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Colossians 1:15-20 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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My original plan for this morning was to preach Matthew chapter 6 and verse 1.
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! That's not a typo on your bulletin.
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!
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It felt really just really horrible.
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I'm improving now and I'm certainly glad to be with you.
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I wasn't actually sure I was going to be here.
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That's why Mr. Jeff led this morning.
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I gave up talking about Calvin because I just wasn't sure if I was going to get to be here.
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As a small addition, I know that some of you hearing the name John Calvin in church,
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the hairs on the back of your neck might have bristled.
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A little bit.
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Sadly, in a lot of circles, John Calvin gets a bad rap.
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Some would say, because of his theology, that he would have been anti-mission.
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But in fact, the school that he led in Geneva became known as Calvin's School of Death
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because young men who came to train there were so compelled by the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
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they went home to the places that they were from.
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And most of them were martyred within a year.
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There's a great deal of missionary zeal that came out of Calvin's work and teaching amongst those men.
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So I didn't think I was going to get to be here.
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I wasn't sure.
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Very glad to be with you.
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But I didn't really believe myself nearly prepared enough to begin Matthew chapter 6.
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So today I've dusted off some old notes, made some revisions to them,
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because I want to give you a clear picture of why Christ Family Church exists.
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And I'll have you know that I had no idea that Jordan was going to lead us in that song
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before selecting this text for this morning.
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My prayer for this morning is that our time will be informative for you if you are new to our fellowship.
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It is our great desire to connect you to Christ and to his church.
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And if you are not new to our fellowship, that you will be reminded why the church gathers and why the church goes.
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Now the vision statement for Christ Family Church is as follows.
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I hope it's become familiar to you.
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Christ Family Church exists to glorify God by experiencing, proclaiming,
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and displaying the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all things to all peoples.
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Now, when we talk about vision statement, we're simply saying this is the purpose for which our church,
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and I would contend that all churches exist.
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I don't mean by this that I fell asleep one night and woke up with this statement in my mind.
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I don't think this is a unique thing to our fellowship,
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but it's a way to speak about why it is that we are called together as a people for God's praise.
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And it is based largely from Colossians chapter 1, verses 15 through 20,
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which we're going to read together now.
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Before I read the text, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us.
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It was written for His glory and our good.
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And as such, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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In Colossians chapter 1, beginning in verse 15.
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Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
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For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
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whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.
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All things were created through Him and for Him.
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And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
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And He is the head of the body, the church.
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He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
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that in everything He might be preeminent.
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For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
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and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
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whether on earth or in heaven,
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making peace by the blood of His cross.
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Now, every part of God's word gives testimony about Jesus Christ.
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In Luke chapter 24 and verse 27, we can read the account of Jesus' appearance to two of the disciples after His resurrection,
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where Luke records for us,
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and beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
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He, Jesus, interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
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In John chapter 5, verse 39, Jesus says of the Scriptures,
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It is they that bear witness about Me.
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But of all the Bible's teaching concerning Jesus,
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perhaps none is more significant than the text before us today.
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You see, beloved, the reality of who Jesus is demands our affections and our obedience.
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Because if we say that we are disciples of Jesus Christ,
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we are not saying that we are following a mere man,
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but God Himself.
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And we have a great confidence in claiming Christ as our teacher,
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because the reality of who Jesus is makes sure the promises of God.
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Paul writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 20,
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For all the promises of God find their yes in Jesus Christ.
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That is why it is through Him that we utter our amen to God for His glory.
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It is important to know that verses 15 through 18 of this morning's text
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are thought to be a cosmic, Christological hymn.
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Many scholars believe that Paul is citing a modern hymn of his day
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or a modern confession of his day.
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There are many interesting arguments to this point,
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but I will not bore you with my explanation of them.
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They consist primarily of sentence structure comparison.
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But the case is made that what he is doing is citing something that was common in their day.
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Even more important to know is the focus of this cosmic, Christological hymn.
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And that focus is the preeminence, or we could say, the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
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Last half of verse 18.
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That in everything He might be preeminent.
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Which means to be supreme or to be first in all things.
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Above all else.
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That's what it means to be preeminent.
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Paul also states this reality in Philippians chapter 2 verses 9 through 11 where he wrote,
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God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name.
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So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
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And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
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To the glory of God the Father.
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So according to Paul, Christ is first in all things.
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He is preeminent or supreme.
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But how should we consider the truths contained within this text concerning the preeminence of Christ?
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You may already be going, okay, great.
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Of what importance is that to me today?
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The Puritan John Owen wrote in his book entitled,
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The Glory of Christ the Following.
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The revelation made of Christ in the blessed gospel is far more excellent,
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more glorious,
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more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness
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that the whole creation and the just comprehension of it,
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if attainable, can contain or afford.
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Without this knowledge,
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the mind of man,
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priding itself in other inventions and discoveries,
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is wrapped up in darkness and confusion.
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This, therefore, deserves the severest of our thoughts,
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the best of our meditations,
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and our utmost diligence in them.
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For if our future blessedness shall consist in living where he is
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and beholding his glory,
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what better preparation can there be for it
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than a constant previous contemplation of that glory
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as revealed in the gospel,
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that by a view of it we may be gradually transformed
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into the same glory.
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The Christian eternity will be filled with the wonderment of Christ.
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So we should seek to know him now,
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that he might be exalted in our minds and in our lives.
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You could say that we need to rightly understand the supremacy of Jesus Christ
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so that we would experience,
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proclaim,
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and display his excellencies in all things to all peoples.
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What we think about Jesus Christ
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is going to influence everything else that we do.
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Let me then encourage a constant previous contemplation.
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And to help you do so,
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let us consider the text together in the following structure.
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So number one, this is the outline for our text,
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and I'll go back through it with great care.
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Number one, Jesus Christ is preeminent because he is God.
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We see this in verses 15 and verse 19.
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Secondly, Jesus Christ is preeminent because he is the Lord of the universe.
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Verses 16 and 17.
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Third, Jesus Christ is preeminent because he is the head of the church.
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Verse 18.
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And fourth,
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Jesus Christ is preeminent because of his redemptive work.
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Verse 20.
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So firstly,
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Jesus Christ is preeminent because he is God.
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Verse 15,
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Paul writes,
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He is the image of the invisible God,
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the firstborn of all creation.
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Paul says that by looking at Jesus,
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we see an image of God.
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The Greek word here is icon.
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Image or likeness.
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We're familiar with this term in our day.
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Something that represents something else.
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The scriptures refer to man as the icon of God.
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But we are not perfectly so.
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Much like a shattered piece of glass returns a poor reflection,
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so it is with us.
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Jesus, however,
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is both the perfect representation and the perfect manifestation of God.
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The man without sin.
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Created in God's likeness.
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Hebrews chapter 1,
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the first half of verse 3 tells us
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that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
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and the exact imprint,
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or the Greek word we get facsimile from,
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the exact facsimile of his nature.
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Christ shines forth God's attributes
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as the sun gives light and heat to the earth.
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Jesus is himself God.
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John chapter 1 and verse 1,
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in the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with God,
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and the Word was God.
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So as we behold Jesus Christ,
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we behold God the Father.
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Paul proceeds to describe Jesus as the firstborn.
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And the Greek word here can mean simply firstborn.
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It can have a chronological in the family meaning to it.
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But it is most commonly used to refer to someone's position or their rank.
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From the Arians of the early church to the Jehovah's Witnesses of our day,
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those who seek to repudiate the deity of Jesus Christ
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refer to this phrase in Colossians chapter 1.
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But they fail completely to note its context.
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They fail to note the following two verses
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in which Paul represents Jesus as the Lord of the universe,
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specifically verse 17,
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and he is before all things.
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He was not created.
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Jesus himself is the creator.
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And verse 19,
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for in him all the fullness of God
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was pleased to dwell.
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So Jesus Christ is preeminent
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before all things created,
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and in him all the fullness of God
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was pleased to dwell.
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Jesus is where all that could be known
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or experienced of God is to be found.
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This is why Jesus was able to say
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in John chapter 14 and verse 9,
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whoever has seen me
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has seen the Father.
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So, Jesus Christ
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is preeminent
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because he is
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God.
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Secondly,
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Jesus Christ is preeminent
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because he is the Lord
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of the universe.
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Verses 16 and 17
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speak to this.
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For by him all things were created
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in heaven and on earth,
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visible and invisible,
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whether thrones or dominions
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or rulers or authorities,
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all things were created
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through him
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and for him.
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And he is before all things,
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and in him all things
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hold together.
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Jesus Christ
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is supreme
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as the creator
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of all things.
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That is everything
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that we can see
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and everything
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that we cannot see.
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They were all created
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by Christ
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and for Christ.
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By him
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and in service
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to him.
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This is an absolutely
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magnificent thought
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which should capture
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our minds.
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John confirms this
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in John 1,
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verse 3.
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Speaking of Christ,
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all things were made
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through him
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and without him
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was not anything
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made
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that was made.
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The entire universe
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was created
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by him
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and for him.
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In 2012,
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a picture was released
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that the Hubble Space Telescope
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had captured
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which was the farthest
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ever view
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into the universe.
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A photo that reveals
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thousands of galaxies,
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billions of light years
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away.
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The picture,
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which is called
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Extreme Deep Field
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or XDF
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if you're googling it,
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combines
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ten years
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of Hubble telescope
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views
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of one patch
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of sky.
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It is
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absolutely
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astounding.
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It is
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incredible
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to look at
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and to behold
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and to imagine
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the vastness
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of the universe.
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I really encourage you
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to look it up
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and have your affections
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turned
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to the one
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who created
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the universe.
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Psalmist writes
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in Psalm 19,
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1,
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the heavens
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declare the glory
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of God
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and the skies
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above
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proclaim
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his handiwork.
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We can now
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see that
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with technology
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louder
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than ever
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before.
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There is a
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greater
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proclamation
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of Jesus'
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supremacy
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as we look up
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to the universe
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that he
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created.
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It was created
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by him
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and it was
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created
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for him.
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Jesus Christ
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is preeminent
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as he was
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before all
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things.
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The beginning
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of verse 17.
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Jesus says
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to the Jews
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in John 8,
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verse 58,
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Truly,
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truly,
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I say to you
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before Abraham
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was,
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I am.
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And he's there
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referencing Exodus
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chapter 3,
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verse 14,
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where God
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said to Moses,
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I am
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who I am.
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Jesus had
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no beginning
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and he has
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no end.
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He has
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no origin,
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but he is
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the originator
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of all
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things.
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So he is
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preeminent
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as he was
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before all
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things.
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And he is
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preeminent
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as the
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sustainer
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of all
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things.
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Not only
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creator,
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but also
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the sustainer
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of all
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things.
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The last
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part of
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verse 17,
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Paul writes,
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and in
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him all
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things
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hold
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together.
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The writer
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of Hebrews
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says in
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chapter 1,
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verse 3,
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he upholds
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the universe
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by the
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word of
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his power.
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Not only
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were all
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things created
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by him
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and set
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into motion
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by him,
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but all
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things are
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also
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sustained
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by him.
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Everything
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stays in
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its sway
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by the
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mighty
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word
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of Jesus
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Christ.
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Everything
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in the
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universe,
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as far as
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we know,
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at least,
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is made
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of atoms,
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protons,
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electrons,
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neutrons,
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protons and
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neutrons
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packed into
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a nucleus,
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electrons
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whirling
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about the
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outer edge.
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I've told
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you everything
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I now know
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about atoms.
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Scientists
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have labored
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over the
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past century
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to explain
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away the
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existence
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of God,
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but they
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have failed
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to explain
19:20
how it is
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that the
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atom remains
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in its
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orbital
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state.
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Carl K.
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Darrow,
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a physicist,
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is cited
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in a book
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entitled
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The Atom
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Speaks
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in reference
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to what
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scientists
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are calling
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the strong
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nuclear
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force.
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He writes,
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do you
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grasp what
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this implies?
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It implies
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that all
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the nuclei
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have no
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right to
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be alive
19:47
at all.
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Instead,
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they should
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never have
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been created
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and if
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created,
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they should
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have blown
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up instantly.
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Yet here
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they all
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are.
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Some
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inflexible
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inhibition
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is holding
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them relentlessly
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together.
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The nature
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of the
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inhibition
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is also
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a secret,
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one thus
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far
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reserved
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by nature
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herself.
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Science
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hasn't
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answered
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this question
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of what
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the strong
20:17
nuclear
20:17
force
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is.
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Here this
20:20
physicist
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says,
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it's
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impossible.
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It's
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impossible
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that the
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world
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exists
20:25
that is
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bound
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together
20:27
in this
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way.
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It's
20:29
nature
20:29
that holds
20:30
the secret
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and we're
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working to
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figure it
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out.
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Science
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has yet
20:36
to answer
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this
20:37
question,
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but the
20:38
Bible
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has.
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Paul,
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under the
20:42
inspiration
20:42
of the
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Spirit,
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tells us
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exactly how
20:46
this happens.
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He tells
20:47
us that
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the
20:48
strong
20:49
nuclear
20:49
force
20:50
is
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Jesus
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Christ
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and the
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word
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of his
20:54
power.
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This is
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incredible.
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The very
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thing
20:58
holding us
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all together
20:59
right now
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and flying
21:01
off into
21:02
pieces
21:02
all over
21:03
the place
21:04
is the
21:04
mighty
21:05
power
21:05
of Jesus
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Christ's
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word.
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Jesus has
21:09
said,
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be this
21:10
way,
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orbit in
21:12
this
21:13
fashion,
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bond in
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these
21:15
pairs,
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and it
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will not
21:17
cease
21:18
happening
21:18
in that
21:19
way
21:19
until he
21:19
says,
21:20
stop.
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It's
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astounding.
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So,
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number one,
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Jesus Christ
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is preeminent
21:25
because he
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is God.
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Number two,
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Jesus Christ
21:28
is preeminent
21:29
because he
21:29
is the
21:30
Lord of
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the universe.
21:32
He made
21:32
it and it
21:33
exists for
21:34
him and
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his praise.
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Third,
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Jesus Christ
21:39
is preeminent
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because he
21:41
is the
21:41
head of
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the church.
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And we
21:43
see this
21:43
in verse
21:44
18.
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Paul writes,
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and he
21:48
is the
21:48
head of
21:48
the body,
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the church.
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He is
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the beginning,
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the first
21:52
born from
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the dead,
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that in
21:53
everything he
21:54
might be
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preeminent.
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So,
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he is the
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head of
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the body.
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There are
22:01
many metaphors
22:02
in the New
22:02
Testament
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used to
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describe the
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church.
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It is
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called a
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family,
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a kingdom,
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a vineyard,
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a flock,
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a building,
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and a
22:11
bride.
22:13
But none
22:13
is more
22:13
helpful,
22:14
an understanding
22:14
of its
22:15
form and
22:16
function than
22:16
that of a
22:17
body made
22:17
of many
22:18
parts with
22:19
Jesus Christ
22:20
as the
22:21
head.
22:22
This metaphor
22:23
helps us to
22:24
see the
22:24
church as
22:25
a living
22:26
organism,
22:27
inseparably
22:28
tied together
22:29
with life and
22:30
mission by
22:31
the living
22:32
Christ.
22:33
This thing
22:34
does not
22:34
exist apart
22:35
from Jesus
22:36
as its
22:37
head.
22:38
He gives
22:39
it its
22:39
life and
22:39
he gives
22:40
it its
22:40
mission.
22:41
He controls
22:43
every part
22:43
of it.
22:45
He coordinates
22:45
together the
22:46
diversity of
22:47
gifting and
22:48
ministry for
22:49
the sake of
22:50
his name.
22:52
Jesus does
22:53
not merely
22:54
save the
22:55
church, but
22:56
he is the
22:56
head of the
22:58
church also,
22:59
giving it
23:00
life and
23:02
giving it
23:02
direction.
23:05
He's the
23:05
head of the
23:07
body.
23:09
He is the
23:10
beginning.
23:11
Jesus is the
23:12
originator of
23:13
the church.
23:15
He is the
23:16
beginning.
23:17
The Greek
23:17
word here has
23:18
a two-fold
23:19
sense of
23:20
both source
23:22
and primacy.
23:25
In Ephesians
23:25
1, verse 4,
23:26
Paul states
23:27
that God
23:27
chose us in
23:28
him before
23:29
the foundation
23:31
of the
23:32
world.
23:33
He is its
23:35
source and
23:36
without him
23:37
it does not
23:38
exist.
23:41
Paul goes on
23:42
to say that
23:43
he is the
23:43
firstborn from
23:45
the dead.
23:46
And here we
23:46
see that same
23:47
Greek word for
23:48
firstborn that
23:50
speaks of
23:51
order,
23:53
order of
23:54
progression.
23:56
And what he's
23:57
saying here is
23:58
not that,
23:58
because there
23:59
were certainly
23:59
those who were
24:00
raised before
24:01
Jesus,
24:01
Lazarus as an
24:03
example.
24:04
But what Paul
24:05
is saying is of
24:05
all those who
24:06
have ever been
24:07
raised or will
24:09
ever be raised
24:10
from the dead,
24:11
he is of the
24:13
highest rank.
24:15
He is the
24:16
most important,
24:18
right, as the
24:19
source and the
24:20
head of the
24:20
church.
24:21
He is
24:22
preeminent.
24:25
So he's
24:26
preeminent
24:26
because he is
24:27
God, because he
24:28
is the Lord of
24:29
the universe,
24:29
because he is
24:30
the head of
24:32
the church.
24:33
Fourth and
24:34
lastly, Jesus
24:34
Christ is
24:35
preeminent
24:36
because of
24:37
his redemptive
24:38
work.
24:40
Verse 20,
24:41
Paul says,
24:42
and through
24:42
him to
24:43
reconcile to
24:44
himself all
24:45
things, whether
24:46
on earth or
24:46
in heaven,
24:48
making peace
24:48
by the blood
24:50
of his cross.
24:52
There are
24:52
many ways in
24:54
which our
24:54
salvation is
24:55
explained in
24:56
the scripture,
24:58
and they are
24:58
all wonderful
24:59
in their own
25:00
right.
25:01
We are
25:02
justified.
25:03
We once
25:04
stood before
25:04
God guilty
25:05
and condemned,
25:06
but in
25:07
Jesus Christ
25:08
we are
25:08
declared
25:09
righteous.
25:11
Not just
25:12
innocent, but
25:12
we're given
25:13
perfection in
25:15
Christ.
25:16
We are
25:17
referred to
25:18
as forgiven.
25:19
We once
25:20
stood before
25:20
God as
25:21
great debtors,
25:22
but the debt
25:23
has been paid
25:24
by Jesus
25:25
Christ and
25:26
now forgotten.
25:29
Our sins
25:29
have been
25:30
cast as far
25:30
as the east
25:31
is to the
25:32
west.
25:33
We are
25:34
described as
25:35
adopted.
25:37
We once
25:38
stood before
25:39
God as
25:40
strangers,
25:42
but in
25:43
Jesus Christ
25:44
we are
25:44
made children
25:45
of the
25:47
Most High.
25:48
We're
25:48
called
25:48
His own
25:49
and made
25:50
part of
25:50
His family
25:52
with all
25:52
of the
25:53
rights and
25:54
rewards that
25:55
come with
25:55
that.
25:56
All those
25:57
things are
25:57
wonderful,
25:58
beautiful
25:59
pictures of
25:59
our salvation,
26:01
but
26:01
reconciliation
26:02
is one
26:03
of my
26:03
favorites of
26:04
these
26:05
explanations.
26:07
Reconciliation.
26:08
We once
26:09
stood before
26:10
God as
26:11
His enemies,
26:13
angrily
26:14
shaking our
26:15
fist at
26:16
Him and
26:17
His ways,
26:18
wanting to
26:19
rule the
26:19
world for
26:20
ourselves,
26:22
thinking we
26:23
even know
26:23
how to do
26:24
such a
26:25
thing.
26:25
But in
26:27
Jesus Christ
26:29
we are
26:30
made God's
26:31
friend.
26:33
The Greek
26:34
word for
26:35
reconcile
26:35
means to
26:37
change in
26:39
relationship.
26:41
So we
26:41
receive
26:42
in salvation
26:45
this idea
26:46
of reconciliation,
26:48
a change of
26:48
status.
26:49
We go from
26:50
enemies to
26:51
friends.
26:52
It's a state
26:53
of being.
26:54
It's who
26:55
we are.
26:56
And this is
26:56
not conditioned
26:57
on what
26:58
we do,
26:59
but it's
27:00
who we
27:00
are because
27:01
God has
27:02
done it.
27:04
Jesus has
27:05
reconciled us
27:06
to God.
27:09
And so now
27:10
those who
27:10
have been
27:11
reconciled,
27:12
because we
27:12
have new
27:13
identities,
27:13
we live
27:14
different.
27:15
But it's
27:16
that identity
27:16
that changes
27:18
the way we
27:19
live and
27:19
not the
27:20
other way
27:21
around.
27:23
Beloved,
27:23
we are not
27:24
different in
27:25
degree.
27:26
Every other
27:27
religion in
27:28
the world
27:28
is teaching
27:29
this.
27:30
Different in
27:31
degree.
27:32
A striving
27:33
for,
27:34
a hoping to
27:34
be better
27:35
than,
27:36
that we
27:36
would be
27:36
accepted.
27:38
We are
27:38
different in
27:39
type.
27:41
That's a
27:42
wonderful,
27:43
wonderful
27:43
reality.
27:46
Paul wrote
27:46
in Romans
27:47
chapter 5
27:47
verse 10,
27:48
And Paul
28:03
says that
28:05
Jesus is
28:05
reconciling
28:06
all things,
28:07
whether on
28:07
earth or
28:09
in heaven.
28:11
In Genesis
28:12
chapter 1
28:12
verse 3,
28:13
we see that
28:13
after the
28:14
world was
28:14
created by
28:15
and for
28:16
Christ,
28:16
that it
28:17
was very
28:18
good.
28:21
All of
28:21
this goodness
28:22
was marred
28:23
by man's
28:24
sin.
28:26
My wife
28:27
weeded our
28:28
yard quite a
28:28
bit yesterday.
28:29
That's a
28:30
result of
28:31
the corruption
28:31
of creation.
28:33
That's part
28:33
of sinfulness.
28:35
Things don't
28:35
grow where
28:35
they're supposed
28:36
to grow
28:36
any longer.
28:38
My not
28:39
feeling well
28:40
at the end
28:40
of this
28:41
week was
28:41
part of
28:42
this
28:42
cursedness
28:43
that exists
28:44
in the
28:45
world.
28:46
But all
28:46
of that
28:47
will one
28:48
day be
28:49
restored.
28:51
The
28:52
reconciliation
28:52
of mankind,
28:54
although
28:55
primary,
28:56
most
28:57
importantly,
28:58
is just
28:59
one aspect
29:00
of Christ's
29:01
restorative
29:01
work.
29:03
And so we're
29:03
going to live
29:04
one day as
29:04
those who have
29:05
been reconciled
29:05
to God
29:06
in Christ
29:06
in a world
29:07
that will be
29:08
reconciled to
29:09
God,
29:10
that will be
29:10
set straight
29:11
all together.
29:13
what a
29:14
thing to
29:14
think about
29:15
and look
29:16
forward
29:16
to.
29:20
And Paul
29:20
tells us
29:21
that Jesus
29:21
did this
29:22
by making
29:23
peace by
29:24
the blood
29:25
of his
29:26
cross.
29:27
Jesus'
29:27
death on
29:28
the cross
29:28
was the
29:28
means by
29:29
which our
29:30
reconciliation
29:30
is made
29:31
possible.
29:32
The wrath
29:33
of God
29:34
poured out
29:34
on Christ
29:35
in that
29:37
place.
29:38
On the
29:39
cross,
29:39
Jesus Christ
29:40
became the
29:41
enemy of
29:41
God,
29:42
and God
29:42
justly
29:43
punished
29:44
him as
29:45
such so
29:45
that we
29:46
might be
29:47
reconciled
29:47
to God.
29:50
Jesus Christ
29:51
is preeminent
29:52
because he
29:53
is God,
29:53
because he
29:54
is the
29:55
Lord of
29:55
the universe,
29:56
because he
29:56
is the
29:56
head of
29:57
the church,
29:57
and because
29:58
of his
29:59
redemptive
30:00
work.
30:02
So what
30:03
does all
30:03
this have
30:04
to do
30:04
with the
30:05
existence
30:06
of Christ's
30:07
family
30:07
church?
30:08
Well,
30:09
for all
30:09
of the
30:09
aforementioned
30:10
reasons,
30:11
Jesus Christ
30:12
is of
30:13
highest
30:14
ranking
30:15
and should
30:16
be worshipped
30:16
as such,
30:17
and this
30:17
is why
30:18
the church
30:19
gathers,
30:20
and this
30:21
is why
30:22
the church
30:23
goes.
30:25
Whether
30:25
or not
30:26
you are
30:26
part of
30:27
this church
30:27
or ever
30:28
will be,
30:31
you exist
30:32
to glorify
30:33
God by
30:34
experiencing,
30:35
proclaiming,
30:35
and displaying
30:36
the supremacy
30:37
of Jesus
30:37
Christ in
30:38
all things
30:39
to all
30:40
peoples.
30:41
those who
30:43
have been
30:43
reconciled by
30:44
his death
30:44
on the
30:45
cross
30:45
rightly
30:46
should
30:46
experience,
30:47
proclaim,
30:48
and display
30:48
his supremacy
30:49
in all
30:49
things to
30:50
all peoples.
30:51
And this
30:51
is not
30:52
a burdensome
30:53
task because
30:55
Jesus Christ
30:56
is preeminent.
30:58
We can
30:58
cast all of
30:59
our anxieties
31:00
and fears,
31:01
our doubts,
31:02
our troubles,
31:03
our depressions
31:04
on him.
31:06
because he
31:08
is preeminent
31:08
there is no
31:09
situation that
31:10
escapes his
31:10
attention or
31:12
his power.
31:14
Because he
31:15
is preeminent
31:16
there is no
31:16
circumstance that
31:17
surprises him
31:18
or evades
31:19
his providential
31:21
control.
31:23
Because he
31:24
is preeminent
31:25
he is our
31:27
confidence in
31:28
life and
31:29
death.
31:31
And because he
31:31
is preeminent
31:32
he is the
31:33
reason we can
31:34
boldly share
31:35
the good news
31:36
of his
31:36
kingdom.
31:38
The reality
31:38
of who
31:39
Jesus is
31:40
demands our
31:41
affections and
31:42
our obedience.
31:44
The reality
31:45
of who Jesus
31:46
is makes
31:47
sure the
31:48
promises of
31:49
God to
31:50
us.
31:50
So,
31:52
let us be a
31:52
people who
31:54
set ourselves
31:55
to a constant
31:56
previous
31:57
contemplation of
31:58
who Jesus
31:59
is as we
32:01
await our
32:02
future
32:02
blessedness.
32:05
In closing,
32:06
let me remind
32:07
you of the
32:08
words of
32:09
John Owen.
32:10
This therefore
32:11
deserves the
32:12
severest of
32:13
our thoughts,
32:14
the best of
32:15
our meditations,
32:17
and our
32:17
utmost diligence
32:19
in them.
32:21
Let's pray
32:21
together.