The Christ of the Gospel | Resources
Sermon Text: Colossians 1:15–20
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (CSB)
Devotional
I haven’t always accepted it, but for as long as I can remember, I have been addicted to a desire for control. Even now, all I can do is sit here, typing, deleting, retyping, and deleting because I can’t seem to block out the pre-dinner racket going on upstairs as my husband valiantly tries to make dinner and parent at the same time.
As I write these words, the control addict inside me claws at the lockbox in the back of my mind, desperate to be unleashed to reclaim her seat on the throne. She coos justifications in my ears. All she wants is to be present with her kids, stop their squabbling, do what she loves in peace, and make dinner way faster and tastier while following up on texts from friends and family needing her counsel. “Is that so wrong?” She whispers. My heart races with anxiety because, bottom line, my flesh (also known as my innate sinful desire) tells me things are better when I am queen.
You see, in our house, we describe this desire for control as acting like the king or queen of the universe. This is usually followed by a discussion about who is in charge. We talk about how mommy and daddy are in charge of our children, and God is in charge of mommy and daddy. However, last week, I was disciplining one child when the conversation took an unexpected turn:
“Who is in charge?” I asked.
“God?”
I smiled, “You’re right, technically, but who is in charge of you?”
The child sniffled and answered, “Jesus.”
I stifled a chuckle. This kid clearly paid attention in Sunday School, but it wasn’t the answer I was looking for. “Yes, that’s true, but who is in charge of you here on Earth?”
Then, two little eyes, brimming with tears, looked up at me with conviction, and I got my final answer, “The Holy Spirit.”
My heart broke. Here I was, feeding into my flesh, waiting for my child to recite what I preached in our home — Mommy is in charge! Boy, was I wrong.
Discussion Questions
1. In this passage, what does Paul tell us about Jesus that makes him worthy of our worship?
2. What does it mean that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God”? Why is this so significant?
3. Why should Jesus have first place in our lives?
4. What does this text teach us about the gospel?
5. In light of this text, what does it look like to obey the prompting of the Spirit this week?
Memory Verse
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:15–16 (CSB)