It Is an Elephant

In one paragraph

Pastor James opened with an ancient Indian fable about blind monks describing an elephant by touch, then walked through Colossians 1:9-20 to argue that Jesus Christ is not one religious perception among many but the full and preeminent reality that every groping hand is failing to describe. The sermon drew a direct line between that illustration and Paul's prayer for the Colossians, connecting it...

Read together

1. Colossians 1:1-8 previously covered passage Paul notes he preached two sermons prior
2. Colossians 1:9-20 primary passage for this sermon, Paul's prayer and Christ's preeminence
3. Colossians 1:4 quoted to show Paul had heard of the Colossians' faith in Christ Jesus
4. James 4:17 to know to do good and do it not is sin, used to connect knowing and doing God's will
5. John 15:16 Jesus told disciples he chose them to bear fruit that would last unto eternity
6. John 1:1-18 the prologue of John cited regarding the divine logos, in the beginning was the Word
7. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 to those who are perishing the cross is foolishness but to those who are being saved it is the power of God

Talk about it

1. The pastor shared that when he was facing the possibility of coming to First B, he grounded himself in Colossians 1:9-20. What passage or truth do you find yourself returning to when you are facing something that feels bigger than you?
2. The blind monks fable is used to describe how our society treats religious truth, that everyone is just touching a different part of the same elephant and no one can claim a fuller picture. Where do you run into that thinking in your own conversations with neighbors, coworkers or friends?
3. Paul prays that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God's will, then walk worthy of the Lord, then bear fruit, then grow in the knowledge of God. How have you seen that cycle actually work in your own life, where obedience led to a clearer understanding of who God is?
4. The pastor pointed out that the word 'might' in 'that in everything he might be preeminent' is a subjunctive, meaning it involves your will. In practical terms, what does it look like for Christ to be preeminent in a person's actual daily life rather than just in their stated beliefs?
5. The Peace Fountain in Kathmandu was stagnant and falling apart, and the pastor set that against Jesus offering rivers of living water and peace by the blood of His cross. How do you explain that difference, between a peace the world offers and the peace Christ offers, to someone who is not yet a believer?