Christ the Prototype: Five Places Where Jesus Holds First Place
Dr RJ Sing, 28 min
Originally preached as “Christ’s Preeminence: Unlocking Your Spiritual Authority”
Sermon outline
Christ is first in rank and influence in all things, and because we are made in His image, whatever authority He has, we have: as He is, so are we in this world.
Main text
- Colossians 1:18
Opening
He prays for the anointing on both the first and second services, that power and resurrection life would go forth. He reads Colossians 1:18 and asks the people to underline or circle the word preeminence in their devotional, then reads the rest of the devotional as a foundation before defining the word.
Jesus is the head, the firstborn and the door
Christ is the head of the church and the beginning of all things, not one prophet or deity among many. He is the firstborn among many brethren and the prince of the kings of the earth, who loved us and washed us from our sins with His blood. Just as physical birth is the legal entry into the earth, the new birth through Jesus is the legal entry into the kingdom, and there is no other way in.
Illustration: Challenges come at every level: to one person R100 is a challenge, to another R10,000, to another a million rand.
“Just as physical birth is the legal entry into the earth, spiritual birth through Jesus Christ is the legal entry into heaven.”
- Colossians 1:18
- Romans 8:29
- Revelation 1:5
- John 10:9
- John 3:3
- Colossians 1:9
Be kingdom minded, not religious
Religious people often dislike the kingdom message because it is provocative and pushes you to change: you are either in the kingdom or merely religious. God wants you to think, act and change circumstances like Him whatever your challenges. Through Christ we wage a good warfare, going from level to level and growing into His full stature.
“Either we're in the kingdom or we're out the kingdom.”
- 1 Timothy 1:18
- Ephesians 4:13
What preeminence means
Preeminence comes from a Greek word meaning first in rank and influence, and from protos, foremost in time, order and importance: the first of its kind, the prototype. Everything revolves around Christ; there is no other Messiah. Because we are made in His image, the influence and authority He has are ours, and the storms He overcame we can overcome.
Illustration: Car manufacturers build a prototype, and every car on the production line is inspected against the original; anything that deviates is rejected.
“No matter what you're encountering in life, Christ is the number one.”
- Ephesians 4:5
- 1 John 4:17
1. Preeminence in the universal government
God is invisible, yet behind every visible government, army, nuclear arsenal and monetary system, Christ holds universal influence. Nobody rises to power unless He decides it, and the earth, sun, moon and stars are held in place by Him. Brought down to a practical level, nothing can just happen to you.
Illustration: Films about a star falling and destroying the earth will not come true, because Christ still holds everything together.
“Not even the devil can touch you. Because he's still preeminent.”
- John 4:24
2. Preeminence in reconciliation
When God calls one person, His promise reaches their whole family, and the devil cannot stop it. God watches over His word to perform it, and every word He speaks carries power.
Illustration: Paul, a prisoner on a ship about to be wrecked, told the captain that an angel had promised none would die. The ship broke up, all reached shore, and even a snake bite could not kill Paul.
“His word will hold your life together.”
- Jeremiah 1:12
- Psalm 107:20
- Acts 27:23-24
- Acts 28:3
3. Preeminence in wisdom and knowledge
Scientific knowledge is good, but there is wisdom far beyond it, and it is found in Christ, the original Creator. Believers can draw on that wisdom by the Spirit and by hunger for God, so He guides everyday decisions about what to buy and whom to trust.
Illustration: Where you decide to go left, He says go right; where you decide to trust a person, He says don't.
“We draw constantly on the wisdom of Christ.”
- Romans 8:14
4. Preeminence in religious observance
Believers must not get caught up in ritual, a form of godliness that denies the power. Instead we depend on the power of Christ, who remains preeminent over sickness, financial problems, marriages and relationships.
Illustration: When the doctor says there is no way out, Christ is still preeminent over that sickness.
“Christ is still preeminent in sickness.”
- 2 Timothy 3:5
5. Preeminence in Christian living
When you ask how you can ever overcome, the answer is that Christ is still preeminent in your daily Christian life. The edit ends as he begins this point.
“Christ is still preeminent.”
Putting it into practice
- Make sure you are born again, the only legal entry into the kingdom.
- Choose to be kingdom minded rather than religious.
- Measure every challenge against the fact that Christ is number one.
- Draw on Christ's wisdom for everyday decisions.
- Get the recording of the second service for the full teaching.
Closing
He says he is only giving an overview because time is short and that the second service will cover the detail, urging people to get the DVD or CD. The edit ends as he starts his fifth point, Christian living, asking 'Lord, how can I ever overcome?'
Declarations he led
- You are the king of the earth.
- You've got to be born again.
In his words
- “The kingdom of God is a very provocative message.”
- “Just as physical birth is the legal entry into the earth, spiritual birth through Jesus Christ is the legal entry into heaven.”
- “If you understand that Christ is number one. He is the first order in things. He is the prototype.”
- “The same authority he has is the same authority we have.”
- “His word will hold your life together.”
Every scripture in this message
- Colossians 1:18
- Romans 8:29
- Revelation 1:5
- John 10:9
- 1 Timothy 1:18
- Ephesians 4:13
- John 3:3
- Colossians 1:9
- Ephesians 4:5
- 1 John 4:17
- John 4:24
- Jeremiah 1:12
- Psalm 107:20
- Acts 27:23-24
- Acts 28:3
- Romans 8:14
- 2 Timothy 3:5