This Sermon From Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection
Used By Permission © 2010 www.ARLC.org
Introduction
Would you take God's precious Holy Word, and open to the Book of Colossians chapter 1, tonight. We're going to have a good time in the Word tonight, because we're just going to brag on Jesus. I begin reading, in Colossians chapter 1. I begin in verse 9: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 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. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Colossians 1:9-20). And then, in chapter 2 and verse 3, it says, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
Tonight, I want to help you to discover the treasure that you have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many years ago, the Spanish Armada was sailing off the coast of Florida. A hurricane struck, and those ships that were laden with millions of dollars in gold and silver lingots went to the bottom, in shallow water. People knew the treasure had been lost, but they didn't know where the ships had gone down. One ship went down near Vero Beach, in Fort Pierce, there in Florida.
Many times, I've been in that water there by the Sebastian Inlet, and other places. Many times, I've been in that water, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, spear fishing— right around that area—but I didn't come up with any millions. I didn't come up with any silver or any gold. The ships were there in shallow water. Fisherman, doubtless, fished over that spot sometimes. They would hang a hook, perhaps, on a lump of gold, and curse their luck, because they had hung a hook down beneath the water on something they could not see.
Then one day, some explorers said, “The ship must be here.” They went out, and they made the surveys; they tested, and they went under. And, there it was, in shallow water—so shallow that any of us who could swim normally could have gone to the bottom. They brought up millions of dollars. There it was, but they didn't know it was there.
I believe, tonight, that many of us are yet to discover the full treasure we have in Jesus Christ. Oh, dear friend, in Him—in Jesus Christ—“are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Think of that—all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And it's all in Jesus.
Now, how can those treasures be yours? Well, there's a key verse, and I want you to see that key verse. It's chapter 1 and verse 18—look at it: “And he—that is, Jesus—is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;— now here's the key phrase, watch it—that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). I want to talk to you tonight about recognizing God's eternal plan: that in all things Jesus may have the preeminence.
I. The Sovereign Determination of His Preeminence
Now, the very first thing I want you to see is what I'm going to call the sovereign determination of His preeminence. I read verse 18. Look, if you will, in verse 19: “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (Colossians 1:19). What does that mean? It pleased the Father, that in all things—verse 18—Jesus should have preeminence, for it pleased the Father that in Him—in his Son—should all fullness dwell (Colossians 1:18–19). There is a confusion of Scripture here.
Dear friend, when you understand that—listen—you are going to unlock the key to the mystery of history, and to all eternity. God has one eternal plan—just one—and it is that his Son, the Lord Jesus, will have the preeminence. Understand that: “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (Colossians 1:19). And, Paul is going to tell us, in Colossians, that this is a part of the vast eternal plan of God. It is the purpose of history.
Why did God send the Holy Spirit? That Jesus might have the preeminence. Jesus said, “When he…is come…he [will] not speak of himself…he [will] glorify me.” (John 16:13–14). The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ. And, incidentally, folks, you beware of any so-called Christian movement that has the Holy Spirit for a figurehead. The Holy Spirit—very God of very God—has, as His office work, to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Why, the final judgment—even the final judgment—is that in all things Jesus will the preeminence. Why? Listen—God is going to judge the world. Why? “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
(Philippians 2:11).
Now, listen—if you want to get in on what God is doing, if you want to understand what God is up to, if you want to bring your life in line with almighty God, then make it the purpose of your heart and of your life that God's purpose will be your purpose, that Jesus will have the preeminence. Now, my dear friend, you can never know the fullness of God in your life until the one single aim of your life is that Christ, and Christ alone, will be exalted.
S. B. Gordon was a great preacher. He said, “In every heart there is the throne.” He said, “When self in on that throne, Christ is on the cross. But,” he said, “when self is on the cross, Christ is on the throne.” Now, I want to ask you a question. In your heart, right now, more than anything else, is Jesus Christ preeminent? I want to tell you something, and I want you to hear it, and hear it well: Jesus Christ is not looking for a place in your life; He doesn't want a place in your life. Jesus Christ is not looking for prominence in your life; He does not want prominence in your life. Jesus Christ deserves and demands preeminence in your life. Jesus Christ is not someone that you can tack onto your life. Jesus Christ doesn't want to be the spare tire, dear friend; He's the steering wheel. Jesus Christ is to be Lord of your life. “It pleased the Father”—it pleased the Father—“that in him should all fullness dwell” (Colossians 1:19).
And so, the very first thing that I want you to understand, if you would discover your treasure, is the sovereign determination of His preeminence. This is the mystery of history. All that God is doing is that His Son might have the preeminence.
II. The Sweeping Dimension of His Preeminence
Now, the second thing I want you to understand is what I am going to call the sweeping dimension of His preeminence. What should He be preeminent in? Well, look again, if you will, in verse 18—it says, “that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). In all things.
A. He is Preeminent in the Revelation of the Father
He is to be preeminent in the revelation of the Father. For example, see in verse 15. Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He is preeminent in revelation. Dear friend, God is unseeable; God is unknowable; and, God is unapproachable, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. You will never know God, apart from the preeminence of Christ. You cannot know God through reason. You cannot know God through religion. You cannot know God through ritual. The only way that you can know God is through Jesus Christ. The preeminent Christ has a monopoly on the revelation of God.
I want you to listen to this marvelous verse, in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 27— Jesus Christ said, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). The only way—the only way— you can know God is for the Son to reveal Him to you. If you worship God any other way other than through Jesus Christ, you're worshipping an unknown God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). He has cornered the market on revelation, dear friend. He is preeminent in the revelation of the Father.
B. He is Preeminent in the Regulation of the Universe
Now, secondly, not only is He preeminent in the revelation of the Father—verse 15; but He is preeminent in the regulation of the universe—verse 16: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16). Jesus Christ is preeminent, dear friend, in the regulation of the universe.
1. He is the Power of Creation
Jesus is the power of creation. It was all done by Him. Who created this vast, mighty world? Who was it that flung out the stars? Who was it that scooped out the seas? Who was it that heaped up the mountains? Who is it that paints the rainbow? Who is it, dear friend, that sculpts the mountains? Who is it? It is Jesus Christ.
And, I want to tell you, that little baby of Matthew chapter 1 is the mighty God of Genesis 1. There was not one blade of grass made, not one grain of sand created, without the Lord Jesus Christ. And, when Jesus Christ came into this world as a little baby on the breast of His mother, He was the One who had already created His mother. And, when He was born, He was older than His mother, and as old as His Father. Jesus Christ spoke, and it stood fast.
There are some, today, who try to tell us that they believe in evolution. I spoke to a seminary president the other day, who told me that he did not believe in Adam and Eve as literal persons. He did not believe that this world came about as a direct creation of God. He believed, rather, that it all came about by some evolutionary process.
Well, dear friend, if that is true, you've got three problems. Number one, you've got a problem with the Bible—with the Scriptures—for the Bible tells us that, “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). And, if this book is not sufficient to tell me where I came from, it's not sufficient to tell me where I'm going, dear friend. If it's wrong about the origin of the species, it's wrong about the destiny, also. And, I thank God for the Bible that tells me, “whence I came, and whither I go” (John 8:14).
I'll tell you something else—dear friend—if I don't understand that Jesus made it all, then not only am I going to have problem with the Scripture, but I'm going to have a problem with salvation. You see, if man just simply evolved, if there was no Garden of Eden, if there was no fall in the Garden of Eden, if we are not by nature sinners, if we're just evolving onward and upward, then we don't need to be saved; we don't need to be born again. But, the Bible says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). And, if Genesis 3is a myth, John 3is a farce. We don't need to be born again.
But, not only will you have a problem with the Scriptures, and not only will you have a problem with salvation, but you're going to have a problem with society. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You teach people that they came from animals, and before long, they're going to be living like animals. And, that is what is wrong with us today, right where we are.
2. He is the Preserver of Creation
Jesus Christ is the power of creation. Not only is He the power of creation, but He is the preserver of creation. Look in verse 17: “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17). Jesus Christ holds it together. Jesus is the glue of the galaxies. Jesus Christ is the One who regulates the universe. Jesus Christ is the One who fuels the sun, so that it can burn. Jesus Christ is the One who veils the moon with beauty. Jesus Christ is the One who guides the stars and the planets in their mighty orbits. The scientist talks about natural law. There is no natural law; it is the law of God. Jesus is the One who regulates the universe. He is preeminent in the revelation of the Father. He is preeminent in the regulation of the universe.
3. He is the Purpose of Creation
Not only is He the power of creation; not only is He the preserver of creation; but, dear friend, He is the purpose of creation. Look again, in the last part of verse 16: “All things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16). You want me to tell you why this mighty universe? Because of Jesus. Did you think it was made for you? Dear friend, it was made by Him; it was made for Him—and that word for is a preposition, and it means, “movement toward an object.” It means that this universe is coming to Him. It was made for Him, and it is coming to Him. People say, “What’s the world coming to?” I'll tell you, my dear friend: It is coming to Jesus. It is all for Him, and life would be meaningless, if you didn’t understand the purpose for creation. Why, it's all here.
Jesus is preeminent. He is preeminent in the revelation of the Father. You cannot know God unless you know Him who is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is preeminent in the regulation of the universe. He is the power, He is the preserver, and He is the purpose of creation.
C. He is Preeminent in the Reconciliation of the World
I'll tell you thirdly, dear friend, He is preeminent of the reconciliation of the world. Continue to read in verse 18: “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. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Colossians 1:18–20). Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross.
I want to say with all of the emphasis of my soul; I want to underscore it; I want to put an exclamation point behind it; and, I want you to hear me, dear friend: There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. He is preeminent in salvation. He made peace with the blood of his cross. And, my dear friend, if you tell me there's some other way to get to Heaven apart from Jesus Christ, then I will tell you that you are a heretic. There is no way apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a matter of fact, if there is some other way other than Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ is none of the ways at all. If there's some other way apart from Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ is a fake, a fraud, a liar, and a deceit. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). If there's another way other than Jesus, then the apostles are false witnesses. For the Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
And, I'll tell you something else, dear friend: If there's another way other than Jesus Christ, then I lose my respect for the One who is called God—and I'll tell you why. If God allowed His darling Son to die in agony and blood upon that cross, when there was some other way, then God should have taken it. I mean, dear friend, if God allowed His Son to die that agonizing, excruciating, death, and there was some other way, I'd hate to meet that God in a dark alley.
I'm telling you something, dear friend: that Jesus Christ is preeminent. He is preeminent in the revelation of the Father. He is preeminent in the regulation of the universe. He is preeminent in the reconciliation of the sinner. And, he made peace by the blood of his cross. What a Savior we have! There's none like the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for the Lord Jesus!
III. The Sacred Demands of His Preeminence
Now, I've talked about the sovereign determination of His preeminence—“It pleased the Father” (Colossians 1:19); I have talked about the sweeping dimensions of His preeminence—“that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18); now, thirdly, I want to talk to you about the sacred demands of His preeminence. What does this mean to me? What does it mean to you? Well, it means—dear friend—that in my heart and in my life He must have the preeminence.
A. His Deity Demands It
There are two things that demand that Jesus have first place in my life—number one, His deity. And, verse 18 says, “And he is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). Now, Jesus Christ is God, and He is head. He is King, and, therefore, He has a right to demand of me His preeminence. Because of His deity, He is God. This is not some Baptist preacher; it is God who speaks. There can be no rival. There can be no refusal. There can be no rebuttal. Christ is God, and because of that— because of His deity—He demands preeminence.
B. His Death Demands It
But, not only because of His deity, but because of His death. Verse 20 says, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). When you put verse 18 through 20 together, then you understand why I must bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Number one, He is God, and He died for me. Number two, because of His deity, and because of His death.
Love so amazing, [and] so divine
[He] demands my soul, my life, [and] my all. (Isaac Watts)
Paul was talking to the carnal Corinthians. They had forgotten the preeminence of Christ. And, Paul told them, in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). O friend, He bought you; He bought me, and I have no right to my life. I must turn it over to Him completely. This is the sacred demands of His preeminence.
C. What Does That Mean to Me?
Now, how is that going to work out in my life? If Jesus Christ is Lord—and He is; if he died for me—and He did; if God has determined that in all things Jesus Christ should have the preeminence, then what does that mean to me? May I suggest several things that it means to me, and, God help us, that it ought to mean to all of us?
1. Give Him the First Thought of the Day
Number one, if Christ is on the throne of my life, if Christ is to have preeminence, then what does that mean? Well, that means, He comes first. That means, I must give Him the first thought of the day. Psalm 5:3 says, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up”
(Psalm 5:3). Is the first thought in the morning of the Lord? It ought to be. So many
times I like to open my eyes and just greet the Lord.
Every morning lean thine arms awhile
Upon the windowsill of Heaven
And gaze upon thy Lord;
Then, with vision in thy heart,
Turn strong to meet the day. (Author unknown)
2. Give Him the First Day of the Week
Give Him the first thought in the morning. Give Him the first day of the week. I told you, this morning, it is not the Sabbath; it is the Lord's Day. It belongs to Him. Acts chapter 20 and verse 7: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them” (Acts 20:7). First Corinthians 16, verse 2, says, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2). O friend, give Him the Lord's Day. Don’t just give Him Sunday morning or Sunday evening. Give Him all day Sunday.
What should a Christian do on Sunday? What kind of recreation? What kind of sports? What kind of visiting? What kind of business should a Christian do? The New Testament does not lay down rules. It is not the Old Testament Sabbath; it is the Lord's Day. But, dear friend, it is the Lord's Day. I'm not going to make any rules for you, but I tell you what you must do. You must bow and give this day to Jesus Christ.
3. Give Him the First Fruits of Your Income
Give Him the first thoughts in the morning. Give Him the first day of the week. Give Him the first fruits of your income. Proverbs chapter 3, verses 9 and 10, say, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9–10). You don't pay all of the rest of your bills—the mortgage, and all of the rest of it— and then see what you have left for God. My dear friend, are you listening to me? You take God's tithe off the top, and give it to God. No, I take it back: Pay it to God. The tithe is the Lord's. It belongs to God. If you keep it, you rob God. You steal from God. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.”
You say, “Well, if I did that, I couldn’t pay my bills.” Bless God, if you do that, then you can pay your bills. That's what he's saying. Proverbs 3:10 says, “So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Proverbs 3:10).
That's the reason He said, in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
4. Give Him the First Consideration in Any Decision
Give Him the first thought in the morning; give Him the first day of the week; give Him the first fruit of your income; and, give Him, dear friend, give Him the first consideration in any decision. Second Corinthians 8:5 says, “But first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). Just give him all—ALL—give it all to Jesus.
Conclusion
A man who loved Jesus with all of his heart was getting ready to propose to his girlfriend, and this is what he said to her—he said, “I love you deeply, and I want to ask you a question. Are you willing to take second place in my heart?” She said, “Yes, I am.” And, they were married. I want to tell any woman here that the best thing you could ever do would be to marry a man who loves Jesus more than he loves you, because he'll love you in a way that he could never have loved you before.
I say it, and I mean it: that Jesus Christ deserves and demands preeminence. And, when you begin to give Him preeminence, then you're going to find the treasure that is hid in the Lord Jesus.
I want every head bowed, every eye closed, and I want to ask you this question— solemnly ask this question: Is Jesus Christ preeminent in your life? I'm not asking, Does He have a place? I'm not asking, Do you intellectually believe in Him? I am asking, Is He totally and completely the Lord in your life? Are you willing to first give yourself to Him? Are you willing to give Him the first thought in the day? Are you willing to give Him the first day of the week? Are you willing to give Him the first fruit of your income? Are you willing to give Him the first consideration in any decision—to say, “He is Lord, and there is no refusal, no rebuttal—He is Lord?”
