Colossians: God's Final Answer to Political Correctness

“Political Correctness” = language, ideas, policies, and behavior that seeks to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational,
gender, racial, sexual-orientation, disability, and age-related contexts.

1. ( v. 15 ), “And He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.”
a. What people think of Christianity is often determined by how they view Jesus…
1) Harsh & autocratic king = cruel, ready to snuff us out! Or grandfatherly = get away with anything. Or, leader of a liberation theology movement = release of the word's down-trodden from political & economic oppression. Or, a cosmic Monty Hall = ready to give us all we desire.
2) ( Jn. 1:18 ), “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explain him.”
3) Thus, it is through Jesus that we understand how God feels about all that is in the world around us (sin, pain, loss, marriage, government, etc.)!
4) ( Jn. 14:8-9 ), “Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, “Show us the Father”?'”

b. Does “first-born” mean “born first” (i.e., in time), or does it mean something else?
1) There are some groups who believe that Jesus was created first by God and
then He created everything else.
2) Yet “first-born” can also mean “the preeminent one” (or Supreme One).
a) ( Psa. 89:20, 27 ), “I have found David My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him… I also shall make him My first-born , the highest of the kings of the earth.”
b) So in the same way David was greater than all other kings, Jesus is
greater than the entire creation.
3) Since Jesus is preeminent over all the creation He must also be supreme in our lives!

c. So while it may not be Politically Correct to tell people that Jesus is supreme over His creation – and thus desires to be supreme in our lives as well – BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!



2. He is also Creator, ( v. 16 ), “For by Him all things were created, in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him.”
a. Clearly, one reason why Jesus should be seen as supreme is because He is also the Creator!
1) ( Quote Gen. 1:1 ), “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
2) We cannot believe in both a natural & supernatural creation.
3) So before Jesus the carpenter made stools, Jesus the Creator made stars. Before Jesus fashioned plows, Jesus the Creator fashioned planets.

b. It may not be Politically Correct to tell people that Jesus is the Creator of everything – and thus desires to re-create our lives – BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

B. The Eternal, Cohesive God, (v. 17)

1. ( v. 17 ), “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
a. In our Sunday morning class we are talking about the Holy Spirit.
1) We've seen that whatever possesses the attributes of deity, is God.
2) Clearly one of the attributes of deity is that He is eternal (i.e., has always existed)!
3) ( Jn. 1:1 ), “In the beginning was [past tense] the word.” Therefore when time began (i.e. “in the beginning” ) Jesus already “was.”
b. Not only did He create all things and is before all things, He also has the power to hold it all together.
1) ( Heb. 1:3 ), He upholds all things by the word of His power.”
2) “Strong forces” = It is what holds the nucleus (protons & neutrons) together!
3) To see how strong this force is, notice how much energy is released when atom is split (e.g. Hiroshima, Nagasaki)!!!
4) If He can hold everything together then guess what happens when He turns is loose? ( II Pt. 3:10 ), “The day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will melt with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

c. It may not be Politically Correct to tell people that Jesus can hold their lives and marriages, etc. together – BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

C. The Authoritative, Reconciling God, (vs. 18-20)

1. ( v. 18a ), “ He is also the head of the body, the church.”
a. The apostle Paul frequently uses the physical body to illustrate the spiritual nature of the church.
1) Like a body, the church has many parts, ( I Cor. 12:14 ), “For the body is not one member but many.”
2) Not all the parts have the same function, ( I Cor. 12:15 ), “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,' it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.”
3) But how do all the various parts with their various functions work together?
a) The answer: “Jesus is the head!”
b) So He is the only One who we should listen to in matters of faith and doctrine!

2. He confirms His authority, ( Matt. 28:18 ), “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
a. Since He has that kind of authority, He must come first in all areas of a person's life!
1) In all of our relationships, ( Matt. 10:37 ), “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
2) In every aspect of our lifestyle, ( Matt. 10:38 ), “He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

3. It may not be Politically Correct to tell people that Jesus desires to have all authority in our lives – BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

CONCLUSIONS:

1. TO MEMBERS: Jesus is the supreme God who created all things! He is the eternal God who keeps everything together. He is the authoritative God who is the one in charge of His church!

a. To believe that Jesus is anything less than these is to believe in a lesser Jesus! This neither honors or glorifies Him!!!
1) We can choose to be P.C. and offend God, ( Gal. 1:10 ), “Am I seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a
bond-servant of Christ.”
2) Or we can choose to please God, which may offend man, ( Matt. 15:12-13 ), “The disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do you know the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?' Jesus said, ‘Leave them, they are blind guides of the blind.'”


2. TO GUESTS: ( v. 20 ), “…and through Him [Jesus] to reconcile all things to Himself [the Father], having made peace through the blood....”
a. “Reconcile” = to be brought back into a right relationship. Jesus death on the cross is the only means for that to be done!
b. If we are not in a right relationship with God, then we are not at peace but rather at war with God!!!
– Acts 2:36-41 , “‘Therefore let all the ?? house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and ?? Christ—this Jesus ?? whom you crucified.'  Now when they heard this , they were ??pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘??Brethren, ????what shall we do?'
 Peter said to them, ‘??Repent, and each of you be ??baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For ??the promise is for you and your children and for all who are ??far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.' And with many other words he solemnly ??testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “?'Be saved from this ??perverse generation!' So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that
day there were added about three thousand ????souls.”