Amen. You may be seated. Children, you may head off to your King's Kids class,
and if everybody else would turn in their Bibles to Colossians chapter 1,
15 through 20. In your pew Bible, it's 1168, 1168.
You are about to hear high ground of Jesus. Hear God's Word.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
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.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
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.
For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.
God bless the reading and hearing of His Word.
You know, King Charles was recently crowned King of the British Commonwealth.
And we all know that's mainly a ceremonial position.
No real authority to wield.
But that crown with which he was crowned is a symbol of the dominion of the British Commonwealth.
Again, has no real authority, but that's what it symbolizes.
Do you ever think about the moment before His crowning?
Like, there must have been like a crown sizing appointment
where they like measured His head to make sure that crown fit.
You don't want a crown too big.
You don't want a crown too little.
Well, this morning you're going to see that Jesus Christ is the reigning King of two dominions.
And if each dominion had its own representative crown,
they could only be worn by Jesus Christ.
There's no other that could bear these crowns.
And they're not ceremonial.
They're real.
Now, if you were here last week, you learned God's will for your life.
Sounds audacious, doesn't it?
I asked a question.
What is God's will for your life?
And we saw from Colossians 1, 9 through 14,
God's will for your life is five letters, five words,
to please Christ in everything.
So let me ask you, what is God's will for your life?
To please Christ in everything.
Today's question is this.
Why Christ?
Why should He be the controlling center of your life?
Why should He be the one that you seek to please in everything?
What gives Him the right to that part of everything?
Why Him?
Colossians 1, 15 through 20 answers the question,
why Christ?
Why should we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord Jesus?
Why should we seek to please Him in everything?
I'm going to answer it in three ways.
He is the divine King.
He wears the crown of creation.
That's number two.
And number three, He wears the crown of redemption.
Why Christ?
Why should we please Him in everything?
Why?
He's the divine King reigning over all of creation
in all of redemption.
We please Christ in everything
because He's reigning over everything.
And if you're a Christian,
He's claimed you not just once, but twice.
So let's look at this divine King.
He is our divine King.
He is the divine King.
In verses 15 through 20,
if you look carefully at these six verses,
you will notice quickly that there's something missing.
Not once do you see the name Jesus.
You don't see the Lord Jesus Christ.
You don't see Jesus Christ.
But what you do see in an unusual accumulation
is what you heard me emphasizing as we read through it.
There is an abundance of third person singular pronouns.
Listen.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
Verse 16.
For by Him all things were created.
Look at the end of verse 16.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
17.
And He is before all things,
and 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.
For in Him, verse 19,
all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
20.
And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
making peace by the blood of His cross.
Now the obvious question is,
who is this He, Him, Himself, His?
And that last one,
His cross is a clear giveaway.
Anyway,
what Paul is doing here is he's elaborating on what he said in verse 13.
We learned in verse 13,
that God the Father has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.
That's the He.
He, in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
The subject of verses 15 through 20
is the beloved Son,
whom we know from chapter 1, verse 3,
is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now you may be asking this question,
hold on Pastor Mike.
I see the word kingdom in verse 13,
but nowhere in verses 15 through 20
do I see the word king.
You're saying that He's a divine king?
Where's the king?
Well, it's true that the word king
is not anywhere to be found in verses 15 through 20,
but did you happen to see the word firstborn?
In verse 15,
the firstborn of all creation.
In 19, the firstborn from the dead.
To our 21st century American ears,
when we hear firstborn,
we think in terms of birth order.
We think in terms of creation,
something coming into existence.
But the way that the word firstborn
is being used here in Colossians 1, 15 and 19,
and then how it's used
in Hebrews 1, verse 6
and Revelation 1, verse 5,
these New Testament passages
are talking about firstborn
not in the way that we Americans think,
but in the way that Psalm 89, 27 thinks.
If you want to turn there,
let me show you how firstborn is being used.
It's on page 587 of your pew Bibles.
This is Psalm 89, verse 27.
God is speaking about David.
And I, God, will make him, David, the firstborn.
Do you remember, David was the youngest
of seven sons of Jesse.
Firstborn is being used here in a different way.
It's talking about a position.
And then what we read is this,
and I will make him the firstborn.
God says, I will make David the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
Not only is this a position,
but it is a kingly position.
And not just a kingly position,
a high king position.
Firstborn is describing the authority of a king.
The high king of heaven.
And God is explaining that of David.
But there's even a higher king than King David.
It's David's greater son, Jesus.
So this firstborn is a reference to Jesus.
Not to his creation.
Sorry, Jehovah's Witnesses.
But his authoritative reign over all.
You can say firstborn is talking about
the king of kings.
The last thing I want you to notice
about this divine king
is not just he's a king,
but he's divine.
He's a God king.
If you want to look at verse 15,
speaking of the beloved son,
he is the image of the invisible God.
He is God seen.
Hebrews 1.3 says it like this.
He is the radiance of the glory of God,
the exact imprint of his nature.
The beloved son is God seen.
And it's not just limited to his incarnation.
It even happened before.
So do you know who Adam and Eve saw in the garden
when they would walk with God
in the cool of the day?
The beloved son.
Do you know who Isaiah had a vision of?
The king sitting on his throne
with seraphim all around him?
Beloved son.
115, this image of the invisible God
is a claim of deity.
And in verse 19,
if there was any question,
for in him,
the beloved son,
all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell.
This beloved son,
who makes the invisible God visible,
possesses the entire fullness
of God-ness.
this he,
him,
himself,
his,
is the divine king of kings.
This is the one whom we please.
And this is the one in whom we walk
in a manner worthy of.
It's him we seek to please
in everything.
And he claims you twice,
Christian.
So let's move from
who he is,
this divine king,
to his first domain.
His first crown.
In verses 15 through 18,
we are shown
his first dominion,
that which he reigns over.
Imagine a brilliant crown
of yellow gold
and gilded throughout
the perimeter of this,
of this crown,
you have golden mountains
and golden rivers
and golden forests.
And there's this golden Adam and Eve
in the garden
walking together.
And in white gold,
you have this,
these words,
the center of this crown,
the firstborn
of all creation.
The crown
represents a dominion
and it only fits
the beloved son
who is the image
of the invisible God
in whom the fullness
of God is pleased to dwell.
He's the high king
of all.
And what we're talking about here
now is
one of his dominions.
And so let's look at
the nature of this dominion,
his right to it,
and the goal of it.
The nature of his dominion.
We see it in the title,
the firstborn of all creation,
and then it gets spelt out.
It's spelt out
with this little phrase,
all things.
Look at verse 16.
For by him,
all things were created.
At the end of verse 16,
all things were created
through him and for him.
Verse 17,
and he's before all things
and in him all things
hold together.
And so he then,
Paul,
helps us to kind of get a sense
of what all things is
in heaven and earth.
That's everything.
Visible and invisible.
Things you see,
things you don't see.
That's his dominion.
And then he goes into
thrones,
dominions,
rulers,
and authorities.
Whether there are thrones,
rulers,
dominions,
and authorities
that are seen or unseen,
whether they're in heaven
or on earth,
he has dominion
over them all.
If you look over
chapter 2,
verse 18,
you can see some
of the false teaching
that was infecting
the Colossian church.
Let no one disqualify you,
insisting on asceticism
and worship of angels.
What Paul is doing here
is simple.
He's getting ahead
of that problem.
He's saying angels
are created things.
Why are you worshiping them?
They're under the domain
of the firstborn
of all creation.
This firstborn
is someone greater
than angels.
He is greater than demons.
He's greater than the devil.
He's greater than dictators,
politicians.
He's definitely greater
than any Super Bowl athlete.
The nature of this domain
is all creation.
So what gives him the right?
Why does he get
to wear that crown?
On what basis
does the second person
of the Trinity,
the beloved son,
get to be the high king
of all creation?
In verse 16,
we see it.
For by him,
all things
were created.
All things were created
through him.
He's the high king
of all creation
because he created
all things
in creation.
John 1.3,
John says it this way,
all things were made
through him
and without him.
Not one thing
was made.
Not anything
was made
that was made.
It's the same point
of Hebrews 1.2.
The beloved son
is the creator
of all.
And not only
did he create
everything,
it's not like
the second person
of the Trinity
was like this,
all of creation
is like this clock
that he wound up
and let it go.
he's not only
the creator
of all.
Verse 17,
he holds all things
together.
He sustains
all things.
Ultimately,
you were created
and are being
sustained
by this firstborn
of all creation,
the beloved son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether you are
conscious of it
or not,
you were created
by him
and you depend
on him
for your next breath.
He's actually
numbered
your days.
He has claimed
you
by virtue
of creating
you
and sustaining
you.
That's what gives
him the right
to wear the crown,
who he is,
what he does.
That's why we seek
to please him
in everything.
But there's one more
thing I'd like you
to see.
The goal of it all.
The aim
of his reign
over all creation.
It's
in verse
18.
Excuse me,
it's in verse
16.
And for him.
All things
were created
through him
and for him.
Every square inch
in all of creation
in heaven and earth,
visible and invisible,
he claims
as mine
for him,
for his glory.
Every mountain,
every river,
every forest,
every image
bearer created,
it's created
for his glory.
Anybody
who liked
watching the PBS
antique road show?
I began loving it
when I turned 50.
I'm not sure
if it's got to do
with that.
Well,
this show is basically
about finding hidden
treasures.
And it goes from city
to city in the United
States,
and people bring
their stuff,
and they bring their
stuff to these
experts in particular
fields.
So,
they bring kind of
a painting they found
in their attic,
and they bring a bracelet
that was given to them
by their great aunt,
and they bring this
piece of pottery
they bought for $3.50
at a garage sale,
and they bring it
to see what these
experts have to say,
and lo and behold,
the show unfolds,
and you find treasure.
There's this painting
in someone's attic
that is signed
Remington.
There's a bracelet
that has a silver
mark stamp
that's Tiffany.
There's a pottery,
a piece of pottery
that's made
by Dave Drake.
The value
then goes
off the charts
because the value
of these created
things
is given
by its creator.
Biblically speaking,
every created thing,
all things,
bear the maker's
mark.
the firstborn
of all creation.
His mark
is on everything.
We bear His image.
We are living marks
of our maker,
Jesus Christ.
We were created
by Him
and for Him
and like Him.
Our sin
is a
de-creative
act.
It pushes
back against Him.
So when we
ignore the maker's
mark,
when we
kind of
attribute
beauty of something
not to Him
but to something
else,
when we try
to scratch
out His signature
on us
and put in
our own,
we're decreating.
We're denying
the crown.
We're trying
to take the crown
that's only for His
head and put it
on our own
heads.
when we deny
our Creator
and attribute
things to
something else,
it's a capital
offense against
the High
King of all
creation.
This is His
domain.
All things
is His domain.
And you are
by virtue
of your existence
part of His
domain.
And if this
domain of all
creation had a
crown with a
title,
gilded in white
gold,
it would read
the firstborn
of all creation.
And that crown
can only fit
on one person's
head,
the beloved
Son,
the Lord Jesus
Christ.
He claims
you by virtue
of His creation
and sustaining
of you.
This is the
first crown
and there is a
second.
In verses
18 through
20,
we encounter
the second
domain of
this king.
If the
first crown
of yellow
gold with
white gilding
that says
the firstborn
of all creation,
this second
crown is
spectacular
as well.
It's yellow
gold and all
around its
perimeter you
have men
and women
from every
tribe to
tongue and
nation with
hands raised
to the
one who
redeemed
them.
And at the
center of
this crown
gilded in
red gold
are the
words,
the firstborn
from the
dead.
Remember,
the one
whom is
over this
dominion,
the first
dominion,
the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
He's the
image of
the invisible
God.
In him is
all the
fullness of
God
pleased to
dwell.
This second
dominion is
Christ's
authoritative
reign over
all things
reconciled by
the blood of
his cross.
All things.
The high
king of all
creation is
also the
high king
of all the
redeemed.
So let's
again look at
the nature
of this
domain,
Christ's
rightful claim
on it,
and the goal
of it.
we get to
the nature
of this
particular
domain by
some titles.
The first
title is in
verse 18,
and he's the
head of the
body,
the church.
The body
of Christ
is the
church of
Christ,
and that
body metaphor
for the
church is
one of
Paul's
favorites to
describe all
that's been
purchased by
the blood
of Jesus.
The
church
is not
a building,
it's a
people,
and we've
already
encountered
the church
in Colossians
1.
It's in
verse 13,
all those
who've been
delivered from
the domain
of darkness
and transferred
into the
kingdom of
the beloved
son,
in whom we
have redemption,
the forgiveness
of sins.
The universal
church are
all those
people from
all of time
who've been
reconciled to
God by the
blood of
Jesus Christ.
Jesus is
their risen
king.
And him
being the
head of
the body
is a
picture of
both his
authoritative
reign over
his church
and the
church's
dependence on
him.
So the
domain we're
talking about
here, the
nature of
this domain,
we're not
talking about
all of
creation.
we're talking
about all
those who've
been
reconciled to
him.
There's another
title, he is
the beginning,
the firstborn
from the dead.
Again, it's
getting at the
nature of this
reign.
The beginning
is not a
reference to
in the
beginning God
created.
This is a
different
beginning.
because it's
tied to that
title, the
firstborn from
the dead.
And that is a
reference to
Jesus'
resurrection.
What Paul is
getting at
here is the
beginning of a
new creation.
The
resurrection
was Christ's
inauguration to
his reign over
all things
redeemed.
his
resurrection.
We just
sang it
moments ago.
It's his
victory over
sin, death,
and the
devil.
It's the
great reversal
of sin as
far as the
curse is
found.
It's the
beginning of
a new
creation work
bearing fruit
and increasing
in the whole
world.
So the
nature of
this second
dominion
is one
dealing with
spiritual
rescue,
redemption.
Check it
out.
The creator
of all
things became
like one of
his creations,
taking on
human flesh,
lived a
perfect life,
died to
reconcile all
those who
rejected him,
all those who
were decreating,
and was
raised then
triumphant over
all that
opposed him.
and ever
since that
happened,
Christ's death
and resurrection,
the gospel,
the good news,
has been
recreating
people
bearing fruit
and increasing
throughout the
whole world.
what we're
talking about
here is the
beginning of a
new creation
reign.
In the
scope of it,
we see in
verse 20,
all the
earth and
in the
heavens.
This
redemption
work of
Jesus
is
cosmic.
What gives
him the
right?
what gives
him the
right to
rule over
all the
redeemed?
Why does
he get to
be the
head of
the church?
Remember
verse 19,
all the
fullness of
God was
pleased to
dwell in
him.
He is
fully God
and he
is fully
man and
he is
the divine
king and
he is the
only one
of all
creation who
can reconcile
us to
God through
his blood.
There is no
other.
what gives
him the
right to
exercise his
domain,
his authority
over all
that will
be
reconciled
is who
he is,
God,
and what
he's done.
His work
on the
cross,
the blood
of his
cross.
He
reconciled
us to
himself
and will
one day
reconcile
all of
creation to
himself.
If you
look down
at verse
21, I'm
going to
preach on
this next
week.
If you
look at
verse 21,
you're going
to see
our state
before we
were
reconciled to
Christ.
Christ, and
you who
once were
alienated and
hostile in
mind doing
evil deeds.
In our
decreating
sinfulness, we
are hostile to
God, but God
in his grace
towards us
sent Jesus
and he did
something
remarkable.
He made
peace with
us, not
us with
him.
He made
peace with
us through
his cross.
Only he,
could do
that.
Only this
king could
do that,
being who
he is.
Our
creator paid
the price
of our
decreating
in order to
recreate us
in his
image in
order to
live for
him.
We are
new creations.
The old
is gone,
the new
has come.
If this
domain had
a crown,
it would
be titled
with red
gold lettering
that read
the first
born
from the
dead.
The high
king of
those raised
from the
dead.
The high
king of
an eternal
life.
The high
king of
a new
creation.
And it
fits only
him.
Only on
his head.
You can't
bear the
weight of
your own
redemption.
Only he
can.
The goal
of this
reign we
see in
verse 20.
to reconcile
all things
to himself.
That he
might be
preeminent.
That he
might be
Christ
central.
He created
you.
He died
for you.
He was
raised for
you so
that you
would live
for him.
So that you
would walk
in a manner
worthy of
this king.
So that you
would seek to
please him
in everything.
Christian,
you've been
claimed not
once but
twice by this
king.
the first
was your
very creation.
Your next
breath is
evidence of
his kingship.
And his
second claim
on you
was his
death on
the cross
for you.
His
redemptive
dominion
is reclaiming
more and
more of
his created
dominion.
and one
day his
work of
redemption
will reclaim
it all.
And there
will be a
new heavens
and a new
earth.
And we
will be
with him
in his
place.
And it
will be
good.
I've got a
question for
you.
What is
God's will
for your
life?
Give it to
me.
Five words.
Christ died
Let me
back up.
Let me
ask myself
this question.
Mike, what
is God's
will for
your life?
To please
Christ in
everything.
This
morning we've
been asking
the question
why Christ?
Why him?
He's the
divine king.
He alone
bears the
crown of
creation.
He has
the title
the first
born of
all
creation.
He alone
bears the
crown of
redemption.
He alone
has the
title the
first born
from the
dead.
He's
alive.
Christian,
you have
been claimed
twice by
this divine
king.
He created
you and
he redeemed
you.
Why
Christ?
Who he is
and what he's
done.
But let
me just
ask one
more
question.
Why
bother?
Why
bother?
Why
bother
taking the
time and
effort to
daily recognize
him as the
reigning king
of all?
Why bother?
Well, you
can make an
argument for
the quality
of your
life.
That when
he is the
reigning king
of your
life, the
controlling
center of
your life,
you'll
experience joy
and peace
and growing
in abundance
despite your
circumstances,
right?
If he is
the reigning
king of
your life,
controlling
center,
Christ
center,
you will
be realizing
more and
more what
possibly could
anything happen
to me and
anyone do
to me that
is a threat
to him.
Nothing.
When you
realize who
your king is
and that he's
for you,
it's a
tremendous
source of
confidence.
So your
quality of
life.
But there's
an even
basic
argument.
Why bother?
Here it
is.
Because it's
reality.
Because Jesus
right now
is the
reigning
king of
creation.
Because Jesus
right now
is the
reigning
king of
redemption.
The new
creation.
He's got
the spot.
He's got
the right
to your
reigning
of you
and all
of the
world.
Don't swap
him out
for U.S.
politics.
Don't swap
him out
for international
conflicts.
Don't make
the state
of your
marriage
the controlling
center of
your life.
Don't make
the spiritual
well-being
of your
children the
controlling
center of
your life.
There's only
one.
One.
Don't make
your health
the controlling
center of
your life.
Don't make
who will win
the Super
Bowl,
what are the
snacks at
the Super
Bowl,
the controlling
center of
your life.
Why bother?
Because the
reality is
this.
Christ is
reigning
over all.
And we
please the
Lord Jesus
in everything
because he's
the high
king of
everything.
And that
is reality.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
you do call
us to
daily deny
ourselves,
take up our
crosses and
follow you
in seeing
you for who
you are.
That you are
the firstborn of
all creation
and the firstborn
from the dead.
You are the
king of creation.
You are the
king of
redemption.
You are in
the process
of reclaiming
this fallen
world.
And so when
we think about
this call in
our lives to
deny ourselves,
take up our
crosses and
follow you,
we say yes
in light of
who you are,
in light of
what you've
done and what
you're doing
and what you
will do.
You are
worthy,
Lord Jesus,
of all that
we are.
and we
crown you
Lord of
all.
Amen.