Worship Guide

The Real Jesus
Colossians 1:15-20
Pastor Jason Carlson

Colossians 1:15-20

Who is Jesus Christ?

1. The Person of Christ (v. 15)

“the image of the invisible God”

John 1:1-3, 14
Hebrews 1:1-3a
John 14:8-9

“the firstborn of all creation”

Jesus is the G.O.A.T.

The “Jesus” of the Cults:

• Jehovah’s Witnesses- Michael the Archangel, the first creation of Jehovah God
• Mormonism (LDS)- A man who evolved to become a god, one god among many
• Christian Science- A divine idea
• Bahai- One of nine great prophets
• Unitarian Universalists- A good man mistakenly deified by his followers
• Freemasonry- A moral teacher equal with Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, etc.
• Scientology- A false dream implanted in our minds by evil aliens
• New Age Movement- A man who discovered “Christ” consciousness
• Unity- A man who perfected a divine idea
• Transcendental Meditation- An enlightened guru

1 Timothy 4:1
2 Corinthians 4:4

2. The Position of Christ (v. 16-18)

Creator (v. 16)

“Let’s be intellectually honest. We all know that the probability of life arising by chance is the same probability of throwing a six on a dice five million consecutive times…Let’s be scientifically honest. We all know that the probability of life arising by chance through evolution is the same probability as having a tornado tear through a junkyard and form out the other end a Boeing 747 jetliner… A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature.” – Sir Fred Hoyle, the world’s leading astronomer & mathematician, speaking before the British Academy of Science.

1 John 4:4
Matthew 6:33

Sustainer (v. 17)

“The universe owes its continuing coherence to Christ… what holds the universe together is not an idea or a virtue, but a person: the resurrected Christ.  Without him, electrons would not continue to circle nuclei, gravity would cease to work, the planets would not stay in their orbits.” – Douglas Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and Philemon

Genesis 8:22
2 Peter 3:7
Matthew 6:26-30

Unsurpassed (v. 18)

“head”
“beginning”
“firstborn”
“preeminent”

3. The Provision of Christ (v. 19-20)

“reconcile” speaks to our problem…
“peace” speaks to our hope…

John 14:6

Sermon Discussion Questions

Questions for reflection:
1. How did today’s study confirm or challenge your view of Jesus Christ?
2. If Paul’s testimony of Jesus is true, what are the implications for your life?

Questions for discussion:
1. What views or perspectives about Jesus Christ have you encountered in our world?
2. Why is a recognition of the deity of Jesus Christ central to genuine Christianity?
3. What does it mean to say Jesus is preeminent? How should we live in light of this reality?

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