Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he 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
• 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!)
• 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

1.  Over the universe – Creator, and Proprietor
2. Chief among those who will rise from dead
3. Head of the church – all churches subject to Him
4. In affections of His friends

Preeminent to us:

Affections of the heart
Contemplations of the mind
Desires of the soul
Praises of our lips