Text: Colossians 1:15-20
I am honored and humbled to be asked to share with this group. What an incredible blessing to be a part of this event.
I want to share something with us today that is not new, but it should never become old. It is a profound truth that has a very important principle in the middle of it.
Opener
One of my friends was telling me about their friend. A young woman. As he described her he began to tell me how she is a woman that runs from relationship to relationship. He said she just keeps giving herself to bad relationships over and over. She just goes from one to another and then from that one to another one.
As I reflected on that, something hit me. There is always a problem when we are running ‘from’ versus running ‘to.’ Sure, when we run from something, we inevitably go to something, but the question is, “what is the driving motivation?” ‘From’ is about the ugliness or awfulness of the current thing versus ‘to’ is about the beauty and awesomeness of the other thing. The problem with ‘from’ is there is no guarantee you take a step up. You just might get away from one issue and go to another. But ‘to’ means you are moving forward.
You know this: you ran from a job, a boss, a house, a drug, a relationship - but there was a not a better ‘to’ - so you just stayed at a place where you just keep doing ‘from’ over and over again.
Key Thought
The power is in the ‘to,’ not the ‘from.’
Here is the reality. We have to acknowledge the truth about false gods: they seduce us into stuff. These false kings that never work; they get you believing promises that they are never going to give you. Truth be told, they crop out the disaster of where you are headed. (need to explain crop)
You end up with this taken from you, you feel like a failure, you have regrets, shame, fears, and insecurities that flow from this these kings, idols. We can all list things in our contexts that promise fulfillment and they may for a season, but it eventually runs out.
I want to share something with us today that is not new, but it should never become old. It is a profound truth that has a very important principle in the middle of it.
Opener
One of my friends was telling me about their friend. A young woman. As he described her he began to tell me how she is a woman that runs from relationship to relationship. He said she just keeps giving herself to bad relationships over and over. She just goes from one to another and then from that one to another one.
As I reflected on that, something hit me. There is always a problem when we are running ‘from’ versus running ‘to.’ Sure, when we run from something, we inevitably go to something, but the question is, “what is the driving motivation?” ‘From’ is about the ugliness or awfulness of the current thing versus ‘to’ is about the beauty and awesomeness of the other thing. The problem with ‘from’ is there is no guarantee you take a step up. You just might get away from one issue and go to another. But ‘to’ means you are moving forward.
You know this: you ran from a job, a boss, a house, a drug, a relationship - but there was a not a better ‘to’ - so you just stayed at a place where you just keep doing ‘from’ over and over again.
Key Thought
The power is in the ‘to,’ not the ‘from.’
Here is the reality. We have to acknowledge the truth about false gods: they seduce us into stuff. These false kings that never work; they get you believing promises that they are never going to give you. Truth be told, they crop out the disaster of where you are headed. (need to explain crop)
You end up with this taken from you, you feel like a failure, you have regrets, shame, fears, and insecurities that flow from this these kings, idols. We can all list things in our contexts that promise fulfillment and they may for a season, but it eventually runs out.
- Stop running from the other kings and start running to THE King.
- the issue though, is that we keep hearing about how bad that stuff is - we get tempted and although we might run from that thing we just try and another - because we have not clearly communicated how good moving to Jesus is.
- when you see how good He is - you want that as your satisfaction and everything else looks silly - and even if you go back to it - you know it is foolish
Text
Colossians 1:15-20
The Supremacy of the Son of God
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
He is That Good
There is no king that even compares to Jesus. -He is God (the image of God)
- He is over all creation (He rules creation)
- He holds everything together (creator)
- He is the head of the church
- He is victorious over death (firstborn from the dead)
- He sought you through the cross (reconciler of all things)
- Jesus is King and you want Him to be.
- so get this: Jesus reigns regardless if we recognize this or not
- whether you believe it or not - he reigns and he is all the things that this passage says.
- if he does not (reign)- what do we have left? - you can’t do it; no one can do what he does
- do you want humanity to be god, do you want you to be god, do you want talent, treasures, and triumphs of good work to determine your life?
- is it just about rush to rush to rush - what hope do we really have for big?
‘To’ Jesus 
1. the thing you need most is provided
Quit putting down other kings and begin propping up Jesus.
1. the thing you need most is provided
- in King Jesus we are offered many things
- hope, purpose, direction, an example, a better life, peace, forgiveness, everlasting life
- but above all that - he offers all of this in the thing you need more than anything
- a right relationship with him - a reconnection back to what God wanted and intended
- a place where you get to feel his love - power - something that provides hope for this life and the life to come
- Illustration: in every part of the world - there are moments where we believe if we just ‘got this’...life would just be better...it may have been that shirt, or that computer, or that watch or even that ministry tool, but in the end - what we pursue we do not need - it does not solve the longings of our soul
- the promotion is great - but the value we long to feel is not met
- the relationship is awesome - but we need a something with an intimacy that says I will love you at your worst and never leave you
- the new shiny stuff is good - but we need something that will fill that sense of longing, something lasting, even eternal
- you need a king that shows you how valuable you really are, a king that knows all and says “bring it on,” a king that says I am the same yesterday, today and forever, the one who is the alpha and omega
- you chase those kings the world says to chase - they leave you broken and hurt and in regret
- Jesus meets you in your brokenness and puts you back together
- and in this relationship - everything you want, you need and even what you do not know you need, is filled
- Illustration: it’s like doing a puzzle - you keep trying to find the piece to make it all come together - so often you go back to one that looks the part and you try to force it and sometimes you try it over and over - but it is not the one you need - then you find it; the right piece - the whole puzzle comes together - but without that piece - it is off - it is incomplete
- Jesus is that piece - He is the King - the only King that says everything you need is found in me - no name can solve this but Jesus
- this passage tells us that Jesus is God
- He is the creator and sustainer of all things - all things!
- He is the one who overcame death and provides life
- in Him - he begins to give you a kind of life you did not even know was possible
- you begin to see and say things and do things you didn’t even know were possible for you - stuff that you are like, “where did that come from?”
- llustration: I had a coach who used to say - it is my job to pull out of you ability and skill that you did not even know what is in there - when I drive you, push you, run you, sit you, coach you - I am trying to get at what you do not even know is in there - I remember this one big guy on our team - he started doing things defensively - and one day he said out loud - I cannot believe this was in me!
- you look at yourself and you say I wish I could be more forgiving, more patient, have more self-control, not worry so much, have a personal security in how I was made, be bold to talk about my faith, say no to my friends, so yes to other priorities
- Jesus says I am truth, I am life - and suddenly real life begins to emerge out of you; stuff you did not even know was in you - it happens as you focus on Jesus
- story: I went to the calling hours of couple in our church and the woman had lost her dad, as I talked to them and her mom - she said in the middle of this - I have said and done things I never thought I would do and that came as I focused on Jesus
- the text tells us He is before all things - He is eternal
- one of my least favorite parts about iPhone and iPads and my computer is the whole update thing - there is a new version of an app or whatever - I always think just give me one that works as well as it needs to and will ever need to.
- there is no need to get a new king or try and upgrade with Jesus
- what he does is timeless, what he offers is timeless
- there is nothing that will be created that will force him to change or make him out of date, there is no sin that will make his grace not enough
- you will always want more money, more power, more fame - you will never be able to be good enough or crack the code on earning faith – you do not need to.
Quit putting down other kings and begin propping up Jesus.
When the iPod launched in October of 2001, Apple had a very effective marketing strategy. They did not spend time telling you that your portable CD player or that other mp3 players were dumb. They said here is the thing that is awesome. Their line was “1000 songs in your pocket.” It was not, “we have 1000 and your cd player only has 14,” or “your mp3 player is lame and not as cool as this and cannot hold the same number.” They said, “Look how awesome the iPod is.”
Let’s make a decision individually and corporately to not take shots at other people’s beliefs loudly and inappropriately and to pound our chest about how we are right and they are wrong, but let’s shine bright (like a diamond). Let’s live in a way that they ask what is making us shine. What is our source? Let’s adorn Jesus well. Let’s show them our savior who came. Let’s present his grace, his forgiveness, his hope, his mercy, his care, his value, his character. Show the world how amazing this King is, so they find themselves saying, “Why would I want to choose another king?” “Of course, I would not run from anything, because I am running TO that.”
Let’s make a decision individually and corporately to not take shots at other people’s beliefs loudly and inappropriately and to pound our chest about how we are right and they are wrong, but let’s shine bright (like a diamond). Let’s live in a way that they ask what is making us shine. What is our source? Let’s adorn Jesus well. Let’s show them our savior who came. Let’s present his grace, his forgiveness, his hope, his mercy, his care, his value, his character. Show the world how amazing this King is, so they find themselves saying, “Why would I want to choose another king?” “Of course, I would not run from anything, because I am running TO that.”
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