Sermon Notes
Sermon: Preeminence of Jesus Christ by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: August 4, 2019
Key Scripture Passages: Colossians 1:15-23
Sermon Notes:
Introduction
Paul writes a letter to the Christians in Colossae from his prison in Rome. This was a church that he did not plant and had never visited. Yet, they had sent him a letter asking for his advice concerning some heretical teachings that were occurring in the church. While we can’t know for sure what exactly was being taught, Paul gives us a lot of information by how he responds to the problem. The primary theme of the letter to the Colossians was the preeminence of Jesus Christ. Rather than address the heresy directly, Paul first presents his central beliefs about Christ. He sets the premise, the foundation of the truth of Jesus Christ. We continue our series on Colossians this week by taking a look at what Paul says in Colossians 1:13-23.
The Colossian Heresy
Due to its location as a major trade city, the city of Colossae had a very diverse population. The Colossian heresy was more than just mere false teaching. The false teachers were taking elements from other belief systems and mixing them together. The Colossian heresy stemmed from a combination of Jewish legalism, Oriental philosophy, pagan astrology, mysticism, asceticism, Stoicism, and even Christianity. F.F. Bruce said, “When we make Jesus Christ and the Christian revelation only part of a total religious system or philosophy, we cease to give Him preeminence.” Preeminence means “the fact of surpassing all others” or “first of all things”. When we include Jesus as only a part of rather than central to our belief system, then we are merely giving him prominence not preeminence. They were not denying the existence of Christ, but they were dethroning Him. To the false teachers in Colossae, Christ was merely one of many. The essence of this heresy still persists today. Today, we hear it taught as “all religions lead down the same road”. We also see this mixing of spiritual practices as we see Christianity mixed with transcendental meditation, spirit guides, or reiki.
The problem went even deeper than that. The false teachers held the view that God is far away, matter is evil, including the human body, and demonic forces are constantly threatening us. They turned to human traditions and outward disciplines and diets to inspire change. They were turning to spiritual beings and angel worship in hopes that these beings would protect them from evil beings as well as enable them to be reconciliated with God. Rather, than just turning to Jesus Christ, the false teachers were trying to invoke the aid of other spirits to attain salvation and reconciliation. By denying that Christ was sufficient, they were denying Christ being fully God.
The heresy goes even deeper still. For if matter is evil, then Jesus did not have a real body because God would not have contained Himself in an evil vessel. But if that is true, then the false teachers denied the incarnation of Christ, and they denied the full humanity of Christ. The truth is that God is near us, that God made all things good (though they can be used for evil), and that Christ has delivered His people from the powers of darkness. Change comes from inside by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We Need a Savior
Last week, we ended with the Gospel summary in Colossians 1:13-14, which states:
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
In these verses, Paul lists 4 things that Christ did for us. Man’s greatest problem is sin, so we need a Savior. Christ delivers us from guilt, penalty of sin, and the authority of Satan and the powers of darkness. Christ translated us. We weren’t just released from bondage and then left to our own devices to wander aimlessly. Christ moved us out of the darkness into the kingdom of light. Christ redeemed us. This implies a ransom of some kind, but Jesus did not pay Satan money for us. Rather, Christ the demands of God’s law, and we are freed. Finally, Christ has forgiven us. Forgiveness means “to send away” or “to cancel a debt”. There are no charges left against us. We did not earn it or deserve it, but through God’s grace, we have the freedom of forgiveness.
It is now possible for us to fellowship with God, enjoy grace, and seek to do His will. Wiersbe states: “Forgiveness is not an excuse for sin; rather it is an encouragement to obedience.” Jesus Christ is preeminent in Salvation, because no other person could redeem, forgive, and transfer us out of Satan’s grasp and into God’s kingdom and to do it wholly by grace. (Wiersbe)
Hymn Honoring Christ
In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul includes a hymn honoring Christ. The hymn has 3 parts. The first part is about the Jesus Christ’s role in the Creation, the second part is about Jesus being the Lord of the universe and the head of the church, and the third part is about Jesus Christ’s role in reconciliation.
First Part: Christ is the Creator.
Colossians 1:15-16 states the first part:
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. (ESV)
Jesus is the image of God. We are made in the image of God, but He is the image of God. The invisible God is made visible. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. This doesn’t mean that Jesus was the first thing created. Jesus came prior to creation and is not a created being. By naming Jesus as firstborn of all Creation is about His place/His status, not time. Paul is quick to point out that all things in heaven and earth were created by Him, through Him, and for Him. All owe their existence to Jesus Christ. All of the invisible forces of the Spirit world and all of the visible and material order of the world were created by and are subject to Jesus Christ. This includes those spiritual beings that the false teachers were turning to. Those beings owed their very existence to Christ.
Greek philosophers believed that everything needed a primary cause (plan), an instrumental cause (power), and a final cause (purpose). This is all found in Jesus Christ. Jesus planned Creation, produced it, and did it for His pleasure. This passage demonstrates of cosmic significance and the preexistence of Christ, and that Christ is the creator of all things, visible and invisible, on earth and in heaven.
Second Part – Jesus is Lord of the Universe and Head of the Church
Colossians 1:17-18a is the second part of the hymn:
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.
Christ is the sustainer of the universe and the unifying principle of its life. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His body. The analogy of the head and body is used quite a bit by Greek writers and was also commonly used by Paul. Paul used it whenever he wanted to highlight certain aspects of the relationship between the Church and the Christ. The body is made of many members that each have their own function. The head is above and overall. It is the source and origin of life. The head supplies life and exercises control and direction. We are in Christ as members of His body, but also, Christ is in us. He is the one that provides us and animates us with life. Satan does NOT control this world. The risen Christ does.
Third Part – Jesus is an agent in reconciliation.
Colossians 1:18b-20 is the third part of the hymn:
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.
It is the risen Christ that is the Head of the Church. Jesus Christ is the firstborn and beginning of all Creation, and Jesus Christ is firstborn of the resurrection. In Jesus Christ, the fullness of God dwells in Him. Through the resurrection, Christ triumphed over all the forces that keep men and women in bondage. F.F. Bruce states, “…if the (Colossian) heresy envisaged powers intermediate between the supreme God and the world of humanity, so that any communication between God and the world, in either direction, had to pass through spheres in which those powers exercised control. Those who thought this way would be careful to treat those powers with becoming respect.”
BUT this is all undermined by Christ. Bruce goes on to say, “…the totality of divine essence and power is resident in Christ. He is the one, all-sufficient intermediary between God and the world of humanity, and all the attributes of God – his spirit, word, wisdom, and glory – are disclosed in him.” The fullness of God is in the risen Jesus Christ in a permanent way. God would not have done that in a mere imperfect man. Jesus Christ is God incarnated: both fully human and fully divine (God). Jesus is all we ever need.
The universal church, the body of Christ, does not eliminate or minimize the need for local bodies of believers. It does not release us from the responsibilities we have to the local church as members of the body. This combats the false teaching of “I don’t need the Church; I just need Christ.” Yes, Christ is all we need. We do not need anything else, but we do have responsibilities. Christ has given us a purpose and a mission.
Challenge:
The challenge this week is to read Colossians chapter 2 every day this week.
Sermon: Preeminence of Jesus Christ by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: August 4, 2019
Key Scripture Passages: Colossians 1:15-23
Sermon Notes:
Introduction
Paul writes a letter to the Christians in Colossae from his prison in Rome. This was a church that he did not plant and had never visited. Yet, they had sent him a letter asking for his advice concerning some heretical teachings that were occurring in the church. While we can’t know for sure what exactly was being taught, Paul gives us a lot of information by how he responds to the problem. The primary theme of the letter to the Colossians was the preeminence of Jesus Christ. Rather than address the heresy directly, Paul first presents his central beliefs about Christ. He sets the premise, the foundation of the truth of Jesus Christ. We continue our series on Colossians this week by taking a look at what Paul says in Colossians 1:13-23.
The Colossian Heresy
Due to its location as a major trade city, the city of Colossae had a very diverse population. The Colossian heresy was more than just mere false teaching. The false teachers were taking elements from other belief systems and mixing them together. The Colossian heresy stemmed from a combination of Jewish legalism, Oriental philosophy, pagan astrology, mysticism, asceticism, Stoicism, and even Christianity. F.F. Bruce said, “When we make Jesus Christ and the Christian revelation only part of a total religious system or philosophy, we cease to give Him preeminence.” Preeminence means “the fact of surpassing all others” or “first of all things”. When we include Jesus as only a part of rather than central to our belief system, then we are merely giving him prominence not preeminence. They were not denying the existence of Christ, but they were dethroning Him. To the false teachers in Colossae, Christ was merely one of many. The essence of this heresy still persists today. Today, we hear it taught as “all religions lead down the same road”. We also see this mixing of spiritual practices as we see Christianity mixed with transcendental meditation, spirit guides, or reiki.
The problem went even deeper than that. The false teachers held the view that God is far away, matter is evil, including the human body, and demonic forces are constantly threatening us. They turned to human traditions and outward disciplines and diets to inspire change. They were turning to spiritual beings and angel worship in hopes that these beings would protect them from evil beings as well as enable them to be reconciliated with God. Rather, than just turning to Jesus Christ, the false teachers were trying to invoke the aid of other spirits to attain salvation and reconciliation. By denying that Christ was sufficient, they were denying Christ being fully God.
The heresy goes even deeper still. For if matter is evil, then Jesus did not have a real body because God would not have contained Himself in an evil vessel. But if that is true, then the false teachers denied the incarnation of Christ, and they denied the full humanity of Christ. The truth is that God is near us, that God made all things good (though they can be used for evil), and that Christ has delivered His people from the powers of darkness. Change comes from inside by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We Need a Savior
Last week, we ended with the Gospel summary in Colossians 1:13-14, which states:
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
In these verses, Paul lists 4 things that Christ did for us. Man’s greatest problem is sin, so we need a Savior. Christ delivers us from guilt, penalty of sin, and the authority of Satan and the powers of darkness. Christ translated us. We weren’t just released from bondage and then left to our own devices to wander aimlessly. Christ moved us out of the darkness into the kingdom of light. Christ redeemed us. This implies a ransom of some kind, but Jesus did not pay Satan money for us. Rather, Christ the demands of God’s law, and we are freed. Finally, Christ has forgiven us. Forgiveness means “to send away” or “to cancel a debt”. There are no charges left against us. We did not earn it or deserve it, but through God’s grace, we have the freedom of forgiveness.
It is now possible for us to fellowship with God, enjoy grace, and seek to do His will. Wiersbe states: “Forgiveness is not an excuse for sin; rather it is an encouragement to obedience.” Jesus Christ is preeminent in Salvation, because no other person could redeem, forgive, and transfer us out of Satan’s grasp and into God’s kingdom and to do it wholly by grace. (Wiersbe)
Hymn Honoring Christ
In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul includes a hymn honoring Christ. The hymn has 3 parts. The first part is about the Jesus Christ’s role in the Creation, the second part is about Jesus being the Lord of the universe and the head of the church, and the third part is about Jesus Christ’s role in reconciliation.
First Part: Christ is the Creator.
Colossians 1:15-16 states the first part:
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. (ESV)
Jesus is the image of God. We are made in the image of God, but He is the image of God. The invisible God is made visible. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. This doesn’t mean that Jesus was the first thing created. Jesus came prior to creation and is not a created being. By naming Jesus as firstborn of all Creation is about His place/His status, not time. Paul is quick to point out that all things in heaven and earth were created by Him, through Him, and for Him. All owe their existence to Jesus Christ. All of the invisible forces of the Spirit world and all of the visible and material order of the world were created by and are subject to Jesus Christ. This includes those spiritual beings that the false teachers were turning to. Those beings owed their very existence to Christ.
Greek philosophers believed that everything needed a primary cause (plan), an instrumental cause (power), and a final cause (purpose). This is all found in Jesus Christ. Jesus planned Creation, produced it, and did it for His pleasure. This passage demonstrates of cosmic significance and the preexistence of Christ, and that Christ is the creator of all things, visible and invisible, on earth and in heaven.
Second Part – Jesus is Lord of the Universe and Head of the Church
Colossians 1:17-18a is the second part of the hymn:
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.
Christ is the sustainer of the universe and the unifying principle of its life. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His body. The analogy of the head and body is used quite a bit by Greek writers and was also commonly used by Paul. Paul used it whenever he wanted to highlight certain aspects of the relationship between the Church and the Christ. The body is made of many members that each have their own function. The head is above and overall. It is the source and origin of life. The head supplies life and exercises control and direction. We are in Christ as members of His body, but also, Christ is in us. He is the one that provides us and animates us with life. Satan does NOT control this world. The risen Christ does.
Third Part – Jesus is an agent in reconciliation.
Colossians 1:18b-20 is the third part of the hymn:
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.
It is the risen Christ that is the Head of the Church. Jesus Christ is the firstborn and beginning of all Creation, and Jesus Christ is firstborn of the resurrection. In Jesus Christ, the fullness of God dwells in Him. Through the resurrection, Christ triumphed over all the forces that keep men and women in bondage. F.F. Bruce states, “…if the (Colossian) heresy envisaged powers intermediate between the supreme God and the world of humanity, so that any communication between God and the world, in either direction, had to pass through spheres in which those powers exercised control. Those who thought this way would be careful to treat those powers with becoming respect.”
BUT this is all undermined by Christ. Bruce goes on to say, “…the totality of divine essence and power is resident in Christ. He is the one, all-sufficient intermediary between God and the world of humanity, and all the attributes of God – his spirit, word, wisdom, and glory – are disclosed in him.” The fullness of God is in the risen Jesus Christ in a permanent way. God would not have done that in a mere imperfect man. Jesus Christ is God incarnated: both fully human and fully divine (God). Jesus is all we ever need.
The universal church, the body of Christ, does not eliminate or minimize the need for local bodies of believers. It does not release us from the responsibilities we have to the local church as members of the body. This combats the false teaching of “I don’t need the Church; I just need Christ.” Yes, Christ is all we need. We do not need anything else, but we do have responsibilities. Christ has given us a purpose and a mission.
Challenge:
The challenge this week is to read Colossians chapter 2 every day this week.
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