Giving God Preeminence
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Kirk Franklin several years ago wrote “The Reason Why We Sing”. Some of the words are Someone asked the question Why do we sing? When we lift our hands to Jesus What do we really mean? Someone may be wondering When we sing our song At times we're even crying And nothings even wrong. Someone else said When I think of the goodness of Jesus And all that he's done for me My soul cries out hallelujah. When you think of the preeminence of God and especially when He has preeminence in your life, you can’t help but cry out hallelujah and lift our hands in worship. Just the other day I was getting ready for bed and saying my prayers I was just stopped on Thank You Jesus because I was thinking of the preeminence of God in my life.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Colossians 1:12-18 says, “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. ”.
Definition: - Preeminence – Pre = before / Eminent = means high in station, rank, or reputation, and its noun form, eminence, refers to a position of superiority, high rank or status, or fame; therefore, Preeminence is the state of being extremely distinguished, outstanding, or superior to all others.
The Greek word Proteuo only appears in Colossians 1:18 it means to be first in rank and influence. It is most often translated preeminence but is also translated supremacy. Supreme is defined as "highest in rank or authority, highest in degree or quality" (Webster).
Paul uses this word to express the position of Christ in relationship to all things in heaven and on earth.
UNDERSTAND: - Although God is God the creator of all that is and all power in Heaven and Earth is in His hands, realize that he will never usurp His authority or position upon you, He will never forcefully acquire the position of being first, even though He requires it. He said in Exodus 20:3 the very first commandment “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” His requirement is to be first, to be preeminent, and supreme in our lives but He wants us to put Him there of our own free will. The ability, responsibility, and capability of God being preeminent lies within each and every one of us.
The reason we have trouble in letting God be supreme is so often we are wrapped up, tied up, and tangled up in this flesh and Paul lets us know in Romans 7:18 says, “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing.”
The flesh is not subject to God, the flesh is under control of the carnal mind. If the mind wants something it tells the flesh wouldn’t it be nice to have that, the flesh now gets the desire for it. That’s why the Bible says in Philippians 2:5 “Let the same mind that is in Christ Jesus be also in you”, because Jesus’s mind was to do the will of his father and his flesh was in subjection to his mind.
Since we have not brought this flesh under subjection we allow the desire, the wants, and the ambitions of the flesh to give its’ first allegiance to everything else but God.
Our nature and tendency is to indulge this flesh, to allow our profession, our social acceptance, our livelihood, our comforts, and our pleasures the opportunity to be satisfied. We spend so much time trying to ensure that we meet the right people, drive the right car, wear the right clothes, attend the right social functions, impress the right people, operate in the proper arenas so that the social elite of this world might take notice of us. We diligently and meticulously strive for popularity and prosperity because human conception is based on the belief that this is what it takes to be blessed and we confuse resource with the source. So what happens is we spend all of our energy trying to reach unattainable expectations all that this flesh may be satisfied and what little we have left we then offer unto God if our flesh isn’t too tired.
We must realize that the flesh will never be satisfied, and no matter what we have or achieve, no matter who knows your name, no matter how much success you get that you will never be truly blessed until you learn to give God Preeminence in your life.
FROM OUR TEXT: - Colossians 1:12-20, we learn that Christ is preeminent for the following reasons. “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”.
Christ Pre-eminence for what He has done for us.
Verse 13 - Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. We have been delivered. God determined from before the foundation of the world that deliverance from sin would be by, though, and in Jesus Christ Ephesians 1:4 says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”.
Verse 14 - In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Redeemed my soul has been redeemed. Redeemed means to be bought with a price. In Christ we have been redeemed through His blood we have been purchased. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”. Not only have we been redeemed but we have the forgiveness of sin through His blood Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”.
Christ’s Preeminence because of who He is.
Verse 15 - Who is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the manifestation of God in the flesh. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”.
Verse 15 continued says, “the firstborn over all creation”. Firstborn denotes Christ sovereignty as King of kings and Lord of lords as well as His priority over all created beings Revelation 1:5-6 says, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”.
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: that’s preeminence to the fullest. Because of who you are I give you glory.
Verse 17 – And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Nothing is that is without Him. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”.
Verse 18 – And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. The head of something always holds the preeminent position. So, Christ holds the preeminent position in the church which is His body. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept”.
Now this is an impressive list, and you must stop and ask the question is there anything in which Christ is not preeminent or supreme?
QUESTION: - What is owed to one who is preeminent over all that is in heaven and on earth? Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
We are called to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God through obedience to Christ.
CLOSING: - Now I heard an older preacher say this when I was young in the ministry, and I never forgot. We read the scriptures like this verse 1, verse 2, and so on, but if you read it in reverse, it provides a deeper meaning, and you will get a better understanding of those scriptures.
WATCH THIS: - Now that we understand the preeminence of Christ, we understand the things he has done when we read these verse in reverse.
Let me start with verse 20 and read through to verse 12.
Verse 20 – “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. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 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. 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 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: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 12 (Therefore) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light”
That word meet means to be made worth or proper to be able to receive.
That’s why when we think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me my soul cries out Hallelujah.
That’s why when we sing, we have to lift our hands in worship.
That’s why sometimes we may be crying, and nothing is even wrong.
Because when you understand the preeminence of God and give Him preeminence in your life.
The words to the song by Isaac Watts in 1707 Alas! And did my savior bleed takes on a totally different meaning.
You may know it better like this “At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
Give God Pre-eminence in your life.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
