Sermon Central
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Jesus - Creator And Redeemer
Contributed by Brady Boyd on Aug 16, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: The central figure, the center piece of the entire Bible is Jesus! Paul is evoking the language of Genesis – the story of creation. Jesus was present, then and now!
Jesus – Creator and Redeemer
August 19, 2018
This letter is full of epic and evocative language and is one of Paul’s shortest.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
This is called the Christ Hymn
V.15 “he is” Greek - Who is Jesus?
He is the image of the invisible God
The central figure, the center piece of the entire Bible is Jesus!
Paul is evoking the language of Genesis – the story of creation. Jesus was present, then and now!
Exodus 3:5-6 NIV
"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”
Once we could not look at God and survive, now we can see God, so we can survive!
Once, our sin caused us to hide from a God who wanted to walk with us.
God is not hiding from us. God has come to us, lived among us, spoken to us, and now wants to walk with us again.
Jesus was born from a woman.
He knew hunger.
He suffered pain.
He was rejected by his friends.
He was falsely accused.
He was misunderstood.
He felt pressure to be someone different.
He died innocent.
There is not one human emotion or condition that Jesus did not encounter.
Jesus has overcome, so we can overcome!
He is head of the church
• Church – “Assembly” or “the gathering of frail human beings”
• The first stories in Scripture are God forming a group of people who will be completely devoted to Him and live in a sacred community ultimately becoming a light for the Gentiles.
The church reveals to the world what would be possible if Jesus was Lord over all creation.
• The Holy Spirit was sent to the church to form us in the image of Jesus.
• All the stories we get about Jesus are from churches!
Paul never considered the privatization of our faith as sustainable.
The church is a gathering of people where the Holy is present, Jesus is worshipped, and the Father is discovered.
The story of redemption did not end with the cross, it began with the cross.
Jesus is redeeming us through his church.
The Table:
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
Christ has come as creator and redeemer!
