Praise the King
09/05/04
Intro: Number 1 purpose of our life is to bring honor and glory to God. We are to live our lives so that they point to the glorious nature of God.
Jesus lived his life to give glory to God. God glorified himself through Jesus.
“Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My father, whom you claim is your God, is the one who glorifies me.’”
John 8:54 (NIV)
“Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you.”
John 17:1 (Today’s English Version)
Jesus lived his life to bring glory to the Father. We are to live our lives to bring glory to Jesus.
I. We bring glory to Christ because of who he is.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:15-18(NIV)
1) He is the image of God.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1:15
The idea of “image” is that Christ is the visible representation and manifestation of God to created beings.
Jesus is a picture of God for man.
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
John 14:9 (NIV)
Illustration: My son looks like me. We have similar mannerisms and expressions. I also reflect those qualities of my dad.
2) He is the creator.
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”
Colossians 1:16
Jesus was present at the creation of the world. It shows his eternal nature and his creative power.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3 (NIV)
3) He is the focal point of creation.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:17
Everything was created for Jesus to glorify God through His Son.
4) He is the head of the church.
“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:18
Christ is the leader of the church, so that we may know his plan for his people.
We glorify Christ because of who he is:
Image of God
Creator
Focal point of creation
Head of the church.
II. We glorify Christ because of what he has done.
1) Christ has brought us together with God.
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
Colossians 1:21-22
Christ broke down the barrier between God and man.
“All this comes from God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sin.”
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (The Message)
2) Christ presented us holy to God.
“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
Colossians 1:22
Christ’s death takes away our sin so we can be holy before God.
God no longer condemns those who follow Jesus.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Jesus Christ the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)
God does not hold our sins against us, but forgives us when we trust in Christ.
We praise and glorify Christ because of who he is and what he had done.
