MPC, 5th October 2003.Colossians 1:15-23 - "Simply the Best!"
Matt Rowson MPC, 5th October 2003.
A few years ago, a man with an American accent was looking around in a jewelry store in Sydney. And his eye was caught by a large, pink Argyle diamond. A diamond worth 30 thousand dollars. Which he decided to buy.
He handed over his credit card. The manager swiped it through the computer terminal. And at that moment, THE COMPUTER FROZE. Nothing worked. The manager is thinking, "WHAT DO I DO. I'm in the middle of the BIGGEST SALE ALL MONTH, and the SYSTEM GOES DOWN!"
The American customer leans over and asks a couple of questions about the computer she's using; he offers a few tips; she punches some keys and the computer is WORKING AGAIN.
She looks up at him and says, "So you KNOW a little bit about computers do you?" He says, "Oh yeah, I know a little."
They finish the transaction and the guy leaves with his pink Argyle diamond; a bit later on the manager's husband comes in and asks if she's had any decent sales.
She says, "Actually we sold a pink Argyle diamond!"
"Wow, who'd you sell it too?"
"I don't know - he was this American guy. Lets look at his credit card details."
They flick through the credit card details and they find out they'd just sold the diamond to a Mr Bill Gates - the chairman of Microsoft Corporation - the biggest computer company in the world!!"
And suddenly, this woman is feeling very silly… for having said to him "You know a little about computers do you?"
The reality is this guy practically rules the computer industry!
She didn't realize who it was she was dealing with… and how capable BILL GATES was of fixing her problem with her computer.
In this passage we are looking at this morning from Colossians 1:15-23, Paul is going to leave the Colossians in no doubt about who it is THEY'RE dealing with. He's going to leave us in no doubt about the greatness of Jesus; and NO DOUBT about how sufficient Jesus is for us and our greatest need.
Last week we saw that Paul reassured the Colossians that they have received the genuine gospel; he's REASSURED THEM that they're genuine Christians, since they have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and their trust is in him. In this passage this morning he's going to show them exactly WHO IT IS they've received as Lord.
Because maybe they haven't RECOGNISED just how IMPORTANT HE IS. Maybe you don't really know what YOU THINK about Jesus; or maybe what you think of him will be challenged by what Paul says in this passage this morning.
And if this is something you do already know, then it's great to be reminded again of just who it is our faith is in, so that we won't be tempted to move on from living with Jesus as our Lord, or tempted to think that he is NOT enough and we need to add something else to become complete as a Christian.
I don't know what comes to mind for you when you think of Jesus, or what perhaps your friends or family would say about Jesus. Maybe you or (they) picture this long haired hippy with a beard and sandals, a real quiet and gentle bloke who wouldn't hurt a fly, going around talking about love and peace, and who likes reading books in his spare time - maybe something like that, maybe not.
Maybe he's pictured as a bit of a rebel, trying to rise up against the unjust treatment of the Romans over the poor and weak.
Maybe he's an arrogant religious teacher standing up against the religious leaders of the time telling them that they have it all wrong and people must listen to him instead.
Well Paul begins in verse 15 by launching into an amazing description of who Jesus is - the one that the Colossians have received as their Lord, their King. It's like a RESUME of Jesus credentials - and the resume is very impressive!
Paul describes Jesus, as the image of the invisible God. God can't be seen, but when Jesus speaks in the Bible, it is God who is speaking. When we see Jesus act, we see God act. The God of the universe, the only God, has made himself known in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son. Jesus isn't just a prophet; he isn't just a man with great religious, spiritual and moral insight. It's the exclusive claim of Jesus that if you have seen him, then you have seen God, if you know him then you know God.
The next point in Jesus resume is that he is the firstborn over all creation. It's an important phrase to understand correctly. Firstly, it doesn't mean that Jesus was a created being, the first being that was created. The bible is clear on the fact that Jesus is eternal - he is not a created being.
I think to understand it properly, we need to know how the phrase "Firstborn" is used in the Bible. In the ancient world, the firstborn son was the heir of all that belongs to the father, the one who inherits everything. Things don't usually work that way in the modern western world. Usually the inheritance is divided between all the children, sons & daughters. But it used to be the firstborn son that was the heir of everything. All that the father had belonged to the son, and the son would then look after the rest of the family.
So when Jesus is described as the firstborn, it means that he is the heir, he is the owner of the whole creation.
Hebrews 1:2 describes Jesus as the one "whom [God] appointed heir of all things." He owns the lot!
Now if you want to upset the average Aussie then what Paul is saying will usually do it. It's a very unpopular thought to many people because WE like to be the boss of our own lives; we don't like the thought of someone owning us.
Have a listen as Paul explains why Jesus is the heir of all things, why he owns everything. In verse 16 he says "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." Paul wants the Colossians to know that there is nothing that has been created that wasn't created by Jesus. And they weren't just created BY him but FOR him as well. Jesus is the owner - the Lord of all things, and not only did he create all things, but he sustains all things as well…
Verse 17 says "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." We owe every breath we take, every day we live, to him.
And that has pretty significant consequences doesn't it?
It means that YOU and I were created by him, and for him. We are not our own - we belong to Jesus. We don't like the idea that we belong to someone else, that we need to answer to someone else. But we all need to answer to Jesus. One day I will have to answer to him; one day YOU will have to answer to him.
Now before you think that sounds really negative, let me remind you that it's actually a great privilege to belong to Jesus - it gives your lives meaning and purpose. You're not just a cosmic accident - a collection of atoms, making the most of it for a few short years on earth before you return to dust - no, you belong to the creator and his desire is to transform you to make you like Jesus and to share eternity with you. It's a great thing to belong to the God who wants that for us.
So Jesus is Lord over creation, but Paul then goes on to describe him as Lord over salvation as well. He is described in verse 18 as… "the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead."
We often talk about the importance of Jesus death, taking the punishment for us on the cross… and rightly so, we shouldn't change that, but I think we can often downplay the significance of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus has brought about the beginning of the new age, of the age to come, where all those who are his, who have received him as Lord, will also be raised to life to be with him forever.
Like those movies where the hero has to lead the way and climb down through the mysterious trapdoor ahead of the others. And then the rest can come down and follow, they know it's safe on the other side.
Jesus has lead the way, he has been through death. He has conquered death. That is why you can have confidence that you will be raised also.
And so Jesus is supreme over all; both in this life, Lord over this created order, and the new life to come, Lord over the new heaven and earth.
Jesus is supreme because of what we see in verse 19…
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him."
Just like there is no one more qualified than Bill Gates to help you with your computer problems, there is no one more qualified to be Lord of all than Jesus - because in Jesus all the fullness of God dwells. Jesus is much more than a man, much more than a great teacher or prophet, Jesus is God the Son.
And so Verse 20 describes how it is through Jesus and his death on the cross that God has reconciled all things to himself. Jesus is the one who is completely sufficient and able to save - to reconcile sinners with God, and it was by taking the punishment from God that we deserve so that we could be at peace with God.
What we think of Jesus is not a side theological issue! It's at the very heart of Christianity. And if you get this bit wrong - who Jesus is, then you're on the wrong track completely.
I'm sure you've had the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons knock on your door before. And sometimes they can sound quite ok - quite agreeable with what the Bible teaches. They might begin by talking about the problems in the world, the fact that God will one day judge everyone, the fact that only God can save. But when you get to the key issue. The issue that really counts - the issue of who Jesus is - it's then that it becomes blatantly clear that they're on a completely different boat, sailing in the other direction.
As I mentioned last week, the Colossians are under threat from false teachers who are telling them that they need to add to Christ if they want to be complete as a Christian. Paul wants them to know that there's nothing to add; If they have Jesus then they have it all.
You see, once you realise how great Jesus is, you realise that he is entirely sufficient and able to make you complete as a Christian. If Jesus is your Lord - then you don't need anything else.
Secondly, Paul reminds them of the change that Jesus has brought to their lives.
Like Thomas Parkinson who went to Jenny Craig and lost 105kg, who went from 195 to 90kg, that's a big change isn't it! And just like the before and after pictures they show to prove it, Paul gives the Colossians a picture of what they were before they came to Christ, and a picture of what they are now.
Paul points out to them how Jesus has completely turned their lives around.
I think Paul is again guarding them against any false teachers who are saying that it's fine to be a Christian, but there's something more, you need to move on to new things in order to complete the process.
Paul wants to remind the Colossians of the great spiritual change that took place when they heard the gospel and received Jesus as Lord. This was no mere step in a process - this was the defining moment!
Firstly, in verse 21, Paul reminds them of what they once were. Before someone comes to Christ they are alienated from God, just as the Colossians were, just as WE were. Paul even describes us as ENEMIES in our minds towards God. Whether we actively reject God or whether we just ignore him, we are in the same boat - enemies of God. It's a pretty bleak picture at this stage. It's not that, before becoming Christians, we are NEUTRAL towards God. No, the Bible says that, if we don't belong to Christ, then we are enemies of God, and that's a pretty serious position to be in.
But then Paul gives them the after picture in verse 22, the one that describes the Colossians now and the one that describes you now if Jesus is your Lord. Through the death of Jesus on the cross, we have been reconciled to God, and we now stand before him holy in his sight. I don't think Paul is saying that we live perfect lives here and now, otherwise he wouldn't be encouraging them later in the letter to put to death their lust, greed and evil desires.
When Paul describes them here as being holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation, he is describing their standing before God.
It is not something we grow to become; it is nothing that we contribute to in any way; it is something that happens the instant someone becomes a Christian. God declares us righteous, that is, we are right with God, we don't have the guilt of our sin still on our heads.
Imagine you're in court and you are on trial for stealing a million dollars. You're guilty, there's no question, you know it and the judge knows it, but imagine then that the judge says that someone else has paid the punishment for your crime instead of you, and he declares you free from the guilt and consequences of your crime.
That's what it's like. It's not on the basis of what we are in ourselves, not because of our good works, but solely on the basis of Christ and his righteousness. It's an undeserved gift from God through Jesus death on the cross in our place. It's an amazing truth isn't it. If you have received Jesus as your Lord, then when God looks at you, he sees you as if you were completely righteous - without sin, just like Jesus is. This is the amazing change that Jesus brings.
Around the time of the Sydney Olympics, there seemed to be a big change in people in Sydney. Everyone was friendly, on the trains, people usually just sit quietly with their head down avoiding any eye contact with anyone else, but during the Olympics people were talking to each other on the train, to complete strangers, you know "What events have you been to…?" . Even the City rail staff were friendly for a change. Crime was even down in Sydney over the Olympics.
But the change didn't last. As soon as the Olympics were over, everyone went back to staring quietly at the floor of the train, that wave of friendliness seem to pass over and was gone, everyone was a stranger again.
But the change that Jesus brings is complete… and it is lasting.
People who are God's enemies, become God's friends… through Jesus' death on the cross.
Finally, in verse 23 Paul challenges the Colossians to persevere in this gospel; to continue in faith. The true Christian is the one who perseveres to the end. Paul wants them to remain rock solid. He doesn't want them to jump on the band-wagon of every new teaching that comes along, offering something more. Don't give up on Jesus. He's the only one qualified to safely bring them home. Be careful that YOU do not fall away, heed Paul's warning. There is no other Saviour, no other Lord, so put your trust in Jesus and keep trusting in Jesus.
So, how have YOU responded to Jesus?
Like the Lady in the jewelry shop who didn't recognize Bill Gates, the computer King of the world, and said to him "You KNOW a little about computers do you?"
Do you have the same view of Jesus when it comes to this life and eternal life? "Oh yeah, Jesus might be helpful, he might be able to give me a bit of a hand - it might help, it might not."
When in reality Jesus is the KING of creation, he RULES the universe, he gave you your very existence and he sustains you, gives you every breath. And he is the only one who can bring you into relationship with God and keep you there. Remember, he's just a nice add - a "take it or leave it" optional extra, like power steering or electric mirrors. He is God himself in the flesh.
If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then the Bible says that you are enemies with God. Not because that's how I want it to be, but because that's what God's word says. And I want to urge you not to stay like that. Jesus is the ONLY one who can make you friends with God - don't turn your back on him. If that's you and you want to find out more, we run a Simply Christianity course here so that you can find out more about Jesus, and what it is to be a Christian. If you're unsure, then please find out more.
For those here who HAVE received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, I think there is a lot we can be reminded from this passage this morning. Because sometimes our view of Jesus can be FAR from the great one Paul presents here. We can sometimes put Jesus in a BOX and treat him as someone much LESS than who Paul describes.
Do you see Jesus as just a buddy, like a good friend?
Someone who's there on Sundays;
There when we need him,
Someone who helps you out when times are tough,
…But when things are going ok… well, you don't want him around telling you what to do; how to live; getting in the way of doing what YOU want to do.
Do you act like you're the BOSS of your OWN life. Do you think of him as just your SAVIOUR, and not so much as your LORD. Are you happy for him to save you but NOT happy to SUBMIT to him as the King of all creation? Well you can't have one without the other.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he is the King over all things, and we must bow before him as Lord, as King. We must submit to him, and listen to his word. Because when the Son of God speaks - God speaks - and you can't ignore him.
Maybe you feel that you need MORE than Jesus to make you complete as a Christian? Do you think that there are experiences you need to strive for and search for in order to have a completeness as a Christian? Paul has shown us this morning that you DON'T need anything else. Jesus is the one who created us for him, he is the one who can save us, he is the one who makes us holy and blameless before God.
Jesus alone is worthy of our trust.
In January 97, British yachtsman Tony Bullimore was sailing solo around the world. But things went horribly wrong when got caught in a huge storm in the Southern Ocean. With a gale raging, and waves the height of a five story building, his boat capsized about 1300 nautical miles south of Australia - he was in the middle of NOWHERE at the bottom of the world - he was as good as dead.
How do you think he felt, 4 days later, when he heard the sound of those big Navy Seahawk helicopters hovering above? He felt pretty good. And when he saw the HMAS Adelaide - this HUGE battleship, pull up beside his little capsized boat.
Here was something BIG enough for his dilemma - something that had the credentials to save him - the Australian Navy.
He didn't need saving by anybody else - he was SAFE.
YOU can trust in Jesus - You can put your CONFIDENCE in him. He's big enough for all your needs; he's sufficient. And if you already have, then keep persevering to the end, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel of Jesus, the Lord of all.