Sermon
#1244
Title: The Pre-eminence of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Text: Colossians 1:18
Reading: Colossians 1:1-29
Subject: The Pre-eminence of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Date: Sunday Morning & Evening - August 11, 1996
Tape # S-92 & S-93
Introduction:
My text this morning is Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence." I want to preach to you about The Pre-eminence of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
It was Paul’s purpose in writing this
letter to the Colossians to both set forth and defend the glorious Person and
work of our Lord Jesus Christ as the incarnate God. In this first chapter he declares Christ to be...
·
The King into whose
kingdom we have been translated by the new birth, telling us in verse 13 that it is God almighty "Who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son:"
·
The Redeemer
through whose blood we have redemption and the forgiveness of all our sins. Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of
sins:" Notice:
Redemption and forgiveness go hand in hand. All who have been redeemed by
Christ’s precious blood have been forgiven by God’s free grace of all their
sins, forgiven when redeemed of all sin, past, present, and future!
·
God Incarnate and God the Creator of All Things - Colossians 1:15-16 "Who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature: (16) For
by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones,
or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and
for him:" He who is “the firstborn of every creature is “the beginning of
the creation of God,” not the first creature of God as some heretics say, but
“the beginning of the creation of God,” that is to say the One from whom
creation sprang! (See Rev. 3:14).
·
The Eternal, Self-Existent God who Upholds and Rules All
Things in Providence - Colossians 1:17 "And he is before all things, and by him
all things consist."
·
The Head of His Body, the Church, and the First One to be
Risen from the Dead to Die No More
- Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence."
·
The One in Whom All the Fullness God and All the Fullness of
Grace Resides - Colossians 1:19 "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." Colossians 2:9-10 "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are
complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"
·
And That One in Whom and by Whom we are Reconciled to God - Colossians 1:20-22 "And, having made peace through the
blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled (22) In the body of his
flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in
his sight:"
Proposition: Having
declared all these glorious truths about the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, the
Apostle concludes that IT IS THE PURPOSE
OF GOD “THAT IN ALL THINGS HE MIGHT HAVE THE PREEMINENCE.”
Pre-eminence belongs to only one person.
Two people cannot be pre-eminent. And God the Father, indeed all three of the
divine Persons, have determined that the Lord Jesus Christ, as the God-man, our
Mediator, Surety, Substitute, and Savior, shall have pre-eminence in all
things! It must be stressed that
this universal pre-eminence has been given to Christ not as God the Son, the
second Person of the holy Trinity, but as Christ our Mediator and Surety. As
God it could not be given to him, for he is in every way one with and equal to
the Father and the Spirit (1 John 5:7). But as our Mediator and Surety, the One
who would become incarnate to save us, our Lord Jesus Christ was given
pre-eminence in and over all things as the “appointed heir of all things” (Heb.
1:2).
Christ has this pre-eminence now. He has
had it from everlasting. And he shall have it for ever more. It is his by
indisputable right! That is what I want to show you in this message. In all
things our Lord Jesus Christ is and forever must be pre-eminent.
·
His Father
Decreed It.
·
He Fully
Deserves It.
·
His Saints
Desire It.
·
His
Satisfaction Demands It.
I hope that, by reminding you once
more of this blessed fact, you who trust him will be inspired with greater
confidence in him, led to worship him, and moved of God the Holy Spirit to
commit yourselves to him with renewed devotion and zeal. And I pray that you
who as yet are without Christ may this day be brought to him in faith,
committing yourselves to him who alone is able to save your souls, and who
alone is worthy of your trust. Obviously, my subject is infinitely bigger than
my puny brain. I cannot begin to exhaust it. When I have said all that I can
say about it, there will be far more yet to say. But I want to show you from
the Word of God seven aspects of our Savior’s great and glorious pre-eminence.
I. Christ is pre-eminent in the
eternal purpose and decrees of God.
God almighty, the God of the Bible,
the only true and living God is a God with an eternal, unalterable, absolute
purpose, a purpose which can never be defeated, overturned, frustrated, or
hindered to any degree. He has predestined and foreordained everything that
comes to pass. The Scriptures are crystal clear in teaching this.
Isaiah 46:9-10 "Remember the
former things of old: for I am God,
and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (10) Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
Acts 15:18 "Known unto God
are all his works from the beginning of the world."
Romans 8:28-31 "And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. (31) What
shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against
us?"
Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also
we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose
of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"
According to the Scriptures, in all
the purpose and decrees of the Almighty the Lord Jesus Christ is central,
primary, and pre-eminent. In other words, everything that God purposed to do
and everything he does is for the glory of Christ as our Savior. In Ephesians 3:11 we are told that
everything is "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord:"
A. Christ was
the Father’s Elect, chosen and set up in the Father’s decree from everlasting
as our Mediator.
Isaiah 42:1 "Behold my
servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in
whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring
forth judgment to the Gentiles."
Proverbs 8:23 "I was set up
from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."
B. In that
same sovereign, eternal decree a great multitude of sinners was chosen in him
unto salvation.
Ephesians 1:4 "According as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love:"
1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God hath
not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus
Christ,"
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 "But we are
bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: (14) Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
All
who have been, are, and shall be saved by the grace of God are saved because of
God’s election of them unto salvation in Christ before the worlds were made.
The Lord God purposed and resolved to save us by the substitutionary sacrifice
of his dear Son. It was appointed and ordained of God that “in the fullness of
time” Christ would assume a human body and soul, work out perfect righteousness
for his people by his holy life of perfect obedience to God as our
Representative, and then lay down his life, pour out his precious blood, as our
sin-atoning Substitute, redeeming us from the curse of the law by fully
satisfying the justice of God for us. And so, it came to pass.
Hebrews 10:5-7 "Wherefore when
he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared me: (6) In
burnt offerings and sacrifices for
sin thou hast had no pleasure. (7) Then
said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy
will, O God."
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree:"
1 Peter 1:18 "Forasmuch as
ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers;"
It
was also purposed of God from eternity that each of these elect, redeemed
sinners would be saved through the “sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth,” by the regenerating power and grace of God the Holy Spirit, through
the preaching of the gospel, by which faith is communicated to us (2 Thess.
2:13-14). But God’s purpose of grace
toward us did not end there. He also purposed that all the called would be
forever preserved in grace in Christ by his divine power and sealed by his
Spirit, so that in the last day Christ would lose nothing.
Isaiah 49:6 "And he said,
It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of
Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a
light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the
earth."
John 6:39 "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that
of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
again at the last day."
Ephesians 1:13-14 "In
whom ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise
of his glory."
Christ is pre-eminent in all the
purpose and decrees of the triune God. Second,
I want to show you that...
II. Our Lord Jesus Christ is
pre-eminent in all the works of creation and providence.
This is what the Holy Spirit tells us
in Colossians 1:16 and 17 "For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he
is before all things, and by him all things consist."
A. Jesus
Christ is the Creator of all things.
He is not a creature of God, but the
Creator who is God. But remember, this passage is specifically describing his
pre-eminence as our Mediator. It is as our Surety that the Apostle tells us
that “All things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist."
Everything that has been made
proclaims the wisdom and power of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He who is
our Savior is also our Creator.
John 1:3 "All things
were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Hebrews 1:10 "And, Thou,
Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens
are the works of thine hands:"
B. Our Savior
is also the God and King of providence.
This universe is not held together and governed by laws of
nature, but by the Son of God. “By him all things consist!” He is “over all,
God blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5). It is Christ whom the Spirit describes as
“upholding all things by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).
Revelation 19:16 "And he hath on
his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
C. Our
Savior’s disposition of all things in his sovereign providence is for the
salvation of his people.
God the Father has made his Son as our Mediator the
Sovereign Monarch of the universe, trusting to his hands the reins of universal
government, that he might give unto every chosen, ransomed sinner eternal life.
John 3:35 "The Father
loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand."
John 17:2 "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
1.
Christ is
pre-eminent in the purpose and decrees of God.
2. He is pre-eminent in the works of creation and providence. And...
III. Our Lord Jesus Christ is
pre-eminent in the Book of God.
How I wish I could get every man who claims to be a preacher
to see this! The Bible is not a book about science, but the Book about Christ.
This is not a book about morality, but the Book about Christ. This is not a
book about history, politics, philosophy, or law. It is not even a book about
prophecy, church dogma, or theology. This is a HIM-BOOK. It is all about HIM,
the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough
just to preach the Book, we are sent of God to preach the message of the Book,
and the message of this Book is Jesus Christ and him crucified. There is
not a page in this Book that does not speak of Christ, not a page!
The
Son of God tells us plainly that he is the message and theme of Holy
Scripture, that he is the living Word of whom the written Word speaks.
John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
Luke 24:27 "And beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself."
Luke 24:44-47 "And he said
unto them, These are
the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things
must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (45) Then opened he their
understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (46) And said unto them, Thus it is
written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day: (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
The
Apostle Paul considered the preaching of Christ to be synonymous with
preaching all the counsel of God, for Christ is all the counsel of God!
Acts 20:26-27 "Wherefore I
take you to record this day, that I am pure
from the blood of all men. (27) For I
have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."
1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I
determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified."
I want you to see this clearly. The
Bible, the Word of God is a Book with one message, and that one message is
redemption, righteousness, and eternal life in Christ.
A. The Old Testament Scriptures
speak of Christ, point us to Christ, and call us to faith in Christ.
From the moment that God announced in
the Garden of Eden that the Seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head
(Gen. 3:15), Christ was the central fact and figure of Old Testament prophecy.
Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, and all the prophets spoke of him. Here
are a few of the many prophetic statements that pointed directly to the coming
of Christ, his glorious Person, and his redemptive work.
Genesis 22:13-14 "And Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and
took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (14) And Abraham called the name of
that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to
this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen."
Genesis 49:10 "The sceptre
shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh
come; and unto him shall the
gathering of the people be."
Deuteronomy 18:15-18 "The LORD thy
God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren,
like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
(16) According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in
the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my
God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. (17) And the LORD said unto me, They
have well spoken that which they have
spoken. (18) I will raise them up a
Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his
mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."
Psalms 2:7-8 "I will declare
the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."
Psalms 45:6-7 "Thy throne, O
God, is for ever and ever: the
sceptre of thy kingdom is a right
sceptre. (7) Thou lovest
righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed
thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
Psalms 110:3 "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy
power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the
dew of thy youth."
Proverbs 8:22-23 "The LORD
possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. (23) I was set up from everlasting,
from the beginning, or ever the earth was."
Song of Songs 1:2-4 "Let him kiss
me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. (3) Because
of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. (4) Draw me, we will run after thee:
the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in
thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee."
Isaiah 53:8-11 "He was taken
from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was
cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was
he stricken. (9) And he made his
grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no
violence, neither was any deceit in
his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the
LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to
grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD
shall prosper in his hand. (11) He
shall see of the travail of his soul, and
shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many; for he shall bear their iniquities."
Micah 5:2 "But thou,
Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be
little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that
is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
Zechariah 12:10 "And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit
of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have
pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall
be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom
ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts."
In addition to the direct prophecies
about the coming of Christ, God gave
numerous types and pictures to foreshadow his coming. The types are so
numerous that I cannot begin to name them But let me mention just a few. They
may be divided into three different categories.
Typical
People - Adam (Rom 5:14),
Noah (Heb. 11:7), Melchizedec (Heb. 7:1-3), Moses (Deut. 18:15-18), Aaron (Heb.
5:1-5), Joshua (Heb. 4:1-9), Boaz (Ruth 2:1; 3:18), David (Acts 2:25-36),
Solomon (1 Kgs. 10:1-24).
Typical
Things - The Ram Caught in a Thicket (Gen. 22:8-13), Jacob’s Ladder (John
1:51), The Brazen Serpent (John 3:14-16), The Paschal Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), The
Scapegoat (Lev. 16:21), The Manna (John 6:32-33), The Smitten Rock (1 Cor.
10:4), The Altar of Sacrifice (Heb. 13:10), The Mercy-Seat (1 John 2:1-2).
Typical
Places - The Tabernacle (John 1:14), The Temple (John 2:18-20), The Cities
of Refuge (Heb. 6:18).
The lists could go on and on. I have
not even mentioned all the instituted, ceremonial types, the sabbath days, and
the many other instituted types of the Old Testament, all of which pointed to
the Person and work of Christ as our Mediator.
Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of
the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
(17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
B. I do not need to remind this
congregation that in the doctrine and message of the entire New Testament is
the Lord Jesus Christ.
As he was pre-eminent in all the types and prophecies of the
Old Testament, so he is pre-eminent in all the New Testament.
1.
The four Gospels give us four views of Christ.
·
Matthew
presents him as the promised King.
·
Mark presents
him as the Servant of God.
·
Luke presents
him as the Son of Man.
·
John presents
him as the Son of God.
2.
The Book of Acts demonstrates that our Lord Jesus Christ was the singular
subject of preaching in the earliest days of Christianity.
The words “preach,” “preached,” and
“preaching” are used thirty-seven times in the Book of Acts. It is not
insignificant that every time they are used the subject preached was Jesus
Christ and the resurrection! If the Book
of Acts is to be taken for our standard, it must be concluded that unless
Christ has been preached no preaching has been done. That man who pretends
to be a preacher but does not preach Christ and him crucified mocks the people
who hear him, and rather than serving their souls he destroys them!
3.
The Epistles reveal and explain the mysteries of Christ and his gospel.
·
Romans 5:1-21
- Justification by His Obedience.
·
Hebrews
10:1-14 - Sanctification by His Blood.
·
Ephesians
3:1-21 - The Universality of God’s Mercy, Love, and Grace in Christ - Grace is for chosen sinners out of every
nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue, not just for Jews.
4.
The Book of Revelation is a declaration of the sure triumph of Christ and his
church by the gospel.
Revelation 1:7 "Behold, he
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen."
Revelation 5:9-14 "And they sung
a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign on the earth. (11) And I
beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the
beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands;
(12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and
blessing. (13) And every creature
which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in
the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and
glory, and power, be unto him that
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (14) And the four beasts said, Amen.
And the four and twenty elders fell
down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."
Revelation 19:6 "And I heard as
it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as
the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth."
C. The only two ordinances of
worship prescribed in the New Testament are designed to focus our hearts upon
Christ.
1.
Baptism is a
symbolic burial and resurrection with him (Rom. 6:3-6).
2.
The Lord’s
Supper is a symbolic remembrance of Christ and his great work of redemption as
our Substitute (1 Cor. 11:24-26).
Our Lord Jesus Christ has been given
pre-eminence in...
1.
The Purpose
and Decrees of God.
2.
The Works of
Creation and Providence.
3.
The Word of
God. Fourth...
IV. The Lord Jesus Christ, as our
Savior, is pre-eminent in the whole affair of our salvation.
Do not ever think of salvation as one
thing. When you think of God’s salvation, never limit it to your experience of
grace. Salvation is the whole work of grace by which we are brought from the
gates of hell into the gates of glory. It includes far, far more than any of us
have ever imagined. But of this we are assured - In the whole work of salvation
Christ is pre-eminent.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: (31) That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
As I said, none of us has ever
imagined all that is involved in the saving of our souls. But there are at
least ten things clearly revealed in the Scriptures as different
aspects of salvation. And in all ten of these things Christ is pre-eminent.
A.
Election - We were
chosen in Christ unto salvation (Eph. 1:4).
B.
Predestination
- In love God predestinated us to be conformed to Christ (Eph. 1:5; Rom.
8:29-30).
C.
Redemption
- We have redemption through his blood (Eph. 1:6). With his own blood he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us
Heb. 9:12).
D.
Justification
- We are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in
Christ (Rom. 3:23-28).
E.
Forgiveness
- Redemption, justification, and forgiveness go hand in hand. It is impossible
to have one without the other two (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14).
F.
Regeneration
- The new birth is having Christ formed in you by the power and grace of his
Spirit (2 Pet. 1:4; Col. 1:27).
G.
Sanctification
- Christ is our sanctification. We were set apart in him in divine election as
the objects of God’s grace, to be made holy (Jude 1). We were declared to be
holy when Christ washed away our sins at Calvary (Heb. 10:10, 14). And we have
our Savior’s holy nature imparted to us in the new birth (2 Pet. 1:4).
H.
Preservation
- Christ keeps and preserves his chosen, redeemed, called sheep in the arms of
his almighty grace. Our preservation by him secures our perseverance in him
(John 10:27-30).
I.
Resurrection
- When Christ comes again we shall be raised up from the dead by the power of
God. Every chosen, redeemed, regenerate sinner shall be raised up to glory in
the last day (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
J.
Glorification
- When we have been raised up from the dead all God’s elect shall be glorified
together, transformed into the very image of Christ, and made to possess that
very glory that he now possesses as our glorified Mediator (John 17:5, 22).
Our Lord Jesus Christ has been given
pre-eminence in...
1.
The Purpose
and Decrees of God.
2.
The Works of
Creation and Providence.
3.
The Word of
God.
4.
The Work of
Salvation. I have already hinted at this next thing; but, fifth, I want you to clearly understand that...
V. Christ is and must be
pre-eminent in all true preaching.
That man must not be considered a
faithful gospel preacher who does not preach Christ. Preachers are like the
pole to which Moses fastened the brazen serpent. Our only function is to hold
up Christ crucified before sinners. The
gospel we preach is Jesus Christ. We do not merely preach a Christ centered
gospel. Christ is the gospel we preach. There is a huge difference.
When our Lord himself began his public ministry in the synagogue at
Nazareth, his sermon was all about himself. Listen to what he said...
Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
As we read the writings of the Apostle
Paul, we cannot help observing that
to him the preaching of Christ, the preaching of the gospel, and the preaching
of the Scriptures were all the same thing.
Acts 20:27 "For I have not
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."
1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 "But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; (24) But unto them which
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of
God."
1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I
determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified."
2 Corinthians 4:5 "For we preach
not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for
Jesus' sake."
A. We preach Christ when we
preach him in the fullness of his redemptive grace and glory as God our Savior.
Let me be explicit and clear. I want
no one to misunderstand what I am saying. The preaching of the gospel, the
preaching of all the counsel of God, the preaching of Christ of necessity
involves the preaching of his...
1.
Eternal Deity
and Godhead (John 1:1-2).
2.
Suretyship
Engagements (Heb. 10:5-10).
3.
Supernatural
Incarnation (1 Tim. 3:16).
4.
Obedience as
our Representative (Rom. 5:19).
5.
Efficacious
Atonement (Heb. 9:12).
6.
Sovereign
Dominion (John 17:2; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:9-11).
7.
Saving Power
and Goodness (Heb. 7:25).
8.
Unfailing
Intercession (1 John 2:1-2).
B. The preaching of Jesus Christ
and him crucified, when attended with the power of God the Holy Spirit, is the
effectual power of God unto salvation.
Romans 1:15-17 "So, as much as
in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith
to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
Romans 10:13-17 "For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and
how shall they hear without a preacher?
(15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad
tidings of good things! (16) But they
have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our
report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God."
C. This same message is God’s
message of grace for the reproof, correction, comfort, inspiration, correction,
and instruction of his saints in righteousness.
Nothing so inspires devotion as the gospel of Christ.
Nothing more severely reproves our sin and unbelief. Nothing ministers comfort
to our souls like the doctrine of Christ crucified. Nothing promotes holiness
like the message of God’s rich, abundant, free grace flowing to us through the
blood of our crucified Savior!
1.
Christ is our
only hope of salvation.
2.
Christ is our
only rule of life.
3.
Christ is our
only motive to godliness.
4.
Christ is our
only inspiration to devotion and consecration.
Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And
such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Our Lord Jesus Christ has been given
pre-eminence in...
1.
The Purpose
and Decrees of God.
2.
The Works of
Creation and Providence.
3.
The Word of
God.
4.
The Work of
Salvation.
5.
The Preaching
of the Gospel. Sixth...
VI. Our Lord Jesus Christ shall
be pre-eminent in the day of judgment, too.
In that great and terrible day, when
the great white throne is set and the books are opened, Christ will be the
Judge. He will be the standard of judgment. And he will be the executioner of
justice.
John 5:22-23 "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son: (23) That all men should
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son
honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."
Acts 17:31 "Because he
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from
the dead."
2 Corinthians 5:10-11 "For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (11) Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your
consciences."
But
I must tell you something else. In that great and glorious day Christ shall
be something more. He will be our Advocate, our Righteousness, our Plea, and
our Salvation.
Jeremiah 23:6 "In his days
Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Jeremiah 33:16 "In those days
shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be
called, The LORD our righteousness."
Jeremiah 50:20 "In those days,
and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for,
and there shall be none; and the sins
of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I
reserve."
Our Lord Jesus Christ has been given
pre-eminence in...
1.
The Purpose
and Decrees of God.
2.
The Works of
Creation and Providence.
3.
The Word of
God.
4.
The Work of
Salvation.
5.
The Preaching
of the Gospel.
6.
The Day of
Judgment. And the last thing, but
certainly not the least is this...
VII. Our Lord Jesus Christ shall
be pre-eminent in the glory of the eternal world to which we are going.
I am speaking specifically now to you who are my brothers
and sisters in Christ. The pre-eminence of Christ shall be our happiness and
bliss in the glory world. Search the Scriptures. You will see in those places
where the veil is lifted and we are allowed to peek into eternity that Christ
has been given the highest place that heaven affords. In the world to come
Christ shall be the Object of endless, universal adoration and praise.
A.
In him we will
see the fullness of the triune God perpetually revealed to our everlasting
astonishment.
B.
In Christ we
will see the purpose of God, in all its wisdom and goodness, fully
accomplished.
C.
In Christ we
will see all the mysteries and wonders of redemption and grace made manifest.
D.
In that world
to come our Savior’s great prayer of intercession shall be answered
perpetually, throughout the endless ages of eternity, to the inexpressible
gladness and joy of our souls.
John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me,
be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me:
for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
Then, oh, then, we shall praise,
honor, extol, and worship him who loved us and gave himself for us. What an
everlasting song of praise we shall sing to him who is the pre-eminent One of
the triune God - Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 5:9-10 "And they sung
a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign on the earth."
Revelation 15:3-4 "And they sing
the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great
and marvelous are thy works, Lord God
Almighty; just and true are thy ways,
thou King of saints. (4) Who shall
not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for
all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made
manifest."
Revelation 19:1-6 "And after
these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia;
Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged
the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath
avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever
and ever. (4) And the four and twenty
elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne,
saying, Amen; Alleluia. (5) And a
voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and
ye that fear him, both small and great.
(6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice
of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for
the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
Application:
This is the purpose that is purposed
of God in all things - “That in all things he (the Lord Jesus Christ our
Savior) might have the pre-eminence.” And he will have it! He shall have it! He
must have it! And all who love his name love for it to be so. When we see him
pre-eminent over all things and in all things , we will shout, “Amen and Amen!”