Jesus Holds the Chief Place: Five Areas Where Christ Comes First
Dr RJ Sing, 55 min
Originally preached as “Undated Message (Recording 2)”
Short edits of this message: First in Rank, Not One Among Many: Christ Over Every Sphere, Legal Entry Into the Kingdom: Why Jesus Alone Is the Door
Sermon outline
Christ has preeminence, first rank and influence, in every sphere, and when you keep your mind set on Him you are seated with Him and cannot ultimately fail.
Main text
- Colossians 1:18
Opening
He prays for manna from heaven and a receptive heart, greets those sharing his birthday, and thanks Pastor Ricardo's group for leaving Newcastle at 2 a.m. to be there. He takes his text from the Faith Chronicle devotional for 3 May, 'Jesus, the Head of the Body', and says he will speak on the preeminence of Christ in no more than 25 minutes.
What preeminence means: Jesus is the door and holds the chief place
Jesus is the firstborn from the dead and the door, the only legal entry into the kingdom of God, just as natural birth is the legal entry to the earth. Preeminence means first in rank and influence, not one among many, and the first type or model of something. The Amplified says He occupies the chief place.
Illustration: Car makers build a prototype and test every car on the production line against it. Jesus is the church's first original design.
“Jesus holds the chief place.”
- Colossians 1:18
- Romans 8:29
- Revelation 1:5
- John 10:9
- John 14:6
1. Preeminent in universal government
He gives four points under this heading. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, the agent of creation, the sustainer of all things who existed before all things, and the head of the church. When the natural reaches its limit, such as an incurable diagnosis, you switch to the invisible God for a visible result.
Illustration: Of everyone who could have been born when you were conceived, you were the one: you are not a mistake.
“You are a word from God.”
- Colossians 1:15
- Colossians 1:16
- Colossians 1:17
- Colossians 1:18
2. Preeminent in reconciliation
Through His death Christ reconciled you, once alienated and hostile, to present you holy and faultless before the Father. God will deal with your mistakes, but they do not separate you from Him. Christ also lives in you as the hope of glory.
Illustration: A naughty child does not lose the family surname.
“Your mistakes don't separate you from God. You're God's child, period.”
- Colossians 1:21-22
- Colossians 1:27
3. Preeminent in wisdom and knowledge
Christ is the source of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and God can speak to you through dreams, visions, the Word and words of knowledge. Do not let anyone carry you off as a captive through empty philosophy. Enjoy material things, but never forget that the material comes from the spiritual.
Illustration: Being 'carried off as spoil' is like being abducted or kidnapped: unlawful and against your will.
“God's goodness gives you what you have.”
- Colossians 2:2-3
- Colossians 2:8
- 1 Corinthians 15:10
4. Preeminent in religious observance
We are alive with the zoe life, the God kind of life, because of Christ. Coming to church, taking communion, worshipping and bringing tithes and offerings are how we express thanks and love to Him.
“How do I repay him? I repay him in my religious observance.”
5. Preeminent in Christian living
Christ is the source of our new life, so set your mind on things above and keep it set. You are raised and seated with Him in heavenly places so that you may reign in life; you can only sink, like Peter, when you take your eyes off Him. Your marriage, home and work all come under His preeminence.
“You cannot fail because he's in charge.”
- Colossians 3:1-4
- Matthew 14:28-31
- Ephesians 1:19-20
- Ephesians 2:6
- Romans 5:17
- 2 Corinthians 8:9
The end of chipboard mentality
You can have money and still have a poverty mentality, and God changes it progressively through the Word. He tells how he first resisted the prosperity message, then learnt to trust God step by step. He prophesies the end of poverty, second-rate and chipboard mentality over the church, and closes with Psalm 115:16: heaven is the Lord's, but He puts us in charge of the earth.
Illustration: A patched VW Beetle on the roadside reminded him of the one he bought in Hillcrest at night, with a hole in the floor where he could see the potholes. He pasted a Reader's Digest picture of a BMW on his car window and by his desk, drove a second-hand one three years later, and when first married bought chipboard furniture against his wife's advice that fell apart within a year. Later God told him to trust Him for a brand new car.
“This is the end of a poverty mentality.”
- Psalm 115:16
Putting it into practice
- Settle it that Jesus loves you, whatever your circumstances.
- Give Christ first place in every area: government, salvation, knowledge, worship and daily living.
- Keep your mind set on things above, not on the boisterous waves.
- Replace a poverty or second-hand mentality with the Word, one step at a time.
- Read the monthly Faith Chronicle and follow along with the church.
Closing
He pronounces a priestly blessing over those who have sown tithes, offerings, first fruits and birthday gifts: a thousandfold increase, promotion, jobs for the unemployed and every curse broken. He tells of a woman in Pastor Ricardo's church, unemployed when he prophesied over her, who has since flown to China for a job, and prophesies 7,000 people coming into the church and millionaires rising in it.
Declarations he led
- Nice to see you in the house of the Lord.
- Jesus loves you.
- Preeminence.
- It's over.
- Nothing can stop you.
- This is the beginning.
In his words
- “Some of us came from a religion where we never felt the love of God.”
- “Your circumstances have got nothing to do about the love of God that he has given you.”
- “The material comes from the spiritual.”
- “I found rich people having a bankrupt mind simply because they have a poverty mentality.”
- “Never buy a car at night.”
Every scripture in this message
- James 1:21
- Colossians 1:18
- Romans 8:29
- Revelation 1:5
- John 10:9
- John 14:6
- Colossians 1:15
- Colossians 1:16
- Colossians 1:17
- Colossians 1:21-22
- Colossians 1:27
- Colossians 2:2-3
- Colossians 2:8
- 1 Corinthians 15:10
- Colossians 3:1-4
- Matthew 14:28-31
- Ephesians 1:19-20
- Ephesians 2:6
- Romans 5:17
- 2 Corinthians 8:9
- Psalm 115:16
- Romans 8:37
- Matthew 20:16