The Supremacy Of Christ Is Declared In The Church

The Supremacy of Christ is Declared in

the Church

Colossians 1:18-29

September 23, 2001

Intro:

A. [So much from a nut]

A minister gave an unusual sermon one day, using a peanut to make several important points about the wisdom of God in nature.

One of the members greeted him at the door and said, "Very interesting, Pastor. I never expected to learn so much from a nut."

B. I may be a nut in some instances, but I don’t have to stay one.

1. Today I’m going to change my position on something that I have long held which I now believe has hurt the church.

2. We have a commitment problem here at Somerset church.

3. We have a very low commitment level by the members of this body.

4. Our Sunday attendance is very sporadic.

5. Participation in our ministries is way too low.

6. Bible study participation is nearly nothing.

7. And today, I’m going to confess that I have had too low expectations for the members of the church.

8. At least part of the problem we have here at Somerset is my fault, so today I’m going to turn the corner and raise my bar of expectations for the members of the church.

9. Today I want to say that I love everyone here and I’m not picking on anyone in particular.

10. This is a church wide problem; it is not isolated to any one person, family, or group of people.

11. Today I’m going to be very strong.

12. I’m going to attempt to speak the truth in love.

13. So I challenge you to open your hearts and listen to what the Spirit says to you personally.

14. Today, I’m declaring the days of sloppy church-life OVER at Somerset!

15. Today, I’m calling us all to a deeper commitment to Christ and to His body, the church.

16. So today, we come to the 18th verse of the 1st chapter of Colossians were we see that…

I. The head of the church is Christ

Colossians 1:18, 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.

A. I know that everyone here intellectually agrees that the head of the church is Christ, but do we believe it practically?

1. Do we live this truth out in our lives?

2. Do we practice the headship of Christ in our lives?

B. What is a body without a head?

1. How does a body continue to function without a head?

2. There are some bodies that can function for a short period of time without a head (like a chicken), but what can the headless chicken accomplish?

3. Does the body have the ability to see?

4. Does the body have the ability to hear?

5. Does the body have the ability to know where its going?

6. Does the body have the ability to feed itself?

7. Does the body have the ability save itself?

8. What good is a body without a head?

9. But then how much better off is the body with the head?

C. And how much better off are the members of the body with the body and the head?

1. How well does the finger function away from the body and the head?

2. How well does an knee function away from the body and the head?

3. Sounds silly, doesn’t it?

4. But how many people think they can function just fine on their own without being a part of the body of Christ, the church?

5. How many people think that they can just be a knee out there on their own?

6. To think that we don’t need the church is to miss the whole point of the of the body of Christ.

7. To think that we don’t need to be a part of the body is to have no connection with the head (Christ) at all.

D. You see it is absolute silliness for us to think that we can be a finger attached to the head and not to the hand!

1. That’s what we are doing when we say that we don’t need the church in order to be a Christian!

2. We are trying to attach ourselves to Christ in a deformed way!

3. What can be accomplished by attaching a finger to a head? Not much!

4. But you may say that its different with Christians because with Christ all things are possible.

5. All things are possible with Christ, but what will Christ be willing to accomplish if we are unwilling to attach ourselves to the body like He has asked us to?

6. Is Christ really the head of the body as the Bible says?