreme in all categories!

THIS WEEK (Part 3b)

Application: Christ must be first in our witness.

NT Wright

15

16

17 “And he is ahead (before), prior to all else…

18 “And he himself is supreme, the head over the body, the church

19

20

Describes who Jesus Christ is and why he matters to us with respect to authority (work), allegiance (way), and awe (worship).

In Hebrew, “head” has several meanings (like in English):

Jesus Christ is…

“First born” (15 & 18)

“Supreme” (17) = “head” or “before all things”

“Head” of there body = church (18)

“Beginning” = “head” (18)

If the Colossians are to grow as Christians, they need to know who Christ is and what he has already done (and does)!

God = Jesus Christ

3 Things this poem/hymn points us to about Jesus Christ and what God has done in and through him:

1. By looking at Jesus we discover who God is.

   1. While nobody has ever seen God, in Jesus God has

      1. Come near, and

      2. Become one of us

   2. Jesus is the mirror image of the invisible God who is there but not normally seen

   3. Seeing what Jesus did gives us a better view of who God is. (Rom 5:8)

2. Jesus holds together the old world AND the new, creation, and the new creation.

   1. Jesus Christ is the one through whom creation was made, and

   2. Jesus Christ is for whom creation was made.

   3. When the beauty of our world causes you to catch your breath, remember it’s like that because of Jesus. “Firstborn over all creation”

   4. Also, he’s who heals the world from evil through live, cross, burial, resurrection and ascension. “Firstborn from the dead”

3. Jesus is therefore the blueprint (pattern) for the genuine humanness which is one offered through the gospel.

   1. As head of the body, the Church

   2. As first to rise again from the dead

   3. As the one through whom cruel death God has dealt with our sins and brought peace and reconciliation

   4. As the one through whom the new creation has now begun.

This is when Jesus has summoned us to experience genuine humanity.

Other

4 Christological passages in the Bible:

CHjOP:

C - Colossians 1:15-23

H - Hebrews 1:1-4

jO - John 1:1-18

P - Philippians 2:5-11

OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:

You Can Resist Evil

With the rise of global terrorism, world leaders have spoken a great deal about vanquishing evil. But, as one writer in the Guardianpointed out, ‘Their rhetoric reveals a failure to accept that cruelty and conflict are basic human traits.’ As Albert Einstein said, ‘I do not fear the explosive power of the atom bomb. What I fear is the explosive power of evil in the human heart.

Meet Your Blood Donor

Our god-daughter’s second child, Hazy, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015. Medically, her only hope was a matching donor. A young German man, who has to remain anonymous, sacrificially gave his bone marrow. Wonderfully, his donation saved Hazy’s life. Can you imagine what it would be like for Hazy to meet her donor?

(Read more of Hazy’s story here.)

In an even more remarkable way, you can meet your blood donor. Jesus came ‘to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45). At the last supper, when Jesus took the cup, he said: ‘This is my bloodof the covenant’ (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24). The ‘precious blood of Christ’ (1 Peter 1:19) is stressed throughout the whole New Testament:

• It makes forgiveness possible (Colossians 1:14)

• It purifies you from every sin (1 John 1:7)

• Through it, you draw near to God (Ephesians 2:13)

• It brings peace and reconciliation (Colossians 1:20)

• It gives life (John 6:53)

• It enables you to overcome Satan (Revelation 12:11).

In today’s passages, we see different aspects of what all of this means.

OUTLINES

NIV Study Bible

Perhaps an early Christian Hymn on the supremacy of Christ used here to counteract the false teachings at Colossae.

2 Parts:

1. Supremacy of Christ in creation (15-17), and

2. Supremacy of Christ in redemption (18-20).

“Image of God” (15) cf. “radiance of God” (Heb 1:3)

This figure of image suggests 2 things:

1. God is invisible (“no one has ever seen God” John 1:18)

2. Christ, who is the eternal Son of God and who became the God-man, reflects and reveals him (cf John 1:18, 14:9) “Anyone has seen me has seen the Father”

1:15 “firstborn over all creation”—Just as the firstborn son had certain privileges and rights in the Biblical world, so also Christ has certain rights in relation to all creation—

1. Priority

2. Preeminence

3. Sovereignty

1:16 “by him all things were created” (cf John 1:3)—7x in 6 verses Paul mentions “all creation,” “all things” and “everything,” thus stressing that Christ is supreme over all.

Including “thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” Colossians heresy includes hierarchy of angelic beings.

1:17 “He is before all things” referring to time, as in John 1:1-2, 8:58

1:18 “Beginning” of the new creation. “Firstborn” Christ was first to rise from teh dead with regular body. Others raised from the dead in the Bible died again. (Raised vs Resurrected)

1:19 “fullness”

1. Gnostics = the summation of the supernatural forces controlling the fate of people

2. Paul = the totality of God with all his powers and attributes

Kent Hughes notes:

Dominant theme: Absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the head of all creation and of the church.

3:1 Overall exhortation/application: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is (for now) seated at the right hand of God.”

2:6 Says it another way: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”

Hughes’ hope: That our view of Christ will be so expanded and permanently impressed on us that we will as a habit seek those things that are above (as we walk in him).

Background and context:

80 miles from Ephesus on the coast in western Turkey in the Lycus Valley.

A bit in the shadow of Hieropolis and Laodicea.

Probably came into being during Paul’s 2-year Ministry in Ephesus (Acts 15:10) because it says that during that time, “All the residents of Asia [which included Colossae] heard the word of the Lord.” P. 212

Epaphroditus and Philemon came to Christ during this time. Philemon later hosted a church in his home. Epaphras became a lieutenant in evangelizing the Lycus Valley.

Gnostics—those who professed superior knowledge—were a group of self-proclaimed spiritual elites who propagated a false gospel.

Base doctrine was basically dualism (Platonic) which said anything physical or created was evil and that only the spirit was good.

“To the gnostics, Christ was not Creator, the incarnation Was not real, adn Christ was not enough!”

This gnostic system was made up of ascetic disciplines (borrowed from Jewish legalism) designed to help you work your way up to God. Secret passwords, astrology and elements of Christianity all mixed up.

Very complex and proudly intellectual who looked down on the simple Colossian believers.

This is the alarming message Epaphras brought to Paul as he waited in prison.

Paul’s response presents Christ as Creator and fully sufficient Redeemer! Christ isn’t part of the answer—he’s all of the answer!

MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:

• Exalting Jesus in Colossians by Scott Pace

• Preaching the Word: Philippians, Colossians and Philemon commentary by R. Kent Hughes

• ESV Global Study Bible

• Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel

• Bible Knowledge Commentary

• The Outline Bible, Wilmington

• Paul for Everyone, The Prison Letters, NT Wright’s commentary on Philippians and Colossians

• Gospel Transformation Bible

• NIV Study Bible