Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Christian faith is a life of total commitment and abandonment to the person of Jesus Christ. He is to be. Supreme in our lives. Christ is to be above all else.
And in our passage this evening, We have one of the greatest biblical statements on the supremacy. of Christ Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. For followers of Christ, living for our Lord Jesus is our highest priority. In every area of life, we're called to seek Him first, for He is Lord overall. Today, on the verdict, we're returning to the book of Colossians to better understand this absolute supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now with today's message titled Christ Above All. Here's Pastor John Monroe. If you've never read Colossians straight through, let me encourage you to do so. It contains only four chapters.
So it will only take you a few minutes to read. In Colossians, the Apostle Paul presents the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. The answer to false teaching and the answer to our problems, our struggles, our unfulfillment. Our alienation and failures are found in God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is above all.
Christ is supreme. He is supreme. not only over creation, but also supreme over the church. Understanding that Christ is above all impacts all of life and eternity. It transforms how we see ourselves and others.
Today as we continue in Colossians, think of Christ above all. The more we love someone. the more we want to learn about them. And the more we learn about the unsearchable riches of the inexhaustible Christ, I guarantee the more. You will love him.
Peter writes though we have not seen him. We love him. If you love Christ, Christ is to be supreme in your life. He is to be above all. Everything else then will fall into its proper place if you put Christ first, if you seek first His kingdom, if you love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will love your neighbor as yourself, and everything else will fall into place.
That is, if you have the Son. You have everything. Paul says in Colossians 2, verses 9 and 10, For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells in bodily. And you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule. And authority.
There is nothing more relevant, nothing more practical, nothing more radical than learning about Christ and then responding with a life of worship, love. Trust. and obedience. This evening, I Our passage presents the supremacy of God's wonderful Son. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's open our Bibles to Colossians chapter one. In Colossians 1, verses 15 through 20, may well have been an early Christian hymn. But we're going to focus on verses 15, 16, and 17, where we will learn that Christ is supreme over creation. He is preeminent in creation. He is Lord of creation.
Our subject tonight is Christ over all. Colossians 1. There's Fifteen. He is The antecedent is God's beloved Son.
So we could read: God's beloved Son is the image of the invisible God. the firstborn of all creation. 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold. together.
Paul is saying here that Christ, God's beloved Son, is supreme over creation. In verse 15, he presents the supremacy and the uniqueness of God's beloved Son. First of all, he says in verse 15, he God's beloved Son is the image of the invisible God. We thought of that two or three weeks ago. As I preached on the message of the image of God, Christ is.
Eternally the image of God, the perfect and the exact representation of the invisible God. Every quality, every characteristic found in the Father is found in the Son, who perfectly manifests and represents God. That is, the Son, like the Father, is eternal and unlimited in his deity. Therefore, only God's Son, Paul is saying, is the perfect image. of the invisible Gods.
Remember what Jesus said to Philip? In John 14, verse 9, whoever has seen me has seen the Father. What a tremendous statement. To see the Son is to see the Father. Why?
Because He is the image of the invisible God. In God, the Son, the invisible God, the God who is Spirit, has been made. visible. But says Paul, not only is he the image of the invisible God, verse 15, he is the firstborn of all creation.
So Paul is saying that Jesus Christ As the firstborn is prior to and supreme over all creation. All creation belongs to the Son. That Jesus is the creator. and not a creature, a created being, is going to be emphasized in verses sixteen and seventeen.
So let's look to verses sixteen and seventeen, where Paul gives, I believe, five additional proofs Of Christ's supremacy over creation. He is above all. creation. Number one. Christ is the architect.
of all creation. That is, Christ is at the very center of all creations. Verse 16, for by him all things were created. What's the first Verse of the Bible: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Paul is saying that God's beloved Son is that beginning in which the heavens and the earth.
were created. Paul is saying that Christ Is the architect of all creation. Secondly, Christ not only is the architect of all creation, he is the agent of all. creation. Look at the end of verse sixteen.
All things were created Through him. John writes, remember in John 1:3 in his prologue, all things were made through him, dia, the same Greek preposition, all things were made through him, and without him was not made anything that was made. The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 1, verse 2, regarding Christ, through whom? Same preposition, dia, through Christ. He created.
the world.
So Jesus Christ, God's Son, is not only the architect of all creation, he is the builder, he is the agent of all creation. And Paul here in this wonderful verse, verse 16, is making it clear that Christ's creative work is all-encompassing. It includes things In heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All of the thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities, probably a ranking of the angelic beings, are also made in and through Jesus Christ.
So Christ It's not just supreme. within creation, but over creation.
So he's the architect of creation. He's the agent of all creation. Thirdly, he is the goal of all creation. The end of verse 16. All things were created through him.
And for him. Yeah. Isn't that wonderful? All of creation is not only created in Christ and through Christ, but also for the Greek word ice, for those of you who know elementary Greek, meaning that Christ. Is the goal of creation.
Not only is He the beginning and agent of all creation, He is the goal of all creation. Everything belongs to Christ. It is made for His glory and is to reflect His glory. He's the architect of creation. He's the agent of creation.
Third, he's the goal of all creation. Fourth, he is the antecedent of all creation. Verse 17, and he is before all things. Christ Is before all things. He's before creation.
The beginning of the fourth century, Arius taught that Jesus was the first. among the creatures. Arius taught that there was a time. when he was not. There was a time Arius, this heretic said, when Jesus Christ did not exist.
But Paul here totally demolishes any suggestion that Jesus Christ is part of the created order. No, he. himself. Is present tense. He is Before Uh Thanks.
He is before all creation and he is above all creation. He is before all creation as regards time. He is the pre-existent Eternal Son of God. Is that what Jesus said? In John 8.
To the Pharisees, he says, before Abraham was I um I am. In John 17, verse 5, Jesus said that He was with the Father before the world existed. Revelation 22, verse 13: Of Christ, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is the antecedent of all creation. He is uncreated.
He is eternally. God. But says Paul packing a lot of theology into a few words. Verse 17, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He's the architect of all creation, he's the agent of all creation, he's the goal of all creation, he's the antecedent of all creation, and here, the end of verse 17, he is the sustainer.
Of all creation. In him, All things hold together. perfect tense. for the few Greek scholars here. In him all things hold together.
That is, God's beloved Son assures the universe in its continued existence. Wasn't that God just through Christ created the universe and then retreated? No, says Paul. In Him, in God's beloved Son, all things, no exceptions, all things. Hold.
Together. All of the laws. by which this world is ordered are kept in place By Jesus Christ. He is a bond, as it were, that holds everything in its place. Says the writer of the Hebrews in Hebrews one.
Three, he upholds the universe by the word of his power. The beat of our heart. The air We breathe. the planets, the seasons, the tides, the fall of a raindrop, every atom in the universe, all things are held in place and find their proper function by the Supreme Christ. Apart from Christ's sustaining activity, everything in the universe.
including us. would literally fall apart. He is above all. your existence and your future. is totally dependent on God's beloved Son.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul, is magnificently presenting. is supreme in and over all. of creation. The architect, the agent. The goal.
The antecedent, and the very one who holds our existence. In him, we live and move. and have. our being.
Now why is Paul presenting this? In the context of Colossians, there was a denial of Christ's supremacy over creation. The Colossian denial. The Colossian heresy, as we've seen before, depreciated and dethroned Christ. Paul establishes Christ's supremacy And primacy over angelic beings in verse sixteen.
The thrones, the dominions, the rulers, authorities, angelic beings, that Christ is over them. And Paul wants the Colossian believers to grasp the supremacy and the sufficiency of Christ. In so doing, We will be well protected. against heresy. Have you noticed when the cults come and knock at your door?
There is always, invariably, A dethroning of Christ. I was taught as a teenager that when you talk to someone that you suspect of false teaching, you bring them to the person of Christ. Because invariably the cults have error regarding Christ. And Paul is presenting the antidote to that, that Christ is supreme. But think of some contemporary denials.
of Christ's supremacy as Creator. Evolution. Evolution purports to be a proven scientific theory that all living things evolve from simple organisms. and change through the ages to produce millions of species. In this theory in evolution, all species are said to have evolved from a single form of life which lived about three and a half billion years ago.
Who's going to argue over a billion years or so? But you know the theory of evolution? Even embraced by some Christians, the theory of evolution amounts to a denial of the creation of all things by Jesus Christ. Paul presents Jesus Christ not as a part of the creation, but as the transcendent Creator who is the architect, the agent, the goal, the sustainer of all creation. He is before all things, supreme over all creation.
Christ is above all. But let me mention another contemporary denial. Of creation, which perhaps is even more insidious than rationalistic atheism. It's also denial, and a very common denial of Jesus Christ as the transcendent Creator. Really, it's Very common today in our society, but it's a very ancient heresy.
I'm referring to pagan spirituality. Paul As he opens. His letter to the Romans says in Romans 1, verse 25, that they exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Pseudo-spirituality. What's paganism?
Here in the United States, in Europe, there is an increasing rise in paganism. What's paganism? It is the worship of nature. The worship of creation. The worship of the great goddess, the worship of Mother Earth.
Taught even in our schools. Paganism is the belief. that in the beginning was nature, not a transcendent God. But it's very clear From Colossians 1, 15, 16, and 17, that God is separated from. Nature.
He is the transcendent God, the transcendent creator. Paganism presents God as nature. God is in all things, and all things are part of God. Everything then in creation in paganism is of the same importance. Animals are just as important as people.
That's why people get more upset about a beached whale in Florida. than the thousands, if not millions, of babies we abort. Paganism says that we all share the same substance. As God. What a heresy, what a lie.
Any of you see the Disney Movie Lion King? I won't embarrass you by asking for hands up, but some of you saw it. The Lion King. In the Lion King, In Disney's theology, Everything in the universe is part of a mass of energy. In paganism, there is no Creator.
The circle of life, pagans love the circle. In the circle of life, The circle of life swallows up God. Listen to the song. and the Lion King. Out of respect for your ears, I will say it and not sing it.
It is the circle of life. And it moves us all through despair and hope, through faith and love. Till we find our peace on the path unwinding in the circle of life. That's Paganism. Catchy tune, people sing it on the rise what they're singing.
Sheer paganism. The endless circle. Paganism. In Star Wars, which George Lucas said was made to introduce Buddhism to the West. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi warrior, explains to young Luke Skywalker quote: The force.
is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together. It is all powerful and controls everything. Paganism. Total opposite.
of the verses that we've just read. What is it that binds everything together? It is God's beloved Son. He creates everything. He's the agent of everything.
He is before all things. Everything is for his glory. He is the Creators. And God. And God alone is eternal.
He is from everlasting to everlasting. The world did have a beginning, yes, but God is not the creation, he is the creator. Jesus, God's beloved Son. is the image of the invisible God The firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, with their thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is supreme over all. Creation, he's above all. Do you believe that? Do you believe? what Paul is presenting in Colossians 1, 15, 16 and 17.
Do you believe that Christ is above all? If so, don't you agree that he must be. Obeyed. Creation obeys him. You remember the magnificent scene of the storm in the lake?
Where the disciples wake up and Lord, do you not care that we're perishing? And he stands. Supreme in the middle of the storm. And says peace. Be still.
And there's a great calm. The creation. Obeys him, the winds and the waves. Why? He is the creator.
He is above all creation. And the disciples say: What kind of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey him? He is obeyed in creation. and he must be obeyed in your life and mine. And as we'll see next week, he certainly must be obeyed in his own church.
He is the head. of the church. Is your allegiance to Christ Is he the first love in your life? Do you obey him? This Christ Who made you?
and who sustained you. and who has your life in his hand. And then His grace has saved you. And has predestined you to be conformed to the image of his Son, this Christ. expects you.
to obey him without hesitation. Without argument. And say, Lord, I bow before you as the King of kings and Lord of lords. And Revelation 5. There's a wonderful scene in heaven.
Says John, and I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying, Notice that every created being in Revelation 5 is joining in this song of praise. To whom is it directed? Obviously, not anything created, because every created being is participating in this song. All of the praise of heaven is directed to whom? to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.
Be blessing and glory and honor and might forever and ever. Revelation 5:13. Christ the Lamb, God's beloved Son. Is preeminent, central, supreme. Above all, And that for all of eternity.
You understand that's what heaven is about. That for all of heaven We will sing the praises. of the one who loved us. And the one who washed us with his blood. And in his grace saved us, and who calls us now here in time.
We who are his followers, we who are saved by his grace, to love him. and to serve him. And obey God's beloved Son, who is above all else. And all God's people said. Yeah, man.
This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? What do you think about Jesus Christ? Do you agree that he is unique? There is none like him. He is the creator.
the sustainer, the goal of all creation. He's the head of the church. He is Lord of all. Will you bow and worship at his feet? and love and serve him with all of your heart.
Next time, we'll continue our study of Colossians and dig a little deeper into the truth. That Jesus Christ is supreme over the church. and he is the great reconciler. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies.
Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
