Making Much Of Jesus! Series

“MAKING MUCH OF JESUS” Colossians 1:15-23

FBCF – 7/14/24

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Sermon today supposed to be entitled, “Our Eternal Savior” from Colossians 1:15-23.

- Overall theme of Colossians – The Superiority of Christ

- This passage puts the spotlight fully on Jesus Christ – on His superiority, His Supremacy, His divine nature, His eternal nature, God the Son who is coequal w/ God the Father & God the Spirit.

- These verses present Jesus Christ as Lord over all more clearly than any other passage in the NT.

- He’s the Supreme figure in history – the One by Whom “all things were created” (v. 16).

- He’s the Supreme Sustainer of creation b/c “in Him all things hold together” (v. 17).

- He is Supreme over the Church since “He is the Head of the Body, the Church” (v. 18).

- He is Sovereign over life & death as “firstborn from the dead” (v. 18), meaning that He was the first to be raised from the dead, promising that we who belong to Him will also be raised from the dead.

- He is the Sovereign King of kings & Lord of lords b/c “in Him ALL the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (v. 19). Love the MSG: “He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—He is supreme in the end. From beginning to end He’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding.”

- He is the Supreme Savior of the world b/c “through Him” God reconciled us to Himself & gave us “peace by the blood of His cross” (v. 20).

- Warren Wiersbe – Man came to see him b/c of marital problems. Not a well-educated man – sometimes got words confused. Said, “Pastor, me & my wife need a recancellation.” Meant to say “reconciliation.” But “recancellation” not a bad choice. There can’t be peace & a reunion of those fighting w/ each other until sin has been cancelled. As sinners before a righteous God, we need a “recancellation.” Our sins were cancelled on the cross. (The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2, p. 119).

All of this to say Jesus is perfect, He is powerful, He is preeminent, He is personal, & our purpose is to make much of Him in our personal lives & in our life together as a Church. So, let’s talk about “Making Much of JESUS.”

APPLICATION – “Making Much of JESUS” must be our purpose as Christ-followers & as a Church.

“Making Much of JESUS” – Our MISSION

- Shortly after I became your Pastor in March 2020, our staff began thinking about & praying about our true mission as a church – Settled on this simple phrase: “Making Much of JESUS”

- Overarching purpose as a Church

- Must permeate everything we do in every area of the ministry of our church

Our MISSION flows into our VISION

- “God, give us Flora!”

- Share the Gospel w/ EVERY person in Flora, MS

- Had Brian Crigler put this statement on back of my business card: “Impact the world from Flora, MS”

Our VISION moves us to our VALUES – What do we truly VALUE as a Church? Posed this question Wed night REFRESH group:

- Word of God

- Prayer

- The Gospel

- Pastor & staff

- Family – children’s ministry/youth ministry

- All people, no matter age, race, socioeconomic status, education, or family background – WHY? B/c Jesus values all people!

So, if we are truly going to make much of JESUS, we must:

DO WHAT JESUS DID

WWJD bracelets – the original Christian bracelet

- “What would Jesus do?”

What DID He do that we should do? Open Bibles to Gospel of Matthew.

- Matthew 4:23 – How do we DO those things?

- “teaching” – didasko – provide instruction – How do we do this as a church? DISCIPLESHIP

o 2 Timothy 2:2

- “proclaiming” or “preaching” – keryso – proclaim w/ the goal to persuade; to urge, warn – EVANGELISM

- “healing” – therapeuo – cure, be healed/cured – I’m not a cessationist. Believe that all the gifts are still in operation – So how do we DO what Jesus did in the area of healing? – physical – emotional - spiritual

o James 5:13-16

SAY WHAT JESUS SAID

His first sermon – Matthew 4:17 – “Repent”

- Turn from your sin & yourself & turn to God

What else did Jesus say?

- Talked a lot about the K’dom of God/Heaven

- Called out sin/hypocrisy

- Taught/trained/equipped His disciples

BE WITH WHO HE WAS WITH

His disciples – People like Him who loved Him & were wanting to serve Him & live for Him.