Sermon Questions

1. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were ________, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were ________     _________ him and ______ him.
2. Another way of saying that Christ is the beginning and end is what? (clue: see quote by Kent Hughes).
3. What two things were the false teachers in Colossi teaching that salvation came by faith in Christ, but it was not enough, you needed these things?
4. What verse did Pastor Tweedie quote from another book of the Bible that pointed out the supremacy of Jesus over all?
5. What three areas of our lives did Pastor Tweedie point out that has Lordship over?
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9. What three verses did Pastor Tweedie quote that demonstrated that Jesus is Lord over the three area of our life in question #5?
10. TRUE or FALSE: Christ, all things hold together, except the planets and their orbits and the stars which are controlled by the solar system. 
11. How did Pastor Tweedie recommend tat we start each morning in light of Col 1:15-20?

Discussion Questions

1. One commentator noted about Jesus, “In him [Christ] the nature and being of God have been perfectly revealed.” Read Ephesians 2:10, Col 4:6, and 2 Cor 10:5 and discuss the following:
2. Discuss the comprehensiveness of these verses for your life: Is there anything that Jesus is not supreme over in your life? Should there be?
3. How do you maintain the supremacy of Christ over these aspects of your life? Every day and every hour?
4. Building on question #1, are there things that you can subtract from your life that will help to maintain the supremacy of Christ in your life? Discuss in your group.
5. Are there practices that you can add to your life that will help to maintain the supremacy of Christ in your life?
6. Colossians was written in part to combat the false teaching that was being taught in Colossae.
7. What false teaching do we encounter in our world that would compete with the supremacy of Christ?
8. How do we keep clear on the teaching and supremacy of Christ vs what the world says is truth?
9. Pastor Tweedie concluded his message with encouragement to trust in the supremacy of Christ with  all the challenges we may be facing in our lives.
10. What challenges are you facing today? What challenges have you been fighting outside the supremacy of Christ?
11. What life challenges can you share with Christ in prayer? Can you share these challenges with your group to pray for you to trust them to Christ?

Sermon Outline

Last week, Pastor Winans kicked off a new series titled Christ the King from 1 Col. The key thought that was emphasized from the text was Jesus is King, and we are not. Pastor Tweedie is focusing on verses 15 through 17, and there is one key thought found which is all. Paul shows us that Jesus is Lord and king over all creation. 

When Paul wrote this letter, false teaching was coming into the Colossians. It was the middle 1st century and although false teaching is not stated in the letter, we get a glimpse of it in chapter 2. 

Colossians 2:4 – ⁴I tell you this so that no one may deceive you with persuasive arguments. 

Whoever was promoting false teaching, they were persuasive. People were attracted to them. Paul then says in verse 8... 

Colossians 2:8 – ⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 

Paul seeks to counter the false teaching by telling them about the identity and the mission of Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Winans said he uses the words of an ancient Christian hymn in our text, which can be summarized in just three words; Jesus is King. He explained last week that in verse 15, when Paul called Christ the first-born over-all creation, that word first born did not mean that Jesus was the first created by God. There is another meaning to first born, and that is something that signifies the highest ranking or the highest priority. The best word for first born used here is the word supreme. The psalmist uses it in Psalm 89 when he speaks of the first born of kings, meaning king of kings or king over all the other kings, the supreme king. When Paul says that Jesus is the first-born over all creation, he means that Jesus is completely supreme over everything, King over all creation, Lord over all creation, and he flushes that out in three ways. 

Jesus is the Creator of the Entire Universe 

He is supreme over all because Jesus is the creator of the entire universe. The creator of our world. 

Colossians 1:16 – ¹⁶For 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. 

God's purpose in creation began with Christ, and Paul says that Christ created everything. When I think of Jesus Christ, creator is not the first word that comes to mind. I usually think of God the father when I think of the creator, but that is not what our text is saying here. It is saying that Christ created everything, and scripture supports that. 

John 1:3 – ³”Through him [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” 

In the book of Hebrews, the writer refers to Jesus as the one through whom he made the universe. 

Hebrews 1:2 – ²“through whom he made the universe. 

Not only do we often forget that Jesus created the world, but we also forget just how dazzling and stunning and astounding the extent of Christs creation truly is. We do not begin to appreciate the power and the creativity that stands behind his creation.  

·        Scientists estimate that there are approximately 200 billion galaxies in the universe. Our galaxy is the Milky Way but that is just one out of 200 billion. Each of those galaxies has an average of two to four billion stars. Take 200 billion and multiply it by two to four billion and that will give you the total number of stars in the universe. The scope of what the Lord has created is astounding. 

·        Consider something a bit smaller like the Ruby throated Hummingbird. It weighs slightly more than a penny, less than a nickel. Its heart is the size of a pencil eraser, and it beats 21 times a second and its wings beat 60 times a second. Twice a year, this tiny gutsy little bird makes a 2,000-mile journey south and then it returns back home. How does it know even where to go? Jesus is Lord over this one tough little bird. 

·        Considering the microscopic level there are 20 to 40 trillion cells in your body. Scientists tell us that each one of them is like a complex city, like the city of New York on a cellular level. Every second of every day your cells operate on millions of parts with millions of interactions. These cells on average are replaced every seven to 10 years, but that depends on their function. Your white blood cells only last two days, the cells in the lens of your eyes actually outlive your body. Heart muscle cells last 40 years and liver and pancreas cells last one year. 

Scientist Louis Thomas, a self-proclaimed atheist, wrote eloquently about the complexity of a single human cell. 

“If I could explain what goes on in a human cell, I would for the rest of my life hire a plane and fly it back and forth across the earth - just proclaim the incredible wonder of how and why a cell works.” 

·        It is a marvel, even to unbelievers that Christ created all things. It is no wonder he is Lord over all creation, and we have not even talked about the invisible things he created, like electricity or gravity, or the atmosphere or physics. Sometimes it is the mysteries of the solar system or the intricacies of the human cell, or that tiny little Hummingbird that lead us to the glory of Christ, the Lord of Creation. So, respect him and what we learn about him in this text. 

R. Kent Hughes wrote that God's purpose in creation began with Christ. 

“Everything began with Christ and will end with Christ. All things sprang forth at His command, and all things will return to Him at his command. He is the beginning, and He is the end - the alpha and the Omega. 

And as the apostle Paul wrote, one day everything will give Him glory.” – R. Kent Hughes, Colossians 

Jesus is the Ultimate Ruler Over All Creation 

He is the ultimate ruler over everything that he made. The false teachers in Colossi were teaching that salvation came by faith in Christ, but it was not enough. If you wanted to mature in your faith, then you needed to look to the angels or to the spiritual superpowers to guide you in that entire process. So that is why Paul goes on to say in verse 16... 

Colossians 1:16 – ¹⁶"all things were created by him and for him. 

God has given Jesus a position of ultimate authority in the universe. He reigns over angel’s authorities, powers both human and supernatural. Paul refers to Jesus in 1Peter 3. 

1Peter 3:22 – ²²[Jesus], the one who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand - with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him. 

Paul is saying if Jesus rules over the angels and the supernatural powers, why would you consult an angel on how to mature in your faith, why don't you go directly to the top. When he says that all things were created for Jesus, he means that Jesus reigns over all creation. 

·        The writer of the book of Hebrews said... 

Hebrews 2:8 – ⁸Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. 

That is why Paul says... 

Philippians 2:9-11 – ⁹Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Has every knee bowed? Has every tongue confessed that Jesus is Lord, not yet. But the day is coming when Christ will return and that will become a total reality. 

·        Let us not miss the bigger point here, that as Lord over all creation, Jesus is to be Lord over you as well. The Christian faith has at its core the Lordship of Jesus over every area of our lives, not just certain compartments. That is why Paul says whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God, and that means all my actions and all of my words and all of my thoughts. 

o   All My Actions are to be submitted to the Lordship of Christ. 

Ephesians 2:10 – ¹⁰”For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 

God has prepared in advance for you to do good works. That means my life is not my own, and my actions are not my own. I should be asking the Lord each day what I should do today for your glory. 

o   All My Words should always be full of grace. 

Colossians 4:6 – ⁶“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt...” 

The Bible says we are to speak the truth in love, there is to be a balance there. Some of us tend to lean towards being truth speakers, some of us tend to be leaning towards being lovey types. What Paul's saying here is that if you are a truth speaker, your conversation is supposed to be like a pot of soup. The pot is filled with grace and then you season it with a little bit of salt. 

o   All My Thoughts are to be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ 

2Corinthians 10:5 – ⁵“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have a command to live out every day and night by taking prisoners which are your thoughts, sinful thoughts. Thoughts of judgment towards others, or sinful pride or resentment. Thoughts of jealousy or envy or focusing on material things or living for the approval of others. We are required to open up our thought lives, and allow the Lord to evaluate, to prune, to transform us, so that he may be first in all things. We are to renew our minds through the example of Christ and through his word. That is why the Bible says whatever is true, whatever is noble and right, whatever is pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, let your mind dwell on these things. That means meditate on those things, so that in everything Christ might have supremacy in the little areas of your life, the big areas, the mundane things, the secret things, the daily things, whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. 

Jesus is the Sustainer of the Entire Universe 

Colossians 1:17 – ¹⁷“In him all things hold together.” 

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) – ³”...sustaining all things by his powerful word.” 

·        Consider the air traffic controllers. They are responsible for approximately 20,000 planes in the air at any given moment. That does not hold a candle to the fact that in Christ, all things hold together, not just the airplanes in the air, but the entire universe, from the planets and their orbits and the stars, from our bodies, everything that is taking place in our universe is held together by him. 

“What a stunning revelation this is! It is meant to stretch our puny minds and dominate our thinking and change us. When we truly understand what is being said here, it is amazing that we should ever look anywhere else for meaning and purpose in life...” - R. Kent Hughes 

The fact is that in Christ, everything holds together. The point Paul is making is that Jesus, as the sustainer of the entire universe, wants our trust. We are to trust the Lord and your trust is related to how big God is to you, as we encounter hurdles in life and struggles and hardships, and sometimes even tragedies. He knows how to put right what has gone wrong. He knows how to repair what is broken. After all, he formed us, he fashioned us in the first place. Jesus the great physician, he knows the remedy because he is able to diagnose the exact problem. If Jesus can hold the entire universe together and keep it from flying apart, he can take care of our problems. Anxiety today is at epidemic levels in our country, where kids as young as five years of age are being put on anti-anxiety medications. The level of anxiety that you have is related to your level of trust in the Lord to hold you together. Jesus should not be the last one you turn to; he should be our first resort. Oh, how we need to learn this. 

Jesus can hold you together. No matter what you are going through, what you are facing, what you think is going to split your world apart, he is the one who can sustain you and hold you together. He should be the first one that you turn to when you are in uncharted waters, when you are fearful. When we look to him and depend upon him, he shows up. But we cannot trust Jesus with our problems without also making him Lord of our lives. If Christ created all things, reigns over all things, and sustains all things, then every aspect of our lives should come under his rule. We should be living completely for him and his glory. That is a process. That is what we call sanctification, and none of us arrive on this side of the Lord’s return. But we pursue it because that is how we find life and health, and that is how we glorify God. That is how we have experiences that are scary, turn into great faith builders because then our history with the Lord grows and our trust grows. Spend time increasing your understanding about how big our God is. Come to appreciate every day in a new way how great he is. Start your day differently this week. Before you get started try this; simply say good morning, Lord Jesus, thank you for holding the world together, for holding me and my life together. Help me to keep this in mind as I go through today and help me to glorify you in my actions, in my words and in my thoughts, so that in everything, Christ might have supremacy (Colossians 1:18). 

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