He Is Indeed in First Place
First B Jackson
2026-09-20

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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We're going to Colossians. Josh, would you get me there? There we go. Colossians one and we're up to verse 13. I've covered up through 12 last week and if y'all remember back, we kinda said goodbye to Philippians and hello to the Colossians.

So, just started off. We ended the book of Philippians with the greetings, the bye bys, and the grace to you. Always start with grace and peace is a good good thing to remember and in Colossians, he also starts with grace and peace and does a little bit of introduction but I my main issue last week was saying that he knew the Philippians really really well and when we read the book of Philippians, we see a church that he knew and loved and you could hear it in the way that he cares for them and for their heart but then, Colossians, we have a group of people that he has never spent any time around before. He does, however, have probably one guy present with him that is telling him about Colossi. Right?

Maybe two guys that are telling him about Colossi. And Paul is gonna start off in this book like he does often with a theological underpinning which will then give way to some instruction and if this, then, this, right? If this is all true and it is, then, this is how we should live our lives, Right? That's the way that many of the Pauline books go and Philippians fits that pattern. Colossians fit that pattern.

Ephesians, it's so square that three chapters are theological underpinning and three chapters are how to put it into practice. Romans has eight chapters of theological underpinning, three chapters of this is the question about the Jewish folks. And then four chapters of the of how to get it done, right? That's what it's about. In Colossians, we're in that portion where he's being descriptive about Jesus.

He's gonna get to prescriptive but I've got the last few slides today are taking into account this paragraph and a half that we're gonna cover. What does this mean to you? Right? The last few slides is gonna land an application. I don't always do that, but I think that it's very important that we just be still a bit and let it land right there.

Oh, yeah. I knew that I had a lot more time in this section. We're gonna pause the online right now. I'll get back to Colossians. I'm gonna ask I think she just escaped, didn't she?

She's she's being the baby actually now. Okay. Thought you want us to do it after. So Either way works. Let's do that.

Okay. Okay. Let's do that. That works. In the first service, they did it during the announcements, like after the announcement.

So that's good. I think that works better. Thank you. Very gracious to me. If it's not written on that screen, I forget about it.

That's just the way it is. So, Colossians one, we're gonna go 13 through 20 and I'm gonna leave it in your laps today. I've been contemplating this for, I could say a whole ministry but it's I've been contemplating for the last few weeks anyway and here we go. Colossians nine through 12 says this, it's just a ramp to get us to 13, okay? So, for this very reason, we also, since the day we heard about the fact that you received the gospel, we have not ceased praying for you and we've not ceased asking that you all would be filled with knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and in all understanding so that y'all will be walking in a manner worthy.

See what I'm saying is they're praying for the application of it already at the beginning. So that you'll walk in a manner that's worthy. Lord, to please him in all respects and that you would be bearing fruit in every good work and that you'd be increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthen with all power according to his glorious might for the attaining of all perseverance and patience. And y'all will hear a story of perseverance and patience from this family.

Joyously giving thanks to the father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints, the holy ones, and light. Now, giving thanks to the father who has qualified us to share. The father has a plan, God's will, father's will. Jesus carries it out by the power of the spirit. So here we go.

Giving thanks to the father who's qualified. He rescued us from the domain of darkness. And the domain of darkness in Jackson, Wyoming looks very different than the domain of darkness in Central Asia. And it looks very different than the domain of darkness where I'm from. Right?

It can look different, but we all start out in the domain of darkness. The prince of the power of the air, it is different forms of oppression from the evil one. But God, it says, who's qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of light, give him thanks because he rescued us from the domain of darkness, whatever it looked like, and he has transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son, Jesus. He's transferred us from one to the other. It is the work of God that happens and this says, in whom we have redemption comma, the forgiveness of sins.

Now, I'm a grammar nerd admittedly. Some of y'all are grammar nerds too. What's the comma setting up right there? I'll give you a chance. The comma is setting up an appositive.

You know what an appositive is? It's when you give a word and then you give a definition of what that is. I had a professor that used to constantly say, Jose Canseco, the baseball player. Right? It sets it up.

It says, so that you're sure of what this really is and this says, in whom we have in Christ, in whom we have redemption and if you don't know what that is, it's the forgiveness of sins because all of us start out with our own stuff. Wherever we started out, how whatever culture we grew out of, we start with our own stuff and we have sin and John would say, the one who says that they have no sin is a liar. That's a sin, right? So, we all start out that way but what he provides in Christ is forgiveness of sin which is redemption and so, I think this is probably a lot of people agree that in Greek, there's a certain rhyming pattern and it's a very succinct statement of the gospel and much like the Christ hymn in the second chapter of Philippians, a lot of people see here in the first chapter of Colossians, another Christ hymn. That maybe the case.

It doesn't rhyme in English. I'm not going to sing it to you but here we go. This is what most people consider a another great Christ hymn. So Christ is the image of the invisible God. The word image there very quickly is icon which from which we get our word icon.

That's an image. Right? An image on your computer desktop is an icon. An image in the churches that are iconophile churches. You'll see pictures of Jesus.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And when Jesus is speaking and he says, no one has seen God at, no one has seen the father at any time but then when Philip asked him, show us the father. We want you to show us the father and he says, Philip, have you been with me for this long and you don't know? If you've seen me, you've seen the father. Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

It goes on to say in Hebrews one, oh, I love the exordium from Hebrews. This is what the whole book is about right here and it's a kiosk construction. Right in the middle of it, it says, and Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and he is the exact representation of his nature. Whatever it is that God wanted to communicate about himself to us, he did so in Christ Jesus. The word.

He is the image of the invisible God. I highlighted the firstborn here because he is the firstborn of all creation. Now, if you have folks come around and knock on your door and they have little pamphlets and they are coming two by two and they're knocking and they're trying to argue you down, they might go to this verse right here and say, I know that you took Jesus as part of the trinity but this says he's the firstborn of all creation. Hey, did you know that? Don't let them trip you up.

Firstborn does mean firstborn. It also means preeminent. And so if you're talking about me, I'm the firstborn of a firstborn. Tanya is the firstborn of a firstborn. And we're here we go.

Is the firstborn. It means means first or preeminent and means to bring forth. And so properly first in time and it does say the firstborn son in the in the stories of the gospels, Matthew and Luke and hence, it's preeminent. The preeminent is what it's mainly meaning here in Colossians and we know that because of the next verse. It doesn't make any sense if he's the a created being.

He is not a created being, okay? Jesus is the second person of the trinity. He is God and we can go on. We will go on. If I got to the second paragraph, you'll see Colossians one sixteen.

Now, I'm going say, I'm a grammar nerd. I'm also kind of a rhetoric nerd and they the way that he sets up, he's the firstborn of all creation. He's going to repeat this in just a minute. He's going to use the same word again. Preeminent of all creation.

For by him, all things were created. Okay. So that's saying he was not created but he did create everything. He is the agent of creation and we say that doubled up in the first chapter of John. Notice that it was the first chapter of Hebrews.

It's the first chapter of Colossians. It's the first chapter of John. It's even gonna be in the first chapter of Revelation where Jesus is presented as being the agent of creation and preeminent. It's important to get that established early and he's doing that among the people that don't know him very well. He does have a bone to pick with him that he'll do towards the end of the book.

Okay? He does. But he's saying, this is the most important. Just like in John. In the beginning was the word, that's Jesus, and the word was with God and the word was God.

He was in the beginning with God and all things came into being through him apart from him not even one thing that has come into being has come into being. So, you can take that to the bank. By him all things were created and it goes on to describe that both in the heavens and on the earth above and below. Visible and invisible. Whether it's thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

That sounds a lot like the verbiage in Ephesians, right? When it says, all of these things, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but these things and all of these things were established and created by Jesus and it goes on to say, all of these things have been created by him and you might think, oh, but that government is so oppressive where they serve. Yes, it is. And Jesus is bringing people out of that. So it's hard to describe that it's not just automatic that everyone is going to serve him.

Everything that is set up though, the circumstances of our being are in a way that we can come to him. All things have been created through him and they are for him. So he is preeminent. It's another way of saying how preeminent he is. He is before all things.

Again, it's a statement about being not a created being. He's before all things and in him, all things hold together. I I like that phrase. Actually, used it recently in a wedding, right? And this, in him, all things hold together.

If you just sat with that for a little while and thought, in Christ, all things hold together. He is preeminent. That's what it's presenting is he has first place. Now, God the father's will and Christ is carrying that will out by the power of the spirit and in him, all things hold together. I think that's just as true in quantum mechanics which I really don't understand as in relationships within a family that I somewhat understand.

In him, all things hold together. I know that isms threaten the church from time to time. Isms and schisms, right? The isms lead to schisms. Don't let the isms lead to schisms around here.

If you've got isms that are fighting for both sides and they are arguing different points, What gets us to hold together is Jesus. He has to be preeminent in everything. If he is preeminent, then everything holds together. If he's not, then it comes apart. And I'm gonna sit for just a second on this.

In him, all things hold together. Do you know that every sin that has ever been committed, everyone, forever, since the Garden of Eden, everyone of them has ever been committed will either be justly condemned by a righteous God that knows or it'll be mercifully forgiven by that same righteous God. Who knows? Every sin that has ever been committed will either be justly condemned or mercifully forgiven. It glorifies Christ either way.

He's making a very real appeal. He's making a very real offering of salvation and sanctification for anybody who'll accept it. In him, all things hold together. Now, Jesus talks about being sent into outer darkness. That's a real thing too.

Both of them bring him glory. If you reject Christ, you do so to your peril and the first chapters of Colossians are saying that. First chapter of Colossians is saying that right here. It says, he is also the head of the body, comma, the church. Now, that is another a positive and if you let me capitalize, I will capitalize it like this because it's the continuing body of Christ.

We are here and the first service here is one little representative sample of the the body of Christ. All believers throughout all times and all places. That's the body of Christ and that is plan A for how he will reach the world and there's no plan B. God's word, Jesus, and God's word, the Bible are here with us. They are transmitted through his body, the church.

Capital C, capital b, if you let me capitalize it. Jesus is the head of that body. He is the one who needs to be making the decisions in that body. That body being the church. He says, I'm going to build it.

If we make a decision in the body of Christ without consulting him, without consulting his word, we're making bad decisions. So, Colossians 18 goes on. He is also the head of the body. He's the church which is in a positive body is the church and he is the beginning. Like he says, I'm the alpha and the omega in Revelation.

He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. So, there's the second half of this this little rhetorical device. He's the firstborn preeminent of all creation and he is the firstborn preeminent from the dead. He is time wise, the first one that is back, resurrected, and will live forever. Firstborn from the dead.

So, there it is. Firstborn of creation, he says earlier in 15 and then firstborn from the dead is kind of closing it off. He's preeminent. In all of creation, he's different than everything and above it all, Jesus as it says in Philippians, he, let's all have the same mind, right? Let's all have the same mind that though being God did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.

He steps out of his glory. He steps down and he takes on obedience. Obedience even unto death and even the death of a cross and for that reason, God has exalted him that his name is above every name. He's the first born from the dead. He was steadfast and he walked out a perfect record and he had the perfect record to offer to anyone who would take it by laying it down.

He made it available. Again, if you reject that, he says, the only way to the father is through me. If you reject that, you do so to your peril. The firstborn from the dead. He actually John says the same thing in the first chapter of Revelation.

John, this is the letter to the seven churches who are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. Now, does that say that all the kings of the earth are falling right in line with what Jesus wants for them? No. Not even close but let's keep going in the text in Colossians and see what it says.

He's the firstborn from the dead. Why? So that he himself will come to have first place in everything. He is preeminent in creation. He is the firstborn from the dead and he did this so that he himself will come to have first place in everything.

Jesus having first place in everything. Again, I say, whether people choose to accept the message of the gospel, he gets glory that way and if people reject it and do so to their peril, he still is glorified because he offered it. It is a real offer. For it was the father's good pleasure for all of the fullness to dwell in him and if you read the gospels, Jesus does things in a surprising way a lot. I mean, what would Jesus do is a great kind of mindset to have but man, I'd never think of spitting a pile of mud and rubbing in a blind man's eyes.

I'd never think of that. He does a lot of things that are are it seems to me that when he heals people, he goes out of his way to do it in different ways. He's got a lot of people. The body of Christ is made up of all believers at all times and all places and he has roles assigned for those. It is by grace through faith that you've been saved but you are his workmanship.

You're created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Christ did good works. It was the father's good pleasure for all of the fullness to dwell in, the pleroma to dwell in him. And through him, through Jesus, to be reconciling all things to himself. He is bringing it back in.

This is another one. Popular heresy of our day is universalism that the blood of Jesus is going to reconcile absolutely everybody no matter what, period, love wins. It's universal. That's not true. That's not what scripture presents.

He is reconciling all things to himself but again, he gains glory by merciful forgiveness and by just condemnation. It's all about Jesus. Can you see on this slide? He is the head. He's the beginning.

He's the firstborn from the dead. He's himself has first place and everything. The fullness, him, him, and then if you put in the names of the father in there, the father's good pleasure and God of the father is reconciling all things to himself through Jesus. Now, this is whether these are things on earth or things in heaven. He's reconciling these things to God.

Having made peace. Oh, what a great verbal construction there. The work has already been done. The finished work of Christ on the cross is what was necessary to make peace. It still has to be accepted.

You to put Christ in his proper position to recognize I'm a sinner and you are one without sin. It's just like turning for the thief on the cross to say, remember me. When you come into your kingdom. He made the peace. He did the work.

He's done all that is necessary. All that's left is to reconcile that yourself with that. What you do with Jesus is the most important thing that you will ever do. So, having made peace, how? He did it through the blood of his cross and like I said in Philippians, it says, Christ being in very nature, God did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.

He left the glories of heaven. He came to Earth. He walked out a poor man's life and he continually walked in the power of the spirit by the direction of the spirit to do the father's will and when it came time in the garden to lay it all down for anyone who would ever believe, he did. So, through the cross of Christ, that is the way to have peace with God. That's the way to experience the God of peace and the preeminence of Christ is very very important.

So, Jesus, according to this paragraph, Jesus is indeed preeminent. Paul is stating it as a matter of fact. There's no doubt about it. He's the agent of creation. He is first born of all creation and of the dead and he must come to have first place in everything.

So, he is indeed preeminent or I'm just say, Jesus in is indeed in first place. He has the name that's above every other name. Now, is Jesus first place in your life? He is indeed in first place but the fact that God has given us Why I say that in Spanish? Free will.

The reason that why God has given us a choice. We're not robots. He has given us a choice. Is Jesus in first place in your life? Either he is or he ain't, right?

So, sit with that for a minute and then consider, is Jesus in first place in the way that you deal with your family? Now, I'm not saying is Jesus in first place in your family? You might easily look around and go, not with them, not with them. I'm saying, is Jesus in first place in the way that you deal with your family? This one reminds me of the eleventh step and the 12 step program.

I have sought through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God, seeking only for his will for my life and the power to carry that out. That's not looking around on other people's test, right? That's not looking around at their walk. It's just looking at my walk and so how is it? Is Jesus in first place in the way that you deal with your family?

Jesus, God is the only one who is a righteous judge. He's asked us to be forgiving. He's asked us to practice mercy. Now, if vengeance is to come, that's on him. But we should be merciful and follow after Christ.

That even if you're right, step in humbly, not considering equality with God as something to be grasped. You step humbly and put yourself below. Is Jesus first place in the way you deal with your family? Is Jesus first place in the way that you deal with your job? And is Jesus in first place in the way that you deal with worry?

Because we're all apt to worry. Is Jesus in first place when you're worrying about something? You can worry or you can pray but you can't do both, right? Is Jesus in first place in the way that you process your past? And so we have all like sheep gone astray and some of us sit back and go, I cannot believe that I did that way back then one time or way back then for ten years.

Can you see that Jesus has brought you out of that and do you put him in first place in the now? It's so good to see that guy get baptized this morning. He had said, I wandered and I walked as far as I could away from God but I recognized that he was calling me home and he's rescued me out of the domain of darkness. And he's brought me into the kingdom of light. And I want to say so.

Is Jesus first place in the way you process your past? That's all I've got. I'm going invite this family to come forward. I'm looking forward to studying Colossians with you but I I I want to see I want to see what y'all have to say. Come