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Don't be deceived, There is a king and you're not it.
Hey, good morning, this is truth and love and I'm thankful to be with you this morning. I'm I'm about 15 minutes late from when I wanted to start and so I Apologize to you anybody that that happened to be Looking for me this early in the morning.
I try to be consistent with with when I get on here so that you know, you know when I'm on here. And and when we can spend time together. That's why I apologize that I'm late this morning. Quite a few things on my mind this morning.
Things that I that I want to share, but I don't know exactly how to share. And so maybe I'll save it for later. I Guess let me start off with this. And I need the Holy Spirit to to give me a clear a clear mind and to Bring back to mind the things that that have been on my mind that I want to talk about.
Because it's it's not it's not me. It's not us who do this who Grow the kingdom who who teach God's Word who who sharpen each other? It's the Holy Spirit who does it within us so so I'm fully dependent on him.
But I watched I watched a sermon. Or actually listen to a sermon yesterday, I posted it and I listened to it and Yes, it the main overall theme is is going in one direction. But it's so Christ exalting it.
Points to Jesus it lifts him up and then there's another aspect about of this sermon that that is so wonderful and so important and People don't listen to things. And it breaks my heart. My heart is broken this morning over over attitudes and behaviors of People that we come in contact with and but I realize that that some people don't Don't look into things don't listen to things because of.
There's because of the subject matter. They believe it's false they don't want to listen. They don't want to hear what you have to say. And it's and it's very sad because within this sermon There's an aspect of the sermon That speaks to speaks to life and and how we live and how we How we consider our life what we think about our life and And what motivates us, you know in our living?
That that's so important and and I thank God every time I hear something In a different way in a more understandable way in a different light that that opens my heart that encourages my heart and It would be nice to share if people would listen.
I posted the sermon and if you have time I would love for you to listen to it and I think it will encourage your heart. Um the the aspect that I'm that I'm talking about that's Kind of a sub theme a subtopic of that that video it's not the main theme.
But it's related to the main theme. It's speaking to us. It's speaking to you and speaking to me about Our life and and how we live because because we can be discouraged In our lives. You know, I'm not a lot of times we feel like we're we're nobody's we're we we're not accomplishing accomplishing anything where we're.
We're just No good for the kingdom, but we're no good for our family or we're making no lasting impact we and And He he makes this point as teachers and pastors, I know that very often We try to encourage each other encourage our listeners to know that what they do is important but but the pastor that That preached this sermon that I that I just posted Put it in such a way That You can't help but be encouraged by I've never I've never heard it put this way I've never heard someone in encourage the their listener in this way that you can't help but walk away and and be encouraged in in what you do, whatever it is and And be encouraged that it's.
It's worthwhile it's and and that encourages our heart because our our hearts are so heavy sometimes or or Discouraged sometimes because we feel like we're not like I said, we're not accomplishing anything.
We're we're nobody's we're we. We don't even have to be have a heart Of someone who wants to be known or well known or on stage or on camera, you know. We don't even have to have that type of heart. We can just have a heart of of You know being discouraged because we're food.
We feel like we're not leaving. We're not accomplishing anything. Well this pastor and how he related this Information. Anyone can would walk away feeling encouraged. No matter what effort you're putting forth for the kingdom of God and That's that's one of the main reasons I would encourage you to listen to this sermon.
It's a sermon by dr. James White At Apologia Church, I Would encourage you to listen to that sermon and and yes, it deals with in times it deals with eschatology. And it and it exalts Christ. It's Christ.
It lifts Christ of God glorifying, but it also has to do with that aspect of our lives and and living and That that section that point of the sermon is super super encouraging. Hey Roger, hope you're doing well, I just now saw your comment.
I had to flip it over there so that I could see the comments. Thank you guys for watching. This is truth and love. And I get that from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 where Paul tells us He wants us to speak the truth in love so that we can grow up in all aspects Into him who is the head even Christ?
So that's what we want to do is speak truth in love. Another thing that's been on my heart this morning is. And this is where I'm not going to say too much. Because I don't know exactly how to say it or how to word it.
But I am Broken-hearted over the attitude of Individuals I come in contact with. You can tell. Here's what I know I know that we all are Busy individuals we we work. We have our families we have Our relationship with God that we work on our ministries that we work on everyone is busy and so I understand that and there are some people that I come in contact with that that I would like to get to know better and and have a deeper relationship with.
And I understand that that they are busy and I understand that because we we all are. But it's the the attitude. You know one of the qualifications of Being a pastor that Paul gives Timothy is is being above reproach and that's not a person who is perfect.
It's dealing with character. And it's not dealing with someone who who knows it all there there's there's some out there that that feel like they have all their ducks in a row and I think I Think the type of pastor that you want and an identification that a pastor Has his ducks in a row is a pastor that admits that he doesn't have all of his ducks in a row that he may have his ducks, but you know, they they may be Staggered a little.
It's a hard analogy to to make a comparison with. Because you know, we don't want a pastor. That's you know, every anywhere and everywhere and doesn't know what he believes and We want a pastor who knows what he believes knows his convictions but a pastor that Is humble enough to admit that he he is not Perfect in in his, you know interpretations and is willing to Humbly listen and Join together with with other with other ministers with other pastors and and so what breaks my heart is The attitude that I run across where It's hard to explain and that's why I avoided it but I'm just sharing my heart and what breaks my heart and I know that's not Not necessarily what you know teachers and pastors should do because our hearts our hearts and your heart everyone's heart as a human as a Fallen creature is Deceitfully wicked Jeremiah chapter 17.
Our hearts are deceitful and wicked above all things who could know it but but for prayer and Just for sharing. This is what I wanted to share that You know, it breaks my heart that that we have Individuals, you know as leaders who reveal their character to be one that One of disassociation Rather than one of love if I can put it like that and And It's very sad that that these Types of characters are leading our churches because they're they're going to be leading Leading their congregation leading their flock to be people who are disassociators and not Sheep who love and love one another.
If everyone is busy and You know there we don't have time to build and grow a relationship with everyone that we come in contact with. I Understand that and I completely completely Am okay with that, but it's the it's the attitude that one shares When Having to Relay that information is What's revealing and so we need pastors that are not disassociators.
But pastors that lead and and communicate with other people with love and Understanding and a humility of mind and heart that says The Lord is still teaching me and so I hope to continue and I and I do find many and I do find brothers in ministry that that I come in contact with that have that type of heart that still Want to be taught by the Lord and want to Love their their brothers in Christ Their fellow ministers, and I'm so thankful for them and and We want to pray that our churches are led by ministers Who still seek to be taught by the Lord and seek to love their brothers in ministry?
Of course as Paul did and as he you know as we look at Colossians as we looked at Philippians and The love in which he spoke For his brothers in the ministry and We need to have that attitude as ministers that type of love so I apologize if I Went on too long with sharing What was on my heart this morning and how it was kind of breaking how Kind of what I've been praying for and what I've been Thinking about so Wanted to continue in Colossians.
We're in Colossians chapter 15 through 18 and I still still feel inadequate of course. And I should feel this way and I feel like we you know We all should feel this way when we approach God's Word. You know, we will never never be adequate to interpret or or understand completely Every aspect every detail and and definitely to be able to to teach it to other people.
What a what a humbling What a Amazing task. My phone was just going crazy. I didn't know if there was an emergency or something with someone but um What an amazing task and A scary and humbling situation to to think that we can teach or Explain what the interpretation of certain texts or certain passages.
Wow and so I Asked myself. Why do why do I endeavor to do it, but I want to share God's Word. I Want to share His love and His mercy so With that being said This is a daunting task. Then I'm you know, completely unequipped and I think you know We all feel that way as we approach God's Word but it's His Holy Spirit who wrote it and it's His Holy Spirit who who will teach us as we go along so as we look at this section I Do not believe I didn't feel the need that we should we should go deep deep into An interpretation on this section, but but keep it kind of simple so that We we get a picture of what's going on and and I think if we You know, we can we can study God's Word in steps like that where we We we're studying the context we want to get the immediate context we want to get the book context the Bible context.
We want to. And the Lord's going to speak to us. The Holy Spirit is going to teach us each time we come back to to a passage. Maybe something different that we didn't see before and You know the first time the second time the third time.
That we look at a passage it we may walk away with a a Simple understanding a big picture understanding and then we can come back later and and dig into it and and have a greater deeper understanding of that passage and so be encouraged that as long as we're in God's Word, the Holy Spirit will be teaching us and and we don't have to have the The the deepest most theological knowledge the Holy Spirit will teach us what he wants us to learn and so.
With that being said let's look at Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 through 18, and we're just gonna walk through this passage Together and see what the Holy Spirit teaches us. Starting in verse 15 it says and he is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created both in the heavens and on earth. Visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created by him and for him and he is before all things and in him all things hold together.
He is also head of the body the church. And he is the beginning of the first the beginning the firstborn from the dead so that he may he himself might come to have first place in everything. So I like for us to remember what is going on in Colossians if you'll recall that The Colossians church is not one that Paul himself started.
Mm-hmm. In fact, we don't think that he ever visited the church at Colossians. His disciple Epaphras was a founder or one of the founders of this church and he is also the Messenger that comes to Paul to inform Paul about this church and about what's going on at this church.
And so he is seeking for Paul to speak to this church and Paul at being in prison Writes this letter To this church at Colossae. Based on the information and About what he's being told of about this church.
And and this this book is also written to not just the church at the Colossians Church, but the Laodicean Church. And Paul is giving thanks. He hears about what God is doing in their hearts and their lives their faith and and Paul in his.
In his opening he is he is Expressing to them his thankfulness for them and thankfulness to God for what he is doing in Their church in their hearts and in their lives. He he offers this prayer in the introduction.
Where he's praying that they will have they will be filled with the knowledge of his God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding and You know when I read that I was thinking how that type of prayer Potentially could be Offensive to someone especially someone who's not in Christ if you're if you are praying for someone to To have something they already think that they have.
That's definitely going to be an offensive prayer for that person but but as a Christian and and praying for Christian as as we are Often known to do to still fall to still sin to still be living in this flesh and and when things Things aren't as we want them to be we are tempted we are tempted to fall we are tempted to sin and And I could just imagine how this type of prayer Gets right at the heart of our heart where he Paul is praying for them to Have be filled with knowledge the knowledge of God's will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding and so this gets at the heart of who we are that You're saying that I need More understanding.
I need wisdom. You're saying I don't know what I'm talking about and You know that and that's kind of the attitude that I was speaking of earlier that That we have that That we can have as ministers someone comes across someone comes across your path and and is suggests that There is a different interpretation a different understanding and What is what is your reaction you and you may have the correct interpretation?
This is the character that I was speaking of you may have the correct interpretation but someone comes along with a different interpretation a Different understanding someone comes along with with a question or different teaching.
But it's You know and Consider this in this scenario. This is a person who Says they love the Lord. They love Jesus and they and they want to serve Jesus. You know What is your response? I? Mean, this is good heart reflection.
This is this is a great time to say. Let me look at myself when I'm approached as a minister. When I'm approached as an individual Who has strong beliefs and we don't say that much anymore. And I just you know, I'm finding these rabbit trails, but I remember growing up and Thinking of my grandparents and my great-grandparents and my great aunt and aunts and uncles.
The the older generation from when I was younger I remember so many of those Individuals had strong beliefs and Strong Convictions about their beliefs about the Bible and Christianity and and it was known that they had those beliefs and understandings.
Today is so much different than then back then. We we hold our Christianity so loosely. I I don't know. I I don't know if it's the fact that the Bible is not studied like it used to be. It seems as if individuals Don't hold Convictions or have convictions like our Grandparents and our great-grandparents our great-great-grandparents our great aunts and uncles that we remember from days gone by it seems as if Individuals today Don't have the convictions and stand on their convictions and speak of their convictions as they did in the past it's a different day and time and It's seems kind of shameful.
We we spend too much time on other things. I guess that we're not studying and and standing on convictions Having even having convictions but in This particular scenario that we were talking about. It's just a good time a great time for reflection in Our own hearts in ourselves when someone approaches me with a different Interpretation a different understanding.
What is my reaction to them? What is my treatment of them? And this is the character that I was speaking of. This is the response that I was speaking of when I come to an individual when I when I go to speak to a another minister and How they Respond that's that's the character that Paul speaking of to Timothy.
Not what kind of degree they have. But what kind of character they have and character is gonna be one of the words that we that we look at here in just a second but but moving on he's praying for them to have have wisdom and understanding because There's an issue that has been brought to Paul's attention that This church just probably just like many other churches that were founded at this time they were they were to use a modern a modern word they were multicultural churches you you had people who were coming to Christ but in This scenario they were coming to Christ from from two different Two different places they were from the same geological location, but Spiritually you had the the Greeks or the Gentiles who were coming from these pagan religions that were coming to Christ and then you have the Jewish people who were there that lived there that were coming to Christ from and out of this this Jewish religion.
That that they had formed That Their forefathers had formed and as I was studying and reading It was it was written of even by first and second century historians. They called the Jewish religion a philosophy the the philosophy of the Jews.
That's how but they would speak of their religion. So it become a philosophy it become You know a man-made religion what they took out of what God was giving them and and created something You know themselves and so therefore it becomes a philosophy of the Jews and they were okay with describing that Describing it that way themselves as we'll see as we go through Colossians but um but you had the two different groups and Paul was getting the information that They were trying to to bring in to this to this Christianity they were trying to bring in to Christ as As Christ brought them into him.
They wanted to bring in with them things from from their past religion and That's the things that Paul wanted to address with this church the the Colossian Church and the Laodicean Church that This these these things that you're trying to bring in are our heresies they oppose Christ they oppose Christianity they they oppose the church and so we Paul wants to correct their their thinking their understanding.
He wants to correct their religion because Well, let me just say this so that I don't forget it. It's I'm kind of skipping ahead, but I don't want to forget to say this with with these two areas that they were coming from the the Gentile the Greek Pagan religion and the the Jewish religion that they were coming from and coming out of into Christ.
These were religions and I and I know this is used quite often and It's very cliche even though it's true. It's you so often has become cliche that they're coming they're coming out of their religions and they're coming into Christ who is.
And they're coming into a relationship and the reason they're coming into a relationship is because Christ is a person Christ is real Christ this is not just a religion. This is not just the religion of Christianity where you have the the religion of this and the religion of that.
This is not just a religion. This is this is a person and One who is living one who is real and so it therefore that's why it's a relationship and So it seems that Paul's approach in addressing this serious situation as they as they Leave their old religions, but they're not really leaving them completely because they're trying to bring in some of their old ways out of these former religions as and bring them into this relationship and it's not going to work and This is Paul's approach and when we have to think about the context to understand To understand what Paul is saying.
We need to understand the context and we need to understand what he's addressing so that we can You know interpret For ourselves and make application and understand what's going on in the text. So so that's what's going on.
That's the background that Paul is needing to address the situation with The the two former religions trying to bring in to this relationship that they have now with Christ. So what is his approach? How does he start?
Well He's giving thanks at the end of his prayer he's giving thanks. That they have this inheritance. They get to share in this inheritance with with the other Saints in light. Because he says verse 13 for or because he God has delivered us From the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
So you were you were here in these other religions, which was Paul is calling domains of darkness. Which there's other things going on within the domain of darkness. Your your religion your old religion just happens to be one of those things that's going on within the domain of darkness and you've been transferred you've been taken out of the domain of darkness into The kingdom of his beloved Son.
So you've not come yourself outside. And left this location of darkness and left your old religion and came come into Christ. It is God who has taken you out and transferred and put you into this new kingdom.
So you're in a different location? Completely different and so Those Things that were there Basically should stay there. That's what we need to understand those things that that you Colossians members of the Colossian Church.
Those things that you were trying to bring into and add to Christ Need to stay there because you've been transferred you've been taken out and put into a different place different religion a different kingdom and so those things need to stay there and This is where I was getting at when I was talking about what?
These religions that they were coming out of that's that's what they were. They were religions and What what Paul is going to drive that next which is our our takes for today. Well, he's going to drive that next is that it's not this kingdom this religion that you've been brought into.
You've been taken out of one and you've been brought into you've been transferred into another. Yes, it is a a different kingdom. You are in a kingdom, but you are in a kingdom of his beloved son. It is about a person.
So therefore it it's no longer about a religion. It's about a relationship because it's about a person the person of Jesus Christ and so by explaining who this person is that we now have a Relationship with who is the head of this kingdom.
Paul begins to explain who this person is. That we now serve because we are in his kingdom and by explaining who this King is by explaining who this Jesus is he attacks. He attacks their old ways their old religions the things that they wanted to bring into This new relationship with Christ.
So by describing who he is He is putting away Their old ways of religion the things that they wanted to bring into if that makes sense. It's it's like those who are trying to identify a counterfeit they say the best way to identify or train yourself to identify a counterfeit is to study the original and That seems to be something similar to what Paul is doing here.
He is describing and he is lifting high the original the the only. So that you can identify what does not belong. Oh I'm bringing this in From from my old religion. I'm bringing this into this new kingdom to this new relationship.
But it's not working it doesn't fit because it doesn't fit with the character of this person that Paul is describing. So I need to let it go. And I think that's what's happening here as Paul is teaching the the church at Colossians.
So starting in verse 15 and What I think is going on, which is which is very helpful and we will it will provide us an opportunity to to dig in a little bit deeper into What their beliefs were if you look at chapter 2 verses 6 through 23 Paul seems to address some of those things that that they wanted to bring into from their former religions into this relationship and as We look at how Paul describes our King as How he describes Jesus The authentic he is going to be addressing, you know, many of these things that he reiterates in verses 6 through 23 of chapter 2.
So as as you hear Paul describe who Jesus is. Keep in mind that he is addressing Heresies he's he is addressing beliefs that the Colossian church had that he wants them to get rid of so When when they hear this description of Jesus and they think about this contradicts This other belief that I have What they should be realizing is that I need to get rid of this this former belief this old belief but verse 15 and he is the image of the invisible God and what we understand about that is being in being the image here is the exact representation and The the analogy that's given is like the a king signet ring where he he's sealing he's sealing a letter with wax and he and puts the Impression of his ring in that wax so that so we take the word impression and it can apply it here to to image and we get The word character here is What's what's drawn out character so What Christ is revealing to us what?
Impression that he is Leaving with us is the character of who God is. The character who God is. And I and I was as I was reading and studying this verse when it says and he is the image of the invisible God.
It made me think of creation the creation account where God tells us that at that time It was said let us make men in our image. Kind of the same language there. But the difference the difference is is that man was made in The image of God and what does Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 say that he Jesus is the image of God and We were made in the image Jesus is the image of God and we were made in the image of God.
I Hope that's an accurate translation, but that seems to be an Amazing thought and that we were made in the image and the image is a title here Which is given to Jesus Christ The firstborn of all creation.
And it doesn't speak of order because Christ was not spiritually. You know, he was not created or born so he does not have an order but in their culture and in their understanding firstborn was the Preeminence or Priority so as the firstborn You would have had the greatest inheritance and you would have been you would have taken over as head of house.
So head of household so that that's what this is speaking of. That's what Paul is trying to explain here that that Christ has preeminence. He has a priority over all things being the firstborn here is is a position and that's the position that Christ has and One thing that I wanted to mention about this section this section is often called The teaching on the supremacy of Christ and That's very accurate.
It's a teaching on and a revealing of and explaining of the supremacy of Christ. He is supreme over all things. In verses 15 through 17, he is he is supreme he is over creation in the universe verses 18 he is.
He is over the church. He is supreme over the church. And so yes, that's accurate but but as I've looked at it, it's not the only description of Jesus that we can get out of this passage to be to be supreme.
To have supremacy over something that there has to be something there to be supreme over to have supremacy over. And so you have creation he's over that you have the church he's over that. But in the context of what Paul is trying to teach the church at Colossians Another Another thing another way that we can describe Jesus in this section is that he is not only supreme or the supremacy of Christ, but the word soul sole soul only so he's trying to correct their theology and keep them from bringing in their old ways their old thinking their old rituals from their old theology from these other religions and What Paul is trying to teach them through the through and by describing who Jesus is is that he is the soul so it's.
To be supreme over other religions means there has to be other religions out there other other theologies but in reality On earth amongst the men. They exist. But they are not real. If you see what I'm saying, there's only one God and there's only one way to salvation and.
So therefore Jesus is the soul the only Real truth out there. And so while they may exist materially they don't exist in reality because they are not real. They they cannot Give you what you need because they're empty.
They don't exist. It's just air. But Jesus is real so he is the only he is the soul and then the the third way that we can describe Jesus is sufficient. He that which you need Jesus can provide completely.
And so he is he is supreme. Christ has supremacy over all things. Jesus is soul or only he's the only one because he's the only real one the only one that exists and Christ is sufficient. He's the only one that can satisfy completely and fully.
I'm Going on to verse 16 for for by him all things were created. And of course that reminds us of John the first chapter of John that all all things were created that were created by him and I've always been intrigued by how John Worded that that all things that all things created that were created were created by him.
So I have to draw a circle and put everything that was created inside that circle. And so Anything that was created is inside this circle and it was created by Jesus. So Jesus has to be outside the circle.
Jesus has to be something other than something that was created and That's what John is speaking of in chapter 1 and that's what Paul is speaking of here for by him all things were created. So everything that was created was created by Jesus.
He's outside of the circle. He's other than what we are. He is God and we are the created beings. We are the creation Completely outside the circle and this and and Paul goes on he gives this further description because he's addressing of course the the old religion of the the Colossians at the church at Colossae Coming from the two different groups Both in the heavens and the earth, so he's given location.
He's created all things heavens and the earth. Both visible and invisible. So we've got location and we've got essence. Whether thrones or dominions rulers and authorities all things have been created by him and for him.
And Paul repeats this John says the same thing it's by him and for him he's outside of the circle and it's for him by him and for him as God he's created these things and as Paul is describing these thrones dominions rulers authorities He is of course specifically addressing Their their deal with angels they they felt like.
They needed angels as a mediator To help their relationship with God. They went through angels. They worshiped angels. So what Paul is describing and reiterating and repeating is that and it's it's like he doesn't he doesn't want to miss a thing in his description that he's speaking of authorities thrones dominions rulers authorities of any kind of any place in heaven on earth whether it be man a king on a throne a Government or an angel or a fallen angel a demon.
It doesn't matter Where they're located or who they are what their essence is. Paul is telling the Colossians That they are insufficient and they are in submission to the one who has Created created them because they were created by him and the reason they're in submission in submission to him is Because they were created for him.
Does that make sense? They were created for him The verse 17 and he is before all things that speaks of His The Quality of His existence. He was before all things. He is he is outside of time and In him all things hold together.
Without him and and I know as we look out in the world we see how there's a lot of bad things in the world, which is Always been the case. Sometimes it's been worse. Sometimes it's been better. But there's always been because since this since the curse since the fall there have been bad things in the world but as a creation as a universe.
Because Jesus holds all things together we've got. We've got cohesion and not chaos if Jesus didn't hold and if Jesus wasn't holding all things together There would be complete chaos in the universe. He holds the atoms together.
He is sovereign over all of the universe. There would be no way that we as a people could send a rover to Mars To study Mars if Jesus well Jesus wasn't holding all things together. Because there are rules of science.
There are rules of logic. There are There were things that we have to follow. Ways that things work because Jesus is holding all things together. If we weren't we would not be able to do a science experiment and come up with vaccines if Jesus wasn't holding all things together.
And he is doing that as God and then verse 18. He he is also the head of the body the church. And so therefore we transition from creation universe To he is the head of the body the church his church.
We need to make a point here that As we try to have a consistent theology Throughout all of the Bible. Our understanding of this needs to match our understanding of this. We need to move away from as Paul is calling these these new members of the body.
He's calling them away from their old ways and to leave their old ways in that domain of darkness and Not bring them into this kingdom of his beloved Son. One of the things that we need to leave behind is this dualistic thinking.
Where Jesus has authority Jesus has rule. Yes. Yes Jesus Is spiritually reigning over the church he is the head of the church, but you know, he doesn't. He doesn't yet have full authority over over the earth over the universe over creation.
We have this. We have this dualistic type theology where Christ reigns and Christ rules in one area. He's the head of the church, but he's not head of anything else and that is what Paul is dismissing here and Paul continues to dismiss it in in this book and other books.
1st Corinthians chapter 15. Paul dismisses that idea over and over that we should have a dualistic theology of who Jesus is and Where he reigns in this section the supremacy of Christ is over all things.
Creation and the church physical and spiritual and I don't I don't know how much more Paul could reiterate that. Listen to what he says again in verse 16. Both in heaven and on earth. Jesus says himself in Matthew chapter 28 all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Then he says visible Invisible thrones dominions rulers authorities all things have been created by him and for him and they're under Submission to him because they've been created for him. He's before all things and he is the head of the body the church.
He is the head over all things. He is the ruler over all things. He has authority over all things. Right now as he is reigning has authority over all things. And then the last the last point that Paul makes here is that he is he is the beginning the firstborn.
From the dead. So again Using that title there firstborn Doesn't indicate order of birth but ends to indicates position. He is the prince of life. He has been resurrected and Paul speaks of that in other places, too.
That we can't deny that the resurrection has happened because it has happened in Christ. The resurrection has happened in Christ and he is the firstborn. He is the preeminent one in the resurrection. So therefore we can believe in it.
It has happened. It is real. And so there there is Paul's Description of who is king over this kingdom and he is defeating these false ideas these false theologies these false religions that were That were around Colossae that were and that the church was trying to bring in from there from their past.
And he is doing that By pointing to Jesus and I think and I think that is Good for us to remember. If we're thinking about apologetics if we're thinking about evangelism if we are thinking about Discussing our differences with with someone else Paul's argument.
I mean, this is this is chapter 1. Paul is trying to Defeat he is trying to get rid of these old Religious Ideas that they're trying to bring into the church and what's the first thing that he does? He describes who Jesus is.
Doesn't that speak to us in? Our approach in in how we Have discussions with people who disagree with us. Let's look at who Jesus is. Let's describe who Jesus is as we look at his character his image his Impression on us.
He will reveal to us who he is. And then as we as we study the authentic The counterfeit the things that don't belong will fall away. I Think Paul is giving us an example here of What our approach should be?
To examining our own theologies and how we discuss our Differences with other people and apologetics and evangelism and in whatever what we may be up to. So I hope that was encouraging. I Apologize for the the long introduction there.
Sometimes we we talk about things that Maybe could have been left out and maybe I could have left out that first first part this morning. But it was I just wanted to share with you so that we could pray for one another and if I can pray for you I'd love to be able to do that.
All you had to do was tighten me. If this was an encouragement for you, I Would ask that you would pray for me as I attempt to reach our community in This way and I thank you for your your prayers and your support.
So let's pray as we wrap up this the study this morning father. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to spend time together. Father, thank you for letting us be a part of your kingdom work. No matter what?
No matter what small part we are playing We can be encouraged that it is Glorifying to you and it's pleasing to you and it is It is making a difference in what you're doing. Thank you for you is using us despite who we are.
Thank you for your word and thank you for teaching us and thank you for Jesus and father help us to look to him. So that we can drive away false ideas. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for watching.
Really appreciate you guys Remember that Jesus is King go live in that victory and let's continue to go out there and proclaim the gospel. I hope to see you soon.