This sermon was preached at Christ Covenant Church, Oct. 31, 2010
“That in all things [Christ] might have the preeminence.” – Col. 1:18b
We are concluding our short series on ‘Building A Biblical Worldview” this morning. And as we do, I want to bring this series of messages to a climax, a culmination today. And in spite the danger of being repetitious, I do want to once more summarize our last few messages in building a Biblical worldview.
Our first message emphasized the need to use God’s Word as our rule and guide, as it informs us as to the perfect will of God, and is sufficient for our faith and practice. Remember, it is our ‘lens’ to bring light and clarity to the believer that he might think, act and speak only those things approved of by our Lord.
Secondly, we consider the framework of the family. We mentioned the family as not only one of the ‘walls’ under the authority of God, but as the principle foundation upon which God is pleased to deal with mankind through. From the beginning, the family has been the building block of society. So each person, husband, wife, father, mother, and children all have roles and responsibilities to fulfill in God’s purposes and plans.
Third, we looked at the function, nature and commission of the church of the Lord Jesus. In the Great Commission we saw that the Church is called to evangelize, baptize and disciple. Oddly enough, in that order. The Church is to preach the Gospel, bring people to repentance and faith, baptize them, or more broadly, bring the worship of God to them, and finally begin the lifelong process of discipling them in the things of God. This is the church’s calling.
And finally, last week we examined the Scriptures to find that Christians do have a place in the civil realm, promoting righteousness and engaging the prevailing culture for Christ. But we also noted those in places of authority in the civil realm have responsibilities to us for good – good defined by God. They are to promote God’s standard of righteousness, and promote the general welfare of the citizenry by implimenting Biblical principles in the laws of our land.
In our text today, the Word tells us in all things [Christ] is to have preeminence. So let me ask, what does that mean? What does it mean for Jesus Christ to have preeminence in all things? Preeminence in the Greek is the word “proteus” meaning ‘to have first place, priority, to be before all else’. And again we’ve already considered in earlier messages how Christ is to have preeminence in or marriage, in our church, and in society and how this is vital to a Biblical Worldview. And all that is important.
But what I want to discuss today is the fact that a Biblical Worldview doesn’t start from outside us. It doesn’t start in the abstract. It isn’t simply a set of good ideas or morals we are to follow. It doesn’t begin with implementing Biblical principles in our homes, in our marriages, in our church or in our civil government. The conquering work of God over all things doesn’t begin outside ourselves. In fact, it begins in us. Before God can use us to conquer the world, He must first conquer us. If we truly believe Christ is to have preeminence in all things, the ‘all things’ mentioned in the Bible includes our heart, our lives being surrended unto the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Before God takes dominion over outer space, He first takes dominion over inner space. Before we are in a position to be used of the Lord to spread His Word, live out His Gospel, and take the power, authority, and message of salvation to a lost and dying world, we first must be reborn unto life in Christ Jesus. We must first come out from among the spiritually dead ourselves, raised in newness of life, and reborn by the power of the Word and Spirit. Eph. 4:22-24 tells us; “put off concerning the former conversation [life] of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Before any great reformation of the family, church or state occurs, God takes hold of a people,and brings reformation to their souls. He has called us as followers of Christ to a reformation of our heart, mind and soul. In other words dear friends, God deals with you and with me, transforming us from objects of wrath into objects of grace; from people of darkness into a people of the glorious light and illumination of the Holy Spirit first. He places the preeminence of Christ before us first before He calls us to take it unto the world. So that in a very real sense, the fundamental work of creating a Biblical Worldview begins and ends with the life-changing work of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, first in us, and then through us in the world.
Not only is the preeminence of Christ in the life of the believer preferable, it is essential. If we are not dealing seriously with the sin in our own lives, if we are not praying for God to bring to our hearts and minds the reality of the depth of our own depravity, the need for the confession and repentance of sin in our own lives, and the glorious truth of God’s forgiveness for sin within us; we are not prepared to take that worldview out and share it with others. We will have no desire, we will not be motivated to do so. Until the grace of God has pierced your own heart, brought you to the the foot of the Cross, and to see Jesus as the only hope you have to be cleansed from sins dark stain, until you have come to that place, you aren’t going to see the need to carry it to others.
Turn with me to Romans 6:22-23. In Christ there is freedom from sin. Freedom from it’s guilt. Sin condemns. It stifles the work of God through Christ. But beloved, if you have repented of your sin, if the conquering work of the Holy Spirit has brought salvation to your soul, Paul tells us here in Romans, you have become a servant of God, you have been called to holiness of life and to everlasting life.
He goes on to warn that the price of our sin, the wages of our sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life. God brings the preeminence of Christ to His people so that they in turn, can apply His preeminence into every aspect of their life. Christ must conquer the sin of our heart, before He can work out our salvation and His preeminence in His Lordship over every inch of our lives.
Again, we are concluding our series on Building a Biblical Worldview. And in doing so, I want to convey the idea that it is not sufficient to have our families in order. It is not sufficient to simply have our church in order. It is not sufficient to have our society running along in some kind of moral righteousness. Those are all good things, and they are important. But if these outer works of righteousness are not rooted and grounded in inner work of the Holy Spirit of God applying the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to us, then the source of the reformation of our marriage, our church, or our society has not begun with God. It has a false foundation and will eventually crumble under it’s own weight.
The history of man is not without stories and accomplishments of man in building moral and ordered societies. We could menton the Babylonians, the Greeks or the Romans. But even the greatest of these are but a fleeting thing. Only the works of almighty God will prevail, and the Bible tells us that one day the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is Reformation Day. We want to recognize the great men, and their works that have gone before us reforming the church, and doing many good things in the name of God. Yet, we have gathered in this place to celebrate the Greatest Reformer of all; the Lord Jesus Christ. His reformation begins when He takes our sin stained hearts of stone and turns them into pure hearts of flesh. Jesus reforms our lives through bringing a spirit of repentance into our lives, converting our souls and turning us with the gift of faith towards Him. Jesus is our Great Reformer.
But my question for you today is, Is Jesus your Great Reformer? Have you know the power of this Reformer to transform you? Apart from Him there will be no Biblical Worldview, no applying the Word in your home, no applying the Word in your church. and certainly no application of the Word in our culture around us. If you have not know deliverance from sin, if you are convicted by God over the condition of your soul, and are seeking refuge for your spirit, come to Christ. He beckons you, to repent and believe on Him today.
He alone can make you free from sin. He alone can make you a servant in the household of God, and bring forth the fruits of holiness in you, and in everlasting life. Are you hungry and thirsty for righteousness, God’s righteousness? Turn to Christ. The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Jesus Christ is to have preeminence in all things. All things in us, you and me. Does Christ have preeminence in you? If so, He is your Great Reformer. If not, turn to Him today that He might have preeminence in you and in all things. Amen.
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