WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 I hope tonight when we are through you are left longing for more. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.000 So when we come back together you will get a little more as we go through this topic. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:24.000 Let us note that this passage here in Colossians chapter 1 is one of the pinnacles of Scripture when it comes to Christ. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:31.000 Beautiful is this passage in full of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:35.000 Let us read verses 13 through 23. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:55.000 It says, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son?" Not just that, is not that good? 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:14.000 "And whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:32.000 For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:39.000 All things were created by him and for him. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:47.000 And he is before all things and by him all things consist. 00:01:47.000 --> 00:02:05.000 And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:30.000 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:03:18.000 And you who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight, if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:23.000 Isn't that good? That's good. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:31.000 Now, let's take note here of verse 18 where we get this, that he is preeminent. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:04:04.000 In ESV verse 18 says, "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, might be preeminent, or have the preeminence." Now, the Greek word there for preeminence means to be first or to hold first place. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:14.000 An English definition of the word is the fact of surpassing all others. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:22.000 The fact of surpassing all others or superiority. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:38.000 When we think of this word we might think of a premier, preeminence, premiere, and a premier is what? The first showing of a play or a musical or something of that. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.000 It's something that's first. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:50.000 Therefore, drawing from all this we can say that Jesus is the first of something. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:58.000 What is Jesus the first of? 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:02.000 Everything. Everything. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:24.000 This is the Holy Spirit's emphasis here through the Apostle Paul, that Christ is king, that Christ is head, that Christ is first, that he is indeed preeminent, surpassing all others. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:28.000 He's superior over all. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Now, we think of being first or holding first place. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:40.000 This definition makes us think of competition, right? 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:50.000 If someone's first place then that means someone must be second place. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:59.000 If you're second place you're what? The first loser, right? 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:05.000 The point here is not that. 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:08.000 There's not a second place. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:11.000 There is no one else in the game. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:14.000 There's no one else in the competition. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.000 He is the only creator. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:31.000 There are and there were no competitors in the creation game because there was no game. He is preeminent. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:41.000 Now, a photo of the rock and the first hit of the rock on the water, we will see that Christ is the firstborn of creation. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:50.000 The second is that he's the head of the church and the third is that he's the firstborn from the dead. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:53.000 We saw those three in this passage. 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:57.000 He's firstborn of creation. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:11.000 Verse 15, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature." Now, that's a... 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:17.000 It sounds weird that he's the firstborn. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:21.000 Now, Jesus was born of a virgin. 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:25.000 But before creation, he was not born. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.000 He was not created. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:32.000 He is eternally begotten of the Father. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.000 He has always been. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.000 He's eternally been. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:50.000 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." He's the firstborn of every creature. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:55.000 We know that this does not mean that Christ was born before the creation. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:06.000 He's eternally begotten, not born, because he's the image of God, and in him all the fullness of God dwells. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:46.000 This means that he has rank, control, headship over all creation, every creature, because verse 16 says,"By him everything was created.""In heaven and in earth, visible, that which we can see, and invisible, that which we cannot see, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, all things were created by him." He is the creator. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:09:02.000 "From him all that is came to be." He spoke, and things came to be. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:03.000 I like what one said. 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:28.000 He said that he stepped out, that Jesus stepped out from nowhere, onto nothing, and spoke, and said, "Let there be." He is before all things, and not only did he create it all, but he also as well sustains it all. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:35.000 He didn't just create everything, and set it in motion, and step back, and let's see what happens. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:10:03.000 No, "By him all things consist.""By him all things are held together.""By his preeminent power.""By his preeminent person.""By the word and the wisdom of God.""Everything that is, is being held together by the Lord Jesus Christ.""By him all things consist." Now, don't pass over that. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:09.000 We say, "Yeah, that's true. We know that's true." Right? 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:12.000 We know that. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:33.000 But we shouldn't just say, "Yeah, we know that's true." We are to say, "Wow. Wow. We know that's true." Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the creator of everything. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:40.000 Everything that is, is because of Him. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:48.000 And everything that is, is because of Him, and everything continues to be because of Him. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:54.000 He's created it. He's sustaining it. He's upholding it. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:57.000 Ponder that. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:07.000 Meditate upon our great preeminent Christ, who is preeminent in creation. 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.000 He's preeminent in creation. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:19.000 Now, second, He's preeminent in the church. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:32.000 Verse 18, "And He is the head of the body, the church." Who is the beginning? 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:42.000 He is the head of the body, the church. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:12:10.000 Just as He created all things, and is sustaining all of creation, there's something more. He's even more intently set upon His bride. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:21.000 He will build His church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against her. 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:32.000 You see, creation is groaning, awaiting the revelation of the sons of God. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:43.000 While everything around us is falling apart, His church is getting better and stronger. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:49.000 He's doing a work in her. He is the head of the church. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:53.000 He's building her. He's sustaining her. 00:12:53.000 --> 00:13:00.000 He holds His church together by the bonds of His great love for her. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:15.000 When we think of the church, we should think higher than we think. 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:21.000 It's not a business. It's not an organization. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:24.000 It's not a social club. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:31.000 We are the bride of Christ, and He shed His own blood for us. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:36.000 We should be willing to shed our blood for her. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:47.000 We should fight for her. We should defend her and hold her in highest regard. 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:51.000 He's the head of the church. 00:13:51.000 --> 00:14:02.000 Just as He's the head of creation and created it all and is sustaining it all, He's the head of the church. He's supplying us all that we need. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.000 He is working with us. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:13.000 Be careful what you say about the church and how you treat the Lord's bride. 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:17.000 He's making her ready. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:31.000 He's removing every spot and blemish from her, and He will present her to Himself without either. 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:41.000 No, dear believer, God is making you ready for Himself. 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:57.000 Quit kicking against the goads, quit kicking against the prigs, and submit yourself to His ever-loving hand as He works in you, His works of righteousness. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:06.000 You see, the things we're going through, everything we go through, is for this purpose. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:15.000 To make us ready for Him, to conform us to His image, to make us like Himself. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:21.000 He will wash you and He will clean you. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:30.000 He will cleanse you from all your uncleanliness, from all your idols He will cleanse you. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:42.000 He will put His Spirit in you and cause you to walk in His statutes, and you will be careful to obey all His rules. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:48.000 Why? Because He's changed your heart, right? 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:57.000 He's taken out that heart of stone, He's removed that and put a sensitive heart of flesh in His place. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:10.000 We're not who we once were, we are new creatures in Christ. He's making us ready. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:23.000 It's tough sometimes, isn't it? Sometimes He does the hard work to get us to where we need to be. 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:30.000 Have you not remembered your evil ways and your deeds that were not good? 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:38.000 Have you not loathed yourself for your iniquities and abominations? 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:49.000 Says the Lord. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:56.000 Listen, it's not for your sake that He has done this. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:01.000 It is not for your sake that He is doing this, declares the Lord. 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:10.000 Let it be known to you that it's not about you, that it's about Him. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.000 Be ashamed and confounded of your ways. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:20.000 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to your name be glory. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:25.000 It's for His name's sake, it's all for Him. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.000 We're not just saying that. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:34.000 He is the preeminent One. He is making His church ready. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:40.000 Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:47.000 He's preeminent in creation. He's preeminent in the church. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:52.000 And He's preeminent in the resurrection. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.000 Look at verse 18. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:18:02.000 And He is the head of the body of the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:11.000 The firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have, the preeminence. 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:20.000 He's preeminent in the resurrection. He dies. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:26.000 He rose again, the firstfruits. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:38.000 Just as Christ died and rose again from the dead, so too those who are in Him will follow suit. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:45.000 The grave will not hold you because it could not hold Him. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:59.000 Our representative, our federal head, marched into the grave and he marched out of the grave because there was no sin in himself that death could lay hold of. 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:05.000 You see, the wages of Sid is death. 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:11.000 He had no wage of his own to pay. 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:20.000 But in that act, he paid for ours. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:25.000 He paid for your sin and he paid for mine. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.000 The wages of sin is death. 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:35.000 He took our sin upon himself and he died for our sins. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:42.000 Therefore, the grave has no claim on us. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:46.000 Oh grave, where's your victory? 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:49.000 Death, where's your sting? 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:53.000 Out. 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.000 We will die. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:06.000 We will put off this old body of flesh, but because He rose, so will you. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:10.000 Glory and hallelujah to the Lamb, Amen. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:13.000 He is the firstborn from the dead. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:21.000 He is the preeminent one because of His finished work, because of who He is and what He's done. 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:32.000 He is preeminent, supreme, King, Lord of all. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:40.000 Because of who He is and what He's done, He is the only reconciler. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:46.000 He and He alone can reconcile us to God. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:54.000 Because of our sins, we are at odds with God and God is at odds with us. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:21:01.000 But He has reconciled us to the Father, verses 19 through 22. 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:06.000 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:19.000 And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:34.000 And you who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He is now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:47.000 In order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him. 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:53.000 Is that not what we said? 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:05.000 Notice the warning in verse 23. 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:28.000 In the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, am made a minister. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:35.000 If you quit, it's on you. 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:46.000 If you continue, it's all to His glory, all to Him. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:23:03.000 And that's why I speak these things tonight, to prod you on for our great preeminent Christ and King. 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:09.000 Let me close with verse 28. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:15.000 Listen to this. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.000 The first three words. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:24.000 Him we proclaim. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:29.000 Him we proclaim. 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:36.000 Oh, may we proclaim Him in our next meetings on Wednesday nights. 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:39.000 We do Sunday mornings as well, don't we? 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:48.000 Proclaim Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:50.000 Why? 00:23:50.000 --> 00:24:02.000 That we may present everyone mature, perfect, complete in Christ. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.000 He's worthy. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.000 He's worthy to be praised. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:15.000 He's worthy to be honored, to be glorified, to be made much of. 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:17.000 He's our everything. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:20.000 He made us. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:22.000 He created us. 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:26.000 He's given us the mind and abilities that we have. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:29.000 Now He is preeminent. 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:32.000 He is preeminent. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:35.000 Every knee is going to bow. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:38.000 Every tongue is going to confess. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:43.000 He is preeminent. 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:44.960 lazy in your lives. 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:54.960 [BLANK_AUDIO]