We are going on in our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians - which we began last Sunday.  You’ll notice that the title for our series is “Got Truth?”  Which is the short two word version of Paul’s main point in this letter. 

(cartoon)  “Looks like I need to get thinner”  “I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I did notice your skirts looking a little snug lately.”

Helpful or not - that’s truth.  Out there where we live life there are a whole lot of voices speaking truth from a whole lot of different perspectives of what truth is what all that means for our lives.

Paul is writing about how we view the world and how we see ourselves in the world and the truth that we base our worldview on.

Meaning that if what we base our world view on is messed up then how we’re living our lives is going to be messed up - potential epic ongoing failure.  Or - the reverse that - if the basis for our worldview is a good then potentially we’re going be living a life that’s purposeful - fulfilling - enviable - everything that life can be.

Point being that it is really really... really important that we base our worldview on something that’s worth basing our worldview on.  Which is what’s behind Paul’s theme “Got Truth?”

As Christians we hold to the understanding that God is truth and He is the source of what is truth.  Meaning that truth is what corresponds with the mind of God. (1)

Bringing that down to where we live life.  Verses like Psalm 119:160  “The sum of your word is truth” and Jesus’ declaration about Himself - John 14:6:  “I am the truth” - are God speaking to us that the basis of our worldview - how we do life - must be the truth of His word - both written and in His Son Jesus.  That truth is the foundational truth we need to having a healthy worldview - foundational for us to do life the way life was created to be done.

Paul is writing this letter to the Colossians to encourage them - and us - to encourage them to stay on track.  All of what we’re bombarded with out there - daily getting saturated with - competing and conflicting truths and world views - can way too easily get us off track and really really mess us up.

Paul - over and over - as we go through this letter - over and over Paul is going to give us truth - God’s truth - and then encourage us to stay focused on that truth.  Here’s what God’s truth looks like.  Here’s what living God’s way can look like in the day to day places of where we do life.  Here’s how to keep from getting messed up in life.

That’s Colossians.  God truth?  Do you know the truth?  Are you living by the truth?  This is what God’s truth looks like in the real time of our lives.

Colossians 1:15-23 is the truth about Jesus.

Long ago in a city far far away there was a sign on one of the freeway exits leading into San Francisco.  It said this:  “Jesus to Speak in San Francisco.”

That banner got me thinking.  What if Jesus really physically came to San Francisco and started speaking.

I imagined Jesus walking in to San Francisco.  That seems like a Jesus thing to do - walking.  He and twelve others - dressed in average everyday clothes - hanging around with the homeless in front of City Hall - sharing about the Kingdom of God - maybe doing a few miracles.

Do you remember when they filmed Star Trek IV in San Francisco the cast members were dressed in their “Star Fleet Uniforms” - Mr. Spock with his ears and bathrobe on.  They blended right in.

Who would notice Jesus?  Would anyone care?  Maybe He’s just some social activist gone off the deep-end.  Is he any different than anyone else peddling some kind of truth?  Some basis for how to view the world?

Some religions see Jesus as a prophet or a divine god among many.  Some people Jesus as a man with great insight - unusual wisdom.  Others see him as a radical - a changer of history.  Some see him as mythical figure.  Was he even a real historical person?  Who is Jesus anyway?

Colossians 1:15-23 is the truth about Jesus - who He is.  First Paul is going to lay some pretty heavy theology on us describing who Jesus is.  Then he’s going to challenge us to think through what that truth can mean for us as we live our lives out there. 

So, keep your arms and legs inside the sanctuary until the sermon has come to a complete stop and the safety bar is released.  This is good stuff.  Deep but good.  Hang in there.  Turn the person next to you and tell them that.  “This is good stuff.  Hang in there.”

Verses 15 to 17 describe The Pre-eminence of Jesus in Creation.  Pre-eminence - being a 50 cent word theologians use to mean that Jesus is first.  Jesus is first in creation.

Let’s read these verses together:  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 of 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.

Paul beings, Jesus “is the image of the invisible God.”

Lord Byron once said, “If God is not like Jesus Christ, then God ought to be like Jesus Christ.”  To see Jesus is to see God.

If we went to Buddha and asked him, “Are you the Son of Brahma?”  He would say, “My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.”  If we went to Socrates and asked, “Are you Zeus?”  He would laugh at us.  If we went to Mohammed and asked, “Are you Allah?”  He would first have torn His clothes and then cut our heads off.

Jesus is the visible expression - the very image - of the invisible God.  When the Bible says that God is invisible it means that God is unseen by human eyes.  But to see Jesus is to see God.  He is in His very nature and essence Jesus, God - eternally God.  God revealed to us.

Paul writes that Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation.”

Let’s be careful.  That doesn’t mean that God picked Jesus first and then everyone else.  Like choosing sides in a game.  “eenie meenie miney mo” - and Jesus gets to be first.  That would mean that Jesus would be somehow less than God.

Being firstborn describes Jesus’ position in creation.  Meaning that He is the head of creation.  Lord over His creation.  First in rank.  Above and before all of creation.  Jesus is superior to His creation.

Beginning in verse 16 - Paul goes on to explain what that means - Jesus’ being firstborn - His superior position before His creation.

Verse 16 - for by Him - Jesus - all things were created…  by Him meaning that Jesus is the source of creation. 

Paul defines “all things” - meaning all things in heaven and on earth - all things visible and invisible - which, thinking about it, is a pretty all inclusive list.

Imagine that.  The material universe:  stars, galaxies, planets, solar systems - trees, grass, mountains and seas.  And not just the visible - but the invisible:  Jesus created electricity - radiation - magnetism - the atoms and the basic stuff that holds everything together.

And not just forces and things - Jesus created concepts and attitudes:  grace, mercy, truth, love and essence of life itself.  All that exists - has come into being because Jesus was motivated to create it.

Paul goes on “all things” includes thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities - which is all about angels - good and bad - governments - even those that fail at their responsibilities towards people and law and justice and care.

Point being:  Jesus is superior to all of that.  They all are the creation not the creator - Jesus.  Jesus is superior so that even the work of Satan is brought under His feet and will bring glory to Him.  Held accountable to Him.  If anything, through His supreme justice.

Then Paul writes that all things were created through Him - meaning that Jesus is the designer - the architect and the builder of everything that is.  And, Paul writes, all things were created “for Him” - meaning that Jesus is the goal of creation.  The purpose of all of this is Jesus.

A few decades ago Albert Einstein announced a new view of space.  He said that space is not a linear concept - extending outward in a straight line - but space is curved in on itself - joining again with itself.

Creation originated within Jesus - and converges again towards Him.  He is the reason why all things have been made.  Eventually all of the cosmos and all the events of history will find their place in the great purpose of the Father to honor and glorify Jesus.

And then in verse 17 Paul writes that, “He is before all things.”  Just in case we misunderstood the “eenie meenie miney mo” part - Jesus existed before creation.  Jesus is not a creation of God.  He is not a god.  He is the God.

And then Paul writes that its Jesus who holds all things together.  If there’s anyone who’s got it all together its Jesus.  Jesus is the preserver - the sustainer - of creation.

Putting that in real time - where we live our lives.  Jesus alone is worthy of our worship - our total sacrifice and devotion.

We have absolutely no reason - no justification - for trusting in - seeking help from - worshiping any creature or part of creation.  Whatever that philosophy or worldview might be - astrology - the occult - drugs - alcohol - cigarettes - porn - the guy next door - whatever we might put our trust in rather than Jesus.

Meaning we have absolutely every reason to trust Jesus with our lives. 

Turn the person next to you and tell them that.  “This is good stuff.  Hang in there.”

Let’s go on.  In verses 18 to 20 Paul describes The Pre-eminence of Jesus in Redemption.  Jesus is first in…

Let’s read these verses 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.

Paul begins with an illustration we’re pretty familiar with.  Right?  The Church is like a body - various parts that do various things.  Jesus the Head of the body - the church - us. 

Some of you were raised on farms.  I hope the rest of you will appreciate this.  I’m told that if you remove the head of a chicken it doesn’t just quietly die.  It jumps up and runs around - out of control for a minute or two.  Blood spurting all over the place.  Pretty messy.

Churches - Christians - that lose their awareness of the Head are like that - they go out of control.  Our relationships and diversity can tear us apart.  Homes - families - friendships - where Jesus is not the Head can easily become places of ongoing misery.

The relationship we have in the church is unnatural - its supernatural - its miraculous - created by God in Jesus Christ - and only as we individually submit to His Headship can we really be a body together.

The church - like a body - we’ve got to have our Head in place and functioning - supplying direction - maintaining order - giving it health - solving difficulties - coordinating its activities - and supplying to every single member its own kind of life.  Each individual is related directly to the Head.  Its Jesus who should direct each of us as we live out our lives as we go through what we go through out there.

What Paul is getting at - as he moves on in these verses - is describing for us what that means that Jesus is the head of the body - positionally what that means.  But also what that means for us as His body.  Our relationship with Jesus.

First, Paul writes in verse 18, that Jesus is the Head of the Church because:  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 

In Matthew 13 there’s parable that’s often misunderstood.  Jesus said that, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  (Matthew 13:45,46)

Very familiar.  Yes?

Often that parable is interpreted to mean that Jesus is the pearl of great price and that we should sell everything to buy Him.  But thinking that through that really doesn’t fit with what the rest of the Bible teaches.

How do we buy God?  We can’t buy Him - or our salvation in any sense.  What do we have to offer God?

Its Jesus who’s the merchant looking for a fine pearl.  And He finds one - the church.  For us, “He went and sold all that He had and bought it” - us!

Which really makes a lot of sense when we think about how a pearl is made.  A pearl starts out as an irritated oyster.  Right?  A grain of sand gets under an oyster’s shell.  And its really irritating.  So, the oyster tries to get rid of it.  The oyster begins to cover the grain of sand with nacre that hardens into a beautiful pearl.

That’s how the church was born - from the wounding of Jesus.  We are the irritation.  Which you can tell the person next to you.  “You’re irritating.”

Our sinful lives put Jesus to death on the cross.  His blood covers our sin and He heals us.  Jesus makes us into a beautiful pearl of great value. 

Dying on our behalf - Jesus is the first to be born from the dead - never to die again.  Jesus has defeated death and hell and brought to life the gospel.  He has authority over life and death and life.  He’s laid the foundation for our hope. 

The church begins in Jesus.  As the firstborn of God’s household He is sovereign in rank and authority and position over all of us - the one’s He’s redeemed. 

Paul goes on - verse 19 - in him - Jesus - all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Fullness means stuffed without space left over.  Have you noticed that these endless buffet restaurants have changed their slogan from “all you can eat” to “all you care to eat”?  It just sounds better.  Puts you in the driver’s seat without insinuating gluttony.  But fullness is all you can eat stuffed and then some.  There’s no room left over.

What Paul is writing about is at the core of what we as Christians believe.  Jesus is fully man - meaning everything that it means to be human Jesus is.  He is 100% man.  And Jesus is fully God - meaning everything that God is Jesus is.  He is 100% God.  Jesus is - and this really tough - He is at the same time fully man and fully God - not all mixed up - or intermingled.  But all at once - both His human and divine and natures and essences are together - and yet distinct - being one person - Jesus.

“This is good stuff.  Hang in there.”

In reality there’s no one - except God - who gets that.  It pops the mind like popcorn getting zapped in a microwave.  How all that works together goes beyond human comprehension.

But here’s how it applies.  Because Jesus is fully human He’s able to be our representative on the cross.  We need a human up there on the cross dying for humans - dying in place of each of us.  But while Adam represented us and sinned.  Jesus represented us without sin.

Because Jesus is fully God He’s able to do what only God can do - and that is to bear our sin on Himself and accomplish our salvation.

Unless the fullness of God dwells in Jesus the man His death means nothing to us.

Paul goes on in verse 20 - Paul writes that through Jesus - fully man - fully God - He - God - has reconciled all things to Himself - making peace by the blood of the cross.  “To reconcile” means to to heal the hostility that exists between us.

In Ephesians 2, Paul speaks of the healing of hostility between Jew and Gentile.  He says Jesus has come and broken down the barrier - the wall that divides Jew and Gentile - reconciling Jew and Gentile into one body - the church.  (Ephesians 2:11-22)

In 1 Corinthians 7 - Paul says that husbands and wives are to be reconciled to each other.  Parents and children need reconciliation at times.  Friends often need it.  Families need it.  The healing of hostilities.  (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

In Colossians 1:20 Paul is saying that the day is coming when the hostility of evil against righteousness will be brought to an end.  Evil men and angels won’t be able to continue in their hostility against God.  And, for those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior that reconciliation is now.

We have a cross in our sanctuary - not to make us think that the cross is a beautiful piece of art - but to remind us.  The cross was a dirty - bloody - painful means of death.  But out of that death has flowed life and reconciliation to the whole universe.

Paul writes that God - through Jesus’ reconciling work on the cross - God has made peace between us.  What does it mean for us to have peace with God?

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  (John 14:27).  Jesus’ peace - the quality of peace that Paul is writing about - peace with God is way different that the world’s brand of peace.

Peace in the world is a very subjective thing - a feeling that comes and goes.  Peace based on circumstances.  Treaties that get made and broken.  Personally we may feel a settledness within.  But unless that settledness is based on what comes from God - even that settledness is going to leave us.

Peace with God is an objective reality.  Its grounded in the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.  Peace with God describes our no longer being subject to God’s wrath because of our sin.  Peace means that our relationship with God is right - righteous - restored.

Jesus told a parable about a banker who had two people who owed him money.  One owed five hundred pieces of silver and the other fifty pieces of silver.  Neither of them had any hope of paying the debt.  So the banker  cancelled the debt.

Jesus asked, “Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”  Simon - the Pharisee who’s house he was in - Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”  And Jesus said to him, “You have chosen wisely.”  (Luke 7:41-43)

The death of our Lord Jesus Christ satisfied our debt of sin - set aside the wrath of God - brought us into a restored relationship with God.  Our standing - our relationship with God.  Peace with God.

One life changing result of that objective permanent reality is a huge sense of lasting relief for all of us who by faith have received what God has graciously done for us.

Its like saying to a terminally ill cancer patient:  “You’re cured.”  Or to an inmate on death row:  “You’re pardoned.  You’re free.”  Its hard to process that.  What that means and the immensity of the sense of relief - how we are now able to think of ourselves and how we are now able to live.

If we’ve ever been caught up in the trap of trying to earn God’s favor or trying to be good enough for God or appease God by doing all kinds of religious works - or maybe we’re really understanding how far we fall short and how hopeless our situation really is - or we’re just carrying around a ton of guilt and inability to realize God’s forgiveness - slow down and read these verses again slowly for yourself.

Jesus is the head of the body, the church - preeminent - because He is God who has reconciled us - by His work on our behalf - that we might indeed be His body - the church - now and forever.

Headship for Jesus is positional. Headship for us is relational.  If He is our head - if we are trusting God for what He has done for us in Jesus -  then we are reconciled to God.  We have peace with God.  Hold onto the truth of what God has done for you. 

What comes next - going on to verse 21 - is Paul describing the practical reality of what it means for us to live in the truth about Jesus.  Paul describing The Position of the Believer in Jesus

Let’s read these together:  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

There is a lot in there.  Yes?  Still hanging on?  Let’s walk through this together.

Paul writes that we were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds  Which is not good.

Alienated means that we don’t belong with God.  We belonged with Satan - under his dominion - Satan’s control.  Bound to his darkness and depravity and death and ultimate eternal damnation.

Hostile in mind means that whatever were thinking it was contrary - even hateful to God.

Doing evil deeds means… doing evil deeds.

That is a description of those who are isolated from God - enemies of God at the heart level.  What it means to live based by a truth that has really really really messed us up.

But notice what Paul writes at the beginning of verse 21.  All that describes who we “once were.”  Which - praise God - is not how God looks at us as we now are.

But God - Paul writes - verse 22 - God has now reconciled - us -  in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Who reconciled us?  God.  How did God reconcile us?  Jesus - fully man - fully God - in our place on the cross.  Why?  In order to present us…

First:  Holy - meaning pure - cleaned up and wholly God’s.  In Jesus - when God looks at us He sees what’s His.  His child.  His servant.  His beloved.

Second:  Blameless - meaning without fault - without blemish.  Meaning in Jesus we have been made able to come before God - to enter into His very presence.

Third:  Above Reproach - meaning no charge against will stick.

Its what Paul writes in Romans 8:33:  “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.”

Someone can make all the accusations against us they want.  Satan will.  Trying to put all kinds of doubts in our heads.  To guilt us on stuff God has forgiven us for.  We can play all these mental mind games with ourselves.  Are we really reconciled to God?  Is this really true?  But it is God who has done this for us in Jesus.

One more time.  We need this to sink in.  God by His grace - not because we deserve it or could ever hope to earn it - when we take God at the truth of His word - by faith trusting that God really is gracious - that everything we need done for us to make us right with God and to save us from His deserved wrath - Jesus’ work on our behalf on the cross - when by faith we throw ourselves on God’s grace and mercy - God right then and there God declares us - counts us as justified - just as if I’d never sinned - righteous - forgiven - holy - blameless - above reproach - justified by faith because God is gracious.

Good stuff.  Yes?

Paul goes on - verse 23:  if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

We need to be careful here.  “If indeed” is not about our salvation.  As if “if indeed” we can undo what God has chosen to do.

Paul’s “if indeed” is about our remaining in the place of God’s blessing - of God’s forgiveness.  Clinging to the hope that’s ours in Jesus.  The truth that we’ve heard.  The reality of the gospel.

“If indeed” is a choice we make each day - to live based on the truth about Jesus - who we are in Him.  Stable and steadfastly continuing in our faith - not shifting - or moving off in another direction - following after some other “truth” or worldview - putting our trust in something or someone else besides Jesus.

Years ago I heard about a man who was suffering from a tickling in his throat - a buzzing in his ears - and occasional dizzy spells.  So he went to see his doctor.  Who examined him and discovered that his tonsils were highly infected and that was effecting his whole body.  So the man had his  tonsils out.

Which wasn’t too big a deal.  The man enjoyed the ice cream.  It didn’t take too long until he had recovered from the surgery.

But he still had a tickling in his throat - a buzzing in his ears - and occasional dizzy spells.   

So they called in a second opinion - a specialist - who traced it down to his appendix.  So the man had his appendix out.  Which wasn’t too big a deal with the way they do surgeries these days.  After a couple of days in the hospital he was back home again.  He had to be careful about lifting heavy weights.  But it wasn’t too long and he was feeling pretty good. 

Except that he did have a tickling in his throat - a buzzing in his ears - and those occasional dizzy spells.

Well, after further consultation they decided it was his teeth.  So he had all his teeth out.  That was a little more intense.  But he didn’t take too long to get over that and he was amazed how well he could get on with implants.  So he was doing pretty good.

But, he had to admit in spite of all that, he still had a tickling in his throat - a buzzing in his ears - and those occasional dizzy spells.

Well, the doctors didn’t know what to do.  They thought, well, maybe its stress related.  So they suggested a long vacation.  The man liked the idea. 

So he headed off to Jamaica.  Spent about a month on the beach resting and working on his tan.  While he was there he went into one of those touristy shops that sells really nice clothes and told the man that he’d like to buy a shirt.

So the salesman asked, “What size neck?”  And he said, “14½.” 

The salesman looked at him a bit and said, “Excuse me sir.  Do you mind me suggesting that you would probably feel more comfortable with a 16?”

The man was very indignant.  He said, “I’ve been buying my shirts all my life.  And I think I have a pretty good idea of what size shirt I wear.

The salesman said, “Pardon me sir.  I didn’t want to offend you.  I mean - I’m prepared to sell you any size shirt.  That’s my business - sell shirts - whatever the size.  But, I would suggest that if you wear a 14½ when you should be wearing a 16.  It’s just possible that you might have a tickling in your throat - a buzzing in your ears - and just occasional fits of dizziness.” (3)

That’s exactly what happens in the world today.  In every phase of life we’re confronted with momentous problems - and the root of it all is our sin.  And human beings come up with every kind of solution for the human dilemma.  Politically - economically - psychiatrically - philosophically - but never coming to the conclusion that God knows to be the only final remedy for the human situation.

God has given us the solution in Jesus.  That’s the truth about Jesus.  Preeminent in creation - in redemption.  He is all we need.  Period.  Paul’s “position of the believer in Jesus” application is “Continue in the faith” - “Cling to Jesus.” 

____________________________________

1. See Edward John Carnell, “An Introduction to Christian Apologetics”, Eerdmans, 1948 - part 2, chapter 3:  “The Problem of Truth” 

2. Daily Bread, August 8, 1990

3. I believe the original version of this was shared by Major Ian Thomas - “Trying to Live a Life You Don’t Have” - Hume Lake, 08.23.92)