And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
- Head/body – uses material thing to illustrate spiritual truth
- Head – Christ
- Thinks for body
- Directs body
- Body – church
- Servant to head
- Powerless and dead without head
- What is a head to a body?
- Head cannot accomplish anything without body
- Christ does his work through the church
- No other way to do the work of Christ
- Christ work is not accomplished by extra-biblical (para-church) ministries
- To work for Christ, you must work through the church!
- What a privilege!
- Warning – an abused body cannot work
- Head – Christ
- Beginning – creation & church
- Not only at the beginning/or before the beginning, He IS the beginning
- Fountain of authority and power
- Starts everything to uphold/save
- No earth without Christ; No church without Christ
- Church is the new creation of Christ
- He is source of church life
- He is director of church activity
- Firstborn
- Christ’s resurrection is the central truth of Christianity
- We can know Him because He is alive
- We can “experience” Him
- Preeminent among all that are/were raised
- Most illustrious, he went from death to immortality
- First to rise to die no more
- Our resurrection depends on Him
- First means there will be a second (more!)
- Christ’s resurrection is the central truth of Christianity
- Preeminence – of rank, dignity, honor, & power
- Sonship – we are sons by adoption
- Salvation – we are chosen in Him
- Human nature – He is fairer than all
- Redemption – He alone worked it out Himself
- Life – His purity, teaching, miracles…
- Dying – conquered death and rose
- Over the universe – Creator, and Proprietor
- Chief among those who will rise from dead
- Head of the church – all churches subject to Him
- In affections of His friends
Preeminent to us:
Affections of the heart
Contemplations of the mind
Desires of the soul
Praises of our lips
