THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST
COLOSSIANS 1:15-18
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence
Introduction: The desire of God’s heart is that in everything Jesus Christ might have the preeminence. Paul declares that everything finds its meaning and significance in Christ. Christ must be at the center of all things both in our individual lives and in the church. We claim that Christ is the center of the church, but is he? A. W. Tozer said, “The present position of Christ in gospel churches may be likened to that of a king in a limited constitutional monarchy. The king (sometimes depersonalized by the term “the Crown”) is, in such a country, no more than a traditional rallying point, a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty much like a flag or a national anthem. He is lauded, feted, and supported, but his real authority is small. Nominally he is head over all, but in every crisis someone else makes the decisions.” (A.W. Tozer, taken from God Tells The Man Who Cares.) Consider with me the impact of having Christ at the center of our church.
I. When Christ is central in the church, there is harmony in its worship
A. All of creations object is to give pre-eminence to Christ and to stand in awe and adoration of Him.
B. Hebrews 1:6 But when He again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
C. Revelation 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
D. The objective of authentic worship is utilizing all the gifts and talents God has placed in the body of believers to bring honor and glory to God.
E. When Christ is not the central focus of worship we get sidetracked and begin to focus on style and modes. If Christ is not central then everything else such as a “sanctuary”, or hymnals, or multimedia, or the soloist’s talent can become unconsciously the center of worship.
F. In man centered worship bringing people in or keeping people by the style of our worship service, whether it is traditional, contemporary, liturgical or charismatic, is the primary goal of worship. Whereas the focus ought to be that of standing in awe of the Almighty God and our Redeemer,
G. Romans 14:5 - 6 “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.”
H. Please note the scene in heaven – Revelation 4:6-11 “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they £exist and were created.”
II. When Christ is central in the church, there is unity in its fellowship
A. Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
B. When Christ is not the central focus of the church conflicts arise. Individuals begin to seek having things done their way and talk about “my” church.
C. 1 Corinthians 3:1 – 5 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
D. James asks: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (James 4:1)
E. That word “wars” (stratos) comes from a Greek word meaning “an encamped army.” It is a phrase used to illustrate a continuous state of war. It is the result of wanting our way instead of His way. The Greek conveys the idea of “selfish satisfaction.”
F. 38% of pastors reported leaving a pastoral position due, at least in part, to conflict. The top reason for the conflict: Control Issues – 85%. (Source: Christianity Today.)
G. 1 Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
H. When Christ is the heart of the church there is unity. Some has said “Jesus is the central figure in our togetherness.”
I. Imagine a large circle with many spokes or lines all running toward the center. The closer the spokes or lines come to the center, the closer they are to each other. The closer we come to Christ, the nearer we shall be to one another.
J. Galatians 3:28 - 29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
III. When Christ is central in the church, there is focus to its mission.
A. When Christ is not central in the church, the church loses its focus; its purpose and mission become unclear.
B. Why does the church exist? In a survey of 1000 churches who were given two choices as to why the church exists: a) To Win the World for Christ or b) To Care for the Needs of its Members. The response by Pastors was 90% (a) and 10% (b). Of the church members surveyed, 89 percent said, "The church’s purpose is to take care of my family’s needs and my needs." The surveyor concluded that for many churches, the role of the pastor is simply to keep the sheep who are already in the "pen" happy and not lose too many of them. Only 11 percent said, "The purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus Christ." (Purpose-Driven Church, page 82)"
C. Ephesians 4:11 - 12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
D. Matthew 28:18 - 20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching 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.
E. When Christ is not at the center of the church the fires of love and mission grow cold.
F. Revelation 2:2-4 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
G. The church today is going after every thing but Christ. We too often are more excited about programs than the power of God.
IV. When Christ is central in the church, there is clarity and power in its message
A. 1 Corinthians 14:8 asks, “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?”
B. The Los Angeles Times recently printed a sampling of signs from around the world that attempted to communicate in English.
• In a hotel elevator in Paris: “Please leave your values at the front desk.”
• In a hotel in Zurich: “Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.”
• On the door of a Moscow inn: “If this is your first visit to Russia, you are welcome to it.”
• In a Soviet newspaper: “There will be a Moscow exhibition of arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.”
• In a Bucharest hotel lobby: “The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.”
C. The church’s message must be clear. It must be the person of Jesus Christ. There is no other message. He is our message.
D. John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
E. 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
F. Christ must be at the center of all that is preached and taught in the church.
G. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Disclaimer: Source material for this sermon has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources whenever possible. Please feel free to use this message as God’s Holy Spirit directs your heart.
