Grow With Pastor Joe

I’m a control freak. So are you. This is why we are impatient when there is heavy traffic. It is why we get upset when we spill, drop, or break things. When the check engine light comes on and we get anxious or angry. One more thing. Great. Just my luck. Those are the things that run through our head. We all suffer from an imaginary sense of sovereignty. Our lives are lived as if we are the little god presiding over our day’s events and the calendar of our lives. We try to control everyone and everything except for ourselves. We try to control God by telling Him that things aren’t fair or that we don’t deserve whatever has landed in our lap. We seek to control our spouses, kids, bosses, friends, family, coworkers, pastors, mayors, governors, presidents, and we even try to control the gas prices with wishful thinking. Where does this get us? If we are honest, and I am trying to be; trying to keep control over our world is idolatry at its worst. At its best it is a tree that produces anxiety, agitation, and anger. We are terribly anxious and angry little gods that have no real control of anything. Are you encouraged yet?

            You and I should be. As we continue our study of Col. 1:18 which says, “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,” we should be relieved to see that there is someone other than ourselves and greater than ourselves who is the Preeminent One. We need rescuing from our reign of terror. The answer to life’s greatest struggles and practical Christianity is found in the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of our greatest problems is that we have a skewed view of Christ and ourselves. I believe that is precisely why we are the control freaks that we are. If we don’t understand our relationship with Christ, then our Christian walk is going to be a miserable one. The book of Colossians focuses on the preeminence of Christ as it exclaims, explains, and exalts the preeminence of Christ in the first two chapters while then showing the practical applications as we submit to His supremacy and are satisfied by His sufficiency. This great issue of His preeminence is not that we don’t understand what it means that He is preeminent; rather, the greater issue is that we lack the resolve to apply it in all portions of life. Everything in life comes down to relationships. First, there is our vertical relationship with God through Christ by the Spirit. Second, there is our horizontal relationships with everyone and everything around us. Each of those relationships flow from and to our relationship with Christ. Any relationship comes back to the theological concept of union and communion – or standing and state. The point is that those who are in Christ are in eternal union with Him and His church (all believers). Furthermore, that union enables us to live in communion (or fellowship) with Christ, the church, but as well our community. When I say community, I am not only thinking about your town, city, and county. Your community begins first and foremost with your home and the family unity. If we are to win our community to Christ, we must first have our hearts won to Him. We must have our home submitted to Him. Christ must be preeminent in our hearts and homes. He must be preeminent in His church. All relationships have responsibilities from both parties, but each relationship also comes with results. Our life is constantly being influenced and impacted by relationships. The horizontal relationships that we have within our home, church, and community all reflect the communion that we are either experiencing or neglecting with Christ. All of those relationships must come back to the preeminence of Christ. If my preeminent relationship which is vertical with Him is neglected or unhealthy, I will naturally be failing in my home, disconnected from my church family, and then be unbothered by the lostness in my community. Today, we will look once more at Col. 1:18 to see the relationship of His preeminence and the responsibility of His preeminence so that we can practically live under His preeminence.

            First, we must see the relationship of His preeminence. Notice that Christ is the “head of the body, the church.” That is our focus of the day. What does it mean that Christ is the head? The word “head” is the word “kephale” which means source, origin, head, or ruler. In the greater passage we see that Christ is the head of creation in that He made all things and maintains all things. Here, we see that Christ is the head of the new creation, the “body, the church.” The relationship of Christ and His church is critical to understand. The fact that Christ is the head means that there is no church without Christ. Everything is dependent upon His, determined by Him, and directed toward Him. The word “church” is the word “ekklesia” which means called out ones. The church is the supernatural organism (living body) made up of the saved, sealed, sanctified, and sustained in Christ. The point of this metaphor is to show what the relationship of His preeminence is in His church. Remember, Paul is writing to believers, those who are in Christ. This language is used to show us the union and communion that we have with and in Christ. If we are united to Him then we are united to His church because we are a part of His church. The Bible is filled with this sort of language to describe the relationship that God has with His redeemed people. I want to look at these different metaphors or illustrations that are used to show the relationship between Christ and His people for us to see the relationship of His preeminence through our union and communion with Him.

One, we see that Christ is the creator and we are the creation. Col. 1:14-17 covers this as well as John 1:1-5,10-18. These passages as well as many other references throughout the scripture show us that Christ is the head of creation in that He made all things and maintains all things; but we also see that He is the head of the new creation, the church made up of all the redeemed by grace through faith in Him. Furthermore, as His new creation, we are designed by Him and dependent upon Him for all things.  

Two, we see that Christ is the Good Shepherd and His people are His flock of sheep. In John 10:11-18 Jesus uses this metaphor to show the relationship of His preeminence. He is the shepherd, scratch that, He is the Good Shepherd who is present with His sheep, provides for them, and protects them through His sacrificial care. This is pictured of course in Psalm 23. He cares for His sheep deeply. He knows them and they know Him and they follow Him. This means that He preeminently leads them by loving them.

Three, we see that Christ is the Vine and we are the branches in John 15:1-10. The branches on the olive or grape vine do not have life in themselves. They cannot bear fruit by themselves. They cannot prune themselves to health. They need to be attached to the vine. In this case, the believer is a member of the greater body that must be attached to the Vine, who is Christ, by abiding in Him through faithful dependence and trust. True Christian fruitfulness comes from Christ’s faithfulness to His branches.

Four, we see that Christ is the Foundation and we are the building. 1 Cor. 3:6-23 shows us that believers who make up the building, the church, (also see Eph. 2:19-22) are founded on Christ the cornerstone of which everything in our Christian life and eternity for that matter is built upon. We are bought and built by Christ. His preeminence takes it upon Himself to build His church. The church is no brick-and-mortar building, but rather it is viewed as a building to demonstrate the togetherness and dependence upon being built on the right foundation. The church is a building illustrated to be a home or even a Temple of God’s presence. It is the foundation that is preeminent in house building or any construction work for that matter. Everything falls if the foundation is faulty.

Five, we see that Christ is the King and we are a peculiar people or nation in 1 Pet. 2:1-10. We are called “a holy nation.” As Christians in this world, each believer and the church at large is a nation within a nation. It is a “peculiar people” that is living as an exiled pilgrim looking for the coming King to usher in His true and better eternal Kingdom where sin will be abolished forever. We are naturally different and while we live under the laws of our nation, we are under the rule of the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords who views the nations as a drop in a bucket. He sets up kings, kingdoms, and He tears them down. Every nation, king, and empire will bow to Him. Just as a king is the representative of a people and is responsible for taking care of the citizens, we have Christ the King who is a perfect representative and is a good and gracious King to all that are His for He shares His riches of grace with us.

Six, we see that Christ is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. In the Old Testament, God used that illustration of His relationship with Israel in Isa. 54:5. Sadly, the nation’s fall into idolatry and immorality caused them to play the harlot as described by God in Jer. 3:1-6. In the New Testament, the illustration is used to show the union and communion of Christ and His Bride, the church. The preeminence of this relationship is seen in Eph. 5:21-33 as Paul writes instructions for husbands and wives while pointing the marriage relationship to the greater picture of Christ and His Bride, the church. God made marriage as the first institution in the Bible, and it is the foundational relationship for all of society. When Christ is not preeminent marriages crumble. When Christ is not preeminent husbands don’t love their wives as Christ loves His church and wives don’t submit to their representative head of the home as the church does Christ. This relationship is preeminent and preeminently based on union and communion through sacrificial love.

Seven, and lastly, we see that Christ is the Head and we are the Body in Col. 1:18. Christ is the head who governs, guides, guards, and gives all things that the Body needs to function. The head is the foundation of the body and the body forms and functions because of the head. Throughout the New Testament we see this illustration used to describe the relationship of His preeminence in such passages as Rom. 12:3-8 and 1 Cor. 12 which tells us that each believer is a member of the Body of Christ which has Christ as its Head. There is one body made up of many members all of which have purpose and value. There is one head who gives light, life, love, and leadership to the body, that is Christ Jesus. It isn’t a Pope. It’s not a priest or pastor. It is not a committee or anyone one else. Christ is the Head of the Body, the church.

The reason that I feel it necessary to briefly examine all of those illustrations is so that we may better understand the relationship of Christ’s preeminence before we briefly look at the responsibility of His preeminence. Notice that with every single one of these Biblical illustrations of this relationship, Christ has the preeminence. Everything has its source and origin in Him. Everything depends upon His life, love, and leadership. All of these pictures show us that it is Christ who constantly and eternally gives Himself to His people while lovingly governing, guiding, and guarding them throughout life by His grace, for their good, and His glory. All of these metaphors are used to show us the relationship of His preeminence so that we would see who He is, who we are, and then practically live under the blessings of His preeminence which include His providence, provision, and presence.

            Second, we must see the responsibility of His preeminence. As we stated earlier, each relationship demands and determines the responsibility of each party. Theologically, our union with Christ (and one another) demands and determines our communion with Him and one another. When it comes to the responsibility of His preeminence, we can rest assured that He lives up to His end. Christ is always the creator who sustains us. He is the Good Shepherd who gave and continues to give Himself for His sheep. Jesus is always the Vine that has all that is needed to abide in faith and abound in fruit. Christ remains the unchangeable Cornerstone of which all of life can and must be built upon. We are shaky when we build on anything else. He is still the good and gracious King over His people who promises a coming eternal Kingdom of rest and glory. Jesus is still the perfect Groom who sacrificially loves His Bride and leads her by His perfect word, work, and will. The Lord Jesus Christ is always the Head of the Body who governs, guides, and guards us throughout all of life. What about us? Are we living up to our responsibility? What is our responsibility? One, be saturated and surrendered to His word, work, and will. Those three things are how His preeminence is exercised. Two, be submitted to His preeminence in humble faith and obedience. Make Him preeminent in your head, heart, and home. Let your preferences die. Let the love of sin be slain. Let all other influence be crushed. Three, be satisfied in His preeminence as you rest in His supremacy and sufficiency for all of life. Having the illusion that you are in control will never satisfy you.            

As we bring this to a close, to sum this up, each believer, myself included, must come to the place where we see our need of Christ’s preeminence. We are terrible gods who have no real control of anything, and we make things worse by trying to sit on the throne that only He can fill. We must see our need not only of Christ, but as well as His church. When Christ is preeminent in our head, heart, and home, then Christ will be preeminent in His corporate Body, the church. When this happens, communities will be saved and transformed by a people who seek to know Christ and make Him known. Nothing more. Nothing less. No big production, just Christ preeminent in all things. We are most useful when we are united, but we are most united when we are under His preeminence. Is your head divided by the countless voices of influence? Block out the noise and hear from God through His word by His Spirit. Is your heart divided by temptation or preferences? Put your flesh to death and live near the shadow of the cross. Is your home divided? Unite under the preeminence of His word, work, and will. Watch what happens to your marriage, your children, and your legacy. Is your church divided? Come together in the unity that is in Christ Jesus by making Him preeminent. Oh, that the only thing that would matter when Christ’s church gathers would be Him, His grace, and glory! May we let the preeminence of Christ control our head, heart, and home. May the preeminence of Christ control our church and community.