Today, I want to speak to you about “How Do I Keep from Getting Down.”
We are moving verse by verse and sentence by sentence through the New Testament letter of Colossians together. Here are some key background facts to better understand Colossians. You can move through the four chapters of this little letter in around five minutes or less. I encourage you to set aside about ten minutes or so to read through Colossians at least twice. As we are sheltering in place, God help us if we only binge watch TV. Let’s aim to use this time to study God’s Word together.
Background Facts to Colossians
Paul is likely in Rome under house arrest when he writes the letter to the Christians at Colossae (Acts 28:30-31). How do we know Paul is in prison? In Colossians 4:10, Paul speaks about a fellow prisoner. The last verse of the letter says this: “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you” (Colossians 4:18).
Paul has never met the believers in Colossae face to face (Colossians 2:1). This letter was written around 60 AD, so it’s been around 30 years since Jesus has died and resurrected. This is among the last of letters as he will die in around 3-4 years after writing Colossians. The first Christians who read this letter were blue-collar people who worked for a living.
Today’s Scripture (Passage Read Before Sermon)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Colossians 1:15-23).
Keep Colossians 1 open before you, will you?
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You’ve just heard the most famous passage of the book of Colossians. The text is deep and I cannot explore all of it in depth but I will happily touch the surface with you. I invite you to download the message notes to follow along with the message today alone with the communication card. I have some background notes on the book of Colossians there that you’ll want to see.
Today, I want to speak to you about “How Do I Keep from Getting Down.” Hold that question for a few moments because in order to help you, I need to introduce you to someone first.
1. He’s Someone You Can Trust
1.1 Religious Firehouse
Imagine you are a firemen – sounds like fun, right? All the trucks are washed, no one’s house is on fire and no one is need of medical attention. Your shift gathers for a meal around the table when someone brings up your religion. You had worked together with most of the guys for years and you knew that not everyone was religious but you were surprised to learn that one of the new guys was a Ladder Day Saint, or a Mormon. The day shift has a wide assortment of men from various background and rough personalities. The day shift included a Muslim as well as a Jehovah Witness alongside several people who didn’t practice any sort of faith. While you get along with everybody, the guys know you are serious about your Christian faith. When they ask you why you take Christianity so serious, you say something to the effect, “I am Christian because of Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life and died for my sins.” After a brief awkward silence, the Engineer is Muslim and offers his opinion first, “I think Jesus is a prophet like Abraham, Moses, or Isaiah. He is not God but he deserves our respect. Mohammed was also a prophet of God and he was God’s greatest prophet. I don’t believe Jesus died on the cross as God saved him from this terrible tragedy.” Some banter goes back and forth when the Mormon Newbie speaks up, “Jesus was the first born child of Elohim. He is our elder brother. If we are really good and follow the Church’s teaching, then we can become a son of God just as Jesus is a son of God.”
At this moment, you are wondering why you didn’t kept your mouth shut! Before the conversation moves on to another topic, the Jehovah Witness says his piece. “I believe Jesus is also known as archangel Michael. After God created the earth, Jesus shifted from the archangel to the ‘Jesus’ who know now. Jesus is god with a small ‘g’ if you will. Yes, he’s god but he’s not as powerful as the God.” One of the longest serving men of the crew who’s never cared much for religious concludes the discussion by saying, “This is why I don’t bother with religion. If you guys cannot make up your mind about Jesus then why should I bother?”
Larry King was famous for interviewing the biggest celebrities just a few decades ago. But King was interviewed on a New York City radio program was asked, “Larry, if you could meet God and ask Him one question, what would it be?” Larry King, who was a Jew, said, “Do you have a son?” Jesus Himself anticipated the confusion about His identity when He said, “Who do you say that I am” (Matthew 16:15)? Just who is Jesus?
If I were in the fire station talking to these men, here’s what I would want to share a little of Colossians 1.
Jesus is Someone You Can Trust.
1.2 The Image
I would begin by saying that: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). The Bible says God is Spirit and He is invisible to our eyes (John 4:24). Yet, the invisible God became visible in Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the exact image of the invisible God but He is also the visible image of the invisible God. What does that mean? It means Jesus is no “opening act” for God. Jesus is the very nature and character of God perfectly revealed.
I like the way Jesus Himself said it when He said, “When you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father” (John 14:9). “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…” (Hebrews 1:3a). Jesus makes the invisible become visible.
1.3 Firstborn
We need to know the Jesus Christ existed long before the first Christmas, the holidays that celebrates His birth. Let me show you why: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). The term “firstborn” troubles many of us here so let’s slow down a minute here, can we? Now, this word “firstborn” can either mean the eldest child or someone of preeminent rank. Jehovah’s Witnesses take this word to mean Jesus was born, or there was a time when Jesus did not exist.
Years before our time, a man named Arius, who was a popular preacher to the dockworkers of the ancient city of Alexandria, called Jesus a created being. So the word “firstborn” has created confusion for a long time. Does this mean Jesus is the eldest child in the earth’s family of humans? No, because you will want to note carefully the little word “for” at the beginning of verse 16: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created…” (Colossians 1:15-16a).
Jesus was never created because all things were created by Him! At His birth, He was older than His mother. In fact, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am’” (John 8:58). Abraham was approximately 1,500 years before Jesus.
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). Take careful note that your Bibles says Jesus is “before all things…” (Colossians 1:17a). The word “firstborn” means status or place. We would say, “He came in first place.” Jesus is the “firstborn” OVER all creation like President Donald Trump is the “firstborn” over the armed forces.
Listen to Psalm 89:27 speak of King David: “And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27). Note this is the same word here in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Now, we know David was NOT the first king of earth’s existence; he wasn’t even the first king in Israel’s existence.
We see this same word again in verse 18: “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:18). Jesus was not the first One to be raised from the dead. But He is the most important One to be raised! Because of Him, all other followers will be raised one day (1 Corinthians 15:20ff)! Without Him, there’s no resurrection for anyone else!
1.4 All Things Created
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
Everything was created by Him so He could NOT be created! Paul tells us that if you check the label of anything created, it won’t say, “Made in China.” No, it will ALL read the same, “Made by Jesus!”
It’s estimated there are 7.5 billion people alive on the planet today. Now, think with me about every person who has lived in world history for a moment. It’s thought there are approximately 15 dead people in our world’s history for every living person. You say, “That’s a lot of people,” and you are correct. In fact, experts estimate that by the year 2050, there will be approximately 113 billion people who have lived in world history. And every one of those 113 billion people who have possibly lived owe their existence to Him! Out of that 113 billion, only a handful of people have ever made any lasting impact on the world. And out of that handful, there is but one personality that stands head and shoulders, and towers, above all of the others — out of 113 billion. He is Jesus, the One and Only—the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friend, you would not be here if Jesus had not chosen to bring you into existence. He has created things no eye is capable of seeing!
1.5 The Glue of Creation
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).
Can you imagine what it sounds like to hear that Man who had just a few decades been crucified by Rome is the One who hold the very universe together?
Think of it: He never wrote a book; but more books have been written about Him than any man in history. He never painted a picture, so far as we know. He never wrote a poem or composed a song. Yet think of the art; think of the music; think of the literature; think of the sculptures; think of the pictures, the films, and the videos that have been done concerning this One person. Without him, electrons would not continue to circle nuclei, gravity would cease to work, the planets would not stay in their orbits.
Our world is an imperfect world by any measure. Everything that happens in our world, all of this happens because He permits it. If it were His desire, than all of this would suddenly disappear. If at any moment, Jesus was “fed up” or tired of everything, everything would vanish at His command. This is Jesus’ power but He doesn’t choose to eliminate us but instead, He chooses to use His power to “all things hold together.” Jesus is the glue that binds both the unseen world and the seen world together.
1.6 The Purpose of Creation
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
If you travel to India, you will see the Taj Mahal, coving 42 plus acres. This magnificent structure was built FOR the emperor’s wife of over 20 years in the early 1600s. She died after giving birth to the fourteenth child of the emperor and so he made her tomb of rare and beautiful semi-precious stones. Just like the Taj Mahal, all of the universe is dedicated to Christ’s honor. Life’s not about you or me, it’s about Him.
“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” (Colossians 1:19).
Jesus is NOT the “B side” of record like it was back in the day when the “hit song” was on the “a side” of the record while some no nothing song was on the backside of the record.
If you were medals to God for being God as you would athletes in the Olympic games, you would give a gold medal to God the Father, a silver to Jesus, the Son, and bronze to the Holy Spirit. No, the Son and the Spirit have just as much God inside them as the Father does. They all receive a gold medal because they are one God.
Look again at verse 18 with me: “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:18). Jesus is your boss, my boss, and the church’s boss. Jesus Christ outranks, He out-reaches, and He out-loves all others.
I find it ironic that when the experts around the same time of Jesus wrote their “histories” of what they considered significant in Jesus’ day, Jesus received only 1 measly mark. The historians of Jesus’ day barely mentioned Him at all! He has a name that is above every name. He is “preeminent” in anything and everything both in this life and the life to come.
1. He’s Someone You Can Trust
2. You’re Someone He Can Restore
You couldn’t be blamed if you forget our topic: “How Do I Keep from Getting Down.” The only way you and me can be lifted up is if Someone does this for us. Here’s why: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds…” (Colossians 1:21).
One of the most fundamental questions is, “What’s wrong with us?”
Perhaps the world’s most famous painting is The Mona Lisa. Located in the Louvre museum in Paris, France, more 8 million visitors a year admire Leonardo’s masterpiece. Anyone who has stood in front of the Mona Lisa may be surprised at the amount of security surrounding the painting and the distance at which viewers are kept. All of this despite the painting’s enormous protective casing. However, when you consider that this priceless painting has been stolen, damaged in an acid attack, had a rock thrown at it, and a cup of tea poured over its case… …perhaps it is more surprising that the Mona Lisa is on public display at all! Some of our world’s most valuable items are under incredible security. And yet, God has given opened the doors to His marvelous creation at the risks of all of us, vandals.
You, my friend, are a vandal in the midst of God’s security. Look what you’ve done to God’s museum, His creation and to His laws. The National History Museum in London recently replaced their rhino horns with fakes. This was done in response to an organized criminal gang steeling rhino horns in hopes turning them into powdered rhino horn of making a big profits. If museums in London and Paris lock up their valuables, yet God allows us to tear His world.
We are selfish, we are cruel, and we are unjust. The solution to all of acts of vandalism is in verse 22: “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him…” (Colossians 1:22).
Christ died for you to make you “blameless.” Christ died for you to make you “holy.” Christ died for you so that you would be “above reproach before him.”
You’re someone He can restore. The One who made every seed, every limb, every tree — He dies on a tree. The One who made the oceans and the fountains and the rivers and the streams said, “I thirst.” The One who flung that sun out into space was the One who’s blistered by the noonday sun.
Christ died for you to make you “blameless.” Christ died for you to make you “holy.” Christ died for you so that you would be “above reproach before him.”
His death and His deity are put together. Other people have died; but, friend, it’s His deity that makes His death meaningful. And it is His death that makes His deity knowable. The two are together. You can now be reconciled. Won’t you trust Jesus right now?
