teaching/sermons/col-1-15-20/series/01_frank_col_1_1-8.md

Week 1 — Frank Williams — Col 1:1-8

Series mate for Week 3 (Col 1:15-20, May 31). Frank kicks off the Colossians series.

Metadata

Audio

Tagline + Colossians markers in this sermon

Word counts across the sermon proper:

The sermon closes on:

"...if there is one thing that you take from this book, it will be because of the supremacy of Christ our King. Please, God, protect, move your church, your people... I beg you that we will love you more than any treasure this world may throw at us because of the supremacy of Christ, our King."

The series tagline carries forward from the prior week's Mother's Day sermon (00_frank_preview.md), where it was introduced more densely (11 / 10 / 9 mentions of Jesus first / raised in power / crucified in love). By Week 1, the tagline is the room's refrain — Frank uses it at a lighter cadence here.

Transcript

Auto-transcribed via Replicate Whisper (vaibhavs10/incredibly-fast-whisper). Raw output, lightly paragraphed at sentence boundaries. Verbatim — including filler words, repetitions, and any transcription artifacts.

Covers from when Frank stepped up at the offering (45:35) through the end of the sermon (~1:32:00). First few paragraphs are the offering/announcements section before the sermon proper.

Morning, church. I'm going to lead us in our offering, and then I'm going to pray. We've got a specific prayer request, and then I've got two announcements. When it comes to the offering, there are two very big truths.

One, it's not about what you give. It's why you give. It's not about what you give. It's about why you give.

Why we give. How we give. I pray is with reverence and awe of Jesus Christ our King. Amen.

I pray what we give, that's between you and the Lord, but it is done with joy. I pray what we give, that's between you and the Lord, but it is done with joy. The other great truth is, and I think it's often hidden and forgotten at times, that tradition dies when sacrificial generosity flourishes, only when Jesus is treasured above all. Amen?

When a follower of Christ, myself and all of us here today, a follower of Christ truly sees and even more importantly believes. You could say, I believe Jesus was crucified. I believe he was raised. I believe he reigns, but it has no impact on your life at all.

True saving faith believes that Jesus is first. He's first because He was crucified in love for us, amen, raised in power with us in baptism, and now reigns over us as our King. When you believe that, and when I believe that, giving stops being a tradition, rather a cold financial matter where we might think the church or Jesus is taking something from us. Rather, it becomes an awe-inspiring act of reverent submission, reverent worship, reverence, and missional passion.

I trust God. I'm participating in the kingdom of God, entering into this world. But I would remind us all that whatever we give, everything comes down to this one reality. And I pray that you hear his voice.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I think Mish was on to something today. We're frightened because we put our faith in shakable things.

We cling to shakable things. Everything in this life is shakable. That's why we have car insurance, health insurance. I mean, everything in this life at some point is going to be shaken, except the one unshakable.

That's why we have car insurance, health insurance. I mean, everything in this life at some point is going to be shaken, except the one unshakable thing, and that is the greatest treasure we have, Jesus Christ. The church in Acts 2 was a spirit-filled church just like this one, but they became radically generous because their hearts had been captured by the glory and the majesty of Jesus. To the Colorado Springs Christian Church, this sacrifice is and it will, what we give, helps people encounter Jesus.

Not the Jesus hanging on a cross. Yes, he was crucified. We don't talk about him being resurrected on Easter only. We celebrate that now.

And more so than anything, he's looking down upon you and I, and He sees our hearts because He reigns over us as King. So I would say this, when you give, whatever you give is between your King and you. But why you give? For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.

I pray that our heart is with the only treasure that vermin or thieves that come off the street, and God bless you for praying for her or him or whoever did it, but vermin, thieves, rust will take hold of everything we have in this life, but they cannot touch Jesus Christ, our King. And in that vein, I pray that we give because that is our greatest treasure. Bow with me and let's pray. God in heaven, I'm begging you to change the traditional mindset of this moment.

We do this 52 times a year, and we give a lot to other things, God, but I pray more than not what we're going to give right now, but why we give, and I pray that there would be a shift, that you would be our greatest treasure, and that we would, Father, know that you will never leave us or forsake us. The vermin will get to those things. The thieves will take those things. Rust will destroy those things in this life, but they cannot touch the rule and reign and righteousness of our King.

There is nothing on this earth more valuable than you. I pray that you would open our eyes at this moment to the glory and majesty of heaven, that we will stand before you in heaven, but we are in your presence right now just as much. And I pray that in heaven they sing hallelujah. On earth, God, we would sing that in our hearts as we give, because Jesus Christ, you were crucified, you were raised, but you reign as our king, and that makes you our greatest unshakable treasure.

We pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, and the family said, amen. While the trays are being passed, just a couple of quick announcements for my side. I wanted to let you guys know that on Wednesday, May 27th, at our all-church midweek, again, that we need all of you to be here, not because you have to, but because you want to. Why?

Because we love Jesus. Amen. And we love one another. Amen.

You come and you help build up this church. Your presence builds up this church, our relationships. But we've got something very special. We're doing board elections.

Let me hear a wow. Amen. You know what, though, it is a wow. I love our board.

I've been doing this for 28 years, and this board has been an absolute, all of them, since I've at least worked with them, has been an unwavering joy. There's a partnership, there is a love and a mutual submission between us. There's no over-under, there's no manipulation, it's family. And I wanted to let you know that there are three members coming off the board.

Sarah Asifo, who is a wonderful light, is our secretary, took copious notes and was an absolute joy looking for roger i don't see roger miller he's where he's in nebraska what's he doing over there roger roger i believe is just a reflection of the heart and soul of this church sacrificial loving deeply emotionally connected to this church reminds me all the time hey we need to think about it differently he is an the emotional heartbeat of our church he was a board member in standing and then final was chris humlicek chris uh was the the financial guru if you will expert in all things excel that i cannot do.

He excelled in those things. Chris is an incredible servant, really helped work with John Garrett, our administrator, to oversee our finances in a powerful way. And so I just want to say thank you to Sarah, Roger, and Chris for their servitude on the board. Let's give them a round of applause if you will.

So the four souls that are wanting to come on and be, to be, we're praying about and to be elected are Chris Soley, Dawson Burns, Adam Weaver, and Myrna Cardenas. See, I don't want to mess that up. I know, I don't say it all as well. Look, Chris Soley, Dawson, Adam, and Myrna, wonderful souls.

We're praying that all four can just be on the board and serve with their gifts. They all bring very specific things to help us from human resources to contracts to treasury and secretary and all that. Just wonderful disciples of Jesus. We'll be voting on that, praying for that on Wednesday, May 27th at our All Church Midweek.

I want you to be prepared for that as you come together for that incredible night. Amen. Amen. If you would take out this, I know, handout that I said I wouldn't kill trees, but I want you to see what you might not see on Planning Center.

We have a thing we do. It's once a year. We do, it's called special missions. And church, I think the Colorado Springs Christian Church needs a refreshment in why we give every Sunday.

Again, why would I give to special? Why would I give a dime for anything? It's because of our treasure, Jesus Christ, crucified and loved, raised in power, and he reigns as king. Amen.

There is no shortcut around that, and I pray that that will lead you and I to verse 21, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Amen. We have a goal to reach $65,000 as a family. There are three things that I will talk about in a moment that come out of Jesus first, crucified and loved, raised in power, and reigning as king.

One that we are really focused on is moving the future. We invest highly in our young people from infants to eighth grade. Kirk and Mira, Melissa. Melissa is our children's minister, doing incredible work back there.

Our children are changing. You may not see it at home, but they're changing. And I am, for one, a little troublemaker when I was that age, stand here today because there was a Melissa in my life that shaped and molded me when I put tacks on people's seats during Sunday school. But you know what?

We really do believe in our young people. Look, every generation has a responsibility to build up the one coming behind them. And we want to build up this young generation of men and women to not just, you know, get baptized and come to church, but to be a generation that takes on the world, makes a dent, and stands for Jesus Christ, crucified, raised, and reigning as King. Amen?

Nobody expects a lot out of these kids, but we do here. They are a part of this family, and we want them to stand in the gap. As I retire and move out and just become, as I am now, a servant, they rise up, they raise up the next generation, and on and on till Jesus Christ comes. So we're praying that 50% of this offering would go to hiring a high school ministry intern and really investing in next generation servitude training and leadership development.

We're going to be working on some things like that with the staff to really raise up these young people. But I am profoundly grateful for Melissa and Kirk and Mira all the way up from infants to eighth grade and on to high school and campus. We are fighting for this generation and moving them beyond belief to deep conviction. Amen.

Second thing we're praying for is the Rocky Mountain region. We are a church not standing alone, but to declare His gospel throughout the state of Colorado. Amen. We need to evangelize our home, not only Colorado Springs, but Greeley, and Durango, and Gunnison, and Pueblo, especially Pueblo.

Where's the babies? Where's Doug and Suzanne? Yeah. You know, I mean, there was a church down there of over 100 people at one time.

And you know what? There's still a church down there. We got Doug and Suzanne, a great couple that love Jesus. And we're praying to really plant a church down there with them.

But in the interim, the Rocky Mountain region, I'm just one voice. I got outvoted. They are focused on Greeley and I am too, but I'm trying, we're trying to work it out, but we want to help there be a church planning in Greeley. And that 5% of our offering will go towards that.

Third, in declaring His gospel, the Christ-led discipleship, we are working on, right now, the staff, we're working on giving it to, I gave it to the family group leaders for feedback. If you look on the back side, as our fellowship, it says Jesus first. It's got a beautiful picture of the incline. But more importantly, what we're really working on is equipping the church in three areas.

One, justification. You and I are ministers of reconciliation. Amen. What that means is you go proclaim his gospel to a lost and dying city.

You are a fisher of men and women. And I'm not, whatever the past was, that does not negate the calling of our king to go and share the love. We sang about that just a moment ago, about the love and the glory in the majesty of Jesus. We want to declare his gospel.

So that's engaging the spiritually dead those that are not in christ you say well that sounds kind of hard well it is you're dead spiritually you're dead spiritually there's no if and or but around it the good news of the gospel must be proclaimed and i will not do that for you my job is to equip you as an evangelist to preach that beautiful message to all the world, especially to the four corners of Colorado Springs.

Second, an area from born again then to empower. We've been working on once somebody is baptized into Christ, how do they grow and mature as an infant into Jesus? Amen. And so that section right there from born again to establish, equip, encourage, and empower, How do we grow and mature?

You don't just get baptized and then just stay, I'm just a baptized person. You grow. We grow. How does the Spirit do that?

And how do we work with Him as well? Amen. And so we're going to put that together and really complete that. Get that into from the family group leaders to the church.

Get your feedback. We're going to work on our website being a stronger communication tool and support on online classes, improve communication, and really reach this city with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen. And that means every one of you, each one of you reaches one person with the good news of the gospel.

I mean, it's a great joy. Amen. And then last, again, this is, if you look at that map right there, turn back to the front page, there's a map of Colorado Springs. As we declare His gospel, what I'd like to focus on first is not the four locations, but up on the right-hand corner, the Northeast Worship Center.

I'm praying that by 2028, and I yield my vision, it's not mine. If the Lord wills it, may it be. If not, I bow in submission. But look, family, you will drive.

I mean, the Rodriguez's, the Fitch's, Troy and Elizabeth, I mean, the Beatty's, I mean, people drive a long way to be here on Sunday. But non-Christians will not. And we need to be in our neighborhoods, and we need to be there to share the good news of the gospel, to love them, to walk together and build family, but share the good news of the gospel in our neighborhoods. We've been in this location.

I can't get the straight answer when we started, but we've been here. This church has just been one church in one location. If we're going to reach the city of Colorado Springs, and it's all of its religiosity and sin and darkness, because it's just like every other city, we need to be in our zip codes. Amen?

So as we declare his gospel, we are starting to fund, putting away a savings account to fund a northeast worship center up there in that 80923 area code. So the north, those that live up north and those that live out east would worship there. And those that worship in the south and live in the east, or I'm sorry, the south and the west, we would come here. And we're just praying that as God blesses us, that really the end goal is to save souls.

Amen. So I pray that you will hear his voice. You will declare his gospel, that we will be one gathering in four locations. In God's timing, there'll be a north, there'll be a west, there'll be someone in the south, there'll be an east, and one in Pueblo, God willing.

Amen. But then, and what I'm really praying for is that every one of our family groups will multiply, and they will be a family group in each zip code in Colorado Springs. What is needed at this hour? You need to believe that Jesus is first.

You need to believe that He was crucified and loved, raised in power, and He reigns as King. I pray that what comes out of this, that we're working on this, this is a proposal, that the vision that we would have is that we would hear His voice, declare His gospel, and move the future. It's just reverent worship and submission. I talked about equipping you to share the gospel, maturing, and really learning to walk together in love, discipling, redefined, amen?

Biblical, non-hierarchical, It is relational, relational, relational. Amen? So we are just praying right now to find a place up in the Northeast area to rent, maybe buy. We've got to get our children's ministry, worship.

We're looking to raise up elders, walking in with me and other men that could be qualified to be elders. What are those qualities? And then really training the next generation to be great servant leaders in Christ. Amen.

I just pray that as you give, that you would understand that when Jesus is our treasure, it is more blessed to give than it is for you to receive. Costco cannot give you what Jesus Christ can give. Amen. Hobby Lobby.

Jesus Christ can give. Amen. Hobby Lobby. Need I say more?

Amen. So that's our goal. 65,000 is our goal. But what I care about is the why Jesus Christ is our treasure. Amen.

And then may God lead us into this, His vision. And again, what I've put on this paper, I bow at His feet. My Lord, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Amen. Let me pray as we close out here, and then I'll have the worship team come up for one song before the sermon. It'll be a quick intro to Colossians. There's a young man that is a part of our, that comes in our fellowship.

His name is Ben, and Ben's dad is now in the hospital. He's had two stents put in. He's got 95 to 98% blockage in his heart. He had an allergic reaction to those stents.

And I love Ben a lot, as do many. And Ben, I'm going to pray for you, and I'm going to pray for your dad. We love you, and we are here for you as you go through this. And please know, tell your dad we're praying for him.

So let's bow at the feet of our king. Father, I pray, Father, that you'd be with Ben and his family. Pray that you'd be with Hilario. And God, I pray I said that right.

But Lord, you know his name. And I pray that you would, God, guide the hands of the surgeons. God, I pray that he would be able to hear the good news of Jesus Christ crucified, raised, and reigning as king, and that, God, that you would be glorified in many ways. And please, God, bless this church as you have so deeply.

As we take up any offering, God, may it bring you great glory and praise and honor. We love you. We pray this humbly in the mighty name of Jesus and the church said. Amen.

Church, let's stand. We got one song before the lesson. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.

He hath loosed the faithful lightning, all his terribles restored. His truth is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah his truth is marching on he has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never sound retreat he is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat.

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him. Be jubilant, my feet. Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me. As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free. While God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. While God is marching on. Amen.

Easy. Okay, turn over to Colossians. The great book of Colossians. The title of this series Can you hear me?

The Supremacy of Christ Our King. can you hear me the supremacy of christ our king and before we do anything let's hear his voice we're going to be reading and studying out colossians one i've got 20 minutes i'm going to take that 20 minutes and we're going to listen we're going to listen. Hear his voice first. Amen. Hear the word of God.

Paul, verse 1, says, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the holy and faithful, our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae. Paul says, grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.

All over the world, this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood it by God's grace in all of its truth. You learned it from Ephesus, truth. You learned it from Ephesus, our dear fellow servant who planted the church, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. Let's pray. let's pray father god we know that we can understand these words we have knowledge but god i pray that you would give divine wisdom not only to hear these words but to be transformed not only by these words but the entire book and the power that is hidden in these words.

God, may your spirit that brought these words to pass move our hearts and change the future of this church. We love you. We pray this in Jesus' mighty name. And the family said, the book of Colossians.

The book of Colossians opens like a thunderclap of truth into a confused and compromised world and a church threatened by those things. Of course, written by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned, the book to Ephesians and Philippians, this letter was sent to the church in Colossae. We know that. It was a young congregation, much younger than this one, not in age, but spiritual age, a young congregation that was surrounded by false teaching, spiritual confusion, cultural pressure, and the competing voices trying to diminish the supremacy of Christ.

Paul writes with urgency and clarity to establish one foundational reality that comes from the gospel. Jesus Christ is first above all things. Can I get an amen? I hope that by the time we finish this book, you will not only say amen, but your life will declare amen.

Paul corrects. Before he corrects error, he exalts Christ. Amen. Before he addresses confusion in the Colossian church, he magnifies the king. in the Colossian church.

He magnifies the king. Before he speaks about how to live as a disciple, he anchors the church in the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Amen? Colossians 1 and 1 through 8 introduces the heartbeat of this letter.

Paul celebrates a church that is marked like this one, Paul celebrates a church that is marked like this one marked by faith in Christ Jesus amen he marked he celebrates the church in Colossae like this one this that the church had a love for God's people amen that's hard we're a hot mess together, are we not? So is the church in Colossae. And he celebrates a church that has a hope laid up in heaven that no one could touch or take or steal.

These qualities did not come from human effort. They were produced by the gospel of Jesus Christ, a living, powerful message that declares Jesus Christ. A living, powerful message that declares Jesus Christ. And I think more than any message that has confusion around it, especially in this city, is what is the gospel?

I think the gospel has been confused by just showing up and sitting in a building on Sunday. Hey, I come to church on Sunday, but Monday through Saturday, I live for me, myself, and I. And that's fine. The gospel is polluted and perverted with that church's claim that you've got to go and you've got to prove that you're righteous enough to be saved when the only one that could save you is the righteous one that was perfectly righteous.

And it wasn when the only one that could save you is the righteous one that was perfectly righteous and it wasn't me and it wasn't you it's jesus christ amen churches we don't talk about the hope that we have laid up in heaven no wonder we're scared to lose some stuff in this world when we can't even think about the incredible treasure that's awaiting us in heaven. Amen. I mean, there's so much false teaching in our world today.

There's so much false teaching in me and in you and what we believe and what we really don't believe. I think we're a lot more afraid and scared because we tell ourselves a story about things in this world that could or may or may not happen. You know, the stock market's up, it's down. I mean, as a dear friend of mine keeps telling me, that's life.

But the only one that's not up and down that never changes is who? Jesus. My health is up. My health is down.

The only one that never changes, no matter what season of health I am in, is Jesus Christ. Amen to that. The gospel declares that Jesus was crucified in love for sinners of whom I believe I am the worst, and I have great company in that. Amen.

We're sinners. We don't want to stay in sin. I pray that this Jesus first, though, what I'm trying to learn is that, okay, it's not just repent, brother. It's I want to love Jesus more than the sins that I love.

I want to love Jesus so much that those sins and those things of my flesh, that battle, we're going to talk about that, fade away at the foot of the one that I love and I walk with with reverence and awe. Jesus was raised in power over sin and death and sorrow in hell. What do we expect in this world? Sin, sorrow, and death in hell.

But we don't have to live in that because Jesus reigns as our king over all creation. You know what? When that person went in and stole Misha's stuff, Jesus knew it, and he moved his daughter's heart to pray. Did I hear that right?

You had to calm Jeff down, didn't you? You know what though? You can't take that away. That's a real feeling, right?

But the heart to pray for your enemies, that's the power of the gospel. When I realized what a crucified, what I, my sin crucified Jesus, I'm a sinner. What stone do I have to throw at you? When I know that he was raised in power, why don't we celebrate that more?

I pray that that impacts every aspect of our worship, our lives, our giving, our communion, everything raised over power of sin, death, and hell. We're going to hear in Colossians, power of sin, death, and hell. We're going to hear in Colossians, we've been freed. Amen?

And now he's reigning as our king over all creation. He is acutely aware of you and me. He's walking with us, living within us. The Spirit of God bringing us back to the sandwich, Jesus, the church, and the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit, I mean, I think that's one of the greatest things that's gone wrong in the church today, is the Spirit of God is either ignored, because we can do it, or He's become some hyper thing that people just roll around on the floor, you know, do weird stuff. And it's not meant to be. The Spirit always brings us back, as we know in John 16, to one thing, Jesus. And the church, like Colossae, I believe we need to remember that jesus is not merely important church he is supreme can i get an amen he's not one voice among many he is the voice above all voices including that one in your head that drives you more than the one the words in this incredible it's not a book it's the word of of God.

He's not one spiritual option. You may have options. You know what? You may not like this church.

And I'm going to go worship in my home because I can do it better than you. Amen. You know what? There's a lot of people who can do it better than me, but I'm not looking at other people.

I'm looking at the one that perfected me and that's Jesus. Amen. I am not interested in the options in this world. I want to looking at the one that perfected me, and that's Jesus.

Amen? I am not interested in the options in this world. I want to be at the foot of the King. You know why I'm here?

It's not because someone made some incredible dinners, and we had a great time when they interviewed us, and you're here because you're the evangelist. You know, I didn't have to come here. I'm here because I see a church that wants Jesus to be supreme. I see it in the relationships.

I see the supremacy of Christ in family groups, like the Fitches last night got together for a big barbecue, and Carrie was mean and sent me pictures of all the great food. Should have been here. You know, I see, I mean, the supremacy of Christ. I see the supremacy of Christ in the worship team.

Standing up here, I mean, really fighting to be at the foot of Jesus and to love him and not lift up themselves. I see Mark put that guitar up like that, and I'm like, oh, but you know what? I know. That team, that group, they love Jesus.

I see it in the Seabalds. I see it in their perseverance of faith. I got to see it at a restaurant one night when there was tears. They didn't even know me.

I wasn't even on the radar about moving here. They were just sharing their lives. And I'm going to do this on Sunday, so if I don't say your name right now, I'll get to you. But you know what?

There are living, breathing examples of the supremacy of Christ. Young men that come in and serve and tell me that our stove is broken, you know, and clean up. The sisters that get here and set up all over this building, that is the supremacy of Christ. God bless those of you that drive from Kansas to get here.

That is the supremacy of Christ. Amen. I see the hope. I see the hope.

I see the love. I mean, church, I hear people say, oh, the church is tired. Please, if this is tired, then I don't know what awake is because I see the supremacy of Christ. I get together with a bunch of brothers.

They call it the retired group. I'm the only one that's not. And we get together every the first Tuesday of every month. not, and we get together every, the first Tuesday of every month. I mean, it, gosh, it's just such an incredible joy to sit there and talk and argue and, you know, all kinds of things.

I mean, the campus, you should have been here on Friday night. I walked in here, they moved every chair, didn't, you know, did they ask? You asked. It was incredible.

This big sign back there, you asked. It was incredible. This big sign back there, the love, the cards written, I mean, the sharing. I kind of tried to sneak in.

I wanted to see, really wanted to get some of the cake, but I missed out. But they just were, they're sharing about each other. That is the supremacy of Christ. They love one another.

Church, we need to see the supremacy of Christ because we live in a culture that is full of distraction, compromise, self-centered religion, spiritual confusion, and competing allegiances, but not here. I am begging God to change our heart, starting with mine, that there will be no competing allegiances, that Jesus will be first. Many of us want a savior, but we resist him as king because we're proud Americans.

We never had a king. Well, you do now, and he's not a man. He is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Many admire his love, but ignore his authority.

Many celebrate the cross, but they forget his throne, and Colossians begins to put it all into order. This is not first in theory. It's not first only on Sundays. He's not first only in worship and singing and everything else.

The gospel declares that Jesus Christ has the supremacy in our lives. Amen? So let's kind of break down a few things here in this incredible book. Let's just read verse 1 and 2.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae. Paul starts off, I'm an apostle of Christ, not by the will of man, but by God's will. Amen. Paul immediately establishes something that this message comes from Christ's authority, not his.

This is not a human's opinion. His apostleship was not self-appointed. It was divinely commissioned. Amen.

And he addresses the church, the gathering of God's people as two things, holy, set apart, and faithful. And that's what I see in front of me right now. Their identity though, unwavering, rooted in Jesus. But they were being attacked by Gnosticism.

We've got that today. What is Gnosticism? Well, in their day, it was Jewish tradition mixed with the gospel, mysticism, and Greek mythology. Now we may not have the Jewish side and the Greek mythology and all that, but we've got a lot of mysticism.

We've got a lot of weird stuff going on around us, and it's always trying to get into the church. The reason that we are doing biblical clarity grounded in Jesus Christ is because I could see it in our fellowship. There was a lot of worldly teaching infiltrating the church. And just like Colossi, what's Paul's solution?

What's Paul's antidote to the craziness of the world? The supremacy of Jesus Christ. The Christian life begins with Jesus becoming Lord lord not merely an advisor amen jesus first emphasizes that he is supreme over our identity amen i don't know what you tell yourself when you wake up in the morning but i would encourage you to remember jesus is supreme he tells you who you are you are his dearly loved child amen he.

He is supreme over the church, not me, not an elder, not a teacher. And I say that with emphasis. Those gifts, I've talked about this with Kirk, they are absolutely needed, but they're servants. Jesus is supreme and he leads his church.

And Jesus is supreme over the truth. The question I would ask, is he truly first in your life? Is your life being shaped more by the culture or by Christ? Let's read verse three and five.

We always thank God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. The faith and the love that come forth, that spring, that are moved from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you all over the world. This gospel, the gospel, not the church, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing.

Just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood it by god's grace in all of its truth their faith was not in religion you know what religion is in our day i go somewhere on sunday and i forget it by the time i leave the building their Their faith was not in religion. It wasn't in emotions. Now, we are emotional people. We sing with emotions, do we not?

We take communion, we cry. But he's talking about the kind of emotions people falling down on the floor and rolling around trying to prove some higher power. Their faith was not in religion, emotions, or even their own morality. It was in one thing that drives their emotions and their morality and their religion.

Jesus Christ is first. True faith trusts his cross, his resurrection, and his reign. Did you get that? You say, I believe.

Do you trust the cross? That your sins have been forgiven? Do you trust the power of the resurrection? That you will be raised with God, not only in baptism, but one day in heaven when you are glorified?

Do you trust his reign over your life? Paul is just emphasizing he was crucified in love. And that love, it's what he said to the Galatians, it's faith expressing itself in love. They loved one another.

He says they had a love for the saints. Amen? One of the greatest evidences that you do believe that Jesus is first, that he was crucified in love, raised in power, and he reigns as king, is that we have a love for one another. Amen? raised in power and he reigns as king is that we have a love for one another.

Amen. I had a friend tell me that someone said, an elder got up and said, you guys need to be at every meeting of the body. An elder should say that. What he missed is why.

You know why we gather? Not because it's convenient, not because your children need to be in bed at seven o'clock. We gather because Jesus is first and we love one another. And one of the ways you minister most to people in this room as a family is you don't come in with a, hey, Mark, what are you going to do for me today?

Hey, Frank, what sermon are you going to give? It's going to make the hairs on the back of my head stand up. Maybe you don't have them. You come because you are a minister of reconciliation.

You come and build up one another. Colin, I mean, he's just this incredible servant. And he's driven to get me to go fly fishing. I don't need another hobby.

But I love his heart. Our family group leaders are our incredible servants, our ministry leaders, the people in this family, our worship leader, all of you, when you come, does the cross move you to build each other up? Are you building love-inspired unity? Are you keeping the division going because you can't see the rule and reign of Jesus?

I'm going to leave you with this. reign of Jesus. I'm going to leave you with this. What I want you to focus on this week, until I return to see you again, is the hope stored up in heaven. Amen?

Their hope was eternal, not earthly. Thieves and rust and moths will take what only God can protect, and that is the eternal hope that we have with Jesus in heaven and on this earth. How do I do that? He was raised in power.

Because he rose from the dead, disciples live with a confident hope. Somebody took your stuff. It happens, and I'm sorry. It's happened to me.

But one day you're going to have to give it up, and you're not going to have a U-Haul behind you. I just really ask, is my hope anchored in eternity or the shakable things? I appeal to you this week. Jesus first, crucified, raised, and reigns.

May that focus you on the hope stored up in heaven. It's the gospel message that is bearing fruit in this family and all over the world. If you are not a disciple of Jesus and you have not heard the good news of Jesus, if you had believed by faith that you were saved because you just believed in Jesus, that is not enough. You need to hear the good news of the gospel, and it is not Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

If you think that, then you are not saved. The gospel is the power that brings salvation to everyone who starts with faith. It does start with faith, but it ends by the grace of God moving a lost soul to be born again. How?

You follow Christ into his death, burial, and resurrection. Amen? And in this church, we are focused on the supremacy of Christ, his grace, a faith in his righteousness, and a faith to follow him into his death, his burial, and where he cuts off that sinful nature and he raises us up into a new life. If that has not happened in your life, you are not saved.

You are just believing in the Gnosticistic view of salvation that, oh, I think I saw Jesus in a cloud. That's not enough. Oh, I had a moment where the minister moved me to tears. That's not enough.

Grace, faith, baptism. Say it with me. Work together as one. Grace, faith, baptism.

Work together as one. Please, if you do not know the good news of Jesus Christ and the hope that we have, anyone in this room can help you. Ask them, will you share the gospel with me? Help me to hear God's voice.

Amen. And to that end, I leave you until we return. We love you. I love this church.

I am honored to be a part of it as a family member. I went five minutes over. I'm sorry. And I will be quiet and pray.

I care about your time. I do. There's no football today, but... Let's pray.

God in heaven, I am begging you. I beg you in the name, the mighty name of Jesus Christ. God, I raise my hand, God, in humiliation because, Lord, there are things in my life that I do love more than you at times. And I reject and I renounce them because, Jesus, you must be first.

I want you to be first. God, I want to be crucified with you to this world. I want to be raised with you, not only as you did when I was baptized into your son, but to be raised in glorification one day to be with you in heaven. I long to see the throne of our king, and I know that my brothers and sisters feel the same, but I pray that this incredible book will transform us from being church-going folk to people who live under the supremacy of Christ our King.

I pray that in everything we give and do will be because of the supremacy of Christ our King. I pray that as we study this book, and there are challenging things within this book, it will be because of the supremacy of Christ our King. Please, God, protect, move your church, your people. These are your children.

And I am a part of that. And I beg you that we will love you more than any treasure this world may throw at us because of the supremacy of Christ, our King. We pray this humbly in His mighty name in the church set. Amen.

We have announcements? More? More?

Notes — to be filled in after listening

[After listening to Frank's Week 1 sermon, capture here:]

Series context (from series_packet.md)

Eric's sermon (Week 2) will land here next week as 02_eric_col_1_9-14.md per the project pattern.