The Supremacy Of Christ Is Declared In Creation

The Supremacy of Christ is Declared in

Creation

Colossians 1:15-17

September 9, 2001

Intro:

A. [The Dinner, via Kelli Ammons]

Kelli Ammons sent me this story this past week…

An atheist was walking through the woods, admiring all the "accidents" that evolution had created.

"What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.

Turning to look, he saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.

He ran away as fast as he could up the path.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the grizzly was closing.

Somehow he ran even faster, so scared that tears came to his eyes.

He looked again, and the bear was even closer.

His heart was pounding, and he tried to run faster.

He tripped and fell to the ground.

He rolled over to pick himself up, but the bear was right over him, reaching for him with its left paw and raising its right paw to strike him.

At that instant the atheist cried, "Oh my God!"

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent.

Even the river stopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, "You deny my existence for all these years, teach others that I don’t exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light and said, "I would feel like a hypocrite to become a Christian after all these years, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out. The river ran. The sounds of the forest resumed.

Then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed its head, and spoke: "Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful."

B. [God’s Power in Creation, Citation: Christianity Today (4-23-99), reprinted in "To Illustrate Plus," Leadership Journal (21.1), p. 69]

Patrick O’Boyle recalls the late-1940s Hyde Park "Speakers’ Corner" appearances of Frank Sheed, the Catholic author and publisher:

Sheed could be devastating with hecklers.

Once, after Sheed had described the extraordinary order and design to be seen in the universe, a persistent challenger retorted by pointing to all the world’s ills, and ended shouting, "I could make a better universe than your God!"

"I won’t ask you to make a universe," Sheed replied. "But would you make a rabbit—just to establish confidence?"

C. Today, as we study Colossians 1:15-17, I believe we will see that the supremacy of Christ is declared in creation; first…

I. Christ is the firstborn

Colossians 1:15, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

John 1:1-2, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

A. Paul says that Christ is the firstborn of creation.

1. John says that Jesus was the Word and that He was with God in the beginning.

2. When Christ was born as a human being was not when He came into existence.

3. Christ has always been in existence; since before creation.

4. The Bible says that Christ was with God in the beginning—before creation.

B. When Christ was born, He simply put on some flesh and became a human being.

1. He was already God.

2. He was already in existence.

3. He just put on some flesh and became a human being for 33 years.

4. But He was already in existence before He became a human.

5. He was already in existence before creation.

6. Christ is the firstborn over all creation; in fact…

II. Christ is the creator

Colossians 1:16, For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

John 1:3, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

A. Paul says that all things were created by Christ and John says the same thing.

1. Christ was the creator. Christ created the world.

2. Paul and John both say that Christ created everything.

3. Christ created things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.

4. Without Christ, nothing was made that has been made.

B. John said that Christ is the Word of God that became flesh.

1. And when we think back to the creation story in the book of Genesis, we see that very fact.

2. In Genesis we see that God said, "Let there be light" and it was so.