The Supremacy of Jesus Christ (Part 1) | Colossians
Colossians
The Supremacy of Jesus Christ (Part 1)
Colossians 1:1a (MSG) 1I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God’s master plan.
Soul Tattoo: Jesus is Lord of my life.
Colossians 1:1-8 (ESV) 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
- The Introduction:
- Paul’s Identity.
- The power of an affirming leader.
- Jesus gives hope and a future.
- Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 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. Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)
- A walk worthy of the Lord:
- Pleases the Lord.
- Is fruitful in “Good Works”.
- Grows in knowing God.
- Is strengthened by God’s power.
- Is thankful for all that Jesus did for us.
Colossians 1:15-23 (ESV) 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. 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. 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. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue 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, became a minister.
- The Preeminence of Christ:
- Jesus is first and foremost.
- Jesus is not only equal to God, He is God.
- Jesus is supreme over all creation.
- Jesus is also the sustainer of life.
- Jesus is a sufficient Savior for us.
The Lordship Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I have sinned and I acknowledge my need of you. I thank you for dying on the cross for me, and I accept you as my Savior. I invite you now to be Lord of every area of my life. Lord of my spirit and relationship with you. Lord of my mind and all of my thoughts. Lord of my emotions and all of my feelings and reactions. Lord of my will and all of my decisions. Lord of my body and all of my behavior. Lord of my eyes and what I look upon. Lord of my ears and everything that I listen to. Lord of my mouth and what I speak. Lord of my hands and all that I do; and Lord of my feet and everywhere that I go. Lord of my sexuality. Lord of my time, my work, my ministry, my pleasure; my home, my family, my possessions, my finances and all of my relationships. Thank you, Lord, that your blood was shed and that I can be set free!
Colossians 1:24-29 (ESV) 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
- Serving like Paul served:
- Serving involves suffering.
- Making the Word fully known is our mission from God.
- The saints get to reveal the mystery. The revelation is “Christ in us, the hope glory”.
- What are we warning about? What are we teaching about?
- Paul serves others, to equip others, to find their God given potential.
Soul Tattoo: Jesus is Lord of my life.