Preeminent: Part One // Pastor Lee Cummings
Channel: Radiant Church
Date: 2021-04-25

PREEMINENT: Hope For A Confused World From Colossians

Paul's letter to the Colossians boldly declares how we should see, feel, and think about Jesus. Jesus is supreme over all! Existence itself was created by Him and for Him. Who He is and what He has done liberates us to live every day by His power and in His presence.

To introduce the series, Pastor Lee teaches from Colossians 1:1-2 and unpacks our duty to embody faith, hope, and love to all.

Focus Scripture // Colossians 1:1-20 (ESV)

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Sermon Highlights

Paul is writing to encourage this young church living in very confusing times – to keep their hope centered on Christ alone

Paul begins by recognizing and defining three distinct identities:

“Apostle” = one who is sent as an emissary of Christ Jesus

“Saints” = the positional identity of believers in Christ

“Faithful brothers” = the behavioral identity of believers in Colossae

Our public witness in our city must reflect our devotion to Christ in our hearts (beliefs/convictions)
 
We must be people that embody faith, hope, and love