Is Christ First In Your Life? Series

Is Christ First in Your Life?

Col. 1:15-23

I. 4 Reasons that Christ is first in the world

A. He is head (first) over all creation.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17He existed before everything else began and he holds all creation together. Col 1:15-17 (NLT)

B. He is the head (first) of the church.

Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. 19For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, Col 1:18-19 (NLT)

C. He has reconciled all in creation.

and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. 1 Cor 1:20

D. He has reconciled all in the Church.

This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it. Col. 1:21-23 (NLT)

II. 5 ways we can put Christ first in our lives.

A. We were created to Celebrate God (Worship)

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.” Rev. 4:11 (NLT)

B. We were created to connect with others. (Fellowship)

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. Eph. 1:5 (NLT)

And it was only right that God—who made everything and for whom everything was made—should bring his many children into glory. Heb. 2:10a (NLT)

C. We were created for growing in Christ. (Discipleship)

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. Rom 8:29 Msg

D. We were created for serving others. (Ministry)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Eph. 2:10 (NLT)

E. We were created to reach out. (Evangelism)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matt. 28:19-20 (NKJV)

Lord. Today I pray that you will help me to put you first in every part of my life. I also ask that you will constantly remind me of your love and plan for my life. Amen.