The Supremacy of Christ

INTRODUCTION INTERACTION: What do you know and believe about Jesus Christ?

Key Verse: Colossians 1:15-23

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

• 1 Corinthians 13:12 - "Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."
• To know, and to trust in Christ, begins with an acknowledgement that we don't know everything.  Scientists are constantly making new discoveries and adding to our collective knowledge.

• Illustration: Dark Matter
  • "Astronomers have discovered that the gravitational effects observed in our universe don’t match the amount of matter seen. To account for these differences, it appears that the universe contains a mysterious form of matter that we can’t observe, called dark matter." (http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-universes-dark-matter-and-dark-energy.html )
  • "The standard model of cosmology claims that the universe is comprised 74% of dark energy and 22% of cold dark matter. This means that only 4% is made from the matter we know about, the one that gives birth to the atoms and photons that form stars, planets, black holes or gaseous clouds." (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Dark-Energy-For-Dummies-93340.shtml)
  • What is the difference between holding faith in a form of matter and energy that cannot be directly observed, but can only be inferred by observing its effects on what is visible, and holding faith in a Creator who cannot be observed, but can only be inferred by observing His effects on what is visible?  The difference is that the latter may require something more of us -- an accountability to the Creator.  The good news is, though, that Christ Himself is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

• John 1:1-5 - "In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.  The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."

• Supreme (prōtotokos) - first born, speaks of rank or position, preeminence

16 for through him God created everything

• Hebrews 1:2 - "And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe."

in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

• Ephesians 3:10-11 - "God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Everything was created through him and for him.

• Romans 11:36 (NIV) - "For from him and through him and for him are all things."

17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

• Reiteration of a couple of key points.

18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.

• Ephesians 1:22-23 - "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."

He is the beginning,

• 2 Timothy 1:9 - "For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus."

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

• Romans 8:29 - "For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

So he is first in everything.

• APPLICATION: Is He first in everything in your life?

19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,

• Colossians 2:9 - "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body."

• Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) - "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."

• Philippians 2:5-8 - "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;  he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

• Reconciled - to bring something into agreement, end conflict, make compatible, put people back on friendly terms / Think of reconciling a checkbook.

• 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 - "And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”  For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

• Romans 5:6-11 - "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."

23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.

• APPLICATION: Continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
  • Romans 5:1-2 - "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory."
  • Peter's attempt to walk on the water is a prime illustration of walking in this truth by faith.  It conflicts with what our feelings tell us, what the devil whispers in our ear, with everything that we know of how this present world works.  Yet, despite all these things, we must continue to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

• APPLICATION: Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.
  • When at the beach, we must always keep the shore in sight.  Part of the nature of the ocean is to cause us to slowly drift away from where we began.  The impetus is upon us to stay grounded, and to resist the drift.
  • How do we avoid drifting away from the truth?  Hebrews 2:1-3 provides a warning, but also instruction, "So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.  For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.  So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?"

• APPLICATION: Listen carefully to the truth.
  • Romans 10:17 - "So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ."
  • The written truth of God in the word builds up our faith, which in turn helps us to remain anchored in what we have believed.
  • And this brings us full circle to Jesus, who IS the Living Word of God.

The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

• APPLICATION:  We believers have been appointed as God's servants to proclaim the Good News, and in doing so, to declare the supremacy of Christ.

Fred Davis: Faith

Mark 11:22 - Have Faith in God!

Context - Tree that is withered after Jesus cursed.

Follows - say to mountain be removed and cast into the sea.

Follows - When you ask, believe and you will receive.

Hindrance - our sin

God has forgiven our sin on the cross - past present future

Sin is not the issue Faith is

John 6:28-29 work is to believe

Hebrews once for all 7:27, 9:12, 10:10

1John 2:1-2 if sin advocate 

Gal 3:5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

Also see Acts

Matthew 17:20 - if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Luke 12:32 - Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Jer. 29:11 I know plans have for you

The Banqueting Table, Part II

Matthew 11:16-19 - Jesus, Friend of Sinners

16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

17 ‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t mourn.’

18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

Luke 14:7-14 - The Wedding Feast to Come

7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Parable of the Great Feast

15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

Matthew 25:1-13 - Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Revelation 19:6-9

6 Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:   “Praise the Lord!  For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.  7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.  For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.  8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”  For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.  9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”