Church is … all about Jesus – Colossians 1:15-23

Church is … all about Jesus – Colossians 1:15-23

Church is…all about Jesus – Colossians 1:15-23

 

59% of UK population believe in God. But only 28% believe something about Jesus.

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God.” (Col.1:15)

Thirteen things this passage tells us about Jesus:

1) v15, Jesus is invisible God made visible

2) v15 Jesus is the firstborn over all creation – that is, he’s God’s heir.

3) v16, Everything there is was made by Jesus

4) v16, Everything there is was made through Jesus

5) v16, Everything there is, was made for Jesus

6) v17, He is before all things

7) v17, He sustains creation – that is, he’s the glue that holds all of creation together

8) v18, He’s the head of the church

9) v18 He is the beginning of the church

10) v18 He is over everything

11) v19 In him all of God’s fullness dwells – that is – he’s fully God

12) v20 He’s the one who reconciles everyone to God

13) v20 And he does it by dying on the cross

 

“Lord God, give me emotions and joy equal to the magnificence of your Son Jesus. Help me feel what I would feel if my sin-sickened heart didn’t blind me to the brilliance of your son. Amen”

 

1) If you want to understand God look at Jesus.

 

i) Jesus shows us God is personal

All power, no personality?

“Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they [that’s the disciples] know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:25-26)

 

ii) God loves all people but especially life’s victims

“When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is–that she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39)

  

What is Jesus showing us God is like?

2) If you want to understand where the world came from look to Jesus

The Big Bang and a fine tuned creation

Jesus is the means by which creation was created  and he sustains creation.

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3) 

 “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus” (Colossians 1:19)

3) If you want to understand where the world is going, look to Jesus

“Through [Jesus], God is going to reconcile to himself all things.”(Colossians 1:20)

(i) Justice will be done by Jesus

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

 

(ii) The world gets made anew by Jesus

Revelation 19-20

 

(iii) God makes for himself a new family…by Jesus

 “[Jesus] is the head of the body, the church.” (Colossians 1:18)

 “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross, Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—“ (Colossians 1:21-22)

 Everything is all about Jesus so church is all about Jesus

 

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